NHL Draft:
- The New York Islanders kept everyone guessing, including John Tavares himself, right up until they made the high-scoring center the No. 1 pick.
- John Moore was drafted 21st overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The next question is: Where will Moore play next season — Columbus, Kitchener, Ontario or Colorado Springs?
- A framed, autographed jersey of his boyhood idol, Joe Sakic, hangs in his basement. Matt Duchene wiled away time as a little kid by sketching logos of his favorite team, the Avalanche.
- The Maple Leafs last night revealed they are lobbying to bring the NHL entry draft back to Toronto in the near future. And in making that announcement, general manager Brian Burke took a stinging shot at the loyal Montreal Canadiens faithful.
- Evander Kane became the highest drafted black player in draft history.
- GM Lombardi decides to stay put with fifth pick, which is used to take 17-year-old center. Kings general manager Dean Lombardi got his player and a chance to make a competitor squirm.
- In a National Hockey League entry draft that was pegged as relatively even between, say, the 20th and 50th picks, Landon Ferraro was a victim of that volatile environment.
- Rangers pick Chris Kreider was on skates by the time he was 3 and as long as he can remember, he always liked going fast.
- Don Maloney figures the ball is in his court now. The Phoenix Coyotes GM continued to conduct business as usual during the first round of the entry draft.
- The St. Louis Blues selected a defenseman in the first round of the NHL draft for the third time in four years.
- The first salvo has been fired in the new chapter of the Battle of Ontario.
- Bryan Murray wanted to have the Dany Heatley situation settled by the end of the first round of the NHL entry draft. It didn’t happen.
- As far as the Carolina Hurricanes were concerned, Friday’s first round of the NHL draft was about the dog that didn’t bark.
- The Wild garnered some local flavor, and favor, when it landed reigning Mr. Hockey Nick Leddy. Minnesotan Jordan Schroeder’s fall finally stopped at 22nd when the Vancouver Canucks took the Gophers forward.
- Penguins go for defense first when they selected Simon Despres, who was widely regarded as one of the best defenseman available.
- The New Jersey Devils continued their habit of making draft-day deals and selected Swedish center Jacob Josefson
- The Predators chose to bolster an already deep crop of prospect defensemen by selecting blueliner Ryan Ellis with the 11th overall pick Friday.
- Deciding against moving up or down, the Panthers chose 18-year-old Russian defenseman Dmitry Kulikov with the 14th overall pick.
- With the present already pretty bright, the Blackhawks took a step toward ensuring the future is as well.
- First round analysis by TSN.
- There will still be a number of very skilled players available when the NHL Entry Draft resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.
Trade Rumors:
- For the first time in years, the Panthers didn’t make a blockbuster deal at the NHL Draft.
- As last night’s NHL draft approached, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was still working the phones to pull off some sort of deal, whether major or minor.
Everything Else:
- Joe Sakic has made up his mind what he’ll do next season. But whether the Avalanche captain has decided to retire or play a 21st NHL season remains a mystery.
- Chris Pronger is gone, Scott Niedermayer and Joffrey Lupul are back, and the Ducks’ two first-round selections in the NHL draft were but a minor footnote Friday for the busiest team in the league. Paul Holmgren hopes the addition is significant enough to alter the balance of power in the Eastern Conference.
- A group led by Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf made an offer Friday to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes for $148 million and keep the team in Arizona. A conservative watchdog group is suing the city of Glendale after being denied records of negotiations between the city and any potential new owner of the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes. Wayne Gretzky is being rubbed face-first against the glass; his character and allegiances called into question by those who want a seventh NHL franchise in Canada and believe it is the Great One’s obligation to make it so.
- Sources tell TSN Scott Niedermayer has informed the Anaheim Ducks he intends to play next season.
- Like it or not, the 2009-10 edition of the Sabres will look remarkably similar to the team that teased early last season, collapsed down the stretch and ultimately finished in 10th place again.
- As he’s done at NHL games for more than 20 years, Claude Lemieux put his hand on his heart Friday as he listened to the Star Spangled Banner. But this time, Lemieux did it as an American citizen.
Minor Hockey:
- The Stockton Thunder, the proud ECHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League and Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, has been named the recipient of the ECHL’s “Award of Excellence” at the recent league-wide meetings in Las Vegas.
