Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• The state of Vancouver fandom from The Province. [via Cotsonika]
• There will be no viewing party at TD Garden on Wednesday night for Game 7 because of "fan safety issues." Guess those fans'll just have to sit at home and watch the game. Wonder if any of them are Nielsen families ... [NECN]
• Eric Duhatschek presents the inside story on Conn Smythe voting and why Tim Thomas has that thing on lockdown. [Globe & Mail]
• "Yesterday, Bruins assistant equipment manager Jim Johnson set up Nathan Horton's stall as though he were ready to play. It will be the same tonight, when a white game jersey will be hanging there, next to his gear." [Boston Globe]
• But seriously: There is absolutely no [expletive] way Nathan Horton is playing in Game 7. [THN]
• Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis on the Sedins getting hit and hit and hit again. [Vancouver Sun]
• The Associated Press has learned that THE Ohio State and Michigan are finalizing plans for an outdoor hockey game at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Can any Buckeye hockey players turn their special outdoor game swag into free tattoos, or is that just reserved for the gridiron boys? [Detroit News]
• Jagr to the Detroit Red Wings? [The Malik Report]
• Really interesting piece on the NHL's lobbying efforts in Congress, which have focused on "the Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. Copyright Office and both houses of Congress." Some of their targets: "The Controlled Substances Act, with the sporting organizations specifically concerned about penalties and research about anabolic steroids" and "bills regarding satellite television and how regulation could affect their various licensing agreements." [Open Secrets]
• Attacking Mitt Romney's credentials as a Boston Bruins supporter. The Puck Buddys did some exhaustive research on his actual B's fan credentials before Romney brought up the team in the recent Republican debate. [WaPo]
• If there's a reason you haven't read Down Goes Brown's pre-Game 7 game story, it's not a good reason. Best thing you'll read today. [DGB]
• "At the very least, have the courtesy to spring for lowers if you're taking some girl that answered an ad off craigslist and is basically prostituting herself out for a ticket." [KB]
• The Canucks are on the verge of "historic mediocrity" should they lose. [Deadspin]
• Adam Proteau's list of players who could get bought out by their teams. We're just going to assume he had nine guys and needed a 10th, because that's the only way 27-year-old David Clarkson would ever be on a buyout list. [THN]
• Speaking of The Hockey News, they printing an apology to the Minnesota Wild's owners for a story that compared minority owner Phillip Falcone to "other NHL team owners with legal problems." [THN]
• Your feel-good video of the day, from John Evans: "I always feel like this is what I'm proudest of for the sport. Despite playing far more than once a week and crazy travel, the teams always make time to do things like this (I'm sure it's not exclusive to Detroit). I ask you, as a sports journalist, why is it that we don't hear more about such kind-hearted acts? Do the stories of the Plexico Buresses and Michael Vicks of the world generate more readers/viewership?"
• The St. Louis Blues sign Vladimir Sobotka to a three-year deal with a cap hit of $1.3 million. [St. Louis Today]
• Ilya Bryzgalov and his agent, Ritch Winter are scheduled to meet with general manager Paul Holmgren, coach Peter Laviolette, and goalie coach Jeff Reese on Thursday. And, we imagine, take of tour of the lovely parks system of Philadelphia for proper quality evaluation. [Philly.com]
• Who might be in the running for Alex Tanguay, even if it appears he's close to re-signing with the Calgary Flames. [Matchsticks and Gasoline]
• If you'd like to know how much this series has shifted since the start, we're pretty sure the Boston Bruins weren't winning four out of six categories in the series preview. [NHL.com]
• An impassioned plea from Goon Blog to the Boston Bruins to bring home the Cup: "For some, like the ageless Mark Recchi, it's probably the last kick of the can. Players from Tyler Seguin's generation can hopefully look forward to many more long June runs wearing the black and gold. The anticipation of what is about to take place has driven me to a level of nervousness I don't think I've ever reached." [Goon Blog]
• Thing about Game 7: Someone's gotta lose it. [HOTH]
• Via Jon Wilson, is Cristobal Huet a prophetic about the Bruins? "I hope the next Stanley Cup winner has an old goalie," he said in 2010 … hmmmm. [Chicago Tribune]
• Finally, to counterbalance the diving accusations against the Vancouver Canucks, someone has made a hit-piece video about the Bruins: