Blue Jackets sign RW Dorsett to 3-year deal (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 13:55:32 PDT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed right wing Derek Dorsett to a three-year contract after his finest NHL season.

In which Dustin Penner, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards edit their NHL narratives (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 09:00:40 PDT)
Why are the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final? Because the two drunk, locker room cancers helped set up a lazy fat-ass for the game-winning goal. At least that's how it would have been framed about eight months ago, when the narratives about Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Dustin Penner had defined them as players. The first two were banished from the Philadelphia Flyers, ostensibly for cap relief in the pursuit of a No. 1 goaltender (or, failing that, Ilya Bryzgalov) but mostly for a culture change in the dressing room. Penner, meanwhile, was (a) a waste of salary compared to production and (b) out of shape and (c) lazy to the point where his general manager suggested he might be better off playing for the El Cid Lounge in a men's softball league . In overtime of Game 5 in the Western Conference Final on Tuesday night, Richards won the faceoff near the defensive zone. Slava Voynov moved it up the boards, and Penner kept the puck alive in the attacking zone on the forecheck, sending a nifty backhand pass to a streaking Carter. He fired the puck off of Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith with Richards causing chaos on front of the net, helping to clear the slot for Penner to fire home the rebound over Smith's glove. With that, the Kings were headed to the Cup Final. This trio was maligned and decried for the better part of 2011-12. Yet it was this Dry Island of Misfit Toys that has the Kings four wins away from the first Stanley Cup.

Philadelphia Flyers Ask Two Players to Join Their Youth Movement: Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 10:45:00 PDT)
The Philadelphia Flyers signed 18-year-old enforcer Derek Mathers (right wing) and 20-year-old scorer Andrew Johnston (left wing) to entry-level contracts this week. Mathers was originally selected in the seventh round of the 2011 National Hockey League draft, while Johnston had been an undrafted free agent.

What We Learned: Embarrassing LA sports media moments while covering Kings playoff run (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 06:58:22 PDT)
Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it. It's possibly the greatest bit of investigative journalism conducted since Woodward and Bernstein brought down Richard Nixon. This exemplary, collective effort of sleuth work is currently ongoing in Los Angeles, Calif., where an entire media market has unearthed the NHL's shocking secret: The city has a professional hockey team. Over the past week or so here at Puck Daddy, we've tried to document every startling discovery made by the intrepid Los Angeles media, like how to properly pronounce Anze Kopitar's name (it's hard because he's from Bosnia or something), the real name of this Drew Doughty character ( it's actually Brad !) and that hockey is in fact not played with a ball, but rather a little piece of rubber known as a "puck." That last one makes me pretty uncomfortable because of the word it rhymes with. ("Duck" — sorry, I just don't trust 'em; they have weird beaks). Just how villainous is this team, operating as a sort of sporting sleeper cell? They got all the way to the Western Conference Finals without one local noticing. That takes real criminal talent. And not only that, but, the NHL had the diabolical idea to hide it right under the Los Angelinos' noses, by having their home games played at the Staples Center. You know, where the Lakers play. Further, they named the team the Kings to intentionally confuse even the savviest media organization into thinking they are the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Astonishingly devious stuff. More twists and turns than the Da Vinci Code, which I've read three times just to make sure I understood it all. The best bit of this journalism on this pressing issue comes, of course, from the city's paper of record, the Los Angeles Times, winner of 44 Pulitzer Prizes since 1942, including three in 2012. It was for that towering beacon of journalistic excellence that columnist Chris Erskine successfully scruted several of the team and sport's most inscrutable mysteries . For instance, that thing I said earlier about the puck (again, yuck… oh and that's another gross word it rhymes with), I learned it from Erskine. Apparently they even freeze the thing. And that's a huge point of concern, because, "The hardest shots can reach 110 mph and tear flesh, crush bone, even kill you if you're not careful." Yikes, you guys! ( Coming Up: Rick Nash to Boston?; Tororella defends Prust; Ryan Suter faces his future; Evegni Malkin is having a pretty good season; why Lundqvist is King; why the Capitals can't win with Ovechkin; the Islanders know how to party; Canucks might keep Luongo; Ryan Miller on the CBA; Flames and Oilers coaching news; and are the Kings in trouble?)

Rangers rookie Chris Kreider making it look easy in impressive jump from NCAA title to NHL playoffs
(Fri, 18 May 2012 12:15:57 PDT)
Kreider went from big man at Boston College to a rushed-in rookie on a tight-knit Rangers team, but his power-forward skills and quietly confident ways have eased the transition.

Richards to stay as Columbus coach permanently (The Associated Press)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 13:23:33 PDT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) When Todd Richards took over the woeful Columbus Blue Jackets in January after the firing of coach Scott Arniel, he was also interviewing for the job.

Blue Jackets name Richards as coach
(Mon, 14 May 2012 10:22:34 PDT)
Todd Richards, who took over as interim coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets midway into this past season, was named the National Hockey League team's coach on Monday by general manager Scott Howson.

Blue Jackets keep Richards with two-year contract (The SportsXchange)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 08:20:17 PDT)
The Columbus Blue Jackets are sticking with Todd Richards.

Blue Jackets name Todd Richards head coach, because what else were they going to do? (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 07:39:44 PDT)
Can a coaching move symbolize both stability and instability? The Columbus Blue Jackets removed the interim tag from coach Todd Richards on Monday, making the former Minnesota Wild bench boss the sixth head coach in franchise history. He took over from Scott Arniel on Jan. 9, and went 18-21-2 under Richards at a time when Rick Nash's future cast a foreboding shadow over nearly every game. [ Related: Dale Hunter steps down as Washington Capitals coach ] From a stability standpoint, it could be argued this was a smart decision. The Jackets showed resiliency late in the season, going 11-8 in March and April. They also showed a cohesion and competitive spirit that was missing at the start of the season, when James Wisniewski's suspension, Jeff Carter's apathy and Steve Mason resembling Sonny Corleone's car at the toll booth. So maybe that's something to build on.

What We Learned: What to make of this Washington Capitals season? (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 05:28:10 PDT)
Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it. There's been a lot of talk about what this season has meant for the Washington Capitals in the hours leading up to, and then immediately following, their final game of the remarkably eventful 2011-12 season. Wysh had a pretty good recap of the reasons the Capitals felt this little run to a pair of one-goal Game 7s against the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in the Eastern Conference — both having been heavy favorites — vindicated the Dale Hunter system of everyone playing defense and collapsing to within three inches of the crease, and it's perfectly reasonable for people to feel that way. Certainly, no one expected these Capitals to do much damage in the postseason given that they frittered away a division they were picked to dominate. But the thing that everyone seems to forget is that, again, they were picked to dominate the Southeast, be a superpower in the East and the League at large. If the team tuned out Bruce Boudreau, and it appears they did, then wasn't his replacement, whoever it happened to be, more or less expected to get this far? Therefore, it becomes a question about what changed, and really, what didn't. Let's not forget, Boudreau came in originally and let guys like Alex Semin, Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green have their run of the rink. Two-minute shifts? Sure! Goals aplenty? You bet. But in the end, what did it get them? Bounce-outs, and if you believe the talk, disappointing ones at that. So Boudreau changed the style, focusing more on defense, tethering Ovechkin and Co. to an extent, and … getting the same amount of success. Under each of the two clearly definable Boudreau regimes, the team lost in the conference quarter- and semi-finals. Which is of course notable because the latter is exactly how far Hunter got in his first chance at the tiller, despite doing everything in his power not to: like limiting Ovechkin to fewer than 20 minutes a night in every game in this series save for Saturday's Game 7 and the three-overtime Game 3, in which he played 35:14 — or, if you prefer 17:37 per three periods of play. This therefore vindicates Hunter only as far as it vindicated Boudreau; which, with a roster like this, and given the "choker" label being hung liberally on the former Caps coach this time last year. The philosophy changed radically under Hunter, and worked only as far as it did for Boudreau. Why? ( Coming Up: Team USA, international ass-kickers; getting stupid about Patrick Kane's drinking; Parise's future; Could Brad Stuart return to the Sharks?; Kevin Lowe says Ryan Murray is the top player in this year's draft class; Suter/Weber questions; Pancakes Penner's revenge; Bruins pumped for Dougie Hamilton; Alfredsson retirement watch; Leafs/Penguins trade?; Lundqvist is King; Alex Burrows runs and hugs a goalie; and Winnipeg Jets fans are burning Coyotes jerseys.)

Perfect Finland thrash hapless France in ice hockey
(Thu, 10 May 2012 13:51:36 PDT)
Defending champions and co-hosts of the world ice hockey championship Finland thrashed France 7-1 here on Thursday to move top of their group and maintain their perfect record.

What We Learned: Do mediocre divisions produce better Stanley Cup Playoff teams? (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 07 May 2012 07:24:34 PDT)
Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it. Occasionally you will hear that playing top teams several times a season, like those in the Atlantic and Central Divisions did this season, is a great way to prepare yourself for the postseason. They say it makes you ready to face the tougher competition in the playoffs, and by extension, those teams playing in softer divisions must logically be ill-prepared for similar rigors once the postseason rolls around. Both of the Atlantic and Central divisions were littered with 100-point teams, boasting eight of the league's 10 to eclipse the century mark between them (the other two being Boston and Vancouver), and it therefore stood to reason that they would likely send the lion's share of competitors to the conference finals. The better teams in the regular season tend to do about as well in the postseason, because they are, after all, very good teams. That makes sense. It turns out, though, that having a bunch of teams even in the neighborhood of 100 points in your division at the end of the regular season actually may be more of a detriment to a squad's postseason success. Since the lockout, only two teams have played in a Stanley Cup Final after playing in a division with three teams that managed 100 points. However, both those teams (Anaheim in 2007 and Chicago in 2010) won the Cup. If you expand that number out to even 97 points — which typically assures you a playoff berth but not home ice — only two more teams are added to the mix, the 2008 and 2009 Penguins. Conversely, teams coming out of divisions with two or fewer 97-point teams got into the Cup Finals with far greater frequency, doing so eight times since the lockout (including both Boston and Vancouver last year). But now we've seen the Los Angeles Kings advance to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 1993, and the Phoenix Coyotes stand on the precipice of doing the same for the first time since ever. Phoenix won the Pacific Division with 97 points, and is only a home ice team by virtue of its division title. Had seeding been based on points, they'd have slotted into the sixth spot. Los Angeles, meanwhile, finished with 95. The now-eliminated Sharks were sandwiched between them with 96. Three teams from one division in the playoffs, yes, but one terribly underwhelming division from which not much was expected. (Coming Up: America is a hockey superpower, thanks to Jack Johnson; Barry Trotz is wrong; Dustin Brown is awesome; Jordan Staal of Carolina; Thomas Vanek makes bank; Luongo to the Blackhawks?; Rick Dudley to the Habs; Jonathan Quick vs. Terry Sawchuck; trading Sidney Crosby; Todd McLellan-to-Calgary rumors; and the best and worst of the Capitals.)

Bad luck, losses stalk Blue Jackets franchise (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 03 May 2012 19:48:01 PDT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets' logo is an Ohio flag wrapped around a silver star.

NHL roundup: Suspended Nashville players may not be back for next game (The SportsXchange)
(Thu, 03 May 2012 15:40:21 PDT)
Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz had said earlier this week that if his team won Game 3 against Phoenix he would keep the same lineup for Friday's Game 4, and Trotz on Thursday hinted he may stick to that plan, even though it would mean leaving forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn out of the lineup again.

Blue Jackets' Johnson named captain of U.S. team at World Championships (The SportsXchange)
(Thu, 03 May 2012 13:40:09 PDT)
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson has been named captain for Team USA at the 2012 world championships, which begin Friday in Helsinki and Stockholm, USA Hockey announced Thursday.

Blue Jackets D Johnson named US captain for Worlds (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 03 May 2012 10:41:30 PDT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson has been selected captain for Team USA at the 2012 World Championships, which begin Friday in Helsinki and Stockholm.

