Sport-scan daily brief

Well, one is on the way.

Parise's wife, Alisha, is pregnant with twins, the Wild forward said today.

There must be something in the water because last month, Twins hometown hero Joe Mauer became a father for the first time when his wife, Maddie, gave birth to twin girls.

Parise said Alisha is due in January. Parise said he and his wife have been told one of the babies is a boy, but the doctor couldn't tell yet the gender of the other baby.

Parise said he texted Mauer, they've been in contact and so have their wives. "They're helping us out with different things to get that have helped them," Parise said.

Parise and the rest of the U.S. National Team at Olympics orientation camp is heading to the Nationals-Marlins game tonight here in DC.

Incidentally, Wild captain Mikko Koivu's fiancee, Helena, is due with the couple's first child in October.

Star Tribune LOADED: 08.28.2013

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Projecting the 2014 U.S. Olympic men's hockey roster

Posted by: Michael Russo under Bears, Wild off-season news Updated: August 27, 2013 - 1:12 PM

The U.S. orientation camp in Virginia is coming to an end today. This morning was a public day at the rink where fans could get player autographs and got to witness the jersey unveiling for the 2014 men, women and sled hockey teams.

The jersey can be seen here. Tonight, the team of 48 will be taking in the Washington Nationals-Florida (OK, Miami) Marlins game. I’ll be there, too.

Very fun, productive few days here with incredible access to laid back, talkative players. Much of the stuff I put in my holster and will hold for myriad training camp stories and Olympic advances.

My article in Wednesday’s newspaper has a Minnesota flair, so check that out. Some of the folks quoted in there are David Backes, Zach Parise, former Wild coach Todd Richards, Paul Martin, Big Buff, Jake Gardiner and non Minnesotan but Minnesota part-time resident JVR – James van Riemsdyk.

Speaking of Big Buff, Dustin Byfuglien, he had a couple good lines. Byfuglien, a native of Roseau, attended the 2009 orientation camp but didn’t make the team. The hulk of a Winnipeg Jet blue liner who played forward as a Chicago Blackhawk was asked what he has learned since.

He deadpanned, “I learned that I wasn’t a forward.”

Former Gopher Blake Wheeler, also a Jet, also had a funny line when we jokingly asked him if the Americans were already behind the Canadians because of Mike Babcock’s ball hockey game: “I’d argue that we’re ahead,” Wheeler cracked.

Minnesota had 14 players here. Still, USA Hockey has done a marvelous job expanding its roots throughout the United States. Players from 13 states were represented.

“There was a time these teams were picked from the three M’s – Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts,” said Brian Burke, the U.S. director of player development, who grew up in Edina.

Minnetonka’s Gardiner, who plays for Toronto, talked a lot about how much this season is essentially a tryout for many of the young players. GM David Poile talked a lot today about how half the team is virtually a lock barring health and how he told the players “this will be the toughest team you’ll ever have to make” and these will be the “toughest decisions we ever have to make.”

Coach Dan Bylsma said today that the most likely scenario will be to take 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies to Sochi. So barring health, what would your team be? I’ll put whom I consider the locks and then the candidates:

Forwards:

Locks (10) – Zach Parise, Dustin Brown, Patrick Kane, Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, David Backes, Ryan Kesler, Ryan Callahan, Bobby Ryan, Derek Stepan.

Candidates (4) – Max Pacioretty, T.J. Oshie (I think they take one of Pacioretty and Oshie, and Bylsma loves that Backes and Oshie have killed penalties together for “years”), Paul Stastny (U.S. is short centers and he had 15 points in the world championships), James van Riemsdyk, Kyle Okposo, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Palmieri, Brandon Saad, Craig Smith, Nick Bjugstad, Justin Abdelkader, Beau Bennett, Alex Galchenyuk, Trevor Lewis.

* Poile said yesterday the Wild’s Jason Pominville is “back on the board” and will be scouted throughout October-December.

Defensemen:

Locks (6) – Ryan Suter, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan McDonagh, Jack Johnson, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik (Bylsma noted Martin/Orpik chemistry/PK experience).

Candidates (2) – John Carlson (very good chance), Keith Yandle, Justin Faulk, Jake Gardiner, Cam Fowler, Nick Leddy, Erik Johnson, Kevin Shattenkirk, Zach Bogosian, Danny Dekeyser, Seth Jones, Jacob Trouba.

Goalies:

Lock (1) – Jonathan Quick.

Candidates (2) – Ryan Miller, Craig Anderson, Jimmy Howard, Corey Schneider, John Gibson.

Have at it.

Reminder, on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. at the Star Tribune booth at the State Fair, Wild GM Chuck Fletcher will be joining me to take questions from myself and Wild fans. Please stop by.

Also, the Wild announced an affiliation agreement with the Quad City Mallards in the Central Hockey League (CHL) today. Obviously, all its top professional prospects and minor-leaguers will be in Iowa of the AHL. The Wild also has an affiliation agreement with the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL.

Star Tribune LOADED: 08.28.2013

715890 Minnesota Wild

Wild announces TV schedule

Posted by: Michael Russo under Wild game coverage, Wild news, Wild off-season news Updated: August 27, 2013 - 3:12 PM

The Wild revealed its television schedule for the season today.

It will have 70 of its games on Fox Sports North or Fox Sports North Plus, and the remaining 12 on the NBC Sports Network.

The season opener, Oct. 3 vs. Los Angeles at the X, will be on NBCSN.

On the radio, Wild games are on KFAN (100.3 FM), with conflict games moving to 107.9 FM.

Here, from a Wild release, is the regular season schedule (home games in caps):

OCTOBER (REGULAR SEASON)

THUR. 3 LOS ANGELES 7:00 P.M. NBCSN

SAT. 5 ANAHEIM 7:00 P.M. FSN

Tue. 8 at Nashville 7:00 p.m. FSN

THUR. 10 WINNIPEG 7:00 P.M. FSN

SAT. 12 DALLAS 7:00 P.M. FSN

Mon. 14 at Buffalo 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

Tue. 15 at Toronto 6:00 p.m. FSN

Thur. 17 at Tampa Bay 6:30 p.m. FSN

Sat. 19 at Florida 6:00 p.m. FSN

TUE. 22 NASHVILLE 7:00 P.M. NBCSN

THUR. 24 CAROLINA 7:00 P.M. FSN

Sat. 26 at Chicago 7:00 p.m. FSN

MON. 28 CHICAGO 7:00 P.M. FSN

NOVEMBER

SUN. 3 NEW JERSEY 7:00 P.M. FSN

TUE. 5 CALGARY 7:00 P.M. FSN

Thur. 7 at Washington 6:00 p.m. FSN

Sat. 9 at Carolina 6:00 p.m. FSN

WED. 13 TORONTO 6:30 P.M. FSN+

FRI. 15 FLORIDA 7:00 P.M. FSN

SUN. 17 WINNIPEG 7:00 P.M. FSN

Tue. 19 at Montreal 6:30 p.m. FSN

Wed. 20 at Ottawa 6:30 p.m. FSN+

Sat. 23 at Winnipeg 2:00 p.m. FSN

Mon. 25 at St. Louis 7:00 p.m. NBCSN

WED. 27 PHOENIX 7:00 P.M. FSN

FRI. 29 COLORADO 5:00 P.M. FSN

Sat. 30 at Colorado 8:00 p.m. FSN+

DECEMBER

THUR. 5 CHICAGO 7:00 P.M. FSN

Fri. 6 at Columbus 6:00 p.m. FSN

SUN. 8 SAN JOSE 5:00 P.M. FSN

Wed. 11 at Anaheim 9:30 p.m. FSN

Thur. 12 at San Jose 9:30 p.m. FSN

Sat. 14 at Colorado 8:00 p.m. FSN

TUE. 17 VANCOUVER 7:00 P.M. FSN

Thur. 19 at Pittsburgh 6:00 p.m. FSN

Sun. 22 at N.Y. Rangers 6:30 p.m. FSN

Mon. 23 at Philadelphia 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

Fri. 27 at Winnipeg 7:00 p.m. FSN

SUN. 29 N.Y. ISLANDERS 7:00 P.M. FSN

TUE. 31 ST. LOUIS 5:00 P.M. FSN

JANUARY

THUR. 2 BUFFALO 7:00 P.M. FSN

Tue. 7 at Los Angeles 9:30 p.m. FSN

Thur. 9 at Phoenix 8:00 p.m. FSN

SAT. 11 COLORADO 7:00 P.M. FSN

Sun. 12 at Nashville 6:00 p.m. FSN+

TUE. 14 OTTAWA 7:00 P.M. FSN

THUR. 16 EDMONTON 7:00 P.M. FSN

SAT. 18 DALLAS 8:00 P.M. FSN

Tue. 21 at Dallas 7:00 p.m. NBCSN

THUR. 23 CHICAGO 7:00 P.M. FSN

Sat. 25 at San Jose 9:30 p.m. FSN

Tue. 28 at Anaheim 9:00 p.m. FSN

Thur. 30 at Colorado 8:00 p.m. FSN

FEBRUARY

TUE. 4 TAMPA BAY 7:00 P.M. FSN

THUR. 6 NASHVILLE 7:00 P.M. FSN

Fri. 7-Wed. 26 Olympic Break (Sochi, Russia)

Thur. 27 at Edmonton 8:30 p.m. FSN

Fri. 28 at Vancouver 9:00 p.m. FSN

MARCH

MON. 3 CALGARY 7:00 P.M. FSN

SUN. 9 ST. LOUIS 7:00 P.M. FSN

TUE. 11 EDMONTON 7:00 P.M. FSN+

THUR. 13 N.Y. RANGERS 7:00 P.M. FSN

SAT. 15 COLUMBUS 7:00 P.M. FSN

Mon. 17 at Boston 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

Tue. 18 at N.Y. Islanders 6:00 p.m. FSN

Thur. 20 at New Jersey 6:00 p.m. FSN+

SAT. 22 DETROIT 1:00 P.M. FSN

Sun. 23 at Detroit 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

WED. 26 VANCOUVER 6:30 P.M. FSN

Thur. 27 at St. Louis 7:00 p.m. FSN

Sat. 29 at Phoenix 8:00 p.m. FSN

Mon. 31 at Los Angeles 9:00 p.m. NBCSN

APRIL

Thur. 3 at Chicago 7:00 p.m. NBCSN

Mon. 7 at Winnipeg 7:00 p.m. FSN

TUE. 8 BOSTON 7:00 P.M. FSN

THUR. 10 ST. LOUIS 7:00 P.M. NBCSN

SUN. 13 NASHVILLE 7:00 P.M. FSN

Star Tribune LOADED: 08.28.2013

715891 Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild sets up agreement to send prospects to Quad City team

By Chad Graff

Posted: 08/27/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated: 08/27/2013 07:45:24 PM CDT

The Minnesota Wild came to an affiliation agreement with the Quad City Mallards of the Central Hockey League, the team announced Tuesday.

The Wild will be able to assign prospects to the Quad City team in Moline, Ill. It already has affiliations with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League and the Orlando Solar Bears of the East Coast Hockey League.

"The Quad Cities is a great hockey market and provides the Minnesota Wild organization with another first-class option to develop our players," Wild assistant general manager Jim Mill said in a statement.

Added Mallards president Bob McNamara in a statement: "We are very excited about the opportunity to work with both the Minnesota and Iowa Wild. The Wild is a strong organization, and we are pleased they have recognized the Mallards, and coach (Terry) Ruskowski can be valuable assets for their player development system. We are looking forward not only to working with Wild prospects and playing our part in their development, but also to giving the fans of the Quad Cities the opportunity to see those players take the ice for the Mallards."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 08.28.2013

715892 Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild: NBC Sports Network will televise 12 games

By Chad Graff

Posted: 08/27/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: about 11 hours ago

The Minnesota Wild will open the 2013 season on the NBC Sports Network, which will televise their Oct. 3 game at Xcel Energy Center against the Los Angeles Kings.

It is one of 12 Wild games that will air on NBCSN this season, the Wild announced Tuesday.

Of the Wild's 82 regular-season games, 63 will be televised on Fox Sports North and seven more on FSN Plus.

Five of the Wild's 12 games on NBCSN are against Eastern Conference teams, and four of the 12 are at home.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 08.28.2013

715893 Montreal Canadiens

Duhatschek: Stop worrying about Canada’s goalies

Eric Duhatschek

Published Tuesday, Aug. 27 2013, 10:02 PM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Aug. 27 2013, 10:07 PM EDT

The angst over the state of Canada’s goaltending reached new heights of absurdity the other day on the TSN set.

There was TV host James Duthie, flanked by NHL netminders Carey Price, Corey Crawford and Roberto Luongo, asking for “a show of hands if you’re sick already of the ‘goaltending-is-Canada’s-weakest-link question.’”

On cue, all three slowly raised their hands, the way you would in a classroom when you know the teacher isn’t going to call for an answer until everybody’s hand is in the air.

This is the unhappy byproduct of a 72-hour Canadian men’s Olympic orientation camp, which wrapped up here Tuesday. Every issue became so magnified it got to the point where the perception was Canada’s goalies might be collectively incapable of stopping a beach ball.

It got ridiculous and completely out of hand. It isn’t that bad. It just isn’t.

This week’s endless discussion about the state of Canadian goaltending missed the essential point as it applies to Olympic competition, past and future: Whoever gets the starting nod isn’t going to need to steal a game for Canada to win a gold medal.

Other teams may need lights-out, stand-on-your-head, brick-wall impenetrability to succeed. By contrast, Canada’s overall depth from the top to the bottom of the lineup is so good that steady and consistent goaltending has historically been good enough.

Conveniently forgotten in all the hand-wringing was how Crawford posted a sparkling 1.94 regular-season goals-against average this past year, and, oh, by the way, he helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup.

Two years ago (the last time the NHL played a full 82-game season), Mike Smith won 38 games for a not-so-great Phoenix Coyotes team, posted a sparkling .930 save percentage and got them to the Stanley Cup semi-finals.

You get the picture: Luongo had 31 wins in 2011-12; Price was the best thing about the Montreal Canadiens last season; and Washington Capitals youngster Braden Holtby (the dark horse in the Olympic equation) and Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes (absent from this camp) are legitimate, competent NHL goaltenders, capable of extraordinary things.

“We’re playing good teams,” Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman said, as he delivered his camp wrap-up address. “You need good goaltending. You need good defence. You need balance. All these teams are relatively balanced. Any area of weakness can be an issue.

“I look back at the entire series of games we played in Vancouver [at the 2010 Winter Games]. We didn’t necessarily have a game where we were outshot 40-15 and we needed our goalie, but you need your goaltending to be good, because the other team is going to get chances. They have great players. You’ll need your goalies to make big saves at opportune moments.”

Since the NHL began sending players to the Olympics (starting in 1998 in Nagano), goaltending has not cost Canada a gold medal.

Canada won in 2002, with Martin Brodeur, and in 2010, with Luongo, and both provided the important saves as needed. But neither was required to be scene-stealers, either.

Canada lost in the quarter-finals in Turin in 2006, with Brodeur in net, eliminated 1-0 in the deciding game by Russia.

Similarly, Patrick Roy was excellent for Canada in 1998, when it lost in the semi-finals to the Czech Republic, 2-1 in a shootout. The only goal in the shootout was scored by Robert Reichel, off the goalpost and in.

Czech goalie Dominik Hasek was primarily responsible for both that win over Canada, as well as the 1-0 shutout victory over Russia in the gold-medal game – proving in a single-elimination tournament, a truly exceptional goaltending performance can overcome a superior team.

But how the other team’s goalie plays is a factor beyond your control, and more important, it has nothing to do with the state of your own goaltending.

“I don’t think you ever win without good goaltending,” said Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who scored the gold-medal-winning goal in 2010. “But we have really good goalies. The goalies that are here, we don’t have anything to worry about at that position.

“But if you look at any team that’s ever won anything in hockey, they always have good goaltending, whether it’s a big save in the first period of a final game, or one that gets you to the final game. They will be a factor at some point.”

Crawford’s play for Chicago is the best recent illustration. Three of the goalies Crawford faced – Tuukka Rask in the final, Jonathan Quick in the semis and Jimmy Howard in the quarters (a Finn and two Americans) – had superior credentials. The experts gave the “edge” to the opposition.

But Crawford and the Blackhawks ultimately persevered because they were the best team – and everybody held up their end, goalies, defencemen, forwards.

Sometimes, it really is as simple as that.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 08.28.2013

715894 Montreal Canadiens

Habs’ Gallagher happy to be at rookie showcase after not being invited last year

Dan Ralph

Published Tuesday, Aug. 27 2013, 6:05 PM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Aug. 27 2013, 6:08 PM EDT

Brendan Gallagher was a reluctant veteran Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Edmonton native was among 25 top NHL prospects/rookies participating in the NHLPA’s rookie showcase at Mastercard Centre. A finalist for league’s top rookie award last season, the Montreal Canadiens forward shared the spotlight Tuesday with Nathan MacKinnon, the highly touted 17-year-old who went first overall to Colorado in this year’s draft.

“They (rookies) haven’t asked me anything but I don’t think I’m a veteran by any means,” Gallagher said with chuckle. “I’m still learning.

“I like talking to these guys and hearing the stories they have to tell. It’s fun to meet these guys, have a few laughs together and get to know them a little bit more.”

The five-foot-nine, 178-pound Gallagher wasn’t invited to last year’s showcase, which gives Panini America and Upper Deck the chance to photograph many of the game’s top young players for trading card and memorabilia launches. After starting the lockout-shortened season with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, Gallagher cracked Montreal’s roster once the NHL campaign began.

The feisty right-winger not only impressed with his spirited play but finished tied for second on the team in goals (15) and game winners (three). Between Montreal and Hamilton, Gallagher had 25 goals and 23 assists in 80 combined games in his first full season of pro hockey.

Not bad for a player selected in the fifth round, No. 147 overall, in the 2010 NHL entry draft from WHL’s Vancouver Giants. But Gallagher wasn’t surprised.

