NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

Checketts guarantees winning start
TSN.ca Staff
8/31/2006 12:43:42 PM

Newly minted St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts has guaranteed the team will win its home opener October 12 against the Boston Bruins.

"I just think that home opener is a big moment for us," Checketts tells the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "I know our guys will be up for that. ... It's the start of a new era. I know it's a trite phrase, but it's the Show-Me State ... so we're going to have to deliver to get the fans back."

It's been a summer of big change for the Blues, who finished last season with the worst record in the NHL. Former NHL goalie and hockey analyst John Davidson was installed as the head of hockey operations and in less than two months, he has added five new faces to the lineup, including Bill Guerin and Martin Rucinsky, as well as re-signing Doug Weight.

Checketts has even gone as far as expressing optimism that the Blues can get back to the playoffs as early as next season.

"I know the team will put a fair amount of pressure on itself. These guys who are in the room will feel strongly about delivering, so if we're in contention for a playoff spot going into the last 20 games, anything can happen."

Checketts also made the decision to raise ticket prices which didn't sit well with some fans, but the new owner says the increase was necessary to get the Blues to the next level.

"You can't have the best club in the NHL with the lowest ticket prices; it doesn't work," he explains. "We're under pressure to deliver a great team and a great experience, and the fans have to step up and pay more."

"(The fans) have a bitter taste in their mouth about last year and about stripping the club down. But I think they recognize that I'm not the one who stripped the club down, so I hope that they give us a chance."

Checketts says he did not agree with trading away defenseman Chris Pronger, which was made to free up salary and make the franchise more appealing to potential buyers.

"(Former owner) Bill (Laurie) thought he was doing the best thing to not commit the organization to long-term expensive contracts," Checketts said. "I would have rather had the franchise with Chris Pronger, but it wasn't in my hands."
 

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Stars re-sign Trevor Daley
Sports Network
8/31/2006 3:43:20 PM

Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - The Dallas Stars have re-signed defenseman Trevor Daley to a two-year contract.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Daley appeared in 81 games for the Stars last season and posted three goals with 11 assists for 14 points. He also registered 87 penalty minutes.

"Trevor has shown us that he has a promising future in the National Hockey League and we are glad to have him with our hockey club over the next two seasons," said Stars general manager Doug Armstrong. "We will look for him to continue to improve his game and make an impact within our organization in 2006-07."

The Stars selected Daley with a second-round pick and the 43rd overall choice of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Over parts of two seasons with Dallas, he has four goals and 16 assists for 20 points in 108 games.
 

The Blues are playing the Bruins in their home opener? What happened to splitting the schedule into conference and non-conference series, ala MLB? Too bad they got rid of that, I kinda liked it.

Anyway, that'll be a heck of a game between two have-nots that think they're haves.
 

Ack!!!

Oilers to use five partial affiliates
Canadian Press
9/1/2006 6:21:20 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa (CP) - The Edmonton Oilers will use five American Hockey League clubs as their partial affiliates this season under agreements announced Friday.

The Oilers will send some of their prospects to the Hamilton Bulldogs (primary affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens), the Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators), the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings), the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins) and the Iowa Stars (Dallas Stars).

''We are pleased to be able to accomplish affiliations with these quality AHL organizations and look forward to activating our own AHL franchise for the 2007-08 season,'' said Oilers assistant GM Scott Howson.

The Oilers' former farm team, the Edmonton Road Runners, suspended operations before the 2005-06 season.
 

From Sportsnet.ca!

Hockey Hearsay
September 01, 2006

Pens ready to be all they can be
Don't be surprised to hear, "Thank you Sir, can I have another!" after each Penguin goal in 2006/07. In an attempt to build team-bonding and leadership, the team will begin training camp under the watchful eye of J.B. Spisso, first sergeant of the New York Army National Guard.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting about a week before the season starts, the Penguins will participate in Spisso's custom-tailored program designed to promote team-building and leadership. Spisso was with the Elite Army Rangers for 10 years, was a drill instructor at Fort Benning, served in Panama and Haiti, and works with the corps at the United States Military Academy.

"It's a luxury to be able to bring your team there," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. "After the season, I was thinking about team-bonding. When Ray [Shero, the new general manager] got on board, he came up with the idea, and we put all those things together. I like the discipline. I like the leadership. I like the team-bonding. We have a lot of new players and a lot of new people."

The idea is not unique to the league, both the Rangers and Flyers completed the program in the past. Prior to last season, the Rangers participation helped them exceed expectations by racking up 100 points to finish sixth in the Eastern Conference and make the playoffs.

Coach Therrien also hopes the boot camp will help in choosing a new captain for the year; an honour many have speculated will go to sophomore Sidney Crosby.

Calgary fans cool to suite idea
With Rumblings the Saddledome could soon undergo a major facelift, some longtime Flames fans are concerned they may be relocated to make room for luxury suites.

With Rumblings the Saddledome could soon undergo a major facelift, some longtime Flames fans are concerned they may be relocated to make room for luxury suites.

Dan Fantini, who has been a season-ticket holder with the Flames since 1980, told the Calgary Sun he fears a repeat of the upheaval of 1995 that saw him forced to move to new seats and worries ticket prices may soar to pay for either option.

The Flames have hired consultants to price out both options and determine if a Saddledome retrofit would be able to accommodate the changes needed to boost the building's revenue streams.

A new state-of-the-art facility, meanwhile, would cost in the neighbourhood of $250 million.
 

It's been a slow news day, so...

Wild Boys: Boogaard charged with assault
Sportsnet.ca News
September 01, 2006

REGINA (CP) -- Minnesota Wild tough guy Derek Boogaard is facing a charge of assault causing bodily harm.

A 20-year-old man suffered injuries as a result of the alleged altercation at a nightclub just east of the city's downtown at about 2 a.m. on Aug. 12, Regina Police spokeswoman Elizabeth Popowich said Friday.

Boogaard, 24, was arrested last Thursday. He's to make his first court appearance Sept. 20.

The Wild, who signed Boogaard to a $525,000 US one-year deal earlier this summer, said the winger denies the charge.

"We understand that Derek has received a summons to appear on an allegation of assault and that Derek denies the allegation and will defend himself in any legal proceeding that may take place as a result of the allegation," the team said in a statement. "Because the investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment further at this time."

Boogaard, a six-foot-seven, 250-pound native of Saskatoon, appeared in 65 games for the Wild last season, collected 158 penalty minutes along with two goals and four assists.

Boogaard lives in Regina where he spent part of his junior career in the Western Hockey League playing for the Pats.
 

Agamon said:
The Blues are playing the Bruins in their home opener? What happened to splitting the schedule into conference and non-conference series, ala MLB? Too bad they got rid of that, I kinda liked it.
Click to expand...

Hmm, that's interesting. I hadn't considered that when I posted the news. I'm sort of against the whole conference vs. non-conference series thing. Maybe I'm too much an NHL hockey purist. :p
 

I'm just against them playing all the teams that are out of their conference and then expect rivalaries to evolve from that. :p
 

Well, seeing as they still only play out-of-conference teams 0-1 times per season, that isn't happening. Which is okay, except that I missed my chance to see my Habs for a couple seasons, barring a trip to Montreal (which I'm seriously considering).
 

GM Keenan and Panthers part ways
TSN.ca Staff
9/3/2006 2:41:30 PM

The Florida Panthers and their general manager are not waiting together to see how the 2006-07 NHL season will unfold.

Even after an offseason of major player transactions and renewed playoff hopes, the team announced in a statement Sunday that Mike Keenan has resigned from his front office post after just one full NHL campaign.

It is not clear what led to the move - made just days before the start of training camp.

There is no word on who will replace Keenan, though a source tells TSN that head coach Jacques Martin may consider occupying a dual role.

Keenan had three years remaining on his contract with the Panthers and leaves after working parts of four seasons with the club. He was named head coach of the Panthers on December of 2001 and held the post until November of 2003.

He returned to the team as general manager in May of 2004 and immediately made a flurry of changes to improve the club's fortunes. He hired Martin - a former Ottawa bench boss who was also his university teammate - as head coach and added veteran players such as forwards Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts and Chris Gratton.

The team failed to make the playoffs for a fifth straight season in 2005-06, prompting Keenan to make more dramatic moves over the summer. He swung a blockbuster deal that saw superstar netminder Roberto Luongo go to Vancouver for a package that featured power forward Todd Bertuzzi, and also signed veteran goalie Ed Belfour.

The Panthers were Keenan's seventh NHL team. He began his NHL career as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1984, and then led the Chicago Blackhawks behind the bench in 1988, guiding both teams to the Stanley Cup Final.

In 1993-94, he was hired as head coach of New York Rangers and led the franchise to its first Stanley Cup win since 1940. Keenan also served as head coach and GM as the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Boston Bruins.

Keenan began his coaching career with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League.

More to follow.
 

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