Month: October 2008

The NHL’s most famous mouthpiece is at is again, this time taking shots at the league and commissioner Gary Bettman over the marketing of hockey.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The New York Islanders signed first-round draft pick Josh Bailey to a three-year, entry-level contract Thursday.Bailey, chosen with the ninth overall pick this year, has been attending training camp with the Islanders but has played in only one of New York’s four pre-season games due to an undisclosed injury.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – The NHL is giving two more countries a first look at regular-season games this weekend, and it’s a sight Europeans should be getting used to.

DETROIT – The Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings have a good shot at being the first team to repeat since they pulled off the feat in 1998.

TORONTO – Canadian country-folk legend Stompin’ Tom Connors has re-recorded his beloved sports anthem, “The Hockey Song”.The toe-tapping hockey fan says he finds the original, recorded in the early ’70s, “a little thin.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Sergei Fedorov has scored 472 regular-season goals, earned an MVP award and won three Stanley Cups as an NHL forward. Yet there he was at the Washington Capitals’ practice Thursday, putting in work as a defenceman.

The NHL doesn’t want to rely on anyone else to convey a message to its fans.The league’s marketers are constantly trying to directly engage the 53 million people that research shows are supporters of the NHL.

CALGARY – The Calgary Flames hope beefing up their supporting cast will extend their post-season run all the way the Stanley Cup.Captain Jarome Iginla, goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff and defencemen Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr are among the best in the business at their positions, but depth is required to win the ultra-competitive Northwest Division.

Pittsburgh Penguins tough guy Paul Bissonnette is ready to go with anyone in the NHL, and his four fights in three pre-season games helps prove the point.

GOTEBORG, Sweden – Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson scored one goal and set up another against his former team Thursday as the Senators beat the Frolunda Indians 4-1 in a pre-season game.

DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios will be sidelined three to six weeks with a fractured shin bone.The 46-year-old Chelios is the NHL’s oldest player.

TORONTO – No one is expecting the Toronto Maple Leafs to compete for the Stanley Cup this year, which is ultimately what makes this season so different from any other during the past decade.

HELSINKI, Finland – Sidney Crosby set up three goals to help the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 win over Finnish club Jokerit in a pre-season game Thursday.

VANCOUVER – After being retooled from the front office all the way down to the fourth line, the Canucks will have a different look this NHL season.

MONTREAL – There is a giddy feeling of anticipation among Montreal Canadiens fans this season that goes beyond the team’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Chris Pronger scored his first two goals of the pre-season, including the game-winner 3:04 into overtime, giving the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

VANCOUVER – Jannik Hansen scored two goals as the Vancouver Canucks clobbered the Calgary Flames 6-1 in NHL pre-season action Wednesday night.

DENVER – Ryan Smyth, T.J. Hensick and David Jones each scored for Colorado, and the Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 in a pre-season game Wednesday night.

ST. LOUIS – Lee Stempniak had two goals and an assist and the St. Louis Blues chased Curtis Joseph with six goals on their first 12 shots in a 7-3 pre-season victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

Movements in the world of hockey Wednesday:National Hockey LeagueBUFFALO SABRES-Claimed LW Matt Ellis off waivers from Los Angeles.CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS-Assigned F Evan Brophey, F Petri Kontiola and F Pascal Pelletier to Rockford (AHL).