From Winnipeg Jets draft choice Michael Spacek to Regina Pats prized prospect Jake Leschyshyn, there’s no shortage of highly regarded rookies entering their Western Hockey League careers this season. The top two picks of the 2014 WHL bantam draft – Brandon Wheat Kings winger Stelio Mattheos and Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Jordan Bellerive – are expected
Tag: Hockey
Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom caught in tenuous situation
By Michael Russo , Star Tribune September 10, 2015 – 7:07 AM Niklas Backstrom says he didn’t hide an elbow injury that prevented the Wild from buying him out. Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom said that he didn’t keep an elbow injury, which ultimately required surgery, a secret in order to prevent being bought out
Välimäki making an impression at Tri-City Americans camp
R/P Annie Fowler Tri-City Herald Selecting a player in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft is a crapshoot at best, but Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory had his eyes on a certain player for a couple of years. He was confident Juuso Välimäki would be a solid choice. He was right. The Americans picked
Rinne breaks shutout streak record at Worlds
Mike Halford May 11, 2015, 11:06 AM EDT Pekka Rinne‘s time at the 2015 World Hockey Championship didn’t start very well, but sure improved quickly. During Monday’s tilt against Belarus, the Finnish netminder set a tournament record for longest modern-day shutout streak, going 206:26 to break the previous mark set by Slovakia’s Jan Lasak in
Amerks’ Grigorenko nabs weekly honor
January 19, 2015 Photo: Micheline Veluvolu SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Rochester Americans center Mikhail Grigorenko has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 18, 2015. Grigorenko tallied three goals and four assists for seven points in three games last week, helping the Americans to a pair of
Sabres notebook: Age improves Grigorenko’s comfort level
By John Vogl | @BuffNewsVogl | Google+ on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 11:39 PM, updated: January 1, 2015 at 3:02 pm A high skill set and outgoing personality couldn’t help Mikhail Grigorenko overcome one of his biggest problems the previous two years – his age. It’s tough for most 18- and 19-year-olds to
Hockey World: Goalies need serious NHL MVP consideration in 2014-15
Pekka Rinne, Marc-Andre Fleury stand out a lot in terms of boosting their NHL clubs By Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal January 2, 2015 6:35 AM EDMONTON — Is this the season a goalie is named the National Hockey League’s most valuable player?Is Pekka Rinne the ‘Hart’ of the Nashville Predators? Where would the injury- and
SABRES RECALL GRIGORENKO FROM ROCHESTER
The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has recalled forward Mikhail Grigorenko from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Grigorenko (5/16/94, 6’3″, 211 lbs), who will join the Sabres for the first time this season, is currently tied for second on the Amerks with seven goals in 2014-15 and has
Pekka Rinne back to being Nashville’s ace in the goal
. Pekka Rinne is sort of like an ace pitcher in Major League Baseball. When he was healthy, whenever the Predators needed a big-time start from their goalie to stem a losing skid, they got one from Rinne. “He’s gotta be Kershaw. He’s the best in the league,” noted baseball fan and All-Star defenseman Shea
Lazarev nets a pair as Screaming Eagles defeat Titan
SYDNEY – Maxim Lazarev’s two goal performance powered the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles to a 4-1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Centre 200 on Wednesday. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kyle Farrell also added goals for the Screaming Eagles, who snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 6-6-1-0 on the season. Former Screaming Eagle