Battle Of Hudson

“We were extremely disappointed to have to make today’s announcement. The game deserves better, the fans deserve better and the people who derive income from their connection to the NHL deserve better,” Bettman lackey Bill Daly read in a statement.

“We remain committed to doing everything in our power to forge an agreement that is fair to the players, fair to the teams and good for our fans. This is not about ‘winning’ or ‘losing’ a negotiation. This is about finding a solution that preserves the long-term health and stability of the League and the game. We are committed to getting this done.“

You can’t make it up. Under Bettman’s leadership, the NHL is now in their third lockout since ’94. Oddly enough, the first one that led to a shortened season came on the heels of a memorably postseason with the Rangers breaking a 54-year drought for the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup. If the second one was all too predictable leading to the loss of an entire season (’04-05), then the third is puzzling, leaving fans and players fuming. All due to a few Scrooges among an owner minority who forced the teflon commish into a corner. It’s worth noting that they didn’t need a majority vote to approve the work stoppage. But it didn’t matter. All it took were a few bad seeds to cast the ’12-13 season into doubt.

When it was announced on the radio earlier, I didn’t flinch. Why bother? They don’t give a rat’s ass if these games are played. Obviously, they could care less about loyal workers who must find work elsewhere. That it comes on the heels of the first Presidential debate is fitting. Less than 24 hours removed from Mitt Romney outclassing supposed leader Barack Obama, it makes me want to throw up my hands that the same can’t be done to Uncle Gary. He’s been in charge for nearly 20 years and even with revenue at an all-time high, it’s the same old story. It’s the NHL who can use a new face with fresh ideas. John Davidson, who recently parted ways with St. Louis, comes to mind. But why would he ever want the unenviable task of working with two sides that hate each other? I’d rather see JD return to the booth and replace Joe Micheletti. When I’m nearly forgetting Micheletti’s first name, you know things are bad.
All too ironic is that it’s a miserable Thursday here in the Big Apple with muggy, overcast weather filled with fog and rain. I guess there really is poetic justice. Most embarrassing is the short article on NHL.com that lasted three sentences. Not quite the PR that was created by a great playoffs that saw the first ever No.8 seed, the LA Kings win their first Cup over No.6 seed the New Jersey Devils. That was fun. Even if Adam Henrique broke our backs, helping the Devils avenge ’94. Instead of being on the verge of his second season, the super soph is preparing for the AHL along with our own kid Chris Kreider. Both can still benefit down in the ‘A.’ More so Kreider, who never played pro hockey until he debuted with the Rangers last Spring. Henrique was a finished product who proved to be pivotal during the Devils’ run.

The AHL will benefit from a wealth of talent that also features former Calder winner Jeff Skinner, Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall. If you’re planning to see hockey, you may as well make a trip to your nearest minor league affiliate. It’s not like I have the option of watching juniors up close. But I’ll follow them the best I can. We’ll try to set aside a day to track all of Battle’s (Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Sabres) prospects. The CHL is in its second week and the USHL is underway with the NCAA around the corner.

Happy October! This is my favorite month of the year. Classic autumn weather with Halloween around the corner. October baseball, football and NHL hockey.

It’s a great time to be a sports fan. College football Saturdays even if I’m never home for wild games such as West Virginia and Baylor, who combined for more offense than a local NFL team will have by Thanksgiving. I’ll leave that to our Jets fan. I actually took off yesterday and watched that debacle. Nothing like a lazy Sunday. Too bad the Giants didn’t win. But there were some wild finishes. The Falcons stunning the Panthers and the undefeated Cardinals pulling one out of their magic hat to beat the Dolphins. So far, the football has been great even if the real refs tried to hand the Saints their first win over the Packers in my favorite game yesterday. Two MVP quarterbacks playing the part in Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers.

The Yankees and Orioles remain deadlocked with three left for the AL East. Will Boston and Tampa play spoiler? Will their be a one-game playoff at Camden Yards? As a Yankee fan, I’m glad to see meaningful baseball back in Baltimore. That’s a great ballpark to see a game and it couldn’t happen to a better guy than Buck Showalter. Miguel Cabrera has carried the Tigers on the verge of another division crown and is chasing history. Can he hold off Joe Mauer and Josh Hamilton to become baseball’s first triple crown winner since Carl Yastremski (1967)? Mike Trout will miss the playoffs barring a miracle. This despite one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. Thirty homers and 48 stolen bases with over a .320 average and the kind of outfield most vets dream of. All this at 20. R.A. Dickey deserves the Cy Young regardless if he pitches for the Mets. I hope he gets it. NL MVP probably should go to Buster Posey. Though you can make cases for Ryan Braun, Andrew McCutchen and Yadier Molina. Even Adam LaRoche is in play.

Baseball has been exciting. Especially with the second wild card. Who would’ve thought Oakland would be where they are? I want no part of them in a one-game scenario. Better win the division. Nobody expected the Orioles to make it. It shows what a great skipper Showalter is. I wouldn’t mind that playoff even if it will make many Bronx Bomber fans nervous. I like excitement. I want them to earn it. It’s a pennant race. My favorite is Cincinnati who looks pretty tough with a balanced lineup, solid rotation and strong bullpen. Not to toot my own horn. I picked the Reds and Nats to win their divisions. However, I took the Mets to finish third in the NL East. That didn’t work out. I hope it does get better for Hasan and the Amazin fans who deserve better.

So, why am I talking about all this when it’s supposed to be a hockey blog? It could be because everytime I hear Gary Bettman, I cringe. Don Fehr is no better. Thanks for ruining a great baseball season. The one year the Expos had a chance to win it all and Don Mattingly his best shot at a World Series. If you know me, I’m a huge Mattingly guy dating back to the 80’s. It’s Donnie Baseball that still remains my favorite player even over Derek Jeter. I’d trade every other Series following ’96 for the Hitman to have won a championship. So, Fehr still irks me even if he’s on the players side in the latest CBA headache. Everyone knew when he took over, the doomsday scenario that’s playing out might happen. However, it will be the owners fault this time with Bettman taking some well deserved heat.

I know he has a tough job as the owners lackey but it’s ridiculous that he’s now responsible for three lockouts. A hat trick for the hated NHL commissioner, who was justified last time out in breaking the union and nemesis Bob Goodenow. The old system was broken. So, in came the salary cap that he and the owners desired, which was supposed to fix everything. Only someone forgot to tell him that no matter how hard he tries to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, it’s not working. They don’t generate enough revenue. I’m no advocate of relocation. I hate seeing people lose jobs. Especially in this economy. Plus fans lose out. There are devoted Yotes fans who love their team. However, one of the sticking points aside from the outrageous demands of salary cuts and guaranteed revenue is the future of the Coyotes. After reading several articles on the situation, I fail to see how they can survive. It would be better to move them to a stronger market.

Seattle has been rumored for Edmonton which makes about as much sense as The Kardashians having their own reality show. You don’t move a club rich in history with an avid fanbase. However, Phoenix is different. As much as I’d like to see them stay in the Desert, it’s another Atlanta. The Thrashers lasted a decade in a city given a second chance. Atlanta is hardly a great sports town when it comes to pro outlets. Look at the Braves, who always make the playoffs and still can’t sell out. They just honored Chipper Jones, who gets one last go round for another Series. At least that drew. The Atlanta Hawks also aren’t supported enough despite finally turning it around since the days of my favorite player Dominique Wilkins. Even with Ilya Kovalchuk, hockey didn’t flourish in Atlanta. Maybe if Don Waddell knew how to run a franchise, it might’ve turned out different. He traded Marc Savard and Marian Hossa for nothing and couldn’t retain Kovalchuk, who wanted to play for a contender. He’s done well with the Devils, finally breaking the playoff label. Whenever the NHL returns, the Devils should still be in the mix despite Zach Parise returning home to play with butt buddy Ryan Suter. For now, Kovalchuk is back in Russia captaining SKA St. Petersburg. He had two assists in their 5-2 win over AK Bars. Old friend Petr Prucha also had a helper.

While Bettman continues to run roughshod during negotiations, more players are leaving North America. They can’t wait around when the commish is using the same bully tactics that cost an entire season. He continues to indicate that the owners are all in favor of this work stoppage. But anyone with a pulse knows otherwise. That it’s big shots like Jeremy Jacobs and Ed Snider running the asylum. No matter what Jim Dolan said about wanting hockey to return, he still is charging season ticket holders when they’re about to cancel the first batch of games this week. What a lying sack of you know what. All they care about is the bottom line. They’ll keep pushing until they get everything. Correct me if I’m wrong. Did ticket costs go down post-lockout? If we’re hurting without our favorite teams and players, what about all the employees who go that extra mile to make us happy at games? How do you think they feel? They’re the ones who are being screwed. As classic Jack Higgins character Sean Dillon said:

“Greed ruled the day.“

This is what you get from a cocky commissioner who knows fans are suckers. He said it. One of the biggest problems is hockey fans are diehard. If they return, how many of you will go right back? No matter what, I refuse to attend any Ranger games in 2012-13. I can stay home and catch games without contributing to the arrogance being displayed by the NHL. I have never set foot in the NHL store and don’t plan to anytime soon. The only way to send a message is to not go. Don’t purchase anything off nhl.com. They say they’re serious about wanting the season to start on time. But their actions speak louder. That collective laughter you hear is coming from fans of other sports. Like it or not, the No Hockey League is a laughingstock.

Regardless, enjoy the great weather. Take advantage while you can. Watch your favorite shows. Celebrate Halloween. Trick or treat. Don’t let them win.

Goal. 0:1.27.Staffan Kronwall (16.Sergei Plotnikov, 60.Artyom Anisimov). Lokomotiv. Power Play

ARTY!!!!!

Another old buddy got into the boxscore.

11:55 Penalty. 63.Maxim Kondratyev (Lokomotiv). 2min. holding.

It’s easy to forget that that year following the lockout, big things were expected of Max Kondratyev, who was part of the unpopular Brian Leetch trade to Toronto. The deal also included Jarkko Immonen and a first round pick that turned into Lauri Korpikoski. Too bad Tom Renney hated Immonen giving him the Prucha Treatment. Speaking of which, Petr Prucha scored in yesterday’s SKA 7-2 rout of Salavat. How else would he score then out of sheer hustle, getting to a rebound and steering the puck home with a bigger defenseman on him. That’s the Pruuuuuuu we all knew and loved.

Getting back to Kondratyev, he eventually was dealt to Anaheim for ’05-06 rental Petr Sykora. Sykora wasn’t bad for us, tallying 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 40 games to help the Rangers reach the playoffs. Unfortunately, we all know how that ended. It still was a big year for the organization that started the trend to finally becoming a good team again. Now, fast forward and here we are fresh off the club’s first Conference Finals appearance since ’97. Even if it ended bitterly (Henrique Henrique Henrique), it was a necessary step, giving the team an experience that should motivate them whenever the NHL returns.

Prior to self-proclaimed genius Gary Bettman cutting off the players again, Kane reached agreement on a six-year $31.5 million extension that’ll keep him in Winnipeg. He’s certainly on track to become a star. Too bad he’ll lose possibly a year thanks to NHL ineptitude. In a stunning development, the two sides are negotiating. Who knows? Maybe Steve Fehr and Bill Daly are sharing a beer at a pub having a good chuckle at the joke the No Hockey League has become. Whatever they’re up to, I don’t care.

There’s a lot of puck happening. All you have to do is follow the other leagues where greed and selfishness don’t exist. Every junior league is up and running with the AHL and NCAA on tap. The KHL who wisely starts earlier than the NHL, are a couple of weeks in. It’ll continue to be a league to watch with some of the biggest Russian stars returning home. A lost concept on some cynics. Malkin. Ovechkin. Kovalchuk. Datsyuk. Bryzgalov. Semin. The list goes on. The longer the two sides take, the more foolish they look. Even if I’m on the players’ side in this dispute, it still reflects poorly for baseball Scrooge Don Fehr. You want there to be a season.

For real perspective, take a look at the public outcry there was over the replacement officials the first three weeks of the NFL season. The Packers and Seahawks ending was the last straw for Roger Goodell, who finally came to his senses, working out a new deal with the referees. The story was so widely covered that it was even on NBC Nightly News with even President Obama and Mitt Romney chiming in while campaigning in Ohio. Goodell also had the good sense to write a letter to NFL fans today apologizing for how long it took. That’s called common decency. Football is much more watched and covered than hockey. But I guess Mr. Bettman hasn’t been paying close attention. Nobody is talking about the third lockout under his watch. Let’s face it. Hockey is dead last. But we’re such loyal fans that we can tolerate anything.

Maybe you can. But not me. I could care less when it gets resolved. If they do return this season, I won’t go to one game or give one cent to the NHL. They can go piss off. If we fans really want to send a message, then don’t go. Turn arenas into morgues. Kill the revenue. Even if you love your favorite players, you can still watch them from the couch or at a bar. Make Bettman regret the day he mentioned our loyalty. I want half empty buildings and numbers that resemble the 1987 stock market crash. This silly man is so arrogant and doesn’t even apologize for it. He’s not sincere.

There shouldn’t be any talk about Edmonton losing the Oilers to Seattle. That’s a disgrace! Okay. I’m done for now.

It’s the same old story in the No Hockey League.

It’s just another day if you’re an avid hockey fan. With no end in sight to another NHL lockout, players continue to make plans overseas. Can you blame them? It’s apparent that the owners learned nothing from eight years ago. Neither has Mr. Bettman.

The notion that the NHLPA should give into demands of salary rollbacks is ridiculous. There’s really nothing else to say. If the league just worked on getting the players to split revenue, my guess is there would’ve been a resolution. Instead, it’s an ego trip. With the clueless commissioner using the threat of cancelling the Winter Classic, it is laughable. Are the owners willing to lose another season? We’ll see if our loyalty finally reaches the boiling point.

Alexander Ovechkin and Alex Semin could be reunited in the KHL.

Semin returns home for discount: In one of the coolest moves, Alexander Semin decided to return home to Krasnoyarsk to play for Sokol. Even better, he’s playing basically for free. Set to earn $1,600 per month which is the VHL minimum for his hometown Kontinental Hockey League farm club, Semin stayed true to his roots. A noble thing only repeated by Blues’ forward Patrik Berglund, who is back home in Sweden playing for Vasteras of the HockeyAllsvenskan league.

“My father taught me when I was young: ‘You won’t hide the money or put it under a pillow. You can put it in the bank where it will be for a few months, and then what?’  I agree with my father,” Semin echoed to Puck Daddy Russian reporter Dmitry Chesnokov.

“We are very happy that Alexander Semin agreed to play for our club, ” Sokol GM Denis Lugovik said. “We are used to the fact that stars of this magnitude come back to play only for big contracts, that’s why Alexander’s desire to help his hometown club generates ever greater respect.“

It’s still uncertain how long Semin will play for Sokol Krasnoyarsk. He even hinted that there could be a reunion with former Washington teammate Alexander Ovechkin depending on if the work stoppage goes into next year. Ovechkin is playing for Dynamo Moscow and already tallied a goal in a much hyped showdown versus Ilya Kovalchuk, who scored and led SKA St. Petersburg to a 3-1 win.

Datsyuk signs with CSKA Moscow: Pavel Datsyuk became the latest Russian star to return home, signing with CSKA Moscow. The Detroit Red Wings center made his KHL debut Monday, even scoring a goal off his head soccer style that got waved off. CSKA Moscow still prevailed on an Igor Radulov marker, who ironically was set up by older brother Alexander Radulov. You can see Datsyuk’s deliberate header below. Comical.

Yakupov suspended: Edmonton Oilers 2012 first overall pick Nail Yakupov has been suspended from the KHL until his transfer card is signed by Hockey Canada. He was expected to play for Sarnia which the Oilers agreed upon. However, he opted instead to play for hometown club Nizhnekamsk. Thus far, Yakupov’s played in two games without a point. He’ll now have to wait.

KHL Update: Three games have been completed on Wednesday’s schedule. In the first, Dinamo Mn defeated Amur 3-2. Toronto’s Tim Stapleton, former Devil draft pick Teemu Laine and Andre Stas scored in the win. Ex-Devil defenseman Cory Murphy assisted on two power play goals. In defeat, Dmitry Shitikov and Dmitry Lugin tallied for Amur.

Neftekhimik defeated Avtomobilist 4-2. The goalscorers for Neftekhimik were Renat Mameshev, Nikolai Belov, Oskar Osala and Pavel Vorobyov. If memory serves correctly, Vorobyov once was a highly touted first round pick of Chicago who never fulfilled expectations. His name used to be spelled Vorobiev. Similar to one-time Ranger Vladimir Vorobiev. Yes. I went there. Really. Former Islander blueliner Branislav Mezei tallied for Avtomobilist along with Josef Straka (no relation to Martin Straka). Former Star Sergei Gusev had an assist in a losing effort. Ex-Blueshirt Chris Holt replaced Avtomobilist starter Evgeny Lobanov. Maxim Sokolov picked up the win for Neftekhimik.

In a game that just went final, Dynamo MSK came back to beat AK Bars 3-2 in a shootout. All three Dynamo shooters scored in the skill competition including Ovechkin. Marek Kvapil put them ahead 2-0 before Janne Pesonen beat winning netminder Alexander Yeryomenko. With a chance to finish AK Bars off, Alexei Tsvetkov beat Konstantin Barulin for the victory. Dynamo MSK rallied from an early two-goal deficit. Goals from Konstantin Korneyev and Danis Zaripov 6:20 apart gave visitor AK Bars a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. However, Dynamo responded with two power play goals including one from Maxim Solovyov 2:10 after Zaripov to cut it to one. They drew even when Ovechkin helped set up Konstantin Volkov’s PPG. Konstantin Gorovikov had the primary helper. AK Bars captain Alexei Morozov was held off the scoresheet with only one shot. Jarkko Immonen took 21 shifts (15:13). Ovechkin played 19 shifts (21:36) including 2:27 in overtime.

In other action that just started, Vitaly Sitnikov opened the scoring 1:22 in for Yugra, who leads Slovan 1-0. Igor Skorokhodov had the only assist on Sitnikov’s marker which beat Jaroslav Janus. Mikhail Biryukov is in net for Yugra. UPDATE: Yugra now leads Slovan 2-1 in the second. Ivan Khlyntsev scored the second from Alexei Medvedev and Stanislav Bocharov. Peter Olvecky got Slovan on the board with familiar name Lubomir Visnovsky drawing a helper along with Janus. A point for a goalie! Where’s Marty at? Here’s a link off the official KHL site to track it.

KHL LEADERBOARD

Player                      Team                         Points
Jori Lehtera           Sibir Novosibirsk       9-10-15
Patrick Thoresen   SKA St. Pete             4-7-11
Alexei Tereshenko AK Bars                   3-8-11
Evgeny Kuznetsov  Traktor Chelyabinsk  5-5-10
Nikolai Zherdev      Atlant Moscow          4-6-10
Alex Radulov          CSKA Moscow         4-6-10

Player                        Team                          Goals
Gleb Klimenko         SKA St. Pete               6
Alexander Korolyuk Vityaz Chekhov           6
Arturs Kulda             Sibir Novosibirsk         6
10 Tied with 5

Player                           Team             GP        GAA
Tomas Popperle          Lev Praha      9           1.22
Konstantin Barulin     AK Bars        8           1.46
Ratislav Stana            CSKA           7           1.68
Ari Ahonen                 Metallurg        5           1.75
Michael Garnett         Traktor          7           1.79
Jaroslav Janus            Slovan           7           1.82

Player                            Team              SHO
Tomas Popperle             Lev Praha         4
Michael Garnett              Traktor             2
9 tied with 1

Kitchener Improves to 2-0: In the OHL this past weekend, the Kitchener Rangers made it two for two. Forward Matt Puempel pumped home two goals in a 3-2 shootout triumph over Yakupov’s former junior club Sarnia. Reid Boucher had a goal and helper for the Sting and Daniel Nikandrov also tallied. Puempel also scored in the skill competition along with teammate Radek Faksa, whose goal in the third round held up. Alex Galchenyuk scored for the Sting in Round Two. Goalie John Gibson denied Charles Sarault. He finished with 27 saves in a road win over Western Conference rival Sarnia. The Rangers return to action tomorrow when they visit the Windsor Spitfires. It’s all part of seven straight games on the road including stops at London (9/28), Sault Ste. Marie (10/5), Saginaw (10/6), Kingston (10/12) and Ottawa (10/14). Kitchener doesn’t return home until 10/19 when they host the Oshawa Generals.

Most OHL clubs have played two games. Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele ranks among the early leaders with five points for the Barrie Colts. Seth Griffith paces everyone with five goals and an assist for the London Knights. The Ontario Hockey League is one of the best to follow for juniors and is worth keeping a close eye on.

The Western Hockey League (WHL) has also begun. Ranger prospect Michael St. Croix has come out of the gate fast for the Edmonton Oil Kings with three goals and a helper. Nicolas Petan leads in scoring with eight points (4-4-8) for the Portland Winterhawks with Colin Jacobs (3-3-6) and teammate Troy Rutowski (0-6-6) close behind. Jacobs plays for Prince George. There are three games tonight. Edmonton visits Lethbridge while Saskatoon is at Brandon and Swift Current hosts Regina. To follow the action, check out the official WHL site.

Buffalo No.1 pick Mikhail Grigorenko is off to a strong start for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The Russian playmaking forward has a goal and five assists in two wins thus far. He starred for Team Russia in the World Junior Championships last year. Grigorenko was expected to challenge for a roster spot for the Sabres. But that won’t be anytime soon. For now, he’s getting the chance to improve his skills for the Remparts. One of Quebec’s best. In related news, Halifax Moosehead forward Jonathan Drouin (2013 Draft Eligible) was named the CHL’s first player of the week. He registered two goals and five assists for seven points along with a plus-seven rating in both the Mooseheads wins. In 33 games last season, Drouin had 29 points. The 17-year old is in his second year and is projected to go in the first round. The OHL, QMJHL and WHL represent the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). You can stay updated on every league to track your favorite teams, prospects along with future draft picks such as Drouin.

USHL On Tap: While Canadian juniors has started up, on deck is the United States Hockey League. The USHL has emerged as the premier league for up and coming American players. In consecutive drafts, the Rangers have dipped into the waters selecting first rounders J.T. Miller (2011) and Brady Skjei this past summer. Hudson rival New Jersey also took the son of Stephane Matteau, Stefan Matteau out of the USHL with their 29th pick in Round One drawing an interesting reaction from both sides of the rivalry. Devil brass should also be encouraged with Reid Boucher, who originally is out of the USHL but has moved onto the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. He had a goal and assist in a home loss to Kitchener. Blake Pietila (’11 5th round) and D prospect Jon Merrill (’10 2nd round) are also from the league.

The Islanders’ big names have come out of the CHL in top prospect Ryan Strome (Niagara OHL) and ’12 first round pick Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton WHL). 2011 fourth rounder Robbie Russo was taken out of the USHL. Meanwhile, the Sabres have mostly focused on Canadian born players with Russian import Grigorenko starring for the Remparts of the QMJHL. However, they did select defenseman Jake McCabe out of the University Of Wisconsin. We still have to wait a month before college hockey begins but there are always good prospects making noise in the NCAA. Judd Peterson was the final Buffalo pick of 2012 taken in the seventh round 204th overall. He was drafted out of Duluth Marshall High School in Minnesota. Peterson is listed as a right wing. There have been some late picks who made it with Henrik Lundqvist the most notable and fan favorite Petr Prucha, who’s doing fine for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.

The issue came up for Oilers No.1 pick Nail Yakupov, who reached agreement to play for hometown KHL club Neftekhimik. The 2012 first overall selection must wait along with Kovalchuk, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar for transfer cards to be issued. The hold up is anyone’s guess. The NHL holds all the cards when it comes to dealings with the IIHF. Something Chesnokov alluded to. Imagine if the league decided against their players participating in European leagues just out of bitterness. I don’t think they’d really go that far but can you really trust them? Here’s an excerpt from Puck Daddy on the current situation.

“The IIHF is not allowing Yakupov to play. The transfer card has not been sent from Switzerland (the IIHF headquarters),” Neftekhimik director Rafik Yakubov told Sovetsky Sport’s Pavel Lysenkov.

“I can’t even imagine what this is related to. Perhaps the international hockey federation doesn’t want to feud with the NHL and is waiting when they receive an approval from there. The negotiations are ongoing and we were told that there will be no requests. So, Nail cannot play against Torpedo. He is already in Nizhnekamsk, practicing with the team and is ready to play even tomorrow.”

Hopefully, the delay is only temporary. With limited options for locked out players, they should be able to play whereever they choose. Not everyone is committing just yet with almost the entire Ranger roster choosing to rent out the club’s facility just for practices. They’re not allowed to use any other aspect such as the gym.

While Rick Nash agreed to play for HC Davos in the Swiss League, Carl Hagelin is expected to return home to play in Sweden. Nothing has been confirmed.

We’ve been here before. It’s very embarrassing for NHL fans, who live and die with their teams. Like many, I would love nothing better than to go to games but since the league/owners are being douches, I don’t care anymore. If this is what they want, fine. If it takes the players holding out all year to get a point across and maybe even oust Bettman and butt buddy Bill Daly, so be it. Even if that means a lost year for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers, I can deal.

Already players are signing in the KHL including arguably the best player Evgeni Malkin and top sniper Ilya Kovalchuk. Alex Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk could be joining them soon. The NHL might not boast as big a percentage of Russians anymore but the four I just listed are big reasons our sport is great. Whereever they wind up, you may as well follow them. Fortunately, the KHL has an official site complete with team rosters, game summaries, boxscores along with team sites.

There are plenty of choices. AK Bars. SKA. Avangard. CSKA. Dynamo. Metallurg. Spartak. Atlant. Lokomotiv. Lev. It’s impossible to list them all as there are 26 teams split up into two conferences. Sound familiar? Just going through a game first overall Lev won 4-0 over Dinamo, two of the scorers are guys we’ve heard of. Jiri Novotny and Marcel Hossa each tallied in the win. One-time Pen Tomas Surovy also had a helper.

Randy Robitaille was the star in Metallurg’s 4-3 shootout victory over Donbass, notching a goal and the decider in the skill competition. Vaclav Nedorost also tallied. Kovalchuk’s soon to be SKA teammates had a good night with goals coming off the sticks of ex-Ranger Petr Prucha and Slovak legend Miro Satan as they doubled up Slovan 4-2. Russian star Alexei Morozov’s two markers and a helper powered AK Bars past Avangard 5-zip. Former NHLer Niko Kapanen had an assist. Konstantin Barulin recorded the shutout by stopping all 38 shots.

Alexander Radulov had the winner in a 5-4 shootout win for CSKA over Vityaz. Alexander Korolyuk scored twice to help Vityaz force extras and Ilya Zubov scored for CSKA.

If you want to keep track of KHL scoring leaders, Patrick Thoresen’s 10 points (3-7-10) place second behind Jori Lehtera (4-8-12). Washington prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov is tied for fifth with six points (4-2-6). Believe it or not, former Devil Ari Ahonen ranks fourth in goals-against-average with a 1.33 GAA in three games for Metallurg. Ex-Ranger Chris Holt is 1-1 with a 1.95 GAA for Avtomobilist.

That’s all for now. We’ll try to keep you updated on your favorite NHLers, players and prospects.

Add Ilya Kovalchuk to the list of Russian stars returning home. He is set to join SKA St. Petersburg tomorrow for a press conference at 5 Russian time or basically when we’re leaving for work in the morning. He’ll team up with former NHLers Maxim Afinogenov and Petr Prucha on a club that includes Dmitry Kalinin, Evgeny Artyukhin, Denis Grebeshkov, Kevin Dallman, Alexei Semenov, Fedor Fedorov and Viktor Tikhonov. They should be interesting to follow.

According to the official site, KHL teams can have as many as six foreign players but are allowed to dress only five for a game. With the players locked out, they can add up to three NHLers per roster but contracts are limited to 65 percent of their NHL salaries. If there’s a resolution, contracts will immediately be annulled. Interestingly enough, foreign players must meet one of the following criteria to play in the KHL.

