SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF

Transcription

1 SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 1/13/2013 Anaheim Ducks Kings, Ducks ready for the short haul Players easily ratify NHL labor agreement Whicker: Lockout over, Ducks fans lock in to NHL's return Ducks debut Saturday in Vancouver, home opener Jan Prospects, healthier defense excite Boudreau Ducks to face Canucks in home opener Boston Bruins Now it s official: Game on! Finally, understanding Bruins roster breakdown Buffalo Sabres NHLPA votes to ratify CBA, but sides still working on memorandum of understanding With players' vote complete, NHL needs signed memorandum of understanding to begin business Sabres' variable pricing plan to feature five Gold games, 15 Silver, one Bronze and three Value games Sabres' schedule released, includes 10 of final 14 games at home Leo Roth: Kevin Sylvester ready to go after lockout Sabres open at home next Sunday against the Flyers Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Sam Gagner ready to roll in Flames to open shortened season Jan. 20 at the Saddledome against the San Jose Sharks Flames plan to open camp Sunday at the Saddledome Carolina Hurricanes Canes schedule set; will face Lightning in home opener on Jan. 22nd Semin gets settled in with Hurricanes Chicago Blackhawks NHL season remains in holding pattern Wirtz on labor accord, upcoming season Hawks games to watch Hawks better get used to road quickly New Hawks roster looks about same as old one Bowman on the clock NHL lockout officially over; Blackhawks open Jan. 19 at Kings Blackhawks open camp Sunday Five keys for Blackhawks season Players' Association ratifies CBA Blackhawks' 2013 schedule finally has arrived Blackhawks hit the ground running with training camp Sunday Pack your bags, Hawks hitting the road Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche pluses and minuses entering season Colorado Avlanche's season opener set: Saturday at Wild With NHL lockout over, Colorado Avalanche warming up to real ice time Dallas Stars Stars profiles: Wily veteran Ray Whitney could make huge impact Stars' Brenden Morrow on what he did during the NHL lockout: 'I had my balls clipped' Stars' Brenden Morrow: 'Jamie Benn is the top priority for this organization' Stars goalie Richard Bachman ready to battle it out for playing time in net Jaromir Jagr has 'extra motivation' to prove he's worth Stars' cash Q&A: Glen Gulutzan talks training camp strategy as first official practice set for 2 p.m. Sunday Stars release schedule: A closer look at back-tobacks, tough stretches and crucial contests Despite breakout year, Stars goalie Richard Bachman ready to battle it out for playing time in net Heika: With less than a week until opener, Glen Gulutzan must bring new Stars up to speed in a hurry Stars' Brenden Morrow on his 'embarrassing' activities during NHL lockout NHL lockout officially over, training camps open today Detroit Red Wings Jan Mursak gains confidence, experience in Austria; now he'll have to battle for roster spot with Red Wings Former Red Wing Kris Draper cherishing time with his son on Little Caesars team Helene St. James: Red Wings' defensemen must step up in absence of Nicklas Lidstrom, Brad Stuart Breaking down the Red Wings' defense: Who's back and who's new questions the Red Wings must face in 2013 season Mitch Albom: Knock, knock... it's the NHL, remember? NHL CBA official; Red Wings to open training camp Sunday, play 48 games in 99 days NHL players OK agreement, but schedule waits on finalizing details Tentative plans are for Red Wings to hit the ice Sunday at Compuware Deal done, Red Wings release complete regular-season schedule Veteran Mike Knuble, 40, will get a look from the Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk deserves the patience of Wings fans Red Wings look to maximize short, quick training camp as regular season fast approaching Five questions heading into Red Wings training camp: roster battles, goalie workload, power play Red Wings' training camp highlighted by Red-White game Tuesday; single-game tickets go on sale Thursday Red Wings' compressed 48-game schedule features 12 sets of back-to-back games, 12 of first 19 at home NHL lockout officially over, as league, players union sign memorandum of understanding Red Wings giving veteran forward Mike Knuble a tryout in training camp Edmonton Oilers Oilers schedule will kick off with visit to Vancouver When you re Brian Burke doors open Edmonton Oilers Sam Gagner ready to roll in JONES: 'It could be worse' says Edmonton Oilers coach about NHL schedule Florida Panthers TIME FOR CAMP: #FlaPanthers Set to Kick Off 2013 on Sunday Florida Panthers getting ready to pick up the pace

2 Tough slate of games awaits Florida Panthers PANTHERS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER Five questions the Panthers face in training camp Los Angeles Kings Kings, Ducks ready for the short haul Tim Leiweke gears up for another season! (Part 1) Minnesota Wild Souhan: Compressed NHL season will be sprint, not marathon, for Wild Wild ready to sign Nick Palmieri; Matt Dumba, Steve Kampfer arrive; Aeros on way? 'Memo of Understanding' expected to be signed by NHL/NHLPA today Wild news: Free scrimmage, other perks Wednesday; Ticket prices; schedule Change hits home (ice) for Parise Deal's OK means real work; Wild opens with homestand Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding on his multiple sclerois: 'You can't dwell on it' Minnesota Wild will open Jan. 19 at home against Colorado Avalanche Doctor 'so impressed' by Harding Montreal Canadiens Five Canadian NHL teams set to open 48-game regular season on Saturday Game On: NHL and players association officially end lockout Four Bulldogs join Canadiens training camp Lockout Over: NHL, players' association finalize memorandum of understanding It s official: Habs open season against Maple Leafs Four Bulldogs players and Galchenyuk invited to Habs camp Habs and prospects undergo physicals/fitness tests Agent for Canadiens P.K. Subban shoots down contract rumour Pat Hickey: Habs' Erik Cole says this could be his last season Nashville Predators Predators start process of wooing fans back Nashville Predators hurry up to shape up as camp begins Nashville Predators' second-year center Craig Smith shows fourth gear Nashville Predators schedule released Short Predators schedule includes long road trip early New Jersey Devils Sides Sign Agreement; Training