Interview With Myself!!

Check it out, please feel free to leave comments on the forums!! Also, what would you guys think of a weekly podcast by myself and Yick, where we would talk about what happened the week before, and we'd agree and disagree on all topics? Let us know!

I Smell Hockey...

Wow, the puck drops in only a few more days, and things are starting to really heat up. One minor trade happened today, as Montreal has traded forward Marcel Hossa to the New York Rangers for forward Garth Murray. Murray will go down to the AHL right away, Hossa will likely start the season with the Rangers.

The news got worst for Detroit today, as Kronwall's injury is much worse than expected. The defenseman will now miss 4-6 months, which is a huge blow to Detroit's D, which is already hurting after losses of Hatcher and Dandenault in the offseason.

Bryan Marchment was apparently not cut by the Maple Leafs, and left camp because of a viral infection. It is expected he will rejoin the team, though it is still unsure if he will make the team.

Wacky rumour by email today. The reader said Ovechkin being sent to Atlanta in return for Kovalchuk and a player to be named later. Thats just crazy...

Thats all I have for now, make sure to join the Power Play Fantasy League, it's going to be great! The radio interview I did last night will likely be posted in here soon, maybe even later tonight. The new site is almost finished and looking great, and will launch this Sunday, October 2nd. Can't Wait! Enjoy your night!

Injuries

What is with all of these injuries? The game is days away from being back, and we've already lost so many of the NHL's big stars. Wednesday, a day that is suppose to showcase the NHL time, could be without a large number of the NHL's biggest names. Steve Yzerman is the latest Detroit Red Wing who could miss the season opener on Wednesday. Just one day after loosing Kronwall for up to three months, the team announced that Yzerman may not be ready to play by Wednesday due to a groin injury. So far in the new NHL, we've seen a lot of goals, a lot of nice plays, and a lot of injuries. The NHL won't be too fun to watch without it's big stars, so here's wishing guys like Kronwall, Hejduk, JR, Yzerman and Kapanen speedy recoveries.

Earlier today I was interviewed by Blueline Hockey Talk Radio (check out their link under our affiliates section). The interview has lots of information on the Power Play Hockey league (Everyone Join ASAP), the New Site (Oct. 2nd Launch) and my opinions on the new NHL. The interview will likely be available to everyone tomorrow, and I will post a link when I can get one on here. I want to thank Blueline Radio for interviewing me, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing more interviews with them as the season goes on.

I still really want more people to join the PowerPlay Fantasy League! It's only $5 US, and it's real easy to play. For more information check the blog archives or email me. Also, with the new site coming, we would love to have more of our readers write columns for us. If you are interested, please email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com!

Apparently the Thrashers have offered Kovalchuk an offer he will not be able to refuse, so don't be surprised to see him re-sign before the end of the weekend. Trade winds are still blowing, and I really hope a few of them take form soon! That's all for tonight, have a good one

Foot Fungus!

What a wired title eh? I was just at the doctors to get a few spots on my foot looked at, and the doctors have no idea what it is, so here's hoping it clears up! Lets move on to something a little less disgusting...

According to Eklund, the Leafs are going to make some changes in goal. Obviously Belfour is likely to stay as their number one, but Noronen has come up in a lot of rumours. It is said that Buffalo may try and send him down to the AHL, but he would have to clear waivers to do so, and Toronto and Atlanta would be two of the teams that would attempt to pick him up. Tellqvist and Aubin are not impressing the Leafs management at this point. Speaking of the Leafs, Bryan Marchment was let go today, leaving Steve Thomas as the only tryout still at the Leaf's camp.

The Blues finally got some good news today, as Keith Tkchuk has returned to camp after being sent home with a weight problem. They must be thrilled to see one of their top scrorers back in time to start the season. If the Blues have any chance this season, he will have to produce a lot of points. Speaking of players badly needed in the lineup, Calgary has lost a huge part of it's blueline. Robyn Regehr will miss at least a month with a knee injury. The Flames must be really happy they signed Hamrlik, as without him the Flames would have a problem on defense.

There is a very quiet whisper going around that a Kovalchuk for Jagr deal is in the works. Don't believe it, as it is highly unlikely. Can you imagine Atlanta trading their two biggest players in one offseason? Atlanta is building a strong, young team, and a guy like Jagr does not fit into what they are doing.

Going back to Marchment, I wouldn't be surprised if Ottawa signed him. Detroit, Colorado, and San Jose all apparently have interest, but Marchment may retire due to the fact that he only wanted to play for Toronto, and nobody else.

Patrick Roy is now a coach! The former NHL star goaltender has been named new head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. QMJHL now, NHL eventually? How great would it be to see him return one day to coach the Habs (thats funny), or the Avs?

Anyways, thats all for now. My radio interview was pushed back until tonight at 7 pm, but the good news is it will be put on the Friday Night Radio show. Check out the link on the right side of the blog (Blueline Hockey Talk Radio) for show time, I'll try to get a link on this site tomorrow so you all can listen. I'll post again later tonight if anything happens!

A Look At Whats Coming...

I've received a lot of questions about what the new site will have on it. Before I get into that, I want to make sure everyone knows that this is Yick's project, not mine. He is the webmaster of the new main page, as my web design skills are not that good. I want to thank him for all the time he has put into this website, and you should all thank him yourselves as this new site is great!

So what will the new site have? Obviously the new site will link the blog. Eventually the main page will have the blog built right into the site, but right now we're having too many bugs so we're just linking, but it won't be any different from now. This is also good for the people who just want the blog and not the extra, as they can still go straight to the blog by using the hockey-leaks.blogspot.com link. The new site will feature columns. At launch, you will be able to read columns written by the hockeyleaks staff, but eventually, we hope to have some bigger names writing for us on a weekly basis. A full Q & A sessions page will be part of the new site. All previous Q & A's will be listed, as well as a brand new Q & A with Hockey News writer Mike Brophy. This is a definite must read!

The Power Rankings may be my favourite section of the new site, as I love to see where people feel each team is ranked. At start, there will be three sets of power rankings. Yick, Ryan and Myself will all have our own power rankings. At a later time, we will open this up to all of our members, and you all will be able to have your own power rankings posted on hockeyleaks.com. Another feature the new site will have is a fantasy section. In one section will links to the three yahoo pools we have, as well as a full overview of the Hockeyleaks Power Play Fantasy League (JOIN!!). The other section of the fantasy page will feature fantasy tips, so you can have the advantage in your own fantasy leagues. Expect features like who's hot and cold in the league, and who is on the verge of breaking out, or shutting down.

We understand that not everyone lives in a hockey market. A lot of American readers often email me asking where they can listen to their favorite team. We will have a whole section dedicated to providing you all with links to as many different hockey teams as possible. Thanks to this new section, if you don't have the right channel for a game you want to watch, you can simply go to this page, and quickly find a link to the game you want to listen to. This is one of my favourite features the new site has.

Then, of coarse, we have the forums, which have a new design. The forums have been great for us right from the start. We have had some great discussions, and we have somewhere around 600 members! If you are not already a member of the forums, check them out for sure!

Thats not everything, but thats a big chunk of whats coming. Only a few more days and we can finally launch, I can't wait! With all this cool website talk, who cares about hockey right? Just Kidding...

Niklas Kronwall is out at least 6 weeks with that knee injury I mentioned earlier. The injury is pretty serious, and I wouldn't expect him back until late November, early December. Not someone I'd want on my fantasy team. Eklund posted a rumour earlier that he's heard whispers of Boynton asking to be traded to Toronto. Most Toronto fans missed this news because they were too upset over J.F. Racine being sent down to the minors. I don't believe Boston would trade Boynton to one of their biggest rivals. If it did happen, Boston would get one or two of Steen, Colaiacovo, Stajan and Kronwall, and even JFJ knows thats too much to pay.

Thats all for now! Everyone please sign up for the Fantasy League, I promise you that you will regret it come June when you realize you could have won some awesome cash and some great prizes!

By The Numbers

Some numbers to look at for a second.

4 - The Number Of Days Until The New Website Launches
7- The Number Of Days Until The 05-06 NHL Season Begins
1 million - The Number Of Hits Hockeyleaks.com has had!

What an exciting time we are in. I cannot wait to launch the new site this weekend, as I love the fact that hockeyleaks is expanding. When I started this site two three months ago I never thought it would do anything, and now we're about a launch a brand new website for everyone to enjoy. I love the game of hockey, and I cannot wait to see the new product the NHL has for us, it is going to be more exciting than ever before.

One problem we may see with the new NHL is more injuries. A faster game could lead to more physical problems, as getting hit while moving as fast as some of these guys do could have consequences. I feel like each day my main stories are all injuries, and unfortunately today is no different. Doug Weight and Barrett Jackman, two of the only Blues still remaining, are both likely to miss the start of the season. Both will miss 7-14 days with shoulder injuries. St.Louis is definitely aiming for the basement this season.

Detroit's defense used to be amazing, and now it's about par with the rest of the leagues. Things got worse for Detroit's D today, as rookie sensation Niklas Kronwall has injured his knee. No MRI results yet, but I am hearing it could be serious. On a happier note, the Flyers could have both Forsberg and Hatcher back for next week, which they really need as Kapanen won't be back until November.

According to the Big Ek, Nick Boynton has held talks with four NHL clubs. Toronto and Montreal are two he confirmed, I also heard a whisper that San Jose may have some interest as well.

Power Play Pool signups are still being accepted! Remember you can have more than one team, at $5 a team. Only one person has taken advantage of this! Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for all sign up information! I'm off to do an interview, which could be posted on this site as early as tonight! More Later!

Wow Hockey Is Great!

Just watched some some pre-season highlights, and wow, hockey is an amazing sport! I am impressed with the new rules, and very excited for the season to begin. A few games are already finished in tonight's pre-season action. The Leafs continue to struggle, loosing 5-2 to the Sabres. Philly beat the Islanders 5-3, and Montreal slipped past Boston 4-3. This is just pre-season, so if your a Leaf's, Bruin's or Isles fan, this means nothing.

http://www.hockeytraderumors.com has a great season preview up, you should all check it out. Speaking of things to check out, I am being interviewed tomorrow by Blueline Hockey Talk Radio, and you will be able to listen to that soon. A link will definitly be posted when the interview is available, which will likely be this weekend.

One thing being discussed will be Hockey Leaks Powerplay Fantasy League. I'm working on some huge prizes that may be available to win, along with the cash, and those who don't sign up will regret it. $5 US, $6 CDN, you can send money via paypal to hockeyleaks@hotmail.com, or email me asking for mailing address if you wish to mail me a cheque or money order.

Did anyone else read the comment Don Cherry made today? Wait a sec, that wasn't Don Cherry, it was Sean Avery making retarded comments again. This time he bashed Denis Gautier because he's french. This all coming after Gautier rocked Avery's teammate Roenick the other night in pre-season action, giving JR his 11th concussion. I think it looks good on JR, but thats just me. I can't wait for the new site so I have a space to voice some of my opinions. Only a few more days till the big launch!

Fantasy tips for you pool junkies. For those that pick players week by week (ex. eklunds fantasy league, sportsnets fantasy league), you may want to stay away from Marian Gaborik. He may miss the start of the season due to a pulled groin. Other guys I'd stay away from week one are Jason Allison, who is likely to play, but won't be effective until he has a few games under his belt, Jeremy Roenick, who could be back by Oct.5, but probably won't be, and Rostislav Klesla, who is expected to be a huge part of Columbus' defense this season, as he has a stress fracture in his right leg. This will keep him out 4-6 weeks.

Thats all for now, JOIN THE POOL. It'll be worth it, trust me. Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com to contact moi.

Closer And Closer It Comes...

Unfortunatly I have to keep this short, but can you believe it, only 8 more days until the puck drops on the 05-06 season! Also exciting, only 5 more days until the new hockeyleaks.com launches, which will launch will full season preview, brand new columns, a Q & A with Mike Brophy, all new power rankings, a page dedicated to links to each teams radio affiliate, and lots of cool fantasy tips, as well as the standings for the Power Play Fantasy League, which I remind you all to join ASAP, it's going to be fun! It's only $5 US, so join now!

Not much hockey news to talk about. The Thrashers have 8 days left to sign Kovalchuk. Bob Boughner or Kurt Sauer could be traded by Colorado in the next week, to free up some cap room. San Jose and Nashville are both looking to improve their teams before the seasob begins, but I havn't heard any solid names.

Sorry this is short, expect a bigger update later tonight. Join the fantasy league!! I'm in talks to bring in some really great prizes, not to mention the cash up for grabs! hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for any comments, questions, or anything at all!

9 Days? Can Yoy Believe It?

No more talking about the lockout. No more mentioning Gary and Bob, or Ted and Bill, or any lawyers, lets just talk about how great the season is going to be.

Jeff Friesen can't be too thrilled about where he's going. Am I the only one who thought Washington was the last place Friesen would go? Don't look now, but Washington looks dangerous, and don't think for a second that thats a joke. Ovechkin, Witt (still...), Kolzig, Zubrus, Friesen...they could do good, they won't, but they could, especially with their division probably the weakest in hockey. Jersey is now under the cap for now, but when Elias comes back they may need to make another move depending on how long he is out.

JR head is hurtin again! Philly got rid of him just in time, though he is not expected to miss a significant amount of time. The King's have had the worst of luck over the last three seasons, and so far it doesn't look like thats going to change for awhile.

Datsyuk officially resigned with Detroit, which we reported a solid week ago. Someone asked me by email today if the Jersey/Washington trade is the only trade we will see before Oct.5...it won't be, don't worry. Speaking of email, i have my email fixed on this computer so I will be able to reply faster.

Speaking of email, there are still a few people who payed for the fantasy league and havn't sent me their picks. Please send them to me ASAP. The Power Play League is only $5 US, or $6 CDN, and is going to be great! Join now and recieve a free trade (you get one free, but if you buy now you will get two free trades). Remember, winner gets 80% of the pot, second place gets 15% and third place gets 5% or an autographed hockey card. There will also be random prizes given out throughout the season, so even if your team sucks, you may still win, so join now!

Site will launch this Sunday, Oct. 2! I can't wait! It's looking really good. Reminder to all our writers to send us your articles ASAP. Thats all for now, enjoy the rest of your night, and make sure to stop our newly coloured and designed forums. Comments, Questions or Hockey Pool signups to hockeyleaks@hotmail.com!

To Many Goals? Too Short Of A Shootout?

Yes those are two great questions, and questions I will not answer yet. They will be answered by two articles I am going to write for the new site, which will launch (fingers crossed) in the next 5-7 days. The prototype is up and I did take it for a test spin and really like it. The only thing I don't like so far is the banner we're using, so if you want to create a banner for hockeyleaks.com, do so and email it to me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. Speaking of emailing me, thanks to all who joined the fantasy pool. We're not quite at 15 yet, so there are still a few bonus changes available. Make sure to join ASAP! Don't forget the Mike Brophy Q & A will also be part of the site launch. All Hockey Leaks writers please submit your articles to Yick as soon as you can.

I'd love to share some hockey news with you but there isn't that much out there. For all pre-season scores check the newly-designed forums. Goaltender Dan Blackburn has called it a career, due to a shoulder injury that has been bugging him for the last few years. Blackburn was starting to become an elite goalie before his injury, and it's too bad his career has been cut short. He was one of the few good Rangers that they developed themselves.

Another blow to the Flyers today. When Hatcher does return, he will be forced to serve a three game suspension given to him in last years playoffs. He got suspended following a hit on a Calgary player in the 03-04 playoffs. With the NHL Season 10 days away, how are there still talented UFA's available? Orszagh, Audette, Holzinger, Wooley, York (he's in Europe, but has out-clause), and Bombardir are all players that could make an impact. The biggest UFA left in my opinion is Bates Battaglia, this guy could excel in the new NHL.

Why is Witt still a Capital? Will he still be in 10 days? At this point nobody is really sure. New Jersey's clock is ticking, their payroll still isn't getting any smaller. What about Detroit? They had several people attend their camp (Cleary and Murray, among others), if one of them makes it, and gets 450,000, Detroit's over the cap, which leads me to say I expect Detroit to unload a salary. Everyone is saying Schneider, but Detroit's defense really can't take anymore losses.

Hockeyleaks may be on Blueline Hockey Talk Radio this week to discuss the Power Play Fantasy League (Everyone Join Now!) and the new website. Check them out, their link is on our affiliates section. Thats all for now, hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for everything you need, and to get you even more excited, we will soon be getting a @hockeyleaks.com email address...spiffy eh?

Keep It Coming!

Thanks to all that joined the fantasy hockey pool yesterday. We are not quite at the 15 mark, so join asap to get your 2nd player trade free! I am also planning on having random draws throughout the year with cool prizes, so even if your team doesn't win on the scoreboard, you may still walk away with a prize! It's only $5 US or $6 CDN, and if you are under 18 you can play with parental permission. Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com if you wish to join or have any questions. A big meeting about the new site tonight, could be here very soon!

Lets talk hockey, because thats what we all love to do. Nick Boynton is still not signed by the Bruin's, and things could get ugly. Several teams, including atleast two division rivals, have talked to Boynton's agent. If they were to offer Boynton an offer sheet of $2 million, the team would only lose a 2nd round draft pick. Boston would probably match a $2 million offer, but then they would be even with the cap, something Boston is hoping to avoid.

Carolina could get into the trade market. Names I've heard are Vrbata, Kaberle and Ward. Phoenix, New Jersey, Columbus, and Nashville scouts have been at recent Carolina games. Peter Worrell is trying out for the Ranger's farm team, and could end up on the Rangers by the end of it.

With each passing day it looks more and more that Yanic Perrault will be a Pred. He will likely be the 2nd line centre, ahead of Greg Johnson and behind David Legwand. Also, a rumour is going around that the Thrashers offered Potvin an $800,000 contract, but it is not clear when they did. I would assume it was before they signed Dunham, as the team expects Lehtonen to play most of the games.

Lets look at a few more trade rumours. Martin Biron is likely to be dealt by Buffalo. They plan on using Ryan Miller as their starting goalie. I've heard Tampa, Detroit, Toronto, LA, and Carolina as possible teams. Scratch Toronto, as Belfour has been solid so far in pre-season. Detroit is possible, but they would have to dump a salary to get him as they're at the cap. Tampa is also close to the cap, and John Grahame is likely the starter there. Burke has struggled. LA is my guess, as they need goaltending help more than any other team in the league. Aaron Miller could be the guy going to Buffalo.

New Jersey and San Jose continue to talk, but don't count out another team making a deal with New Jersey. I've heard Nashville, Edmonton, Columbus, and Colorado have all held fairly serious discussions with New Jersey.

Finally, a few fantasy tips for ya. Jason Allison played a great game last night, and I expect him to get better with each game he plays. He's definatly a sleeper pick. The sleeper pick of the week goes to Philly's Jon Sim. The guy who most thought was a really dumb pick up for the Flyers scored 5 pre-season goals this week. Not bad at all. Speaking of fantasy leagues, join ours! Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com

Introducing : The Hockeyleaks Power Play Fantasy Leauge

The rumours are true, hockeyleaks will be having a pay to play fantasy league and it starts right now. The task at hand is to create your own power play units. You will pick 6 forwards, 4 defensemen, for a total of 10 players.

The cost of the league is $5 per team (in US funds, $6 if in Canadian funds), and there is no limit on teams per person. So you want three teams? $15 US/$18 CDN. Payments can be made in three different ways. The easiest way to pay is by paypal. From paypal.com send money to hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. If you do not have a paypal account and do not wish to get one, then you can send a cheque or money order to myself. For my mailing address, and for who you should make the cheque/money order, email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. That email should also have your 10 players in it. When paying by paypal, please send an email to me with your ten players.

Your ten players must be emailed asap, but you can change them as much as you want before Oct. 5 at 12 PM EST. Once the season begins, you will only be able to make one change to your ten players, by dropping one player and replacing him with a player with a equal or lower point total. The first 15 people to join the Hockey Leaks Power Play Fantasy League will get a bonus change, so they will get 2 changes during the season if they need them, so sign up fast!

Standings will be updated every few days, atleast once a week. The only stat that is kept track of is points. To win this pool, you must have the most points at the end of the season. The winner of the pool will recieve 80% of the pot, 2nd place will get 15% of the pot, and 3rd place will recieve their choice of either 5% of the pot or once autographed hockey card (there will several to choose from). Prizes may be added during the season as well.

To enter this pool you must be of legal gambling age. Deadline to enter is Oct.5 at Noon EST. Remember, the first 15 payments recieved get two changes to their roster instead of one. Once payment is sent us, you must provide us with your ten players ASAP, but you can change them as many times as you want before Oct.5 at Noon EST. If you have any questions please email them to hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. This is just one of the many new features the new site will have!

Boys And Girls, I'm Back!

After a week with no home internet, I finally have gotten it back. Who knew finishing my basement would cause so many problems. One problem it has caused is less work being done on the new site, which is very close to being done, and could still launch this weekend, but we are looking into a few new features, which may bump things back to mid-next week. Things you will definatly see is a season preview, rumours, fantasy league info, fantasy league tips, links to online radio stations so you can listen to all the nhl teams live, and quite a bit more. I'm actually really excited about what's coming, and though it's nothing extremely special, it's a move in the right direction.

Rumour time! I got an email with someone close to a Marlies coach. I can't give the name, but the email said that the Leafs are trying hard to make a move. Antropov is not on the block, but McCabe and Klee are. Tucker, Colaiacovo, Steen, and Kronwall are all names that came up in the email. The email said that Steen and Wellwood could both star the season with the Leafs, and I couldn't agree more. Anyone thats even seen highlights would notice how well these two have played. Also, the email did say the Nolan situation is close to being resolved, and if the Leafs are stuck with him, he may be traded instead of being bought out.

Anyways, I must run, i'm gone for a lot of tomorrow, but I'll update as soon as I'm back. Have a good weekend everyone

Where's My Internet?

So I was suppose to be back up last night, and I wasn't. Hopefully I'll be back tonight, but no promises. How impressive did the Leafs look last night? Wellwood looks impossible to cut at this point. Colaiacovo will not make the weekend trip, as he has an injured foot after taking a Kaberle shot to the ankle. Today's Leaf rumour has McCabe going to NYI for prospect(s) and pick(s). This makes no sense to me, so don't take it too seriously.

Alexander Semin will not report to Washington's training camp. Thats a big blow for this team, who will battle all season to stay out of 30th place.

I plan on giving my opinion on the new marketing ideas by the NHL, but it will have to wait until my internet is back, which hopefully will be tonight. I will be gone much of tomorrow, but starting Sunday my regular updates will resume. Thats all for now, hopefully I'll talk to you all later. Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for anything you might want to say!

Yick Here For More

What a great thing it was for this obvious Leaf fan to see some old school Leafs-Habs rivalry tonight. Such a hard-fought game for both sides, especially considering that neither team put out their best lineups. It was like looking into the future at the Leafs-Habs rivalry maybe 3-5 years from now. Still, the Leafs took advantage of a weaker Montreal defense to net four goals in regulation, while Telly and Racine kept Toronto in the lead on their way to a 4-3 win. The shootout was spicy, although my jaw dropped when they announced Antropov's name, especially after he had just missed three primo scoring oppurtunities as well as an empty net. But anyway, Montreal put forward Jan Bulis (scored), Andrei Kostitsyn, Mark Streit, Guillaume Latendresse, and Mike Ribeiro. Toronto sent out Mats Sundin (scored), Nik Antropov, Kyle Wellwood, Steve Thomas, and Matt Stajan (scored, beautiful deke, beautiful goal). Great game.

Sorry to ramble on about the Leafs, but it's the only action I get to see, so... Here are the rest of tonight's scores:

Tampa Bay 2
Carolina 5 F

Florida 4
Atlanta 3 F

Detroit 2
Columbus 3 F/OT

Montreal 3
Toronto 4 F

Chicago 3
Minnesota 2 F/OT

In other news, Darby Hendrickson has signed a two-year deal in Austria. The centre scored four points in 20 games for Colorado last season.

Annnd yeah, that is all I have. Until next time...

Quick Update

I'm in a hurry, but I will post a few small updates. Osgood will miss up to four weeks with a slight groin tear. Allison will not play tonight for the Leafs. I recieved another email about the Antropov/Kobasew trade, saying it was imminent. Bell would also go to Calgary as part of the deal, but I still don't believe it.

Adam Deadmarsh has retired from the NHL due to concussions. My net should be back tonight, so I'll post later

enter clever hockey related title here!

yep, cj, STILL gone...and by gone, i mean, no internet...
(he also chastised me over my non-use of caps, but hey, thats my style.)

ok then, so scores, what do we have.

atlanta - 4
carolina - 5

buffalo - 4
washington - 0
(alexander ovechkin's capitals debut. he had a nice goal in the shoot out.)

boston - 5
pittsburgh - 4 (ot)
(sid the kid's debut with the penguins, had an assist, on a mark recchi goal.)

ny islanders - 1
philadelphia - 2

colorado - 2
detroit - 3 (ot)

nashville - 4
saint louis - 3

chicago - 2
calgary - 4

vancouver - 4
edmonton - 5 (ot)
(dvorak with the goal in the marathon shoot out)

and finally,
san jose - 0
anaheim - 0, in the 2nd

that's all i've got, not much in the way of news, not much in the injury dept. (probably a good thing...) nor any signings, resignings, or anything of the like. remember kiddies, the hockey that matters, is 2 weeks away! that's only 14 sleeps!
ryan.c.out.

Hello World

Still no internet for me, hopefully it returns soon. Jason York will play in a Swiss League, but his contract has an out clause if an NHL team decides they want him. Darby Hendrickson has signed with an Austrian team. Steve Shields is trying out for Anahiem, though I would put money on him not making the team, maybe the AHL, but not the Ducks.

I got an email today saying a deal between Toronto and Calgary was close. Antropov for Kobasew, but don't count on it. The Devils have until Oct. 4 at 5pm to clear 1.7 mil in cap room, not Oct.1 as I reported yesterday.

Lots of emails for possible writers, keep emailing me if your interested. Also, I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. We are still thinking of having a pay to play fantasy league, with prizes, so email me if you are interested. The season is two weeks away, I can't wait!

a road map to a better season...

yeah... cj, still out of commission...

quick run down of preseason scores.

boston - 0
toronto - 5

ny rangers - 1
ny islanders - 5

tampa - 1
montreal - 6

buffalo - 3
minnesota - 6

edmonton - 4
dallas - 6

and currently, as i write this,
l.a. - 3
phoenix - 1 in the second

note of that game, it is wayne gretzky's first game behind the bench, so, lets see how he fairs. not too well, apparently...

signings to talk about, matt cooke resigned with vancouver today, for 4.6 million, over three years. good news for the 'nucks, as cooke is one helluva pain in the other teams rears.

one of the biggest rfa's remaining, pavel datysuk. well, he resigned today, with them red wings. that's a two year deal, worth 3.8 million. huge signing for the wings. i don't know what to say, that hasn't been said about datysuk, and how important he is to the wings. this leaves kovalchuk as the largest rfa remaining, and those two sides are said to be close.

in injury news, colorado (as well as my fantasy team,) suffered a huge loss today, with milan hejduk undergoing knee surgery. he is expected to be out for up to a month.
in toronto, jason allison sat out tonights preseason tilt against the bruins, with a hip/groin injury. the one, is pretty much because of the other. he says it is nothing serious, however, he needs time off to rest it, and let it heal. good news for leaf nation, since he will be a huge part of the offense, come october 5.

anywho... that's all for now.
ryan.c.out.

Datsyuk Officially Signed

Two year deal worth 3.8 a season

Hockey!

Still without internet at home, so updates from me are limited. Ryan and Yick will update when they can. I know I promised the Brophy Q & A for yesterday, but after talking to a few people, we've delayed it for the site launch, which will be Friday or Saturday. Other things coming with the site launch include a season preview, a fantasy tips section, new power rankings, articles written by our writers, and much more. Lots to look forward to in the next week or so!

Lets look at some hockey now. Milan Hejduk underwent knee surgery today, and will miss 3-4 weeks, which means 1-2 weeks of the season. Jason Allison's hip will keep him out of tonight's Leafs/Bruin's pre-season game. He's listed as Day to Day. Dan Blackburn has been cut by the Ranges, and is now expected to retire. Blackburn, who has a permant injury to his arm, was wearing two blockers to try and make up for the injury, but struggled in camp.

San Jose and New Jersey are working on a deal, we know that much. Last rumour I heard was Friesen and White to San Jose for Toskala and a combination of draft picks. With Ahonen and Brodeur, I don't know why New Jersey would have any interest in Toskala. New Jersey has just under 2 million in salary to cut by Oct.1.

Kovalchuk is close to re-signing in Atlanta. I am hearing a one or two year deal is done, and they are working on a long term deal. I've heard rumours of a trade involving NYR, but i'm 99% sure they are all false. Datsyuk should be back to Detroit by the weekend.

As we reported weeks ago, Yashin is set to become the captain of the New York Islanders. We are still looking for writers, people do write up team previews and any comments you have. PLEASE email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com if your interest, it would really help us to get a little more help :). Have a good day everyone, cross your fingers my internet will come back tonight, but dont count on it.

and, here's ryan with sports.

cj's computer is decommissioned, and yick is busy tonight, so i'm filling in with the nightly report...

first up, kenny holland announced prior to detroit's pre-season tilt tonight that, 'unless I get a major curveball, my expectation is that he's coming back by the weekend.' but who, you ask, could that be pertaining to... thats right, one, pavel datysuk. this is huge news for the wings, and wings fans everywhere, since having datysuk in the lineup, makes them more dangerous, then they previously were. in related news, those same red wings lost 5-3, to the champion lightning, in preseason action tonight. wings goals were scored by lidstrom, and draper, who had two. lightning goals were scored by richards, st louis, artyukhin, and modin, with two.

the only other game tonight, between a rick nash-less blue jackets, facing a crosby and lemieux-less penguins, ended 3-2, in a shootout. goals were scored by malone, and ouellet, for the pens, and malhotra, marchant, and balastik, who was the lone scorer in the shootout. just imagine watching the shoot out with nash, lemieux, and crosby. oh man... it should also be noted, that there was 26 total penalties in this game. so, apparently obstruction is working. more work for us refs, if you ask me.(yes, i am a referee.)

please note, all these scores are being retrieved off of sites, and i can't seem to get a consistant number... i've had 6-3 bolts, and 3-2 jackets, with 2 goals in the shootout, so, i don't know...

other news around the league, vaclav varada of the senators, has been sidelined four to six weeks, with a sprained mcl, which is believed he suffered last night, against the maple leafs.

and finally, the nhlpa has filed a grievance on behalf of keith tkachuk, who failed his team physical last week, and was suspended. larry pleau, gm of the blues, has said, that tkachuk cannot come back to the team, until he passes his physical.

anyway, that's all for now. yick has told me that him, and cj should have the new site up by...the end of the week...the weekend at the latest. i have no idea what he/they have planned, but, knowing those two, it is gonna be damn good.

ryan.c.out.

Technical Problems / Pre-Season Update

My basement is getting re-done and I am unable to use my main computer. The computer I am using now will not allow access to hotmail, so I am unable to check my hockeyleaks@hotmail.com account. I will only be able to access my hotmail accounts in the afternoon for the next few days. My internet may be disconnected all together for a few days starting tomorrow, so Yick will do the night updates if that happens. I will still be able to update during the day. Sorry for the inconvience, expect the Brophy Q & A tomorrow around 1 EST.

Lets look at some pre-season action. The Sens beat the Leafs 5-2 tonight. Meszaros, Spezza, Fisher, Bochenski and Alfredsson scored for Ottawa, Antropov and Ponikarovsky scored for Toronto. Toronto did win the shootout 2-0, thanks to goals from Sundin and Lindros. I didn't see the game, but I am hearing Steen is really close to being a fulltime member of the Leafs, Thomas may not be so lucky. Kronwall may have an edge over Colaiacovo.

Montreal defeated Atlants 3-2. Ribeiro, Ferland and Hossa scored for Montreal, while Lessard and Slater tallied for the Thrashers. Carey Price stopped 9 of 9 shots he faced. No Bondra, Hossa or Kovalchuk for the Thrashers. Also, have I ever mentioned Lehtonen will be a Calder finalist this year, and probably will win? For other pre-season scores check out the forums.

With my computer problems, the site may be delayed, but it shouldn't be. We are still hoping by a late week/weekend launch. It won't be anything incredibly amazing, but it will be something new. We are still looking for people to write team previews for us, as well as write for the site. Email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com if your interested.

Saturday Night Recap

A lot of games last night, so I'll just show the scores. Philly rolled over Atlanta 8-6. Chicago edged Calgary 5-4. Buffalo beat Washington 3-2. Minnesota destroyed Phoenix 7-0 (no, Cujo was not in net), Colorado doubled up Dallas 4-2, and LA defeated Anahiem 4-2. Usually I'll describe the games more, but my mouse batteries are at like 2% and not working well, so to go back and forth from tsn or nhl.com, it would take an hour, so I'll let you guys check it yourself today.

As we reported on the forums a few days ago, Mikeal Samuellson has signed with the Detroit Red Wings. It's a one year deal. Some big pre-season games tonight! Ottawa and Toronto face off in both of their debuts. Should be a good game, it's on LeafsTV for all those lucky enough to have it (not me). Another game to watch would be LA and San Jose, as both have some great young players. Dallas and Edmonton face off, what a rivalry that was 5 years ago. Montreal and Atlanta should be good as well. Speaking of Montreal, I am no longer seeing them play Tampa in November, instead I am stuck seeing Montreal against Buffalo in Montreal, but it still should be a good game. Kovalchuk, Boynton and Datsyuk are still all unsigned, and their Oct. 5 deadline is coming. Speaking of deadlines, New Jersey is getting closer to their Oct.1st deadline to get under the cap. According to Eklund, something big is in the works there, something much bigger than everyone thinks. Devils and the Sharks is what he is hearing. If I had to guess, Friesen and White to the Sharks would make sense, but I have no idea who NJ would get in return...

The new site should be up by the end of the week, which is pretty exciting. Remember, we are looking for people to write team previews about their favourite teams. We already have a few in, so email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. Also, if you are interested in a pay to play hockey pool that will feature prizes, email me. Finally, don't forget, the Q & A with Mike Brophy will be posted tomorrow! Thats all for now, enjoy whats left of your weekend

Maple Leafs Report

Wow, I just returned from the Maple Leaf's Blue vs. White game today, and man did I miss hockey. The atmosphere was great, it was so great to finally attend an NHL game, something none of us have done in awhile. Here is my report from the game.

First off, the score. Team Blue won 5-4 in a shootout. Lindros, Leeb(x2), and Sundin scored for Blue, while Tucker(x2), Wilm and Sagat scored for Team White. Sundin, Lindros and Wellwood took the shootout for Blue, while Allison, O'Neil and Czercawkski took the shootout for team White. Sundin was the only one to score. Belfour and Telly were the two starting goalies, Telly allowed two goals, while Belfour stopped all 14 shots he faced. Belfour really looked good. The line combos I remember are as follows...

Steen - Sundin - Antropov
Ponikarovsky - Lindros - Thomas
Tucker - Allison - O'Neil
Czercawski - Stajan - (Can't Remember)
Kaberle - McCabe
Khavanov - Kronwall
Colaiacovo - Harrison
Berg - Brown
White - Bell
Marchment switched a lot, as did Colaiacovo

Obviously I missed a pile, but a lot of rookies were playing. Steen really looked great, and looks more than ready for the NHL. Tucker has the nicest goal of the game, and played extremely well. Colaiacovo, Harrison and Kronwall were all great on D, which is why I doubt Marchment will make it, though Marchment's pass on Sagat's goal was beautiful. Thomas looks like he will make the team, while Antropov was terrible. Ken Klee did not play, I am hearing he hurt his ankle yesterday. Khavanov, I believe, did not play in the third period but I could be wrong. Czercawski didn't play in the 1st period. Stajan and Czercawski were pretty invisable today, as was Domi. Lindros was probably one of the best on the ice, Antropov was by far the worst.

A young guy by the name of Mike Hoffman really impressed me, he took Brown out with a huge hit forcing Brown to the ground for a minute or so. Ponikarovsky also tripped Belak, which kept him down for a few minutes. Both Belak and Brown came back into the game.

Watching the new rules, I didn't see that much difference. There were no breakaways at all. A LOT of penalties were called. Colaiacovo and some rookie who's name I forget each had 2 minors to lead the way in Penalties. Ian White and Brenden Bell both showed they could compete at a high level. After today, here is my line up prediction

Steen - Sundin - Czercawski
Tucker - Allison - O'Neil
Ponikarovsky - Lindros - Thomas
Antropov - Stajan - Domi
McCabe - Kaberle
Klee - Khavanov
Berg - Colaiacovo/Kronwall
Belfour
Telly

Only one of Carlo/Kronwall will make it, and the pre-season will decide that. I almost cought a shirt and a jersey during the toss, one went to the seat behind me, one went to the seat below me. After watching today, I stand by my prediction of the Leafs being a top team this season. Today showed they have a lot of depth.

Hockey Is Back!

Three pre-season games to talk about from last night. Carolina rolled over Washington, 6-0. Cory Stillman had a nice debut, getting a goal and two assists. Zigomantis, Staal, Cullen, Williams and Forbes also scored for the Canes. Rookie Cam Ward got the shutout. Kolzig, Cassels and Zubrus all sat out for Washington, while Cole, Gerber, Kaberle and Whitney sat out for Carolina.

The Coyotes beat the Wild, 3-2. Morris, Doan and Nagy scored for Phoenix, while Dupuis and Olvecky scored for the Wild. Boucher injured his groin during the game, and will miss at least the next two pre-season games.

Edmonton defeated Calgary in a shoot out. Lombardi scored for Calgary, while Stoll scored for Edmonton. Ryan Smyth scored in the shootout to get Edmonton the win. Calgary did keep out Iginla, Kiprusof, Amonte, and Hamrlik, while Edmonton kept out Peca and Jason Smith.

Finally Some News

Raycroft re-signed in Boston, one year deal. I havn't heard the value of the deal yet. According to Eklund, Keith Tkachuck has been sent home by the Blues because he failed his physical. I thought the physicals were taken much earlier in the week? Ek gave it high credibility, so I believe it. St.Louis takes another hit.

A lot of interest in the pay to play hockey pool I mentioned. We will definatly work on something on that end. Also, how about a Q & A with myself? I get tons of emails each day, with people asking me questions about the NHL and certain rumours. I invite you all to email me with questions on the new rules, teams, players, rumours, etc. I will post all the questions and answers at a later time. You never know, maybe this could be a weekly thing? We'll see how it goes. Tomorrow is the big blue and white game, expect a full report tomorrow night!

Edit : Raycroft's deal is worth 1.3 million

Fridays Are Always Slow

Nothing interesting has happened today. Mikeal Samuellson is apparently close to signing in Detroit. This is coming from an online swedish paper. Rumour out of Ottawa is that Dany Heatley is not in the greatest of shape. Just a rumour, but if it's true, trading away Hossa and De Vries could prove to be extremely costly. Tampa Bay is looking to add another defenseman. York and Wooley are the two names I've heard the most. Not much left on the blueline as far as UFA's go.

I talked to Yick today about our new site, and it's coming along nicely. I was thinking of an Oct. 5 launch date, but Yick says he should have it ready much sooner. We may have some cool contests at launch, with prizes! Nothing special, but maybe some autographed hockey cards or something. Speaking of winning, with the new site, I'd really love to have a real competitive hockey pool. I was thinking of a pay league where the top three teams would win a % of the pot. Entry fee would be $5 or $10 US, email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com if your interested and want a spot reserved for you. Our Q & A with Mike Brophy is complete, but I am holding off on it, since you all have been blessed with two other Q & A's this week. Monday will likely be the day I post it. I am doing a season preview too, if anyone wants to do a write up previewing a certain team, email me, as we'd love all the help we can get. Anyways, thats all for now, more later

Philly's Sinking

Forsberg's out for training camp, but should be back for Oct. 5. Hatcher's out for training camp, and at worst will be back by late October. Kapanen, well, he's out till Mid-November after shoulder surgery. How the mighty have fallen...

Still a hell of a team though. They've filled the void by adding veteran Brian Savage, which I don't see as a good move, as they're rosters were solid, and when they're healthy, they won't have any room for him. Maybe they're not planning on being healthy, who knows? Finally new Power Rankings are up, sorry they took so long. Calgary still sits on top, while the Rangers own the basement. Biggest movers of the week? Atlanta moved up 8, Nashville moved up 6. The biggest losers? Boston, who slipped 6 spots. Why? Raycroft and Boynton are still not re-signed, and don't be surprised at all if one of them is offered an offer sheet. I've heard rumours of teams thinking of making a move for Boynton.

