QUICKLINES September 1 - September 7

Jordan Staal will miss the first half of the Penguins' training camp due to a foot infection resulting from the laceration he received early in the 2009-2010 postseason playoff round against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite this, the team expects Staal to be fully recovered in time for the upcoming regular season.


Newlywed Mike Comrie has signed a one-year, $500, 000 deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 29-year old left wing center joins a roster that has just recently lost veteran player Bill Guerin, and will be a strong addition to the team, considering that defenceman Jordan Staal is also out for the time being.


Marc Savard's lawyer is threatening legal action against the NHL if the board goes through with the intention of looking into Savard's 7-year deal with the Boston Bruins. Savard's lawyer states that considering that the severe injury he sustained late last season has decreased his value as a player, making Savard a free agent would drastically hurt his playing career. No word has been released as to whether the NHL will continue with the intended examination of the contract.

QUICKLINES June 2 - June 27

Anaheim Ducks captain and 4-time Stanley Cup winner Scott Niedermayer has retired. The 36-year old Edmonton native officially hung up his jersey yesterday, June 22, after 18 seasons with the NHL. Niedermayer is the only player in the league who has won every major North American and international championship in his career, including the World Juniors, IIHF World Championships, 4 Stanley Cups, the World Cup and 2 Olympic gold medals. Next up for Niedermayer: a possible induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Evgeni Nabokov's future with the San Jose Sharks is uncertain for the first time in 10 years. It has been announced that the Sharks' starting goalie will not be coming back for the 2010-2011 season. Last season, Nabokov helped his team advance to the third round of playoffs, and his career 50 shutouts is the second highest among active goalies, just beneath the New Jersey Devils' Martin Brodeur.
Also not returning to his team next season is Dustin Byfuglien, who was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for 24th overall draft pick Marty Reasoner. Byfuglien was one of the key contributers to the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup victory this year.

QUICKLINES May 30 - June 5

The Toronto Maple Leafs lose their chance at getting the number 1 pick for the 2010 NHL Draft, choosing instead to hand it over to the Edmonton Oilers in order to keep right winger Phil Kessel. As a result, the Oilers have their choice of either Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall to add to their team for the 2010-2011 season.
The Maple Leafs are not regretting their decision to turn over first pick to the Oilers. Leafs head coach Ron Wilson defends the choice by saying he is happy with the current roster, adding that the familiarity and presence of Phil Kessel would be more beneficial to the team than the addition of a new player.
Though the Leafs finished second to last in rankings in the 2009-2010 regular season, the team experienced a burst of new energy following the trade that sent Dion Phaneuf from Calgary to Toronto. The success of Phaneuf as a Leaf has prompted Wilson to name him team captain for the upcoming season.

Hockey legend and Hall-of-Famer Steve Yzerman has taken over Brian Lawton's position as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team's owner, Jeff Vinik, fired Lawton on April 12, following an embarrassing season for the team, who finished 25th in the league in 2009-2010. Head coach Rick Tocchet was also fired and the Lightning have yet to name a replacement.
Flames fans back in Calgary were disappointed when Yzerman took the position with Tampa Bay, quelching the rumours that he was to replace Darryl Sutter as the Flames GM.
Both Darryl and Brent Sutter were criticized for their choices during the 2010 trades, which sent Dion Phaneuf, Ollie Jokinen, Dustin Boyd and a few others packing, while acquiring most of their new players from the 28th ranked team in the league, the Toronto Maple Leafs. There is still some indecision within the Calgary franchise as to whether the Sutters will stay or go for the following season.

QUICKLINES March 7-13

Sidney Crosby has turned down a request to host the Top Ten with Jay Leno, as well as an appearance on the David Letterman show. Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero says Crosby is unable to make any promotional appearances on behalf of the NHL due to a busy schedule.


The New York State Supreme Court will be handling the case of the National Hockey League vs. Jerry Moyes. Moyes, the former owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, is being sued by the NHL for his mismanagement of the team, which resulted in an estimated loss of $61 million.


Marc Savard's grade 2 concussion as a result of a check from Matt Cooke is the main topic being discussed at this year's NHL General Managers meeting in Florida. The NHL is looking to change the rules or implement a new rule on checking to prevent the number of head injuries happening during the season.
Despite the severity of his hit, Cooke will not be suspended.