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.
• Members of the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy drop the ceremonial first puck to Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings and Brenden Morrow of the Dallas Stars at Staples Center last night. Right before both NHL players snorted and said in unison, "Nice ratings ..."
• Brendan Morrison suffered an injury against the Chicago Blackhawks that might keep the Calgary Flames center out for the rest of the season. And he wasn't happy to hear what the Blackhawks' bench had to say as he left the ice: "What was a little disappointing was coming off and guys from the Chicago bench being a little disrespectful. That was uncalled for. But you do what you do and try and get off the ice. I don't know if they understoood what was going on but some young guys on their team were standing up and yelling. I don't think it's very professional. But they'll learn.'" [Calgary Herald]
• The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Luca Sbisa to a four-year contract extension worth $8.7 million. Nice work locking up a 21-year-old D-man, but $2 million plus per season for a player years from being unrestricted? Wow. [Ducks Blog]
• BREAKING: Is this the last chance to save the Coyotes? [Biz Journal]
• Paul Bissonette's comments on the Phoenix Coyotes relocating to Canada were either priceless or completely insensitive to local fans (we vote the former): "It would be exciting to be the team that went back to Canada. C'mon, we'd be treated like gods. I mean, the big difference is the weather. The weather is awful, but you know that, and it's like everything would be opposite in Canada. The fans would be the opposite. The media would be different. There's no pressure from the media here, and it only comes from inside the room." [AZ Central]
• Celebrating International Women's Day through hockey. [Thrasher Backer]
• Steve Moore's lawyer on the seven years between his client's brain injury at the hands of Todd Bertuzzi and a trial date: "While the delay has been very frustrating, it has also been helpful in this sense: you need the passage of time to fully understand the complete implications of the brain injury." [Globe & Mail]
• It's nice and all that these lawyers all get together, play hockey and raise $30,000 for the Ice Hockey in Harlem. Our question is whether there's any hitting in the game; and, if so, how many postgame claims of whiplash? [Wall Street Journal]
• Bruins Hockey Now creates your Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Bingo game for tonight's grudge match. "Crowd Roars When Habs Make Two Passes" is a little bit genius. [Bruins Hockey Now]
• Are the Celtics or the Bruins more likely to win a championship this season? The correct answer is: The Yankees.[Bruins Blog]
• Satire: "Members of the Toronto Maple Leafs are growing concerned after star rookie goaltender James Reimer was seen hanging out with great-for-a-season goaltenders Blaine Lacher, Jim Carrey and Byron Dafoe." [Intent To Blow]
• More satire: "New NHL Marketing Campaign Consists Entirely of Gary Bettman Entering Atlanta Area Malls and Talking Really Loudly about the Thrashers." [Satirical Justice]
• Nice breakdown of the Buffalo Sabres' big road win at the Minnesota Wild over the weekend. [Die By The Blade]
• Analyzing the Terry Pegula effect for the Sabres. [NHL]
• Rick Rypien is skating again with the Manitoba Moose after take a leave of absence from the Vancouver Canucks. Technically, it's a conditioning stint. In any case, please alert the fans around the AHL that sit near the player entrance ... [Province]
• No Mason Raymond for the Vancouver Canucks this evening. [Sun]
• Canucks Nation continues to reject the idea they're Canucks Nation. [KB]
• Or Philily for short. Oh, Comcast. [via Jon Jordan]
• Craig Anderson's new goalie mask is freaky ... but is it freaky enough to derail the NJuggernaut?! [Sun]
• Ten players who could accomplish what Jarome Iginla has accomplished by scoring 30 goals in 10 or more seasons. Ryan Strome? Getting a little ahead of ourselves. [The Hockey Writers]
• Good piece by Ian Walker on the evolution of the power forward, with great stuff from Cam Neely and Milan Lucic. [Vancouver Sun]
• Bruce Boudreau deemphasizes first place, which is probably wise for a team that hasn't exactly delivered as a top seed. [Capitals Insider]
• Kent Wilson on goaltending contract and "probability neglect" in the NHL: "The penchant for paying a lot for a puck stopper has fallen in the post-lock-out NHL with the saturation of cheap, capable goalies in the market, but it certainly hasn't been eliminated." [Hockey or Die]
• Gotta feel for Tie Domi, who has refused to participating in any medical studies on his post-NHL health despite seeing his late friend Bob Probert donate his brain to the study of concussions. "I can't be thinking about this. I don't want anybody worrying for me. This (story) has made people worry about me. I don't like that. I'm getting all kinds of calls, all kinds of reaction. I don't want any negative thoughts around me. I'm one of those guys who doesn't like to look in the past. I haven't read one article about what happened (to Probert) and I don't plan on reading one. People keep sending them to, pointing me to them, but I'm not looking at them, I'm not looking in the past. I'm looking ahead. It's how I have to be." [Toronto Sun]
• The Owen Nolan Bobblehead is here for the San Jose Sharks. Why not just hire the guy to walk up to every fan and nod? Dude could use a gig. [Sharks]
• There was $20,000 raised for the construction of Pat Burns Arena. Awesome. [THN]
• Finally, there's no other way to say it so we'll just say it: Quidditch match between USC's official Quidditch team and NHL mascots.