NHL 2/18/2014 San Jose Sharks Sharks question No. 8: What will forward lines look like? Babcock praises Sharks Vlasic's play for Canada

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1 SPORT-SCAN Buffalo Sabres Sabres GM Tim Murray impressed with Amerks Carolina Hurricanes Ryan Murphy learning with Charlotte Checkers to work way back to Canes Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks have good shot at Olympic medals Jonathan Toews confident in Team Canada chemistry Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg to fly home Thursday; Ken Holland still wants NHL in Olympics Olympic hockey is worth the risk - even for Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg Winter Olympics: Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco play qualifying games Tuesday Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins grew up around horse racing, has now become an owner Minnesota Wild Wild signs goalie John Curry as an insurance policy Wild signs former Breck goalie Curry as insurance policy Minnesota Wild add goaltender John Curry as insurance Montreal Canadiens The bizarre dysfunction of the Czech hockey team Duhatschek: Team Canada's lack of power-play minutes defies logic Nashville Predators Nashville Predators' Shea Weber continues strong play for Team Canada New Jersey Devils Adam Larsson frustrated in AHL, but still wants future with Devils, not elsewhere bold predictions for Devils after Olympic break New York Rangers Team Sweden, Rangers hold breath after scary Lundqvist spill Lundqvist said to be OK after collision in practice Rangers' Brian Boyle offers his insight on Team USA's win over Slovenia Guest blogger: Michael Aker on the Ryan Callahan situation Ottawa Senators Senators look for a new ride to road games as Air Canada exits charter business Disallowed goal takes the steam out of the 67 s in a 5-4 loss to Owen Sound Philadelphia Flyers Olympic hockey great, but doesn't compare to NHL playoffs NHL 2/18/2014 DAILY BRIEF San Jose Sharks Sharks question No. 8: What will forward lines look like? Babcock praises Sharks Vlasic's play for Canada St Louis Blues Former Blues star Unger on point for cancer benefit Washington Capitals All signs point to Evgeny Kuznetsov joining Capitals this spring Datsyuk declines to talk, letting his play speak Websites ESPN / Qualification-round breakdown ESPN / No time for U.S. to slow down ESPN / Team Canada still a work in progress NBCSports.com / Putin forgives referees, thought Russia would beat U.S. by a big margin NBCSports.com / Larionov on Olympics: Hockey is the main event NBCSports.com / Sizing up the Big Four, as do or die time begins CNN/Sports Illustrated / Russia faces Norway, Czechs take on Slovakia to headline 1st knockout round CNN/Sports Illustrated / Russians blame loss to Team USA on ref, protest at American embassy USA TODAY / Gary Bettman: NHL decision on 2018 possible in six months USA TODAY / Let's not count out the Russians yet in men's hockey YAHOO SPORTS / Canada, U.S. anxious to add another golden chapter to best-on-best women's hockey rivalry SPORT-SCAN, INC

2 Buffalo Sabres Sabres GM Tim Murray impressed with Amerks Feb. 17, 2014 Sal Maiorana There are so many big decisions new Sabres general manager Tim Murray has to make in the next few months, and the most pressing one is what to do with goaltender Ryan Miller. The overwhelming belief is that the Sabres best player is going to be dealt at the March 5 NHL trading deadline, because the team simply can t afford to let him go into free agency without getting anything in return. If Miller is indeed traded, there will be a gaping hole in Buffalo s goal crease unless Murray obtains a solid NHL veteran as part of the package. At least that s the indication he gave during a visit Sunday to watch the Rochester Amerks play the Texas Stars. When asked if he thinks the Sabres goalie of the future is currently in the organization, Murray did something he said he rarely does: He waffled. We might, but I haven t made that determination yet, he said in reference to current Sabres backup Jhonas Enroth and the Amerks two goalies, Matt Hackett and Nathan Lieuwen. That would be the one position that I ll waffle on. I don t waffle very often, but I ll leave that out there and let those guys decide who it is. Murray did make it clear that neither Hackett or Lieuwen is ready for the NHL yet. We have a couple good young goalies here, and if one of them is the goalie of the future, it s not the near future, Murray said. It s a little bit down the road. I don t think either one of them is ready to step in and start for the Buffalo Sabres. Murray surely didn t like what he saw from Lieuwen in the first period against Texas when he gave up three goals, but just as surely, he had to be impressed with how the 22-year-old bounced back over the final 40 minutes and 48 seconds as the Amerks rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory. Goalies are a different animal and a different breed and it takes time to find out which guy is that guy, Murray said. They usually sort it out and it takes a little longer than forwards and defensemen. But certainly both young guys here have taken strides, they re both good size which I like, I like big goalies, so I think I have to see the team play a little more to make that determination. As far as what will happen to the Amerks roster once the NHL resumes after the Olympic break, Murray indicated that he wants to keep the core of the Rochester roster together. There will likely be some call-ups, but it seems as if he wants the kids to stay here and play. Obviously I don t want to completely gut this team, he said. They re in a playoff spot now and I think playoffs are an extremely important part of development for young players. I certainly don t want to take all the kids from here and leave the other kids in limbo here. I would like to see this team succeed here this year. It has been widely speculated that defenseman Mark Pysyk will go back to Buffalo, but no one else is a sure bet. Centers Phil Varone and Kevin Porter, and defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Brayden McNabb might be possibilities, but a lot will depend on injuries in Buffalo and what happens at the trade deadline. Regardless, Murray seems pleased with how the Amerks are constructed, and he believes there are some players who will be able to help the Sabres in the future and what might facilitate their development is staying here this season. We have a couple good veteran guys here who provide leadership and good examples for our young kids, so there s a couple guys I d like to go forward with here, he said. There s a pretty good mix of kids and young vets, and maybe we have to help them out a little more as far as talent level. Democrat and Chronicle LOADED:

3 Carolina Hurricanes Ryan Murphy learning with Charlotte Checkers to work way back to Canes get my shot to put on the Hurricanes jersey again, I m going to do my best to stick in the lineup and not come back down. News Observer LOADED: By Chip Alexander February 17, 2014 RALEIGH Ryan Murphy easily could be disgruntled and disappointed about playing for the Charlotte Checkers. Murphy started the season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He was getting a lot of ice time. At 20, he was comfortable being an NHL defenseman, competing against the best forwards in the world and enjoying the major-league lifestyle. But Murphy was bright enough to realize all of that was about to change. He had been an occasional scratch by the Canes, but then in mid-january was held out of four straight games. On Jan. 24, Murphy was assigned to the Checkers, the Canes American Hockey League affiliate. That was the NHL deadline for sending players down and having them eligible to play in the AHL during the NHL s Olympics break. I think I kind of sniffed it out when I didn t play in the last four games, Murphy said. It s obviously not the news you want that close to the break, but you ve got to deal with it, you ve got to play hard. Going into the Olympic break, there s no reason why a guy like me shouldn t be playing. I was fresh, and with those two weeks off, who knows what it would have done to me. Murphy has been productive for the Checkers. He picked up three assists as Charlotte split the two weekend games against the Abbotsford Heat at PNC Arena, giving him nine assists in nine AHL games. He s handled it fine, Checkers coach Jeff Daniels said. He s no different from anyone else who gets sent down. It s obviously a disappointment, especially after spending the first half of the season (with Carolina). As much as you want to be (in the NHL), you need to just work on your game and push yourself in practice. His attitude has been good. Murphy logged a lot of minutes for the Canes early in the season. In 14 games from Oct. 13 to Nov. 15, he topped 20 minutes eight times, with a season high of 25 against the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. With a surplus of healthy defensemen, Canes coach Kirk Muller then elected to sit Murphy from time to time. After the Jan. 13 game against the Calgary Flames, and a 2-0 loss by the Canes, Murphy sat out the four games. While his speed and offensive skills and instincts have not been questioned, the Canes wanted him to concentrate on his defensive-zone play while at the AHL level. At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, he often is in the position of battling bigger forwards for the puck. He s not going to be a big, physical guy but he needs to be able to shut guys down one on one and read situations, Daniels said. It s a little different (in the AHL). You can get away with a mistake here and there, whereas (in the NHL) one mistake can cost you the game. One thing about the American Hockey League is guys are down here to play and learn from mistakes. Murphy was the Canes 2011 first-round draft pick. He got into four games last season before being sent back to the Kitchener Rangers, his junior team in the Ontario Hockey League, and played eight regular-season and playoff games for the Checkers. When Murphy made the Canes roster out of training camp last fall, it appeared he might stick in the NHL. But after 39 games, it was off to Charlotte. There are areas I definitely need to get better at, Murphy said. Sometimes, I try too hard. I ve just got to stick to the little things and focus on defense. And when I get my chances to play offense, take advantage of that. And get back to the Canes. It s obviously tough from being in the NHL to go to the AHL, but I m a 20-year-old kid and hopefully I have a long, bright future in store for me, he said. I have to take this as a learning experience, play hard down here, try to contribute, be a solid defenseman, contribute on the power play. And when I

4 Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks have good shot at Olympic medals By Chris Kuc, Tribune Olympic Bureau 9:28 PM CST, February 17, 2014 SOCHI, Russia With 10 players spread across five teams in the Winter Games including seven advancing with a bye to the quarterfinals there's a good possibility of at least one of the 10 Blackhawks in Sochi coming home with some hardware. Good luck making it through the metal detector at the airport. Or, as Hawks and Sweden defenseman Johnny Oduya put it, "it would be nice if one of us comes home with the gold medal maybe a couple of us." With the warm-up portion of the men's hockey tournament out of the way and the real fun about to start with Tuesday's qualification round followed by Wednesday's quarterfinals, some Hawks have a tougher hill to climb than others. Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus are on an offensively-challenged Slovakian team that has managed two goals in three games. Meanwhile, Michal Rozsival of the Czech Republic is on a squad that has had whispers about dissension among the ranks regarding playing time. As a defenseman who dressed but did not take the ice in Team Czech's last game, it's hard to imagine Rozsival is happy. Oduya and Hawks and Sweden teammates Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marcus Kruger have an excellent chance at advancing to the medal round after having secured the top seed with a banged up team. Patrick Kane is a vital cog to a United States group that thus far has looked stronger than any other in the tournament despite the fact the winger has not yet found his stride offensively in a developing chemistry with linemates. Through three games each in Sochi, no Hawk has managed to score despite a combined 33 shots. Which brings us to Canada, featuring Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp. Toews and Keith played well in their three preliminary games while Sharp has been caught in Canadian roster roulette, having been a healthy scratch one game. His status is uncertain for Wednesday's game against the winner of Switzerland-Latvia. Along with the Kings' Drew Doughty and Predators' Shea Weber, it's been Toews and Keith who have fueled Canada in the early going. Canada coach Mike Babcock said "Toews stands out to me" and it's understandable why the Hawks captain would. He's centering a line with wingers Patrick Marleau and Jeff Carter, a potential gold strike by Babcock since putting the trio together. The line was Canada's best against Austria and Finland. "I'm trying to have a little more patience with the puck and waiting until those plays are there instead of just forcing things," Toews said. "A couple of games ago with Marleau and Carter it went really well. We were able to find a few great chances that Carter put away. "(Against Finland), I think we could've had a few more maybe. But as a line I think we found some chemistry where when we get things going we keep the puck alive and we make plays together." Keith has played above the level of his 2010 Norris Trophy campaign during this NHL season and has flourished in the Olympics playing alongside Weber. "I'm trying to work well and trying to adjust to the team game," Keith said. "As defensemen, we want to help create offense and move the puck out. We have such skilled forwards that we want to get the puck to (them) as much as possible and let them go to work." The real work begins Tuesday. The real fun begins then too. And when it's over, one or more of the 10 Hawks here is likely to have another carry-on for his trip home. Chicago Tribune LOADED:

5 Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews confident in Team Canada chemistry February 17, 2014, 2:15 pm Nina Falcone With three wins in as many preliminary games under their belt, Team Canada anxiously awaits their next step at the Olympic Games. From what we've seen in the opening matchups, the team has shown a strong work ethic and solid defensive performance on the ice, but their offensive production hasn't reached its fullest potential yet. With two regulations wins and one overtime victory in Sochi, Team Canada will face off against either Switzerland or Latvia in their first elimination round. And despite the chatter surrounding the team, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is confident in the chemistry that's continuing to develop from line to line. "Couple games ago with [Patrick Marleau] and [Jeff Carter] went really well and there were a few great shots that Carts put away," Toews told reporters. "Last night I think we had a few more [chances], maybe a few worked for us, but I think as a line we found some chemistry where when we get things going, we keep the puck alive and we make plays together. We're trying to find ways to find some good goals." Toews' line did just that in their opening game, as Carter tallied a hat trick against Austria. Together, Toews and Marleau tallied four assists in the 6-0 victory. But despite the six-goal differential in their opening matchup, Canada's offense still wasn't looking especially strong. Coach Mike Babcock was unhappy with what he saw on the ice, which later prompted him to shake things up and list Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp as a healthy scratch in their following game against Norway. The same concerns spilled into their following games as Team Canada recorded a 3-1 win over Norway and squeaked out a 2-1 overtime victory over Finland; a game in which only Kings defenseman Drew Doughty scored in. But now the competition will start to heat up and Toews is confident in the improvements he's seeing day by day. Playing with an NHL veteran like Marleau has also helped boost Toews on the ice, and he's excited to see what his line can do as the tournament continues. "I've always known he's a smart playmaker, he can move. He's just got a lot of experience, a lot of confidence, just old school confidence with the puck," Toews said of Marleau. "He's a fun player to play with, so we if we can make plays and find a way to get it to Carts, we saw what could happen the other day [when he scored a hat trick], so try to keep that going." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED:

6 Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg to fly home Thursday; Ken Holland still wants NHL in Olympics 3:44 AM, February 18, 2014 By Helene St. James SOCHI, Russia -- Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg is taking advantage of the NHL's charter to fly home Thursday. There had been talk of Zetterberg flying home today, but that was scuttled in favor of being able to fly directly from Sochi to Newark, New Jersey, followed by short flight to Detroit. Zetterberg, the captain of Team Sweden, pulled out of the Sochi Games last Friday after suffering a herniated disk. Wings general manager Ken Holland has been in daily contact with Zetterberg, one of 10 players the Wings have at the Olympics. Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, captain of Team Russia, are the most high-profile Wings at the Games. Datsyuk came into the tournament playing on an inflamed knee, but has shown marked improvement since barely being able to skate last week. The Wings return to action a week from Wednesday. Zetterberg most certainly won't be available -- he is to see a specialist as soon as possible to determine if surgery is needed now or can wait -- and Holland is confident Datsyuk will be as big a factor for the Wings as he has been for Russia. Holland, in Sochi as part of Team Canada's management group, said he won't be against NHLers appearing at Olympics. "My take is, it's a great stage to showcase our players," he said today. "The USA-Russia game drew tremendous numbers back in the U.S. It's best on best. "The injury to Henrik, really in my opinion, had nothing to do with Olympics. It's been an issue that set in in December, which he worked hard to overcome. Whether in the Olympics or NHL, it probably would have been the same situation. "In 2002, Stevie Yzerman played in the Olympics, didn't play another game for us, then helped us win the Stanley Cup. I'm not going to sit here and judge our players. With Pavel, he has been a warrior for us since he showed up in I'm not sure where we'd be without him. He knows his body better than anybody, and I think he's earned the right to make the decision based on how his body feels." NOTEBOOK: Holland said he has been in contact with Detroit trainer Piet Van Zant regarding the health of a couple of players. Johan Franzen (concussion) and Stephen Weiss (sports hernia) are both doing well, and the Wings are debating having Weiss play a couple of games with Grand Rapids this weekend. Regarding Franzen, the hope is he's able to practice later this week. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

