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.
• Oh, Jason Trenh, ye of little faith: "Hey Greg - been following your blog for a long time...but not as long as being a die-hard Sharks fan. Unfortunately, our faith have been toss through the ringer through out these playoffs. After hearing JR's critique about Marleau, we couldn't help but agree. So the wife and I decided to alter our jerseys for tonight's Game 7...we're not sure if we're gonna heckled or high-fived but we hope by the end of the game we can tear off these silly monikers."
• Tell the military to take us down to DEFCON-3. The "Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3" ice show has been rescheduled around the Eastern Conference finals in Tampa Bay. [Raw Charge]
• Damian Goddard of Sportsnet was fired after sending out this tweet on the Sean Avery/Uptown Sports gay marriage debate: "I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage." The network denies a direct correlation. Oh well ... should have stuck to the cue cards. [Outsports]
• From Joe Cahill: "Was Sportsnet justified for firing Damian Goddard? He was a complete dolt for tweeting he supported that agent no one's ever heard of. His Twitter picture showed him at the anchor desk, and he identified himself as working at the cable network. If it was a generic shot (which it is now) and he didn't reference his employer then guess what? No one would have given a rat's ass, and he might still be working today." [CKTB]
• Goddard stands by his comments: "I'm a devout Roman Catholic. It's not about hate at all." [Toronto Star]
• Ryane Clowe is a game-time decision for the San Jose Sharks for Game 7, as is Johan Frazen for the Detroit Red Wings. [Sharks]
• Good stuff from Kevin Clark on the Stanley Cup Playoffs defying logic. [WSJ]
• FAN 590 host Greg Brady set the world on fire Thursday morning with a report that an Atlanta Thrashers player had heard two weeks ago to "expect to move, but nothing official before end of Cup Finals." [Too Many Men On The Site]
• Good stuff from our old pal Dave Pagnotta here on the Thrash and Winnipeg, including an on-the-record denial from NHL VP Bill Daly on an erroneous rumors regarding a relocation announcement in Winnipeg on Friday. [Fourth Period]
• Jeff Schultz wonders, quite rightfully, where Gary Bettman is to stand with Atlanta Thrashers fans in keeping the team from relocating. "Has Gary Bettman, the commissioner, stood at a pulpit on the corner of Marietta and Centennial Olympic Park Drive the way he did in the desert outpost of Glendale, Ariz., and screamed for hockey's existence in Atlanta (especially given this is a top 10 TV market and Phoenix isn't)? Is the league coming to the rescue of a franchise in a desperate situation, the way it did in Buffalo and Nashville and Ottawa and Pittsburgh and even Tampa (Atlanta also is bigger than all of them)?" [AJC]
• If the Thrashers are moved to Winnipeg, what might a realigned NHL look like? How do the Southeast Division Columbus Blue Jackets sound to you? [The Hockey Writers]
• Greg Esposito is tired of the Phoenix Coyotes' comedy of errors: "I'm sorry Phoenix Coyotes but after 15 years I think we need to take some time apart. I want to take a break and if in a few weeks, at most a month, if you haven't figured out your stuff I think it's best for the sanity of both of us if we go our separate ways." [Fansided]
• Damien Cox with some quality fear mongering about a lockout. How does one write an entire piece about a potential work stoppage and not mention a $2 billion TV contract with NBC that the ink is still drying on? [Star]
• Great stuff from Tauntr. Check out more from its site.
• A rather caustic Nashville Predators eulogy: "Fittingly, the series ended with a whimper, with the game-winning goal scored by a slumping Sedin twin on a powerplay resulting from a Jordin Tootoo dive. Because That's Predators Hockey, baby!" [Pegasus News]
• Shea Weber reinforces the idea that he's going to remain a member of the Nashville Predators. [Tennessean]
• "If Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier has his eye on Russian defenceman Alexei Yemelin at the IIHF World Hockey Championship, he's not talking about it." [CP]
• Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron "has yet to resume any physical activities following his concussion last Friday." [Bruins Blog]
• In an incredible development, Manny Malhotra returned to the ice for the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, with GM Mike Gillis saying, "It's basically day-by-day, week-by-week and month-by-month. We're optimistic and just holding our breath about his ability to continue to recover. "[The White Towel]
• Finally, perhaps the best song ever written about Simon Gagne. OK, potentially the only song ever written about Simon Gagne.