Saturday Morning NHL Papers (General & Olympic news): Naslund wants Forsberg to play in Sweden, a rebuttal to Don Cherry, NHL’s shouldn’t be smug about pounding Balsillie, 10 yr old hits ice with Great One.

General NHL & Olympic news:

• The NHL will hit the quarter mark this week and what an unpredictable first few weeks it has been both in terms of teams that have excelled and those that have not met expectations.
• In his weekly compilation of hockey news, notes and quotes, Eric Duhatschek writes that the KHL continues to face an uphill battle in attracting marquee players.
• Markus Naslund believes his long-time friend Peter Forsberg will continue his hockey career this season and should play for their hometown club in Sweden, Modo.
  
• At least one topic for today’s barstool arguments has hardcore Canadian fans casting a look ahead, to Dec. 31, when Team Canada’s executive director Steve Yzerman will reveal the 2010 Olympic men’s hockey roster. 
• The Pacific Northwest had a close brush with the 2002 Winter Olympics, held in Salt Lake City and this time the Winter Games of 2010 will be even closer.
• More than 100,000 tickets for the 2010 Olympics are back on sale following a computer error that left would-be buyers frustrated last week.
• Nearing her 39th birthday Cassie Campbell admits she wishes she could still lace up to help Canada at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver – especially after wearing the ‘C’ for Canada in gold medal triumphs in 2002 in Salt Lake City and in 2006 in Turin, Italy.
• Don Cherry has been talkin’ smack about a couple of “good, ol’ Canadian boys” who love the Maple Leafs and they offer a rebuttel for his critique.
  
• Remember this when you’re shivering your way into Regina’s Brandt Centre or Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre to watch a game in the International Ice Hockey Federation 2010 World Junior Hockey Champsionship:It’s a dry cold.
• Hockey fans in Mississauga are being treated to an appearance from NHL legends this weekend at the International Centre in Mississauga.
• The NHL’s vice-president of operations Mike Murphy, revealed Friday he has cancer but he said “If I’m blessed, I will be cancer-free come playoff time”.
• Whatever smugness the NHL may feel about pounding Jim Balsillie into submission this summer is sure to be short-lived.
• A 10-year-old Whitehorse boy will be living his dream by hitting the ice with hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.