Hospital visits canceled after mumps concern; Canada hoping for Lazar; Sharks watch 'Holiday Sweater' (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.
• We knew Emerson Etem had the mumps, but we didn't think it was THIS bad... [@brianrowland]
• The mumps strike again in Pittsburgh! Beau Bennett and an intern for the Penguins are the latest victims. Marc-Andre Fleury, Olli Maatta and Roberto Bortuzzo were being the latest players to be tested. [Tribune Live]
• With all the concern about the mumps epidemic in the league, teams are being cautious and postponing holiday visits to hospitals. [ESPN]
• For NHL players and other athletes, blood clots provide a deadly threat. [SI]
• "Until Hockey Canada hears the word no from the Ottawa Senators they’ll continue to hold out hope for Curtis Lazar." [Buzzing the Net]
• Will the first major sports league in Vegas really be … the NHL? [Grantland]
• Eugene Melnyk, a man who loves the sound of his own voice, talks LeBreton Flats, the budget, grandmothers diagnosing mumps, and so much more. [The 6th Sens]
• Bobby Ryan: The New Daniel Alfredsson? [Silver Seven Sens]
• "Why Ryan Miller needs to be the back-up more often."A goaltending controversy in Vancouver? Well, I never... [Canucks Army]
• Sorry Bruins fans, you're not going to get Taylor Hall. [Days of Y'Orr]
• A possible tipping point: asking Oilers fans to continue to be patient with team. [Oilers Nation]
• Braden Holtby: Capitals' masked man masking concerning trend. [Japers' Rink]
• Buy, sell or hold? Looking at the best forwards in the Eastern Conference, fantasy-wise. [Dobber Hockey]
• "The next time you wonder what’s the difference between men’s and women’s college sports, look no further than the University of Minnesota Duluth, which has announced it won’t renew the contract of the women’s hockey coach, Shannon Miller, because of 'financial considerations.'" [MPR News]
• CWHL All-Star Game 2014: Exhibit A for why we need more exposure for women's hockey. [Hockey Wilderness]
• Now that both jerseys have been released, HbD breaks down the looks of the Kings and Sharks stadium series ensembles. [Hockey by Design]
• Comparing attendance figures (this season and last) for all 30 teams. [Pro Hockey Talk]
• A special look at what Santa is getting the St. Louis Blues players this year. [St. Louis Game Time]
• Finally, San Jose's 'Holiday Sweater' rap video is one of the ages. Here's a look at the team as they see the finished product for the first time.
