Speculation over the NHL renaming its trophies, Keith Ballard retires, Alex Semin heads to Russia and much more in your morning coffee headlines.
Check out the highlights below from last night’s NHL action.
NHL Injury Update
Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky sidelined by lower-body injury.
NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (lower body) will be sidelined for three weeks.
THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis suffered a broken jaw in last night’s win over the New York Rangers.
Notable NHL Headlines
TORONTO SUN: Questions about renaming the NHL’s individual awards have reportedly been informally discussed by league officials.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m against this. Yes, I know, it sounds good renaming the Hart Trophy after Wayne Gretzky or the Norris Trophy after Bobby Orr, but are we going to do this every time a player changes the game like they did? In another fifty years, will there be calls to change the trophy names again?
Most of the major awards were named for the men who built the National Hockey League. Every hockey fan worth their salt knows the Hart Trophy goes to the MVP, the Norris to the top defenseman or the Art Ross Trophy to the top scorer. What’s next? Do we change the name of the Richard Trophy to the Ovechkin Award? The Vezina Trophy (named after Canadiens goalie Georges Vezina) after Martin Brodeur or Dominik Hasek?
Renaming the trophies won’t do anything to boost the league’s popularity. Instead of wasting time discussing trophy names, league officials could make better use of their time finding ways to actually improve the on-ice product.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Wayne Gretzky is pulling for Blackhawks star Patrick Kane to break his 51-game points streak.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s streak currently sits at 23 games, so he’s got a long way to go to top Gretzky’s record. Given the emphasis on defensive hockey in today’s game, it’ll be even tougher for Kane to reach that mark.
CBS SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens yesterday placed Alexander Semin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Semin has reportedly agreed to terms with the KHL’s Magnitogorsk Metallurg.
EDMONTON SUN: The Oilers placed defenseman Mark Fayne on waivers yesterday for the purpose of demoting him to the minors. He’s currently earning $3.6 million per season with the Oilers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Fayne, Nikita Nikitin and Ben Scrivens, the Oilers have over $13 million riding the buses in the AHL this season.
STARTRIBUNE.COM: A year after suffering a concussion, former Minnesota Wild defenseman Keith Ballard has retired.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In 604 NHL games with the Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild, Ballard collected 175 points.
TSN: Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos Jr. insists his franchise isn’t relocating. “We have one of the best arena deals in the league, if not the very best. We’ve been there almost 20 years. That’s our home. That’s where we’re going to stay.”
THE PLAYERS’ TRIBUNE: Former NHL player Patrick O’Sullivan documents the years of abuse suffered at the hands of his father.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a tough read, but a necessary one. O’Sullivan reached the NHL in spite of his psychotic father, not because of him.
I too am against renaming the current awards. I personally feel that this destroys the rich history of the NHL.
Although I understand how much of an impact those players had on the game, I fail to see why there simply isn’t a new award made in the face of what they brought to the game, honoring not only tradition but their personal contributions.
Art Ross donated the Art Ross Trophy. Especially disrespectful to rename it.
I’d support a Bobby Orr trophy for best offensive defenceman. That would also encourage proper consideration of the best all around defenceman criteria for the Norris.
you hit the nail on the head with that! 2 trophies for defensemen – best offense and best all around
Well with paid attendance regularly just above 9000 & 1 of the worst teams in the NHL as revenue streams can’t match today’s cap world something will eventually have to give in Carolina.
“SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Fayne, Nikita Nikitin and Ben Scrivens, the Oilers have over $13 million riding the buses in the AHL this season.”
In other words, more money than brains in Edmonton.
I’m with you Lyle. This trophy renaming is the biggest crap idea I have ever heard of other than making the Nets bigger. Who ever came up with this idea in the first place should have a pineapple hammered up the rear end. I didn’t like the renaming of the divisions either. Nothing like urinating on tradition. Next they will want to rename the cup
If the Americans have any say in it, you can bet that will crop up one day – “Stanley” to the average Yank means absolutely nothing.
george…don’t generalize please…”yanks” know a little more about hockey than you like to give credit.
The average American will probably know about Larry O’Brien who served as NBA Commissioner from 1975 to 1984 and whose name is on the current NBA championship trophy. Prior to that it was the Walter A. Brown Trophy, another past commissioner. They will almost certainly be able to tell you who Vince Lombardi was, and when it comes to the World Series they know it’s The Commissioner’s Trophy to the series winner, while the NL champion gets the
Warren C. Giles Trophy and the AL champ the William Harridge Trophy. Mention Lord Stanley and you are more apt to get a wrinkled brow and if you give them a hint by sating he was a former Governor General of Canada the average person might assume you are talking about a military rank.
george-i am a proud yank who is canadian when it comes to hockey…my favorite sport for over 40 of my 62 earthly years…i had no idea about the baseball trophies,i would probably guess on the nba trophies,and everyone knows about the great lombardi trophy(ny giants 4x winners!)…i do think there should be at least two if not three more teams up north…instead of hockey hotbeads like miami,raleigh,phoenix,and there’s NO need for three teams in the ny metropolitan area…anyway,my best to you…GO RANGERS!!!
The crap you write is racist and says a lot about you. PS I’m Canadian
Racist? I don’t understand how George’s argument is racist – What race was he talking about? Please feel free to explain.
I’m an American. And yes I know what the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup is. I know who Lord Stanley of Preston is as well. Hockey is the only sport I watch and follow. Thanks George for displaying your ignorance for all to read.