NHL FanHouse

Georges Laraque Suspended Five Games After Kneeing Incident

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Red Wings, NHL Injuries, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

While the NHL still tries to figure out a way to handle hits to the head, they are also trying to curb other dangerous hits plaguing the game.

Saturday night, we saw this kind of hit in Montreal. Georges Laraque took out the knee of Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Despite pleading innocence and claiming it was an accident, Laraque was suspended five games on Monday.

Here's a look at the video.

If that's an accident, Wayne Gretzky was a goon. Laraque stuck his leg out and deliberately hit Kronwall's knee.

Despite all the (justified) talk about hits to the head, these types of hits are just as dangerous. They're also equally disrespectful, and they have no place in the sport.

If you can't hit a guy clean, don't hit him. There is no need to try to take someone's knee out because you're either unable or unwilling to line him up and hit him properly.

Kronwall has an MCL injury and is expected to miss at least a month.

Georges Laraque Suspended Five Games After Kneeing Incident originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaroslav Halak's Agent Criticizes Carey Price on Twitter, Hilarity Ensues

Adam Gretz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Fans

Oh Twitter, you glorious and brilliant avenue for information and trouble.

Following the Montreal Canadiens' 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, a game that saw Carey Price take the loss after giving up three goals on 21 shots, Allan Walsh, the agent for Canadiens backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak, created some havoc and controversy on his Twitter account when he pointed out Price's record in his past 42 starts.

Predictably, things went quite well.

Here's the tweet that started it all, which has since been deleted: "Interesting stat of the night....Price is 10W, 32L in last 42 starts. Hmm."

Normally, it probably wouldn't get much of a reaction (or any reaction, for that matter) had it not come from the person that happens to be the agent for the goaltender that's supposedly pushing Price for playing time.

Naturally, that's going to lead to some problems.

The folks at All Habs took notice of the tweet, and engaged in a back-and-forth with Walsh.

From All Habs:

I decided to reply to one user who had re-tweeted Walsh's original message and copied it to Walsh. My message set off a short back and forth between Walsh and I.
All Habs: "Not exactly an objective source. That stat came from Halak's agent. Advocacy like that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. @walsha"
Walsh: "Sorry you don't like the stat, if the stat was wrong, you may have a point..I was pointing out an interesting stat for fans."
All Habs: "I think we both know what the intent was. I would prefer seeing you present to fans, stats for your own client."
Walsh: "It's no secret who my client is....and very relevant stat as it relates to my client."

According to All Habs, Jeff Marek brought up the exchange on Hockey Night In Canada, infuriating Kelly Hrudey:

Hrudey jumped on Walsh's comments saying, "It makes me sick. I hate it and I'll tell you why. I have no problem with an agent sticking up for his client and telling management and whomever that this is what I think about my guy, the team and the direction and all that, but to make that public really annoys me." Hrudey continued, "If I'm Carey Price, that's already starting a fight between me and the other guy. I would actually go to the goalie the next day and say 'You know what? Tell your agent to shut up!' You know what, we have to work together in this whole thing and we do need competition and we have to battle through this but don't start doing that. Don't pit us against each other. Don't make a separation between the two of us that are in this together. That annoys me!"

I'd say this is a nice window into the ridiculous pressures goaltenders face in Montreal compared to the 29 other cities around the NHL.

Finally, Walsh closed the discussion and attempted to play it off as him making a harmless joke:"It was a tongue in cheek comment not meant to be taken seriously, forgot it was Montreal and everyone loses a sense of humor."

Yeah. Right.

Jaroslav Halak's Agent Criticizes Carey Price on Twitter, Hilarity Ensues originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week's Edition of Clean Or Dirty: Andrew Ladd Hits Matt D'agostini

Adam Gretz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Blackhawks, Canadiens, NHL Videos

Since it's been, oh, I don't know, five minutes, since we had a debate on what's a clean hit and what's a dirty hit, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd decided to give us something else to talk about on Friday night when he laid out Montreal's Matt D'agostini early in the second period.

Video after the jump.

Ladd was issued a five-minute major for elbowing, a 10-minute game misconduct, and a two-minute minor for roughing Kyle Chipchura (Chipchura also received two for roughing). While Ladd was called for elbowing, that doesn't appear to be an elbow. It looks like he gets him with his shoulder, but it's clearly a shot directly to the head.

And this is where the discussion starts yet again. Is this clean or dirty? And will the NHL's bizarre disciplinary system step in and hand out additional punishment? Probably not, but it's anybody's guess. As Chris Botta said in our 2-on-1 last Monday: "Until the league decides that head shots are illegal, it is what it is."

This Week's Edition of Clean Or Dirty: Andrew Ladd Hits Matt D'agostini originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carey Price and the Slow, Methodical Development of Goalies

Adam Gretz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens

When I first started thinking about this post Wednesday morning, I intended to focus it on the goaltending "controversy" unfolding in Montreal. After all, Carey Price, the No. 5 overall pick in 2005 and next in line for the throne that is the Montreal Canadiens' goaltending position, was getting ready to start his fifth straight game on the bench behind Jaroslav Halak, a ninth-round pick in the 2003 draft.

I decided, however, to go in a different direction and instead focus on Price himself, and whether or not it's time to panic and cast doubt as to whether or not he's really the goaltender of the future in Montreal.

There's no denying that Price, now in his third year in the NHL, has been inconsistent at best thus far, while his numbers during the 2008-09 season took a sizable dip from the production he put up his rookie season. Through his first six starts this season, the production is even worse. Time to panic?

Of course it's not.

While it seems like Price has been around forever (to me it does), it's important to keep in mind that he's still only 22 years old, and doesn't turn 23 until Aug. 16, 2010. I was curious to see how other starting goaltenders around the NHL had performed in the big leagues at the same age, and how many had not even made their NHL debut.

The results (regular season games only):

Goaltender Career Numbers At Age 22
Player	Games Played	Sv Percentage
Carey Price	100	.910
Roberto Luongo	129	.914
Marc-Andre Fleury	138	.901
Martin Brodeur	91	.908
Ryan Miller	15	.902
Nikolai Khabibulin	26	.895
Chris Osgood	60	.902
Cam Ward	88	.892
Jose Theodore	39	.886
Tomas Vokoun	38	.905
Martin Biron	50	.906
Craig Anderson	27	.896
J.S. Giguere	30	.896

The thing that surprised me wasn't necessarily the performance of the goalies listed above, but how few games many of them played at that point, and the goalies that had yet to play a single game in the NHL at that point in their careers: Henrik Lundqvist (made debut at 23), Miikka Kiprusoff (24), Evgeni Nabokov (24), Tim Thomas (28), Niklas Backstrom (28), Jonas Hiller (25), Marty Turco (25), Pekka Rinne (23), Dwayne Roloson (27), Mike Smith (24), Cristobal Huet (27).

While Price has battled inconsistency and struggled at times, he's playing in the NHL at an age when most of his peers (and some of his best peers) had yet to even play a game in the league. That has to count for something, right?

I think a solid comparison for Price at this point, in terms of performance and development, is Fleury. Both players were top picks in their respective draft class (Fleury was No. 1 overall, Price No. 5) and both were thrown to the wolves probably earlier than they should have been. Granted, Fleury played on a far worse team early in his career than Price did, while the media scrutiny and pressure wasn't quite what it is in Montreal, but he still struggled at times through his first three seasons (particularly his first two seasons) before finally putting it all together during the 2007-08 season.

It's stating the obvious, and something all hockey fans know, but patience is a must with young goalies.

Price started each of Montreal's past five games on the bench, and played the third period of Wednesday's loss in Pittsburgh after Halak was lifted after giving up four goals on 23 shots. Let's go back a week when Robert L. at Habs Eyes On The Prize weighed in on the goaltender debate:

My problem is that I think Price is best be served by a veteran netminder who's assured of his role and can serve as somewhat of a mentor to a young rising goalie. Price has never had that in Montreal, and it often shows. A capable older goalie would be a fountain of experience and calming presence for a designated franchise goalie, and that is something, no matter how good Halak performs, is not being provided to Price.

Price gets the nod on Friday when Montreal travels to Chicago.

Carey Price and the Slow, Methodical Development of Goalies originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sidney Crosby Nets Hat Trick In Rout

Adam Gretz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Penguins, NHL Press Box

Since Gretz was at Wednesday's Penguins vs. Canadiens game for FanHouse, consider this your abbreviated version of Newsmakers in the NHL, our weekday recap of the previous night's action across the league.

PITTSBURGH -- I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I'm probably the only hockey fan in the world that had never seen a player record a hat trick in person, whether it be as a fan in the stands, or sitting in the press box. Thanks to Sidney Crosby's three goal effort on Wednesday, I can now cross that off the list.

Crosby was a one-man wrecking crew in the Penguins' 6-1 win over Montreal, scoring three goals -- giving him nine on the season -- and narrowly missing on at least one more.

Brian Gionta on the loss:
"When you give them that many turnovers they have a lot of skilled guys that can make things happen. They don't need that many opportunities to hurt you. That's kind of what happened. A little too soft on the puck at times, turnovers at the blue line kind of killed us, and they transitioned with their good players."

"I felt like I was getting chances," said Crosby. "But I try to not to think about hat tricks too much. You don't want to jinx it or think about it. I just wanted to make sure I kept generating chances."

"When Billy [Guerin] and Kuny [Chris Kunitz] are forechecking like they were, and creating loose pucks and stealing pucks, I just try to get ready for those opportunities.''

His first goal came on a one-timer from the faceoff circle to the right of Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak after Kunitz managed to keep the puck in the offensive zone on two separate occasions. Following his second tally of the game at the 5:08 mark of the second period, Crosby completed the trick with this nifty move -- and lucky bounce off his skate -- at the 15:33 mark:

More From Wednesday's Game

-- Halak made his fifth consecutive start in net for the Canadiens (the previous four starts were all wins) and was lifted following the second period after giving up four goals on 23 shots. Carey Price played the final 20 minutes and surrendered two goals. We'll have much more on the goaltending situation in Montreal on Thursday or Friday.

-- Entering play on Wednesday, Kunitz had not scored a goal in 41 straight games (including last year's playoffs) which is an impressive, perhaps even mind-blowing, number when you consider he plays almost entirely with one of the games best playmaking centers in Crosby. His drought ended late in the third period when he picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and beat Price on a breakaway to give the Penguins a 6-1 lead. He's always been a streaky player, so perhaps this could be the start he needs.

-- You can't stop Mike Rupp, you can only hope to contain him. The fourth-liner scored his third goal in six games on a delayed penalty situation midway through the second period. To put his early season goal-scoring numbers into perspective, consider that he scored three goals in 72 games a season ago.

-- Canadiens center Scott Gomez was in the starting lineup despite being questionable with flu-like symptoms. Penguins winger Tyler Kennedy was out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by forward Chris Bourque. On a semi-related note, Bourque's father, Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, was in attendance.

Wednesday's Other Key Games From Around The League

Colorado wins again and stays atop the NHL standings with a 10-1-2 mark

Dallas picks up an overtime win against Toronto

The Islanders upset the Rangers thanks to goals from John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson

Sidney Crosby Nets Hat Trick In Rout originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knuckle Puck: Youth Movement Taking Over NHL

Kevin Schultz — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. This is the first edition. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

One of the stories to watch this season is the youth movement that is currently taking over the NHL. I'm not talking about Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. At 22 and 24 respectively, those guys are old news. The kids I'm talking about are a bit younger and dare I say, better.

First, there's one of the youngest members of the coaching ranks -- Josh Sacco. Josh is famous for replicating Herb Brooks' speech but did you know he's also an aspiring coach? Yep. Rumors have run rampant about where he may land -- word out of Toronto is he could be Ron Wilson's replacement if he is let go -- but expect him to go to the highest bidder. Right now, he's working on inspiring the Predators' in-game entertainment staff before games. It won't be long before he gets a job behind an NHL bench, possibly even before his fifth birthday.

Earlier in the week another young gun came on the scene. With a spin-o-rama goal that made it all the way to Sportscenter 9-year old Oliver Wahlstrom is the hottest free agent on the market today. Lots of teams are interested but the word is he may be able to wait for the draft. According to an inside source the NHL is considering dropping the age limit on the draft from 17 to 10 to accommodate Wahlstrom. Either way, watch out Danny Bolduc, Maine's got a new home grown NHL superstar.

So at the tender ages of four and nine, the NHL is getting a huge surge in young superstars. What kind of an impact this has on the game is yet to be seen but it seems as though we will have a whole generation of toddlers growing up wanting to be like Josh and Oliver.

YouTube of the Week
Bears are just a different sort of animal in Alaska. This one from Fairbanks carries a pick ax after rising out of an atomic blast somewhere. I'm really not sure what's going on or why I'm posting it except for the overwhelming feeling that I'll get eaten by a bear if I don't.

Knuckle Pucker of the Year Nominee
Each week, we'll nominate someone who deserves to be recognized for their outstanding service and commitment to giving me something to write about. By the end of the year I'll come up with some way to declare a winner. Today's nominee is...

The Montreal Canadiens! In case you missed it, earlier in the week the Habs pulled the goalie late in the game against the Avs for a 6-on-4. Except they ended up with seven men on the ice. And still couldn't score! What did we learn from this? Nothing except that those crazy Leafs fans who believe games are rigged in favor of the Habs are, well, probably right.

Knuckle Puck: Youth Movement Taking Over NHL originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georges Laraque Shouldn't Be Sorry in NHL's Hypocritical World

Christopher Botta — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Media Watch, NHL Economics

Georges Laraque recently appeared in an online commercial for an alcohol-infused energy drink, violating NHL policy. On Tuesday, he apologized for breaking the league rule. He has not stopped apologizing since. He really needs to stop.

The phoniness of our major professional sports leagues is boundless.

Laraque is one of the league's top fighters and a popular player for the storied Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens play in a hockey palace currently called the Bell Centre, formerly known as the Molson Centre. Back then, you couldn't go anywhere in the rink without a beer logo in sight.

The team was recently sold to the Molson family, which owns Molson Coors. So there's no confusion, Molson Coors does not make tractor equipment, advance technology or save the whales. It makes beer.

The Montreal Canadiens franchise can exist because of a beer company, but one of its players cannot endorse an alcoholic product because the NHL declares it's not the image the league wants to present.

C'mon. Alcohol is everywhere in this league. Teams profit from the sponsorships of adult beverage companies and "pouring rights" in arenas. Beer is as much a part of the hockey brand as Gordie Howe. You play a game and have a beer. You go to a game and have a few beers.

Here's one example of the hockey-and-alcohol culture. There's been a lovely trend in the NHL over the last decade in which teams host "fathers' trips," a nice three or four days when players take their dads on the charter for a pair of road games to see what the NHL life is like. It's a time for bonding. In other words, it's a drinkfest. If you think the dads are playing backgammon while waiting for the games to start ... hey, it's hockey.

To add to the hypocrisy, Laraque's video spot has also sparked some outrage for its depiction of women. "The camera, the eye, is only focusing on certain parts of the body," noted Chantal Isme, whose group fights sexual exploitation, to the Canadian Press. Isme is correct, but the NHL better hope she doesn't surf team websites.

In the PG-13 ad, the Canadiens' left wing takes part in a pick-up game of street hockey against a five woman aggressive forecheck. (He easily stickhandles circles around them, like they were the Maple Leafs).

The ad is lame, cringe-inducing, everything its creators aimed for. As a result, it's a major viral hit. But there isn't anything there you cannot find by logging on to the Dallas Stars website and clicking on "Ice Girls Videos."

The controversy comes at the same time the lovable Laraque was being hailed for becoming an animals' rights activist. He pledged his salary for the commercial to charity.

The Canadiens are not punishing Laraque for his indiscretion. Team spokesman Donald Beauchamp points out that Laraque did not wear a Canadiens jersey in the commercial and there are no references to the franchise. "For us," said Beauchamp, "it is case closed."

The NHL has only acknowledged that Laraque's drink endorsement was in violation of Article 25.A of the CBA, prohibiting players from sponsoring alcoholic beverages. The league says it will not comment on the possibility of a fine for the player.

Laraque made a mistake, but got the NHL's attention. Now the league should put the hypocrisy aside and work with Laraque, not against him.

Georges Laraque Shouldn't Be Sorry in NHL's Hypocritical World originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Milestone For Nicklas Lidstrom: 1,000 Points

Adam Gretz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Canadiens, Capitals, Kings, Sharks, Red Wings

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Red Wings 5, Kings 2: Four Stanley Cups, six Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, 10 All-Star games, and now ... 1,000 career points. With his assist on Henrik Zetterberg's goal at the 3:24 mark of the third period (his second assist of the game), Nicklas Lidstrom recorded the 1,000th point of his remarkable career, joining fellow rearguards Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque, Al MacInnis, Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Larry Murphy, and Denis Potvin as the only defensemen to reach such a mark. As for the rest of the Wings, they pulled out a 5-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings, and did so in shorthanded fashion, playing without the services of not only injured forward Johan Franzen, but also Pavel Datsyuk.

After the jump: Video of Lidstrom's milestone, Ovechkin scores two, and more

Capitals 4, Sharks 1: Alex Ovechkin entered Thursday's game riding a three-game goal-less streak, which seems like an eternity for him. It goes without saying that he was probably due for a goal or two, and, hark, that's exactly what he provided in a 4-1 win against San Jose, while also recording 13 of Washington's 36 shots on goal. Alexander Semin and Matt Bradley also filled the net for Washington, while Semyon Varlamov stopped 15 shots. Varlamov took over for Jose Theodore when he left with an injury following the first period.

Avalanche 3, Canadiens 2: After a five-game road trip to open the season, the Montreal Canadiens finally had their home opener on Thursday night and the surprising Colorado Avalanche managed to crash the party with a 3-2 win. The Avs received goals from Milan Hejduk, Kyle Cumiskey and Ryan O'Reilly, while Craig Anderson continued to shine by stopping 29 of 31 shots. Despite a rare 7-on-5 power play to close out the game, Montreal's final push came up just short.

Thursday's Other Games

Hats off to Milan Michalek for his hat trick in Ottawa's 7-1 win over Tampa Bay. [Box Score, Recap]

Chicago improves to 5-1-1 with its win in Nashville. [Box Score, Recap]

Phoenix beats St. Louis in overtime. [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- Vancouver Canucks forward Pavol Demitra is dealing with shoulder tendinitis. [Nucks Misconduct]

-- The Phoenix Coyotes sent 2008 first-round pick Mikkel Boedker to San Antonio of the AHL. [Arizona Republic]

-- Don't look now, but Marc-Andre Fleury is 6-0. [Pensburgh]

Video Of The Day

Nice work, Mr. Lidstrom.

Friday's Key Games

Islanders vs. Sabres: The Islanders haven't won in four games, and all four have been decided by one goal, including three overtime decisions. They travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres who have yet to lose in regulation.

Flyers vs. Panthers: Florida hasn't won since its season-opening win against Chicago in Finland. The Panthers have another tough game on Friday when they host The Broad Street Bullies.

Canucks vs. Flames: After opening with three straight losses, the Canucks have won two in a row. The Flames, after opening with four straight wins, have now lost three in a row. The two teams meet Friday in Calgary.

Another Milestone For Nicklas Lidstrom: 1,000 Points originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Counting to 7 Is Hard For NHL Officials

Adam Gretz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:55:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Canadiens, NHL Videos

Remember Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final when Pittsburgh managed to skate with six men on the ice for about 20 seconds, while none of the on-ice officials noticed it? Well, we had a replay of it on Thursday night in the Montreal vs. Colorado game. Only Montreal played with seven players.

With the Canadiens trailing, 3-2, and desperately trying to tie the score in their home opener, goaltender Carey Price went to the bench in favor of the extra attacker, which coincided with defenseman Hal Gill coming out of the penalty box. Instead of going to the bench, Gill remained on the ice and joined the play. The result? A 7-on-5 power play to close out the game.

Video, of course, after the jump.

This comes from NHL.com's game highlights with the focus intended for Craig Anderson's save on Tomas Plekanec, but as you can clearly see on the video, the Canadiens have seven players on the ice, which is, obviously, one more than they're allowed in that situation.

Too many men on the ice calls get missed all the time and nobody makes a big deal about it after the fact, usually because they happen so fast they rarely have much of an impact on the game. But given the situation (the closing seconds of a one-goal game) and the fact there are seven guys on the ice, that's a pretty big call for the men in stripes to miss. Fortunately for the Avs, the missed call didn't hurt them as they managed to hold on for the 3-2 win, improving to 5-1-1 on the season.

Just in case you missed it on the video, here's a still-frame found at the always on-the-ball Hockey's Future message boards.

Counting to 7 Is Hard For NHL Officials originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hi, My Name Is ... Mike Cichy

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Draft, College Hockey

Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.

As the college hockey season gets underway, freshmen are often just trying to get some game experience and adjust to the speed of the college game, which is much different than the high school, prep school, or junior team they came from.

For North Dakota forward Mike Cichy (NHL rights: Montreal), you couldn't have scripted a better start to his college career.

The Connecticut native picked up three points in two Fighting Sioux wins over Merrimack. Cichy assisted on both of North Dakota's second-period goals on Friday before putting the Sioux ahead for good with his first collegiate goal Saturday.

Cichy was a forgotten man in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, going 199th overall to Montreal. The Canadiens have a chance to leave Cichy in college for a couple years, but early returns seem to indicate that they'll have a nice prospect on their hands soon.

His draft day adventure was chronicled in a story for The Hockey News.

1:26 p.m. - You just got picked by the Habs, congratulations!

- Wow, ha ha, thank you! Shock for me right now, wasn't expecting it at all.

- You gonna call some people, celebrate?

- Ha ha, it's possible. I think I'm going to spend some time with my mom, she deserves it.

Cichy does need to put on some more muscle. He had some room to skate against Merrimack, a school that put up a fight over the weekend, but hasn't had a winning season since they joined Hockey East in 1989. That room will likely diminish greatly as the Sioux open their Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule Friday and Saturday against rival Minnesota.

Generally, he looks like a player who will continue to contribute for the Sioux, who were picked second in the WCHA in pre-season polling by both the league's coaches and media. However, you can see the need for more strength, and no one really knows how he'll respond to the physical pounding skilled players take on a nightly basis in this league.

Surely, he'll experience tougher weekends than this one. Freshmen always do. However, this was a fine start to his college career, one that has to raise at least a couple eyebrows in Montreal.

Other Players to Watch

Two potential All-American defensemen had huge weekends. Northern Michigan junior Eric Gustafsson (undrafted) scored two goals and assisted on two others in a weekend split of non-conference games in the Superior Showcase. Gustafsson is an impressive puck-moving defenseman who might be a bit undersized, but isn't afraid to mix it up and can win physical battles. He could be a top free-agent once NMU's season ends. The Wildcats lost to Michigan Tech 5-3 on Friday before beating Minnesota Duluth 3-1 Sunday. Meanwhile, North Dakota's Chay Genoway (undrafted) had three assists against Merrimack.

Michigan State was awful last season, but their season was largely defined by a January night in Ann Arbor, where two of their players carried out a heinous on-ice assault of a Michigan player whose only crime was throwing a clean hit. One of the involved Spartans, Corey Tropp (Buffalo), was reinstated to the program after last season ended, and he got his junior year off to a good start. In a weekend sweep of Clarkson, the forward scored once and assisted on three other goals. Perhaps more importantly, Tropp was only penalized once, a holding minor in Friday's game.

Senior forward Nick Fanto and junior Rich Purslow (both undrafted) had four-point weekends (two goals, two assists) for Nebraska-Omaha, as the Mavericks won the Icebreaker Tournament in Omaha. Playing for the first time under new head coach Dean Blais, UNO beat Army and UMass-Lowell to claim the title.

Notre Dame had to settle for a split against Alabama-Huntsville, as the Chargers scored with five seconds left to win Friday, 3-2. The Irish rallied to win 3-1 Saturday. Freshman Kyle Palmieri (Anaheim), a 2009 first-rounder, scored once in each game for Notre Dame, while senior defenseman Kyle Lawson (Carolina) scored the game-winner Saturday and added an assist.

It was a great start to the season for Quinnipiac. The Bobcats swept a two-game set at Ohio State, winning 4-2 Thursday and 3-1 Friday. Senior center Eric Lampe (undrafted) had a hand in four of QU's seven goals, scoring three and assisting on another.

Hi, My Name Is ... Mike Cichy originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vancouver Gets In the 'W' Column

Adam Gretz — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Canucks

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Canucks 7, Canadiens 1: After three straight losses to start the season, the Vancouver Canucks took out some of their frustrations on Montreal Wednesday night by dominating the Canadiens, 7-1. The Sedin twins combined for two goals and five assists in the win, while Roberto Luongo, fresh off a start where he gave up four goals on just 12 shots against Columbus, stopped 27 of 28 shots in the win.

Carey Price started in goal for the Canadiens and was lifted after giving up all seven Vancouver goals. Jaroslav Halak came on in relief and stopped all three shots he faced.

After the jump: Video of the day and a look at Thursday's key games

Wednesday's Other Game

Phoenix dominates the Penguins in Pittsburgh. [Box Score, More on this game later today]

Loose Pucks

-- The NHL closes the tampering issue between one of Brian Burke's old teams, the Vancouver Canucks, and Brian Burke's current team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Play nice, gentlemen. [ESPN]

Video Of The Day

Brent Johnson made his first start for the Penguins and, for the most part, kept them in the game with saves like this:

Thursday's Key Games

Penguins vs. Flyers: It's the first meeting of the year between Chris Pronger and Sidney Crosby as the Penguins travel to Philadelphia. It's also a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference quarterfinals (and the previous year's Eastern Conference Final).

Blackhawks vs. Red Wings: Detroit opens its home schedule as it takes on division rival Chicago, the team the Red Wings eliminated in last year's Western Conference final. Both teams opened the season in Europe, and will be playing their first games on North American soil. The Wings are still looking for their first win after being swept in Stockholm, Sweden by the St. Louis Blues.

Avalanche vs. Predators: Colorado looks to continue it's surprising start as it makes its first road trip of the season, traveling to Nashville.

Vancouver Gets In the 'W' Column originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hats Off to Mike Richards, Happy Birthday Danny Briere

Adam Gretz — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Capitals, Flames, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Senators

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Flyers 6, Capitals 5: After a scoreless first period in Philadelphia, the final 40 minutes of regulation -- and the overtime period -- of the Capitals-Flyers game turned into a defense optional contest.

The two teams pumped in 11 goals during Philadelphia's 6-5 overtime win, including a second period hat trick from Flyers center Mike Richards, giving him five goals in his first three games of the season. Such a number would have given him the early season lead in goals scored, had it not been for Alex Ovechkin continuing his white-hot start by adding a pair of his own, also giving him five on the young season.

After the jump: Video of the day, an unlikely hat trick, Ottawa tops 'The Monster'

The game-winning tally came from Danny Briere at the 3:52 mark of the overtime period on the same day he celebrated his 33rd birthday. Some of the other offensive highlights from the night: Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom registered three more assists ... Flyers defenseman Matt Carle had four assists of his own - in the second period ... Capitals winger Alexander Semin scored two more goals ... Through three games, the line of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin has combined for nine goals, 15 assists and 24 points.

Flames 4, Canadiens 3: Entering play on Tuesday, former No. 10 overall pick (2002) Eric Nystrom had played 124 games in the NHL and scored eight goals. During Calgary's 4-3 win against Montreal, the 26-year-old winger scored three goals on three shots for the first multiple-goal game of his career. Scott Gomez scored his first goal as a member of the Canadiens in the loss.

Senators 2, Maple Leafs 1: The Maple Leafs dropped their third in a row to start the season, falling to their Provincial rivals. Daniel Alfredsson and Shean Donovan provided the offense for the Senators, while Pascal Leclaire stopped 26 of 27 shots in net. Matt Stajan provided the lone goal for Toronto (his third of the season) and Jonas Gustavsson stopped 26 shots in his first career start. For 59 minutes and 23 seconds, Gustavsson pitched a shutout for the Leafs only to surrender both goals in a 37-second span early in the second period.

Tuesday's Other Games

Carolina tops Tampa Bay in a shootout. [Box Score, Recap]

Minnesota comes back for overtime win. [Box Score, Recap]

Edmonton wins in a shootout. [Box Score, Recap]

Los Angeles takes on San Jose [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- With Andrei Markov on the shelf for a few months, Montreal addressed its power play and depth on the blue line by adding free agent defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeon. He scored 14 goals for Minnesota a year ago. [TSN]

-- Good news for the New Jersey Devils as winger Patrik Elias has returned to the ice. [Fire & Ice]

-- Bad news for the Colorado Avalanche as goaltender Craig Anderson, the man leading their surprising start, missed practice on Tuesday with a "minor groin strain." According to Adrian Dater, the Avs believe he will return to practice on Wednesday. [All Things Avs]

Video Of The Day

Mike Richards pounces on a loose puck and scores his third goal of the game.

Wednesday's Key Games

Another slow night on the schedule as only four teams are in action.

Penguins vs. Coyotes: Phoenix continues its season-opening three-game road trip in Pittsburgh against the Stanley Cup Champions who are looking to win their third in a row.

Canadiens vs. Canucks: Vancouver looks to get in the "W" column for the first time this season against Montreal, while everyone asks what's wrong with Roberto Luongo?

Hats Off to Mike Richards, Happy Birthday Danny Briere originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andrei Markov Out 4 Months After Surgery for Lacerated Tendon

Adam Gretz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Injuries

The Montreal Canadiens managed to escape Thursday's season opener in Toronto with a 4-3 overtime win -- despite being outshot by a 46-27 margin -- thanks to a game-winning tally from Josh Gorges with 10 seconds to play in the extra period.

While Montreal won the game, it proved to be a very, very costly win as two-time All-Star defenseman Andrei Markov left in the third period after awkwardly colliding with goaltender Carey Price.

Multiple Canadian media outlets, including TSN, Sportsnet and RDS, reported that Markov could miss anywhere between two-to-four months early Friday, and the Canadiens confirmed Friday afternoon that the defenseman will be on the shelf for the next four months after undergoing surgery for a lacerated tendon in his ankle.

Aside from being Montreal's top defenseman, Markov, 30, has also been one of its leading scorers the past two seasons, finishing the 2008-09 campaign with 64 points, second on the team, trailing only Alexei Kovalev's 65.

This will leave a huge hole on a Montreal blue line that has undergone a number of changes since the end of last season, including the loss of Mike Komisarek to free agency, and the additions of Hal Gill, Paul Mara and Jaroslav Spacek.

The Canadiens were also without veteran rearguard Roman Hamrlik on Thursday due to the flu.

Not only does Markov average well over 24 minutes of ice-time for the Canadiens on most nights, he's also their power play quarterback, leading the team with 39 points on the man-advantage a season ago. Obviously, they're going to need guys like Spacek and Hamrlik (when he returns) to step up and fill some big shoes.

Andrei Markov Out 4 Months After Surgery for Lacerated Tendon originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avs Honor Joe Sakic; Canadiens Beat Leafs in Overtime

Adam Gretz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Sharks

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Avalanche 5, Sharks 2: The Colorado Avalanche gave their fans something to celebrate before the game by retiring the number of future Hall of Famer Joe Sakic (the banner only includes the franchises time in Colorado which seems ... odd). During the game, they gave their fans something else to celebrate as their team put on an impressive showing in a convincing 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Wojtek Wolski scored a pair of goals for Colorado, while first-round pick Matt Duchene had a strong debut, flashing some of the ability that made him the No. 3 overall pick in June. The story of the night for the Avs, however, was the play of goaltender Craig Anderson.

After the jump: Montreal steals one, video of the night, key games this weekend

Anderson, a free agent acquisition from Florida this offseason, stopped 38 of 40 shots, including all 19 he faced in the third period as the Avalanche were outshot by a 19-1 margin in the final frame. He also came up large midway through the period as Colorado successfully killed off a full two-minute, two-man advantage.

He did get some help when San Jose's big offseason pickup, Dany Heatley, whiffed on a wide-open one-time attempt from right on the door step.

Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3: I don't know how many games the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to win this season, but if Thursday's season opener is any indication, they're going to be must-see TV on most nights. Fights. Goals. Pressure. Intensity. Hell, it took free agent signing Colton Orr just two minutes to throw down with Georges Laraque in what was the first of three fights on the night.

Their spirited effort against long-time nemesis Montreal wasn't enough, however, as Josh Gorges banged home a rebound with under 10 seconds to play in overtime to give the Canadiens a 4-3 win. After Matt Stajan gave Toronto a 3-2 lead midway through the third period -- his second goal of the game -- Glen Metropolit evened the score with 4:46 to play in the third period, forcing overtime. Carey Price stood tall in net for Montreal, turning aside 43 of 46 shots, while Vesa Toskala surrendered four goals on 27 shots for the Leafs.

The Rest Of Thursday's Action

Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich each score a pair as the Capitals dominate Boston. [Box Score, Botta's Recap]

Calgary holds off Vancouver's comeback attempt. [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- Not everybody in Chicago is expecting a Stanley Cup from the Blackhawks this season. Take, for example, Mike Kiley on Blackhawks Confidential. I'll supply the PG part: "Shut up about the Stanley Cup finals being within reach. Shut up about One Goal. Shut up about Cup or Bust." [Blackhawks Confidential]

-- In a mailbag segment at the Washingon Post on Thursday, a reader asked Thomas Boswell if "Theo" (as in Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore) can have a consistent season, and even makes a reference to "opening night." Boswell responds with 151 words about Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox. Yikes. [Washington Post, via Japers Rink]

-- Free agent forward Blair Betts signs a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. [CSN Philadelphia]

Video Of The Night

We'll give it to Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich for scoring the first goal of the NHL season, his first of two on the night. Not the best goal you'll see, but it's the first of the season and that's always a pleasant sight.

Key Games To Watch This Weekend

Penguins vs. Rangers: The Stanley Cup banner gets raised at Mellon Arena on Friday night as the Penguins host their Atlantic Division rivals. Captain Sidney Crosby is nursing a sore groin but is expected to be in the lineup, even if he's not 100 percent.

European Vacation: The Red Wings and Blues will spend their weekend playing a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Panthers and Blackhawks drop the puck in Helsinki, Finland. All four teams that opened the season overseas a year ago went through in-season coaching changes. Odds of that repeating this year: 0 percent.

Islanders vs. Penguins: The Islanders open their season on Saturday night and celebrate the arrival of No. 1 overall pick John Tavares.

Lighting vs. Thrashers: Speaking of debuts ... No. 2 overall pick Victor Hedman and the Tampa Bay Lightning travel to Atlanta on Saturday night.

All 30 teams will be in action on Saturday night.

Avs Honor Joe Sakic; Canadiens Beat Leafs in Overtime originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speaking Out Against 'Lifetime Contracts'; Stanley Cup Ring on eBay

Adam Gretz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Blackhawks, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, NHL Fans

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, we'll look at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Brian Burke Not A Fan Of Lifetime Contracts

On Tuesday, our Bruce Ciskie talked to Ed Olcyzk about a variety of topics, including his take on the recent trend of signing players to what are, essentially, lifetime contracts (see: Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Chris Pronger and Marian Hossa). Olczyk mentioned how the only players he would lock up for longer than eight years are "difference makers" and "the guys who will be your cornerstone captains" because there's just too much risk involved with such an investments (see: Rick Dipietro).

On Monday, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News discussed the same topic with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who also happens to be against the long-term, front-loaded deals.

From Burke: "We absolutely need to look at term limits ... I personally do not believe some players have any intention of fulfilling some of these long-term contracts."

Ways To Spend An Extra $15,000: Buy A Stanley Cup Ring

A Stanley Cup ring belonging to former Montreal Canadien Jacques Laperriere is up for auction on eBay for the low, low price of $15,000. Back in May, an unnamed New England Patriot auctioned one of his Super Bowl rings on eBay for $50,000 ... it received no bids. [H/T Puck Daddy]

Loose Pucks

-- Toronto acquired Wayne Primeau and a second-round pick from the Calgary Flames for Colin Stuart, Anton Stralman and a seventh-round pick on Monday afternoon. Primeau, a 14-year veteran, joins his seventh NHL team. He played 24 games for the Flames in 2008-09 registering zero goals and four assists. Toronto acquired Colin Stuart in the July trade that sent Pavel Kubina to Atlanta. [TSN]

-- After playing nearly 800 games with the Boston Bruins, forward P.J. Axelsson inked a four-year deal with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League earlier this week. He scored 103 goals in his NHL career after being a seventh-round pick in 1995. [Bruins Blog]

-- Some buy outs in the news as Tampa Bay is looking to buy out Vaclav Prospal's contract (the 2008 Free Agency Frenzy is looking like a really bad idea) and Carolina parted ways with defenseman Frantisek Kaberle.

-- Defending Big D has a roundtable discussion with Greg Wyshynski, Mike Heika and Bob Sturm about journalism and new media.

Speaking Out Against 'Lifetime Contracts'; Stanley Cup Ring on eBay originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US Hockey Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2009

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Blackhawks, Canadiens, Flyers, Penguins, NHL Hall of Fame, Team USA, Olympic Hockey

It's not the more prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame has been around since 1973, honoring top American-born hockey players, coaches, and contributors.

The Hall has been through some tough times, as its facility in Eveleth, Minn., was scheduled to close due to low attendance in 2006. The building remains open in Eveleth, and they are still actively inducting new members. The 2009 class features some famous NHL stars, an inventor, and a pioneering group of ladies who changed the face of the sport.

Three players who made their mark in the NHL are part of the Class of 2009. Two of them -- goalie Tom Barrasso and forward John LeClair -- have their names etched on the Stanley Cup. Barrasso was part of the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, and he leads all American-born players with 61 career playoff victories.

LeClair won the Cup in 1993 with Montreal, but may be more famous for his work in Philadelphia. While part of the well-known "Legion of Doom" line, LeClair amassed 50 goals in three straight seasons. He was the first American-born player to accomplish that.

The other NHL star who is part of this year's group is former Blackhawk Tony Amonte, who is perhaps best-known for scoring the game-winning goal during the 1996 World Cup of Hockey final against Canada, a game played in Montreal. In 15 NHL seasons, Amonte totaled 416 goals.

Also in the Class of 2009 is a gentleman who never played the sport, but made an incredible impact on the game nonetheless. Frank Zamboni's name should ring a bell, as that last name adorns ice-resurfacing machines all over the sport. Zamboni and his family developed the first machines of that kind, and eventually brought them to the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. There have been over 8,500 Zambonis produced. Frank Zamboni will be inducted posthumously, as he died in 1988.

The last member of the class is not a single person. Instead, it's an entire team.

In 1998, the United States sent an elite group of women's hockey players to Nagano, Japan, for the Winter Olympics. This team, coached by Ben Smith, blew through its competition, outscoring opponents 36-8 and twice beating rival Canada. The second win over the Canadians came in the gold-medal game. This team was captained by 2008 U.S. Hockey Hall inductee Cammi Granato. It featured star players like Katie King, Jenny Potter, and Karyn Bye (pictured above).

This team didn't just win a gold medal. It paved the way for women's hockey to grow in this country. As more and more colleges pick up the sport, you see girls' hockey growing across the country. When it comes to pioneers in their sport, the 1998 U.S. Olympic team will always have a place on that list.

The Hall has not announced plans for induction ceremonies this year. Last year's ceremony was held in Denver, in conjunction with a Notre Dame-Denver men's college hockey game.

US Hockey Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2009 originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL's Top 50: Andrei Markov (No. 42)

Adam Gretz — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 42 is Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov.

Pop quiz: Who was the second highest scoring defensemen in the NHL this past season? Nicklas Lidstrom? Zdeno Chara? Dion Phaneuf? Good guess. Nice Try. Not even close. The answer? Montreal's Andrei Markov with 68 points.

The 30-year-old has been one of Montreal's top players the past four years, and trailed Alexei Kovalev by just a single point for the team lead in scoring in 2008-09, registering a team-high 39 points on the power play.

The NHL's Top 50 Players: See the Entire List

Despite Markov's presence as the quarterback with the man advantage, Montreal's power play plummeted down the rankings in the first half of the season. After finishing 2007-08 with the top unit in the league (by a wide margin), the Canadiens found themselves in the bottom third of the league for much of the season due in large part to the absence of Mark Streit's cannon from the point.

The in-season acquisition of Mathieu Schneider from Atlanta gave the ailing unit a shot in the arm, as it quickly climbed up to the top half of the league, finishing 13th with a 19 percent success rate. Unfortunately, Markov missed the final four games of the regular season -- and all four playoff games -- due to injury, as the Canadiens lost all eight games, scoring just three power play goals.

The Numbers: Andrei Markov
Andrei Markov	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM
Career Totals	74	255	329	325
Average Per 82 Games	10.6	36.9	47.5	46.7

Draft Year: 1998

The 162nd overall pick, Markov was part of a relatively strong sixth-round that included Trent Hunter, Chris Neil, Ales Kotalik, Kent Huskins, Antero Niittymaki and Pavel Datsyuk.

Why He's On My List

While he's prone to the occasional turnover at the wrong time, Markov is still more than capable in his own end, and one of the elite defensemen in the league when it comes to leading a power play and providing offense from the blue line. As I already mentioned, he trailed only Washington's Mike Green in terms of points for defensemen this past season, and he led all blue-liners with 52 assists. He's probably at his peak right now in terms of performance, but his production has improved the past three years.

Obligatory YouTube Video

It's bizarre tributes like this that made me add this section to these profiles.

NHL's Top 50: Andrei Markov (No. 42) originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Brother Act in Minnesota; Saku Koivu Chooses Anaheim

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Ducks, Wild, Western, NHL Free Agency

Entering NHL free agency last week, there was a lot of chatter about the prospect of a Koivu family gathering in Minnesota.

It is there that young Mikko has emerged as a face of the Minnesota Wild. His 34-year-old brother, Saku, became a free agent July 1, and it made sense that the two would play together with the Wild. In the end, however, Saku decided against the move, agreeing Wednesday to a one-year deal with Anaheim.

Koivu's acceptance of a one-year deal with the Ducks is a sign of a couple factors. For starters, he wanted to play with countryman Teemu Selanne in the latter's final NHL season. Also, it doesn't appear that Saku was too keen on playing with his younger brother.

"We spoke to Minnesota a few times. All the talks went very well, but it was more personal reasons. I didn't feel comfortable. I kind of felt that Minnesota's Mikko's place at this point. I wanted him to have his own privacy in a way and make his own name and career. And I just felt there were too many risks for us as brothers and as family members to join on the same team and kind of compete for the same ice time. And I felt we're better off playing somewhere else."

After nine years as a captain in Montreal, Saku Koivu is a pretty prideful guy. Even the smallest chance that his game would slip in Minnesota, and he would drag his younger brother down with him, was too much to risk.

It's hard to get down on a guy for simply not wanting to play somewhere. Reports are that Minnesota offered a multi-year deal and may have offered more per year than what Saku got from Anaheim for a one-year contract. In other words, he took less money to play for the Ducks.

While it has to be disappointing for the Wild, they have nothing to hang their heads over on this one.

No Brother Act in Minnesota; Saku Koivu Chooses Anaheim originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadiens Will Not Re-Sign Kovalev

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:10:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Eastern, NHL Free Agency

Update: Kovalev Signs With the Senators

When NHL free agency launched on Wednesday, there was near-immediate speculation that the Montreal Canadiens had come to a two-year agreement with forward Alexei Kovalev. Nothing was ever announced, and it quickly became clear that Montreal had no such agreement.

The Canadiens moved quickly on Wednesday, signing forwards Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta, and making it clear through that action that Kovalev wasn't a lock to return.

The Canadiens made it official Monday, announcing Kovalev would not return to the team.

General manager Bob Gainey told Montreal radio station CJAD that the team made an offer to Kovalev last week, but the Russian winger took to long to consider the deal, forcing the Canadiens to go in another direction.

Kovalev spent four full seasons in Montreal, tallying 103 of his 394 career goals while a Canadien. The 36-year-old is likely the biggest name left among the free-agent forwards, along with 34-year-old former Montreal teammate Saku Koivu.

As for Montreal, they moved on pretty effectively with the signings of Cammalleri and Gionta, along with the trade for former Ranger Scott Gomez.

Kovalev struggled under the weight of expectations this past season, but that could be said for the entire team, which barely made the playoffs and was decisively swept out by Boston.

Gainey better hope Gomez doesn't suffer a similar failure while playing under the intense pressure that comes with being part of the Canadiens franchise.

Canadiens Will Not Re-Sign Kovalev originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Look at Montreal's Roster Overhaul

Adam Gretz — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, NHL Free Agency

The Montreal Canadiens entered the offseason with the always dangerous combination of salary cap space and open roster spots. It didn't take Bob Gainey long to start reconstructing his roster, making the head-scratching trade for Scott Gomez and his gigantic contract on Tuesday, a move that was panned by pretty much every analyst/blogger/and fan outside of New York City.

On Wednesday, when the free agent frenzy officially opened, Gainey continued his roster overhaul, and essentially cornered the market on small, undersized forwards, and reunited Gomez with one of his former teammates from his New Jersey glory days.

Welcome to the team...

Mike Cammalleri. The first big move on Wednesday for Montreal, the 5-foot-9 forward signed a five-year, $30 million deal with the Canadiens after a career-year in Calgary. He's coming off a 39-goal, 82-point campaign with the Flames, the second 30-goal season of his six-year career. His 82 points in 2008-09 would have led the Canadiens by 17.

Brian Gionta. And here we have the likely winger for Gomez. Gionta has never come close to repeating his 48-goal performance from 2005-06, but he's still good for 20-25 goals, and provides plenty of speed. Perhaps his presence could help return Gomez to his pre-Ranger days and actually extract some value out of that contract. He signed for $25 million over five years.

Hal Gill. The addition of Gill was a pretty good indication that Mike Komisarek wouldn't be returning to Montreal, and sure enough, the 27-year-old signed on with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gill brings plenty of size to the equation, but he also looks like he has cement in his skates from time-to-time. He'll help out on the penalty kill in terms of clearing the front of the net and blocking shots, and while he's not better than Komisarek, he's an upgrade over players such as Francois Bouillon.

Jaroslav Spacek. A 10-year veteran/journeyman, Spacek led all Sabres defensemen in scoring a season ago, matching his career-high with 45 points.

As far as Gill and Spacek are concerned, Habs Eyes On The Price is slightly confused by Gainey's decision to sign them before Komisarek found a new home.

With Komisarek's money, the Canadiens added Jaroslav Spacek at $3.5M per year. He'll be 38 when that contract ends. They also took on lumbering Hal Gill, who doesn't quite make up in reach, what he lacks in speed. Add in his $1.2, and you have Komisarek salary but little of his attributes ... Had the Canadiens signed Spacek and Gill as a reaction to losing Komisarek, such a reaction would almost seem plausible. Why Gainey signed them first, and then signed off ofn Komisarek is a riddle of vaste proportions!

Montreal still has to worry about signing restricted free agents Tomas Plekanec, Matt D'agostini and Guillaume Latendresse, while Tuesday and Wednesday's deals also likely spell the end of Saku Koivu, Alexei Kovalev and Alex Tangauy in Montreal. So, are the Canadiens a better team as we sit today, and will the free-agent spending spree pay off in the long run? If recent history is any indicator, teams that build through free agency tend to come away disappointed. We've seen what's happened with the New York Rangers over the years, while last year's version of the Tampa Bay Lightning, considered to be a big winner in early July, was nothing short of a disaster on the ice.

Offensively, this year's version of the Canadiens should be more dangerous, more exciting, and definitely more interesting (on paper, anyway). But there's still some question marks on the blue line, even with Andrei Markov, and Carey Price is still in, let's call it, a developmental stage.

A Look at Montreal's Roster Overhaul originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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