Jets hire Perry Pearn, sign Jim Slater and the Kings party with the Cup.

Winnipeg Jets News

Yesterday was a big day for Jets fans as they completed their first signing of the offseason. Jim Slater who became a fan favourite last season for being the centre of the “GST Line”, not to mention his hard nosed play and work in the community. His take Jim Slater to work videos were entertaining and showed that he cares about the community. Here’s my favourite Jim Slater highlight of the season.

Jim Slater is listed as 6’0″ and Tyler Myers is listed at 6’8″ and Slater lays the cleanest his you could possibly do to put the much larger defensemen on his back. It really sums up how Jim Slater plays the game of hockey.

It was announced this afternoon that the Winnipeg Jets have hired Perry Pearn as Assistant Coach.

From the official Winnipeg Jets Press Release:

“The Winnipeg Jets are pleased to announce today the hiring of Perry Pearn as Assistant Coach.

Pearn will join Head Coach Claude Noel and the rest of the Jets coaching staff which includes Charlie Huddy, Pascal Vincent, Wade Flaherty and Tony Borgford.

Pearn, 61, has been an Assistant Coach in the National Hockey League for the past 16 seasons with the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens. Most recently, Pearn spent the last three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens coaching alongside Jacques Martin. Prior to that, he spent five seasons as an Assistant Coach with the New York Rangers. He also worked as an assistant to Jacques Martin with the Ottawa Senators from 1996-2004. His NHL career got underway in 1995-96 as an assistant to Terry Simpson with the Winnipeg Jets, after serving in various capacities for almost two decades at the university level, in the Western Hockey League and with Hockey Canada.

He began his international coaching career in 1986 when he was named an Assistant Coach for Team Canada’s Under-18 team. He served as an Assistant Coach for the Canadian National Junior Team that captured gold at the 1990 and 1991 World Junior Championships. In 1993 he earned the position of Head Coach leading Canada to another gold medal at the World Junior Championships.

From 1978 to 1993, Pearn served as the Head Coach of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) of the Canadian College Athletic Association. Under his guidance, NAIT won six CCHA National Championships. Pearn was voted as CCHA Coach of the Year in 1983-84 and earned provincial Coach of the Year credits on five occasions. Before climbing to the NHL, Pearn held the head coaching position of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers during the 1993-94 season.”

Stanley Cup Parade

ESPN: What’s next for the Los Angeles Kings. What’s next? See below.

TMZ: Boozing with Little People…and Chuck Liddell. If you enjoy watching celebrities and little people party with the Cup…these pictures are must see. This is why the Stanley Cup is the number one trophy in sports, it is gigantic, it is one hundred years old, it has everyone’s name who has ever won it on the trophy, not to mention you can drink out of itthe other trophies in professional sports pale in comparison.

As far as I know, a new World Series Trophy, NBA Finals trophy and Superbowl Trophy are given to each team, there isn’t the aura around them that there is with the cup. Even non-hockey fans understand the significance of the cup (see Chuck Lidell drinking out of it, or Jay Glazer tweeting a photo last night.)

I look at the World Series trophy, it’s too delicate, the NBA and NFL trophies, too small and too bleh. I couldn’t even tell you the names of those trophies, I had to look them up! (World Series: Commissioner’s Trophy, NBA Finals: Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, Super Bowl: Vince Lombardi Trophy). (Vince Lombardi I should have known, but was too busy typing than thinking).

Player News

Montreal Gazette: Alex Kovalev would love to wear a Canadiens jersey again. I’m sure he’d love to wear any NHL jersey again. The 39 year old spent last season playing with Atlant Moscow Oblast of the KHL. This guy is the Terrell Owens of the NHL, I don’t think anyone will be offering him a contract anytime soon. Kovalev last played in the NHL during the 2010-11 season with Pittsburgh and Ottawa he scored 34 points in 74 games. I’ll always remember him for this play.

Jeremy Rutherford @JPRutherford: “The #stlblues have re-signed forward Chris Stewart to a one-year contract extension worth $3 million. Club will announce shortly.” A modest one year deal to the power forward coming off a disappointing year. A low risk deal for the Blues who hope that Stewart can return to the form he showed with Colorado in 2009-10 when he scored 64 points in 77 games.

Coaching News:

Calgary Herald: Flames to introduce Gelinas as assistant coach. The Flames coaching staff is now complete with Bob Hartley, Jacques Cloutier and Martin Gelinas. Clint Malarchuk remains as goalie coach. Gelinas previously played for the Flames from 2002-04 and played a big part in their Stanley Cup run, here’s some of Gelinas’ finest work in a Flames uniform.

The Washington Post: George McPhee; Likely no Capitals coaching announcement before draft. Hopefully their new coach can motivate Ovie back to the 50 goals per year level he was at from 2005-10 and push this team to a Stanley Cup.

 Draft News

TSN: 50 years of the NHL Draft – not every top pick is the best bet. On the list of fewest games played by a first overall pick, I found it surprising that Eric Lindros ranks 9th with 760 games, he is a borderline Hall of Famer! Says alot about the quality of the number one overall picks. Patrick Stefan has played the second fewest games of any number one overall pick. He was selected by the Thrashers in 1999, which was the beginning of the end to their franchise. Type in Patrick Stefan on YouTube, and this is the first result…ouch. (To be fair, the 1999 NHL Entry Draft was a very weak draft, I always enjoy going on Wikipedia and looking at old NHL Drafts, a very fun activity if you have some time on your hands.)

Sportsnet.ca: Blue Jackets GM willing to move No. 2 pick. Scott Howson is on the hot seat this season to get the Blue Jackets into the playoffs, if someone is going to make you an offer, might as well give them the time of day…unless it’s that person in your fantasy league who keeps offering two bad players for an All-Star, then you ignore that guy.