Here are your Morning 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 Washington Capitals sent over this photo while we were doing our charity thing over the weekend. It was taken during a season-ticket holder event at Six Flags America in Maryland. Please note Alexander Ovechkin sat in the front, which obviously just adds to the pimp-osity. Please note that Jose Theodore balances having the living crap scared out of him on a roller coaster with being the only player sitting next to a blonde. And please note that the coaster is beginning its way down a steep decline. Just sayin'.

• The Atlanta Thrashers' top goaltending prospect, Ondrej Pavelec, believes the team broke a promise to him and refuses to report to the AHL. Rawhide thinks we've got a crybaby here. [AJC]

• Uh, you can keep your Def Leppard: Seven Mary Three is performing at the New York Islanders home opener on a stage suspended over the Nassau Coliseum ice. Because a stage placed on the ice would just be too cumbersome. [Islanders]

• In which we avoid the obvious joke about Roberto Luongo having a giant ‘C' resting on his chin. [CBC]

• Remember ThermaBlade? They're waiting for the NHL's blessing for the heated skates to be used on a regular basis, and believe the League has been unfair with the time it has taken for approval. Which simply isn't true, because the ACME rocket skates have been stuck in development hell for over 50 years. [Globe & Mail]

• Dr. Hockey has 10 questions he wants answered, including "Can Steven Stamkos deliver on the hype in Tampa Bay?" and "Are the Chicago Blackhawks for real?" We have one: Why does Dr. Hockey's headshot look like Gabriel Byrne fighting off Montezuma's revenge? [Slam Media]

• Did Jarkko Ruutu get a hair transplant, or is Versus already in midseason form? [Pensblog]

• Cross Michael Nylander's wife off the Edmonton Oilers fans' "spouses we hate" list. And with that, Lauren Pronger and Janet Gretzky are back to being a duo. [Cult of Hockey]

• The Phoenix Coyotes make their pitch the MySpace crowd. We would, like, totally friend Daniel Carcillo. [Phoenix Business Journal]

• Watching the New York Rangers open their season in Europe at the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria. [Puck Update]

• Interesting assessment of how all four teams looked this weekend in the NHL's opening games. [Hockey Guy]

• Win the fight, lose the fight: Just don't get photographed getting body slammed to the ice like Erik Reitz of the Minnesota Wild was against Steve Begin of the Montreal Canadiens.

• Benoit Pouliot has made the Minnesota Wild. But the stunner is that it appears 19-year-old Colton Gillies has also made the cut. General Manager Doug Risebrough: "If he stays, it's to accelerate his development, so there's got to be a clear understanding what we're doing as an organization so he doesn't get confused about why some things happen throughout the season. For example, 'Why am I practicing harder and longer than everyone else? Why did I play a good game last night and tonight I'm not in the lineup?'" [Star Tribune]

• The release of Jim Dowd and Bryan Berard speaks volumes about how ready the Philadelphia Flyers' young leaders are. [Philly.com]

• Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley both have mega-contracts with the Ottawa Senators. Those deals, combined with the current economic climate, could give Ottawa ownership a chance to talk down the demands of Daniel Alfredsson for a "lifetime" deal. But will Alfie take the bait? [ESPN]

• While the Tampa Bay Lightning are figuring out some issues on their blueline (already?), the real question at the start of the season: Is Vincent Lecavalier's shoulder going to be a lingering problem throughout the season? [Lightning Strikes]

• Rich Hammond hears that when the Los Angeles Kings announce their captains this week, it'll be Dustin Brown wearing the ‘C' with Anze Kopitar and Jarret Stoll wearing the 'A.' Better luck next year, Raitis Ivanans. [Inside the Kings]

• Sean Zandberg dares you to get through this Duffrie clip. Then again, maybe you shouldn't: "If you get through the whole clip below your testicles will fall off." [Waiting for Stanley]

• Finally, Jordin Tootoo of the Nashville Predators is 5-foot-9. Boris Valabik of the Atlanta Thrashers is 6-7. This is their fight:

Boy, listen to that crowd. Fans hate fighting, don't they?

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