Spezza on trade; frugal Coyotes; third KHL team pulls out for 2014-15 (Puck Headlines)
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.
• Evander Kane vs. the Winnipeg media will never not be entertaining.
• Jason Spezza denied he wanted out of Ottawa due to the scrutiny of playing in a large hockey market: "My biggest motivator for a trade was to win. It will be portrayed however they want it to be portrayed, but the last thing I was worried about was coming out and doing interviews in front of my stall.” [TSN]
• If you ignore the price tag, the Washington Capitals actually improved their defense on Tuesday. [Japers’ Rink]
• Comparing the 2010 words of Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon to what he did yesterday. [Sporting News]
• Comparing the Brooks Orpik signing to the words of Capitals GM Brian MacLellan. [RMNB]
• “According to a league source, the Islanders also sent an offer to Thomas Vanek in the range of four years at $7 million per, which surpassed his three-year, $19.5 million deal he signed with the Wild.” [NY Post]
• The Calgary Flames really wanted Deryk Engelland. Like, really, really wanted him. [Calgary Sun]
• Willie Mitchell may have signed with the Panthers, but his restaurant recommendations will never go away. [The Royal Half]
• Pavel Zacha was taken no. 1 overall by the Sarnia Sting in the CHL’s Import Draft. The only problem? His agent Allan Walsh Tweets that he told the team Zacha is committed to playing in Europe for the next two seasons. [Buzzing the Net]
• Kyle Quincey re-ups in Detroit for two years and will earn $8.5 million. [MLive]
• The Arizona Coyotes went the frugal route on Day 1 of free agency, and that’s OK. [Five for Howling]
• Phil Kessel was in Las Vegas this weekend watching his buddy Daniel Negreau in the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop poker tournament. [Poker Listings]
• Hockey cards have featured game-worn swatches of jerseys, sticks, pucks, and equipment, but pieces of game-worn hockey skates in hockeys? That’s pretty cool. [Panini America]
• Chuck Kobasew leaves the Penguins organization to sign with Bern of the Swiss League. [PHT]
• The Carolina Hurricanes have hired former Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell as the new president of Gale Force Sports & Entertainment. [Hurricanes]
• Gagarin Cup finalists Lev Praha became the third KHL team this off-season to pull out of next season's campaign. [IIHF]
• From All-Star Game patches to new designs, five noteworthy jersey items from the NHL Draft. [Icethetics]
• Finally, here's the 2014 Stanley Cup Final recreated through Oyo Toys
