Kukla's Korner

Too Many UFAs

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 04:44 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

...The watershed date for most general managers is July 1, 2007, or the day that free agency drops down another year (to 28 for some players and to 26 for others). That is when, for example, the Buffalo Sabres — a good emerging young team — could have up three-quarters of their roster presented with unrestricted free agency. There are two ways of anticipating how the new system will play out — and it will all depend upon how teams react to what could be a flood of players onto the open market. If a glut of free agents actually hits the open market (and currently, about 120 players are scheduled to qualify this summer), then the laws of supply and demand could keep prices down.

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Kiprusoff MVP Candidate

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 04:32 PM ET | Comments (0)

from George Johnson, special to ESPN,

Yet not only is Miikka Kiprusoff, the mute Finn, the NHL's best goaltender this season, he's got the credentials to back up a Hart Trophy campaign, too. Homerish jingoism? By the definition of the award, Kiprusoff among all others deserves the accolade: " … to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.''

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NHL Players Fight Against Autism

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 04:00 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Russell Levine of NHL.com,

...That's what made it so unfamiliar for Kolzig when he and his wife Christin learned that their then 15-month-old son, Carson, had been diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, which is on the broad spectrum of autism disorders. "When you get the diagnosis, you're in shock," Kolzig said. "But as soon as you try to figure out what to do next, that's when the nightmare really starts." That's because so little is understood about autism, despite an explosion in new diagnoses that has pushed the frequency as high as one in every 166 children.

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Pens Waiting For Malkin

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 03:10 PM ET | Comments (0)

from the Pittsburgh Penguins,

“We have a lot of young guys here who want to build something. With him, he’s a great player and he’d really help us,” Crosby said. “We want him to be a part of that, too. Hopefully, next season he comes over. He’s a guy who is really going to make a difference.” A lack of a transfer agreement between the Russian Hockey Federation and the NHL kept Malkin in Russia this season. However, there is a probability he will be in a Penguins uniform in the fall. And, like Crosby, Malkin is projected to step in and make an immediate impact when he comes to the NHL.

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The Big Guy

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 12:23 PM ET | Comments (0)

Today Gordie Howe celebrates his 78th birthday! His teamates called him 'Popeye' because of his huge forearms and for me he was always bigger than life. How about some words of wisdom from Gordie? -All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity. -You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave - win or lose. -You've got to love what you're doing. If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains, and continue to play for a long, long time. update 6:16pm, via NHL.com, Doc Emrick pays tribute (will open wmp audio) to Gordie in his weekly audio review.

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Museum Purchases Plante Mask

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 12:03 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Canada.com,

The Canadian Museum of Civilization has purchased one of the crown jewels of hockey memorabilia -- a 1960s-era goalie mask designed and worn by National Hockey League star Jacques Plante. The museum paid almost $19,000 USfor the fibreglass, pretzel-style mask, the third ever worn by Plante in NHL action. The mask's first appearance on ice was in 1963, right after Plante was traded to the New York Rangers from the Montreal Canadiens.

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Brophy May Return To Coaching

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 11:54 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Virginia Pilot,

John Brophy, the 73-year-old former coach of the ECHL’s Hampton Roads Admirals, could return to the bench next season with a proposed minor league team in Richmond. ...Coaching would seem to offer Brophy just that in light of lingering injuries from a 2000 car crash in his native Nova Scotia that nearly killed him . Though no one questions Brophy’s toughness and resolve, his mobility is limited by leg, back and hip ailments sustained in the crash, and he lost sight in one eye.

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Gretzky Almost Certain To Return

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 11:45 AM ET | Comments (0)

via the Arizona Republic,

Wayne Gretzky indicated Thursday he's at least 90 percent certain he will return to coach the Coyotes next season, but he again stopped short of committing to the job. "I love doing it and I have no reason to think I'm not going to do it," Gretzky said. "I just want to sit back (after the season) and take a breath and go from there."

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‘Free’ Ovechkin

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 11:28 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Montreal Gazette,

Maybe it's time to start a "Free Alexander" movement. Ovech-kin is not only a whirlwind on the ice, for a guy speaking awkward English, he's a pretty good interview. Not for him that Crosby-style Gretzky-speak, the massaged sound bites that all sound as though they were scripted by agents and shoe companies. Instead, Ovechkin talks about seeing a hockey movie with "lots of fighting" with his father when he was a kid. His father pointed to the flick (which might have been Slapshot - Ovechkin doesn't recall) and said: "See, that's what you have to do."

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Strong Words From Babcock

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/31/06 at 10:58 AM ET | Comments (0)

via the Detroit News,

Babcock believes NHL referees will continue to call obstruction penalties in the playoffs, as they have all regular season. "It would be a fraud if it's not (called)," Babcock said. "If it's not, they've misled many, many franchises and it would be a huge mistake."

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