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Stanley Cup favorites getting set for real season
2008-04-03 17:36:00
The dress rehearsal is over and for those 14 that didn't pass the playoff audition, it is exit stage left.For 16 others, the real season is set to begin. Pick your cliché, because you'll be hearing them in your dreams starting next week.With your fantasy playoff draft looming, your job becomes a little more intimidating than in the regular season. This time of year, not only do you need to draft players who can pile up the points, but now you have to forecast which teams are going to be playing longer than a week or two. A grinding fourth-liner on a conference finalist may be a better pick than a superstar center on a team gone golfing after the opening round.With that in mind, here, in order, are the teams we think have the inside track on making it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals a couple of months from now:6. NEW JERSEY DEVILSSay what? My original prediction as the outfit to face the Sharks in the Cup final falling down to the #6 slot? What gives? Well, it's still...
More About: Season , Real , Favorites

NHL Draft Lottery to make for must-see TV?
2008-04-03 17:34:00
Hey, if you need to check out some must-see TV next week, tune into TSN so you can see NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly talkin' balls.Huh? I was talking about the NHL draft lottery. What did you think I meant? Proving that hockey might not be a national pastime as much as a serious, four-alarm addiction in Canada, TSN will cover the NHL draft lottery as it happens on April 7th, marking the second time in history that the lottery will be carried live.Of course, the first was when Gary Bettman orchestrated announced the Pittsburgh Penguins, coincidentally a team in need of some good news, had won the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes three summers ago.Joining host James Duthie will be Daly, who will count down the balls in reverse order, top prospect Steven Stamkos, TSN Insider Bob McKenzie and ex-GM Mike Milbury.Say what? Milbury? What is his analysis - how to trade away a future superstar for next to nothing, leaving your team screwed for years? If TSN is looking for someone with a little...
More About: Lottery , Draft , Make

NHL highlight reel video showcases best of the best
2008-04-03 17:27:00
 For hockey fans, it is quickly approaching the most exciting time of the year and we at Hockey.com want to get you primed for the post-season. With the playoffs on deck, it's as good a time as any to unveil the latest Hockey.com Video of the Week with a montage of highlight-reel goals, saves, hits and fights.From end to end rushes to shootout moves that leave a goaltender looking very lonely, this video showcases more than three minutes of the best of the best.Oh, and for those fans who like their hockey players with a bit of an edge, there are a few thundering bodychecks and, yes, even a few scores to settle with the fists.As 16 teams get set to venture out on to the road for the Stanley Cup, you know there will be more than a few memorable plays before the chase comes to an end sometime in June.For the time being, this video should hold you over.
More About: Reel , Highlight

The Mind of Scotty Bowman
2008-04-03 16:22:00
Has anyone figured out what goes on in the head of Scotty Bowman ? If they have, I sure would like to talk to you.In his current position with the Detroit Red Wings as a consultant, Bowman takes a low-key approach when speaking about his roll with the Red Wings. I had to laugh yesterday when I heard Scotty on a local radio interview when asked about the health of Tomas Holmstrom. Scotty said he read a report he may get in a game or two before the playoffs start and his current injury is improving.  Now do you think Scotty actually read this report, or maybe, just maybe, he is updated on a daily basis on the health of Holmstrom? Oh Scotty, we can read right through you, heck, you still have your finger on the pulse of all things hockey, but by telling us you read a report, well, you are just downplaying your status within the Wings organization.We know you talk to coach Babcock on a regular basis and we have seen a little of Bowman in Babcock. We know your involvement with the Wi...
More About: Mind , The Mind

NHL outdoor game should never have New York, New York theme
2008-04-02 20:40:00
  About the only thing worse than seeing one New York team playing in an NHL outdoor game would be, well, having to endure the pain of watching two.If you listen to John Buccigross over at ESPN, you'd think the Islanders don't get nearly enough perks playing in the largest media market in the U.S. and need a little bit of a handout.  Buccigross, who I normally enjoy reading because, well, his momentary lapses of reason are not all that common, seems to think the Islanders deserve the plum assignment of being the crosstown Rangers' opponent at an outdoor NHL game at Yankee Stadium.Yeah, right. That should go over like a pregnant pole vaulter, huh?See, the one thing I have realized about New York City is that, for the most part, the Apple is looked at with disdain by the rest of the good ol' US of A in the same way Toronto is despised by anyone outside the 416 area code. Particularly on the pro sports stage.Having two New York teams squaring off in what will quickly beco...
More About: Game , Theme , Outdoor

Capitals' playoff run puts NHL on notice for future
2008-04-02 05:49:00
The last time the Washington Capitals had a game with these kind of implications, U.S. President Bill Clinton was about to get impeached for a blue dress that never made it to the dry cleaners fast enough. Here we are, a decade later, and Clinton's wife is setting out to become the most powerful man woman on the planet while looking to show hubby who, uh, really wears the pants in the family. What's that overused saying? The more things change, the more they remain the same?And, yes, the Crap — er, Capitals — are no longer an NHL punchline.Playing their most important game since they went on an improbable run to the Stanley Cup final in 1998, the Capitals answered the bell Tuesday, trumping the Carolina Hurricanes just beyond the shadow of the Washington Monument to keep their playoff hopes alive with five days left in the regular season. Check out the Eastern Conference standings and tell me they don't look like something out of the Twilight Zone.There are the C...
More About: Future , Notice

NHL to introduce virtual ads during playoff telecasts
2008-04-01 22:13:00
Really, it was just a matter of time.If you didn't see this coming, well, you're about to.Leave it to the Sports Business Journal to break the news to us that the NHL will unveil virtual ads in this spring's playoffs, transforming the glass around the rink into the yellow pages, much like the ads that annoy the heck out of us from behind home plate during the World Series. The difference, of course, is that people actually pay attention to baseball in the U.S.. In the NHL, virtual ads for an audience that virtually could care less? To wit, this past weekend, the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh game featuring the NHL's largest market and the golden boy of the league, with obvious playoff implications for both teams, drew a staggering 1.0 rating. If you must know, no, that is not a very good thing.Take away the 2.6 rating garnered on New Year's Day for the Winter Classic, and the NHL average on NBC to date is a 0.9. Now unless you are talking body fat or a breathalyzer reading, a...
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No, Canada: NHL not in hurry to expand Canadian roots
2008-04-01 07:38:00
This isn't about a so-called hockey border war. Never has been.Contrary to my U.S. colleague Paul Kukla calling out some unnamed Canadian writers last week for their perceived anti-American bias when it comes to the NHL, it has never been about the Us vs. Them mentality.Something the Canadian Government calls the Competition Bureau has declared that the NHL policies are not anti-competitive in response to media reports that, in layman's terms, the league may have placed Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie over a barrel when he attempted to buy and move the Nashville Predators into Southern Ontario.Not only am I surprised the government even gives a damn, but some lucky stiffs actually get paid to sit on that committee. Cushy gig if you can get it, huh?Hey, let me know when the Where The Hell Does My Tax Money Go committee is formed. I've got a few questions for them.OK, so this competition committee may have concluded that the NHL hasn't given Canada the shaft in recent years. I,...
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Leafs future could get un-screwed with bold move for Stamkos
2008-03-31 22:35:00
You know, some things don't really need to be said, because, well, words should not be wasted. Yes, even in this space.But for the obvious stuff, just save your breath. Patrick and Jonathan Roy need anger counseling. That Ovechkin kid is pretty good. Ray Emery looks ready to go off the deep end. Jessica Biel is hot.Straightforward, right?Then there is Richard Peddie, who didn't exactly raise any eyebrows when addressing the current plight of the MLSE cash cow, also known as the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the Cupless clock gets set to chime out another bell."We failed."Yes, friends, this is what is known as an understatement.You see, the Leafs can't even screw up right. A recent exercise in futility in the form of a decent run has the Leafs in no-man's land when it comes to their first pick at the draft, but that can be changed with a little creativity.Whatever is needed to get that first or second pick, you do it if you are Cliff Fletcher. If it costs the Leafs their firs...
More About: Future , Move , Screwed

Stanley Cup playoffs will need consistent officiating
2008-03-31 18:05:00
By Paul KuklaKeep the arm down, refs, you are doing the right thing! I am talking about those ever so slight sticks to the thigh, the little pull to the elbow, even the little hold-up as a player dumps the puck into the offensive zone. We have no problem with those types of non-calls, but please remain consistent, through the end of the regular season and the playoffs. That is all we ask for. Put the arm up, refs, what are you waiting for? Those scrums around the net, after the whistle, are beginning to irritate me more and more. When has it become ok to allow a face-wash, a crosscheck to the back, a jab of the stick to the ankles? It is time, before the playoffs begin, to stop this type of action around the net. Start making the calls, pick a player out and send him off to the penalty box. They will get the message quick enough and they will think twice before doing it again. One more thing: remain consistent with these calls, too!The types of scrums we are seeing more and more nee...
More About: Stanley Cup , Stanley Cup Playoffs , Playoffs , Stanley , Consistent

