Noon Papers

Noon Papers will run until Sunday, December 16, 2007. Illegal Curve's regular feature Morning Papers will return Monday, December 17, 2007.

Here are the National newspapers.

- The Globe and Mail's Eric Duhatschek writes about 17-year-old Sarnia Sting phenom Steven Stamkos, who will suit up for Team Canada at the Under-20 World Junior Hockey Championships in Pardubice, Czech Republic, as final cuts were announced today with both Stamkos and John Tavares making the cut.
- According to The National Post, Scott Niedermayer will not return until next Friday, December 21, 2007 as the Ducks need to a)find room under their salary cap b)get Niedermayer back into team practices.


Here are the Western Conference newspapers.

- Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun profiles Canucks forward Jason Jaffray, who had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut last night, a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
- Oilers centre Shawn Horcoff is leading a young Oilers squad on the bench, on the power play, and in the shootout, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
- A quick start and timely physical play were the keys to Chicago's 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings last night, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Blue Jackets boast solid secondary scoring, writes Tom Reed in his Columbus Post Dispatch blog, as Malhotra, Beech, Boll and Federov got the goals last night not Nash, Vyborny and Zherdev.
- David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News addresses all of the crazy trade rumours of a blockbuster deal between the Sharks and Montreal Canadiens.
- The Dallas Stars have an awesome power play, ranked 6th in the NHL, they just don't get enough chances, writes Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News.
- The Avalanche can't expect to win when they have 16 shots on net, and their top line of Stastny-Hejduk-Smyth is a combined Minus-8, writes Rick Sadowski of the Rocky Mountain News.
- The struggling Los Angeles Kings, now last place in the Western Conference, must now travel to Dallas to face the red-hot Stars, writes Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times.
- Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun, writes about the Flames return to St. Pete Times Forum, the scene of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, and the bitter memories it stirs up for the eight players who remain from that team.



Please stay tuned for the Eastern Conference newspapers.