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Bluelines: Could Brian Leetch end up on Long Island?

Reasons for CBA Concern; This from the Eklund blog – “I talked to a player last night that said Bob Goodenow is actually still campaigning, trying to win votes to say 'no' to this deal. The player spoken to is a prominent Finnish NHLer. He said Bob feels that if the players vote the deal down, the owners will be forced to quickly scramble and increase the cap number. The player also said he felt there wasn’t a 'chance in hell' that players would buy into that mentality. He said, 'There are too many reasons to accept this deal and move on.'”

The Mighty Ducks are no longer in the grasp of Disney. They have been sold for around $75 million to Henry and Susan Samuelli. Are Mickey and Goofy the next to go?

But the big question in Anaheim, apart from re-naming the team, is what happens to Mike Babcock now that the coach’s contract is finished. That, of course will depend on new boss Brian Burke’s mentoring tests.

After announcing that Wayne Gretzky will once again be the GM of Team Canada, Hockey Canada stated that should NHL players participate in the Olympics, their coaching staff will be the same from the Salt Lake City games as well as the World Cup. That staff includes Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock and Leafs coach Pat Quinn.

CBC reality show, Making the Cut, has been put on hold until after the NHL lockout. The show, which had 4,200 Canadians trying out for six invitations to NHL training camp, was set to re-up for another season, but only if the lockout was settled by the spring. If and when the league does start operating, the show will air.

Can you picture Brian Leetch in an Islander uniform? (AP)

Now that Kenny Jonsson confirmed that he will remain in Sweden and not return to the NHL, Mad Mike Milbury may check out Brian Leetch.

Dave Keon surprised a lot of people by showing up at an event honoring the nine living Maple Leaf captains. DK’s icy relationship with Toronto management is still a sour subject. “Nothing has changed since the day I left 30 years ago.” Keon added, “There was some good, some bad, it probably is a wash.”

All metro New York teams are in heated races for new stadiums. Devils’ owner Jeff Vanderbeek, a recent recipient of a new barn in Newark offers this on the stadium craze. “There’s been a lot of pent-up demand, and, quite frankly, economic times are awfully good, with stable interest rates,” said Vanderbeek. “The time is right for this. And you can’t compete if you’re not in there with a new arena, with naming rights and all kinds of new seating and restaurants.”

Goalie Manufacturing companies were notified this week to proceed with changes on reducing the size of goaltending equipment. Leg pads will be reduced to 11 inches in width from 12 and blockers will be slashed in height from 16 to 15. Three inches will come off of the circumference of catching gloves. Pant lengths are also losing an inch and puckstoppers with a 34-inch waist will not be allowed to climb into a pair of triple XLs.

The new goalie pad regulations were already simulated on the Minnesota Wild’s Dwayne Roloson as part of the NHL-NHLPA testing. While Roloson was alright with the new restrictions, he hopes it doesn’t lead to the adoption of wider nets. “That’s what has me worried,” Roloson said. “I’m a traditionalist. If they think that’s the way to open up scoring, then they’re barking up the wrong tree.”

The Hockey Hall of Fame is reeling from the lockout. “It’s affected our walk-in traffic by 40 or 45 percent,” Hall chairman Bill Hay said this week. “Our strong months are July, August and September and then we weaken a little bit, but we never recovered through Christmas.” We wonder if Goodenow and The Gang realized, or for that matter, cared?

While many hockey people are pro-rule tinkering, some NHL personalities are set in smiles with the way the game currently stands. Ottawa Senator coach Bryan Murray is one. “We’ll probably have a roundtable at some point to determine what everybody felt and sort out all the ideas,” Murray adds. “I don’t know that a lot is necessary to fix our game. We hear about the trap and we hear about not enough goal scoring, but we’ve got a terrific game.”

The hottest advertising property among NHL players is Jarome Iginla. His most recent deal with Nike follows others with General Mills, Easton, CIBC and Campbell’s Soup.

This from reader Bobby Bryde in Las Vegas. “Check out the new flick, ‘Cinderella Man.’ In one scene they show the marquee of the old Madison Square Garden. It reads: RANGERS VS. AMERICANS.”

Can you envision Wayne Gretzky blasting a team as a head coach? (AP)

The Habs are keeping a legend close to home: Guy Lafleur is getting a new pact as one of the team’s ambassadors.

Todd Bertuzzi is waiting for conclusion of CBA talks before pressing for a decision about his reinstatement.

Attempting to jazz up the game, the NHL is looking into miking their coaches during games. They would be wired on the bench and in the locker rooms. It would be interesting to hear what Gretz was telling his Coyotes.

Should there be an NHL season next year, a familiar face wants to return to it. Despite turning 40 in October, Mario Lemieux wants to return to the Penguins lineup.

The only Middle Eastern team that competes in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship is coming to America. The Israeli National team will visit the Florida Jr. Panthers. The game will be played in October at the Office Depot Center.

Rangers’ GM Glen Sather has moves to make. Only five players are under contract, which leaves Sather with a lot of work to do in order to just complete a roster. He is waiting to see how things go in terms of a salary cap and the CBA and then he can get down to business. Could a Ranger- Brian Leetch reunion be in the works?

Florida Panthers suspended the operations of their AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage for a year and are looking for places to put their players next season. GM Mike Keenan could have some of his young talent up with the big club, but he would love a secondary affiliation with the Toronto Marlies, who make their debut next year.

Link Gaetz fans should get excited. The former Sharks enforcer has signed on to take part in The Battle of the Hockey Enforcers pay-per-view event. The festivities are set for August 27th at the CN Centre.

Is a real life NHL Fantasy Draft coming? GM’s have playfully thrown around the idea of having one giant draft and picking brand new rosters. I wonder who the first pick would be!

Peter Forsberg is eager to return to the NHL, however, will it be as a member of the Colorado Avalanche? The Avs would love to have Peter the Great back in their lineup, but in order to do that he would most likely have to make financial sacrifices depending on a salary cap agreement.

Colorado will have to work out several contracts if a salary cap is implemented, which could lead to breaking up one of the better rosters in the league. Currently the Avs have seven significant players under contract, at about $18.6 mil, and a list of unsigned players that includes Forsberg, Adam Foote, Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay, David Aebischer, John-Michael Liles, Dan Hinote, Marek Svatos, Peter Worrell and Karlis Skrastins. It will be interesting to see how Pierre Lacroix manages his money.

Can the Devils' captain remain in New Jersey when all is said and done? (AP)

Should NHL play resume next season, there is a solid crop of free agent defenseman on the market. Adrian Aucoin, Sergei Zubov, Alex Zhitnik, Brian Leetch, and Scott Stevens are all looking for new contracts.

Hockey may have it’s own Deep Throat! McClelland & Stewart’s will put a book out in September titled Saving the Game: An Inside Look at Pro Hockey’s Struggle to Survive. It will detail the sad state hockey is in and propose reforms to cheer it up.

Hurricanes defenseman Bret Hedican may not be hanging up his skates just yet. The 34-year old veteran didn’t really care whether the NHL returned or not, because he felt he wouldn’t be. However, after successful surgery, Hedican now hopes to be back and playing.

IMG, the agency that represents hockey phenom Sidney Crosby, has requested that all players drafted in 2003 and 2004 that have not yet signed contracts, be taken off the reserve lists of the teams which drafted them. This would mean the teams would no longer retain these players rights, leading to two things: they go back into the draft or to free agency, depending on age. This scenario, like many around the NHL now, all depends on when and if a new CBA gets done.

Former ESPN announcer Brian Engblom will be behind the mic for the Columbus Blue Jackets doing color commentary.

Not knowing exactly how the next NHL Draft is going to be organized, several teams are stir crazy about the possibility of being able to land Sidney Crosby. Edmonton, Calgary, and the Rangers are just three teams hoping to land that coveted number one pick.

Paul Jerrard has been named assistant coach for Dallas’ AHL affiliate Iowa Stars.

The Penguins have also signed their AHL head coach Michel Therrien to a two-year deal.

Ex Minnesota North Stars coach, and current Wild scout, Glen Sonmor is thrilled that the NHL is strongly considering having a shootout determine the outcome of games. “There are too many ties; fans deserve to see a winner.”

The Oilers are after a WHL team and they will most likely get it. The league will start in 2006-07 and since the Oilers suspended the operations of their AHL team the Road Runners, they look like a solid destination for a WHL franchise.

Tie Domi had nothing nice to say about the NHL lockout and its key players. He put most of the blame on Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow, but was also unhappy with several of the owners on the owners’ negotiating committee.