“I never like to say it was unexpected because that’s why you work and train so hard in the summer,” he said. “You expect to be there but that said, you don’t expect it to be handed to you, you need to work for it and can’t take anything off.

“This summer I prepared the same way, did the exact same things. I’m taking nothing for granted.”

Gallagher wants to prove he’s much more than a one-year wonder in the NHL.

“I don’t want to be complacent about a first year,” he said. “I know a lot of guys have had good first years and struggle in their second so I’m aware of that.

“The most important thing is winning. I just want to be part of a winning hockey team and for me to contribute in that I need to continue to build on my season last year.”

Especially after getting up close and personal with the likes of Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby.

“When you’re skating with Crosby and he gets the puck in the neutral zone, he’s gone,” Gallagher said. “You see how explosive he is, how quick he is, how his decision-making process is right there and happens so quickly.

“To play against a guy like that you see the level he’s at and the obvious improvement you can make.”

A fact not lost on MacKinnon, who trains with Crosby in the off-season and says the Pittsburgh superstar understands when to offer sage advice while allowing a young player to find his own way.

“He’s going to let me feel it out on my own but at the same time he’s said a couple of things here and there,” said MacKinnon, who like Crosby, is from Cole Harbour, N.S.

But participating players also attended a seminar by the NHLPA discussing the expectations they now face as pro hockey players. Defenceman Dylan McIlrath, a 20-year-old Winnipeg native selected 10th overall in 2010 by the New York Rangers, said the message was clear.

“Definitely, the spotlight is on you at all times,” he said. “The biggest thing is always be professional.

“Obviously you can do what you want but always know, especially with social media these days, you have to present yourself in good manner.”

The 2012-’13 campaign was a solid one for Montreal, which was second to Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference with 29-14-5 record. But its season ended abruptly in a 4-1, opening-round playoff loss to the rival Ottawa Senators.

This off-season, Montreal signed centre Daniel Briere (four times a 30-goal scorer) and defenceman Doug Murray as free agents while acquiring six-foot-five, 228-pound forward George Parros from Florida.

“Daniel Briere (is) a very skilled, a smaller guy I can learn from and who I’m excited to be around,” Gallagher said. “Douglas Murray is a presence to play against to say the least, a big body who is going to be effective on the penalty kill and will fit nicely into our core of six defencemen.”

Gallagher said Parros will not only boost Montreal’s toughness but his presence should help keep rugged forwards like Brandon Prust on the ice more.

“Having (Parros) around, I think, just makes everyone feel more comfortable,” Gallagher said. “We had guys (last year) who were willing to stand up . . . you look at a guy like Brandon Prust who would go fight (Toronto forward) Frazier McLaren, who is a much bigger guy, and he did very well.

“But for us to have Prust on the ice is big as well.”

Globe And Mail LOADED: 08.28.2013

715895 Montreal Canadiens

Canada’s powerhouse junior team of 2005 well represented at Olympic camp

DONNA SPENCER

CALGARY — The Canadian Press

Published Tuesday, Aug. 27 2013, 10:34 AM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Aug. 27 2013, 10:48 AM EDT

The Canadian junior men’s hockey team of 2005 is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to the Olympic Games.

Ten of the 47 players invited to Calgary to start preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics won gold at the 2005 world junior hockey championships in Grand Forks, N.D.

Seven of the 2005 alumni are already Olympic gold medallists having played for their country in the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Defencemen Brent Seabrook and Shea Weber, and forwards Patrice Bergeron, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Michael Richards made up almost a third of the victorious team in Vancouver.

They were joined at this week’s orientation camp in Calgary by 2005 teammates Dion Phaneuf, Jeff Carter and Andrew Ladd.

The 2005 junior team, coached by Brent Sutter, is considered Canada’s best of all time. Canada steamrolled through the tournament outscoring its opposition 41-7.

The Canadians dismantled a Russian team that featured current NHL superstars Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin by a 6-1 score in the final. It was Canada’s first world junior gold since 1997 and sparked a run of five straight titles.

“It was pretty cool to be a part of that team,” Seabrook recalled. “We’ve sort of grown up together.”

Richards was captain of the junior team in Grand Forks. He believes the shared history of those players helped team chemistry in 2010 and can do so again in Sochi, Russia in February.

“If a lot of the guys make the team, I think it always helps in a short tournament when you know each other and are comfortable with each other, stepping into a dressing room and playing two days later,” he said.

Canada was dominant in Grand Forks not just because of the NHL lockout of 2004-05. The 1985 birth year producing the 19-year-old players for that junior tournament was freakishly full of big, skilled forwards.