NHL moves into Kansas City [EHM:2007]

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I'm having problems installing the new patch for NHL 09, so I will temporarly continue to post the dynasty without pictures. I have some left on my computer that are going to be posted when they fit, but otherwise I they will not be included until the problem is fixed.

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Kulyash impresses, Coyotes continue to plummet

November 10th 2009 - Acquired before the NHL Entry Draft for a prospect and a late pick, russian defenseman Denis Kulyash has really impressed in his debut with the Kansas City Coyotes. The 6'3/213 rearguard already has 4 goals and 6 points in 14 games played, while playing solid defensive hockey.

It was a hard task to convince Kulyash to come to North America. The Omsk native finally accepted a one-year deal that would give him 1.6M$ with possible performance bonuses along the way. He is currently producing at a great pace, and that is without even speaking a word of english. Wherever he goes, Kulyash is accompanied by his friend and defensive partner Alexei Semenov who acts as a translator, even though both are men of few words. The important is that the russian duo is performing well and Kulyash gives a new dimension to the second powerplay unit.

Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, who is also in his first footsteps in North America after being drafted 2nd overall last summer, has been playing incredibly solid hockey. Despite only two assists and a minus one differential in 14 games, the huge defensive specimen is sixth on the team in ice-time per game with 18:36 and is an important part of the Coyotes' penalty killing unit. Most of all, Hedman has been playing steady, consistent defensive hockey and has looked like a ten-years veteran on the ice. Whenever he gets comfortable enough to start using his speed and offensive abilities more, he could become the franchise defenseman the team was looking for when they took a flyer on him at the NHL Entry Draft.

November 1st 2009 - Coyotes at Dallas, 6-3 L, (Sterling 2, Lundmark 1, Lombardi 2), Denis [L] (21/27)
November 2nd 2009 - Kansas City vs. Vancouver, 4-3 W, (Kopecky 2, Carter 4, Kulyash 2, Noklainen 3), Mason [W] (25/28)
November 4th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Portland, 4-2 L, (Sterling 3, Kulyash 3), Mason [L] (30/34)
November 9th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Chicago, 4-2 L, (Schremp 3, Kulyash 4), Denis [L] (33/37)

Kansas City Coyotes (14GP, 4-10-0, 8 points, 15th in the West)

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Rumours have Carter going to Ottawa

November 13th 2009 - The Ottawa Sun reports that sources close to the Senators report the team has been in discussion with the Kansas City Coyotes in order to land Anson Carter. In 16 games this season with the Coyotes, Carter has 4 goals and 6 assists. The Sun mentions the names of prospects Linus Klasen and James O'Brien as possible return and mentions at least one source saying the deal is imminent.

"Obviously nobody wants to hear their names mentionned." said Carter when asked about the rumours.

November 10th 2009 - Coyotes at. St. Louis, 4-0 L, Denis [L] (34/38)
November 12th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Calgary, 6-5S W, (Schremp 4, Hävelid 3, Nokelainen 4, Kaspar 3, Artyukhin 5), Mason (16/20) & Denis [W] (14/15)

Kansas City Coyotes (16GP, 5-11-0, 10 points, 15th in the West)

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Carter not leaving

November 14th 2009 - GM Nicolas Fillion has made it clear; he has no intentions of trading forward Anson Carter. In a statement to the press yesterday, Fillion states he has not had discussions with any other teams about Anson Carter since his arrival with the team and that he doesn't intend to see his star forward leave the team. He also added, as a little arrow towards the Ottawa Sun, that they could focus on the recent success of the Senators to sell their newspaper instead of spreading false reports about other teams.

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Coyotes recall MacMillan from San Antonio

November 27th 2009 - The Kansas City Coyotes have recalled 20-years-old winger Logan MacMillan from the San Antonio Rampage. In 21 games with San Antonio this year, MacMillan has scored 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points. He also has the highest ice-time of any forward on the team, playing an integral part of both the powerplay and penalty killing units. He had played four pre-season games with Kansas City, scoring one goal.

LINES FOR TOMMOROW'S GAME AGAINST ANAHEIM
Artyukhin - Lombardi - Carter [A]
Kaspar - Schremp [A] - MacMillan
Sterling - Fritsche - Comeau
Kopecky-Lundmark

Hedman-Hävelid
Kronwall-de Vries [C]
Kulyash-Semenov
Lepistö

Mason
Denis

November 14th 2009 - Coyotes at Portland, 6-3 L, (Schremp 5, Artyukhin 6, Fritsche 1), Denis [L] (38/44)
November 16th 2009 - Coyotes at Calgary, 2-1 L, (Kaspar 4), Mason [L] (26/28)
November 17th 2009 - Coyotes at Minnesota, 2-0 L, Mason [L] (31/33)
November 22nd 2009 - Coyotes at Chicago, 5-3 W, (Lombardi 3, Kopecky 3, Kaspar 5-6, Carter 5), Mason [W] (28/31)
November 24th 2009 - Coyotes at Columbus, 3-2 W, (Schremp 6, Sterling 4, Kaspar 7), Mason [W] (21/23)
November 25th 2009 - Kansas City vs. San Jose, 4-2 L, (Lundmark 2, Lombardi 4), Denis [L] (26/30)

Kansas City Coyotes (22GP, 7-15-0, 14 points, 15th in the West)

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MacMillan makes notable debut, Coyotes fail to follow

November 28th 2009 - Logan MacMillan player barely ten minutes, but he succeeded in leaving a good impression on the Kansas City Coyotes staff and head coach Kevin Dineen. MacMillan contributed two assists, but the Coyotes were defeated 5-2 by the Anaheim Ducks. Chris Kunitz scored a hat trick for the winners.

Chris Mason blocked 35 of the 40 shots against. The Coyotes were particularly undisciplined as the Ducks benefited from nine powerplays, scoring only once.

November 28th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Anaheim, 5-2 L, (Kaspar 8, Schremp 7), Mason [L] (35/40)

Kansas City Coyotes (23GP, 7-16-0, 14 points, 15th in the West)

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Has Hell frozen over?

November 29th 2009 - The Montreal Canadiens traded away fan favourite Guillaume Latendresse to the Boston Bruins today for 2nd and 3rd round picks in 2010. Latendresse had been out for the whole year with a shoulder injury and had scored 3 assists in his comeback game in the American Hockey League. He will report to the Providence Bruins, Boston's farm club.

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Not better than last year?

December 1st 2009 - Everyone in Kansas City hoped the Coyotes would have a better record than last year's awful last place finish, but two months into the new season it doesn't look like the team will be much better. At the same date last year, the Coyotes had 11 points in 25 games and were in last place. This year, they have 14 points in 24 games and things don't seem to look up.

Lukas Kaspar, who had a very tough start to his season, came back strong in the second month and won the November segment of the Sprint Cup. Kaspar scored 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points in 14 games this month. He beat Rob Schremp and Niclas Hävelid in the voting.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles Kings (13GP - 9G - 15A - 24PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: D Ryan Whitney, Montreal Canadiens (13GP - 3G - 10A - 13PTS)
NHL Rookie of the Month: RW Hugh Jessiman, Nashville Predators (15GP - 4G - 7A - 11PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 18 - C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles Kings
NHL Assists Leader: 27 - RW Patrick O'Sullivan Los Angeles Kings
NHL Points Leader: 43 - C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles Kings
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 19 - D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 16 - C Colin Wilson, Nashville Predators

November 30th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Detroit, 4-3 L, (Fritsche 2, Kaspar 9, Schremp 8), Denis [L] (39/43)

Kansas City Coyotes (24GP, 7-17-0, 14 points, 15th in the West)

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Hedman shows the extent of his talent

December 9th 2009 - Brent Seabrook scored the game-winning overtime goal at the Sprint Center to lead the Blackhawks to a 4-3 win, but the great play by first star selection, defenseman Victor Hedman, retained some attention despite the loss. In a bit more than 22 minutes of ice time, Hedman had two points, including the game tying goal with a bit more than a minute to go in the game; the first goal of his young career. Hedman was particularly dominating on the penalty kill as the Blackhawks had ten powerplays, converting twice, both times without the big swedish defenseman on the ice. He also finished the game with 5 hits and 3 shots blocked.

"It's scary to think he will one day have the confidence to play like that consistently." said head coach Kevin Dineen

Meanwhile, Toronto has fired head coach Ron Wilson. He will be replaced by Lindy Ruff.

December 1st 2009 - Coyotes at St. Louis, 5-1 L, (Schremp 9), Mason [L] (16/21)
December 5th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Columbus, 4-3 OTL, (Schremp 10, Semenov 2-3), Denis [OTL] (41/45)
December 7th 2009 - Coyotes at Columbus, 4-2 L, (Artyukhin 7, Lundmark 3), Denis [L] (32/36)
December 9th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Chicago, 4-3 OTL, (Carter 6, Lundmark 4, Hedman 1), Denis [OTL] (32/36)

Kansas City Coyotes (28GP, 7-19-2, 16 points, 15th in the West)

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MacMillan down, Krysanov up

December 13th 2009 - The Kansas city Coyotes have sent down right winger Logan MacMillan to the San Antonio Rampage. In seven games with the Coyotes since his callup, MacMillan had three assists; all of those were scored in his first two games as he was shutout since then.

The Coyotes called up Anton Krysanov from the Rampage. In 27 games, the russian forward had 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points. Krysanov can play both center or right wing, but will be used on the wing in his first game. Krysanov will have a spot on the opening lineup from a minor injury to Jamie Lundmark, who will miss one week. Kevyn Adams, who hasn't played a game since mid-october, will also join the lineup.

LINES FOR TONIGHT'S GAME AGAINST VANCOUVER
Artyukhin - Lombardi - Krysanov
Kaspar - Schremp - Carter [A]
Sterling - Fritsche - Comeau
Adams [A] - Kopecky

Hedman - Hävelid
Lepistö - de Vries [C]
Kulyash - Semenov
Cashman

Mason
Denis

December 12th 2009 - Kansas City vs. St. Louis, 3-2 L, (Kaspar 10, Carter 7), Denis [L] (20/23)

Kansas City Coyotes (29GP, 7-20-2, 16 points, 15th in the West)

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Carter halts 10 game winless streak

December 17th 2009 - Anson Carter scored twice and the three Coyotes' shooters scored on the shootout as the Kansas City Coyotes defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 today, to hald a 10 games winless streak. Sami Lepistö and Tomas Kopecky also scored in the win for the Coyotes. Rob Schremp, Lukas Kaspar and Matthew Lombardi were the scorers in the shootout. Chris Mason gets the win after blocking 38 of the 42 shots against.

December 13th 2009 - Coyotes at Vancouver, 4-3 L, (Comeau 2, Carter 8, Schremp 11), Mason [L] (41/45)
December 16th 2009 - Coyotes at Detroit, 5-1 L, (Artyukhin 8), Denis [L] (36/41)
December 17th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Detroit, 5-4S W, (Carter 9-10, Lepistö 1, Kopecky 4), Mason [W] (38/42)

Kansas City Coyotes (32GP, 8-22-2, 18 points, 15th in the West)

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Nokelainen sent to San Antonio

December 26th 2009 - Petteri Nokelainen has been demoted to the San Antonio Rampage. The move opens a roster spot for Cory Murphy's comeback from the injured reserve. In 19 games with the Coyotes this season, the 23 years old had scored 4 goals.

This move means russian forward Anton Krysanov will get an extended look on the team's first line. Krysanov has played excellent hockey since his call up and has 3 assists in 6 games. Cory Murphy will replace Reid Cashman in the lineup.

December 19th 2009 - Coyotes at New York I, 4-3 W, (Carter 11, Lombardi 5, Lepistö 2, de Vries 1), Mason [W] (36/39)
December 21st 2009 - Kansas City vs. Los Angeles, 5-0 L, Mason [L] (25/30)
December 23rd 2009 - Kansas City vs. Montreal, 4-1 W, (Comeau 3, Kaspar 11, Artyukhin 9, Sterling 5), Denis [W] (25/26)

Kansas City Coyotes (35GP, 10-23-2, 22 points, 15th in the West)

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Randell, Morin and Haula to play in WJC

December 26th 2008 - Three Kansas City Coyotes prospect will be participating at the World Junior Championships in Innsbruck this year. Travis Randell will play on Canada's third line with Nazem Kadri and Josh Brittain. Jeremy Morin will play on USA's second line with Philip McRae and Scooter Coleman. Erik Haula will play on Finland's second line with Jere Laaksonen and Harri Pesonen.

Canada, USA and Russia are the favourites to win the tournament. Here are the group predictions and important players at each position for the tournament.

Group A
USA: G Phil Carroll - D Adam Comrie - D Seth Helgeson - F A.J. Jenks - F Mitch Wahl - F Jordan Schroeder [C]
Russia: G Daniil Alistratov - D Dmitri Kulikov - D Dmitri Orlov - F Maksim Kitsyn - F Kirill Kabanov - F Dmitri Kugryshev [C]
Sweden: G Sebastian Idoff - D Tim Erixon [C] - D David Rundblad - F Anton Lander - F Jacob Josefson - F Tony Lagerström
Denmark: G Lasse Jensen - D Simon Grönvaldt - D Stefan Nielsen - F Sebastian Svendsen [C] - F Mark Mieritz - F Simon Dalsgaard
Norway: G Jens Martinsen - D Konstantin Deev - D Daniel Sorvik - F Andreas Stene - F Scott Winkler - F Mats Rosseli Olsen

Group B
Canada: G Olivier Roy - D Simon Després - D Colten Teubert - F Cody Hodgson [C] - F John Tavares - F Taylor Hall
Finland: G Jere Ringbom - D Jami Elo - D Tommi Kivistö [C] - F Joonas Nättinen - F Teemu Pulkkinen - F Erik Haula
Germany: G Niklas Treutle - D Marco Nowak - D Dominik Bielke - F Jerome Flaake - F Laurin Braun - F Simon Fischhabe [C]
Switzerland: G Benjamin Conz - D Roman Josi - D Patrick Geering [C] - F Reto Schäppi - F Daniel Keller - F Eric Wyder
Belarus: G Dmitri Stas - D Sergei Sheleg [C] - D Roman Vasyuk - F Nikolai Suslo - F Vitali Grishukevich - F Denis Mikulchik

December 26th 2009 - Coyotes at Detroit, 4-2 W, (Artyukhin 10, Kaspar 12-13-14), Denis [W] (32/34)

Kansas City Coyotes (36GP, 11-23-2, 24 points, 15th in the West)

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Will the Coyotes beat last year's mediocrity record?

January 1st 2010 - Once again December was a month to forget for the Kansas City Coyotes. If it wasn't for four wins in five games towards Christmas time, the Coyotes would be on their way to beat last year's awful season. If there is anything good to take out of this month, it's the good play by rookies Denis Kulyash, Victor Hedman and Anton Krysanov. Lukas Kaspar's continuous great play is another good aspect.

Lukas Kaspar was once again the winner of this month's segment of the Sprint Cup. In 14 games, Kaspar scored 5 times and added 8 assists for 13 points. He beat Anson Carter and Alexei Semenov in the voting.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: C Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks (14GP - 10G - 15A - 25PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: D Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh Penguins (15GP - 6G - 9A - 15PTS)
NHL Rookie of the Month: D Erik Johnson, St. Louis Blues (16GP - 2G - 5A - 7PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 27 - RW Marian Hossa, Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL Assists Leader: 34 - C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles Kings
NHL Points Leader: 59 - C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles Kings
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 28 - D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 29 - C Ville Leino, Detroit Red Wings

December 29th 2009 - Coyotes at Vancouver, 5-2 L, (Carter 12, Comeau 4), Denis [L] (31/36)
December 30th 2009 - Kansas City vs. Vancouver, 2-1 L, (Lombardi 6), Mason [L] (31/33)

Kansas City Coyotes (38GP, 11-25-2, 24 points, 15th in the West)

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Group stage leads to some surprises

January 4th 2010 - There were some pretty surprising results in the group stage of the World Junior Championship. Finland's 15-0 loss to Canada and losses to Germany and Switzerland as well as USA's loss to Denmark and tie with Norway after beating Russia and Sweden were not in anyone's prediction. But all-in-all, most of the favourites were able to qualify for the next round. Only Finland, who were surpassed by Germany and Switzerland, will be a surprise entry in the relegation round. Canada, in virtue of a perfect record, and Russia will get a bye in the Quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals matchups:
Switzerland vs. USA
Germany vs. Sweden

January 2nd 2010 - Kansas City vs. St. Louis, 8-1 W, (Carter 13-14, Artyukhin 11, Kaspar 15, Lepistö 3, Lundmark 5, Sterling 6, Semenov 4), Denis [W] (18/19)

Kansas City Coyotes (39GP, 12-25-2, 26 points, 15th in the West)

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Defending champions fall on their face

January 5th 2010 - The defending champions of the World Junior Championship, team USA, were surprised by team Switzerland 5-3 in the first quarterfinal game. The American team's desmise started when the team had a perfect record in the preliminary round and starting goaltender Phil Carroll got injured. Layne Stuart was not able to replace him and the Americans didn't win another game in the tournament. The other quarterfinal game was won by Sweden 3-2 over Germany.

In the relegation round, Finland barely avoided going to Division 1 with a 4-4 tie against Norway. Belarus and Norway will therefore be relegated. An amazing performance by 16-years-old danish backup goaltender Ulrik Bork in their two relegation games also allowed Denmark to stay in the main group. Czech Republic and Latvia won this year's division 1 tournament and will join the main group next year; Slovakia will therefore stay another year in division 1.

Semifinals matchups:
Switzerland vs. Russia
Sweden vs. Canada

January 4th 2010 - Kansas City vs. St. Louis, 5-0 W, (Kulyash 5-6, Lombardi 7-8, Krysanov 1), Denis [W] (26/26)

Kansas City Coyotes (40GP, 13-25-2, 28 points, 15th in the West)

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Canada and Russia to face in the finals

January 7th 2010 - A three points performance by captain Dmitri Kugryshev led the Russians to a 4-2 win over Switzerland today in the first semi final game. In the other game, Geordie Wudrick's three assists contributed to Canada's 5-3 defeat of Sweden. Canada will therefore face Russia for the gold medal while Sweden will play Switzerland for the bronze.

January 6th 2010 - Coyotes at Detroit, 4-2 W, (Fritsche 3, Hävelid 4, Schremp 12, Lundmark 6), Denis [W] (40/42)

Kansas City Coyotes (41GP, 14-25-2, 30 points, 15th in the West)

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Holmström a Sens

January 7th 2010 - The Detroit Red Wings traded 36-years-old hard nosed swedish forward Tomas Holmström to the Ottawa Senators. In return, the Red Wings obtained 20-years-old forward James O'Brien and rights to prospect Patrick Wiercioch. In 38 games with the Wings, Holmström had scored 11 goals and 25 points.

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Canada wins gold

January 9th 2010 - The Russians never gave up, but in they end time beat tem. After Canada took a 6-0 lead midway into the Gold Medal game, the Russians started a rally, scoring four goals but falling two short as Canada survived. John Tavares, with two goals, was the player of the game for Canada.

Gold Medal: Canada
Silver Medal: Russia
Bronze Medal: Sweden
4th place: Switzerland
5th place: Germany
6th place: USA
7th place: Denmark
8th place: Finland
9th place: Norway
10th place: Belarus

Top 5 Scorers:
1. John Tavares (CAN) - 6GP - 7-7-14
2. Geordie Wudrick (CAN) - 6GP - 7-6-13
3. Daniel Weib (GER) - 5GP - 6-6-12
4. Cody Hodgson (CAN) - 6GP - 4-8-12
5. Jacob Josefson (SWE) - 7GP - 1-11-12

MVP: John Tavares (CAN)
Best Forward: John Tavares (CAN)
Best Defenseman: Tyson Barrie (CAN)
Best Goaltender: Olivier Roy (CAN)

All-Star Team:

Artem Gareev (RUS) - John Tavares (CAN) - Cody Hodgson (CAN)
Tyson Barrie (CAN) - Seth Helgeson (USA)
Olivier Roy (CAN)

Coyotes prospects:
Travis Randell (CAN) - 6GP - 1-5-6
Jeremy Morin (USA) - 5GP - 0-0-0
Erik Haula (FIN) - 6GP - 0-5-5

January 9th 2010 : Coyotes at Chicago, 2-1 L, (Schremp 13), Denis [L] (33/35)

Kansas City Coyotes (42GP, 14-26-2, 30 points, 15th in the West)

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Kabanov and Gareev rise, Pulkkinen falls

January 10th 2010 - The World Junior Championship had a notable impact on the draft stock of a few top 10 ranked prospects. Finnish forward Teemu Pulkkinen, who was ranked second overall in the ISS 2010 NHL Draft Preliminary Rankings, fell to number 9 after scoring only four points while the go-to-guy on a disappointing Finland team. Meanwhile, two russian standouts in the tournament, forwards Kirill Kabanov and Artem Gareev, made a big bounce up to number two and three in the mid-term rankings.

1 (1) Taylor Hall - C - 6'1/165 - Windsor Spitfires (OHL) - CAN
2 (9) Artem Gareev - LW - 6'0/222 - Salavat Yulajev (RSL) - RUS
3 (10) Kirill Kabanov - LW - 6'2/171 - Spartak Moscow (RSL) - RUS
4 (7) Cam Fowler - LD - 6'0/180 - Maine Black Bears (NCAA) - USA
5 (4) Brandon Gormley - LD - 6'0/187 - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) - CAN
6 (3) Erik Gudbranson - RD - 6'4/189 - Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) - CAN
7 (12) Ryan Spooner - C - 5'10/168 - Peterborough Petes (OHL) - CAN
8 (5) Maksim Kitsyn - LW - 6'1/198 - Mettalurg Novokuznetsk (RSL) - RUS
9 (2) Teemu Pulkkinen - RW - 5'10/176 - Jokerit Helsinki (FIN) - FIN
10 (6) Joey Hishon - C - 5'11/167 - Owen Sound Attack (OHL) - CAN
11 (15) Steve Chaffin - LD - 6'4/185 - Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) - CAN
12 (8) John McFarland - C - 6'1/194 - Sudbury Wolves (OHL) - CAN
13 (23) Vladimir Tarasenko - RW - 6'1/189 - Sibir Novosibirsk (RSL) - RUS
14 (11) Alex Cotnoir - RW - 5'10/200 - Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) - CAN
15 (28) Kevin Sundher - C - 5'7/147 - Chilliwack Bruins (WHL) - CAN
16 (29) Zak MacDonald-Miller - RD - 6'4/220 - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) - CAN
17 (34) Austin Clancy - LD - 5'11/176 - Vancouver Giants (WHL) - CAN
18 (16) Jared Knight - C - 6'0/186 - London Knights (OHL) - USA
19 (14) Clay Lenardon - C - 6'0/205 - Cornell Big Red (NCAA) - USA
20 (26) Carl Mulock - LW - 6'2/229 - Brampton Battalion (OHL) - CAN
21 (39) Davis Muller - RW - 6'0/205 - Peterborough Petes (OHL) - CAN
22 (19) Wade Poulin - G - 6'2/207 - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) - CAN
23 (21) Jimmy Dias - RD - 6'1/213 - Kamloops Blazers (WHL) - CAN
24 (13) Cleve Keating - LD - 6'0/209 - Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) - CAN
25 (31) Brent Leveille - RW - 5'10/196 - Saskatoon Blades (WHL) - CAN
26 (35) Darrell Hoyer - LD - 5'7/187 - Ottawa 67's (OHL) - CAN
27 (18) Aleksandr Ataev - RD - 5'10/191 - Ak Bars Kazan (RSL) - RUS
28 (20) Myles Lambert - RW - 5'10/198 - Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) - CAN
29 (22) Markus Kinisjärvi - C - 6'0/185 - Västeras HK (SEL) - SWE
30 (17) Luc Binnington - LD - 6'3/216 - Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) - CAN

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Kevyn Adams traded

January 18th 2010 - The Kansas City Coyotes traded 35-years-old forward Kevyn Adams to the Dallas Stars today. In return, the Coyotes recieve a 6th round pick in 2011. In 11 games with the Coyotes this year, Adams had two assists. He will add some experience on the Stars who are hunting for a playoff spot.

January 10th 2010: Coyotes at New York R, 5-3 L, (Kaspar 16, Comeau 5, Lombardi 9), Denis [L] (15/19) & Mason (18/19)
January 13th 2010: Kansas City vs. Los Angeles, 5-3 L, (Krysanov 2-3, Sterling 7), Mason [L] (30/35)
January 15th 2010: Coyotes at San Jose, 5-0 L, Denis [L] (7/10) & Mason (16/18)
January 16th 2010: Coyotes at Colorado, 4-3 L, (Comeau 6, Kaspar 17, Artyukhin 12), Mason [L] (26/30)

Kansas City Coyotes (46GP, 14-30-2, 30 points, 15th in the West)

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New lines fail to halt losing streak

January 21st 2010 - The Kansas City Coyotes are in a dysmal 8-games losing streak, and head coach Kevin Dineen has tried everything to shake up their players to no avail. Dineen had comepletly revamped lines for tonight's game against New Jersey, but the Coyotes were shutout for the second night in a row.

The names of captain Greg de Vries and star forward Anson Carter are now mentionned regularly in trade rumours and may be gone before the trade deadline. Jack Combs has been recalled from the San Antonio Rampage. In 46 games, he had 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points. He is not expected to debut in the next game.

Artyukhin - Schremp [A] - Krysanov
Kaspar - Lombardi - Lundmark
Sterling - Fritsche - Carter [A]
Kopecky - Comeau

Kulyash - de Vries [C]
Hedman - Hävelid
Lepistö - Semenov
Cashman

Mason
Denis

January 18th 2010: Coyotes at Los Angeles, 5-3 L, (Carter 15-16, Kaspar 18), Denis [L] (42/47)
January 20th 2010: Coyotes at Anaheim, 5-0 L, Denis [L] (36/41)
January 21st 2010: Coyotes at New Jersey, 3-0 L, Denis [L] (29/32)

Kansas City Coyotes (49GP, 14-33-2, 30 points, 15th in the West)

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Gionta scores 9 points in a game

January 22nd 2010 - The Washington Capitals destroyed the San Jose Sharks 12-4 today at the Verizon Centre, but winger Brian Gionta took the front of the stage with a 9 points performance. Gionta scored twice and added seven assists in this single game to give him the second highest point total in an NHL game in history, only one behind Darryl Sittler's 10 point game. Alexander Ovechking, with two goals and four assists, and Nicklas Bäckström, with three goals and three assists, also had games to remember.

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Losing streak halted; Kulyash defensive player of the week

January 29th 2010 - Three days after halting the losing streak with a 6-5 victory over Columbus, Kansas City Coyotes defenseman Denis Kulyash has been named the defensive player of the week in the NHL. In two games, Kulyash scored a goal and added 3 assists. He is the first player in the team's history to win this honor. The 26-years-old blueliner said through an interpreter that he is getting more at ease every game and that he hopes the team starts to win. Coach Kevin Dineen, GM Nicolas Fillion and captain Greg de Vries, who is also his current defensive partner, had only good things to say about him:

"He came in as a very timid guy, he doens't talk much but he works so hard. He does his best to understand the instructions, and you can see we've only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of his potential." said coach Dineen

"Our russian scout Vyacheslav Golovin was very high on him last year. We made a special trip to see him in Russia and that's when we decided to complete the trade with the Predators. It is tough for a player like him to come over to North America and not be certain of your future, so we made sure he came in here well surrounded. He has been everything we hoped for, and more." said Fillion

"It's so easy to play with him because he does everything so well. The communication is still difficult, but he's like a kid who wants to learn so we can understand each other through gestuals."

January 26th 2010: Kansas City vs. Columbus, 6-5 W, (Artyukhin 13, Schremp 14-15, Kaspar 19-20, Carter 17), Mason [W] (22/27)
January 27th 2010: Kansas City vs. Detroit, 5-3 L, (Kaspar 21-22, Kulyash 7), Denis [L] (21/26)

Kansas City Coyotes (51GP, 15-34-2, 32 points, 15th in the West)

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Enigmatic Coyotes show two faces in January

February 1st 2010 - The Kansas City Coyotes can be a dangerous team at times, but whenever they fall in a tougher streak, they completely disappear from the face of the earth. After an encouraging sequence to start January, the team fell in a disgusting 8-game losing streak, showing no signs of having what it takes to get ouf ot it. The Coyotes finally managed two wins in their final three games to rally a bit after another disappointing month.

Lukas Kaspar, for the third straight time, was the winner of the month's segment of the Sprint Cup. In 14 games, the Czech forward scored 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points. He beat Anson Carter and Matthew Lombardi in the voting process.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (12GP - 13G - 14A - 27PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: D Joni Pitkänen, Boston Bruins (13GP - 2G - 8A - 10PTS)
NHL Rookie of the Month: D Ryan Ellis, Nashville Predators (11GP - 2G - 7A - 9PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 36 - LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
NHL Assists Leader: 43 - C Nicklas Bäckström, Washington Capitals
NHL Points Leader: 75 - C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles Kings
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 38 - D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 33 - C Ville Leino, Detroit Red Wings

January 30th 2010: Kansas City vs. Edmonton, 2-1OT W, (Fritsche 4, Lombardi 10), Denis [W] (27/28)

Kansas City Coyotes (52GP, 16-34-2, 34 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Trade deadline approaching

February 4th 2010 - The trade deadline is less than three weeks away. Here's a look at the players who might move until then:

D Joe Corvo - CAR
D Duncan Keith - CHI
D Tom Poti - CHI
D Mike Commodore - CBJ
D Toni Lydman - CBJ
D Rostislav Klesla - CBJ
D Bryan McCabe - FLO
D Greg de Vries - KC
D Adrian Aucoin - MTL
D Shaone Morrisonn - WAS
F Marco Sturm - BOS
F Marc Savard - BOS
F Scott Walker - CAR
F Patrick Sharp - CHI
F Dustin Byfuglien - CHI
F Fredrik Modin - CBJ
F Olli Jökinen - CBJ
F Jere Lehtinen - DAL
F Brenden Morrow - DAL
F Mike Ribeiro - DAL
F Brad Richards - DAL
F Stephen Weiss - FLO
F Anson Carter - KC
F Andrew Brunette - MIN
F Chris Clark - WAS

February 2nd 2010: Coyotes at Columbus, 7-1 L, (Sterling 8), Denis [L] (19/24) & Mason (6/8)
February 3rd 2010: Kansas City vs. Dallas, 4-3S W, (Semenov 5, Kaspar 23, Carter 18), Denis [W] (26/29)

Kansas City Coyotes (54GP, 17-35-2, 36 points, 15th in the West)

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Things moving fast

February 8th 2010 - Trades have been firing left and right at an insane ratio over the last few days and the top teams are starting to shape up. If the Kansas City Coyotes are to make a move, expect it in the next few days.

TRADE: Montreal trades D Adrian Aucoin to Nashville for a 1st round pick in 2010
TRADE: Columbus trades D Toni Lydman to Ottawa for F Josh Hennessy
TRADE: Dallas trades F Jere Lehtinen to Detroit for F Jan Mursak and a 2nd round pick in 2010
TRADE: Columbus trades D Rostislav Klesla and a 2nd round pick in 2010 to Detroit for G Daniel Larsson and D Jonathan Ericsson
TRADE: Columbus trades F Kristian Huselius to San Jose for F Logan Couture
TRADE: Carolina trades D Joe Corvo to Washington for D Shaone Morrisonn and a 2nd round pick in 2010
TRADE: Minnesota trades F Andrew Brunette to Calgary for rights to F Mitch Wahl
TRADE: Buffalo trades D Henrik Tallinder to Atlanta for D Jaroslav Spacek
TRADE: Carolina trades F Sergei Samsonov to Los Angeles for F Toni Rajala
TRADE: Dallas trades F Brad Richards to Florida for D Bryan McCabe, D Nick Boynton and a 2nd round pick in 2010

February 6th 2010: Kansas City vs. Boston, 3-1 W, (Kaspar 24, Krysanov 4, Hävelid 5), Denis [W] (32/33)
February 8th 2010: Kansas City vs. Columbus, 4-3S W, (Sterling 9, Lepistö 4, Kaspar 25), Denis [W] (28/31)

Kansas City Coyotes (56GP, 19-35-2, 40 points, 15th in the West)

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Another year, another Coyoteless All-Star game

February 11th 2010 - The Coyotes had once again no players participating in the All-Star game this weekend. In the skills competition, Olli Jokinen won the Puck Control Relay, Marian Gaborik the Fastest Skater, Zdeno Chara the Hardest Shot, Evgeni Malkin the Shooting Accuracy and Henrik Lundqvist the Goalie Competition.

In the game, the Western All-Stars defeated the East 8-5. Rick Nash was the player of the game with a hat trick, adding an assist, for four points.

TRADE: Pittsburgh trades D Andrej Sekera to Atlanta for rights to D Michael D'Orazio
TRADE: Atlanta trades D Paul Mara to Ottawa for rights to D Stefan Elliot
TRADE: Columbus trades F Fredrik Modin to New York R for rights to F Chris Doyle
TRADE: Colorado trades F Brian Rolston to New York R for rights to D Michael Del Zotto

[duff88]

Captain leaves for the Big Apple

February 12th 2010 - It had been no secret for a few weeks, but the Kansas City Coyotes confirmed today that captain Greg de Vries was traded away to a Stanley Cup contender. The 37-years-old defenseman will pack his bags for New York where he will join the first place cup favourite Rangers. In return, the Coyotes get the Rangers' first round selection in 2011. The Rangers also recieve a 6th round pick in 2011 in that trade.

"It's tough to leave" said the captain to journalists while packing his bags. "I've played for many teams in the league, I've notably spent great time in Colorado where I won a cup, but I don't think I've ever grown so attached to a team, it's staff and it's fans. I'll keep great memories."

The Coyotes won't use a captain for the reminder of the year. Niclas Hävelid, Anson Carter, Rob Schremp and Lukas Kaspar will work as assistants. The odds still seem to be 50/50 on wether Carter will be traded away; he still has another year left on his contract and has said he wants to stay in Kansas City.

TRADE: Columbus trades D Fedor Tyutin to Minnesota for D Mike Komisarek
TRADE: Columbus trades D Mike Commodore to Florida for D Keith Ballard

[duff88]

Carter will stay

February 15th 2010 - Anson Carter will be a Kansas City Coyotes until the end of the season, and should still be here when the next training camp gets under way. GM Nicolas Fillion has confirmed that the 35-years-old winger is an important part of the team and that he wanted him to continue on his important role on and off the ice with the young competitive team the team will have next year. Asked about the upcoming moves by the Coyotes before the trade deadline, GM Fillion only provided a smile and a demand to wait and see.

Meanwhile, with a team-record 5 wins streak, the Coyotes are now only 5 points away from the Chicago Blackhawks and the 14th place in the Western Conference. The Coyotes have the fourth best record in the league during the last 10 games with 7-3-0.

TRADE: Boston trades Martin Havlat to Nashville for D Ryan Suter and a 2nd round pick in 2010

February 13th 2010: Kansas City vs. Anaheim, 4-3 W, (Comeau 7, Carter 19-20, Kaspar 26), Denis [W] (30/33)
February 14th 2010: Coyotes at Chicago, 4-3 W, (Lundmark 7, Kulyash 8-9, Carter 21), Mason [W] (19/22)

Kansas City Coyotes (58GP, 21-35-2, 44 points, 15th in the West)

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Russian-fours sign new deals

February 17th 2010 - The four russians playing with the Kansas City Coyotes have signed new multi-season extensions. First and foremost, defenseman Denis Kulyash has signed a four years extension worth 7M$. Alexei Semenov signed a three years extension while Evgeni Artyukhin and Anton Krysanov both signed for two more years.

TRADE: Washington trades D Sergei Zubov to Calgary for rights to D Shane Miller
TRADE: Dallas trades F Mike Grier to San Jose for a 5th round pick in 2010 and a 3rd round pick in 2011

February 16th 2010: Kansas City vs. Detroit, 3-2 L, (Schremp 16-17), Denis [L] (33/36)

Kansas City Coyotes (59GP, 21-36-2, 44 points, 15th in the West)

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Nokelainen and McKee traded to Atlanta

February 18th 2010 - The Kansas City Coyotes and Atlanta Thrashers have completed an unexpected transaction of youth. The Coyotes shipped out centre Petteri Nokelainen, goaltender David McKee and rights to russian forward Alexei Kaigorodov. In return, Atlanta gave up goaltender Ondrej Pavelec and rights to forward Andrew Kozek. Pavelec was the key component the deal was worked around.

Petteri Nokelainen, a 24 years old finnish center, had played 25 games with San Antonio, scoring 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points. He also had 4 goals in 19 games in the NHL. David McKee, a 26 years old goaltender, had played 41 games with San Antonio, keeping a 16-19-6 record with a 2.73GAA and 91.3SAV%. Alexei Kaigorodov, a 26 years old center, had scored 28 points in 36 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Russian League.

Ondrej Pavelec, a 22 years old czech goaltender, had played 12 games as backup to Kari Lehtonen in Atlanta. He recorded 3-5-1 with a 4.07GAA and 85.5SAV%. He will be sent down to San Antonio where he will get to suit up in more games as he only played 32 games in the last two years, all at the NHL level. Andrew Kozek, a 23 years old winger, is in his senior year with the University of North Dakota. In 41 games, he has scored 29 points.

TRADE: Carolina trades F Justin Williams and D Roman Hamrlik to Buffalo for rights to F Luke Adam and F Tyler Ennis
TRADE: Washington trades F Brian Gionta to Los Angeles for D Drew Doughty
TRADE: Chicago trades D Duncan Keith to Florida for D Francis Bouillon and a 3rd round pick in 2010

February 18th 2010: Kansas City vs. Edmonton, 5-3 W, (Kaspar 27, Comeau 8, Fritsche 5, Lombardi 11, Sterling 10), Denis [W] (33/36)

Kansas City Coyotes (60GP, 22-36-2, 46 points, 15th in the West)

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Cory Murphy traded to Detroit

February 19th 2010 - In what was deemed by general manager Nicolas Fillion as the Kansas City Coyotes' final move before the trade deadline, the team traded away 32-years-old offensive defenseman Cory Murphy to the Detroit Red Wings for a 4th round pick in 2010. Murphy, who suffered a major injury early in the season, played only 13 games this year, scoring one point.

TRADE: Boston trades F Marc Savard to Chicago for F Patrick Sharp, a 2nd round pick in 2010 and a 3rd round pick in 2011

[duff88]

Trade deadline passes


Nashville will hope for a long playoffs run with the addition of Martin Havlat, Olli Jokinen and Brenden Morrow

TRADE: Boston trades F Marco Sturm to Carolina for F Tuomo Ruutu and a 2nd round pick in 2010
TRADE: Boston trades G Tim Thomas and rights to D Tommy Cross to San Jose for 1st and 2nd round picks in 2010
TRADE: Philadelphia trades F Arron Asham to New York R for F Troy Brouwer and a 3rd round pick in 2010
TRADE: Boston trades D Marek Malik to Calgary for 2nd and 4th round picks in 2010
TRADE: Florida trades D Darryl Sydor to Nashville for D Cody Franson
TRADE: Carolina trades F Scott Walker to Nashville for F Stanislav Chistov
TRADE: Carolina trades F Matt Cullen to New Jersey for 2nd and 3rd round picks in 2010
TRADE: Columbus trades F Dainius Zubrus to Chicago for D Tom Poti and D Francis Bouillon
TRADE: Columbus trades F Olli Jokinen to Nashville for F Tyler Kennedy, a 1st round pick in 2011 and 6th and 7th round picks in 2010.
TRADE: St. Louis trades F Toby Petersen to Detroit for a 3rd round pick in 2010
TRADE: Atlanta trades F Curtis Brown to Buffalo for 4th and 7th round picks in 2010
TRADE: Dallas trades D Trevor Daley to New York I for D Raymond Giroux and F Jon Sim
TRADE: Washington trades F Chris Clark to Los Angeles for 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks in 2010
TRADE: New Jersey trades D Andy Roach to San Jose for rights to D Nick Petrecki
TRADE: Florida trades F Cory Stillman to Ottawa for D Alexandre Picard
TRADE: Dallas trades F Brenden Morrow to Nashville for F Colin Wilson
TRADE: Florida trades F Michael Peca to New York R for 4th and 6th round picks in 2010
TRADE: Dallas trades F Mike Ribeiro to Portland for D James Wisniewski and F Ted Purcell
TRADE: Vancouver trades F Kyle Wellwood to Columbus for rights to F Ryan O'Reilly

February 20th 2010: Kansas City vs. Chicago, 2-1 W, (Kaspar 28, Krysanov 5), Denis [W] (27/28)

Kansas City Coyotes (61GP, 23-36-2, 48 points, 15th in the West)

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Denis defensive player of the week

February 26th 2010 - Coyotes goaltender Marc Denis has been named the NHL defensive player of the week. The canadian netminder won his two games, including one shutout, allowing only one goal in 61 shots. Since being pulled in his first game of the month, Denis has allowed only 17 goals in 8 games, winning 7 of those games with one shutout.

The Coyotes are now one point away from the Chicago Blackhawks and the 14th place in the West, 29th in the league. They also have one game in hand. Kansas City will recieve the Minnesota Wild tommorow, the last game of the month.

February 25th 2010: Coyotes at St. Louis, 3-0 W, (Cashman 2, Krysanov 6, Carter 22), Denis [W] (23/23)

Kansas City Coyotes (62GP, 24-36-2, 50 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Coyotes best in February

Marc Denis led the Coyotes to a sensationnal month of February

March 1st 2010 - With a 9-2-0 record in 11 games during the month of February, the Kansas City Coyotes, who started the month last in the league, had the best record in the entire NHL. Led by a solid contribution from every lines, as well as the excellent play from goaltender Marc Denis and defenseman Denis Kulyash, the Coyotes have suceeded in passing the Chicago Blackhawks to take the 14th place in the West. The Coyotes are now 4 points away from the Minnesota Wild at 13th, and if you are a dreamer, 15 points away from the Anaheim Ducks at the final playoff position, 8th place in the West. There are 19 games left to play in the season.

Marc Denis won the February segment of the Sprint Cup. In 10 games, Denis had a 8-2 record with a 2.11GAA and a 91.9SAV% with 1 shutout. He beat Denis Kulyash and Lukas Kaspar in the voting. Denis was also named NHL Defensive player of the Month, the first Coyotes to recieve such honor.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (10GP - 5G - 12A - 17PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: G Marc Denis, Kansas City Coyotes (10GP - 8W - 1SO)
NHL Rookie of the Month: C Perttu Lindgren, Dallas Stars (10GP - 6G - 1A - 7PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 46 - LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
NHL Assists Leader: 56 - C Nicklas Bäckström, Washington Capitals
NHL Points Leader: 93 - LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 44 - D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 38 - C Colin Wilson, Dallas Stars

February 27th 2010: Kansas City vs. Minnesota, 4-3OT W, (Carter 23-24, Cashman 3, Kaspar 29), Denis [W] (32/35)

Kansas City Coyotes (63GP, 25-36-2, 52 points, 14th in the West)

[duff88]

Coyotes keep pace

March 15th 2010 - The Kansas City Coyotes are not slowing down; 7 games into the month of March, the team has won another 5 games and are now 3 points away from the Columbus Blue Jackets at 12th in the West. Although not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs race, the real chances of seeing the Coyotes make it are incredibly slim; the 8th place Portland Titans only need 9 points in 10 games, assuming Kansas City wins its 12 remaining games, to make it to the post-season.

The Coyotes now sit 26th in the entire NHL. The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks share last place, while the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild also trail the Coyotes.

March 1st 2010: Coyotes at Philadelphia, 5-1 L, (Krysanov 7), Denis [L] (39/44)
March 3rd 2010: Coyotes at Pittsburgh, 2-0 W, (Lepistö 5, Krysanov 8), Mason [W] (27/27)
March 6th 2010: Kansas City vs. Portland, 5-4OT W, (Hävelid 6-7, Kulyash 10-11, Sterling 11), Mason [W] (28/32)
March 8th 2010: Kansas City vs. Dallas, 3-1 W, (Krysanov 9, Lundmark 8, Kulyash 12), Mason [W] (25/26)
March 10th 2010: Kansas City vs. Ottawa, 5-0 L, Mason [L] (32/37)
March 12th 2010: Coyotes at Portland, 5-4S W, (Lundmark 9, Schremp 18, Carter 25, Fritsche 6), Denis [W] (31/35)
March 15th 2010: Coyotes at Minnesota, 4-1 W, (Schremp 19, Krysanov 10, Lombardi 12, Fritsche 7), Denis [W] (26/27)

Kansas City Coyotes (70GP, 30-38-2, 60 points, 13th in the West)

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Coyotes eliminated

March 21st 2010 - With two straight losses, that Kansas City Coyotes are now officially eliminated. There are 10 games left in the regular season.

March 17th 2010: Coyotes at Calgary, 3-2 L, (Kulyash 13, Kaspar 30), Denis [L] (30/33)
March 20th 2010: Kansas City vs. Toronto, 4-0 L, Denis [L] (32/36)

Kansas City Coyotes (72GP, 30-40-2, 60 points, 13th in the West)

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Ups lead way to downs


Matthew Lombardi scored 15 points in 15 games in March

April 1st 2010 - Like they have gotten their fans used to through the year, the Kansas City Coyotes can be hot as well as they can be cold. After exciting hockey through February and the first half of March, the team has completely lost its touch, losing 7 of their last 8 games, scoring only 12 goals. With four games left in the season, the team currently sit 14th in the West and 28th in the League.

Matthew Lombardi, who scored 2 goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 15 games, was the winner of the March segment of the Sprint Cup. He beat Lukas Kaspar and Denis Kulyash in the voting.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (15GP - 12G - 15A - 27PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: G Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Anaheim Ducks (9GP - 8W - 2SO)
NHL Rookie of the Month: LW Michael Frolik, Florida Panthers (14GP - 8G - 3A - 11PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 56 - LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
NHL Assists Leader: 66 - C Nicklas Bäckström, Washington Capitals
NHL Points Leader: 110 - LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 53 - D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 50 - C Ville Leino, Detroit Red Wings

March 22nd 2010: Coyotes at Edmonton, 2-1 L, (Kaspar 31), Mason [L] (36/38)
March 24th 2010: Coyotes at Columbus, 4-2 W, (Sterling 12-13, Hävelid 8, Schremp 20), Denis [W] (37/39)
March 25th 2010: Coyotes at Chicago, 3-2 L, (Kaspar 32-33), Denis [L] (36/39)
March 27th 2010: Kansas City vs. Chicago, 5-1 L, (Kaspar 34), Denis [L] (40/45)
March 29th 2010: Kansas City vs. Calgary, 3-1 L, (Kulyash 14), Mason [L] (26/29)
March 31st 2010: Kansas City vs. Colorado, 4-2 L, (Schremp 21, Lombardi 13), Denis [L] (29/33)

Kansas City Coyotes (78GP, 31-45-2, 62 points, 14th in the West)

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Coyotes finish 13th in the West

Coach Kevin Dineen said after the final game that his young team had grown together thourgh the season. All in all, there are some positives in this tough season. The Kansas City Coyotes finished the 2009-10 season 13th in the West, 28th in the league with 68 points, 14 more than last season. The New York Rangers won the President Trophy as best regular season club with a 55 wins, 23 losses and 4 overtime losses record, good enough for 114 points. Surprisingly, the Nashville Predators, who had been huge trade deadline players by acquiring Vyacheslav Kozlov, Adrian Aucoin, Martin Havlat, Darryl Sydor, Olli Jokinen, Scott Walker and Brenden Morrow, all while standing 3rd in the East, missed the playoffs.

The Sprint Cup (Player of the Year as voted by the media), Gold Stick (Biggest contributor without recieving praise for his work) and Star Trophy (Player of the Year as voted by the fans) will be given to their respective winner after the conclusion of the NHL Playoffs.

April 2nd 2010: Coyotes at Dallas, 2-0 W, (Carter 26, Kopecky 5), Denis [W] (34/34)
April 3rd 2010: Coyotes at San Jose, 4-2 W, (Kaspar 35, Combs 1, Krysanov 11, Artyukhin 14), Denis [W] (24/26)
April 5th 2010: Coyotes at Detroit, 5-1 L, (Sterling 14), Denis [L] (40/45)
April 7th 2010: Coyotes at Edmonton, 6-2 L, (Schremp 22, Kulyash 15), Denis [L] (39/45)

Kansas City Coyotes (82GP, 33-47-2, 68 points, 13th in the West, 214GF-284GA, 12.3%PP [28th], 82.8%PK [24th])

NHL Top 10 scorers
1. LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington (82GP - 60G - 55A - 115PTS)
2. C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (81GP - 45G - 61A - 106PTS)
3. C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles (82GP - 41G - 65A - 106PTS)
4. C Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim (82GP - 50G - 53A - 103PTS)
5. RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary (82GP - 52G - 49A - 101PTS)
6. RW Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa (82GP - 44G - 57A - 101PTS)
7. LW Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit (82GP - 47G - 52A - 99PTS)
8. RW Brian Gionta, Los Angeles (82GP - 52G - 45A - 97PTS)
9. LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta (82GP - 49G - 46A - 95PTS)
10. LW Dany Heatley, Ottawa (76GP - 46G - 48A - 94PTS)

NHL Top 5 goalscorers
1. LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington (82GP - 60 Goals)
2. RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary (82GP - 52 Goals)
3. RW Brian Gionta, Los Angeles (82GP - 52 Goals)
4. C Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim (82GP - 50 Goals)
5. LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta (82GP - 49 Goals)

NHL Top 5 defensemen scorers
1. D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary (82GP - 14G - 43A - 57PTS)
2. D Ryan whitney, Montreal (77GP - 9G - 42A - 51PTS)
3. D Michal Rozsival, New York R (82GP - 9G - 41A - 50PTS)
4. D Mark Streit, Buffalo (82GP - 8G - 40A - 48PTS)
5. D Andrej Meszaros, Boston (82GP - 13G - 33A - 46PTS)

NHL Top 5 rookie scorers
1. C Ville Leino, Detroit (82GP - 22G - 32A - 54PTS)
2. C Colin Wilson, Dallas (82GP - 22G - 30A - 52PTS)
3. LW Michael Frolik, Florida (80GP - 22G - 21A - 42PTS)
4. D Erik Johnson, St. Louis (82GP - 8G - 29A - 37PTS)
5. C Perttu Lindgren, Dallas (69GP - 17G - 13A - 30PTS)

NHL Top 5 goaltender GAA (min. 60GP)
1. G Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary (64GP - 42W - 2.27GAA - 92.5SAV% - 5SO)
2. G Ryan Miller, Buffalo (68GP - 44W - 2.53GAA - 91.3SAV% - 4SO)
3. G Martin Brodeur, New Jersey (65GP - 34W - 2.56GAA - 92.0SAV% - 3SO)
4. G Martin Gerber, Ottawa (65GP - 35W - 2.58GAA - 91.3SAV% - 5SO)
5. G Henrik Lundqvist, New York R (69GP - 47W - 2.59GAA - 90.5SAV% - 4SO)

Other notable players
RW Teemu Selänne, Anaheim (69GP - 35G - 48A - 83PTS)
D Chris Pronger, Anaheim (66GP - 11G - 29A - 40PTS)
G Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Anaheim (72GP - 38W - 2.62GAA - 91.6SAV% - 8SO)
RW Phil Kessel, Boston (71GP - 30G - 47A - 77PTS)
C Patrice Bergeron, Boston (80GP - 21G - 54A - 75PTS)
D Joni Pitkänen, Boston (82GP - 7G - 34A - 41PTS)
LW Thomas Vanek, Buffalo (82GP - 47G - 44A - 91PTS)
C Tim Connolly, Buffalo (67GP - 32G - 51A - 83PTS)
LW Ales Kotalik, Buffalo (77GP - 33G - 49A - 82PTS)
RW Justin Williams, Buffalo (83GP - 39G - 39A - 78PTS)
D Ed Jovanovski, Buffalo (76GP - 8G - 34A - 42PTS)
C Daymond Langkow, Calgary (73GP - 33G - 50A - 83PTS)
LW Mike Cammalleri, Calgary (82GP - 30G - 50A - 80PTS)
D Sergei Zubov, Calgary (82GP - 5G - 36A - 41PTS)
LW Marco Sturm, Carolina (82GP - 41G - 45A - 86PTS)
C Eric Staal, Carolina (81GP - 38G - 45A - 83PTS)
D Zdeno Chara, Carolina (75GP - 10G - 26A - 36PTS)
C Marc Savard, Chicago (70GP - 25G - 42A - 67PTS)
C Jonathan Toews, Chicago (55GP - 10G - 29A - 39PTS)
RW Patrick Kane, Chicago (67GP - 15G - 25A - 40PTS)
LW Paul Stastny, Colorado (82GP - 35G - 46A - 81PTS)
LW Wojtek Wolski, Colorado (82GP - 36G - 45A - 81PTS)
RW Milan Hejduk, Colorado (57GP - 35G - 31A - 66PTS)
C Joe Sakic, Colorado (54GP - 12G - 35A - 47PTS)
LW Rick Nash, Columbus (72GP - 43G - 33A - 76PTS)
C Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit (77GP - 27G - 64A - 91PTS)
RW Mikael Samuelsson, Detroit (77GP - 33G - 47A - 80PTS)
LW Jere Lehtinen, Detroit (76GP - 30G - 40A - 70PTS)
D Rostislav Klesla, Detroit (81GP - 6G - 40A - 46PTS)
D Brian Rafalski, Detroit (82GP - 6G - 37A - 43PTS)
D Nicklas Lidström, Detroit (76GP - 7G - 21A - 28PTS)
RW Ales Hemsky, Edmonton (76GP - 34G - 37A - 71PTS)
LW Dustin Penner, Edmonton (82GP - 29G - 41A - 70PTS)
C Sam Gagner, Edmonton (76GP - 24G - 45A - 69PTS)
D Lubomir Visnovsky, Edmonton (57GP - 11G - 18A - 29PTS)
C Brad Richards, Florida (79GP - 33G - 64A - 97PTS)
RW Nathan Horton, Florida (75GP - 30G - 46A - 76PTS)
D Andrei Markov, Florida (77GP - 10G - 30A - 40PTS)
RW Patrick O'Sullivan, Los Angeles (82GP - 42G - 51A - 93PTS)
LW Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles (72GP - 38G - 44A - 82PTS)
C Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles (80GP - 26G - 49A - 75PTS)
G Ilya Bryzgalov, Los Angeles (71GP - 46W - 2.63GAA - 90.1SAV% - 6SO)
C Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Minnesota (81GP - 34G - 49A - 83PTS)
RW Marian Gaborik, Minnesota (65GP - 33G - 35A - 68PTS)
RW Alex Kovalev, Montreal (82GP - 35G - 53A - 88PTS)
LW Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal (81GP - 46G - 41A - 87PTS)
C Saku Koivu, Montreal (70GP - 21G - 45A - 66PTS)
G Carey Price, Montreal (73GP - 36W - 2.64GAA - 91.3SAV% - 4SO)
C Olli Jokinen, Nashville (74GP - 29G - 50A - 79PTS)
C Jason Arnott, Nashville (74GP - 26G - 50A - 76PTS)
LW Brenden Morrow, Nashville (75GP - 32G - 37A - 69PTS)
RW Martin Havlat, Nashville (73GP - 27G - 42A - 69PTS)
LW Patrik Elias, New Jersey (82GP - 46G - 31A - 77PTS)
C Mats Sundin, New York I (65GP - 27G - 48A - 75PTS)
C Scott Gomez, New York R (82GP - 26G - 67A - 93PTS)
LW Markus Näslund, New York R (77GP - 45G - 44A - 89PTS)
C Chris Drury, New York R (82GP - 36G - 42A - 78PTS)
RW Nikolai Zherdev, New York R (65GP - 30G - 40A - 70PTS)
D Wade Redden, New York R (60GP - 8G - 37A - 45PTS)
C Jason Spezza, Ottawa (77GP - 29G - 59A - 88PTS)
RW Joffrey Lupul, Philadelphia (82GP - 37G - 39A - 76PTS)
LW Alex Tanguay, Pittsburgh (82GP - 40G - 48A - 88PTS)
C Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh (81GP - 29G - 48A - 77PTS)
D Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh (82GP - 10G - 32A - 42PTS)
G Marc-André Fleury, Pittsburgh (71GP - 39W - 2.92GAA - 90.6SAV% - 3SO)
RW Maxim Afinogenov, Portland (77GP - 30G - 44A - 74PTS)
C Henrik Sedin, Portland (82GP - 20G - 52A - 72PTS)
C Joe Thornton, San Jose (82GP - 30G - 50A - 80PTS)
C Patrick Marleau, San Jose (78GP - 26G - 50A - 76PTS)
LW Milan Michalek, San Jose (65GP - 25G - 37A - 62PTS)
D Dan Boyle, San Jose (82GP - 11G - 28A - 39PTS)
LW Paul Kariya, St. Louis (82GP - 31G - 40A - 71PTS)
RW Martin St. Louis, St. Louis (81GP - 29G - 33A - 62PTS)
LW Nik Antropov, Toronto (80GP - 42G - 51A - 93PTS)
C Peter Mueller, Toronto (80GP - 31G - 59A - 90PTS)
RW Marian Hossa, Toronto (76GP - 44G - 45A - 89PTS)
RW Shane Doan, Toronto (82GP - 34G - 38A - 72PTS)
C Pavol Demitra, Vancouver (80GP - 32G - 60A - 92PTS)
C Daniel Sedin, Vancouver (82GP - 43G - 45A - 88PTS)
RW Miroslav Satan, Vancouver (81GP - 35G - 46A - 81PTS)
G Roberto Luongo, Vancouver (30GP - 22W - 2.10GAA - 92.0SAV% - 3SO)
C Nicklas Bäckström, Washington (81GP - 23G - 69A - 92PTS)
D Mike Green, Washington (79GP - 11G - 32A - 43PTS)

Eastern Conference
*1. New York Rangers (55-23-4) - 114 Points
*2. Buffalo Sabres (53-23-6) - 112 Points
*3. Atlanta Thrashers (43-33-6) - 92 Points
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (46-27-9) - 101 Points
5. Ottawa Senators (47-29-6) - 100 Points
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (44-35-3) - 91 Points
7. New Jersey Devils (43-34-5) - 91 Points
8. New York Islanders (42-33-7) - 91 Points
-
9. Montreal Canadiens (40-33-9) - 89 Points
10. Nashville Predators (41-36-5) - 87 Points
11. Philadelphia Flyers (35-38-9) - 79 Points
12. Carolina Hurricanes (36-40-6) - 78 Points
13. Florida Panthers (34-40-8) - 76 Points
14. Washington Capitals (31-43-8) - 70 Points
15. Boston Bruins (29-42-11) - 69 Points

Western Conference
*1. Los Angeles Kings (53-22-7) - 113 Points
*2. Calgary Flames (50-24-8) - 108 Points
*3. Detroit Red Wings (42-32-8) - 92 Points
4. Vancouver Canucks (51-28-3) - 105 Points
5. San Jose Sharks (48-30-4) - 100 Points
6. Colorado Avalanche (47-30-5) - 99 Points
7. Edmonton Oilers (43-32-7) - 93 Points
8. Anaheim Ducks (41-32-9) - 91 Points
-
9. Portland Titans (38-34-10) - 86 Points
10. St. Louis Blues (35-39-8) - 78 Points
11. Columbus Blue Jackets (35-42-5) - 75 Points
12. Dallas Stars (34-42-6) - 74 Points
13. Kansas City Coyotes (33-47-2) - 68 Points
14. Minnesota Wild (30-44-8) - 68 Points
15. Chicago Blackhawks (31-46-5) - 67 Points

NHL Playoff Matchups
1 New York Rangers vs 8 New York Islanders
2 Buffalo Sabres vs 7 New Jersey Devils
3 Atlanta Thrashers vs 6 Pittsburgh Penguins
4 Toronto Maple Leafs vs 5 Ottawa Senators

1 Los Angeles Kings vs 8 Anaheim Ducks
2 Edmonton Oilers vs 7 Calgary Flames
3 Detroit Red Wings vs 6 Colorado Avalanche
4 Vancouver Canucks vs 5 San Jose Sharks

[Travis]

Nice job duff. Looks like next year should be a season where you've not only got a good chance at hitting the .500 mark, but could be vying for a playoff appearance. Looking forward to seeing more.

[duff88]

Originally Posted by Travis

Nice job duff. Looks like next year should be a season where you've not only got a good chance at hitting the .500 mark, but could be vying for a playoff appearance. Looking forward to seeing more.

Hopefully I can add some players via free agency. The playoffs may be difficult to reach again next year though, the fourth year should be a good one. We can always hope though.

[duff88]

7 Coyotes accept World Championships invitation

POOL A
Sweden (D Staffan Kronwall, D Niclas Hävelid)
Slovakia (RW Tomas Kopecky)
Denmark
Kazakhstan

POOL B
Russia (D Alexei Semenov)
Czech Republic (G Ondrej Pavelec, LW Lukas Kaspar)
Norway
Slovenia

POOL C
Canada
Finland (D Sami Lepistö)
Germany
Belarus

POOL D
USA
Switzerland
Austria
Italy

[duff88]

Islanders surprise Rangers

Michael Blunden scored twice while goaltender Rick DiPietro blocked 36 shots in the seventh game as the New York Islanders went on to surprise President Trophy winners New York Rangers. Rick DiPietro was phenomenal in this series, allowing only 14 goals to the second best regular season attack, maintining a 94.5% save percentage.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS
8 New York Islanders defeat 1 New York Rangers in 7 games (NYI G Rick DiPietro - 7GP - 4W - 1.94GAA - 94.5SAV%)
2 Buffalo Sabres defeat 7 New Jersey Devils in 4 games (BUF G Ryan Miller - 4GP - 4W - 1.26GAA - 93.3SAV% - 2SO)
6 Pittsburgh Penguins defeat 3 Atlanta Thrashers in 5 games (PIT D Paul Martin - 5GP - 2G - 3A - 5PTS)
5 Ottawa Senators defeat 4 Toronto Maple Leafs in 7 games (OTT LW Dany Heatley - 7GP - 4G - 5A - 9PTS)

1 Los Angeles Kings defeat 8 Anaheim Ducks in 7 games (LA RW Patrick O'Sullivan - 7GP - 6G - 3A - 9PTS)
2 Calgary Flames defeat 7 Edmonton Oilers in 7 games (CGY RW Jarome Iginla - 7GP - 4G - 5A - 9PTS)
3 Detroit Red Wings defeat 6 Colorado Avalanche in 4 games (DET LW Henrik Zetterberg - 4GP - 4G - 2A - 6PTS)
4 Vancouve Canucks defeat 5 San Jose Sharks in 5 games (VAN RW Miroslav Satan - 5GP - 7G - 2A - 9PTS)

TOP 5 PLAYOFF SCORERS
1. RW Marian Hossa, Toronto (7GP - 6-4-10)
2. RW Miroslav Satan, Vancouver (5GP - 7-2-9)
3. RW Patrick O'Sullivan, Los Angeles (7GP - 6-2-9)
4. LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta (5GP - 5-4-9)
. LW Ryan Malone, Calgary (7GP - 5-4-9)
5. RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary (7GP - 4-5-9)
. LW Dany Heatley, Ottawa (7GP - 4-5-9)

SECOND ROUND MATCHUPS
2 Buffalo Sabres vs. 8 New York Islanders
5 Ottawa Senators vs. 6 Pittsburgh Penguins

1 Los Angeles Kings vs. 4 Vancouver Canucks
2 Calgary Flames vs. 3 Detroit Red Wings

[duff88]

NHL announces trophy finalists

Calder Memorial Trophy - Best rookie in the NHL
D Erik Johnson, St. Louis Blues, (82GP - 8G - 29A - 37PTS; +17)
C Perttu Lindgren, Dallas Stars, (69GP - 17G - 13A - 30PTS; -8)
C Colin Wilson, Dallas Stars, (82GP - 22G - 30A - 52PTS; +11)

Frank J. Selke Trophy - Best defensive forward in the NHL
C Marcel Goc, Ottawa Senators, (72GP - 14G -27A - 41PTS; +18)
LW Jere Lehtinen, Detroit Red Wings, (76GP - 30G - 40A - 70PTS; +25)
C Mike Rupp, New Jersey Devils, (79GP - 7G - 25A - 32PTS; +13)

Jack Adams Trophy - Best coach in the NHL
Wayne Gretzky, Buffalo Sabres
Tom Renney, New York Rangers
Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canuks

James Norris Trophy - Best defenseman in the NHL
D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames, (82GP - 14G - 43A - 57PTS; 26:10 ATOI)
D Michal Rozsival, New York Rangers (82GP - 9G - 41A - 50PTS; 25:15 ATOI)
D Ryan Whitney, Montreal Canadiens (77GP - 9G - 42A - 51PTS; 26:11 ATOI)

Hart Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player in the NHL
C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, (81GP - 45G - 61A - 106PTS; +30)
C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles Kings, (82GP - 41G - 65A - 106PTS; +33)
LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, (82GP - 60G - 55A - 115PTS; +17)

Lady Bing Tropgy - Most sportsmanlike player in the NHL
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators, (26PIM in 82GP)
Pavol Demitra, Vancouver Canucks, (24PIM in 80GP)
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings, (24PIM in 82GP)

Vezina Trophy - Best goaltender in the NHL
Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Anaheim Ducks, (72GP - 38W - 2.62GAA - 91.6SAV% - 8SO)
Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames, (64GP - 42W - 2.27GAA - 92.5SAV% - 5SO)
Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres, (68GP - 44W - 2.53GAA - 91.3SAV% - 4SO)

[duff88]

Second round results

2 Buffalo Sabres defeat 8 New York Islanders in 6 games (BUF LW Thomas Vanek - 10GP - 6G - 8A - 14PTS)
5 Ottawa Senators defeat 6 Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games (OTT C Jason Spezza - 14GP - 12G - 7A - 19PTS)

4 Vancouver Canucks defeat 1 Los Angeles Kings in 6 games (VAN G Roberto Luongo - 11GP - 8W - 2.11GAA - 92.1SAV% - 1SO)
2 Calgary Flames defeat 3 Detroit Red Wings in 7 games (CGY LW Ryan Malone - 14GP - 7G - 10A - 17PTS)

TOP 5 PLAYOFF SCORERS
1. C Jason Spezza, Ottawa (14GP - 12-7-19)
2. LW Ryan Malone, Calgary (14GP - 7-10-17)
3. RW Miroslav Satan, Vancouver (11GP - 11-5-16)
4. LW Dany Heatley, Ottawa (14GP - 7-9-16)
5. RW Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa (14GP - 3-13-16)

CONFERENCE FINALS MATCHUPS
2 Buffalo Sabres vs. 5 Ottawa Senators
2 Calgary Flames vs. 4 Vancouver Canucks

[duff88]

Canada wins second straight World Championships

The Canadians beat Finland for the second straight year in the World Championships finals by a score of 6-0 in Vancouver today to win the Gold Medal. Robert Lang scored in overtime to give Czech Republic the bronze medal with a 4-3 win over Russia. Kazakhstan and Italy were relegated and will be replaced by last year's relegate, Latvia and Ukraine, who won their respective group of the World Championships Division 1.

Gold Medal: Canada
Silver Medal: Finland
Bronze Medal: Russia
4th Place: Czech Republic
5th Place: Sweden
6th Place: Slovakia
7th Place: USA
8th Place: Austria
9th Place: Denmark
10th Place: Norway
11th Place: Switzerland
12th Place: Belarus
13th Place: Germany
14th Place: Slovenia
15th Place: Kazakhstan (Relegated)
16th Place: Italy (Relegated)

Top 5 Scorers:
1. LW Rick Nash, Canada (9GP - 7-10-17)
2. RW Richard Zednik, Slovakia (7GP - 6-11-17)
3. RW Martin St. Louis, Canada (9GP - 4-13-17)
4. RW Marian Gaborik, Slovakia (7GP - 10-6-16)
5. C Eric Staal, Canada (9GP - 7-8-15)

MVP: Rick Nash (CAN)
Best Forward: Rick Nash (CAN)
Best Defenseman: Andrej Meszaros (SVK)
Best Goaltender: Carey Price (CAN)

All-Star Team:

Rick Nash (CAN) - Eric Staal (CAN) - Richard Zednik (SVK)
Andrej Meszaros (SVK) - Matt Niskanen (USA)
Carey Price (CAN)

Kansas City Coyotes:
LW Lukas Kaspar (CZE) - 9GP - 0-1-1
RW Tomas Kopecky (SVK) - 7GP - 2-5-7
D Staffan Kronwall (SWE) - 7GP - 0-0-0
D Niclas Hävelid (SWE) - 7GP - 0-2-2
D Alexei Semenov (RUS) - 9GP - 0-1-1
D Sami Lepistö (FIN) - 5GP - 0-0-0
G Ondrej Pavelec (CZE) - DNP

[duff88]

Coyotes sign prospects

The Kansas City Coyotes signed professionnal rookie contracts with four prospects to retain their rights: D Tim Billingsley, D Maksim Goncharov, C Vladimir Ruzicka and RW Jared Staal. The team will lose rights to forward Martin Latal, who was not extended an offer.

[duff88]

CHL Memorial Cup tournament set

The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors beat the London Knights in 7 games to win the OHL Championship. Forward Mike Pelech was an important part of the playoffs run, scoring 23 goals and 44 points in 25 games. Coyotes' prospect Tim Billingsley, who plays for the IceDogs, scored 3 goals and 15 points while finishing +12 in 24 games.

In the QMJHL, the Lewiston MAINEiacs repeated last year's success by defeating the Quebec Remparts in 6 games to win a second straight President's Cup. German defenseman Denis Reul and ontarian goaltender Peter Delmas were once again the go-to-guys for the MAINEiacs, who also benefited from great play by forwards Danick Hudon-Paquette and Billy Lacasse.

In the WHL, the Kelowna Rockets defeated the Saskatoon Blades in 5 games in the finals. Defenseman Luke Schenn, captain of the Rockets, was a man amongst boys during the playoffs, scoring 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points in 21 games.

The three league champions will now face the hosts Erie Otters, who after a disastrous season, are the first non-playoffs Memorial Cup hosts. Forwards Luke Gazdic and Ryan O'Reilly will have the hard task of saving the Otters' face, and maybe trying to cause an upset along the way.

[duff88]

Canucks will have a chance to repeat Stanley Cup glory

In what promises to be the battle of goaltenders, this year's Stanley Cup finals between the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres promises to be epic. Roberto Luongo, who missed most of the season with a UCL tear, has been dominant whenever he has hit the ice since returning. On the other hand, Ryan Miller is a Vezina candidate who has been hot for the whole year while at the top of his game. Both teams feature a lot of depth at every position and it is hard to predict who will come out on top; will the Vancouver Canucks be the first back-to-back Stanley Cup winners since Detroit in 97 and 98?

CONFERENCE FINALS RESULTS
2 Buffalo Sabres defeat 5 Ottawa Senators in 6 games (BUF G Ryan Miller - 16GP - 12W - 2.17GAA - 91.9SAV% - 4SO)
4 Vancouver Canucks defeat 2 Calgary Flames in 5 games (VAN G Roberto Luongo - 16GP - 12W - 2.01GAA - 92.6SAV% - 1SO)

TOP 5 PLAYOFFS SCORERS
1. C Jason Spezza, Ottawa (20GP - 17G - 11A - 28PTS)
2. LW Dany Heatley, Ottawa (20GP - 10G - 16A - 26PTS)
3. RW Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa (20GP - 7G - 18A - 25PTS)
4. C Michael Nylander, Vancouver (16GP - 9G - 13A - 22PTS)
5. RW Justin Williams, Buffalo (16GP - 7G - 14A - 21PTS)

STANLEY CUP FINALS
2 Buffalo Sabres vs. 4 Vancouver Canucks