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NHL season to start Jan. 19; Roberto Luongo update; Huselius retires (Puck Headlines)

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.

• Peter Karmanos, owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, apologizes to fans for the NHL lockout in a letter. Canes fans, not Whalers fans, we imagine … [Canes; s/t John Hall]

• NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly tells Steve Whyno that the 2013 season will get going on Jan. 19. "It's now our objective to be in a position to open Training Camps by Sunday, January 13 … And if we can do so, we would plan to commence a 48-game Regular Season beginning on Saturday, January 19." [Washington Times]

• Like Ilya Kovalchuk, Andrei Markov of the Montreal Canadiens wants to make sure that the CBA is really, really, really ratified before leaving the KHL. [Gazette]

• Philadelphia Flyers injury news: “Barring a complete turnaround with his injured left wrist, Danny Briere could miss the shortened-season opener on Jan. 19. At most, he guesses, maybe a week of the season.” [CSN Philly]

• Expect Tim Thomas to remain in his bunker. [Causeway Crowd]

• Kristian Huselius retires due to his bum hip. [Eye on Hockey]

• Great stuff from Shane Doan on whether the lockout tarnished the NHL: “You don’t want to say it’s embarrassing, but it’s close to that. I’m a fan of sports, and I’m particularly a fan of hockey. And you look at the amount of money that’s available to each side, and the amount of money to be divided up and handed out is incredible. And so you think, ‘Let’s just get it done.’ … Yet, at the same time, the amount of money is what causes the lockout because there is so much that it brings in business, and business, in this situation … trumps the sport whenever the CBA comes up. You’re idealistic as a player when you first come into the league. You think, ‘This is the greatest thing in the world. I’m playing the sport I love to play and I’m playing it at the highest level.’ … As the business of the game works into the equation, you sometimes feel it gets tarnished. … Now, our goal is to prove that it hasn’t [been tarnished], and bring back that pride and bring back that honor that goes with being a player.” [Sports Radio Interviews]

• Roberto Luongo on his uncertain future with the Vancouver Canucks: "[Gillis] has the green light to take his time and do what’s best for the team. “I’m open-minded about a lot of possibilities. We’ll work things out together and figure things out as we go along here.” [Sun Sentinel]

• Prayers to Dominic Moore and his family on the passing of his wife, Katie. [TBO.com]

• The Fantasy Hockey 175 from NHL.com. Congrats to Brayden Schenn for making the cut. [NHL]

• Scott Burnside thinks that Guy Boucher of the Tampa Bay Lightning is among the coaches on the hot seat this season. [ESPN]

• Jarome Iginla on his contract status with the Calgary Flames: ““It would be my preference to stay here, for sure, and play on a good team, which I believe we will be, and to win here. It is home. That’s where my focus is, to get ready and have a great season as a team and play well for this team.” [Calgary Sun]

• How to boycott the NHL without boycotting the NHL. (Hell of a URL there.) [Hockey Wilderness]

• Don Cherry vs. Haiti. Hoo boy. [IBT]

• Who doesn’t love penalty filled hockey? [SI]

• Yea, the CBA is going to be passed. Boo, no one likes it! From an agent, via the Boston Globe, on Bettman: “He’s an extremely bright guy, no one questions that. But I think he thinks his own GMs are dumb. He refuses to listen to most of them, and so you end up with a deal that wins on 50/50 and contract length — very important stuff —but then all this other vital stuff gets left alone.” [Globe]

• Spike Eskin doesn’t think the lockout did any damage for the fan base. “The casual fan will likely miss the sport the least, especially early in the season. When a die-hard hockey fan doesn’t have hockey in his life, there’s a hole. When a casual fan doesn’t have hockey in his life, he goes to the movies. He watched another sport. Maybe he even reads a book. Because of that, they’ll take less personal offense to the work stoppage.” [CBS Philly]

• Chris Thornburn somehow thinks that Winnipeg Jets might not come back because of the lockout. [Free Press]

• You know who’s happy? Hockey card makers, that’s who. [CBC Sports]

• Dallas Stars fans nervous about Jamie Benn deal? “Once his name is on the line, then the Stars may proceed with his likeness on billboards and the fans investing in his jersey. Until that contract is done, many of us remain on pins and needles.” [FS Sport SW]

• Finally, here’s a glimpse at the NHLPA/RBC charity game played last month. Good stuff.