Renney disappointed he won't help young Oilers develop (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 25 May 2012 00:50:16 PDT)
Tom Renney said his final goodbyes to Edmonton, wishing the best for an organization that had just cut him loose.

Winnipeg's Scheifele might be destined for another learning year (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 25 May 2012 00:50:16 PDT)
What to do with center Mark Scheifele?

Staal could be odd center out in Pittsburgh (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 25 May 2012 00:50:16 PDT)
All remains quiet on the Pittsburgh Penguins' front -- at least publicly -- but speculation about the future of star center Jordan Staal isn't going to disappear.

Granlund leads bevy of young talent in Minnesota (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 25 May 2012 00:50:16 PDT)
It's a new era in Minnesota as the Wild plans to infuse a horde of young talent into the system this summer.

No panic from Rangers coach ahead of do-or-die Game Six
(Thu, 24 May 2012 19:19:26 PDT)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Rangers coach John Tortorella is drawing confidence from a loss to the New Jersey Devils that pushed his top-seeded team to the brink of elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers trail the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final 3-2 after Wednesday's home loss to the Devils, setting the stage for a must-win Game Six on Friday in New Jersey to have any shot at reaching the Stanley Cup Final. "The most important thing that happened last night after a pretty screwy start is that ... ...

Coyotes finish off best season ever (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 18:32:08 PDT)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The end of the season hit the Phoenix Coyotes particularly hard.

Philadelphia Flyers Cannot Regret Trading Mike Richards and Jeff Carter: Fan's Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 17:17:00 PDT)
The day of June 23, 2011 seemed like any other relatively normal early-summer day. It was sunny. It was warm. It was welcoming. It wasn't for Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, whom the Philadelphia Flyers dealt to the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets respectively, and reshaped their entire franchise in one fell swoop. Now come the complaints from many Flyers fans who say the team made the wrong moves at the wrong times, as Richards and Carter find themselves four games away from doing something they couldn't do in Philadelphia: hoist a Stanley Cup.

Rangers-Devils Preview (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 16:29:40 PDT)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Eighteen years ago, Mark Messier set the stage for one of sports' most dramatic moments.

Rangers have no guarantee for this ECF Game 6 (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 16:27:00 PDT)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Eighteen years ago, Mark Messier set the stage for one of sports' most dramatic moments.

The Rangers aren't making any Mark Messier guarantees ahead of Game 6
(Thu, 24 May 2012 15:41:34 PDT)
New York is focused on prolonging the East final against New Jersey, not rehashing old hockey history.

NHL Playoff Beard Watch: Blood, Sweat and Beards of unsung unshaven heroes (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 15:35:48 PDT)
(Ed. Note: We're proud to welcome two of our favorite bloggers, Chuck and Pants from What's Up, Ya Sieve? , to the Puck Daddy fold as they author our weekly NHL Playoff Beard Watch every Thursday.) By Chuck and Pants from What's Up, Ya Sieve? The stage is nearly set for the ultimate NHL showdown. The Devils and Rangers battle it out at center stage while the Kings wait in the offing for their opponent to be named. It's a long, hard fight to be among the last teams standing. Every one inch is earned. This week, we salute the beards of some Unsung Unshaven Heroes. Marquee name or rookie sensation, it doesn't matter what their contracts say now. They fight on - and the proof of is all over their faces.

Doughty enjoying playoff breakthrough for LA Kings (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 15:27:29 PDT)
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) Drew Doughty began this season holding out for a $56 million contract from the Los Angeles Kings, demanding and getting an enormous sum for a kid with more potential than accomplishment.

Devils guarantee they’ll downplay 1994 conference finals for Game 6 vs. Rangers (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 14:07:39 PDT)
"We're going to go in and win Game 6. That was the focus this morning and it's the way we feel right now. We've done that all year, we've won all the games we've had to win. … I know we're going to go in and win Game 6 and bring it back here (to the Garden) for Game 7 ... We have enough talent and experience to turn the tide. That's exactly what we're going to do in Game 6." That was Mark Messier on May 24, 1994, making the statement before Game 6 at the Meadowlands between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. He then scored a hat trick to force Game 7, where the Rangers eliminated the Devils in double overtime. With the Devils again leading the conference final against the rivals heading into Game 6 in Jersey, the inevitable parallels between the two series were bound to come up — even if Rangers captain Ryan Callahan, Brad Richards and coach John Tortorella refused to take the bait on any 1994 questions on Thursday. There would be no more painful way for the Devils to exit the playoffs than to have history repeat: Having the chance to eliminate the Rangers on home ice in Game 6 — on the anniversary of Messier Day, no less — blowing it, and then falling short of the Cup Final with a loss at MSG. Which is probably why none of the Devils that discussed the events of 18 years ago were really interested in focusing on the past.

Dodger Stadium Winter Classic; 10 worst NHL fans; ‘While The Men Watch’ debate (Puck Headlines) (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:54 PDT)
Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. • Viggo Mortensen is a huge Montreal Canadiens fan. What better way to remind the world of this fact than by wrapping Kirsten Dunst in a Habs flag at Cannes, continuing an odd red carpet tradition for Aragorn. [ OMG Yahoo! , via Martin Leroux] • Marty Brodeur on the Mark Messier guarantee ghosts of 1994 haunting the New Jersey Devils in Game 6: "I know if you guys look at it, it looks the same, but it's different teams and a different way of playing the game and it's 18 years ago and that's a long time. I know I'm feeling a lot different. I'm feeling a lot more appreciative of what's going on." [ Fire & Ice ] • Bruce Driver on 1994: "I ended up going to New York and played with Mark, a tremendous leader and one of the best captains of all time. In 1994 against us, Mark did what he did, backed it up and scored three goals. But from our standpoint, the way we looked at it, we blew the game." [ NYT ] • Great piece on the friendship between Devils fans and Rangers fans, unnatural that it is. [ WNYC, via Michael Raphael] • No structural damage in Michal Rozsival's knee after that Dustin Brown hit. [ Sportsnet ] • Mirtle with poll on fighting that finds hardcore fans love it, non-fans loathe it. [Globe & Mail, and see graphic ] • Earl Sleek sees a lot of the 2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 2012 Los Angeles Kings. Say, are those the Devils on the other side of the bracket? [ Battle of Cali ] • Los Angeles Dodgers President Stan Kasten wants to pursue a Winter Classic at Dodger Stadium. Read this and other stories in our new book "[Expletive] No One Would Be Saying If The Kings Weren't In The Cup Final." [ LA Times ] • Rich Hammond on the matter: "Gary Bettman has sneered (literally) at any suggestion that a Winter Classic could be played in a warm-weather environment. And while the Kings would love to host an outdoor game — Luc Robitaille is a particularly big proponent — AEG is also in the planning stages of a new downtown football stadium, which would probably be a more likely location in the event that Bettman stops sneering." [ LA Kings Insider ] • The 10 most annoying hockey fans. Including you, Guy Trying To Get on TV. [ THW ]

CBC's women-focused endeavor is disrespectful (The Hockey News)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:00 PDT)
A partnership between the CBC and whilethemenwatch.com has some up in arms. And rightfully so.

Lightning GM Yzerman suggests he won’t be trading for Luongo, strengthens position for Luongo trade (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 11:58:57 PDT)
Don't listen to Yzerman, Lu. He's just playing hard to get. Shortly after the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the playoffs, reports surfaced that Roberto Luongo had requested a trade in his exit interview. (Those reports were confirmed Wednesday by Canucks coach Alain Vigneault in an interview with TVA Sports. "This is what he wants now," Vigneault said .) According to further reports, Luongo even provided a list of teams he was willing to join, one of which was, reportedly, the Tampa Bay Lightning. A Luongo-to-Tampa trade would make a lot of sense for everyone. The Canucks have an elite goalie to deal, Luongo has family in Florida, and after watching Dwayne Roloson spend the season turning to dust before their very eyes like he'd come down with a bad case of Mummy's Curse, the Lightning clearly need a new guy back there. But, Wednesday morning, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman appeared on 620 WDAE "The Sports Animal" and indicated that, while addressing the goaltending situation was very much an offseason priority for his club, acquiring a netminder via trade -- say, a Luongo type, maybe, whatever, just spitballin' -- was not. Yzerman: I think everybody's trying to find somebody that's an elite guy. I would say there's probably five or six elite goaltenders in the league and then there's a group of good goaltenders, and then there's a group of teams that are really searching for that guy to lock up and not worry about for the present and the future. My philosophy is I'm trying to find that Hall of Fame goaltender, and good luck trying to do that -- it takes time. We'll find that guy through the draft or unrestricted free agency. That guy isn't there at this time. And then, Yzerman hung up the phone, hopped over to Line 1, and said, "Your move, Gillis."

Blue Jackets re-sign Ryan Russell to 1-year deal (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 11:40:36 PDT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way NHL-American Hockey League contract with center Ryan Russell.

Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio: Ron Hextall, Luke Richardson and Rangers/Devils (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 10:49:22 PDT)
It's a Thursday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT , and we're talking about the following and more: Special Guest Stars: Los Angeles Kings assistant GM and former Philadelphia Flyers great Ron Hextall joins us, as well as former NHL defenseman and new B-Sens coach Luke Richardson. • In which Marek and Wysh break down Game 5 of the Devils/Rangers series, • The politics of viewing parties. • Conn Smythe Watch. • Puck Headlines and Talking Points Question of the Day: Who on your team could you see foolishly issuing a 'playoff guarantee'? Email your answers to puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or tweet them with the hashtag #MvsW to either @jeffmarek or @wyshynski . Click here for the Sportsnet live stream or click the play button above! Click here to download podcasts from the show each day Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Feedburner .

Tomas Kopecky visits Pavol Demitra’s grave with Slovakia silver medal (VIDEO) (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 10:01:55 PDT)
Pavol Demitra's impact on Slovakian hockey can't be overstated. He was a mainstay on its national teams, appearing in the Winter Olympics three times, to go along with a memorable NHL career from 1993-2010. He was a rock star. Demitra died in the September 2011 plane crash that claimed the lives of 43 people, the majority of whom played for, or coached, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL. His memory was kept alive with tributes from fans around the world, and in tributes from his friends and countrymen during the season. He was also the inspiration for Slovakia's underdog run to the silver medal at the 2012 IIHF world championships. From Chris Johnston at the Canadian Press: The team is honouring his memory in different ways at this event — some wear T-shirts with his picture on it under their equipment while forward Tomas Kopecky dons a ball cap for post-game interviews that carries Demitra's No. 38 on the front and the words "always remember" on the back. They felt his presence during an upset win over Canada in the quarter-finals and Saturday's win over the rival Czechs. "When you look at the game against Canada, after we scored the third goal, I just looked up and said 'Thanks God,"' said Florida Panthers forward Tomas Kopecky. "He's with us, it's unbelievable. It's just a great feeling." Slovakia honored Demitra's memory in the medal ceremony following its loss to Russia, as Zdeno Chara wore Demitra's national team jersey in accepting a player of the game award. After the team returned home, Kopecky made a pilgrimage. He brought the silver medal to Demitra's grave, honoring the man who inspired their effort. Is it dusty in here all of a sudden … s/t PD reader Dan, via Reddit Hockey

While The Men Watch Hockey Night, the women get frustrated with CBC (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 09:15:06 PDT)
(Ed. Note: The "While The Men Watch" controversy rages on , as CBC Sports presents a new program featuring two women who commentate on hockey while the "sports addicted men" in their lives watch it. The backlash was palpable, but it's not without its defenders. We asked blogger/Montreal Canadiens fan Julie Veilleux, a.k.a. @MetricJulie , for her take on the program.) By Julie Veilleux When I first heard about " While the Men Watch ", I thought to myself, "Great. More women in sports acting ditzy and pretending they're Sarah Jessica Parker." Then I saw the backlash on Twitter and in various blogs. While awesome for recognizing sexism and outdated gender roles, something about the intensity of the criticism toward the two hosts bothered me. I mean, okay. They ARE willingly enforcing the myth that all female sports fans are really just sports widows who reluctantly and begrudgingly learn the sport to please their man or spend more time with him. They DO contribute to a system that, while maybe being "fringe" and letting women to join in on the conversation, still only allows those corresponding to a standard of beauty to take part. But to hate these women because they like pink, or talking about men, or hinting at wanting to have sex with them, seems pretty unfair. I like pink. I like men. I like stuff. That doesn't make me a bad fan or less of a fan. Most of the outrage I've seen has been directed toward the CBC for putting this show on the air, but there have been personal and gendered attacks on the hosts as well. Well, that's not solving anything. I hate the way the system works just as much as anyone else who's been discriminated against based on gender, orientation or color. But there are a whole lot of things wrong with While the Men Watch that are worth your ire. Let's take a look at just a few of them, shall we?

Los Angeles Kings Western Conference championship belt; yes, seriously (PHOTO) (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 08:30:53 PDT)
The NHL championship belt phenomenon has always intrigued us, whether it's the Chicago Blackhawks passing around a title belt during their Stanley Cup parade or the Phoenix Coyotes using it as their official postgame award to players of the game. Now, you can celebrate the Los Angeles Kings' 2012 Western Conference championship run with (Ric) flair: Somewhere, there's a John Cena spinning WWE logo without a belt ... so sad. This hastily crafted belt is available on eBay for $39.99 and chronicles the Kings rise to the Stanley Cup Final. Gaze upon the accurate home and road records, complete with unclosed parentheses. Marvel at the way the word "CHAMPIONS is oddly cropped and awkwardly spaced. Gawk at the way the semifinals and finals were preceded by "1st Rd." (That said, all the logos are correct , so the belt-maker is already overqualified to work as a local Los Angeles TV sports anchor.) (UPDATE: As Bren in the comments notes, it's the wrong Canucks logo. Expect to see whomever made this belt dropping "Brad Doty" references on LA TV soon.) As we said on the Marek Vs. Wyshynski podcast yesterday: Unless there is an historic, compelling reason to own conference or division champions gear — like the Florida Panthers in 1996, for example — then it serves two purposes only, which are dust rags or clothing a poverty-stricken village. Because in the end, Stanley Cup Champions gear will always supersede it; and if your team loses, it's just a sucky reminder of terrible times. But hey: Maybe you've got a Ring of Honor dark match to wrestle this weekend and you want to rep the Kings. In that case, $40 well spent. Meanwhile on eBay, you can buy Los Angeles Kings 2012 Stanley Cup Champions magnets and stickers. Pirated? Apparently. Hubrus? Totally.

NHL 13 cover final 4: Claude Giroux, Evgeni Malkin, John Tavares, and Pekka Rinne (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 06:58:28 PDT)
The EA Sports NHL 13 cover campaign is quickly winding down and after a month of voting we're down to the final four players. On one side of the bracket the "Battle of Pennsylvania" will be rekindled with Claude Giroux vs. Evgeni Malkin. The other side will feature John Tavares vs. Pekka Rinne. Voting for the semifinals begins today and will run through Monday night. On Tuesday, the day before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, EA Sports will reveal the two finalists with the winner being announced during the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 20. The Islanders have been campaigning hard for Tavares using clever Photoshops, as well as gaining support from the likes of P.K. Subban and Patrick Sharp via Twitter. Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin has been given a ringing endorsement from the Penguins' coaching staff: Voting will take place at  NHL.com/CoverVote and fans can do so an unlimited number of times. he Twitter hashtag,  #NHL13Cover , will also track the cover athlete tournament discussion. Updates and other content will also show up on the  EA SPORTS NHL Facebook page . Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at  @Sean_Leahy

Watch massive hit in Australian League; hear player’s mom discuss concussion (VIDEO) (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 06:38:56 PDT)
Daniel Szalinski plays for the Melbourne Ice of the Australian Ice Hockey League. This is likely one of the facts he was asked to recall following this massive hit by Greg Bay of the Gold Coast Blue Tongues (what a name) last weekend. Crikey (The hit is 38 seconds into this video.) From The Age: With six minutes to play in the first period, Gold Coast's Greg Bay hit Ice forward Daniel Szalinski in centre ice with a massive check, drawing a brutal response from Mitch Humphries. The Melbourne Ice hence lost one player to concussion and the other to a game penalty for roughing. Ice were outraged by the initial hit; Gold Coast by Ice's reaction. After much consultation, the referees also ejected Bay from the contest. Gold Coast would go on to win the game. No word if another Melbourne player was set up for personal destruction by a teammate's suicide pass. This is more than just a random open-ice hit on a YouTube clip. It's the first time we've subsequently stumbled upon a clip in which a concussed player and his mother discuss the aftereffects of the check, and how the players that stood up for her son are "legends."

Devils outlast Rangers, 5-3, take 3-2 series lead (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 04:15:02 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) The New Jersey Devils never could have imagined they would have a three-goal lead on the New York Rangers less than 10 minutes into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at hostile Madison Square Garden.

Sea Dogs send rival Cataractes to tie-breaker in rough fashion
(Wed, 23 May 2012 23:15:53 PDT)
The Saint John Sea Dogs advance to the semifinal with win over host Cats

Rangers run out of playoff luck as Game 5 rally goes awry at the worst time
(Wed, 23 May 2012 23:06:27 PDT)
New York's resiliency and goalie Henrik Lundqvist's play have been exemplary throughout the 2012 postseason, but the breaks and bounces went against the Rangers when they could least afford it.