NHL moves into Kansas City [EHM:2007]

[duff88]

Coyotes still last after January

February 1st 2012 - The Coyotes started the month well, but have once again been the worst team in the league towards the end of the month. With the 25th Goals For average and the 29th Goals Against average, it is tough to imagine that the Coyotes could make a run to end the season. They are 9th points away from the New York Islanders and 29th place in the league and 13 points away from the Portland Titans and 14th place in the West.

Victor Hedman, who had seven assists in 15 games, was the January segment winner of the Sprint Cup. The big defenseman, who is currently negotiating a contract extension with the Coyotes, beat Rob Schremp and Lukas Kaspar in the voting. The Olympic pause will start on February 15th and will last until March. The Coyotes will play six games in February and will not play again until March 1st in Portland.

Kirill Kabanov played in the AHL All-Star game today and had an assist on the only goal by his team in a 4-1 loss. Gregg McKegg, a Coyotes prospect who plays for Saginaw in the OHL, had to be taken out on a stretcher after a huge hit by Windsor's Derek Van Ness. McKegg was consicous but suffered a concussion. His situation will be re-evaluated in the coming days.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: LW Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators (15GP - 13G - 13A - 26PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: D Alexander Edler, Vancouver Canucks (15GP - 2G - 12A - 14PTS)
NHL Rookie of the Month: LW Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi, Pittsburgh Penguins (16GP - 3G - 8A - 11PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 46 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Assists Leader: 53 - C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Points Leader: 84 - RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 43 - D Sergei Gonchar, Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 33 - RW Zack Kassian, Detroit Red Wings

[duff88]

McKegg's season is over

February 6th 2012 - Gregg McKegg won't come back this season. The 19-years-old forward, who left his last game on a stretcher after a huge open ice hit by defenseman Derek Van Ness, suffered a major concussion. It is presently unknown if he will be able to suit again in a hockey game. Less than a week after the hit, Van Ness, who was a second round pick by the Islanders, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Meanwhile, Ilya Kovalchuk has scored two goals against San Jose and is now at 48 in 48.

TRADE: New York I trades D Joe Corvo and rights to D Derek Van Ness to Chicago for F Andrew Ladd, rights to D Stanislav Tregubov and a 2nd round pick.
TRADE: New York I trades D Barret Jackman and a 4th round pick to Philadelphia for F Ryan Craig and F Pat Rissmiller

February 4th 2012: Coyotes at Pittsburgh, 3-2 W, (Semenov 2, Randell 14, Carter 25), Denis [W] (20/22)

Kansas City Coyotes (54GP, 15-36-3, 33 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Kovalchuk falls short

February 8th 2012 - Ilya Kovalchuk was held to one assist in his 49th and 50th games and has missed his opportunity to scored 50 goals in 50 games.

TRADE: Philadelphia trades F Jeff Carter to Washington for G Michal Neuvirth and D Milan Jurcina

February 6th 2012: Kansas City vs. Calgary, 5-3 L, (Kelly 17, Kaspar 12, Lombardi 14), Denis [L] (28/33)
February 8th 2012: Kansas City vs. New York I, 3-2 L, (Randell 15, Kaspar 13), Denis [L] (27/30)

Kansas City Coyotes (56GP, 15-38-3, 33 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

McKee back to Buffalo

February 15th 2012 - The Kansas City Coyotes have traded defenseman Jay McKee to the Buffalo Sabres for a 4th round pick. The 34-years-old blueliner had 4 assists in 58 games with a -18 record. He had his best years in Buffalo to start his career, before moving to St. Louis, Portland, New Jersey and Kansas City.

With the Olympic break coming, the Kansas City Coyotes have sent down Travis Randell and Vitaly Karamnov to the San Antonio Rampage. They will play 6 games with San Antonio and should be recalled in time for the Portland game on March 1st.

TRADE: Detroit trades D Niklas Kronwall to Chicago for a 4th round pick in 2012, a 3rd round pick in 2013 and a 4th round pick in 2014
TRADE: Portland trades D Henrik Tallinder to Ottawa for rights to F Pal Hultgren
TRADE: Buffalo trades D Ron Hainsey to Ottawa for rights to F Mathias Lundgren
TRADE: Detroit trades F Zack Kassian to Ottawa for a 4th round pick
TRADE: Detroit trades D Dennis Wideman to New York R for rights to RW Peter Grant

February 11th 2012: Kansas City vs. Carolina, 3-1 W, (Randell 16, Pyatt 12-13), Denis [W] (31/32)
February 12th 2012: Coyotes at Vancouver, 5-4 L, (Kaspar 13, Pyatt 14, Schremp 19, Carter 26), Pavelec [L] (28/33)
February 14th 2012: Coyotes at Edmonton, 4-2 W, (Kaspar 14, Randell 17, Hedman 4, Pyatt 15), Denis [W] (30/32)

Kansas City Coyotes (59GP, 17-39-3, 37 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Three Coyotes at Olympics

February 16th 2012 - Only three Kansas City Coyotes will be participating at the 2012 Vancouver Olympics. Victor Hedman will play for Sweden, Alexei Semenov for Russia and Ondrej Pavelec will be the backup to Tomas Vokoun for Czech Republic

GROUP A
USA (G Ryan Miller - D Erik Johnson - D Ryan Whitney - F Peter Mueller - F Scott Gomez - F Paul Stastny [C])
Finland (G Miikka Kiprusoff - D Joni Pitkänen - D Kimmo Timonen - F Olli Jokinen - F Saku Koivu [C] - F Teemu Selänne)
Czech Republic (G Tomas Vokoun - D Tomas Kaberle [C] - D Pavel Kubina - F Patrick Elias - F Ales Hemsky - F Martin Havlat)
Switzerland (G Martin Gerber - D Mark Streit [C] - D Luca Sbisa - F Roman Wick - F Martin Plüss - F Romano Lemm)
Germany (G Thomas Greiss - D Dennis Seidenberg - D Christian Ehrhoff - F Marco Sturm [C] - F Marcel Goc - F Christoph Schubert)
Denmark (G Peter Hirsch - D Andreas Andreasen [C] - D Mads Bodker - F Lars eller - F Mikkel Bodker - F Jannik Hansen)

GROUP B
Canada (G Martin Brodeur - D Scott Niedermayer - D Dion Phaneuf - F Dany Heatley - F Sidney Crosby - F Jarome Iginla [C])
Russia (G Ilya Bryzgalov - D Andrei Markov - D Evgeny Varlamov [C] - F Alexander Ovechkin - F Evgeni Malkin - F Ilya Kovalchuk)
Sweden (G Henrik Lundqvist - D Mattias Öhlund - D Alexander Edler - F Henrik Zetterberg [C] - F Markus Näslund - F Niklas Bäckström)
Slovakia (G Peter Budaj - D Andrej Meszaros - D Zdeno Chara [C] - F Marian Gaborik - F Pavol Demitra - F Marian Hossa)
Austria (G Reinhard Divis - D Thomas Pöck - D Lee Sweatt - F Thomas Vanek - F Matthias Trattnig [C] - F Andreas Nödl)
Italy (G Günther Hell - D Mario Scalzo - D John Gobbi - F Tony Tuzzolino - F Jonathan Pittis [C] - F Daniel Sisca)

[duff88]

Victor Hedman signs 4 years extension

February 23rd 2012 - Victor Hedman has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Kansas City Coyotes until 2016. The swedish defenseman will see his salary raise every year until the end of this contract. He will be 25 years old at that time and will be in his final year of restricted free agency eligibility.

2011-12: 875K$ (Current deal)
2012-13: 2.160M$
2013-14: 2.835M$
2014-15: 4.252M$
2015-16: 5.670M$

Meanwhile, the trade deadline is tommorow. Although GM Nicolas Fillion has stated that he doesn't want to sell any of his players, there are some important rumours surrounding the team and some big names could be on the move.

TRADE: Boston trades D Chris Campoli to Buffalo for F Dylan Hunter
TRADE: New York I trades D Nick Boynton to Atlanta for F Angelo Esposito
TRADE: Philadelphia trades Simon Gagné to Montreal for F Steve Quailer, F Adam Pettersson and D Jared Cowen
TRADE: Detroit trades F Johan Franzén to New Jersey for F Chris Stewart and F Mike Hoeffel
TRADE: Florida trades D Duncan Keith to Boston for F Brad Marchant
TRADE: Detroit trades F Mikko Koivu to New York I for D Nick Schultz
TRADE: Philadelphia trades D Zbynek Michalek to Portland for D Ian White and a 3rd round pick

[duff88]

Red Wings clean the house

February 25th 2012 - The Detroit Red Wings completed the dismantlement of their team by trading away three of the franchise's blue chippers in Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Brian Rafalski. 41-years-old captain Nicklas Lidström is the only remaining core of the good days of the Red Wings, but with a -34 in this season he is only a shade of his former self. In the month of February, the Wings also traded away Niklas Kronwall, Dennis Wideman, Zack Kassian, Johan Franzén and Mikko Koivu.

Meanwhile, trade talks between Florida and Kansas City were said to be major and non-stop through the afternoon, but it seems like no deal was reached before today's trading deadline. The Coyotes will therefore use statu-quo with their current team.

TRADE: Detroit trades F Henrik Zetterberg to Calgary for F Oskar Osala, rights to F Myles Lambert and a 2nd round pick
TRADE: Detroit trades D Brian Rafalski to Atlanta for D Zach Bogosian and D Colten Teubert
TRADE: Detroit trades F Pavel Datsyuk to Philadelphia for F Andreas Nödl, D Ian White, D Paul Ranger and a 3rd round pick
TRADE: Portland trades D Radoslav Suchy and a 4th round pick to Calgary for F Juuso Puustinen and a 3rd round pick
TRADE: Portland trades D Marek Malik to Toronto for a 3rd round pick in 2012 and a 4th round pick in 2013
TRADE: New York R trades D Filip Kuba to St. Louis for rights to F Scooter Coleman
TRADE: Dallas trades D Andy Greene and F Shawn Bates to Nashville for G Jeremy Smith, D Rhett Warrener and a 3rd round pick

[duff88]

Canada wins Gold

February 28th 2012 - Canada came out strong in the third period of the Gold Medal game, scoring six goals, on their way to a 10-4 win over Sweden. Martin St. Louis, Simon Gagné, Eric Staal and Rick Nash all scored twice in the final, with Vincent Lecavalier and Sidney Crosby scoring the other goals. Ryan Miller blocked all 30 shots against in the Bronze Medal game to lead the US past Russia.

Gold Medal: Canada
Silver Medal: Sweden
Bronze Medal: USA
4th Place: Russia
5th Place: Finland
6th Place: Czech Republic
7th Place: Slovakia
8th Place: Germany
9th Place: Denmark
10th Place: Austria
11th Place: Switzerland
12th Place: Italy

Top 5 Scorers:
1. LW Rick Nash (CAN) - 8GP - 9-18-27
2. C Sidney Crosby (CAN) - 8GP - 8-12-20
3. RW Jarome Iginla (CAN) - 8GP - 11-8-19
4. C Vincent Lecavalier (CAN) - 8GP - 3-15-18
5. LW Simon Gagné (CAN) - 8GP - 8-9-17

MVP: Rick Nash (CAN)
Best Forward: Rick Nash (CAN)
Best Defenseman: Wade Redden (CAN)
Best Goaltender: Ryan Miller (USA)

All-Star Team:

Rick Nash (CAN) - Sidney Crosby (CAN) - Jarome Iginla (CAN)
Wade Redden (CAN) - Erik Johnson (USA)
Ryan Miller (USA)

Kansas City Coyotes
D Victor Hedman (SWE) - 8GP - 0-2-2
D Alexei Semenov (RUS) - 8GP - 0-0-0
G Ondrej Pavelec (CZE) - 1GP - 0W - 7GA

[DeToxRox]

Bummer to see Detroit deal like that. I don't remember ever seeing that big of a fire sale in EHM before, crazy.

[duff88]

They aren't destroying the team though, they're building quite the defensive powerhouse with Zach Bogosian, Colten Teubert and Seth Helgeson. And considering they will likely have the first or second overall pick, they could add a great sniper in Darren Sigouin or maybe Lidström's replacement in Wilhelm Lönnberg.

[duff88]

February was too short

March 1st 2012 - The month of February contained too few games for the Coyotes. With a shortened schedule due to the Olympic tournament, the Coyotes played only six games, ending those with a respectable three wins.

Marc Denis was the player of the month. Denis won three of his five starts, keeping a 91.3% save percentage and a 2.59 goals against average. He beat Lukas Kaspar and Matthew Lombardi in the votings.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes recalled Travis Randell, Erik Haula, Kirill Kabanov and Maksim Goncharov from the San Antonio Rampage. Travis Randell had been sent down along with Vitaly Karamnov during the Olympic break, but the team decided to let Karamnov in the minors for the moment. He had only scored one point in his last fifteen games. Randell scored 4 goals and 2 assists in 6 games with the Rampage. Erik Haula and Kirill Kabanov were respectively 5th and 8th in AHL scoring with 68 and 59 points. Maksim Goncharov was 3rd in hits and 4th in blocked shots.

LINES FOR TONIGHT'S GAME IN PORTLAND

Pyatt - Schremp [A] - Randell
Kaspar - Lombardi - Kabanov
Carter [C] - Kelly - Haula
Krysanov - Artyukhin

Hedman - Brewer [A]
Parent - Semenov
Kronwall - Kulyash
Cashman

Denis
Pavelec

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: RW Nathan Horton, Florida Panthers (5GP - 3G - 7A - 10PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: G Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils (4GP - 4W - 95.3SAV% - 1.25GAA)
NHL Rookie of the Month: LW James Van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers (6GP - 3G - 3A - 6PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 50 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Assists Leader: 56 - C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Points Leader: 89 - C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 44 - D Sergei Gonchar, Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 38 - RW Travis Randell, Kansas City Coyotes

[duff88]

Lombardi out three weeks

March 10th 2012 - Matthew Lombardi suffered a rotator cuff strain on the same play that lead to Rob Schremp's game winning overtime goal against Columbus, and will miss three weeks of action. Eric Hunter will take his place on the second line between Lukas Kaspar and Travis Randell.

March 1st 2012: Coyotes at Portland, 5-4S W, (Brewer 3, Kabanov 1, Schremp 20, Lombardi 15), Denis [W] (41/45)
March 3rd 2012: Coyotes at Calgary, 6-2 L, (Pyatt 16, Randell 18), Denis [L] (34/40)
March 7th 2012: Kansas City vs. Minnesota, 5-3 L, (Kelly 18, Kabanov 2-3), Denis [L] (29/34)
March 9th 2012: Kansas City vs. Columbus, 4-3OT W, (Schremp 21-22, Pyatt 17, Kabanov 4), Pavelec [W] (28/31)

Kansas City Coyotes (63GP, 19-41-3, 41 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Three points away

April 1st 2012 - The Kansas City Coyotes kept a very respectable 7-7-1 record in March, and are now only three points away, with a game in hand, from the slumping Detroit Red Wings and the 14th place in the Western Conference. The Coyotes will play another time against the Red Wings and will play 5 of their last 8 games in Kansas City.

Rob Schremp was the March segment winner of the Sprint Cup. Schremp scored 5 goals and 11 assists in 15 games while keeping a +6 record. He beat Taylor Pyatt and surprising rookie call-up Kirill Kabanov in the voting. Kabanov was also named Rookie of the Month.

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: LW Henrik Zetterberg, Calgary Flames (15GP - 16G - 14A - 30PTS)
NHL Defensive Player of the Month: G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (13GP - 11W - 94.1SAV% - 1.43GAA - 2SO)
NHL Rookie of the Month: LW Kirill Kabanov, Kansas City Coyotes (15GP - 7G - 8A - 15PTS)
NHL Goals Leader: 60 - LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Assists Leader: 68 - C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Points Leader: 117 - RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
NHL Defenseman Points Leader: 57 - D Sergei Gonchar, Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Rookie Points Leader: 48 - RW Travis Randell, Kansas City Coyotes

March 11th 2012: Kansas City vs. Vancouver, 3-2S L, (Kulyash 3, Carter 27), Denis [OTL] (29/31)
March 13th 2012: Coyotes at Anaheim, 2-0 W, (Schremp 23, Randell 19), Denis [W] (29/29)
March 14th 2012: Coyotes at Los Angeles, 3-1 L, (Kabanov 5), Denis [L] (34/37)
March 17th 2012: Coyotes at Colorado, 5-1 L, (Kabanov 6), Denis [L] (19/24) & Pavelec (2/2)
March 19th 2012: Kansas City vs. Detroit, 4-1 W, (Kelly 19, Kaspar 16-17, Pyatt 18), Denis [W] (29/30)
March 20th 2012: Coyotes at Dallas, 5-2 L, (Kaspar 18, Haula 1), Pavelec [L] (29/34)
March 22nd 2012: Kansas City vs. Colorado, 4-3S W, (Pyatt 19, Kabanov 7, Kulyash 4), Denis [W] (23/26)
March 24th 2012: Coyotes at Chicago, 4-0 L, Denis [L] (39/43)
March 26th 2012: Kansas City vs. Minnesota, 5-1 W, (Haula 2, Kaspar 19, Randell 20, Brewer 4, Lombardi 16), Denis [W] (27/28)
March 28th 2012: Kansas City vs. Buffalo, 3-2 L, (Pyatt 20, Kaspar 20), Denis [L] (17/20)
March 30th 2012: Coyotes at Detroit, 4-0 W, (Randell 21-22, Schremp 24, Pyatt 21), Denis [W] (25/25)

Kansas City Coyotes (74GP, 24-46-4, 52 points, 15th in the West)

[duff88]

Denis signs new deal

April 7th 2012 - Marc Denis has signed a new contract extension with the Kansas City Coyotes. The 34-years-old goaltender will stay in Kansas City for the next two years with a contract that will earn him 3.35M$. In 57 games so far this season, the Canadian goaltender has kept a 19-31-4 record with a 90.0% save percentage and a 3.38GAA. He has also recorded 3 shutouts.

April 1st 2012: Coyotes at San Jose, 5-4S L, (Kabanov 8, Schremp 25, Randell 23, Pyatt 22), Denis [OTL] (31/35)
April 3rd 2012: Coyotes at Dallas, 4-2 L, (Randell 24, Kabanov 9), Denis [L] (23/26)
April 5th 2012: Kansas City vs. Chicago, 5-1 L, (Schremp 26), Pavelec [L] (35/40)

Kansas City Coyotes (77GP, 24-48-5, 53 points, 15th in the West)

[DeToxRox]

Keep it up. This is a time 5 FOFC dynasty of all time.

[duff88]

Coyotes pass Wings

April 9th 2012 - With a dominating 6-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings tonight, the Kansas City Coyotes have now passed them in the Western Conference standings. With 57 points to the Red Wings' 55, the Coyotes are now 14th in the West and 29th in the NHL. Lukas Kaspar, with a Coyotes record setting 5 points game, scored his 80th point of the season in the win.

April 7th 2012: Kansas City vs. Vancouver, 4-3 W, (Kabanov 10, Randell 25, Schremp 27, Lombardi 17), Denis [W] (27/30)
April 9th 2012: Kansas City vs. Detroit, 6-2 W, (Kabanov 11, Randell 26-27, Kaspar 21-22, Brewer 5), Denis [W] (26/28)

Kansas City Coyotes (79GP, 26-48-5, 57 points, 14th in the West)

[duff88]

Kabanov, a young star!

April 14th 2012 - The season is already over, but Kirill Kabanov, at only 19-years-old, made quite an impression in a short NHL stint. After a decent first year in North America in which he didn't quite reach expectations, the Russian winger did some bulking up and came back for his second year stronger, more focused and with one firm intention: To make it to the NHL.

Since being called up from San Antonio after the Olympic break, Kabanov has been nothing short of sensationnal. With 16 goals in 23 games, and a total of 28 points, Kabanov has been the most dominant Coyotes' for the last two months of the season. In the last ten games of the season alone, Kabanov scored 9 goals and 6 assists for 15 points, scoring a point in every game. He also scored a goal in each of the last five games for a total of 7. Another telling stat is that Kabanov scored the first goal in 6 of his 23 games, which is the highest total on the entire team for the whole season. Erik Haula, who was called up at the same time as his Rampage teammate, was also very solid. In 23 games, the finnish winger scored 10 points and maintained a +5 record.

