News You Can Use Late in the Day

-Patrice Bergeron speaks out on hitting from behind.
-TSN is reporting that Kevin Bieska's injury is worse than originally thought.
-Scott Clemmenson has started 6-0 for the Toronto Marlies.
-Scott Niedermayer has resumed skating and could be back by December.
-The Colorado Avalance have acquired Jason Bacashihua from the St. Louis Blues for a conditional 7th round pick.
-Billy Sauer is enjoying a solid year in Ann Arbor.
-The Northwest notebook.
-Darren Dreger looks at the NHL's heavy hitters.
-Peter Chiarelli feels that Bergeron's injury could be career threatening.
-News and Notes from the CHL.
-A look at the hockey environment in Roseau, Minnesota, home of Amanda Grafstrom.
-Brian Leetch is honoured with the Lester Patrick Award.
-Fanhouse notes that Alex Ovechkin has left the door open to leaving Washington.
-Just for the Pipers, the Hockey News looks at how NHL players are taxed.
-Garth Murray and Aaron Downey have both been placed on waivers.
-Ray Emery decides that he is no longer speaking to media on game days.
-David Amber examines the Ten Best moves of the off-season.
-Canada downs the US at the 4 Nations Cup.
-Lost in Translation from the Hockey News.
-Hemsky dangles, but Oilers still lose.
-Who was the Greatest #9?
-The Penguins try and entice some female fans to come out with their Hockey and Heels Promotion.
-66 and 99 are interested in acquiring Nike/Bauer.
-More from Ben Blood's Blog.
-Phil Kessel's little brother is making a name for himself, Blake actually.
-The Blue Jackets have signed Stephan Legein to a 3-year entry level deal.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

News You Can Use Late in the Day

-Eric Lindros is expected to officially announce his retirement on Thursday.
-Wade Redden has said he will take a home-town discount to stay with the Ottawa Senators.
-An MRI has revealed that Dan Boyle will need more surgery on his injured wrist.
-Senators owner Eugene Melnyk feels that Canada can support more NHL teams.
-Todd Bertuzzi's $350,000 settlement offer to Steve Moore is rejected.
-Bob McKenzie does not believe John Tortorella's job is in jeopardy.
-Chris Bourque may make his NHL debut tonight.
-John Buccigross talks Jeremey Roenick.
-Fluto Shinzawa discusses the Bruins goal scoring struggles.
-The Ottawa Senators could make history tonight by recording the most points ever after 14 games.
-The Buffalo Sabres are unsure as to why they are struggling early on this year.
-The Globe and Mail notes that the CBA appears to have achieved parity in the NHL.
-Damien Cristodero says don't expect the Lightning to make a deal for a goalie.
-Sioux backup goalie has Anthony Grieco has returned to the OHL.
-Alexei Doistonov has left the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets to play for the Kitchener Rangers.
-Taking Note details an amazing story of underage players drinking and the coverup that followed.
-Jennifer Botterill and Hayley Wickenheiser lead the way for Canada in Sweden.
-An interesting story about a documentary about the life of junior aged hockey players in Quebec.
-Power Rankings from the USHL.
-James Mirtle looks at a few NHL teams that are already in trouble.
-Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings. The Islanders crack the Top 10.
-Barry Smith blogs from the Russian Super League.
-Interesting take on the Oilers and their future from David Staples.
-Orlando, FL. man on the hockey trip of a lifetime.
-The Bleacher Report with the top ten hockey teams of the future.
-Six Senators make the All-Star Ballot.
-Darcy Tucker makes an appearance on Little Mosque on the Prairies. The Leafs dominance of the Commie Broadcasting Corp. is complete.
-Michael Farber reports that the Blues are back.
-Wes Walz has gone AWOL in Minnesota.
-Luc Bourdon has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks.
-Stan Fischler looks at what ails the Devils.
-The Kitchener Rangers extend their winning streak to 9 games.
-The Score reports that Pittsburgh may be shopping for a goaltender.
-Hockey News' Hot List.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Prospect Pulse: Joe Finley

Going back to the University of North Dakota well, a player who has impressed recently is Joe Finley. A Washington Capitals first rounder, Finley at first glance seems like one of those pre-lockout defensemen that GM's dreamed about. A towering 6'7, 252 pounds, Finley was a big body with a ridiculous wing-span and precious little mobility.

To his credit, Finley has vastly improved his skating and is now somewhat rangy, even if he will never be compared to Bobby Orr. He plays with a pronounced mean streak and makes life very difficult for opposing forwards, especially on the PK. Where he differs from former Sioux standout Matt Greene is that he doesn't take many penalties, and certainly doesn't take dumb penalties. He has flirted with the 100 PIM mark once, many of those minutes due to his aggressive style of play. Finley is also a tough competitor. He was a feared fighter in the USHL and played part of a college game with a broken arm.

Though he possesses a heavy shot, Finley is seldom ever employed in an offensive capacity. His purpose is to play shut down hockey, a role he performs well. On a team mostly filled with offensive defenseman, Finley can be counted on to play in all important situations.

The Capitals are not likely to rush Finley, as he will need some seasoning to adjust to the speed of the professional game. It would be wise to allow him to finish his college career on a strong team where he can keep improving his skating and mobility. Watch for him to show up in Hershey in the 2009-2010 season.

Prospect Pulse

Due to an extremely busy weekend, there will be no prospect featured til Monday. Please keep yourself busy reading the news from this afternoon.

News You Can Use on Saturday Afternoon:

-Bruce Garrioch notes that Heatley and Spezza will be split up for tonight's game in Montreal. Coach Paddock just noted on Sportscentre that they will play together 95% of the time, but they are not inseparable.

-Capitals' owner Ted Leonsis is a man with many stories to tell.

-Taking Note gives us word that American phenom Luke Moffat has decided to forego the WHL to play for the University of Michigan.

-Cory Emmerton and Logan Pyett feel their time with Coach Sutter will improve their chances of playing in the NHL.

-Bill Lankhof discusses Scott Clemmensen's decision to sigh with the Maple Leafs.

-Potential 2009 1st Overall pick John Tavares continues to tear up the OHL.

-Dallas Drake happy to be in Motown. Love the Drake. Also note Larry Wigge's mention of the success the Red Wings have had with the 1989 draft class.

-The Hockey News with a look at who will make the playoffs in the East.

-Special thanks to Amanda Kosior for pointing out that Mike Comrie bought Hilary Duff a Mercedes. Please note that Mercedes' are not available at the Brick, Canada's version of Sears.

-Willy Palov of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald looks at the 10 Best players ever in the QMJHL.

-A Q and A with Panthers' prospect Michael Frolik.

-The Empty Netters blog with a recap of Penguins news.

-Big Bad Bruins set to return.

-Not all the New York Rangers are in favour of the new Edge jerseys.

-The Score notes that Thrasher's rookie Bryan Little is getting a long look at Centre. Also note that the Forecaster predicts teenager Peter Mueller will be the Coyotes' #1 Centre.

-An interview with Dan Wood from the Orange County Register, a very good paper for hockey news in Southern California. Also note the review of the various NHL preview magazines.

-Penguins send Ty Conklin down. Could this be the end for Conks?

-Brian Burke as interviewed by the BBC. A whole new country full of journalists for Burke to hate.

-A little off topic, but a funny story all the same.

-Teams that may surprise in this year's CHL season.

-The LA Times feels Jonathan Bernier may have played his way into a full time job with the Kings.

-The Lightning defensemen want to play a more physical brand of hockey this year.

-The Offside Blog thinks the new Edge jerseys are just for looks.

-Ryan Kesler thinks he can create chemistry with roommate Mason Raymond.

-Notes from all 6 Canadian teams.

-Dallas Stars' prospect Matt Nisaken makes the most of his time at camp.

-Are the Stars' prospects ready to make the leap to the NHL?

-Rob Schremp happy to be out of the spotlight in Edmonton.

-The Florida Panthers look to attract kids and businessmen with a noon start during the week. I am pretty sure I would ditch work for a game. If Florida wants to stick around, they are going to need to be innovative.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Prospect Pulse:

Vitali Karamnov, the 18-year old son of former St. Louis Blue (and current Dynamo Moscow coach) Vitali Karamnov, has been invited to camp with the Edmonton Oilers. Undrafted, the younger Karamnov is in North America and is expected to spend the year with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. "Vi", as he likes to be known, attended the Oilers' rookie camp this summer and showed enough to get invited back to fall camp. Rated as high as 48th for the 2007 Draft (The Hockey News had him at 63), Karamnov went undrafted due to the lack of the transfer agreement. Kevin Prendergrast, the Oilers' VP of Hockey Operations, has stated that he was surprised he was still available late in the draftt, but decided not to use a pick because of recent troubles with Russian prospects (I am looking at you Mikhnov).

Scouting reports on the Russian center invariably describe him as being a good skater with an above average skill set. Analysis differs on his defensive game and his offensive tendencies. Some say he needs to add a physical dimension to his game while others say he plays a responsible game and will throw the body every chance he gets. From the blue line in, some scouts feel he tends to look for the pass too much (the Russian Ales Hemsky?) and some describe him as a sniper.

Though the captain of Russia's entry in the U-18 tournament is not expected to challenge for a roster spot, he might well play his way into the Oilers prospect pipeline. Though the Oilers cannot sign the 18 year old, it may give them good insight for next year's draft. Its a good sign that he is coming over to North America as an 18 year old. Further, having a coach for a father may help speed his development and curb the tendency for this newest generation of Russian prospect to play a selfish game.

Here is a video of Karamnov, from the Phoenix Coyotes website. Note that he will play in traffic, but he doesn't seem to have much urgency in his defensive game.

News You Can Use Late in the Morning:

-Tom Barrasso has signed on with the Carolina Hurricanes to be a goaltending consultant to their prospects. Lets just hope he only gives lessons on being a goalie and not on being a nice guy.

-The USHL and QMJHL square off tonight and tomorrow in the CCM Junior Classic Tournament. Indiana and Omaha will play Quebec and Rimouski. This should give junior hockey fans from both sides of the 49th some fodder for discussion. Notable prospects that will play in the tourney include Kelsey Tessier and Nico Sachetti. The son of Phoenix GM Don Maloney is skating with Omaha as a non-roster player.

-Former Alaska Seawolf Charlie Kronschnabel gets an invite to Oilers' camp after being discovered at Chad Moreau's conditioning camp in California. Word on the Oiler blogs is that he was in better shape than many current Oiler players.

-Dave Bell hired as an assistant coach in Springfield. He should help Bucky learn the ropes.

- The Score.ca has an interesting Cabbie segment titled "Hockey Day in Israel".

-The Detroit Wings will offer $9 tickets for games this season. Hey, its cheaper than crack and downtown Detroit is the adventure of a lifetime.

-Caps prospect Karl Alzner has had a busy year. Its no wonder some kids burn out on hockey.

-Inside College Hockey has an interesting, albeit a little old, article on college prospects who may depart academia a little early to play professionally.

KK out.