Crackhawks, Part Duex

As if the Dale Tallon mail fraud from around July 1 wasn't bad enough, read this piece from Canada's TSN about Marian Hossa's contract...

How dumb do you have to be to get this stuff leaked to the press? I imagine that the Wirtz family built foot-thick solid oak walls and durable wood paneling in each and every office in the United Center to seal up all that backroom dealing for good.

Even if not, who in the organization could have lips this loose?

On the surface, the alleged agreement is hardly newsworthy. However, when you factor in the length of the contract and, you know, those pesky...rules...the whole thing stinks to high heaven.

Suffice to say the Blackhawks organization is like one of those houses on stilts in the Outer Banks, and the high tide from the coming hurricane is just about ready to erode the supports.

Flyers sign Norwegian defenseman; prelude to Jones' departure?

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen to a one-year contract on Thursday.

Tollefsen appeared in only 19 games in 2008-09 with the Columbus Blue Jackets and recorded one assist and 37 penalty minutes.

A native of Oslo, Norway, Tollefsen is just the fifth Norwegian-born player to play in the NHL -- and the second to do so with the Flyers. Patrick Thoresen appeared in 21 regular-season games and 14 playoff contests for the Flyers two seasons ago.

Over parts of four NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, Tollefsen has collected four goals, 10 points and 273 penalty minutes in 145 career games. He was originally selected by Columbus in the third round of the 2002 draft.

The move may presage the buyout/release of defenseman Randy Jones, whose play has deteriorated over the last two seasons due to hip problems and subsequent surgery which may or may not have healed properly.

Thanks to Chicago, Coyotes apparently staying in Phoenix

Courtesy of the Sports Network

The National Hockey League's board of governors approved an application by Chicago sports mogul Jerry Reinsdorf to purchase the financially-strapped Phoenix Coyotes.

Meeting in Chicago, the board of governors also rejected the bid of billionaire Jim Balsillie, who was set to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issued a statement Wednesday attesting to the approval of Reinsdorf's bid to assume ownership. Reinsdorf, who owns the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, has told the league he would keep the Coyotes in Arizona.

"There were three applicant groups that were interviewed by the executive committee and considered by the board. One was Jim Balsillie's. The second was a group headed by Anthony LeBlanc, involving Mr. LeBlanc, Keith McCullough, Todd Jordan and Daryl Jones. And the third group, headed by Jerry Reinsdorf, included as well Tony Tavares and John Kaites," said the commissioner.

"Mr. Reinsdorf's application was unanimously approved by all those Board members present and voting, subject to the league's completion of its due diligence and review of the final transaction," added Bettman. "In Mr. Balsillie's case, it was the unanimous vote of all members present and voting that his application not be approved. With respect to the LeBlanc group, it was determined that, at this stage, since they've only recently begun the process, the application was incomplete and could not yet be acted on by the board. However, the executive committee reported favorably on the LeBlanc group's interview and endorsed the group's continued efforts to complete a bid to purchase the franchise.

Last month, bankruptcy court Judge Redfield T. Baum rejected a proposed sale of the team to Balsillie.

In May, Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes filed for Chapter 11 reorganization with a proposed sale of $212.5 million to PSE Sports & Entertainment LP, which would have moved the team to southern Ontario.

Since moving to the desert in 1996 from Winnipeg, the team has consistently lost money and has had trouble drawing a fan base. The Coyotes have only made the playoffs five times since going to the desert and have never made it past the first round. Also, the team has had just one winning season since last making the playoffs in the 2002-03 season.

Prospal no longer a Bolt

Several sources, including the St. Pete Times, are reporting that Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal was bought out of the remaining three years of his four-year deal sometime between last night and this morning.

For the right (read low) price, could he be headed back to Philly for a third time? He did show excellent chemistry with Danny Briere during the late stages of the '08 regular season and playoffs - but made it explicitly clear he didn't want to remain a Flyer.

That shouldn't deter Paul Holmgren, who is determined to fill his forward-line gaps with salary castoffs from other teams and countries.

Gilbert named Phantoms head coach

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have named Greg Gilbert as the head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, according to club General Manager Paul Holmgren. He is the sixth head coach in Phantoms franchise history.

“We are pleased to add Greg to our organization as head coach of the Phantoms,” said Holmgren. “He has a wealth of coaching experience at many levels and has shown a unique ability to work well with younger players.”

“I am very honored to be a part of the Philadelphia family and organization,” said Gilbert. “I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to working with the young players in this organization. I am a patient coach. I have spent a lot of time working with young players and teaching them the game and helping them hone their skills and become better individuals. I am also looking forward to teaching them what it is like to be a part of a team and what the expectations and accountabilities are.”

Gilbert, 47, joins the Phantoms after spending the previous three seasons as head coach of the Toronto Marlies, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, where he compiled a 123-89-10-18 record, including a 39-29-5-7 mark in 2008-09. In just his second season as head coach of the Marlies, Gilbert finished the regular season with a 50-21-3-6 record and led the team to the Western Conference Finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

He also spent parts of three seasons as head coach of the Calgary Flames (2000-01 to 2002-03), where he compiled a 42-56-23 record in 121 games. Prior to his days in Calgary, Gilbert spent four seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Worcester IceCats (1996-97 to 1999-2000), compiling a 145-121-37-17 record in 320 regular season games, and was awarded the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as outstanding head coach in the AHL for the 1996-97 season. Overall, Gilbert has a career head coaching record of 268-210-47-35 in 560 games in the AHL.

In addition to his head coaching experience, Gilbert has appeared in over 800 games, over parts of 15 seasons (1981-82 to 1995-96) as a player in the National Hockey League. He was a member of three Stanley Cup Championship teams, helping lead the New York Islanders to the title in 1982 and 1983, while winning his third Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.

Gilbert has recorded a total of 150 goals and 228 assists for 378 points and 576 penalty minutes in 837 regular season games with the Islanders (1981-82 to 1988-89), Chicago Blackhawks (1988-89 to 1992-93), Rangers (1993-94) and St. Louis Blues (1994-95 to 1995-96). He has also recorded 50 points (17G,33A) and 162 penalty minutes in 133 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Gilbert was originally selected by the Islanders in the fourth round (80th overall) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.

U.S. Hockey Hall gets new members, including inventor of ice-smoothing equipment

Courtesy of NHL.com

With the 2010 Winter Olympics right around the corner, there's no better time for the United States Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee to announce its star-studded Hall of Fame Class for 2009.

This year's inductees, made official Tuesday, include the 1998 women's Olympic hockey team, former U.S. Olympic medalists John LeClair, Tony Amonte and Tom Barrasso and inventor Frank Zamboni, who'll be inducted posthumously.

The U.S. women's ice hockey team, coached by Ben Smith, won the sport's inaugural Olympic gold medal by going undefeated and twice beating the favored Canadians. The women's team will join the 1960 and 1980 men's Olympic teams as the only groups to be enshrined into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Cammi Granato, captain of that '98 U.S. Team in Nagano, Japan, was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last year. Behind Granato's 4 goals and 4 assists in six games, the Americans earned the gold while outscoring the opposition, 36-8. The United States would defeat Canada, 3-1, in the gold-medal game on Feb. 17, 1998.

"I've never been on a team where everyone realized their role and sort of gave up their pride and said, 'OK, I'm not on the power play, but can handle it and I'll do my job the best I can,' and that's difficult to find," Granato said of her '98 Olympic teammates. "We hadn't won a world championship previously and were completely dominated by Canada, more psychologically speaking than anything else. So how were we going to beat them on the biggest stage ever? As one of the leaders of the team, that's what I had to figure out and we worked really hard at that. When you get that recipe, it often leads to something great and you could feel that building within our team."

LeClair, Amonte and Barrasso were teammates on the silver-medal winning men's team at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

"We hadn't won a world championship previously and were completely dominated by Canada, more psychologically speaking than anything else. So how were we going to beat them on the biggest stage ever? As one of the leaders of the team, that's what I had to figure out and we worked really hard at that. When you get that recipe, it often leads to something great and you could feel that building within our team."
-- Cammi Granato, captain of the 1998 U.S. Women's Ice Hockey Team
LeClair, of St. Albans, Vt., became the first American-born NHL player to post three consecutive 50-goal seasons -- all with the Philadelphia Flyers. He played for the Flyers for 10 seasons, totaling 333 goals, and finished his 17-season NHL career with 406 goals in 967 games. He represented the United States in the 1998 Olympics, '96 World Cup and the '88 and '89 World Junior Championships.

LeClair finished second in scoring among all players in the '96 World Cup, helping the Americans to a memorable performance with 6 goals and 10 points in seven games. He was also part of the "Divine Line" at the '02 Winter Olympics, skating alongside Brett Hull and Mike Modano -- the highest-scoring trio (9 goals, 21 points in 6 games) in the tournament. He was drafted 33rd by the Canadiens in 1987 and would win a Stanley Cup in Montreal in 1993. LeClair spent his final two seasons in Pittsburgh.

Six-time NHL All-Star Amonte played for Team USA in the 1998 Olympics, the '96 World Cup, the '91 and '93 World Championships, the '90 Goodwill Games and the '89 and '90 World Junior Championships. The Hingham, Mass., native scored the game-winner for Team USA in the decisive third game of the best-of-three championship series against Canada in the '96 World Cup.

Drafted 68th in 1988 by the New York Rangers, Amonte placed third in the balloting for the Calder Trophy in 1991-92 after scoring 35 goals and 69 points. Following three seasons with the Rangers, Amonte was traded to Chicago where he scored at least 30 goals five times. He also had a string of playing in all 82 regular-season games five straight seasons (1997-98 through 2001-02) with the Blackhawks. Amonte played for five teams -- the Rangers, Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Flyers and Calgary Flames -- before retiring in 2008 with 416 goals and 900 points in 1,174 NHL games.

Boston native Barrasso, the first American-born goalie to reach 300 wins, was originally drafted fifth by the Buffalo Sabres out of Acton-Boxborough High School in the 1983 Entry Draft -- at the time the highest a goalie had ever been selected at the draft.

Barrasso made his NHL debut with the Sabres straight out of high school the following season, going 26-12-3 with a 2.84 goals-against average to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie and the Vezina Trophy as the League's top goalie. He represented the United States at the 1984 and '87 Canada Cups and the '86 IIHF World Championship. Barrasso retired in 2003 after an 18-year NHL career, during which he played for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues. He compiled a career regular-season record of 369-277-86, with a 3.24 goals-against average and 38 shutouts in 777 career NHL games.

It was in 1949 that Zamboni, born in Eureka, Utah, invented the first self-propelled ice resurfacing machine that you now see at every hockey rink throughout the world. He did this by modifying a tractor -- adding a blade that shaved the ice smooth, swept up the shavings into a tank and rinsed the ice while leaving a very thin layer of water. The Zamboni family maintained the business following Frank's death at the age of 87 in 1988. The company has plants in Los Angeles, Ontario and Switzerland.

Crackhawks Once More

For all the Chicago Blackhawks did to get to where they are, they just can't help themselves fumbling the ball with the game on the line.

First, it was this ridiculously lame 12-year, multi-bazillion dollar contract given to Marian Hossa. Then, the revelation of former GM Dale Tallon's last-straw foul up/mail fraud trying to deliver qualifying offers to restricted free agents. Now, earlier this week they find out that Hossa hurt his shoulder during the playoffs and is undergoing surgery that will put the start of next season in jeopardy.

I love the line (and I wish I could find the source so I'm paraphrasing here) that said Hossa sure as hell didn't hurt it lifting trophies...

Maybe this shows just how far from the dregs the franchise needs to be lifted even after rocketing so far in just four years. Maybe this shows that the Blackhawks will always have more than a little bit of Cubs in them no matter which Wirtz child runs things.

All I know is, the team took huge steps backward when possibly on the cusp of many years of relative prosperity.

Am I saying they're legitimate Cup contenders? No, despite being in the NHL's final four last season. They were a young team that didn't know they were supposed to be there, and were totally outclassed by a better Detroit squad.

I am saying that a little more organizational stability and brains could have been the perfect motor to keep the momentum going.

Now they have a new GM in Stan Bowman, who though trained in the club for nearly a decade, is going to eventually have to swing things his own way. That may mean further internal shakeups, player dealings and (gasp) coaching changes if (when?) the Hawks don't get off to the scorching start they enjoyed in 2008.

Hossa for Havlat, at best, was swapping high-scoring but ineffective-when-it-counts European players. With the surgery, there's a question of recovery time and readiness for the regular season. There's no Nikolai Khabibulin, lost to free agency in Edmonton, and there's going to be a goaltending carousel in trying to determine where Cristobal Huet, Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi fit into the starter-backup roles.

A saving grace may be the maturation of Kane, Toews, et al, hopefully helped along by Brian Campbell. It doesn't seem like enough.

As of now, it looks like the Blue Jackets and Predators will get a jump by Christmas for the coveted second-place spot in the Central behind the weakened Red Wings. That doesn't bode well for the status quo.

Biron goes to the Islanders

Despite the talk that Martin Biron's best fit, even though he's priced himself out of most of the league was Colorado, news came down minutes ago that he's signed with the New York Islanders.

Terms are one year for $1.4 million.

That causes a soon-to-be unpleasant goaltending logjam between Marty, Dwayne Roloson (two-year deal) and oft-injured 15-year contract stud boy Rick DiPietro. Also in the wings for this mess are Yann Danis and Joey McDonald.

Taking any and all bets on the first Flyers-Islanders game that Emery and Biron will brawl...Remember this?

Why I Prefer Legitimate Sources

The apology by Eklund yesterday for erroneous reporting of Alex Tanguay's non-signing in Florida moved me to explain one peeve of mine with the business of reporting.

I work at a wire service, and the information which we compile to go out on our site has to be culled from primary sources, i.e. newspaper, TV, team websites and such. That means something official has either been leaked to a primary source, or the primary source has finalized the information and deemed it ready for publication.

After that, we steal it, re-work it in our own words, and send it to our site, which is then picked up by all our clients. Once it's out there, you can defend your work by saying "X legitimate site" reported this, either in the body of the story or verbally to the boss...and you're off the hook if something gets retracted or changed.

The business of rumor milling really clouds and bastardizes the whole process.

My very good friend is a hockey fan board nut. He follows a ton of them for the Flyers and other teams, and very often he'll text me with a story about a player or coach which I intend to put on here or look for to do a story on at work.

Most often, the source he cites is one of those sites or boards, and I can't do anything with it because the source isn't really recognized as legit or it's in fact second/third/fourth hand information wrecked by the internet's version of "Whisper Down the Lane."

The story MAY in fact be true and MAY be scooped before any major media get to it, but independent fan discussion forums with MAYBE one person connected to a legit source STILL won't ever be fully trusted, I don't care how big internet plays a role in news from now until time immemorial. The checks and balances which ensure major media are doing their job are still not there on the world wide web.

One time he did come up big for me is when he led me to the Peter Zezel death story in late May. I can't recall where he got the original info, but that original tidbit led him to an AM radio site in Toronto - from which I was able to legitimize the story and run with it.

See the difference?

While most HockeyBuzz writers are bloggers sanctioned by their respective clubs, I have a hard time understanding why anyone really follows the head man as a legitimate source.

I understand he's supposedly got people ferreting out news at the team and league level, but he's even admitted that 97 percent of his rumors never even lead to bona fide news!

I also understand that his source in Florida reported in so many words that a deal is done, but even by skeletal journalistic standards, you can't slap an arbitrary high-level code on something and report it as solid news - especially when you readily admit your percentages are low.

In hockey as in life, the first person to go blab a rumor as fact usually is the first person to get majorly burned when it gets back to them. Hence his major front-page apology yesterday.

He at least did a solid by doing his mea culpa and at least did another solid by not diming out his source. But that leads me to wonder - who exactly are his sources at the team level?

Lord knows why people would pay for this, because all it is, is an endless push-and-pull, will-he-won't-he soap-opera of quasi-truths. Then to quantify all this juicy stuff with a pale take on the old Terror Level threat system makes the mistake even more absurd.

I can even understand the race to be first and correct and to beat the competition, but can it really be that even in the blogosphere, it's better to be first and wrong then retract, than it is to be safe and second and right?

I would really like to know the process by which he vets his information, but I assume that probably falls under the secret provisions of source-reporter protocol.

So, the point here is that while I do enjoy reading HB and other independent fan sites and message boards, I'll always remember that it's more a conduit for discussion and venting from the fan base, and can never be a primary tool to distribute legitimate news.

Oh, and by the way, lest you think I'm being some sort of media snob, I felt this way long before I got involved in this crazy business, because as a practical lad, I always valued the facts and how they got there than mere endless discussion of possibilities. Like ESPN before whoring out and bastardizing Patrick and Olbermann's shtick and converting the whole franchise to what it is now.

It's why I have shifted to writing as a media career, instead of winding up on radio as a sports talk host. There's a big difference between thinking you know something and convincing others it's the way it is, and knowing you know something - and knowing how you know it.

Accept no substitutes.
As far as this blog is concerned, it's either opinion or fact, and when it's a rumor I'll try to give a source for the rumor but won't pass it off as solid fact.

I was wrong 2 weeks ago about Antero Niittymaki going to Russia because he went and signed with Tampa, but, well, I'm not trying to get my name out there. This is just a little ol' blog for personal use. Still, you click on the link and see the source.

Flyers news

Um...Woo-Hoo?

The NHL finally got around to officially revealing one of its worst-kept secrets EVER, and announced to a bored hockey world that the Flyers will indeed play the Bruins on January 1 at Fenway Park in the league's third-annual Winter Classic.

Perhaps more importantly, the NHL released schedules for each of its 30 teams for the upcoming season today. I really like this, because it used to take until mid-August to pin the whole thing down years ago and it was torture to have to sit through 3 weeks of Eagles training camp news before official word came down.

Here is the Flyers' 2009-2010 schedule...

Fri Oct 2, 2009 Flyers Hurricanes 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 3, 2009 Flyers Devils 7:00 PM
Tue Oct 6, 2009 Capitals Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Oct 8, 2009 Penguins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 10, 2009 Ducks Flyers 7:00 PM
Fri Oct 16, 2009 Flyers Panthers 7:30 PM
Thu Oct 22, 2009 Bruins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 24, 2009 Panthers Flyers 7:00 PM
Sun Oct 25, 2009 Sharks Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Oct 27, 2009 Flyers Capitals 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 31, 2009 Hurricanes Flyers 1:00 PM

Mon Nov 2, 2009 Lightning Flyers 7:00 PM
Fri Nov 6, 2009 Flyers Sabres 7:30 PM
Sat Nov 7, 2009 Blues Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Nov 12, 2009 Senators Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Nov 14, 2009 Sabres Flyers 7:00 PM
Mon Nov 16, 2009 Devils Flyers 7:00 PM
Wed Nov 18, 2009 Flyers Kings 10:30 PM
Fri Nov 20, 2009 Flyers Sharks 10:30 PM
Sat Nov 21, 2009 Flyers Coyotes 8:00 PM
Mon Nov 23, 2009 Flyers Avalanche 9:00 PM
Wed Nov 25, 2009 Flyers Islanders 7:00 PM
Fri Nov 27, 2009 Sabres Flyers 1:00 PM
Sat Nov 28, 2009 Flyers Thrashers 7:00 PM

Thu Dec 3, 2009 Canucks Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Dec 5, 2009 Capitals Flyers 7:00 PM
Mon Dec 7, 2009 Flyers Canadiens 7:30 PM
Tue Dec 8, 2009 Islanders Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Dec 10, 2009 Senators Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Dec 12, 2009 Flyers Devils 7:00 PM
Mon Dec 14, 2009 Flyers Bruins 7:00 PM
Tue Dec 15, 2009 Flyers Penguins 7:00 PM
Thu Dec 17, 2009 Penguins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Dec 19, 2009 Rangers Flyers 1:00 PM
Mon Dec 21, 2009 Panthers Flyers 7:00 PM
Wed Dec 23, 2009 Flyers Lightning 7:30 PM
Sat Dec 26, 2009 Flyers Hurricanes 7:00 PM
Sun Dec 27, 2009 Flyers Islanders 5:00 PM
Wed Dec 30, 2009 Flyers Rangers 7:00 PM

Fri Jan 1, 2010 Flyers Bruins (Fenway Park) 1:00 PM
Sun Jan 3, 2010 Flyers Senators 3:00 PM
Wed Jan 6, 2010 Maple Leafs Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Jan 7, 2010 Flyers Penguins 7:30 PM
Sat Jan 9, 2010 Lightning Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Jan 12, 2010 Stars Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Jan 14, 2010 Flyers Maple Leafs 7:00 PM
Sun Jan 17, 2010 Flyers Capitals 3:00 PM
Tue Jan 19, 2010 BJ's Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Jan 21, 2010 Rangers Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Jan 23, 2010 Hurricanes Flyers 1:00 PM
Sun Jan 24, 2010 Penguins Flyers 3:00 PM
Thu Jan 28, 2010 Thrashers Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Jan 30, 2010 Islanders Flyers 7:00 PM

Mon Feb 1, 2010 Flyers Flames 9:30 PM
Wed Feb 3, 2010 Flyers Oilers 9:30 PM
Sat Feb 6, 2010 Flyers Wild 8:00 PM
Mon Feb 8, 2010 Devils Flyers 7:00 PM
Wed Feb 10, 2010 Flyers Devils 7:00 PM
Fri Feb 12, 2010 Canadiens Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Feb 13, 2010 Flyers Canadiens 7:00 PM

Tue Mar 2, 2010 Flyers Lightning 7:30 PM
Wed Mar 3, 2010 Flyers Panthers 7:30 PM
Fri Mar 5, 2010 Flyers Sabres 7:30 PM
Sun Mar 7, 2010 Maple Leafs Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Mar 9, 2010 Islanders Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Mar 11, 2010 Bruins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Mar 13, 2010 Blackhawks Flyers 1:00 PM
Sun Mar 14, 2010 Flyers Rangers 3:00 PM
Tue Mar 16, 2010 Flyers Predators 8:00 PM
Thu Mar 18, 2010 Flyers Stars 8:30 PM
Sat Mar 20, 2010 Flyers Thrashers 7:00 PM
Sun Mar 21, 2010 Thrashers Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Mar 23, 2010 Flyers Senators 7:30 PM
Thu Mar 25, 2010 Wild Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Mar 27, 2010 Flyers Penguins 1:00 PM
Sun Mar 28, 2010 Devils Flyers 7:00 PM

Thu Apr 1, 2010 Flyers Islanders 7:00 PM
Fri Apr 2, 2010 Canadiens Flyers 7:00 PM
Sun Apr 4, 2010 Red Wings Flyers 3:00 PM
Tue Apr 6, 2010 Flyers Maple Leafs 7:00 PM
Fri Apr 9, 2010 Flyers Rangers 7:00 PM
Sun Apr 11, 2010 Rangers Flyers 3:00 PM

Jacq is Back

Lest you think the Flyers are the only team in the division struck by feelings of nostalgia for the old days, the New Jersey Devils just welcomed back Jacques Lemaire.

As in, master of the Neutral Zone Trap, Ruiner of the NHL, and former Devils head coach from 1993-94 to 1997-98.

Read on.

Niittymaki goes to Russia

Thanks to this site, we now know where eternal backup Antero Niittymaki will head to play next season.

Don't act so shocked...

Koivu officially departs Montreal; joins Anaheim on one-year deal

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Wednesday that the club has signed long-time Montreal Canadiens captain and free agent forward Saku Koivu to a one-year contract.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Montreal Gazette reported the deal is worth $3.25 million.

"I'm very excited to join the Ducks this coming season," Koivu said in a conference call. "I'm looking forward to a full season with Teemu Selanne as a teammate.

The 34-year-old posted 16 goals and 50 points in 65 games in 2008-09, his lowest point total since 2001.

Koivu departs the Canadiens, the only NHL club he's known, after 792 regular- season games since the 1995-96 season.

The native of Turku, Finland was the Habs' 21st-overall pick in the 1993 draft, and rose to become the first European captain of the club, named so prior to the 1999-2000 season. He held the post until the end of last season, the second-longest serving captain in franchise history next to Hall of Fame forward Jean Beliveau.

Over 13 seasons, he's racked up 191 goals and 641 points, adding 16 goals and 48 points in 54 playoff contests.

He will join countryman Selanne, who recently signed with the Ducks for another season, trying to provide Anaheim some magic which the two conjured up when Finland captured the Silver Medal in 2006 at Torino.

"Coming from Montreal to sunny beautiful California is going to be different," added Koivu. "It's been nothing but hockey in Montreal for the last 14 years. I'm fairly confident I'm going to like that."

Koivu was named the Bill Masterton Trophy winner in 2002, after courageously battling against lymphoma, and also took home the 2007 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his dedicated work with cancer patients in the Montreal area.

Sakic to make retirement official on Thursday

The Denver Post reported on Tuesday that Colorado Avalanche franchise icon Joe Sakic will officially hang up his skates after 20 NHL seasons on Thursday.

Sakic has been derailed by groin, hamstring and back troubles over the last two seasons, and posted career lows in games, goals, assists and points last year.

Full story when the press conference happens.

Flyers, Pronger agree on multi-year extension

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Chris Pronger to a multi-year contract extension on Tuesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but multiple sources report that the pact is worth $35 million over seven years.

"We are pleased to have one of the NHL's premier defensemen in our organization and under contract long term," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren.

The Flyers acquired Pronger from the Anaheim Ducks on June 26 with prospect Ryan Dingle for forward Joffrey Lupul, defenseman Luca Sbisa, two first-round draft picks and a conditional third-round selection.

Pronger, the second overall pick of the 1993 draft by the Hartford Whalers, played in all 82 games last season with the Ducks and scored 11 goals and added 37 assists.

Over his 15 seasons in the NHL, Pronger has appeared in 1,022 games and compiled 142 goals and 464 assists. He is a career plus-153 and has 1,457 penalty minutes. In addition to Anaheim, who he won a Stanley Cup with in 2007, he has also played for Edmonton, St. Louis and Hartford.

"I am very excited to be able to retire a Philadelphia Flyer and am looking forward to many years with the Flyers logo on my chest," Pronger said.

The native of Ontario took home the Norris Trophy as top defenseman and the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player for the 1999-2000 season and is a five-time All-Star.

Pronger deal nears

According to sportsnet.ca, the Flyers and Chris Pronger are close to a seven-year contract worth $35 million.

The money will be front-loaded to avoid a serious cap hit.

Details to follow.

AHL reveals realignment for 2009-2010

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)
Lowell Devils (NJ)
Manchester Monarchs (LA)
Portland Pirates (BUF)
Providence Bruins (BOS)
Springfield Falcons (EDM)
Worcester Sharks (SJ)

East Division
Adirondack Phantoms (PHI)
Albany River Rats (CAR)
Binghamton Senators (OTT)
Hershey Bears (WSH)
Norfolk Admirals (TB)
Syracuse Crunch (CBJ)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

Western Conference
North Division
Abbotsford Heat (CGY)
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)
Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL)
Lake Erie Monsters (COL)
Manitoba Moose (VAN)
Rochester Americans (FLA)
Toronto Marlies (TOR)

West Division
Chicago Wolves (ATL)
Houston Aeros (MIN)
Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)
Peoria Rivermen (STL)
Rockford IceHogs (CHI)
San Antonio Rampage (PHX)
Texas Stars (DAL)

The 2009-10 regular season will begin on Oct. 2. The complete schedule will be announced later this summer.

AHL rescinds Chops franchise

Courtesy of the American Hockey League

The Iowa Chops American Hockey League franchise has been involuntarily suspended for the 2009-10 season by the league’s Board of Governors, effective July 6, 2009.

"The Iowa franchise has unfortunately been unable to remedy certain violations of the provisions of the league's Constitution and By-Laws," said American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews.

There will be no further statement from the league at this time.

Free Agency: The Whole Wrap

No shock here, but the Sedin Twins each signed spanking-new five-year deals to stay with the Canucks.

VanCo was unable to keep stalwart veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund, who used to possess one of the hardest shots in the NHL. He goes to Tampa Bay for seven years at $24.5 million.

Jay-Bo signed a five-year pact with the Flames.

Radek Dvorak re-ups for two years with Las Panteras.

Andy Greene returns to patrol the back line for Los Diablos.

BLOCKBUSTER: Marian Hossa leaves Detroit to sign a 12-year, $62.4 million deal with the Blackhawks.

Craig Anderson leaves South Florida for the west-midwest, two years with the Avalanche.

David Booth will remain on fire in Sunrise, inking his qualifying offer of six years, $25.5 million.

Matt Walker leaves Chicago for Tampa Bay.

Ty Conklin leaves Detroit for...St. Louis? Good luck, bud. The curse of UNH hockey is upon you. Better live out of that suitcase from now on...

BREAKING NEWS --- Mike Knuble departs Philly for Washington, $2.8 mil over 2 years.

Nikolai Khabibulin goes to freeze his nuts off in Edmonton, four years $15 million.

Dwayne Roloson heads to Long Island, 2 years, $5 million.

Steve Montador skips town, out of Boston for Buffalo.

He'll take over for Jaroslav Spacek, who bolted the Buff for Montreal.

Scott Niedermayer (dead!) re-ups with the Ducks, $6 million for one (final?) year.

Donald Brashear takes his violence act to the Rangers.

Brian Boucher comes back to Philly, and Ian Laperriere also arrives, three years at $3.5 million.

Erik Cole stays where he belongs, in Carolina, $5.8 mil over two years.

Scottie Clemmensen leaves his cushy backup job and takes over for Anderson in Florida, three years at $3.6 million.

Brian Gionta flees the swamp for Montreal, a five-year pact, and brings in Mike Cammalleri for another five-year deal. The Habs wrested Mike Komisarek from the Leafs for a five-year, $22.5 million deal.

Martin Havlat goes to Minnesota?..six years, $30 million.

He replaces Marian Gaborik who heads to Broadway for five years at $7.5 million per.

DAY TWO

Dashing very many orange and black dreams, Mark Recchi re-ups with the Bruins, one year, $1 million.

The Leafs bring back Mikhail Grabovski at $8.7 mil over three years.

I don't have to hate Rob Scuderi anymore, as he departs Pittsburgh for Los Angeles - four years, $13.6 million.

Karlis Skrastins goes to Dallas for two years.

The Atlanta Thrashers bring in Nik Antropov for a deal the club doesn't see fit to reveal, then bring back Chris Thorburn.

Chad LaRose returns to the Hurricanes, two years totalling $3.4 million.

Frederick Meyer IV remains in the desert, back with the Coyotes for one year. Adrian Aucoin leaves Calgary for Phoenix, $2.25 million for one season.

John Madden...off to Chicago for one year, $2.75 million.