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Cracks in NHL ownership; Wayne Simmonds with a pummeling; ’24/7′ news (Puck Headlines)

Greg Wyshynski

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.

• As we discussed on today's Marek Vs. Wyshynski, here's the State of the Hockey Media panel from Blogs With Balls 5. Sadly, they cut my opening line: "Welcome to the diversity panel!"

• Huzzah! The NHL and the NHLPA will meet again! Boo … it won't be about the main economic issues causing the lockout. [USAT]

• Bruce Garrioch offers that the ownership side of things might now have solidarity: "The insider with knowledge of the bargaining suggested Bettman has the support from the board of governors and those who don't like the idea of the lockout are sitting silent to see if the NHL can get the union to bend." [Ottawa Sun]

• Coach K wonders if they might be a rift between Gary Bettman and the owners: "With the league currently locked out, all players will at least have some cash flow in October because the league will return most, if not all, of each player's escrow payments from last season. What if this isn't sitting well with the NHL owners, who Bettman apparently promised would see their percentage of the money in escrow, regardless of any future labour disruptions?" [Montreal Hockey Talk]

• Why the owners have to blink first in the negotiation: "To get the league back up and running before American Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving Friday is the first game to air on NBC) the owners will need to come off their stance of large reductions in current player contracts (whether it be through a roll back or escrow). Thus, they must blink first in these negotiations." [Too Many Men on the Site]

• Cam Charron wonders what a 40-game season looks like: "Which opens an excellent door. In walks chaos. With the season cut in half, the potential for numerical randomness in the standings and stats pages doubles. Take last season at the 40-game mark, for instance. Neither Los Angeles nor Phoenix were in playoff position at the 40-game mark. Rather, Minnesota and Dallas held those last two spots before." [Backhand Shelf]

• Meanwhile: Is the lockout a clever way for the KHL to try and get a foothold in North America? [Mile High Hockey]

• Jason Gregor believes it's time we teach the kids that hockey doesn't begin or end with the NHL. [Edmonton Journal]

• Cool news from the NHL Network: NHL Network U.S. will be re-airing "24/7: Pens/Caps" in its entirety beginning tomorrow night. That's Tuesday through Friday, at 8 p.m. ET.

• The inaugural game for the Penn State Pegulas is a mere days away. [Centre Daily]

• Interesting story from the University of Wisconsin, as a freshman player has been suspended for alleged ties to Pulver Sports agency. [Bucks5thQuarter]

• Here's a review of "The Instigator", that Gary Bettman book we've been pimping: "After reading The Instigator, there should be no doubt left that many of the things we've heard about Bettman are true. Unlike past presidents of the league, he has, as Gatehouse points out, 'succeeded in transforming (the NHL) as a business.' While he does represent the NHL's owners, he is not simply a passive figurehead. Gary Bettman has an active vision around which everything revolves. He realizes the importance of hockey to Canada, but knows the game must adapt in order to grow outside that cradle. He believes his way will prove to be the best way to elevate the NHL among pro sports in North America. It may never reach the level of the others, but for Bettman, that's no excuse to abandon the effort." [Hockey Writers]

• Bryce Salvador sounds like a guy who wants to see the NHLPA get the deal it needs and is already familiar with missing a season. [Star-Ledger]

• Drew Miller is joining the Clan. The Braehead Clan of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League, silly. [ESPN]

• Also headed to the EIHL: Tom Sestito of the Philadelphia Flyers. Playing for the Sheffield Steelers. Cue Eagles fans berating him for choosing a team called the Steelers. [Broad Street Hockey]

• Finally, here's Wayne Simmonds beating the ever-loving crap out of Ralf Rinke in the Eishockey League. [Philly Mag]

And via Leahy, here's the aftermath: