NHL moves into Kansas City [EHM:2007]

[duff88]

NOTE: I'm in a pretty impressive streak of starting dynasties only to stop them after 5-10 posts. This time I've got a lot written before posting, so this should go much more easily. I'll try posting short updates very frequently.

Lightning and Coyotes to move

July 8th 2008 - Two new cities will host NHL teams when the 2008-2009 season gets under way in a few weeks. The Tampa Bay Lightning will be relocated to Portland and become the Titans while the Phoenix Coyotes will move to Kansas City. The Portland Titans will play their home game at the Rose Garden while the Kansas City Coyotes will play at the brand new Sprint Center.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Phoenix Coyotes were in big financial trouble; both teams were reportedly going to be unable to pay their players on the first payday of the year and this move was the most viable solution. The whole situation is not as rushed as it may seem as the deal had been in the works for a few months.

The deal agreed upon includes a clause to release all contracted players to a dispersal draft and follow with a relocation draft where both new teams would get to select unprotected players from the 28 other NHL teams. All players with rights held by Tampa Bay or Phoenix but without contracts would remain within the organization.

The dispersal draft has been scheduled for Saturday July 19th in Toronto. Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Olli Jokinen and Shane Doan will be the biggest names available. The draft will feature two rounds and the order of selection will follow a reverse of the 2007-2008 standings. The Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, St. Louis Blues, New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets will therefore round the top 5. Trading picks will not be allowed, although players picked can be traded at any time following the draft.

The relocation draft will follow in the next week on Saturday July 26th in Toronto. Each team will have the possibility to protect 13 waiver-eligible players and 5 waiver-exempt players, no matter the position. The two drafting teams can only select up to one player on each team.

NEW DIVISIONS ALIGNMENT:
Northeast - Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, Buffalo
Atlantic - New York R, New York I, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
Southeast - Washington, Carolina, Atlanta, Nashville, Florida
Central - Detroit, Columbus, St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City
Northwest - Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Portland, Minnesota
Pacific - Dallas, Colorado, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Jose

[duff88]

Dispersal Draft

July 19th 2008 - The Phoenix/Tampa dispersal draft was held today in Toronto. Without much surprise, Vincent Lecavalier was picked first overall by the Los Angeles Kings. Young phenom Steven Stamkos, who had been the first pick in the last NHL Entry Draft, went second to the Atlanta Thrashers. Following the draft, the Canucks announced the trading of Kyle Turris to the New York Islanders for prospect defenseman Travis Hamonic and two picks in the 2009 NHL entry draft.

1. Los Angeles Kings - C Vincent Lecavalier (TB)
2. Atlanta Thrashers - C Steven Stamkos (TB)
3. St. Louis Blues - RW Martin St. Louis (TB)
4. New York Islanders - RW Shane Doan (PHO)
5. Columbus Blue Jackets - C Olli Jokinen (PHO)
6. Toronto Maple Leafs - RW Peter Mueller (PHO)
7. Florida Panthers - C Martin Hanzal (PHO)
8. Vancouver Canucks - C Kyle Turris (PHO)
9. Chicago Blackhawks - C Kevin Porter (PHO)
10. Edmonton Oilers - C Steve Reinprecht (PHO)
11. Buffalo Sabres - D Ed Jovanovski (PHO)
12. Nashville Predators - D Zbynek Michalek (PHO)
13. Carolina Hurricanes - D Derek Morris (PHO)
14. Boston Bruins - D Andrej Meszaros (TB)
15. Calgary Flames - LW Ryan Malone (TB)
16. Ottawa Senators - D Paul Ranger (TB)
17. Washington Capitals - LW Mikkel Boedker (PHO)
18. Philadelphia Flyers - D Keith Yandle (PHO)
19. Colorado Avalanche - C Vaclav Prospal (TB)
20. New York Rangers - D Ty Wishart (TB)
21. Dallas Stars - G Al Montoya (PHO)
22. Minnesota Wild - RW Viktor Tikhonov (PHO)
23. New Jersey Devils - D Steve Eminger (TB)
24. Anaheim Ducks - G Riku Helenius (TB)
25. Pittsburgh Penguins - RW Enver Lisin (PHO)
26. Montreal Canadiens - D Nick Ross (PHO)
27. San Jose Sharks - D David Hale (PHO)
28. Detroit Red Wings - G Mikael Tellqvist (PHO)

1. Los Angeles Kings - G Ilya Bryzgalov (PHO)
2. Atlanta Thrashers - LW Jussi Jokinen (TB)
3. St. Louis Blues - D Marek Malik (TB)
4. New York Islanders - LW Dan Carcillo (PHO)
5. Columbus Blue Jackets - D Kurt Sauer (PHO)
6. Toronto Maple Leafs - D Andy Rogers (TB)
7. Florida Panthers - RW Mark Recchi (TB)
8. Vancouver Canucks - G Mike Smith (TB)
9. Chicago Blackhawks - RW Jason Ward (TB)
10. Edmonton Oilers - D Mike Lundin (TB)
11. Buffalo Sabres - C Alex Bourret (PHO)
12. Nashville Predators - LW Todd Fedoruk (PHO)
13. Carolina Hurricanes - D Jonas Ahnelöv (PHO)
14. Boston Bruins - C Steve Downie (TB)
15. Calgary Flames - D Vladimir Mihilik (TB)
16. Ottawa Senators - G Karri Rämo (TB)
17. Washington Capitals - C Dana Tyrell (TB)
18. Philadelphia Flyers - C Garth Murray (PHO)
19. Colorado Avalanche - c Brett MacLean (PHO)
20. New York Rangers - C Matt Pettinger (TB)
21. Dallas Stars - RW Radek Smolenak (TB)
22. Minnesota Wild - C Wes Walz (TB)
23. New Jersey Devils - D Lukas Krajicek (TB)
24. Anaheim Ducks - RW Brandon Bochenski (TB)
25. Pittsburgh Penguins - RW Evgeni Artyukhin (TB)
26. Montreal Canadiens - D Ken Klee (PHO)
27. San Jose Sharks - RW Joakim Lindström (PHO)
28. Detroit Red Wings - RW Juraj Simek (TB)

Notable players released to free agency:
LW Ryan Craig (TB)
C Chris Gratton (TB)
RW Adam Hall (TB)
C Jeff Halpern (TB)
D Jamie Heward (TB)
G Olaf Kölzig (TB)
LW Gary Roberts (TB)
RW Jeff Hoggan (PHO)
D Matt Jones (PHO)
RW Bryan McGrattan (PHO)
C Joël Perrault (PHO)
C Wyatt Smith (PHO)
C Daniel Winnik (PHO)

[Travis]

Ah, an EHM dynasty, I'll be following along for sure. What roster set are you using?

[duff88]

Originally Posted by Travis

Ah, an EHM dynasty, I'll be following along for sure. What roster set are you using?

Modified version of Lidas 1.1 2008-2009 update. There's some inaccuracies due to the year off-set, but I'll just play god and manipulate some information and nobody will notice.

[duff88]

Fillion and Quinn to lead the Coyotes, Feaster and Crawford to lead the Titans

July 23rd 2008 - The Kansas City Coyotes announced today that 35 years-old Nicolas Fillion will be the team's new General Manager. Fillion had already worked as an amateur scout for 6 years in the NHL and was considered by many as a promising young candidate, but some worries have already been raised about his lack of experience. Pat Quinn will coach the team, assisted by Rick Ley, Kevin Dineen and Craig Simpson. Jake Goertzen will serve as assistant GM, Mark Yanetti as director of recruitment and David Bell as goaltender coach.

Earlier in the week, Jay Feaster had been named the General Manager of the Portland Titans. Craig Patrick had been named assistant GM while former director of NHL's Central Scouting Service E.J. McGuire was named the team's director of amateur scouting. Marc Crawford will be the team's head coach, assisted by Marty Raymond, Paul Coffey and Craig Billington.

[duff88]

Relocation Draft

July 26th 2008 - A few surprises awaited hockey fans in Toronto today for the relocation draft. With regards to NHL policy, the protection lists were not released to the public and therefore one could only speculate on who would get picked by the Kansas City Coyotes and the Portland Titans.

1. Kansas City Coyotes - G Nikolai Khabibulin (CHI)
2. Portland Titans - RW Maxim Afinogenov (BUF)
3. Portland Titans - D Jay McKee (STL)
4. Kansas City Coyotes - D Greg de Vries (NAS)
5. Kansas City Coyotes - C Rob Schremp (EDM)
6. Portland Titans - D Frantisek Kaberle (CAR)
7. Portland Titans - G Manny Fernandez (BOS)
8. Kansas City Coyotes - C Dan Fritsche (NYR)
9. Kansas City Coyotes - D Bret Hedican (ANA)
10. Portland Titans - RW Edward Purcell (LA)
11. Portland Titans - D Jim Vandermeer (CGY)
12. Kansas City Coyotes - C Dean McAmmond (OTT)
13. Kansas City Coyotes - RW Blake Comeau (NYI)
14. Portland Titans - C Marcel Goc (SJ)
15. Portland Titans - G Johan Hedberg (ATL)
16. Kansas City Coyotes - C Tomas Kopecky (DET)
17. Kansas City Coyotes - C Glen Metropolit (PHI)
18. Portland Titans - RW Michel Ouellet (VAN)
19. Portland Titans - LW Steve Bégin (MTL)
20. Kansas City Coyotes - D Sami Lepisto (WAS)
21. Kansas City Coyotes - D Staffan Kronwall (TOR)
22. Portland Titans - D Noah Welch (FLO)
23. Portland Titans - C Bryan Sutherby (DAL)
24. Kansas City Coyotes - D Daniel Tjarnqvist (COL)
25. Kansas City Coyotes - LW Jeff Taffe (PIT)
26. Portland Titans - C Petr Vrana (NJ)
27. Portland Titans - D Tomas Mojzis (MIN)

-NO PLAYERS PICKED FROM CBJ-

Kansas City Coyotes - G Marc Denis (MTL)
Kansas City Coyotes - D Doug Janik (DAL)
Kansas City Coyotes - D Cory Murphy (FLO)
Kansas City Coyotes - D Bryan Rodney (CAR)
Kansas City Coyotes - LW Lukas Kaspar (SJ)
Kansas City Coyotes - LW Brett Sterling (ATL)
Kansas City Coyotes - C Rick Rypien (VAN)
Kansas City Coyotes - C Jamie Lundmark (CGY)
Kansas City Coyotes - C Krys Kolanos (MIN)
Kansas City Coyotes - C Petteri Nokelainen (BOS)
Kansas City Coyotes - RW Dan Hinote (STL)
Portland Titans - D Derek Meech (DET)
Portland Titans - D James Wisniewski (CHI)
Portland Titans - D Jonas Frögren (TOR)
Portland Titans - C Todd Marchant (ANA)
Portland Titans - C Rich Peverley (NAS)
Portland Titans - C Jeremy Colliton (NYI)¸
Portland Titans - RW Petr Prucha (NYR)
Portland Titans - RW Jean-François Jacques (EDM)
Portland Titans - RW Brian Wilsie (COL)
Portland Titans - RW Eric Godard (PIT)

[Travis]

You will *love* Schremp if you groom him well. Another guy you might be able to pluck for cheap off the Oilers is Ryan O'Marra.

Just call me your Western Canada scout

[duff88]

Originally Posted by Travis

You will *love* Schremp if you groom him well. Another guy you might be able to pluck for cheap off the Oilers is Ryan O'Marra.

Just call me your Western Canada scout

One of the problem with an expansion team though is that you don't really have the time to groom those players; more often then not they have to be rushed into the lineup because they are the best immediate solution.

O'Marra would be a solid pickup, but he's anything but cheap. No way in hell I can get that guy.

[duff88]

Coyotes sign Carter and Adams

August 9th 2008 - Unrestricted free agent winger Anson Carter, who played only 15 professionnal games last year in the Swiss Nationalliga, has signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Coyotes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Coyotes hope that he can come back to his great scoring form by playing the role the go-to guy offensively.

Another signing, that of veteran center Kevyn Adams, was also announced. The 33-years-old played only 27 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season due to an ACL tear that cut his season short. He will bring a veteran presence on the team.

[duff88]

43 players invited to Coyotes training camp

September 10th 2008 - The Kansas City Coyotes' first training camp is getting under way this week with 43 players in uniform. Four goaltenders, 16 defensemen and 23 forwards will fight for the 23 open roster spots. Five of those players are junior invitees.

Among players whose rights are held by the Coyotes but aren't under contract or invitees for training camp:

Brett Bennett - G - 6'1/183 - 20 Years Old - Boston University (NCAA)
Scott Darling - G - 6'7/189 - 19 Years Old - Indiana Ice (USHL)
Maksim Goncharov - D - 5'11/174 - 19 Years Old - CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Aleksandr Taratinov - LW - 5'11/194 - 26 Years Old - Metallurg Novokuznetsk (RUS)
Alexei Kaigorodov - C - 6'0/191 - 25 Years Old - Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS)
Dmitri Pestunov - C - 5'9/198 - 23 Years Old - Avangard Omsk (RUS)
Anton Krysanov - C - 6'2/198 - 21 Years Old - Lada Togliatti (RUS)
Ben Ferriero - C - 5'10/183 - 21 Years Old - Boston College Eagles (NCAA)
Vladimir Ruzicka - C - 6'2/189 - 19 Years Old - Slavia Praha (CZE)
Patrick Brosnihan - C - 6'4/213 - 22 Years Old - Yale Bulldogs (NCAA)
Brett Hextall - RW - 5'10/176 - 20 Years Old - North Dakota Fighting Sioux (NCAA)
Martin Latal - RW - 5'11/167 - 20 Years Old - Sparta Praha (CZE)

[duff88]

Multiple injuries and surprises shape up the Coyotes

Greg de Vries will serve as captain of the Kansas City Coyotes

September 28th 2008 - Five injuries to players attending the Kansas City Coyotes training camp, as well as some surprise pre-season performances by some of the players attending, contributed to shape up the starting roster of the Kansas City Coyotes. Dan Hinote (1 Week - Twisted Knee), Rick Rypien (5 Months - Surgery - Sports Hernia), Daniel Tjärnqvist (1 Week - Thigh Strain), Eric Hunter (Day-to-day - Hip Flexor Strain) and Nathan Saunders (3 Weeks - Pulled Harmstring) will all miss the opening game. Only Hinote and Tjärnqvist were kept on the Coyotes roster and placed on the injured reserve; the three other players were officially sent down to the AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage.

These injuries opened doors for three surprising players who made the team out of training camp. American winger Jack Combs, who came to camp as a free agent signing expected to suit up for San Antonio, played great two-way hockey in camp and added 2 assists in 5 pre-season games to get a spot on the fourth line. Bryan Rodney will serve as eighth defenseman while Daniel Tjärnqvist is out. 2006 first-round draft pick Chris Summers will start the year as seventh defenseman, with the team going with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen in the first game of the season.

The team finished pre-season with a 5-0-0 record, with a shootout win and two shutouts by Nikolai Khabibulin. Rob Schremp put forth the most impressive performance with 4 goals and 6 assists in 5 games. Cory Muphry, Greg de Vries, Anson Carter and Dean McAmmond also impressed. Following the end of the pre-season schedule, the team claimed 6'6 defenseman Alexei Semenov off waivers from the San Jose Sharks.

#3 - D - Alexei Semenov - 6'6/233 - Left - 27 years old - Russia

In other news, Greg de Vries was named captain of the team. Bret Hedican and Kevyn Adams will serve as assistants at home while Anson Carter and Dean McAmmond will serve as assistants on the road. Nikolai Khabibulin will serve as starter and should start the majority of the games; he is widely considered the star of this team. The season will open on October 5th with a visit from the Chicago Blackhawks. The team will then travel to Portland to face the Titans on October 7th.

Among the players who could be recalled in case of injuries, the front-runners should be David McKee in nets, Doug Janik and Rosario Rugerri on defense and Petteri Nokelainen up front.

Kopecky-Lundmark-Carter
Fritsche-Schremp-Comeau
Kaspar-Adams-McAmmond
Sterling-Combs

Hedican-de Vries
Kronwall-Muprhy
Lepistö-Semenov
Summers

Khabibulin
Denis

Healthy Scratches: Bryan Rodney, Krys Kolanos and Jeff Taffe
Injured Reserve: Daniel Tjärnqvist and Dan Hinote

Pre-Season Results:
September 16th 2008 : Coyotes at Washington, 5-3 W (Schremp [3], Fritsche, Ruggeri), McKee [W] (28/31)
September 17th 2008 : Coyotes at Chicago, 5-4S W (Kaspar, Comeau, Sterling, Schremp), Ford [W] (19/23)
September 19th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Chicago, 6-2 W (Comeau [2], Kaspar, Murphy, Summers, Lepistö), Denis [W] (24/26)
September 21st 2008 : Kansas City vs. St. Louis, 1-0 W (Kaspar), Khabibluin [W] (18/18)
September 22nd 2008 : Kansas City vs. Toronto, 4-0 W (Kaspar, McAmmond, de Vries, Murphy), Khabibulin [W] (16/16)

[Travis]

Nice addition in Semenov. Looks like a pretty interesting roster. Out of curiosity, how do you set up your practices?

[duff88]

Originally Posted by Travis

Nice addition in Semenov. Looks like a pretty interesting roster. Out of curiosity, how do you set up your practices?

I'm lazy. I know it's not recommended, but I let everyone on general except when they are not improving. I set two coaches on each practice assignment except goaltenders.

[duff88]

Final off-season moves

TRADE
BOS: 5th Round Pick 2009 (TOR)
TOR: Aaron Ward

TRADE
EDM: 3rd Round Pick 2009 (PTD)
PTD: Steve Staios

FA SIGNINGS
ATL: Joel Gistedt, Jason Doig, Mark Fistric
ANA: Chris Dingman, Brad Ference
BOS: Nikos Tselios
BUF: Dave Scatchard, Martin Lapointe, Bryan Smolinski
CBJ: Ben Eaves
CGY: Drew Bannister
DAL: Shane Willis
DET: Richard Matvichuk, Matt Smaby, Jamie Heward, Matt Jones
FLO: Brian McGrattan
MTL: Ian Moran, Kelly Guard
NAS: Andreas Johansson, Geoff Sanderson, Jocely Thibault, John Grahame, Daniel Winnik
NYI: Dan Cloutier
NYR: Joel Lundqvist, Jeff Hoggan, Brad Norton, Yannick Tremblay, Josh Tordjman, Mark Rycroft
PTD: Vladimir Orzagh, Nathan Dempsey, Jeff Friesen, Chris Gratton, Brendan Shanahan
SJ: Dan Lacouture
STL: Toby Petersen
TOR: Glen Murray, Pekka Rinne, Sandis Ozolinsh
WAS: Dale Purinton

[duff88]

Tavares headlines preliminary 2009 draft rankings


John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals is considered by most NHL teams the top prospect in the 2009 NHL Draft

October 1st 2008 - John Tavares, a centre from the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, was ranked as the top prospects for the upcoming draft by the International Scouting Service in their preliminary rankings. Tavares is a 6'0/200 goal-scoring centre from Oakville, Ontario. He is followed by towering swedish defenseman Victor Hedman in the rankings. Both of those players are expected to fight for the top spot until the end of the season.

1. John Tavares - C - 6'0/200 - Oshawa Generals (OHL) - CAN
2. Victor Hedman - LD - 6'6/220 - Modo (SEL) - SWE
3. Brayden Schenn - C - 6'0/200 - Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) - CAN
4. Jared Cowen - LD - 6'5/209 - Spokane Chiefs (WHL) - CAN
5. Matt Duchene- C - 5'11/191 - Brampton Battalion (OHL) - CAN
6. Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi - LW - 6'1/200 - Timra (SEL) - SWE
7. Jordan Schroeder - RW - 5'9/185 - Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA) - USA
8. Stefan Elliot - LD - 6'1/174 - Saskatoon Blades (WHL) - CAN
9. Evander Kane - C - 5'11/163 - Vancouver Giants (WHL) - CAN
10. Olivier Roy - G - 6'0/169 - Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) - CAN
11. Jeremy Morin - C - 5'10/160 - USNDP - USA
12. Toni Rajala - RW - 5'9/163 - Ilves (FIN) - FIN
13. Nazem Kadri - C - 6'0/176 - London Knights (OHL) - CAN
14. Simon Després - LD - 6'4/213 - Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) - CAN
15. Richard Panik - LW - 6'1/180 - Trinec (CZE) - SVK
16. Jacob Josefson - C - 6'0/187 - Djurgarden (SEL) - SWE
17. Landon Ferraro - RW - 6'0/169 - Red Deer Rebels (WHL) - CAN
18. Ryan Ellis - RD - 6'1/191 - Windsor Spitfires (OHL) - CAN
19. Anton Lander - LW - 6'0/189 - Timra (SEL) - SWE
20. Drew Shore - C - 6'2/200 - USNDP - USA
21. Andrei Kuchin - LW - 6'0/180 - Vityaz (RUS) - RUS
22. Cass Mappin - LW - 6'0/183 - Red Deer Rebels (WHL) - CAN
23. Seth Helgeson - LD - 6'3/220 - Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) - USA
24. Louis Leblanc - C - 5'11/171 - Yarmouth (MJAHL) - CAN
25. Jordan Caron - C - 6'2/200 - Rimouski Oceanics (QMJHL) - CAN
26. Calvin de Haan - LD - 6'0/171 - Oshawa Generals (CAN) - CAN
27. David Rundblad - RD - 6'2/191 - Skelleftea (SEL) - SWE
28. Taylor Doherty - RD - 6'8/220 - Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) - CAN
29. Jimmy Bubnick - C - 6'0/183 - Kamloops Blazers (WHL) - CAN
30. Dmitri Kulikov - RD - 6'1/196 - Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) - RUS

[duff88]

Just a heads up to say this is not dead; it's actually stronger than ever. I just have a minor setback and I hope to be back continuing next week.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by duff88

Just a heads up to say this is not dead; it's actually stronger than ever. I just have a minor setback and I hope to be back continuing next week.

Good to hear. Looking forward to more updates.

[duff88]

Martin Havlat ruins the party at Sprint Center

Martin Havlat scored a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks

October 5th 2008 - It was the Kansas City Coyotes inauguration game tonight at the Sprint Center, but the party was cut short by a two points (1-1) performance from Martin Havlat as the Chicago Blackhawks won the game 3-2. Cam Barker scored the game winning goal while David Bolland got the other. Cristobal Huet blocked 29 out of 31 shots for the win.

Things had started very well for the Coyotes as they had took the lead 3 minutes into the second period as Tomas Kopecky scored the first goal in franchise history, assisted by Anson Carter and Sami Lepitö. With ten minutes to go, after three straight goals by Chicago, Dean McAmmond scored his team's second goal but it was too little too late. Nikolai Khabibulin blocked 36 out of the 39 shots from his former team in the losing cause. Greg de Vries had an assist in the loss and was named second star while Tomas Kopecky was named the third star.

The powerplay was the killer for the Coyotes, who failed to convert on 7 occasions. On the other hand, Chicago scored twice on six attempts. Dan Fritsche left the game with a minor arm injury. He will be added to the injured reserve list and replaced by the returning Dan Hinote in the second line left winger role.

October 5th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Chicago, 3-2 L (Kopecky 1, McAmmond 1), Khabibulin [L] (36/39)

Kansas City Coyotes (1GP, 0-1-0, 0 points)

[duff88]

Five loss run stopped


Lukas Kaspar scored twice in the Coyotes' first win

October 18th 2008 - The Kansas City Coyotes finally won their first game in franchise history, halting the attrocious season start after five straight losses with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers. Lukas Kaspar, who played on the second line with Rob Schremp and Tomas Kopecky, was the first star of the game after scoring his first and second goal of the season.

The win goes to the record of Marc Denis, who was playing his first game this season. He blocked 31 of the 33 shots against. Blake Comeau and Dan Hinote also scored for the winners.

Meanwhile, Bryan Rodney and Chris Summers were sent down to the San Antonio Rampage before the game to make place for the return of Daniel Tjärnqvist and Dan Fritsche.

October 7th 2008 : Coyotes at Portland, 3-1 L (Lundmark 1), Khabibulin [L] (37/40)
October 12th 2008 : Coyotes at Chicago, 3-0 L, Khabibulin [L] (31/34)
October 14th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Los Angeles, 2-0 L, Khabibulin [L] (32/34)
October 16th 2008 : Coyotes at New York I, 3-2 L, (de Vries 1, Lundmark 2), Khabibulin [L] (27/30)
October 18th 2008 : Coyotes at New York R, 4-2 W, (Kaspar 1-2, Comeau 1, Hinote 1), Denis [W] (31/33)

Kansas City Coyotes (6GP, 1-5-0, 2 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Rob Blake traded to Toronto

October 27th 2008 - The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Rob Blake from the San Jose Sharks today, as well as a 7th round pick, for defenseman Josef Boumedienne, forward Kris Newbury and a 3rd round pick.

October 19th 2008 : Coyotes at New Jersey, 4-3 L, (Semenov 1, Schremp 1, Adams 1), Khabibulin [L] (35/39)
October 21st 2008 : Kansas City vs. Vancouver, 5-0 L, Denis [L] (25/30)
October 26th 2008 : Kansas City vs. San Jose, 4-0 L, Khabibulin [L] (32/36)

Kansas City Coyotes (9GP, 1-8-0, 2 points, 15th in the West)

[DeToxRox]

Amazing work as always, Duff.

Where do I DL the editor again?

[duff88]

The website for everything EHM

[duff88]

Signs of a long season to come


Dean McAmmond won the October segment of the Sprint Cup

November 1st 2008 - October has ended and the Kansas City Coyotes' record indicates nothing to be optimist about. With only two wins in eleven games, the Coyotes are sitting confortably in the last place of the entire NHL.

Dean McAmmond has won the October segment of the Sprint Cup, which will be given at the end of the year to the player judged most valuable to the team as judged by a panel of media in Kansas City. McAmmond ended the month with 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in 11 games. He beat goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and captain Greg de Vries in the voting.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers (13-16-8-24)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: G Marc-André Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins (8GP-6W)
NHL Rookie of the Month: RW Radek Smolenak, Dallas Stars (12-4-7-11)

NHL Goals Leader: 16 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers
NHL Assists Leader: 14 - C Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
NHL Points Leader: 24 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 11 - D Tobias EnstrÖm, Atlanta Thrashers
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 11 - RW Radek Smolenak, Dallas Stars

October 28th 2008 : Coyotes at Calgary, 4-1 L, (McAmmond 2), Khabibulin [L] (28/32)
October 31st 2008 : Coyotes at Vancouver, 3-1 W, (Kolanos 1, McAmmond 3, Hedican 1), Khabibulin [W] (38/39)

Kansas City Coyotes (11GP, 2-9-0, 4 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Coyotes get first home win


Anson Carter scored his second and third goals of the season

November 6th 2008 - Anson Carter scored twice while Dean McAmmond had a three points performance to lead the Kansas City Coyotes to their first home win in the new Sprint Center in an insane game that ended 6-5 against the Dallas Stars. The lack of discipline by the Coyotes in the second period led to two 5-on-3 goals 30 seconds appart by Brendan Morrow and Mike Modano that gave the Stars a 4-2 lead. The Coyotes rallied with less than 10 minutes to play in the third while trailing 5-3, when Jamie Lundmark, Dean McAmmond and Brett Sterling beat Alvaro Montoya to win the game. Krystofer Kolanos got the other goal for the Coyotes. The win goes to Marc Denis, who blocked 26 of the 31 shots against.

November 1st 2008 : Coyotes at Minnesota, 4-2 L, (Carter 1, Schremp 2), Khabibulin [L] (24/28)
November 4th 2008 : Coyotes at Portland, 4-2 L, (Lepistö 1, Kaspar 3), Khabibulin [L] (26/30)
November 6th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Dallas, 6-5 W, (Carter 2-3, Kolanos 2, Lundmark 3, McAmmond 4, Sterling 1), Denis [W] (26/31)

Kansas City Coyotes (14GP, 3-11-0, 6 points, 15th in the West)

[NoSkillz]

Originally Posted by duff88

NHL Goals Leader: 16 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers
NHL Assists Leader: 14 - C Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
NHL Points Leader: 24 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 11 - D Tobias EnstrÖm, Atlanta Thrashers
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 11 - RW Radek Smolenak, Dallas Stars

Great work Duff. Look forward to seeing it continue.

Funny looking at the goal and point leader. I was on the research team for EHM, looking after the Northeast Division. I could never understand why the guy who did Atlanta refused to realize he overrated Kovalchuk. Every dynasty I see, the guy ends up overtaking Gretzky's records...

The guy is good but no where near THAT good.

[duff88]

A few trades around the league

November 13th 2008 - The Buffalo Sabres acquired 35-years-old swedish defenseman Niclas Hävelid from the Atlanta Thrashers. In return, the Thrashers recieved prospect Jacob Lagace from the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.

In other news, the Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Anton Babchuk from the Carolina Hurricanes in return for winger Per Ledin. In the same trade, the Avalanche recieved a 4th round pick, giving a way a 5th and a 6th to the Hurricanes. The Montreal Canadiens traded Patrice Brisebois to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 4th round pick in 2007. The Colorado Avalanche also acquired Clarke MacArthur from the Buffalo Sabres for the rights to prospect goaltender Peter Delmas.

November 10th 2008 : Coyotes at Detroit, 6-1 L, (Kaspar 4), Khabibulin [L] (7/12) & Denis (31/32)
November 11th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Edmonton, 4-3S L, (Fritsche 1, Carter 4, Kaspar 5), Denis [OTL] (32/35)

Kansas City Coyotes (16GP, 3-12-1, 7 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Khabibulin scares, Coyotes recall McKee


David McKee was recalled to second Marc Denis during the absence of the number one goaltender

November 19th 2008 - Nikolai Khabibulin suffered a wrist injury midway into the third period of yesterday's 4-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The injury is less serious than initially thought and the russian goaltender should be sidelined for one to two weeks with a sprained wrist. He has been placed on the injured reserve while David McKee has been recalled from the San Antonio Rampage.

November 15th 2008 : Coyotes at Columbus, 5-2 L (McAmmond 5, Lundmark 4), Denis [L] (37/42)
November 16th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Portland, 3-2 W (McAmmond 6, Taffe 1, Carter 5), Khabibulin [W] (27/29)
November 18th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Columbus, 4-3 L (Lepistö 2, Sterling 2-3), Khabibulin [L] (29/33) & Denis (4/4)

Kansas City Coyotes (19GP, 4-14-1, 9 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Colorado trading frenzy continues

November 20th 2008 - The 11th place Colorado Avalanche completed a third trade in the month of November today, sending veteran defenseman Adam Foote to the Ottawa Senators for young Canadian forward Nick Foligno and a 2nd round pick.

Rumors had the Avalanche very interested in young danish rookie Peter Regin, who is having a great start to the season in Ottawa. Foligno is having a very tough start to his season and will probably be sent down to the minors by Colorado. The 37-years-old Foote will bring a new dimension to the Senators, who can now claim one of the best defensive brigade in the NHL.

[duff88]

Sterling suspended, McAmmond out, Nokelainen comes in

Nokelainen will try to bring his aggressive high-energy style to the NHL

November 21st 2008 - Brett Sterling has been suspended for one game for his third period charge on Columbus' defenseman Mike Commodore. In other news, Dean McAmmond will be sidelined for at least three weeks after suffering a hip flexor strain. He has been placed on the injured reserve.

Petteri Nokelainen has been called up from the San Antonio Rampage. In 17 games with the Rampage, Nokelainen had scored 7 goals and 12 points. Coach Pat Quinn has announced that he will use seven defensemen for the time being with the return of Cory Murphy from a concussion.

November 20th 2008 : Coyotes at Columbus, 4-2 L (Adams 2, Hinote 2), Denis [L] (30/34)

Kansas City Coyotes (20GP, 4-15-1, 9 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Khabibulin back to face the Wings


Pavel Datsyuk took care of his compatriot in the last game with 3 points

November 24th 2008 - After missing exactly one week due to a sprained wrist, goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will be back between the pipes tomorrow as the Kansas City Coyotes will face the Detroit Red Wings. It will be a nice challenge for the russian goaltender who allowed 5 goals in 12 shots during the first period of his last meeting with the Red Wings 15 days ago.

David McKee, who did relatively well as backup during the Bulin Wall's absence, even serving as starter for a game, was sent back to the Rampage in the American Hockey League. Petteri Nokelainen, who was scoreless in two games, was also sent down to the Rampage; the Coyotes will therefore keep a 22-men roster for the time being.

November 22nd 2008 : Coyotes at Colorado, 6-3 L (Schremp 3, Comeau 2, Carter 6), Denis [L] (20/26) & McKee (11/11)
November 23rd 2008 : Kansas City vs. Vancouver, 3-2 L (Lundmark 5, Carter 7), McKee [L] (19/21)

Kansas City Coyotes (22GP, 4-17-1, 9 points, 15th in the West)

[Travis]

I smell a winning streak around the corner. This team is going to get a tough win, roll with some confidence and rattle a few off.

[duff88]

Coyotes surprise Wings


Rob Schremp had a three points night on the first line of the Coyotes

November 25th 2008 - Anson Carter (2g-2a), Rob Schremp (2g-1a) and Lukas Kaspar (3a) all had a wonderful night in Kansas City as the Coyotes' first lined combined for 10 points to lead their team to a 6-5 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, who had only lost once in their last 10 games. In his first game back from injury, Nikolai Khabibulin was solid but unspectacular, blocking 31 of the 36 shots he recieved. Dan Fritsche and Greg de Vries also scored for the winners.

