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'Blackhawks, Red Wings meet in the great outdoors' There will be no talk of curses allowed. Goats aren't welcome. If somebody wants to call his shot, well that's OK, but probably not recommended, because this is hockey and the goalie won't like it too much. Oh yes, Wrigley Field is notorious for some of baseball's legendary -- and spookiest stories -- since it was built in 1914 around Clark and Addison Streets, and Sheffield and Waveland Avenues on the North Side of Chicago. Jan. 1, 2009 figures to be another historic day for the venerable old ballpark when it opens...

With Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings set for Joe Louis Arena on Saturday night, angst over one of the postseason's biggest controversies continues to linger in the Motor City: The NHL's decision to ban octopus twirling on the ice. Tossing octopi on the ice has been a Detroit hockey tradition dating back to 1952, and longtime arena operations manager Al Sobotka has been whipping around cephalopods to whip Wings fans into a frenzy since 1991. But back in the first round of the playoffs, the NHL vowed to hit...

Congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins! Two great teams who have earned the chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup! There are a multitude of stories on the NHL website - http://www.nhl.com/ And on the Red Wings website - http://redwings.nhl.com/ And on the Penguins website - http://penguins.nhl.com/ This promises to be one of the greatest series in NHL history! Something for those who don't usually watch! So spread the word, and do your part to recruit a new fan or two!

Detroit rapper Eminem had a hit on his hands with his 2002 release of the single Superman, but it's another super M&M from Michigan who has raced to the top of the charts. Dallas Stars center Mike Modano from Livonia, Mich. is the Superman of American hockey. By scoring his 1,233th point early this season, Modano became the leader in that category among U.S.-born players. Now that Modano's made history, it also causes pause for discussion. Where does the No. 1 pick from the 1988 NHL entry draft, one of just six Americans to be chosen first overall, rate among...

LAUREL, Md., May 20, 2008 – A group of wounded U.S. military veterans gathered at a Maryland ice rink for some fun, camaraderie and exercise May 17. Marine Cpl. Ray Hennagir goes after the puck at the wounded warrior ice hockey clinic at Gardens Ice House, in Laurel, Md., May 17, 2008. Hennagir lost both his legs and four fingers on his left hand on June 16, 2007, near Fallujah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated. Defense Department photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Armed Forces Day is an ideal time to start...

Minnesota may call itself “The State of Hockey,” but right now Pennsylvania is challenging that title. While the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins open the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday in Pittsburgh, the franchises’ American Hockey League affiliates, the Philadelphia Phantoms and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, are battling in the East Division final of the Calder Cup Playoffs. It’s not the first time Philadelphia and Pittsburgh squads have met in the crucible of the playoffs. In fact, some of the same players who take to the ice Friday night in Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS) skated in the last “Keystone...

PLAYOFF HOCKEY LIVE THREAD!!!!!!

Posted by George James Malik April 19, 2008 08:29AM According to the Free Press's Helene St. James, the NHL has banned Al Sobotka's classic twirling of octopi at Joe Louis Arena: April 18, Detroit Free Press: Just a little tidbit from Joe Louis Arena: The NHL has decided octopus twirling doesn't fit in with league image, or something to that effect. The Wings have been told by the league that if Al Sobotka (or anyone else) twirls the octopus that's thrown onto the ice before playoff games, it'll cost the team $10,000. I know opposing general managers have complained of...

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2008 – Retired Army reservist Joseph L. Bowser was 9 years old when he first experienced the thrill of skating and using his hockey stick to whack a rubber puck across the ice on a frozen pond in his birthplace of Toledo, Ohio. Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph L. Bowser plays competitive ice hockey despite the loss of his lower right leg due to an injury suffered from an exploding enemy rocket April 12, 2004, in Balad, Iraq. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Today, the 48-year-old Iraq veteran still plays ice hockey,...

NEW YORK (April 6, 2008) – The National Hockey League today announced dates, times and national broadcast information for the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Quarter-final round, which begins Wednesday, April 9. That night, an Atlantic Division rivalry continues as the New Jersey Devils host the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Ottawa Senators, the San Jose Sharks host the Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche visit the Minnesota Wild. Three other series open Thursday, when the defending Stanley Cup champions Anaheim Ducks host the Dallas Stars, the Montreal Canadiens host the Boston Bruins and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning...

Whenever the subject of hockey comes up, I'm the pansy who prattles on about how much he likes the European game — the big rinks, the passing, the fast players, and — most importantly, a lack of fighting. The fighting in North American hockey is one of the main reasons I stopped paying any attention to the sport a decade ago. What kind of legitimate sport has "enforcers" — whose mission is to engage other "enforcers" in the sort of activity that would get regular people arrested if they did it outside of a bar? I guess the closest analogy...

