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Puck Headlines: On players skipping Worlds; Sturm out 6 months

Sean Leahy
Contributing writer

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 IIHF's communications director, Szymon Szemberg on players turning down opportunities to represent their country at international competitions: "How can a player who is 22 or 25 or 27, and who was just eliminated from the playoffs be tired? Tired is a miner who works in a damp pit in Miktivka, in the Donetz Plateau in Ukraine, who never sees daylight and who provides living for a family of five in a modest two-room apartment. That is tired." [IIHF]

• According to the Phoenix Business Journal, a third group has emerged in the never-ending process of finding the Coyotes a new owner. "The source, who asked not be identified, said the third group is not to the point of having a lease deal brought before the Glendale City Council, but moving the Coyotes deadline from June 30 to September could allow time to move forward with a bid and financing." [PBJ]

• What's happened to the magic of the Montreal Canadiens? Will returning home to Bell Centre help turn the tide? [The Star]

• It's no coincidence that since Flyers forward Simon Gagne(notes) returned from injuries, he's scored six goals and Philadelphia hasn't lost since. [Philly.com]

• Talking line changes, too many men and matching lines. [Mercury News]

• In praise of the Chicago Blackhawks and their success on the road this postseason. [Chicago Sun Times]

• Why everything the Chicago Blackhawks are doing is working. [Hockey Independent]

• Boston Bruins forward Marco Sturm(notes) underwent surgery on his right knee Monday and his expected recovery time is six months. [Bruins]

• Tim Thomas(notes) on the thought of entertaining waiving his no-trade clause: ""Too early. Those kind of thoughts are something that need to be thought over carefully and over a longer period of time and I haven’t had the luxury of doing that yet. It is so early after the end of the season that I haven’t took the time yet. We have had these end of the year meetings, get our equipment, we have had some other activities. Over the next month I will let things kind of settle in my mind and come up with some of that stuff later, but not yet." [NESN]

• James Mirtle with a follow-up to his popular story on hockey players' teeth. There's more about Keith Tkachuk(notes) and he asks the question, "Should mouth guards be mandatory?" [Globe & Mail]

• Eight questions about the conference finals answered by Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside. [ESPN]

• Why Willie Mitchell(notes) of the Vancouver Canucks' outburst towards Colin Campbell is more about truth than one player expressing his emotions. [Truth and Rumours]

• Excuses for the U.S. team's disappointing 13th place finish at the World Championships. [PuckWorlds]

• Jonathan Willis on the general manager candidacy of Ron Hextall. [Hockey or Die!]

• Draft prospect Kirill Kabanov isn't a fan of playing in Russia: "I’ll never come back to Russia [to play hockey]. I’m trying to show I can play in the NHL. It doesn’t matter what the [draft] number is. If a team picks me, I’ll sign the contract right away." [Buzzing the Net]

• Derek Zona on why contracts that kill a team's salary cap happen much more often than you think. [From the Rink]

• According to Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford, there's a good chance Ray Whitney(notes) and Anton Babchuk(notes) return to the team next season. The future of Rod Brind'Amour(notes), however, is still up in the air. [News Observer]

• Good eye by Puck Buddy Zach M. who caught this Evgeni "Nabakov" jersey foul inside the NHL Store.

• Cheers to former Nashville Predator and current San Jose Shark Scott Nichol(notes) who helped promote a charity auction before Game 2 on Tuesday night at HP Pavilion with proceeds going to aid in the flood relief efforts in Tennessee. [Tennessean]

• Preliminary contract talks have begun between Todd Bertuzzi(notes) and the Detroit Red Wings. The 35-year-old power forward scored 18 goals and put up 44 points this past season. [Freep]

• If you've been wondering what former NHL tough guy Peter Worrell(notes) has been up to, he was named head coach of the Florida Atlantic University club hockey team this week. [Sun-Sentinel]

• Happy 36th anniversary to the 1974 Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup victory. [The700Level]

• Swedish researchers found evidence that they claim the sport of hockey originated in the British Isles. [Calgary Herald]

• According to the Ottawa Business Journal, the Senators lost money for the second straight season [OBJ]

• Down Goes Brown gets to the bottom of what the problem is in Ottawa. [DGB]

• Finally, it's been a while, so let's check in with our good friend the Insomniac Reviewer and get his thoughts on Tuesday night's Blackhawks-Sharks game: