All things hockey

[IronHorse4]

ESPN is reporting that the new coach of the Devils is going to be....Brent Sutter!

[bigtimmy]

I LOVE this choice. This guy is an animal and with the size we picked up over the summer, this team is going to be running rampant and hitting everyone. I can't wait. I'm concerned about the offensive side of the puck but at least we won't be run over like we were against Ottawa in this playoffs this year.

[$heriff Tom]

OUTDOOR NHL HOCKEY TO HIT US SHORES

(WGR 550) - Multiple NHL sources have told WGR that the Sabres are in line for a potential New Year's Day game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Another source, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Penguins have agreed to be the visiting team for such a contest, with Buffalo and Detroit as possible homes. It's also reporting that NBC is tentatively calling the event, "The Ice Bowl."

Checking out the hockey-fights board - the Buffalo fans are already making plans to show up there totally hung over - or still drunk - from New Years festivities to make it a Hell of a bash. One problem, aside from the possibility of Detroit getting the game instead...it was 55 last New Years day in Buffalo.

[$heriff Tom]

Former NHLer Ferguson passes away
TSN.COM

Hockey has lost one of its most colourful characters.

John Ferguson was one of the toughest players ever to lace up skates in the NHL and he remained a big part of the sport as a general manager, coach and scout at the highest level. He died Saturday of prostate cancer. He was 68.

He is survived by his wife Joan, with whom he lived in Windsor, Ont. Their son, John Ferguson Jr., is general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

''My father battled cancer with the same spirit in which he played the game of hockey,'' Ferguson Jr., said in a release. ''He showed courage, strength, class and tremendous character. He had deep appreciation for the support he'd received from so many people beginning with his initial diagnosis.

Ferguson, who was born in Vancouver, played eight NHL seasons between 1963 and 1971, all with the Montreal Canadiens, and he helped them win the Stanley Cup five times.

There was not a more determined player. He'd crash creases and he'd drop the gloves if need be. Along with his 145 goals - an average of 18 a season - and 158 assists, he amassed 1,214 penalty minutes in 500 regular-season games.

He was more than just a bodyguard for Montreal's stars but because of his reputation as a tough-as-nails combatant - he got into his first fight 12 seconds into his first NHL game - it is often forgotten that in his first season he led all NHL rookies in scoring and was runner-up in voting for rookie of the year. He scored two goals after fighting Ted Green in that first game and from then on was regarded as hockey's unofficial heavyweight champion until he retired.

He played much of his rookie season on a line with Jean Beliveau, who won the Hart Trophy that year.

When Ferguson scored the Cup-winning goal in 1969, he capped a season in which he scored 29 times and had a plus-minus rating of plus-30.

The five-foot-11, 190-pound left-winger was a playoff force. In 85 post-season games, No. 22 scored 20 goals and assisted on 18. He played in the 1965 and 1967 all-star games.

''There was no more passionate competitor, as a player, as a coach or as an executive, than John Ferguson,'' NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release.

''He was tough, he wanted the best for his teams, his teammates and his players, and his country, and would stop at nothing to try to help them win. His fight against cancer was every bit as fierce as his competitive drive on and off the ice.''

He once was dared to fight Canadian heavyweight boxing champion George Chuvalo and he was willing to enter the ring but the Canadiens wouldn't give him permission.

Ferguson also was a standout lacrosse player.

He was an assistant coach on Canada's team in the historic 1972 Summit Series. Standing behind the bench watching Valeri Kharlamov flash around the ice, Ferguson frowned and said, ''He's killing us.'' Bobby Clarke went out and slashed Kharlamov across an ankle. Kharlamov's effectiveness waned and Canada prevailed. It was another entry in the Ferguson Legend.

Ferguson was GM and coach of the New York Rangers for two tumultuous years to 1978; GM of the Winnipeg Jets, and briefly coach, from 1979 to 1988; manager of Windsor Raceway between hockey jobs; director of player personnel for the Ottawa Senators from 1992 to 1995; and a senior scout for the San Jose Sharks since 1995.

''John Ferguson was one of the most beloved figures to ever represent the Sharks, as well as the entire National Hockey League,'' Sharks GM Doug Wilson said in a statement. ''His sense of class, grace and love of the game of hockey is legendary among those who were fortunate enough to know and work with him.''

Wherever he went, Fergie, who had a great sense of humour away from the rink, made lifelong friends.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2005. He thought he had it beat at one point but a second battle with the disease took his life.

[$heriff Tom]

So they went ahead and finalized that outdoor tilt between Buffalo and Pittsburgh at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Prices are ranging from $29 to $225, and the NHL is honestly believing they will get 74,000 people there. They will be pretty hungover, considering this game is on 1/1. I am only a passive college football fan, so I will be watching this (if the stupid NHL TV situation even allows it to be televised here)

Whats funny is that last year it was like 50 plus degrees in Buffalo on New Years Day. That would make for some sloppy ice if the pattern repeats!

[$heriff Tom]

Sherry Ross is leaving the Daily News to rejoin the Devils as their radio color commentator. She'll be paired with Matt Loughlin.

Ross replaces Tom Chorske, who lasted only one season.

It seems women announcers are the in thing around this town!

[grover]

Let's hope for the sake of Devils fans she will be better than what Yankees fans have been stuck with.

[$heriff Tom]

Well, she'd been there before. I seem to remember Justin grumbling about her.

[$heriff Tom]

Maybe now, with this cheapskate out of the picture, the Blackhawks can get their games back on local television.

CHICAGO - William Wirtz, the longtime owner of the Chicago Blackhawks notorious for driving a hard bargain, died Wednesday at age 77.

In an announcement on the team website, the Blackhawks said Wirtz died at Evanston Hospital after battling cancer.

The family, led by Arthur Wirtz, purchased the Chicago Blackhawks in 1954. In 1966, William Wirtz became team president.

Wirtz was chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Hockey League for 18 years and helped negotiate the merger of the NHL and the World Hockey Association in the late 1970's.

Together with Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Wirtz helped back the construction of the United Center, which replaced the Chicago Stadium, the long-time home for Blackhawks.

But since moving there 12 years ago, the Blackhawks have made just four playoff appearances - only two since 1997. The Blackhawks haven't played in the Stanley Cup finals in 15 years. As a result, the Blackhawks - one of the six original NHL teams - average about 12,700 fans per game in an arena that seats 20,500.

Wirtz' stewardship of the Blackhawks was long questioned, with the criticism becoming more vociferous in recent years. Many fans blamed him for allowing too many good players to leave over the years, and for his refusal to televise most home games.

At the United Center, the retired numbers of Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, Glenn Hall and Denis Savard hang high above the ice. It has been years since players of that calibre have played for the team.

And in recent years, Chicago lost Jeremy Roenick, Tony Amonte, Ed Belfour and Chris Chelios.

There are other banners hanging from the United Center rafters, touting the many successful seasons for the franchise. One stands out: the one representing the Stanley Cup in 1961, the last time the Blackhawks won the championship.

Wirtz often said his goal was for the team to win another Stanley Cup, but he was not known to spend lavishly on the team. His steadfast refusal to get into bidding wars to acquire the services of the game's best players earned Wirtz the nickname "Dollar Bill." That image changed somewhat when the club signed goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to a four-year, $27 million contract in 2005.

Despite his reputation for paying close attention to the bottom line, Wirtz was known for his philanthropy.

Since its establishment in 1993, Blackhawk Charities has donated millions of dollars to worthy causes in Chicago, including the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois.

Wirtz' interest in sports extended beyond the NHL. He served on both the 1980 and 1984 Winter Olympic Committees. And for his efforts on both the professional and amateur levels, Mr. Wirtz was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.

In addition to being president of the Blackhawks, Wirtz' business endeavours extended to real estate, liquor distributorships, catering, parking lots, banking, hotels and the travel industry.

Wirtz is survived by his wife, Alice, five children, Rocky, Gail, Karey, Peter and Alyson, and seven grandchildren.

[Chris]

AGAIN, the Islanders make no west coast trips this season!

[$heriff Tom]

There are schedule changes in order. It was voted through for the next season. I dont know if the Islanders will make it out there, but at least they will play a handful of games on the other side of the Mississippi for once. Maybe you can meet them halfway.

[$heriff Tom]

It's pretty much guaranteed that if you cheat on a country singer, you're going to end up the subject of a song. Someone should have told that to Kellie Pickler's now ex-boyfriend, Nashville Predators star Jordin Tootoo. Pickler and Tootoo ignited a romance earlier this year, but that seems to be over now, allegedly thanks to Tootoo's infidelity.

"Jordin knows what he did," Pickler said Monday, according to the Tennessean. She told her audience at a concert in Michigan a lot more, explaining to the crowd that Tootoo cheated on her and that her new "theme song" is Carrie Underwood's 'Before He Cheats.' She even joked on stage that she hoped her ex's teeth were knocked out during that night's hockey game. But the jokes soon subsided to tears as she sang her song, 'Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You.'

www.aol.com

[$heriff Tom]

Jason Blake has been diagnosed with Leukemia.

Posted on nhl.com


“This morning I shared with my teammates news that I was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. It is highly-treatable, and I have begun taking a pill on a daily basis that has proven to be very effective in controlling this cancer. The prognosis, and certainly the expectations of my physician, myself and my family, is that I will live a long, full and normal life.

“This situation will not impact my ability to live my life as I otherwise would, and will not affect my ability to perform at my highest level for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I’m looking forward to my first season with the Leafs and helping our club compete for the Stanley Cup.”

Statement from Maple Leafs team doctor Noah Forman regarding Jason Blake’s medical condition:

“Jason Blake has very recently been diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). This is a form of leukemia (blood cancer) which is a slow growing cancer of the white blood cells. It has an incidence of 500 new cases diagnosed each year in Canada.

“It is caused by an abnormal chromosome of cells in the body's bone marrow.

Jason is in no immediate danger, as he is in the chronic phase of the disease and has been assessed by a leading authority on CML at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

He has already started treatment which consists of an oral medication taken daily with low side effects.

“We have secured opinions from numerous CML specialists confirming that with this oral medication, most patients are well controlled and lead normal lives, doing all their normal activities. Jason will be able to continue to play fully with the team and will be monitored closely by both the team's physician and his CML specialist.”

[9]

That sucks. I hope they caught it early enough.

[$heriff Tom]

He, and his doctors, seem very optimistic. Apparently he won't even be missing a beat. On the Islander radiocast they mentioned his wife had a bout with cancer before, so its something that family has been through. I wish him and his the best.

[$heriff Tom]

Versus received a 1.8 HH rating in the N.Y. market for its telecast of the Rangers-Islanders game last Wednesday night, making it the best N.Y. market rating ever for an NHL telecast on the network. The game was also up 157% from the same matchup last season on March 5 (Versus).

[$heriff Tom]

Way to go, Guy! Way to help a sexual predator get him some! Perhaps he was getting some "threesome action" in return. Remember, never trust a man named "Guy" - Guy Smiley notwithstanding.

This tidbit is from NHL.COM


Hockey legend Guy Lafleur admits to helping son break bail conditions

MONTREAL - Hockey legend Guy Lafleur admitted in a Quebec court Monday that he helped his son break his court-imposed bail conditions.

The former Montreal Canadiens star told a Quebec court that he drove his son, Mark, to Montreal-area hotels to spend time with his girlfriend on several occasions.

Guy Lafleur said he thought it was important for his son to have some intimate time with his 16-year-old girlfriend.

"He wanted to be with his girlfriend," Guy Lafleur testified.

Mark Lafleur, 22, is charged with sexually assaulting a minor, armed assault, uttering threats and forcible confinement for relating to alleged incidents between 2004 and 2007.

His bail conditions had included undergoing treatment for his drug problem at a halfway house and respecting a midnight curfew. He could visit his parents on the weekend but still had to respect the curfew.

It was during these visits that Guy Lafleur drove his son to the hotels.

The younger Lafleur was kicked out of a drug treatment centre last month after failing to obey house rules and re-arrested.

The Crown prosecutor told the court that Mark Lafleur, who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, was hostile to staff and was carrying a knife.

Lafleur's lawyer Jean-Pierre Rancourt scoffed at that.

"That was a tool he used on the construction sites," he said outside court.

Josee Gagnon, a Montreal police investigator, also testified and said she spoke to Lafleur's girlfriend.

She said the girl made several troubling statements, telling the police officer that he is jealous and possessive and that he threatened her on one occasion.

Rancourt also dismissed that later, saying the statement is unproven hearsay evidence.

The judge is to rule on bail on Oct. 29.

[$heriff Tom]

Whoo hoo! The NHL Network for me! Cablevision added this as part of its extra sports package for $4.99 per month. I already have that to see college games. Before people crap on this thing, I had it for one day and already watched a cool Bobby Orr profile, and tomorrow from 3-5 I am taping an Islander/Flyer game from 1980.

Tonight they are running a whole heap of specials about certain teams, and right now we got 93 playoff action between Montreal and Gretzky's Kings. Nice save by Kelly Hrudey!

[$heriff Tom]

ESPN Analyst Apologizes for Remarks About Newark

By DAVID PORTER

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose apologized Tuesday for negative remarks about the area around the New Jersey Devils' new Prudential Center arena.

In a video segment posted on ESPN.com last week, Melrose described the recently opened arena as a "beautiful new building" but added, "Don't go outside if you have a wallet or anything else, because the area around the arena is just horrible."

Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker and Municipal Council President Mildred Crump took exception to the remarks and called for Melrose to apologize.

"All of us make mistakes, but it's a shame when it's at the expense of 300,000 people," Booker said, referring to Newark's population.

Newark has experienced a rising homicide rate in recent years, and city officials are banking on the new arena to change perceptions about New Jersey's largest city and to spur downtown development.

Melrose said he has driven through Newark before but has not been to the Prudential Center. He said he based his comments on footage aired by Canadian broadcaster TSN before the Devils' first game at the new arena Oct. 27.

"I was trying to be funny and I'm sorry it didn't come through that way," he said by phone from St. Louis. "No excuse. When I talk I don't want to offend anybody. I love hockey and I want Newark to be a success. I certainly never wanted to hurt the feelings of the people of Newark or the people of New Jersey. There was no malice on my part."

Melrose said he first heard about the negative reaction to his comments, which were posted on the Web site last Thursday, on Monday. He said he called Booker's office Tuesday but wasn't able get through to the mayor.

Melrose said he wants to come to Newark to have lunch with Booker and tour the area around the arena. Booker sounded agreeable.

"I welcome him coming to the city so we can dispel his ignorance," Booker said. "I'm happy to hear that he's willing to come and see the truth and I'm hoping he's responsible enough to write about it."

A former NHL player and coach, Melrose has worked as a commentator and studio analyst at ESPN since 1996.

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said the network would not punish Melrose for the comments.

"Barry addressed it and that was the important thing," Krulewitz said. "He obviously was remorseful and we feel it's in everybody's best interests to put it behind us."

[thecaptain15]

Why is telling the truth a mistake???

[thecaptain15]

Good to see my Devils are down to like 8k actually showing up to the games already 3 games in...great idea moving to Newark...

[drock2006]

My God..Melrose is right. I was at the building..the arena is awesome...and well designed. The parking garages are well lit and next door. But if the area is so safe why do they need about 200 cops to surround the place? And wander 2 blocks in any direction...it makes River Ave look like Rodeo drive

Its not a race thing..its a desolate, abandoned place. I did not feel safe driving to the Parkway. God forbid you break down getting back to the highways at night...I would not bring a child or woman at night unless I took the PATH and got the hell out ASAP after the event

[$heriff Tom]

Sources: New deal will keep Predators in Nashville for at least three years

source - the hockey news

The Nashville Predators won’t be packing their equipment bags for a move to Kansas City or anywhere else, at least not for the next three years.

Multiple sources have confirmed to THN.com a deal has been reached between the city of Nashville and a prospective local ownership group to rework the team’s lease at the Sommet Center that will guarantee the Predators remain in Nashville until at least through the 2010-11 season.

The deal has been reached between the city and the group led by Nashville businessman David Freeman. Although the tentative deal has not been approved by either the Metro Sports Authority or Metro Council in Nashville, it is expected it will be ratified by both bodies within the next 30 to 45 days.

“From the draft of the deal that I saw, I didn’t see anything in there that would offend a council member or a citizen of Nashville,” said city councilor Charlie Tygard.

But unlike the current lease that forces the Predators to remain in Nashville if they average 14,000 per game in paid attendance, the reworked lease will not have an attendance component to it and the team will essentially be free to leave the city after it expires in three to five years. Essentially, that means the team has at least another three seasons to turn its financial fortunes around and if it fails to do so in that time, the Predators will almost certainly be on the move.

Freeman’s group, which has an agreement to purchase the franchise from Predators owner Craig Leipold for about $193 million, maintained it needed to change the arena lease to have a chance to make the Predators financially viable. It was asking for $4.2 million a year in sales tax and set fee revenue and $7 million in arena upgrades, most of which would go toward building a smaller concert venue that would seat between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

The deal calls for the Predators to get about $3.2 million in sales tax revenues and will also get the concert venue, with revenues from the events going to the Predators.

Tygard said one of the options would have been for the taxpayers to simply buy the remaining tickets to get the Predators up to the 14,000 paid level, but acknowledged there was no appetite from the city politicians to go that route.

“That probably would have been the cheapest and easiest way to do it, but it was the least palatable to the political side because it looks like a corporate giveaway,” Tygard said. “That option was not even on the table.”

Through six home games this season, the Predators have been averaging 14,428 per game, but only 12,305 of that is paid attendance. The organization is expecting that number to rise when some of the partial packages kick in later in the season, but the number is still well short of the team’s stated goal. There has also been a significant lack of corporate support for the team, something that will definitely have to change if the new ownership group has serious designs on a long-term future in Nashville.

An NHL source said the deal will almost certainly be approved by the league’s board of governors as soon as it receives approval in Nashville. Nygard said he’s quite confident the deal will be accepted by both the city council and sports authority.

“I think the administration and Metro Council have a sales job to do,” Nygard said. “But I think the administration has identified the economic benefits that would go away if the team left, namely sales tax revenues that are generated in and around the arena on game nights. I think they have to make it clear that the city would be worse off without the franchise and it had to make up the difference.”

[grover]

Junk. They need to move that team to KC. A KC/St.Louis rivalry would be nice to watch.

[$heriff Tom]

If you could ever find it on TV.

[grover]

Yeah, that too. Still, I'd rather read things like Hockey news about teams in KC, Quebec and Winnipeg than Nashville, Atlanta and Florida. Won't happen though.

[IronHorse4]

Nice article on Scott Stevens in advance of his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, courtesy of ESPN.COM


Stevens enjoying retirement
By Scott Burnside

If Scott Stevens was a tree, he would be a great oak.
Immovable, towering, constant, silent, but packing one heck of a wallop.

It was so during his 1,635 regular-season NHL games and it's still so now that he has retired and is headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Those qualities are merely reflected by the fact that he has not moved on to something else since he played his last game midway through the 2003-04 season.

Stevens describes himself as "busy." And although he imagines a life with more hockey in it in the future, he's not entirely sure what that life might look like.

"I guess I see myself back in some capacity. I guess I'm not sure in what area, though," Stevens told ESPN.com.

He admits it's still a little odd to walk into the Devils' practice facility, but that's to be expected after 22 years of NHL play.

Stevens has three children ranging in age from 11-17, and all attend different schools. There are field hockey and lacrosse practices, and for the past three years, Stevens has kept his hand in the game by helping out with his hometown high school hockey team.

"I miss the playing part, but I guess I don't miss all the stuff that leads up to that," Stevens said.

With three Stanley Cup rings, a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2000 and a host of All-Star Game appearances and other accolades to his credit, Stevens is almost mythic in his stature.

He is the first of the New Jersey greats to go to the Hall and the first to have his number retired by the team. He will certainly be followed by Scott Niedermayer (now in Anaheim) and Martin Brodeur. But there is something symbolic about Stevens being the first.

He came to the Devils reluctantly, part of a compensatory package assigned to the Devils on the eve of the 1991-92 season after St. Louis signed Brendan Shanahan away from New Jersey. Stevens came as an offensive machine with a short fuse and transformed himself into one of the most feared hitters in the game's history and, along with fellow Hall inductee Mark Messier, one of the most respected leaders in the game. A year after his arrival in New Jersey, he was named captain and held that post until he retired.

"He was, to a certain extent, the biggest part of our success," Brodeur told ESPN.com in a recent interview.

Every time the Devils went into an opposing building, they didn't have to worry about being intimidated. They went in with confidence knowing it was their opponents who were going to be fearful knowing Stevens was lining up on the opposing blue line.

Having Stevens on the ice affected how opposing players chose to play, where they chose to go. As a result, Brodeur developed a style of play and confidence that was, in some ways, a reflection of Stevens' presence.

"He had a big effect on my career," Brodeur said. "There were a lot of things I didn't have to worry about when he was on the ice. If he wasn't there, who knows what might have happened to me?

"He was as good as it gets."

The relationship is symbiotic and the same question could be asked of Stevens -- if no Brodeur, what then? But Stevens' presence transcended the ordinary for virtually his entire stay in New Jersey.

Former coach Larry Robinson, now an assistant in New Jersey and a Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman himself, recalled that he never really told Stevens that he'd done something wrong. And he didn't do it right after it happened. After an appropriate cooling-off time, Robinson would come down the bench and suggest that maybe next time, Stevens might consider handling a situation a different way.

"Scotty was so intense, you had to pick your spots. I think he learned over the years to control his emotions," Robinson said.

The funny thing was, over time, Robinson would see Stevens giving the same advice to a young defenseman. Robinson recalled that Stevens hated to get scored on, even in practice. "When he came to practice, he practiced like he played," Robinson said.

Longtime Devils center Scott Gomez recalled his first exhibition game with the Devils. During the pregame skate, Stevens glided up to Gomez and asked him, in all seriousness, if he is familiar with the defensive zone.

"I'm like, 'Wow. Scott Stevens is talking to me,'" Gomez recalled.

Later, before Gomez's first regular-season home game, Gomez went to the players' lounge shortly before the game and picked up a copy of People magazine. Stevens came in and saw Gomez leafing through the magazine and looked at him with disgust.

"He just looked at me and then he called all the guys in," Gomez recalled.

Gomez quickly learned that Stevens' pregame rituals didn't include a few quiet moments with People.

Stevens loves the outdoors and continues to indulge in his passion for bow hunting. Gomez recalled hunting turkeys with Stevens. Even though Gomez had grown up in Alaska, he admits he was more comfortable with fish than fowl, and was a bit squeamish about picking up their kill. Finally, Stevens fixed Gomez with a steely look.

"'Gomer, pick up the birds. Now,'" Gomez recalled Stevens barking. "It was like being out with my dad, Scotty standing there with this look of disgust on his face."

Robinson remembered the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, when the Devils were down 3-1 in the series vs. the Flyers. It was the series in which Stevens leveled Eric Lindros with one of the most emphatic checks of all time.

"There we are, down 3-1, and then all of a sudden in a big game, we're right on the edge," Robinson said. "And I remember the hit happening and the guys standing up on the bench and Bobby Holik looked at me and said, 'You know what? We're going to win this thing.'"

Holik was right. Lindros' career was never the same and the Devils came back to win the series en route to their second Stanley Cup. Stevens was named playoff MVP.

In terms of commitment to the game, the team, his teammates, his family, "you just can't go any higher [than Stevens]," team president and GM Lou Lamoriello said. "No matter how many words you might use to describe it, you would never do it justice."

Lamoriello recalled how Stevens took young Zach Parise under his wing one spring when Parise wasn't yet in the Devils' playoff lineup. Stevens skated with Parise and then brought the young forward home to have dinner with his family.

"To this day, Zach has not forgotten that and he never will," Lamoriello said. "You can go on and on with stories like that.

"Whether it's been on the ice, off the ice, family-wise, Scott Stevens is the name that you'd mention. He's a prototype Devil."

Can Brodeur imagine Stevens behind the bench some day?

"He's such a serious guy, so I think he could be one of 'them' easy," Brodeur said with a smile. "You could see he's got that seriousness. He's got that passion about the game. But he's a guy that loves his retirement life right now."

Lamoriello said the door is always open for Stevens whenever he decides what he'd like to do. He thinks Stevens would make an outstanding coach, "if that's the route he wants to go."

Whatever route that might be, Lamoriello hopes it will take him through Newark. "He's a Devil," Lamoriello said.

Stevens seems to share those sentiments.

"We're going to make our home here," he said. "So, no question about that. It would definitely be something with the Devils."

Scott Burnside is the NHL writer for ESPN.com.

[Chris]

Come on guys....I know you're not Kings fans, but is anyone gonna talk about the "Miracle On Manchester Redux" (even though they're not on Manchester any more) - the Kings 5 goal in in 5+ minutes comeback and ultimate win in OT against Dallas the other night? That was some exciting shit!!!!

Glad to see Dustin Brown got in on some of that...I'm a Dustin Brown mark.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC285KC6ukQ

[$heriff Tom]

I also like Dustin Brown.

[Chris]

Here's a good Dustin Brown throw-down resulting from the rare Goalie-check for ya, Tom.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSIZu0xp2Wg