Since April 14th when NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly announced that the New York Islanders were awarded the No. 1 pick in this Friday's Entry Draft, the debate began over who they should select. Should they choose the stud Canadian boy, John Tavares, who's been hyped since he was 14-years old or the big Swede, Victor Hedman, who could be a cornerstone player on the Islanders blue line for years to come?

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to Montreal. Brampton Battalion center Matt Duchene, who has been either No. 3 or No. 4 on most scouting reports all year long, gained some serious steam and consideration for being selected No. 1 overall by the Islanders. Things his Defcon 5 last Friday when Islanders beat writer (and Puck Daddy roundtable participant) Greg Logan of Newsday wrote that he believed Garth Snow was much more interested in Duchene over Tavares or Hedman. Crikey!

Who Snow will choose on Friday night is anyone's guess at this point and to be honest, it's actually

The New York Islanders are a few days away from a possible turning point in their franchise. For the fourth time in their history, they hold the No. 1 overall pick in the National Hockey League Entry Draft. On Friday night, General Manager Garth Snow and his scouting staff will have their choice between Matt Duchene, Victor Hedman or John Tavares.

To get into the minds of Islanders Nation, Puck Daddy sat down at an invisible roundtable with four Islanders bloggers as well as the team's beat writer. Giving us their thoughts on the NHL Draft, the Garth Snow effect and the possibility of the team getting a new arena are former Islanders V.P. of media relations Chris Botta, now of Islanders Point Blank; Dominik from Lighthouse Hockey; B.D. Gallof of Islanders Independent; Newsday's Islander beat writer Greg Logan; and Tom Liodice of The Tiger Track.

Their thoughts are after the jump.

1. You're at the Bell Centre podium: With the first selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the New York

EA Sports officially announced today that Patrick Kane(notes) of the Chicago Blackhawks will be the cover athlete for NHL 10, due out in September.

For our Swedish friends, Nicklas Backstrom(notes) of the Washington Capitals will don the cover overseas. Also of note: EA has also signed top draft prospect John Tavares to promote the game.

We've documented that NHL 10 will feature first person fighting, momentum swings, and interactive crowds. The game will also feature board play according to the EA's blog, which has been a long time coming.

Despite the hoopla last week in Las Vegas with the 2K folks announcing Alexander Ovechkin(notes) of the Washington Capitals as their cover boy, there's no doubt that EA will again outsell 2K and that NHL 10 will receive better ratings from the various gaming magazines and websites. Ovi may be "bringing the party" to NHL 2K10, but hardcore hockey gamers know what's what when it comes to the better quality for their entertainment dollar.

If NHL 09

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. The NHL's Winter Classic was a brilliant marketing idea from the very beginning: a picturesque snow globe scene featuring meaningful hockey with a historic stadium set as the backdrop.

In 2003, the Heritage Classic worked because it was the first time the NHL had done it during the regular season and the legendary players who took part in the pregame festivities. Winter Classic I featured the NHL's marketing star, Sidney Crosby(notes), and a dramatic ending. Winter Classic II had the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, and above all, a beautiful Wrigley Field in January. Winter Classic III is rumored to be heading to Boston at Fenway Park and could feature the Bruins and Washington Capitals.

Could a second Winter Classic game on New Year's Day work?

Winter Classic 3.5? Well, that sounds like it may be Calgary from what ESPN's E.J. Hradek reported Thursday night.

Of course, an important first step in the process of

The NHL kicked off its Las Vegas experiment without a bang, without the star attractions you come to find in Sin City and celebrated its awards show like it has done in the past: in bland fashion.

Then again, it was an awards show we're talking about and to expect Siegfried and Roy to balance one of their tigers on Alex Ovechkin's shoulders might be asking a bit much.

The move to Las Vegas left Ron MacLean behind and the show went unmanned. Well, unless you want to count the numerous times we saw San Jose Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick(notes) and pop singer Michael Buble grab some screen time.

In the end, just about every award was handed out to the expected winner, except for the Norris Trophy where Zdeno Chara(notes) (deservedly) won the honors after many had expected Washington's Mike Green(notes) to take home the award.

More thoughts on the 2009 NHL Awards after the jump.

-I'm a sucker for video montages and the opener with Dennis Leary was well done.

-Chaka Khan and Robin

Amidst the postgame celebrations on the Joe Louis Arena ice, eagle-eyed Puck Daddy reader Jordan noticed something was a little bit different about the Stanley Cup: the logo on the bottom of the base.

This year, when the Pittsburgh Penguins get their names engraved on the Cup, a brand new base will be part of the best trophy in sports.

Phil Pritchard, curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame and the man who travels with the Stanley Cup wherever it goes, confirmed in an email that after the Detroit Red Wings had their names engraved last September, the base was completed and a new one, featuring the Hall's logo, was installed.

So no, that wasn't the replica Stanley Cup that Gary Bettman presented on Friday night or one you can get through the NHL store; it was the same old Stanley, just with a newer look underneath.

To follow the Stanley Cup and its summer vacation, check out the Hockey Hall of Fame's website and their running journal as each member of the Pittsburgh Penguins gets his day

While we await the late-night talk show rounds of the Stanley Cup, as it did after last postseason (Sidney Crosby(notes) singing "Bringing Stanley Back," Vol. 2?), New York Rangers forward Sean Avery(notes) visited Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday and didn't say anything to get himself suspended.

Avery was there promoting Career Gear, a non-profit organization that gives men, whether coming out of prison or attempting to return to the workforce, support and clothing as they prepare for job interviews. The two ended the segment with an accuracy shootout, which Avery won. Had he lost, Fallon's house band, Philadelphia natives The Roots, would have made Avery don Philadelphia Flyers gear, much to the horror of Rangers fans.

Here's the entire segment thanks to Jefflered.

If this were "Piper's Pit", Avery's telling the audience that Scott Hartnell(notes) is "a bit of a clown", despite the obviousness of the statement, would be a great heat-causing storyline to head into next

Good news if you're a Phoenix Coyotes fan.

Bad news, yet again, if you're Jim Balsillie.

Judge Redfield T. Baum laid down his judgement earlier this evening, rejecting the proposed sale to Balsillie. Baum, in his 21-page ruling, stated that the June 29 deadline set by the Balsillie camp was too soon for the issues argued about in the case to be agreed upon.

The judgement kills any chance for the planned auction of the team that was to be held next Monday, June 22.

The Phoenix Coyotes are staying in the desert and Jim Balsillie loses again in his battle against Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League. It surely won't be the last time we see the Research in Motion founder in the mix for a team. It's inevitable that Balsillie will eventually get his hands on a team, as long as he goes through the proper channels. The question that remains is if the NHL would ever be willing to relocate a team to the Hamilton area or prefer to stuff their pockets with the expansion fee that a team in