Note: As September rolls around and all this week we wanted to bring to your attention the Pass it Forward program which provides help to youth in Winnipeg who wish to play hockey but require aid in getting the necessary equipment. The program is in it’s 4th year, they have a brand new website, an active twitter feed @PassItForwardca, and they are giving away a team-signed picture of last season’s opening faceoff. Be sure to check it out.
Jets news:
Winnipeg Free Press: Eager to do some damage with the Jets, Ponikarovsky has been around. From the way he spoke yesterday at the IcePlex (You can listen to full interview here), it sounds like he really enjoyed playing with Kyle Wellwood and Nik Antropov back in the Leafs days. Perhaps we can see a renewal of that old chemistry.
Winnipeg Sun: Jets sign Machacek; no word on Kane. Good attitude from the kid who took the Jets by storm at the end of last season. Should be interesting to see what he is able to do this year.
Brandon Sun: Plante plans for St. John’s. (Registration required). Adding some depth for the Jets farm club.
CBA news:
ESPN: NHL to meet NHLPA. Is this supposed to be a halleluiah moment? While I am generally a glass half full type, it just appears to be too little too late for either side to get something done before the 15th.
Montreal Gazette: Hockey fans hoping to get message heard. The video produced by Janne Makkonen definitely has caught some attention but sadly the collective bargaining process cannot be impacted by sentiment.
CTV News: Gretzky, Orr muse about potential NHL lockout. Two of the greatest players to ever play the game offer their insight. Aside from seeing this as hockey players both offer an interesting perspective, Gretzky as a former owner and Orr as a player agent.
Globe and Mail: Duhatschek and Mirtle take your NHL lockout questions. Both writers will be live Wednesday at 2 p.m. to take your questions on the NHL labour negotiations and what lies ahead if the players are officially locked out by owners on Saturday.
ESPN: Don’t blame Gary Bettman for lockout. Burnside is right. You cannot treat Bettman like some sort of boogeyman, as if all the evils/ills that impact hockey and fans are his fault. Believe me, if he wasn’t performing to the satisfaction of the owners, he would no longer be leading the show.
Sportsnet: KHL to NHLers – Only ‘top-rated talent’ welcome. Makes sense from the KHLs point of view. Why allow your league to be overrun by guys who are just looking to play there temporarily. However the KHL will take the top level talent, even on a short term basis.
NHL news:
The Province: Shane Doan signs with…. nobody yet. Supposedly the deal is done in Phoenix but Doan still hasn’t signed, which indicates that perhaps the deal isn’t quite finished.
Globe and Mail: Seguin deal at odds with owners’ plea of poverty. It is why many players are rushing to sign deals as the prospect of changes to the CBA could put these lucrative deals in jeopardy. Hopefully with all that new loot, Seguin will be able to afford an alarm clock that can distinguish between Eastern and Central Standard time.
National Post: Justin Schultz ready for Oilers camp, despite potential NHL lockout. There will be a lot of pressure on Schultz to succeed considering all the hype associated with his signing.
CFL Report:
Illegal Procedure: Winnipeg Blue Bombers Papers. If you are a fan of CFL football, check out our other site, which gives you all the latest Bombers news. Amazingly, the talk of the playoffs hasn’t died completely. Next stop Calgary for a battle with the Stamps. Lots of links this morning.