Stanley Cup Playoffs vs. the Rick Nash Derby (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 01 May 2012 07:43:21 PDT)
It's been a surreal offseason for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Celebrating the 2013 NHL All-Star Game, while losing the draft lottery. Finally acknowledging that Steve Mason's been a liability, yet being reminded that good things happen for others when the Blue Jackets jettison talent — 17 former Jackets were in the playoffs, and 10 are still playing, including four critical players for the Phoenix Coyotes. It's only going to get more surreal when the time comes to trade Rick Nash, the team's captain and franchise player. Barring an unprecedented change of heart, he's played his last game with the Blue Jackets; the question now becomes where he plays his next game, and it may be an easier question to answer after the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Elliotte Friedman of CBC touched on this last week: Are the biggest first-round winners Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and Rick Nash? Look at all the aggressive spenders who lost early. Will they chase Nash, the kind of power forward needed to counter the Western teams who won, i.e. strong, aggressive and smothering over multiple lines? As another GM said, "Even if Zach Parise hits the market, there's not a lot else out there." San Jose is one of the teams Nash would like to go to and the Sharks could use him. "They looked old," said one coach. Wilson doesn't believe in long-term deals, so there is flexibility. Only eight players, all from the core, are signed past next year and only two (Brent Burns, Martin Havlat) into 2015. The difference between Parise and Nash is that everyone is going to be in on Parise. The Carolina Hurricanes were the first ones to informally enter the derby , making the New Jersey Devils forward a top priority. Nash, meanwhile, still has a no-movement clause that will allow him to select the Jackets' dance partner. Have the playoffs added some clarity to that list?

What We Learned: Who says Stanley Cup Playoff hockey has to be boring? (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:45:07 PDT)
Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it. Watching Saturday's Capitals/Rangers game was an exercise in masochism. Sitting through that game was a test — not unlike that delivered unto Abraham — to see just how much you actually like watching hockey. Two teams playing hockey not so much against each other but rather at each other, or, to put it another way, in defiance of every hockey fan's patience. In that game, four goals were scored on 32 shots. That was between both teams, and not just one, in case you were wondering. Certainly, convention states that playoff hockey is more defensive by nature than the regular season. And though you'd be a fool to subscribe to the belief that defensive hockey is boring hockey, even the most stoic men would have been reduced to tears by the kind of temerity it takes to dare people to sit through 60 minutes of whatever that was on Saturday afternoon. But one team, at least, flatly refuses to play anything like boring hockey. That would be the Philadelphia Flyers, whose efforts have thrilled all viewers not openly supporting their opponents, and enlivened what is otherwise shaping up to be a rather drab final few rounds of the playoffs. ( Coming Up: Pierre McGuire as Habs GM; trading Patrick Marleau; Jagr vs. Brodeur; Matt Greene's unlikely goal; Predators' revenue troubles; Nail for Staal?; Landeskog graded; Columbus addresses its goalie needs; Alex Ovechkin controlled by Rangers; in praise of Danny Briere; the Winnipeg Jets are dogs; and the future of Tim Thomas.)

Watch top 25 bloopers of 2011-12 NHL season, pretty much every other gaffe (VIDEO) (Puck Daddy)
(Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:54:27 PDT)
"SportsCentre" on TSN has counted down the Top 25 bloopers of 2011-12, sometimes offering multiple highlights under the same heading. This is pretty much every embarrassing moment of the regular season that didn't involve Pierre Gauthier's personnel management or the Columbus Blue Jackets' penalty kill. If you have 23 minutes, give it a look; if you don't, the Top 10 starts around 13:30 into the clip. No. 13 is a personal favorite: When John Tavares is named first star, and all of his New York Islanders teammates break up their high-five tunnel to leave him skating alone. The top 10: 10. Catching pucks on, or between, the benches. (Including Dan Bylsma's leaping outfielder grab.) 9. Getting checking through doors, into benches or on the bench. 8. Ryan Kesler planks on the Nashville net. 7. Victor Hedman's epic own goal, with his glove. 6. Vernon Fiddler's Kevin Bieksa mean face. 5. Alexei Emelin with an awesome hip check on … Erik Cole. 4. Jason Blake gets his sweater nearly removed by the Rangers during play. 3. Craig Smith misses the empty net. 2. That hilarious scene when Jan Murzak had a second stick stuck in his jersey. 1. Well, we can't tell you that spoiler. Suffice it to say, it involves the shootout. s/t to YouTube hockey legend DayWalk3r for the clip. Other popular content on the Yahoo! network: • Tiger Woods plans to take questions from fans instead of the media • Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s streak lives on, but he's got reason to smile • Tim Brown: Bryce Harper gets first major-league hit in thrilling debut • Y! News: Nothing is sacred at 98th White House correspondents' dinner