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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/26/2014

Calgary Flames 748197 Flames sign first-round pick Bennett 748198 Ortio plans on making Flames roster 748199 Calgary Flames sign Sam Bennett to three-year deal

Carolina Hurricanes 748200 Canes’ Josh Wesley carries on hockey tradition

Chicago Blackhawks 748201 Patrick Kane is not a fan of the St. Louis Blues 748202 Brad Richards: Chicago has become top destination for FAs

Columbus Blue Jackets 748203 Blue Jackets: ‘Moneyball’ thinking on rise among NHL teams

Dallas Stars 748204 Stars President Jim Lites: We're selling more new season tickets than almost anybody; Ticket prices are going

Detroit Red Wings 748205 Detroit Red Wings re-sign Landon Ferraro after 'disappointing' year 748206 Detroit Red Wings planning to hire guru to help with advanced stats 748207 Red Wings sign Landon Ferraro to two-way contract 748208 Red Wings goalies: Jimmy Howard's mission is to make amends for last season 748209 Detroit Red Wings re-sign forward Landon Ferraro to one-year contract 748210 Chris Ilitch says his family is pleased with direction of Red Wings and GM Ken Holland 748211 Ferraro signs one-year contract with Wings

Florida Panthers 748212 Panthers and F Hayes go to salary arbitration

Los Angeles Kings 748213 Player evaluation: Stoll

Nashville Predators 748214 Predators outlook: Viktor Stalberg

New Jersey Devils 748215 Hockey: Devils forwards aren't getting any younger

New York Rangers 748216 Dominic Moore’s Smashfest raises $140,000 for charities

Toronto Maple Leafs 748217 Maple Leafs sign goalie James Reimer to two-year contract 748218 Death notice takes one final shot at Maple Leafs 748219 Reimer signs two-year deal with Leafs 748220 Toronto Maple Leafs sign goalie James Reimer to two-year contract, avoid arbitration

Vancouver Canucks 748226 Canucks’ top pick Jake Virtanen breaks news of his own signing on Twitter 748227 Trevor Linden’s Twitter account wants to hook you up 748228 Canucks sign hometown boy Jake Virtanen to his entry level contract 748229 Canucks captain Henrik in the winner’s circle: ‘It’s fun to own horse’

Washington Capitals 748222 Capitals sign third-round pick Nathan Walker to three-year deal 748223 Capitals free agent David Kolomatis signs in Finland 748224 Capitals sign 1st Australian player to be drafted

Winnipeg Jets 748225 Jets re-sign D-man Ellerby for another season

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

748197 Calgary Flames

Flames sign first-round pick Bennett

But team would still like for centre to play another year of junior

By SCOTT CRUICKSHANK, Calgary Herald July 25, 2014 6:49 PM

Flames sign first-round pick Bennett

Fourth pick overall Sam Bennett has signed a deal with the Calgary Flames, but GM Brad Treliving doesn’t want to create huge expectations. He would still like Bennett to play another year of junior before jumping to the big club.

One general manager wants the boy back in junior.

The other general manager, well, that’s kind of what he would like to see, too.

With Sam Bennett signing an entry-level deal Friday with the Calgary Flames, both sides of the hockey equation are buzzing.

It’s not much of a debate, though.

Their wishes end up being somewhat similar.

There’s Doug Gilmour, who is Bennett’s boss with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.

“I’m going to be selfish. I want him back,” Gilmour told Sportsnet.ca the other day. “But if he makes it, good for him.”

There’s Brad Treliving, who snagged Bennett fourth overall at the National Hockey League draft last month. He wants what’s best for Bennett, slender and gritty.

“I want to caution everybody,” Treliving said Friday evening. “I know we’re coming off a season where we saw Sean Monahan do what he did. First off, that’s the exception rather than the rule. Secondarily, you’ve got Sam who, quite frankly, is considerably younger going into his first training camp. Although it might not seem like it, those eight, nine months are a difference.

“In my mind, I see Sam being a junior player next year. By no means am I pencilling him into any lineup at this particular time. We didn’t select Sam just so we can stick him in our lineup and he can get there really, really fast.

“He’ll be there when he’s ready to be there. I’m always very cautious with 18-year-old people … because this is the big boys’ club.”

Not that Treliving is writing off the six-foot-one native of Holland Landing, Ont.

Bennett himself has declared, more than once, that he’s ready for the NHL.

“We put it in the player’s hands — we hold tryouts in September,” said Treliving. “Sam and I have had a lot of chats over the last few weeks. My message to him — the biggest challenge for young players, especially at their first training camp, is you don’t realize how hard it is … but at least be in the best possible shape you can. That’s what he can control — putting his nose to the grindstone and making sure that his fitness level is where it needs to be.

“The rest? We’ll just see how things go.”

The contract stands as another landmark for Bennett.

But much different than the other one.

At the draft in Philadelphia, a crammed rink had looked on. A national-television audience was rapt. Radio listeners had been glued to the action. For Internet users, the night meant refresh, refresh, refresh.

“The draft was a lot more exciting, a lot more nerve-racking,” Bennett said, “because I wasn’t too sure what was going to happen.”

Friday’s development?

Momentous, but on a much smaller scale — at least publicly.

Just the kid and his father, Dave, and agent Darren Ferris — sitting in an Etobicoke, Ont., restaurant and having a quiet lunch. There, Bennett formalized the three-year entry-level deal.

“Definitely, it is a huge day for me,” Bennett said two hours after scribbling his signature on the dotted line. “I’m so excited to get this over with. It’s a moment I’ve thought about forever, since I was little.

“It went pretty smoothly actually. I’m happy with how it went — and happy we got it done so quickly.”

Bennett has no immediate plans for his signing bonus.

But he hinted that his current ride — a truck — may be soon upgraded to an Audi.

There is, however, precious little time for car-shopping.

In a week, Bennett and a few dozen other teenage hopefuls travel to Quebec for the start of the national-junior team’s summer camp. The get-together includes friendlies with Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic.

“I’ll definitely have a lot of confidence,” he said. “It’s going to be an exciting tournament. And any time you get a chance to represent Canada, you always want to perform your best and make your country proud. Definitely I’m looking forward to it.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 07.26.2014


Ortio plans on making Flames roster

Finnish goalie expects to make it tough to send him to minors

By SCOTT CRUICKSHANK, Calgary Herald July 25, 2014

Ortio plans on making Flames roster

Flames goalie Joni Ortio, fresh with a new one-way contract, hopes to put pressure on the team and make it tough for them to send him to the AHL this season.

Joni Ortio has heard the verdict.

To the surprise of no one, he’s flat-out dismissing it.

At season’s end, Calgary Flames boss Brian Burke had declared that he wanted to see Ortio play a pile of games in 2014-15 — meaning a heavy workload for the goalie in the American Hockey League.

“I’ve got to disagree with Burkie,” Ortio said Friday from his home in Finland. “Not about the fact that I need to play a lot — he’s absolutely right about that. But my goal is to come into camp and steal a spot. It’s our business — younger guys trying to steal the old guy’s spot and his jersey.”

Slotted above him on the depth chart are Karri Ramo and freshly signed Jonas Hiller.

Unfazed is Ortio.

“I agree that I need to get the games in,” he said, “but my goal is to get those games in the NHL, not in Glens Falls.”

Ortio does admit that he’s peeked at a map to learn more about Glens Falls, N.Y., new base of the Flames’ farm club.

“It’s not a huge city, that’s come to my attention,” he said, chuckling. “But, hopefully, I don’t have to visit there that often.”

Burke, of course, had meant no disrespect by his comment. He simply wants Ortio, a plum prospect, nurtured properly — not too soon heaved out of his comfort zone.

But the Flames, apparently, figure one more winter of non-NHL activity will be sufficient seasoning.

Because for the 2015-16 campaign, Ortio’s new contract is a one-way arrangement — $600,000, no matter where he toils. That first one-way clause is no small thing.

“For sure, it is a confidence booster,” said Ortio, a restricted free agent, who signed a two-year deal Thursday. “That gives me motivation to work towards that spot in the NHL.”

Last season, the 23-year-old had excelled everywhere — with ECHL Alaska, with AHL Abbotsford, with Calgary, where he made the first nine appearances of his NHL career.

Many observers point to 2013-14 as Ortio’s breakout.

Truth be told, the pivotal stretch had arrived the year before when he worked more than 60 matches for HIFK Helsinki. A telling winter.

“That whole season in Finland was huge for me … a stepping stone.”

By the time he got to the Young Stars prospects tournament in Penticton, B.C., last fall, he was primed.

And it showed.

“I got off to a hot start,” said the 171st overall pick of the 2009 draft. “And that really helped me.”

(That dazzling display in Penticton had been in stark contrast to his 2011 debut in the Young Stars event: “Basically, if we’d played with a beach ball, I wouldn’t have been able to catch that. I mean, I got lit up.”) While his rookie-camp excellence had everyone buzzing, the Flames — with Karri Ramo and Joey MacDonald in Calgary, with Reto Berra and Laurent Brossoit in Abbotsford — dispatched Ortio to Anchorage, Alaska, to backstop the Aces.

“It’s never fun,” said Ortio, who started four times — 3-1-0, 1.01 goals-against average — for the Aces. “At one point, you’re in training camp battling for a spot in the NHL and, before you know it, you’re in the ECHL. That’s not fun, but I understood where the organization was coming from.

“When I got back up, Abby pretty much got off to a flying start — the big reason was how well the guys played in front me. Things kept rolling from that point. Getting nine games in with Calgary was huge. I’ve known for a while now that I can play in the NHL, but that was ultimate proof for myself and for everyone else that I can play at that level.”

Not unrelated to Ortio’s blossoming, the Flames, along the way, parted ways with Brossoit. Then Berra.

Suddenly — fresh contract in hand, leap up the depth chart assured — the path to the NHL seems much more direct.

“I love Calgary. I loved staying there last year. I can’t wait to get back.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 07.26.2014


Calgary Flames sign Sam Bennett to three-year deal

By WES GILBERTSON,First posted: Friday, July 25, 2014

Sam Bennett’s first tweet after joining the Calgary Flames says it all.

“Wow what a day! Honoured to sign my first NHL contract with the @NHLFlames Dream come true,” Bennett wrote on Twitter.

The Flames are thinking exactly the same thing, Sam.

After making Bennett the highest ever pick by the club during the 2014 NHL Draft last month, the Flames announced they’d inked the fourth-overall selection to a three-year entry-level contract Friday.

“Right now, it’s all about the excitement — it really is a dream come true,” said Bennett, 18. “This is a moment I’ve thought about for a long time.”

The 6-foot-1, 178-lb. centre is highly regarded as a cornerstone in helping the Flames become a Stanley Cup contender. After all, he is considered one of hockey’s promising up-and-comers after dazzling in the junior ranks the last two years. The Toronto native scored 36 goals and 91 points and recorded 118 penalty minutes in 57 games this past season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston Frontenacs and was arguably a steal for the Flames in getting him with the fourth pick at the draft.

The two sides hammered out a deal Wednesday, and Bennett put his name on the contract Friday morning officially making him an NHLer. An entry-level contract is two-way with players making up to $925,000 per season, not including signing and performance bonuses.

“It really is unbelievable to say I’m finally part of the Calgary Flames,” Bennett said. “That’s pretty cool to say.

“But it’s nice to get that step over with,” Bennett continued. “Now it’s time to work on training for all the camps coming up.”

The list of upcoming commitments is a doozy for the phenom.

First, he’ll take his first strides in cracking the Canadian world juniors roster when camp invitees meet in Montreal in two weeks time.

Then, Bennett will turn his attention to making the Flames — first, with the rookie camp in September, which includes a likely spot with the club in the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., and then, with the main camp, where the goal is to make the big club at the tender age of 18.

“Making the team is definitely on my radar,” Bennett said. “It’s been my goal for a longtime. I’ll do whatever I can.

“I feel I’m ready for the NHL,” Bennett continued. “Obviously, I have to work on the little things — the details — like being physically ready for training camp. I feel like I’m almost there.”

The Flames, however, don’t want to rush the young prospect’s development.

“I’ve said it all along — we’re excited to get him, and we think he has a bright future with us,” said Flames GM Brad Treliving. “But also, let’s let him be 18, let’s not put any pressure on him … He’s a young guy, and we’re looking long-term with him.

“We don’t want to putting labels like ‘cornerstone’ or ‘franchise player’ on him. Really, we’re planning on him to be back in juniors next season. But there’s a reason why we have training camp, too.

“He is 100% focused on being a Calgary Flames come October — and that kind of focus is a great attribute to have,” Treliving added. “But we’ve always cautioned that what happened with Sean Monahan (being drafted) and making the team right away last year is an exception. Sam is a good player and a great kid, and his development will happen in its own time.

“All that said, this was a really good day.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.26.2014

748200 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes’ Josh Wesley carries on hockey tradition

By Chip Alexander

RALEIGH — Josh Wesley said he teared up the day his father, Glen, said he would retire from the NHL.

“I knew how hard he had worked throughout his years,” Josh said. “I knew it was time for him but I didn’t want to see it end.”

Glen Wesley spent 20 years in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, the Hartford Whalers and the Carolina Hurricanes after the Hartford franchise moved to North Carolina in 1997, and briefly the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2006, the defenseman lifted the Stanley Cup with Carolina.

He retired as a Hurricane in 2008 and a year later watched as his No. 2 jersey was retired and lifted to the rafters at PNC Arena.

Josh Wesley, born in Hartford, Conn., but raised in Raleigh, was drafted by the Hurricanes last month at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft in Philadelphia. That was a special, surreal moment for the Wesleys, and another came early this week at the Canes’ prospects development camp.

There was defenseman Josh Wesley, wearing No. 22, in the Canes’ locker room. There he was on the ice, the red No. 2 banner high above his head and his father close by, keeping an eye on the prospects.

“The first day of camp I was just standing there on the ice and there he is,” Glen Wesley said, smiling. “Just seeing it was something. But he’s worked hard and he’s earned it.

“He’s been around it his whole life, been in the locker room, seen guys get stitched up, seen injuries, all of it. He’s got a good taste of it and understands what it takes day in and day out to be a true pro.”

Josh Wesley, 18, was taken in the fourth round of the draft after a productive rookie season with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League. He struggled initially but didn’t get discouraged.

“At the start it was hard for me because I was still meeting new guys and it was really my first year,” he said. “That confidence level wasn’t up there.”

Glen Wesley said another factor was Josh’s adjustment after a year spent in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“He was coming from a completely different philosophy to a Plymouth team that was young,” he said. “It was him getting his feet wet and almost a step up, going from the U.S. program to the OHL. It took him a couple of months to understand what it took and then night in and night out doing it consistently.”

Things began to change, Josh Wesley said, after a meeting with Whalers coach Mike Vellucci, now an assistant general manager with the Hurricanes.

“He pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, I watched you growing up and I know what you can do. Go out there and do it,’ ” Wesley said. “Right there my confidence level was boosted up a little bit.”

Wesley was used on the Whalers’ third defensive pairing but soon moved up. He worked on his skating and positioning.

“By Christmas I was at the peak of my play and just kept up that same level of intensity,” he said. “The last half of the year I finished on the first-line (pairing) so my confidence from him taking me aside sparked it.”

Forward Bryan Moore of Indian Trail, a Canes camp invitee, played for the Sarnia Sting and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the OHL last season. He said he competed against Wesley a few times – two former members of the Junior Hurricanes youth program going at it in Canada.

“He’s a big, hard-working kid,” Moore said. “We were always battling. He’s a big boy and likes to use his body and he’s not scared to go in the corners. He does his job pretty well and he’s going to keep working hard and add muscle.”

By the end of the season, Vellucci believed Wesley had shown as much improvement as any player in the OHL. Wesley, who is 6-foot-2 and 194

pounds, also had positioned himself for the draft, finishing No. 111 in NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters.

Wesley said he wanted to be “one of the guys” this week in development camp, staying at the hotel with the other prospects. Glen Wesley, the Canes’ director of defensemen development, said he hasn’t given him any preferential treatment.

“But I’ve got a pretty good idea about his game,” Glen Wesley said. “If I see something, I do want to give him advice and he’s really good about taking that.”

Josh Wesley will return to the Whalers for another year of junior hockey but said he will go back to Michigan a different player.

“Going into my second year, I’ll know a lot of the guys I’m playing against,” he said. “It will just be a little bit easier with the confidence in my play. I’m not going to back off any part of my game. It’s just going to be hard work from now on and try to be a leader any time that I can.”

Alexander

News Observer LOADED: 07.26.2014

748201 Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Kane is not a fan of the St. Louis Blues

July 25, 2014, 9:45 am Paul Roumeliotis

Patrick Kane isn't a fan of the St. Louis Blues.

Following Kane's 10-point performance in a Buffalo men's league on Monday night, the Blackhawks forward posed a picture with a fan who was wearing a Blues shirt. Kane obviously didn't like that so he covered it up with his glove.

S/O to Patty Kane for knowing what's up and covering the blues logo pic.twitter.com/09PB0hC6qj

— Megan (@MeganStael) July 23, 2014

What he didn't cover up was the Blackhawks hat the boy was wearing.

The rivalry is still fresh in the minds of both teams, as the Blackhawks eliminated the Blues in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The rivalry is also heating up. So just a heads up for anyone wanting to publicly represent those two teams through attire: wear at your own risk.

Because Patrick Kane might not like it.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.26.2014

748202 Chicago Blackhawks

Brad Richards: Chicago has become top destination for FAs

July 25, 2014, 11:45 pmCSN Staff

Brad Richards wasn't sure the Blackhawks had enough salary cap space to sign him this offseason. But as soon as Stan Bowman made the call to the veteran center, choosing Chicago was an easy choice.

The Blackhawks' top offseason acquisition spoke with the team's official website on Friday and spoke about how Chicago's success and the buzz around the city has made the Windy City the top destination for veteran free agents.

"If it wasn’t for the salary cap, half the league would want to play here. For a long period of time, Detroit was the destination point for veteran free agents who wanted to go play with great players for a chance to win the Cup. Now that place is Chicago," he said. "Great city, great organization, Original Six franchise."

Richards took less money to join the Blackhawks and become their second-line center, something he wasn't sure would be possible because of the Blackhawks' tight financial situation.

"I had earlier tossed the idea about Chicago to (agent) Pat (Morris) because I heard they might be interested in a center. He always told me, 'Don’t think so...They don’t have enough [salary cap] room.' But when he told me that [vice president/general manager] Stan Bowman called, my first reaction was, 'Oh, let’s get this done if we can.'”

The Blackhawks did get it done, in addition to securing deals with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to matching eight-year, $84 million extensions. And though those deals have created an even tougher salary-cap crunch for Bowman and the rest of the front office, it's a good problem to have for a franchise that has won a pair of Stanley Cups the last five years.

And while players may have to take less to join Toews, Kane and Joel Quenneville, if what Richards said has any merit it shouldn't be tough to convince veterans moving forward that Chicago is the place to be.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.26.2014

748203 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets: ‘Moneyball’ thinking on rise among NHL teams

By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Friday July 25, 2014

The dawn of “advanced statistics” in hockey is thought to have occurred more than a decade ago, when progressive NHL front-office types and avid fans took baseball’s Moneyball approach and applied it to pucks.

Jim Corsi’s approach has gained the most traction. Now the goaltending coach of the St. Louis Blues, Corsi developed a formula that measures every player by the number of shots (on goal, off-target and blocked) vs. the number of shots against while that player is on the ice. The result: the Corsi number.

So-called hockey analytics have not always been welcomed by the old guard. Many still bristle when a number other than goals, assists and points is used as the measuring stick.

But the new metrics are not going away.

“You’re always looking for more information,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “And you’re always trying to keep up with what other clubs are doing, make sure that you’re the team with the advantage.

“It’s something we’ve looked at more and more. It’s something we talk about now whenever we’re looking at players, not just within our organization but players who are free agents or trades that we may have discussed.”

Three years ago, only four NHL clubs had a staff member dedicated to analytics. Now, 13 clubs list a front-office member who deals with advanced statistics. The Blue Jackets are one of those 13. Josh Flynn was hired by previous general manager Scott Howson but has remained on staff to handle salary-cap issues and analytics.

“I’m spending more time paying attention to analytics than I used to,” Flynn said.

On Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs hired 28-year-old Kyle Dubas as assistant general manager. He is considered a progressive follower of Corsi’s. As for the other 17 clubs, some pay outside firms for statistical analysis, some refuse to discuss their level of interest publicly, and two — Colorado and Detroit — have shown little interest.

Several clubs have made it a priority this summer. When the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Ray Shero as general manager this spring, team ownership cited a desire to be more engaged in hockey analytics as one of the reasons. The cash-strapped Arizona Coyotes have added money to their budget to address the issue.

Even the slow-to-change New Jersey Devils, under general manager Lou Lamoriello, have taken the plunge.

“I’ve found it easier to find teams who are interested in talking to me,” said Eric Tulsky, a San Francisco-area chemist and math whiz who has worked for several NHL clubs, including the Blue Jackets. “Teams that wouldn’t even listen a few years ago are now actively seeking help.”

The basic Corsi premise is that possession of the puck is tantamount to winning hockey, and that shots on goal are representative of possession.

“Often, those two points are true,” Flynn said. “But those aren’t universal truths in hockey. Some teams dump and chase by design.”

Corsi does not figure favorably for a fourth-line player who dumps the puck in deep and forechecks. It does not give any benefit to defensemen who play heavy minutes against the other team’s best players, when simply keeping them off the score sheet is deemed a success.

For instance, Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson is a frequent target of the hockey analytics crowd. His 47.9 Corsi rating last season — meaning the Jackets took 47.9 percent of the shots when he was on the ice — was 13th on the Jackets and 317th in the league.

“Give me a break with that,” Kekalainen said.

Another issue is that the Corsi ratings are produced from the play-by-play sheets provided by the NHL, as recorded by off-ice officials.

“There’s a pretty clear definition of a shot, a missed shot and a blocked shot,” Tulsky said. “But it’s not an exact science, and the people working at certain rinks have different definitions for shots and other statistics.”

Or, as Flynn put it: “It can be pretty crude.”

Almost every NHL club is working with Corsi numbers and trying to find ways to manipulate them into a more accurate formula. The hope is that further advancement will render irrefutable statistic figures.

The NHL might get involved, too. League officials have met with at least two companies that would install high-definition cameras in every rink, similar to what the NBA has done the past three seasons. The cameras would monitor every foot of the ice, taking 25 pictures per second.

“It would measure where players are positioned when their team scores, where the other team scores, how fast a player is moving, how much better a player would have gone if a player was one foot to the left,” Tulsky said. “This is where it’s headed.”

One of those companies, PowerScout, has worked with the Blue Jackets on a limited basis the last few years.

“We’re never going to do away with scouts,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said, “because you measure the player in so many different ways, and that’s never going to change. But you have to keep your eyes open. This league, this game … it’s always changing.”

The Corsi method

A system developed by Jim Corsi, a former goaltender who now coaches for St. Louis, measures how many shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots are generated vs. how many shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots are allowed when a player is on the ice.

Thus, a rating of better than 50 percent means the player’s club has the puck and shoots more often when he’s on the ice. A rating below 50 percent indicates that the opposition has the puck and shoots more often when a certain player is on the ice.

According to ExtraSkater.com, Boston’s Patrice Bergeron was tops in the NHL last season with a 61.2 percent Corsi rating, and Edmonton’s Luke Gazdic was last at 36.8 percent.

Among Blue Jackets players, defenseman James Wisniewski (54.1 percent) had the best rating and right wing R.J. Umberger — since traded to Philadelphia — was last at 46.4.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 07.26.2014

748204 Dallas Stars

Stars President Jim Lites: We're selling more new season tickets than almost anybody; Ticket prices are going up

SPORTSDAYDFW.COM Published: 25 July 2014 07:25 PM

Stars President Jim Lites held an "Ask the President" sitdown on the Stars' official website this week. Here are some highlights from the interview.

On the Stars’ financial situation:

“We have improved the financial condition of the Dallas Stars dramatically in the two and a half years we’ve been in control of the franchise. Our season ticket base has doubled. We are selling more fresh full season tickets than any other franchise in the National Hockey League other than Colorado. We’re outselling the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, so we’re really thrilled about where we’re going.”

On ticket prices:

“You’ve got to be honest with the fans. We currently have one of the lowest ticket prices in the National Hockey League and certainly the lowest prices on an average basis across the Metroplex. We however have one of the highest payrolls in the National Hockey League. To operate where we want to operate we have to be there. While we have a really nice television contract locally and we’re a beneficiary along with the rest of the league in the new national television contracts in both Canada and the United States, we anticipate that our prices will remain fair but they will tend reflect the quality of the product on the ice. … I can’t tell you there won’t be price increases. I think there will. That will be inevitable but I don’t think it will ever be dramatic and I don’t think that fans will think they aren’t getting their money’s worth.”

On a possible third jersey:

“Discussions about a third jersey have begun. I tend to be of the opinion that we don’t even think about it in the short term because we need people to understand that that logo is our logo and that color and those uniforms are our uniforms. So the best way to make those uniforms important is to win in them and to get people used to that being our look. … with that said, we’ll look into it for sure.”

On any if any more jersey retirements are coming:

“Nobody appreciates really the hard work that Sergei Zubov and Jere Lehtinen have done for this franchise. My own feeling is that we’re absolutely going to consider it. There’s always a commercial aspect to it. Franchises get accused of exploiting their players and that kind of thing. However it’s done it’s going to be done right. Those two guys were career Dallas Stars … They are the two most significant players that haven’t been put in the Hall of Fame yet, so I think we’re absolutely open to the possibility. But when I get asked the question I always say this: The two I hope to retire for sure are 91 and 14, because if we retire 91 and 14 sometime in the future it'll mean we've won Cups here.”

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.26.2014

748205 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings re-sign Landon Ferraro after 'disappointing' year

1:55 PM, July 25, 2014 | By George Sipple

The Detroit Red Wings have agreed on a one-year, two-way contract with forward Landon Ferraro. The deal is worth $550,000 if he plays in the NHL.

Ferraro was a second-round pick (32nd overall) in the 2009 NHL draft and has spent the past three seasons in Grand Rapids.

Ferraro led the Griffins with 24 goals two seasons ago. Last season, he had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in 70 games in Grand Rapids. He also made his NHL debut last season, appearing in four games for the Red Wings with no points.

“I would have marked Landon as one of our most improved from his first year in Grand Rapids to his second,” said assistant general manager Ryan Martin. “He had an excellent second year. He had 24 goals in 2012-13. Great playoff, 16 points, helping us win the Calder Cup. He was really versatile. He played on the second, third and fourth line in the playoffs, played wing and center.

“I think, by everybody’s account, Landon’s included, I think last year was a disappointing season for him. The positive was that he got a chance to come up to the NHL and play some games. But down in Grand Rapids, he was not happy with his year down there.”

Ferraro turns 23 on Aug. 8. He’s the son of former NHL player and current TSN analyst Ray Ferraro.

“We hope that we’re just beginning to scratch the surface with him and he can find what he did in 2012-13 again next year,” Martin said of Ferraro, who projects to be a bottom-six forward in the NHL.

“Certainly a penalty-kill player, that’s one of his specialties. His speed is an asset, and he’s more than capable with the puck and has good hockey sense. You don’t get 24 goals in your second year in the American League without knowing how to play offensively.”

Ferraro’s chances of making the Red Wings’ roster out of training camp are slim. The team will have 14 other forwards signed, including restricted free agent Tomas Tatar. And that doesn’t count Daniel Alfredsson, who also might return, nor top prospect Anthony Mantha, who will be given a chance to make the roster in training camp.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.26.2014


Detroit Red Wings planning to hire guru to help with advanced stats

10:46 AM, July 25, 2014 | By Steve Schrader

Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock thinks it’s time to boldly go further into the information age, as in the advanced statistical analysis that is catching on in the NHL, just like other sports.

“Not only is it a great idea, but if you don’t, you’re going to fall behind,” Babcock told nhl.com. “You have to be on the cutting edge. It was (Arizona Coyotes assistant GM) Darcy Regier who said, ‘If you didn’t invent it, you have to be the second- or third-best copier, because if you’re fourth or fifth, you’ve got no chance.’ ”

Babcock said that means that the Wings likely will hire an analytics guru.

“Not quite yet, but ‘yet’ is the key word there,” Babcock said. “We will, for sure. We just have to ...

“I absolutely love the information. We’re in the information business, so how do you get it? And then you have to use your expertise to sort it out.”

Note: The Wings today signed forward Landon Ferraro to a one-year, two-way contract. Ferraro made his NHL debut with the Wings this past season, playing in four games and accruing two penalty minutes.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.26.2014


Red Wings sign Landon Ferraro to two-way contract

Ted Kulfan

Detroit -- The Red Wings have signed forward Landon Ferraro to a two-way, one-year contract.

Ferraro, 22, made his NHL debut with the Red Wings last season, playing four games with no points, while averaging almost nine minutes of ice time.

With Grand Rapids, Ferraro played in 70 games with 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists).

Ferraro scored a team-high 24 goals in 2012-13, while helping lead Grand Rapids to a Calder Cup championship.

A 2009 second-round draft pick, Ferraro is out of minor-league options and will have to clear waivers before going back to Grand Rapids.

It's doubtful there will be room on the roster for Ferraro heading out of training camp -- what with 14 forwards already set -- and the team awaiting word on whether Daniel Alfredsson is returning or retiring.

With the two-way contract, Ferraro will earn $550,000 if he sticks with the Red Wings, and $85,000 if he's sent to Grand Rapids.

Detroit News LOADED: 07.26.2014


Red Wings goalies: Jimmy Howard's mission is to make amends for last season

Ted Kulfan

This is the third in a series of Red Wings offseason position breakdowns by Ted Kulfan. Previously: Forwards and defensemen.

Detroit — Jimmy Howard admits it wasn’t a great season.

Teams need consistent, elite goaltending to make a sustained run in the playoffs.

The Red Wings reached the postseason — and were eliminated in five games.

“By no means was it a good season,” said Howard, who termed it an “OK season” but nothing beyond that. “I can be a lot better, a lot more consistent.”

Like several other units this season, the goaltenders will look very familiar in 2014-15.

Howard is No. 1, followed by Jonas Gustavsson. And if either is injured — or ineffective — the first phone call to Grand Rapids will be to Petr Mrazek.

But it’s up to Howard to improve on the numbers he posted last season and be “better across the board.”

Howard was 21-19-11 with a .910 save percentage and 2.66 goals-against average. And after a 1-2 start in the playoffs, he missed the last two games of the series loss to the Bruins because of the flu.

Still, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock have said Howard, in the second year of a six-year, $31.75 million deal, is the goaltender they will count on for at least 60 games.

The rest will be manned by Gustavsson, who was 16-5-4 (.907 save percentage, 2.63 GAA) and played the final two games of the series against the Bruins.

But, groin injuries have limited Gustavsson for stretches the past two seasons.

“The groin felt good the second part of the season,” said Gustavsson, re-signed to a one-year, $1.85 million deal. “I’m going to keep working on that because I want to be playing at a high level for a long time.”

Mrazek, meanwhile, appears to be the goaltender of the future. In nine games with the Red Wings, he was 2-4-0. He went 22-9-1 (.924 save percentage, 2.10 GAA) in Grand Rapids.

Starter

Jimmy Howard: There were injuries, a slump, the question of whether he was going to be an Olympian (he was). All contributed to Howard’s sub-par season.

Backup

Jonas Gustavsson: Among the best backups last season, he was confident after the season ended he cured the groin problems that plagued him the last two seasons.

On call

Petr Mrazek: The Red Wings decided it was better for him to play 60 games in Grand Rapids rather than 20 in the NHL. At 22, Mrazek has shown confidence in brief appearance with the Red Wings.

Tom McCollum: The 2008 first-round pick enjoyed his best season in Grand Rapids (24-12-4, .922 save percentage, 2.30 GAA).

Detroit News LOADED: 07.26.2014


Detroit Red Wings re-sign forward Landon Ferraro to one-year contract

Brendan Savage | July 25, 2014

The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed forward Landon Ferraro to a one-year contact.

Ferraro signed a two-way contract worth $550,000 if he plays in the NHL and $85,000 in the AHL.

Ferraro is out of minor-league options and would have to clear waivers before being sent back to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

He will have difficulty earning a spot on a crowded Red Wings roster.

Detroit already has 14 forwards signed -- and might add Daniel Alfredsson before training camp.

The club plans to carry 14 forwards. Ferraro's only realistic chance of making the roster is if there are multiple injuries. He could be used as trade bait.

Ferraro, the club's second-round pick (32nd overall) in the 2009 NHL draft, has spent the last three seasons with Grand Rapids.

In 70 games with the Griffins last season, he had 15 goals and 16 assists to rank ninth on the team with 31 points.

Ferraro, 22, also made his NHL debut with the Red Wings last season. He appeared in four NHL games and had no points.

Two years ago, Ferraro led the Griffins with 24 goals among 47 points. He's played 200 career games with Grand Rapids, scoring 38 goals among 98 points.

The Red Wings still have to re-sign restricted free agents Danny DeKeyser and Tomas Tatar. They are far apart in talks with both players, but both are certain to sign before training camp starts in September due to their limited options

Michigan Live LOADED: 07.26.2014


Chris Ilitch says his family is pleased with direction of Red Wings and GM Ken Holland

Brendan Savage | July 25, 2014 at 6:06 AM

Some Detroit Red Wings fans are frustrated over the club's inability to attract free agents this summer as well as two first-round playoff exits in the last three years.

They blame general manager Ken Holland for some of those failures.

But the Ilitch family that owns the Red Wings isn't unhappy with the direction the club is taking or the job being done by Holland, who is entering his 16th season as G.M. and was in charge of the front office when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cups in 1998, 2002 and 2008.

Not according to Chris Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings Inc.

In a wide-ranging interview with Matt Shepard of WDFN, Ilitch talked about a number of things that included the Red Wings and Holland.

Despite the recent lack of playoff success, Ilitch said it's "pretty amazing" what the Red Wings have accomplished over the last 20-plus years and that they've been able to stay competitive and make the playoffs for 23 straight years despite not having a top-10 draft pick since 1991.

"Now, Ken Holland is rebuilding and he's doing it the exact same way that the original team was built," Ilitch told Shepard. "I look at our team as somewhat in transition and rebuild mode but, boy oh boy, what incredible progress our team has made in a short period of time. Incidentally, what the Red Wings have been able to accomplish is not normal.

"The way the league and the draft is set up, every team gets it chances at the top of the wheel and then they end up at the bottom of the wheel. If you lose your top personnel, then you have to draft again and restock. The Red Wings somehow, some way, have been able to stay in the playoffs and continue to be a pretty competitive team.

"Are we championship caliber? Are we the favorites? Perhaps not but that's to be expected because that's not the way the league is set up. It's highly competitive. There's 29 other teams equally outfitted to go out and win so I'm pretty impressed and I think as we continue to march on, if we do our job and continue to bring great personnel in through the draft and develop our young prospects, we shouldn't have a problem attracting free agents over the course of time."

Ilitch also said his father – pizza baron Mike Ilitch, whose other holdings include the Detroit Tigers and the Little Caesars empire – is still "highly involved" with his two big-league teams and that they're the two things he's most passionate about when it comes to business.

Because of that, Chris Ilitch said he oversees the operations of most of the family's other enterprises these days.

Ilitch also talked about the new arena that's being built downtown, his relationship with Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. – he said the Red Wings and Lions are partnering in some joint projects when the new building opens – and a possible venue to house Red Wings and Tigers historical memorabilia downtown.

Michigan Live LOADED: 07.26.2014


Ferraro signs one-year contract with Wings

By Chuck Pleiness, Posted: 07/25/14, 5:04 PM

DETROIT >> Landon Ferraro got an opportunity last season with the Detroit Red Wings.

The young center will get another opportunity to stick in the NHL this year, signing a one-year contract on Friday.

It’s a two-way contract. He’ll make $550,000 if he plays in the NHL and $85,000 if he’s assigned to the American Hockey League.

Since he’s out of minor league options, Ferraro will have to make the club out of camp or he’ll have to clear waivers in order to be assigned to Grand Rapids.

Due to an abundance of injuries Ferraro, 22, was just one of a number of forwards that made their NHL debuts last season with Detroit.

He had no points in four games. He had two shots on goal and two penalty minutes.

Once restricted free agent Tomas Tatar is signed the Wings will have 14 forwards, the number they want to carry into the season, on one-way deals.

They could also add Daniel Alfredsson prior to training camp.

Ferraro, who was taken in the second round (32nd overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, knows his only chance of making the team will how well he can kill penalties.

“(Penalty kill is) where I’m going to have to try and make this team,” Ferraro said after a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. “And be solid five-on-five and then being really good on the PK. That’s where I’m going to have to try and earn my ice time and earn a spot.”

Wings coach Mike Babcock liked what he saw in his brief audition.

“He did a real good job (on the penalty kill),” Babcock said. “I like his speed. He’s got to get stronger, but he’s quick.”

In three seasons with the Griffins, Ferraro, who’s the son of long-time NHLer Ray, has 38 goals and 60 assists.

He scored a career-high 24 goals two years ago.

The Wings still have restricted free agent Danny DeKeyser to get a deal down with prior to training camp.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 07.26.2014

748212 Florida Panthers

Panthers and F Hayes go to salary arbitration

Young wing had career-high 11 goals last season

By Harvey Fialkov, 6:40 p.m. EDT, July 25, 2014

The Panthers and restricted free agent Jimmy Hayes were unable to come to terms so the two parties will settle their dispute at a hearing in front of a neutral arbitrator next week in Toronto, according to a source.

Hayes, 24, is the last unsigned Panther on the roster, excluding rookie defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who's expected to sign before training camp in September. The 6-foot-6 Hayes,who was orginally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the second round in 2008, came over in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 14, along with defenseman Dylan Olsen for forwards Kris Versteeg and minor leaguer Philippe Lefebvre.

Hayes, who had been bouncing back and forth between Chicago's AHL affiliate in Rockford and the Blackhawks over the past three season, found a niche on the Panthers' fourth line this year. However, he was most effective when former interim coach Peter Horachek placed the 6-6 Hayes in front of the net on the team's second power-play unit where he blocked the goalie's view and cleaned up rebounds.

Hayes played 55 games, 53 with Florida, and notched all of his career-high 11 goals – three on the power play - and seven assists with the Panthers. Hayes, who finished his three-year, two-way contract last season, was making an NHL salary of $687,500 and a prorated $65,000 in the minors.

Including Hayes, the Panthers have 14 forwards on the roster, as well as young forwards such as Rocco Grimaldi, Vincent Trocheck, Garrett Wilson and Quinton Howden all vying for potential roster spots.

The Panthers will be represented at the hearing by General Manager Dale Tallon and manager of hockey operations Mike Dixon, as well as a Toronto law firm.

The arbitrator will decide how much Hayes earns this season. A player can not receive less than 85 percent of his previous salary.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 07.26.2014

748213 Los Angeles Kings

Player evaluation: Stoll

Staff

2014 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Game Five JARRET STOLL

This season: 78 games, 8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points, 48 penalty minutes, +9 rating, 15:52 time on ice

The good: The regular season numbers Jarret Stoll produced are mostly irrelevant. The perfect third line center for the Kings’ needs and expectations, Stoll is another conduit of the team’s will to win and an experienced, intelligent veteran responsible for the collective best efforts of a Stanley Cup-winning team. One of the thickest branches of the team’s success has roots in the June, 2008 trade that brought Stoll and Matt Greene to Los Angeles, a trade that paid dividends in the development of the team’s identity and preparation. While the San Jose Sharks were “co-workers, not teammates,” according to Doug Wilson, the Kings appear to be the opposite, and Stoll has his hand in making sure that stays the same way.

“We’ve got guys that want to play the right way, aren’t selfish,” Stoll said in June. “There’s not one selfish guy in that room. We understand if there is a selfish guy in that room, we’ll either kick him out or he won’t play. That’s honestly the way it will work. Yeah, we all care about each other. There’s no cliques on our team. There’s no some guys going off here, some guys going off there. We all do things together on the ice and off the ice. We get together a lot. We all live fairly close to each other down at the beach, five, ten minutes apart. So that helps, getting together, doing things. We train together. We try to train together as much as we can in the off-season, which I think also helps. Yeah, when you come into the dressing room, you know everybody. You know everybody really well.”

More tangibly, Stoll has served as a defensive stopper. He and Anze Kopitar earned the highest frequency of defensive zone starts out of any Los Angeles forwards, and by the postseason, a forward-low 47.7% of his shifts started in the offensive zone – Justin Williams was a distant second at 52.2%. He blocked 60 shots, 16 more than any other Kings forward. At critical junctures of the game, Stoll was on the ice for late defensive zone and penalty killing faceoffs and in situations in which his relentless battle and suffocating presence would create a difficult environment for the opposition. His 54.7% faceoff rate was the 14th best in the NHL and led the club that tied for second league-wide on draws. His line often forechecks well. He led all forwards in shorthanded ice time. Dean Lombardi has previously commented on the example Stoll has set in helping to establish an identity, and Sutter believes the tireless worker is the prototypical player for his role.

“Absolutely,” Sutter said. “Well-trained, great practice habits, knows the game, understands his role. He’s going to be a good coach.”

The bad: Stoll tends to take penalties without drawing a surplus of them. Taking penalties is perfectly acceptable and expected given everything else that he brings and his tenacity in battling and defending – he ranked third on the team with 202 hits last season – but last season he took the third most penalties amongst L.A.’s forwards while drawing the fewest penalties amongst forwards with 65 games played. Stoll took 109 shots, the second-fewest he had registered in any full NHL season. His ice time has decreased; he finished with the lowest average ice time per game since his rookie season and finished 15th on the Kings. Also completely nitpicky: his advanced stats have never leapt off a page (like much of the above, partly because he starts a heavier amount of shifts in the defensive zone). Who cares? He’s in a role perfectly fitted to his set of skills and has been able to lead both by example and emotionally as a team leader, on and off the ice.

Los Angeles Kings v Detroit Red Wings

Going forward: Stoll’s a free agent after the upcoming season. Also free agents: Williams, Adam Cracknell, Robyn Regehr and Alec Martinez (unrestricted), and Martin Jones, Jake Muzzin, Jordan Nolan, Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson and Kyle Clifford (restricted). Stoll, by virtue of a seniority that has filled a valuable role in two Stanley Cups and remains a figure central to the team’s emotional and competitive drive, and through the tough minutes he offers his opponents, would be a valuable asset to retain. Production-wise, he shouldn’t see any sharp deviation from the numbers he produced in 2013-14. Expect a similar year from the dependable, tough

Stoll, who plays banged up and has missed as many as nine games once in the last seven seasons.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 07.26.2014

748214 Nashville Predators

Predators outlook: Viktor Stalberg

Josh Cooper , [email protected] 9:27 a.m. CDT July 25, 2014

Player: Viktor Stalberg

Position: Forward

Age: 28

2013-14 numbers: 70 games, 8 goals, 10 assists, minus-14

Reason for optimism: Well, it can't get any worse. The Predators signed Stalberg to a four-year contract last summer, hoping he would be a 20-goal threat. Instead, he was a dud, not even getting to 10. New assistant coach Kevin McCarthy said he believed Stalberg would benefit from the system change to a more free-flowing style under head coach Peter Laviolette. Maybe he will be right.

Reason for pessimism: Stalberg has scored more than 20 goals just once in his career. If past performance is a guide, it's unlikely he'll break that number in 2014-15.

Tennessean LOADED: 07.26.2014

748215 New Jersey Devils

Hockey: Devils forwards aren't getting any younger

July 26, 2014, 1:21 AM By TOM GULITTI

The slow portion of the Devils’ summer has officially arrived.

The draft and the free agency rush are behind them and their prospects camp ended last week. There’s still some other business to take care of before veterans report for their training camp physicals on Sept. 18, but it’s likely that will take some time.

Jaromir Jagr, above, is 42, and the average age of the Devils’ 14 forwards is 32. Only five of these players are under 30.

Defenseman Eric Gelinas is their only remaining unsigned restricted free agent of note, but without arbitration rights there was no pressure point to push for an agreement earlier in the summer. Gelinas, 23, will have a real chance to make the team as a regular in training camp and his skill and shot on the point are important to the power play, so he will be re-signed. It appears it will take a while longer, though, before a deal gets done.

The Devils also would like to re-sign left wing Ryan Carter, who remains an unrestricted free agent without a team nearly four weeks after he hit the market. Carter, his agent and general manager Lou Lamoriello haven’t said much other than there remains a mutual interest in Carter returning to the Devils.

From the outside, it appears Carter is waiting as Lamoriello works on moving at least one forward – potentially more. After adding unrestricted free agents Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat and re-signing Jaromir Jagr, Stephen Gionta, Steve Bernier and Jacob Josefson, the Devils have 14 forwards on one-way contracts (they will be paid the same salary in the NHL or in the minors).

Without any further moves, that leaves no room on the Devils’ roster for Carter or rookie forwards such as Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau, who would be in position to compete for NHL jobs in training camp if any were open.

Whether Boucher or Matteau are ready or not, the Devils need to find a way to get younger up front. Led by Jagr, 42, their 14 forwards will have an average age of 32 on opening night. Only five will be younger than 30. Josefson, 23, and Adam Henrique, 24, will be the only ones under 28.

So, that is Lamoriello’s challenge over the remainder of an off-season in which he’s already done some decent work in signing goaltender Cory Schneider to an extension, re-signing Jagr and Marek Zidlicky, adding Cammalleri and Havlat and making room for youth on defense.

Bergen Record LOADED: 07.26.2014

748216 New York Rangers

Dominic Moore’s Smashfest raises $140,000 for charities

25 July 2014, 4:02 pm by Carp in Hockey New York Rangers NHL

TORONTO (July 25, 2014) – Dominic Moore, New York Rangers forward, is pleased to announce that last night’s Smashfest charity ping-pong event raised $140,000, which will benefit two important causes: concussions and traumatic brain injuries; and rare cancer research and advocacy. In three years of the annual Smashfest event being held, a total of $270,000 has been raised for charity.

Rangers Report logo“We had an amazing time at Smashfest again this year,” said Dominic Moore, New York Rangers forward and Smashfest host. “The support we received was impressive on all fronts, from the players and guests in attendance, to the NHLPA and all of our partners. I’m proud that $140,000 was raised to further help with research into concussions and rare cancers.”

Twenty-three current and former player NHL players attended the third annual Smashfest event this year: Dominic Moore (Host), Derick Brassard, Alex Burrows, Mike Cammalleri, David Clarkson, Logan Couture, Michael Del Zotto, T.J. Galiardi, Doug Gilmour, Mike Johnson, Kevin Klein, Nick Kypreos, Shawn Matthias, Jamie McLennan, Jeff O’Neill, Teddy Purcell, Zac Rinaldo, Tyler Seguin, Jeff Skinner, Cam Talbot, Chris Tanev, Stephane Veilleux and Kevin Weekes.

The guests in attendance had a chance to play ping-pong against NHL players, and were also able to bid on many unique items through the silent auction, while helping raise awareness and research funds for concussions and traumatic brain injuries and rare cancers.

Minnesota Wild forward Stephane Veilleux successfully defended his ping-pong singles tournament championship by defeating Alex Burrows, Vancouver Canucks forward, in the final. The pro-am tournament was won by Burrows’ team.

More than 650 people attended last night’s sold-out event at the Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto, Ontario.

New York Times LOADED: 07.26.2014

748217 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs sign goalie James Reimer to two-year contract

By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Fri Jul 25 2014

With his former lieutenants gone and his new assistant a tad green, Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis finds himself having a busier than usual summer.

That included trying to trade goalie James Reimer, an endeavour Nonis ceased on Friday, instead signing the backup to a two-year, $4.6 million (U.S.).

He will get $2.6 million next season and $2 million in 2015-16. His salary will count for $2.3 million against the cap.

“It gives James a little bit of security and shows we still believe he is a goaltender that can continue to improve, and it solidifies our goaltending position,” said Nonis.

The two-year deal, at an affordable number, will bring Reimer to unrestricted free agency and also make him more tradeable should the market for goalies open up.

“He never said: ‘Get me out of here,’ ” said Nonis. “What he did ask was for us to explore opportunities that would make sense for both sides. We did. I went back to him and said: ‘I don’t have something that I would feel comfortable doing and we prefer to sign you.’ We both felt him coming back was good for us and for him. He wouldn’t have signed a two-year-deal if he didn’t feel comfortable coming back to Toronto.”

The 26-year-old from Morweena, Man., had a 12-16-1 record last season, with a 3.29 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and one shutout.

In four seasons with Toronto, he is 65-48-15 with a 2.85 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and 11 shutouts.

The Reimer deal leaves defenceman Jake Gardiner as the only Leaf restricted free agent without a deal. Nonis said he expects Gardiner re-signed before camp opens.

“Talks are on-going,” said Nonis. “Things are going fine. I don’t see any hiccups there.”

As for the changes in the front office, Nonis said he is on board with the moves that saw the Leafs fire assistants Claude Loiselle and Dave Poulin and replace them with Kyle Dubas, a 28-year-old without any NHL front office experience but with an affinity for statistics.

“That’s a side to Kyle (the analytics) that is one of his strengths,” said Nonis. “But there’s a big difference between some of the analytic people that don’t really know what the inside of a rink looks like and Kyle.

“He’s got a lot more to offer than the (statistical) analysis he can provide.”

With files from The Canadian Press

Toronto Star LOADED: 07.26.2014


Death notice takes one final shot at Maple Leafs

A Hamilton man who died this week jokingly asked for the Toronto Maple Leafs to carry his casket so they could let him down one last time.

By: Zoe McKnight Staff Reporter, Published on Fri Jul 25 2014

A Hamilton man’s last wish was for the Toronto Maple Leafs to be the pallbearers at his funeral “so they could let him down one last time.”

Terrance “Terry” Siebert died this week at 57, according to his death notice published Thursday in the Hamilton Spectator.

The Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967. Their championship drought of 47 years is the longest in the NHL.

It’s an old, if bittersweet, sports joke.

A Cleveland man and lifelong Browns fan made the same request in The Columbus Dispatch last year and earlier this summer a Minnesota man asked that the Vikings carry his coffin in the Pioneer Press.

A British radio broadcaster and fan of the Everton Football Club made the same joke often, according to his 2013 obituary.

Toronto Star LOADED: 07.26.2014


Reimer signs two-year deal with Leafs

Team avoids arbitration with disgruntled goalie

By Mike Zeisberger, July 25, 2014

TORONTO - James Reimer is back with the Maple Leafs.

For now.

The Leafs avoided going to arbitration with Reimer by coming to terms with the young goalie on a two-year deal, the team announced Friday. The pact reportedly is worth an average of $2.3-million US per season.

After serving primarily as a backup to Jonathan Bernier last season, Reimer requested a trade in June, one the Leafs have been unable to meet thus far.

Reimer has a a 3.29 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 36 games for Toronto last season. In four seasons with the Leafs, he has gone 65-48-15 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

During the latter stages of the 2013-14 season, Reimer became a scapegoat in some circles for the Leafs’ post-Olympic collapse. And while he admittedly wasn’t at his best down the stretch, the same could be said for many of his teammates on the Leafs roster.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.26.2014


Toronto Maple Leafs sign goalie James Reimer to two-year contract, avoid arbitration

National Post Staff | July 25, 2014 | Last Updated: Jul 25 5:57 PM ET

TORONTO — Goaltender James Reimer and the Toronto Maple Leafs have avoided arbitration with a new two-year contract worth US$4.6 million.

The Leafs confirmed the deal in a release Friday.

Reimer, a restricted free agent, and the Leafs were scheduled to go to arbitration on Monday. Instead he will get US$2.6-million next season and US$2-million in 2015-16. His salary will count for US$2.3-million against the cap.

Reimer lost the starting job in Toronto to Jonathan Bernier last season, but was forced into service with Toronto’s playoff hopes on the line when Bernier suffered a knee injury that ended his season.

Reimer’s agent, Ray Petkau, confirmed the signing via Twitter.

The Leafs ended up crashing out of playoff contention, with Reimer shouldering much of the blame. He also seemed to lose the confidence of Leafs coach Randy Carlyle.

When asked about Reimer’s performance following a 3-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Carlyle answered: ”I thought he was OK, just OK.”

The comment seemed to rattle the normally unflappable Reimer.



National Post LOADED: 07.26.2014

748222 Washington Capitals

Capitals sign third-round pick Nathan Walker to three-year deal

By Alex Prewitt July 25 at 11:15 AM

Nathan Walker, the first Australian selected in the NHL draft and a mini-celebrity back home, has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Washington Capitals, the team announced Friday.

His base salary, excluding bonuses, will be $575,000 at the NHL level and $70,000 for the AHL level, according to the team.

Several weeks after his third development camp in Washington, Walker officially became a member of the organization following a triumphant spring that saw the Capitals trade up into the third round to select him, a solid camp showing and a hero’s welcome in Sydney, featuring the country’s Minister for Sport and Recreation.

Walker attended Washington’s training camp last season and appeared in preseason games, but due to a contract issue was forced into an AHL-only deal with Hershey, where he scored five goals and dished six assists over 43 games.

“He’s obviously ahead of some of the other players we drafted today because he has been playing with men,” assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said on draft day. “We’ve had him at our camps, we’ve had him play rookie games and exhibition games, which he played very well in all of those.”

Walker, a native of Wales who spent his early childhood in Australia, was also recently named as a special selection to Team USA for the International Hockey Series game against Canada in Sydney on July 26.

His signing means the Capitals have inked entry-level deals with their first three picks. Czech forward Jakub Vrana and goaltender Vitek Vanecek both signed early last week.

For more on Walker’s journey — including his introduction to hockey with “The Mighty Ducks,” questions about pet kangaroos and leaving home for the Czech Republic at age 13 — here’s a blog feature from development camp. Given that the Capitals traded up to pick him in the third round, it seemed a certainty he would sign an entry-level deal this month, with the opportunity to log some NHL ice time squarely in his future.

Teammate Garrett Mitchell was enthused.

Washington Post LOADED: 07.26.2014


Capitals free agent David Kolomatis signs in Finland

By Alex Prewitt July 25 at 10:56 AM

Former Capitals and Hershey Bears defenseman David Kolomatis has signed a one-year contract with Tappara in Finland, the team announced on its website, making him the second Washington two-way free agent headed overseas to the top-tier Liiga in the past week.

This past season, his fifth full AHL season and first with Hershey after joining the Washington organization on a one-year, two-way deal, Kolomatis registered 30 points in 61 games, including 23 assists, both career-highs. He had previously spent four seasons with the Manchester Monarchs, the affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. A former fifth-round draft pick in 2009, Kolomatis cut his teeth for three seasons with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack before leaping to the AHL, but has never played in an NHL game.

Kolomatis joins his former AHL teammate, Nicolas Deschamps, in inking one-year deals with the Finnish league. Deschamps, a forward, recently signed with Oulu Kärpät. Kolomatis was Washington’s only Group 6 unrestricted free agent, simply meaning he met specific criteria governing age (25 or older), experience (three or more professional seasons under an NHL contract) and, interestingly enough, lack of experience (fewer than 80 NHL games as a skater).

To rehash from a previous post, here was Washington’s in-house free agency status as of July 1:

Group 2 FAs: Michael Latta (re-signed), Edward Pasquale (re-signed), Cameron Schilling (unsigned), Nate Schmidt (re-signed)

Group 3 UFAs: Julien Brouillette (unsigned), Chay Genoway (unsigned) Mikhail Grabovski (signed with NY Islanders), David Leggio (signed with NY Islanders), Dustin Penner (unsigned), Joel Rechlicz (signed with Minnesota Wild), Brandon Segal (unsigned), Ryan Stoa (unsigned), Tyson Strachan (signed with Buffalo Sabres), Matt Watkins (unsigned).

Group 6 UFAs: David Kolomatis (signed in Finland)

Non-tendered UFAs: Nicolas Deschamps (signed in Finland), Brett Flemming (unsigned), Peter LeBlanc (signed in Sweden)

Washington Post LOADED: 07.26.2014


Capitals sign 1st Australian player to be drafted

By Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - The Washington Capitals have signed forward Nathan Walker, the first Australian player to be drafted by an NHL team.

The 20-year-old Walker was selected in the third round of last month’s draft. He signed a standard three-year, entry-level contract Friday.

Walker was born in Wales but spent his early childhood in Australia before moving to the Czech Republic.

Walker became the first Aussie in the American Hockey League when he played for the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ AHL affiliate. He had five goals, six assists and 40 penalty minutes in 43 games with Hershey last season.

Washington Times LOADED: 07.26.2014

748225 Winnipeg Jets

Jets re-sign D-man Ellerby for another season

By: Melissa Martin

THE summer slipped by so fast that Keaton Ellerby can't believe it's almost time to start skating already, to start getting the legs ready to play hockey.

Well, at least now he knows he's got a spot waiting for him at NHL training camp in Winnipeg.

On Thursday, the Jets announced they had re-upped Ellerby for the upcoming season, inking the defenceman to a two-way, one-year contract for $700,000.

"It's just nice to get something done, and have the opportunity to move on and get ready," Ellerby said over the phone from his home in Kelowna, B.C.

See, it wasn't always so clear that Ellerby would get a chance to earn a spot with the club again. The Jets first snagged the 6-4 defender off the waiver wire from the Los Angeles Kings last November. He suited up in 51 games, taking light minutes -- averaging just under 14 per game -- and mostly at even strength. He potted two goals, picked up four assists and only ended up in the sin bin once, which was a plus.

When the season was over, Ellerby was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1. But the Jets opted not to extend him a qualifying offer, and instead set him loose to the free market. So he went back to Kelowna, where he trains alongside Maple Leafs defenceman Cody Franson and Edmonton Oilers blueliner Justin Schultz, and started looking for a deal to work out.

Isn't there a song about that? Oh yeah -- the waiting is the hardest part. "It's a business, you roll with the punches, there's ups and downs," Ellerby said of that stretch of time. "You just gotta battle through it, and get better. There's no hard feelings, it's not personal or anything."

Still, as the days passed, Ellerby thought there was a chance that he could end up back with the Jets. "Just because they don't qualify you, it doesn't mean they don't want you," he said. "I was always open-minded to the possibility of becoming a Winnipeg Jet again. I'm very excited to go back there... It's excitement, and nothing more, nothing less."

What has Ellerby so excited, then? He rattles off a list. There's getting to play alongside the Jets' youthful first-rounders Jacob Trouba and Mark Scheifele: both "smart young kids" that Ellerby bets could be all-stars someday. "They know what it's going to take, and want to be the best," he said. "For both of them, I think they could be the best at their position at one point in their career."

There's also the chance to put in a full season under Jets head coach Paul Maurice, and another year to work on improving his own consistency: at 25, the former 10th-overall pick (2007, Florida Panthers) is still young, and could have room to grow. And though there hasn't been much turnover on the Jets roster this offseason, Ellerby thinks the whole squad could take a step forward, too.

"I think we showed what we can do in that stretch when Paul first came in," he said. "We proved that we were a playoff contender at least... but we had some bad luck with injuries, some internal stuff that probably wasn't needed at the end of the year. I think a full season, starting with Paul at the reins and in control of the group -- we obviously have seen that he's a guy who's going to be in charge, and knows what he wants."

Do note: Ellerby landed in Winnipeg during one of the most brutal winters in history. So, is he sure he's ready to come back for Round 2?

"I don't even want to think about that yet," he laughed. "I grew up in Calgary, so I know what winter's about, but... I'll just make sure I find a place with a heated garage. And a fireplace. And maybe a hot tub."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.26.2014

748226 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks’ top pick Jake Virtanen breaks news of his own signing on Twitter

July 25, 2014. 2:03 pm • Section: Puckworld

If he doesn’t make it in the NHL, Jake Virtanen may have a future in journalism.

Virtanen, selected sixth overall in the first round of this summer’s draft by the Vancouver Canucks, broke the news of his own signing Friday when he sent out a tweet saying: “Such an honour to sign with the Vancouver Canucks! I’d like to thank everybody who’s helped me get to this point especially my family.”

The 17-year-old Abbotsford native signed a three-year entry-level deal believed to be worth $925,000 a season.

Virtanen scored 45 goals and had 71 points in 71 games with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen last season. Virtanen, a right winger, had surgery in May to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and hopes to be ready to play this fall.

Virtanen’s signing follows that of Vancouver’s other first-round pick, Jared McCann, who went 24th overall.

McCann, a centre whose signing was announced on Thursday by the Canucks, had 27 goals and 62 points in 64 games last season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 07.26.2014


Trevor Linden’s Twitter account wants to hook you up

by Harrison Mooney,

Trevor Linden has a big job ahead of him. I’m not talking about his new role as President of the Vancouver Canucks, mind you, although that certainly is a challenge. After all, the rookie president is now tasked with delicately balancing the three heads of power around him — new GM Jim Benning, new coach Willie Desjardins, and shadow owner Francesco Aquilini, who would prefer to have his message filtered through the mouth and supple lips of Mr Linden.

Linden is also tasked with remodelling a stale Canucks team in the hopes of returning them to the Stanley Cup Final, perhaps this fourth time as the victors. But even that’s not the big job I’m talking about.

Instead, I refer to Linden’s Friday afternoon task of seizing his Twitter account back from the bug or hack or whatever it is that has him tweeting gently pornographic chat recommendations to his followers like some sort of E-pimp. In honour of Linden’s retired 16, here are the last 16 seconds on his timeline:

Who is lickitysparks8, Trevor, and can she centre the Canucks’ second line? That’s all we care about. Additionally, does her usage of the number eight corroborate the rumours that Jim Benning isn’t all that high on Chris Tanev? Because that’s his number.

I’m also intrigued by hotspank3. Is it secretly Kevin Bieksa under a pseuodonym? He wears the number three. Are you trying to connect me with Kevin Bieksa so we can talk hockey? (Come to think of it, it Linden suddenly recommended chatting with “strombone1″, it wouldn’t look out of place in this spam attack at all.)

Linden’s account is currently tweeting one of these chat proposals every four seconds or so. It’s kind of amazing.

Granted, it’s not entirely unwelcome. Linden is unassailable in this town, which is why he’s been made the new face of the team. Some people would follow him to the ends of the earth and back:

I will, Trevor. I will chat with deluxextasy3, and even deluxextasies 1 and 2, if you say so. I will chat. You know I’ll chat. I’ll chat on crutches. We are all Canucks, deluxextasy3 included.

All this said, maybe Linden hasn’t been hacked at all, and he’s just trying to give the people what they want: hot singles in their area. It’s like that letter he sent to the season ticketholders, except even more personal. If Trevor Linden helps you get down, you pretty much have to buy a half-season package.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 07.26.2014


Canucks sign hometown boy Jake Virtanen to his entry level contract

July 25, 2014. 4:17 pm • Posted by: Jason Botchford

Before the Vancouver drafted him, Jake Virtanen said his dream was to play for the Canucks.

He’s one symbolic step closer after inking his entry level deal and making it official via Twitter Friday.

For weeks the Canucks had been dropping hints they were eyeing Virtanen and they made good on those hints, taking him No. 6 overall in June.

“It’s something every kid dreams of, being drafted by the hometown team,” Virtanen said then.

“It’s pretty cool.”

After offseason shoulder surgery, Virtanen isn’t expected to be on the ice until mid-October so he’s not likely going to get any kind of look at training camp in September.

Both he and the Canucks said they are bent on not rushing him back.

Virtanen is a great skater and is more like a Jeff Carter type than a Cam Neely who people keep comparing him to.

He said he believes if his shoulder was healthy he’d be NHL ready right now.

Virtanen scored 45 goals and put up 26 assists this past season in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen.

That’s playing half a season with a torn shoulder labrum.

He got knocked for his lack of assists but at the draft Vancouver GM Jim Benning said it wasn’t an issue for the Canucks.

“He’s a shooter,” Benning said. “He’s going to have to play with somebody who can get him the puck. He’ll use his speed to drive wide and take the puck to the net.

“We understand the type of player he is. He’s a powerful skater and a strong kid but he’s going to have to play with someone who can make plays.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.26.2014


Canucks captain Henrik in the winner’s circle: ‘It’s fun to own horse’

July 25, 2014. 10:43 am • Posted by: Jonathan McDonald

It’s our fault for never learning Swedish all these years.

In an interview today with the Swedish paper Aftonbladet (is there any other?), Canucks captain Henrik Sedin delighted in his horse’s victory at Solanget, a track just outside Henrik and his brother Daniel’s home town of Ornskoldsvik.

“It’s fun to own horse,” Henrik said in the winner’s circle. And we imagine that Google translate doesn’t do justice to the intelligent Henrik, who no doubt uses articles such as “a” and “the” in his native language.

It appears from the story that the Sedins own six thoroughbreds in Sweden. They are also regulars, year-round, down at stables in Vancouver’s Southlands neighbourhood.

“The trot is a cozy summer sport for us and we try to keep up,” Henrik told Aftonbladet before Google butchered the translation. “We have been lucky with horse ownership so that makes the thing even more fun.The difference with hockey is that the racetrack can not we go and influence, but where we are next. It’s a cool feeling.”

All good, Henrik. Understood.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 07.26.2014

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