NHL playoff race wild with one week to go
2008-03-31 17:47:00
If you happen to think you have the final week of a wild and wacky NHL season pegged, you're one up on me.Perhaps the ghost of Kreskin sneaks into your room each night to not only scare you senseless but give you the scoop on the inner dealings in pro hockey.Who knows, but no one, regardless of how much they think they know hockey, can try to make sense of what is going to happen between now and Sunday.Like my trying to start my taxes an hour before the deadline, I'm completely lost.So much for my NHL playoff predictions from a couple weeks back, at least in the East. Evidently expert opinion is an oxymoron with me.Out west, given the way they had been stinking the joint out, new proud daddy Roberto Luongo and the Canucks looked like they would rather be golfing before rolling over the Flames last night. Vancouver's recent nosedive gave new life to the Nashville Predators and rejuvenated Oilers, and neither is going away quietly. Calgary, Dallas and Colorado are jockeying fo...
More About: Race , Wild , Week

European hockey fans have serious interest in Stanley Cup playoffs
2008-03-31 01:05:00
By Risto PakarinenIt's the time of the year when everybody in Europe - even the casual NHL fan - starts to pay attention to the playoff race in the NHL. Every game is important for their favorite team. But in this case, every loss is met with a cheer, and every lost point counted as a win, if it means that a NHL star will be available for his national team in the upcoming World Championships. The Worlds has been the season's end in Europe for decades. It used to be that the World Championships were played in April, and the (we) Euros were completely oblivious about the Stanley Cup playoffs. (Or, Playoffs, as the NHL style guide seems to suggest). The Worlds was a nice tournament, a showcase of hockey, to end the season and then forget about it for a few months - and focus on soccer instead. These days, the International Ice Hockey Federation is doing its best to make its crown jewel worthy of the name it bears and one way has been to push it forward as far as possible. All partici...
More About: Fans , European , Stanley Cup Playoffs

Alex Kovalev confirms persistency is key
2008-03-30 17:21:00
By Angela AylesAlex Kovalev may be one of the most talked-about hockey players in the NHL this season but the road to victory for this Russian native has been long and grueling.Growing UpKovalev was your typical boy, enthusiastic about sports and adamant of achieving a career in the hockey industry. But this driven hockey fan faced more obstacles in the first ten years of his life than most hockey players will face in a lifetime.Alex was close to his parents growing up. He held their opinions in high regard but he was not willing to compromise his love for hockey in order to please them. From the moment he was born, Kovalev's dad Slava was shaping his son to become one of the world's most successful weightlifters. Slava insisted that his son follow in his footsteps, but Alex's heart belonged to hockey.After realizing that his son was set in his ways, Slava began training Alex and started focusing on the possibility of his son becoming one of the greatest hockey players in the his...

Hockey.com set to undergo makeover
2008-03-04 22:45:00
  The face of Hockey .com is about to change.Beginning Tuesday afternoon (Mar. 4), our team will commence an overnight facelift to a sleeker-looking, more interactive Hockey.com.  This transformation brings us one stride closer to becoming your number-one online source for the world of hockey, at every level.As we make the transition to our new layout, updates and game recaps will be suspended Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning. In addition to up-to-the-minute news and updated scores from around the NHL, the stylish new Hockey.com will feature an improved blog section and hard-hitting, interactive forums designed to give members the opportunity to offer insight and opinion on the hot topics of the day. Our Hockey.com social networking platform will also give you the chance to interact with fans and players from all over the world as we continue to grow.Each week, we will showcase a Hockey.com member in the spotlight as a Featured Member and our fantasy games will a...
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Alex Ovechkin looks to carry Caps all the way
2008-03-04 21:09:00
  You don't exactly have to be flirting with Mensa to figure out the Washington Capitals are destined to be an NHL powerhouse within a few years.Why wait?Ah, what the hell, let's see how they match up against the big boys, say, right now.Arguably the most dominant player on the planet today, the gap-tooth, mop-topped Alex Ovechkin , is locked up in D.C. for a least the next few U.S. presidential terms. Think about. When Ovechkin is up for his next contract, Jessica Alba will have already celebrated her 40th birthday. Yikes. Feeling a little older, are you?With budding stars Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom lending support to OV, teams will probably want to stay out of the Capitals' path in the next couple of years months.Obviously, they are thinking playoffs in Washington - as in this year.Judging by the manner in which the Capitals steamrolled the Boston Bruins last night, who, incidentally, are one of the hottest teams in the league, Capitals fans aren't necessarily c...
More About: Carry

John Paddock simply wasn’t the answer for Senators
2008-03-03 23:32:00
  Monday morning musings from a guy wondering what Ryan Smyth needs to do to catch a break in Denver:Not sure exactly why ex-Senators coach John Paddock was whining to the Ottawa Sun about his handling of the Ray Emery train wreck.Sure, Emery is a loose cannon but Bryan Murray had an opening, however slight, to ship him out of town on deadline day and did not. The problem simply could have gone away for Paddock.In reality, it wouldn't have mattered.The bottom line is the Ottawa Senators are too talented a team to be run by a second-tier coach. A Stanley Cup contender, more often than not, needs a bench boss with a record a little more enticing than 106-138-37, which was exactly what Paddock's NHL resume was prior to this year.So this is Bryan Murray's problem. Not John Paddock's and certainly not Ray Emery's.Should the Senators not win the Stanley Cup this spring, and there is little to suggest they will, you can point the finger in two places.Mediocre goaltending and awfu...
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Paul Kukla joins Hockey.com team
2008-03-03 23:25:00
 Written by:  Paul Kukla Hello, my name is Paul Kukla and I am a hockey fan. A fan of the game for over 45 years. How could I turn down an invitation to write a blog at a website called Hockey .com? I wish I would have grabbed that domain name, but who in the world would have thought it was even available!?Some of you may know me as the owner of Kukla's Korner, some of you may have read my weekly blog at NHL.com. Some of you have no idea who the heck I am so please allow me to introduce myself.Fact: My real name is Paul KuklaFact: I never played the gameFact: I am a Detroit Red Wings fanFact: I am also a fan of the gameFact: Every game should be broadcast in high-definitionFact: I am not a journalist, even a self-appointed oneFact: I have met many NHL players, coaches, GMs, etc. I have met many of the national main stream media (MSM)Fact: A little over three years ago, I had no idea what a blog wasFiction: Blogging is easy, anyone can do it.Fiction: I can write lies, ...
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Half an NHL season left to go
2008-03-03 22:53:00
 Written by:  Paul Kukla Two NHL teams are only half way through their season. Somewhere between 35 and 44 games still remain for the two teams that will meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.Just imagine, 14 teams will soon be making their summer plans while 16 playoffs teams prepare to play into June. Then the real fun begins.Some of us fans will experience late nights and early mornings. The game every other day routine becomes habit. Plans are changed, appointments put off, we just think hockey!If you follow an Eastern Conference team, you may not realize it, but those of us with Western Conference ties lead a different life come playoff time.Chances are good your team may be playing an opponent in a different time zone, causing problems not only in your viewing habits, but also in your day-to-day routine. Imagine staying up to watch a triple overtime game in Anaheim, but living on the eastern time zone. Game ends around 1:30am ET, then for about 15 minutes you replay th...
More About: Season , Left , Half

Guy Carbonneau a frontrunner for Jack Adams
2008-03-03 22:01:00
  Sometime this summer, if Guy Carbonneau's name is not inscribed on the Jack Adams trophy, I am fully prepared to lead a revolt.OK, well, maybe not. Just trying to get your attention. But as we sit here, this year's frontrunner for coach of the year is as close to a no-brainer as you can get.Now before the "yeah, but" brigade starts its march, Carbonneau is by no means a slam dunk. Wayne Gretzky has pulled a rabbit out of his hat in Phoenix, Dave Tippett has the Stars regarded as a Stanley Cup favorite after a horrid start to the season while Claude Julien (Boston), Brent Sutter (New Jersey) and Mike Babcock (Detroit) will also get a little love.But Carbonneau has to be setting the pace.As of Sunday, the Habs, thanks in part to an early self-destruction in Ottawa, now find themselves on the top rung of the Eastern Conference ladder. For those in need of a refresher course, this is the same team that missed a playoff spot by gagging in a season-ending tilt down the ...

Hockey fan wins $1 million in shootout
2008-02-29 00:33:00
Pardon the cliché, but sometimes you've got to be lucky to be good.In the case of Darwin Head, Canada's newest millionaire, he was a bit of both Wednesday.The lucky son-of-a-gun was just that - extremely lucky - to be picked to shoot for a $1 million prize in a televised shootout contest between the periods of a Canucks - Avalanche tilt in Vancouver. There were over eight million entries to the contest, which was hosted by TSN and sponsored by GM which, oddly enough, happens to own title for Vancouver's NHL digs.And hey, the guy was pretty good as well. Here's a video teaser, where he fired 15 pucks into a net from the far blueline, and got it done in less than the allotted 25 seconds.Not that there was a shortage of pressure. General Motors Place was packed with 18,000 fans cheering and hundreds of thousands watching on TSN. I'd have likely lost my cookies right there at centre ice. I get nervous for my kid's meet the teacher night.But this guy brought out a pretty lar...
More About: Hockey , Million , Wins

Fantasy Focus: Traded players who will make impact
2008-02-29 00:29:00
Trade deadline deals could be a boon for these five If you think finishing — or, in my case, starting — your holiday shopping on Christmas Eve is tough, try keeping up with the rumors and innuendo flying around on the NHL's Trade Deadline Day.The one-day yard sale of millionaire athletes is now in the rearview mirror for another year — thank God — and many of your fantasy rosters will be affected for one final sprint to the finish.Now this is where I come in, for better or worse. Smart money is on the latter.Nonetheless, I am giving my take on which players should make the largest impact in their new digs because I want to, and I can.Of the many deals made Tuesday afternoon, you want to roll the dice with these five as they try on new uniforms this week:5. MIKE SMITH, Tampa BayAs long as Smith remained in Big D, he was always going to be riding shotgun to Marty Turco.  When Turco went down this year, Smith stepped in and held down the for...
More About: Players , Fantasy , Make , Focus , Fantasy Focus

Gary Bettman holds his own at steroid summit
2008-02-29 00:20:00
Drug use in NHL not an issue, says NHL CommissionerNeedles and pricks, skates and sticks? Not quite.As he sat in front of a posse of steely-eyed U.S. congressmen at a hearing into drug use in professional sports Wednesday in Washington, Commissioner Gary Bettman didn't seem at all like a fish out of water.And why would he be? Congress has much more pressing issues than the NHL when it comes to syringes and pills.Bettman and NHLPA union boss Paul Kelly sat within arm's reach of the heads of basketball, baseball and football, a trio who have no doubt heard more than their fair share of tales concerning used needles scattered across the carpet of dressing room floors."The many years that NHL players have been tested in international competition, as well as recent testing under (the NHL's drug-testing) program, suggests that performance-enhancing drugs had never been part of the culture of the NHL and that instances of use by our players have been extremely rare," Bettman t...
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NHL players needing a little anger management
2008-02-28 23:50:00
Every so often, an NHL player has a momentary lapse of reason that ends up on video, which is nothing but good news for the rest of us.Millionaire athletes can turn into instant jerks when things don't go their way. Here's a little video proof of some unsportsmanlike punks who should be calling the waaaaaahhhhhhhhh-bulance or taking a course in anger management.
More About: Players , Management , Anger Management , Anger

Vancouver Canucks may be sleeping giant in West
2008-02-27 23:48:00
With Luongo and healthy lineup, deadline deal could put Canucks over top Psst. Hey you over there. Yeah, you in that Red Wings jersey mapping out the parade route in downtown Detroit. Hold up a minute.C'mere. I'm going to let you on a little secret. Put the pen down, Picasso.I've found my little West ern Conference sleeper pick for this spring, once the games start to count for real. Listen up.Look west, young man. As in a couple thousand miles west.No, not Dallas. Further west. No, not Anaheim or San Jose. Not exactly sleepers. Think northwest.As in Vancouver . Yep, you heard it right.OK, try to stifle your laughter. Hear me out.Depending on whether Dave Nonis is sitting on his hands or working the phones come Tuesday, the Canucks could vault into serious contender status with a little creative thinking inside the boardroom. Listen, I needed a little convincing myself. But Roberto Luongo talked me into it when he stepped out of a phone booth and into the Sommet Center la...
More About: Sleeping , Vancouver Canucks , Giant

NHL Trade Deadline Live Blog
2008-02-27 03:04:00
Hockey trades as they happenIt's Christmas Day for hockey fans as NHL Trade Deadline Day has arrived. Hockey.com's Rick Couchman and Marty Henwood are here all day long for the Trade Deadline Live Blog , where we will announce today's deals while allowing you to offer your analysis on who the real winners and losers are.So, settle in for a long day of wheeling and dealing as we get set to break things down right here on Hockey.com:Let's start with some moves late last night:MONDAY, FEB. 25PETER FORSBERG signs a one year deal with the COLORADOOUR TAKE: So much for Forsberg not coming back this year. The Flyers must be thrilled. A deal that caught many off-guard, but could be a low-risk, high-reward propostion for the Avs.BARRET JACKMAN signs a four-year deal with ST. LOUISTO PHILADELPHIA: VACLAV PROSPALTO TAMPA BAY: ALEXANDRE PICARD and a conditional draft pickOUR TAKE: The struggling Flyers, left at the altar by Forsberg, had to make a move and didn't give up too ...

Mats Sundin can no longer go out on his terms
2008-02-26 10:13:00
It's the beginning of the end for Leaf captain in TorontoMaybe Mats Sundin had decided this was it. Maybe he wanted nothing more than to go out on his own terms.And if Sundin had already made the decision that this was going to be his final year in the league, I'm sure this isn't how it was supposed to end.For what it is worth, my gut feeling tells me Sundin is poised to announce his retirement  this summer and just wanted to spend the final 19 games of his career in that same dressing room, that same jersey, as he had for his previous 1,047. My hunch is that decision was already made, he just wasn't ready to say it yet.  Maybe that nostalgic goodbye was all he wanted, to bid farewell to Toronto, to the NHL, his way.He didn't want his final game to be in a Detroit jersey. Or San Jose. Or Anaheim. Or Vancouver. It wouldn't feel right.Seeing how he signed a one-year deal with a no-trade clause last year, it isn't exactly a stretch.And yet, some feel the need to throw ...
More About: Terms , Mats Sundin

Peter Forsberg signs with Avalanche
2008-02-26 03:42:00
Peter Forsberg is making a return to the NHL.According to the Colorado Avalanche website, Forsberg has signed a deal to return to play for the remainder of the season.Questions have surrounded Forsberg's ability to play at a high level. His most-recent concerns have been with his feet.  (Special thanks to Paul Kukla for the heads up on this story.) 
More About: Signs , Peter , Peter Forsberg

Mats Sundin trade may be brewing, sources say
2008-02-23 01:21:00
Sources indicate that Toronto Maple Leaf general manager Cliff Fletcher and JP Barry, the agent for Mats Sundin, have met in the past several hours about the possibility of the longtime Leaf captain being traded before Tuesday's NHL trade deadline. According to Howard Berger at the FAN590 in Toronto, Barry and Fletcher have discussed the option of Sundin waiving his no-trade clause. Reports also indicate both Sundin and defenseman Bryan McCabe were not on the ice at the team practice earlier today.Team officials said both Sundin and McCabe were suffering from the flu.Hockey.com is following this story and will post updates as they become available.
More About: Trade , Sources , Mats Sundin

NHL trade deadline brings the circus to town
2008-02-22 20:20:00
  Not since the O.J. Simpson debacle has a pair of gloves caused such a ruckus.If ol' Johnnie Cochran was on the right side of the grass today, he'd have another chance to utter a catch phrase for an entire new generation after what transpired in Montreal Thursday.Remember "if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit?"Only difference, of course, is that even Johnnie might have a tough time reaching for a word that rhymes with "morons."Turns out the press in Montreal nearly wet the bed Thursday when a pair of blue and red gloves bearing Hossa's name were delivered to the Bell Centre, leading a few ink-stained geniuses to conclude that Marian Hossa was en route to La Belle Province.If they were waiting for Hossa, they missed him. One just left. His name was Marcel, Marian's brother, and he plays for the Rangers who, coincidentally, also wear red and blue AND played in Montreal a few nights back.So much for Jofa-gate. Nice scoop, boys.Good thing there wasn'...
More About: Trade , Deadline , Town , Circus

Philadelphia Flyers panic as deadline approaches?
2008-02-22 02:55:00
  All it took were a few dreaded words from a concussion specialist Tuesday for the Philadelphia Flyers to subtly slip into full-blown desperation mode.Moments after completing a trade that sent Jim Vandermeer west to Calgary, the Flyers learned they will be without forward Simon Gagne for the remainder of the season.Not exactly welcome news for a team that hasn't won in eight games.Sure, there may be denials coming out of the City of Brotherly Love to keep the masses calm, but the writing is on the wall.  Philly is going to try to make a major move before 3 pm Tuesday.I'm not buying the common theory being bandied about that there won't be a lot of action next Tuesday during the NHL's annual swap meet that is Deadline Day. The Flyers need to try to be serious buyers if they have any hope of being invited to the post-season dance.There will be more than a fair share of deals and I think the Flyers, with news of Gagne's status, will come in under the rad...
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