Sport-scan daily brief

715863 Miller: We wait and wonder how close the Finnish line is

715864 Selanne meets with Boudreau to discuss role

715865 Selanne meeting today with Ducks

715866 Patrice Bergeron says he’ll be set for Bruins’ camp

715867 Brad Marchand ‘honored’ by Team Canada camp invite

715868 Jarome Iginla gets head start with new team

715869 Jarome Iginla in the house

715870 Burke: US won’t be an underdog at Sochi 2012 Winter Games

715871 Hawks' Sharp ready to answer Team Canada's call

715872 Crawford excited to be in Team Canada mix

715873 Gold medal close second to Stanley Cup

715874 Bryan Bickell's day with the Stanley Cup

715875 Hockey News: Blues to win the cup

715876 Kane, Saad added to 'awkward' Team USA photo list

Dallas Stars

715877 Player profile: Rich Peverley may have found his fit in the Dallas Stars

715878 Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn: 'It definitely feels different around here'

Detroit Red Wings

715879 Detroit Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist's finesse style best suited for third line

715880 Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader says Olympic opportunity provides added motivation

Edmonton Oilers

715881 Linus Omark rejoins Edmonton Oilers in attempt to get back to NHL

715882 Oilers make strong depth signing, bring back Linus Omark

715883 Edmonton Oilers in need of Penner-like wingers who can make tough plays at the net

715884 Edmonton Oilers sign hot-and-cold Linus Omark to a one-year contract

Florida Panthers

715885 Sources differ as to whether Panthers minority owner knowingly invested in porn sites

715886 Hello Neighbors: Calgary Flames

715887 Olympic hockey camp filled with Minnesotans thrilled to be there

715888 Parises have twins on the way

715889 Projecting the 2014 U.S. Olympic men's hockey roster

715890 Wild announces TV schedule

715891 Minnesota Wild sets up agreement to send prospects to Quad City team

715892 Minnesota Wild: NBC Sports Network will televise 12 games

Montreal Canadiens

715893 Duhatschek: Stop worrying about Canada’s goalies

715894 Habs’ Gallagher happy to be at rookie showcase after not being invited last year

715895 Canada’s powerhouse junior team of 2005 well represented at Olympic camp

715896 Gallagher happy to be at rookie showcase

Canadiens cont'd

715897 ‘I’m taking nothing for granted,’ Gallagher says heading into second season

715898 U.S. hockey's Brian Burke says Russian anti-gay law 'repugnant'

715899 Devils, Adam Henrique agree on six-year, $24 million contract

715900 Devils' Cory Schneider doesn't view himself as replacement for Martin Brodeur

715901 Kyle Okposo aims for spot on U.S. Olympic team

715903 SEE IT: Nike unveils new USA hockey sweaters for 2014 Sochi Olympics

715904 Team USA wants 2014 Olympic roster to be full of fast, young talented players

Ottawa Senators

715905 Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil says summer fun over, time to get back to business

715906 It has been a summer of change for Bobby Ryan

Philadelphia Flyers

715907 Growth spurt in USA hockey

715908 Timonen: 'I'm not sure' if this is my last season

Pittsburgh Penguins

715909 Olympic challenge daunting, exciting for Penguins coach Bylsma

715910 Sharks notes: Players welcome Olympic challenge

715911 Pietrangelo remains optimistic about new contract

715912 Phil Kessel still unsure about future with Maple Leafs

715913 Dion Phaneuf enjoying being back in Olympic fold

715914 Maple Leafs prospect Tyler Biggs glad he is mullet-free for his first hockey card

715915 Maple Leafs’ Jay McClement excited about team’s new identity

Vancouver Canucks

715918 Gallagher: Time for Luongo to cut the diva routine

715919 No big-ice excuses for U.S. GM Poile

715920 Ryan Miller has something to prove

715921 Canada's no-ice practices a success

715922 Canada's young stars going for gold

715923 What if Henrik Lundqvist doesn’t return to New York?

715924 Benn wants to ‘kind of shove it in their face’ over Canada camp snub

715925 Brad Richards is the Rangers’ X-factor

715926 Kessel and Leafs haven’t talked contract, won’t negotiate in-season

715927 NBCSports.com / Stepan on contract negotiations: ‘These things take time’

715928 NBCSports.com / Surprise! Oilers bring back Omark on one-year deal

Websites

715929 NBCSports.com / Staal says no issues with eye, will be ready for Rangers camp

715930 NBCSports.com / Skipping camp won’t hurt Giroux’s Olympic chances, says Yzerman

715931 NBCSports.com / Rangers captain Callahan says no setbacks after shoulder surgery

715932 USA TODAY / Questions and answers about U.S. Olympic hockey team

715933 YAHOO SPORTS / 2014 Olympics: Canada’s goalie will be the guy who gets hot at the right time

715916 Ladd has skills he could add to Canada

715917 Model roles Jets fuel Team USA

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

715863 Anaheim Ducks

Miller: We wait and wonder how close the Finnish line is

By JEFF MILLER

The night was full of memories, tributes and jokes, mostly jokes.

Like this one: When Teemu Selanne joined the Ducks during the 1995-96 season, he arrived with an appetite for goals … and everything else.

Article Tab: JpgThe future of Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne has been one of the NHL's biggest talking points this summer.

The future of Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne has been one of the NHL's biggest talking points this summer.

On his first night with the team, Selanne and a few of the Ducks went to dinner. He pretty much ordered both sides of the menu.

“We all sort of looked at each other like ‘This is the Finnish Flash?’” former teammate Guy Hebert said. “Teemu can really put away the groceries.”

The next day, seeing Selanne walk around the locker room shirtless, then-Coach Ron Wilson said, “Looks like we traded for the Fat Finn.”

Selanne, of course, played his way back into shape and, 18 years later and at age 43, is now either diligently working toward another NHL season or clumsily sliding into retirement.

A final announcement might come this week. Then again, next week is almost here already and, after two decades in the league, what’s the big rush now?

Selanne was honored recently as sportsman of the year by the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation. There was a silent auction, a dinner, a roast of Selanne and, at the very end, a standing ovation.

Almost everyone loves this guy and understandably so. The salads were still chilled last week when the first shout of “One more year!” was heard. Several similar shouts would follow through the course of the evening.

When Selanne’s turn to talk finally arrived, after hearing for nearly two hours about how great he is, he opened by saying, “First off, don’t believe all this (expletive).”

Too bad Selanne’s future isn’t as clear as the feelings of those – meaning almost everyone – who want him to return.

Never before has this annual decision been so cloudy, which explains why the process of reaching a conclusion has dragged on this long.

For the Ducks, this is the first time it genuinely could be argued that the team might be better off without him. For Selanne, this is the first time he genuinely can’t be sure he has a significant role with the Ducks.

Selanne, who knows he can still score given enough ice time and help, really wanted the team to acquire another accomplished center with whom he could consistently team up. By the end of last season, he lacked the on-ice chemistry and regular shifts necessary for him to be productive.

Privately, Selanne was rooting for a reunion with Andy McDonald. The former Duck, however, was forced to retire in June because of lingering concussion issues.

Now that the Ducks haven’t picked up the sort of player Selanne was hoping for, he’s probably looking at a reduced role, playing for a coach in Bruce Boudreau who already has proved he’ll cut Selanne’s time, even on the power play.

Though he was very good at the start of last season, Selanne’s performance faded as the compacted, lockout-squeezed schedule added up. In the playoffs, he had a few moments that were very unlike a natural scorer bound for the Hall of Fame.

Still, though, he is Teemu Selanne – fourth on the team in goals in 2012-13 – and the Ducks know they’ll already be without the proven offense of the traded-away Bobby Ryan.

The playing time that would go to Selanne likely instead would fall to one of the team’s younger forwards. We all saw what happened last spring when players like Emerson Etem and Kyle Palmieri were given more chances. In case you’ve forgotten, they blossomed, blossomed as beautifully as anything does in spring.

