A note from Tim Wharnsby at the Globe & Mail hockey blog today:

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Willie Mitchell was unable to attend the funeral of young teammate Luc Bourdon in Shippagan, N.B. earlier this week because he was in Toronto to begin proceedings on a grievance hearing with his old club, the Minnesota Wild.

Mitchell, of Port McNeill, B.C., claims the Wild owes him his $1.775-million (U.S.) salary from the 2004-05 lockout because he suffered a neck injury while playing for Canada’s gold-medal winning entry at the 2004 IIHF world championship. He spent the lockout rehabbing his ailment.

I wasn’t aware of this. Wasn’t there another player who sued—and won—his salary for that season based on an injury prior to the actual lockout? It seems to me there was, but I can’t remember who…

Note: as someone just pointed out to me, ‘suing’ is probably the wrong word—he’s filed a formal “grievance.” Anyway, you get the point.