Camps to Open Lockout Officially Over, Season to Begin January Devils wait for Memorandum of Understanding before releasing schedule Devils: A healthy Travis Zajac is ready for intense 48-game season Devils hot topic: Who should be named captain? NHL lockout is officially over and new CBA takes effect Some details of Devils' 48-game schedule Devils have seven dates on NHL Network; seven more on NBCSN With camp opening Sunday, Devils' Patrik Elias eager to get going A look at the schedules for the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders Puck drops Saturday with Rangers-Bruins, Isles-Devs New York Islanders Islander s just plane dawdling Puck drops Saturday with Rangers-Bruins, Isles-Devs questions for the Islanders NHL lockout officially ends, training camps set to open As usual, Islanders' new season filled with questions New York Rangers With NHL lockout over, NY Rangers have schedule and will feel right at home Without John Tortorella, NYU club hockey coach Chris Cosentino prepares NY Rangers for training camp, earns ra NY Rangers 2013 schedule opens Saturday in Boston, concludes April 27 at Garden against rival New Jersey Devil Puck drops Saturday with Rangers-Bruins, Isles-Devs With lockout over, training camps on tap Serby's Sunday Q & A with... Rick Nash Five questions for Rangers' training camp Rangers hope to mesh quickly Michael Del Zotto will be missing when Rangers take the ice Sunday questions for Rangers' training camp NHL lockout officially ends, training camps set to open Rangers want to put it together quickly Individual game tickets go on sale Wednesday NHL Brian Burke says his firing as Toronto Maple Leafs GM 'was like a two-by-four upside the head' in exit press c Ottawa Senators NHL, players' association finalize memorandum of understanding Spezza: Senators won t be able to sneak up on opponents this season Jason Spezza thrilled to be back with Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators give seven AHLers and two juniors a chance at camp An open letter to Senators fans and sponsors from Owner Eugene Melnyk and Team Captain Daniel Alfredsson Philadelphia Flyers Leighton lauds Bryz; Laughton getting shot Flyers' Scott Hartnell looking forward to a fast-paced season Flyers to open six-day training camp at 11 a.m. Sunday Inside the Flyers: For Flyers, peaking down the stretch, not at the start, is key to success in short season Leighton glad to be back with Flyers Sesito's case of the mumps Flyers open camp Sun.; schedule released Flyers excited to get season started Flyers excited to get season started Dumb Memo done, schedule released (again) With lockout over, Flyers release official schedule NHL lockout officially over with CBA ratified & MOU signed Sources: Flyers to sign D Kurtis Foster NHLPA ratifies new CBA; work continues on MOU Callahan: Flyers stuck in overdrive Flyers training camp: Ready or not... Phoenix Coyotes Valley hockey fans are well-equipped to forgive and forget the NHL lockout Phoenix Coyotes announce 2013 schedule Phoenix Coyotes David Rundblad gets defensive to earn his shot Sarah McLellan's Coyotes blog Pittsburgh Penguins Great 48 for Crosby, Malkin? Geno likes the puck, so I try to give it to him Reese seeks to be piece of Pens picture Re-signing Malkin, Letang is Penguins top priority

3 Five Penguins storylines to watch Five Penguins players to watch League, NHL players finalize labor deal; camps to open Sunday Penguins notebook: Tangradi ready to make impact NHL Players' Association members vote to ratify new collective bargaining agreement Former Penguins part-owner Tad Potter dies key questions for the Penguins in It's official: NHL lockout is over Obituary: Thayer 'Tad' Potter / Former owner of Penguins dies at 79 San Jose Sharks NHL players ratify labor pact, lockout finally officially over Sharks' 2013 schedule revealed St Louis Blues Blues believe that 48 is enough Tampa Bay Lightning Developing chemistry first task for Tampa Bay Lightning Stopping scrutiny tough for Tampa Bay Lightning's Lindback Tampa Bay Lightning season schedule released key questions facing the Tampa Bay Lightning Change of plan as some AHL Syracuse players already on way to Lightning camp Lightning training camp starts Sunday: camp, ticket, Fan Fest information Labor deal has Lightning owner Jeff Vinik optimistic about future Injuries top list of early concerns for Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leafs new ownership gives knife in Brian Burke s back another twist: DiManno Fired Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke wants a job tomorrow NHL lockout officially over Brian Burke on Maple Leafs firing: Like getting a two-by-four upside your head Leafs to start and end 2013 schedule against Habs Hopefully, Burke firing was for the right reasons Brian Burke dismissal shrouded in mystery NHL lockout officially over as league, players finalize memorandum of understanding Unplugged: Brian Burke tells us how he really feels about Maple Leafs firing Brian Burke admits his brand probably played a part in Maple Leafs firing Tyler Bozak is not perfect, but he is the Leafs safest option as No. 1 centre Vancouver Canucks Canucks open season next Saturday night at home against the Ducks Game on: Canucks schedule released Canucks entering the unknown with upcoming high-pressure schedule Roberto Luongo conducting himself with absolute class as his departure nears Plenty of issues for Canucks to sort out in their mini training camp Washington Capitals Mike Green healthy, ready to start new season Capitals set to sign Eric Fehr Michal Neuvirth, Wojtek Wolski join Capitals skate Washington Capitals are ready for NHL season to be an intense s Capitals Notes: Welcome back Eric Fehr NHL lockout over; Capitals schedule released After lockout, there's no time for Capitals' Adam Oates to mess around Websites ESPN / Games to watch on 2013 schedule NBCSports.com /Henrique aiming for early February return NBCSports.com / Hawks goalie Crawford seeking redemption NBCSports.com / I was floored, and I still am stunned, says Burke on firing NBCSports.com /No concussion for Backstrom: We can all be calm NBCSports.com /PHT s Pressing Questions: Can the Flyers keep the puck out of their net? NBCSports.com /Canucks expecting Luongo at training camp NBCSports.com /Jets owner justifies lockout NBCSports.com /Flames to address Iginla s future next week NBCSports.com /Kovalchuk wants to finish the season in the KHL NBCSports.com /PHT s Pressing Questions: Can Nash put the Rangers over the top? USA TODAY / NHL schedule released, features 48 games in 99 days USA TODAY / Brian Burke on his ouster as GM: 'We didn't win' USA TODAY / NHL, players finalize agreement, camps can open Sunday Winnipeg Jets Jets release official schedule Jets open Sunday practice to public Money photo still just a joke to Jets Kane Five burning questions facing Jets Scheifele hopes to stick with Jets Jets' Kane won't let criticism derail him SPORT-SCAN, INC Anaheim Ducks Kings, Ducks ready for the short haul By Lisa Dillman Think about playing 48 games in the span of 99 days, factor in the traditional Grammy trip in February and there is one inevitable truth for the reigning Stanley Cup champion Kings. If they can survive the first month of the lockout-shortened season, they'll be nicely positioned the rest of the way. Oh about that first month or so. The Kings, who open the regular season at noon on Saturday against Chicago with the Stanley Cup banner raising at Staples Center, will play 11 of their first 15 games on the road. That includes a five-game journey Feb The Kings and Ducks will be limited to playing Western Conference teams. They will play each other four times this season. Earlier, Kings captain Dustin Brown talked about the difference of the shortened season. Despite the early difficult stretch, the Kings won't be on a prolonged East Coast swing.

4 "It helps over the long haul. Every year we'll have a 20-day road trip, which wears on you," Brown said. "It's still going to be intense. It's going to be more important, probably this year more any other, taking care of yourself off the ice. Probably magnified a little bit." Anaheim, coming off a season in which it missed the playoffs, has a considerably easier travel schedule early on. The Ducks start the season at Vancouver on Saturday, and have their home opener, also against the Canucks, on Jan. 25. They host the Kings on Feb. 2 and don't have their first three-game trip until mid-february. Of note, the Kings have eight sets of back-to-back games, and the Ducks 10. Anaheim has one particularly curious pairing: games against the Oilers on consecutive nights at Edmonton, April The flurry of activity unfolded Saturday night, moments after the official end of the league's lockout when the memorandum of understanding was completed. That final step took much longer than expected symbolic of the long and painful labor struggle between the NHL and the Players' Assn. An NHL public relations operative tweeted at about 7:20 p.m. PST "#hockeyisback," signaling that the memorandum of understanding had been signed. Thus, NHL hockey was back in business with teams free to start signing players and making trades, at 9 p.m. PST. The NHL's board of governors had signed off on the deal on Wednesday and the players ratified the new CBA earlier on Saturday. Training camps will open Sunday, giving teams precious little time to prepare for the start of the shortened season. The Kings start at 10 a.m. at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, the Ducks at 11:15 a.m. at Honda Center. These sessions are open to the public. Additionally, the Kings will host an open practice at 7 p.m. Monday at Staples Center. The team said entry into the arena is free. Both area teams announced ticket information. The Ducks are putting individual game tickets on sale on Tuesday at 10 a.m., with a pre-sale on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Honda Center. And the Kings' single-game tickets are scheduled to go on sale Monday at 6 p.m. LA Times: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Players easily ratify NHL labor agreement January 12th, 2013, 3:07 pm posted by Eric Stephens, Staff writer Nearly a week after a new labor deal was agreed upon, NHL players overwhelmingly ratified the collective bargaining agreement after voting ended early Saturday morning. ESPN.com s Pierre LeBrun reported that 89 percent of players voted (679 of 763) and that all but 12 agreed to the terms of the deal that last 10 years, though the league and the NHL Players Association can decide to opt out of it after eight. Owners unanimously ratified the labor deal on Wednesday at the NHL s Board of Governors meeting. The NHL has yet to release the new schedule and training camps will not officially open until a Memorandum of Understanding is signed by the league and union. Lawyers representing both sides have been working all Saturday to hammer out the final details. If the deal is then finalized, camps are expected to open on Sunday. The Ducks will release full details of their camp sessions as well as their schedule and ticket information once they get the approval from the league. The 48-game sprint of this lockout-shortened season will begin Jan. 19. The Ducks will play at Vancouver while the Kings will host Chicago in an afternoon game as they hoist their Stanley Cup banner. Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Whicker: Lockout over, Ducks fans lock in to NHL's return By MARK WHICKER The lukewarm days and barren nights finally got to Jeff Strang. Marooned by the NHL lockout, he was driven to his first fantasy football league. Meanwhile, Murray Oxman found himself watching more golf on TV. Richard Guertin barely noticed. "But that's because I play hockey twice a week myself," he said. They will reconvene soon, in the halls of Honda Center, as their nights return. They have held Ducks season tickets since They have seen Terry Yake and Espen Knutsen. They remember Keith Carney eliminating Detroit. They remember the Niedermayers' brotherly Cup handoff. They probably have even risen to shout, "C'mon, Getzlaf, shoot the puck!" Hockey is imbedded in them, like a secular church. They make friends in the seats around them. They leave work, meet their family members and friends at J.T. Schmid's or the Lazy Dog, and try to get there for warm-ups. "I've been in hockey withdrawal," Oxman said. "As soon as they drop the puck the other stuff will go away." They are hockey fans, not just Ducks fans. All three said they were happy the Kings won the Stanley Cup, because they were all Kings fans before the Ducks came to town, and because they like anything that adds one more degree to the sizzle. But Strang, Oxman and Guertin, and the thousands behind them, are missing a chance to exercise power. If they ever became truly disgusted with the lockout cycle three of them now, in the Ducks' existence they would stay home. Instead, these fans pull themselves back in. The owners and players know they always will. In fact, if you got a nickel every time you heard someone say, "That's it, I'm not going back," you would be able to buy your own NHL team and actually prevent the next lockout yourself. "I'm afraid we'll be going through this again in another eight years," said Strang, referring to the opt-out clause in the official 10-year agreement. "I thought about not coming back. I travel a lot, so I don't have as many tickets as I once did. But I'm from New York. I was in the blue seats in Madison Square Garden. I've got seventh-row seats behind the bench here. I even like it when the Red Wings and the Kings fans come, because they're hockey fans. And I think it inspires the Ducks to play better." They don't agree on the blame. Oxman thinks the players were greedy. Guertin, a Canadian who was transferred here before the Ducks arrived, believes the owners lit the match. "The players took a 24 percent pay cut last time," Guertin said. "The game did very well during those seasons. Now the owners wanted them to take another cut." Oxman owns an Army-Navy store in Santa Fe Springs. Born and bred here, he is the reason the NHL pushes to cultivate new fans in new markets instead of just reinforcing older, colder ones. In the Navy, he had a friend from Boston who kept telling him how great hockey was. He began watching the game himself, and agreed. His kids got into youth hockey. "The parents started watching them and said, hey, this must be fun," he said. So for 15 years Oxman played in adult leagues, as Guertin does now. Although he is a charter Ducks' season-ticket holder, he prefers his seats high in the 400 level, and not just because of the intelligence that wafts over from the nearby press box.

5 "I've had seats all over the building," Oxman said. "If you sit up high, you can see the play develop. You can see why they called the penalty behind the play." How loud will Honda Center be? How many loyalists are there, like Oxman, Strang and Guertin? "I don't know anyone who isn't coming back," Guertin said. "I've heard people say they might give up their season seats and go with mini-plans. But I think most people think it's just a part of business. "I know my family has enjoyed having more nights to be together, to go out to dinner. But I'm also looking forward to getting back to the routine." The danger of any lockout is that it snuffs out the potential routine for the almost-fan, the one who is somewhat intrigued by the game and is nearly ready to take the dive. As the owners and players tussle over make-whole provisions and escrow, that potential hockey lifer moves away. As for Strang, he is eager for normalcy. "My fantasy team was doing fine, and then Darren McFadden and Matt Forte and Michael Vick got hurt and I couldn't replace them," he said. Now he returns to an injured game. The seats around him will tell us if it's doubtful or probable. Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Ducks debut Saturday in Vancouver, home opener Jan. 25 By ERIC STEPHENS After opening their season with a two-game trip, the Ducks will face the Vancouver Canucks in their home opener Jan. 25 at Honda Center as the NHL schedule was released Saturday night. Game time for that contest will be 7 p.m. The Ducks will play host to Nashville the next night as one of three Saturday home contests in the condensed 48-game schedule. The Ducks will play at Vancouver on Saturday as one of 13 games that will take place on opening night, and will head to Calgary to face the Flames on Jan. 21. Notable contests include the first matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings on Feb. 2 at Honda Center, one of four meetings this season. Former top prospect Justin Schultz, who signed with Edmonton instead of the Ducks, returns with the Oilers on April 8. A notable schedule quirk sees the Ducks and presumably all other teams playing the same opponent two or three times in a row, either at home or on the road. They will do it four such times against Phoenix, Detroit, Dallas and Edmonton. The club also announced that training camp will officially open Sunday with an 11:30 a.m. practice open to the public at Honda Center. Free hot dogs and soda, one of several measures the Ducks will use to reconnect with fans, will be offered. Open workouts will shift to Anaheim Ice on Monday through Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Single-game tickets will go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. but a special pre-sale will take place today at the arena from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Nearly a week after a new labor deal was agreed upon, NHL players overwhelmingly ratified the collective bargaining agreement after voting ended early Saturday. ESPN.com reported that 89 percent of players voted (679 of 763) and that all but 12 agreed to the terms of the deal that can last 10 years, though the league and the NHL Players' Association can decide to opt out of it after eight. A total of 720 NHL games will be played over a 99-day span until April 27. The playoffs will begin April 30 and the latest the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled to end is June 28. All teams will play 18 games within their division, four against two and five against the other two. The remaining 30 games will be three contests against each team in the other two divisions of their conference. There will be no out-of-conference games, similar to what occurred in 1995 after a 103-day work stoppage. Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Prospects, healthier defense excite Boudreau By ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM Having more time on your hands than one is accustomed often makes the mind wander. And then the people around you begin to wonder. Let's just say that all those who work in Honda Center offices have gotten to know Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau much better over the past few months. "They'll tell you I get bored," Boudreau said. "During the lockout, I'd walk and run to say 'Hi' to everybody. I was so bored. I couldn't just sit here at the computer all day." Perhaps no one is more thrilled to see the 119-day work stoppage end than Boudreau, a self-professed hockey lifer who might be most comfortable when he's on the ice. He's now putting in long hours instead being done at noon each day. "I feel like I've put in an honest day's work," Boudreau said with a tone or relief. "That's good." As training camp is finally set to open today, the 58-year-old bench boss sat down with the Register and talked about getting back to work and other upcoming topics: Q: What is it like to regain a sense of normalcy after this lengthy work stoppage? A: The coaches, we're just like every hockey fan. We get in here. We turn the computers on. We see what would happen. Oh, there's a proposal and we'd be getting really high. It's going to start. We'd better do more today. Then all of a sudden, it goes down the toilet and you go, 'OK, now what?' Q: You still won't run a full Ducks training camp until next September? Do you lament that? A: "The big unfortunate thing about that with me is you'd like to see everybody in the organization and talk to everybody. So the organization knows who you are. That's the great reason in going down to Norfolk for training camp and the two other visits I've gone down. So you get to know the organization well. But the guys that are going to be here, I know them all pretty confidently." Q: Do you plan to have a scrimmage in camp? A: The way it is right now, we will have it the fifth day of camp. And I've gone one, two, three, four, five, because it's still not set in stone what day we're starting. But Day 5, we will have a full scrimmage. We'll probably have 26 players here. Q: Were there some guys during your time scouting the AHL's Norfolk Admirals last weekend that jumped out to you? A: There were some pleasant surprises. I don't know if they're coming up. But I really think that for the future, that Sami Vatanen is going to be a good player up here. His mobility is really good. His awareness on the ice is really good. I thought the skill set of Peter Holland... I finally got the chance to really see him. When he's got the puck, he's in control. He knows very well what he's doing. (Kyle) Palmieri, who hasn't had his greatest year to start, had a really good of weekend in games two and three, I thought. Jordan Hendry plays a lot. Nate Guenin plays a lot on defense there. Patrick Maroon did, I think, a real stellar job below the circles. So these are guys that I'll probably be talking to Murph (GM Bob Murray) about when it's all said and done." Q: Realistically, how many spots on the Ducks are open for competition?

6 A: Three, I think I would say. Fourth-line center would be open. A 13th forward. Or if (Brad) Staubitz is the 13th forward, maybe a 12th forward. One third-line guy. You look at what you're going to use at left wingers. (Matt) Beleskey. (Dan) Winnik. (Andrew) Cogliano can play anywhere. But the constants would be Beleskey, Winnik, (Bobby) Ryan. Those are the left wingers. Where do we fit Cogs? The centermen. You know you have (Nick) Bonino, (Saku) Koivu and (Ryan) Getzlaf. Right wing, you go (Teemu) Selanne, (Corey) Perry and who knows after that? Maybe (Devante) Smith- Pelly and Palmieri. You can move guys over. Staubitz's a right winger. You've just got to find the fit and you have a shorter period of time because you've got no preseason games. Q: Can you create some competition during an abbreviated camp? A: "There's one defenseman's job available. We'll invite probably two defensemen from Norfolk or maybe even three. Make that a battle there. If there's three spots up front, we might invite five guys. Show me in practice, show me who gets it? Who wants it more? Because there's nobody's name that's down in Norfolk right now etched in stone that's going to be on our team." Q: How do you like the look of your team right now? For instance, the biggest difference might be Sheldon Souray and Bryan Allen bringing size to the defense corps. A: Well I think it was really needed. And it's how quick we can find good pairings. The other thing too is this is the first time that (Toni) Lydman's in shape. Not in shape physically but healthy-wise in a year. (Francois) Beauchemin, the length of this lockout has given him time to heal his offseason surgery. So he's now healthy, whereas we were pretty sure that he wasn't going to start the season. Our defense, when you look at it, is going to be our strength. And our goaltending is going to be our strength right now. If we've improved our club and that's where we were from Jan. 4 on, then why can't we start off at that level and be competitive right from the get go?" Q: When did you start feeling comfortable here? A: I think by the end of the year. The players got to know my personality and know me as a person a little bit more. And that's when you start feeling comfortable. They have to trust you." Q: How did your wife, Crystal, react to the lockout ending? A: You know what? She put on Facebook something like, 'Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work he goes.' Something like that. I'm happy now, I'm happy now, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho. You should ask her what she said. Kicking me out of the house. It was funny. Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Ducks to face Canucks in home opener January 12th, 2013, 7:51 pm posted by Eric Stephens, Staff writer inafter opening their season with a two-game road trip, the Ducks will face the Vancouver Canucks in their home opener on Jan. 25 at Honda Center as the NHL schedule was released Saturday night. Game time for that contest will be 7 p.m. The Ducks will host Nashville the next night as one of three Saturday home contests in the condensed 48- game schedule. The Ducks will play at Vancouver on Jan. 19 as one of 13 games that will take place on opening night and will head to Calgary to face the Flames on Jan. 21. Notable contests include the first matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings on Feb. 2 at Honda Center, one of four meetings this season. Former top prospect Justin Schultz, who signed with Edmonton instead of the Ducks, returns with the Oilers on April 8. A schedule quirk sees the Ducks and presumably all other teams playing the same opponent two or three times in a row, either at home or on the road. They will do it four such times against Phoenix, Detroit, Dallas and Edmonton. The club also announced that training camp will officially open Sunday with an 11:30 a.m. practice open to the public at Honda Center. Free hot dogs and soda, one of several measures the Ducks will use to reconnect with fans, will be offered to those in attendance. Open workouts will shift to Anaheim Ice on Monday through Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Single-game tickets will go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. but a special pre-sale will take place on Sunday at the arena from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. A total of 720 NHL games will be played over a 99-day span until April 27. The playoffs will begin on April 30 and the latest the Stanley Cup finals are scheduled to end is June 28. All teams will play 18 games within their division, four against two and five against the other two. The remaining 30 games will be three contests against each team in the other two divisions of their respective conference. There will be no out-of-conference contest in this lockout-shortened season, similar to what occurred in 1995 after a 103-day work stoppage. DUCKS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE Day Date Team Time Saturday Jan. 19 at Vancouver 7 p.m. Monday Jan. 21 at Calgary 6 p.m. Friday Jan. 25 VANCOUVER 7 p.m. Saturday Jan. 26 NASHVILLE 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Jan. 29 at San Jose 7:30 p.m. Friday Feb. 1 MINNESOTA 7 p.m. Saturday Feb. 2 KINGS 7 p.m. Monday Feb. 4 SAN JOSE 7 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 6 at Colorado 6:30 p.m. Friday Feb. 8 at Dallas 5:30 p.m. Saturday Feb. 9 at St. Louis 5 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 12 at Chicago 5:30 p.m. Friday Feb. 15 at Detroit 4:30 p.m. Saturday Feb. 16 at Nashville 5 p.m. Monday Feb. 18 COLUMBUS 7 p.m. Sunday Feb. 24 COLORADO 5 p.m. Monday Feb. 25 at Kings 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 27 NASHVILLE 7 p.m. Friday March 1 MINNESOTA 7 p.m. Saturday March 2 at Phoenix 5 p.m. Monday March 4 at Phoenix 6 p.m. Wednesday March 6 PHOENIX 7 p.m. Friday March 8 CALGARY 7 p.m. Sunday March 10 ST. LOUIS 7 p.m. Tuesday March 12 at Minnesota Thursday March 14 at Dallas 5:30 p.m. Saturday March 16 at St. Louis 5 p.m. 5 p.m. Monday March 18 SAN JOSE 7 p.m. Wednesday March 20 CHICAGO 7 p.m. Friday Sunday March 22 DETROIT 7 p.m. March 24 DETROIT 5 p.m. Monday March 25 SAN JOSE 7 p.m. Wednesday March 27 at San Jose 7 p.m. Friday March 29 at Chicago 5:30 p.m.

7 Sunday March 31 at Columbus 3 p.m. Monday April 1 at Dallas 5:30 p.m. Wednesday April 3 DALLAS 7 p.m. Friday April 5 DALLAS 7 p.m. Sunday April 7 KINGS 6 p.m. Monday April 8 EDMONTON 7 p.m. Wednesday April 10 COLORADO 7 p.m. Saturday April 13 at Kings 8 p.m. Wednesday April 17 COLUMBUS 7 p.m. Friday April 19 at Calgary 6 p.m. Sunday April 21 at Edmonton 5 p.m. Monday April 22 at Edmonton 6:30 p.m. Thursday April 25 at Vancouver 7 p.m. Saturday April 27 PHOENIX 7 p.m. Posted in: regular season Ducks Orange County Register: LOADED: Boston Bruins Now it s official: Game on! Steve Conroy [2], Bruins Notebook [3] Now that the legal games are over, the real ones can finally begin. After the Players Association officially ratified the new collective bargaining agreement early yesterday and a memorandum of understanding was finalized late last night, the NHL was able to release the 48-game regularseason schedule. And the Bruins will have to make some hay early. The B s begin the season playing five of their first seven games at home this month, including Saturday night s opener against the New York Rangers, before they are forced to play 8-of-11 on the road in February. The Bruins will play a whopping 17 games in March, with eight of those contests at the Garden. The first meeting with the Canadiens will take place in Montreal on Feb. 6. The Canadiens won t visit the Garden until March 3. The B s will finish up the regular season on the road with games against the Flyers in Philadelphia, on April 23, and against the Capitals in Washington, on April 27. In Northeast Division play, the Bruins will have five games against the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres and four against the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. The B s will play each non-divisional Eastern Conference opponent three times, and there will be no games played this season against Western Conference teams. The 48 games will be played in 96 days, and the Bruins have seven sets of back-to-backs. The playoffs are scheduled to open on April 30, with the Stanley Cup to be handed out no later than June 28. Individual game tickets will go on sale on Wednesday at both the Garden box office and online at [4]. Today, the Bruins will throw open the doors at the Garden to open training camp. The team will take to the ice at 1 p.m., and the session will be open to the public. Parking will be free at the North Station garage from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Garden will also host a Black and Gold intrasquad scrimmage on Tuesday night at 7. The scrimmage is free to the public, but fans do need tickets to attend. Tickets will be available to season ticket-holders and Premium Club clients before they are released to the public. Top trio reunites With the start of camp, the B s erstwhile top scoring line will presumably be reunited after almost a full calendar year. The trio of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton has not been together since Horton was felled in Philadelphia with what turned out to be a season-ending concussion last Jan. 22. No matter who the B s tried as a replacement on the line, nothing seemed to work. There never seemed to be great chemistry with Rich Peverley in Horton s spot on the right wing. Tyler Seguin got a shot there and, though it had some initial success, the experiment was scrapped after a minus-4 night for the grouping. Things didn t click with Jordan Caron, either. Krejci, for one, is looking forward to the expected reunion, but the center wasn t promising anything fancy right off the bat. It kind of slipped, so hopefully we will pick up where we left off with (Horton), Krejci said Friday, his first day back skating in the Boston area since the lockout ended. I don t know if I ll be playing with them. I think so, but who knows? But they re two big guys and we ll have to keep it simple, play a north-south game and not be too cute. We may get there, but for now we have to play a simple north-south game. Still, Krejci doesn t believe it will take long to get the chemistry back with Horton. I know what kind of player he is and we know what to expect from each other, Krejci said. We just have to learn again how to read off each other on the ice, where each other is going to