The Coyotes finished the season with a 28-48-6 record, which in retrospect, is a good result considering the team started the year 5-24-2, which means they maintained a respectable record of 23-24-4 record since the coaching change. Kirill Kabanov, Erik Haula, Travis Randell and Maksim Goncharov will go down to play for the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL 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 11th 2012: Kansas City vs. Anaheim, 8-2 W, (Kabanov 12-13, Kaspar 23-24, Schremp 28-29, Haula 2, Lombardi 18), Denis [W] (31/33)
April 13th 2012: Kansas City vs. Columbus, 3-1 W, (Kabanov 14, Brewer 6, Artyukhin 9), Denis [W] (25/26)
April 14th 2012: Coyotes at Columbus, 4-3S L, (Kabanov 15-16, Schremp 30), Denis [OTL] (40/43)

Kansas City Coyotes (82GP, 28-48-6, 62 points, 14th in the West)

NHL Top 10 scorers:
1. RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary (81GP - 57G - 66A - 123PTS)
2. LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago (73GP - 68G - 52A - 120PTS)
3. C Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (82GP - 41G - 76A - 117PTS)
4. C Phil Kessel, Boston (82GP - 39G - 70A - 109PTS)
5. RW Marian Hossa, Toronto (82GP - 49G - 55A - 104PTS)
6. C Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh (82GP - 47G - 56A - 103PTS)
7. LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington (77GP - 54G - 46A - 100PTS)
8. RW Nikolas Zherdev, New York R (81GP - 46G - 49A - 95PTS)
9. C Jason Spezza, Ottawa (75GP - 33G - 62A - 95PTS)
10. RW Nathan Horton, Florida (81GP - 29G - 65A - 94PTS)

NHL Top 5 goalscorers:
1. LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago (73GP - 68 Goals)
2. RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary (81GP - 57 Goals)
3. LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington (77GP - 54 Goals)
4. RW Marian Hossa, Toronto (82GP - 49 Goals)
5. RW Marian Gaborik, Florida (78GP - 48 Goals)

NHL Top 5 defensemen scorers:
1. D Sergei Gonchar, Chicago (82GP - 19G - 44A - 63PTS)
2. D Erik Johnson, St. Louis (71GP - 9G - 44A - 53PTS)
3. D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary (81GP - 13G - 39A - 52PTS)
4. D Andrei Markov, Florida (82GP - 9G - 41A - 50PTS)
5. D Andrej Meszaros, Boston (82GP - 14G - 35A - 49PTS)

NHL Top 5 rookie scorers:
1. LW Travis Randell, Kansas City (78GP - 27G - 31A - 58PTS)
2. LW Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi, Pittsburgh (75GP - 16G - 23A - 39PTS)
3. LW James Van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia (77GP - 16G - 23A - 39PTS)
4. RW Zack Kassian, Ottawa (72GP - 15G - 23A - 38PTS)
5. LW Artem Gareev, Dallas (65GP - 12G - 21A - 33PTS)

NHL Top 5 goaltender GAA (min. 60GP)
1. G Henrik Lundqvist, New York R (72GP - 43W - 2.36GAA - 92.0SAV% - 5SO)
2. G Roberto Luongo, Vancouver (68GP - 45W - 2.42GAA - 91.3SAV% - 6SO)
3. G Martin Biron, St. Louis (72GP - 38W - 2.45GAA - 91.9SAV% - 5SO)
4. G Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary (71GP - 47W - 2.56GAA - 90.9SAV% - 3SO)
5. G Vesa Toskala, Toronto (71GP - 49W - 2.66GAA - 91.0SAV% - 4SO)

Other notable players:
C Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim (77GP - 25G - 59A - 84PTS)
RW Bobby Ryan, Anaheim (82GP - 30G - 47A - 77PTS)
RW Corey Perry, Anaheim (82GP - 35G - 41A - 76PTS)
C John Tavares, Atlanta (78GP - 28G - 65A - 93PTS)
LW Jussi Jokinen, Atlanta (80GP - 44G - 45A - 89PTS)
RW Brian Gionta, Atlanta (76GP - 39G - 49A - 88PTS)
C Marc Savard, Atlanta (81GP - 34G - 52A - 86PTS)
D Brian Rafalski, Atlanta (78GP - 12G - 32A - 44PTS)
D Chris Pronger, Atlanta (82GP - 6G - 35A - 41PTS)
D Scott Niedermayer, Atlanta (79GP - 7G - 27A - 34PTS)
LW Brendan Morrow, Boston (75GP - 40G - 44A - 84PTS)
C Patrice Bergeron, Boston (76GP - 37G - 46A - 83PTS)
C Zack Hamill, Boston (74GP - 19G -51A - 70PTS)
D Joni Pitkänen, Boston (82GP - 6G - 39A - 45PTS)
LW Thomas Vanek, Buffalo (82GP - 42G - 49A - 91PTS)
C Derek Roy, Buffalo (82GP - 36G - 49A - 85PTS)
G Ryan Miller, Buffalo (72GP - 38W - 2.74GAA - 91.6SAV% - 3SO)
C Mike Cammalleri, Calgary (77GP - 37G - 55A - 92PTS)
LW Henrik Zetterberg, Calgary (80GP - 42G - 41A - 83PTS)
C Mikael Backlund, Calgary (82GP - 18G - 54A - 72PTS)
C Eric Staal, Carolina (81GP - 32G - 57A - 89PTS)
RW Jean-Pierre Dumont, Chicago (82GP - 36G - 55A - 91PTS)
C Olli Jokinen, Chicago (66GP - 26G - 59A - 85PTS)
RW Dainius Zubrus, Chicago (77GP - 27G - 57A - 84PTS)
C Paul Stastny, Colorado (82GP - 35G - 50A - 85PTS)
RW Milan Hejduk, Colorado (81GP - 41G - 43A - 84PTS)
LW Wojtek Wolski, Colorado (82GP - 33G - 45A - 78PTS)
C Mats Sundin, Colorado (82GP - 15G - 46A - 61PTS)
LW Rick Nash, Columbus (82GP - 45G - 31A - 76PTS)
RW Jakub Voracek, Columbus (82GP - 17G - 54A - 71PTS)
C Perttu Lindgren, Dallas (82GP - 28G - 51A - 79PTS)
LW Dustin Penner, Edmonton (82GP - 47G - 46A - 93PTS)
C Sam Gagner, Edmonton (80GP - 23G - 65A - 88PTS)
RW Ales Hemsky, Edmonton (72GP - 37G - 48A - 85PTS)
D Lubomir Visnovsky, Edmonton (80GP - 11G - 35A - 46PTS)
D Sheldon Souray, Edmonton (82GP - 6G - 37A - 43PTS)
RW Marian Gaborik, Florida (78GP - 48G - 44A - 92PTS)
D Jay Bouwmeester, Florida (82GP - 13G - 35A - 48PTS)
C Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles (81GP - 35G - 48A - 83PTS)
RW Patrick O'Sullivan, Los Angeles (76GP - 36G - 44A - 80PTS)
LW Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles (75GP - 37G - 39A - 76PTS)
C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles (59GP - 24G - 46A - 70PTS)
LW Michael Frolik, Minnesota (82GP - 27G - 43A - 70PTS)
RW Teemu Pulkkinen, Minnesota (82GP - 35G - 26A - 61PTS)
LW Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal (82GP - 42G - 44A - 86PTS)
RW Mikael Samuelsson, Montreal (77GP - 36G - 48A - 84PTS)
C Saku Koivu, Montreal (82GP - 26G - 54A - 80PTS)
RW Alex Kovalev, Montreal (82GP - 28G - 44A - 72PTS)
G Carey Price, Montreal (73GP - 41W - 2.86GAA - 90.1SAV% - 2SO)
LW Fredrik Modin, Nashville (82GP - 35G - 43A - 78PTS)
C Travis Zajac, New Jersey (82GP - 34G - 42A - 76PTS)
G Martin Brodeur, New Jersey (71GP - 41W - 2.96GAA - 91.0SAV% - 4SO)
C Scott Gomez, New York R (72GP - 29G - 52A - 81PTS)
LW Markus Näslund, New York R (82GP - 35G - 48A - 80PTS)
C Chris Drury, New York R (52GP - 15G - 34A - 49PTS)
D Michal Roszival, New York R (80GP - 7G - 40A - 47PTS)
LW Dany Heatley, Ottawa (73GP - 43G - 49A - 92PTS)
RW Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa (48GP - 17G - 31A - 48PTS)
D Zdeno Chara, Ottawa (78GP - 12G - 29A - 41PTS)
C Pavel Datsyuk, Philadelphia (81GP - 26G - 54A - 80PTS)
RW Joffrey Lupul, Philadelphia (77GP - 33G - 39A - 72PTS)
RW Patrick Kane, Pittsburgh (82GP - 38G - 50A - 88PTS)
C Henrik Sedin, Portland (74GP - 29G - 51A - 80PTS)
C Patrick Marleau, San Jose (78GP - 38G - 51A - 89PTS)
C Joe Thornton, San Jose (80GP - 36G - 51A - 87PTS)
LW Milan Michalek, San Jose (80GP - 33G - 52A - 85PTS)
RW Jonathan Cheechoo, San Jose (77GP - 42G - 41A - 83PTS)
LW Jiri Tlusty, St. Louis (82GP - 38G - 45A - 83PTS)
RW Martin St. Louis, St. Louis (82GP - 27G - 47A - 74PTS)
C Pavol Demitra, St. Louis (76GP - 34G - 37A - 71PTS)
RW Lars Eller, St. Louis (63GP - 26G - 39A - 65PTS)
D Kim Johnsson, St. Louis (81GP - 12G - 35A - 47PTS)
C Peter Mueller, Toronto (80GP - 30G - 63A - 93PTS)
LW Nik Antropov, Toronto (71GP - 37G - 42A - 79PTS)
RW Shane Doan, Toronto (76GP - 37G - 42A - 79PTS)
C Michal Handzus, Vancouver (72GP - 31G - 54A - 85PTS)
LW Daniel Sedin, Vancouver (81GP - 42G - 42A - 84PTS)
RW Martin Havlat, Vancouver (77GP - 38G - 45A - 83PTS)
D Alexander Edler, Vancouver (82GP - 11G - 35A - 46PTS)
D Mattias Öhlund, Vancouver (82GP - 4G - 42A - 46PTS)
C Niklas Bäckström, Vancouver (73GP - 25G - 42A - 67PTS)
RW Nikita Filatov, Vancouver (68GP - 31G - 34A - 65PTS)

Eastern Conference:
*1. Toronto Maple Leafs (53-25-4) - 110 Points
*2. Atlanta Thrashers (53-27-2) - 108 Points
*3. New York Rangers (49-30-3) - 101 Points
4. Montreal Canadiens (48-25-9) - 105 Points
5. Florida Panthers (43-29-10) - 96 Points
6. New Jersey Devils (43-32-7) - 93 Points
7. Boston Bruins (44-36-2) - 90 Points
8. Washington Capitals (40-32-10) - 90 Points
-
9. Buffalo Sabres (41-36-5) - 87 Points
10. Philadelphia Flyers (40-38-4) - 84 Points
11. Ottawa Senators (35-38-9) - 79 Points
12. Pittsburgh Penguins (36-41-5) - 77 Points
13. Carolina Hurricanes (35-43-4) - 74 Points
14. Nashville Predators (36-45-1) - 73 Points
15. New York Islanders (32-48-2) - 66 Points

Western Conference
*1. Chicago Blackhawks (53-21-8) - 114 Points
*2. Calgary Flames (52-22-8) - 112 Points
*3. Los Angeles Kings (48-26-8) - 104 Points
4. Vancouver Canucks (52-26-4) - 108 Points
5. San Jose Sharks (46-32-4) - 96 Points
6. Dallas Stars (43-31-8) - 94 Points
7. Edmonton Oilers (43-31-8) - 94 Points
8. St. Louis Blues (41-35-6) - 88 Points
-
9. Anaheim Ducks (40-34-8) - 88 Points
10. Minnesota Wild (37-34-11) - 85 Points
11. Colorado Avalanche (37-39-6) - 80 Points
12. Portland Titans (28-42-12) - 68 Points
13. Columbus Blue Jackets (29-45-8) - 66 Points
14. Kansas City Coyotes (28-48-6) - 62 Points
15. Detroit Red Wings (25-50-7) - 57 Points


1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. 8 Washington Capitals
2 Atlanta Thrashers vs. 7 Boston Bruins
3 New York Rangers vs. 6 New Jersey Devils
4 Montreal Canadiens vs. 5 Florida Panthers

1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. 8 St. Louis Blues
2 Calgary Flames vs. 7 Edmonton Oilers
3 Los Angeles Kings vs. 6 Dallas Stars
4 Vancouver Canucks vs. 5 San Jose Sharks

[duff88]

Rampage eliminated

The San Antonio Rampage lost the three final games of their series against the Houston Aeros and were eliminated in seven games from the AHL Playoffs' First Round. Kirill Kabanov (2-6) and Travis Randell (5-3) led the team in scorgin with 8 points. Logan MacMillan, Aaron Ness, Erik Haula, Maksim Goncharov, Jack Combs and captain Mark Cundari also played a solid series. It is the supporting staff, including one of the regular season leading scorers Alexandre Picard-Hooper, that didn't show up.

[duff88]

Only 4 Coyotes at World Championships

Marc Denis, Taylor Pyatt, Rob Schremp, Lukas Kaspar, Ondrej Pavelec and Alexei Semenov rejected offers to play for their national teams at the World Championships. Therefore, only 4 Coyotes, one of which didn't play in North America this year, will be at the tournament in Germany this year.

GROUP A
Canada (D Eric Brewer, RW Anson Carter)
Russia
Germany
Austria

GROUP B
Sweden (D Victor Hedman)
Finland
Belarus (D Nikolai Stasenko)
Italy

GROUP C
USA
Switzerland
Latvia
Hungary

GROUP D
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Denmark
Norway

[duff88]

Eastern surprises

The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, coming into the playoffs respectively 8th and 7th in their own conference, surprised the first and second seed Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. These were the only surprises in the first round, which still provided some very intense matchups. Among the biggest upsets were the Montreal Canadiens who came back from a 3-0 deficit to eliminate the Florida Panthers in 7 games.

8 Washington Capitals defeat 1 Toronto Maple Leafs in 5 games (WAS C Nicklas Bäckström - 5GP - 1G - 5A - 6PTS)
7 Boston Bruins defeat 2 Atlanta Thrashers in 6 games (BOS LW Brenden Morrow - 6GP - 6G - 1A - 7PTS)
3 New York Rangers defeat 6 New Jersey Devils in 7 games (NYR C Scott Gomez - 7GP - 0G - 8A - 8PTS)
4 Montreal Canadiens defeat 5 Florida Panthers in 7 games (MTL LW Andrei Kostitsyn - 7GP - 3G - 4A - 7PTS)

1 Chicago Blackhawks defeat 8 St. Louis Blues in 6 games (CHI G Cristobal Huet - 6GP - 4W - 1.96GAA - 93.1SAV%)
2 Calgary Flames defeat 7 Edmonton Oilers in 5 games (CGY C Mike Cammalleri - 5GP - 4G - 4A - 8PTS)
3 Los Angeles Kings defeat 6 Dallas Stars in 6 games (LA C Vincent Lecavalier - 6GP - 5G - 5A - 10PTS)
4 Vancouver Canucks defeat 5 San Jose Sharks in 5 games (VAN C Michal Handzus - 5GP - 3G - 9A - 12PTS)

TOP 5 PLAYOFFS SCORERS
1. C Michal Handzus, Vancouver (5GP - 3-9-12)
2. C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles (6GP - 5-5-10)
5. RW Nathan Horton, Florida (7GP - 2-8-10)
3. RW Martin Havlat, Vancouver (5GP - 5-4-9)
4. LW Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles (6GP - 3-6-9)

SECOND ROUND MATCHUPS
3 New York Rangers vs. 8 Washington Capitals
4 Montreal Canadiens vs. 7 Boston Bruins

1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. 4 Vancouver Canucks
2 Calgary Flames vs. 3 Los Angeles Kings

[duff88]

NHL announces trophy finalists

Calder Memorial Trophy - Best rookie in the NHL
D Simon Després, New York Islanders (79GP - 4G - 16A - 20PTS; -12)
RW Travis Randell, Kansas City Coyotes (78GP - 27G - 31A - 58PTS; -5)
LW James Van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers (77GP - 16G - 23A - 39PTS; -17)

Frank J. Selke Trophy - Best defensive forward in the NHL
RW Matt Cooke, Calgary Flames (75GP - 17G - 18A - 35PTS; +9)
RW Mike Grier, San Jose Sharks (72GP - 12G - 23A - 35PTS; +14)
LW Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars (79GP - 13G - 25A - 38PTS; +10)

Jack Adams Trophy - Best coach in the NHL
Guy Carbonneau, Montreal Canadiens
Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks
Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks

James Norris Trophy - Best defenseman in the NHL
D Sergei Gonchar, Chicago Blackhawks (82GP - 19G - 44A - 63PTS; +42)
D Erik Johnson, St. Louis Blues (71GP - 9G - 44A - 53PTS; +6)
D Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames (81GP - 13G - 39A - 52PTS)

Hart Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player in the NHL
D Sergei Gonchar, Chicago Blackhawks (82GP - 19G - 44A - 63PTS; +42)
RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames (81GP - 57G - 66A - 123PTS; +36)
LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks (73GP - 68G - 52A - 120PTS; +45)

Lady Bing Tropgy - Most sportsmanlike player in the NHL
C Mike Cammalleri, Calgary Flames (77GP - 22PIM)
LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks 73GP - 22PIM)
LW Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks (81GP - 20PIM)

Vezina Trophy - Best goaltender in the NHL
G Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames (71GP - 47W - 2.56GAA - 90.9SAV% - 3SO)
G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (72GP - 43W - 2.35GAA - 92.0SAV% - 5SO)
G Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks (68GP - 45W - 2.42GAA - 91.3SAV% - 6SO)

[duff88]

Rangers, Canadiens, Canucks and Kings advace

3 New York Rangers defeat 8 Washington Capitals in 7 games (NYR C Scott Gomez - 14GP - 4G - 14A - 18PTS)
4 Montreal Canadiens defeat 7 Boston Bruins in 4 games (MTL G Carey Price - 11GP - 8W - 1.92GAA - 93.3SAV% - 2SO)

4 Vancouver Canucks defeat 1 Chicago Blackhawks in 5 games (VAN G Roberto Luongo - 10GP - 8W - 2.30GAA - 91.7SAV%)
3 Los Angeles Kings defeat 2 Calgary Flames in 6 games (LA C Vincent Lecavalier - 11GP - 7G - 8A - 15PTS)

TOP 5 PLAYOFFS SCORERS
1. C Scott Gomez, New York R (14GP - 4-14-18)
2. LW Markus Näslund, New York R (14GP - 10-7-17)
3. C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles (11GP - 7-8-15)
4. C Michal Handzus, Vancouver (10GP - 5-10-15)
5. LW Alexander Ovechkin, Washington (12GP - 8-5-13)

THIRD ROUND MATCHUPS
3 New York Rangers vs. 4 Montreal Canadiens
3 Los Angeles Kings vs. 4 Vancouver Canucks

[duff88]

Toivonen says No!

Hannu Toivonen blocked 31 of the 32 shots against in the World Championships Final against Canada, even stealing the show at time, and Finland went on to defeat the three-times straight champions Canada 3-1. Tony Salmelainen scored the game winning goal on a team that featured no NHLers and who was captained by 35-years old Tomi Kallio. USA won the bronze by defeating Sweden 3-1. Belarus and Hungary will be relegated for next year's tournament and replaced by Slovenia and France.

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


Top 5 Scorers:
1. C Sidney Crosby, Canada (9GP - 6-13-19)
2. RW Patrick Kane, USA (9GP - 3-10-13)
3. C Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Canada (9GP - 8-4-12)
4. RW Joffrey Lupul, Canada (9GP - 7-5-12)
5. LW James Van Riemsdyk, USA (9GP - 5-7-12)

MVP: Hannu Toivonen (FIN)
Best Forward: Sidney Crosby (CAN)
Best Defenseman: Zdeno Chara (SVK)
Best Goaltender: Hannu Toivonen (FIN)

All-Star Team:

Magnus Kahnberg (SWE) - Sidney Crosby (CAN) - Sergei Zinovjev (RUS)
Janne Niskala (FIN) - Zdeno Chara (SVK)
Hannu Toivonen (FIN)

Kansas City Coyotes:
RW Anson Carter, Canada (8GP - 0-1-1)
D Nikolai Stasenko, Belarus (6GP - 0-1-1)
D Victor Hedman, Sweden (9GP - 1-4-5)
D Eric Brewer, Canada (9GP - 0-1-1)

[duff88]

Memorial Cup set

Saginaw won the J. Ross Robertson Cup Final to claim the OHL Championship by defeating Sudbury in 4 consecutive games. With one of their top players, Coyotes prospect Gregg McKegg, out for the whole season, forward Jordan Szwarz, defenseman Shannon Ladd and goaltender Juho Käyhkö have taken charge of the team and put on an amazing post season performance that included only 3 losses. Ranked 18th in the preliminary and 5th in the midterm NHL Draft rankings, Ladd should see his stock rise enough to fight with winger Darren Sigouin and defenseman Wilhelm Lönnberg for the first overall pick in 2012.

Halifax, led by a great goalscoring performance from Slovakian winger Rastislav Müller, defeated the P.E.I. Rocket in 5 games to win the QMJHL Championship. Defenseman Rémy Friesen and Swedish centre Jon Svensson also played excellent hockey for the Mooseheads during the playoffs.

In the WHL, Everett took care of the Moose Jaw Warriors in 5 games. A fantastic playoffs performance by 2013 NHL Draft eligible centre Konrad Richard, who scored 36 points in 20 games, helped an otherwise average Silvertips team to the championship. Draft eligible Finnish goaltender Anttu Tieranta, who was ranked unranked in the previos ISS lists, was very solid during the playoffs and should get some late round recognition by NHL teams in June.

All teams will play in the tournament hosted by the Spokane Chiefs, who had been eliminated in 5 games by the Silvertips in the secound round of the WHL playoffs. The Chiefs are led by Swedish winger Mikael Linder, a Capitals third roud pick in 2011. 2013 Draft eligible winger Robie Lepage, a skilled speedy forward, will also play a key role for the Chiefs who start the tournament as underdogs.

[duff88]

Canucks and Canadiens to face in Finals

For the second year in a row, two Canadian teams will face in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Vancouver Canucks, who participated in the last three finals, will hope to win a third cup in four years by defeating the Montreal Canadiens, who are led by inspired play from their 37-years-old captain Saku Koivu. Vancouver will get home ice advantage, but the Canadiens haven't lost in 12 games since being down 3 games to none against the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.

4 Montreal Canadiens defeat 3 New York Rangers in 4 games (MTL LW Simon Gagné - 14GP - 7G - 7A - 14PTS)
4 Vancouver Canucks defeat 3 Los Angeles Kings in 5 games (VAN C Michal Handzus - 15GP - 5G - 13A - 18PTS)

TOP 5 PLAYOFFS SCORERS
1. C Scott Gomez, New York R (18GP - 6-18-24)
2. LW Markus Näslund, New York R (17GP - 10-8-18)
3. C Michal Handzus, Vancouver (15GP - 5-13-18)
4. C Vincent Lecavalier, Los Angeles (13GP - 7-9-16)
5. LW Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles (16GP - 7-9-16)

STANLEY CUP FINAL
4 Montreal Canadiens vs. 4 Vancouver Canucks

[duff88]

Halifax wins Memorial Cup

Joey Agnel had the game of his life for the Halifax Mooseheads in the Memorial Cup final against Saginaw. The 20-years-old goaltender blocked 26 ofthe 27 shots against to lead the Mooseheads to a 3-1 win over Saginaw. Yuri Hughes scored twice for Halifax while Robin Tessier got the other goal. With eight points in the tournament, center Jon Svensson was the most valuable player.

[duff88]

Coyotes sign prospects

The Kansas City Coyotes have signed prospects Gregg McKegg, Bjorn Krupp, Johan Larsson and Mikael Granlund to rookie contracts. McKegg, who missed most of the season with a bad concussion, is expected to be fully recovered by next season.

[duff88]

Canadiens face elimination

The Montreal Canadiens took a 2-0 lead in the series by winning both games in Vancouver, but Roberto Luongo came back strong to win the next three games and the Vancouver Canucks are now only one game away from a third Stanley Cup in four years. The sixth game of the series will be played in Montreal tommorow, and you can expect a riot win or lose from the Canadiens fans.

[duff88]

Who will go first?

Depending on which scout you talk to, he may tell you a different player that his team would pick first overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Three of them stand out of the lot. Peterborough Petes right winger Darren Sigouin promises to become a great scorer at the NHL level with an ability to get open and great hands to finish around the net. He is a player that will go in traffic to make the tough plays and he has the potential to score fourty goals one day in the NHL, but he is a very average skater. OHL-based swedish defenseman Wilhelm Lönnberg is a defensive-minded blue liner who can do everything. He is a solid skater, defends very well, can deliver bone-crushing hits and makes an excellent first pass, but a few scouts have questionned his hockey sense. Finally, Saginaw's big two-way defenseman Shannon Ladd has made a huge rise on the rankings after a solid season and great playoffs. He is an extremely strong and fit athlete who skates well, can distribute the puck like few others and who shows great defensive positionning. He is a candidate for OHL player of the year and will be one of the youngest players drafted in June, so his potential is off-the charts, but he might be a bigger risk then others.

All of these players could go first overall on draft day, but ISS ranks Lönnberg first because of his consistent play and ability to step in right now. Ladd and Sigouin come next in their rankings. ISS also rank six goaltenders in the first round of the draft.

1 (2-1) D Wilhelm Lönnberg - 6'1/178 - Erie Otters (OHL) - Sweden
2 (5-18) D Shannon Ladd - 6'4/211 - Saginaw Spirit (OHL) - Canada
3 (1-3) RW Darren Sigouin - 6'1/169 - Peterborough Petes (OHL) - Canada
4 (4-4) RW Stéphane Aubin - 6'4/191 - P.E.I. Rocket (QMJHL) - Canada
5 (7-12) D Sebastien Côté - 5'11/167 - Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL) - Canada
6 (6-5) D Alexandre Gagnon - 6'0/183 - Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) - Canada
7 (3-2) LW Armand Hull - 5'11/165 - Erie Otters (OHL) - Canada
8 (42-47) C Charles Nadeau - 5'10/163 - Val d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) - Canada
9 (9-7) G Spiros Houghton - 6'0/194 - Sarnia Sting (OHL) - Canada
10 (14-11) G Ulrik Bork - 5'11/178 - Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL) - Denmark
11 (8-8) D Bob Scoville - 6'0/185 - Guelph Storm (OHL) - Canada
12 (11-6) LW Yiorgo Ewanchuk - 6'1/167 - Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) - Canada
13 (25-33) C Tom Fournier - 6'1/167 - Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) - Canada
14 (29-37) G Renaud Dufour - 5'11/174 - Baie-Comeau Drakkars (QMJHL) - Canada
15 (62-122) G Andrew Broda - 6'3/211 - Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) - Canada
16 (20-52) C Jon Svensson - 5'10/167 - Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) - Sweden
17 (10-10) RW Tommy Wiart - 5'6/165 - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) - Canada
18 (15-15) D Leo Sutton - 5'11/171 - Oshawa Generals (OHL) - Canada
19 (12-9) D Gleb Belov - 6'2/200 - CSKA Moscow (RSL) - Russia
20 (16-59) G Artis Zostins - 5'7/154 - DHK Latgale (LAT) - Latvia
21 (13-14) C Jean-Simon Jager - 6'4/231 - Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) - Canada
22 (19-21) C Oldrich Glas - 6'1/189 - Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) - Czech Republic
23 (24-46) RW Florian Richter - 6'2/205 - Slavia Praha Jrs (CZE) - Czech Republic
24 (18-24) D Joe Regan - 6'0/154 - Boston University Terriers (NCAA) - USA
25 (17-16) C Lawne Monette - 6'5/216 - Barrie Colts (OHL) - Canada
26 (28-39) C Thomas Sulin - 5'11/156 - Ilves Tampereen (FIN) - Finland
27 (34-23) C Michel Knecht - 6'0/183 - Lugano HC (SUI) - Switzerland
28 (59-87) G Stephan Serena - 6'0/171 - Montreal Junior (QMJHL) - Switzerland
29 (70-27) D Ragnar Wikman - 5'11/176 - Frölunda Indians (SEL) - Sweden
30 (27-29) RW Dmitri Storm - 5'11/156 - MODO (SEL) - Sweden

[duff88]

7th game Preview

MONTREAL CANADIENS
Simon Gagné - Saku Koivu [C] - Mikael Samuelsson
Andrei Kostitsyn - Andy McDonald - Alex Kovalev [A]
Chris Higgins [A] - Josef Vasicek - Marcel Hossa
Jeff Halpern - John Madden - Sergei Kostitsyn

Scott Hannan - Ryan Whitney
Denis Grebeshkov - Martin Skoula
Nick Ross - Craig Rivet

Carey Price
Jaroslav Halak

VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Ladislav Nagy - Michal Handzus - Martin Havlat
Rico Fata - Cody Hodgson - Todd Bertuzzi [A]
Alexandre Burrows - Ryan Kesler - Arron Asham
Brian Rolston - Claude Giroux

Mattias Öhlund [A] - Alexander Edler
Denis Gauthier - Sami Salo [A]
Greg de Vries - Brian Pothier
Myles Stoesz

Roberto Luongo [C]
Mike Smith

[duff88]

Vancouver wins the Stanley Cup

3:27 VAN Mattias Öhlund [3] (Alexander Edler [11] & Michal Handzus [18])
16:02 VAN Todd Bertuzzi [8] (Rico Fata [6] & Brian Pothier [2])
-
35:56 VAN Alexander Edler [3] (Ladislav Nagy [5] & Michal Handzus [19])
-
NO GOALS

Shots: 37-36 MTL
Score: 3-0 VAN

Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoffs MVP): Michal Handzus

[duff88]

Islanders win lottery

The New York Islanders have won the 2012 NHL Draft Lottery and will move up to pick first overall. The Coyotes will therefore fall one spot and pick third.

1. New York Islanders
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Kansas City Coyotes
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Portland Titans

[duff88]

NHL holds its Awards Ceremony

Art Ross (most regular season points): RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
Bill Masterton (perseverence and sportsmanship): C Perttu Lindgren, Dallas Stars
Calder Memorial (rookie of the year): RW Travis Randell, Kansas City Coyotes
Frank J. Selke (defensive forward): RW Mike Grier, San Jose Sharks
Jack Adams (coach of the year): Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks
James Norris Memorial (defenseman of the year): D Sergei Gonchar, Chicago Blackhawks
Hart Memorial (most valuable player): LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks
King Clancy Memorial (leadership and humanitarian contribution): C Mats Sundin, Colorado Avalanche
Lady Bing Memorial (gentlemanly conduct): LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks
Lester B. Pearson (MVP selected by NHLPA): RW Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
Maurice 'Rocket' Richard (most regular season goals): LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Chicago Blackhawks
Vezina (goaltender of the year): G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

First All-Star Team

Ilya Kovalchuk (CHI) - Sidney Crosby (PIT) - Jarome Iginla (CGY)
Sergei Gonchar (CHI) - Erik Johnson (STL)
Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)

Second All-Star Team

Alexander Ovechkin (WAS) - Phil Kessel (BOS) - Marian Hossa (TOR)
Dion Phaneuf (CGY) - Zdeno Chara (OTT)
Roberto Luongo (VAN)

All-Rookie Team

James Van Riemsdyk (PHI) - Magnus Pääjärvi (PIT) - Travis Randell (KC)
Simon Després (NYI) - Jared Cowen (PHI)
Thomas McCollum (NAS)

[duff88]

QMJHL Regular Season Championship: Baie-Comeau Drakkars (70GP - 45W - 24L - 0OTL 1SOL - 91PTS)
QMJHL Jean Béliveau Trophy (Leading scorer): LW David Sanchez, Victoriaville Tigres (64GP - 54-54-108)
QMJHL Offensive Player of the Year: C Charles Nadeau, Val d'Or Foreurs (64GP - 38-53-91)
QMJHL Emile Bouchard Trophy (Best defenseman): D Brandon Gormley, Moncton Wildcats (61GP - 31-61-92)
QMJHL Jacques Plante Trophy (Best goaltender): G Andrew Broda, Drummondville Voltigeurs (60GP - 36W - 2.07GAA - 92.9SAV% - 12SO)
QMJHL Offensive rookie of the year: C Lubos Kratena, P.E.I. Rocket (65GP - 42-51-93)
QMJHL Defensive rookie of the year: D Andrejs Jerofejevs, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (64GP - 17-35-52)
QMJHL Michel Brière Trophy (Player of the year): C Charles Nadeau, Val d'Or Foreurs (64GP - 38-53-91)
QMJHL Presiden't Cup Championship: Halifax Mooseheads (4-1 win over P.E.I)

Top 10 QMJHL Scorers:
1. LW David Sanchez, Victoriaville Tigres (64GP - 54-54-108)
2. RW Stéphane Aubin, P.E.I. Rocket (69GP - 46-57-103)
3. LW Leon Paquet, Lewiston MAINEiacs (70GP - 26-75-101)
4. C Lubos Kratena, P.E.I. Rocket (65GP - 42-51-93)
5. C Tom Fournier, Victoriaville Tigres (69GP - 34-59-93)
6. D Brandon Gormley, Moncton Wildcats (61GP - 31-61-92)
7. C Charles Nadeau, Val d'Or Foreurs (64GP - 38-53-91)
8. C Jon Svensson, Halifax Mooseheads (69GP - 37-54-91)
9. LW Nicklas Rosén, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (60GP - 35-56-91)
10. D Sebastien Côté, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (70GP - 22-69-91)

-

OHL Regular Season Championship: Erie Otters (68GP - 44W - 19L - 2OTL - 3SOL - 93PTS)
OHL Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Leading scorer): RW Darren Sigouin, Peterborough Petes (62GP - 63-69-132)
OHL Max Kaminsky Trophy (Best defenseman): D Shannon Ladd, Saginaw Spirit (68GP - 26-73-99)
OHL Goaltender of the year: G Juho Käyhkö, Saginaw Spirit (51GP - 34W - 2.30GAA - 92.0SAV% - 5SO)
OHL Emms Family Trophy (Rookie of the year): D Ivan Ruzicka, Ottawa 67's (56GP - 25-72-97)
OHL Red Tilson Trophy (Player of the year): D Shannon Ladd, Saginaw Spirit (68GP - 26-73-99)
OHL J. Ross Robertson Cup Championship: Saginaw Spirit (4-0 win over Sudbury)

Top 10 OHL Scorers:
1. RW Darren Sigouin, Peterborough Petes (62GP - 63-69-132)
2. C Ryan Spooner, Peterborough Petes (62GP - 43-80-123)
3. C Marcel Vézina, London Knights (68GP - 40-75-115)
4. LW Reid Cuthbert, Peterborough Petes (68GP - 33-79-112)
5. LW Yiorgio Ewanchuk, Kingston Frontenacs (62GP - 47-56-103)
6. D Frans Bergström, Kingston Frontenacs (68GP - 23-78-101)
7. D Shannon Ladd, Saginaw Spirit (68GP - 26-73-99)
8. D Ivan Ruzicka, Ottawa 67's (56GP - 25-72-97)
9. RW Jordan Szwarz, Saginaw Spirit (62GP - 44-51-95)
10. C Joey Hishon, Owen Sound Attack (68GP - 36-56-92)

-

WHL Regular Season Championship: Chilliwack Bruins (72GP - 51W - 18L - 1OTL - 2SOL - 105PTS)
WHL Bob Clarke Trophy (Leading scorer): C Markus Kinisjärvi, Chilliwack Bruins (66GP - 61-102-163)
WHL Bill Hunter Trophy (Best defenseman): D Maxim Toryanik, Swift Current Broncos (66GP - 18-34-52)
WHL Del Wilson Trophy (Best goaltender): G Marco Jarl, Lethbridge Hurricanes (63GP - 31W - 2.12GAA - 93.2SAV% - 12SO)
WHL Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the year): G Murray Hackett, Prince Albert Raiders (62GP - 36W - 1.96GAA - 93.3SAV% - 14SO)
WHL Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (Player of the year): C Markus Kinisjärvi, Chilliwack Bruins (66GP - 61-102-163)
WHL President's Cup Final Championship: Everett Silvertips (4-1 win over Moose Jaw)

Top 10 WHL Scorers:
1. C Markus Kinisjärvi, Chilliwack Bruins (66GP - 61-102-163)
2. C Kevin Sundher, Chilliwack Bruins (66GP - 75-69-154)
3. C Scott Glennie, Brandon Wheat Kings (72GP - 63-62-125)
4. LW Jonas Lopushinsky, Vancouver Giants (72GP - 57-55-112)
5. C André Lindblad, Moose Jaw Warriors (65GP - 42-68-110)
6. D Alex Theriau, Brandon Wheat Kings (64GP - 18-87-105)
7. C Linden Vay, Saskatoon Blades (72GP - 42-62-104)
8. C Jordan Iron, Saskatoon Blades (72GP - 52-51-103)
9. D Johannes Junland, Vancouver Giants (67GP - 22-79-101)
10. RW Mikael Linder, Spokane Chiefs (72GP - 32-66-98)

-

CHL Memorial Cup Champions: Halifax Mooseheads
CHL All-Star Team:
Kevin Sundher - Markus Kinisjärvi - Darren Sigouin
Shannon Ladd - Brandon Gormley
Marco Jarl

-

NCAA Championship: Boston University Terriers
NCAA Hobey Baker Trophy (Player of the year): D Christian Krystosek, Maine Black Bears [HE] (50GP - 14-37-51)

NCAA Top 10 Scorers
1. D Christian Krystosek, Maine (50GP - 14-37-51)
2. D Joe Regan, Boston University (50GP - 9-37-46)
3. C Zach Budish, Minnesota-Duluth (46GP - 22-22-44)
4. LW Pierre-Paul Swanson, Harvard(47GP - 15-24-39)
5. C Domenic Loya, Michigan State (48GP - 14-25-39)
6. RW Scooter Coleman, Northern Michigan (47GP - 17-21-38)
7. RW Frank Butler, Massachusetts-Lowell (50GP - 13-24-37)
8. D Tim Barrett, Colgate (48GP - 5-32-37)
9. RW Danny Kristo, North Dakota (50GP - 21-15-36)
10. C Matthew Higgins, Boston College (46GP - 20-16-36)


-

AHL John B. Sollenberger Trophy (Leading scorer): C Mark Smith, Quad City Flames (79GP - 44G - 64A - 108PTS)
AHL Willie Marshall Award (Top goalscorer): RW Juuso Puustinen, Norfolk Admirals (81GP - 49G - 51A - 100PTS)
AHL Best Forward: C Mark Smith, Quad City Flames (79GP - 44G - 64A - 108PTS)
AHL Eddie Shore Plaque (Defenseman of the year): D Colten Teubert, Grand Rapid Griffins (79GP - 6G - 45A - 51PTS)
AHL Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy (Goaltender of the year): G Martin Gerber, Houston Aeros (58GP - 41W - 1.91GAA - 93.8SAV% - 11SO)
AHL Red Garrett Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the year): C Robbie Czarnik, Grand Rapid Griffins (78GP - 33G - 45A - 78PTS)
AHL Les Cunningham Plaque (Most Valuable Player): G Martin Gerber, Houston Aeros (58GP - 41W - 1.91GAA - 93.8SAV% - 11SO)
AHL Calder Cup Champions: Rochester Americans

AHL Top 10 Scorers
1. C Mark Smith, Quad City Flames (79GP - 44-64-108)
2. RW Juuso Puustinen, Norfolk Admirals (81GP - 49-51-100)
3. C Logan Couture, Chicago Wolves (74GP - 45-50-95)
4. RW Ryan Shannon, Philadelphia Phantoms (80GP - 43-46-89)
5. Pat Rissmiller, Bridgeport Tigers (77GP - 35-51-86)
6. LW Dylan Hunter, Providence Bruins (79GP - 31-54-85)
7. RW Brandon Sutter, Milwaukee Admirlas (80GP - 32-52-84)
8. LW Mason Raymond, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (80GP - 36-47-83)
9. C Brad Marchant, Rochester Americans (77GP - 29-52-81)
10. RW Jonathan Filewich, Houston Aeros (71GP - 39-41-80)

-

ECHL Champions: Mississippi Sea Wolves
ECHL MVP: D Adam Pardy, Charlotte Checkers (70GP - 21-63-84)

ECHL Top 5 Scorers
1. D Adam Pardy, Charlotte Checkers (70GP - 21-63-84)
2. C Mike Stathopoulos, Stockton Thunder (66GP - 36-41-77)
3. RW Chris Bourque, South Carolina Stingrays (67GP - 31-40-71)
4. C Kyle Jones, Gwinnett Gladiators (66GP - 33-36-69)
5. C Paul Byron, Cincinnati Cyclones (55GP - 27-40-67)

-

Czech Elite League Championship: HC Pardubice
Czech Elite League MVP: D Martin Sevc, HC Pardubice (47GP - 12-46-58)

Czech Elite League Top 5 Scorers
1. RW Erik Condra, HC Plzen (48GP - 23-39-62)
2. C Viktor Hübl, HC Zlin (50GP - 24-34-58)
3. D Martin Sevc, HC Pardubice (47GP - 12-46-58)
4. RW Jaroslav Kalla, HC Pardubivce (47GP - 27-29-56)
5. C Jakub Klepis, HC Slavia Praha (50GP - 21-32-53)

-

Slovakian T-Com Extraliga Championship: Dukla Trencin
Slovakian T-Com Extraliga MVP: C Martin Cibak, MsHK Zilina (42GP - 20-36-56)

Slovakian T-Com Extraliga Top 5 Scorers
1. C Rastislav Pavlikovsky, MsHK Zilina (46GP - 33-40-73)
2. RW Miroslav Zalesak, HC Kosice (50GP - 37-27-64)
3. C Peter Pucher, Dukla Trencin (50GP - 20-40-60)
4. RW Jiri Bicek, HC Slovan (49GP - 29-28-57)
5. RW Radovan Somik, HC Poprad (50GP - 26-31-57)

-

DEL Championship: EHC Eisbären Berlin
DEL MVP: RW Michael Wolf, EHC Eisbären Berlin (45GP - 40-30-70)

DEL Top 5 Scorers
1. LW Travis Brigley, Ausburg Panther (47GP - 34-51-85)
2. RW Cameron Mann, Kölner Haie (49GP - 31-39-70)
3. RW Michael Wolf, EHC Eisbären Berlin (45GP - 40-30-70)
4. LW Martin Kariya, Adler Mannheim (47GP - 25-45-70)
5. RW Brad Tapper, Duisburg (50GP - 31-34-65)

-

Swiss National League Championship: HC Davos
Swiss National League MVP: D Bryce Lampman, HC Davos (48GP - 20-39-59)

Swiss National League Top 5 Scorers
1. RW Pavel Brendl, HC Davos (47GP - 37-34-71)
2. LW Reto von Arx, EV Zug (50GP - 24-45-69)
3. C Ben Guite, Rapperswil Lakers (47GP - 30-32-62)
4. D Bryce Lampman, HC Davos (48GP - 20-39-59)
5. RW Juraj Simek, Rapperswil Lakers (50GP - 26-32-58)

-

Swedish Elitserien Championship: HV71
Swedish Elitserien MVP: C Yared Hagos, HV71 (50GP - 23-42-65)

Swedish Elitserien Top 5 Scorers
1. LW Fredrik Warg, Skelleftea (50GP - 28-47-75)
2. RW Mathias Mansson, Djurgarden (49GP - 33-38-71)
3. C Yared Hagos, HV71 (50GP - 23-42-65)
4. C Joel Lundqvist, Frölunda (50GP - 27-33-60)
5. RW Mathias Tjärnqvist, Rögle (50GP - 28-29-57)

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Finnish SM-League Championship: Tampereen Ilves
Finnish SM-League MVP: C Petteri Wirtanen, Lahden Pelicans (50GP - 28-40-68)

Finnish SM-League Top 5 Scorers
1. C Petteri Wirtanen, Lahden Pelicans (50GP - 28-40-68)
2. C Jarkko Immonen, Tampereen Ilves (48GP - 24-41-65)
3. C Riku Hahl, Jokerit Helsinki (50GP - 24-38-62)
4. LW Jani Rita, Kärpät (48GP - 34-23-57)
5. RW Lauri Tukonen, Tampereen Tappara (49GP - 37-20-56)

-

Russian Superleague Championship: CSKA Moscow
Russian Superleague MVP: C Denis Platonov, CSKA Moscow (49GP - 31-23-54)

Russian Superleague Top 5 Scorers
1. RW Dmitri Makarov, Neftekhimik (49GP - 42-17-59)
2. C Denis Platonov, CSKA Moscow (49GP - 31-23-54)
3. C Anton Kuryanov, Avangard Omsk (50GP - 20-33-53)
4. RW Pavel Rosa, Avangard Omsk (43GP - 26-22-48)
5. RW Maxim Sushinsky, Spartak (47GP - 21-27-48)

-

Yearly World Rankings
1 (1) Canada
2 (3) Sweden
3 (2) USA
4 (4) Russia
5 (5) Finland
-
6 (7) Slovakia
7 (6) Czech Republic
8 (10) Switzerland
9 (11) Denmark
10 (9) Austria
-
11 (8) Germany
12 (12) Italy
13 (13) Norway
14 (16) Latvia
15 (14) Belarus
-
16 (15) Slovenia
17 (18) Hungary
18 (17) Ukraine
19 (20) France
20 (19) Kazakhstan
-
21 (21) Great Britain
22 (22) Poland
23 (24) Croatia
24 (23) Romania
25 (26) Estonia
-
26 (25) Netherlands
27 (27) Japan
28 (29) Lithuania
29 (30) South Korea
30 (28) China
-
31 (32) Belgium
32 (31) Serbia
33 (33) Bulgaria
34 (34) Spain
35 (35) Israel
-
36 (36) Australia
37 (37) North Korea
38 (38) South Africa
39 (39) Iceland
40 (40) Bosnia-Herzegovina
-
41 (41) New Zealand
42 (42) Turkey
43 (43) Thailand
44 (44) Singapore
45 (45) Mongolia
-
46 (46) Mexico
47 (47) Malaysia
48 (48) Luxembourg
49 (49) Ireland
50 (50) Greece
-
51 (51) Armenia
52 (52) Andorra

[duff88]

2012 NHL Entry Draft

TRADE: Columbus trades the 4th overall pick to Chicago for D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, rights to F Andrei Glotov and the 149th and 179th picks.

[duff88]

Coyotes draft review

Round 1 - 3rd overall - RD Shannon Ladd - L - 6'4/211 - Saginaw Spirit (OHL) - 9/6/1994 - St. Thomas, Ontario
2011-12 - Saginaw (OHL) - 68GP - 26G - 73A - 99PTS - Ranked 2nd overall by ISS
Head scout Mark Yanetti claimed he had Ladd first on his list in the post-draft interview, and it does seem like Ladd could become the greatest player of his draft class. One of the youngest player in his draft class, Ladd is all about upside. Although he played well enough to earn him OHL Player of the Year honors, some question how well Ladd will be able to adapt his game to the NHL. An amazing athlete who impressed in the Draft Combine by being one of the strongest players, Ladd is a hard worker and a team player although he has a rather silent personality. He plays well on both sides of the ice and makes a solid first pass out of the zone. He sometimes has problem handling the puck which can create turnovers; he also needs to get better at getting his shots through traffic at the net. Ladd will need some seasonning in the minors, but he could turn out to be a stud on the Coyotes' defense.

Round 2 - 32nd overall - C Jean-Simon Jager - R - 6'4/231 - Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) - 7/13/1994 - Chester, Nova Scotia
2011-12 - Gatineau (QMJHL) - 68GP - 28G - 51A - 79PTS - Ranked 21st overall by ISS
Originally seen as a mid first round prospect, Jager fell on draft day after a difficult time at the NHL Combines. Jager had a rough showing on both the physical testings, being slightly overweight, and in the interviews were some teams described him as a fragile individual. Still, the Chester native has a solid upside with good skating ability and the potential to be a powerforward in the NHL one day. With the determination to get more fit, Jager could be even quicker in execution on the ice, where he is already much faster than his competition. He has the ability to bounce around the ice with aggression and to go in trafic areas to battle for the puck. Jager has a solid shot and is very good defensively. His lack of consistency and average work ethic may have scared some teams away. On some nights, he can look like a star while on other nights, he will be invisible. Drafted as a centre, his future in the NHL may very well be on right wing.

Round 2 - 55th overall - RD Shane Hanlon - L - 6'4/224 - Clarkson Golden Knights (NCAA) - 5/20/1994 - New York, New York
2011-12 - Clarkson (NCAA) - 47GP - 8G - 28A - 36PTS - Ranked 162nd overall by ISS
A huge defensive minded blue-liner, Shane Hanlon play an aggressive and intimidating style of defense. For a player his size, he has very good skating ability and can change direction like few others of his frame. He wore an A as the third youngest player on his team because of his great on-ice work ethics and determination, although he is said to be rather solitary off the ice. Hanlon can deliver some crushing hits, uses his excellent reach very well and is very poised, which makes him a force on defense. He is very limited offensively though and often has a hard time clearing the puck out of his zone. He projects as a bottom pairing defenseman, and his pick at this point of the draft was seen by many as a surprise.

Round 3 - 62nd overall - G Jean-Philippe Poirier - L - 5'9/178 - Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL) - 2/18/1994 - Val d'Or, Quebec
2011-12 - Lewiston (QMJHL) - 58GP - 34W - 2.21GAA - 92.6SAV% - 9SO - Ranked 168th overall by ISS
Poirier was ranked low by all scouting agencies mainly because of his size, which might be pushed a little bit down from the listed 5'9. On the other hand, he is a workhorse who trains very hard, and it shows on the ice. He is an agile, flexible and athletic goaltender with a strong and fast glove. He is good on rebounds and at recovering after a save and he moves very well in his crease. He sometimes has problems with his angles, which is a killer for such a small goaltender. His play around the net is deficient and he can not be relied on to make a solid pass. Poirier has the potential, but he will need a strong development and great mental strenght to make it to the NHL.

Round 4 - 103rd overall - RW Pierre-Luc Marcoux - R - 6'2/163 - Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) - 3/24/1994 - Montreal-Nord, Quebec
2011-12 - Victoriaville (QMJHL) - 69GP - 12G - 24A - 36PTS - Ranked 176th overall by ISS
Marcoux has some huge ups, and some costly downs in his game. A great skater with speed to burn, he lacks greatly in stamina and strenght which makes his skating ability somewhat ineffective. He is easy to knock off the puck and has poor hockey sense, but he is a creative player with good scoring instincts and the ability to make spectacular plays. He needs to bulk up and increase his work rate so that he can truly use his skating ability to full efficiency and at this point he will be a solid two-way player.

Round 5 - 122nd overall - C Colin Simon - L - 6'2/178 - Barrie Colts (OHL) - 3/20/1994 - Gloucester, Ontario
2011-12 - Barrie (OHL) - 62GP - 19G - 20A - 39PTS - Ranked 131st overall by ISS
Simon plays a solid two-way game based around his great skating and checking abilities. He is a speedy, strong player who never stops moving his feet. What he lacks in creativity and hockey sense, he makes up in effort and intensity. He is good on faceoffs, will go in traffic areas and has a solid shot. Overall, Simon projects as a bottom line energy player.

Round 6 - 152nd overall - RW Etienne Papa - R - 6'3/196 - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) - 1/11/1994 - Drummondville, Quebec
2011-12 - Moncton (QMJHL) - 67GP - 7G - 12A - 19PTS - Ranked 166th overall by ISS
The son of Canadian-Haitian parents, Etienne Papa has yet to show his upside on the ice. A great natural athlete who shows outstanding fitness, he is also an excellent skater and a very determined individual. He combines good puckhandling skills, size and scoring ability, but has yet to put it all together. He sometimes looks lost on the ice when he doesn't have the puck, especially in the defensive zone. Overall, Papa has the natural ability but will need the coaching to make it to the next level.

Round 7 - 182nd overall - LW/RW/C Simon Backman - L - 5'10/196 - Vaasan Sport (FIN Mestis) - 3/11/1994 - Vaasa, Finland
2011-12 - Sport (FIN) - 40GP - 25G - 29A - 54PTS - Ranked 159th overall by ISS
A gifted player with great technical abilities, Backman hurt his draft stock by refusing to leave his hometown team for a higher level of competition in the SM-League. An aggressive player who can play at any forward position, Backman is a solid although somewhat slow skater. He is very strong on the puck and works very well in the corners and in front of the net. He is a very good checker, loves to throw his body around and has an ability to get open on the attack. He is a gifted scorer with a good wrist shot and great hands. Backman also excells at faceoffs. He has yet to indicate his future plans, and has not demonstrated great interest in playing in the NHL.

[duff88]

Coyotes re-sign a few

June 23rd 2012 - The Kansas City Coyotes have signed 38-years-old winger Anson Carter to a one-year deal that demonstrates the interest from both sides for the Canadian to finish his career in Kansas City. The Coyotes also signed a new 3 year deal with Taylor Pyatt that is worth a million and a half a year.

In addition, the Coyotes signed new one year deals with Chris Durand, Andrew Kozek, Ben Ferriero, Brett Hextall, Vitaly Karamnov, Staffan Kronwall, Anton Krysanov, Jordan Parise, Ondrej Pavelec, Rosario Ruggeri, Nathan Saunders, Brett Brennett. Finally, the team signed two year deals with Maksim Goncharov, Eric Hunter, Alexandre Picard-Hooper and Jared Staal.

The Coyotes also signed graduated NCAA prospects Jeremy Morin from Harvard and Matt Bourdeau from Denver.

[duff88]

Coyotes acquire Weiss

June 27th 2012 - The Kansas City Coyotes made a major deal with the Florida Panthers today. The Coyotes traded three roster players for a star forward in Stephen Weiss. To get Weiss, the Coyotes had to give up defenseman Denis Kulyash, centre Matthew Lombardi and winger Logan MacMillan. This is arguably the biggest trade in the history of the Coyotes.

"We did have to give out some major assets, but Weiss is a star in this league and will bring a whole new dimension to this team." said GM Nicolas Fillion

In the last four seasons with the Panthers, Weiss has scored 69 (29-40), 60 (27-33), 71 (28-43) and 65 (23-42) points. He has two years left on a 3.1M$ p/y deal.

Stephen Weiss - C - 5'11/183 - L - 29 years old - Toronto, Ontario

[DeToxRox]

Love the Weiss trade and I like the Ladd pick a lot. He and Hedman give you two big boys back on your blue line for the foreseeable future.

[duff88]

Kaspar wins third Sprint Cup

June 29th 2012 - Lukas Kaspar has won the Sprint Cup for the third time of his career, also winning the Star trophy as Fans Player of the Year. Kaspar finished the season with 24 goals and 60 assists for 84 points in 82 games.

Taylor Pyatt won the Gold Stick as Player who contributed to the team's success without recieving recognition. Although Pyatt's 56 points ranked him on the upper part of the team's scoring list, it was his great all-around play that got him this award and the fact that he constantly contributed during the whole year.

[duff88]

Kelly won't be back

June 30th 2012 - Chris Kelly will test the free agency market by becoming an Unrestricted Free Agent on July 1st. Kelly reportedly refused short and long term offers from the Coyotes in order to use his right to free agency this summer.

Evgeny Artyukhin, Reid Cashman, Stefan Meyer, Jack Combs, Vladimir Ruzicka, James Sanford, Tim Billingsley, Patrick Brosnihan and Louis-Philippe Martin will also become free agents.

[duff88]

Kovalchuk and Staal headline UFA market

July 1st 2012 - Ilya Kovalchuk and Eric Staal will be the two most conveted players as the unrestricted free agents hit open market today. Strong off a 68 goals season, Kovalchuk will be hoping for a multi-year deal with a salary up the 8M$ margin a year. The Chicago Blackhawks are said to be interested in bringing him back, but reports say teams in the Pacific division as well as an eastern Canadian team have made offers. Eric Staal will also gather a lot of interest as the big 27-years-old centre should be looking for a multi-year deal.

Forwards
Maxim Afinogenov - RW - 6'0/194 - Russia - 32 years old - Portland Titans (75GP - 29G - 38A - 67PTS)
Mike Cammalleri - LW - 5'9/178 - Canada - 30 years old - Calgary Flames (77GP - 37G - 55A - 92PTS)
Jeff Carter - C - 6'3/198 - Canada - 27 years old - Philadelphia Flyers/Washington Capitals (77GP - 21G - 31A - 52PTS)
Matt Cullen - C - 6'2/198 - USA - 35 years old - New Jersey Devils (72GP - 17G - 27A - 44PTS)
Shane Doan - RW - 6'2/213 - Canada - 35 years old - Toronto Maple Leafs (76GP - 37G - 42A - 79PTS)
Chris Drury - C - 5'10/178 - USA - 35 years old - New York Rangers (52GP - 15G - 34A - 49PTS)
Jean-Pierre Dumont - RW - 6'1/202 - Canada - 34 years old - Chicago Blackhawks (82GP - 36G - 55A - 91PTS)
Mike Grier - RW - 6'1/218 - USA - 37 years old - San Jose Sharks (72GP - 12G - 23A - 35PTS)
Michal Handzus - C - 6'5/213 - Slovakia - 35 years old - Vancouver Canucks (72GP - 31G - 54A - 85PTS)
Jochen Hecht - LW - 6'1/198 - Germany - 35 years old - Portland Titans (65GP - 20G - 33A - 53PTS)
Milan Hejduk - RW - 5'11/183 - Czech Republic - 36 years old - Colorado Avalanche (81GP - 41G - 43A - 84PTS)
Chris Higgins - LW - 5'11/187 - USA - 29 years old - Montreal Canadiens (71GP - 29G - 22A - 51PTS)
Ilya Kovalchuk - LW - 6'2/218 - Russia - 29 years old - Chicago Blackhawks (73GP - 68G - 52A - 120PTS)
Daymond Langkow - C - 5'11/191 - Canada - 35 years old - Calgary Flames (77GP - 20G - 41A - 61PTS)
Andy McDonald - C - 5'10/185 - Canada - 34 years old - Montreal Canadiens (82GP - 23G - 46A - 69PTS)
Brendan Morrison - C - 5'11/185 - Canada - 36 years old - Anaheim Ducks (73GP - 28G - 36A - 64PTS)
Markus Näslund - LW - 5'11/194 - Sweden - 38 years old - New York Rangers (82GP - 32G - 48A - 80PTS)
Zach Parise - C - 5'11/178 - USA - 27 years old - New Jersey Devils (71GP - 18G - 30A - 48PTS)
Jason Pominville - RW - 6'0/176 - USA - 29 years old - Buffalo Sabres (73GP - 28G - 41A - 69PTS)
Ryan Smyth - LW - 6'1/189 - Canada - 36 years old - Colorado Avalanche (81GP - 29G - 37A - 66PTS)
Eric Staal - C - 6'3/198 - Canada - 27 years old - Carolina Hurricanes (81GP - 32G - 57A - 89PTS)
Petr Sykora - RW - 5'11/189 - Czech Republic - 35 years old - New Jersey Devils (82GP - 30G - 33A - 63PTS)
Marek Svatos - RW - 5'9/169 - Slovakia - 29 years old - Los Angeles Kings (81GP - 36G - 29A - 65PTS)
Alex Tanguay - LW - 6'0/189 - Canada - 32 years old - Carolina Hurricanes (75GP - 27G - 42A - 69PTS)

Defensemen
Bryan Berard - D - 6'2/218 - USA - 35 years old - Portland Titans (81GP - 11G - 26A - 37PTS)
Tim Gleason - D - 6'1/213 - USA - 29 years old - Carolina Hurricanes (82GP - 6G - 31A - 37PTS)
Sergei Gonchar - D - 6'2/213 - Russia - 38 years old - Chicago Blackhawks (82GP - 19G - 44A - 63PTS)
Roman Hamrlik - D - 6'2/209 - Czech Republic - 38 years old - Calgary Flames (69GP - 3G - 19A - 22PTS)
Kim Johnsson - D - 6'1/191 - Sweden - 36 years old - St. Louis Blues (81GP - 12G - 35A - 47PTS)
Rostislav Klesla - D - 6'3/213 - Czech Republic - 30 years old - Anaheim Ducks (81GP - 10G - 26A - 36PTS)
Filip Kuba - D - 6'3/202 - Czech Republic - 35 years old - New York Rangers/St. Louis Blues (58GP - 0G - 9A - 9PTS)
Nicklas Lidström - D - 6'2/189 - Sweden - 42 years old - Detroit Red Wings (82GP - 8G - 26A - 34PTS)
John-Michael Liles - D - 5'10/180 - USA - 31 years old - New Jersey Devils (69GP - 4G - 18A - 22PTS)
Paul Mara - D - 6'4/209 - USA - 32 years old - Ottawa Senators (82GP - 4G - 39A - 43PTS)
Derek Morris - D - 6'0/213 - Canada - 33 years old - Los Angeles Kings (81GP - 4G - 36A - 40PTS)
Scott Niedermayer - D - 6'1/198 - Canada - 38 years old - Atlanta Thrashers (79GP - 7G - 27A - 34PTS)
Mattias Öhlund - D - 6'2/218 - Sweden - 35 years old - Vancouver Canucks (82GP - 4G - 43A - 47PTS)
Brian Rafalski - D - 5'9/189 - USA - 38 years old - Detroit Red Wings/Atlanta Thrashers (78GP - 12G - 32A - 44PTS)
Craig Rivet - D - 6'3/200 - Canada - 37 years old - Montreal Canadiens (71GP - 7G - 15A - 22PTS)
Sheldon Souray - D - 6'4/224 - Canada - 35 years old - Edmonton Oilers (82GP - 6G - 37A - 43PTS)
Ryan Suter - D - 6'1/189 - USA - 27 years old - Boston Bruins (82GP - 7G - 19A - 26PTS)
Fedor Tyutin - D - 6'3/209 - Russia - 28 years old - Chicago Blackhawks (82GP - 1G - 22A - 23PTS)
Colin White - D - 6'4/213 - Canada - 34 years old - Vancouver Canucks (82GP - 8G - 25A - 33PTS)
Dennis Wideman - D - 6'0/198 - Canada - 29 years old - Detroit Red Wings/New York Rangers (77GP - 8G - 21A - 29PTS)

Goaltenders
Brian Boucher - G - 6'1/180 - USA - 35 years old - Columbus Blue Jackets (56GP - 17W - 3.86GAA - 88.3SAV%)
Robert Esche - G - 6'2/220 - USA - 34 years old - Los Angeles Kings (16GP - 6W - 3.24GAA - 88.9SAV%)
Manny Fernandez - G - 6'0/185 - Canada - 37 years old - Washington Capitals (64GP - 32W - 3.35GAA - 88.5SAV%)
Pascal Leclaire - G - 6'2/189 - Canada - 29 years old - Columbus Blue Jackets (36GP - 12W - 3.73GAA - 88.8SAV%)
Andrew Raycroft - G - 6'1/183 - Canada - 32 years old - Colorado Avalanche (14GP - 7W - 3.36GAA - 89.6SAV%)
Vesa Toskala - G - 5'10/194 - Finland - 35 years old - Toronto Maple Leafs (71GP - 49W - 2.66GAA - 90.7SAV% - 4SO)
Marty Turco - G - 5'11/180 - Canada - 36 years old - Dallas Stars (70GP - 37W - 2.78GAA - 91.1SAV% - 3SO)

[duff88]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Love the Weiss trade and I like the Ladd pick a lot. He and Hedman give you two big boys back on your blue line for the foreseeable future.

Let's just say I'm hoping to make a big move this summer and get this team to the next level. We'll see if players are willing to sign in Kansas City, otherwise I might just go to the trade market.

We'll make the playoffs this year.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by duff88

Let's just say I'm hoping to make a big move this summer and get this team to the next level. We'll see if players are willing to sign in Kansas City, otherwise I might just go to the trade market.

We'll make the playoffs this year.

Yeah for sure. Kovalchuck or Staal would look great in KC. From my past EHM experiences it'll be a chore to lock them up but that said if you get one of them they can get you to the playoffs by themselves.

Trade might be the best route though as it seems like your system is pretty stocked.

[duff88]

UFA Tracker

Edmonton signs D Tim Gleason - 3 years ; 9.75M$
Portland signs D Colin White - 1 year ; 4.5M$
Anaheim signs G Manny Fernandez - 2 years ; 4.6M$
Portland signs D Scott Niedermayer - 2 years ; 10.5M$
Boston signs G Brian Boucher - 3 years ; 6M$
Vancouver signs C Eric Staal - 2 years ; 12M$

[duff88]

Coyotes sign 2011 first round picks

July 4th 2012 - The Kansas City Coyotes have signed rookie deals with their first round picks in the 2011 NHL Draft, forward André Lindblad and defenseman Ivan Ruzicka. They will compete for roster spots with the Coyotes but should start the year back with their junior teams in the CHL.

[duff88]

UFA Tracker

Toronto signs D Willie Mitchell - 1 year ; 500K$
Montreal signs C Paul Gaustad - 3 years ; 3.9M$
New York R re-signs C Chris Drury - 1 year ; 4.8M$
Ottawa signs D Paul Mara - 3 years ; 12.25M$
Columbus signs C Daymond Langkow - 1 year ; 4.5M$
Edmonton signs G Pascal Leclaire - 3 years ; 5.75M$
Chicago re-signs LW Ilya Kovalchuk - 3 years ; 21M$
Portland signs D Bryan Berard - 1 year ; 2.2M$

[duff88]

Coyotes sign Wideman

The Kansas City Coyotes have signed a 2 years contract worth 5M$ with unrestricted free agent defenseman Dennis Wideman. The 29-years-old from Elmira will therefore replace Denis Kulyash in the role of offensive defenseman after the russian was traded to the Florida Panthers earlier this summer for forward Stephen Weiss. The blue-liner spent the last season between Detroit and New York after five years in Boston. He scored 8 goals and 29 points last season, but maintained a very disappointing -21 record. Most of all, Wideman will be a welcomed right handed defenseman in a blue line that has been filled with lefties for quite some time.

Dennis Wideman - RD/LD - 6'0/198 - R - 29-years-old - Elmira, Ontario

[Travis]

Could be different in your universe, but Hecht is usually a pretty superb top 6 forward for quite a few years that I usually end up picking up 3-4 years into most career's I've played due to talent vs expected salary. Not quite the front runner I'm sure you're hoping to land, but seeing Staal and Kovalchuk off the market now he might look awful nice in a KC jersey.

[Travis]

Dola, how are Svatos and Carter looking? Either worth a contract offer?