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Wayne Gretzky doesnt believe the new Russian hockey league poses a threat to the NHL. And wont be surprised to see another NHL team eventually end up in Ontario.

Those are just two of the issues he touched on during a wide-ranging speech to the Economic Club of Canada on Friday afternoon.

The Great One told the crowd he was offered an opportunity to go to Europe after retiring from the New York Rangers in 1999 but didnt see any point in playing in a second-tier league. He believes many of todays stars will have the same reaction if theyre approached by a KHL team.

The bottom line is theres only one National Hockey League, said Gretzky. When I retired I got an offer to go play in Swizerland and it was a crazy amount of money. I remember thinking, You know what, its all fun and thats great but theres only one National Hockey League.
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And if you cant play with the best and against the best its just not the same.

Gretzky delivered an engaging speech that touched on some of the hurdles he had to overcome early in life before taking questions from the audience. Dressed in a sharp grey suit with a burgundy tie, he demonstrated a pretty sharp wit and seemed completely comfortable while addressing the crowd.

The part owner and coach of the Phoenix Coyotes says he isnt sure if the NHL will ever add another Canadian franchise but does think there would be a market for one in Southwestern Ontario.

I dont think theres any question that Hamilton or Kitchener or that area, that region, could definitely support a National Hockey League team, said Gretzky. Its one of those things where theres so much red tape

Down the road, I can possibly see a team in Hamilton or Kitchener being part of the National Hockey League. These kind of things have a way of working themselves out.

One city hes not sure about is Winnipeg.

Gretzky believes theres plenty of passion and support for the game there but thinks the league might have outgrown a market of that size from a sponsorship perspective.

I think people have to realize and understand that its not so much from a season ticket point of view, he said. Im sure the people of Winnipeg would sell out 16,000 every single night.

It has to do more with the corporate end of things and the commercial side of hockey. Thats where weve come to in this day and age, its just gotten bigger and bigger and stronger.

Stephen Harper, Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McCain are among those who have recently addressed the Economic Club of Canada. Gretzky was the first sports figure to accept an invitation.

Were starting at the very top, said Mark Adler, the clubs president and CEO.

The 47-year-old spoke about several different issues during his half hour on stage:

-On the recent NHL lockout: I often wonder why we had a lockout with the salaries the way they are now. And the direction that theyre going.

-On commissioner Gary Bettman: I think the commissioner has done a tremendous job I think the biggest legacy that the commissioner and his office will leave to the National Hockey League is that he made the franchises in Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa so much more stable than they were 10 years ago.

- On funding amateur athletes: Its hard as an individual to stand here and say that we should pour more funds or more money into Olympic sports or amateur sports. (There are) so many less fortunate people, so many diseases that we could be putting dollars into to help find cures for. It becomes a fine line.

-On success: Obviously, youve got to be a little bit lucky in life - I dont know for whatever reason the good lord blessed me and my family. But you have to make your own luck too. That just comes from hard work and pushing yourself to an elite level, to levels that you dont even think you can go to.

Gretzky was able to do that during his career and is arguably the best player the NHL has ever seen. After retiring, he remembers some people suggesting that his absence would leave a void in the game.

However, that hasnt happened.

The game itself is so much bigger and so much better than any individual player, said Gretzky. Were lucky enough now in the National Hockey League to have players like Sidney Crosby and (Alexander) Ovechkin.

Players of that calibre have carried the mantle and done a tremendous job of promoting the National Hockey League and making our game bigger and better than its ever been.

Antropov will start training camp at wing, reports the Toronto Sun.

Coach Ron Wilson wants to see Alex Steen at center and clearly liked what he saw when big Nik played beside Mats Sundin. Antropovs value is higher as a winger so watch how things shake down at camp.

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Jason Spezza: Top Line to be Broken Up.

Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson will likely start the regular season on different lines, reports the Ottawa Citizen.

Head coach Craig Hartsburg has stated his intentions to spread around the scoring as he wants a more balanced attack this year from the Senators. While its too early to tell which line combinations Hartsburg will settle on, Spezza will no doubt center Ottawas first line with one of Heatley or Alfredsson on a wing.

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Brendan Shanahan: Invited to Rangers Workout.

Shanahan was invited to participate in an informal players workout by Rangers GM Glen Sather on Tuesday, according to NY Newsday.

After the practice Shanahan still stated his desire to re-sign with the Rangers and the Journal News reports that his agent is still discussing a contract with the team.

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Colby Armstrong: Should Play on the First Line.

Armstrong should play on the first-line with Ilya Kovalchuk, the Thrashers Official Site reports.

Armstrong is the leading canidate to start at right wing on the first-line. The hard-nosed forward had four goals and 11 assists in 18 games with Atlanta after the trade with Pittsburgh. With the Pens, he totaled 16 goals (seven PP), 24 assists, totaling 40 points in only 47 games. If he can retain the first-line job, he could have himself a big year.