Bondra still isn't official, but I still believe it's done. Kovalchuk is close to re-signing too. Datsyuk will play hard to get, and I don't see him making a decision until around Oct.1. Thats all for now, hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for all questions, comments, ideas, etc.

Wow It's Slow

Today very little has come in. The big story so far is Rick Nash has a sprained ankle and will miss the next 2-3 weeks. He should be good to go by Oct. 5, but could miss a game or two. I am hearing it will be another two weeks before the Datsyuk situation is resolved.

Though a lot of people are claiming Cooke is really close to re-signing in Vancouver, I've heard a rumour from three sources (one of them being a strong source) that the Canucks have offered Cooke and a pick to Chicago for Arnason. Boston has signed goaltender Thomas to a one year contract. Raycroft and Boynton are still nowhere close to new deals. Hockeybuzz.com launches today. Hockeybuzz is Eklunds new site, and should be lots of fun. It costs money (I've an Insider and have been signed up for months), but his fantasy league and other features sound awesome. Launches at 3 Pm, so check it out. Thats all for now, more later

Francis Retires

Another veteran has been claimed by the lockout. Ron Francis, last seen as a Toronto Maple Leaf, has retired. Ryan Smyth has re-signed with Edmonton. It's a two year deal worth 7 million.

Byron Dafoe has been invited to the Bruin's training camp. It's official, Elias will miss the start of the season with Hep B. Thats all for now, I will be away most of tonight, ryan.c. will be around if anything breaks. hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for all questions or comments

Edite : Elias has hep A, not B. Also, a reader has emailed me saying that Dafoe will not be attending the Bruins camp.

Q & A With The Shadow

First, few notes to pass along. Orpik has finally re-signed with Pittsburgh. Jason Allison is recovering from a hip flexor, which is why he was kept out of the scrimmage today. He will still practice with the team every day, and could be back into the scrimmages as early as tomorrow. He suffered the injury 10 days ago, and it's close to being healed. I'm hoping he's ready for the Blue and White game this Saturday. O'Neil and Lindros are said to be looking amazing. Tonight I had a moment, a moment where I realized it's training camp and there is still a lot to do for a lot of NHL teams. Kovalchuk, Datsyuk, Raycroft and Boynton are all still unsigned. Witt still hasn't gotten his trade, which he demanded. New Jersey is still over the cap. 10s of UFA's are still available. Things will pick up eventually.

I was really busy tonight, and didn't get a chance to update the power rankings. They will be done by week's end though, hopefully Thursday night. Because I feel bad, I have decided to post another Q & A I have done. This Q & A session is with The Shadow, who NHL fans (most being Leaf's fans) have relied on all lockout and summer long for the latest news and rumours. He provided a free email service to anyone who wanted one, and always gave accurate news. This Q & A is a little different from the rest, as I could ask Shadow some things I couldn't ask some of the writers. Enjoy, and feel free to leave comments on the blog and/or forum.

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Question #1 : You have spoken that Daly and Saskin did get a deal done that could have solved the lockout long before it ended. I know you can't get into specifics, but can you tell us when this deal was reached, and why it didn't go through?

Shadow: They reached the deal on Sept. 2nd, 2004 in Montreal at the World Cup. Saskin brought the deal to Goodenow and the player reps for their ok and Goodenow said that he could get the players a better deal by Christmas because the owners would cave by then. BG was way off on this one, one of the reasons why he was asked to re-sign.

Question #2: There are several new rules in the "new" NHL. Which will have the most positive impact? Which will have the most negative impact?

Shadow : Allowing two line passes will have the biggest impact as teams will be able to break out faster, this will lead to more attempts on net and a lot of open ice hits. Not allowing goalies to play the puck or only allowing them to play it in a certain area is the dumbest rule in all of sports next to awarding a team one point for a missed field goal in the CFL.

Question #3: Which teams improved the most over the offseason? Which ones went downhill the most?

Shadow: Pittsburgh is much better, their first two lines are incredible, perhaps the two most gifted offensive lines in the NHL. Although the Pens still have question marks on defence and in net, they should score a ton of goals this year. The team that is on the slide I would have to say Philly. Yes they picked up Forsberg, but he is coming off of a May concussion. The Flyers also lost Roenick, Leclair, Amonte, Zhamnov and Recchi. Are Forsberg and the rookies going to make up for the loss of those five? I don't think so, but the proof is on the ice. On defence the Flyers added Hatcher and Rathje, Hatcher is hurt again and his status is unknown for the start of the year.

Question #4: What player(s) do you think will benefit the most from the new rules? Are there any players that could see their stats slip because of them?

Shadow: Goalie stats will slip, smaller equipment, two line passes permitted, more action less protection. I think we'll see the quicker players see their numbers on the rise, Paul Kariya could have a huge year.

Question #5: If the rosters were locked today, and no movement could be made until next July, who would win the East, the West, and The cup?

Shadow: Tampa and Calgary, Flames will win this time.

Question #6: You provided the hockey world with a lot of rumours this summer, some turned out to be true, others didn't. Any rumours for us today?

Shadow : Rumour: Owen Nolan will play for Toronto this year.


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Thank you to Shadow for that, we really appreciate it. The story about the World Cup deal continues to facinate me. I've heard this story many times, and it makes me so happy that Goodenow is gone. With a re-vote about to happen in the NHLPA, I really hope Saskin wins, because he's the right man for the job.

Training Camp!

Well most all teams have opened camp for the season. I already heard Jason Allison got injured, but from what I am hearing it's false.

Scott Young has signed a one year deal with St.Louis. Still waiting for Peter Bondra to be officially announced, but i'm stil hearing it's a done deal. The deal includes a base salary of just 500,000, but include a lot of possible bonus'. Florida has come to terms with Jay Bouwmeister. One year deal I am hearing. Felix Potvin back to Boston? Looks that way, as Raycroft is nowhere close to a deal with Boston.

The NHL continues to find new ways to make money. The NHL and XM Satelite radio have agreed to a contract that will have XM radio broadcast over 1000 NHL games per season. It's a ten year deal worth 100 million dollars.

I am not liking NHL 2k6. I am hopefully taking it back in the next few days and picking up NHL 2006. If anyone wants it off me, $30 dollars canadian, free shipping to anywhere. That way you atleast save the tax right? Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com if you want it, or if you have any questions or comments. The game is for the PS2. More Later, including my new Power Rankings, which will be up around 10:30 or 11 tonight.

News and Notes

Trent Klatt has announced his retirement. Peter Bondra's signing in Atlanta will be officially announced tomorrow. Mark Parrish has signed a one year deal with the Islanders, the two sides hope to get a long term deal worked out soon. I just bought NHL 2K6, and I havn't played an actual game yet, as I spent an hour getting the rosters sorted out. So far I like 2006 better, but like I said, I havn't played the actual gameplay yet. My 2k6 has been freezing though, so if the gameplay sucks I'll take it back and pick up NHL 2006. I'll post which game I like better tomorrow. Have a good night

Q & A With Adam Proteau

Before I get to the Q & A, Micheal Ryder has signed a one year deal with Montreal, not sure on the financial amount. Adam Proteau is one of the best writers out there, and currently writes for The Hockey News. If you do subscribe to The Hockey News, you will notice he writes several articles each week, including a weekly Q & A of his own called two minutes in the box. Adam has been nice enough to answer a few of my questions, so here is the our Q & A Session with Adam Proteau.

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Question: With all the new rules in the new NHL, which one do you think will have the most positive impact? Which will have the most negative impact?

Proteau: I've always been a big proponent of the shootout. Most Canadians willwant my citizenship revoked for saying that, but this game has to get rid ofties somehow, and the only practical solution is a shootout. Not to mention,whenever it's been used in minor league games, fans have loved it. I thinkthat fan satisfaction should be the only thing that matters for the leagueas it goes forward. That said, I know it's not a new rule, but unless the obstruction crackdownis lasting, none of the changes will matter a lick. Obstruction is the NHL's equivalent of a sexually transmitted disease -- difficult to get rid of, but definitely worth the effort.' As far as the most negative new aspect of the game, I can't believe the league didn't add no-touch icing to the mix. Especially now that goalie movement has been restricted, it's going to be even more of a race into the end boards for the puck. To me, that means it's only a matter of time until a young debunking in his prime loses his career over a severely broken ankle or neck. Owners want cost-certainty, but without the no-touch rule,there's no certainty their highest-paid employees will be around for any length of time.

Question: I received a lot of emails with questions involving how you became a sports writer. Many of our readers are aspiring journalists, and they would like to know how you got where you are.

Proteau: I got into journalism later than most people. After high school, attended the University of Toronto studying mostly criminology. At the sametime, I was doing improv comedy training at The Second City, and wound upmoving to New York City for a year to attend drama school. When I got backto Toronto, I auditioned for a couple of years, but other than a beercommercial and a couple other things, the well had run dry for me.

All the while, I was always writing. Eventually, it sunk in that I was getting more compliments on my writing than anything else I'd done. And i'd read at least two newspapers a day since I was about six years old, so it was an easy choice to decide to go back to j-school (Ryerson University) at the ripe old age of 26. I was about seven years older than anyone else in the class, but I was as focused as anyone.

While I was there, I tried to accumulate as much professional experience as possible, so I did a ton of volunteering. Started out interning at CFRB radio in Toronto, sticking microphones in front of Raptors, Leafs and Blue Jays and cutting tape back at the studio. As well, my first-year journalism professor lived down the street from Steve Dryden, then-editor of The Hockey News. He gave me my first true j-job, working as editor of The Hockey News Poolbook (for fantasy hockey enthusiasts.). Did that for a couple of years,and eventually helped on the weekly THN editions also.

Additionally, I started covering Raptors games for 680 News Radio. It was my first real on-air job, and I loved it. Plus, it was a time in the team's history when Vince Carter's name wasn't the equivalent of a curse word.

Kept that up for a couple years until I was done at Ryerson. As luck would've it, one of THN's editors was leaving to work at the Salt Lake City Olympics, so a job spot opened up. I snapped it up as quickly as I could,and started out as a copy editor. I then convinced my boss to change my title/duties to include writing, moving on to THN writer about a year ago.

How's that for a long and winding road? But I always tell aspiring journalists that, for as long as it took me to get here, I don't think I'd have experienced the same success without making all the pit stops along the. My drama/improv experience has helped with radio and TV work, and my vast and otherwise useless knowledge of pop culture has become crucial to we writing style.

Question: With so many UFA's on the market this season, which team(s) do you think have improved the most, and have turned into serious playoff contenders?

Proteau: Obviously, Pittsburgh has done a great job of rebuilding, and can thank the lottery ball process for that. But I also really like what Don Waddell has done in Atlanta. To me, they won the Heatley trade hands down: Hossa is unbelievable, while de Vries, though expensive in the new NHL, is really going to improve that defense. If Lehtonen is the real deal, I think they could do a lot of damage. As well, Mike Keenan added some veteran savvy(Nieuwendyk, Gratton, Roberts, Hill) to a team with some dynamic young players.

Question: You do a weekly column for The Hockey News called Two Minutes In The Box. This is where you interview a player, and find out more about them than just their on-ice stats. Do you have a favorite interview? Do any stand out more than others?

Proteau: It's funny you ask this question, as I just led off a column for the magazine by noting that this is one of the inquiries I get all the time. Forme, the enforcers are invariably the best. Peter Worrell was awesome, as was Steve McKenna and Jim McKenzie. I think that the higher-profile stars tend to guard their answers so as not to anger or otherwise upset anyone, whichcan make for brutally boring responses. Tough guys just don't seem to give adamn, and they've almost always got a great sense of humor. In that line of work, I suppose you have to.

Question: If the rosters were locked right now, and no movement allowed for the rest of the season, who would be at the top of each conference? Who wins the Stanley Cup?

Proteau: Most people love Philadelphia now, and it's hard to argue they won't be the ones to come out of the East. But I'm not so sure their mostly-veteran line up won't be affected by injuries, and Robert Esche isn't my idea of a proven playoff performer just yet. If Hasek and Belfour play well, I can see Ottawa and Toronto in the mix, as well as the Thrashers and the Lightning(if John Grahame/Sean Burke can get it done.)

In the West, I think Calgary is going to do well, but I'm not certain we'll see a repeat playoff performance from them this year. They kind of snuck upon teams in '03-04, and that won't be happening again.

I like Anaheim as much, if not more, than any other team. Brian Burke has worked wonders in a short time by bringing in Scott Niedermayer and a coach,Randy Carlyle, who I think is going to do well. With Fedorov, Selanne and Sykora up front, they could surprise a lot of people. If Giguere regains the form that abandoned him in '03-04, and their defense gets a tweaking along the way, I wouldn't at all be shocked to see them in the Cup final.

Cup winner? Aw hell, let's try the Sens. But whatever you do, don't hold me to it.

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Thank you very much to Adam Proteau for doing that for us, when doing a Q & A I never expect much in the form of answers because obviously these people have very busy lives. For Adam to take that much time, and answer the questions as well as he did, we really appreciate it. More Q & A's coming in the next week or so. Stay Tuned...

Things Starting To Happen

According my Islander's source, Mark Parrish until midnight to accept a two year offer, which he is expected to decline. This will mark the end of his tenure with the Islanders. Several teams have already expressed interest in him, and the Isles are more than willing to deal him.

Mark Messier has officially retired. I wish he stuck around to play with the Oilers, or even the Rangers. He had a great career, and is another player claimed by the lockout. Rumours have players demanding Linden and Saskin to step down. If this is true, I cannot believe it. Without these two guys, there wouldn't be NHL hockey this season again. Domi, Chelios and Roloson are three guys making more money than they should be, so I dont think they should be complaining. Saskin is the right man for the job.

Florida finally got Jokinen signed. Van Ryn as well. Bouwmeister is the only big name in Florida unsigned. Any one shocked at the lack of Luongo trade rumours? Yanic Perrault has accepted an invitation to the Pred's training camp. He could probably step right in to be their #1 Centre, making Greg Johnson and David Legward useless in my fantasy pools, argh. Eklund is reporting Bondra is a Thrasher, still not official yet.

I got two hockey games lined up already. I will be attending the Leafs Blue vs White game this Saturday, and I will be seeing the Bolts play in Montreal in November. I'll give full reports from all games I attend this season. Crazy Leafs rumour of the day? Antropov, Ponikarovsky, Colaiacovo, Berg and a 1st round pick for either Doan or Gaborik. Take that was the largest grain of salt.

Adam Proteau's Q & A is done, and will be posted around 4 PM EST. All for now, more around 4 PM. Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for all questions and comments. Thank you for all the emails with news, rumours and your very nice comments!

Not Much Going On..

Really not much to talk about. I've heard nothing more on the Anahiem/Toronto rumours, remember to take it with a grain of salt. It's funny, many message boards have posted the rumours and everyone is freaking out because Chistov may not be eligible to play in the NHL until next season. If the trade does happen, it will be the first move Toronto has ever made to improve their future and not the present.

Jason Doig has been invited to Vancouver's training camp. He will be fighting for the 6th d-man spot. Training camp opens tomorrow, I expect a lot of players to sign mid to late week. Lot of RFA's still to get signed too, could get interesting. Don't forget, New Jersey is still over the cap...

hockeyleaks@hotmail.com is the email if you have any questions or comments, and I'm trying really hard to have another Q & A up by Tuesday, sorry for the delay, this is a busy time for everyone. See you tomorrow!

Rumour

From a source close saying they are close to the Duck's front office : "i have just recieved word that The ducks and The Leafs are trying to hammer out a last minute deal before training camp opens that would include Antropov Klee and a pick to the ducks for Carney and rights to chistov. It is just about done Im hearing and could be announced sometime tonight."

Some site news, if you like Fantasy Hockey leagues, I have put a new link up to CDM Hockey Pools. This place has great pay leagues, as well as free leagues. Both leauges you can win cash prizes, obviously the free league's prizes arn't as good, but there are weekly and overall prizes for both the pay and free leagues. Check it out. More to come later

Can't Wait Till Oct. 5

Things are so slow right now, it just makes me want Oct. 5 to come even more so we have more to talk about. I just got the Maple Leafs training camp roster. Steve Thomas and Bryan Marchment are both on it, Mike Keane is not. I believe Steve Thomas will make the team, but I don't think Marchment will, or should. If a trade is made, and 1-2 defenseman are dealt for a good left winger, than sure, Marchment could be the 6th-7th defenseman, but the Leafs currently have 7 good defenseman, and that is if Ian White or Brenden Bell don't make the team.

According to Eklund, the Thrashers are closer than ever to signing Kovalchuk. He also says they will follow up that signing by signing Bondra. Things with Washington don't seem to be going well.

Detroit has offered Datsyuk a two year deal worth just under 4 million per season. I can see the final number being 4.5 a season over 2 years. Datsyuk and Kovalchuk are not the only RFA's not signed, there is a pile that are getting close to being considered hold outs. Training camp starts tomorrow, and there a few teams whose playoff hopes rest on the players they are missing. Boston needs RFA's Boynton and Raycroft to sign if they want to compete in the might Northeast. Florida will have no shot at the playoffs if they don't get RFA's Jokinen and Bouwmeister signed. The Islanders still need to sign Parrish, while Pittsburgh still has Orpik and Morozov to deal with.

Dan Cleary has held tryout talks with both Toronto and Detroit. That is all for now, i'll update again later if anything happens. Remember my email is hockeyleaks@hotmail.com if you have any questions or comments

Another Late Night Update

Steve Thomas will attend Leafs training camp, putting to rest the rumours that he signed with Detroit. Several rumours sites have the Leafs making a possible pitch for Gaborik. Still hearing Marchment to New Jersey, though I heard Pittsburgh also has interest in him. Leafs currently lead the rookie tournament, they are 3-0.

I played a game of NHL 06 tonight, I was the Leafs against the Sens. I won 7-4. Lindros(2), Czercawski(2), Wellwood, Allison, and Sundin scored for Toronto, while Heatley(2), Havlat and Alfreddson answered for Ottawa. The game is pretty good, with pretty good music. I will hopefully get a chance to take NHL 2k6 for a test run early next week, then I will post which one you should go out and buy. Unfortunatly because my mod-chip does not let me go online, I cannot run any online leagues. Feel free to set your own up in the forums. Thats all for tonight, see you all tomorrow!

Tiny Update

These updates are getting smaller and smaller. The Leafs have signed defenseman Brad Brown to a one year contract, I'm going to assume for 45,000 or 500,000. This signing strikes a lot of people as odd, and many feel a trade is in the works. I've heard Berg and Klee's names, for another defenseman or winger.

Messier is likely to retire sometime this week. I hope he signs with the Oilers, but it doesn't look good right now. I am hearing Brian Marchment may sign with New Jersey. The Leafs apparently have moderate interest at Scott Young, and he may be another player invited to training camp. Adam Deadmarsh MAY be healthy enough to start the season, but I doubt it. Once again, I've heard Toronto, but I've heard Colorado is very interested if he's healthy.

Thats all for now, I'm off to rent NHL 2006 and take it for a test spin. Email - hockeyleaks@hotmail.com with any questions or comments

Minor Update

Wow there is very little to report, so this is going to be very brief. Czerkawski is officially a Toronto Maple Leaf. Newest Leaf rumour I've heard: Doan or Gaborik to Toronto. Thats just crazy, and in no way could be true.

Big rumour saying Steve Thomas has re-signed with Detroit, not official yet, but I believe it. Craig Darby has been traded from Tampa to Vancouver. Crosby and Lemieux both signed with the Penguins today, both of those are no surprise at all. I believe Bondra will sign eary next week with the Caps. Datsyuk and Kovalchuk are both still in Russia, but I believe both will be back in the next couple of weeks. Thats seriously all I have for now, hopefully tomorrow will be a little better.

Slow Friday

Well I've been trying to track something down today to post on this blog, but there really isn't much out there. A few things have happened in the last half hour or so, so I will quickly give you an update. Kris Beech has been traded for Pittsburgh to Nashville. The Pens will get a conditional pick in 2006 in return.

Jay McKee has accepted his Qualifying Offer with the Sabres, due to the fact they were unable to work out a long term deal, which was both sides goal. McKee is still on the trading block, but will play for the Sabres if no team can make a legit offer. Olli Jokinen is still an RFA, and the Panthers are not giving him the offer he wants. Remember when Florida was a young team with cup dreams? Now they're just some old guys with three young stars who want out of Florida (for those not keeping track, Luongo, Bouwmeister and now Jokinen). Peter Bondra still isn't signed! You'd think teams would want a scoring left winger, but apparently 2 million is too much for a guy like Bondra. Washington apparently will sign him to a one year deal eventually. JUST IN FROM EKLUND - Hatcher will miss 3-6 weeks with his knee injury, while Forsberg is having a minor surgery that will keep him out 2-3 weeks. I believe those times are from now, so Forsberg should be back for start of season, Hatcher is questionable.

Since August 1st, every single weekend has been slow. I expect this weekend to be a little busier, as training camp starts Monday. After a week of training camp, I expect the remaining UFA's to get signed, and I expect the teams that forgot their was a cap (New Jersey) to make their moves.

Please feel free to email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. I love answering questions and hearing the rumours that you hear. We are still looking for writers for the new site (slowly coming..), so email me with a sample of your writing. I'll hopefully have a Q & A up this weekend, next week you may get quite a few to read.

Few Notes To Pass Along

Well I am now pulling a 360 and saying that I strongly believe Datsyuk and Kovalchuk will be on the ice in North America on Oct.5. If they are not, they cannot return. They both have out clause's, kind of...as soon as the NHL season begins, they cannot return, but if they are able to sign with their NHL teams before Oct.5, they can return, which is what we are all hoping for.

Another great NHLer has retired. Al MacInnis, the owner of the hardest slap shot in all of the NHL, has retired. The Blues will definitly miss him. Defenseman James Patrick of the Buffalo Sabres has also called it a career today.

Leaf rumour time! First, still no official word on Czerkawski, if it's not announce tomorrow, it likely isn't done, and may not be done. I'm still hearing he signed a one year deal worth 500,000. Once he arrives in Toronto and passes a physical the deal will be announced. Mike Keane and Steve Thomas have apparently both been invited to Leafs training camp. Keane is a great veteran forward who is very good defensively. Both sides have confirmed that there has been some talk between them. So with all this new offense coming, Toronto obviously has to dump some right? I got emailed a rumour from a reader saying the Leafs were close to dealing Antropov to Anahiem for Keith Carney. In my opinion, it won't happen because Carney would be an extra two million. If Klee or Berg were thrown in, then this deal would definatly become more likely.

The Flyers really looked great yesterday didn't they? They are not as great now, as Darian Hatcher has apparently injured his knee and could miss the start of the season. The extent of the injury should be known tomorrow. All for now, more later if it happens, but don't expect to hear from me until tomorrow

Quick Update

I am hearing that Kovalchuk's contract may still have an out clause. I was all set to do new power rankings, with Detroit and Atlanta dropping a large amount, but they'll have to wait until this gets settled. I have also heard there are complications in Russia that may have Datsyuk returning to Detroit. So last night we thought two of the best young guns in the NHL were gone, now I am hearing both could sign and be back for training camp next week. This is definatly the situation to watch over the next week.

Sportsnet is now reporting Czerkawski as a Leaf, pending a physical. I was under the impression he had already passed it, but apparently he is on his way to Toronto from Poland, and will take it when he gets there. Jason York has turned down Ottawa's offer. Vancouver, Toronto and Florida are apparently all interested in York, with Florida being the most likely to land him. The Leafs are still in talks with Thomas and Perrault. I can confirm the Leafs have spoken to Perrault lately, but with Czerkawski signed it is unknown if they are still interested. If both Perrault and Thomas sign, the Leafs would likely be done their offseason work. An Edmonton paper has called the Ryan Smyth trade rumours bogus, and it is very unlikely the winger will be traded anywhere. The two sides are working towards a long term deal, but apparently they are likely to settle on a one year deal, making Smyth a UFA next summer.

Leafs Set To Add Winger, Atlanta Set To Lose One

According to Eklund, Ilya Kovalchuk's russian contract does not have an escape clause. This means Atlanta will not have the services of their top player for the 2005/2006 season. Kovalchuk is the second big star to leave the NHL for Russia this week, and this is not a good thing for the NHL. This information is not confirmed, but Ek gave it a very high credibility rating, and at this point I believe it.

According to Hockeytraderumors.com, who are sourcing www.nhl.com.pl, Czerkawski has passed a physical and has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Toronto Star had a story about Czerkawski possibly signing with Toronto, and now it looks like it's a done deal. It is being reported that the signing will be announced on Thursday or Friday. Once again, deal is not 100% confirmed, but I believe it.

As hockeyleaks first reported this morning, Henrik Zetterberg has re-signed with Detroit. Four year deal worth just over 2.5 million a season. With Datsyuk gone, Detroit is definatly shopping to upgrade their offense. I am hearing LA has inquired about Martin Biron, this could definatly cause the Aaron Miller to Buffalo rumours to heat up again. Thats all I have for now, hopefully I'll have our 2nd Q & A up tomorrow. Feel free to email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com if you have any questions or comments.

Good Afternoon!

Well it appears Detroit is in a pickle. Datsyuk's contract apparently does not have an out clause, which means he will play all season in Russia. His russian deal is apparently worth 6 million a season, which is more than Detroit was offering. DiPietro has signed a one year deal worth 2.5 million. This is a little odd, as he is their franchise goalie. Even so, I don't believe he'll be traded. I am still hearing Zetterberg has signed a multi year deal worth 2.5 million with Detroit, but it has yet to be officially announced. Damphousse has officially retired.

Still no decision for Bondra. I expect the Wings to jump in this race. Still hearing the Flyers, Thrashers, Devils, Leafs and Capitals are all somewhat interested in the veteran winger. Orpik is rumoured to be close to re-signing with Pittsburgh. All for now, more to come

Early Morning Update

Well it's not too too early, but it's still early enough that I don't have that much info to give. Mariusz Czerkawski is still talking to Toronto, and according to the Toronto Star a one year deal worth 500,000 is being discussed. I expect the Leafs will sign him in the next week or so. Zetterberg isn't going anywhere, as sources have told me that he has re-signed in Detroit. Haven't got exact details of the deal, but I am hearing multi-year deal at 2.5 a season. I expect to have confirmed details when I update around 1 this afternoon.

Thats all for now, but like I said I'll update around 1 this afternoon. If any of you like video games, NHL 2006 and NHL 2K6 are now in stores everywhere, I suggest you pick them up. I will be getting one, maybe we can have an online hockeyleaks league? That'd be fun, email me if you get one and have a network connection. Maybe Prizes? You never know! See you later...

It's Me Again!

I know I said I was done for the night, but I got some information I felt like passing on. According to my Islanders source, Rick DiPietro has signed a new two (not 15) year deal with the Isles. The details of the deal are being kept quiet right now, but it appears it is somewhere between 2-4 million per season. My Isles insider guessed it to be at 2.5 million. Also, Mark Parrish apparently is going to stay with the Islanders, and sign a one year contract with the club. The DiPietro contract should be announced by Friday. I also want to introduce our two newest writers, Canucksrant and Cdog77. Look in the Hockey Opinions forum, as I'm sure both will post their debut articles soon. Now I'm done for the night, I promise!

Calling It A Career.

Scott Stevens has officially announced his retirement, ending the career of the one of the greatest New Jersey Devils of all time. He was a leader, and definitely a huge part of New Jersey winning all of the cups they have over the last ten years. Vincent Damphousse, who has seen his market value drop severely this offseason, is also expected to retire in the next 24-48 hours. Both guys will be missed, but with the new rules, you have to wonder how much either could contribute out of the locker room.

A few rumours from Eklund tonight. The Minnesota Wild could become major players on the trade market in the next few weeks. It is looking to me like most teams will go into training camp with what they have, and then sign the remaining UFA's and RFA's based on what they need. Friesen still being looked at by Calgary. Ek also mentioned that Zetterberg was looking for a 4 year deal worth 5.5 million a season. That is a lot more money than I heard (2.5 million), so I'm thinking Eklund meant Datsyuk.

Speaking of Datsyuk, and article out of Detroit today said Datsyuk can return to the NHL before Oct.5, but not after, so this Datsyuk situation has less than a month to get resolved. Thats all for now, hopefully I'll have a Q & A for you tomorrow, I should be receiving several in the next 48 hours, but will only post one every 2-3 days so we don't run out of them too quickly. Have a good night everyone.

Whats Going On?

Nothing at all is the answer. Another sports writer has been added to our list of people in line for a Q & A. The Hockey News' Adam Proteau has agreed to a Q & A session with us. If you have a question you'd like answered by Adam, please email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com

On the rumour front, things are slow. Eklund is reporting the Leafs are in serious discussions with Yanic Perrault. According to The Shadow (who will also be doing a Q & A with us), Ryan Smyth could be on his way to Philly, and soon. Handzus is the only name I've heard going to Edmonton from Philly. I continue to hear that Jay Mckee is being packed with Martin Biron and being shopped around. I still believe Colorado will land them. Detroit is still hoping to sign Datyuk, as if they don't they are definatly short on offense. With $7 million left to spend, they would look to add some offense through UFA's if Datsyuk does not return.

Thats all for now, expect an update later tonight.

Q & A Session With Steve Simmons

Before I get to our very first Q & A session, few news and notes to pass along. First, Datsyuk has signed a one year deal with Russian club Avangard Omsk. There is a clause in the contract that would allow him to return to the NHL anytime before December 1st if a deal can be worked out between him and Detroit. I am sure a lot of NHL teams will start inquiring about Datsyuk over the next few weeks. With Datsyuk gone, I think it is time for everyone to forget they ever heard a rumour involving Zetterberg coming to Toronto, as Zetterberg will likely re-sign with Detroit later this week. This also means the chances of Toronto signing Czerkawski have increased. According to a Polish NHL website, Czerkawski is suppose to sign with the Leafs sometime this week, but like all rumours, please don't take it too seriously. Anyways, enough about Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Czerkawski, lets get to Steve Simmons. Steve Simmons writes for the Toronto Sun, and is defiantly one of Toronto's best sports writers. Here is a quick Q & A session I was able to have with him. Enjoy!

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Question #1: What new rule do you think will have the most positive effect on the NHL? most negative effect?

Simmons : Shootouts will have the most positive effect on the upcoming season. The reason being: Everybody except goalies love penalty shots and suddenly the most mundane Tuesday night hockey game between Buffalo and Minnesota can turn into a fun, dramatic ending that people will leave the building, or the television screens talking about. Shootouts will keep people in the buildings right to the last moment of tight games.

As for the area of negativity, I truly wonder after several attempts if the league can cut down on obstruction. The league has talked this way before - tried it several times in fact - and not succeeded. Coaches will continue to try and suck the life out of the game, especially teams with limited talent. I'd love to see that change but don't believe it will happen.

Question #2: From what has happened so far this offseason, which team has improved the most since the last time hockey was played.

Simmons : Obviously, Pittsburgh has made the largest leap of any team since hockey was last played and it was started with them winning the lottery. But it may have started before that, when Craig Patrick basically cleared off his payroll so that he could start from fresh in the new NHL environment. Unlike Washington, which did just about the same thing and didn't get Crosby, Patrick then turned around and used his money wisely (with the possible exception of signing John LeClair) to pick up Sergei Gonchar, Ziggy Palffy, to add to Crosby, Lemieux, Mark Recchi, and a few other nice parts. Not a Stanley Cup contender but definitely a playoff contender.
Also improved: Atlanta, by adding Marian Hossa and Bobby Holik, so long as they get Ilya Kovalchuk signed.

Question #3: Which player do you think will excel the most under the new rules? Which players numbers do you think will drop because of the new rules.

Simmons : Players who play special teams - especially those on the power play - will benefit most from the new rules. As the league tries to find itself, more penalties than ever are likely to be called. As for individuals, I don't see things changing all that much - but I do see a new breed emerging in the league, led by Joe Thornton and Rick Nash and obviously Iginla. I think they, not Sakic and Forsberg, will be the big stars in the league: And what you might find out is that players who took a year off and didn't play competitively won't bounce back as quickly as expected.

The bigger change might come with goaltenders - now we';ll find out which goalies benefited most from large equipment and which ones are going to be quality under any system.


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Once again, thank you very much to Steve Simmons for taking the time to answer some questions for us. He is the first of many people from the hockey world to do a Q & A with us, and we are most appreciative. Mike Zeisberger has agreed to do one with us, so if you would like to ask him something, please email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. Remember, only 3-5 questions will get asked so not all questions received will be asked. I have also talked to one of The Hockey News' top writers, and if he gets approval from his boss, we may have a third Q & A to announce this week! Have a good night everyone!

Fantasy League 3 Update

A team dropped out last minute, and yahoo will not let me hold the draft tonight, even though we found a 20th team. Unfortunatly, we had to re-schedual the draft for tomorrow morning at 11:45 am EST. If you cannot make it, PLEASE pre-rank your teams and make use of the feature that allows you to not pick players. It is called the exclude feature. Make sure you exclude guys like Elias and Nolan. I am very sorry for this, but it's not my fault. See whoever can make it tomorrow morning at 11:45 EST.

Few rumours to throw at you tonight. First, Jay Bouwmeester, Kristian Huselius, and a 2nd round drafat pick for Ed Jovanovski and Matt Cooke. Obviously there isn't much to this, but you never know. Secondly, Luongo, Boumeester and Hagman to Edmonton for Jason Smith, Shawn Horcoff, Jussi Marrkkennen, and a pick. Both are rumours and should be taken with the smallest grain of salt. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some better rumours, and for those in tomorrow's draft, I will announce to them who our first Q & A session will be. The rest of you will find out shortly after when I am emailed back the answers to my questions.

Q & A Sessions

I am happy to announce the newest feature, that will debut soon and will be fully available on the blog, as well as the new site when it is finished. The Q & A section will feature questions, answered by people from the hockey world. Hockey Writers, Players and Agents will all hopefully be a part of this section. Expect this section to have a new update once a week, with the first one coming in the next few days. I have already got our first person, and all I will say is he is a very well-known writer in Toronto. Expect that in the next couple of days. If you are a player, agent, hockey writer, etc. we would love you Q & A you, please email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. This section will be very exciting.

Anything To Report?

Well there are a few rumours floating around this morning. First, according to Eklund there is a rumour involving the Oiler's and the Flyer's, but I don't believe there is much to it. It has Ryan Smyth going to Philly for Umberger and Handzus. I believe Ryan Smyth will re-sign a long term deal with the Oiler's soon, but I do believe Handzus will be dealt at some point.

According to HockeyTradeRumors.com, the Islanders have sent a memo to the other 29 teams asking for offers for Mark Parrish. I know the Coyotes and Wild have been interested, but I expect others to jump into this as well. As a Leaf fan, I'd love to see Parrish in blue and white, but at this point Phoenix and Minnesota are the only two teams I've heard that are seriously interested. The McKee rumours have begun, just like I said they would. Once again, Phoenix is said to be the front-runner, with Toronto, Colorado, Florida and Washington also said to be involved. Apparently Buffalo is trying to package Biron into this deal, which leads me to believe Colorado may win this one, as they still need a backup.

A big Welcome to Gary, our newest Hockey Leaks writer. Reminder : League 3 is FULL and the draft for it goes tonight at 11:30 EST. A fourth league will be announced next week, please don't email me about it until I announce it. Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for all questions and comments. New site is coming along nicely...more later

Absolutly Nothing?

Thats right, I'm gone for a full day, and I come back to nothing...thats how slow of a day it's been. I can tell you a few things I'm still hearing, but nothing huge. With each day that passes, it is looking more and more likely the Oilers will sign Messier.

Jay McKee is apparently going to be dealt by Buffalo due to them not being able to work out a new long term deal. You're going to hear Toronto and Montreal as team's interested, guarenteed. Ilya Kovalchuk rumours are flying around, saying he will either hold out, or be signed by New York. The Rangers would be crazy to sign him, and lose four 1st round picks that will be lottery picks, as the Rangers arn't going anywhere for awhile. Atlanta has a playoff potential team, and will sign him soon, for as much as he wants.

Reminder to all in Fantasy League 2, please post your team in the forums. League 3 Draft goes tomorrow night. Thats all for now, hopefully we'll have something tomorrow...I am hearing Monday could be quite a busy day. Hockeyleaks@hotmail.com for any questions and comments.

Quicky

I am on my way out, so I have to keep this brief. First, Peter Bondra has countered Washington's offer. I have heard they offered him a one year deal worth 1.5 million, his counter off is a two year worth 5 or 6 million. If Washington rejects this I expect him to end up in New Jersey, as crazy as that is with their cap situation. Funny article from spectorshockey.net, where apparently the Islanders offered Dipietro a 15 year contract worth 67.5 million. The problem was the NHL only insures it for 5 years, the rest would be on Dipietro, so it never went anywhere.

From my Islanders source, Minnesota has apparently joined the Mark Parrish race, and are also looking at Jason Blake. Not sure who would go to NYI in this deal. Still no progress in Pittsburgh for Brooks Orpik, I'm hoping he signs as I have him in Fantasy League #1...

Last night's draft was lots of fun, and took us to around 2 AM EST this morning. Fantasy League 3's draft goes Sunday. A 4th fantasy league is coming, but not yet, so please don't email me asking if you can get it, because I can't run it because yahoo won't let me have anymore leagues...If you are interested in writing for hockeyleaks, or have some information to pass on that you want on the blog, please email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. Also, I had a few complaints about people getting emails when people reply to the blog email, I have fixed that. If you want to join the email group, scroll down to the bottom of the blog, and enter your email address in the "google groups" box. I won;t be around today, so if anything breaks Yick or ryan.c may or may not update the blog. Check the forums for all the latest, I'll do a blog later tonight when I'm home. Have a good day everyone, it's Saturday, so I expect things to be slow....

Few Things Before Bed..

Well I'm not sleeping for awhile, I'll be in the league 2 draft tonight, so if any of you have any questions while drafting, just shoot. Just a few rumours tonight...

Yashin will be named the Islanders captain soon. Parrish's name continues to come up, still hearing he's off to Phoenix. Paul Mara's name has come up. Also, the DiPietro situation is heading in a positive direction and he should be signed soon. All these Islanders rumours coming from a source with contacts in the organization.

A rumour has Ryan Smyth signing a three year deal with Edmonton on Monday. It apparently will be worth 11 million dollars. This isn't fact, just a rumour. The same source has Edmonton still in talks with New Jersey involving Kozlov.

As we reported earlier, Theodore re-signed with Montreal. I can now confirm it is a three year deal worth 16 million dollars. I still believe Mark Messier will return to Edmonton and play one more season. Scott Stevens and Al MacInnis, however, could be heading towards retirement. If they do retire, I am hearing both will coach somewhere, whether it is as an Assistant in their current organizations, or a coach for a minor league team. Steve Thomas is practicing with the Leafs, which is just another sign that he'll likely be signed by the club.

All for now, and that should be all for tonight. If something breaks, I'll post it

Jose Theodore Re-Signed

Theodore has re-signed with Montreal. It's a three year deal, I don't have the values yet, those could be interesting. Doubt this will lead to a sign-and-trade like we saw with Hossa, but you never know with all the rumours floating around lately involving Theo.

Defenseman Lyle Odelien signed a one year deal with Pittsburgh today. No amounts given. There was a scare in Atlanta today, as people saw the following information : Ilya Kovalchuk Signed with the Khimik Voskresensk of the Russian League. He is just going there as a warm up, and will play for Atlanta (or whoever else gets him) by October 5th.

Fantasy League 3 is full, stay tuned to the blog for information about league 4. Please do not email me asking to get in league four, as it will not be me running it because I already have the max number of yahoo leagues. Reminder : League 2's draft is tonight at 11:30 PM EST, and the draft order for league 3 is up in the message boards.

What A Night!

Last night's fantasy draft was lots of fun, and I'm sure tonights will be the same! Remember, League 2's draft is tonight at 11:30 PM EST (if it's like last nights, it'll go to around 1:30 AM EST). If you want to get into one of the final spots for league 3, email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com.

Mike Dunham has signed with Atlanta. It's a one year deal worth 750,000. He will probably split time with Lehtonen. Datsyuk has apparently given Detroit a Monday deadline. If he is not signed by Monday, he will go to Russia. We should know where Bondra will be playing today. I will once again say, Steve Thomas to Toronto looks like a lock, but things could still change.

Thats all for now, still pretty slow. For all questions or comments, please email me at hockeyleaks@hotmail.com. More later...