For Kovalchuk who previously starred for Spartak Moscow before the Thrashers selected him first overall in ’01, he returns home. The 29-year old New Jersey Devil paced the club in scoring last season with 83 points (37-46-83). The former ’01 first overall pick performed admirably during the Devils’ run to the Stanley Cup Final posting eight goals and 11 assists despite a lower body injury.

Nash teams with Thornton in Switzerland: Also making news today was newest Ranger Rick Nash, who decided to team up with close Olympic Canadian pal Joe Thornton. The dynamic duo will play in the Swiss League for HC Davos. Ironically, the pair played together for the Swiss club during the last lockout during ’04-05.

“If you find the right spot, it can be a real good experience, you meet some nice people and you get to keep playing hockey,” Thornton told ESPN’s Katie Strang. “It worked out well for us I thought.”

Nash tallied 26 goals and 20 helpers over 44 games eight years ago for HC Davos. He also scored nine goals in the playoffs. Instead of sticking around like Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan and many other Blueshirts who are organizing team practices, he’ll star alongside Jumbo Joe.

Nash has received criticism on Twitter for passing up the opportunity to get better acclimated with new teammates. However, no one can predict when the madness will end. If the NHLPA is true to their word under stronger union boss Donald Fehr, then there won’t be NHL hockey anytime soon.

I’m not here to be negative. Even with with the lockout coming tonight thanks to idiocy and poor leadership, I won’t go off. It’s true that we’ll miss the NHL. From exciting rookie tournaments that were canceled to training camps, preseason games and eventually regular season. Unfortunately, two work stoppages aren’t enough for Gary Bettman. Apparently, he won’t stop until he destroys the league, finally disparaging “loyal fans” to the point of no return. I hope you’re happy Gary. I’m sure he and Bill Daly will toast the latest debacle. It’s what they wanted along with a few selfish owners, who can’t look in the mirror.

Those are my final thoughts on the sad subject. You can be upset and protest like some fans did at the NHL store today and wave signs as if that’s going to change anything. Or you can accept it. They don’t care about us. We don’t count. Why should we care? To quote good buddy Chris Wassel of The Hockey Writers and No Goal Sports Show we did last night, “Get over it!”

There’s plenty of hockey to follow. During ’04-05, I got by following the AHL and NCAA. The ‘A’ will again be stacked with young players being assigned such as Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson for the Devils while Jeff Skinner will play for Carolina’s affiliate. If you really want excitement, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and freshly minted Jordan Eberle were assigned to the Oilers AHL roster. Much like Eric Staal, some will benefit from the experience. For vets, it’s a harder time having to decide whether to go overseas and play in the KHL or Europe. NHL facilities are no longer available and players must organize individual workouts split the bill. At least they can make good use of their escrow. Only injured stars such as Chris Pronger will see paychecks. This is the chaos another lockout creates.

This time, I’ll add the KHL to the watch list. Games can be followed on khltv.com for anyone interested. That means we can follow Petr Prucha and Mats Zuccarello along with Alexei Kovalev and Nikolai Zherdev. I think Sergei Fedorov still plays and I’d watch him just for the skating. Other stars like Hart winner Evgeni Malkin should be returning home to Russia. The NHL’s loss is the KHL’s gain. Might Pen teammate Sidney Crosby join up? Wouldn’t that be something?

You can also follow every junior league even though it’s a bit tougher if you live in the States unless you’re in Seattle or Green Bay. Buffalo, Detroit and Minnesota are closer to Canada for those who feel like making trips to see the next wave. I’ll do my best via the internet such as the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers who I have conveniently decided to follow. Can’t seem to get away from that all too familiar trend of #LetsGoRangers. They won their final preseason game yesterday 6-4 over Barrie. The fact I know that speaks volumes. For now, it’s the OHL, WHL, QMJHL, USHL, etc. until the NCAA and AHL join the prospect party. Don’t forget many college hockey games will be on TV. In between college football and college hoops should be some big games on ESPNU, NBC Sports, etc. You’ll also have internet feeds and even radio if you’re fortunate to discover Canadian stations as I did up in Toronto (FAN 590).

If you really love the sport, it’s not about the league that’ll be missing from our lives. We still have to go work so we can put food on our tables. Live! Or as Morgan Freeman said in Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” It’s all out there. You can make the most of it. Don’t let them win.