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NHL Morning Papers

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition): Does ‘C’ stand for Crosby, NHLPA boss Paul Kelly might be in the hot seat, Jason Allison is making a comeback with the Leafs and the NHL plays hardball with the City of Glendale!

The morning papers are full of Team Canada stories this morning. Everything from whether the ‘C’ stands for Crosby, to Martin St. Louis stock still being high, how long shot Dan Cleary has been in this position before, Shane Doan deals with Déjà Vu, the atmosphere at the Saddledome was pumping as the sold-out crowd rocked the building and much more.

NHLPA boss Paul Kelly may be facing a challenge, St. Louis Blue Eric Brewer goes back under knife, Leafs to give Jason Allison another chance & the new goaltending coach is a guru, Oilers owner buys land downtown, Peter Forsberg is getting that itch again, Alex Kovalev is still thinking about Montreal, Hockeyfest in Detroit signals cheap tickets on sale, and the Devils are planning a retro night versus the Penguins.

Finally the Phoenix situation gets interesting as the NHL shows some tough love to the city of Glendale, threatening to sell the team to someone who will move them, if they aren’t willing to re-negotiate the lease. As well the NHL should look at what happened when other leagues took over ownership of teams. Also the role of who is the proper authority to determine team ownership from a legal point of view is examined.

Team Canada:

  • Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail asks if the ‘C’ stands for Crosby.
  • Looks like his promotion wasn’t a fluke as Eric Duhatscheck tells us that Martin St. Louis stock is still quite high despite his struggles.
  • It almost seems like a given, but we shouldn’t forget that the goalies were auditioning as well but no surprise, the level of play was stellar.
  • One of the hardest working Red Wings, Dan Cleary is seen as a long shot to make the team but he is well accustomed to facing long odds in order to achieve success.
  • You have to feel bad for Shane Doan.  This is the 2nd time in his career that he could possibly be moved from a city he has grown accustomed to and it appears that he is struggling to cope with this uncertainty.
  • Once a player puts on that Team Canada jersey, it doesn’t matter what your feelings were during the regular season, as you now put aside those differences, to play for your country.
  • Rachel Brady of CTV tells us that the atmosphere at the Saddledome was electric as the Red and White squads duked it out for supremacy.  In the end however, Team Red took the victory over Team White in a shootout.
  • As with all the Olympic rosters, health of the players will be a huge factor in who ultimately makes Team Canada.
  • They know what the expectations are, now it’s up to Canada’s Olympic hockey hopefuls to prove they deserve to play at the 2010 Winter Games.
  • Steve Yzerman now has the un-enviable task of selecting Team Canada and a fast starts to the NHL season might be the difference between an invite and watching the Olympics from home.
  • The guy who knows he has a guaranteed roster spot, Coach Mike Babcock, discusses what a fantastic experience it was to be at Team Canada camp.

NHL:

  • Looks like the St. Louis Blues are going to have to start the season without the services of Eric Brewer who went back under the knife.
  • The Leafs are adding some Veteran talent themselves as they give Jason Allison another chance to prove he can still play in the NHL after a three year absence.
  • Apparently the Leafs new goaltending coach is some sort of guru, or at least that is what Brian Burke believes.
  • Despite an overwhelming number of Edmontonians not wanting to publically fund a new arena, Oilers owner Darryl Katz purchased land downtown.
  • The role of NHLPA executive director isn’t as stable as it once was under Bob Goodenow as the rumours are circulating that current boss Paul Kelly may face a challenge.
  • Is Peter Forsberg feeling the itch?  He was back on the ice playing with Modo of the Swedish Elite league and he said that his foot wasn’t giving him any problems. 
  • Sticking with the Avalanche, it appears that Burnaby Joe isn’t pulling a Favre/Sundin as he apparently isn’t regretting his decision to retire.
  • Speaking of players who appear to have regrets, it appears that while some people leave their hearts in San Fransisco, Alex Kovalev may have left his heart in Montreal.
  • If you are looking for cheap Wings tickets, then you should head down to the box office as single game tickets go on sale today, for as low as $9.  This coincides with the launch of Hockeyfest.
  • Sometimes a little time away can be a good thing and Jason Williams is hoping his second kick at the can with the Wings will be more successful.
  • If you’re a fan of retro jerseys, then you should mark down March 17th, 2010 on your calendar, as the New Jersey Devils will be kicking it old school as they rock the original red, green and white jerseys in a game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Phoenix Coyotes:

  • Looks like the NHL is already planning to play hardball with the City of Glendale in a bid to re-negotiate the lease saying that if same doesn’t occur, they might have to look to move the team.
  • Does the NHL really want to become an owner of one of it’s teams?  Perhaps it should look at the history of other sports leagues before it does so.
  • If you cannot get enough of the law, over at Law.com they discuss the issue of who should decide who can own an NHL team, the NHL or a bankruptcy Court Judge.  
  • But dissecting the bids won’t be such an easy task for Judge Baum.

Minors & College:

  • Former NHL forward Mike Foligno is staying on with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves as GM but will relinquish his head coaching duties.
  • The two goaltenders remaining in the battle for the Red Deer Rebels back-up position both have the potential to block rubber at the major junior level.
  • Despite the fact that the recently reformed IHL has struggled, it appears that they might be moving in the right direction with the naming of a new Commissioner.
  • The OHL rookies are set to get underway and David Broll isn’t the Erie Otters #1 pick anymore, now he is just another player who is trying to make the team.
  • Fresh off one the Yale men’s hockey team’s most successful seasons ever, five Bulldogs got a taste of what it is like to compete at the highest level during the summer break.

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