Zach Bogosian, the 19-year-old defenseman from the Atlanta Thrashers, has emerged as a serious candidate for the United States Olympic Team, a pair of sources have told FanHouse.
The 19-year-old Bogosian, a native of northern New York, has developed into a superb two-way defenseman with shocking ease, with just 64 NHL games under his belt. The third overall pick from 2008 already has eight goals this season, tops among NHL defensemen. He would be a natural for the up-tempo system Team USA coach Ron Wilson plans to install for the Olympics in Vancouver in February.
With the issue of head shots becoming more and more talked about in NHL circles, it's time to tackle it on Puck Talk. We're joined this week by Anthony Curatolo, who is a senior writer at Crash the Crease and also has a podcast every week. Since Anthony is an Islanders fan, we also let him talk up his red-hot team and discuss the Blackhawks' impending cap woes. Listen after the jump.
Dave Schultz will be inducted into the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame on Monday night. Looking back more than 30 years later, it's hard to believe Schultz was only a Flyer for four seasons.
"That's my only regret," said the man forever known as "The Hammer."
Just four years. Ask any hockey fan to list the men associated with the great and notorious Philadelphia hockey teams of the 1970s and you will hear Bobby Clarke's name first, followed maybe by Bernie Parent and possibly the coach, Fred Shero. But in that next group -- along with everyone from Bill Barber and Rick MacLeish to Gary Dornhoefer and Reggie Leach and the Watson brothers -- comes The Hammer.
The NHL can be a league of brutality, of fierce grudges played out inside the boards. But one of the game's most endearing qualities is the sportsmanship demonstrated when the final buzzer sounds. There is, of course, the traditional handshake after playoff series. Then there are the moments you don't hear much about.
David Morehouse (pictured right) arrived safely at home on Thursday morning. The 48-year-old president of the Pittsburgh Penguins had emergency endovascular stent surgery on Sunday in California to repair a blocked artery. But there is a lot more to this story.
On Feb. 9, 2008, veteran NHL linesman Pat Dapuzzo suffered career-ending and life-altering injuries when he was accidentally struck in the face by the skate blade of Flyers forward Steve Downie during a game in Philadelphia against the Rangers. The damage to Dapuzzo's face and head was far more serious than simply cosmetic.
In this exclusive for FanHouse, the 50-year-old Dapuzzo opens up for the first time about his memories of the incident, the countless surgeries, the deep depression, the support of the NHL community and his determination to live a normal life again. This is the story entirely in his own words, as told to Christopher Botta.
When he's not pursuing his goal of becoming the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, 17-year-old Kirill Kabanov helps out with renovations on the home of his host family in Moncton, New Brunswick.
"They treat me like a son," Kabanov said of his billets. "I want to help out any way I can. This is my home."
It will likely be for just one year. The super-skilled left wing is a certain top-10 pick in the draft next June. His decision to move from his native Russia to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season has elevated his already-lofty status in the NHL scouting community.
This week, our Puck Talk podcast chats about the Devils. We're joined by radio analyst Sherry Ross, who returned to the booth in 2007, just in time to watch Brian Rolston return to the ice, and eventually Jacques Lemaire return to the bench. Seems like everyone ends up going back there at some point.
We talk with Sherry about this year's team, how Lemaire is adjusting to his young talent, and what kind of workload goalie Martin Brodeur will face this season. Check out this week's podcast after the jump.
The Carolina Hurricanes will only go as far as Cam Ward takes them, so it's a good thing Ward has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the National Hockey League.
"He's our guy," said Carolina coach Paul Maurice, who did not want to rank his goaltender but said, "He gives us a chance to win as frequently as any goalie in the league."
Zach Bogosian, the 19-year-old defenseman from the Atlanta Thrashers, has emerged as a serious candidate for the United States Olympic Team, a pair of sources have told FanHouse.
Dave Schultz will be inducted into the 
The NHL can be a league of brutality, of fierce grudges played out inside the boards. But one of the game's most endearing qualities is the sportsmanship demonstrated when the final buzzer sounds. There is, of course, the traditional handshake after playoff series. Then there are the moments you don't hear much about.
This week, our Puck Talk podcast chats about the Devils. We're joined by radio analyst Sherry Ross, who returned to the booth in 2007, just in time to watch Brian Rolston return to the ice, and eventually Jacques Lemaire return to the bench. Seems like everyone ends up going back there at some point.
The 
