Puck Headlines: The Muppets take the NHL; new Toronto arena
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.
• The Chicago Blackhawks as Muppets. We'll never look at Jonathan Toews the same again. "This picture is worth at least a thousand words. Jonathan Toews is the Canadian equivalent of Sam the Eagle. Ultra-serious and spending most of his energy keeping others in check. From the Muppet Wiki: 'He would, in fact, like to concern himself with the morals of the entire world, but 'regrets that it takes all his time and energy just to keep up with The Muppet Show.' Sounds like when Toews has to stay on top of Kane to keep him off TMZ." [Blackhawks DL]
• Brenden Morrow is out with the dreaded upper-body injury for the Dallas Stars. [Heika]
• USA Today believes the two best goalies in the NHL this season might be facing off on Friday. [USA Today]
• "It's time to admit the Phil Kessel trade is good for the Leafs." Wouldn't that time be after Dougie Hamilton's first All-Star Game appearance? [Globe & Mail]
• So there's going to be a 20,000-seat, state-of-the-art, NHL-sized arena on the outskirts of Toronto and its owner claims it's "designed specifically as a multi-purpose center with the focus on concerts and cultural events." OK then. [THN]
• Spector's stupidest trade rumors for the first quarter of the season. No one's taking Scott Gomez off your hands, Montreal! [Kukla]
• The rift between Brent Sutter and Jarome Iginla. Fueling both of your "fire Sutter" and "trade Iggy" needs. [Slam]
• NHL ratings didn't really suffer without Sidney Crosby on the ice. [Globe & Mail]
• Jeremy Roenick finally gets his ring. [Coyotes]
• Should Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg be No. 1 and No. 1-A for the New Jersey Devils? [In Lou We Trust]
• Travis Zajac is getting closer to a return for the New Jersey Devils. [Devils]
• With the New York Islanders struggling in the heart department, Micheal Haley gets a callup. [Islanders]
• Which Muppet would make the best NHL player? Jason Segel says Sweetums.
• Niclas Bergfors finds no takers on waivers, so the Nashville Predators will likely ship him to Milwaukee. [On the Forecheck]
• Ron Hainsey is finally back for the Winnipeg Jets. [QMI]
• Catching up with Craig Rivet of the ECHL. [Art Voice]
• In the words of the Ottawa Citizen, Craig Anderson provides "chutzpah" for the Ottawa Senators. We'd like to kibitz with that goyem over latkes. [Citizen]
• Analyzing Alex Ovechkin's power play time with the Washington Capitals: "Boudreau has finally taken Ovechkin off the point and his average shot distance is now 29.8 feet. One of the benefits of taking closer shots is higher accuracy, and Ovechkin is now shooting 12.5 percent as opposed to the dismal 5.8 percent of last year. One easy way to take advantage of this new scheme is to simply give Ovechkin more time during the power play so he can generate more high-percentage shots." [Capitals Insider]
• Ovechkin doing the make-a-wish thing on Friday night. [Capitals]
• Gregory Campbell will donate 400 pies to various shelters in Boston; the ones the Bruins didn't end up throwing in the Canucks' faces last June. [Bruins]
• In praise of the Ohio State hockey team. [CHN]
• Finally, in honor of The Muppets returning to the big screen, the Dion Phaneuf song.
