Sport-scan daily brief

714537 NHL schedule release continues to hang on Olympic decision; Florida leak shows 20-day break

714538 Calgary Flames re-sign big blueliner Chris Breen

714539 Morrow should be Canes’ free-agent target

714540 Canes’ Victor Rask makes strides

Chicago Blackhawks

714541 NHL on board for Olympics

714542 Blackhawks ink one-year deal with Beach

714543 NHL nears decisions on Olympics, 2013-14 schedule

714544 Blackhawks’ 1961 Stanley Cup banner sells for $38,000

714545 Blackhawks 1961 Stanley Cup banner goes for big bucks

714546 Dollar daze for Blackhawks, Bears

Columbus Blue Jackets

714547 Blue Jackets notebook: Former players among scouts hired

714548 New-look Dallas Stars hope to use training camp, preseason to become 'Team of the Southwest'

714549 New look Dallas Stars play three home preseason games starting Sept. 15

714550 Robbie Ross vs. Jamie Benn: Who is the better rising young star?

714551 2012 draft pick Jake Paterson shows confidence in goal during Red Wings' camp

714552 Michael Babcock, son of Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, uses Development Camp to prep for USHL

Florida Panthers

714553 EARLY LEAK: Is This the Florida Panthers 2013-14 Schedule?

714554 Preseason schedule released; regular season dates leaked?

714555 Study finds recent rule changes didn’t reduce rates of concussions in NHL

714556 Predators prospect Colton Sissons puts pain of injury in past

714557 Predators sign F Rich Clune to 2-year extension

New Jersey Devils

714558 Devils' Myles Bell lives with past tragedy and future NHL dreams

714559 Devils to shut down Stefan Matteau for rest of prospects camp

714560 Fatal crash pushes Devs rookie Bell

714561 Rule changes had no impact on concussions in NHL, study finds

714562 Name’s Bobby Ryan: Drafted right after Crosby

714563 Bobby Ryan comes to Ottawa for the first time as a Senator

714564 Callahan: Laperriere hopes to make difference

714565 Penguins notebook: New path in career suits Bill Guerin

714566 Penguins' newest goalie a quick learner

San Jose Sharks

714567 Owen Nolan, Evgeni Nabokov head list of San Jose Sharks alums for charity game

714568 Pavelski contract talks haven't been extensive

Toronto Maple Leafs

714569 Leaked schedule suggests NHL returning to Olympics

714570 NHL headshot rule not working: study

714571 New head of MLSE determined to drag Leafs out of the past

714572 Under-the-radar prospect Petter Granberg makes an impression on Leafs

Vancouver Canucks

714579 Well, Canucks fans, you can make your 2013-14 plans. If they include the Florida Panthers and, uh, nothing els

714580 NBCSports.com / Report: NHL rule changes haven’t decreased concussion rates

714581 NBCSports.com / Report: NHL increases credit facility by $200 million

Winnipeg Jets

714573 Tangradi planning to up his totals

714574 Never, ever give up the dream

714575 Sitting pretty between pipes

714576 Jets prospect Brendon Kichton has something to prove after getting snubbed by Islanders

714577 Winnipeg Jets prospect Jimmy Lodge building on solid foundation

714578 Winnipegger Stoykewych relishing opportunity at Jets’ development camp

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

714537 Buffalo Sabres

NHL schedule release continues to hang on Olympic decision; Florida leak shows 20-day break

July 17, 2013 - 6:17 PM

By Mike Harrington

If you're looking to mark your calendars for that visit by Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks or perhaps the return of Lindy Ruff with Dallas or Jason Pominville with Minnesota, you're going to have to wait at least another day.

The NHL's 2013-14 schedule, widely expected to be released late Wednesday afternoon, is not coming out even though all the teams have what is likely a final draft. The league cannot release the schedule until it wraps up a deal with the International Ice Hockey Federation to allow its players to compete in the Sochi Olympics.

