2008-09 third jersey alert!

For goobers like me who live for stuff like this, read this.

(Thanks to STATS' Nick DiBennedetto and Jon "Markakis" Palmieri for passing this on!)

Just one simple request

So, I'm sitting here watching the Cubs get ready to play the Marlins, and a woman named Tiffany Turner was on field to sing "God Bless America," and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

During her rendition, she utters the following: "...to the oceans, white with hope ..."

Hope? Try foam.

I have an idea for all these American Idol-wanna-bes - instead of trying to sound like you're angling for a recording contract, learn the words. It's not that difficult.

Report: Islanders talking with Tortorella

The piercing eyes. The steely glare. The look of a man who is one step from getting atop a bell tower to start shooting could be headed to the Nassau Coliseum.

Newsday reported Friday that the New York Islanders are talking with John Tortorella about their head coaching vacancy.

With a change in ownership in Tampa, Tortorella was recently replaced after seven seasons by former ESPN talking head Barry Melrose.

According to Newsday, Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier said the young kids on the team weren't responding to Tortorella's methods. With top overall draft pick Steve Stamkos joining the team, the Lightning thought it best to make a switch at this point.

That, and the fact they finished last in the Eastern Conference.

To say Tortorella is intense is not a stretch. Granted, he brought a Stanley Cup to Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2004, but demands perfection at all times.

Cue STATS’ Chris Altruda after another bad Lightning loss: “I’m tired of the whining,” with a deep drag on a Lucky.

So just wait until Rick DiPietro gives up that bad goal with overtime winding down, long-term, high-dollar contract be damned.

Newsday also reported the Islanders are considering former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice and Bob Hartley, formerly of the Atlanta Thrashers to replace Ted Nolan.

Three to see in 2008-09

It seems like just yesterday that the Detroit Red Wings were lifting their fourth Stanley Cup since 1997.

They’ll be defending it soon enough.

The NHL this week released its 2008-09 schedule, a 1,230-game slate with a new matrix which allows for more non-conference play. Each team will now play six games against division foes, four games against non-division teams in its conference, and 18 games against non-conference teams.

That means I won’t have to wait years to see the New York Rangers at the United Center.

Now, here are three games to watch in 2008-09 …

Jan. 1 – Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks: After the success of last season’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, in which more than 71,000 jammed Ralph Wilson Stadium, the league now focuses an outdoor tilt on two Original Six teams.

Playing this game in one of Major League Baseball’s most storied parks is just an added bonus.

Sure, the Red Wings are the defending champions. Yes, they have been one of the NHL’s elite teams for more than a decade now. But, great things are expected from the Blackhawks this season with reigning Calder Trophy winner Patrick Kane and new captain Jonathan Toews, and newcomers Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet.

New Years Day. Wind off the lake. Maybe some snow. This matchup looks like it will beat last season’s.

Nov. 11 – Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings: Even though they lost in the Stanley Cup finals last season, I’m sure the Penguins expected Marian Hossa to be around to one day help them bring a championship back to Pittsburgh.

He had other plans.

After spurning a long-term deal with the Penguins, Hossa will face his former team as a member of the Red Wings.

Roughly four months after acquiring him from the Atlanta Thrashers in a deadline-day deal Hossa turned his back on a reported five-year contract worth $35 million. He signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings, telling The Associated Press that they seemed to be a better fit for his goals.

"It was a really tough decision for me to make," Hossa said. "When I compared the two teams, I felt like I would have a little better of a chance to win the Cup in Detroit."

Considering the Penguins are loaded with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, that's one ballsy statement from a player who until last postseason was hardly a go-to guy on offense during the playoffs. From 2002-07, Hossa had 12 goals and 19 assists in 41 postseason games with the Ottawa Senators and Atlanta.

He was five assists shy of matching that total in 20 playoff games during the Pens' Cup run this past spring.

Hossa's altruistic bent toward his new team also could pay off down the road. This deal frees up valuable salary-cap space the Wings can use to try and sign stars Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen.

Needless to say, Hossa is persona non grata in Steeltown.

"To me, Marian Hossa is not here," Penguins general manager Ray Shero told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I'm focused on the guys we've got coming back."

Oct. 22 – Dallas Stars vs. New Jersey Devils: Sean Avery? Meet Martin Brodeur.

This is, simply without question, the best player-versus-player feud going today.

"We're not friends," Avery once said of Brodeur. "It's not a (expletive) secret."

Not friends. Not drinking buds. Nothing.

During last season playoffs, Avery - then a noted pain in the ass with the Rangers - did everything he could to get under Brodeur's skin, even bringing up the goalie's 2003 divorce.

In April, Brodeur told The Record of Hackensack (N.J.) that Avery's shtick was getting old.

"I heard everything throughout the 2003 playoffs," he said. "The fans had signs and this and that. It's funny, the lack of new material. I told [Avery], 'It's been five years. Find something else.'"

And then there was this, which made even fanboy highlight show.



With that display, NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell instituted what will always be known as the Avery Rule: "An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play."

Needless to say, Avery and Brodeur won't be meeting for tea anytime soon.



Though Avery was a sparkplug, the Rangers were tired of his antics, and let him walk away in free agency after 14 months in New York.

The Stars didn't wait, they pounced by signing Avery to a four-year, $15.5 million contract. Undersized at 5-foot-9, Avery had 15 goals, 33 points and was second on New York with 154 penalty minutes last season. He joins Steve Ott and Brenden Morrow to form a trio that is going to annoy, annoy and annoy some more.

Blackhawks to retire No. 3

Make room in the rafters at the United Center.

Sometime this season, the Chicago Blackhawks will retire No. 3 for Hall of Famer Pierre Pilote and the late Keith Magnuson.

The announcement was made Friday during the opening of the first Blackhawks Convention.

"In keeping consistent with honoring our past greats, the Blackhawks are proud to announce that we will be retiring the number three for two wonderful gentlemen," team president John McDonough said in a press release. "The number three hanging in their honor will be a continuing memory to our fans and players on what it means to be a distinguished member of the Blackhawks family."

Pilote played in the Windy City from 1955-68, and was a member of the Blackhawks’ most recent Stanley Cup championship team in 1961. He was a three-time Norris Trophy winner, a five-time All-Star, and captained the club from 1961-68.

He’s second on the ‘Hawks all-time list among defensemen with 400 assists, and fourth with 477 points. Thirty-seven years ago, Pilote led Chicago with 12 assists and 15 points during their last Cup run.

Magnuson was the quintessential tough guy of his era, racking up 1,442 penalty minutes in 589 games with Chicago from 1969-80, serving the final three seasons as captain. He also was the team’s head coach in 1980-81, leading them to a second-place finish in the Smythe Division.

Magnuson died in 2003 at 56 in Ontario returning from a funeral after a car driven by former NHL blueliner Rob Ramage plowed into another vehicle. Ramage’s blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit, and he was sentenced in January to four years in prison.

The No. 3 will be the sixth retired by the Blackhawks, joining those worn by Glenn Hall (1), Bobby Hull (9), current head coach Denis Savard (18), Stan Mikita (21) and Tony Esposito (35).

10,000 hits ... and counting

Thanks to my readers for helping me reach 10,000 hits!

Islanders' Nolan out as coach

Citing philosophical differences, the New York Islanders on Monday announced that coach Ted Nolan would not return for the 2008-09 season.

Nolan had one season remaining on his contract.

"Ted has helped us achieve some success over the last two seasons, however it has become clear that we have philosophical differences and have decided together to part ways," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "Since last season and continuing into the summer, I have realized we do not share the same philosophies. I would like to thank Ted for his two years with the team and wish him the best.

"I have a list of several qualified candidates. After a thorough process, we will hire the very best coach to lead the Islanders on the ice."

Added Nolan: "While I am disappointed I will not be coaching the Islanders next season, there have been philosophical differences and we’ve agreed it’s a good time for me to move on. I want to thank the Islanders organization for giving me a chance to coach in the NHL again.

"I have tremendous respect for what the team is trying to do and I wish them well."

Nolan, who coached the Buffalo Sabres from 1995-97, went 75-68-21 in two seasons on Long Island.

Fear the pig

What is it about minor league hockey teams and all things porcine?

The IceHogs are the top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Chops - I really want to meet the marketing guru behind that - are the new AHL team for the Anaheim Ducks.

Former Senators goaltender Emery headed to Russia

Ray Emery’s hopes of continuing his career in the National Hockey League are on hold.

TSN is reporting the former Ottawa Senators goaltender has agreed to a one-year deal with Atlant Mytishchi of the new Russian Continental Hockey League.
The deal is reportedly worth at least $2 million plus bonuses.

"Unfortunately, it's only been a short time since the buyout and there isn't anybody willing to give (Emery) a second chance at this time," said Emery's agent J.P. Barry to the Sun Media. "I think if people knew the things that he's done over the last little while to turn the corner, there might be more interest out there.

According to Barry, Emery had hoped to play in the NHL next season, but received just three calls. I’m guessing the Los Angeles Kings had to be one.

Emery hopes this is a stopgap in his NHL career. Last season, he lost his starting job to Martin Gerber, and a series of off-ice antics prompted the Senators to buy out Emery’s contract.

Less than a year ago and coming off a 33-win season, Emery signed a three-year, $9.5 million contract with Ottawa after helping lead it to the Stanley Cup finals. The Senators were beaten in five games by the Anaheim Ducks.

“He's a talented goalie who wants to play," Barry said of Emery, who finished 2007-08 with a 12-13-4 record.

Flames take chance on Bertuzzi

You knew someone was going to take a chance that Todd Bertuzzi had something left in the tank. It should be no surprise that Mike Keenan would be the one to bite.

The Calgary Flames on Monday signed Bertuzzi to a one-year deal worth $1.95 million. That came on the same day they lost Owen Nolan, who signed for two years and $5.5 million with the Minnesota Wild.

"Todd is a proven scorer with the ability to play both wings," Flames GM Darryl Sutter said in a statement. "He expressed to us that he wanted to play in Canada and that desire along with signing him to a one year deal was important to our philosophy.

"He wanted to play on a good team and it fit our money. Additionally, our captain, Jarome Iginla, was a strong supporter of Todd and wanted him on our team."

Bertuzzi signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Anaheim Ducks on July 2, 2007, despite being limited to 15 games with the Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers the previous season.

He missed 14 games early in the season due to a concussion, but didn't miss any more time after that, and finished with 14 goals and 26 assists in 68 games. The Ducks bought out Bertuzzi on June 28, making him an unrestricted free agent.

For comparison, Nolan played 77 games with the Flames last season, and put up 16 goals and 16 assists.

Bertuzzi had his best season in 2002-03 he tallied 46 goals, 51 assists and was named a first-team All-Star. In March 2004, he was suspended for the final 13 regular-season games and the playoffs for deliberately injuring and ending the career of Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche.

The ban extended through the 2004-05 lockout, and prevented Bertuzzi from playing in Europe.

Moore suffered a broken neck among other injuries, and has never played again.

Report: Wrigley Field to host Blackhawks-Red Wings

According to a published report from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Chicago Blackhawks will meet the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings on New Year’s Day at Wrigley Field.

Citing an NHL source, the Star-Tribune reported an announcement is expected next week before the inaugural "Blackhawks Convention" at the Chicago Hilton.

On New Year's Day, the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout in front of an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in New York.

Is it too early for me start hunting for tickets? A CBC article in September stated more than 42,000 tickets were snapped up in less than 30 minutes for that tilt.

The 30-year foul ball

Anniversary time - 30 years (!) ago tonight, I caught a foul ball on the fly at Shea Stadium.

10:22 p.m., seventh inning, Mets vs. Phillies. Dale Murray pitching to Garry Maddox. I was sitting in field box 65K with my father, and Maddox hits a foul ball.

Keep in mind that at 13, I was pushing around 250-260. Somehow, I stood up on the seat as my father ducked behind me, and got my gloved hand up through the sea of other arms. Attendance that night, 8,667

I think the ball is still somewhere in my trunk.

The annual New York Rangers makeover

Another offseason, another roster turnover for the New York Rangers.

With the free agent and trade markets now looking like the meat counter at your local Costco before closing time, Rangers general manager Glen Sather hopes these latest moves will get them past the second round in 2008-09.

“If you can’t get by the first round it’s time to make some changes,” he said on Thursday. “We felt that watching Pittsburgh and Detroit and some of these other teams that were being a little more offensive, a little more explosive, that we had to make some changes.

“We felt it was time to make some changes, and we made them.”

Last summer, New York made some of the biggest offseason moves by luring Chris Drury away from the Buffalo Sabres and Scott Gomez from the New Jersey Devils.

On Tuesday, New York started it's latest makeover with a head-scratcher by giving Ottawa Senators defenseman Wade Redden a six-year, $39 million contract and retained Michal Rozsival (4 years, $20 million) to be their top pairing on the blueline.

“In our opinion he’s the best first-passer in the game,” Sather said of Redden. “He moves the puck up exceptionally. He’s somebody that we had targeted immediately. He was our No. 1 guy on defense, as well as Rozsival.

“We wanted to get them both signed, and we did. We’re quite happy that we’ve got them. We think that’s going to help us move the puck to the forwards as well as anybody in the league.”

