NHL News And Notes
Matt Bodenschatz | National Hockey League
Sep 26, 08:57 AM | Hype this story!
Net Issue Angers Luongo
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo said yesterday in an NHL conference call that if the league chooses to increase the size of goals, he won’t last long – if at all.
“If that day comes, I don’t think you guys will be seeing me in the NHL,” he said.
Bernier’s Bid
Rookie goaltender Jonathan Bernier could be playing his way into a starting role with the Los Angeles Kings.
The young goaltender, coming off a spectacular season in the QMJHL, backstopped Team Canada to a dominant victory over Team Russia in the recently-completed Summit Series.
Bernier is the Kings’ first round pick (11th overall) in 2006. He has one year left of junior eligibility, so if he does not make the Kings roster, he will return to Lewiston of the QMJHL.
Neely In Charge
Former Boston Bruins power forward Cam Neely now has a power position within the front office.
The 2005 Hockey Hall Of Fame inductee Tuesday was named vice president of the Bruins organization. His duties primarily will be focused on hockey operations, though he will deal with other club duties.
A Healing Heart
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Teppo Numminen may be getting up there in age as far as his hockey career is concerned, but the 39-year old is much too young to be deailing with the heart ailments he has had recently.
Numminen underwent open heart surgery to repair a faulty valve last week. He recovering and said he could return to the ice as soon as December.
The veteran defenseman also has been suspended by the Sabres as a formality.
Wristy Business
If Dan Boyle didn’t know skate blades are sharp, he sure knows now. The Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner was injured in a freak accident when his skate fell off a hook in the locker room.
Originally, Boyle was thought to have severed one tendon in his wrist, but it later was determined that he severed three. After successful surgery this past Sunday, Boyle will remain sidelined for four to six weeks.
Blackhawks Owner Dies
William Wirtz, longtime owner of the Chicago Blackhawks died early this morning at age 77. He had been battling cancer.
He is survived by his wife, Alice; five children, Rocky, Gail, Karey, Peter and Alyson; and seven grandchildren.
Scary Night For McAmmond
Dean McAmmond of the Ottawa Senators was removed from the ice last night after receiving a body check from Philadelphia Flyers forward Aaron Downy.
While he lay motionless on the ice, comparisons to Buffalo Bills (NFL) tight end Kevin Everett came to mind. The Senators forward was then taken off the ice on a stretcher. It was later determined that his injuries amounted to a concussion.
Comments
Ashley
Sep 26, 12:09 PM
What a vicious, vicious hit by Steve Downie. Definite intent to injure…I feel so bad for Dean McAmmond, coming off that concussion June, courtesy of Chris Pronger, and now this. Poor guy.
DaBich
Sep 26, 12:30 PM
Can’t the league review this hit and DO something about it? Put a stop to it before it gets worse!
On a lighter note, Numminem deserves credit for even considering playing any longer. That’s not easy on a 39 year old body!
Matt Bodenschatz
Sep 26, 12:30 PM
Yeah, I always hate to see players suffer injuries — especially when there is intent behind the hit. Downie is a guy who scares me as a hockey fan. He seems to run around without a care. I can see him targetting the Penguins stars and other top-flight talents around the league.
Another one who scares me is Riley Cote, also of the Flyers. Check out this quote from him: “I want to run around hammering everybody I can. My goal is to be more of a pest and run guys like Sidney Crosby and (Alex) Ovechkin and let them come at me. I want guys looking over their shoulders.”
Classy guy.
Ashley
Sep 26, 03:11 PM
Steve Downie somewhat ‘justified’ what he did by saying that he just wants to make the team and that he plays that kind of hockey (though I will give him credit for saying that he was sorry that McAmmond got hurt). Here’s the big question: will the Flyers look at Downie and say, “Hey, this is the kind of kid we want on our team.”
At least Downie is suspended until further notice from the NHL. Question is: he wasn’t really expected to crack the roster this year, so would any suspension really be that bad?
You can also take a look at what Brian McGratton said after the game: “He’ll get what’s coming to him. He’ll do it to the wrong guy and somebody will put him out of hockey. You do that at his level a couple of times, guys in junior won’t do it, but guys at this level will.
“He’ll get what’s coming to him next time we play him, that’s for sure.”
The idea of retribution is kind of scary too. Think of Bertuzzi/Moore…
I don’t know if you guys saw the highlights of the hit and the melee that followed, but McAmmond is darn lucky that he didn’t get his head/neck sliced by someone’s skates because they were pretty much right on top of him. And he’s darn lucky that he didn’t fracture anything (Lupul and Upshall weren’t so lucky).
As for Numminen, I agree that you gotta give him credit for thinking about playing again after open heart surgery. I just hope that he doesn’t do something stupid – like play when he shouldn’t. It’s one thing to play with a bad knee, it’s another to mess around with your heart.
(wow, this is long..)
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