The Olympics, of course, require a multi-week break in the schedule. Teams currently have two versions of the NHL slate, one with the Olympic break and one without it. Until the deal is signed, no schedule for the league can be released.

The NHL missed a huge PR window by not releasing the schedule Wednesday, because the day after the MLB All-Star Game is one of the deadest days of the year on the sports calendar. A release Thursday (or beyond) puts the schedule back up against the return of MLB and thus a secondary item in most markets.

The Miami Herald is reporting about a leaked version of the Florida Panthers' schedule, which has no games from Feb. 7-27 for the Olympics. If you were to care about the Panthers for some reason, that version has them coming to Buffalo on Jan. 9 and Jan. 21, and has the Sabres traveling to Sunrise on Oct. 25 and March 7. The teams, remember, are now in the same division.

Oh yeah. The divisions. The league still hasn't released the names for those either. The betting here is one big announcement -- yay or nay on the Olympics, the schedule and the division names. Stand down until Thursday, schedule-watchers.

Buffalo News LOADED: 07.18.2013

714538 Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames re-sign big blueliner Chris Breen

By WES GILBERTSON

First posted: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 10:10 PM MDT | Updated: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 10:22 PM MDT

The big man is staring at a big opportunity.

The Calgary Flames have re-signed 6-foot-7, 230-lb. blueliner Chris Breen to a one-year, two-way deal, and GM Jay Feaster has made it no secret he would like to see the 24-year-old behemoth win a full-time job at the Saddledome next winter.

"He's told me that he wants me to earn a spot next year. That's what I've geared my summer around and that's what I'm expecting to do at training camp," Breen said. "I know I can play NHL games, for sure, and I'm expecting myself to get a spot and maybe not play every game but be quite regular in the lineup."

A restricted free agent, Breen signed his new deal Wednesday. He'll earn US$577,500 if he's hanging around at the big-league level.

After spending the past three campaigns with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, Breen is one of several candidates for service on the Flames' third defence pairing. He's recovering from surgery on his right shoulder, but reported he'll be fully healthy for training camp.

Breen has eight goals, 18 assists and 143 penalty minutes in 204 career games with the Flames' affiliate in Abbotsford, proof he's not going to score a spot with offensive wizardry.

Instead, he'll try to prove he can be as intimidating on the ice as his size suggests.

"I just have to keep progressing like I have been," Breen said. "I just have to play that steady defensive role, use my size and my strength and just do everything they've been asking me to do for the past several years."

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.18.2013

714539 Carolina Hurricanes

Morrow should be Canes’ free-agent target

Published: July 17, 2013 Updated 7 hours ago

By Luke DeCock

RALEIGH — As the next generation of would-be Carolina Hurricanes goes through the July ritual of development camp, the current generation still needs some help. While the Hurricanes continue to sniff around free-agent defenseman Ron Hainsey, there’s another player who may fill a bigger need.

There is one free agent still out there who was a teammate of Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller with the Dallas Stars, a 34-year-old left wing who scored 12 goals in 44 games last season, although his contributions here would go far beyond production.

Brenden Morrow is still out there.

Morrow’s agent, Brad Devine, confirmed via email Wednesday that he talked with the Hurricanes earlier this summer and expected to talk with them again. Meanwhile, doors appear to be closing at other more likely destinations, like Montreal and Detroit.

Whether the Hurricanes could even afford him remains uncertain. The Hurricanes have almost $5 million in cap space, but they’re up against their internal budget with a payroll of $59.3 million. They could maybe add another million and change, but they would likely have to move a contract to add Morrow, just as they would to add Hainsey, a rumored target.

Hainsey would be a fantastic addition to the Hurricanes’ defense, but unless they’re moving Joni Pitkanen to make room, it doesn’t make as much sense at this point. Trading someone like Tim Gleason to clear salary space for Hainsey offers only marginal improvement. The Hurricanes may have been unhappy with Gleason’s fitness and tepid physical play last season, but he’s certainly shown himself to be capable of more.

With the addition of Andrej Sekera and Mike Komisarek, the blue line has been stabilized. (Signing Hainsey would have made more sense than giving up a second-round pick to swap Jamie McBain for Sekera, but on draft night, there was no guarantee Hainsey would even be interested.) So has the backup goalie position with the equal-parts-thrifty-and-crafty signing of Anton Khudobin.

In the game of offseason triage, the forwards need the most help now.

The top line of Eric Staal, Alexander Semin and Jiri Tlusty is a given. Beyond that, there are serious depth and talent issues. Muller wants to use Jordan Staal against the opposition’s top lines, presumably along with Tuomo Ruutu, and find softer spots for Jeff Skinner.

It’s worrisome enough that the Hurricanes appear ready to start the season with an inexperienced third line of Skinner, Elias Lindholm and Zac Dalpe, but who’s the left wing with Jordan Staal and Ruutu? Who kills penalties? Who’s going to provide the veteran leadership that was so lacking last spring, on and off the ice?

Surely there will be a depth forward or two plucked from the bargain bin as camp approaches to add a little fourth-line tenacity and special-teams help, but Morrow would stabilize everything else. Even if the Hurricanes had to overpay to get him, relatively speaking, they’d get value for their money.

Morrow would be the ideal complement to Jordan Staal and Ruutu, a savvy veteran who can still chip in with a few goals. He can take some of the leadership burden off Eric Staal and the other young players who have been asked, somewhat unfairly, to shoulder it. And in a rough-and-tumble new division, Morrow’s grit can help the Hurricanes compete.

Morrow can play the same mentoring role for the Hurricanes that Muller played for the Stars back when they were teammates more than a decade ago. Just as no free agent is a better fit for the Hurricanes than Morrow, it’s hard to imagine a recruiting pitch that would appeal more to Morrow’s character.

News Observer LOADED: 07.18.2013

714540 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes’ Victor Rask makes strides

Published: July 17, 2013

By Chip Alexander

RALEIGH — Elias Lindholm was the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round draft pick this year and he’s drawing much of the attention this week at the team’s development camp.

But there’s another Swedish center to keep an eye on.

Victor Rask was a second-round draft selection in 2011. At the urging of Canes management, he left Sweden for North America, playing junior hockey the past two seasons for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League while also making his professional debut.

Rask has worked on his game and his conditioning. He has adjusted to the smaller ice surfaces of North America and become one of the Hitmen’s leaders.

“He’s just a much more confident kid, a much stronger kid,” said Ron Francis, the Canes’ vice president for hockey operations.

Come September and the start of the Hurricanes’ preseason training camp, Rask could be in position to make a push for a spot with the big club.

“No question,” Francis said. “He’s put in the time and effort off-ice and really made huge strides.”

Rask began last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. Then 19 and the youngest player on the team, he was in the lineup for 10 games. Used as the third-line center, he had a goal and four assists and earned praise from Checkers coach Jeff Daniels for his playmaking ability and heavy shot.

As the NHL lockout lingered last fall, the decision was made to assign Rask to the Hitmen rather than keep him in Charlotte. Not that he took it as a demotion.

“My time in Charlotte was huge for me,” Rask said. “When I went back to Calgary, I was a different player. I took on more responsibility and stuff, played well and my teammates looked up to me.”

Rask, who turned 20 in March, continued to be a point-per-game producer for a strong Calgary team – he has 104 points in 101 WHL games over two seasons. His 11-game point streak in the playoffs this past season was the longest for any WHL player.

“I saw a lot of him in the playoffs,” said defenseman Keegan Lowe, a Canes prospect who played for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. “He’s a lot to handle and pretty much good at everything. He’s extremely strong on his skates. He’s got those big, broad shoulders and is one of the best reverse hitters I’ve ever played against.”

For the second straight year, Rask competed for Sweden in the World Junior Championship as the Swedes took the silver medal in Ufa, Russia. One of Rask’s teammates was Lindholm.

“You notice him on the ice,” Lindholm said of Rask. “He’s tough. He’s skilled. He’s a guy you want on your team.”

While some of the Canes’ prospects continue to grow into their bodies, Rask is 6 feet 2 and a solid 200 pounds. Physically, he’s there.

“I think it’s been huge for him playing in Calgary,” Francis said. “Not just the players he’s with, but watching the pro team there (the Calgary Flames) and how hard they work on and off the ice. He invested a lot of effort in his workouts and (has) gotten a lot stronger, and you see it on the ice.

“He’s got a good shot. Just watching it here (in camp), he’s got a little extra zip on it, a little zing. He’s firing it real hard.”

In 2011, Rask came to the Canes’ rookie camp as something of an unknown. There were some questions raised about him by NHL scouts before the draft, centering on him playing for Leksand in the Swedish second division but requesting to drop down and play with the Leksand junior team.

Rask was the 12th-ranked European skater heading into the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. In the eyes of the Canes, he has done everything right since his draft day.

Rask may be ready for the jump to the NHL. The Canes might have two young Swedes in the lineup.

“I think everybody has a good opportunity,” Rask said. “You have to go out there and prove yourself. I want to have a good summer and a good (training) camp in September and see what happens.”

News Observer LOADED: 07.18.2013

714541 Chicago Blackhawks

NHL on board for Olympics

By Chris Kuc

9:00 PM CDT, July 17, 2013

It figures to be a busy — and important — week for the NHL.

The league is expected to announce its players will participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, next February.

On the heels of that announcement, which could come as soon as Thursday if the NHL, its players' association, the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation can work out the final details, will be the release of the 2013-14 regular-season schedule.

It's likely the schedule will be released the same day as the Olympic announcement and will provide an intriguing look at how the NHL will shut down for the Games and also showcase life after NHL realignment, where each team will face every other in a set of home-and-home games.

"I expect both issues will be dealt with this week," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in an email to the Tribune regarding Olympic participation and the schedule.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is on the Team USA advisory committee and said last week, "Last time (in 2010 in Vancouver), it was a two- or three-week break in February. I would anticipate something similar."

The Hawks figure to be well represented in the Olympics, with center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Duncan Keith likely locks to play for Team Canada and goaltender Corey Crawford a strong candidate to be on the roster. Add in Patrick Kane for the United States and Marian Hossa for Slovakia along with Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marcus Kruger possibilities for Sweden, among others.

In 2010, Toews, Keith and Brent Seabrook were members of the gold-medal winning squad for Canada while Kane earned silver with Team USA and Hossa and Tomas Kopecky were on fourth-place Slovakia. Despite the three-week break from the NHL schedule and the rigors of the Olympic tournament, the Hawks went on to capture the Stanley Cup in June.

"It's certainly an honor if you have a lot of players chosen," Bowman said. "(But) it can go both ways. Some people think it would be better to have everyone resting during that time period. The other side is you have these guys playing at a very high level against the best players in the world so when the NHL starts up (again) they're in top shape and top form.

"The benefits outweigh the negatives. … It's good for us to have that mixture of players who are getting their rest as well as players who are playing so that when we start up we're ready to go."

• The Hawks agreed to terms with forward Kyle Beach on a one-year contract. Their first-round pick (11th overall) in the '08 NHL draft had 16 goals, 10 assists and 204 penalty minutes in 66 games with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs last season.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.18.2013

714542 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks ink one-year deal with Beach

Tribune report

12:33 PM CDT, July 17, 2013

The Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Kyle Beach on a one-year contract, the team announced today.

Beach, 23, earned 26 points in 66 regular-season games with the Rockford IceHogs in 2012-13 and led the team with a career-high 204 penalty minutes.

Beach was originally selected by Chicago in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.18.2013

714543 Chicago Blackhawks

NHL nears decisions on Olympics, 2013-14 schedule

By Chris Kuc

9:34 AM CDT, July 17, 2013

It figures to be a busy — and important — week for the NHL.

The league is expected to announce that players will participate in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games to be held in Sochi, Russia, next February.

On the heels of that announcement, which could come as soon as Wednesday, will be the release of the 2013-14 regular-season schedule. That will provide an intriguing look at how the NHL will shut down for the Olympics and also showcase life after NHL realignment, where each team will face every other in a set of home-and-home games.

“I expect both issues will be dealt with this week,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail to the Tribune regarding Olympic participation and the schedule.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is on the Team USA advisory committee and said last week, “I think they’re getting close to the announcement. I know that they’re working close. There are some little things not quite worked out.

“If the NHL is going to participate, the NHL schedules would reflect that,” Bowman added. “Last time (in 2010 in Vancouver), it was a two- or three-week break in February. I would anticipate something similar. We don’t have a definitive timeline on that yet. Looking back at the way it was the last couple of times, it was usually two to three weeks when the NHL shuts down and the Olympics take over.”

The Hawks figure to be well represented in the Olympics, with center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Duncan Keith likely locks to play for Team Canada and goaltender Corey Crawford a strong candidate to be on the roster. Add in Patrick Kane for the United States and Marian Hossa for Slovakia along with Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marcus Kruger possibilities for Sweden, among others.

In 2010, Toews, Keith and Brent Seabrook were members of the gold-medal winning squad for Canada while Kane earned silver with Team USA and Hossa and Tomas Kopecky were on fourth-place Slovakia. Despite the three-week break from the NHL schedule and the rigors of the Olympic tournament, the Hawks went on to capture the Stanley Cup in June of ’10.

“I think it’s certainly an honor if you have a lot of players chosen,” Bowman said. “It just shows you have some high-performing players on your team. It can go both ways. Some people think it would be better to have everyone resting during that time period. The other side is you have these guys playing at a very high level and they’re playing against the best players in the world so when they come back and the NHL starts up they’re in top shape and top form. The benefits outweigh the negatives of having a lot of players involved. It’s an honor we have some guys who are candidates. (And) we have some guys we know will be on the team. It’s good for us to have that mixture of players who are getting their rest as well as players who are playing so that when we start up we’re ready to go.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.18.2013

714544 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ 1961 Stanley Cup banner sells for $38,000

By Associated Press

A 52-year-old original Blackhawks Stanley Cup championship banner has sold at an auction for $37,500.

The Southtown Star reports the 12-foot-long banner fetched more than expected during Tuesday night's five-minute-long auction at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers of Chicago.

The banner from 1961 once hung from the rafters at the old Chicago Stadium, before the owner of a suburban Chicago sports bar bought it an auction in 1994 for $15,000. It's been in hanging in the bar ever since.

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 1961, winning the series over the Detroit Red Wings 4-2. The team was led by Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. Today a replica of the banner hangs in the United Center.

The auction house says the 12-foot-long banner is in good shape, with only a few stains.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.18.2013

714545 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks 1961 Stanley Cup banner goes for big bucks

July 17, 2013, 11:15 am

Nina Falcone

Inside an auction house arrived a 52-year-old, 12-foot banner. It was "in good shape, with only a few stains," the auction house claimed.

That slightly stained banner sold on Tuesday for $37,500. It also happened to be the Blackhawks' original 1961 Stanley Cup banner.

Back in the day, the banner hung in the rafters at the old Chicago Stadium before a suburban bar owner bought it in an auction for $15,000 in 1994. Now it belongs to a mystery bidder that claimed the banner for his/her own at the Leslie Hindman Auctioneers of Chicago for the low cost of, well, a starting salary. Today, a replica banner hangs inside the United Center and will soon be joined by the Blackhawks' 2013 Stanley Cup banner.

Speaking of 2013 Stanley Cup banners, just imagine how much that one would go for...