Sather should know this: Redden and Rozsival were tied for 21st in scoring among defensemen last season with 38 points.

Then came the Wednesday night fleecing, as New York acquired talented but enigmatic forward Nikolai Zherdev and young defenseman Dan Fritsche from the Columbus Blue Jackets for defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman.

Zherdev was picked fourth overall in the 2003 NHL draft behind Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Staal and Nathan Horton. The 23-year-old Russian set career highs last season with 35 goals and 61 points, but even though he has the ability to make dazzling highlight plays, he was distant with teammates and management and probably needed a change of scenery. I imagine he clashed with noted taskmaster and head coach Ken Hitchcock.

Does Zherdev sound familiar? If it were 15 years ago, this guy would be named Alexei Kovalev.

"Nik's going to play with some terrific players in New York, and I expect Nik to have a great year there," Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson told the Columbus Dispatch. "He might get to the 25- or 30-goal mark, or, who knows, he could hit 35 or 40."

Fritsche, also 23, led Columbus' defensemen with 10 goals including four game-winners.

Tyutin was considered one of the Rangers' most talented prospects coming up, but never seemed to fulfill expectations in four seasons. Backman did little in 18 games with the Blueshirts after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues just before the trading deadline.

"This was value for value. We'll be judged on how well our team does, and that's how it should be," Howson said.

On Thursday, the Rangers welcomed Markus Naslund into the fold, signing the former Vancouver Canucks captain for two years and $8 million.

Naslund’s scoring numbers have dipped recently. He's gone from a career-best 48 goals and 104 points in 2002-03 to 25 goals and 55 points last season.

Still, he seemed more than happy to set up shop on Seventh Avenue.

“Since July 1, my eyes have been set on the Rangers. It ended up taking a little bit longer but I’m very pleased that I’m a Ranger now,” Naslund said on a conference call from Sweden. “I want to feel that I play on a level where I know I can play. I want to play better hockey than I have the past few years. That’s why I’m looking at this as a challenge for me to prove that.”

The addition of Naslund also finally meant the end of Jaromir Jagr's four years in New York, and possibly the future Hall of Famer's NHL career after 17 seasons

On Friday, Jagr's agent Pat Brisson confirmed Jagr signed a two-year contract with Russia's Avangard Omsk of the new Continental Hockey League over in the motherland. Jagr later left no doubt.

“It was the toughest decision in my life, hockeywise. … No question about it. I hate making changes,” Jagr told The Canadian Press. Pittsburgh, the Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers are were believed to have one-year offers to the fifth overall pick in the 1990 draft.

“It was a very difficult but personal decision to make in light of the many NHL teams interested in his services,” Brisson told The Associated Press. “He is grateful to the NHL and especially the Rangers in recent years.”

If it is indeed the end of the line, Jagr falls one point short of 1,600 for his career. He also had 77 goals and 104 assists in 169 playoff games, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups in the early '90s.

The Rangers made three moves that didn't get a whole lot of play, adding Aaron Voros from the Minnesota Wild, Patrick Rissmiller from the San Jose Sharks and Dmitri Kalinin from the Sabres.

Voros will provide toughness - the 6-foot-4 forward had 141 penalty minutes in 55 games as a rookie with the Wild last season. Rissmiller, also 6-4, had a career high eight goals with the Sharks in 2007-08. Kalinin, entering his ninth season, is a 6-foot-3 defenseman who seems fragile: He was out 23 games with a strained knee early last season, and sat out another 12 with a shoulder injury in March.

Some of the moves leave me puzzled. Is Redden worth $6.5 million a season? Sather considers Redden one of the best passing defensemen in the game, but he's never had more than 40 assists in any of his 12 seasons. Wouldn't Brooks Orpik - a younger, hard-hitting defenseman who got $22.5 million from the Penguins - a sounder choice in a physical Atlantic division?

Is a 35-year-old Naslund making $4 million a season better than a 36-year-old Jagr? It depends how the chemistry between Naslund develops with Gomez, Drury and Brandon Dubinsky.

And what of Mats Sundin? As of Friday afternoon, Sundin, 37, is still available and weighing a two-year, $20 million offer from the Canucks, but the Rangers and Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings appear to be in the mix.

Stars get a little more testy with Avery

Say this much for the Dallas Stars, they're going to be one of the most, annoying, agitating, in-your-face teams in the NHL next season.

On Wednesday during the second day of free-agency, Dallas signed noted pest Sean Avery to a four-year contract worth $15.5 million. The 5-foot-9 Avery had 15 goals, 33 points and was second on the New York Rangers with 154 penalty minutes last season.

"We are excited about the opportunity to add a player like Sean Avery to our group," said Stars co-general manager Brett Hull, a former teammate of Avery's with the Detroit Red Wings. "His ability to play the game with skill and tenacity makes us a better team and is a great complement to the players we have here."

No doubt Hull - a bit of an agitator in his playing days - was likening Avery to Steve Ott, an undersized center who led the Stars with 147 PIM in 2007-08.

One player who will not be sorry to see Avery head back to the Western Conference is New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur. Though Avery spent just 14 months with the Rangers after coming over in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings, he still managed to forge a special relationship with the future Hall of Famer.

Check out the footage:



After this display in Game 3 of their playoff series, NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell instituted what will always be known as the Avery Rule: "An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play."

A critic of Avery's antics was Marty Turco, now a teammate with Dallas.

"Hopefully, guys understand the integrity of the sport. That's just something you don't do. It's kind of bush league. Hopefully it's the last we see of it."

I will say this about Avery - he's a latter-day Esa Tikkanen or Ulf Samuelsson. Avery is a pain in the ass, someone who knows just the right buttons to push (Georges Laraque, line one please).

You hate him when he's playing elsewhere, but love him when he's skating for your team.

Windy City windfall

July 1. Let the dealing begin.

And the Chicago Blackhawks dove in feet first.

The NHL's free agency period officially got under way today, and there were some surprises - Jose Theodore to Washington? Erik Cole leaving Carolina for Edmonton's Joni Pitkanen? Wondering which team will overpay for Mats Sundin?

And then there was this: The Blackhawks signed goaltender Cristobal Huet. And later in the day, they announced Brian Campbell - one of the league's top offensive defensemen last season - is leaving the San Jose Sharks to join the 'Hawks.

Seems they're really serious about ending that playoff drought in Chicago.

Last season, Huet was 21-12-6 with a 2.55 goals-against average in 39 games with the Montreal Canadiens, who dealt Huet to Washington at the trading deadline in order to hand the starting job to highly-touted Carey Price.

With the Caps, Huet went 11-2-0 with a 1.63 GAA, helping them to the Southeast title. Not bad considering Washington was one of the worst teams in the NHL at the start of last season, and fired Glen Hanlon at Thanksgiving for AHL coach Bruce Boudreau.

Huet was 3-4 with a 2.93 GAA in the postseason for the Caps, who lost in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals to the lower-seeded Philadelphia Flyers.

Huet wore No. 38 with the Capitals after donning No. 39 with the Canadiens. In Chicago, Nikolai Khabibulin wears 39, but perhaps not much longer. With Huet on board and Corey Crawford and Finnish netminder Antti "Fear The" Niemi (nod to STATS' Jeff Mezydlo) up in Rockford, it would stand to reason that the 'Bulin Wall's days in the Midwest are numbered.

The issue is Khabibulin is due $6.75 million this season, the last of a four-year, $27 million contract. he was 23-20-6 with a 2.63 GAA, but 9-14-2 with a 3.80 GAA when allowing at least three goals.

Heading into his 13th season, Khabibulin's best days as a starter may be behind him at 35. I just don't see too many teams willing to pay nearly $7 million for a backup.

With Campbell, the Blackhawks' defense - already strong with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Brent Sopel - has just gotten better. Campbell was dealt to San Jose by the Buffalo Sabres at the trading deadline for underachieving Steve Bernier and a draft pick.

Campbell finished tied with Montreal's Mark Streit for third in the league with 62 points, trailing Sergei Gonchar of the Pittsburgh Penguins and six-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom of the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.

And this is only the first day of free agency. Let's see what unfolds.

Some random thoughts ... Curtis Joseph back to the Toronto Maple Leafs as Vesa Toskala's backup? Do they still make Geritol, and can it be bought at Tim Horton's? ... Gurnee, Ill.-based blogstatician Chris Altruda e-mailed to ask in what bizarro universe Bryce Salvador - eight season, 63 points, 424 penalty minutes - is worth $2.9 million PER FUCKING YEAR?!?!?! (yes, that's verbatim) ... How long before Colorado Avalanche fans turn on Andrew Raycroft. I say they start booing the second coming of Jim Carey around Thanksgiving. ... With Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back with the New Jersey Devils, can Pat Burns be coming back behind the bench?