World of Hockey

Dramatic change in the NHL coming up

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:25:00 +0000

I'm sure you all heard about it by now. The two conferences are going to be split up in 4. There will be two 7 and two 8 team conferences instead.
- Flyers, Pens, NYR, NYI, NJ Devils, Capitals and Hurricanes
- Bruins, Habs, Leafs, Sens, Bolts, Sabres and Panthers
- Wings, Jets, Blues, Hawks, Preds, Jackets, Wild and Stars
- Kings, Ducks, Sharks, Oilers, Flames, Coyotes,, Canucks and Avs

The Playoff set up will change too. The best four of each conference will go to the playoffs. The nr 1 of the conference play the number 4 of the same group and the nr 2 plays the nr 3. The winners will play each other of the same group and the four winners of the four conferences play each other. So the chance to have two Eastern or two Western Conference teams in the final is bigger.

Every team play each other at least twice a year, home and away to give the fans the chance to see all stars and teams. And the teams in the conferences play each other at least 5 or 6 times a year.
This new format should make it easier for teams not to travel through different timezones so the fans at home can watch the full game without giving up due to timezones

Tragic plane crash Russia

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:15:00 +0000

After losing Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak we also lost a complete KHL team in a Plane crash in Russia. Among those were former NHL stars Brad McCrimmon, Ruslan Salei and Pavol Demitra to name a few. This loss is horrible. The KHL lost a complete team and the future is now uncertain.

Boston wins Cup 2011

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:15:00 +0000

The Boston Bruins have won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vancouver Canucks with 4-0. They claimed the series with a 4-3 win in games. It has been 40 years ago since their last win. Captain Zdeno Chara received the Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman while Goalie Tim Thomas received the Con Smythe Trophee. Veteran Mark recchi (43) announced his retirement after winning his third Cup.

More about Boston and the Cup

Trashers will go to Winnipeg

Tue, 31 May 2011 13:15:00 +0000

So what we all expected to happen is goping to happen. The Trashers are going to move to Winnipeg. They still need approval from the NHL Board of Governors but it is only a matter of time till the approval comes. This means the City of Winnipeg finally will get another team after 15 years.

You can find the article here

Support the Islanders

Mon, 23 May 2011 13:10:00 +0000

The Islanders might get another location. They need to have one because their current one isgetting too small. Also for the big events like games and concerts etc it is for the best when there will be a new location. Now some politicians don't like the idea of a new Building. In order to keep the Islanders there and in NYC there will be a voting campaign coming up.

Dutch Islanders supporter Ruud van der Borgh started a facebook page to help this Team and to show his support for them. Everybody can join this page. Not only dutch fans but all fans can click here if you want to join this page

Trashers going to be moved?

Mon, 23 May 2011 13:10:00 +0000

The Fans of the Atlanta Trashers won't like it but it is almost certain. Their Team might get moved to Winnipeg. There is no real confirmation yet but according to several sources it is only a matter ot time before an announcement will be made.
More about the Thrashers

Derek Boogaard found dead

Fri, 13 May 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers has been found dead in his appartment on Friday the 13th 2011. He was only 28 years young. My condoleances to his family, friends,relatives and of course to the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.

Link to the Article

Unrestricted Free Agents

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:03:00 +0000

Centers - 2010 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents

Player /Age /Team/ 09-10 Salary /Notes

Patrick Marleau 29 SJ $6,300,000 Re-signed with the Sharks. 4 years, $27.6 million.

Olli Jokinen 30 CAL $5,500,000

Marc Savard 31 BOS $5,000,000 Re-signed with the Bruins. 7 years, $28.05 million.

Saku Koivu 34 ANA $3,250,000

Matt Cullen 32 OTT $2,800,000

John Madden 36 CHI $2,750,000

Tomas Plekanec 26 MON $2,750,000 Re-signed with the Canadiens. 6 years, $30 million.

Matthew Lombardi 27 PHO $2,350,000

Mike Modano 39 DAL $2,250,000

Chris Higgins 26 NYR $2,250,000

Doug Weight 38 NYI $2,000,000

Jeff Halpern 33 LA $2,000,000

Eric Belanger 31 MIN $1,750,000

Matt Stajan 25 CAL $1,750,000 Re-signed with the Flames. 4 years, $14 million.

Jason Williams 28 DET $1,500,000

Brendan Morrison 33 WASH $1,500,000

Wayne Primeau 33 TOR $1,400,000

Kyle Wellwood 26 VAN $1,200,000

Ryan Johnson 33 VAN $1,200,000

Mike Comrie 28 EDM $1,125,000

Vaclav Prospal 34 NYR $1,100,000

Craig Conroy 37 CAL $1,000,000

Glen Metropolit 35 MON $1,000,000

Jim Slater 26 ATL $840,000

Ryan Craig 27 TB $800,000

Adam Mair 30 BUF $775,000

Scott Nichol 34 SJ $750,000

Adam Burish 26 CHI $725,000

Joel Perrault 26 PHO $625,000

Jamie Lundmark 28 TOR $600,000

Ryan Shannon 26 OTT $600,000 Re-signed with the Senators. 1 year, $625,000

Krys Barch 29 DAL $575,000

Stephane Yelle 35 COL $550,000

Derek MacKenzie 28 CBJ $550,000

Toby Petersen 30 DAL $550,000 Re-signed with the Stars. 2 years, $1

Cam Paddock 26 STL $525,000

Andrew Ebbett 26 MIN $500,000

Rich Peverley 26 ATL $500,000 Re-signed with the Thrashers. 2 years, $2.6 million.

Michael Ryan 29 CAR $500,000

Colin Stuart 26 CAL $500,000

Yan Stastny 26 VAN $500,000

Zenon Konopka 28 TB $500,000

Alexandre Giroux 28 WASH $500,000

Cody McCormick 26 BUF TBA

Dwight Helminen 26 SJ TBA

Derek Armstrong 36 STL TBA

Rickard Wallin 29 TOR TBA

Left Wingers - 2010 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents

Player /Age/ Team /09-10 Salary/ Notes

Ilya Kovalchuk 26 NJ $7,500,000

Paul Kariya 34 STL $6,000,000

Alexander Frolov 27 LA $4,000,000

Vyacheslav Kozlov 37 ATL $3,850,000

Ray Whitney 37 CAR $3,550,000

Fredrik Modin 34 LA $3,500,000

Markus Naslund 35 NYR $3,000,000

Raffi Torres 27 BUF $2,750,000

Alex Tanguay 29 TB $2,500,000

Alexei Ponikarovsky 29 PIT $2,500,000

Darcy Tucker 34 COL $2,300,000

Tomas Holmstrom 36 DET $2,250,000 Re-signed with the Red Wings. 2 year, $3.75 million.

Keith Tkachuk 37 STL $2,150,000

Ruslan Fedotenko 30 PIT $1,800,000

Jere Lehtinen 36 DAL $1,500,000

Steve Ott 26 DAL $1,500,000 Re-signed with the Stars. 4 years , $11.8 million.

Rene Bourque 27 CAL $1,400,000 Re-signed with the Flames. 6 years, $20 million.

Derek Boogaard 27 MIN $1,250,000

Matt Cooke 30 PIT $1,200,000 Re-signed with the Penguins. 3 years

Jon Sim 31 NYI $1,000,000

Christoph Schubert 27 ATL $900,000

Steve Begin 31 BOS $850,000

Brad Winchester 28 STL $800,000

Eric Nystrom 26 CAL $775,000

Kirk Maltby 36 DET $750,000

Stephane Veilleux 27 TB $750,000

Jody Shelley 33 SJ $725,000

Eric Boulton 32 ATL $600,000

Raitis Ivanans 30 LA $600,000

David Koci 28 COL $575,000

Steve MacIntyre 28 EDM $550,000

Warren Peters 26 DAL $500,000

Chris Minard 27 EDM $500,000

Taylor Pyatt 27 PHO TBA

Matt Ellis 27 BUF TBA

Quintin Laing 30 WASH TBA

Right Wingers - 2010 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents

Player /Age /Team /09-10 Salary /Notes

Milan Hejduk 33 COL $4,000,000 Re-signed with the Avalanche. 1 year, $3 million.

Pavol Demitra 34 VAN $4,000,000

Lee Stempniak 26 PHO $3,500,000

Owen Nolan 37 MIN $2,750,000

Scott Walker 35 WASH $2,500,000

Fernando Pisani 32 EDM $2,500,000

Marek Svatos 27 COL $2,350,000

Teemu Selanne 39 ANA $2,000,000

Bill Guerin 38 PIT $2,000,000

Petr Sykora 32 MIN $1,600,000

Todd Bertuzzi 34 DET $1,500,000 Re-signed with the Red Wings. 2 years, $3.875 million

Jamal Mayers 34 CAL $1,400,000

Mike Grier 34 BUF $1,200,000 Re-signed with the Sabres. 1 year, $1.4 million.

Evgeny Artyukhin 26 ANA $1,000,000

Mark Recchi 41 BOS $1,000,000

Jordin Tootoo 26 NASH $975,000 Re-signed with the Predators. 2 years, $2.5 million.

Richard Park 33 NYI $800,000

Wade Belak 32 NASH $650,000 Re-signed with the Predators

Shean Donovan 34 OTT $650,000

Arron Asham 31 PHI $640,000

Craig Weller 28 MIN $625,000

Shawn Thornton 31 BOS $550,000 Re-signed with the Bruins. 2 years.

Tim Jackman 27 NYI $550,000

Brandon Bochenski 27 TB $550,000

Brian McGrattan 27 CAL $547,000

David Van Der Gulik 26 CAL $500,000

Ilkka Pikkarainen 28 NJ $500,000

Keith Aucoin 30 WASH $500,000 Re-signed with the Capitals. 2 years, $1.25 million.

George Laraque MON

Ben Guite 30 NASH TBA

Jason Ward 30 PHI TBA

Jed Ortmeyer 30 SJ TBA

Ryan Vesce 27 SJ TBA

Barry Tallackson 26 STL TBA

Ben Ondrus 27 TOR TBA

Defenseman - 2010 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents

Player/ Age/ Team/ 09-10 Salary/ Notes

Nicklas Lidstrom 39 DET $7,450,000 Re-signing with the Red Wings. 1 year

Scott Niedermayer 35 ANA $6,000,000 Retired

Sergei Gonchar 35 PIT $5,500,000

Kim Johnsson 33 CHI $5,300,000

Pavel Kubina 32 ATL $5,000,000

Paul Martin 28 NJ $4,500,000

Brett Clark 32 COL $3,500,000

Marek Zidlicky 32 MIN $3,500,000 Re-signed with the Wild. 3 years, $12 million.

Andy Sutton 34 OTT $3,500,000

Mike Rathje 35 PHI $3,500,000

Rob Blake 39 SJ $3,500,000 Retired

Willie Mitchell 32 VAN $3,500,000

Mike Van Ryn 30 TOR $3,350,000

Derek Morris 30 PHO $3,300,000

Ruslan Salei 34 COL $3,275,000

Henrik Tallinder 30 BUF $3,250,000

Adam Foote 37 COL $3,250,000

Anton Volchenkov 27 OTT $3,200,000

Toni Lydman 31 BUF $3,150,000

Randy Jones 27 LA $3,000,000

Joe Corvo 32 WASH $2,750,000

Jason Smith 35 OTT $2,600,000

Aaron Ward 36 ANA $2,500,000

Dan Hamhuis 26 NASH $2,500,000

Brian Pothier 32 CAR $2,500,000

Rostislav Klesla 27 CBJ $2,250,000 Re-signed with the Blue Jackets. 4 years, $11.9 million.

Dennis Seidenberg 27 BOS $2,250,000 Re-signed with the Bruins. 4 years, $13 million.

Adrian Aucoin 35 PHO $2,250,000 Re-signed with the Coyotes. 2 years.

Mark Eaton 32 PIT $2,000,000

Shaone Morrisonn 26 WASH $1,975,000

Brad Lukowich 32 VAN $1,800,000

Jordan Leopold 28 PIT $1,750,000

Niclas Wallin 34 SJ $1,725,000

Garnet Exelby 27 TOR $1,725,000

Paul Mara 29 MON $1,675,000

Andrew Ference 30 BOS $1,625,000 Re-signed with the Bruins. 3 years, $6.75 million.

Mathieu Schneider 40 PHO $1,550,000

Nick Boynton 30 ANA $1,500,000

Stephane Robidas 32 DAL $1,500,000 Re-signed with the Stars. 4 years, $13.2 million.

Zbynek Michalek 26 PHO $1,500,000

Lukas Krajicek 26 TB $1,475,000

Carlo Colaiacovo 26 STL $1,400,000

Milan Jurcina 26 WAS $1,375,000

Andreas Lilja 33 DET $1,250,000

Sean O'Donnell 37 LA $1,250,000

Nathan Paetsch 26 CLB $1,050,000

Jonas Frogren 28 TOR $900,000

Brett Lebda 27 DET $850,000

Jay McKee 31 PIT $800,000

Mike Weaver 31 STL $800,000

Mike Mottau 31 NJ $775,000

Shane Hnidy 33 MIN $750,000

Francis Bouillon 33 NASH $750,000 Re-signed with the Predators. 2 years , $2.7 million

David Hale 28 TB $725,000

Jason Strudwick 33 EDM $700,000

Andrew Hutchinson 29 DAL $600,000

Freddy Meyer 28 NYI $600,000

Kurtis Foster 27 TB $600,000

Martin Skoula 31 NJ $575,000

Sheldon Brookbank 28 ANA $550,000 Re-signed with the Ducks. 2 years, $1.5 million.

Dan Jancevski 28 DAL $550,000

Garrett Stafford 29 DAL $550,000

John Scott 26 MIN $550,000

Aaron Johnson 26 ED $540,000

Tim Conboy 27 CAR $500,000

Nate Guenin 28 STL $500,000

Jay Harrison 26 CAR $500,000 Re-signed with the Hurricanes. 1 year, $500,000.

Jay Leach 29 NJ $500,000

Cory Murphy 31 NJ $500,000

Matt Carkner 28 OTT $500,000 Re-signed with the Senators. 2 years, $1.4 million.

Lawrence Nycholat 30 VAN $500,000

Doug Janik 29 DET TBA

Alex Henry 29 MON TBA

Joe Callahan 26 SJ TBA

Brendan Bell 26 CLB TBA

Mike Lundin 24 TB TBA

Goaltenders - 2010 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents

Player /Age/ Team /09-10 Salary/ Notes

Evgeni Nabokov 33 SJ $6,000,000

Marty Turco 33 DAL $5,400,000

Jose Theodore 32 WASH $4,500,000

Vesa Toskala 32 CAL $4,000,000

Chris Mason 33 STL $3,000,000

Dan Ellis 29 NASH $2,000,000

Ray Emery 26 PHI $1,500,000

Martin Biron 31 NYI $1,400,000

Jonas Hiller 27 ANA $1,300,000 Re-signed with the Ducks. 4 years, $18 million.

Peter Budaj 26 COL $1,250,000 Re-signed with the Avalanache. 1 year.

Johan Hedberg 36 ATL $1,175,000

Patrick Lalime 34 BUF $1,000,000

Alex Auld 28 NYR $1,000,000

Pekka Rinne 26 NASH $725,000 Re-signed with the Predators. 2 years, $6.8 million.

Stephen Valiquette 31 NYR $725,000

Michael Leighton 28 CAR $600,000

Curtis Sanford 29 MON $600,000

Antero Niittymaki 29 TB $600,000

Brent Johnson 32 PIT $525,000 Re-signed with the Penguins. 2 years, $1.2 million.

Yann Danis 28 NJ $500,000

Andrew Raycroft 29 VAN $500,000

Dany Sabourin 28 BOS TBA

Scott Munroe 27 NYI TBA

Joey MacDonald 29 ANA TBA

Rob Blake retires

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:59:00 +0000

There is always good news and bad news. The good news is the dtrafts are happening. A lot of Free Agents will be available for teams to sign but there are also players who call it a career.

Sharks D Rob Blake retires after 20-year career

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Early in his 20th season, Rob Blake realized that this would be his final one as an NHL player.

Even as he performed at the level of a player younger than his 40 years, helping the San Jose Sharks reach the Western Conference final, he didn’t waver. Blake made his decision official on Friday, announcing his retirement from a career that will most likely end at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“I knew it was the right time. I have no regrets,” he said. “I understood it was time to move on.”

Blake leaves the game on his own terms, still able to play at a high enough level to compete in the NHL and healthy enough to do it for another year if he had wanted. But he also knew he was not longer quite the same player he was a decade ago.

“I know I had slowed down in different aspects,” he said. “When you’ve played at a certain level and can’t accomplish some things. … I would watch video and I’d see I was a step slow there. A lot of people might not see it, but I knew inside.”

Blake had a decorated career, helping the Los Angeles Kings advance to the Stanley Cup final in 1993, winning the Norris Trophy for the Kings as the league’s top defender in 1998, hoisting the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, and earning an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 2002.

He helped San Jose post the top regular-season record in the West in each of his two seasons with the team but was unable to get the Sharks to their first Cup final. The Sharks were swept by eventual champion Chicago in this year’s West finals.

“He’s an elite level player but he has a blue-collar heartbeat,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “It’s been a privilege and an honor to have Rob Blake play for this hockey team. Going forward we’re going to reap those benefits.”

Blake took over as captain in San Jose this past season, providing a steady hand and setting a professional example that helped the Sharks reach the second Western final in franchise history.

Teaming with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Blake had seven goals and 23 assists in 70 games and was one of the team’s most reliable defenders. He added a goal and an assist in the playoffs.

“We’re all a little disappointed that you decided to retire,” coach Todd McLellan said in a phone call during the news conference. “We’ll miss your professionalism around the locker room. When you came in and joined the Sharks family you set some standards on and off the ice that are second to none.”

Teammates Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Evgeni Nabokov and Devin Setoguchi came to the news conference to honor Blake. Former teammates Tony Granato, Glen Murray and Nelson Emerson also were on hand, while Joe Sakic sent a video message, and Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson also called in to praise Blake.

Blake said his immediate future involves returning to Southern California to spend time with his wife and two children. He said he will stay away from hockey until about Christmas but would like to get back into the game then, possibly as a scout or an announcer.

Blake’s departure is the first of what could be many key changes on the Sharks before next season. Marleau, the team’s leading goal scorer last season, and Nabokov, the starting goaltender, are both eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

The team also will need to pick a new captain, with Thornton, defenseman Dan Boyle and forward Joe Pavelski among the possibilities.

“There’s a lot of different choices there,” Blake said. “We’ve always said the past couple of years that it’s a leadership group. One person will wear the ‘C.’ That’s the history of the game. But it’s evolved into a group of leaders.”

Blake grew up on a farm in Ontario, never envisioning what his career would entail. He played college hockey at Bowling Green and was a fourth-round pick by Los Angeles in 1988. He came up late in the 1989-90 season after finishing his college career. His first goal as an NHL player came in the playoffs against Calgary.

Blake was a key cog for a Kings team, led by Wayne Gretzky, which lost in five games to Montreal in the 1993 Stanley Cup final. Blake replaced Gretzky as captain in Los Angeles in 1996 and was traded in February 2001 to Colorado. He had six goals and 13 assists that postseason for the Avalanche, leading them past New Jersey in seven games for championship.

He returned to Los Angeles in 2006 as a free agent and then left to join the Sharks in 2008.

Blake leaves the game 10th on the career list with 240 goals as a defenseman. He finished his career with 537 assists and 777 points. His 136 power-play goals are the third most by an NHL defenseman, trailing only Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (173) and Al MacInnis (166).

Link: http://blog.taragana.com/sports/2010/06/18/sharks-defenseman-rob-blake-retires-after-20-year-nhl-career-112828/

Scott Niedermayer retires

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Scott Niedermayer announced his retirement earlier this week:

Tribute video:

http://ducks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=532386&cmpid=rss-News%20in%20English&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Official Press conference:

http://ducks.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=651&id=72706