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- The line is forming at the left for the Panthers' head coaching job. Already Pat Quinn and Perry Pearn have made it clear that they're interested in working with their pal Jacques Martin.
Kudos to Florida's top hockey writer, Brian Biggane of the Palm Beach Post, for reaching both Quinn and Pearn, currently the Rangers' assistant coach.
"Jacques knows my philosophy and he knows what I bring from a coaching and teaching perspective," Pearn tells Biggane. "I doubt anyone in the NHL has had a closer relationship with him over the years."
As for Quinn, he was Team Canada's head coach while Martin was his assistant in international tourneys. When Martin was Ottawa's head coach, Pearn was his top aide for eight years.
No less intriguing would be the name of Pearn's replacement should Perry get the Panthers' gig. How about Adam Graves, who could work with just about anybody?
- If At First You Don't Succeed Department: Buffalo Sabres broadcaster and ex-NHL'er Rob Ray is suing the National Hockey League Players' Association for a second time over money allegedly owed to him during the NHL Lockout. He is accusing the union of deceiving him into settling his initial suit two years ago. Ray is seeking $2 million in punitive damages and back pay.
- Overlooked in the playoff frenzy was Olie Kolzig's orderly retreat from the Washington roster. After 17 valiant years and 301 wins, the 38-year-old will consider netminding for another team if offered the job. It would be his 17th NHL campaign, each of which was marked by artistry, class and rich humor.
"I still feel that I can be a dominant goalie in this league. If the offer is not out there...I'll just sit by the pool with a six-pack," he concludes with a smile.
- How smart was ESPN's decision to sign Don "Grapes" Cherry for the last two playoff rounds? Sensational would be an understatement! Exhibit A is the fact that the announcement immediately inspired a sizable story in the Wall Street Journal, of all publications. Author Adam Thompson clearly is bullish about Cherry — and the ice game.
"The fact that ESPN wants him around says something, as does the presence of hockey playoffs near the top of SportsCenter broadcasts," notes Thompson, "after a recent past where NHL highlights might be sequestered to the hour-long show's final five minutes. Or the fact that playoff ratings continue to climb for both NBC and Versus. People are starting to watch again, and they should be. The game is as fast and fun as it's been in years, and this year's playoffs have made good use of its young stars. Names like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin continue to inch into crossover territory with each impossible deke, thread-the-needle pass and goal. A stable of second-tier stars like Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton and Pavel Datsyuk are less known nationwide, but are also spectacular. Scoring is up 10 percent over the last three seasons compared to the three before that."
- In case you missed it, this Mother's Day marked the 20th anniversary of "Yellow Sunday." That was the notorious afternoon of the Bruins-Devils playoff when NHL on-ice officials refused to perform their duties following the Jim Schoenfeld-Don Koharski clash in the previous game. (Repeat: Koharski was 100% wrong!)
Three off-ice officials, Jim Sullivan, Paul MacInniss and Vin Godleski, efficiently handled the tension-filled game at the Meadowlands. That noble trio still is working and playing and will never forget that remarkable day in East Rutherford.
"I aspired to the NHL since grade school, but never thought I'd finally make it as a referee at age 51," Godleski tells us. "Since Mother's Day 1988, I have continued having fun playing club hockey and refereeing a few youth games. This playoff season I was invited to play on National Championship tournament teams in three different age groups. The results were good and reassuring. The teams I played on, the Massachusetts Rusty Blades (a team for skaters over 70) and the Essex Foxes (over 50) both won silver and the Essex Hunt Club (for those over 60) won bronze. It was fun on the flooded playground in Brookline, Mass in 1942! It still is!"
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- Martin Straka’s future in Manhattan could hinge on whether his buddy, Jaromir Jagr returns. Meanwhile, Karel Rachunek is expected to sign with Moscow Dynamo. Other non-returnees to the NHL figure to be Dick Tarnstrom, David Vyborny and Petteri Nummelin.
 Ted Nolan’s Islanders future gets cloudier the more TN talks about it. During a speech in Sault Ste. Marie, Nolan discussed his lame duck status in Nassau. “It’s a tough situation,” says Nolan. “But I’ve faced a lot of tough situations before. I just want to go into next season, concentrate on fulfilling my contract, do a great job and make sure I get another contract somewhere.”
Nolan insisted that he’s “not looking to renegotiate” and that it wasn’t brought up to him by Isles brass. “I want to fulfill my contract, hopefully do really well next season and hopefully they’ll want to re-sign me,” Ted added. “I’m going to coach somewhere.”
His most productive player, Mike Comrie, finished with only 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists). “The playoffs should be automatic,” says Nolan. “It’s winning championships that should be the hard part. The vast majority of the time, we worked hard. But working hard and getting things done are two different things.”
- It’s going to be a tough summer for the Bruins top defenders. Zdeno Chara underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum last week. Chara suffered the injury while missing on a one-timer in early March against Washington. The surgery will keep Large Z from any weightlifting that involves his shoulder and possibly from some of his summer plans, including a trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Meanwhile, Dennis Wideman is scheduled to undergo groin surgery next week.
- Dept of Agreement: The NHLPA has its own version of the Hart Trophy, called the Lester B. Pearson Award. Union members vote for the Pearson, while newsmen pick the Hart. Guess what? Each group picked the same three finalists: Jarome Iginla, Al Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. Or, as Paul Kariya sagely notes: “You can’t fool the players!” Winners will be named on June 12 in Toronto.
- What is it with San Jose every playoff spring? Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy offers this assessment:
“There have been questions about the Sharks’ character these past five years as they have never been able to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Those questions have been overblown. The real issue is that the Sharks have never been able to concentrate and stay intense for the duration of the season’s most important periods and moments. Since 2004, no team in the NHL has won more playoff games than the Sharks. But they have never been able to get over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, they have made it past the second round only once. Because here is the even more insufferable flip side of that statistic: Since 2004, no team in the NHL has also lost more playoff games than the Sharks.”
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- The first meaningful disagreement between Gary Bettman and new union boss Paul Kelly developed over whether the league should move from an 82-game to an 84-game schedule. Ironically, both sides are fine with the two extra games, but the dispute has to do with scheduling. The NHLPA sought 30 inter-conference games, but the owners nixed that idea.
 All along, one of the prime obstacles to a Yankee Stadium outdoor NHL game has been plumbing. Normally the baseball club would shut down its pipes after the season in October. It would cost the NHL something around $200,000 to keep them operable until the New Year’s classic. Should Bettman, Inc. nix Rangers vs. Whomever, it would make Blackhawks-Red Wings at Wrigley Field, a good bet.
- Blues forward Lee Stempniak is one of the few skaters still playing who’s had his jersey retired. Ah, but it’s the No. 95 he wore skating in the West Seneca, New York youth hockey program. Every year, when coaches in the Western New York town give out jerseys, they have to remind their players that the number is off limits because a former NHLer played on their rink.
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- The Jerusalem Post’s hockey writer, Lionel Gaffen informs that Israel’s national team won three out of five games in the Division IIA World Championships held in Romania. Former Devils’ farmhand (Albany) Max Birbraer starred for the Israeli squad with a hat trick and two assists in a 7-1 win over Ireland. Birbraer also scored the overtime winner (5-4) against Bulgaria.
 Howard Baldwin’s production company is planning a movie about Gordie Howe. Which is natural since HB was the chap who had the insight to bring Howe to Hartford where he was such a hit. Gordie even opened his own restaurant, Gordie’s Place, in nearby Glastonbury.
- Anaheim’s rapid exit from the playoffs is fueling rumors of Brian Burke and the vacant Toronto g.m. job. We’ll see whether BB meant it when he said he wanted to stay in Duckland. If he does, you can be sure that Burke will not tolerate anymore half-season antics as he did in 2007-08 from Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne. Perhaps the bottom line about the Leafs job – and Burke – is a line Brian once uttered when we interviewed him on MSG Network about possibly moving to Toronto. “If you’re Catholic,” said Burke. “this is the Vatican.”
- Most overused – and ridiculous – line in contemporary hockey is “home ice advantage.”
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- If Colorado skaters really like their coach, Joel Quenneville, they’ll make sure they escape the first round because Joltin’ Joel doesn’t have a contract for next season.
 Well, at least one team leader is not panicking about his club missing the playoffs. Sure, John Davidson isn’t tickled about a 14th place finish, but the Blues leader knows that his franchise is healthy and has advanced over the past two seasons. That supports his decision to stay with Andy Murray behind the bench.
- There’s no stopping Red Fisher. The 81-year-old scribe has been covering the Canadiens for 53 seasons. The former sports editor of both the Montreal Star and Montreal Gazette still has the energy to cover the team from the press box. Though he no longer rushes to the locker room for post-game quotes, it’s not due to any physical impediment.
“I try to avoid that as much as possible for one reason,” says Fisher. “They have nothing to say. I strongly suspect that in recent years, at least, these players have had preseason instructions or an education from PR people on what to say to the media. I think the preseason course takes about 17 seconds based on what you hear."
- (New York) Newsday’s Steve Zipay believes that Jaromir Jagr’s future with the Rangers is uncertain. We’re betting that the Captain will be back!
- Nobody sums up Evgeni Malkin’s lack of off-ice charisma better than ESPN’s Scott Burnside. “Malkin has done the nearly impossible. The Pittsburgh Penguins center has become one of the world’s top hockey players while remaining a virtual ghost.”
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- The most arresting coaching decision will be made in Toronto. Does Cliff Fletcher await his choice of a new GM, or does he handle the Paul Maurice – replace him or not? – issue himself? If PM does get the axe, he should wind up with another NHL gig before September.
- Calling a spade a spade – as he always does – John Tortorella deserved his appointment as Team USA head coach for the upcoming World Championships in Halifax and Quebec City. JT makes it clear new faces will be on his roster.
"We need more hunger," Torts argues. "Why bother to bring in guys who don't want to be there? Sometimes these guys think they're doing USA Hockey a favor by being there. We want to win and not look at it as a chance for a vacation and play some hockey."
By the way, this could be a stepping stone for Johnny T to coach Uncle Sam's 2010 Olympic team.
- When does a feud that's not a feud almost become one? Answer: When Sports Illustrated's Mike Farber does a piece on Martin Brodeur, Henny Lundqvist and Rick DiPietro.
 In the article, Farber quotes the Devils' ace calling his Rangers opposite "weird." What SI did not note was that Marty was referring to Lundqvist's style not his personality.
Curiously, the Jan. 14 story never bothered to quote either DP nor Henny. But last week the New York Post's Larry Brooks got to Lundqvist who replied about Brodeur: "Does he think my style is weird? I don't think I have a weird style. Does he think I'm weird as a person? I don't think I'm weird."
Respectfully, HL concluded, "Everyone knows how much Marty has accomplished." Too bad SI never got around to inserting the other goalies' views. Then again, no surprise there.
- Guy Carbonneau's priceless advice to Carey Price: "You don't have to be Superman!" And Brodeur's advice to the Habs' rookie: "A lot of people will be trying to bring him down when things are going good. For every good thing you do, there's always someone who wants to see you fail. He has to be mentally tough."
- The disgraceful behavior of Patrick Roy and his son, Jonathan, have inspired some critics to deplore the idea that the Habs might honor the goalie's number 33 next year. Montreal Gazette columnist Red Fisher is one in the anti-Roy bloc.
"Is it (retiring 33) good for the game and the organization?" asks Fisher. "It is not." Fisher recalls the December 1995 episode when Roy walked off the Canadiens' bench into the locker room. "It was unprofessional and a gross disrespect for the sweater he wore."
Right on, Red!
- Here's how hockey-nutty hockey fans are in Vancouver. One sports radio show asked listeners to vote on whether Roberto Luongo should go to Florida for the birth of his first child or stay with the Canucks. Naturally, some Canuckelheads argued for him remaining with the team.
- Pleasant Surprise Dept': Roman Hamrlik's solid play on the Habs' defense.
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- One of the more fascinating decisions will eventually unfold in Nassau Coliseum where Ted Nolan's future will be determined. Once considered a coach-of-the-year candidate, TN is completing the second season on a three-year pact.
Nolan told Newsday's Greg Logan that he's yet to be approached about an extension. Meanwhile, the Isles high command is shunning comment, which further fuels speculation. Ultimately, the decision will be made by owner Charles Wang, who negotiated Nolan's pact in the first place.
 Maxime Talbot on having Sid Crosby, Geno Malkin and Marian Hossa on the same roster: "We've got Numbers One and One – and One!"
