Articles by Doug Stolhand

TORONTO – Don Cherry, the colourful and outspoken host of Coach’s Corner, says he’s sad to see the iconic “Hockey Night in Canada” theme leave CBC.

OTTAWA – It might surprise some hockey fans that Steven Stamkos is not the prospect the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau believes is most ready to step into the league.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with defenceman Tim Gleason on a four-year, $11-million contract Thursday, and acquired the rights to winger Darcy Hordichuk from Nashville.

TORONTO – The search is officially on for the next “Hockey Night in Canada” theme song.The CBC has launched Canada’s Hockey Anthem Challenge, a national contest to find a new song for its weekly hockey broadcast.

NEW YORK – The NHL is threatening to kick the owners of the New York Rangers out of the league as punishment for accusing league officials of violating antitrust laws.

National Hockey League
CAROLINA HURRICANES-Named Jason Karmanos executive director of hockey operations.
OTTAWA SENATORS-Signed D Matt Carkner to a two-year contract.

National Hockey LeagueCAROLINA HURRICANES-Named Jason Karmanos executive director of hockey operations.OTTAWA SENATORS-Signed D Matt Carkner to a two-year contract.

NEW YORK – The NHL board of governors unanimously approved the sale of the Edmonton Oilers to Canadian billionaire Daryl Katz, and the purchase of the Tampa Bay Lightning by a group of investors led by Hollywood producer Oren Koules and former player Len Barrie.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the first time in their nine NHL drafts, the Columbus Blue Jackets have two first-round picks.The thing is, they might not keep either one.

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Flyers traded the rights to winger Vaclav Prospal to Tampa Bay on Wednesday for a seventh-round pick and a conditional pick in 2009.

OTTAWA – The top 18-year-old hockey players in the world are bracing for the biggest day of their lives. After going through the scouting combine and being interviewed by NHL teams, all they can do is wait.

OTTAWA – The drama in this year’s NHL entry draft does not sit with the No. 1 overall pick.Unless the Tampa Bay Lightning get an “earth-shaking offer” as GM Jay Feaster put it Wednesday, they are indeed going to select Sarnia Sting forward Steven Stamkos with the first pick Friday night.

TORONTO – CBC-TV isn’t ruling out using the famous Stompin’ Tom Connors hockey song as a replacement for the “Hockey Night in Canada” theme as a new poll suggests most Canadians don’t care that the public broadcaster lost the iconic ditty to CTV.

TORONTO – A new poll suggests the majority of Canadians feel the CBC did the right thing when it bowed out of bidding for the iconic Hockey Night in Canada theme song.

EDMONTON – Canadian pharmacy billionaire Daryl Katz has received the final OK from the National Hockey League to purchase the Edmonton Oilers.

OTTAWA – The Anaheim Ducks should know by Friday whether star defenceman Scott Niedermayer will be back in the fold next season.”I think everybody would like to know,” Kevin Epp of Titan Sports Management, Niedermayer’s agent, said Wednesday.

A day after it was rumored he would be traded to Columbus, Ryan Malone told WTAE TV in Pittsburgh that "It’s UFA for sure."
It was thought the negotiating rights for the pending UFA would be dealt to Columbus, likely for a second- or third-round draft pick, much like Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell’s rights were dealt to Philadelphia from Nashville last off-season.

HOCKEYNational Hockey LeagueNHLPA-Named Glenn Healy director of player affairs.VANCOUVER CANUCKS-Named Ryan Walter assistant coach.American Hockey LeagueSPRINGFIELD FALCONS-Named Jeff Truitt coach.

LOS ANGELES – Junior hockey phenom John Tavares has found a new agent.He’s signed on with Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency a little over a month after splitting ties with Bryan Deasley.