Archives › James O’Brien
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Chris Chelios announces his retirement, Red Wings name him Advisor to Hockey Operations
Aug 31, 2010, 1:50 PM EDT
1 CommentWe already discussed the fact that he would probably retire and join the Detroit Red Wings front office, but now it’s official. Get those old jokes out of your systems while you still can because Chris Chelios won’t play another game in the NHL. Here is the story from NHL.com. Chris Chelios, a three-time Stanley…
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Tampa Bay makes former Orlando Magic executive Steve Griggs their new COO
Aug 31, 2010, 1:30 PM EDT
Comments OffThere’s something about the Tampa Bay Lightning and some variation on the name Steve/Steven. First, there’s Maurice Richard co-winner and star of the present and future Steven Stamkos. Then there is a man who is just as important to the team’s success, new general manager Steve Yzerman. The fixation on successful Steve’s continued today as…
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Islanders sign Doug Weight to one-year, $850K contract
Aug 31, 2010, 12:45 PM EDT
Comments OffAlthough the deal seemed like it was close to fruition more than two months ago, New York Newsday reporter Katie Strang passes along the news that Doug Weight and the Islanders finally made it official. GM Garth Snow signed Weight to a one-year, $850K contract that could be worth more if he reaches certain bonus…
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Nashville Predators will introduce 'Blogger's Row' during 2009-10 season
Aug 31, 2010, 12:30 PM EDT
Comments Off(Again, I know that blogger talk really only appeals to a select segment of our audience. If this isn’t interesting to you, feel free to click on another story.) On Friday, it seemed like the future was pretty bleak for bloggers trying to gain access to the locker rooms and press boxes of NHL teams,…
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Sentencing decision expected this afternoon in Nikolai Khabibulin's extreme DUI trial
Aug 31, 2010, 11:30 AM EDT
Comments OffThis afternoon will mark a pivotal moment for the Edmonton Oilers and Nikolai Khabibulin’s life in general, as an Arizona judge will pass along the Russian goalie’s prison sentence after he was found guilty of three charges related to an extreme DUI incident. Here are a few quick facts about the situation, in case you…
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On the road to recovery from concussion issues, Willie Mitchell turned to motivational speakers
Aug 31, 2010, 10:40 AM EDT
In many cases, the best free agent acquisitions tend to slip under the radar. Sure, every once in a while you’ll see a guy who’s just so good it really doesn’t matter where he goes; Marian Hossa and Scott Niedermayer jump to mind in those cases. But if Jay Bouwmeester and Craig Anderson – two…
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Joe Thornton appears eager to sign a contract extension with the San Jose Sharks
Aug 31, 2010, 9:45 AM EDT
Comments OffThe last two years, I’ve scrounged enough money together to take a hockey-themed summer trip to California. Each time I return to the horrifying, scolding-hot climates of Texas, it’s like getting slapped awake from a glorious dream. So it’s difficult to even bat an eye at the fact that Joe Thornton is very happy with…
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One last chance to vote in the 'Is Sidney Crosby a dirty player?' poll
Aug 31, 2010, 9:00 AM EDT
After reading the Pensblog’s amusing “Mount Dirtymore” post, I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not Sidney Crosby is indeed a dirty player. More importantly, though, I had to know what side of the argument PHT readers come in on. While the poll already received more than 1,000 votes, I thought I’d give everyone a…
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Even in the depressingly hockey-free summer, we expect to be a productive bunch here at Pro Hockey Talk. Sometimes it might be difficult to follow our pace. We understand that. For that reason, whenever we can, we’ll put all of the day’s stories in one convenient post called the PHT Nightcap. Enjoy, hockey fans. Speculating…
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Paul 'BizNasty' Bissonnette makes his (triumphant?) return to Twitter, discusses homeless people and hoarding
Aug 30, 2010, 11:45 PM EDT
Comments OffIt’s been a pretty busy week or so for enforcers and Twitter. Eight days ago, Cam Janssen and Krys Barch made waves when they essentially made a date for a fight via the 140-character-based social network. Fans of silly Twitter updates made by guys who give and receive knuckle sandwiches will be delighted to find…
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Report: Andrei Markov skates on his own for first time since Matt Cooke hit
Aug 30, 2010, 11:00 PM EDT
Comments OffThe Montreal Canadiens had an incredible run to the Eastern Conference finals last season, but they had to make half of it without their go-to powerplay quarterback and best defenseman Andrei Markov. The Russian blueliner sustained an injury from a rugged, yet clean check from Pittsburgh Penguins agitator Matt Cooke. Here is video of that…
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Report: Antti Niemi allegedly on the verge of deciding his hockey future
Aug 30, 2010, 10:00 PM EDT
Comments OffTwo of the biggest lingering stories from this off-season regard the future of Ilya Kovalchuk (as we discussed earlier) and former Chicago Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi. While there hasn’t been anything close to a confirmation – or concrete information, really – ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers reports that Niemi is on the verge of deciding which…