But know what can be dangerous in the NHL? Counting on offensive production from young players.

This league isn’t easily mastered, and one stellar stretch doesn’t guarantee anything the next time a full 82-game season beckons.

All this means the Ducks might need Selanne unless things develop differently and, a month or two into the season, everyone wakes up one day to realize the team and its living legend are stuck with each other.

Selanne’s departure from the NHL could be many things but awkward shouldn’t be one of the options.

See, mostly cloudy, with a chance of strain.

Meanwhile, those close to Selanne can only do what the rest of us are doing – shrug, wonder and wait.

“When everybody asks you or talks to you about hockey, it’s always, ‘Is Teemu coming back?’” Corey Perry told NHL.com on Tuesday. “I don’t have an answer for them, but I’m curious as well to know what’s going on, what’s going through his mind, what does he want to do?”

Selanne wants to play but only if he has a role worthy of someone in his position. The Ducks would like Selanne to play but aren’t sure they need him to play.

So, a celebrated eater is left trying to figure out this: Is there enough hunger here for one more season?

Orange County Register: LOADED: 08.28.2013

715864 Anaheim Ducks

Selanne meets with Boudreau to discuss role

By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Teemu Selanne got together with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau on Tuesday in a meeting that could further determine whether the winger will return to the club to play a 21st NHL season.

Selanne said on multiple occasions last week that he wanted to talk with Boudreau and General Manager Bob Murray before making a final decision on his playing future.

It is believed that only Boudreau was involved in the afternoon face-to-face chat, which Selanne first confirmed would take place to the Register. The two were set to hammer out how the winger will be handled in terms of where he would fit with the Ducks to begin the upcoming season.

Neither responded to inquiries about the meeting Tuesday night.

A one-year contract for the free agent Selanne is expected to be worked out soon if all the parties can agree on how he will be used and the ways in which he can be rested in order to keep him fresh over an 82-game NHL schedule.

If there is an accord, the Ducks could make an announcement within the next 24-48 hours. Selanne has been skating and working out in preparation for the season and has not hid his primary desire to rejoin the Ducks.

Selanne, 43, met with Boudreau for the first time since the spring shortly after the Ducks were the eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by Detroit. He talked with Murray often during the summer and again recently, with the two appearing to be on the same page.

If he does return to the Ducks, Selanne is likely to announce that it will be his final season. He is 11th on the NHL's all-time goal scoring list with 675 and 15th on the points list with 1,430.

Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa said he's “99 percent sure” he'll again have Selanne as a teammate. Sbisa has been skating in recent workout sessions with Selanne, and the two took part in Saturday's Fedorin Cup charity hockey game at Anaheim Ice.

“I've asked him about five times,” Sbisa said. “You want to play? You got to play. And he's like, 'I don't know.' We'll see. But I'm 99 percent sure he's going to play.

“I think he's got one more year for sure. But it's up to him.”

Corey Perry is another Ducks teammate eagerly awaiting a decision and firmly believes Selanne can be a contributor.

“(He can) still score goals and he can still skate,” Perry told NHL.com at the Team Canada Olympic orientation camp Tuesday in Calgary. “He's a guy that can score from anywhere and he can help the power play out for sure.

“Especially this year, with losing Bobby (Ryan), and if (Teemu) doesn't come back, there's 40 or more goals right there that you've got to make up somehow,” Perry continued. “They've done a good job in what they got back for Bobby, but just losing those two guys would definitely hurt the offense.”

ROOKIE GAMES

Prospects for the Ducks and Kings will face each other in two contests early next month that will be part of rookie camps both teams are conducting.

The teams will play Sept. 7 at Honda Center in what is being billed as the So Cal Hockey Futures Game. Start time is 6 p.m. and the game and parking are free to the public with concessions also open and available.

Ducks prospects expected to participate include goaltender John Gibson, forward Rickard Rakell, 2013 first-round pick Shea Theodore and 2012 first-round pick Hampus Lindholm. Full rosters will be released at a later time.

Players will also stick around for an autograph session after the contest.

Both squads will also meet on Sept. 9 at Toyota Sports Center, the Kings' practice facility. Game time is also at 6 p.m.

The Ducks will open their rookie camp Sept. 4 while the Kings will open theirs the following day. All Ducks camp sessions will be at Honda Center and open to the public.

Both teams are expected to open their full training camps Sept. 12.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 08.28.2013

715865 Anaheim Ducks

Selanne meeting today with Ducks

August 27th, 2013, 11:22 am ·

posted by ERIC STEPHENS

Teemu Selanne will get together with the Ducks on Tuesday afternoon in a meeting that could determine whether the winger will return to the club and play a 21st NHL season.

Selanne said on multiple occasions last week that he wanted to meet with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau and General Manager Bob Murray before making a final decision on his playing future.

Selanne, 43, confirmed to the Register on Tuesday morning that an afternoon meeting will take place. It is believed to be with Boudreau as the two will hammer out how the winger will be handled in terms of where he fits with the Ducks to begin the upcoming season.

A one-year contract for the free agent is expected to be worked out in short order if all the parties can agree on how Selanne will be used and the ways in which he can be rested in order to keep him fresh over an 82-game NHL schedule.

Selanne is meeting with Boudreau for the first time since the spring shortly after the Ducks were the eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by Detroit. He talked with Murray often during the summer and the two appear to be on the same page.

If he does make official his return to the Ducks, Selanne is likely to announce that it will be his final season. He is 11th on the NHL's all-time goal scoring list with 675 and 15th on the points list with 1,430.

Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa said he's "99 percent sure" he'll again have Selanne as a teammate. Sbisa has been skating in recent workout sessions with Selanne and the two took part in Saturday's Fedorin Cup charity hockey game at Anaheim Ice.

"I've asked him about five times," Sbisa said. "You want to play? You got to play. And he's like, 'I don't know.' We'll see. But I'm 99 percent sure he's going to play.

"I think he's got one more year for sure. But it's up to him."

Corey Perry is another Ducks teammate eagerly awaiting a decision and firmly believes Selanne can be a contributor.

"[He can] still score goals and he can still skate," Perry told NHL.com's Dan Rosen at the Team Canada Olympic orientation camp Tuesday in Calgary. "He's a guy that can score from anywhere and he can help the power play out for sure.

"Especially this year, with losing Bobby [Ryan], and if [Teemu] doesn't come back, there's 40 or more goals right there that you've got to make up somehow," Perry continued. "They've done a good job in what they got back for Bobby, but just losing those two guys would definitely hurt the offense."

Orange County Register: LOADED: 08.28.2013

715866 Boston Bruins

Patrice Bergeron says he’ll be set for Bruins’ camp

By Amalie Benjamin

August 28, 2013

CALGARY — It would needle him, each time he would catch a reminder on TV. It would gnaw at him, each time someone mentioned the loss or Game 6 or the way the Bruins’ season ended.

“After a while, it doesn’t do any good to keep thinking about it,” Patrice Bergeron said. “After a while, you have to turn the page and get ready for the next season.”

And for Bergeron, that was a bit different than usual. The Bruins center — who spent the last three days in Calgary participating in Team Canada’s orientation camp — had to back off, given the injuries that limited him in the final games of the Stanley Cup series against the Blackhawks. He had to rest. He had to rehab. He had to manage a program that would get him back on the ice by the start of training camp, a goal that he seems ready to accomplish.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine,” Bergeron said. “I’m hoping I’ll be fine. I’m feeling good. It took me longer to start my workout program and all that, but I had to take the time to heal and be ready.

“It was hard to not work out and to rest, but at the same time I was doing some rehab and trying to do some maintaining things in my upper body or my legs — I was trying to manage whatever I could do to stay in shape, I guess.”

He appeared to move well in the Team Canada drills, though, of course, those weren’t on ice. Because of insurance issues, Team Canada was forced to improvise, resulting in days of ball hockey walk-throughs.

