–Stefan Noesen will not participate in the WJC as the IIHF chose to uphold his suspension.
-Here’s the weekly prospect update (for players with more than 10 games played I’ve indicated where they are in scoring; for blueliners they are compared to other defensemen on the team):
CHL
Cody Ceci (OHL Ottawa) 36-8-25-33 (1st)
Matt Puempel (OHL Kitchener) 26-21-7-28 (1st) (injured)
Stefan Noesen (OHL Plymouth) 26-17-9-26 (3rd) (suspended)
Jordan Fransoo (WHL Victoria) 28-2-6-8 (3rd)
Jakub Culek (QMJHL Cape Breton) 8-4-3-7 (9th)
Jarrod Maidens (OHL Owen Sound) (injured)
Chris Driedger (WHL Calgary) 18-5-3 2.22 .924
Francois Brassard (QMJHL Quebec) 18-7-3 2.51 .911
Allsvenskan (Swe)
Mikael Wikstrand (Mora) 29-9-9-18 (1st)
KHL
Nikita Filatov (Salavat) 33-8-11-19 (t-2nd)
NCAA
Ryan Dzingel (Ohio) – 18-6-8-14 (1st)
Jeff Costello (Notre Dame) – 15-5-9-14 (4th)
Bryce Aneloski (Nebraska-Omaha) – 18-3-11-14 (1st)
Max McCormick (Ohio) – 18-6-4-10 (3rd)
Michael Sdao (Princeton) – 12-3-4-7 (1st)
Tim Boyle (Union) – 7-0-2-2
USHL
Robbie Baillargeon (Indiana/Omaha) – 26-7-10-17 (t-3rd)
–Stu Hackel looks at the current state of CBA negotiations and shares some dark humour from Rangers reporter Larry Brooks:
Here is the league that just over a week ago was doing everything in its power to keep Don Fehr out of the bargaining process, and is now going to court to ensure he continues to represent the players in the bargaining process. For weeks now, the NHL has sent its messengers to deliver the message the NHLPA is not truly united behind Fehr and union leadership; that the players, left to their own decision-making process, would rush to accept whatever the league at the time had on the table. Or, in another word, ‘Vote!’ Yet there in Paragraph 54 of the complaint is the NHL citing numerous examples of players articulating support for Fehr and the PA leadership which the league posits, ‘… do not suggest that the NHL players are unhappy with their Union representation [or] wish to oust current NHLPA leadership…’ Don Fehr. League can’t live with him, now the league can’t live without him.
Paragraph 102 is a good one. For months the NHL has been telling anyone [like John Shannon] who would listen that up to 18 of its franchises lose money, with many of those franchises in need of life support. For months the league has been instructing us not to confuse revenue with profits. Fair enough. But then these are the league’s own words right there in Paragraph 102: ‘The system of common employment rules [the CBA] instituted in 2005 improved the financial stability of the entire NHL, including most of its clubs…’
Most of its clubs? Really? Hmm.
What to make of the thought process behind Paragraph 62? The combination of restrictions proposed by the NHL leading into and throughout the lockout is designed to limit the impact of free agency and funnel players toward teams they might not consider given a full plate of options. Yet there is the NHL in Paragraph 62 suggesting every player in the league become a free agent if the NHLPA were permitted to disclaim or decertify. ‘[Existing] contracts …[would be] void and unenforcable by law,’ in the league’s own words. Goodbye Columbus.
If nothing else this should cement cynicism over what gets said publically about the negotiations.
This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)
eyeonthesens 