7 Detroit Red Wings Olympic hockey is worth the risk - even for Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg February 18, 2014 By Jamie Samuelsen gets blood boiling. So do the playoffs in most sports. But the thought of the best in the world playing as hard as they can at the highest level is so rare that it needs to be embraced. Risking the health of players like Zetterberg and Datsyuk is frightening. This season, it might be damaging. But what s the alternative? Telling them to stay home? Scrapping the whole pros in the Olympics altogether? Sorry. That s not a trade I m willing to make. And if it costs the Red Wings this season, so be it. The two weeks of hockey that we re getting is well worth any price a hockey fan could pay. Detroit Free Press LOADED: Jamie Samuelsen, co-host of the Jamie and Wojo show at 6 p.m. weekdays on WXYT-FM (97.1), blogs for freep.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. You can reach him at jamsam22@gmail.com, follow him on and read more of his opinions at freep.com/jamie. Ultimately, was it a mistake for Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg to participate in the Olympics? Here are the two facts we know about Henrik Zetterberg s injury. 1. It was a pre-existing condition that already cost him 15 games this season. 2. He re-injured his back in Sochi taking part in the Olympics for the Swedish National team. He was not in Detroit doing anything to benefit his employer, the Detroit Red Wings. From those two facts, you can reach any conclusion you want. Some have decided that Zetterberg never should have risked his health in the first place in a tournament he s already played in three times and won once. The long plane ride to Russia certainly didn t help an ailing back. While the thought of using the NHL players in the Olympics was charming at first, it s lost its luster and needs to come to an end. Others will tell you that Zetterberg could just have easily aggravated his back by rolling over in his bed back here in Michigan. He didn t actually injure it during Sweden s preliminary win over the Czech Republic but instead turned up the next day in pain. How long Zetterberg will be out remains a mystery. But to say he would have remained healthy just by staying stateside seems slightly irrational. Which camp are you in? You can place me firmly in the latter. I d love to shake my hands in outrage and claim that the players and the league gain nothing from these exhibition games in Sochi. But this this is the very best hockey that we get every four years. And if you think these players are just going through the motions, all you had to do was watch the epic shootout between the USA and Russia Saturday morning to know just how much these games mean. You may hate shoot-outs. And a shoot-out seems like a wholly artificial way to settle these games. But sports are often about theater. And the Olympics are always about theater, which is why NBC packages the games the way that they do. In terms of sports theater, it doesn t get much better than what T.J. Oshie and the American hockey team provided us with Saturday morning. What does this have to do with Zetterberg and his injured back? Well some have publicly wondered if it s worth risking the players health in these high-pressure games once every four years. I ll admit that I wondered that when news of Zetterberg s latest setback broke Friday morning. Some Red Wings fans that care far more about a Stanley Cup than a gold medal expressed outrage at Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk dragging their already beat-up bodies over the Russia for the Olympics. And that is completely logical rationale. But consider the fact that Zetterberg didn t actually hurt himself in a game. And consider the fact that an injury like his could become inflamed at any point. And then think about that shoot-out on Saturday morning. Zetterberg wasn t part of it, but Datsyuk was. And with a week remaining in the tournament, there s a very good chance that we ll get more moments like that one thanks to the fact that the NHL players are over there. It hurts that the games take place in the early morning hours and when some of us are sleeping or working. But with the medal games looming over the weekend, there is a great chance that we ll get a USA-Canada gold medal game when most of us are rolling out of bed Sunday morning. We ve entered a weird era in sports where less and less seems to move the needle. Whether it s the influence of social media and smart phones or the ever-increasing prices at the box office, sports seem to be in a lull. The NFL

8 Detroit Red Wings Winter Olympics: Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco play qualifying games Tuesday Brendan Savage on February 17, 2014 at 3:26 PM, updated February 17, 2014 at 7:44 PM Three Detroit Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco will attempt to keep their Olympic medal hopes alive in qualification games Tuesday in Sochi, Russia. Datsyuk and the host Russians will play Norway at 7:30 a.m. ET (NBC Sports Network, CBC) while Tatar and Jurco will play for Slovakia in its game against the Czech Republic at noon (NBC Sports Network, CBC). The other qualification games will pit Slovenia vs. Austria and Switzerland vs. Latvia. The winner of the Russia-Norway game will advance to play Finland at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals. The winner of the Switzerland-Latvia game will meet Canada at noon Wednesday. Sweden and its five Red Wings Niklas Kronwall, Daniel Alfredsson, Jonathan Ericsson, Gustav Nyquist and Jonas Gustavsson will play the winner of the Slovenia-Austria game at 3 a.m. Wednesday. The United States, which features Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard, will play the winner of the Slovakia-Czech Republic game at noon Wednesday. The semifinals are Friday, the bronze-medal game will be at noon Saturday and the gold-medal game will be at 7 a.m. Sunday. Sweden, the U.S. and Canada all advanced to the quarterfinals by winning their respective groups. Group C champion Sweden led all teams in the preliminary round with nine points on three regulation victories in as many games. The U.S. and Canada won Groups A and B with eight points each. Both won two games in regulation, the U.S. won another in a shootout and Canada prevailed once in overtime. Finland earned the wild-card spots in the quarterfinals by earning seven points in the preliminary round. Teams received three points for regulation wins, two for shootout wins and one for a shootout loss in the preliminary round. Michigan Live LOADED:

