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.
• First we had Matthew Morrison from "Glee" at a Rangers game. Now we have Chord Overstreet from "Glee" at a Los Angeles Kings game with Taylor Swift. They're slowly converging from opposite ends of the country! Someone warn the Blackhawks that there's a massive Lady Gaga medley headed right for them! By the way, it's great to see Taylor Swift at an NHL game because IMA LET YOU FINISH BUT SNOOKI HAD ONE OF THE BEST APPEARANCES AT A KINGS GAME OF ALL-TIME.
• Dallas Stars head coach Marc Crawford says that Brad Richards is "improving" but won't play tomorrow against Nashville. [Stars]
• Marco Sturm (LAK), Kris Newbury (NYR), Nick Boynton (CHI), Wade Belak (NSH), Todd Ford (WAS) are on waivers. Mike Commodore (CBJ) and Craig Rivet (BUF) on re-entry waivers. Steve Bernier (FLA) clears waivers. Mike Smith (TBL) clears reentry waivers. [McKenzie]
• On the Marco Sturm front, Rich Hammond writes: "He is on waivers but is expected to practice today and play tomorrow if he clears waivers in the morning. From the Kings' perspective, putting Sturm on waivers gives them roster flexibility in advance of Monday's trade deadline, since they currently are at the maximum of 23 players, with only Kyle Clifford and Alec Martinez exempt from waivers." [LA Kings Insider]
• The most thought-provoking piece you'll read all day on the trade deadline: "It's unfair and it's unjustifiable. The NHL trade deadline is great, but NHL trades themselves are repulsive." [Copper & Blue]
• If you haven't heard, we're doing a huge Trade Deadline Day presentation here and on the radio. Puck Daddy Radio on The Score Sirius 98 (and streaming here) will run from 10 a.m. through 3:30 p.m., featuring yours truly, Pizzo and a massive cast of characters. Meanwhile, we'll have all the usual bits o'fun here on PD: The hourly posts on trades and rumors; the Trade Deadline Day ChatterBox; and, of course, our patented Mike Milbury Scale for rating deals. [The Score]
• Interesting debate in the Detroit Red Wings fan community about booing the team at the Joe last night, stemming from this Jeff Riger column: "How can you boo the Wings in that situation? The answer is, you can't! Booing in that situation makes Wings fans look uneducated and whiney and for that, the roles should have been reversed, the Wings players should have been booing you!" [Malik]
• The Hat on Ales Hemsky and the Washington Capitals: "Hemsky would be a good fit in Washington and what if the Capitals were prepared to give up one of their two young goaltenders - Semyon Varlamov or Michal Neuvirth - to make it happen." [Globe & Mail]
• Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul left his iPhone in a Toronto cab this morning and immediately put out a plea via Twitter that he'd give someone tickets to the next 5 Leafs games and a jersey if they located the phone. It was found within about 10 minutes, or just long enough for the cabbie to take several photos of his junk and prank call Brian Burke. [Globe & Mail; @JLupul]
• Could Clarke MacArthur return more than Kris Versteeg in a deadline trade? [TSN]
• When Detroit Red Wings fans close their eyes, they see Loui Eriksson laughing maniacally. [Josh Q. Public]
The Ducks have signed Executive Vice President and General Manager Bob Murray to a four-year contract extension which runs through the 2015-16 season. [Ducks]
• Crappy news in a season full of crappy news for the Ottawa Senators: Daniel Alfredsson could be done for the season if he has back surgery. [Sun]
• Heartwarming tale about Barret Jackman of the St. Louis Blues and his dedication to rescuing dogs that have been abused or neglected. [Vancouver Sun]
• The Florida Panthers acquire Alexander Sulzer from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a conditional seventh round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. [Sun Sentinel]
• Ray Whitney's day-to-day, so please welcome back Brett MacLean to the NHL. [Five For Howling]
• Scott Burnside's troubling update on the Phoenix Coyotes sale and how it could affect the sale (and/or relocation) of the Atlanta Thrashers. [ESPN]
• Buffalo Sabres fans seem pretty damn excited about Terry Pegula, don't they? Excited enough for a Kanye-scored montage. [Via reader Bryan D.]
• Down Goes Brown takes us behind the scenes of an NHL trade confirmation call, and it's damn funny. [DGB]
• VERSUS ratings through this week's games. Huge number for the Heritage Classic (comparatively) and it would seem viewers are someone interested when the Pittsburgh Penguins are on television. [Puck The Media]
• Exploring the Washington Capitals' ‘do-not-want' list at the trade deadline. [Japers' Rink]
• Another take on cheering in the press box. I think my least favorite phrase in conjunction with this debate is "being credentialed is a privilege," which is a little too close to "an honor," which is a little too close to doing whatever it is expected of you for the team who has bestowed this cherished credential around your neck. "It's your privilege to cover our team" just doesn't sit well as a journalist for some reason. [The Hockey Program]
• Martin Gerber is up from the AHL and Nikolai Khabibulin is
back on IR for the Edmonton Oilers with "an eye infection," as Jordan Eberle
farted on his pillow he apparently had an ice chip in his eye. [Staples]
• The NHL Guardian Project will continue next season with an online video game and an animated series. As if any form of media could contain the awesomeness of the Maple Leafs SAP BOMBS. [WRAL Tech Watch]
• Finally, good to see someone other than Datsuyk drop the mitts for the Detroit Red Wings, as Jonathan Ericsson battled Steve Ott last night.