from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- You have to wonder: With the numbers of players hurt and those getting hurt, is it worth it for NHL teams to allow their players to participate in pre-season hockey tournaments? The biggest concern for every NHL general manager: Injuries to irreplaceable players.

- Pretty much anybody with a bad anything is pulling out of the World Cup. Few are going to toy with injuries here in what in essence is an NHL-NHLPA house league tournament. It’s not like an injured Peter Forsberg willing to play on one leg if necessary if it could get him to the Olympics. A contrived event can never match the drama or pressure of the Winter Games.

- The last teenager Mike Babcock coached for a full season: Stanislav Chistov in Anaheim in 2003.

a few more hockey notes...