be, just feel comfortable. I know what to expect, I know what we can do, but again, we have to go back to teaching each other and knowing where each other is going to be on the ice. Paille remains at ready Ever since late in the Stanley Cup season of , Daniel Paille has been a fixture on the fourth line. He could very well be there again to start this season, though the B s do have some options. If the brass decides to keep Chris Bourque, the son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque most likely will take the role of left winger on the third line. But if the B s keep bruiser Lane MacDermid around, Paille could be pushed up to the third line with center Chris Kelly and Peverley. With the condensed schedule, there s also the chance that minor injuries could open up holes in the lineup. Whatever the case, Paille, who played nine games in Finland during the lockout, is ready. One of the factors in my decision to go over was to get in game shape and be ready just in case, whether it was December or January if the season was going to start, Paille said. I do think I benefited from staying (in North America) a little longer, only because I felt I kept myself in good shape while I was here and I think I proved it when I went over there. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins Finally, understanding How could anyone be surprised that the self-destructive fiasco perpetrated by the NHL s owners and (to a lesser extent) players during the nearly fourmonth lockout would hit one last snag? Training camp? You lawyers just keep talking among yourselves. Let us know when it s time to actually play some hockey. As it turns out, that will be today. The sides finally completed the process of accepting the new collective bargaining agreement late last night, agreeing on a so-called memorandum of understanding after another wasted day. That makes the new CBA official, and means players and owners henceforth will split hockey-related revenues, Teams could begin making player transactions at midnight last night a flurry of immediate moves was expected and training camps will open today. The Bruins, already done with required pre-camp physicals, will skate at the Garden to begin a very abbreviated training camp.

8 The B s open the 48-game season at home Saturday night against the New York Rangers, then a Monday matinee against Winnipeg. The NHL Players Association, to the surprise of no one, voted overwhelmingly 98.2 percent majority to ratify the new CBA tentatively settled last weekend. The final details and language will be ironed out by legions of lawyers in the next several weeks, but the aforementioned MOU allows the league to hang out an Open for Business sign for the first time since the lockout began on Sept. 15. It just took about a day longer than anticipated. The Bruins, for instance, scheduled an 11 a.m. Garden press conference with GM Peter Chiarelli and president Cam Neely to talk about myriad lockout- and hockey-related issues. It was delayed for several hours, then finally postponed. I don t know if we expected the process to be this complicated, Bruin Gregory Campbell said last week of the whole lockout mess. I really wasn t expecting all the things that went on. I wasn t expecting it to be this hard. The really hard stuff, however, is finished. There was concern the MOU process might drag on into today or even tomorrow, each delay robbing the teams of another day to come together with their coaches and start the job of getting something slapped together in time for Game 1 in less than a week. The finalization of the MOU allows what will be the shortest training camp in NHL history to get under way. All 30 teams will be in the same boat: illprepared and hoping to do the best they can and knowing that there s little margin for error in this sprint of a season. There will be a tremendous sense of relief for all involved to get this whole lockout craziness behind them. They ll be able to focus on the sport on the ice starting today. I m definitely looking forward to getting back into the flow of things, said Milan Lucic after an unofficial practice a few days ago. It was an emotional roller coaster with how the negotiations went. It was up, it was down. You re hearing about a potential start in December, then not. Emotionally, it was really hard to get into the flow of things. It s nice to get that lift emotionally that we are playing. Finally. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins roster breakdown A look at how the team shapes up heading into camp today Right about now in any other year, the 30 National Hockey League teams would be fighting off the midwinter doldrums, half the season under the belt and still many miles to go before the playoffs. Not this year. Starting today, all NHL teams will finally, mercifully report for the start of a mere six-day ramp-up to the season opener as the lockout officially came to a close last night. Aside from the long-suffering fans who have been waiting for their favorite brand of entertainment to arrive, it s not the best situation for anyone. But the good news for the Bruins is that they re better off than most teams. Among the skaters, there is only one forward position in serious question, and that s third-line left wing. On defense, one, maybe two spots will see new players, depending on the health of Adam McQuaid. Even in net, despite the departure of longtime netminder Tim Thomas, there s still a known commodity stepping into his shoes in Tuukka Rask. Add that familiarity to the success this group has had over the last few years and you ve got a serious contender for the Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup. Now, after a dozen of them plied their trade all over Europe for a few months, they have to put it all together again. Here s a breakdown of the roster: FORWARDS (Projected lines) LW C RW Brad Marchand Patrice Bergeron Tyler Seguin Milan Lucic David Krejci Nathan Horton Chris Bourque Chris Kelly Rich Peverley Daniel PailleGregory CampbellShawn Thornton THE SKINNY: When your only true open roster spot is your third-line left wing, things are pretty good. Still, with this team s reliance on all four lines, it s not nothing. Back in September, former first-round pick Jordan Caron appeared to be a lock for that spot, but he has not played well in Providence and is now unavailable after suffering a shoulder injury a little more than a week ago. Bourque has the best experience of those vying for the spot, proving himself to be a top-notch AHLer, and he has 33 NHL games under his belt. The B s will also take a look at highly rated prospect Ryan Spooner, playing very well in his first full pro season down on the farm. There are other options, too. For a bigger lineup, they could move Paille up to the third and put the rugged Lane MacDermid onto the fourth. Also, veteran Jay Pandolfo, a camp invitee who played for coach Claude Julien in New Jersey, could be in the mix. They ll also look at 27-year-old Jamie Tardif, who has yet to play in the NHL but leads the Baby B s in goals with 16 in 32 games. While that s the only open spot, there is another significant unknown: the health of the twice-concussed Horton, though he s looked fine in a couple of captains practices. After Horton went down a year ago, the B s struggled to win two games in a row. With him, the B s went through a two-month stretch when they were as offensively explosive as any team since the Bobby Orr era. DEFENSE (Projected pairings) Zdeno Chara Dennis Seidenberg Andrew Ference Dougie Hamilton Adam McQuaid Aaron Johnson Johnny Boychuk THE SKINNY: Chara and Seidenberg may not start the year together, but it s a very good bet they ll finish it that way. The two combine for one of the best, if not the best, shutdown pairs in the league. It will be interesting to see where the rookie Hamilton fits in this grouping, but there are a number of solid veterans with whom to pair him in Chara, Seidenberg or Ference. Whomever he skates with, it should be fun to watch the 19-year-old, perhaps the heir to Chara, develop. It s unfortunate he wasn t able to get any exhibition games (he did get one last year) under his belt before stepping onto the big stage, but such is life. The third pair right now is up in the air. McQuaid is a question mark for the start of the season after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot in October. Johnson was expected to be the seventh defenseman, but he could be getting some more games sooner than expected. And the brass also will take a close look at prospects David Warsofsky and Matt Bartkowski, who have the advantage of having played in Providence while the locked-out Johnson was left to skate informally with a group of players in Dallas. GOALTENDERS Tuukka Rask Anton Khudobin THE SKINNY: Tuukka Time has finally arrived, for real this time. Rask had actually won the job midway through the season from Tim Thomas and, for the most part, backed up the promise that he s had since he s been a teenager. But the then-rookie did wear down noticeably in the second round of the playoffs and durability is perhaps the last remaining question as the 25-year-old restricted free agent-to-be heads into the biggest season of his young career. After taking a step back to the bench in as Thomas became the best goalie on the planet, Rask now has the opportunity to make the job truly his own. With the compressed schedule, Khudobin could see a higher percentage of games than he may have in an 82-game season. He has seven NHL games under his belt and one with the B s last year. And it was a good one, as he stopped 44-of-45 shots in Ottawa. He ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

9 Boston Herald LOADED: Buffalo Sabres NHLPA votes to ratify CBA, but sides still working on memorandum of understanding The NHL lockout continues to crawl agonizingly along. The players have voted to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL Players' Association announced this afternoon, but the league remains closed for business. Lawyers for both sides continue to work on the memorandum of understanding, which is a written account of what the players and owners voted for in recent days. Until it is done and signed, there is a hold on trades, signings and the release of the schedule. There remains hope it will be completed tonight so training camps can open Sunday. ---John Vogl Buffalo News LOADED: Sabres Parking Apr 11 Apr :30PM Sabres Parking Apr 13 Apr :00PM Sabres Parking Apr 14 Apr :00PM Sabres Parking Apr 19 Apr :00PM Sabres Parking Apr 25 Apr :00PM Sabres Parking Apr 26 Apr :00PM Again, that is not official. What is official is Ryan Miller knows it will take hard work to erase the pain of the lockout. Read his thoughts here. ---John Vogl Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Sabres' variable pricing plan to feature five Gold games, 15 Silver, one Bronze and three Value games Buffalo Sabres With players' vote complete, NHL needs signed memorandum of understanding to begin business The NHL Players' Association concluded its ratification vote on the collective bargaining agreement at 8 this morning, but that was expected to merely be a formality of the players voting "yes." The real NHL-shaking move today will be the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The league and its players' association need to sign the agreement before any business can begin. The only word so far is the signing will come "today," probably not until this afternoon. Once signed, the NHL will release its schedule and open its doors to signing and trades. The Sabres' first move will likely be to sign Jochen Hecht, who agreed to a one-year deal Friday. While there is no formal announcement of the Sabres' schedule, it's all but certain they will start against Philadelphia at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 20 in First Niagara Center. It's possible we have a glimpse at 15 of the other 24 home games. Tickets.com, the Sabres' ticketing outlet, has 15 dates listed for "Sabres Parking." If they are correct, Buffalo will open the season with plenty of road games and close it with a home rush. The dates listed: Sabres Parking Feb 23 Feb :00PM In conjunction with the release of the Buffalo Sabres' schedule, the team has also revealed its variable pricing plan for the season. The Sabres will have five Gold games, 15 Silver, one Bronze and three Value games. Individual games tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the First Niagara Center box office and Tickets.com. Below are the pricing charts and schedule breakdown. Section Value Bronze Silver Gold 200 Club $113 $127 Sabres Parking Mar 2 Mar :00PM $146 Sabres Parking Mar 12 Mar :00PM Sabres Parking Mar 16 Mar :00PM Sabres Parking Mar 21 Mar :00PM Sabres Parking Mar 30 Mar :00PM Sabres Parking Mar 31 Mar :00PM Sabres Parking Apr 5 Apr :00PM Sabres Parking Apr 7 Apr :00PM $ Ends $113 $127 $146