9 Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins grew up around horse racing, has now become an owner BY DEREK VAN DIEST,EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, :47 PM MST UPDATED: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, :55 PM MST EDMONTON - He s not exactly D. Wayne Lukas, but even the legendary horse trainer got his start somewhere. Growing up, Edmonton Oilers centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two passions: hockey and thoroughbred racing. While he s well on his way in being prolific with one, Nugent-Hopkins just recently endeavored back into the other, purchasing a filly with the intention of racing her in the near future. Actually my mom s dad was huge into it and he used to sell horses and stuff and used to breed them a little bit in Vancouver, at a track called Hastings, Nugent-Hopkins said. My mom met my dad and they were both big horseracing fans. So my brother and I kind of grew up at the track. Every weekend we d go and we d spend a lot of time there, and my grandpa would be there all the time. It was kind of a family thing and it s something that I ve done throughout my whole life. Before he was born, Nugent-Hopkins s father, Roger, was an owner with a stake in a number of horses. Actually one of his horses was pretty good, Nugent-Hopkins said. He was a really good two-year-old, and he won quite a bit of money for him, so that was pretty cool. When my brother was born he still used to own part of few horses and then he bred a couple. Once I came along, he stopped with that. Being around the track as a kid, Nugent-Hopkins got to know the inner workings of the horse racing game. After being the first overall pick for the Oilers in the 2011 NHL Draft, then quickly signing a lucrative entry-level contract, he had the financial means to get back into it at an ownership level. Two years ago, I bought a horse, Nugent-Hopkins said. She hasn t raced yet, but she ll race come April or May this year. It s pretty cool, going in the mornings and seeing them go out, they all have to go out and jog around that track. You see all of them working out and everyone is doing their own thing, it s pretty cool, because I ve been watching it for so many years. To be behind the scenes is pretty cool. Nugent-Hopkins did his due diligence when purchasing his filly, Zenya, currently training in Vancouver. He s hoping her pedigree will lead to favourable results on the track. You can actually go to the track and there will be claiming races, where you can buy a horse after one of the races, he said. But the way I did it, which is the way a lot of people do, is we got her at the yearling sales, the horses that are a year old. There is a book with all their breeding stuff. My dad knows a lot about it and my dad knows a trainer that helped us out with it. You just look at their breeding and how their mom did and how their dad did and so on. Then you bid on them. It s a full-on auction. That s how I got my horse. Zenya is expected to take to the track once the thoroughbred season begins on the West Coast. If things don t work out in Vancouver, Nugent-Hopkins may bring his horse to race in Edmonton. Hopefully when the track opens in May she ll race, but there have actually been some issues getting the track going this year, he said. If nothing works out there, then, we ll bring her to Northlands. Never having had a personal stake in a horse in the past, Nugent-Hopkins is eager to see how his investment works out. It s one thing to put a wager on a horse as a spectator, it s another entirely watching as an owner. I can imagine it will be pretty stressful seeing how she does, Nugent-Hopkins said. Right now, it s a hobby, but it s something that I really enjoy doing. I don t know, maybe down the road I can see myself getting into it more seriously. It s not uncommon for players to have interesting hobbies away from the rink. This particular one has Nugent-Hopkins teammates intrigued. A lot of them have a lot of questions about it, some of them think it s pretty cool, Nugent-Hopkins said. Some of the Europeans say that they ve been to a few races and a lot of hockey players over there like going and betting on horses. You have to really be around it a lot to get into it. Some guys don t understand what the point of it is, but it s something that I ve grown up with and it s been a part of my life. Edmonton Sun: LOADED:

10 Minnesota Wild Wild signs goalie John Curry as an insurance policy Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: February 17, :52 PM The Wild has torn up goalie John Curry s two-way American Hockey League contract with the Iowa Wild and signed the former Breck School product to a two-way NHL contract. This will allow the Wild to be able to call up Curry in case he s needed after the Olympic break. By rule, he is officially on waivers today in order to be reassigned back to Iowa. Because of the Wild s chaotic goalie situation this season due to health issues with Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom, Johan Gustafsson, who s in his first year as a North American pro, has been on the Wild s active roster six separate occasions and has backed up nine games. He has yet to make his NHL debut, so signing Curry is a way the Wild can avoid the yo-yo for a developing young goalie and bring up Curry if it needs to after the Olympic break. To have Gus just up here backing up, it s just not right for his development and leaves Iowa really shorthanded, too, GM Chuck Fletcher said. John s a little older and has a little more experience, so it s just another option for us. It s not a reflection on Gus at all. There have been times we ve had [Darcy] Kuemper and Gus up here and John s been the only goalie down there, so this is recognizing the reality of our situation and protecting us with another NHL contract. Basically, Curry s an insurance policy beyond Kuemper, who started 12 consecutive games before the break, and Backstrom, who was suffering from abdominal soreness before the break. Since Jan. 7, Backstrom missed two games and had to back up rather than start Jan. 7 in L.A. because of the issue. Fletcher said the Wild will know more Wednesday once every non-olympic player reports for practice, but he anticipates that Backstrom is fine. As for Harding, who has started two games since Dec. 17 and none since Dec. 31, Fletcher said there s no real change to his status and he will not be practicing this week. Once we get into practicing here, hopefully we can provide a better update, Fletcher said. There s no real change with Josh. Fletcher knows Curry well. When he was assistant GM in Pittsburgh, Fletcher signed Curry out of Boston University. He has lots of experience. He s earned it. He s just played very well down there, so he deserves an NHL deal and there s no downside to signing him and having him available to you, Fletcher said. Curry, who turns 30 Feb. 27, has shuttled all year back and forth between Iowa and ECHL Orlando. He is with Iowa in 12 games with a 1.95 goals-against average and.939 save percentage. In 2007 with BU, he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker and was named Hockey East Player of the Year. In four NHL games for Pittsburgh over parts of two seasons in and , Curry is 2-2 with a 3.67 goals-against average and.867 save percentage. I'll be on KFAN in-studio with Paul Allen on Tuesday morning at 9. Star Tribune LOADED:

11 Minnesota Wild Wild signs former Breck goalie Curry as insurance policy Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO February 18, :36 AM The Wild tore up goalie John Curry s two-way American Hockey League contract with Iowa and signed the former Breck School product to a two-way NHL contract. He was officially placed on waivers Monday in order to be reassigned back to Iowa, but by signing Curry, the Wild now has a call-up option beyond rookie Johan Gustafsson. Because of the Wild s chaotic goalie situation this season caused by health problems for Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom, Gustafsson, who s in his first year as a North American pro, has been on the Wild s active roster six separate occasions and has backed up nine games. He has yet to make his NHL debut. To have Gus just up here backing up, it s just not right for his development and leaves Iowa really shorthanded, too, General Manager Chuck Fletcher said. There have been times we ve had both [Darcy] Kuemper and Gus up here and John s been the only goalie down there, so this is recognizing the reality of our situation and protecting us with another NHL contract. Basically, Curry s an insurance policy beyond Kuemper, who started 12 consecutive games before the break, and Backstrom, who was suffering from abdominal soreness before the break. Since Jan. 7, Backstrom missed one start and two other games as a result. Backstrom is expected to practice Wednesday when non-olympian Wild players report following their Olympic hiatus. As for Harding, who has started two games since Dec. 17 and none since Dec. 31, Fletcher said there s no change to his status and he will not be practicing this week. Once we get into practicing here, hopefully we can provide a better update, Fletcher said. There s no real change with Josh. Fletcher knows Curry well. When he was assistant GM in Pittsburgh, Fletcher signed Curry out of Boston University. He s just played very well down [in Iowa], so he deserves an NHL deal, and there s no downside to signing him and having him available to you, Fletcher said. Curry, who turns 30 Feb. 27 and is from Shorewood, has shuttled all year between Iowa and ECHL Orlando. He is with Iowa in 12 games with a 1.95 goals-against average and.939 save percentage. In 2007 with BU, he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and was named Hockey East Player of the Year. In four NHL games for Pittsburgh over parts of two seasons in and , Curry is 2-2 with a 3.67 goals-against average and.867 save percentage. Star Tribune LOADED:

12 Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild add goaltender John Curry as insurance By John Shipley Posted: Updated: 02/17/ :01:00 AM CST 02/17/ :45:20 PM CST After signing John Curry to a two-way contract Monday, the Wild have five goalies under NHL contract. Don't read too much into that, general manager Chuck Fletcher said. With Josh Harding and Nik Backstrom sidelined for much of the season, it's something Fletcher said they "could have done a few months ago." "All we're doing now is protecting ourselves a bit," he said. The Wild won't know exactly what to expect from veteran goaltenders Harding (illness) and Backstrom (lower body) until Wednesday, when players not on Olympic rosters report back from break. In their absence, rookie Darcy Kuemper has become the Wild's No. 1 goaltender. Backstrom, the former all-star, has been bothered all season by a lower body injury related to offseason hernia surgery. Harding, one of the NHL's best goaltenders early this season, has been on injured reserve since taking time to adjust to the medication he takes for multiple sclerosis. He hasn't played since Dec. 31, a 2-1 loss to St. Louis at the X. Fletcher said Monday that he expects Backstrom to be ready for the stretch run, which begins Feb. 27 at Edmonton. "Our expectation is that Nik is fine, and certainly the time off has been beneficial for him, as it has been for a lot of our players," Fletcher said. Harding's status is less clear. "With Josh, there has been no change to his situation," Fletcher said. "We'll try to update that a little more on Wednesday. That's when he reports back, and we'll be able to give you a better update. But as of now, there is no change in his status." Curry, a Shorewood native who played four games for the Pittsburgh Penguins from , essentially had become AHL Iowa's goalie because the Wild kept recalling Kuemper and Johan Gustafsson. In 12 games with the Aeros, Curry, 27, is with a 1.95 goals-against average and.939 save percentage. Initially on a two-way contract that allowed the Wild to move him between the AHL and ECHL, where he was with Orlando, Curry is now on a two-way between the Wild and Aeros. After the March 5 trade deadline, NHL teams won't be able to add players to their active rosters. "Because of injuries, we've been forced to use many different goaltenders, and this gives us a little more depth," Fletcher said. "More important, (Curry) has really played well in Iowa. He's earned the contract." Pioneer Press LOADED:

13 Montreal Canadiens The bizarre dysfunction of the Czech hockey team By JAMES MIRTLE February 18, 2014 When the Czech Republic first put together it's team for the 2014 Olympics, there was disbelief in many hockey circles It started with who was on the team, right when it was named in early January. When the Czech Republic first put together it's team for the 2014 Olympics, there was disbelief in many hockey circles, as there were some glaring omissions and strange names on the roster. Not going were the likes of Jiri Hudler, the third highest scoring Czech player in the NHL this season. Or Radim Vrbata, who has more goals than any other Czech in the NHL the last three years. Or Jan Hejda, who leads all Czech NHL players in ice time with a pretty good Avalanche team. Other useful players were missing, too: Roman Polak, Tomas Fleischmann and Michal Neuvirth. In their place were an odd mix of non-nhlers, some of whom had had a cup of coffee in North America and failed, and others who had simply played their way out of the league: Michal Barinka, Lukas Krajicek, Tomas Kaberle, Roman Cervenka, Jiri Novotny and, most surprising of all, a 42-year-old Petr Nedved, in his first Olympics for the Czechs. Now, the Czechs' hockey development has fallen off in recent years, and there are reasonable concerns over how well they can compete internationally with the so-called Big Four (or Five), but some of these choices have likely only exacerbated that weakness. If you ask around NHL circles, there's a lot of anger over how the roster was selected and how it's being run, with Hejda the most prominent example of a player openly criticizing the national team in the press. Or, as one Czech publication put it before the Olympics opened: "There have been many questions around the national team. And a few scandals." At the centre of it all seems to be Czech coach Alois Hadamczik, a controversial figure these days with anyone remotely close to the national team. The Czechs' tournament hasn't been particularly impressive so far. They opened with a 4-2 loss to Sweden after going down 4-0 early, followed by a 4-2 win over a weak Latvian team and a 1-0 loss to Switzerland. They go into Tuesday's do-or-die game with rival Slovakia considered a huge longshot to make it past even the quarter-finals, which is quite a fall from winning gold back in Watching them so far at the Games, you can pick up on the underlying dysfunction there, too, with one example being netminder Ondrej Pavelec having to essentially pull himself from the goal1 with his team trailing the Swiss by a goal late in Saturday's game. Then there's the distribution of ice time. One game, defenceman Ladislav Smid sat the entire 60 minutes on the bench. Michal Rozsival then got that treatment two games later. Nedved has been playing more than NHL players like Ales Hemsky, Michael Frolik, Martin Erat and Ondrej Palat, despite a clear need for offence in the Czechs' two losses. And Barinka, a 29-year-old playing in the Czech league, is dressing for games and averaging nearly 17 minutes a night while Smid, Radko Gudas (who has been nursing an illness) and Rozsival play far more limited roles. So what's going on? The first thing that critics of the Czech situation point out is that Barinka is Hadamczik's son-in-law, and that there is favouritism there with him not only making the team, but playing a key role. In fact, you don't have to dig very deep to find those that question the coach's methods in general, including going back to a seventh place finish at the worlds last year in Stockholm, where players took issue with many of the decisions being made. He seemed uncertain who to use in shootouts, for one thing, and deferred to veteran players during key games for strategic decisions. Hejda made more pointed comments when he was left off the Olympic team last month, coming out in the Czech press and declaring that Hadamczik barely used a discernible system at all2 and that the team would have to win on its own. Other players feel as though he plays favourites, letting some of the petty bickering that's gone on at past events keep good players like Hudler off the team entirely. With all that going on, multiple Czech NHLers said they were actually glad to not be selected to the Sochi team. Some of those who are on the team, meanwhile, are apparently not even on speaking terms with the coach at this point. Hadamczik's background is hard to flesh out3 but is interesting enough on its own, as he's a multimillionaire who has been in the Czech press regularly over the years, with some recent stories inquiring into just where all his wealth came from. That's a bit of a tangent, but what's clear is he's a point of disruption when it comes to the NHL players on the team. And the bottom line here is that the Czechs were going to be underdogs in this tournament even in the best case scenario, with the right players both on the team and on the same page with their coach. Without that and Dominik Hasek in goal it's going to be awfully tough to recreate any of the magic they had 16 years ago when they won in Nagano. Or get close to the podium at all. Globe And Mail LOADED:

14 Montreal Canadiens Duhatschek: Team Canada's lack of power-play minutes defies logic By ERIC DUHATSCHEK February 17, 2014 Among the 12 teams, Canada has received the fewest chances to play with the man advantage only four in three games, all victories Follow The Globe's SOCHI LIVE for the latest from the Winter Olympics1. Of all the curious developments in the preliminary round of the 2014 Sochi Olympics men's hockey tournament, the most puzzling of all may be Canada's inability to get on the power play. How is it that among the 12 teams, Canada has received the fewest chances to play with the man advantage (only four in three games, all victories)? Sweden and Russia lead with 13 chances apiece, the Czechs are next with 12, and even the weakest teams Norway, Latvia and Slovenia have 12, 11 and 10 power-play opportunities respectively. No other team has fewer than seven. In theory, a team with Canada's speed and talent level should be drawing penalties on a far-more regular basis. This development just defies logic. "It's amazing," head coach Mike Babcock said Monday, an off-day for Canada as it prepares for Wednesday's quarter-final game against the winner of Latvia-Switzerland (who play Tuesday). "We have the puck all the time and never get on the power play. "That's different here, too. When you have the puck in North America and you dominate the other team in the NHL, you're on the power play at least four or five times a game." The lack of power-play time is one of the reasons 11 of 14 Canadian forwards, including NHL stars Sidney Crosby and John Tavares, have yet to score a goal in the tournament. On the other hand, players of that calibre rarely go three games in a row without a goal so you'd have to think they're due, right? "Some guys on the team are used to putting up three points a night, and when that doesn't happen, you can't get too frustrated," winger Rick Nash said. "All these teams are great teams and the best players in their own country. It's just something, you're more worried about the team having success than your individual success." Thus far, six of Canada's 11 goals in its three games have been scored by two defencemen, Drew Doughty and Shea Weber in part because teams are collapsing back to the net, leaving no room for the forwards to get through. Matt Duchene made a point in the immediate aftermath of this past Sunday's 2-1 overtime win over Finland: If the NHL ever thought about switching to the larger international-sized ice surface, all you need to do is watch the smothering defensive hockey on display here to immediately dismiss the idea. "You look at the NHL sheet, you can create a scoring chance from anywhere," centre Jonathan Toews said. "You want to shoot from the blueline, go ahead and do it. You want to shoot from the half wall, go ahead and do it... It's tough for defenders and goalies, no matter where the puck is. Things can change so quickly. Some of the small changes we've made to our game have really helped. "Maybe I'm biased, but I prefer the NHL-sized ice surface." Of all the line combinations Babcock has tried, the only one that's consistently producing chances is Toews between Patrick Marleau and Jeff Carter, which has nine of the 18 points recorded by Canadian forwards. It isn't just Canada that's having issues scoring either. Canada is third overall in the goals scored (11), behind Finland and the United States (15 each). Russia has just eight goals, six at even strength. Sweden, the 2006 Olympic champion, has 10 goals, but only five at even strength. The team that's having the greatest success adapting to the big ice is arguably the U.S., which has 13 even-strength goals, all scored against Slovakia and Slovenia. Its two goals against Russia came with the man advantage. But that was then and this is now, the single-elimination portion of the tournament, where a team either wins or goes home. "Nobody's going to remember what the scores were in the round-robin games, to be honest with you," Crosby said. "I couldn't tell you what the scores were in Vancouver [in 2010], or Torino [2006], or Salt Lake [2002]. So, ultimately, it's what we do from here on in that's the most important part." Babcock made the point that people sometimes have short memories. At the Vancouver Games, on the NHL-sized ice, except for one aberrational game against Russia in the quarter-finals, Canada's were all tense, low-scoring matches as well. "It's a defensive, defensive game here, but in saying that, every game we played in Vancouver on that ice was a grind-fest, too," the coach said. "The best thing for us is what happened [this past Sunday]. This is what we're in for. That's what the game is. If we think we're getting seven [goals], we're watching the wrong sport. That's not what's happening. It's going to be 2-1." Globe And Mail LOADED:

15 Nashville Predators Nashville Predators' Shea Weber continues strong play for Team Canada Feb. 17, :30 PM Josh Cooper It has been sort of an under-the-radar storyline throughout the NHL this season that Shea Weber may be playing the best hockey of his career, but he's not getting any love for any major awards. It's partially why the Olympic tournament is so important for the Predators defenseman, who is a two-time Norris Trophy finalist. It's a chance for him to show his skills on a larger stage. And he has done so with two goals, two assists and four points in three games for Team Canada. "He has the ability to elevate his game and he is peaking at the right time," his agent Jarret Bousquet said. "Everything is coming together at the right time, and I would agree, this is the best hockey I ve seen him play." Can the performance push Weber into Norris contention? The Olympics don't count towards NHL awards, but if voters in the Professional Hockey Writers' Association are watching, they'll see a player who is playing the same powerfully consistent hockey he has shown throughout the season. "Taking away the goals, those aside, he s playing great hockey, moving the puck quick, getting the puck out of his zone and playing physical," Bousquet said. "It s hard to play physical on the big ice, but he s really taking the body and being a force out there." Tennessean LOADED: