Ice Junkie

Coach Killers

2009-02-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

The Ottawa Senators have done it again. 3 and soon to be 4 coaches in two seasons.

After only 48 games into this season they have fired former Team Canada head coach Craig Hartsburg. Instead of getting to the core of the issue and trading some of those lazy underperforming big contract players they've decided to put some extra polish on the same old stinky product that they put out on the ice each night.

GM Brian Murray has now gone through 2 coaches as well as sitting in as coach himself for the remainder of last season and the playoffs in which the Sens were swept in 4 games.

Hartsburg will be replaced by minor league coach of the Binghamton Senators, Cory Clouston for the remainder of the season.

Ray Emery Shenanigans

2009-01-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

Ray Emery is no longer in the NHL but still making the news for his off ice shenanigans. No wonder Ottawa got rid of him. Not that the sens are any better this year but it looks like this guy doesn't learn. If there was an NHL team that was interested in signing him next season, they are thinking twice after today.

TSN explanation of the fight:

Go Canada! The Drive for Five.

2009-01-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Wow what a tournament. Record breaking crowds, exciting games, and the stars of tomorrow made this one of the best tournaments in a while. The WJC is like the NCAA tournament for hockey. Here is a tribute to our World Junior Champs:

Canada Highlights

Final minutes of Gold Medal Game

WJC - Jacob Markstrom Lowlights

2009-01-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Video by Jefflered. I have to admit it's pretty funny.

NHL in 2008

2009-01-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

What a year it's been for the NHL. We've seen big stories on and off the ice. We've scoured the Web to find the best compilations and videos that best highlight the 2008 NHL season. Here they are, the biggest stories, moments and plays of 2008:

The Winter Classic

2008-12-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

January 1st at Wrigley Field Chicago - The Winter Classic featuring the Detroit Red Wings against the Chicago Blackhawks. Check out these amazing promos:

Goals: Another candidate for goal of the year

2008-12-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

Blake Wheeler scores an incredible short handed goal against the Blues.

Injury: Rookie Scoring Leader separates shoulder in fight

2008-12-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

Rookie Derick Brassard may have put his rookie of the year title in jeopardy after suffering a shoulder injury in a fight with Dallas's James Neal.

Brassard came to the aid of teammate Fedor Tyutin after he recieved a hit from Neal.

The Columbus rookie hurt his shouler early in the fight and then ate a few hard shots before Neal let him go. (Video below)

Much repect to Brassard for sticking up for his teammate, but now the Blue Jackets, a team that is already struggling to score, will be without their second highest scorer for 4 weeks.

News: Sens break up Pizza Line; Spezza demoted to third line.

2008-12-19T12:51:00.001-08:00

Sens coach, Craig Hartsburg is desperate for a spark and some offence from his team. So much so that he has split up the trio of Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley to 3 separate lines.

For their game tonight against the surprising New Jersey Devils, the sens will see their top forwards with new linemates:

Alfredsson - Fisher - Vermette

Heatley - Kelly - Foligno

Spezza - Ruutu - Neil

This should make for an interesting game. The top line has been separted several times before but always end up together again. We'll see how long Hartsburg will stick to these line combos.

Breaking News - Mats Sundin has signed with Vancouver

2008-12-18T15:22:00.001-08:00

Mats Sundin has officially signed with the Vancouver Canucks. There were reports coming in that Sundin would wait a bit longer to decide but the Swede is now a Canuck.

Many thought that the free agent was sure to sign with the New York Rangers. Sundin may be the key offensive piece of the puzzle for Canucks who are fifth in the West.

Tribute: Trevor Linden

2008-12-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Vancouver Canucks honoured Trevor Linden tonight by retiring his number 16 Jersey. Linden ranks second in goals all time for Vancouver.

Here is a video tribute to number 16:

Linden's final game:

News: Forsberg may return to Colorado

2008-12-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

Both TSN and ESPN web sites are reporting that former league MVP Peter Forsberg wants to return to the NHL by the playoffs.

Forsberg will likely return to the team where he won 2 Stanley Cups - Colorado. He also was quoted as saying that he wore a battery pack in his pants and when he turned it on, it helped straighten his foot. Forsberg is known to have major issues with his foot which has forced him out of the NHL.

Poolies may want to keep an eye on Forsberg. He may be a good pickup if he tries to return before the postseason to either help Colorado make it in or simply to get a few games under his belt before the playoffs. While it is a gamble, Forsberg has 885 pts in 706 NHL games so far.

NHL Third Jerseys - Part two

2008-12-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

We are back with more NHL third Jerseys. Today we take a look at the Northeast Division featuring three Original 6 teams.

Boston Bruins

Montreal Canadiens - Centennial Jersey

Buffalo Sabres

Toronto Maple Leafs

Ottawa Senators

Related Posts:
NHL Third Jerseys - Part One

Video: Bryan Little takes Big Hit from Chris Neil

2008-12-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

Chris Neil of the Ottawa Senators completely obliterates Bryan Little in one of the few highlights for the slumping Sens.

Web Designer to NHL Goalie

2008-12-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

Brett Leonhardt usually spends game days posting stories on the Washington Capitals Web Site. Last Friday however, he became the story when the starting goaltender was injured and the minor league call-up had his flight delayed.

The team's web producer was sitting in his cubicle performing his daily routine tasks when he recieved a tap on the shoulder from Caps GM George McPhee. Before he knew it, he was in the Washington dressing room with Alexander Ovechkin, Sergi Federov and the rest of the team.

While he didn't play, Brett sat on the bench as backup to Brent Johnson and was an injury away from competing with the best hockey players in the world.

As a goalie for his college team and occasional stand-in during team practices, he stayed on the bench for part of the first period until the AHL call-up finally arrived.

Can you imagine sitting in your office/cubicle, the General Manager of the Capitals tells you you might get a chance to play in your first pro game and a few hours later you find yourself warming up on the ice with the likes of Ovie, Semin, Alfredsson and Spezza? This is stuff you find in the movies. It's too bad he never actually played but I'm sure he's not going to forget that day anytime soon.

Brian Leonhardt in his Washington Capitals gear and Neumann College Goalie Mask.

Interview: Jagr on NHL, Avery, Economic crisis

2008-12-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

In a very candid interview with russian journalist Dmitry Chesnokov, the man who reported the now infamous Alexander Semin interview earlier this season, Jagr comments on several issues concerning the NHL.

The former NHL megastar gives his very honest opinion on the NHL, Sean Avery, and when "Communism suddenly took over the NHL".

Read the entire article here: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/12/15/the-ice-sheet-jagrs-take-on-sean-avery/

Don Cherry: Tampa and Ottawa a bunch of thugs, "going to steal your hubcaps"

2008-12-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

You have to give it to Don Cherry, he's very consistent.

I have to agree with Cherry. You can't win with mustaches and tuques. You have to class it up a little. They're wearing tuques one day, next day their wearing G-unit sweats and gold chains. Maybe Ottawa should acquire Sean Avery, he's a classy dresser.

More NHL Artwork from Deviant Art

2008-12-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

If you love the NHL art as much as I do, you can find more Fan Art at Deviant Art.

Amazing NHL artwork

Live Stream: Watch the Pens vs Flyers Live

2008-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Watch a game between 2 bitter rivals - the Pittsburg Penguins vs the Philadelphia Flyers live.

Watch live video from Dman2077's channel on Justin.tv

If you are having trouble with the feed you can watch directly from http://www.justin.tv/dman2077

Please note that we do not upload or stream any content. All material viewed is hosted and streamed from a third party site. We are not responsible for what you view through those sites.

Injury Update: Habs Hurting

2008-12-13T09:54:00.001-08:00

The Montreal Canadiens will be without some major players tonight as the Washington Capitals roll into town.

Captain Saku Koivu is out with a lower body injury after leaving the game against the Lightning on Thursday.

Goalie Carey Price is out and listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Chris Higgins will be out 5 weeks with a shoulder injury.

Defenceman Mathieu Dandenault will be out with an arm injury for 6-8 weeks.

Awesome Hockey Art

2008-12-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of good art. Traditional and graphic. When it comes to hockey, it's great to NHL players captured through the eyes of the artist instead of a camera lens. The following have been collected from Deviant Art, a great online source or professional and amateur artists. Enjoy!

More to come.

Cheers!

Realted Posts

More NHL Artwork from Deviant Art

Ice Girls: Tampa Bay Lightning

2008-12-11T22:08:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning! Despite a horrible start to the season and recent comments from bitter ex-coach Barry Melrose, they managed to snap a nine game losing streak beating the Montreal Canadiens at home. No easy task.

Lecavalier and St.Louis both had 2 pts each which should make their fantasy league owners very happy.

Today we celebrate their win by paying tribute to the ice girls of Tampa Bay:

NHL Third Jerseys - Part one

2008-12-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

The third jersey was first introduced in the NHL in 2005. This year a total of 19 teams are sporting brand new RBK Jerseys.

While some jerseys are pretty slick, others are just plain atrocious. Nonetheless, each team wears their third jersey for a limited amount of times at home and the NHL makes a bunch of cash selling them.

Starting with the Eastern Conference's Atlantic division, we take a look at some of the best and worst third jerseys. You be the judge:

Pittsburgh Penguins - You may recognize these from last year's winter classic. I wasn't crazy about the light blue on a team that was traditionally black but it's starting to grow on me.

Philadelphia Flyers - I thought I was mistaken but after checking the Flyers Web Site these are indeed their new third Jerseys. Not much of a change. I do like these better than the black jerseys though.

New York Islanders - Simple but very nice. Blue and orange always look good together and I like to knit string collar. If the Islanders are going to loose 90% of their games they might as well look stylish doing it.

That's it for the Atlantic divison. Sorry Rangers and Devils fans. Maybe your team will get some new threads next year. To buy new RBK third jerseys you can visit the NHL team sites or icejerseys.com. Part 2 coming soon.

Related Posts
NHL Third Jerseys - Part two

Trade News: Rumors and Return of Sundin

2008-12-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

While teams make a final push to sign Mats Sundin, the former Maple Leafs Captain is expected to finally make his decision by Christmas. (Don't hold your breath)

While the NY Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks appear to be the favorites to land the Swede, other teams that are interested include Montreal, Ottawa, Chicago and Philly.

If Sundin lands anywhere other than Vancouver, we may see some big trades as teams attempt to clear cap room. Let's not forget that next year's draft is supposed to be stacked so teams that are looking to rebuild may be willing to let go of some big names to get a high draft pick. Some players that are rumored to be traded soon include:

Ilya Kovalchuck (Atlanta)

Jay Bouwmeester (Florida)

Marion Gaborik (Minnesota)

Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina (Toronto)

Michael Nylander (Washington)

Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver)

Martin Havlat (Chicago)

Fights: A Nasty Night in Nashville

2008-12-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

It was a physical night in Nashville with the Vancouver Canucks visiting in a game that saw some HUGE hits, two 10-minute misconduct penalties, and an instigator Penalty for Preadtor forward Jason Arnott.

Arnott responded to a hit by Alex Burrows in which he left his feet to flatten J.P Dumont of Nashville.

Scott Nichol also recieved a big hit from a Vancouver player and left the game with an upper body injury.

The A-very List: Who are Sean's other "Sloppy Seconds"?

2008-12-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

I first wanted to start by saying that I too love Canada. But just days after Sean Avery was suspended 6 games for his now infamous "Sloppy Seconds" comment, we were curious to find out who else Sean has dated.

Maybe it's the Gap ads, the bad boy image or being an NHL player, but Avery has no problems hooking up. When it comes to celebrities, the list is quite long and you might be surprised who's on it. Here are the top celebrities Sean Avery has been or rumored to have been with:

Rachel Hunter - A 39 year old hottie, Hunter is apparently the other "sloppy second" who is now dating Jarret Stoll of the LA Kings. Hunter is a former supermodel who has appeared in Playboy and Sport Illustrated. She was also once married to singer Rod Stewart.

Lake Bell - "Supposedly" an actor who has appeared in movies and television shows such as Boston Legal, The Practice and ER. "Supposedly"... I've never heard of her. Nonetheless, good job Sean.

Catherine Keener - A bit of a weird one. Keener is an Academy Award nominated actress. She has appeared in major films such as Being John Malkovich, Capote, and the 40-year-old Virgin! She was 21 years older than Avery when they dated.

Kelly Klein - Ex of fashion designer Calvin Klein and 23 years older than Sean. Avery seems to like 3 things: hockey, fashion, and cougars.

Mary-Kate Olsen - "You got it dude!" These 2 actually dated. Explains the "Fatso" comment he made about Brodeur. Mary-Kate is about 90 lbs in full goalie equipment? The big gossip headlines had Avery cheating on one of the "Michelle's" from Full House with Lake Bell. I'm assuming when Mary-Kate found out she called Avery and screamed "You're in Big trouble Mister!"

Sources: Wikipedia, Celebitchy, Faniq.com

Fight: Versteeg vs Turris

2008-12-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

2 Rookies went at it in a fight filled game last night where the Blackhawks literally beat up on the Coyotes 7-1. Versteeg was given an instigator penalty and an automatic one game suspension.

News: Vrbata and Gratton put on Waivers by Lightning

2008-12-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning have put forward Radim Vrbata on waivers. After scoring 56 pts with the Coyotes last year, Vrbata has only 6 pts in 18 games this year. He will return to the Czech Republic to play the rest of the season.

Chris Gratton, who only has 2 pts this season was also put on waivers.

Source TSN.ca

Fight: Eric Godard vs Colton Orr

2008-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

This may be the best fight so far this season. 2 real heavyweights.

Love when the crowd gets into it like that.

Video: Kane vs Toews. Who you voting for?

2008-12-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

The Blackhawks are campaigning for their players with these HILARIOUS political style attack ads. I voted for Kane. Who you voting for?

Kane

Toews

News from around the league

2008-12-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

News and Injury updates from around the league.

Canes fire head coach - The Carolina Hurricane have fired their head coach Pierre Laviolette and have hired Former Leafs and former Hurricane coach Paul Maurice. The Hurricane are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference.

Re-injuries - Shortly after returning from injuries, both Joe Sakic (Colorado) and Daniel Briere (Philidelphia) are back on the IR. According to NHL.com, Sakic will miss another 6 weeks with a herniated disc and Briere is due to return in another 4-5 weeks after re-injuring his groin.

Avery sorry? - Apparentley the NHL and the Dallas Stars don't share the same sense of humor as Bad Boy Sean Avery. There are reports that Avery attempted to hold a meeting to apologize to team mates but it was rejected by the Stars organization. While the length of the suspension has not yet been realeased by the NHL, it seems that Avery's future with the team may be in jeopardy. He is currently in the first year of his four year contract worth $15.5 million.

Source: TSN.ca

News: Avery suspended for "Sloppy seconds" comment

2008-12-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

The NHL has suspended Stars forward Sean Avery for comments "detrimental to the League or game of hockey." The comments were aimed towards Calgary defenceman Dion Phaneuf and his girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert. Avery approached cameras and randomly made the comments using the term "sloppy seconds" to refer to his ex-girlfriend. (Video of comments posted below)

Avery also made comments earlier this season about Flames Star Jarome Iginla calling him "boring". After those comments, there was much anticipation for tonight's matchup between the two teams but now that Avery has been suspended, he will not face the Calgary players.

The NHL, while trying to discipline Avery is perhaps trying to avoid an on-ice incident. The length of the suspension is unknown at the moment.

Injury Update - Briere, Rolston return

2008-12-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Poolies could get a major boost this week as Flyers forward Daniel Briere and Devil's forward Brian Rolston are set to return from long term injuries.

Briere was listed as probable vs the Lightning tonight after missing 9 games with a groin injury.

Rolston who has been out since the fourth game of the season with a high ankle sprain is finally set to return to the lineup against the Flyers on Thursday.

Best Plays of the Week

2008-12-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here are the top goals, hits, and saves from a busy week in the NHL.

News: Tkachuk and Modano reach milestones

2008-12-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

American players Mike Modano and Keith Tkachuk both reached career milestones last night.

Tkachuk scored his 1000th career point against the Thrashers while Modano hit 1300 points against Edmonton.

Modano is the highest scoring American player in the NHL.

Highlights - Tyutin scores from Center Ice

2008-11-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Fedor Tyutin (CBJ) scored a game tying goal from Center Ice tonight on Detroit Goalie Chris Osgood. The Wings still pulled of the win 5-3.

Thanksgiving Hockey

2008-11-28T09:56:00.000-08:00

Whether it's from a food induced coma or the 3 blowout NFL games last night, Americans everywhere will be waking up today to some good ol' matinee hockey!

There are five day games scheduled and six more tonight! So get comfortable in front of your tv/computer and relax. You can work off all that extra thanksgiving weight on Monday!

The Art of Agitation - Top Five Pests in the NHL

2008-11-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

In every sport there are players who take it upon themselves to get into their opponents head and throw them off their game. In the NHL, certain players take it to a whole new level.

They're known as agitators or better yet... pests. That's their main role on the team. They get under their opponents skin and draw penalties. Opposing teams hate them, teammates love them. And if you have to play against one in a home and home or a best of seven playoff game, they can drive you absolutely crazy.

Here is our list of the top 5 agitators in the NHL:

5. Chris Neil (Ottawa) - The Gap toothed Neil is not only an instigator but he throws big momentum changing hits and has fought some of the best heavyweights in the NHL. While some of his hits in the past have been questionable or even dirty if you are a Buffalo fan, Neil is a fan favorite in Ottawa. However, with the arrival of fellow agitator Jarkko Ruutu and the lack of scoring on the team, Neil's time in Ottawa may soon be coming to and end. He leads his team every year in penalty minutes and ranks among the top pests in hockey.

4. Steve Ott (Dallas) - In a game against the Bruins, Ott delivered several dirty hits and declined to fight inciting a massive brawl. Ott may have taken it too far and agitated his own teammates too as respected Stars player Mike Modano later commented "it was idiotic and stupid, it was one of the most embarrassing things I've seen. If that's what we're going for, then they need to find me an off-ice job."

3. Corey Perry (Anaheim) - If you want to talk about an effective agitator, Perry is one of the best in the league. He's been known to bully his opponents but is also one of the best scorers on his team. Even while mic'd up, Perry could resist making threats to Pavel Datsyuk in the 2007 Playoffs.

2. Jarkko Ruutu (Ottawa) - Not too many guys have their opponents so annoyed that they chase them into the locker room as Buffalo's Adam Mair did after a game with power agitator Jarkko Ruutu. In home and home games this year against the Rangers, Ruuutu had his opponents so focused on him that they almost forgot about the game itself. His antics make this Finnish born player incredibly fun to watch and a huge asset for his team.

1. Sean Avery (Dallas) - Is it any surprise that Sean Avery tops our list of pests in the NHL. Everyone loves to hate Avery. He antagonizes his opponents and has been known to talk trash before, during and after the game. His famous playoff antics against goalie Martin Brodeur forced the NHL to make a new rule now nicknamed the "Avery Rule." Avery knows his role and does whatever it takes to irritate the hell out of players. He's the NHL's true villain and our number one most effective pest.

Game Time - Battle of Ontario Resumes Tonight

2008-11-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

In case there is any confusion, the battle of Ontario takes place in Ottawa tonight, though it's sometimes hard to tell. Traditionally Leafs fans pack the Ottawa Stadium making it an even more bitter and intense rivalry between the two teams.

Both teams are in desperate need of a win. Ottawa sits in the 13th spot in the Eastern conference and are 3-4-3 in their last ten games. Toronto surprised a lot of people earlier on but have struggled as of late and are 2-6-2 in their last ten.
They sit at 11th place in the conference. This should be a good one.

Update: Senator player Shean Donovan who had a point in the first period left the game with an upper body injury.

Top Ten Battle of Ontario Moments

Injury Report - Several players leave games with injuries

2008-11-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night was an injury plagued night with several key players leaving their games with injuries.

Alex Tanguay (undisclosed), Olli Jokinen (shoulder), Thomas Vanek (leg), Nicolai Khabibulin (lower-body), and Maxim Talbot (ankle) all left their respective games with injuries. Vanek however did return to his game.

Poolies everywhere are holding their breath. Check back for updates.

Highlights - Goal of the Year?

2008-11-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

Johan "The Mule" Franzen scored an early candidate for Goal of the year today when he stole the puck from Habs Defenceman Ryan O'byrne and scored a beauty unassisted. It was the only goal scored by Detroit as they lost to Montreal 3-1.

Injury Update - Olli Jokinen injured

2008-11-26T18:57:00.000-08:00

Olli Jokinen of the Phoenix Coyotes sustained an upper body injury after being hit in tonight's game vs Columbus.

Update - According to NHL.com Jokinen will be out 2 - 4 weeks with a shoulder injury. This ends his Iron man streak at 397 consecutive games.

Fights: Stamkos vs Zherdev

2008-11-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

Steven Stamkos got into a fight with Nicolai Zherdev of the Rangers tonight. This was the rookie and number 1 pick's first fight of his career.

Fantasy Forecast - Could Tomas Fleischmann benefit from mounting Caps Injuries?

2008-11-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

Poolies may want to keep an eye out for Caps forward Tomas Fleischmann this upcoming week. With several injuries to key offensive players like Semin, Fedorov, Clark, Boyd Gordon, and Mike Green, the caps center has seen more ice and powerplay time. He played a season high 18:57 of ice time against the Wild on Monday and has 5 points in his last 6 games.

Injury Update: - Around the League

2008-11-26T13:10:00.000-08:00

Toronto

Jason Blake - concussion

Jonas Frogen - arm injury; out six weeks

Washington

Chris Clark - forearm injury; out 3 weeks

Vancouver

Steve Bernier - shoulder; day to day

Colorado

Darcy Tucker - knee; out 4 weeks

Philadelphia

Daniel Briere - groin; out another week

Dallas

Brendan Morrow - knee; out for season

Detroit

Thomas Holmstrom - back spasms; day to day

Ottawa

Mike Fisher - knee; likely to play next game vs Toronto

Pittsburgh

Ryan Whitney - foot; likely to return in December

Pool tips - The Top Ten Under-Valued Players in the NHL

2008-11-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

As we appraoch the quarter season mark, we begin to see who the top fantasy players are a little bit clearer. There are however, a few players that have gone under the radar and are quietly having breakout seasons. If you are in a deep fantasy league that has a waiver wire and/or allows you to add/drop players, this article is for you. If you are one of the unfortunate few who is stuck with long term injuries and under-performers for the season, you can still gain some value from this list for future pools.

Here is a list of the top ten under-valued players that might still be available in your league:

10. Slava Kozlov (Atl) - With Marian Hossa gone, Kozlov has stepped up leading his team with 11 goals already and getting plenty of power play time with Kovalchuck. He scored 80 points two years ago and was probably forgetten by poolies after getting only 41 last year.

9. Milan Lucic (Bos) - A fan favorite in Boston. When he's not plowing opponents through the glass, he's been contributing with 13 points; 4 in his last 4 games. If your league also gives points for penalty minutes add him now!

8. Kris Versteeg (Chi) - Currently on a 5 game point streak, Versteeg plays on a young, exciting Blackhawks team that is tied for third in total team scoring. He leads all rookies in points and plus/minus. After being drafted in the 5th round (134th overall) of the 2004 Draft, he has been a pleasent surprise for the Blackhawks and could be an absolute steal if still available in your league.

7. Filip Kuba (Ott) - One of the few positives for the Ottawa Senators this season. The former Tampa Bay D-man broke NHL records for consecutive games with assists earlier this season. While scoring has been down lately with Kuba and the Sens, his numbers should go up if the team starts scoring goals again.

6. Devin Setoguchi (San) - Probably no longer a secret in most leagues. While it helps to play on the highest scoring team in the league, Setoguchi has been on fire lately scoring 10 points in his last 5 games. With only 17 points last season, no one could have predicted he'd be tied for 10th in league scoring.

5. Mikko Koivu (Min) - The brother of Saku Koivu is making a name for himself in Minnesota. Now that Demitra is gone and Gaborik most likely to be traded this season, he is the number one scoring threat for the Wild.

4. Miroslav Satan (Pit) - currently leads the team in goals. Pretty amazing considering he plays on a team with Malkin and Crosby. He's getting lots of playing time alongside Sid the Kid. Remember how well Ryan Malone did last year when playing with Crosby? Satan is a much more talented scorer than Malone and should have a great season.

3. Matt Stajan (Tor) - Being benched by Toronto coach Ron Wilson seems to have fired up the young center who now plays on the top line. He's averaged a point a game and leads the Leafs in scroing.

2. Derick Brassard (Cls) - If this rookie was playing in Montreal, you'd think he was the next Sindey Crosby. Unfortunately he plays in Columbus. Brassard was a first round pick in 2006 and will battle with Kris Versteeg for rookie of the year. He is tied with Rick Nash in team scoring and should continue to pile up the points.

1. Shea Weber (Nas) - Nashville's Defenceman not only leads his team in points but leads all defencemen as well. The 23 year old was probably ranked well under names like Lidstrom, Campbell, and Green in any league. With 21 pts he already surpassed last season's total and is showing no signs of slowing down.

While it's still early in the season those are my early candidates for sleepers of the year. Please feel free to comment and add your own.

~Cheers!

Habs continue to dominate All-Star voting

2008-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Despite their recent struggles and a NHL investigation on voting fraud, Montreal Canadiens players continue to dominate the All-Star ballot in all positions. At the moment the voting is not even close.

Carey Price (MTL) leads all goalies with 352,602 votes. Second place is Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) with 147,173 votes.

Andrei Markov(MTL) leads all defencemen with 362,100 votes. Mike Komisarek (MTL) is second with 325,076 votes. Zdeno Chara (BOS) is third with 147,287 votes.

Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, and Alex Tanguay leads all forwards respectively with over 300 000 votes each followed by Sidney Crosby (Pit) with 237,213 votes, Evegni Malkin (PIT) with 193,749 votes, and Alexander Ovechkin (WAS) with 147,895 votes.

If you have not already done so, you can vote on the NHL web site.

Source: NHL.com

Price-less moment

2008-11-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

Habs defenceman Ryan O'byrne scored a blooper goal into his own net to tie the game for the Islanders last night. Goalie Carey Price left the net for the extra attacker on a delayed penalty call. The Canadiens eventually lost the game in a shootout.

Injury Report - Luongo out 4 - 5 weeks

2008-11-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

After Pavol Demitra returned from injury and was lined up with the Sedin twins, things were looking up for the Vancouver Canucks. However, the team recieved the worst news of all as they found out today that they will be without their star goalie and league shutout leader (5) for several weeks.

NHL.com reports that Vancouver goalie and captain Roberto Luongo will be out for four to five weeks with an abductor strain. Backup goalie Curtis Sanford will be his replacement in nets.

Instant Analysis - This is a major blow for the Canucks who had just beaten 2 very good teams in the NY Rangers, and Minnesota Wild on their road trip. Luongo had 3 back to back to back shutouts in November and 5 on the year. Cheer up Canuck fans! New Jersey lost Martin Brodeur and they're on a 4 game win streak! If you have goalies in your pool you are either rejoicing at the fact that you didn't use an early pick on a goalie or cursing the hockey gods right now.

Rumor - Jay Bouwmeester to Ottawa?

2008-11-24T12:47:00.000-08:00

With Florida in last place and Ottawa only 3 points ahead, both teams may be looking to each other for improvement.

According to the Ottawa Sun - Former Sens Coach and current Florida GM Jacques Martin is seeking a No. 1 center now that Oli Jokinen is no longer playing for the Panthers. Sens GM Bryan Murray may offer up forward Antoine Vermette and D-man Christoph Schubert.

Instant Analysis - The Ottawa Senators continue to look for a puck moving defenceman and Bouwmeester would be a perfect fit. Antoine Vermette has had a tough season. The two time 20+ goal scorer has only 5 pts in 20 GP this season. Whether this trade happens or not it looks like Bouwmeester is being shopped around the league and will likely not be playing in Florida by the end of the season.

Trade News - Leafs, Blues

2008-11-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

We kick off this blog with big news of a trade between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the St. Louis Blues.

According to TSN - The Maple Leafs have acquired Forward Lee Stempniak (13pts, 14 GP) for former 1st round pick forward Alexander Steen (4pts, 20 GP) and another former 1st round pick defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo (1p, 10 GP).

Instant Analysis - This move comes as a bit of a surprise as Stempniak has had a rather good season with 12 pts in his last 8 games. He ranks 5th in team scoring. What makes this even more surprising is that the Blues have just lost leading scorer Andy McDonald to a long term injury. They recieve 2 former first rounders that have struggled this season. Poolies keep an eye on Stempniak he may turn out to be a good pickup for the Leafs.

Puck Drop

2008-11-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Ice Junkie - your secret weapon to winning your NHL Fantasy Pool and one stop news site for everything NHL. For all you Fantasy Hockey players who are addicted to your NHL pools, this is your fix. We will be updating often with news, injury, and trade updates.