The days of N.H.L. teams signing players off Russian clubs’ rosters are about to officially end, thanks to Vladimir V. Putin. As Russians prepared to go to the polls for last weekend’s presidential election, Putin signed a labor law that tied athletes to their clubs for the length of their contracts — putting Russian contract law in line with similar laws in North America and Europe. Under the previous Russian law, all a player needed to get out of a contract was to give his club 14 days’ notice that he was leaving. That clause enabled N.H.L. teams to swoop...

The trade deadline has passed for the NHL, and there have been some significant moves that may, or may not, affect the standings and eventually, the playoffs.

Move over Alexander The Great, make room for Magical Malkin. With a pair of assists in Tuesday night’s 3-2 comeback win over Florida, Evgeni Malkin took over the NHL scoring lead with 79 points (34+45). He passed countryman Alexander Ovechkin, who has 78 (48+30). “It’s a great feeling to be leading the NHL in scoring,” Malkin said through translator George Birman. “There are still lots of games left and Ovechkin is a good player. He will try to prove he’s the best in the NHL. We’ll see what will happen.” Malkin continues his torrid play. He saw his five-game goal...

Presumedly seeking revenge against the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League for calling it quits in the middle of the season, several players with the Jamestown Vikings trashed the historic Vikings Lodge on the corner of Washington and West Fourth Street early Thursday, leaving most of the building in shambles. ... ‘‘They were on a drunken rampage,’’ said Greg Moran, a building inspector with the city Department of Development, who was called to the scene once police learned of the destruction. ‘‘I was absolutely appalled. ... Some of this stuff is probably irreplaceable.’’

Vikings Go On Rampage At Lodge Presumedly seeking revenge against the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League for calling it quits in the middle of the season, several players with the Jamestown Vikings trashed the historic Vikings Lodge on the corner of Washington and West Fourth Street early Thursday, leaving most of the building in shambles. Trash and debris were everywhere, especially on the second and third floors where the stench of beer and rotting food was almost overpowering. Bar stools were smashed through doors, and virtually every piece of glass in the building had been shattered, the broken shards unavoidable underfoot. ‘‘They...

Panthers forward Richard Zednik was in stable condition at a Buffalo hospital while having surgery to close a deep gash on the right side of his neck, which was sliced by a teammate's skate during a game against the Sabres on Sunday. Blood gushed from Zednik's neck after he was hurt midway through the third period of Buffalo's 5-3 victory, creating a frightening moment that delayed the game for about 15 minutes. Zednik was behind the play and skating into the right corner of the Sabres' zone, when teammate Olli Jokinen was upended by Sabres forward Clarke MacArthur. Jokinen fell...

Video of incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I73WEgTu-XI BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik underwent surgery to close a deep gash on the right side of his neck and was in stable condition Sunday night after he was cut by a teammate's skate during a game. "The surgery was successful and he's resting comfortably in the hospital," Panthers spokesman Brian Goldman said. Blood gushed from Zednik's neck after he was hurt midway through the third period of Buffalo's 5-3 victory, creating a frightening moment that delayed the game for about 15 minutes. There was also a brief discussion about postponing the...

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Florida Panthers goalie Thomas Vokoun saw fear in Richard Zednik's ashen face when his teammate reached the bench with blood gushing from his throat. "He was very scared," Vokoun said, describing the frightening scene after the right side of Zednik's throat was accidentally sliced by teammate Olli Jokinen's skate during a game at Buffalo on Sunday night. "He was conscious, I guess. His eyes were closed, but he was moving and moaning."

Video of Amazing Hockey Violence This is out of hand. When will our culture get a grip on our lust for violence?!

The call came from the mother of a kid in the MacGroveland neighborhood. She said the kids were going to play hockey on the neighborhood rink and if I was any kind of man at all, I would find my skates and get over there. I knew where my skates were, trusty old CCMs. A guy at George's on Grand Avenue told me they were classics because they featured a bit of kangaroo leather in the heel. "I don't have a stick,'' I told the little guy's mom. "There's a barrel full of sticks,'' she said. "I'll be right there.''...

At first blush, the idea of trying to pit hockey head-to-head with college football on New Year's Day seems ill-advised. But the closer the Amp Energy Winter Classic gets, the more it seems to make sense. When the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres play an outdoor game Tuesday before 70,000 fans at the Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson Stadium, the NHL will truly have a novelty on a day when most sports fans are content to sit on the couch. Yes, hockey will take on the likes of Michigan vs. Florida and Texas Tech vs. Virginia when the puck drops at...

Think you’re busy during the holiday season? Well, it probably isn’t as hectic as what Don Renzulli and the rest of the people in charge of arranging the Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic between the Penguins and Sabres outdoors at Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium on New Year’s Day are experiencing. They’ve been going non-stop since Dec. 23 – and months before it, actually, to stage the NHL’s first regular-season game played outdoors in the United States. “We probably got involved with this in June. It was talked long before that,” said Renzulli, the NHL’s Senior Vice President of Events and...

If Detroit isn't Hockeytown anymore, then what is? First off, let's make this perfectly clear: We're talking south of the Canadian border. The six most passionate NHL hockey markets include – in no particular order – Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Hockey is a religion and then some in the Great White North, and there's nothing wrong with that in our book. We just wish there were more NHL outposts in Canada. If you've never taken in a game there, put it on your to-do list. All six markets are different, and a trip to any of them...

He Shoots, He Scores! Four of the most powerful words on earth. They have the power not only to turn grown men into little boys, but to turn wives into widows at the push of a button. http://www.sportales.com/Hockey/Four-Ways-for-Hockey-Widows-to-Fight-Back.56736

PRISTINA, Kosovo, Nov. 29, 2007 – Versus, the U.S. cable television home of the National Hockey League, has partnered with some troops deployed to Kosovo to give an early Christmas present to the peacekeepers there and their families at home. At 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 11 , everyone watching the Pittsburgh Penguins battle the Philadelphia Flyers on Versus will get to see some pictures of the American soldiers, airmen and sailors who are serving at Camps Film City and Bondsteel, Kosovo. At the same time their pictures are being shown on television in the United States, the troops will...

UW men's hockey: Sioux skater must apologize for slashing Bucky Badger Todd Milewski — 11/13/2007 Bucky Badger took a tap on the shins from a North Dakota hockey player on Saturday — and now the University of Wisconsin mascot will receive an apology. WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said Sioux defenseman Joe Finley was captured on videotape slashing Bucky Badger — played by UW student David Blanchard — before Saturday's game, which North Dakota won 3-1. Finley must write a letter of apology to Blanchard, McLeod said. The commissioner made no ruling on a separate incident in which Blanchard and Sioux...

The hockey season has finally arrived! "It's a great day for hockey!"

The Pittsburgh Penguins benefited from going to West Point last year. They hope it pays off again this season. The Penguins returned home to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night after spending two and a half days at the United States Military Academy at West Point for some team building and practice. “It’s always a fun time to go to West Point. You never know what to expect,” Maxime Talbot said. “It’s really fun for the guys and great for team chemistry, team building and leadership. It was a great experience again.” The routine was altered a little from last year’s trip....

Freeper Fantasy Hockey anyone?? It's FREE!...and fun!!! I did this a couple of seasons ago with other freepers and it was a blast! Missed a couple seasons because of deployment, but I am ready to make another Freeper leauge if anyone is interested. It would be a Head to Head league on Yahoo!, with playoffs at the end of the season. Probably an auto draft, as it would be difficult to get everyone on the same schedule. Ping this thread or send me mail if you are interested. Should be fun!! -fb

Who, in your opinion is or was the dirtiest player in the NHL? Looking at ESPN and hockey boards, names that stand out are Ulf "The Career Killer" Samuelsson, Claude "The Girl" Lemeuix, Gordie "Face Wash" Howe, Bobby "Ankle Slash" Clarke, and Dale "I didn't know the play was over" Hunter. Notably absent were people like Bob Probert, who was more of an enforcer or "goon", that a dirty player. Some also mentioned agressive players like Darius "The Giant Killer" Kaspiritus.

SAN ANTONIO, July 6, 2007 – Army Spc. Hollis Richardson glides across the rink, balancing his body on just a slab of metal and two thin blades. He digs two sticks into the ice, kicking up a light mist as he rushes to propel himself to the puck. Veering to the right, he evades an opponent and knocks the puck to a teammate just as he collides with another player, metal slashing metal. Mike Marsh (left), player for the San Antonio Rampage Sled Hockey Team, reaches for the puck during a June 16 game vs. the San Antonio Men...

Today's the big day--all the GMs sign the best UFAs to their teams. So far Briere has signed with the Flyers (see my rant about that below), the Wings were negociating with Hasek, the Preds re-signed Nichols, the Bruins got Fernandez, the Ducks got Schneider (they are REALLY stacked now), Buffalo signed Mair, and more. Here's the free-agent signing tracker: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=4965

NHL DRAFT taking place live now! JUNE 22-23, 2007 Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH Live round by round picks - http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=DraftStats

2007 NHL AWARDS SHOW Thursday, June 14, 2007 Elgin Theatre, Toronto 7:30 p.m. ET, CBC, Versus

End of the first period, still 0 to 0

Hillier takes Stanley Cup, former NHLers to Afghanistan CBC News Wednesday, May 2, 2007 Temperatures may be pushing 40 C, but all thoughts are on hockey in Kandahar Wednesday as Canada's chief of defence staff arrived with 19 former NHL players and the Stanley Cup. Gen. Rick Hiller arrived at the main Kandahar base with the former pros, who included Bob Probert, Dave (Tiger) Williams, Ron Tugnutt, Rejean Houle and Yvon Lambert. Along with showing off the Stanley Cup, the group plans to play a couple of ball hockey games with some of the more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers...

VANCOUVER, B.C. - This city is in the throes of playoff hockey ecstasy, and agony. The Vancouver Canucks are in mortal secondround combat with the powerful Anaheim Ducks. Unbeknownst to many Canucks fans, there is another battle brewing, with more at stake than bragging rights and silver trophies. On the line are family connections, closely guarded business secrets, and a $250-million prize: Control of the 35-year-old NHL franchise itself, and the 18,600-seat, profit-churning arena where the team plays. A bitter ownership dispute between two wealthy Vancouver families goes to trial on Monday in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. In...

Tonight is the start of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoff games. Tonight - EASTERN CONFERENCE - Buffalo Sabres versus New York Rangers - 7 PM WESTERN CONFERENCE - Vancouver Canucks versus Anaheim Ducks - 10 PM GAME ON!!

Just starting an open thread for stanley cup discussion for the remainder of the playoffs. Are the games beamed over to the other side of the world to our guys and our Canadian brethren?

The National Hockey League today announced the dates, times and national broadcast information for the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Quarterfinal round, which begins Wednesday, April 11. That night, League scoring champion Sidney Crosby makes his NHL postseason debut when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Ottawa Senators; the Anaheim Ducks host the Minnesota Wild; the Vancouver Canucks host the Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks visit the Nashville Predators. The other series open Thursday, when the Presidents' Trophy-winning Buffalo Sabres host the New York Islanders; the New Jersey Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning; the Atlanta Thrashers play the...

The Penguins and public officials have agreed to borrow up to $290 million for an arena, but must figure out how to make payments on that much debt, Gov. Ed Rendell said Friday. "We've agreed on the concept; we just have to agree on how to get there," Rendell said. "Everyone has to pay a little more." National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman has joined the negotiations as a mediator. "He would like to see this thing brought to a head, and so would I," Rendell said.

The NHL trade deadline has ended, and there are a great many interesting developments.

Everyone is talking about a huge Sabres brawl. Many fans say it was the wildest game they ever saw! Here's how it happened Thursday night at HSBC Arena against the Ottawa Senators. It all started in the second period, when Buffalo Sabres captain Chris Drury got injured after taking a brutal hit by Senators forward Chris Neil.

On February 22 1980, the US Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 at Lake Placid, NY. Until that time, the Russians had not lost an Olympic hockey game since 1968. The Soviets were highly favored to repeat as gold medalists and only weeks earlier, had convincingly defeated the US team 10-3 in a game at Madison Square Garden. Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov pulled goalie Vladislav Tretiak, a move still debated by many. In the closing seconds of the game, Tikhonov did not pull their goalie to put an extra attacker on the ice. The US team went on...

NORTH LOGAN, Utah -- The moon over the Utah ice has nothing to do with the night sky. University of Southern California hockey goalie Mickey Meyer mooned the crowd during a game with Brigham Young University. He was ejected, then ticketed for lewdness by a police officer working security at the rink. Police said Meyer rode his stick like a horse, dropped his bulky goalie pants and slapped his bare butt several times. According to The Herald-Journal of Logan, Meyer told an Internet broadcast of the game that he had his fill of the refs. The Trojans went on to...

At this rate, the Penguins might need a new Uptown arena for no other reason than to meet fans' desire to watch the upstart hockey club. The Penguins, in the thick of a playoff race after finishing with the league's second-worst record last year, played before their 17th sellout of this season Saturday at Mellon Arena. The Penguins have sold out all but 10 home games this season. The capacity crowd that watched the showdown between the Penguins' Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, the league's top two scorers, represented the team's 10th sellout in the past 11 home games....

Gump Worsley, the Hall of Fame goalie who played for the Minnesota North Stars, died on Friday, five days after suffering a heart attack. He was 77. Worsley is remembered by local hockey icons as a jovial anachronism, a throwback to an era when a goalie could carry a potbelly but no facemask.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell says the arena deal that state, city and county officials are putting together for the Pittsburgh Penguins is the best offered to any National Hockey League Team in recent years. "It's also by far the best of any offer made to any Pennsylvania professional sports team for a new stadium," Rendell told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as he left a hotel Friday. Rendell stayed in the city overnight after meeting late Thursday with Penguins officials and local politicians to negotiate a new arena deal. No deal was struck, but Rendell aide Chuck Ardo said he...