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.
• Our first Kes-lurk of the season? Here's Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks haunting the lens as Alex Ovechkin talks about Nike (just a wild guess). Since this image is from New York, home to Nick Mangold of the New York Jets, we can only assume this is dramatic escalation of the Great Photobomb Wars. [Canucks]
• The Dallas Stars will honor the late Karlis Skrastins with a No. 37 sticker on their helmets this season. [Defending Big D]
• In case you missed it earlier, the New York Post offered a dire report about the New Jersey Devils' finances, claiming the team was on the verge of bankruptcy. Kovalchuk on eBay in 3 … 2 … [NYP]
• The Devils released a statement that calls the Post story inaccurate. "The Devils value their relationship with their banks and are confident a refinancing will be completed shortly. As stated previously, ownership is close to finalizing an agreement that would lead to a buyout of Brick City's share of the company." [Fire and Ice]
• Former NHL defenseman Todd Simpson will fill Wade Belak's open slot in Season 3 of "Battle of the Blades." [CBC]
• Boston Bruins brawler Shawn Thornton on those drawing conclusions from the deaths of Boogaard/Rypien/Belak: "It kind of [expletive] pisses me off that people take this opportunity to try and exploit a certain part of the game," Thornton said. "I think those are very, very sad instances, but I don't think taking it as an opportunity to exploit part of the game is the way to go. Remember the people, the men they were, not what they did for a living." [WEEI]
• Speaking of the Bruins, Marc Savard will in fact get his name on the Stanley Cup. [CSNNE]
• The good news? The Portland Winterhawks have an unprecedented 15 players away at National Hockey League training camps this week. The bad news? That leaves them with practically no one to play in their preseason game against Seattle on Friday or attend the street fair the following day. [Winterhawks, via Curl]
• Here is Part 1 of Steve Lepore's interview with Doc Emrick about … well, pretty much everything. BIG DRIVE. [Puck The Media]
• Scotty Hockey celebrates Captain Cally. [Scotty Hockey]
• "With one breath-taking wave of his stick, Mika Zibanejad offered one and all another glimpse at his bountiful skill." #HockeyPorn [Senators]
• Stat Nerd Alert: "Top 20 Seasons By Goaltending Point Shares." Roberto Luongo > Bernie Parent and Dominik Hasek. [TPSH]
• According to the Washington Capitals' conditioning coach, Alex Ovechkin is in the best shape he's seen him in. "His commitment has been much more involved at earlier time. He's got more under his belt in terms of when he started to train." 'Got more under his belt' probably not being the best term to use when discussing Ovi's fitness. [Capitals Insider]
• In case you missed it, Megalodon of Battle of California came out as the mastermind behind Fake Dan Ellis on Twitter, a bit that has seen its last reference to butlers and gold toilets. [BoC]
• The Los Angeles Kings will honor Bernie Nicholls, Daryl Evans and Charlie Simmer this season during their Legends Night Series. Nicholls had a 70-goal season. Seventy goals. [Kings]
• An interview with Mr. Claude Lemieux. [The Good Point]
• Vincent Lecavalier is expecting his second child, a MALE CHILD (Godfather reference) that will join his 16-month-old daughter in the Vinny Brood. Expect a Canadiens fan to imprint on that child like a werewolf in the "Twilight" films soon after his birth. [Lightning Strikes]
• Finally, here's Jaroslav Halak on the hell that is the Central Division for the St. Louis Blues: