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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Saturday a new promotion for the 2011-12 season that would make fans the face of their ticket sales. Literally.

Via their Facebook page, the Lightning introduced the "Be the Ticket" campaign that gives fans the opportunity to upload photos themselves and friends decked out in team swag and win the chance to featured on a game ticket next season.

If other NHL teams want to copy the idea, that could mean fans in Vancouver could see more of The Green Men; or Dancin' Larry in New York; or Carrie Underwood in Nashville; or Cy Clark in Pittsburgh; or even SharkBoy in San Jose.

This is just another step in the Lightning's "All In" marketing campaign and given the attendance spike over the past few years once OK Hockey left town and the team turnaround under new owner Jeff Vinik and GM Steve Yzerman, the fanbase is feeding off of these initiatives. Just look at how many fans showed up on a hot Sunday morning to form a human lightning bolt during the

71441616When Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi dealt Ryan Smyth to the Edmonton Oilers last month, he achieved two goals.

First, he moved a player who no longer wanted to play in LA and instead wanted to return home to Alberta. Second, being able to unload Smyth's $6.25 million cap hit certainly made the acquisition of Mike Richards from the Philadelphia Flyers a bit easier.

Of course, the Smyth deal wasn't without complications as Colin Fraser, who went to the Kings as part of the deal, ended up needing surgery this week on his ankle, a detail that Lombardi claims Oilers GM Steve Tambellini didn't include when the two consummated the deal. Tambellini defended the trade saying that Lombardi knew exactly what he was getting in Fraser and his medical history.

The situation didn't make Lombardi a happy man and after threatening legal action, he officially filed a formal grievance with the NHL on Friday according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times.

Fraser's agent claims that his client will be

111676428The odd thing about Zach Parise and the New Jersey Devils agreeing to a 1-year deal worth $6 million late Friday afternoon is that the two sides could've continued talking through the weekend and on Monday leading up to the scheduled arbitration hearing on Tuesday.

But strange things happens when you're dealing with Lou Lamoriello and sipping from his Kool-Aid.

According to Tom Gulitti of The Record, both Lamoriello and the Parise camp will continue to discuss a longer-term deal, but per CBA rules, he cannot sign a new deal beginning in the 2012-13 season until Jan. 1, 2012.

Lamoriello talked to Gulitti about settling on a deal today as opposed to taking it to arbitration.

"Once you go to arbitration, you can only get a one-year situation in this case," Lamoriello said. "So, really what we have done is avoid arbitration by settling on one year with the understanding and intent to take whatever time is necessary to get a long-term deal."

Taking the deal now means there was some work

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.

SJICECAPS

• The Winnipeg Jets' AHL team in St. John's revealed today that they will be the Ice Caps beginning next season. What do you think of the logo? [AHL]

• A Winnipeg woman decided to get the new Jets logo tattooed on her shin. The former military medic isn't a big hockey fan and says the tattoo is more of a celebration of hockey returning to the city. [Winnipeg Free Press via Arctic Ice Hockey]

• According to Russian publication Sport-Express, Alexei Kovalev will take his talents to Atlant Mytischi of the KHL. How soon until Alexei Yashin announces he's staying over there? [@SlavaMalamud]

• Joining him in the KHL will be defenseman Brent Sopel who signed a two-year deal with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. [@BrentSopel]

• Mike Danton announced on his Twitter page Thursday afternoon that he's signed a deal to play for IFK Ore,

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Three weeks ago, Mike Modano told a reporter before a celebrity baseball charity event that he expected to make a decision on his future in "two to three weeks" time.

Friday hits the three-week mark and appearing Thursday on the Bob and Dan radio show on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas, the future Hockey Hall of Famer sounded an awful lot like a guy who's made up his mind to retire.

When asked if he will play again, Modano told the hosts, "I don't know. I think that was the swan song."

Later, when asked if he wanted to make his retirement announcement right then and there on the show, Modano's reply was, "Not yet."

We were sort of down this road with Modano a year ago, except the only major change this time around is the number of interested teams. Last summer, the Dallas Stars decided they would not bring back the face of their franchise in late June opening the door for a hometown return to the Detroit Red Wings, which the 41-year-old said it was Motown or retirement and he would have

110212418Brian Rolston to the New York Islanders for Trent Hunter is one of those deals that's incredibly serviceable for both sides who are desperate to fill needs this summer.

New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello finding a taker for Rolston and his $5.062 million cap hit next season, and bringing on Hunter's $2 million cap hit over the next two years frees up $3 million more to throw into a new deal for birthday boy Zach Parise whose arbitration hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3.

As he's done in the past with other contracts (see: Vladimir Malakhov and Dan McGillis), Lamoriello tried to make Rolston's contract disappear by waiving him in December. Rolston would later clear re-entry waivers despite an attractive $2.5 million salary that the claiming team would only need to pay him.

But the writing was on the wall for Rolston and as Tom Gullitti reported, he had to waive his no-trade clause in order to complete the move to Long Island. He'll be a veteran boost to a young lineup and be beneficial

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.

NASHFANS

BREAKING: The New York Islanders have dealt Trent Hunter to the New Jersey Devils for Brian Rolston. More on this in a bit.

• It must be the summer of hockey fans climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. We posted a picture of two Washington Capitals fans Wednesday atop Kilimanjaro and Thursday we present you Eric K. and his wife who spent their honeymoon last month making the 19,000-plus foot climb.

• According to Darren Dreger, the AHL's Chicago Wolves will announce the hiring of Craig MacTavish as their new head coach. [TSN]

• Via Dmitry, the president of the Latvian Hockey Federation, says that Mike Keenan is on the top of its list of next possible coaches for the national team. How soon until Keenan is demanding to take on the role of LHF president as well?

• Will Jannik Hansen and the Vancouver Canucks make it to their

111903029

Out with the old and in with the reborn?

That's what could happen in Chicago as Scott Burnside of ESPN.com reported Wednesday night that goaltender Ray Emery would attend Blackhawks training camp in September on a tryout basis.

Gone is Marty Turco who didn't find much luck in Chicago allowing for rookie Corey Crawford to play his way to the No. 1 job.

For Emery, this is his opportunity to continue to make good on a second chance in his goaltending life. Diagnosed with avascular necrosis in 2010 -- where blood stops flowing to the ball of the hip, thereby deteriorating the bone -- doctors told Emery that his hockey career was over. But that didn't stop Emery from working with a trainer to strengthen the surgically-repaired muscles in his core.

The same injury derailed Bo Jackson's NFL career in the early 1990s, but thanks to advancements in medical technology Emery held hope that he could make it all the back to the NHL.

In 10 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, Emery posted an