November 25th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Detroit, 6-5 W (Carter 8-9, Schremp 4-5, Fritsche 2, de Vries 2), Khabibulin [W] (31/36)

Kansas City Coyotes (23GP, 5-17-1, 11 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Few positives for Kansas City in November


Anson Carter won the monthly segment of the Sprint Cup

December 1st 2008 - Any franchise who wins 5 out of their first 25 games of the season can consider it a failure. Furthermore, when the special teams aren't working, the offense is last and the defense is second-to-last, there is nothing to be optimistic about. There are very few positives to retain from the beginning of the new franchise in Kansas City. If anything, the emmergence of Anson Carter during the month of November proves to be a nice surprise and, although it would be surprising to see him keep the same pace, he will be due for a contract extension very soon. The great play of rookie Lukas Kaspar, who had a team high +5 during November and who was named NHL Rookie of the Month, is also a huge positive.

Carter, who is on a 6-games point streak with 7 goals and 12 points along the way, was the November segment winnger of the Sprint Cup with 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 14 games. He currently leads the team with 24 points in 20 games. Although there were no real challengers, he beat linemate Lukas Kaspar and captain Greg de Vries in the voting.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: RW Marian Hossa, Detroit Red Wings (12-11-16-27)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (12GP-8W-1SO)
NHL Rookie of the Month: LW Lukas Kaspar, Kansas City Coyotes (14GP-4G-10A-14PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 22 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers
NHL Assists Leader: 28 - RW Marian Hossa, Detroit Red Wings
NHL Points Leader: 43 - RW Marian Hossa, Detroit Red Wings
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 18 - D Lubomir Visnovsky, Edmonton Oilers
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 23 - RW Radek Smolenak, Dallas Stars

November 29th 2008 : Coyotes at Philadelphia, 3-2 L (Carter 10-11), Khabibulin [L] (32/35)
November 30th 2008 : Coyotes at St. Louis, 5-2 L (Carter 12, Kaspar 6), Denis [L] (24/29)

Kansas City Coyotes (25GP, 5-19-1, 11 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Sundin saga not yet over

December 5th 2008 - Mats Sundin has officially announced that he will come back to the NHL this season. There had been a lot of speculation through the summer about his come back, which he confirmed this week after intense training in the Los Angeles area. The Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly the front runners for his service. Ottawa, Toronto and Portland are also on the run. Contacted about the possibility of acquiring Sundin, Coyotes GM Nicolas Fillion was very clear:

"Where does he fit? What does Sundin bring to this team? We have to be realistic; we are not what he is looking for, and he is not what we want either. Sundin is a great player, but he is far from his prime and will be looking to join a contender. We will not make an offer."

Sundin is aiming to sign a contract before Christmas and to come back into action in the first week of January.

In other news, the Vancouver Canucks acquired winger Jamal Mayers from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 4th round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft.

December 2nd 2008 : Kansas City vs. Chicago, 3-2 L (Schremp 6, Carter 13), Khabibulin [L] (32/35)
December 4th 2008 : Coyotes at Los Angeles, 3-2 L (Carter 14, Hedican 2), Khabibulin [L] (20/23)

Kansas City Coyotes (27GP, 5-21-1, 11 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Sens halt Coyotes three game winning streak


Alfredsson put two pucks past goaltender Marc Denis in the Sens 4-3 win over Kansas City

December 14th 2008 - Daniel Alfredsson scored twice and goaltender Alex Auld stood sharp in the third period as the Ottawa Senators beat the Kansas City Coyotes 4-3 to halt their longest winning streak in history at 3. After a 2-1 shootout win in Dallas and big 7-3 and 5-3 victories over San Jose and Minnesota, Marc Denis was unable to continue his hot streak as the Senators were just too strong. Christoph Schubert scored the game winner in the third period. Lukas Kaspar, with two goals, and Jamie Lundmark scored for the Coyotes.

Anson Carter continued his dominating season with two assits, giving him a point in each but two of the last fourteen games, scoring 22 points along the way. Alexei Semenov had been suspended for the Ottawa game after recieving a game misconduct against Minnesota. Dean McAmmond was back in the lineup after missing three weeks.

December 6th 2008 : Coyotes at Anaheim, 3-1 L (Fritsche 3), Khabibulin [L] (38/41)
December 7th 2008 : Coyotes at Dallas, 2-1S W (Hinote 3), Denis [W] (26/27)
December 9th 2008 : Coyotes at San Jose, 7-3 W (Lepistö 3, Carter 15, Lundmark 6-7, Kaspar 7, Comeau 3, Hinote 4), Denis [W] (24/27)
December 12th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Minnesota, 5-3 W (Lundmark 8, Schremp 7, Comeau 4, Carter 16-17), Denis [W] (22/25)
December 14th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Ottawa, 4-3 L (Kaspar 8-9, Lundmark 9), Denis [L] (27/31)

Kansas City Coyotes (32GP, 8-23-1, 17 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Denis meltdown leads to Blues comeback


Marc Denis was starting a fifth consecutive game before his third period collapse

December 16th 2008 - The Kansas City Coyotes had a 3-0 lead with less than 10 minutes to go in the third period when the unthinkable happened. Alex Steen, Matt Foy, Andy McDonald and Keith Tkachuk scored to give the St. Louis Blues a 4-3 win. Perfect until then on 24 shots, Marc Denis allowed 4 goals on the last 10 shots, two of which he should probably have stopped. Dan Hinote, Rob Schremp and Dan Fritsche had scored for the Coyotes.

Staffan Kronwall left the game with an hip injury. His case will be re-evaluated tommorow, but he is expected to miss a few weeks. The Coyotes will be in St. Louis to face the Blues in the second of the weekend's back-to-back series.

December 16th 2008 : Kansas City vs. St. Louis, 4-3 L (Hinote 5, Schremp 8, Fritsche 4), Denis [L] (30/34)

Kansas City Coyotes (33GP, 8-24-1, 17 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Kronwall on IR, Janik recalled


Doug Janik had 10 assists in 27 games with the Rampage

December 17th 2008 - Staffan Kronwall has been placed on the injured reserve after suffering an hip pointer in last night's game against the St. Louis Blues. Kronwall is expected to be sidelined for at least 6 weeks. American defenseman Doug Janik has been recalled from the San Antonio Rampage. In 27 games in the American Hockey League, Janik had 10 assists and was a -6. Coach Greg Ireland has called him his team's best player so far this year. With his pre-season and San Antonio Rampage #3 now worn by Alexei Semenov, Janik will wear #38.

LINES FOR TONIGHT'S GAME AGAINST ST. LOUIS
Kaspar-Schremp-Carter
Fritsche-Lundmark-Kopecky
Hinote-Adams-Comeau
Kolanos-McAmmond-Taffe

Hedican-de Vries
Lepistö-Semenov
Tjärnqvist-Murphy

Khabibulin
Denis

[duff88]

Sundin down to two teams

December 21st 2008 - Mats Sundin will announce his decision on December 23rd, but rumors are saying his choice is down to two teams: The Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers.

Lukas Kaspar suffered a minor injury in last night's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He will be replaced by Doug Janik, who will play as seventh defenseman, tonight against Buffalo. Marc Denis will be in net.

December 17th 2008 : Coyotes at St. Louis, 2-1 L (de Vries 3), Khabibulin [L] (16/18)
December 20th 2008 : Coyotes at Chicago, 4-3 L (McAmmond 7, Hinote 6, Lundmark 10), Khabibulin [L] (24/28)

Kansas City Coyotes (35GP, 8-26-1, 17 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Sundin to Vancouver

December 23rd 2008 - Mats Sundin has signed a one year contract with the Vancouver Canucks. The 37-years-old swedish forward is not expected to suit up for at least two weeks.

Bret Hedican suffered a minor ACL sprain in tonight's overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. He will miss aroung ten days of action and has been placed on the injured reserve. Lukas Kaspar should be back in action for the next game against the St. Louis Blues on December 26th.

December 21st 2008 : Kansas City vs. Buffalo, 4-1 L (Comeau 5), Denis [L] (21/25)
December 23rd 2008 : Kansas City vs. Dallas, 3-2 OTL (Carter 18, McAmmond 8), Khabibulin [OTL] (24/27)

Kansas City Coyotes (37GP, 8-27-2, 18 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Goncharov, Ruzicka and Long to play in WJC

December 26th 2008 - Three Kansas City Coyotes prospect will be participating at the World Junior Championships in Ottawa this year. Maksim Goncharov will anchor the russian blue line and is expected to be a go-to guy on defense for their team. Vladimir Ruzicka will serve as captain for Czech Republic and he is expected to play on the first line with Ondrej Roman and Tomas Kubalak. Colin Long was named to the American team but is going to be used slightly as the 13th forward.

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

Group A
Canada: G Olivier Roy - D Thomas Hickey [C] - D Alex Pietrangelo - F Angelo Esposito - F John Tavares - F Kyle Beach
USA: G Josh Unice - D Kevin Shattenkirk - D Ryan McDonagh - F James Van Riemsdyk - F Colin Wilson [C] - F Drayson Bowman
Sweden: G Jacob Markström - D Victor Hedman - D Erik Karlsson - F Mattias Tedenby - F Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi - F Mikael Backlund [C]
Slovakia: G Jaroslav Janus - D Martin Dulak [C] - D Michal Pichnarcik - F Richard Panik - F Milan Kytnar - F Tomas Tatar
Germany: G Timo Pielmeier - D Denis Reul - D Marco Nowak [C] - F Jerome Flaake - F Laurin Braun - F Simon Fischhaber

Group B
Russia: G Sergei Gaiduchenko - D Maksim Goncharov - D Maksim Chudinov [C] - F Kirill Petrov - F Evgeni Dadonov - F Egor Averin
Czech Republic: G Tomas Klestil - D Tomas Schmidt - D Michal Jordan - F Ondrej Roman - F Vladimir Ruzicka [C] - F Tomas Vincour
Finland: G Harri Säteri - D Tommi Kivistö - D Jyri Niemi - F Tommi Sallinen [C] - F Toni Rajala - F Teemu Pulkkinen
Switzerland: G Robert Mayer - D Roman Josi [C] - Lukas Stoop - F Luca Cunti - F Etienne Froidevaux - F Eric Wyder
Belarus: G Artyom Dmkov - D Sergei Sheleg - D Gleb Zhurba - F Artem Demkov [C] - F Mikhail Stefanovich - F Igor Voroshilov

December 26th 2008 : Kansas City vs. St. Louis, 3-1 W (Murphy 1, Carter 19, Comeau 6), Khabibulin [W] (23/24)

Kansas City Coyotes (38GP, 9-27-2, 20 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Fritsche leads Coyotes to second win in a row


Dan Fritsche scored twice and added an assist in the win

December 29th 2008 - Dan Fritsche scored two goals and added an assist as the Kansas City Coyotes beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 tonight in Denver. Andrew Raycroft was pulled in the second period after alowing four goals in 15 shots. Lukas Kaspar, Anson Carter and Tomas Kopecky also scored for the Coyotes. Nikolai Khabibulin blocked 29 of 33 shots for the win.

Meanwhile, the season of New York Rangers forward Scott Gomez is over after he suffered a dislocated shoulder that will require surgery. Gomez had scored 38 points in 35 games for the Rangers this year.

December 29th 2008 : Coyotes at Colorado, 5-4 W (Fritsche 5-6, Carter 20, Kaspar 10, Kopecky 2), Khabibulin [W] (29/33)

Kansas City Coyotes (39GP, 10-27-2, 22 points, 15th in the West)

[NoSkillz]

Originally Posted by duff88

Sundin to Vancouver

December 23rd 2008 - Mats Sundin has signed a one year contract with the Vancouver Canucks. The 37-years-old swedish forward is not expected to suit up for at least two weeks.

Bret Hedican suffered a minor ACL sprain in tonight's overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. He will miss aroung ten days of action and has been placed on the injured reserve. Lukas Kaspar should be back in action for the next game against the St. Louis Blues on December 26th.

December 21st 2008 : Kansas City vs. Buffalo, 4-1 L (Comeau 5), Denis [L] (21/25)
December 23rd 2008 : Kansas City vs. Dallas, 3-2 OTL (Carter 18, McAmmond 8), Khabibulin [OTL] (24/27)

Kansas City Coyotes (37GP, 8-27-2, 18 points, 15th in the West)

Did you manually sign Sundin to Vancouver?

[duff88]

Originally Posted by NoSkillz

Did you manually sign Sundin to Vancouver?

Did I?

Actually, I had him signed there in the pre-game editor and suspended until January. But I thought it was news worthy that he was coming back.

[duff88]

Better month of December still not enough for Coyotes


Anson Carter won his second straight Sprint Cup monthly segment

January 1st 2009 - The Kansas City Coyotes showed some improvement in December, but their record still leaves a lot of questionning. With five wins and eleven points in fifteen games, the Coyotes are still last in the league, seven points behind the Nashville Predators who are last in the East.

Anson Carter won the December segment of the Sprint Cup, his second win in a row. In 15 games, Carter scored 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points. He held off Blake Comeau and Dan Fritsche in the voting.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: C Olli Jokinen, Columbus Blue Jackets (11-7-13-20)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: D Nicklas Lidström, Detroit Red Wings (15-5-11-16)
NHL Rookie of the Month: C Benoit Pouliot, Minnesota Wild (13-7-10-17)
NHL Goals Leader: 30 - RW Martin St. Louis, St. Louis Blues
NHL Assists Leader: 38 - C Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
NHL Points Leader: 60 - RW Marian Hossa, Detroit Red Wings
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 29 - D Nicklas Lidström, Detroit Red Wings
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 30 - C Benoit Pouliot, Minnesota Wild

Eastern Conference:
*1. Ottawa Senators (41, 27-12-2) - 56 Points
*2. New York Rangers (40, 26-10-4) - 56 Points
*3. Carolina Hurricanes (41, 20-12-9) - 49 Points
4. Buffalo Sabres (38, 27-10-1) - 55 Points
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (40, 24-14-2) - 50 Points
6. Washington Capitals (39, 21-14-4) - 46 Points
7. Florida Panthers (42, 22-19-1) - 45 Points
8. Boston Bruins (37, 20-15-2) - 42 Points
-
9. Pittsburgh Penguins (37, 19-16-2) - 40 Points
10. Montreal Canadiens (39, 17-18-4) - 38 Points
11. Philadelphia Flyers (38, 18-19-1) - 37 Points
12. New Jersey Devils (38, 15-16-7) - 37 Points
13. Atlanta Thrashers (40, 16-21-3) - 35 Points
14. New York Islanders (38, 14-22-2) - 30 Points
15. Nashville Predators (39, 13-23-3) - 29 Points

Western Conference
*1. Vancouver Canucks (39, 25-11-3) - 53 Points
*2. Columbus Blue Jackets (39, 24-11-4) - 52 Points
*3. San Jose Sharks (40, 24-12-4) - 52 Points
4. Dallas Stars (42, 23-13-6) - 52 Points
5. Detroit Red Wings (38, 24-13-1) - 49 Points
6. Edmonton Oilers (39, 21-15-3) - 45 Points
7. Calgary Flames (38, 19-15-4) - 42 Points
8. Anaheim Ducks (41, 18-17-6) - 42 Points
-
9. Colorado Avalanche (40, 18-18-4) - 40 Points
10. St. Louis Blues (38, 18-17-3) - 39 Points
11. Los Angeles Kings (38, 16-17-5) - 37 Points
12. Portland Titans (39, 16-19-4) - 36 Points
13. Minnesota Wild (38, 16-20-2) - 34 Points
14. Chicago Blackhawks (38, 16-20-2) - 34 Points
15. Kansas City Coyotes (40, 10-28-2) - 22 Points

December 30th 2008 : Kansas City vs. Boston, 4-2 L (Murphy 2, Fritsche 7), Khabibulin [L] (39/43)

Kansas City Coyotes (40GP, 10-28-2, 22 points, 15th in the West)

[Travis]

Given your record, the fact you have that many guys pretty close to even if not above should bode well for you. Hopefully you can be close to .500 over the second half of the season and head into next year just needing a tweak or two to be a playoff contender.

[duff88]

Hartnell to San Jose

January 2nd 2008 - Scott Hartnell has been traded to the San Jose Sharks for goaltender Thomas Greiss. Greiss will suit up for the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms. Hartnell had scored 10 points in 17 games with the Flyers this year.

The Montreal Canadiens traded forward Tom Kostopoulos to the New York Rangers for a 3rd round pick.

January 1st 2009 : Kansas City vs. Edmonton, 6-1 L (Carter 21), Khabibulin [L] (43/49)

Kansas City Coyotes (41GP, 10-29-2, 22 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Canada worries in group stage

January 4th 2009 - The US Under-20 Team impressed early on in the World Junior Hockey Championship, ending the group stage with a perfect 4 wins record, including an impressive 6-1 defeat of team Canada. This win earns USA a bye in the quarterfinals. Sweden also beat Canada in the group stage to end with a 3-1 record, while Canada ended with a 2-2 record. Things were much more surprising in group B as the Russians, who were perfect in 3 games until then, lost their last game to Belarus. This loss, combined with the tie between the Czechs and Fins, means that Czech Republic will play in the relegation round.

Quarterfinals matchups:
Belarus vs. Sweden
Finland vs. Canada

[duff88]

Canada and Sweden pass, Czech Republic and Slovakia relegated

January 6th 2009 - Mattias Tedenby scored a hat trick to lead Sweden to a 7-0 victory over Belarus in the first quarterfinal game. Sweden will face team USA in the first semi-final. In the other game, Canada defeated Finland 3-0 with John Tavares being named the first star. Canada will face team Russia in the second semi-final.

In the relegation round, Germany and Switzerland surprised Czech Republic and Slovakia, who have now been relegated to the Division 1 group. Denmark and Norway, who won their group of the Division 1 tournament, will be promoted in their place. This result proves to be a big letdown for the countries ranked respectively third and seventh in the world rankings.

January 5th 2009 : Coyotes at Chicago, 5-2 L, (Lundmark 11, Kaspar 11), Khabibulin [L] (30/35)
January 6th 2009 : Kansas City vs. St. Louis, 2-0 L, Denis [L] (38/40)

Kansas City Coyotes (43GP, 10-31-2, 22 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Canada and USA to face in the finals

January 8th 2009 - Kevin Shattenkirk scored a goal and two assists to help team USA past Sweden 5-2. USA will face their Canadians arch rivals in the finals as Canada, lead by a hat trick from John Tavares, took care of Russia 4-2 in the other semi final.

[duff88]

Americans win on Canadian soil


James Van Riemsdyk was named MVP of the tournament

January 9th 2009 - The American U20 hockey team ended their perfect tournament with a 5-2 win over Canada in the finals of the World Junior Hockey Championship. After leaving the first period with a 2-0 deficit, USA scored 5 unanswered goals on their way to a gold medal victory. In the bronze medal game, Sweden beat Russia in the shootouts after the 70 minutes of regular play ended with a 1-1 tie. Mattias Tedenby scored the winning goal.

Gold Medal: United States
Silver Medal: Canada
Bronze Medal: Sweden
4th place: Russia
5th place: Finland
6th place: Belarus
7th place: Germany
8th place: Switzerland
9th place: Slovakia
10th place: Czech Republic

Top 5 Scorers:
1. James Van Riemsdyk (USA) - 6GP - 8-5-13
2. John Tavares (CAN) - 7GP - 5-7-12
3. Colin Wilson (USA) - 6GP - 5-7-12
4. Matt Rust (USA) - 6GP - 4-7-11
5. Egor Averin (RUS) - 6GP - 3-6-9

MVP: James Van Riemsdyk (USA)
Best Forward: James Van Riemsdyk (USA)
Best Defenseman: Kevin Shattenkirk (USA)
Best Goaltender: Jacob Markström (SWE)

All-Star Team:
Colin Wilson (USA) - John Tavares (CAN) - James Van Riemsdyk (USA)
Victor Hedman (SWE) - Kevin Shattenkirk (USA)
Josh Unice (USA)

Coyotes prospects:
Maksim Goncharov (RUS) - 6GP - 0-1-1
Vladimir Ruzicka (CZE) - 6GP - 1-5-6
Colin Long (USA) - 4GP - 2-4-6

January 9th 2009 : Kansas City vs. Anaheim, 5-4 L, (Lepistö 4, de Vries 4, Fritsche 8, Schremp 9), Denis [L] (37/42)

Kansas City Coyotes (44GP, 10-32-2, 22 points, 15th in the West)