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NHL continues to review the second attempt at an Ilya Kovalchuk-Devils contract
Aug 30, 2010, 9:20 PM EDT
Comments OffThere was a minor stir regarding what was ultimately deemed a false report regarding the NHL rejecting the second Ilya Kovalchuk-New Jersey Devils contract, so I thought it would be wise to pass along what basically amounts to a non-update (with a few nuggets that you might find semi-interesting). The biggest thing to keep in…
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League hires a former NFL executive to beef up programming, NHL Network to see overhaul
Aug 30, 2010, 9:00 PM EDT
Even the most cynical hockey fan should value the NHL Network to at least some extent, especially if you’re an American puckhead. For all its faults, the channel often covers the league’s big events (trade deadline coverage, later rounds of the NHL draft, the occasional live game during the regular season) and NHL on the…
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Danny Briere hopes to continue to make a heavy impact with a lighter frame
Aug 30, 2010, 8:00 PM EDT
It’s unlikely that you will ever see him receive a bunch of Selke Trophy votes. Chances are, people will continue to look at the eight-year, $52 million contract he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in the summer of 2007 as a mistake. Yet those qualms aside, I stand by the fact that Danny Briere’s outstanding…
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Trading card companies gather 23 possible Calder candidates for rookie showcase
Aug 30, 2010, 7:15 PM EDT
While the “need” for playing cards drops as the Internet becomes the primary resource for stats, there’s still something quaint and pleasant about flipping through an Upper Deck pack. (Especially when they have those amusing gimmick cards with tiny pieces of game-worn jerseys, or sticks … although they really need to get their hands on…
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While teams and players aren’t always thrilled with a two-week interruption to their season (not to mention the compressed schedule that comes with it), one of the Olympic Games bummers is missing out on an All-Star Game. To me, it’s not really about the game itself, either. The downers come with missing the ridiculous but…
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Even in the depressingly hockey-free summer, we expect to be a productive bunch here at Pro Hockey Talk. Sometimes it might be difficult to follow our pace. We understand that. For that reason, whenever we can, we’ll put all of the day’s stories in one convenient post called the PHT Nightcap. Enjoy, hockey fans. Kirk…
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Tuukka Rask reflects on 09-10 season, tries to put playoff letdown behind him
Aug 29, 2010, 11:00 PM EDT
Comments OffWhen you consider how unproven he was going into the 2009-10 season, most people would probably look at Tuukka Rask’s rookie year as a resounding success. After all, he usurped Tim Thomas, the 2009 Vezina Trophy winner as the Boston Bruins managed to grind their way into a playoff berth. Still, you also can’t blame…
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Oilers sign Sam Gagner to a two-year, $4.55M deal
Aug 29, 2010, 9:50 PM EDT
Comments OffBefore the Edmonton Oilers pinned their hopes on the likes of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, they looked to players such as 2006 first round pick Sam Gagner. The team re-upped with Gagner today, signing him to a two-year, $4.55 million contract with a $2.275 million annual cap hit according to Nick Kypreos. Here is…
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While Pro Hockey Talk doesn’t specialize in fantasy hockey (our Rotoworld cousins do, though), we still think that there are areas where we can help you, the budding imaginary general managers. For that reason, we’re going to discuss different philosophies, strategies and cheat sheets as fantasy drafts begin to increase around North America. Previous entry:…
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Poll results: Paul Kariya's career isn't quite Hall of Fame material
Aug 29, 2010, 6:30 PM EDT
Comments OffWhen Paul Kariya’s agent announced that the winger will miss the 2010-11 season because of concussion problems, many people speculated that we might not see any more of Teemu Selanne’s former running mate. Being that he’s been bothered by injuries the last couple years and will turn 36 around October, it’s a pretty reasonable question…
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Maybe it’s just because it is the summer time or perhaps his gold medal winning goal forced people to eat some crow, but the cottage industry on hating Sidney Crosby dried up a bit lately. For those of you who simply don’t have the same spring in your step unless the NHL’s golden child is…
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Thomas Junta finishes prison term for involuntary manslaughter
Aug 28, 2010, 4:00 PM EDT
Comments OffParents can spiral out of control when it comes to their kids. One of the most common situations where this happens is during sporting events, particularly in full-contact events that include some serious impact blows. Yet as heated as these situations can become, you never expect someone to die during the worst exchanges. That’s exactly…
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Toronto signs Clarke MacArthur to one-year, $1.1M deal
Aug 28, 2010, 2:25 PM EDT
Though their logic was totally justifiable, it was still kind of stunning when the Atlanta Thrashers walked away from an arbitrator’s decision to award Clarke McArthur $2.4 million. Obviously, that decision was way out of line with his true market value and this summer showed that quite clearly. On the bright side, at least MacArthur…
