Alex Ovechkin to miss the NHL All-Star game, Blackhawks rise in attendance, latest expansion news and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.
Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal as the Lightning silenced the Maple Leafs, 1-0. Jakub Voracek’s second goal of the night lifted the Flyers past the Capitals in overtime.
Notable NHL Headlines.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin to miss the upcoming NHL All-Star Game.
THE WASHINGTON POST: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will miss the upcoming NHL All-Star game because of a nagging lower-body injury. As a result, Ovechkin won’t be allowed to play in the Caps’ first game following the All-Star break on Feb. 2 against the Florida Panthers.
TSN: The court date for Capitals center Mike Richards on a charge of possession of a controlled substance was adjourned to Feb. 25.
TSN: Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman claims his hit on a linesman in last night’s game against the Nashville Predators was accidental. Though he apologized at the first stoppage of play, the NHL could review the incident.
OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson said his club must grind out its wins because they’re a budget team and lack the high-skilled talent of other clubs. Meanwhile, long-time Sens defenseman Chris Phillips might not play a single game this season because of a nagging back injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some could interpret Karlsson’s comments as a subtle slam of management and ownership, but he’s simply stating a fact. The Senators are a budget team and cannot afford to load up on top-flight talent compared to deeper-pocketed clubs. As for Phillips, it’s an unfortunate end to his long NHL career. As he nears 38, his chances of getting back into the game seem slim.
NJ.COM: The New Jersey Devils will unveil a statue honoring goaltender Martin Brodeur on the evening of Feb. 8 and will retire his No. 30 on Feb. 9.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks attendance gains over the past decade rank third in all of sports.
ESPN.COM: The Florida Panthers’ “Spacey in Space” hoodies are becoming a hot topic, and a hot sell, among their fans.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Could this replace the tradition of tossing plastic rats on the ice?
THE BOSTON GLOBE: Bruins goaltender Jonas Gustavsson was released from hospital yesterday after being admitted for an elevated heart rate.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers claimed defenseman Adam Clendening off waivers yesterday from the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers are his third NHL team this season and his fourth in two years.
CBC.CA: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner was fined $10,000 by a British Columbia court for hunting a grizzly bear without a proper license.
CBS SPORTS: Long-time Los Angeles Kings broadcaster Bob Miller is taking an indefinite medical leave of absence for heart-bypass surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes for a successful procedure and a swift recovery.
SPORTSNET: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman remains intrigued by the possibility of Seattle as a potential new market for the league. Construction of a new arena is seen as the main obstacle.
Komarov 20:20 in ice time not 1 shot 1 point in the last 5 games…..3 million dollar 30 year old 3rd liner on a rebuilding team ya should hold on to that! Who needs draft picks or prospects when youre the 3rd lowest scoring team in the league with the fewest wins? lol still shooting over 17% I wonder how many realize that the 16 goals is more like 7 if he shoots is career avg and at nearly 30 years old is a pretty god sample size is Komarov is around 9 % shooting type guy. If you can trade him do it, and Bozak is turning back in to Bozak.
Karlsson was spot on with his comments concerning the team being a budget team and if I was in management I would be worried about his unhappiness with how they are putting the team together around him. The notion that this is small market or the dollar is in the crapper is a joke excuse by management. Melnyk as a billionaire (who meddles too much into the team’s day to day for my liking) with a profitable main company should be spending to build a proper winner and using any losses from this team as a tax writeoff.
When I look towards his initiatives in 2012 and this week at creating development on site in Kanata (2012) and now at Lebreton, with this team as the centerpiece, to me, he is acknowledging that he is here to make money and using the team as the draw to make it with other support services (hotel, casino, restaurants, etc.). This is not unlike the Yukon Gold Rush where the majority of people getting rich were the shop owners supplying the miners. It’s a great strategy when done right, but hiding behind lousy excuses and not financing the team properly aren’t going to get you there. If I was Karlsson, these are the things that would make me seriously consider signing my next contract.