Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: dallas stars
Upper Body/Lower Body
by George Malik on 01/17/18 at 06:41 PM ET
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The Washington Post's Curtis Rush and Isabelle Khurshudyan wrote an excellent article about the NHL's inconsistent injury disclosure policy:
Ken Hitchcock was tired of the dance. In his 22nd year behind an NHL bench, the Dallas Stars head coach decided he would break from the prevalent, league-wide trend of referring publicly to player injuries only as "upper body" or "lower body" ailments.
"It's an injury and within two hours after we tell you [the media] it's upper body, you know exactly what it is, so why not just tell you?" Hitchcock said earlier this season.
The practice of vague, binary injury designations was adopted decades earlier by coaches who believed they were protecting their players by being vague. They theorized that opponents aware of injury specifics would target the ailing body parts or otherwise exploit the injured players. But Hitchcock does not buy that logic.
"The players don't go out and say, 'He has a broken left pinkie, and we're going to go after that pinkie,'" Hitchcock says. "Nobody thinks like that."
The "upper body"/"lower body" convention has been allowed to persist because, unlike the NFL, the NHL does not have a policy requiring teams to release injury information publicly. But the practice is under increased scrutiny in an age of distrust for corporate communication and of increased concern around the treatment of concussions - an injury commonly lumped into the "upper body" category.
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Tags: dallas+stars,
ken+hitchcock
Stars salute Strader
by George Malik on 02/19/17 at 01:03 AM ET
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The Dallas Stars saluted Dave Strader as he returned to the booth despite battling bile duct cancer, both during and after the Stars' 4-3 OT win over Tampa Bay:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
dave+strader
LeBrun: Dallas not selling quite yet
by George Malik on 02/08/17 at 01:18 PM ET
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From ESPN's Pierre LeBrun:
The Dallas Stars suffered another loss on Tuesday night and moved one step closer to forcing general manager Jim Nill to become a seller on March 1. Now seven points back of a playoff spot with exactly three weeks to go until the trade deadline, the Stars must a go on a serious roll. Starting now.
"Our focus is trying to get into the playoffs here,'' Nill said as his team skated on Tuesday morning at Air Canada Centre before a 3-1 loss to the Maple Leafs. "We're still there. We're taking it game by game.''
And that's not a cliche. The Stars' trade deadline strategy is hanging by the moment. Either the team rips off a massive run here or Nill will have no choice but to start auctioning off some of his pending unrestricted free agents.
Topping the list would be cagey veteran Patrick Sharp, whose Stanley Cup experience and creative hands could help any contender.
"Who knows what's going to happen?" said Sharp, who'll be a a UFA on July 1. "I'm in the same boat as Jim. I'm focused on Dallas and trying to string together a few wins. You look at our conference. There's a lot of teams saying the same thing, that they feel they're in striking distance of the playoffs and good things can still happen. That's where my focus is now. But obviously I've been around a while. I know what lies ahead if that doesn't happen. But I'm not too worried about it either way.''
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Tags: dallas+stars,
jim+nill,
patrick+sharp
Ranking the Top 10 American players
by George Malik on 07/03/16 at 11:39 PM ET
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From NHL.com's Brian Compton:
The United States of America is celebrating its 240th birthday Monday. Citizens will spend the day celebrating their freedom with friends and family.
Keeping in the holiday spirit, NHL.com looks at the top 10 American NHL players of all-time:
1. Mike Modano, C -- Arguably the best U.S.-born player in the NHL history, Modano spent two decades with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise and led it to the Stanley Cup in 1999. Modano played 1,499 regular-season games, and his 561 goals and 1,374 points are more than any player born in the U.S. He also had 58 goals and 146 points in 176 Stanley Cup Playoffs games. Modano was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.
2. Brian Leetch, D -- Leetch broke into the NHL with the Rangers late in the 1987-88 season and won the Calder Trophy in 1988-89 with 23 goals and 48 assists in 68 games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy and helped the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years in 1994 and remained in New York for another 10 seasons. Leetch finished his career with stops with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. In 1,205 regular-season games he had 247 goals and 781 assists. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
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Tags: boston+bruins,
brian+leetch,
dallas+stars,
mike+modano,
minnesota+north+stars,
new+york+rangers,
toronto+maple+leafs
Dallas Stars force 7th game against St. Louis
by George Malik on 05/09/16 at 11:38 PM ET
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Here are the highlights from the Dallas Stars' 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the teams' Western Conference Semifinal:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
st.+louis+blues
Stars get away with 6 men on the ice, leave Tarasenko alone, surrender breakaway goal
by George Malik on 05/05/16 at 07:56 PM ET
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This play qualifies as surprising for a strange reason: the Dallas Stars played a shift against the St. Louis Blues in which 6 Stars players skated up ice, over-commiting to their forecheck and leaving Vladimir Tarasenko open for a home-run pass. Tarasenko walked in on Kari Lehtonen and scored, of course, technically beating seven defenders to the back of the Stars' net:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
st.+louis+blues,
vladimir+tarasenko
Your Jack Adams Award Finalists: Gallant, Ruff and Trotz
by Paul on 05/05/16 at 06:32 PM ET
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GALLANT, RUFF AND TROTZ VOTED JACK ADAMS AWARD FINALISTS
NEW YORK (May 5, 2016) – Gerard Gallant of the Florida Panthers, Lindy Ruff of the Dallas Stars and Barry Trotz of the Washington Capitals are the three finalists for the 2015-16 Jack Adams Award, presented to the head coach who has "contributed the most to his team's success," the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association submitted ballots for the Jack Adams Award at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 22, during the 2016 NHL Awards, hosted by actor Will Arnett, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Following are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, in alphabetical order:
Filed in: NHL Teams, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: barry+trotz,
dallas+stars,
florida+panthers,
gerard+gallant,
lindy+ruff,
washington+capitals
Here’s the NHL’s second-round playoff schedule
by George Malik on 04/28/16 at 12:02 AM ET
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From the NHL:
2016 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE
NEW YORK (April 27, 2016) – The National Hockey League today confirmed the schedule for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round. In the U.S., NBC Sports Group has exclusive coverage of the Second Round. Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports continue exclusive coverage throughout Canada. All times listed are ET and subject to change. Future start times and television information will be released as they are determined.
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Tags: dallas+stars,
nashville+predators,
new+york+islanders,
pittsburgh+penguins,
san+jose+sharks,
st.+louis+blues,
tampa+bay+lightning,
washington+capitals
Brooks: Patrick Kane’s Hart candidacy is free and clear
by George Malik on 12/06/15 at 01:01 AM ET
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The New York Post's Larry Brooks believes that those opposed to Patrick Kane's candidacy for the Hart Trophy based upon last summer's events should pipe down:
I have no idea whether or not I would want Patrick Kane to date my sister. I don’t know him except from afar and through a locker-room interview scrum or two. But that hypothetical would not inform my choice for the Hart Trophy if I were to have a ballot, nor should it become an issue when votes are cast immediately after the regular season.
There is no morals clause attached to the Hart, which goes to, “The player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.”
At this point, with Kane on a franchise-record tying 21-game point streak he aims to break Sunday night, the Blackhawks’ winger is the MVP frontrunner, with Dallas’ James Neal and Tyler Seguin and the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist, the Islanders’ John Tavares and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin also in the conversation.
This is a case about hockey. There is nothing more to see here beyond Kane’s brilliance on the ice, just as the Erie County’s DA office decided there was nothing more to see in the “so-called ‘case’ ” there, either.
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Tags: alex+ovechkin,
chicago+blackhawks,
dallas+stars,
henrik+lundqvist,
james+neal,
john+tavares,
new+york+islanders,
new+york+rangers,
patrick+kane,
tyler+seguin,
washington+capitals
Ovechkin passes Fedorov as all-time leading Russian-born goal-scorer
by George Malik on 11/19/15 at 10:04 PM ET
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After several games of trying, Alex Ovechkin passed Sergei Fedorov to become the all-time leading goal-scorer among Russian-born players, scoring a game-tying goal on Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen:
Dallas still defeated Washington 3-2.
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Tags: alex+ovechkin,
antti+niemi,
dallas+stars,
washington+capitals
Brooks: NHL’s ‘Paid Patriotism’ teams weren’t hiding money
by George Malik on 11/08/15 at 12:28 AM ET
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According to the New York Post's Larry Brooks, the recent "Paid Patriotism" report reflects poorly upon NHL teams:
Six NHL teams received funds from the U.S. Department of Defense amounting to a sum of $1,040,500 from fiscal years 2012-15 to promote patriotism by virtue of honoring veterans and the military, according to a report released on Wednesday by U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona.
Boston, Carolina, Florida, Minnesota, Detroit and Dallas participated in the program, with the Wild reaping $570,000 from their partnership with the Minnesota Army National Guard.
The report has sparked questions and even some outrage about whether this is a proper use of government money, but no one should infer or imply that these teams or the league have anything for which to apologize. The NHL didn’t have its hand out here.
There was nothing surreptitious about it within the league, either. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Slap Shots the so-called “patriot funds” were reported as hockey-related revenue (HRR) as per the collective bargaining agreement.
“Anything received by Clubs as part of partnership deals with military organizations would have been included in HRR reporting and therefore would have been shared with the Players,” Daly wrote in an email correspondence.
Brooks continues, discussing Alain Vigneault's candidacy for Team Canada's World Cup team, goal-scoring disparities and James Neal's "hit list."
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Tags: boston+bruins,
carolina+hurricanes,
dallas+stars,
detroit+red+wings,
florida+panthers,
minnesota+wild
Nikita Nesterov suspended two games
by George Malik on 10/16/15 at 05:48 PM ET
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From the NHL:
LIGHTNING’S NESTEROV SUSPENDED TWO GAMES FOR BOARDING
NEW YORK (Oct. 16, 2015) – Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov has been suspended for two games, without pay, for boarding Dallas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie during NHL Game No. 54 in Tampa on Thursday, Oct. 15, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 15:56 of the second period. Nesterov was assessed a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Nesterov will forfeit $7,983.88. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
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Tags: dallas+stars,
tampa+bay+lightning
Nikita Nesterov to have a chat with the Department of Player Safety
by George Malik on 10/16/15 at 10:21 AM ET
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From the NHL's Department of Player Safety:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
tampa+bay+lightning
The Dallas experiment
by George Malik on 10/16/15 at 09:38 AM ET
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From ESPN's Scott Burnside:
Such an interesting experiment unfolding in the state of Texas.
The Stars, once a league power before the introduction of a salary cap and the search for a new owner caused some lean years, are looking to reinvent themselves as a Stanley Cup contender.
Ownership is solid under Tom Gaglardi.
Nill, now in his third season at the helm after apprenticing in Detroit for almost two decades, has one of the league's most explosive teams, with defending scoring champ Jamie Benn (the franchise's first Art Ross Trophy winner), Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza.
But after sneaking into the 2013-14 postseason, the Stars could not meet high expectations last season and were plagued by unreliable goaltending and suspect team defense.
Enter Sharp and Chicago Blackhawks teammate Johnny Oduya. The two have five Stanley Cup rings between them. (Well, technically three because both Oduya and Sharp have yet to receive their rings from last June's championship, the third in six years for the dynastic Blackhawks, but expect to later this month in a private ceremony with Chicago officials.)
The additions bring into focus the longstanding question of whether experience is crucial to a team's success.
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Tags: dallas+stars,
jim+nill,
johnny+oduya,
patrick+sharp,
tom+gaglardi
Nesterov wallops McKenzie
by George Malik on 10/15/15 at 10:19 PM ET
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Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov delivered a heavy hit to Dallas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie. It looks quite bad:
Edit: Via Pro Hockey Talk's Mike Halford, turnabout was fair play as Jamie Benn sent Victor Hedman to the locker room for the balance of the evening with this hit:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
tampa+bay+lightning
Oh boy, off-season power rankings!
by George Malik on 08/13/15 at 05:52 PM ET
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I have little time for power rankings, but for those of you who are interested in such lists, Sportsnet's Luke Fox penned a list of rankings based upon NHL teams' offseason moves or the lack thereof:
1. Edmonton Oilers: Any off-season that begins with Connor McDavid should be half decent. But it's what happened before the draft (but after the lottery) — securing a bona fide GM in Peter Chiarelli and head coach in Todd McLellan — that should give the Oilers faithful the most hope. Chiarelli wasted no time addressing the team's weaknesses in net (Cam Talbot) and along the blueline (Andrej Sekera). Mark Letestu is a wise depth signing, and playing hardball with Justin Schultz shows the new-look Oilers are to be taken seriously. Also: Their new alternate sweaters look sick.
Previous: 28
2. Dallas Stars: Trader Jim went after it again, this time landing Patrick Sharp from the Blackhawks, goalie Antti Niemi from San Jose, and inking Johnny Oduya in free agency. An already loaded offence just got scarier. “We have as good a team on paper as anybody in the league," says Tyler Seguin.
Previous: 19
3. Buffalo Sabres: Landing franchise pivot Jack Eichel in the draft immediately puts the Sabres in the upper ranks here, but the trades for Robin Lehner and Ryan O'Reilly have instilled faith that GM Tim Murray — aggressive in pursuit of his targets even if he doesn't always land them (McDavid, Babcock) — is rebuilding the right way. Nice opportunity for Dan Bylsma to get his coaching career back on track with low expectations.
Previous: 30
Fox continues, and if there was any doubt that these rankings are arbitrary...
20. Detroit Red Wings: Bad news: Try as they did, the Red Wings lost Mike Babcock. Good news: They had coach Jeff Blashill waiting in the, er, wings (sorry). Re-signing Gustav Nyquist for a fair price and hiring help from veterans Mike Green (too expensive at $6 million per season) and Brad Richards shows fans that the playoff aspirations won't die with Babcock's departure.
Previous: 12
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antti+niemi,
brad+richards,
buffalo+sabres,
cam+talbot,
dallas+stars,
detroit+red+wings,
edmonton+oilers,
jack+eichel,
johnny+oduya,
mike+babcock,
mike+green,
patrick+sharp,
peter+chiarelli,
robin+lehner,
ryan+o'reilly,
todd+mclellan
Dallas Stars acquire Patrick Sharp in trade for Trevor Daley
by George Malik on 07/10/15 at 08:05 PM ET
Comments (22)
I double-checked this Tweet to make sure it was real, because this is a jaw-dropper of a Friday night trade:
Update: FYI:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
patrick+sharp,
ryan+garbutt,
trevor+daley
Brooks: Hawks no dynasty
by George Malik on 06/20/15 at 09:29 PM ET
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The New York Post's Larry Brooks argues that the Chicago Blackhawks may be a dominant team, but are no dynasty:
The Blackhawks are a historically excellent team produced by a model hockey operation. Their three-in-six in the hard cap era is a noteworthy accomplishment. Sharp management is the constant linking this cap era with everything that came before it. That and Scotty Bowman, who keeps finding rings the way kids find Easter eggs.
But the rush to canonize these Blackhawks and include them with the dynastic Canadiens, Islanders and Oilers is foolish. Three-in-six is something, all right, but it isn’t four straight, five straight, four-in-five, or 19 straight series.
It’s the same as the Red Wings’ three-in-six from 1997-2002, better than the Devils’ three-in-nine from 1995-2003, one more than the Avalanche’s two-in-six from 1996-2001, and though those teams didn’t have to deal with the cap, they did have to deal with one another — and a perennially powerful Dallas team — at the top.
And I would take all of those teams over this Blackhawks squad in a fantasy tournament, just as I would take the Red Wings that went four-for-six from 1950-1955 in hypothetical all-time matchups.
It’s a double-edged blade. Just as the cap has made it more exponentially more difficult to keep a powerful team intact, it has also diluted the opposition. The bar just isn’t set as high. No great team, by the way, has ever faced less of a challenge than the five-time, 1956-60 champion Canadiens once Detroit ownership exiled Ted Lindsay in the summer of 1957.
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Tags: chicago+blackhawks,
colorado+avalanche,
dallas+stars,
detroit+red+wings,
edmonton+oilers,
montreal+canadiens,
new+jersey+devils,
new+york+islanders
Benn (Art Ross), Ovechkin (Richard), Crawford and Price (Jennings) win regular-season trophies
by George Malik on 04/12/15 at 12:28 AM ET
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BENN, OVECHKIN, CRAWFORD AND PRICE CAPTURE 2014-15 REGULAR-SEASON TROPHIES
NEW YORK (April 12, 2015) – The 2014-15 National Hockey League regular season concluded on Saturday with Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn capturing his first career Art Ross Trophy as the League’s scoring champion, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin claiming his fifth career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s goal-scoring leader and Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens winning the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltender(s) who play at least 25 games for the club allowing the fewest goals. Two races – for the Art Ross Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy – came down to the final moments of the regular season.
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Tags: alex+ovechkin,
art+ross+trophy,
carey+price,
chicago-blackhawks,
corey+crawford,
dallas+stars,
jamie+benn,
maurice+richard,
montreal+canadiens,
rocket+richard+trophy,
washington+captials
Matt Martin suspended for 1 game
by George Malik on 03/04/15 at 10:19 PM ET
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From the NHL:
ISLANDERS’ MARTIN SUSPENDED ONE GAME FOR KNEEING
NEW YORK (March 4, 2015) -- New York Islanders forward Matt Martihas been suspended for one game, without pay, for kneeing Dallas Stars defenseman Trevor Daley during NHL Game No. 948 in Dallas on Tuesday, March 3, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 1:48 of the first period. Martin was assessed a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Martin will forfeit $5,376.34. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
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Tags: dallas+stars,
matt+martin,
new+york+islanders,
trevor+daley
Emelin boards Spezza, is tossed
by George Malik on 01/28/15 at 12:06 AM ET
Comments (1)
I don't know what's worse on this play, Alexei Emelin's predictably ugly boarding of Dallas Stars forward Jason Spezza or the apologies made for a game misconduct-worthy infraction by the Sportsnet announcers:
Spezza was OK, and Dallas lost 3-2 to Montreal because Emelin scored the game's first goal and Montreal built 2-0 and 3-1 leads.
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Tags: alexei+emelin,
dallas+stars,
jason+spezza,
montreal+canadiens
Garbutt knees Hall
by George Malik on 11/26/14 at 01:02 AM ET
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During the Dallas Stars' 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, as Yahoo Sports' Greg Wyshynski noted, Dallas Stars forward Ryan Garbutt...Oh hell, you know how this goes. Garbutt plus opposing player, this time Oilers forward Taylor Hall, equals knee-on-knee hit. Hall was okay, but still, this hit can be diagrammed with a s-u-s-p-e-n-s-i-o-n on the telestrator:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
edmonton+oilers,
ryan+garbutt,
taylor+hall
Dallas Stars lose Nicchushkin to hip surgery
by George Malik on 11/16/14 at 03:12 AM ET
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This slid through the radar screen on Friday, and as the Dallas News's Mike Heika reports, this news is pretty devastating for the Stars:
Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin will have hip surgery this week and be out four months, Dallas general manager Jim Nill said Saturday.
Nichushkin has been bothered by hip and groin soreness since September and has come in and out of practices, scrimmages and games. He played two games, missed nine, came back for two more games, and then came out of the lineup again.
“We had it diagnosed, and decided surgery is the best thing,” Nill said. “It’s very similar to what (John) Klingberg had, and we expect it to have similar results.
Klingberg had double hip surgery in the summer and now is up and skating well.
“I didn’t want to do it, I wanted to work on building strength in the summer,” Klingberg said. “But now I feel much better and I am glad I did it.”
Nichushkin was drafted 10th overall in 2013 and played 79 games last season, tallying 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists). He led the Stars at plus-20. This season, he has played just four games and has no points.
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Tags: dallas+stars,
jim+nill,
valeri+nichushkin
Stars lose Gonchar to broken ankle
by George Malik on 10/02/14 at 10:22 PM ET
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The Stars and defensemen's lower limbs don't go together very well. TSN reports that another Stars defenseman (last year it was Stephane Robidas) has suffered a leg fracture of some kind:
The Dallas Stars will be without veteran defenceman Sergei Gonchar for the start of the season.
GM Jim Nill announced Gonchar will miss 3-5 weeks with a fractured ankle.
Gonchar is in his second season with the Stars, scoring two goals and 20 assists with the team last year.
The 40-year-old, who's also spent time with the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Ottawa Senators, is in the second year of a two year, $10 million deal with Dallas.
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Tags: dallas+stars,
sergei+gonchar
Pair of 2014 draft picks signed in Capitals’ Vrana, Stars’ Honkus
by George Malik on 07/15/14 at 02:02 PM ET
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Two 2014 draft picks have been inked to entry-level deals over the past 24 hours:
Update: Make it three:
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Tags: dallas+stars,
washington+capitals
The NHL draft is an exercise in relinquishing control
by George Malik on 06/25/14 at 09:25 AM ET
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ESPN's Scott Burnside penned a fascinating article about the NHL draft as witnessed through the eyes of general managers and assistant general managers, including Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM Claude Loiselle, Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon, Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald and Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill.
Nill suggests that, at some point, the management staff has to relinquish control to the amateur scouting staff and hope for the best:
Nill was at the Detroit draft tables when the Wings repeatedly came up with the proverbial diamonds in the rough: Datsyuk with the 171st pick in 1998; Zetterberg at 210 in 1999; Tomas Holmstrom at 257 in 1994. The Red Wings rarely drafted anywhere near the top of the first round thanks to their winning ways during that time, but the mandate was still the same, Nill said: Find good players who could help the team, no matter where the Wings were drafting.
"Those were special players. But at the time we didn't know that. You don't know it until three or four years down the road," Nill said.
This year's draft will be Nill's second as the GM of the Dallas Stars. It has been a period of evolution for someone who used to be one of the guys who put eyes on hundreds of youngsters at hundreds of games every season. Living in Detroit, he could see junior, college, AHL and NHL games all within a few hours' drive. Not so in Dallas, and his job description precludes those kinds of trips anyway.
Just as longtime Detroit GM Ken Holland had to trust Nill and his scouting staff to identify the right players for the Red Wings, Nill now has to step back and convey that trust to the Stars' staff.
"I had to hand over the reins," Nill said. "If you're going to be a manager, you're going to have to let it go."
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Tags: columbus+blue+jackets,
dale+tallon,
dallas+stars,
florida+panthers,
jim+nill,
pittsburgh+penguins,
toronto+maple+leafs
NHL Names post-season All-Star team
by George Malik on 06/24/14 at 08:24 PM ET
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From the NHL:
NHL ANNOUNCES 2013-14 ALL-STAR TEAMS
LAS VEGAS (June 24, 2014) -- Center Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, who each earned his third career berth on the First All-Star Team, head the list of players voted to the 2013-14 National Hockey League postseason All-Star Teams. Crosby received First Team honors for the second consecutive season, while Chara earned a spot on the First Team for the first time since 2008-09.
Joining Crosby and Chara are two second-time selections to the First Team, right wing Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks. The squad also features two first-time recipients, left wing Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars and goaltender Tuukka Rask of the Bruins.
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Tags: alex+ovechkin,
alex+pietrangelo,
anaheim+ducks,
boston+bruins,
boston+bruins.,
chicago+blackhawks,
colorado+avalanche,
corey+perry,
dallas+stars,
duncan+keith,
jamie+benn,
joe+pavelski,
nashville+predators,
pittsburgh+penguins,
ryan+getzlaf,
san+jose+sharks,
semyon+varlamov,
shea+weber,
sidney+crosby,
st.+louis+blues,
washington+capitals,
zdeno+chara
Things are getting out of hand…As usual…As Stephane Robidas suffers another broken leg
by George Malik on 04/21/14 at 10:35 PM ET
Comments (5)
I hate that every night during the regular season and playoffs, injuries are so regularly hockey's biggest stories.
During the Chicago Blackhawks' 2-0 win over St. Louis on Monday, Steve Ott took some revenge on Duncan Keith (he of the, "I cannot recall chirping David Backes after Brent Seabrook concussed him" vein) in relatively clean form...
But Matt Cooke took out Tyson Barrie's knee earlier this evening....
And I'm currently watching things get out of hand in a big way as the Anaheim Ducks trail the Dallas Stars 2-0. As Pro Hockey Talk's Cam Tucker notes, former Star Stephane Robidas got kneed by collided with Dallas's Ryan Garbutt, and had to leave the game...
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Tags: anaheim+ducks,
chicago+blackhawks,
dallas+stars,
duncan+keith,
ryan+garbutt,
ryan+getzlaf,
st.+louis+blues,
stephane+robidas,
steve+ott
Gary Bettman addresses an outdoor game in Dallas and other topics
by George Malik on 04/21/14 at 09:29 PM ET
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The NHL's chairman I mean commissioner is making his yearly attend-one-playoff-game-in-every-city rounds, and Gary Bettman is in Dallas today, so ESPN Dallas's Richard Durrett reports that Bettman was, as you might imagine, asked about the possibility of holding an outdoor game at the Dallas Cowboys' new digs, the AT&T Stadium...
"I certainly wouldn't rule it out," Bettman said prior to Monday's Game 3 between the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks at American Airlines Center. "It's an unbelievable stadium. I think our focus will be on making sure that when we're ready to come that it will be sold out. All of our outdoor games get sold out, and that's a big stadium."
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Lucic spears DeKeyser, Perry spears Benn, Daley sits on Perry, Yahtzee
by George Malik on 04/18/14 at 10:22 PM ET
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I guess the NHL's annual start-of-the-playoffs crackdown on horizontal stick fouls only counts regarding obstruction and interference, not spearing, stick-swinging or otherwise using one's stick as an instrument of torture.
As noted in the Wings-Bruins quick take, @myregularface showed Milan Lucic spearing Danny DeKeyser in the groin...
And during tonight's Ducks-Stars game, Corey Perry did this to Jamie Benn, per The Score and TSN...
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trevor+daley
Dallas Stars make the playoffs for first time in six years, are ecstatic about it
by George Malik on 04/12/14 at 02:21 AM ET
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The Dallas Stars made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 by defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-0, bumping the Phoenix Coyotes out of the playoff mix and setting the set of 16 teams that will battle for the Stanley Cup starting next Wednesday, and after the game, DallasStars.com's Mark Stepneski reports that the Stars were nothing less than ecstatic about their achievement:
“It means a lot,” said Stars captain Jamie Benn. “Every kid dreams of playing in the playoffs and trying to win a Stanley Cup. I believe we’ve got a great group in here that can do some damage. We earned it tonight.”
The trip to the postseason is the first for the Stars since 2008, when they made it to the Western Conference Finals.
“It’s a great feeling,” said defenseman Trevor Daley, the only player still around from that 2008 playoff team. “We’ve been battling hard. We’ve been battling hard for a long time. “
Stars coach Lindy Ruff may have been the most excited person in the Stars' locker room, too:
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Stars,’ Coyotes’ battle amidst inconsistent West
by George Malik on 04/07/14 at 09:52 PM ET
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According to the Globe and Mail's Eric Duhatschek, the Western Conference's playoff field may be relatively set, but it's not for a lack of trying--and failing--by an inconsistent set of playoff-bound teams:
[T]here’s really only one battle of note. It’s for the second wild-card spot, between the Dallas Stars and the Phoenix Coyotes – two teams that have sputtered down the stretch. Dallas went on the road last week and managed a win over the Tampa Bay Lighting. But the Stars lost to two non-playoff teams on that trip, first to the Carolina Hurricanes and then, more ominously, the Florida Panthers. Had Dallas beat the lowly Panthers, it would have all but locked up that final playoff spot.
Both teams are in action Tuesday: Phoenix is travelling to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets, and Dallas starts a three-game homestand against Nashville. The Predators are technically still alive in the playoff race after unexpectedly defeating two of the West’s big boys, the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks, on a California road trip last week.
That’s been the state of the West for a week or so: A lot of teams with a lot on the line, stumbling and fumbling their way to the finish line after being mostly great all season long.
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Gudas delivers yet another elbow to a player’s head
by George Malik on 04/05/14 at 11:23 PM ET
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Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Radko Gudas certainly has "sharp elbows." He was given 5 and a game for this hit to Antoine Roussel, who remarkably emerged (eventually) unscathed as he helped the Dallas Stars defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2:
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Matt Cooke on the receiving end of a dangerous elbow
by George Malik on 01/19/14 at 01:52 AM ET
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While the Canucks and Flames were stealing the show, as it were, it turns out that one Matt Cooke received a possibly suspension-worthy elbow in the face from Jamie Benn, as noted by the QMI News Agency's Anthony Vasquez-Peddie:
Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn could be looking forward to some quality time in the press box after this nasty check to Minnesota Wild forward Matt Cooke’s head Saturday.
Just seconds into overtime with the score tied 2-2, Benn carried the puck across centre ice and bowled over Cooke with his elbow extended.
It’s safe to say NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan will have a good look at this one. Benn would be considered a repeat offender after having been fined $10,000 for a cross-check on Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Jones last March.
As if the hit wasn’t mind-boggling enough, Benn was not penalized on the play.
Here's a clip of the hit, and Cooke is OK:
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Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas suffers broken leg after end-board collision
by George Malik on 11/30/13 at 02:21 AM ET
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Oh boy. Not what you want to read while checking up on league-wide news stories at 2 AM. Per Pro Hockey Talk's James O'Brien's tip, I looked into news that Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas had been taken to the hospital with a broken leg in the Stars' 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago, and this is a Stamkos-like injury--except that in this instance, Robidas blocked a pass with his skate, fell as a result and went left-leg-and-flat-skate-blade-first into the end boards:
DallasStars.com's Mark Stepneski confirmed:
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Mike Modano’s #9 raised to the rafters…In Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
by George Malik on 11/03/13 at 05:50 AM ET
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Dallas Stars legend and one-season Red Wing Mike Modano was born and raised in Metropolitan Detroit, but he chose to play Major Junior hockey when he was 16, and his performance with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders earned him that 1st overall seleciton back in 1989. The Prince Albert Herald's Andrew Schopp reports that Modano returned to Saskatchewan to have his number retired by the Raiders on Friday:
It's been 24 years since Mike Modano left the Prince Albert Raiders and the WHL behind to join the Minnesota North Stars in the NHL, but he still knows his way around town.
"It's been a long time," said Modano of his last time in Prince Albert. "A few things have changed here and there, but I still figured out my way around with the rental car."
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TSN’s Insider Trading segment includes preseason praise and panning
by George Malik on 09/25/13 at 03:17 AM ET
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TSN's Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun discussed David Clarkson's suspension, Paul Bissonnette's appealing of his suspension, the probability of the NHL and NHLPA adopting hybrid icing and even expansion to Seattle in an "Insider Trading" segment, but pre-season hockey games aren't exactly covered with the intense scrutiny of regular-season games, so the most intriguing part of their segment involves, well, assessing which players have played well and which ones have played poorly during the part of the season that theoretically doesn't count:
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st.+louis+blues,
tim+thomas
Prince Albert Raiders to retire Mike Modano’s #9
by George Malik on 08/21/13 at 08:19 PM ET
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The Dallas Stars are retiring Mike Modano's #9 on March 8th, 2014, when the team hosts the Minnesota Wild, but Modano's junior team plans on beating the big club to the punch. The WHL's Prince Albert Raisers announced that they'll be retiring Modano's #9 on November 1st:
The Prince Albert Raiders are pleased to announce that they will be retiring the first jersey in the 43-year history of the club on Friday November 1st, as Mike Modano’s number 9 will be raised to the rafters of the Art Hauser Centre prior to the Raiders game against the Regina Pats at 7:00 PM.
Modano spent three seasons with the Raiders, scoring118 goals and 176 assists for 295 points 176 games. The Livonia, Michigan native was the first Raider player to be selected first overall in the NHL Entry Draft, when he was the top player selected in the 1988 draft by the Minnesota North Stars. Modano had a stellar NHL career, recording 1375 points in 1499 games with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings before retiring at the conclusion of the 2010-2011 season. The 8-time NHL All-Star is all-time goal scoring and points leader by an American born player in the NHL and represented his country three times in the Olympics. The 1999 Stanley Cup Champion was inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame last fall, and will have his number retired by the Dallas Stars this season as well.
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The State of Hockey in Finland
by Phil Davies on 09/28/10 at 09:25 PM ET
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If there was ever a National team program historically greater than the sum of its parts, it would be Team Finland. Despite not having the offensive depth of many of their Elite Seven rivals, the Finnish National Team has repeatedly fared well in recent international best-on-best competition. After enduring many decades of lopsided defeats internationally at the hands of Canada, the former Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and longtime nemesis Sweden, the Finnish hockey program made great strides in the 1990’s, culminating with a World Championship in 1995. In addition, Finland has won more Olympic Hockey medals (1 silver, 2 bronze), than any other nation, since the introduction of NHL players to the Games in 1998.
Finland’s success can be attributed to a strong emphasis on teamwork and the fact that unlike their European rivals, hockey is indisputably the number one sport in their homeland, which has led to the implementation of adequately funded development programs and a strong domestic league in SM-liiga. More than any other European team, Finland employs a fast skating, tight forechecking, North American style of play, augmented by strong defensive zone coverage and consistently elite goaltending. The rinks in Finland have been adjusted to enhance the tight forechecking style of play, by adopting a size that is halfway between the dimensions of NHL and IIHF standards. Furthermore, in an effort to aid the National Team’s development programs, numerous goaltending schools have been created, and often led, by the country’s top puck stoppers. This has led to the emergence of many elite young goalies in the NHL, such as Tuukka Rask, Pekke Rinne, Antti Niemi and perhaps Kari Lehtonen, if he can find health and consistency in a Dallas Stars uniform.
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saku+koivu,
sm-liiga,
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tuomo+ruutu,
tuukka+rask
Stars Moving on Without Modano
by Tony on 06/29/10 at 04:19 PM ET
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From the Associated Press:
If Mike Modano plays a 21st season in the NHL, it won’t be with the Dallas Stars.
The face of the franchise that proved hockey could thrive in the South will not be offered a contract by the Stars when free agency opens Thursday. That difficult decision had to be made by Modano’s teammate-turned-boss, Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk.
They won a Stanley Cup together 11 years ago — the only title in franchise history — but the Stars have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since moving from Minnesota in 1993. Nieuwendyk said the team needs to make room for younger players in trying to rebuild, and has too many players who need ice time at center.
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Report: Modano Thinks his Days are Numbered with Stars
by Tony on 06/22/10 at 10:18 AM ET
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From TSN:
Veteran free agent forward Mike Modano doesn’t seem to be expecting to return to the Dallas Stars, according to a report from ESPN.
“The more and more I look at the situation here, I come to believe I’m not in the scheme of things here,” Modano told the network on Monday. “If I had to play, I may have to look at going elsewhere.”
The 40-year-old says he will wait until at least July before he decides on what he will do with his future; free agency begins on July 1 in the NHL.
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It’s Time for Dallas Stars to Reload
by Tony on 06/20/10 at 12:09 PM ET
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From the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika:
Taking the best player available is a pretty good strategy for any draft.
It’s especially important in the NHL, where teams take 18-year-olds and have to guess how they will develop.
So it’s understandable that the Stars have taken only two defensemen in the last 18 picks, including none last season.
There were better players, and Dallas had really gotten into the strategy of going after highly skilled forwards – a strategy that paid off with players like James Neal (33rd overall in 2005), Jamie Benn (129th in 2007), and all five of last year’s talented forwards.
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Dallas Stars pondering training camp in Charlottetown, newspaper says
by Tony on 06/19/10 at 10:40 AM ET
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From the Canadian Press via The Hockey News:
There’s a report the City of Charlottetown and the Dallas Stars are close to signing a deal that would bring a portion of the NHL club’s training camp to Prince Edward Island this fall.
The Charlottetown Guardian cites a report in the Dallas Morning News that says the Stars are “pondering having part of training camp” on Prince Edward Island.
Wayne Long, Charlottetown’s events development officer, declined comment when asked about the story.
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Name Those Stars
by Alanah McGinley on 11/19/08 at 05:05 PM ET
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Will Smith met up with some Dallas Stars at the premiere of his movie Seven Pounds.
Can you name all the Dallas Stars in this photo off the top of your head? To be honest, we—and a few other hockey people we asked—actually struggled for a few minutes trying to identify one of the guys in this picture. (But we’re betting you’re sharper than we are…)
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Brad Richards Conference Call Transcript
by Alanah McGinley on 02/29/08 at 05:35 PM ET
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It’s been a busy week for Brad Richards. On Tuesday he was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Dallas Stars along with Johan Holmqvist for Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen and a fourth-round pick in 2009. Last night he played in his first game for the Stars and made it a memorable one by becoming the first player in NHL history to record five assists in his first game with a team as Dallas defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 7 to 4.
Today, Richards participated in an NHL teleconference and below is the transcript of that Q&A with various members of the media.
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Surgery For Boucher
by Paul on 12/05/07 at 12:48 PM ET
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via the Dallas Stars,
The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has placed defenseman Philippe Boucher on the injured reserve list and have recalled right wing Junior Lessard from the Iowa Stars, Dallas’ primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League.
Boucher, 34, is set to have shoulder surgery today and will be re-evaluated in four weeks
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Stars of the Week
by Alanah McGinley on 11/26/07 at 03:51 PM ET
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From NHL.com
Philadelphia Flyers center Daniel Briere, Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and Dallas Stars goaltender Mike Smith have been named the NHL’s ‘Three Stars’ for the week ending November 25.
continued… with video available featuring each player’s highlights
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Lehtinen Out With Abdominal Strain
by Paul on 11/24/07 at 09:57 AM ET
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via the AP,
Stars right wing Jere Lehtinen will be out indefinitely with an abdominal strain, but might not need surgery as the team originally thought, coach Dave Tippett said after Friday night’s 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Earlier on Friday night, the club said Lehtinen would undergo surgery on Monday, but Tippett said that was “premature.”
“We’ll continue to look at it,” Tippett said. “We’ll do some tests and see how it reacts over the next few days.”
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Todd Fedoruk Claimed Off Waivers by Wild
by Alanah McGinley on 11/22/07 at 02:38 PM ET
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From the Dallas Stars,
The Dallas Stars announced today that left wing Todd Fedoruk has been claimed off re-entry waivers by the Minnesota Wild. The Stars and Wild will split Fedoruk’s salary (signed one-year deal for $875,000 in off-season) for the remainder of the 2007-08 season.
added 5:10pm, Tom Lynn, Asst. GM for the Wild on the Fedoruk pick-up via Russo’s Rants,
“The general manager is not happy where we are right now, so he’s made this move (Fedoruk). Some guys will have to step up or there will be other moves.”
He added, “In order to compete against some of the teams in our conference that we need to get ahead of, we need a grittier, more committed physical team. Fedoruk, we didn’t get just to come and fight. He makes us a tougher team.”
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Did Brett Hull Save JFJ’s Job?
by Alanah McGinley on 11/19/07 at 05:05 PM ET
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From Jim Kelley at Sports Illustrated,
Is it possible that Brett Hull might save Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson, Jr.‘s job?
Seems illogical, but then logic rarely is a dominant theme at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, a behemoth in terms of producing revenue, but a consistent failure in terms of on-ice success in the NHL.
The buzz for weeks has been that MLSE’s board of directors has been contemplating Ferguson’s dismissal, but the recent appointment of Hull as interim co-director of the Dallas Stars may have made an impact in Toronto.
The argument in favor of keeping the beleaguered Ferguson has long centered on a simple question: “Who can we get to replace him?” That question gave the board some pause this past offseason when several high profile (and under contract) GMs quietly let it be known they weren’t interested in the board’s plan to bring in an experienced hockey man to “mentor” Ferguson.
continued… including a look at shakeups in Dallas, St. Louis and Florida
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