“It’s good to see that he’s almost fully recovered,” Bruins teammate Milan Lucic said. “I don’t know if he’s totally recovered, but he’s probably 99 percent. It’s pretty crazy and amazing that he played through what he went through. I didn’t really know it was that bad, but I saw him in pain.”

That pain has mostly gone, though Bergeron said that some tenderness remains in his rib cage area.

“Lately I’ve been able to do pretty much everything,’’ he said. “There’s only a couple rotations when you’re using your core that it catches me. But, honestly, it’s been pretty good.”

It took Bergeron four or five weeks to get back to working out. He’s been going on the ice for the last two or three weeks, skating two or three times per week. He said he’s “100 percent positive” he’ll be on the ice for the start of training camp.

His plans for the two weeks until camp starts? “Keep healing that area, but at the same time keep pushing myself to be in the best shape I can with the circumstances, but also with the time that we have,” he said.

For Bergeron, the last few days have been a new experience. The center was part of Team Canada when it won the gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, but he wasn’t at the orientation camp. Bergeron was the only player chosen to go who wasn’t invited to the camp.

“I kept watching games, other teams playing, watching other players, and Patrice stood out to me in a lot of the little things that he did,” said Steve Yzerman, the executive director of Team Canada, referring to 2010. “[I thought] he might be really good in this role: right-shot centerman, penalty-killer, win faceoffs. When it came [time] to put the team together, I felt like, you know what, he fits what I’m trying to do.”

Bergeron might be a lock to make Team Canada this time around. And he said he was glad to get the chance to meet his potential future teammates, to get a jump-start on the plans for the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

“It’s been positive, and there’s lots to learn,” Bergeron said. “But at the same time it remains hockey and it comes down to being pretty simple at the end of the day, so once we all get a feel of what the system is, it helps everyone.

“I think you just adjust quickly as a professional. But at the same time it would have been nice to know the system early on from the summer and having a chance to just think about it a bit. But this time I do have the chance, so hopefully I have a good start of the season and can crack the team.”

Said Lucic, “He’s shown in the past in world juniors and world championships what type of player he can be on the big ice and how he plays for Team Canada. He’s good on both sides of the puck. We all know how responsible he is defensively and also he’s able to chip in with offense as well. No matter where he fits in on the team, he’s going to be a big part of it.”

But Bergeron will have to put thoughts of Team Canada aside when he returns to Boston. For now, it’s back to the Bruins, back to the NHL, back to getting ready for a season in which his team wants to improve on that 2013 finish.

He knows that playing well for the Bruins will help his chances to land in Sochi. So that’s the plan.

That, and trying to get past what happened in June.

“I ended up with a bitter feeling,” Bergeron said. “It’s hard to swallow, but at the same time we’ve definitely accomplished some great things as a team. But when you finish second, it’s obviously not what you want. It’s even tougher than not making the playoffs or losing in the first round because you’re so close to the goal.

“That being said, we have to look at this year, learn from what happened, but also try to press the reset button and be ready for a new fresh start and make sure we’re ready for a long season.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 08.28.2013

715867 Boston Bruins

Brad Marchand ‘honored’ by Team Canada camp invite

By Amalie Benjamin

August 27, 2013

CALGARY, Alberta — Brad Marchand is not known for keeping his thoughts to himself. The Bruins winger almost always has a quote or a quip or a point to make. But when he received a call from Steve Yzerman, executive director of Team Canada, Marchand couldn’t form so much as a word.

“I didn’t know what to say when he called,” Marchand said Monday after a rousing game of ball hockey at Team Canada’s orientation camp at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park. “He said it was Steve Yzerman, and I just kind of paused. I didn’t know what to say.”

It wasn’t a phone call Marchand ever expected to receive.

“I don’t think I can really explain it,” he said. “I never thought I’d have the opportunity to be here and be part of the selection camp, to be looked at. I was very shocked when I saw my name was on the list and I got the call, but I’m very honored and I plan on doing whatever I can to make sure I give myself the best possible opportunity.”