2008 NHL offseason transactions.

Anaheim Ducks - Acquired a 2008 third-round pick from the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron; signed goaltender David LeNeveu, who had been with the New York Rangers, to a one-year contract; signed center Brendan Morrison, who had been with the Vancouver Canucks, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Steve Montador, who had been with the Florida Panthers, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Brennan Evans, who had been with the San Jose Sharks, to a two-year contract; acquired left wing Joakim Lindstrom from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2010 conditional pick; signed left wing Ryan Donally, who had been with the Calgary Flames, to a two-year contract; signed left wing Troy Bodie, who had been with the Edmonton Oilers, to a one-year contract; signed left wing Josh Green, who had been in Austria, to a one-year contract; signed center Eric Boguniecki, who had been in Germany, to a one-year contract.

Atlanta Thrashers - Signed defenseman Ron Hainsey, who had been with the Columbus Blue Jackets, to a multi-year contract; signed right wing Junior Lessard, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning; signed center Grant Stevenson, who had been with the Calgary Flames; signed right wing Mike Hoffman, who had been with the Anaheim Ducks; signed center Jason Williams, who had been with the Chicago Blackhawks; agreed to terms with center Marty Reasoner, who had been with the Edmonton Oilers.

Boston Bruins - Acquired left wing Matt Marquardt from the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Jonathan Sigalet; acquired defenseman Johnny Boychuk from the Colorado Avalanche for center Matt Hendricks; signed right wing Blake Wheeler, who had been the property of the Phoenix Coyotes; acquired center Martin St. Pierre from the Chicago Blackhawks for center Pascal Pelletier; signed defenseman Mike Egener, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning; signed center Stephane Yelle, who had been with the Calgary Flames.

Buffalo Sabres - Agreed to terms with goaltender Patrick Lalime, who had been with the Chicago Blackhawks, on a two-year contract; acquired a 2009 third-round pick and a 2010 second-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks for right wing Steve Bernier; acquired defenseman Craig Rivet and a 2010 seventh-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for 2009 and 2010 second-round picks; signed left wing Mathieu Darche, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning; signed left wing Tyler Bouck, who had been with Portland of the American Hockey League; signed left wing Jimmy Bonneau, who had been with the Montreal Canadiens.

Calgary Flames - Acquired center Michael Cammalleri and a 2008 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2008 first-round pick and a 2009 second-round pick; acquired a 2008 first-round pick and a 2009 second-round pick from the Montreal Canadiens for left wing Alex Tanguay and a 2008 fifth-round pick; acquired left wing Kyle Greentree from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Tim Ramholt; acquired left wing Rene Bourque from the Chicago Blackhawks for a conditional second-round pick; signed defenseman Mark Giordano, who had been in Russia; signed left wing Curtis Glencross, who had been with the Edmonton Oilers; signed left wing Pete Vandermeer, who had been with the Phoenix Coyotes; signed right wing Todd Bertuzzi, who had been with the Anaheim Ducks, to a one-year contract; signed center Jamie Lundmark, who had been with Lake Erie of the American Hockey League; signed left wing Andre Roy, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Carolina Hurricanes - Acquired the rights to left wing Darcy Hordichuk from the Nashville Predators for a 2009 fifth-round pick; agreed to terms with defenseman Anton Babchuk, who had been in Russia, on a one-year contract; acquired defenseman Joni Pitkanen from the Edmonton Oilers for left wing Erik Cole; signed defenseman Josef Melichar, who had been in Sweden, to a one-year contract; agreed to terms with center Dwight Helminen, who had been in Finland, on a one-year contract.

Chicago Blackhawks - Acquired a conditional second-round pick from the Calgary Flames for left wing Rene Bourque; signed defenseman Brian Campbell, who had been with the San Jose Sharks, to an eight-year contract; signed goaltender Cristobal Huet, who had been with the Washington Capitals, to a four-year contract; signed defenseman Matt Walker, who had been with the St. Louis Blues, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Aaron Johnson, who had been with the New York Islanders, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Doug Janik, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning, to a one-year contract; acquired the rights to center Tim Brent from the Pittsburgh Penguins for the rights to defenseman Danny Richmond; acquired center Pascal Pelletier from the Boston Bruins for center Martin St. Pierre.

Colorado Avalanche - Acquired center Marty Sertich from the Dallas Stars for a 2009 conditional pick; acquired a 2008 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Kings for right wing Brad Richardson; aquired center Matt Hendricks from the Boston Bruins for defenseman Johnny Boychuk; signed left wing Per Ledin, who had been in Sweden, to a one-year contract; signed goaltender Andrew Raycroft, who had been with the Toronto Maple Leafs, to a one-year contract; signed left wing Darcy Tucker, who had been with the Toronto Maple Leafs, to a two-year contract; signed defenseman Daniel Tjarnqvist, who had been in Russia, to a one-year contract; agreed to terms with center Nathan Smith, who had been with the Pittsburgh Penguins; signed right wing Brian Willsie, who had been with the Los Angeles Kings, to a one-year contract.

Columbus Blue Jackets - Acquired defenseman Jonathan Sigalet from the Boston Bruins for left wing Matt Marquardt; acquired center R.J. Umberger and a 2008 fourth-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for 2008 first- and third-round picks; acquired left wing Raffi Torres from the Edmonton Oilers for center Gilbert Brule; signed defenseman Mike Commodore, who had been with the Ottawa Senators, to a five-year contract; acquired defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman from the New York Rangers for right wing Nikolai Zherdev and center Dan Fritsche; signed left wing Kristian Huselius, who had been with the Calgary Flames, to a four-year contract; signed left wing John Vigilante, who had been with the Nashville Predators, to a one-year contract; signed left wing Craig MacDonald, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning, to a one-year contract; acquired a 2010 conditional pick from the Anaheim Ducks for left wing Joakim Lindstrom; signed center Steve Kelly, who had been with the Minnesota Wild, to a one-year contract; signed left wing Mike York, who had been with the Phoenix Coyotes, to a one-year contract.

Dallas Stars - Signed right wing Fabian Brunnstrom, who had been in Sweden; acquired a 2009 conditional pick from the Colorado Avalanche for center Marty Sertich; signed left wing Sean Avery, who had been with the New York Rangers, to a four-year contract; signed defenseman Garrett Stafford, who had been with the Detroit Red Wings, to a two-year contract; signed right wing Landon Wilson, who had been in Switzerland, to a one-year contract; acquired right wing Lauri Tukonen from the Los Angeles Kings for left wing Richard Clune.

Detroit Red Wings - Agreed to terms with goaltender Ty Conklin, who had been with the Pittsburgh Penguins, on a one-year contract; agreed to terms with right wing Marian Hossa, who had been with the Pittsburgh Penguins, on a one-year contract; signed right wing Darren Haydar, who had been with the Atlanta Thrashers, to a one-year contract.

Edmonton Oilers - Acquired center Ryan Potulny from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Danny Syvret; acquired defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Matt Greene and center Jarret Stoll; acquired center Gilbert Brule from the Columbus Blue Jackets for left wing Raffi Torres; acquired left wing Erik Cole from the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Joni Pitkanen; signed defenseman Jason Strudwick, who had been with the New York Rangers, to a one-year contract; agreed to terms with right wing Carl Corazzini, who had been with the Detroit Red Wings, on a one-year contract.

Florida Panthers - Acquired defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton and a 2008 second-round pick from the Phoenix Coyotes for center Olli Jokinen; agreed to terms with left wing Cory Stillman, who had been with the Ottawa Senators, on a three-year contract; agreed to terms with defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick, who had been with the Philadelphia Flyers, on a two-year contract; agreed to terms with goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu, who had been with the St. Louis Blues, on a two-year contract; agreed to terms with center Janis Sprukts, who had been in Finland, on a two-year contract; acquired defenseman Bryan McCabe and a 2010 fourth-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.

Los Angeles Kings - Acquired a 2009 fifth-round pick from the St. Louis Blues for defenseman T.J. Fast; acquired a 2008 first-round pick and a 2009 second-round pick from the Calgary Flames for center Michael Cammalleri and a 2008 second-round pick; acquired right wing Brad Richardson from the Colorado Avalanche for a 2008 second-round pick; acquired defenseman Matt Greene and center Jarret Stoll from the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky; acquired defenseman Denis Gauthier and a 2010 second-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Patrik Hersley and left wing Ned Lukacevic; acquired left wing Richard Clune from the Dallas Stars for right wing Lauri Kukonen.

Minnesota Wild - Acquired defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron from the Anaheim Ducks for a 2008 third-round pick; acquired a conditional pick in either 2009 or 2010 from the Tampa Bay Lightning for the rights to right wing Brian Rolston; acquired defenseman Marek Zidlicky from the Nashville Predators for right wing Ryan Jones and a 2009 second-round pick; signed left wing Andrew Brunette, who had been with the Colorado Avalanche, to a multi-year contract; signed right wing Craig Weller, who had been with the Phoenix Coyotes, to a multi-year contract; signed right wing Antti Miettinen, who had been with the Dallas Stars, to a multi-year contract; signed goaltender Barry Brust, who had been with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, to a multi-year contract; signed right wing Jesse Schultz, who had been with the Atlanta Thrashers, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Owen Nolan, who had been with the Calgary Flames, to a two-year contract; signed defenseman Tomas Mojzis, who had been in Russia, to a multi-year contract; acquired center Corey Locke from the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Shawn Belle; signed center Krys Kolanos, who had been with Quad Cities of the American Hockey League, to a one-year contract; signed center Bryan Lundbohm, who had been in Denmark, to a one-year contract.

Montreal Canadiens - Acquired left wing Alex Tanguay and a 2008 fifth-round pick from the Calgary Flames for a 2008 first-round pick and a 2009 second-round pick; signed goaltender Marc Denis, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Georges Laraque, who had been with the Pittsburgh Penguins, to a three-year contract; acquired the rights to defenseman Greg Pateryn and a 2010 second-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for center Mikhail Grabovski; signed defenseman Alex Henry, who had been with the Nashville Predators, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Ryan Flinn, who had been with Hershey of the American Hockey League, to a one-year contract; acquired defenseman Shawn Belle from the Minnesota Wild for center Corey Locke; signed right wing Mike Glumac, who had been with the St. Louis Blues, to a one-year contract; signed center Yanick Lehoux, who had been with San Antonio of the American Hockey League, to a one-year contract.

Nashville Predators - Acquired a 2009 fifth-round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes for the rights to left wing Darcy Hordichuk; acquired a 2008 fourth-round pick from the St. Louis Blues for goaltender Chris Mason; acquired left wing Triston Grant and a 2009 seventh-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Janne Niskala; acquired right wing Ryan Jones and a 2009 second-round pick from the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Marek Zidlicky; agreed to terms with goaltender Drew MacIntyre, who had been with the Vancouver Canucks, on a one-year contract; signed left wing Josh Gratton, who had been with the New York Rangers, to a one-year contract; agreed to terms with right wing Joel Ward, who had been with the Minnesota Wild, on a one-year contract.

New Jersey Devils - Signed right wing Brian Rolston, who had been with the Tampa Bay Lightning; signed center Bobby Holik, who had been with the Atlanta Thrashers; signed defenseman Jay Leach, who had been with the Anaheim Ducks; signed left wing Jon DiSalvatore, who had been with the Phoenix Coyotes; signed left wing Chad Wiseman, who had been in Germany; signed center Fedor Fedorov, who had been in Russia.

New York Islanders - Signed defenseman Mark Streit, who had been with the Montreal Canadiens, to a five-year contract; signed goaltender Yann Danis, who had been with the Montreal Canadiens, to a one-year contract; agreed to terms with center Doug Weight, who had been with the Anaheim Ducks, on a one-year contract; signed center Mike Iggulden, who had been with the San Jose Sharks, to a one-year contract; signed left wing Mitch Fritz, who had been with the New York Rangers, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Brett Skinner, who had been with the Boston Bruins, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Joe Callahan, who had been with the Anaheim Ducks, to a one-year contract.

New York Rangers - Acquired a 2008 third-round pick from the Phoenix Coyotes for right wing Alex Bourret; agreed to terms with left wing Patrick Rissmiller, who had been with the San Jose Sharks; agreed to terms with left wing Aaron Voros, who had been with the Minnesota Wild; agreed to terms with right wing Andreas Jamtin, who had been in Sweden; agreed to terms with defenseman Wade Redden, who had been with the Ottawa Senators; acquired right wing Nikolai Zherdev and center Dan Fritsche from the Columbus Blue Jackets for defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman; agreed to terms with defenseman Dmitri Kalinin, who had been with the Buffalo Sabres; agreed to terms with left wing Markus Naslund, who had been with the Vancouver Canucks; acquired a 2009 fifth-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for left wing Ryan Hollweg; agreed to terms with defenseman Brian Fahey, who had been with Chicago of the American Hockey League.

Ottawa Senators - Acquired a 2009 fifth-round pick from the Phoenix Coyotes for right wing Brian McGrattan; signed goaltender Alex Auld, who had been with the Boston Bruins, to a two-year contract; signed left wing Jarkko Ruutu, who had been with the Pittsburgh Penguins, to a three-year contract; signed defenseman Jason Smith, who had been with the Philadelphia Flyers, to a two-year contract; signed defenseman Brendan Bell, who had been with the Phoenix Coyotes, to a one-year contract; acquired defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard and a 2009 first-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Andrej Meszaros; acquired right wing Ryan Shannon from the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Lawrence Nycholat; signed left wing Brad Isbister, who had been with the Vancouver Canucks, to a one-year contract.

Philadelphia Flyers - Acquired defenseman Danny Syvret from the Edmonton Oilers for center Ryan Potulny; acquired a 2008 seventh-round pick and a 2009 conditional fourth-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for the rights to left wing Vaclav Prospal; acquired 2008 first- and third-round picks from the Columbus Blue Jackets for center R.J. Umberger and a 2008 fourth-round pick; acquired defenseman Steve Eminger and a 2008 third-round pick from the Washington Capitals for a 2008 first-round pick; acquired defenseman Janne Niskala from the Nashville Predators for left wing Triston Grant and a 2009 seventh-round pick; acquired a 2009 sixth-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Niskala; acquired defenseman Tim Ramholt from the Calgary Flames for left wing Kyle Greentree; acquired defenseman Patrik Hersley and left wing Ned Lukacevic from the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Denis Gauthier and a 2010 second-round pick; signed center Glen Metropolit, who had been with the Boston Bruins, to a two-year contract; signed defenseman Ossi Vaananen, who had been in Sweden, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Sean Curry, who had been with the Boston Bruins, to a two-year contract; signed right wing Arron Asham, who had been with the New Jersey Devils, to a multi-year contract.

Phoenix Coyotes - Acquired center Olli Jokinen from the Florida Panthers for defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton and a 2008 second-round pick; acquired right wing Alex Bourret from the New York Rangers for a 2008 third-round pick; acquired right wing Brian McGrattan from the Ottawa Senators for a 2009 fifth-round pick; signed defenseman Kurt Sauer, who had been with the Colorado Avalanche, to a four-year contract; signed left wing Todd Fedoruk, who had been with the Minnesota Wild, to a three-year contract; signed defenseman Drew Fata, who had been with the New York Islanders; signed defenseman David Hale, who had been with the Calgary Flames, to a two-year contract; signed right wing Francis Lessard, who had been with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League; signed left wing Jeff Hoggan, who had been with the Boston Bruins, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Ryan Lannon, who had been with the Pittsburgh Penguins, to a one-year contract; signed center Garth Murray, who had been with the Florida Panthers, to a one-year contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Acquired a 2009 third-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for the rights to left wings Gary Roberts and Ryan Malone; signed right wing Eric Godard, who had been with the Calgary Flames, to a three-year contract; signed left wing Ruslan Fedotenko, who had been with the New York Islanders, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Miroslav Satan, who had been with the New York Islanders, to a one-year contract; signed left wing Matt Cooke, who had been with the Washington Capitals, to a two-year contract; signed left wing Adam Henrich, who had been with Norfolk of the American Hockey League, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman T.J. Kemp, who had been with the Edmonton Oilers, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Joey Mormina, who had been with the Carolina Hurricanes, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Bill Thomas, who had been with the Phoenix Coyotes, to a one-year contract; acquired the rights to defenseman Danny Richmond from the Chicago Blackhawks for the rights to center Tim Brent.

St. Louis Blues - Acquired defenseman T.J. Fast from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2009 fifth-round pick; acquired a 2008 third-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for right wing Jamal Mayers; acquired goaltender Chris Mason from the Nashville Predators for a 2008 fourth-round pick; signed defenseman Mike Weaver, who had been with the Vancouver Canucks; signed right wing Matt Foy, who had been with the Minnesota Wild; signed left wing Steve Regier, who had been with the New York Islanders; signed center Cam Paddock, who had been with San Antonio of the American Hockey League; signed left wing Brad Winchester, who had been with the Dallas Stars; signed defenseman Andy Wozniewski, who had been with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

San Jose Sharks - Signed defenseman Rob Blake, who had been with the Los Angeles Kings, to a one-year contract; acquired 2009 and 2010 second-round picks from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Craig Rivet and a 2010 seventh-round pick; acquired defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defensemen Matt Carle and Ty Wishart, a 2009 first-round pick and a 2010 fourth-round pick; signed defenseman Brendan Buckley, who had been with the Los Angeles Kings, to a one-year contract; signed center Cory Larose, who had been in Sweden, to a one-year contract; signed defenseman Matt Kinch, who had been with the Ottawa Senators, to a one-year contract.

Tampa Bay Lightning - Acquired the rights to left wing Vaclav Prospal from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2008 seventh-round pick and a 2009 conditional fourth-round pick; acquired the rights to left wings Gary Roberts and Ryan Malone from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2009 third-round pick; acquired the rights to right wing Brian Rolston from the Minnesota Wild for a conditional pick in either 2009 or 2010; acquired defenseman Janne Niskala from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2009 sixth-round pick; signed goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who had been with the Washington Capitals, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Adam Hall, who had been with the Pittsburgh Penguins, to a three-year contract; signed right wing Radim Vrbata, who had been with the Phoenix Coyotes, to a three-year contract; signed center Wyatt Smith, who had been with the Colorado Avalanche, to a one-year contract; signed left wing David Koci, who had been with the Chicago Blackhawks, to a one-year contract; acquired defensemen Matt Carle and Ty Wishart, a 2009 first-round pick and a 2010 fourth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich; signed right wing Mark Recchi, who had been with the Atlanta Thrashers, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Brandon Bochenski, who had been with the Nashville Predators, to a two-year contract; signed right wing Evgeny Artyukin, who had been in Russia, to a multi-year contract; signed defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, who had been with the New York Rangers, to a two-year contract; signed center Zenon Konopka, who had been with the Columbus Blue Jackets, to a two-year contract; acquired defenseman Andrej Meszaros from the Ottawa Senators for defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard and a 2009 first-round pick.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Acquired right wing Jamal Mayers from the St. Louis Blues for a 2008 third-round pick; agreed to terms with goaltender Curtis Joseph, who had been with the Calgary Flames, on a one-year contract; signed defenseman Jeff Finger, who had been with the Colorado Avalanche, to a four-year contract; signed left wing Niklas Hagman, who had been with the Dallas Stars, to a four-year contract; acquired center Mikhail Grabovski from the Montreal Canadiens for the rights to defenseman Greg Pateryn and a 2010 second-round pick; acquired left wing Ryan Hollweg from the New York Rangers for a 2009 fifth-round pick; agreed to terms with defenseman Richard Petiot, who had been with the Los Angeles Kings, on a one-year contract; acquired defenseman Mike Van Ryn from the Florida Panthers for defenseman Bryan McCabe and a 2010 fourth-round pick.

Vancouver Canucks - Claimed center Kyle Wellwood off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs; signed left wing Darcy Hordichuk, who had been with the Carolina Hurricanes; signed defenseman Nolan Baumgartner, who had been with the Dallas Stars; signed center Ryan Johnson, who had been with the St. Louis Blues; acquired right wing Steve Bernier from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2009 third-round pick and a 2010 second-round pick; signed center Mark Cullen, who had been with the Detroit Red Wings; signed right wing Pavol Demitra, who had been with the Minnesota Wild; signed defenseman Rob Davison, who had been with the New York Islanders; signed center Jason Krog, who had been with the Atlanta Thrashers; acquired defenseman Lawrence Nycholat from the Ottawa Senators for right wing Ryan Shannon.

Washington Capitals - Acquired a 2008 first-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Steve Eminger and a 2008 third-round pick; signed goaltender Jose Theodore, who had been with the Colorado Avalanche, to a two-year contract; signed right wing Graham Mink, who had been with the San Jose Sharks; signed defenseman Tyler Sloan, who had been with Hershey of the American Hockey League; signed center Keith Aucoin, who had been with the Carolina Hurricanes, to a two-year contract.

The message is simple nowadays. If a player waits until training camp to start training, he may as well put his hockey skates back in the closet and stay home. He’s got little chance to succeed.

That’s why there were 30 NHL players, prospects and hopefuls on the ice Tuesday in the Amherst Pepsi Center. And after that session of 90-plus minutes was complete, a bunch of them went to HSBC Arena for a stint in the weight room.

Buffalo Sabres training camp officially starts Sept. 19, but don’t let that date fool you. It’s under way now, and it has been for some time.

“You have to keep yourself in shape,” Sabres captain Jason Pominville said. “You have to be ready for camp whether it’s skating here or skating at home. Everybody takes pride in that, and that’s why we’re here earlier.”

Tuesday’s gathering featured a pickup game, and the players already looked good considering the regular season doesn’t start until one month from today. They appeared primed because they’ve been in shape for a while.

A group of Buffalo-based Sabres, including Adam Mair and Patrick Kaleta, spent the summer trekking to the arena for off-ice workouts. They’d gather with strength and conditioning coach Doug McKenney several days a week to get stronger or rehabilitate injuries. Players who weren’t in town made sure they kept up with their local teammates, either visiting their own trainers or following a program McKenney designed for them.

“The important thing is that you arrive in good shape and ready to go,” Pominville said. “We want to win.”

The number of Sabres regulars in attendance Tuesday, a full 10 days before camp, was impressive. Ryan Miller tended one goal. Forwards flying up and down the ice included Maxim Afinogenov, Tim Connolly, Paul Gaustad, Jochen Hecht, Kaleta, Mair, Andrew Peters, Pominville, Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. Jaroslav Spacek, Toni Lydman, Teppo Numminen, Craig Rivet, Nathan Paetsch and Mike Weber helped patrol the blue lines. Youngsters such as Tim Kennedy, Michael Funk and Marek Zagrapan also played in the shinny.

“Camp’s going to be shorter, so you’ve got to start skating earlier than maybe you used to,” Numminen said. “There’s not much practice time to get your timing on your passing in team practices, so it’s nice to have lots of players here to pass the puck and get used to playing in a crowd.”

Training camp will last three weeks. Rookies report to town Friday, and the full squad comes in for physicals Sept. 19. The team’s “Puck Drop 2008″ on Sept. 20 celebrates the first on-ice practice, and preseason games start just two days later. Without the early training, players could quickly get overwhelmed by the workouts.

But that’s something they shouldn’t have to worry about.

“You have to get back to it because if you’re not doing it other guys are, and other guys will make you look bad,” Pominville said.

The captain remained hopeful he will have a new contract before the official start of camp. His agent and the Sabres have been talking long-term extensions.

“You never know with that,” Pominville said. “It’s going well until the deal’s done. We’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully it’ll be done before. I’m just leaving to do his thing.”

Although the sides would like to reach an agreement, there is no urgency. Pominville is under contract for this season and then becomes a restricted free agent.

Sidney Crosby delivered for the Pittsburgh Penguins-again.

This time, he did it off the ice. Crosby, coach Michel Therrien and eight other players hand carried season tickets to 35 randomly selected Penguins ticket holders on Wednesday.

Crosby, wearing a Penguins jersey and blue jeans, took tickets to Mount Lebanon resident David Disney, a season ticket holder since the Penguins inception in 1967, and Karen and Guy Bradford of the Edgewood section of Pittsburgh.

Its a pretty unique thing we do, Crosby said. I think its nice we do it.

None of the families were told in advance the players were coming.

Joining Crosby in knocking on front doors were Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik, Maxime Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, Pascal Dupuis and Jeff Taffe.

This is a tremendous opportunity to say thank you, Penguins president David Morehouse said.

The Penguins sold out all of their home games for the first time in team history last season while reaching the Stanley Cup final. They also expect another full-season sellout this season.

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Carolina Hurricanes unveil new black third jersey.

The Carolina Hurricanes have decided that black is the new black.

The NHL team unveiled a new third jersey on Wednesday that features the teams secondary storm warning logo attached to a hockey stick and laid over a triangle, a tribute to the teams home in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina.

Each piece of the new uniform is primarily black, including the helmets, gloves, socks and jersey.

Were very proud of our traditional uniforms, GM Jim Rutherford said in a statement. But after 10 seasons in North Carolina and a lot of different ideas from our fans, we felt it was time to introduce an additional look for our team.

Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Tim Gleason helped with the unveiling by skating onto the ice at RBC Center in their new uniforms for the first time.

Carolina plans to wear the uniforms for 15 home games this season.

Bryan McCabe tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs is close to ending.

Citing undisclosed sources, TSN of Canada reported Monday that the anticipated deal that would send Toronto Maple Leafs veteran defenseman Bryan McCabe to the Florida Panthers will be made official by 11 a.m. (EDT) on Tuesday.

McCabe had a no-trade clause in his contract, but it was anticipated that he would waive it once he received the $2 million signing bonus owed to him by Toronto on Monday, TSN reported.

The Maple Leafs will receive defenseman Mike Van Ryn in exchange for McCabe and a draft pick, according to the web site.

The 33-year-old McCabe signed a five-year, $28.75-million contract with the Maple Leafs in June 2006. He is slated to make $12.45 million over the remaining three years of the deal.

After posting 57 points in 82 games in 2006-07, McCabe struggled last season, notching just five goals and 18 assists while appearing in 54 contests. A second-round pick of the New York Islanders in 1993, the Ontario native registered 115 tallies, 418 points and 1,574 penalty minutes in 917 career games with the Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Maple Leafs.

The Philadelphia Flyers are planning to pay tribute to their former captains this preseason. Eric Lindros will not be among the honorees.

According to a report by TSN of Canada on Saturday, Lindros declined an invitation to take part in the special ceremony at the Wachovia Spectrum on September 27 due to a previous commitment.

Acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Quebec Nordiques in June 1992, Lindros was named captain of the Flyers as a 21-year-old in 1994. The 6-4, 230-pounder spent eight seasons with Philadelphia, winning the Hart Trophy in 1995, but suffered numerous concussions that limited his playing time and effectiveness as a power forward.

Lindros missed the entire 2000-01 season due to post-concussion syndrome and was traded to the New York Rangers in August 2001 following a lengthy and bitter feud with general manager Bob Clarke. He went on to play for Toronto and Dallas before retiring in November 2007.

Currently an ombudsman for the NHL Players Association, Lindros is one of 15 players who have served as captain for the Flyers. Among those who will attend the ceremony in September are Clarke, Mel Bridgman, Dave Poulin, Bill Barber and Keith Primeau.

After serving as the home of the Flyers from their inaugural season in 1967-68 to 1995-96, the Spectrum currently houses the American Hockey Leagues Philadelphia Phantoms. However, the arena will be shut down and demolished following the 2008-09 campaign.

The Tampa Bay Lightning locked up recently acquired defenseman Andrej Meszaros on Saturday. Signing the 22-year-old to a six-year contract.

Meszaros, entering his fourth NHL season, was acquired from the Ottawa Senators on Friday in exchange for fellow defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard and a first-round draft pick.

The Lightning wasted no time securing their newest player long-term. Terms were not immediately disclosed, but according to a report in the Tampa Tribune, the deal is worth $24 million.

Andrej will be a very big part of our hockey club moving forward, said Brian Lawton, Tampa Bays executive vice president of hockey operations. At 22 years of age, he will only continue to improve and mature as a player. NHL defensemen typically dont hit their prime until 25-26 years of age, and we look forward to working with Andrej throughout that time and beyond.

The 6-2, 218-pound Slovakian was a first-round pick by the Senators in 2003 after spending two seasons with HC Dukla Trencin of the Slovak Extraliga, the countrys premier professional hockey league.

He paid immediate dividends for the Senators, becoming a key contributor on what has been one of the most successful teams in the Eastern Conference over the last decade. He led all rookies with a plus/minus of plus-34 and scored 39 points during his rookie campaign in 2005-06. A year later, he had a goal and six assists and registered a plus-5 rating for the Senators as they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, losing in five games to the Anaheim Ducks.

In three years in the league, Meszaros has yet to miss any time, playing in all 82 games each season. Thus far in his NHL career, he has 26 goals, 84 assists and a plus-24 rating.

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Kevin Bieksa, fully recovered from injury.

Bieksa is fully recovered from a lacerated calf sustained on Nov. 1 against Nashville and is looking to bounce back from a disappointing injury-riddled season, the Vancouver Sun reports.

Bieksa broke out during the 2006-07 season with 12 goals and 30 assists, but he struggled last season as he tried to return from injury. He only managed two goals and 10 assists in 34 games as the lacerated calf continued to give him problems after his return. The calf shouldnt be an issue this season. I skated it pretty good in the summer time. I tested it out. I did a lot of different things in my workout program to stress that area, and it held up pretty well. Ive got full confidence in it, no worries, said Bieksa. The Canucks shopped Bieksa during the offseason, but other teams were weary of trading for an injured defenseman. With depth on the blue line, Bieksa could still be traded once he proves his health. Injuries were the main culprit to Bieksas down year, so feel free to reach on him if he looks healthy in training camp.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Calgary Herald spells out the stakes of Steve Moore $38 million lawsuit. Against Calgary Flames forward Todd Bertuzzi and the Vancouver Canucks. They range from tantalizing to downright frightening for the National Hockey League:

There’s the legal notion of “vicarious liability,” which applied to the Moore case means that former Canucks owners Orca Bay and former head coach Marc Crawford could be responsible for Bertuzzi’s attack because they either encouraged or didn’t defuse the vengeful environment entering that night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

The case could turn on the idea of “acceptable risk” for an athlete competing in the NHL. An anonymous source with legal background told Dowbiggin that Bertuzzi may make the case that, by playing in that contentious game, Moore acted like someone who refuses to leave a hurricane during an evacuation. As for Moore’s side of that argument, the source says:

Moore’s side may answer that by saying that, while cognizant of the vigilante mood at GM Place on March 8, 2004, Moore had reason to expect that any payback for his heavy check on Naslund would be in the accepted form of a fight or a heavy check. “Being hit in the head from behind and having your head driven into the ice was unreasonable force,” says the source. “Moore will contend that, despite the risks involved, he should have expected protection from the Canucks management for their player making such an extraordinary assault.”

Dowbiggin believes a victory for Moore could affect NHL codes and policies on violent play: “Knowing that he or his club could be held liable for unreasonable violence, a player might refuse to fight or follow a coach’s instructions to intimidate an opponent.”

Oh, so they’ll all become visor-wearing Europeans. (/Cherry)

Based on my extensive legal background — which includes watching several daytime judge shows and having seen “My Cousin Vinny” during its theatrical release — the entire case by Moore against everyone but Bertuzzi is built on revisionism.

Dowbiggin’s source suggested that the NHL should have “simply suspended Moore for the two remaining games against Vancouver.” Why? The hype leading up to that Canucks/Avalanche game didn’t require Vancouver management or anyone else to prevent the crazed actions of a lone assailant, which couldn’t have been predicted anyway. This never seems to earn a mention in the Bertuzzi/Moore coverage, but the teams played a game in between Moore’s vicious hit on Markus Naslund and the Bertuzzi incident, according to the CBC.

Bettman and Colin Campbell were in attendance, and there was just one fight. At that point, the edge seemed to have been taken off the incident. And then came March 8, 2004, which no one saw coming.

Legalities aside, Dowbiggin is a Calgary writer, and asks the appropriate question: What does this case mean for the Flames? What sort of distraction has it already been for the team and its fans, and how will it react when things really start percolating?

And excuse the morbid curiosity, but is there any way we can get this hearing streamed on NHL.com.

While Japers Rink was taken with Sergei Kostitsyn smack talk on former Washington Capitals. Coach Glen Hanlon “It’s a pity that he left Washington. I would have scored not three but six against them”.
Alexander Radulov’s name came up, and the Montreal Canadiens forward was asked if he would grab the money and bolt for Russia like Rads did this summer.

“To leave the best league in the World? No, thank you,” was Kostitsyn’s response.
That means you’re skeptical about the potential of KHL?

I disagree with the statement that KHL can catch up and take the lead against the NHL in the nearest future. If it ever happens it is a matter of not few years. Also, it’s too early for me to talk about “zeroes” in the contract. I’m still young, will get mine when it’s due. By the way, rumor that Ak Bars wanted to sign Andrei was not true. The rumor circulated all over the internet, but not a single phone call was made to my brother. Again, I don’t know my brother’s intentions, but as for me, I do not even plan on returning to Europe in the foreseeable future.

That rumor was all over the place earlier this year, so that’s some closure.

There are many other goodies in the interview but this answer shows that in his short time in the NHL, Sergei Kostitsyn has completely grasped the limitations of the mainstream hockey media’s curiosity:

Do you remember the most original question American journalists have asked you?

You should not expect originality from them. Every other time they ask the same: “How do you like to play with your brother?”

Also on the KHL front is another great read from John Glennon in The Tennessean, regarding the rough adjustments for Russian players coming to the NHL.