from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- A few things that make no sense regarding the NHL expansion story that got all kinds of play this week: 1. Seattle has a willing owner, a promise from the NHL, but no building to play in and no real fan base; 2. Las Vegas has a building to play in but no owner. 3. The NHL would be foolish to lump Toronto in with other expansion bids. A Toronto expansion team could sell for almost twice the price of teams in Seattle or Vegas. 4. Quebec is the most NHL-ready market, with owner and building. The NHL needs as a fallback position for a franchise in need of a move such as Florida or Arizona. 5. Having 34 NHL teams doesn’t make sense, 32 does.

- Eleven years ago Friday, Richard Peddie made a decision that set the Maple Leafs back more than a decade. He hired John Ferguson Jr., as general manager to replace Pat Quinn. The Leafs are still in recovery mode.

a few more hockey items...