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.
• Seen after last night's Jarome Iginla hat trick. That, friends, is a hat Iggy should hang on to, or at least find the regretful looking cowpoke who tossed it in a fit of Heroin Beer-induced euphoria. Meanwhile, let's be thankful that Calgary Flames fans haven't followed Red Wings, Predators and Sharks fans in tossing animals on the ice, because we're pretty sure a steer will cause some chipping. Wait, did we say thankful? That'd be awesome …
• BREAKING: Raffi Torres suspended four games for that hit to the head on Jordan Eberle. CTV says that includes two postseason games. [Team 1040]
• Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren held a "a brief but very poignant closed-door meeting with all of the Flyers' players and coaches" on Wednesday and "spoke about the need for the Flyers to win puck battles during the game and compete." Love the "poignant" aspect; it's like if Maya Angelou gave a locker room speech. [Philly Daily News]
• The New Jersey Devils shut down Zach Parise from everything. So bringing him back would be classified as a "mistake" then. [Fire & Ice]
• Darren Eliot on the Nashville Predators' playoff hopes and how Pekka Rinne plays into them. [SI]
• Interesting post on the top 10 secondary scorers in the NHL this season. [Die By The Blade]
• Nasty hit from behind, but the fans make the clip. "No. 5, you suck!" [HOTH]
• Darren Dreger on the changes the NHL is considering regarding video review: "There have multiple proposals considered to improve this process, but the league seems focused on the nets and changes that can be introduced to increase visibility. In addition to testing a thinner mesh on the top of the nets, the National Hockey League will also be changing the ribbon that essentially protects skates from hitting the base of the net. The existing ribbon that wraps around the base is white, but will be replaced this summer at the research and development camp by a clear band which will extend three feet back of the goal line from each post." [TSN]
• R.I.P. EJ McGuire. Great hockey man. [NHL]
• The incomparable TORE VIKINGSTAD has made the bracket in the Name of the Year competition. It's going to be a tough battle as a No. 10 seed against Rev. Demon Sox, so we're going to need the awesome power of the fully armed and operational battle station known as the Puck Daddy readership to vote early and often. Details soon. [Name of the Year, via Jeremy Gattis]
• The Washington Capitals had an off-day, so Mike Green went up to Hershey and practiced with their AHL team. That Arlington to Western Pa. Vespa ride must have been something. [Capitals Insider]
• Don't forget your Frozen Four tonight. [NCAA]
• Nearly a third of all NHL players in 2010-11 honed their skills in college before making the leap to the pros. [Let's Play Hockey]
• BREAKING: It costs an ass-load of money to have your kids play hockey. [Canoe.ca]
• Adam Proteau looks back at his preseason selections and finds he was slightly off about the New York Rangers. [THN]
• Looking for Gaborik and Drury to step up after the Callahan injury. [Blueshirt Banter]
• On the Blackhawks, Marian Hossa and the video review: "I have been told by someone in that industry the reason net cameras are not used for every game is because of cost. Not really because of the cost of the camera but more so the fact a special technician would have to be present in every arena for every game. The cost would be significant, and up until now too much for the NHL to swallow." [Hockey Independent]
• "Fortunately, thanks to a chat roulette window I keep open at all times with NHL vice-president of hockey operations Mike Murphy, I was able to unzip the league's haze of transparency, drop the trousers of journalistic integrity and whip out the iron rod of unwanted surveillance to bring you this shocking insider's look at the inner machinations of this clandestine organization." [Pegasus News]
• Finally, from last night's Blues loss to the Blackhawks, it's T.J. Ouchie.