Month: April 2008

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Marian Gaborik has a hip injury that will keep him from playing in the IIHF World Hockey Championship for Slovakia next month.

TORONTO – Two-time winner Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres winger Jason Pominville and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St.

TORONTO – Sarnia Sting centre Steve Stamkos topped Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2008 entry draft, but defencemen dominated the top of the list of North American skaters.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Defenceman Mark Stuart and forward Adam Burish were added to the U.S. roster Thursday for the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championship.

Movements in the world of hockey Wednesday:National Hockey LeagueDALLAS STARS-Assigned D Nolan Baumgartner to Manitoba (AHL).PITTSBURGH PENGUINS-Signed F Luca Caputi.

SAN ANTONIO – Chris Harrington’s empty-net goal proved vital as the Toronto Marlies held on for a 3-2 win over the San Antonio Rampage in American Hockey League action Wednesday.

MONTREAL – There is a sense of deja vu as the Montreal Canadiens get set to start their second-round NHL Eastern Conference playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers.

PITTSBURGH – With the exception of the Stanley Cup final, this is about as big a showcase as the NHL could give Sidney Crosby so early in his playoff career.

DETROIT – It’s back.The Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche will rekindle one of the NHL’s best rivalries on Thursday night in Game 1 of a Western Conference semifinal.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Jaromir Jagr sort of knows what to expect from Steel City fans who used to cheer his every move when he starred with Mario Lemieux and the high-flying Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1990s.

CALGARY – For the third year in a row, more was expected of the Calgary Flames.But the veteran team with a veteran coach exited in the first round of NHL playoffs again.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – In his first 18 NHL seasons, Jeremy Roenick would have celebrated a decisive playoff win in old-time hockey fashion by downing a few cold beers, or perhaps a good glass of wine.

DALLAS – Free from the burden of repeated playoff failures, the Dallas Stars had another reason to feel relieved Wednesday.Defenceman Sergei Zubov, out since January with various ailments, returned to practice and said he felt good afterward.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Toronto Maple Leafs will have to look elsewhere for their new general manager.Brian Burke put widespread rumours regarding his future to rest Wednesday, announcing he will remain with the Anaheim Ducks through at least the 2008-09 season.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Alex Ovechkin is locked up. Now comes word that Bruce Boudreau is, too.With the superstar player signed for 13 years and the coach under contract “for a long time,” the Washington Capitals began their off-season Wednesday with a couple of certainties and a whole lot of decisions to make.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Coach Bruce Boudreau has been given a contract to stay with the Washington Capitals, a reward for leading the team from last in the NHL to a Southeast Division title.

BY JIM CRESSMAN
Nineteen-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Steve Mason, currently a goaltender with the Ontario League’s Kitchener Rangers, will be on the shelf for four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a minor tear April 18.

After knocking off the defending champion Anaheim Ducks, the Dallas Stars are now looking like Stanley Cup contenders as they get set to face the deep and talented San Jose Sharks in the second round of NHL playoffs.

MONTREAL – Some media are challenging the police seizure of recorded images of the rioting that erupted after the Montreal Canadiens won their series against the Boston Bruins.