- The Predators' long-awaited renegotiated lease with Nashville should be finalized by its City Council next Monday. Preds' chairman and one-third owner David Freeman asserts, "We have no intention of selling or moving. The value (of the franchise) may go up, but we all intend to die owning this club." (Let's hope he hangs around for a while!)
- Never thought we'd utter these words, but we will. Who's better – Roberto Luongo or Tomas Vokoun? What we like about Tom is that he's not ashamed to credit his backup, Craig Anderson, for launching the streak that put Florida back in the playoff race.
- The Red Wings rate a Standing O for a remarkable season. Our concern: Can Dom Hasek carry them in the playoffs?
- If the NHL had a Tough Luck Trophy, the "winner" this year – sad to say -- would be Tim Connolly. Add Martin Havlat and Carlo Colaiacovo to the list.
- Don't let anyone kid you about the Senators and Bryan Murray's pre-playoff dilemma: He does NOT have a starting goaltender worthy of the title! And he totally blew the deal with Carolina.
Jim Rutherford clearly outfoxed him. Mike Commodore is mediocre and Cory Stillman's best days were spent in Raleigh.
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- Best Line On Coaching In Months Dep’t.: This from Paul Maurice: “Usually your intelligence as a coach is related directly to your goalie’s save percentage!”
- If you believe the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons, Mats Sundin might have become a Canadien in a proposed deal.
“The agreed-to trade would have sent speedy winger Christopher Higgins to the Leafs, along with Montreal's first, second and third-round draft picks, in exchange for the captain,” notes Simmons.
“It was the second of two deals Cliff Fletcher had all but completed that got nixed by no-trade arrangements in players' contracts. The first had Tomas Kaberle going to Philadelphia -- this was one was written up at the league office and awaiting approval -- in exchange for Jeff Carter and the Flyers' first round pick. In other words, the Leafs might have had three first- round picks, two young players of merit, the draft picks acquired in deals for Hal Gill, Chad Kilger and Wade Belak, all to go forward with. It would have been an excellent way for the incoming general manager to begin the rebuilding process.”
 In the end, no deals of note happened because none of the Leafs would waive their no-trade clause.
- Good move by Ken Hitchcock naming Rick Nash the Blue Jackets captain. The Columbus media seem convinced that Adam Foote was not the leader AF would like people to believe he was. Nor is he that good a defenseman!
- Word from Columbus is that the Blue Jackets are willing to spend as much as $15-$20 million on free agents and are eying a pair of skilled centers. Scott Howson made a sincere pitch for Brad Richards before Brad was nabbed by Dallas.
- The Devils last visit to St.Paul stunned the Wild ticket department. Almost 300 ducats were needed to handle native Minnesotans Paul Martin, Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner. Not only was it more than the Wild ever had to put aside for a foe, but it was more passes distributed than in any of the Devils’ 2003 Stanley Cup Finals games. In Martin’s case, his father had 14 brothers and sisters! “So,” says the defenseman, “the cousins add up.”
- Many critics still marvel at the Devils’ lofty standing. Jacques Lemaire – no surprise – offers a logical explanation: “You look at the guys back-checking on that team, making the effort to save a goal. If you save a goal, it’s like scoring a goal. It is, really!”
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- You think the playoff race is close; ditto about bids for the next outdoor game. Chicago has heated up its pitch and Gary Bettman is saying nice things about the Windy City. But there’s also the allure of New York and Yankee Stadium; something we’ve mentioned many times here in the past. The Bottom Line: the league HAS NOT come up with any definitive decision yet and may not for some time. Other cities in the mix include Boston, Detroit, Denver, Montreal, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
- The firing of John Paddock has unleashed a spate of rumors about the gifted Senators team, which seems thoroughly messed up behind the scenes. It’ll be interesting to see whether Bryan Murray applies a Band-Aid or does major surgery on his roster after the Sens are wiped out of the playoffs!
 There appears to be several sides to the Adam Foote-exiting-Columbus story. Some in the Ohio media have implied that Foote was insincere in the way he left the Blue Jackets. One Columbus writer suggested that Foote was a “fraud” as far as his leadership qualities. It’s been claimed that Foote set unrealistic contractual goals that forced the club to trade him to Colorado. If Adam needed any support on his side he got it from TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
McKenzie explains: “Foote is an interesting guy and if you don’t know him and understand him, it could be difficult to make sense of all that went down in the days and hours leading up to the NHL trade deadline. Above and beyond all else, Foote is very proud. He played that way on the ice; he carries himself that way off the ice, too.”
