It's pretty hard to trade players in the NHL's salary capped world, but that didn't stop Tampa Bay GM Jay Feaster from threatening to shake things up big time if the team didn't start winning. The Lightning responded with three straight wins, which only goes to show that the right "motivation" can go a long way.
Maybe that's not news, but what follows is, along with some views.
News: Court documents claim Crawford pushed Bertuzzi to attack.
Views: This sounds pretty explosive, kind of like a tactic the main character in the CBS (shameless corporate plug here) legal drama Shark might use.
|
|
| Once a fan favorite, Todd Bertuzzi is blaming the Canucks for his hit on Steve Moore. (Getty Images) |
But the maelstrom that has followed certainly won't hinder the victim's effort to extract as much compensation as he can for the ugly career-ending incident, through his $38 million lawsuit against Bertuzzi and the company that owned the Canucks at the time.
What's important to remember is that the finger-pointing at Crawford by Bertuzzi and Canucks GM Dave Nonis are allegations contained in their depositions, which have not been made public. The charges haven't been proved in court, and there have been some questions raised about their legitimacy.
But by succeeding in getting them into the public domain, Moore's lawyer, Tim Danson, has some added leverage in trying to reach a settlement. Moore recently received and rejected a minimal offer, and Bertuzzi and the Canucks have filed cross claims against each other that seek to hold the other party responsible in the event of a judgment against them.
It's turning into an every-man-for-himself situation and a nightmare for the league. If this ever does get to court, it will put the violent culture of the NHL on trial. Nobody around the league wants that, so Moore could have some unexpected allies in pushing for a settlement.
News: League puts Flyers on notice after a fifth player is suspended.
Views: Isn't there anything else to talk about these days except violence in hockey? Maybe it only seems that way, but the warning given to Philadelphia after Riley Cote was suspended for deliberately hitting an opponent in the head is long overdue. The message here is that the Flyers organization will be held accountable for the actions of its players, and it's about time. The NHL has tolerated these kinds of dangerous actions far too long and has to make it clear that looking to hurt a player isn't the way you play the game.
The league didn't reveal what type of action it might take in the future, and unfortunately it seemed to only limit its notice to the Flyers, which isn't enough. But if the consequences included things like suspending coaches or general managers, or taking away draft picks, you can bet that everyone would start policing themselves a lot more effectively than they do now. And that shouldn't stop with Philadelphia.
News: Veteran Mark Recchi put on waivers by Penguins.
Views: It's always kind of sad when you see an aging athlete unwilling to admit his days are done. Recchi has had a great career with several teams over the past two decades, but he's pushing 40 and has lost some speed and, more important, his scoring touch. Recchi is a character guy who played an important leadership role in the young Pittsburgh locker room last season, but he was unproductive down the stretch and again early this season, becoming a healthy scratch on several occasions.
As someone who has won Stanley Cups, made millions of dollars and has a nice reputation, he could have chosen the high road and retired, but instead, Recchi forced the Penguins to put him on waivers to get rid of him. It was a tactical move, because now another team can pick him up for half of what's left on his $1.75 million salary, and at that price, someone will likely take a chance.
Maybe in a different environment, Recchi will prove there is some gas left in the tank, although it's hard to see where he would be more pumped than in a place like Pittsburgh, where he was surrounded by some super young talent.
News: Jamie Langenbrunner named captain of the Devils.
Views: This was a typical New Jersey move, done without fanfare or even a press release. The Devils captain's role was vacant because new coach Brent Sutter stripped Patrik Elias of the title early in training camp, and a revved-up Elias had his best game of the season after this week's decision.
But getting the talented sniper on track had little to do with giving the "C" to Langenbrunner, who will fit the role perfectly because he is cut from the same cloth as Sutter. Langenbrunner is typically known as a grinder, but he has scoring touch as well, and most important, he is one of those 110 percent players on the ice, a guy who never takes a shift off. The Devils have been playing their best hockey the past three weeks, starting not coincidentally when Langenbrunner returned from the injured list.
News: Chris Chelios bids farewell.
Views: Well at least to fans in Montreal, where 23 years ago he began a career that will land him in the Hall of Fame. The Red Wings defenseman was part of a pregame ceremony staged by the Canadiens to honor Original Six teams like Detroit, and among the notables taking part were legends Jean Beliveau, Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay.
The Habs organization does these kinds of things better than anyone, and they capped off the night by naming Chelios the game's third star, which gave him a chance to take a solo skate on the ice to a nice ovation. Chelios, who turns 46 in January, waved and blew kisses and afterward said it shouldn't be taken as a sign that he won't be back next year, but it certainly felt that way. The Red Wings will likely not return to Montreal for two more seasons, so unless Chelios does play until he's 50, as he has hinted in the past, this was his last time in front of those who saw him debut. And he went out in style.
