Archives › James O’Brien
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Oilers set to sign underwhelming, oversized G Devan Dubnyk
Jul 13, 2010, 12:35 PM EDT
2 CommentsOf all the teams that I listed in an experimental post about Marty Turco’s possible suitors, the Edmonton Oilers were one of the most logical squads for the puck moving goalie. Part of the reasoning was because Nikolai Khabibulin struggled so much on and off the ice during the 2009-10 season, but another reason was…
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Montreal signs Mathieu Carle, James Wyman to one-year deals
Jul 13, 2010, 12:15 PM EDT
Comments OffIt really might just be about signing Carey Price at this point for the Montreal Canadiens. Earlier today I shared news that the team signed forward Maxim Lapierre to a one-year deal. The team tied up some more loose ends today, signing defenseman Mathieu Carle and forward James Wyman to two-way, one-year deals according to…
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Penguins sign Chris Conner to one-year, $550K deal
Jul 13, 2010, 11:10 AM EDT
Comments OffThe Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Chris Conner to a two-way, one-year contract that would pay him $550K at the NHL level, the team reports. At a scrawny 5-8, Conner will have to struggle to find his way into the team’s reputation. Still, he’s been pretty solid in spot duty with the big club. The team…
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People throw around words such as “rare” and “unique” like confetti these days, but I think it’s appropriate to say that sports lost one of its most irreplaceable figures today when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died of a heart attack. It got me thinking about just how rare “The Boss” is in sports, particularly compared…
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Habs roster nearly complete after signing Maxim Lapierre
Jul 13, 2010, 10:20 AM EDT
The Montreal Canadiens signed forward Maxim Lapierre to a one-year, $900K deal according to TSN. On a team that often gets lampooned for being small (after all, they employ such sprites as Brian Gionta), Lapierre is a rare physical presence at the forward position. Although his seven goals and seven assists total a measly 14…
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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. Bruins…
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Ontario's Court of Appeal rejects Rob Ramage's attempts to get a new trial
Jul 12, 2010, 10:45 PM EDT
Comments OffFor the most part, we try to keep it light here at Pro Hockey Talk, but things aren’t always easy-going in hockey or life. Take the sad case of former player Rob Ramage, whose attempts at getting a new trial fell on deaf ears recently. TSN has the story via the Canadian Press. Ramage was…
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More twists and turns in the NY Islanders' Lighthouse Project negotiations
Jul 12, 2010, 10:15 PM EDT
New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has been striving for a new arena – or at least an improved situation for the team, which resides in the oft-critiqued Nassau Coliseum – for quite some time and hasn’t had an easy time dealing with officials in the area. Chris Botta of Islanders Point Blank chronicled the…
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Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Minnesota Wild are optimistic about his concussion recovery
Jul 12, 2010, 9:30 PM EDT
Because of concussion issues, Pierre-Marc Bouchard played in one game – for a little more than 10 minutes – during the 2009-10 season. From all indications, it was a nightmare season for the undersized playmaker. Twin Cities.com has a story about the recovery process for “PMB.” While Bouchard has a long way to go in…
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When the New York Rangers spent a ton on Derek “The Boogeyman” Boogaard and the Philadelphia Flyers gave Jody Shelley more than a million per year, I remarked that the Atlantic division might be the “heavyweight” division. The Goon Blog did it one better, wondering if the division should be renamed the “Bob Probert division”…
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2010 NHL Free Agency: Canucks wrap up Shane O'Brien, three others
Jul 12, 2010, 7:50 PM EDT
Comments OffIt’s been a busy couple weeks for the Vancouver Canucks, as they’ve made significant changes both on and off the ice. While today’s signings won’t be as life-altering as adding Dan Hamhuis or changing the name of their arena, the team announced that they’ll retain four players. TSN has the news. The Vancouver Canucks announced…
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Let’s face it, things aren’t looking very rosy for Marty Turco at this point. There isn’t a slap-you-in-the-face obvious destination for the veteran puck-mover, so the goalie is playing the waiting game right now. Still, as I discussed last night, he can bring something to the table. Does that mean he’s worthy of the contract…
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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. It was a bit…
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Despite his recent struggles, Marty Turco is still a (slightly) above average goalie
Jul 11, 2010, 9:00 PM EDT
Comments OffMarty Turco is in a rough spot right now. There simply aren’t a whole lot of options for a veteran goalie in a netminder market gone considerably dry. Tomorrow night, I’ll take a look at a few semi-reasonable possible destinations, but honestly, he might be the equivalent of a hockey goalie hitchhiker at the moment,…
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Various reports: Kings are talking with Kovalchuk again, but are 'far away' from a deal
Jul 11, 2010, 7:10 PM EDT
Comments OffHopefully the sarcasm and skepticism was evident in my last headline (I think “prepare grain of salt” was the dead giveaway), but it’s not too shocking that reports of Ilya Kovalchuk making his decision on Monday have already been limited, if not refuted altogether. Here are a few key Tweets that dispel the recent claims,…
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Report: Ilya Kovalchuk talks might conclude Monday, prepare grain of salt
Jul 11, 2010, 6:40 PM EDT
I know many of you (myself included) are in “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” mode when it comes to Ilya Kovalchuk talk. After all, there have been plenty of false starts in the process. The latest rumor comes from Sportsnet.ca’s Darren Millard on Twitter. Kovy-gate comes 2 an…
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Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp enjoy their days with the Stanley Cup
Jul 11, 2010, 4:10 PM EDT
Comments OffIt’s pretty tough to top Jonathan’s Toews’s 2009-10 season. Along with other accomplishments, he won a gold medal, Conn Smythe Trophy and became the youngest captain in NHL history to win the Cup. Today was his day with the Cup and the young star brought the best trophy in sports to his home of Winnipeg.…
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Ottawa Senators went the extra mile (and year) to land Sergei Gonchar
Jul 11, 2010, 3:20 PM EDT
Comments OffI’ll always remember how unimpressed I was when the Pittsburgh Penguins handed Sergei Gonchar a five-year, $25 million contract five years ago. Gonchar proved me dead-wrong since then, logging big-time minutes while bringing top-end offense and underrated defensive skills to the table in his time at the Igloo. Still, at the far-from-tender age of 36,…
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St. Thomas honors hometown hero Joe Thornton with 'Jumbo' banner
Jul 11, 2010, 2:00 PM EDT
Comments OffWhile many observers will criticize him for failing to earn a Stanley Cup banner, Joe Thornton was honored by the people of his hometown with a big banner at a local rink. The St. Thomas Times has more on the ceremony. He is arguably the biggest celebrity to hail from St. Thomas. And, now, Joe…
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Columbus Blue Jackets are GM Scott Howson's team now, for better or worse
Jul 11, 2010, 1:15 PM EDT
Comments OffI still think that the Columbus Blue Jackets made a mistake when they fired Ken Hitchcock last season. He was a rare beacon of hockey competence in an organization that rarely – if ever – did things correctly in their puck pursuits. Just take a look at the severe deficit in talent on their roster;…
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Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood tied the knot on Saturday in a ceremony that was (very oddly) exclusively covered by People Magazine. The couple went a long way to keep their wedding location a secret, apparently only letting guests know the location once people picked up their plane tickets. The Ottawa Sun reports that 250…
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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. It was a bit…
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Would signing Ilya Kovalchuk cost the NJ Devils Zach Parise in the future?
Jul 10, 2010, 8:20 PM EDT
Comments OffMost reports indicate that the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings are in a two-horse race for Ilya Kovalchuk (well, I guess it might be a three team contest if you count the KHL, in general). The problem is, players like Kovalchuk take a lot of pieces of the salary cap pie. Tom Gulitti…
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Jack Johnson is a specimen of a defenseman, but sometimes his high-risk, high-reward style gives him a bit of a “shaggy dog” reputation. While he has some learning to do in his own end, he also acknowledges that he’d like to hit the books off the ice too. In a nice (and sadly rare) story,…
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It’s pretty hard to believe that a franchise that employed Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr and Paul Coffey never had a No. 1 overall draft pick until they selected Taylor Hall in June, but that’s exactly the case. Hall got his first taste of Edmonton this week – and regardless of what…
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Video: Highlights: Red Wings top Blackhawks in Game 3
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Video: Cleary: 'We won't be exchanging Christmas cards'
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Video: 'Hawks potential tying goal waved off
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Video: Blackhawks score on controversial play
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Video: Blackhawks bring the pain
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Video: Red Wings and BlackHawks fighting for control