- MediaPost Publications reports that Versus “is ramping up a new marketing campaign for NHL playoffs that continues the tougher, authentic theme of recent marketing efforts.”
“We are looking at it from the players’ perspective,” says Versus v.p. Bill Bergofin. “Dramatic and dark-looking network promos riff off the main theme: ‘I am the Stanley Cup Playoffs.’ The campaign starts March 10.” Versus’ subscribers have grown to 74 million homes from 60 million during 2005. This season, through 48 telecasts, all ratings measurements are higher: up 31% in terms of total viewer impressions to 275,540; 41% improved in men 18-49 to 106,066; 27% more in men 18-34 to 48,934; and 50% higher in household ratings to a 0.3.
- Fans in Anaheim still get on Daniel Alfredsson for his vicious, deliberate shot at Scott Niedermayer. Alfredsson got booed every time he touched the puck last week at Honda Center. “Dumb things happen with split decisions,” says Niedermayer. “It’s done with.” However Nieder is quick to take the fan’s support, “It’s nice that they have your back.”
- We tend to forget that with all the flying NHL teams do, there are occasional scares. The Bruins had one Saturday night, landing in Newark. John Bishop, who writes for bostonbruins.com, called it the “scariest moment of my life!” …
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- John Paddock pins his exit from Ottawa on the way he handled Ray Emery. "One of the things I would do over would be the Emery stuff," says Paddock, "and not just the tardiness."
According to the reports, Emery frequently arrived late to practice and was not a hard worker. Paddock failing to discipline Emery caused a "fraying of the team concept," according to Paddock.
- The "issue" of Jaromir Jagr's return to the Rangers next season appears to us to be a non-issue. Our prediction is this: The Blueshirts' captain will be back because: A. He wants to remain a Ranger; B. Management wants him on Seventh Avenue, and C. JJ still is effective in his senior citizen role.
 Those who were wondering whether the romance between Alexei Yashin and gorgeous model-actress Carol Alt would survive his move to Russia now have the answer. Carol stunned the skeptics by moving to The Steppes where Yash is skating for Lokomotiv in the city of Yaroslavl. And, by the way, they now are man and wife; something we suspected last year on Long Island.
A New York Times reporter coyly describes Carol as "looking a shade too glamorous even for Yaroslavl's one upscale hotel."
- We can't figure why NHLPA boss Paul Kelly has to be mulling four sites for the union's US-based office. If the Association's Canadian bureau is based in Toronto – Canada's largest city – then New York is the one and only place South of the Border. Or as the immortal song-and-dance man George M. Cohan once said: "Anything outside of New York is Bridgeport!"
- Don't Mess With The Maple Leafs Or Lose Your Signage Dep't: Controversial Toronto commentator Bill Watters has been immersed in hot water with the Maple Leaf high command for a long time, thanks to his ascerbic comments about the hockey club.
But, according to Globe and Mail columnist Bill Houston, the water reached the boiling point not long ago after which the Leaf's general staff took punitive action. Mention of Watters has been stripped from the Air Canada Centre.
"Advertisements promoting the Watters afternoon radio show on AM640 Toronto have been removed from the arena's electronic display panel," writes Houston. "Posters publicizing the show have disappeared."
According to John Lahway, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment vice-president of communications, Watters promotions were pulled because of "Bill's personal attacks against the team that we felt went beyond the standards of journalism." Specifically Watters has been singled-out for "name-calling."
- Our man in Minnesota, Bob Dill offers this item: "During a recent Wild-Calgary pre-game ceremony, Wild good guy, Keith Carney, was honored as the 28th American to play in 1,000 NHL games. Carney received a silver stick from Wild owner Bob Naegele, a watch from teammates and a Tiffany crystal from the NHL's Jim Gregory.
Ironically, the first-ever American to reach the 1,000 NHL game mark, Gordie Roberts, was in attendance. Roberts, who lives in Minnesota and works as a scout for Montreal, is a regular in the Xcel Center press box."
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- With Brian Burke on record saying he wants to stay in Anaheim and Doug Risebrough apparently content in Minnesota, a clear front-runner has been established for the Maple Leafs’ g.m. job. That would be Colin Campbell, whose impeccable credentials are further fortified by his strong relationship with Gary Bettman. While Cliff Fletcher will make recommendations, the ultimate decision will not be Cliff’s. Leafs owner Larry Tanenbaum and prexy Richard Peddie will be the choice-makers.
- Among the baseball clan, Sidney Crosby’s number one fan happens to be Johnny Damon.
 Our Florida correspondent, Alan Greenberg, sends this tidbit: “I recently went to an ECHL game and there were three brawls. No big surprise in the ECHL where teams can play each other on three consecutive nights. I don’t know if this was coincidence or design but when each battle began the combatants threw down their gloves AND their helmets. During the initial choreography they were nudged to center ice by the officials, like they were prodding cattle, so everyone in the house had a good view. Then the brawl began in earnest, ending as soon as someone had the edge. While all of this was going on there was a bright spotlight on the battlers. Under these conditions I’m convinced that there will be incentive to start only what you can finish.” We second the motion!
- Scotty Bowman on Tom Renney’s challenge as Rangers’ coach: “It’s not easy when you have an above average roster and you try to get all those players to jell. It’s a big meshing process. But the secret is that they can play."
- The advice Jaromir Jagr is being given by some Rangers-watchers is that he should do an imitation of Phil Esposito. In his later years Espo set up his office outside the crease and became a garbage-goal specialist, which prolonged Phil’s career. The feeling is that Jagr could help his scoring by doing likewise.
- Mike Keenan on pulling goalies: “It’s the mathematical equation that I probably have established with all the top goalies, including Grant Fuhr and Eddie Belfour. I said the odds are if you play 95 or 70 percent of the games, you’re going to get pulled two or three more times than if you played 60 percent of the game. Are you comfortable with that? They said, ‘Absolutely. I prefer to play a lot more games.’ Whether it’s a psychological move to jumpstart your team, whether your goalie is a little bit off because he’s playing so often, or it’s a combination of both, or maybe to throw the opponent off a little bit. Probably the biggest incident I can remember pulling a goalie was on a five-on-three playing in 1987 against the Oilers. I took Pelle Lindberg out and put Bob Froese in. I remember Wayne Gretzky spent the entire two minutes trying to figure out why we did that. The power play was over and we went on and won that game. I remember Wayne came over to Sather asking, ‘What’s he doing? What should we do?’”
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- Always candid when he was a player, Hall of Famer Stan Mikita still says what he thinks now that he's returned to the Blackhawks as a "team ambassador."
Asked by the Chicago Tribune's Melissa Isaacson what it means to be an ambassador, Stosh replied: "It means after all the sweat and blood and operations we've put in for the Indian head, we're welcomed back in the fold, no longer ostracized the way we have been for the last 28 years. We weren't really wanted there, according to some people."
All indications are that Mikita meant since-moved-sideways Bob Pulford.
 Class act that he is, Scott Niedermayer – when he visited Newark with the Ducks – made a point of visiting the Devils' office where he schmoozed with the staff and also stopped in to see Lou Lamoriello, who originally drafted him.
- Sean Avery-watchers constantly try to compare him with annoying skaters from yesteryear. Scott Gomez – speaking firsthand – says it's Claude Lemieux.
"You can't always have just choir boys on your team," explains Gomer who, by the way, is right.
- If a talent such as Simon Gagne suffers three concussions in one season – among many other big-leaguers similarly suffering - you know that the head wound situation sadly has become an epidemic, with no solution in sight. Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Alberts are a couple of other victims.
- Ken Daneyko on Scott Niedermayer: "Scotty can control a game better than anyone, and that includes Nik Lidstrom." P.S. Dano and Nieder once were roommates.
- On the mark observation from the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons regarding Peter Forsberg: "The Predators were about the best NHL team when they acquired Forsberg last Winter. They were never that once Forsberg arrived. Forsberg is an ancient 34 and has played one full season in the past six. Don't expect much from him anymore."
- Here’s an oddball list. Pat Verbeek’s favorite linemates through the years: Kirk Muller, Aaron Broten, Ron Francis, Kevin Dineen, Andrew Cassels, Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Joe Nieuwendyk.
- The Devils will be keeping an Argus eye on Matt Halischuk -- very good along the boards -- who scored Team Canada’s winner against the Swedes. He was the 117th player selected in the 2007 Draft
- Brian Burke sits in the most comfortable spot of any g.m. and that’s why his future plans are intriguing. Does he stay in Anaheim with the Cup-winning team he helped build or does he quietly pitch – as some believe – for the highly-coveted Toronto g.m. opening?
 We take Brian at his word that he’s staying in Anaheim. All of the columns out of Toronto promoting Burke as the perfect choice only serves to boost his value in Anaheim.
Brian genuinely enjoys working for Susan and Henry Samueli. He can virtually write his next ticket with them which, we’re told, will be the decisive factor in Brian remaining a Californian.
- The Red Wings appear to have another future-winner in Justin Abdelkader. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Michigan State forward was Detroit’s second-round pick in 2005.
The two-way forward scored the winner with 18.9 seconds left in the national championship game against Boston College. G.m. Ken Holland has him pegged as a future “third-line center.”
Holland’s immediate challenge is penning future free agent Dan Cleary to a new deal.
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- Maybe Peter Forsberg will wind up in Philly or Denver or wherever; but a close friend of PF’s tells us that he wants to close his career on Broadway. Which prompts the question: Would Glen Sather want PF?
- It has been suggested in some quarters that Jaromir Jagr is one artist who does not get the respect of NHL referees when it comes to opponents fouling him. Now we hear the same beef from Edmonton, regarding Ales Hemsky.
 “It’s completely unbalanced to the respect he should get from the officials,” complains Craig MacTavish. “Ales doesn’t seem to have the same level of respect that most skill players or guys of his stature have around the league. Sheldon Souray got five minutes and a game misconduct for a slash on Shane Doan. You don’t even get a minor for the same sort of offense on Hamsky.”
- USA Today’s columnist Kevin Allen makes a good point about the Red Wings’ success: “Continuity has been a key. Senior v.p., Jim Devellano, owner Mike Ilitch’s first g.m., has been with the club since 1982. European scouting director Hakan Andersson since 1989, amateur scouting director Joe McDonnell since 1992 and assistant g.m. Jim Nill since 1993. Ken Holland joined the organization as a scout in 1985."
- Doug Wilson on the possibility of trading his captain, Patrick Marleau: “If I wanted to trade Patty, trust me, there are 15 teams that are going to line up to get him. Where else are you going to find a guy in his prime in his position (center) who has done what he’s done?”
- Didja Know Dep’t.: Dom Hasek has a cup of tea at the Red Wings’ bench during breaks!
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- Some of the best hockey-writing on the continent happens in the minors, especially the AHL.
One of the best is the Hartford Courant's Bruce Berlet. Venerable defenseman Eric Weinrich was one of Berlet's most interesting subjects because, as Bruce puts it, "Eric is old enough to be the father of many of his Portland Pirates teammates."
At 41, Eric is the AHL's oldest player. "I always figured when it was over, it was over," says Weinrich, who grew up near Portland and played at the University of Maine.
 "I wasn't going to play in the AHL just to try to hang on, but not many guys get to play in their hometown. It's an unusual situation that fit well with our lifestyle, so it's been great to end my career this way."
A cycling fan, Weinrich told Berlet that he occasionally rides his bike 12 miles to practice from his home in Yarmouth.
- Interesting Note Dep't: This from the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson:
"The happiest guy in the NHL when the league office decided the new white goalie pads Rick DiPietro wore against the Florida Panthers were legal: New York Islanders' equipment manager Scott Boggs, who could have been fined $1,000 because they hadn't been pre-approved (measured) by the league before DiPietro wore them. Chump change for a player, a big gulp for a working stiff."
- Hockey nut Tom Glavine – remember, he was drafted by the NHL out of high school – had planned to skate with the Thrashers last week, but it was NG for TG because he got sick.
The 41-year-old Braves pitcher coaches his sons' youth hockey teams. When the time is right, he'll join the Thrashers in full uniform at the end of practice for some drills.
- Gretzky On Gretzky: "Other than playing the game of hockey, what I enjoy most is being around hockey. I'm much more comfortable behind the bench than in any sort of office atmosphere. I've got a long way to go as coach, believe me. Gordie Howe said it best: 'You never stop learning about the game of hockey.' But I feel way better today than I did three years ago.
 Some of the most fascinating thoughts about the NHL's Winter Classic were garnered by the Palm Beach Post's Brian Biggane. One of the best came from Emile (The Cat) Francis, who lived two doors from an outdoor rink in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. "It cost a nickel to skate there, but I didn’t have a nickel," said Francis.
"I made a deal with the owner: If I shoveled the rink, I could skate for free. We got 100 inches of snow there one winter and I remember praying at night that it wouldn't snow. Two years later he opened an indoor rink and took me with him. Best promotion I ever had. The Buffalo game reminded me of playing outdoors. On a warm day in the spring a guy would slap water at you and then the puck. In the winter he’d slap snow and then the puck."
- We never could figure out why Robert Esche (soon to be 30) couldn't make a bigger name for himself in the NHL. But the likable Upstate-New Yorker is tearing up the Russian Super League. Robert is guarding the twine for Ak Bars Kazan, which just won the Continental Cup in Riga, Latvia. Esche won the "Best Goalie" trophy and rates another look from any netminder-starved NHL club.
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- One reason why Yankee Stadium could host the next NHL outdoor game in 2009 is timing. The Bombers plan to vacate The House That Ruth Built at the end of this Summer for new digs in The Bronx. That means that the current home will be unused and could be resurrected with plenty of time to prepare it for hockey use next New Year’s Day. And wouldn’t that be a colossal coup for Bettman Inc!! Such so-called obstacles as getting plumbing in order and turning electricity back on all can be solved. If the Yankees give the green light. Of course, if the Bruins have their way, the next outdoor game would be at one of three Beantown venues: Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium or Gillette Stadium.
 The Chicago Tribune’s rookie hockey writer, Chris Kuc, already has Blackhawks fever. In an end-of-year piece, Kuc lists some of his favorite Hawks stories. One of them was his “most telling off-the-ice moment.” He notes, “Seeing thousands of fans quivering down Michigan Avenue in the cold, some there for hours, to get autographs from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane at HawkQuarters made me realize there’s something special happening in hockey in Chicago. I can read special happenings in hockey in Chicago. I can read about it and hear talk-radio shows pontificate about it, but seeing the fans themselves turning at it in droves to get a glimpse of the present and future and get their autographs drove the point home. Seeing new team president John McDonough outside shaking hands and talking with the fans and seeing their positive reaction to him was a nice touch.”
- The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Michael Russo is one of the continent’s best hockey writers. Fortuitously, Mike covers a top NHL coach, Jacques Lemaire. In a recent interview, JL told MR how he’s survived for six years as the Wild’s one and only head coach. It’s all about communication with his g.m. “That’s why I always wanted to work for a general manager who knows me,” Lemaire explains. “He knows what I’m trying to do, he knows how I do things,” says Lemaire. “I know that I couldn’t do this if I would feel that our team should be better. If we should be one of the elite teams and we wouldn’t make the playoffs as an example, then I couldn’t take that. I would think I’m not doing a good job.”
- A Thought: Ilya Bryzgalov is as hard to beat as it is to spell his name.
- Good Move Dep’t: Brad McCrimmon being promoted from assistant coach to associate coach of the Thrashers. It’s certain recognition of his contributions this season. But it’s also an indication that McCrimmon is front-runner to replace Don Waddell as Thrashers head coach when Waddell focuses on his general manager duties. Brad has paid his dues as an assistant coach for the Flames and Islanders. He has head-coaching experience in the Western Hockey League and played 18 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman with Boston, Philadelphia, Calgary, Detroit, Hartford and Phoenix.
- Kudos for innovation to the Atlanta and Carolina TV producers. At a recent Thrashers-Canes game, the clubs swapped analysts Darren Eliot and Tripp Tracy.
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The Franco-English feud never stops — even in the hockey world. Now it's Michel Brule, a Montreal publisher, beefing that too few Francophone songs were played at Bell Centre during Game Seven of the Habs-Bruins series. Brule figures six out of the 10 tunes should be in French!