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Puck Headlines: Winter Classic rink revealed; Habs owner speaks

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.

• Via Schuyler Baehman of the NHL, it's the official artist's rendering of the 2012 Winter Classic. Wait, why is the rain white?

• Marty Brodeur talks about watching "HBO 24/7" and not being a fan of the [expletive] language: "I'm not a big fan of the language. It happens, but it's kind of over the top a little bit to me. People swearing all the time. I know it is what it is. I've been doing it for 19 years now. But that's one thing I don't enjoy about it because my kids are watching it. I'm not happy they have to listen to that. I know that's the real thing." [NJ.com]

• Big changes on the way to the NHL Network, including a rebranding of "On The Fly" to "NHL Tonight", not to be confused with "NHL 2 Nite." R.I.P. Chicken Parm. [Paranoid Puck]

• Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson on the head coaching change and … other stuff: "Randy Cunneyworth is a qualified and experienced coach who has earned the respect of the players and everyone within the organisation and he was ready to take over the responsibility of head coach. As Pierre Gauthier indicated, the head coaching position will be revaluated at the end of the season and, at that time the selection process will be carefully planned. Although our main priority remains to win hockey games and to keep improving as a team, it is obvious that the ability for the head coach to express himself in both French and English will be a very important factor in the selection of the permanent head coach. Like all our fans we hope for the Montreal Canadiens to be among the top teams in the NHL and we are doing everything we possibly can to win. We would like to thank all our fans for their understanding." [Canadiens]

• Interim editor-in-chief Dr. Rajendra Kale of the Canadian Medical Association Journal wants fighting to be banned in the National Hockey League. "If fighting is banned, several spectators who currently do not watch the game may start watching it." Wow, several! [CP]

• Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators was named the NHL's first star of the week Monday after recording eight points in three games. Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne was named the second star and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin took the third stars. [NHL]

• Barstool Sports wonders why accused pedophile Jerry Sandusky would sell Islanders tickets. (We have no idea is this is a 'Shop or a goof or what the hell it is, but sometimes you just gotta roll with elpresidente.) [Barstool, via reader JG]

• "Yesterday in practice, the Kings did a 2-on-2 drill, split into two teams. After practice, the team bus diverted to a nearby Dairy Queen, and the losing team bought treats for the winners." It's official: John Stevens is the boyfriend between the mom's two marriages, taking the kids to Dairy Queen. [LA Kings Insider]

• On the regime change for the Los Angeles Kings: "If one thing is clear in the aftermath of the Terry Murray regime, it's that not everyone was following the leader -or leaders- as the case may be. And now, with one guy gone, the only constant that remains are the players themselves wondering if perhaps a new change in leadership will be the spark that reignites the fire any team needs if it is to ever lift the Stanley Cup." [Deep Inside The Kings]

• Comparing Darryl Sutter to the Kings with the movie "Major League" is never a bad thing. [The Royal Half]

• Here are 22 storylines to follow for the Canadian junior team. Reminds us that we should hear plenty about Mandi Schwartz in the next few weeks with Jaden on the team. [Buzzing The Net]

• USA World Juniors link-o-rama. [WCHB]

• Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford on Justin Faulk: "Justin has already become an integral part of our team at a very young age," said Rutherford. "He had the experience of representing the United States at the World Junior Championship last year, winning a bronze medal in Buffalo. We believe it is in the best interest of our organization and his development for him to remain with the Carolina Hurricanes this year." [Canes]

• How Jose Theodore is proving everyone wrong for the Florida Panthers. [The Rat Trick]

• The national television audience on VERSUS will be deprived of Adam Burish's whimsy tonight. [Defending Big D]

• The Phoenix Coyotes will induct former Coyotes captain Keith Tkachuk into the Ring of Honor this Friday night (Dec. 23) in a pre-game ceremony prior to the Coyotes versus St. Louis Blues game at Jobing.com Arena. Game time is 7:00 p.m. Wait, do the Coyotes have Winnipeg fans' blessing for this or not?

• On Alex Semin and Dale Hunter's system: "With Alexander Semin, we've seen a full season's worth of what could be favorably-to-him described as 'stifled creativity,' with no end in sight. At this point, even his most ardent supporters would have to agree that Alex Semin the hockey player and the way the Washington Capitals now play hockey are horribly mismatched. And it doesn't appear as if either is going to change any time soon." [Japers' Rink]

• Kyle Turris on being in Ottawa: "I don't think I've seen this many cameras for a number of years now." Yeah, weird how they aren't in San Antonio or the press box. [Slam]

• Via reader Tommy, an HF Boards poster tried to create anime versions of the San Jose Sharks. It could have gone a little better. [HF Boards]

• Michael Del Zotto follows "the scourge of the hockey blogger world." [Dangerous Hockey]

• The Dark Knight Rises trailer: Spoiler: Bane is awesome. [Apple]

• Finally, here's Dan Craig talking about makin' ice.