Chicago Sun-Times

John Anderson to return as Wolves coach

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 13:24:01 -0500

By Wolves standards, winning only two playoff games over the last two seasons is a monumental disappointment. So in effort to return the organization to prominence the team is going to bring back John Anderson as its coach, a team source told the Sun-Times.

U.S. Olympic hockey team might change its thinking in Sochi

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 00:12:00 -0500

NEW YORK — Newly named U.S. general manager David Poile believes that the return of Olympic hockey to the larger European-size rink means the Americans have to expand their thinking on the team they should send to Sochi, Russia, next winter. “A player who was successful in Vancouver in 2010 may not be successful in Sochi,” Poile said said at a news conference Saturday. The Sochi Olympics will be played on the standard 200 by 100-foot international rink, meaning it will be 15 feet wider than the 2010 Vancouver rink. “(In 2010) you heard Brian Burke talking about words like …

NHL draft: Avalanche looking at Nathan MacKinnon with first pick

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 00:12:00 -0500

The Colorado Avalanche own the top pick in the NHL draft and a whole lot of options. Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones. Jonathan Drouin and Aleksander Barkov. They are the top candidates to go first Sunday at the Prudential Center. Colorado won the draft lottery and has flirted with the idea of picking a puck-moving defenseman in Jones. But it appears the Avalanche are leaning toward choosing a forward, perhaps the 17-year-old MacKinnon. MacKinnon, a 6-foot, 182-pound center, is a solid two-way presence with strong hands and stick-handling and skating skills. He is considered a natural scorer and a very …

Bruins sweep Penguins for spot in Stanley Cup Final

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 06:22:57 -0500

BOSTON — The Bruins defense shut down the potent Pittsburgh Penguins throughout the Eastern Conference finals. Then a Boston defenseman scored the goal that sealed the stunning sweep. Adam McQuaid scored early in the third period, Tuukka Rask posted his second shutout of the series, and the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup finals with a 1-0 win on Friday night. The Bruins dominated the series and held the high-scoring Penguins to just two goals. Pittsburgh never even had the lead in any of its four losses. “I think first and foremost, we’re obviously trying to be solid defensively,” McQuaid said …

Bruins’ Gregory Campbell finished shift with broken leg

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:28:00 -0500

BOSTON — Boston Bruins center Gregory Campbell will miss the rest of the NHL playoffs with a broken right leg. General manager Peter Chiarelli made the announcement Thursday. Campbell was hurt during the second period of the Bruins 2-1, double-overtime victory Wednesday night that gave them a 3-0 lead over Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 4 is Friday night. During a Penguins power play, Campbell fell in the right faceoff circle with about eight minutes left. He got up and dove in the high slot to try and block Evgeni Malkin’s shot. He kept playing for about a …

Fiery John Tortorella fired by Rangers

Wed, 29 May 2013 13:08:01 -0500

The Rangers fired combative coach John Tortorella on Wednesday, four days after New York was eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Blackhawks’ Joel Quenneville up for Jack Adams Award

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:33:24 -0500

Joel Quenneville, Bruce Boudreau and Paul MacLean have been announced as the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, given to the head coach who has contributed most to his team’s success.

NHL players’ association approves realignment

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:18:15 -0500

NEW YORK — The NHL moved a step closer to realignment Thursday as the players’ association approved a proposed plan that is set to go into effect next season. Now that the league has gotten the go-ahead from union chief Donald Fehr, the NHL will only need to get approval from team owners to put it in place. “The NHL Players’ Association confirmed to us today that it has consented to a revised plan for realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “Our next step will be to bring the proposed plan …

Doubleheader at Soldier Field will give college game some exposure

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:06:07 -0500

Soldier Field is rich in tradition because of the Bears, but college hockey will try to capitalize on the iconic name when the two-game Hockey City Classic is held there Sunday. No. 12 Notre Dame will face No. 3 Miami of Ohio in the first game (noon, CSN) and No. 2 Minnesota will battle No. 18 Wisconsin in the second (3:30 p.m., BTN). It will be the first college hockey doubleheader at Soldier Field. Last week, seven high school hockey games were played there. Dan Kelly, who has called hockey at the college and pro levels, will serve as the …

NHL cancels games through Jan. 14 as lockout continues

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:00:22 -0500

More than half of the NHL’s regular season has now been lost. With talks for a new collective bargaining agreement stalled between the NHL owners and the NHL Players’ Association, the league announced Thursday that the regular-season schedule through Jan. 14 was canceled. A total of 625 regular-season games -- which accounts for 50.8 percent of the season – have now been axed because of the NHL’s lockout of players. If a deal isn’t reached soon after Christmas, the rest of the season may be next, leaving NHL fans without a season to watch for the second time since 2004. …

NHL cancels games through Dec. 30, season in jeopardy

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:01:12 -0500

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has repeatedly declined to set a drop-dead date to salvage the 2012-13 season. But whatever it is, it’s getting close.

NHL lockout: No contact between players, owners

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:21:30 -0500

NEW YORK — NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Friday that he is out of ideas how to get negotiations back on track to save the hockey season. Talks fell apart Thursday night amid back-and-forth accusations, and the fallout was still being felt Friday. The two sides had no contact with each other on the 83rd day of the owners’ lockout of players. “I have no reason, nor any intention, of reaching out to the union right now,” Daly said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have no new ideas. Maybe they do. We are happy to listen.” …

NHL cancels games through Dec. 14, All-Star Game

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 06:19:37 -0500

Day 69 of the NHL lockout meant more days without hockey are coming. Still without a collective-bargaining agreement, the NHL announced another round of cancellations Friday, eliminating games through Dec. 14 and the All-Star festivities in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 26-27. The cancellations were expected as the league’s negotiations with the NHL Players’ Association broke down Wednesday, with the owners balking at the players’ most recent offer. It’s unknown when negotiations will resume. In a statement Friday, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr defended the players’ proposal. The league has continued to stand its ground on revenue sharing and player contracts. …

NHL cancels Winter Classic — source

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:40:11 -0500

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The NHL has canceled the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium. The signature event between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, is the latest casualty from the labor dispute that has put the season on hold, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league had not yet announced the move, also said the NHL will schedule its next Winter Classic at the iconic stadium that seats more than 100,000 people. There have been no labor negotiations since Oct. 18, …

NHL cancels games through Nov. 30

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:02:02 -0500

Because of the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations, the NHL informed teams on Friday that games will be canceled through Nov. 30. A total of 326 games—or 26.5 percent of the season—has been lost from Oct. 11 to Nov. 30. The All-Star Game and Winter Classic are still scheduled to be played. “The National Hockey League deeply regrets having to take this action,” NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly said. “By presenting a proposal to the NHLPA that contemplated a fair division of revenues and was responsive to player concerns regarding the value of their contracts, we had hoped to be able …