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There didn't seem to be any pressure on rookies Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk the day after they were told they would be staying with the Montreal Canadiens.
The linemates put up two points each, with 20-year-old Gallagher scoring his second goal of the season, as the Canadiens stretched their winning streak to four games with a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
"There's always going to be pressure on me, but you don't want to take your foot off the pedal," said the stocky, five-foot-eight Gallagher, who has four points in as many NHL games. "You want to play the same way and show the coaches that you're not going to relax just because they gave you the good news."
The 18-year-old Galchenyuk, the third overall pick in the June draft, had a pair of assists and has five points in five games to start his NHL career.
Tomas Plekanec's tie-breaking power play goal 5:31 into the third period was the game-winner for Montreal (4-1-0).
Rene Bourque and Erik Cole each had their first of the season for the Canadiens, while Olli Jokinen had his first as a Jet. Nik Antropov and Blake Wheeler also scored for Winnipeg (3-2-1), which ended a three-game winning run. First-year general manager Marc Bergevin ended debate over whether Galchenyuk should be sent back to the junior Sarnia Sting and Gallagher to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs when it was announced Monday the two had made the team.
Gallagher, a fifth-round pick in 2010, responded with a performance that earned him first star honours and prolonged applause from the 21,273 Bell Centre fans. Galchenyuk was named second star.
"As a line, we just try to take care of our end and try to bring momentum and help the team," said Gallagher, whose unit also has tough winger Brandon Prust. "We're having a lot of fun as a team.
"It's early in the season, but it's going great so far."
Canadiens built 2-goal lead
The Canadiens built a 2-0 lead only to see the opportunistic Jets take the lead in the second.
Cole tied the game at 15:08 with assists from the rookies when he shovelled the puck in from the edge of the crease just after a power play ended.
Plekanec got the game-winner on a blast from the right circle that went in off defenceman Ron Hainsey's skate.
The Jets had two late power plays, including one when Prust was called for diving after being hit from behind by Antropov. They didn't convert.
"We had an opportunity to make it a game with two power plays in the third but we never got it in the zone with possession," said Winnipeg coach Claude Noel. "Then they come down and put one in off Hainsey's skate.
"It is what it is. It was 3-3 and we had a chance to win the game if we were patient, but we got the power plays and didn't capitalize."
Bourque scored on a blast from outside the right circle on a power play that Ondrej Pavelec waved at 8:04 into the game, and Gallagher made it 2-0 with a shot off a rush that went in off the crossbar at 14:22.
"One of the nicer ones I'll score, I guess," said the left winger, who gets most of his goals jamming pucks from the crease.
Wheeler got one back as a bouncing shot got over Carey Price's arm on a power play at 16:10.
A Jets power play had just ended but there was still heavy pressure in the Montreal zone when Antropov fired Bryan Little's rebound into an open side 3:32 into the second frame.
Jokinen put Winnipeg ahead at 11:48 when he snapped a shot under the crossbar after a David Desharnais turnover in the neutral zone.
The Jets went 1-for-6 on the power play while Montreal's continued to click at 2-for-5.
The top guns with the man advantage are point men Andrei Markov and Rafael Diaz, who had two assists each and share the team lead with seven points.
Markov missed most of the last two seasons with consecutive knee ligament surgeries. It wasn't long ago that he was quarterback of one of the NHL's best power play units.
"I remember back when we played with Kovy [Alex Kovalev] and Marky [Markov] and I think we were first in the league two years in a row," said Plekanec. "I feel it's pretty much the same now.
"He has a huge impact on our team, not only on the power play."
Backup Peter Budaj is set to make his first start of the season in goal as the Canadiens face the Senators in Ottawa on Wednesday night.
The Jets started a three-game road trip that takes them to Florida on Thursday and Tampa on Friday.
Winnipeg vs Montreal - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
The linemates put up two points each, with 20-year-old Gallagher scoring his second goal of the season, as the Canadiens stretched their winning streak to four games with a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
"There's always going to be pressure on me, but you don't want to take your foot off the pedal," said the stocky, five-foot-eight Gallagher, who has four points in as many NHL games. "You want to play the same way and show the coaches that you're not going to relax just because they gave you the good news."
The 18-year-old Galchenyuk, the third overall pick in the June draft, had a pair of assists and has five points in five games to start his NHL career.
Tomas Plekanec's tie-breaking power play goal 5:31 into the third period was the game-winner for Montreal (4-1-0).
Rene Bourque and Erik Cole each had their first of the season for the Canadiens, while Olli Jokinen had his first as a Jet. Nik Antropov and Blake Wheeler also scored for Winnipeg (3-2-1), which ended a three-game winning run. First-year general manager Marc Bergevin ended debate over whether Galchenyuk should be sent back to the junior Sarnia Sting and Gallagher to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs when it was announced Monday the two had made the team.
Gallagher, a fifth-round pick in 2010, responded with a performance that earned him first star honours and prolonged applause from the 21,273 Bell Centre fans. Galchenyuk was named second star.
"As a line, we just try to take care of our end and try to bring momentum and help the team," said Gallagher, whose unit also has tough winger Brandon Prust. "We're having a lot of fun as a team.
"It's early in the season, but it's going great so far."
Canadiens built 2-goal lead
The Canadiens built a 2-0 lead only to see the opportunistic Jets take the lead in the second.
Cole tied the game at 15:08 with assists from the rookies when he shovelled the puck in from the edge of the crease just after a power play ended.
Plekanec got the game-winner on a blast from the right circle that went in off defenceman Ron Hainsey's skate.
The Jets had two late power plays, including one when Prust was called for diving after being hit from behind by Antropov. They didn't convert.
"We had an opportunity to make it a game with two power plays in the third but we never got it in the zone with possession," said Winnipeg coach Claude Noel. "Then they come down and put one in off Hainsey's skate.
"It is what it is. It was 3-3 and we had a chance to win the game if we were patient, but we got the power plays and didn't capitalize."
Bourque scored on a blast from outside the right circle on a power play that Ondrej Pavelec waved at 8:04 into the game, and Gallagher made it 2-0 with a shot off a rush that went in off the crossbar at 14:22.
"One of the nicer ones I'll score, I guess," said the left winger, who gets most of his goals jamming pucks from the crease.
Wheeler got one back as a bouncing shot got over Carey Price's arm on a power play at 16:10.
A Jets power play had just ended but there was still heavy pressure in the Montreal zone when Antropov fired Bryan Little's rebound into an open side 3:32 into the second frame.
Jokinen put Winnipeg ahead at 11:48 when he snapped a shot under the crossbar after a David Desharnais turnover in the neutral zone.
The Jets went 1-for-6 on the power play while Montreal's continued to click at 2-for-5.
The top guns with the man advantage are point men Andrei Markov and Rafael Diaz, who had two assists each and share the team lead with seven points.
Markov missed most of the last two seasons with consecutive knee ligament surgeries. It wasn't long ago that he was quarterback of one of the NHL's best power play units.
"I remember back when we played with Kovy [Alex Kovalev] and Marky [Markov] and I think we were first in the league two years in a row," said Plekanec. "I feel it's pretty much the same now.
"He has a huge impact on our team, not only on the power play."
Backup Peter Budaj is set to make his first start of the season in goal as the Canadiens face the Senators in Ottawa on Wednesday night.
The Jets started a three-game road trip that takes them to Florida on Thursday and Tampa on Friday.
Winnipeg vs Montreal - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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Nail Yakupov followed the puck after it hit teammate Taylor Hall and swiped it into the goal a split second before it hit the ice.
After blowing the shutout with 19 seconds left in regulation, another big goal from the Russian rookie was just what the Edmonton Oilers needed.
Yakupov scored his fourth goal of the season on a power play at 3:52 of overtime, helping the Oilers fight back after giving up the late goal to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 on Wednesday night.
``Dealing with that late goal and to be able to get the two points showed a lot of character,'' Oilers coach Ralph Krueger said. ``It was another real big growth opportunity for our team tonight.''
Edmonton's Devan Dubnyk appeared to be on his way to his fifth career shutout after stopping the first 26 shots he faced. The Oilers put their goalie in a bind, though, when Sam Gagner was called for a penalty and the Coyotes pulled goalie Chad Johnson.
Nick Johnson took advantage of the two-man advantage, whipping a shot past Dubnyk's glove side with 19 seconds left in regulation after teammate Radim Vrbata failed on a backhander.
Yakupov, already establishing himself as a clutch goal-scorer, ended it in overtime, punching in a rebound after a shot by Ryan Whitney appeared to carom off Hall's hand.
Instead of racing away from his teammates and sliding down the ice, as he did after scoring late against the Kings last week, the No. 1 pick in last summer's NHL draft called the Oilers in for a group hug to celebrate.
``I think guys were expecting him to skate away,'' Gagner said. ``It's another big goal for Nail and he seems to have a knack for scoring those.''
Dubnyk stopped 27 shots and Lennart Petrell scored his first goal since Feb. 27, helping the Oilers end a five-game losing streak to Phoenix.
Coming off their best game of the season, the Coyotes found themselves in a familiar position: Wondering what will happen after the latest chapter in their ownership saga. Since a new lease agreement with the City of Glendale was reworked in November, it appeared former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison would have no trouble buying the team from the NHL before a Jan. 31 deadline. Jamison told the Arizona Republic this week that he expected to have the deal done in time.
But on Wednesday, a league official told The Associated Press it was unlikely Jamison would have the money or investors he needs to purchase the team before the midnight Thursday deadline, leaving the team in limbo yet again.
Of course, the Coyotes have played well against the backdrop of uncertainty in the past, reaching the playoffs each of the past three seasons - making the Western Conference finals for the first time last year - while potential owners come and go.
``It's status quo for us,'' Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. ``I don't think this is a surprise to anybody around here, so we deal with it like we've dealt with it for 3 1/2 years.''
Phoenix got back to its defense-first style in a 4-0 win over Nashville on Monday night, and limited Edmonton's chances in front of Johnson.
Johnson did give up a big rebound on a shot by Ryan Smyth in the first period and Petrell jumped on it, punching in the puck from just outside the crease. Johnson was steady after that, finishing with 19 saves after notching his first NHL shutout two days earlier.
``Johnson played well again,'' Tippett said. ``It's unfortunate not to get two points out of that because I think we deserved two points.''
Dubnyk was sharp his last outing, turning away 38 shots - 24 in the third period - in a 4-1 win over Colorado on Monday. He was just as good against the Coyotes, finding pucks easily through traffic and making a couple of snatching glove saves on hard shots by Phoenix.
Dubnyk appeared to be headed toward his first shutout in nearly a year, but Johnson scored his second goal of the season to send the game to overtime.
``It's unfortunate he didn't get the shutout because he played so well,'' Gagner said.
The Oilers at least got the win, thanks to Yakupov's quick hands.
NOTES: Gagner had an assist on Petrell's goal, extending his points streak to six games. ... Oilers LW Ben Eager missed his fifth straight game with a concussion. ... Coyotes G Mike Smith is expected to come off injured reserved from a lower-body injury and could possibly start on Friday.
Edmonton vs Phoenix - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
After blowing the shutout with 19 seconds left in regulation, another big goal from the Russian rookie was just what the Edmonton Oilers needed.
Yakupov scored his fourth goal of the season on a power play at 3:52 of overtime, helping the Oilers fight back after giving up the late goal to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 on Wednesday night.
``Dealing with that late goal and to be able to get the two points showed a lot of character,'' Oilers coach Ralph Krueger said. ``It was another real big growth opportunity for our team tonight.''
Edmonton's Devan Dubnyk appeared to be on his way to his fifth career shutout after stopping the first 26 shots he faced. The Oilers put their goalie in a bind, though, when Sam Gagner was called for a penalty and the Coyotes pulled goalie Chad Johnson.
Nick Johnson took advantage of the two-man advantage, whipping a shot past Dubnyk's glove side with 19 seconds left in regulation after teammate Radim Vrbata failed on a backhander.
Yakupov, already establishing himself as a clutch goal-scorer, ended it in overtime, punching in a rebound after a shot by Ryan Whitney appeared to carom off Hall's hand.
Instead of racing away from his teammates and sliding down the ice, as he did after scoring late against the Kings last week, the No. 1 pick in last summer's NHL draft called the Oilers in for a group hug to celebrate.
``I think guys were expecting him to skate away,'' Gagner said. ``It's another big goal for Nail and he seems to have a knack for scoring those.''
Dubnyk stopped 27 shots and Lennart Petrell scored his first goal since Feb. 27, helping the Oilers end a five-game losing streak to Phoenix.
Coming off their best game of the season, the Coyotes found themselves in a familiar position: Wondering what will happen after the latest chapter in their ownership saga. Since a new lease agreement with the City of Glendale was reworked in November, it appeared former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison would have no trouble buying the team from the NHL before a Jan. 31 deadline. Jamison told the Arizona Republic this week that he expected to have the deal done in time.
But on Wednesday, a league official told The Associated Press it was unlikely Jamison would have the money or investors he needs to purchase the team before the midnight Thursday deadline, leaving the team in limbo yet again.
Of course, the Coyotes have played well against the backdrop of uncertainty in the past, reaching the playoffs each of the past three seasons - making the Western Conference finals for the first time last year - while potential owners come and go.
``It's status quo for us,'' Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. ``I don't think this is a surprise to anybody around here, so we deal with it like we've dealt with it for 3 1/2 years.''
Phoenix got back to its defense-first style in a 4-0 win over Nashville on Monday night, and limited Edmonton's chances in front of Johnson.
Johnson did give up a big rebound on a shot by Ryan Smyth in the first period and Petrell jumped on it, punching in the puck from just outside the crease. Johnson was steady after that, finishing with 19 saves after notching his first NHL shutout two days earlier.
``Johnson played well again,'' Tippett said. ``It's unfortunate not to get two points out of that because I think we deserved two points.''
Dubnyk was sharp his last outing, turning away 38 shots - 24 in the third period - in a 4-1 win over Colorado on Monday. He was just as good against the Coyotes, finding pucks easily through traffic and making a couple of snatching glove saves on hard shots by Phoenix.
Dubnyk appeared to be headed toward his first shutout in nearly a year, but Johnson scored his second goal of the season to send the game to overtime.
``It's unfortunate he didn't get the shutout because he played so well,'' Gagner said.
The Oilers at least got the win, thanks to Yakupov's quick hands.
NOTES: Gagner had an assist on Petrell's goal, extending his points streak to six games. ... Oilers LW Ben Eager missed his fifth straight game with a concussion. ... Coyotes G Mike Smith is expected to come off injured reserved from a lower-body injury and could possibly start on Friday.
Edmonton vs Phoenix - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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Gary Bettman will mark 20 years as commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL) on Friday and on YouTube fans have posted a 97 second appraisal of his performance.
It is an unflattering montage chronicling two often stormy decades of Bettman awarding the Stanley Cup to the winning team, backed by a soundtrack of rancorous booing and occasional chants of "Bettman sucks."
A member of the exclusive commissioner's club, Bettman's counterparts - the National Football League's Roger Goodell, National Basketball Association's David Stern and Major League Baseball's Bud Selig - will also not likely win many popularity contests among their various constituencies.
But the commissioners concede that Bettman's job requires a thick skin to shield him from the wrath of agitated hockey fans.
"He's got a tough job, there is a little more required of Gary because of a matter of practice the Canadian media seems to kill him," Stern told Reuters. "That is a skill set that I'm not sure who else could take it but him.
"Roger (Goodell) has the same thing when he says the New Orleans Saints have to be sanctioned. I get it on discipline matters and lockouts but it seems that the harshest is saved for Gary. ... As a result he has had to put several coats of armor on his shield."
Bettman, a smallish man with elfin features and a purposeful walk, is an anonymous figure who can slip in and out of the NHL headquarters in Manhattan unnoticed by most passerby.
But in Canada, he is as recognizable as Prime Minister and avid hockey fan Stephen Harper. In the game's spiritual home, Bettman is like Darth Vader, an outsider who has taken Canada's passion and stomped on their hockey-loving hearts.
"If it (the jeers) does (hurt him) he has never shown it. Even when he lets his guard down," said Stern. "He laughs it off.
"Now whether that is a defensive mechanism or not ..."
INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT
During his 20 years in charge Bettman has crafted a complicated legacy.
He has overseen expansion to 30 teams from 24 and watched attendance, television ratings, sponsorships and revenues skyrocket. He also brought the NHL into the Winter Olympics and expanded the league's international footprint by taking regular season games to Europe.
But he has also stubbornly held firm on expansion into non-traditional southern markets, refusing to concede defeat even as franchises like the troubled league-owned Phoenix Coyotes sink into a sea of red ink.
To hockey fans, however, Bettman is likely to be remembered as the commissioner who dragged them through three lockouts, including one that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.
While fans have largely forgiven greedy owners and players for their part in the labor disputes, Bettman remains public enemy No. 1 in many NHL arenas across North America.
Players, who have seen their average annual salary jump to $2.5 million from about $500,000 during the Bettman era, have also expressed little love for their commissioner.
Stern, who negotiated his own labor deal last year, said he watched with interest as Bettman went head-to-head with NHL Players' Association chief Donald Fehr through four months of collective bargaining before reaching a deal id mid-January to salvage a condensed season.
"It is a kind of Kabuki that you have to go through to demonstrate your conviction," explained Stern. "It is almost like a script that you get on how to waste time or put in the right amount of time until you get to a deal.
"It is all part of the Kabuki and Gary can Kabuki with the best."
TIRELESS WORKER
Stern would know better than most the qualities Bettman brings to the commissioner's table.
An Ivy League educated lawyer, Bettman was snatched out of the NBA front office where he had risen through the ranks to senior vice president before signing on as the NHL's first commissioner on Feb. 1, 1993.
Described as a tireless worker with a self-deprecating sense of humor, Bettman is often hammered for being smug and aloof.
While he seldom responds to criticism, Bettman is known to pay close attention to what is being written about him and the league he oversees.
A married father of three, Bettman is also an intensely private man, rarely offering glimpses into his personal life.
"He is a great father, I've been with him as he has driven his kids to different practices and activities," said Stern. "He is devoted husband and caring.
"And he has a vulnerability to him that is a positive.
"He has been commissioner for 20 years, it's a long time and he is still remarkably good natured and vibrant."
Since signing his original five-year deal, Bettman has had his contract renewed three times and is paid handsomely, pulling in a reported annual salary of over $7 million.
With a new collective bargaining agreement in place that will guarantee labor peace for at least eight years, Bettman made it clear he still has much work to do, throwing cold water on rumors that his time as commissioner was near an end.
"I'm looking forward to continuing to grow this game, both on and off the ice, as we have over the last 20 years," Bettman said. "I think the opportunities are great and I'm excited to be a part of them."
NHL-After 20 years of booing, Gary Bettman still standing - Yahoo! Sports
It is an unflattering montage chronicling two often stormy decades of Bettman awarding the Stanley Cup to the winning team, backed by a soundtrack of rancorous booing and occasional chants of "Bettman sucks."
A member of the exclusive commissioner's club, Bettman's counterparts - the National Football League's Roger Goodell, National Basketball Association's David Stern and Major League Baseball's Bud Selig - will also not likely win many popularity contests among their various constituencies.
But the commissioners concede that Bettman's job requires a thick skin to shield him from the wrath of agitated hockey fans.
"He's got a tough job, there is a little more required of Gary because of a matter of practice the Canadian media seems to kill him," Stern told Reuters. "That is a skill set that I'm not sure who else could take it but him.
"Roger (Goodell) has the same thing when he says the New Orleans Saints have to be sanctioned. I get it on discipline matters and lockouts but it seems that the harshest is saved for Gary. ... As a result he has had to put several coats of armor on his shield."
Bettman, a smallish man with elfin features and a purposeful walk, is an anonymous figure who can slip in and out of the NHL headquarters in Manhattan unnoticed by most passerby.
But in Canada, he is as recognizable as Prime Minister and avid hockey fan Stephen Harper. In the game's spiritual home, Bettman is like Darth Vader, an outsider who has taken Canada's passion and stomped on their hockey-loving hearts.
"If it (the jeers) does (hurt him) he has never shown it. Even when he lets his guard down," said Stern. "He laughs it off.
"Now whether that is a defensive mechanism or not ..."
INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT
During his 20 years in charge Bettman has crafted a complicated legacy.
He has overseen expansion to 30 teams from 24 and watched attendance, television ratings, sponsorships and revenues skyrocket. He also brought the NHL into the Winter Olympics and expanded the league's international footprint by taking regular season games to Europe.
But he has also stubbornly held firm on expansion into non-traditional southern markets, refusing to concede defeat even as franchises like the troubled league-owned Phoenix Coyotes sink into a sea of red ink.
To hockey fans, however, Bettman is likely to be remembered as the commissioner who dragged them through three lockouts, including one that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.
While fans have largely forgiven greedy owners and players for their part in the labor disputes, Bettman remains public enemy No. 1 in many NHL arenas across North America.
Players, who have seen their average annual salary jump to $2.5 million from about $500,000 during the Bettman era, have also expressed little love for their commissioner.
Stern, who negotiated his own labor deal last year, said he watched with interest as Bettman went head-to-head with NHL Players' Association chief Donald Fehr through four months of collective bargaining before reaching a deal id mid-January to salvage a condensed season.
"It is a kind of Kabuki that you have to go through to demonstrate your conviction," explained Stern. "It is almost like a script that you get on how to waste time or put in the right amount of time until you get to a deal.
"It is all part of the Kabuki and Gary can Kabuki with the best."
TIRELESS WORKER
Stern would know better than most the qualities Bettman brings to the commissioner's table.
An Ivy League educated lawyer, Bettman was snatched out of the NBA front office where he had risen through the ranks to senior vice president before signing on as the NHL's first commissioner on Feb. 1, 1993.
Described as a tireless worker with a self-deprecating sense of humor, Bettman is often hammered for being smug and aloof.
While he seldom responds to criticism, Bettman is known to pay close attention to what is being written about him and the league he oversees.
A married father of three, Bettman is also an intensely private man, rarely offering glimpses into his personal life.
"He is a great father, I've been with him as he has driven his kids to different practices and activities," said Stern. "He is devoted husband and caring.
"And he has a vulnerability to him that is a positive.
"He has been commissioner for 20 years, it's a long time and he is still remarkably good natured and vibrant."
Since signing his original five-year deal, Bettman has had his contract renewed three times and is paid handsomely, pulling in a reported annual salary of over $7 million.
With a new collective bargaining agreement in place that will guarantee labor peace for at least eight years, Bettman made it clear he still has much work to do, throwing cold water on rumors that his time as commissioner was near an end.
"I'm looking forward to continuing to grow this game, both on and off the ice, as we have over the last 20 years," Bettman said. "I think the opportunities are great and I'm excited to be a part of them."
NHL-After 20 years of booing, Gary Bettman still standing - Yahoo! Sports
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2006/12/07
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When Greg Jamison missed his city of Glendale-imposed deadline to complete the purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes Friday morning at midnight, it was like adding a comma, not even an exclamation point, to the script of this four-year-old docudrama.
There is nothing here to see, just move along. If the NHL was going to give up on trying to save desert hockey, league officials would have pulled the plug a long time ago.
This is simply another pause in the proceedings, time for everyone to reevaluate the plot line, and perhaps bring in new characters. Didn't it seem time for a new twist to this tale?
Although many fans around the country might be shaking their head in amusement over the fact that the save-the-Coyotes campaign seems to be a never-ending story, the continuation of the fight is the most reasonable approach for the league.
The NHL became embroiled in this battle mostly because owner-wannabe Jim Basillie was threatening its well-established franchising protocol and because league officials didn't want to surrender the 12th-largest television market without knowing whether the NHL could really work there. The reason the continuation of the fight is the logical step is because we still don't know the answer to the last question. The NHL fought off Basillie challenge to its way of life, and in so doing ended up owning the franchise. But we still don't know whether the NHL will work long-term in Arizona.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on that issue, but no one truly knows because the franchise has never had all of the elements necessary to test a market. To know whether a market truly will embrace the sport, you need stable, marketing-savvy ownership, patient, well-reasoned management and success on the ice. In their 17 years in Arizona, the Coyotes have never had all three of those selling points at the same time. Most of the time, the franchise didn't even have two of the elements.
What has often been overlooked during the NHL's attempt to find stable ownership is that the Coyotes have a highly effective general manager-coach tandem in Don Maloney and Dave Tippett. Slow start this season notwithstanding, these two seem to have the ability to keep this franchise in contention regardless of the budgetary constraints.
These guys have the ability to compete in the big race with a machine they build out of spare parts. Imagine what they could do if they had ownership that wasn't worried about where the next nickel is coming from.
Critics say the NHL won't work in Arizona, but we all heard the same story about Raleigh and now it's considered one of the more interesting venues to watch a NHL game. Barbecuing and backchecking seem to go hand in hand in Carolina now. It's funny what winning a Stanley Cup does for raising awareness about hockey in non-traditional market. It's as if Lord Stanley's Cup has magical powers, the ability to transform casual fans into hardcore zealots. That's why the NHL shouldn't bail on the Coyotes -- at least not now. Even though the league hasn't been able to find a buyer for the franchise, it's still not the right time to consider a move to Seattle or Quebec City or elsewhere. Maybe that's where we are eventually headed, but they have to let this play out all of the way. The City of Glendale had shown a desire to keep the team by offering a $300 million management deal to Jamison to manage the arena. Now that deal is now off the table. The City of Glendale now has to decide how important it is to keep the team in the city. The new deal clearly won't be as sweet, but the city can't go from $300 million to nothing.
Likewise, the NHL has to at least weigh its $170 million price tag versus its desire to keep the marketplace.
"I think since the deadline has passed, we will have to see what the deal looks like going forward," Jamison told USA TODAY Sports Friday. "We still have an interest in it, and it's something that we would like to continue to talk about and look it. But there probably needs to be an understanding with the NHL and the city of Glendale about what the understanding is since Jan. 31."
If the NHL abandons Arizona now, league officials would always wonder if Coyotes would have been a long-term success had they been able to secure a stable ownership group. Even though it seems preposterous that the league has controlled the team for four years, it truly is the logical move to let this show play a while longer.
NHL must continue its commitment to Phoenix area
There is nothing here to see, just move along. If the NHL was going to give up on trying to save desert hockey, league officials would have pulled the plug a long time ago.
This is simply another pause in the proceedings, time for everyone to reevaluate the plot line, and perhaps bring in new characters. Didn't it seem time for a new twist to this tale?
Although many fans around the country might be shaking their head in amusement over the fact that the save-the-Coyotes campaign seems to be a never-ending story, the continuation of the fight is the most reasonable approach for the league.
The NHL became embroiled in this battle mostly because owner-wannabe Jim Basillie was threatening its well-established franchising protocol and because league officials didn't want to surrender the 12th-largest television market without knowing whether the NHL could really work there. The reason the continuation of the fight is the logical step is because we still don't know the answer to the last question. The NHL fought off Basillie challenge to its way of life, and in so doing ended up owning the franchise. But we still don't know whether the NHL will work long-term in Arizona.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on that issue, but no one truly knows because the franchise has never had all of the elements necessary to test a market. To know whether a market truly will embrace the sport, you need stable, marketing-savvy ownership, patient, well-reasoned management and success on the ice. In their 17 years in Arizona, the Coyotes have never had all three of those selling points at the same time. Most of the time, the franchise didn't even have two of the elements.
What has often been overlooked during the NHL's attempt to find stable ownership is that the Coyotes have a highly effective general manager-coach tandem in Don Maloney and Dave Tippett. Slow start this season notwithstanding, these two seem to have the ability to keep this franchise in contention regardless of the budgetary constraints.
These guys have the ability to compete in the big race with a machine they build out of spare parts. Imagine what they could do if they had ownership that wasn't worried about where the next nickel is coming from.
Critics say the NHL won't work in Arizona, but we all heard the same story about Raleigh and now it's considered one of the more interesting venues to watch a NHL game. Barbecuing and backchecking seem to go hand in hand in Carolina now. It's funny what winning a Stanley Cup does for raising awareness about hockey in non-traditional market. It's as if Lord Stanley's Cup has magical powers, the ability to transform casual fans into hardcore zealots. That's why the NHL shouldn't bail on the Coyotes -- at least not now. Even though the league hasn't been able to find a buyer for the franchise, it's still not the right time to consider a move to Seattle or Quebec City or elsewhere. Maybe that's where we are eventually headed, but they have to let this play out all of the way. The City of Glendale had shown a desire to keep the team by offering a $300 million management deal to Jamison to manage the arena. Now that deal is now off the table. The City of Glendale now has to decide how important it is to keep the team in the city. The new deal clearly won't be as sweet, but the city can't go from $300 million to nothing.
Likewise, the NHL has to at least weigh its $170 million price tag versus its desire to keep the marketplace.
"I think since the deadline has passed, we will have to see what the deal looks like going forward," Jamison told USA TODAY Sports Friday. "We still have an interest in it, and it's something that we would like to continue to talk about and look it. But there probably needs to be an understanding with the NHL and the city of Glendale about what the understanding is since Jan. 31."
If the NHL abandons Arizona now, league officials would always wonder if Coyotes would have been a long-term success had they been able to secure a stable ownership group. Even though it seems preposterous that the league has controlled the team for four years, it truly is the logical move to let this show play a while longer.
NHL must continue its commitment to Phoenix area
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The season-long rush to the doctor continued with more prominent injuries on Saturday.
-Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski has a concussion after falling hard into the boards. He was chasing the puck with teammate Nick Foligno. Detroit's Justin Abdelkader appeared to make contact with Foligno, who then bumped into Wisniewski. Wisniewski spun around and landed hard against the boards.
"It is a concussion," coach Todd Richards said. "Next we'll see where that goes."
Richards said Wisniewski was stiff and sore.
"He's moving slow," Richards said. "His back and leg got hurt in the collision." SUSPENSION: John Erskine to sit three games
-Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith injured his shoulder in the same game.
-Boston Bruins top-six winger Brad Marchand was held out of the game after he got tangled up with Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer and crashed hard into the boards. He was in pain and appeared to be favoring his shoulder when he got up. The referee waved off a Bruins goal that occurred around the same time because of the contact. Gregory Campbell took his place on his line with Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin a few shifts later and he didn't play in the third period. Bruins coach Claude Julien said Marchand was held out for precautionary reasons.
-Tampa Bay-area reporters said Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier was limping after the game after a last-minute shot from teammate Sami Salo deflected off a New York Rangers player and hit him in the foot.
-Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler left the game the Los Angeles Kings' Jarret Stoll checked him into the boards. He has an upper body injury, the team said, and his return was doubtful.
Prominent players injured in Saturday NHL games
-Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski has a concussion after falling hard into the boards. He was chasing the puck with teammate Nick Foligno. Detroit's Justin Abdelkader appeared to make contact with Foligno, who then bumped into Wisniewski. Wisniewski spun around and landed hard against the boards.
"It is a concussion," coach Todd Richards said. "Next we'll see where that goes."
Richards said Wisniewski was stiff and sore.
"He's moving slow," Richards said. "His back and leg got hurt in the collision." SUSPENSION: John Erskine to sit three games
-Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith injured his shoulder in the same game.
-Boston Bruins top-six winger Brad Marchand was held out of the game after he got tangled up with Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer and crashed hard into the boards. He was in pain and appeared to be favoring his shoulder when he got up. The referee waved off a Bruins goal that occurred around the same time because of the contact. Gregory Campbell took his place on his line with Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin a few shifts later and he didn't play in the third period. Bruins coach Claude Julien said Marchand was held out for precautionary reasons.
-Tampa Bay-area reporters said Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier was limping after the game after a last-minute shot from teammate Sami Salo deflected off a New York Rangers player and hit him in the foot.
-Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler left the game the Los Angeles Kings' Jarret Stoll checked him into the boards. He has an upper body injury, the team said, and his return was doubtful.
Prominent players injured in Saturday NHL games
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The NHL began with four teams in 1917 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was an offshoot from its predecessor, the National Hockey Association (NHA), formed in 1909.
NHL Guide, guiding you through the national hockey league
Welcome!!
NHL Guide, guiding you through the national hockey league
Welcome!!
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Any professional sports league that puts its fans through a four-month lockout is going to have difficulty returning to the forefront.
Even though sell-out crowds and improved television ratings have defined the NHL's return, there's little doubt that there's an undercurrent of resentment.
Outstanding play by the league's superstars can help dissipate that resentment. In the NHL, superstars are expected to perform on the ice and handle their responsibilities off of it as well.
That includes treating fans well when they are out in public and reaching out through the media and cooperating with public requests whenever possible.
Here are eight players who define the modern NHL superstar.
Read More: 8 Players That Define the Modern NHL Superstar | Bleacher Report
Even though sell-out crowds and improved television ratings have defined the NHL's return, there's little doubt that there's an undercurrent of resentment.
Outstanding play by the league's superstars can help dissipate that resentment. In the NHL, superstars are expected to perform on the ice and handle their responsibilities off of it as well.
That includes treating fans well when they are out in public and reaching out through the media and cooperating with public requests whenever possible.
Here are eight players who define the modern NHL superstar.
Read More: 8 Players That Define the Modern NHL Superstar | Bleacher Report
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Chris Tanev couldn't have had much better timing in scoring his first-career NHL goal.
Tanev scored with just 19.3 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday for their season-high third win in a row.
With just 2:17 remaining and the Oilers holding a 2-1 lead, the Canucks were able to tie the game up on a long shot from Kevin Bieksa that beat goalie Devan Dubnyk stick-side to send the game to extra time.
Naturally, Tanev was beaming after finally getting a goal in his 63rd career NHL contest.
"It took a while, but I'm happy I was able to get it," he said as he teammates chanted his name in the locker-room. "There was a little give-and-go and all their guys were watching them and I was able to come in off the blue-line and I shot it and I think one of our guys screened the goalie and it went in. I'm pretty happy."
Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault was thrilled to see the 23-year-old defenceman get his first goal in such a big fashion.
"He's a young player who has been with us for quite some time now," he said. "For him to get that goal tonight at the time that he did to win us the win was very good for the whole group. Everybody was really happy for him."
Oilers failed to finish the job
Taylor Hall was awarded a penalty shot for the Oilers with 2:47 gone in OT after being hooked down by Daniel Sedin on a breakaway, but Hall was stopped by Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, who finished with 23 saves.
Jannik Hansen also scored in regulation for the Canucks (5-2-2), who extended their lead atop the Northwest Division.
The win gave Vancouver a bit of revenge from the first time the two teams met this season when Edmonton came from behind 2-0 to win 3-2 in a shootout.
Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth replied for the Oilers (4-3-2), who have lost three in a row. Dubnyk, meanwhile, stopped 37 shots.
"It was very disappointing how the game ended up," said Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger. "After the onslaught we faced in the second period, we felt we were in the better position and everybody was working hard to fill in for [game injuries to Mark Fistric and Shawn Horcoff].
"We had lots of blocked shots and a lot of effort from everybody. It was really disappointing not only to end up in overtime, but to lose out on a point."
The first period was largely uneventful until late in the frame when the Oilers struck on the power play. Nail Yakupov made a nice chip pass and Hemsky hustled to beat Jason Garrison to the puck before undressing Luongo with a deke for his third goal of the season.
The Oilers made it 2-0 eight minutes into the second as Anton Lander picked off a pass at the Canucks blue-line while shorthanded and sent it to Smyth in front. His shot was partially blocked by Alex Edler but still managed to dribble its way into the Vancouver net.
The Canucks got on the board four minutes later after a good battle by Hansen culminated in his shot from behind the goal-line catching Dubnyk off guard, going in off his arm.
Vancouver held a 21-12 shot advantage after 40 minutes.
The Canucks had a good chance to tie it up five minutes into the third period on a tipped shot in front of the net by Alex Burrows, but Dubnyk was able to make a leaping save.
Luongo matched that with a point-blank save on Jordan Eberle with nine minutes to play.
"We started off a bit slow, but halfway through the second we picked it up," Tanev said. "It was good game tonight, so it was nice to get it in overtime. It's good that we came back, I think we showed some character."
The Oilers play host to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. The Canucks are off until Thursday when they take on the Wild in Minnesota.
Tanev scored with just 19.3 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday for their season-high third win in a row.
With just 2:17 remaining and the Oilers holding a 2-1 lead, the Canucks were able to tie the game up on a long shot from Kevin Bieksa that beat goalie Devan Dubnyk stick-side to send the game to extra time.
Naturally, Tanev was beaming after finally getting a goal in his 63rd career NHL contest.
"It took a while, but I'm happy I was able to get it," he said as he teammates chanted his name in the locker-room. "There was a little give-and-go and all their guys were watching them and I was able to come in off the blue-line and I shot it and I think one of our guys screened the goalie and it went in. I'm pretty happy."
Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault was thrilled to see the 23-year-old defenceman get his first goal in such a big fashion.
"He's a young player who has been with us for quite some time now," he said. "For him to get that goal tonight at the time that he did to win us the win was very good for the whole group. Everybody was really happy for him."
Oilers failed to finish the job
Taylor Hall was awarded a penalty shot for the Oilers with 2:47 gone in OT after being hooked down by Daniel Sedin on a breakaway, but Hall was stopped by Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, who finished with 23 saves.
Jannik Hansen also scored in regulation for the Canucks (5-2-2), who extended their lead atop the Northwest Division.
The win gave Vancouver a bit of revenge from the first time the two teams met this season when Edmonton came from behind 2-0 to win 3-2 in a shootout.
Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth replied for the Oilers (4-3-2), who have lost three in a row. Dubnyk, meanwhile, stopped 37 shots.
"It was very disappointing how the game ended up," said Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger. "After the onslaught we faced in the second period, we felt we were in the better position and everybody was working hard to fill in for [game injuries to Mark Fistric and Shawn Horcoff].
"We had lots of blocked shots and a lot of effort from everybody. It was really disappointing not only to end up in overtime, but to lose out on a point."
The first period was largely uneventful until late in the frame when the Oilers struck on the power play. Nail Yakupov made a nice chip pass and Hemsky hustled to beat Jason Garrison to the puck before undressing Luongo with a deke for his third goal of the season.
The Oilers made it 2-0 eight minutes into the second as Anton Lander picked off a pass at the Canucks blue-line while shorthanded and sent it to Smyth in front. His shot was partially blocked by Alex Edler but still managed to dribble its way into the Vancouver net.
The Canucks got on the board four minutes later after a good battle by Hansen culminated in his shot from behind the goal-line catching Dubnyk off guard, going in off his arm.
Vancouver held a 21-12 shot advantage after 40 minutes.
The Canucks had a good chance to tie it up five minutes into the third period on a tipped shot in front of the net by Alex Burrows, but Dubnyk was able to make a leaping save.
Luongo matched that with a point-blank save on Jordan Eberle with nine minutes to play.
"We started off a bit slow, but halfway through the second we picked it up," Tanev said. "It was good game tonight, so it was nice to get it in overtime. It's good that we came back, I think we showed some character."
The Oilers play host to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. The Canucks are off until Thursday when they take on the Wild in Minnesota.
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A daylong nationwide celebration of Canada's favorite pastime will be available to American hockey fans courtesy of NHL Network.
One week before fans south of the border celebrate Hockey Weekend Across America, their northern neighbors will partake in Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada. This year, Peterborough, Ontario will provide the broadcasting hub for a day's worth of hockey action, including four NHL games featuring all seven Canadian teams.
CBC will broadcast all the festivities in Canada, and NHL Network will start its day at noon Saturday, Feb. 9. The broadcast will spotlight the game and its place in Canada until 2 p.m. ET, when the Edmonton Oilers play at the Detroit Red Wings and the Winnipeg Jets visit the Ottawa Senators (check local listings, blackouts in effect).
The festivities continue up to 7 p.m., when the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs go head to head in Montreal in an Original Six matchup. The tripleheader will finish when the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames.
An additional 30 minutes of after-hours coverage from 1-1:30 a.m. will wrap up the 14th installment of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada.
After that, the NHL Network will continue to be your top spot for all the best action until Hockey Day in America takes place on Sunday, Feb. 17.
One week before fans south of the border celebrate Hockey Weekend Across America, their northern neighbors will partake in Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada. This year, Peterborough, Ontario will provide the broadcasting hub for a day's worth of hockey action, including four NHL games featuring all seven Canadian teams.
CBC will broadcast all the festivities in Canada, and NHL Network will start its day at noon Saturday, Feb. 9. The broadcast will spotlight the game and its place in Canada until 2 p.m. ET, when the Edmonton Oilers play at the Detroit Red Wings and the Winnipeg Jets visit the Ottawa Senators (check local listings, blackouts in effect).
The festivities continue up to 7 p.m., when the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs go head to head in Montreal in an Original Six matchup. The tripleheader will finish when the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames.
An additional 30 minutes of after-hours coverage from 1-1:30 a.m. will wrap up the 14th installment of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada.
After that, the NHL Network will continue to be your top spot for all the best action until Hockey Day in America takes place on Sunday, Feb. 17.
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Jaromir Jagr scored in overtime as the Dallas Stars won two games in a row for the first time this season, defeating the injury-riddled Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Jagr beat Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk 1:46 into overtime with a high wrist shot for his third goal of the season.
Jamie Benn and Derek Roy scored in regulation for the Stars, who improved to 5-5-1.
Ales Hemsky and Justin Schultz scored in response for the Oilers, who were without three of their top four centres — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (day-to-day with a shoulder injury), Shawn Horcoff (broken knuckle) and Eric Belanger (broken toes).
Adding to their woes, centre Anton Lander left the game in the first period with a foot injury.
The Oilers (4-3-3) are now winless in their last four games.
There were few good chances in a rather sedate first period, most of them belong to the Stars while they were short handed. Dallas had several odd-man rushes late in the first and almost converted on one of them as Cody Eakin had Dubnyk beat but rang his shot off the post.
Edmonton broke the scoreless deadlock three minutes into the second following a mad scramble in front of the Dallas net. Nail Yakupov rang a shot off the post behind Stars starter Kari Lehtonen before Hemsky banked the rebound in off a defender.
Sam Gagner had an assist to extend his point streak to 10 games.
The sound of metal clanging rang out through Rexall Place with seven minutes left as Loui Eriksson hit the post behind Dubnyk, leading immediately to a rush by Yakupov, who also hit the post on his shot.
A minute later the Stars tied the game as a shot by Benn appeared to deflect off Oiler Jeff Petry and into the Edmonton net. It was Benn's third goal in six games since ending his free agent holdout. Dallas went up 2-1 with 1:16 left to play in the second period as Roy blasted a shot from the point during a power play that found the back of the net untouched. It was Roy's first goal as a Star.
Edmonton tied the game 2-2 eight minutes into the third on a power play of their own as Schultz let loose a rocket from the point past Lehtonen. It was the third goal of the season for the Oilers rookie defenceman.
The Stars return home to take on the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The Oilers start a quick two-game road trip on Saturday against the Red Wings in Detroit.
Dallas vs Edmonton - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
Jagr beat Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk 1:46 into overtime with a high wrist shot for his third goal of the season.
Jamie Benn and Derek Roy scored in regulation for the Stars, who improved to 5-5-1.
Ales Hemsky and Justin Schultz scored in response for the Oilers, who were without three of their top four centres — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (day-to-day with a shoulder injury), Shawn Horcoff (broken knuckle) and Eric Belanger (broken toes).
Adding to their woes, centre Anton Lander left the game in the first period with a foot injury.
The Oilers (4-3-3) are now winless in their last four games.
There were few good chances in a rather sedate first period, most of them belong to the Stars while they were short handed. Dallas had several odd-man rushes late in the first and almost converted on one of them as Cody Eakin had Dubnyk beat but rang his shot off the post.
Edmonton broke the scoreless deadlock three minutes into the second following a mad scramble in front of the Dallas net. Nail Yakupov rang a shot off the post behind Stars starter Kari Lehtonen before Hemsky banked the rebound in off a defender.
Sam Gagner had an assist to extend his point streak to 10 games.
The sound of metal clanging rang out through Rexall Place with seven minutes left as Loui Eriksson hit the post behind Dubnyk, leading immediately to a rush by Yakupov, who also hit the post on his shot.
A minute later the Stars tied the game as a shot by Benn appeared to deflect off Oiler Jeff Petry and into the Edmonton net. It was Benn's third goal in six games since ending his free agent holdout. Dallas went up 2-1 with 1:16 left to play in the second period as Roy blasted a shot from the point during a power play that found the back of the net untouched. It was Roy's first goal as a Star.
Edmonton tied the game 2-2 eight minutes into the third on a power play of their own as Schultz let loose a rocket from the point past Lehtonen. It was the third goal of the season for the Oilers rookie defenceman.
The Stars return home to take on the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The Oilers start a quick two-game road trip on Saturday against the Red Wings in Detroit.
Dallas vs Edmonton - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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Petr Mrazek wiped the puck off with a towel, then put it in his bag, a memento he'll always treasure.
Mrazek also got a congratulatory handshake from general manager Ken Holland in the locker room at Scottrade Center after making 26 saves to help the Red Wings defeat the Blues 5-1 Thursday.
"I thought he played well," coach Mike Babcock said. "He really handles the puck well - he makes it easy for the D, so you play in your zone less just because he's so good at it. The other thing I liked about him is, he didn't generate second chances for them. Good for the kid."
A week shy of his 21st birthday, Mrazek became the 10th youngest goaltender to make his Wings debut, only the second to win it.
"I felt great today," Mrazek said. "I was really excited to play. I'm never nervous. I enjoy every minute on the ice." Mrazek didn't see much work the first 30 minutes, but he made an especially key save on Andy McDonald late in the first period. The only Blues player to dent Mrazek was Alex Pietrangelo, during a power play.
Mrazek has won all his debuts this season, from the ECHL to the American Hockey League to the AHL All-Star game to the NHL. He got his shot Thursday because the Red Wings wanted to give Jimmy Howard a mental break after he'd started each of the first nine games and played all but one period. Howard would have preferred to play, he said, but "it's good to just hit the re-focus button."
At the same time, it was an opportunity for Mrazek to show he can deliver in the big league after a strong showing in the minors. Mrazek was 16-7-1 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 25 games with the Griffins. He played in the Jan. 28 AHL All-Star game, and was last week's player of the week after stopping 53 of 54 shots over two games. Two years ago, he won the top goaltender award at the World Junior Championships.
"This kid, he's been the berries everywhere he's been," Babcock said.
Mrazek wasn't supposed to be a backup to Howard, but both Jonas Gustavsson and Joey MacDonald are nursing injuries.
The Red Wings play back-to-back games on the weekend, so as far as Mrazek goes, "we'll play him again, obviously," Babcock said. "We can't play Howie every night. But if you have someone in the organization that can play, that's a real positive."
Red Wings goalie beats Blues in NHL debut
Mrazek also got a congratulatory handshake from general manager Ken Holland in the locker room at Scottrade Center after making 26 saves to help the Red Wings defeat the Blues 5-1 Thursday.
"I thought he played well," coach Mike Babcock said. "He really handles the puck well - he makes it easy for the D, so you play in your zone less just because he's so good at it. The other thing I liked about him is, he didn't generate second chances for them. Good for the kid."
A week shy of his 21st birthday, Mrazek became the 10th youngest goaltender to make his Wings debut, only the second to win it.
"I felt great today," Mrazek said. "I was really excited to play. I'm never nervous. I enjoy every minute on the ice." Mrazek didn't see much work the first 30 minutes, but he made an especially key save on Andy McDonald late in the first period. The only Blues player to dent Mrazek was Alex Pietrangelo, during a power play.
Mrazek has won all his debuts this season, from the ECHL to the American Hockey League to the AHL All-Star game to the NHL. He got his shot Thursday because the Red Wings wanted to give Jimmy Howard a mental break after he'd started each of the first nine games and played all but one period. Howard would have preferred to play, he said, but "it's good to just hit the re-focus button."
At the same time, it was an opportunity for Mrazek to show he can deliver in the big league after a strong showing in the minors. Mrazek was 16-7-1 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 25 games with the Griffins. He played in the Jan. 28 AHL All-Star game, and was last week's player of the week after stopping 53 of 54 shots over two games. Two years ago, he won the top goaltender award at the World Junior Championships.
"This kid, he's been the berries everywhere he's been," Babcock said.
Mrazek wasn't supposed to be a backup to Howard, but both Jonas Gustavsson and Joey MacDonald are nursing injuries.
The Red Wings play back-to-back games on the weekend, so as far as Mrazek goes, "we'll play him again, obviously," Babcock said. "We can't play Howie every night. But if you have someone in the organization that can play, that's a real positive."
Red Wings goalie beats Blues in NHL debut
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The Stars finally got their power play going. Twice in one period, in fact.
After managing just one goal in 16 opportunities over the previous five games, the Stars got goals from Trevor Daley and Jamie Benn on the man-advantage in the first period, en route to a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
``Just keep working on it, watching some video, working on it in practice,'' Benn said of the power-play unit's success. ``I think it just comes down to shooting pucks and keeping it simple and I think we did that tonight.''
After building an early 2-0 lead, Loui Eriksson sealed the win with a third-period score when he corralled Alex Goligoski's cross-ice pass and fired a wrist shot past Anaheim goaltender Viktor Fasth with 7:14 remaining.
Goligoski, who was a healthy scratch Wednesday in Edmonton, added two assists for Dallas (6-5-1), which earned its third consecutive win.
Nick Bonino scored for the Ducks (7-2-1), who had won four in a row. It was the first regulation road loss this season for Anaheim.
``I want them to know that they didn't come ready to play and what happens when you play good hockey clubs and you're not ready to play,'' Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. ``It was a disappointing first period. I don't think the rest of the game was disappointing, but you can't win hockey games playing 40 minutes. It's a 60-minute game.''
Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller left after the first period with a lower body injury. He made 14 saves, and Fasth finished with 11 stops.
``He wasn't feeling very well so we made the change,'' said Boudreau, who added that they wouldn't know the severity until Hiller was fully evaluated.
Dallas also outshot Anaheim 28-21, marking the first time this season that it had outshot an opponent.
``We had a good third,'' said Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan, whose club allowed just one shot against in the final period. ``We limited our turnovers, we played smart hockey and it's another little step for us and the way we have to play for us to be successful.''
Daley was strong at the other end as well, disrupting two breakaways. He helped stop Corey Perry in the first period, resulting in an easy save for Kari Lehtonen, and Kyle Palmieri didn't even get a shot off on his opportunity in the second.
Lehtonen was excellent in goal, making 20 saves.
The Ducks cut the Stars' lead to 2-1 with 4:37 remaining in the second period when Bonino scored for the fourth time this season, re-directing Luca Sbisa's booming slap shot over Lehtonen's shoulder.
Anaheim nearly tied it just over a minute later, but Lehtonen gloved Daniel Winnik's backhander on a 3-on-1 rush.
``It was something you don't want to see, three against one, but I got a little lucky there, I was able to make a good stop,'' said Lehtonen, who is 5-1-0 against the Ducks with two shutouts over the last two seasons. ``I think that helped everybody. I was real happy with that.''
Added Boudreau: ``That would have made it 2-2. I think it would have been a different game.''
Dallas got off to a fast start, outshooting the Ducks 8-1 through the first seven minutes, and drawing the first power play when Brad Staubitz was sent off for roughing.
Daley capitalized at 8:48 when his slap shot from the point found its way through a screen and squeezed under Hiller's arm. Shortly afterward, frustrations bubbled over after Stephane Robidas' slash on Perry went undetected by the officials, incensing Perry and resulting in a fight between the two at 11:02.
``When he sticks his stick out, pulls it, I don't know what you call that. It's spearing to me,'' said Perry of the play. ``You've just got to call the first one and that ... doesn't happen.''
Staubitz then speared Dallas rookie Brenden Dillon in the groin at 12:34, earning a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
``What do you want me to say? Good refs have bad games,'' Boudreau said of the penalty. ``Like good hockey players have bad games, good refs have bad games. A spear, if you're going to do that then Robidas got a spear on Perry and nothing was called. So what are you going to do?''
It took the Stars just 25 seconds to cash in on the extra-man opportunity, with Benn collecting his fourth goal in the last three games.
``It was big,'' Benn said. ``I thought we stayed disciplined in not retaliating on that penalty and it won us the game.''
Notes: D Ben Lovejoy, acquired Wednesday in a trade with Pittsburgh for a fifth-round draft choice in 2014, made his Ducks debut. In 16:20 of ice time, he registered a team-high four shots on goal. ... After tallying the only goal in the second period, Anaheim has outscored opponents 12-4 in middle periods this season, while Dallas has been outscored 15-8. ... The Ducks have outscored opponents 23-13 during 5-on-5 play this season, the best differential in the NHL. ... Dallas has now won seven of the last eight meetings between the Pacific Division rivals.
After managing just one goal in 16 opportunities over the previous five games, the Stars got goals from Trevor Daley and Jamie Benn on the man-advantage in the first period, en route to a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
``Just keep working on it, watching some video, working on it in practice,'' Benn said of the power-play unit's success. ``I think it just comes down to shooting pucks and keeping it simple and I think we did that tonight.''
After building an early 2-0 lead, Loui Eriksson sealed the win with a third-period score when he corralled Alex Goligoski's cross-ice pass and fired a wrist shot past Anaheim goaltender Viktor Fasth with 7:14 remaining.
Goligoski, who was a healthy scratch Wednesday in Edmonton, added two assists for Dallas (6-5-1), which earned its third consecutive win.
Nick Bonino scored for the Ducks (7-2-1), who had won four in a row. It was the first regulation road loss this season for Anaheim.
``I want them to know that they didn't come ready to play and what happens when you play good hockey clubs and you're not ready to play,'' Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. ``It was a disappointing first period. I don't think the rest of the game was disappointing, but you can't win hockey games playing 40 minutes. It's a 60-minute game.''
Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller left after the first period with a lower body injury. He made 14 saves, and Fasth finished with 11 stops.
``He wasn't feeling very well so we made the change,'' said Boudreau, who added that they wouldn't know the severity until Hiller was fully evaluated.
Dallas also outshot Anaheim 28-21, marking the first time this season that it had outshot an opponent.
``We had a good third,'' said Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan, whose club allowed just one shot against in the final period. ``We limited our turnovers, we played smart hockey and it's another little step for us and the way we have to play for us to be successful.''
Daley was strong at the other end as well, disrupting two breakaways. He helped stop Corey Perry in the first period, resulting in an easy save for Kari Lehtonen, and Kyle Palmieri didn't even get a shot off on his opportunity in the second.
Lehtonen was excellent in goal, making 20 saves.
The Ducks cut the Stars' lead to 2-1 with 4:37 remaining in the second period when Bonino scored for the fourth time this season, re-directing Luca Sbisa's booming slap shot over Lehtonen's shoulder.
Anaheim nearly tied it just over a minute later, but Lehtonen gloved Daniel Winnik's backhander on a 3-on-1 rush.
``It was something you don't want to see, three against one, but I got a little lucky there, I was able to make a good stop,'' said Lehtonen, who is 5-1-0 against the Ducks with two shutouts over the last two seasons. ``I think that helped everybody. I was real happy with that.''
Added Boudreau: ``That would have made it 2-2. I think it would have been a different game.''
Dallas got off to a fast start, outshooting the Ducks 8-1 through the first seven minutes, and drawing the first power play when Brad Staubitz was sent off for roughing.
Daley capitalized at 8:48 when his slap shot from the point found its way through a screen and squeezed under Hiller's arm. Shortly afterward, frustrations bubbled over after Stephane Robidas' slash on Perry went undetected by the officials, incensing Perry and resulting in a fight between the two at 11:02.
``When he sticks his stick out, pulls it, I don't know what you call that. It's spearing to me,'' said Perry of the play. ``You've just got to call the first one and that ... doesn't happen.''
Staubitz then speared Dallas rookie Brenden Dillon in the groin at 12:34, earning a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
``What do you want me to say? Good refs have bad games,'' Boudreau said of the penalty. ``Like good hockey players have bad games, good refs have bad games. A spear, if you're going to do that then Robidas got a spear on Perry and nothing was called. So what are you going to do?''
It took the Stars just 25 seconds to cash in on the extra-man opportunity, with Benn collecting his fourth goal in the last three games.
``It was big,'' Benn said. ``I thought we stayed disciplined in not retaliating on that penalty and it won us the game.''
Notes: D Ben Lovejoy, acquired Wednesday in a trade with Pittsburgh for a fifth-round draft choice in 2014, made his Ducks debut. In 16:20 of ice time, he registered a team-high four shots on goal. ... After tallying the only goal in the second period, Anaheim has outscored opponents 12-4 in middle periods this season, while Dallas has been outscored 15-8. ... The Ducks have outscored opponents 23-13 during 5-on-5 play this season, the best differential in the NHL. ... Dallas has now won seven of the last eight meetings between the Pacific Division rivals.
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The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association will meet Thursday and Friday in New York with the IOC and the International Ice Hockey Federation with the hope of making progress toward an agreement to participate in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Actually, the league and the union have a rather ambitious schedule in mind for this week, as they also plan to discuss NHL realignment and finalize the language in the new collective agreement. At this point, though, it looks like the only item on their agenda expected to get finished is the final version of the collective agreement. With the Sochi Games only 12 months away, an agreement on NHL participation needs to be done quickly. However, that will be difficult despite the players’ willingness to go because of several issues, none of which were helped by IIHF president René Fasel. He took an obvious shot at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in an interview on CBC television, saying, “I think Gary has no other choice, he has to come to Sochi,” and later said a barrier to an agreement might be “ego from some people in North America.”
That had even NHLPA executives shaking their heads and should make for an interesting session on Thursday when Bettman sits down with Fasel, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr and representatives from the IOC.
The players may be eager to keep playing in the Olympics but they do agree with the NHL owners, who think they get nothing in return for interrupting their regular-season schedule. They think there needs to be some giving on the part of the IOC and IIHF on several fronts, including access to players’ and NHL teams’ regular doctors, insurance, a cut of the revenue they bring in and the schedule regarding both Olympic participation and other international competition.
The latter issue concerns Olympic orientation camps and the dormant World Cup of Hockey. The NHL and the players want to make sure the Olympic orientation camps held by each country the summer before the games are shorter and less intense than the week-long affairs in the past. They also want to get an agreement on having the World Cup serve as the major international hockey competition every two years in an Olympic off-year, probably in September. Realignment remains a hot issue with the owners but the players want to make sure their concerns about excessive travel and equal chances to make the playoffs are met before they give their required permission. One thing different this time around is whatever plan is presented to the NHL governors for their approval will have already been agreed to by the players. Last year, the governors approved a plan only to see it shot down by the players.
“We’ve been discussing alignment with the union over a period of time since we agreed on the new [collective agreement],” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail message Sunday. “Yes, our final recommendation in terms of approach for next year will be brought to the [governors] for its review and approval.”
MLSE NOT A HAPPY PLACE
The executive suite at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., will bear watching in the comings weeks and months as the firing of Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke was not the only recent departure. It seems the media giants BCE Inc., and Rogers Communications Inc., are not hesitating to throw their weight around now that they collectively own 75 per cent of MLSE and occupy four of the six seats on the board of directors.
Also leaving the company in recent months were Robin Brudner, MLSE’s executive vice-president, general counsel and corporate secretary, and Patti-Anne Tarlton, vice-president, live entertainment. While she was with MLSE, Brudner was one of the most powerful female sports executives in North America. Sources say neither departure was without friction.
There may be some hard feelings about the size of a bonus. As general counsel, Brudner would have done a lot of work on the $1.3-billion sale to BCE and Rogers and a bonus in excess of $1-million would not have been out of line, according to one insider. Both Brudner, who is taking time out for her family, and Tarlton, who is now with Ticketmaster, declined to comment.
FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
Flyers at Leafs
This is the first game between these teams since the big James van Riemsdyk-Luke Schenn trade. Okay, not exactly Wayne Gretzky returns to Edmonton but the Leafs are the early winners thanks to van Riemsdyk’s seven goals. They also need a win to shore up that awful 1-4 home record. Monday, 7 p.m., Sportsnet Ontario, RDS2.
Rangers at Bruins
The last time they met, Rangers winger Marian Gaborik had a hat trick, including the overtime winner on Jan. 23, a win that was supposed to right them after a slow start. It didn’t happen and now the Rangers need another win to get moving, only they’re 1-3 on the road. Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, MSG, NESN.
Sabres at Senators
There is still some life in this rivalry and the Sabres will be fighting hard to get their increasingly annoyed fans off their backs. Only goaltender Ryan Miller is keeping the Sabres afloat thanks to their poor defensive work, especially on faceoffs. Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Sportsnet East.
Senators at Penguins
James Neal and Evgeni Malkin combined to knock off the Senators in their previous meeting by collaborating on a goal in regulation time and then both scoring in the shootout for a 2-1 win. Wednesday, 7 p.m., TSN, RDS.
Sharks at Blackhawks
A nice rivalry in the making here. When they met last week, they were both at the top of the Western Conference and the Blackhawks took a 5-3 decision to remain without a regulation loss. But there were fireworks with Chicago’s Duncan Keith piling up the penalty minutes for going after Sharks forward Andrew Desjardins for his head shot on Jamal Mayers. Friday, 8:30 p.m., CSN California, CSN Chicago.
Actually, the league and the union have a rather ambitious schedule in mind for this week, as they also plan to discuss NHL realignment and finalize the language in the new collective agreement. At this point, though, it looks like the only item on their agenda expected to get finished is the final version of the collective agreement. With the Sochi Games only 12 months away, an agreement on NHL participation needs to be done quickly. However, that will be difficult despite the players’ willingness to go because of several issues, none of which were helped by IIHF president René Fasel. He took an obvious shot at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in an interview on CBC television, saying, “I think Gary has no other choice, he has to come to Sochi,” and later said a barrier to an agreement might be “ego from some people in North America.”
That had even NHLPA executives shaking their heads and should make for an interesting session on Thursday when Bettman sits down with Fasel, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr and representatives from the IOC.
The players may be eager to keep playing in the Olympics but they do agree with the NHL owners, who think they get nothing in return for interrupting their regular-season schedule. They think there needs to be some giving on the part of the IOC and IIHF on several fronts, including access to players’ and NHL teams’ regular doctors, insurance, a cut of the revenue they bring in and the schedule regarding both Olympic participation and other international competition.
The latter issue concerns Olympic orientation camps and the dormant World Cup of Hockey. The NHL and the players want to make sure the Olympic orientation camps held by each country the summer before the games are shorter and less intense than the week-long affairs in the past. They also want to get an agreement on having the World Cup serve as the major international hockey competition every two years in an Olympic off-year, probably in September. Realignment remains a hot issue with the owners but the players want to make sure their concerns about excessive travel and equal chances to make the playoffs are met before they give their required permission. One thing different this time around is whatever plan is presented to the NHL governors for their approval will have already been agreed to by the players. Last year, the governors approved a plan only to see it shot down by the players.
“We’ve been discussing alignment with the union over a period of time since we agreed on the new [collective agreement],” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail message Sunday. “Yes, our final recommendation in terms of approach for next year will be brought to the [governors] for its review and approval.”
MLSE NOT A HAPPY PLACE
The executive suite at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., will bear watching in the comings weeks and months as the firing of Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke was not the only recent departure. It seems the media giants BCE Inc., and Rogers Communications Inc., are not hesitating to throw their weight around now that they collectively own 75 per cent of MLSE and occupy four of the six seats on the board of directors.
Also leaving the company in recent months were Robin Brudner, MLSE’s executive vice-president, general counsel and corporate secretary, and Patti-Anne Tarlton, vice-president, live entertainment. While she was with MLSE, Brudner was one of the most powerful female sports executives in North America. Sources say neither departure was without friction.
There may be some hard feelings about the size of a bonus. As general counsel, Brudner would have done a lot of work on the $1.3-billion sale to BCE and Rogers and a bonus in excess of $1-million would not have been out of line, according to one insider. Both Brudner, who is taking time out for her family, and Tarlton, who is now with Ticketmaster, declined to comment.
FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
Flyers at Leafs
This is the first game between these teams since the big James van Riemsdyk-Luke Schenn trade. Okay, not exactly Wayne Gretzky returns to Edmonton but the Leafs are the early winners thanks to van Riemsdyk’s seven goals. They also need a win to shore up that awful 1-4 home record. Monday, 7 p.m., Sportsnet Ontario, RDS2.
Rangers at Bruins
The last time they met, Rangers winger Marian Gaborik had a hat trick, including the overtime winner on Jan. 23, a win that was supposed to right them after a slow start. It didn’t happen and now the Rangers need another win to get moving, only they’re 1-3 on the road. Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, MSG, NESN.
Sabres at Senators
There is still some life in this rivalry and the Sabres will be fighting hard to get their increasingly annoyed fans off their backs. Only goaltender Ryan Miller is keeping the Sabres afloat thanks to their poor defensive work, especially on faceoffs. Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Sportsnet East.
Senators at Penguins
James Neal and Evgeni Malkin combined to knock off the Senators in their previous meeting by collaborating on a goal in regulation time and then both scoring in the shootout for a 2-1 win. Wednesday, 7 p.m., TSN, RDS.
Sharks at Blackhawks
A nice rivalry in the making here. When they met last week, they were both at the top of the Western Conference and the Blackhawks took a 5-3 decision to remain without a regulation loss. But there were fireworks with Chicago’s Duncan Keith piling up the penalty minutes for going after Sharks forward Andrew Desjardins for his head shot on Jamal Mayers. Friday, 8:30 p.m., CSN California, CSN Chicago.
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The Los Angeles Kings dialed it back to their Stanley Cup run last spring and put another beating on the St. Louis Blues.
Jeff Carter had a two-goal game for the first time since the Game 6 Cup clincher over New Jersey, and the Kings didn't need playoff star Jonathan Quick in goal to shut down host St. Louis in a 4-1 victory on Monday night.
"That's something we've been talking about, getting a lead and playing with a lead," Carter said. "We haven't been doing that much this year."
Brian Elliott has been in net the last four games of the Blues' five-game losing streak, a skid in which they've allowed 26 goals. Elliott made 19 saves in a surprise start a day after Jaroslav Halak was activated from injured reserve, led the team onto the ice for the pregame skate and was listed on the game sheet.
Halak tweaked a groin strain, and Elliott found out he was starting about five minutes before the opening faceoff.
"I think everybody was in a little bit of shock," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He had three really good days of practice and then, I don't know, somewhere in the warm-up he pulled it again."
Hitchcock said he'd know the extent of the injury in practice Tuesday.
Maple Leafs 5, Flyers 2: Colton Orr and Matt Frattin scored goals 28 seconds apart in the second period and host Toronto beat Philadelphia.
But the win came at a cost. James Reimer stopped 12 shots before being replaced by Ben Scrivens early in the second period with what appeared to be a left leg injury. Reimer stayed down before being helped to the locker room without putting any weight on his left leg.
Leafs coach Randy Carlyle says Reimer will be evaluated Tuesday but added he doesn't expect him to miss much action.
Scrivens finished with 32 saves.
The NHL will not suspend Toronto forward Mikhail Grabovski for allegedly biting an opposing player in Saturday's game against Montreal. The league said Monday there was no conclusive evidence that Grabovski bit Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty.
Coyotes 3, Avalanche 2: Shane Doan scored his second goal of the game at 4:01 of overtime and Mike Smith stopped 41 shots, helping visiting Phoenix rally past Colorado.
Wild 2, Flames 1: Mikko Koivu scored the winner in the shootout and Minnesota got its first road victory of the season.
Rescheduled game: The snowed-out game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 25. The game was originally to be played on Saturday. It was postponed because of the blizzard in the Northeast.
NHL: Los Angeles Kings beat slumping St. Louis Blues 4-1 - San Jose Mercury News
Jeff Carter had a two-goal game for the first time since the Game 6 Cup clincher over New Jersey, and the Kings didn't need playoff star Jonathan Quick in goal to shut down host St. Louis in a 4-1 victory on Monday night.
"That's something we've been talking about, getting a lead and playing with a lead," Carter said. "We haven't been doing that much this year."
Brian Elliott has been in net the last four games of the Blues' five-game losing streak, a skid in which they've allowed 26 goals. Elliott made 19 saves in a surprise start a day after Jaroslav Halak was activated from injured reserve, led the team onto the ice for the pregame skate and was listed on the game sheet.
Halak tweaked a groin strain, and Elliott found out he was starting about five minutes before the opening faceoff.
"I think everybody was in a little bit of shock," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He had three really good days of practice and then, I don't know, somewhere in the warm-up he pulled it again."
Hitchcock said he'd know the extent of the injury in practice Tuesday.
Maple Leafs 5, Flyers 2: Colton Orr and Matt Frattin scored goals 28 seconds apart in the second period and host Toronto beat Philadelphia.
But the win came at a cost. James Reimer stopped 12 shots before being replaced by Ben Scrivens early in the second period with what appeared to be a left leg injury. Reimer stayed down before being helped to the locker room without putting any weight on his left leg.
Leafs coach Randy Carlyle says Reimer will be evaluated Tuesday but added he doesn't expect him to miss much action.
Scrivens finished with 32 saves.
The NHL will not suspend Toronto forward Mikhail Grabovski for allegedly biting an opposing player in Saturday's game against Montreal. The league said Monday there was no conclusive evidence that Grabovski bit Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty.
Coyotes 3, Avalanche 2: Shane Doan scored his second goal of the game at 4:01 of overtime and Mike Smith stopped 41 shots, helping visiting Phoenix rally past Colorado.
Wild 2, Flames 1: Mikko Koivu scored the winner in the shootout and Minnesota got its first road victory of the season.
Rescheduled game: The snowed-out game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 25. The game was originally to be played on Saturday. It was postponed because of the blizzard in the Northeast.
NHL: Los Angeles Kings beat slumping St. Louis Blues 4-1 - San Jose Mercury News
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British Columbia (AP) Robert Luongo made 25 saves, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight win.
Luongo's home shutout streak against the Wild ended at 228 minutes, 26 seconds but he held on for the win. He still hasn't lost a game in regulation this season.
Luongo lowered his goals-against average to 1.45, behind only Ottawa's Craig Anderson. Kevin Bieksa and Jannik Hansen scored for Vancouver (8-2-2).
Devin Setoguchi had the only goal for the Wild (6-6-1), whose two-game winning streak was snapped. Minnesota hasn't won in Vancouver since Jan. 31, 2009 (0-9-2).
Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 shots in a losing effort in his NHL debut. Kuemper was called up because Josh Harding was dealing with the effects of medication he takes for multiple sclerosis.
Kuemper had a 1.79 goals-against average and .938 save percentage with the Houston Aeros of the AHL.
Bieksa gave Vancouver a 1-0 at the tail end of a power play.
Zack Kassian rushed past a defender along the right boards and centered the puck to Bieksa, who beat Kuemper low with a one-timer at 11:33 of the first.
Luongo made his first big stop about 13 minutes into the game during a Minnesota power play. He kicked out his right pad to rob Charlie Coyle's one-timer from the slot.
Mason Raymond and Keith Ballard combined to set up Hansen's third of the season at 10:03 of the second. Raymond began the play by skating through three Minnesota defenders before feeding Ballard along the left boards. Ballard spotted Hansen at the right side of the net, and the Danish right wing beat Kuemper glove side, off the crossbar and in.
Raymond extended his point streak to four games.
Setoguchi got the Wild within 2-1 four minutes later on the power play with a highlight-reel finish. Mikael Granlund and Matt Cullen worked to dig the puck out of the corner, allowing Setoguchi to skate out front, dragged the puck to his forehand and put the puck past Luongo.
It was Setoguchi's second goal in three games after he failed to record any in the first nine games of the season.
That goal came on the third of the Wild's four shots in the period.
Vancouver came out of the second intermission looking to regain the two-goal cushion. Daniel Sedin had a partial breakaway but was turned aside by Kuemper's quick blocker save, keeping the Wild within one.
Minnesota was stymied on its best chance to tie the game just past the 5-minute mark. Zach Parise found himself alone in front, and his quick shot was kicked out to Ryan Suter in the slot, but the defenseman sent a shot off the post. Suter has yet to score a goal for the Wild since signing a big free agent deal in the offseason.
In the final minute, with Kuemper pulled for an extra attacker, Luongo made a big stop against Setoguchi, and then blocked the rebound. He made 10 stops in the final period.
NOTES: Henrik Sedin entered the game one point shy of Markus Naslund's Canucks scoring record. He has 755 points. The Canucks captain hasn't scored in 12 games to begin the season.
Minnesota vs Vancouver - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
Luongo's home shutout streak against the Wild ended at 228 minutes, 26 seconds but he held on for the win. He still hasn't lost a game in regulation this season.
Luongo lowered his goals-against average to 1.45, behind only Ottawa's Craig Anderson. Kevin Bieksa and Jannik Hansen scored for Vancouver (8-2-2).
Devin Setoguchi had the only goal for the Wild (6-6-1), whose two-game winning streak was snapped. Minnesota hasn't won in Vancouver since Jan. 31, 2009 (0-9-2).
Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 shots in a losing effort in his NHL debut. Kuemper was called up because Josh Harding was dealing with the effects of medication he takes for multiple sclerosis.
Kuemper had a 1.79 goals-against average and .938 save percentage with the Houston Aeros of the AHL.
Bieksa gave Vancouver a 1-0 at the tail end of a power play.
Zack Kassian rushed past a defender along the right boards and centered the puck to Bieksa, who beat Kuemper low with a one-timer at 11:33 of the first.
Luongo made his first big stop about 13 minutes into the game during a Minnesota power play. He kicked out his right pad to rob Charlie Coyle's one-timer from the slot.
Mason Raymond and Keith Ballard combined to set up Hansen's third of the season at 10:03 of the second. Raymond began the play by skating through three Minnesota defenders before feeding Ballard along the left boards. Ballard spotted Hansen at the right side of the net, and the Danish right wing beat Kuemper glove side, off the crossbar and in.
Raymond extended his point streak to four games.
Setoguchi got the Wild within 2-1 four minutes later on the power play with a highlight-reel finish. Mikael Granlund and Matt Cullen worked to dig the puck out of the corner, allowing Setoguchi to skate out front, dragged the puck to his forehand and put the puck past Luongo.
It was Setoguchi's second goal in three games after he failed to record any in the first nine games of the season.
That goal came on the third of the Wild's four shots in the period.
Vancouver came out of the second intermission looking to regain the two-goal cushion. Daniel Sedin had a partial breakaway but was turned aside by Kuemper's quick blocker save, keeping the Wild within one.
Minnesota was stymied on its best chance to tie the game just past the 5-minute mark. Zach Parise found himself alone in front, and his quick shot was kicked out to Ryan Suter in the slot, but the defenseman sent a shot off the post. Suter has yet to score a goal for the Wild since signing a big free agent deal in the offseason.
In the final minute, with Kuemper pulled for an extra attacker, Luongo made a big stop against Setoguchi, and then blocked the rebound. He made 10 stops in the final period.
NOTES: Henrik Sedin entered the game one point shy of Markus Naslund's Canucks scoring record. He has 755 points. The Canucks captain hasn't scored in 12 games to begin the season.
Minnesota vs Vancouver - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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The debate over whether N.H.L. players will participate in the 2014 Sochi Olympics will enter a critical stage with a series of meetings between league and Olympic officials in New York on Thursday and Friday. N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman will be present, as will Donald Fehr, executive director of the N.H.L. Players’ Association. Representing the Olympic side will be René Fasel, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and officials from the International Olympic Committee.
At issue is whether the N.H.L. will take a break of 16 days or more to allow its players to travel to Russia for the Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament, which will begin in 51 weeks.
N.H.L. players participated in the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic tournaments. The Vancouver Games in 2010 produced record ratings for hockey and provided a public relations boost for the N.H.L.
Fasel told CBC Sports last weekend, “Gary, I think, has no other choice — he has to come to Sochi.”
But even at the Vancouver Olympics, Bettman was raising doubts about future participation.
“It costs us money; it disrupts our season,” Bettman said then. “The value of the contracts of our players who are here: $2.1 billion. To be at these Olympics, we must basically hand over control of our most important asset, our players.”
In exchange for going to Sochi, the league wants video, photograph and Web site rights to the competition, which are held exclusively by the International Ice Hockey Federation and I.O.C.
“We have had an open and ongoing dialogue with the I.I.H.F. and I.O.C. about possible N.H.L. participation in the Sochi Olympics, going back two years now,” Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, said in an e-mail Wednesday. “Now that collective bargaining is behind us, we intend to reconnect on the matters we have raised and discussed over time.”
N.H.L. players, particularly those from Russia, strongly favor Olympic participation. But the union and the league are believed to be in agreement regarding the promotional value of enhanced Olympic rights for the N.H.L.
The question of Olympic participation was left out of the collective bargaining agreement signed in January.
The two sides are cooperating now on the Olympics and other issues. They met in Toronto on Tuesday to continue to work on realignment, another scheduling issue for the 2013-14 season.
In December 2011, Bettman announced a realignment plan that replaced the league’s six divisions with four conferences, but the union rejected the proposal because it said it had not been consulted about concerns over travel and playoff eligibility.
Daly said the new plan was being worked out jointly with the union and was expected to be ready soon.
“We are making progress on realignment, and our objective is to present something for the Board of Governors to consider before the end of the month,” Daly said in an e-mail.
Union officials say realignment is the most important matter to decide in the near future. A 2013-14 schedule with or without the Olympics cannot be completed without an agreement on realignment.
Fasel told CBC Sports that the N.H.L.’s decision on the Olympics must be made by May to allow federations to prepare for Sochi.
After losing three months of revenue during a lockout, N.H.L. owners may be even more reluctant to forgo two weeks of revenue in 2013-14. Then again, another good Olympic tournament could help ease any lingering discontent fans feel toward owners over the lockout.
On Wednesday, the president of the Kontinental Hockey League, Alexander Medvedev, met with Bettman and Daly at the N.H.L. office in New York. But Ilya Kochevrin, a K.H.L. vice president, said the discussion was “very general” and did not involve Olympic participation.
Whether or not N.H.L. players go to Sochi, the three groups in the men’s hockey competition are set.
The United States is in Group A with host Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia. Canada is in Group B with Finland, Norway and Austria. Group C consists of the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and Latvia.
www-nytimes-com/2013/02/14/sports/hockey/nhl-roundup-html?_r=0
At issue is whether the N.H.L. will take a break of 16 days or more to allow its players to travel to Russia for the Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament, which will begin in 51 weeks.
N.H.L. players participated in the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic tournaments. The Vancouver Games in 2010 produced record ratings for hockey and provided a public relations boost for the N.H.L.
Fasel told CBC Sports last weekend, “Gary, I think, has no other choice — he has to come to Sochi.”
But even at the Vancouver Olympics, Bettman was raising doubts about future participation.
“It costs us money; it disrupts our season,” Bettman said then. “The value of the contracts of our players who are here: $2.1 billion. To be at these Olympics, we must basically hand over control of our most important asset, our players.”
In exchange for going to Sochi, the league wants video, photograph and Web site rights to the competition, which are held exclusively by the International Ice Hockey Federation and I.O.C.
“We have had an open and ongoing dialogue with the I.I.H.F. and I.O.C. about possible N.H.L. participation in the Sochi Olympics, going back two years now,” Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, said in an e-mail Wednesday. “Now that collective bargaining is behind us, we intend to reconnect on the matters we have raised and discussed over time.”
N.H.L. players, particularly those from Russia, strongly favor Olympic participation. But the union and the league are believed to be in agreement regarding the promotional value of enhanced Olympic rights for the N.H.L.
The question of Olympic participation was left out of the collective bargaining agreement signed in January.
The two sides are cooperating now on the Olympics and other issues. They met in Toronto on Tuesday to continue to work on realignment, another scheduling issue for the 2013-14 season.
In December 2011, Bettman announced a realignment plan that replaced the league’s six divisions with four conferences, but the union rejected the proposal because it said it had not been consulted about concerns over travel and playoff eligibility.
Daly said the new plan was being worked out jointly with the union and was expected to be ready soon.
“We are making progress on realignment, and our objective is to present something for the Board of Governors to consider before the end of the month,” Daly said in an e-mail.
Union officials say realignment is the most important matter to decide in the near future. A 2013-14 schedule with or without the Olympics cannot be completed without an agreement on realignment.
Fasel told CBC Sports that the N.H.L.’s decision on the Olympics must be made by May to allow federations to prepare for Sochi.
After losing three months of revenue during a lockout, N.H.L. owners may be even more reluctant to forgo two weeks of revenue in 2013-14. Then again, another good Olympic tournament could help ease any lingering discontent fans feel toward owners over the lockout.
On Wednesday, the president of the Kontinental Hockey League, Alexander Medvedev, met with Bettman and Daly at the N.H.L. office in New York. But Ilya Kochevrin, a K.H.L. vice president, said the discussion was “very general” and did not involve Olympic participation.
Whether or not N.H.L. players go to Sochi, the three groups in the men’s hockey competition are set.
The United States is in Group A with host Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia. Canada is in Group B with Finland, Norway and Austria. Group C consists of the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and Latvia.
www-nytimes-com/2013/02/14/sports/hockey/nhl-roundup-html?_r=0
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A decision on whether NHL players will head to the 2014 Sochi Olympics isn't likely this week, but a first day of discussions went well.
Talks between the NHL, the NHL players' association, and officials from the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee stretched into Thursday night as the parties worked toward getting NHL players back to the Olympics for a fifth straight time.
There are obstacles in the process, but the sides will get back together on Friday to talk some more.
"We had good discussions," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email Thursday night after talks wrapped up. "We expect to continue tomorrow."
While the NHL and the players might want to participate in the Olympics again, they have to figure out if it makes sense for them to interrupt another season to make it possible.
"I don't expect any resolution or decisions this week," Daly wrote to the AP earlier Thursday.
In these negotiations, the NHL and the players' association appear to be aligned in their position.
The Sochi Games are one year away. While a final decision isn't required this week, one will have to be reached in the near future. It is believed hockey federations will need to know by May what players will be available for their teams.
The current discussions are being held between NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, IIHL President Rene Fasel and officials from the IOC.
After enduring a long lockout that produced a shortened regular season this year, the NHL is weighing whether it is worth shutting down the game for more than two weeks next season to allow its players to go to Russia for the Olympics.
The time difference will force the games to be played at off hours in North America, and the NHL would like to receive concessions from the IOC that haven't been made before.
In return for sending its players to the Sochi Olympics, the NHL is trying to acquire video, photograph and website rights for the games. The IIHF and the IOC retain those exclusive rights now. The NHL began sending its players to the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, and continued through the 2010 Vancouver Games. Even though the NHL received great exposure by having its players take part in an Olympics in North America, disrupting the season does come with a cost.
The stopping of the season, the potential injury risk to players, and no tangible upside for the NHL are all factors that create doubt about whether the investment is good for the league.
One topic that isn't on the agenda during this week's meetings is NHL realignment.
The relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg before last season has created travel troubles for the Jets and their Southeast Division rivals that need to be resolved.
The league's board of governors thought it had the problem settled when a realignment plan that would change the current system from six divisions to four conferences was formed in December 2011. But the players' association rejected the plan, leaving all clubs in place for this season.
The union turned down the proposal because of travel concerns and potential unfair playoff qualifications. League and players' association representatives met in Toronto this week, and the hope is a new plan will be ready to present to the board of governors by the end of February.
This time, it is expected that the players will sign off on the plan before it goes to the board for a vote.
Neither the Olympic issue nor realignment was addressed in the new collective bargaining agreement that ended the lockout.
No decision yet on NHL players in Olympics - NHL - CBSSports-com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy Advice
Talks between the NHL, the NHL players' association, and officials from the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee stretched into Thursday night as the parties worked toward getting NHL players back to the Olympics for a fifth straight time.
There are obstacles in the process, but the sides will get back together on Friday to talk some more.
"We had good discussions," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email Thursday night after talks wrapped up. "We expect to continue tomorrow."
While the NHL and the players might want to participate in the Olympics again, they have to figure out if it makes sense for them to interrupt another season to make it possible.
"I don't expect any resolution or decisions this week," Daly wrote to the AP earlier Thursday.
In these negotiations, the NHL and the players' association appear to be aligned in their position.
The Sochi Games are one year away. While a final decision isn't required this week, one will have to be reached in the near future. It is believed hockey federations will need to know by May what players will be available for their teams.
The current discussions are being held between NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, IIHL President Rene Fasel and officials from the IOC.
After enduring a long lockout that produced a shortened regular season this year, the NHL is weighing whether it is worth shutting down the game for more than two weeks next season to allow its players to go to Russia for the Olympics.
The time difference will force the games to be played at off hours in North America, and the NHL would like to receive concessions from the IOC that haven't been made before.
In return for sending its players to the Sochi Olympics, the NHL is trying to acquire video, photograph and website rights for the games. The IIHF and the IOC retain those exclusive rights now. The NHL began sending its players to the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, and continued through the 2010 Vancouver Games. Even though the NHL received great exposure by having its players take part in an Olympics in North America, disrupting the season does come with a cost.
The stopping of the season, the potential injury risk to players, and no tangible upside for the NHL are all factors that create doubt about whether the investment is good for the league.
One topic that isn't on the agenda during this week's meetings is NHL realignment.
The relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg before last season has created travel troubles for the Jets and their Southeast Division rivals that need to be resolved.
The league's board of governors thought it had the problem settled when a realignment plan that would change the current system from six divisions to four conferences was formed in December 2011. But the players' association rejected the plan, leaving all clubs in place for this season.
The union turned down the proposal because of travel concerns and potential unfair playoff qualifications. League and players' association representatives met in Toronto this week, and the hope is a new plan will be ready to present to the board of governors by the end of February.
This time, it is expected that the players will sign off on the plan before it goes to the board for a vote.
Neither the Olympic issue nor realignment was addressed in the new collective bargaining agreement that ended the lockout.
No decision yet on NHL players in Olympics - NHL - CBSSports-com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy Advice
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The National Hockey League (NHL) and Olympic officials ended two days of talks on Friday without an agreement that would free players to take part in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
With the countdown to the Sochi Olympics now less than a year away, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL Players Association (NHLPA) chief Donald Fehr, International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Rene Fasel and representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) met on Thursday and again for nearly three hours on Friday at the league's New York headquarters to try and hammer out a deal.
The NHL and NHLPA had no comment on the progress of negotiations and there was no announcement about plans for future talks, though Fasel warned the clock was ticking.
"Meetings were held in a very constructive and positive atmosphere," said Fasel on the IIHF Twitter account. "All parties put all their concerns and issues on the table.
"Now all parties are going back to work on details in order to put together an agreement.
"There is no deadline but obviously we are under a certain time pressure. Olympics are one year from now."
The NHL is widely expected to return to the Olympic lodge but is seeking some form of compensation from the IOC for shutting down for two weeks in the middle of the season and turning over the players.
Local media have reported the league wants to increase its influence and be treated more like a rights holder or top sponsor such as McDonald's, able to trade on the Olympic brand to help sell and promote their product.
The NHL has also indicated it wants access to video and other media from the Games to use on their websites.
The league has also long complained about the access to players by team owners, doctors and league officials during the Winter Olympics.
Talks end without deal to allow NHL players for Sochi | Reuters
With the countdown to the Sochi Olympics now less than a year away, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL Players Association (NHLPA) chief Donald Fehr, International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Rene Fasel and representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) met on Thursday and again for nearly three hours on Friday at the league's New York headquarters to try and hammer out a deal.
The NHL and NHLPA had no comment on the progress of negotiations and there was no announcement about plans for future talks, though Fasel warned the clock was ticking.
"Meetings were held in a very constructive and positive atmosphere," said Fasel on the IIHF Twitter account. "All parties put all their concerns and issues on the table.
"Now all parties are going back to work on details in order to put together an agreement.
"There is no deadline but obviously we are under a certain time pressure. Olympics are one year from now."
The NHL is widely expected to return to the Olympic lodge but is seeking some form of compensation from the IOC for shutting down for two weeks in the middle of the season and turning over the players.
Local media have reported the league wants to increase its influence and be treated more like a rights holder or top sponsor such as McDonald's, able to trade on the Olympic brand to help sell and promote their product.
The NHL has also indicated it wants access to video and other media from the Games to use on their websites.
The league has also long complained about the access to players by team owners, doctors and league officials during the Winter Olympics.
Talks end without deal to allow NHL players for Sochi | Reuters
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Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews each had a goal and an assist Sunday as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings, 3-2, and extended their season-opening points streak to 15 games. Patrick Sharp also scored for host Chicago (12-0-3), which tied the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers for the N.H.L.’s second-longest season-opening streak without a regulation loss. The Blackhawks are one game from the record, set by the 2006-7 Anaheim Ducks, and can match it when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
Chicago outplayed Los Angeles in the first two periods and built a 3-0 lead. The Kings’ Mike Richards scored two power-play goals in the third, but the Blackhawks and goalie Ray Emery hung on.
Toews, the Blackhawks’ captain, said they were not focusing on the streak.
“What’s important to us is getting home-ice advantage, making the playoffs,” he said. “Those are our goals. Once you get there, the real season starts. When you get to that point, no one really cares or remembers those streaks at the start of the season.”
PENGUINS 4, SABRES 3 Defenseman Paul Martin scored with 2 minutes 4 seconds left, and Pittsburgh moved into first place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the idle Devils.
Pascal Dupuis had two goals and an assist for the visiting Penguins, who won their third straight. Sidney Crosby added a goal and two assists.
BRUINS 3, JETS 2 Brad Marchand’s goal 36 seconds into the third period broke a 2-2 tie, lifting Boston to a victory at Winnipeg.
WILD 3, RED WINGS 2 Dany Heatley, Jason Zucker and Torrey Mitchell scored in the second period, rallying host Minnesota past Detroit. The Red Wings have lost three straight for the first time since last March.
BLUES 4, CANUCKS 3 After Vancouver’s Mason Raymond tied the score, 3-3, with 1:47 left in regulation, T. J. Oshie and Andy McDonald scored in a shootout to give St. Louis a road victory.
FLAMES 4, STARS 3 Steve Begin, Matt Stajan and Roman Horak scored in the third period as Calgary rallied to win at Dallas.
MONTREAL ROOKIE RECOVERING Montreal Canadiens Coach Michel Therrien said the rookie forward Brendan Gallagher was “feeling a lot better” a day after sustaining a concussion in a win against Philadelphia.
Gallagher left Saturday’s game in the third period after a hit from Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn.
LEHTONEN ON INJURED RESERVE Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body problem.
www-nytimes-com/2013/02/18/sports/hockey/blackhawks-edge-kings-and-extend-points-streak-to-15-games-html?_r=0
Chicago outplayed Los Angeles in the first two periods and built a 3-0 lead. The Kings’ Mike Richards scored two power-play goals in the third, but the Blackhawks and goalie Ray Emery hung on.
Toews, the Blackhawks’ captain, said they were not focusing on the streak.
“What’s important to us is getting home-ice advantage, making the playoffs,” he said. “Those are our goals. Once you get there, the real season starts. When you get to that point, no one really cares or remembers those streaks at the start of the season.”
PENGUINS 4, SABRES 3 Defenseman Paul Martin scored with 2 minutes 4 seconds left, and Pittsburgh moved into first place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the idle Devils.
Pascal Dupuis had two goals and an assist for the visiting Penguins, who won their third straight. Sidney Crosby added a goal and two assists.
BRUINS 3, JETS 2 Brad Marchand’s goal 36 seconds into the third period broke a 2-2 tie, lifting Boston to a victory at Winnipeg.
WILD 3, RED WINGS 2 Dany Heatley, Jason Zucker and Torrey Mitchell scored in the second period, rallying host Minnesota past Detroit. The Red Wings have lost three straight for the first time since last March.
BLUES 4, CANUCKS 3 After Vancouver’s Mason Raymond tied the score, 3-3, with 1:47 left in regulation, T. J. Oshie and Andy McDonald scored in a shootout to give St. Louis a road victory.
FLAMES 4, STARS 3 Steve Begin, Matt Stajan and Roman Horak scored in the third period as Calgary rallied to win at Dallas.
MONTREAL ROOKIE RECOVERING Montreal Canadiens Coach Michel Therrien said the rookie forward Brendan Gallagher was “feeling a lot better” a day after sustaining a concussion in a win against Philadelphia.
Gallagher left Saturday’s game in the third period after a hit from Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn.
LEHTONEN ON INJURED RESERVE Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body problem.
www-nytimes-com/2013/02/18/sports/hockey/blackhawks-edge-kings-and-extend-points-streak-to-15-games-html?_r=0
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The gifted defenceman, who missed training camp and the first four games of the NHL season because of a contract dispute, agreed to a two-year deal worth $5.75 million (all figures U.S.) with the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.
“I’m happy to be at this point and I’m looking forward to reintegrating with the team and helping them win,” Subban said on a conference call. “It was about getting a deal done that was fair to both sides.”
Subban, who was a restricted free agent, will be paid a pro-rated $2 million this season and $3.75 million in 2013-14 for an annual salary cap hit of $2.875 million.
The 23-year-old will join the team Wednesday in Ottawa, but it was unclear if he would play that night against the Senators. If not, he will likely begin his season Saturday afternoon at home against Buffalo.
Subban said he has stayed in shape training with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads and is ready to play.
“I’m very anxious to get back on the ice,” he said. “I’m always ready to play.”
Subban led the Habs in average ice time per game at 24:18 last season. He had seven goals and 29 assists in 81 games and was seventh among NHL defencemen with 205 shots on goal.
He was also among the team’s most popular players and was a hit with the media, even if his attraction to the TV cameras sometimes drew raised eyebrows from teammates.
“I really didn’t want to become a distraction and I think that’s why this is the right thing,” he said. “The longer this went on, the bigger a distraction it became.”
His image took a hit with many fans during the contract talks, with some calling him selfish and demanding he be traded, but at least as many others took his side.
Debate raged among fans and media over what salary he deserved and whether he should be traded.
Both Subban and general manager Marc Bergevin said they weren’t listening to what was being said, and concentrated on getting a deal done. It appears he got a bump from Bergevin’s reported original offer of $5.1 million for two years.
Neither went into details of the negotiations, but it was believed Subban wanted a longer-term deal for more money and that the Canadiens insisted on a “bridge” contract of two years, likely with a longer deal to follow.
Bergevin, hailed by many on Twitter for holding firm, said there was no winner or loser.
“P.K. is happy with the deal,” the first-year GM said. “I always wanted to sign him and keep him in the organization.
“That he wants to be on the team and help the team win shows he’s not selfish. In any walk of life a little part of you is selfish, but the fact that P.K. wants to come in and help the team shows he puts the team first.”
It was especially agonizing for Subban to watch games on television from his Toronto home and see his teammates get off to a 3-1-0 start without him.
But he dismissed as “rumours” a report last week that he had asked agent Don Meehan to accelerate the negotiations.
“It’s great to see how the team has come out of the gate,” he added, with particular praise for veteran defenceman Andrei Markov, who leads the team with four goals.
Canadiens coach Michel Therrien now has a decision to make. Markov and Rafael Diaz have excelled on the points on power plays, where Subban normally plays as the principal shooter.
But the six-foot, 205-pound blueliner should be welcomed back for his ability to lead the rush and play in his own zone.
Subban had 14 goals and 24 assists but was minus-8 as a rookie in 2010-11. While his goal total dipped last season, he ended up plus-9 on a last-place team while playing against the opponents’ top units.
He is also considered a big part of the team’s future, along with goalie Carey Price and forwards Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk.
Subban’s return gives the Canadiens eight healthy defencemen, with Tomas Kaberle and Yannick Weber the likely candidates to sit out.
The signing came on the same day the Canadiens confirmed that rookies Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher will stay with the NHL club. The 18-year-old Galchenyuk was drafted third overall in June and has a goal and two assists in four games, while the 20-year-old Gallagher has two points in the contests.