News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Rob Ramage has received a 4 year jail sentence for his part in the crash that killed Keith Magnuson.
2. The Hurricanes have traded Craig Adams to the Blackhawks for a conditional draft pick.
3. Dan Pollard of TSN gives a shout out to Tobias Enstrom.
4. Gene Principe notes the irony of Michael Nylander going out for the season with a shoulder problem just before playing the Oilers, a team he reneged on last summer after his wife twisted his arm.
5. The NHL and IIHF propose to raise the Euro transfer age to 20, meaning no more young Euros playing in the minors.
6. A resurgent Denver Pioneers team has its sights set on the NCAA tournament.I hope they don't contract the plague of so many other pioneers, the dreaded dysentery.
7. Brandon Nolan credits coaching for his break out year, and the AHL is considering an outdoor game, with Winnipeg as a possible venue. Evidently, the AHL braintrust has never visited Winnipeg in January.
8. Anze Kopitar is living the single life in LA, with his parents for roommates. Sounds perfect for my sister in law.
9. Iggy and Vinny have been named All-Star Captains.
10. The Fargo Force is going to attempt to "tap" Fighting Sioux fans. I bet they are. Just don't disturb my wife during Project Runway. Trust me, I tried that two weeks and one testicle ago.
11. Taking Note gives us the complete run down of WHL news from Wednesday night.
12. Adam Proteau tells us that Brian Burke will listen to offers for the 1st round pick he acquired from Edmonton in the Dustin Penner deal.
13. Jay Feaster gives us his thoughts on the trade deadline in his blog.
14. Chris Pronger alleges that Edmonton fans burned his rental furniture. Still no cure for gap-toothedness.
15. The latest installment from the Year of the Rams.
16. David Staples with a very funny look at his likes and dislikes about each Oiler.
17. The Score gives the low-down for everyone involved in fantasy hockey.
18. Edward Fraser notes that the Oklahoma City Blazers are giving away livestock as a promotion for fans attending their games. They should try this in Calgary. Even Flames fans deserve a little action now and again...
19. A mildly entertaining (Think Flames vs. Wild on a Wednesday night) work of fiction on how Cujo was wooed to Cowtown.
20. Battle of California makes a heartfelt plea to Ottawa to take Rob Blake off the Kings' hands.
21. In a follow up to RP's Ovechkin editorial, Tyler Dellow of the MC79 blog offers up his detailed analysis on AO.
22. The Blackhawks have signed Patrick Sharp to a 4-year contract extension.
23. Thursday's water cooler notes from nhl.com.
24. A profile on Bruins prospect Pascale Pelletier, recently recalled to Boston.
25. George Johnson thinks the mind games will start in Calgary with Curtis Joseph's arrival. Likely the first and only time the phrase "mind games" will be used to refer to Calgary.

Prospect Pulse: Chris Porter

Watching the Sioux sleepwalk through a few periods this weekend got me thinking about some of the sparkplugs that used to play for the team. One of these guys was Thunder Bay's own Chris Porter. The former Sioux captain was originally a 9th round pick by the Blackhawks in 2003. After spending all four years in Grand Forks, he participated in some camps with the Hawks, who chose not to sign him despite impressive showings.

Porter eventually inked a deal with the St. Louis Blues and was assigned to Peoria of the AHL. Never really a scorer in college, (he averaged in that 20-30 point range), Porter has put up solid numbers (3-9-12) thus far playing limited minutes. A solid two way guy (I use this phrase so much) with excellent speed and good hockey sense. In his years in Grand Forks, he would often be the guy that would spark the team with a goal/hit/fight (hugging match as per NCAA rules) or whatever was needed.

He has good size (6'1, 210) and plays with a mean streak. A punishing hitter, Porter is effective when playing a physical game. He is good along the boards but could use some seasoning on his defensive positioning. He scores most of his goals from in close but does possess a hard shot with a quick release. As he adjusts to the pro game, he will need to learn to be stronger on the puck when skating, for as good as he is in tight spots, Porter can be easily separated from the puck in stride.