Nightly Hockey Hits

Nightly Hockey Hits: Gretzky was almost a Whaler, Paul Kelly heads to College, Habs/Wild make a trade, K.H.L. clubs balk at joining revived Champions League, Would the Ducks actually trade Bobby Ryan?

Blues penalty kill getting it done; Canucks’ varied jerseys; Marc Savard returns for B’s; Importance of rest for goalies; Value of a shootout specialist; Making a difference through hockey; Joe Thornton and Team Canada. These stories and video of a possible goal of the year after the jump.

by
David Minuk
November 23, 2009

Here is the word from the blogs:

Snapshots: Wings fuzzy attendance math? I’ve been to a couple of games this season and they seemed pretty full to me.
Morning Skate: Penalty killing is big reason for Blues success. Helps that they have gotten healthy again.
Nucks Misconduct: Why the Canucks’ varied jersey history is an appropriate symbol of Vancouver. I always liked the old school ones and it seems Nucks fans also like the Original best.
Habs Inside/Out: Latendresse dealt to Wild. Looks like it was time for a change in scenery.
Hub Hockey: Marc Savard returns tonight. Mike is right. The pieces are all in place and its time for the B’s to show their stuff.
Puck Daddy: Would the Ducks actually trade Bobby Ryan? I can think of a dozen teams that would be happy to have his services.
The Goalie Guild: Rest is a weapon. Interesting analysis on why Nabokov can play so many games.
Greatest Hockey Legends: Gretzky was almost a Whaler. I always knew that both Winnipeg and Edmonton were vying for his services but didn’t know the New England Whalers were in the mix as well.
NHL Fanhouse: The Value of a Shootout specialist. A good arguments why it would seem to be a necessity in the new NHL.
In the Room: Making a difference through hockey. Always nice to read these types of stories about former hockey players and others using hockey to make a difference.
Slap Shot: K.H.L. clubs balk at joining revived Champions League. Oh those tricky Russians.
T.O. Sports: Team Canada needs Joe Thornton. I think he has to be on the team.
The Hockey News: League must come down hard on ‘nice’ Laraque. I like Laraque but I agree that there is no place in the league for those types of dirty plays. But at least it will give him more time for commercials.
Elliotte Friedman Blog: Hawks soaring, Flames’ unrest and 30 thoughts. Always interesting stuff. Caps/Rangers playing at Yankee Stadium in 2011?
College Hockey News: Paul Kelly to be named the first Executive Director of College Hockey, Inc. Makes me think of Rodney Dangerfield in “Back to School”. It would appear to be an exciting opportunity and he won’t likely be the target of another blindside attack.