Hunwick files for arbitration. (Zajac and Smaby too)

The Bruins need to have Matt Hunwick and Phil Kessel signed and in their lineup for the next season. First off this is a good sign for Matt Hunwick. Also, former Sioux hockey playersTravis Zajac (New Jersey) and Matt Smaby (Tampa Bay)filed for arbitration as well.

As expected, Matt Hunwick filed for arbitration by today's 5 p.m. deadline. Hunwick was one of 20 restricted free agents to file for arbitration. Hunwick is expected to come to an agreement prior to his hearing.

"Still negotiating with B's," agent Peter Fish wrote in an e-mail to colleague Kevin Dupont. "It will work out."

Hearings will take place in Toronto from July 20 to Aug. 4. Players who have filed for arbitration are not eligible to sign offer sheets. The deadline for club-elected arbitration is tomorrow at 5 p.m.

The other players to file:

James Wisniewski
Colby Armstrong
Clarke MacArthur
Tuomo Ruutu
Aaron Johnson
Marc Methot
Jiri Hudler
Denis Grebeshkov
Kyle Brodziak
Tomas Plekanec
Travis Zajac
Nate Thompson
Ryan Callahan
Nikolai Zherdev
Nigel Dawes
Daniel Winnik
Matt Smaby
Kyle Wellwood
Milan Jurcina
[Boston.com]

Here is what was on the Quick facts twitter.
QuickFacts: Mpls native D Matt Smaby of the Tampa Bay Lightning filed for salary arbitration. He made $825K in last yr of 3yr entry level deal in 08-09.

Sports Broadcaster job posted on UND web site.

As someone mentioned over on Sioux sports the UND hockey broadcaster position is open at the UND human resources site. I sure hope the University doesn't plan on replacing Tim Hennesy.

POSITION: Sports Broadcaster (20 hr/wk, TBA), #10-002

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 7/15/2009

COMPENSATION: $ 25,000
UND determines employment eligibility through the E-Verify system. Upon successful completion of the initial probation period, an employee may be eligible for a salary adjustment. Comprehensive fringe benefit package that includes full health insurance coverage for single or family plans, retirement plan and much more is provided. A complete summary of benefits for staff employees may be seen at:

DESCRIPTION OF POSITION:
Current UND employees may receive first consideration. To serve as play by play announcer for men’s ice hockey and other sports as assigned by Associate Athletic Director; To serve as host and emcee for various radio and television productions including but not limited to men’s hockey coach’s TV and radio show; emcee at various athletics functions; fill in as public address announcer; assist with press conferences and public relations; other duties as assigned by Associate Director of Athletics.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree or minimum of 5 years hockey play by play experience
Hockey play by play radio/TV broadcast experience
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Familiar with NCAA rules and regulations

Education of an A.D.: Alberts Is a Quick Study

[Props] Here is an interesting article that appeared in the New York Times on the UNO Mavericks. While I can't stand the New York Times political slant they do have decent college and professional hockey coverage and some really nice blog articles. I also think the Hockey blogger has a very cool name in Stu Hackel.

As a college hockey fan I have to say that I have been very impressed with the direction that Trev Alberts has taken the UNO hockey program since he was hired at UNO. First he hired former UND hockey coach Dean Blais, gained membership in the WCHA and hired a good assistant coach in Mike Hastings.

It is going to be interesting to see how the Mavericks do in their last season in the CCHA. I also wonder how long it will take before Dean Blais has the Mavericks challenging the elite teams in the WCHA for home ice playoff spot, MacNaughton Cup and or Broadmoor Trophy?

Facing a tight deadline, Alberts tapped boosters for nearly $400,000 so he could lure Dean Blais, a two-time national champion at North Dakota, to coach men’s hockey, Nebraska-Omaha’s only Division I program.

Alberts also leveraged financial concessions from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association as a condition of admitting the Mavericks. On a conference call announcing the acceptance of Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State late last month, Bruce McLeod, the conference commissioner, told Alberts, “Trev, you can be one tough guy to deal with, and I’ve got the scars to prove it.”

Alberts is trying to rework the hockey team’s lease at the Qwest Center downtown. The university pays rent and receives nothing from parking or concessions, Alberts said.

“He has been able to open doors I couldn’t get close to,” said Don Leahy, a former Nebraska-Omaha athletic director whom Alberts brought back as a part-time associate athletic director. [New York Times]

Kessel not going any where yet.

Happy 4th of July to everyone. Also, props to Richard of the Illegal Curve. Kessel is not being traded to Toronto yet! The rumor deal is off the table right now.

Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke is not about to book Phil Kessel a flight to Toronto.

Burke reported yesterday that a deal between the Leafs and the Boston Bruins, which would have seen Toronto defenceman Tomas Kaberle head to Boston for the high-scoring Kessel, is not on the table anymore, at least not at this point.

In fact, Burke added that interest in Kaberle's services, once very high, has cooled down.

Kessel, 21, is a restricted free agent, meaning that the Bruins can match any offer sheet he receives from other NHL clubs, and reportedly is looking for something in the neighbourhood of $5 million US. The Bruins, however, quickly are running out of cap space and probably would have to deal some players to keep him. If not, a trade with the Leafs may again become a possibility.

Kessel, a native of Madison, Wis., led all Bruins with 36 goals last season (the only Beantowner to score more than 30) and added 11 points in 11 playoff games. Kessel has been criticized for his defensive game, but was plus-23 under head coach Claude Julien.

The deal between the Leafs and Bruins fell apart over a miscommunication, that is, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli thought that Toronto's first-round pick in the 2009 draft (seventh overall) was part of the swap. Burke said it never was. [Sun Media]

Ryan Hill press release.

I found this article while reading the World of Junior Hockey. The thing that stuck out from the article was Michael Forney being committed to the Sioux. As of right now we have yet to get an official confirmation that Michael Forney is in fact coming back to UND. I would imagine we will find out pretty soon.

Ryan Hill Commits to University of North Dakota The Sioux Falls Stampede announced today that defenseman Ryan Hill has committed to the University of North Dakota for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. He becomes the 15th player on the 2008-09 squad to commit to a Division I school.

Hill was acquired by the Stampede in trade with Waterloo in early January and went on to post three assists in 29 games while helping anchor the Stampede blueline. The Hermantown, Minnesota native recorded a total of six assists in 51 USHL games last season. Prior to playing for the Stampede and Waterloo, Hill spent the majority of the 2006-07 season with the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets.

"We're ecstatic," said head coach Kevin Hartzell. "Ryan paid his dues more then most and we're excited he found a great home."

The Fighting Sioux went 24-15-4 en route to their WCHA-leading 14th league championship in 2008-09. The Sioux also advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight season under head coach Dave Hakstol, who also took home WCHA Coach of the Year honors. The Fighting Sioux have advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four in four of Hakstol's five seasons behind the bench. He began his career as the head coach of the Sioux City Musketeers (1997-2000).

A total of eight players who spent the 2008-09 season in the USHL have committed to the University of North Dakota; Brett Bruneteau (Des Moines), Mike Fink (Des Moines), Joe Gleason (Des Moines), Matt White (Des Moines), Michael Forney (Green Bay), Mike Cichy (Indiana), Danny Kristo (Omaha), and Ryan Hill (Sioux Falls).

The Fighting Sioux had 11 former USHL players on their roster during the 2008-09 season; Joe Finley (Sioux Falls), Derrick LaPoint (Green Bay), Mario Lamoureux (Tri-City), Brad Miller (Green Bay), Jason Gregoire (Lincoln), Brad Malone (Sioux Falls), Ben Blood (Indiana/Des Moines), Jake Marto (Omaha), Evan Trupp (Des Moines), Chris Vande Velde (Lincoln), and Aaron Walski (Lincoln).

The USHL celebrated its 30th season of junior hockey in 2008-09. With nearly 180 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 17 NHL Draft picks that played in the league this season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.ushl.com.

Avs fan say good bye to Tyler Arnason.

Sounds like Avs fans are ecstatic to get rid of former SCSU Husky Tyler Arnason. The Comments on this subject are comical and worth the read. I first saw Tyler Arnason play for the Ice Sharks of the USHL in 1997-1998 and my first impression of Arnason was that he was lazy, a weak player that shied away from contact in the corners. The fact that he has made it this long in the NHL puzzles me.

Relief is finally here, Avs fans. No more startling, sweat-soaked leaps from the pillow at 3 a.m., following visions of Tyler Arnason playing for your team.
No longer will you have to pound the table after seeing Arnie get the puck taken off his stick, then watching him casually skate back to the bench with that “who cares?” look on his face.

No longer will you have to pull your hair after seeing Arnie misfire on another shot, or have it easily blocked and taken the other way, Arnie a full three strides behind in pursuit.

No longer will you have to look at an Avalanche payroll list and see Arnie making more money than guys like Lappy. No longer will you have to see Arnie shy away from making any contact with an opponent, which if he’d done so might have resulted in the Avalanche having the puck.

It’s all over. Arnie is, appropriately enough, a New York Ranger - the team that never saw an over-the-hill, overpaid Avs player they didn’t like.

Bon voyage, Arnie.

Or should it be: bon bon voyage? [All things Avs]

Kyle Keslo on Ryan Hill.

Here is what Kyle Kosior from the IllegalCurve had to say about the new Sioux defenseman Ryan Hill. That is the kind of defenseman I like to see playing for UND.

The Fighting Sioux have picked up USHL journeyman Ryan Hill, who skated last winter with Waterloo and Sioux Falls. An actual defensive defensive that will help the Sioux. Nothing flashy, but not very fun to play against.

College hockey: NCAA wants crackdown on late contact, facewashing, obstruction

This is really good news for college hockey fans. I guess I should read my home town newspaper that comes to my house more often. I have to admit that most of my reading is of Brad Schlossman’s blog and or his hockey articles and that's it, the other stuff in the Grand Forks Herald is basically page filler and worthy of bird cage lining. Today, As I was checking out the Grand Forks Herald website for information on UND's newest defensive recruit Ryan Hill, I found this information of the impending changes that is music to my ears. The NCAA wants to eliminate the bush league face wash. I applaud this action and I think it's a very good rule for college hockey; I am sick and tired of seeing players give each other face washes especially after the whistle. I would like to see the NHL do this as well.

Brad Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald: The NCAA wants referees to clean up the after-the-whistle shenanigans in college hockey.

The Rules Committee announced its points of emphasis for the 2009-10 season on Thursday, and at the top of the list was eliminating both contact after the whistle and facewashing, the act of sticking a glove in an opponent’s face.

Facewashing is a common form of retaliation that doesn’t draw penalties.

Hockey gloves, covered in perspiration, tend to smell awful. So players will skate up to an opponent, stick their palm in his face and let him take a whiff of the stench.

The Rules Committee, however, views this as a violation of the “grasping the facemask” rule. Planting an open hand in an opponents face should result in a minor penalty, it says.

Pushing the facemask or moving the hand back-and-forth on it should result in a major penalty, and twisting or pulling on the mask should be a game disqualification under the excessive roughness category.

“The committee believes altercations after the whistle are a growing and disturbing trend,” the NCAA said in a release. “Any contact to the head tends to escalate altercations. After reviewing numerous situations, the committee expressed its concern about student-athlete safety as well as the negative effect on the game’s image.”

I was wondering how long it would take to get to this discussion came up? The subject of obstruction on the puck carrier has come up again this summer and the NCAA rules committee has said that it would like to have the puck carrier protected, “the expectation of overall enforcement is higher.” Yeah, I hope that the WCHA officials can figure it out this year and call the game the way it is supposed to be called. If you take your hand off of your stick to hold up the person with the puck it’s a penalty. If you slash, hook, hold interfere with the opposition moving the puck up ice it’s a penalty.

Protecting the puck carrier

Last year, the NCAA’s big mandate was to do a better job protecting the puck carrier.

This was an effort to increase scoring chances and the excitement of the game by letting skilled players proceed without being hooked or held.

Midway through the year, however, multiple Western Collegiate Hockey Association coaches said they felt that the referees had backed off on making those calls.

The NCAA again addressed that rule this summer.

“As all levels of NCAA ice hockey enter the second season with the two-referee system,” it writes, “the expectation of overall enforcement is higher.”

Boston Bruins salary break down.

The Boston Bruins Hockey Boston Globe beat writer Fluto Shinzawa has this over on his blog today. It would appear that the Bruins are going to have a tough time signing both former Michigan star Matt Hunwick former Gopher Phil Kessel. I suppose someone could be traded to make room for them. Personally if I was the general manager I would trade Marco Sturm and 3.5 million dollar salary for a draft pick or for a less expensive forward so the B's could free up some salary cap room. Sturm has never scored thirty goals in a season and Kessel had 36 this past season.

I also don't see a lot of teams offering Kessel more than the 3.75 that Krejci is making. I think the five million a year is a little unrealistic. Heck! Zach Parise is set to make 3 million dollars next season and he scored (45g-49a-94 points)last season. I just don't see the current market letting Kessel getting paid more than Zach Parise.

With Steve Begin, Mark Recchi, and Byron Bitz in the fold, the 2009-10 roster is rounding into form. Here's where the Bruins stand:

Forwards

Marc Savard, $5 million
Patrice Bergeron, $4.75 million
Michael Ryder, $4 million
David Krejci, $3.75 million
Marco Sturm, $3.5 million
Chuck Kobasew, $2,333,333 million
Glen Murray, $1,383,333 million (buyout)
Mark Recchi, $1 million
Blake Wheeler, $875,000
Milan Lucic, $850,000
Steve Begin, $850,000
Byron Bitz, $687,500
Peter Schaefer, $566,667 (buyout)
Shawn Thornton, $516,667

* Phil Kessel is a restricted free agent.

Defensemen

Zdeno Chara, $7.5 million
Dennis Wideman, $3.875 million
Aaron Ward, $2.5 million
Andrew Ference, $1.4 million
Mark Stuart, $1.3 million

* Matt Hunwick is a restricted free agent.

* Because Johnny Boychuk is considered a bubble player (similar to Vladimir Sobotka), he is not included in this model.

Goalies

Tim Thomas, $5 million
Tuukka Rask, $850,000

Current cap hit: $52,487,500.

ANALYSIS: The Bruins have $4,312,500 of cap space under the $56.8 million ceiling with Kessel and Hunwick yet to sign. Just about impossible to sign both unless movement of existing salaries takes place

Wild Sign Shane Hnidy.

From Wild Blogger Michael Russo's Twitter "Wild signs tough defenseman Shane Hnidy.

I think it is a good move, also, it would appear that he isn't going to cost the Wild very much. This is a pick up that I like and will help the Minnesota Wild, Hnidy is tough defenseman and he will stick up for team mates as Matt Niskanen found out.

The Wild has signed gritty defenseman Shane Hnidy to a one-year, $750,000 contract. He spent the last two years in Boston. In 477 NHL games, he has 14 goals, 57 points, is a plus-22 and 565 penalty minutes. [Russo's Rants]

Toews makes the team Canada Orientation Camp Roster.

Here is the roster for the team Canada orientation camp roster. Former Badger forward Danny Heatley and Former Sioux forward Jonathan Toews have made the roster.

Goaltenders

Martin Brodeur L/G 6'2" 210 05/06/72 Montreal, Que./QC New Jersey Devils (NHL)
Marc-André Fleury L/G 6'2" 180 11/28/84 Sorel, Que./QC Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Roberto Luongo L/G 6'3" 205 04/04/79 Montreal, Que./QC Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
Steve Mason R/D 6'4" 212 05/29/88 Oakville, Ont. Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Cam Ward L/G 6'1" 200 02/29/84 Sherwood Park, Alta./Alb. Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)

Defense

François Beauchemin L/G 6'0" 213 06/04/80 Sorel, Que./QC Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Jay Bouwmeester L/G 6'4" 218 09/27/83 Edmonton, Alta./Alb. Calgary Flames (NHL)
Dan Boyle R/D 5'11" 190 07/12/76 Ottawa, Ont. San Jose Sharks (NHL)
Brent Burns R/D 6'5" 219 03/09/85 Ajax, Ont. Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Drew Doughty R/D 6'1" 203 08/12/89 London, Ont. Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
Mike Green R/D 6'2" 208 10/12/85 Calgary, Alta./Alb. Washington Capitals (NHL)
Dan Hamhuis L/G 6'1" 203 12/13/82 Smithers, B.C./C.-B. Nashville Predators (NHL)
Duncan Keith L/G 6'1" 194 07/16/83 Penticton, B.C./C.-B. Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Scott Niedermayer L/G 6'1" 200 08/31/73 Cranbrook, B.C./C.-B. Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Dion Phaneuf L/G 6'3" 214 04/10/85 Edmonton, Alta./Alb. Calgary Flames (NHL)
Chris Pronger L/G 6'6" 213 10/10/74 Dryden, Ont. Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Robyn Regehr L/G 6'3" 225 04/19/80 Rosthern, Sask. Calgary Flames (NHL)
Stéphane Robidas R/D 5'11" 190 03/03/77 Sherbrooke, Que./QC Dallas Stars (NHL)
Brent Seabrook R/D 6'3" 220 04/20/85 Tsawwassen, B.C./C.-B. Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Marc Staal L/G 6'4" 202 01/13/87 Thunder Bay, Ont. New York Rangers (NHL)
Shea Weber R/D 6'4" 230 08/14/85 Sicamous, B.C./C.-B. Nashville Predators (NHL)

Forwards

Jeff Carter R/D 6'3" 200 01/01/85 London, Ont. Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Dan Cleary L/G 6'0" 210 12/18/78 Carbonear, Nfld/ T.-N.-L. Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
Sidney Crosby L/G 5'11" 200 08/07/87 Cole Harbour, N.S./N.-É. Pittsburgh (NHL)
Shane Doan R/D 6'1" 216 10/10/76 Halkirk, Alta./Alb. Phoenix Coyotes (NHL)
Simon Gagné L/G 6'0" 195 02/29/80 Ste-Foy, Que./QC Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Ryan Getzlaf R/D 6'4" 221 05/10/85 Regina, Sask. Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Dany Heatley L/G 6'3" 216 01/21/81 Calgary, Alta./Alb. Ottawa Senators (NHL)
Jarome Iginla R/D 6'1" 203 07/01/77 St. Albert, Alta./Alb. Calgary Flames (NHL)
Vincent Lecavalier L/G 6'4" 215 04/21/80 Ile-Bizard, Que./QC Tampa Bay (NHL)
Milan Lucic L/G 6'3" 228 06/07/88 Vancouver, B.C./C.-B. Boston Bruins (NHL)
Patrick Marleau L/G 6'2" 220 09//15/79 Aneroid, Sask. San Jose Sharks (NHL)
Andy McDonald L/G 5'11" 183 08/25/77 Strathroy, Ont. St. Louis Blues (NHL)
Brenden Morrow L/G 5'11" 205 01/16/79 Carlyle, Sask. Dallas Stars (NHL)
Rick Nash L/G 6'4" 218 06/16/84 Brampton, Ont. Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Corey Perry R/D 6'3" 209 03/16/85 Peterborough, Ont. Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Michael Richards L/G 5'11" 195 02/11/85 Kenora, Ont. Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Derek Roy L/G 5'9" 188 05/04/83 Rockland, Ont. Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
Joe Sakic L/G 5'11" 195 07/07/69 Burnaby, B.C./C.-B. Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
Patrick Sharp R/D 6'1" 197 12/27/81 Thunder Bay, Ont. Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Ryan Smyth L/G 6'1" 190 02/21/76 Banff, Alta./Alb. Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
Martin St. Louis L/G 5'9" 177 06/18/75 Laval, Que./QC Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Eric Staal L/G 6'4" 205 10/29/84 Thunder Bay, Ont. Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
Jordan Staal L/G 6'4" 215 09/10/88 Thunder Bay, Ont. Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Joe Thornton L/G 6'4" 235 07/02/79 St. Thomas, Ont. San Jose Sharks (NHL)
Jonathan Toews L/G 6'2" 209 04/29/88 Winnipeg, Man. Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

The Wild sign injury prone Czech

My head just about exploded when I saw this. Here is Martin Havlat's injury list.
So basically the the Wild traded an injury prone and soft Slovak for an injury prone Czech. Yikes.

13-Mar-09 Missed 1 game (lower body injury).
11-Mar-09 Lower body injury, day-to-day.
06-Apr-08 Missed the last 19 games of the regular season (left shoulder injury).
28-Feb-08 Left shoulder injury, day-to-day.
06-Jan-08 Missed 6 games (groin).
23-Dec-07 Groin, sidelined indefinitely.
28-Nov-07 Missed 22 games (shoulder injury).
17-Nov-07 Shoulder injury, day-to-day.
17-Oct-07 Shoulder injury, mid-November.
05-Oct-07 Shoulder injury, sidelined indefinitely.
09-Apr-07 Missed the last 3 games of the regular season (shoulder injury).
05-Apr-07 Shoulder injury, remainder of the regular season.
01-Mar-07 Missed 1 game (flu).
27-Feb-07 Flu, day-to-day.
13-Jan-07 Missed 3 games (groin).
05-Jan-07 Groin, day-to-day.
09-Dec-06 Missed 19 games (right ankle injury).
06-Dec-06 Right ankle injury, day-to-day.
21-Oct-06 Right ankle injury, early December.
20-Oct-06 Leg injury, left Friday's game.
15-Apr-06 Missed 58 games (shoulder surgery).
07-Dec-05 Shoulder surgery, mid-April.
29-Nov-05 Dislocated right shoulder, left Tuesday's game.
26-Nov-05 Missed 1 game (hamstring).
23-Nov-05 Hamstring, day-to-day.
22-Nov-05 Hamstring, left Tuesday's game.
03-Feb-04 Missed 2 games (groin).
29-Jan-04 Groin, day-to-day.
27-Nov-03 Missed 3 games (hamstring).
22-Nov-03 Hamstring, day-to-day.
11-Mar-03 Missed 2 games (groin).
05-Mar-03 Groin, day-to-day.
04-Mar-03 Groin, left Tuesday's game.
01-Mar-03 Missed 4 games (groin).
20-Feb-03 Groin, day-to-day.
27-Jan-03 Missed 2 games (elbow injury).
23-Jan-03 Elbow injury, day-to-day.
22-Jan-03 Missed 0 game (right arm injury).
21-Jan-03 Right arm injury, day-to-day.
20-Jan-03 Leg injury, left Monday's game.
14-Nov-02 Missed 6 games (groin).
08-Nov-02 Groin, mid-November.
29-Oct-02 Groin, day-to-day.
17-Apr-02 Missed the last 7 games of the regular season (groin).
30-Mar-02 Groin, day-to-day.
23-Mar-02 Missed 2 games (groin).
19-Mar-02 Groin, day-to-day.
06-Feb-02 Missed 1 game (groin).
01-Feb-02 Groin, day-to-day.
13-Apr-01 Missed the last game of the regular season (groin).
07-Apr-01 Groin, day-to-day.
01-Apr-01 Named NHL Rookie of the Month for March.
14-Dec-00 Missed 8 games (right shoulder injury).
25-Nov-00 Right shoulder injury, mid-December.

Gabby done in Minnesota. (Good Riddance)

The Maryann Gaborik era is over in Minnesota. The prima donna is on his way to New York to play for the New York Rangers. As a Wild fan I say, "good riddance, don't let the door hit you in the ass." Now the Rangers can put up with the glass groin and the multiple games missed due to various injuries.

As of this moment forward Wild fans also no longer have to put up with your antics and side shows. You will be booed when you return to Minnesota, hope one of your ex-team mates puts a shoulder into you as well. Now hopefully the Wild can make a play for some one that can actually sore goals, because with their current roster the Wild would be hard pressed to beat an AHL team let alone a NHL franchise. True to form the Wild have picked up a defenseman that isn't impressive as far as numbers go.

Former Minnesota Wild winger Marian Gaborik has agreed to a five-year contract with the New York Rangers.

The Slovakian forward will earn $7.5 million per year.

Gaborik played his entire seven-year career with the Wild, scoring 219 goals and 437 points in 502 games. Injuries limited Gaborik to just 13 goals and 23 points in 17 games this season. Gaborik set career highs in goals (42), assists (41) and points (83) in 77 games during the 2007-2008 campaign.

The 27-year-old was Minnesota's first pick (third overall) at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. [TSN]

Heatly to the Oilers. (Not so fast)

TSN is reporting this deal if Heatley will waive his no-trade clause. If this is true the Edmonton Oilers will have gotten a lot better or at least added some fire power they didn't have last year. The Senators give up an unhappy star in Heatley for three decent role players.

Sources say Dany Heatley has been asked to waive his no-trade clause to go to Edmonton in exchange for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid.

If Heatley agrees to waive, it would appear the Sens and Oilers will have a deal, pending the official trade call with NHL central registry, but that is generally a formality.

Heatley informed the Senators in early June that despite having five-years remaining on a six-year contract extension that he recently signed that he wished to be moved. The contract calls for Heatley to make $7.5 million per season against the cap. [TSN]

UPDATE: Here is the latest from [Puck Daddy] .

Dany Heatley(notes) was this close to becoming a member of the Edmonton Oilers. As was reported last night on TSN and Sportsnet, the Oilers and Ottawa Senators had a deal in place that would have sent Andrew Cogliano(notes), Dustin Penner(notes) and Ladislav Smid(notes) to Ottawa in exchange for Heatley, as long as he approved the deal. Just after midnight Eastern time, TSN's Bob McKenzie put the kibosh on the trade reporting that Heatley had rejected the deal saying, "For now, and quite possibly forever, the deal is dead."

2009 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Orientation Camp Roster

Here is the Team USA roster for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Teams Ice Hockey orientation camp. There is a nice mix of ex NCAA and CHL players.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Hockey today announced that 34 players, representing 22National Hockey League teams, have been invited to the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Orientation Camp from Aug. 17-19, at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, Ill.


2009 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Orientation Camp Roster

Goaltenders: Ryan Miller (MSU), Jonathan Quick (UMASS), Tim Thomas (UVM)
Defensemen: Tom Gilbert (UW), Tim Gleason (OHL), Ron Hainsey (UML), Erik Johnson(UMN), Jack Johnson (UM), Mike Komisarek (UM), Paul Martin (UMN), Brooks Orpik (B.C.), Brian Rafalski (UW), Rob Scuderi (B.C.), Ryan Suter (UW), Ryan Whitney (BU).

Forwards: David Backes (MSU-M), David Booth (MSU), Dustin Brown (OHL), Dustin Byfuglien (WHL), Ryan Callahan (OHL), Chris Drury (BU), Scott Gomez (WHL), Patrick Kane (OHL), Ryan Kesler (OSU), Phil Kessel (UMN), Jamie Langenbrunner (OHL), Ryan Malone (SCSU), Mike Modano (WHL), Kyle Okposo (UMN), T.J. Oshie (UND), Zach Parise (UND), Joe Pavelski (UW), Bobby Ryan (OHL), Paul Stastny (DU).

From Brad Elliott Schlossman's Blog.

Six of the 10 WCHA teams have a representative at the camp.

Wisconsin has four (Tom Gilbert, Brian Rafalski, Ryan Suter and Joe Pavelski), Minnesota has four (Paul Martin, Erik Johnson, Phil Kessel and Kyle Okposo), St. Cloud State has Ryan Malone, MSU-Mankato has David Backes and Denver has Paul Stastny.

Key

(UM) = Michigan
(UMN) = Minnesota
(UML) = U Mass Lowell

Expansion linkorama

There have been a few interesting articles to come out since the WCHA went from 10 teams to 12 teams.

~BSU, Bemidji celebrate WCHA membership [Pioneer]

~McRae column: Our little town is never going to be the same with BSU in the WCHA [Pioneer]

~Nebraska-Omaha pulls out of CCHA [Newsminer.com]

~Bemidji State hockey travels the country in news of WCHA expansion [Pioneer]

Todd Milewski, a writer for United States College Hockey Online tweeted: “But seriously, the WCHA got this one right. Wouldn’t have been right to turn the other way while Bemidji faded away.”

But not everyone was happy. WCHA officials characterized BSU’s and UNO’s move to the WCHA as good for college hockey.

A sportswriter on the conference call challenged that generalization and asked: “The CCHA lost a team … the WCHA’s gain is the CCHA’s loss and how is that supposed to be good for college hockey?”

The writer also cited a statement issued by CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos.

“We are disappointed to hear of UNO’s decision to leave the CCHA as they have been a very good member of our league. We have an excellent league, with a very strong membership, and we will continue to focus all of our attention on being a great conference and a leader in helping to shape the future of college hockey,” Anastos said in a statement.

McLeod did not waver.

“Sometimes I have to look out for what’s best in college hockey in general,” he said. “We did not want to look at losing another program.”

~BG to hold 'hockey personnel' press conference [Sentinal Tribune]

~CCHA Issues Statement Regarding Nebraska-Omaha [CCHA]

June 26, 2009 ---- Farmington Hills, Mich. CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos today issued the following statement, on behalf of the CCHA Executive Committee and CCHA Council, in response to Nebraska-Omaha's announcement that it will be leaving the CCHA to join the WCHA in the 2010-11 season.

"We are disappointed to hear of UNO's decision to leave the CCHA as they have been a very good member of our league, and we wish them well. We have an excellent league, with a very strong membership, and we will continue to focus all of our attention on being a great conference and a leader in helping to shape the future of college hockey.

"At this time, it serves no purpose to speculate on how this latest decision will impact the future makeup of CCHA membership. There is a process being followed with respect to admittance of any new member and we are committed to following that process through to completion."

~UAH path clears for league entry. [The Huntsville Times]

Free agents offered contracts from the Wild.

These are the free agents from the Minnesota Wild hockey team that have received offers from the Wild. Former Gopher Danny Irmen and Robbie Earl were given offers from the Minnesota Wild, it will be interesting to see if Irmen or Earl get to play with the big team if they accept their offers. I would imagine they will get two way deals. Interesting that Dan Fritsche was not offered a qualifying offer sheet.

Here’s the breakdown of the players who received qualifying offers from the Wild:

C Kyle Brodziak
LW Robbie Earl
G Josh Harding
RW Danny Irmen
LW Benoit Pouliot
D Clayton Stoner

And here’s the list of those who didn’t get offers and now become unrestricted free agents who can shop for a team starting July 1:

D Paul Albers
LW Riley Emmerson
LW Dan Fritsche
LW Peter Olvecky

How will he be recieved?

I wounder how well Phillip Sameulesson will be recieved in Boston? I know there are more than a few fans in Boston (and other locations) that don't like his father's or his on ice antics and we will never forget what he did to Cam Neely. It's also ironic that the Pen's drafted him. That being said Phillip is a pretty solid player and I got to see him play in Fago, ND during the U-18 tourney.

MONTREAL - Philip Samuelsson is headed to Boston College this fall to play hockey, and his father figures that alone is proof of the kid’s mental toughness.

“If he can handle that,’’ said his father, ex-NHL villain Ulf Samuelsson, still reviled in Boston for his nasty hit on Cam Neely that accelerated the power forward’s departure from the game, “then he can handle Pittsburgh.’’

The younger Samuelsson was chosen by the Penguins yesterday as the 61st pick (last in the second round) of the 2009 draft at the Bell Centre. Like his dad, Samuelsson is a defenseman, nearly 6 feet 3 inches and 200 pounds. With Chris Kreider also headed to The Heights in September, the Eagles should be a force in Hockey East.

“I saw my dad win two Cups there,’’ said Samuelsson, reflecting on the family’s time in Steel City, “so I know how passionate they are about their sports.’’

The senior Samuelsson said he hopes his son can develop quickly and “get to play with those superstars’’ in Pittsburgh, where youngsters Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby recently led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup.

Lemaire scoffs at Wild's plans for more offense

I know this is a little late and got lost late in the shuffle while I was focusing on the WCHA expanding to 12 teams; however this article is worth taking a look at because it’s kind of hilarious. None the less, I think Lemaire is right to a certain degree; all teams’ play the trap from time to time, and the Wild will too, however, I don't see them falling back into the same boring defense first team they were under Lemaire. If they do they could bore the fans enough that they might stay home. I think the Wild are going to step it up and try to push the puck up the ice, if they get a few offensive players. Hint: Let's make a push for the Sedin twins.

MONTREAL — The Wild vows to be an up-tempo, attacking, let-defensemen-roam-free team next season.

Jacques Lemaire, who ran a structured, disciplined system during his eight seasons as the Wild's coach, doesn't buy it. Not for one second.

"You know what? You know what? They'll play the same way. They will play the same way," Lemaire said after being announced as one of Mike Babcock's assistants on Canada's 2010 men's Olympic hockey team. "You know why? Everybody plays this way. Detroit's a little different. But look at all the other teams.

"It's 95 percent defense. It's the details that are different, but that's about it. So what do you want to change?"

Lemaire, a two-time Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year, gives new coach Todd Richards one week, maybe a month, next season before he pulls back the reins.

Lemaire used Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay, all three of which had new coaches last season, as examples. The Wild swept the three during an October trip, including a 6-2 pummeling of the Panthers.

"It's normal that the new guy would come in and say, 'Wait, we're going offense,'" Lemaire said. "Talk to the new coach in Florida [Peter DeBoer]. He came in and said it and won [four] games in the first 12. [Former Tampa Bay coach Barry] Melrose said that, too.

WCHA: prestige, passion, power...

I found this article in the Omaha newspaper, I think this newspaper article gives a pretty good illustration of the WCHA and how tough the league truely is. You can not take a night off, that is so true. The tenth place team can beat the top ranked team.

“I look through different glasses at the University of Minnesota than I did at the University of Denver, but when it comes to hockey there is a lot of similarity.”

That kind of commitment shines through on the ice. WCHA teams won six national championships from 2000 through 2006, and the league has 27 national runner-up finishes to go with its three dozen titles. The CCHA, formed in 1971, has nine national championships and seven runner-up finishes — Michigan and Michigan State combined to win eight titles when those schools belonged to the WCHA.

“Week in and week out, you can't take a night off,” said Jeff Sauer, the former Wisconsin coach who now works for the WCHA as an assistant to Commissioner Bruce McLeod. “That's why we think we've had so much success in the national tournament. When you win a MacNaughton Cup (regular-season championship), our coaches will tell you to a man that winning that championship is tougher than winning an NCAA championship — when you consider everything that goes into it.”

UNO Associate Athletic Director Mike Kemp, who was the only coach in the program's history before Dean Blais was hired to replace him earlier this month, grew up on WCHA hockey. He served as Sauer's long-time assistant at Wisconsin before coming to UNO. When, in the 1990s, the WCHA started taking steps to recognize the legends that had passed through, it crystallized for Kemp all the special things he had thought about the league.

“The conference isn't just what it is today,” Kemp said. “It's what it has been since 1951. It's one for the ages.”

Last year a WCHA team didn't reach the Frozen Four for just the fourth time ever, but one year earlier the final top 10 poll included seven WCHA teams.

The league boasts the top three teams (Wisconsin, North Dakota and Minnesota) in attendance nationally, and the addition of UNO now gives the WCHA six of last year's top seven. All but Alaska-Anchorage, Michigan Tech and newcomer Bemidji State ranked in the top 25 in attendance. [Omaha.com]