JoAnne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal: Interview with Oilers GM Craig MacTavish, on if he’s spoken with Ales Hemsky or his agent about coming to camp knowing the team has been trying to trade him.
“I have spoken to Ales and (agent) Jiri Chra. These things happen in the game of hockey and we may be the beneficiary … We all know how good he is and we all know what an impact he had the last time the Oilers made the playoffs. We’re hopeful given this new environment and a more competitive team, I believe going forward, that it’s really going to play to Ales’ skill set and his ability to help us.”
The Fourth Period: In an interview with hokej.cz, Jaromir Jagr said it could be his last season.
“It may be my last season and I want to do everything possible to be successful,” Jagr said.
Four teams were interested in him before he signed with the Devils. With Ilya Kovalchuk retiring, it opened up a top-six spot with the Devils.
“I love hockey, and when you love something, you want to do it at the highest level, and that is the NHL,” said Jagr, who will play in his 20th NHL season this fall. “If you love something, age is not important. It’s just a number.”
The Fourth Period: Former NHLer and current KHLer, Nikolai Zherdev, partied a little too much after he received a new contract. He crashed his Bentley, got into a bar fight in a Moscow hotel bar and lost his passport. His wife is also believed to be filing for a divorce.
Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge: Radek Faksa, the Stars 13th overall pick in 2012 will spend another season in junior.
“He’ll spend the summer here with us (training), go to Traverse City (for the NHL Prospects Tournament), go to training camp and then go back to Kitchener, which is good because that’s where he should be,” said Jackson. “He’s going to get a lot of ice there, he and the coach have a good relationship and I suspect he will take a big step next year.”
Joe Yerdon of Pro Hockey Talk: (citing a Mike Sunnucks article in the Phoenix Business Journal) Reporting that some of the Renaissance Sports and Entertainment (Ice Arizona) finances to purchase the Coyotes have fallen through. Two sources said that some of the funding hasn’t been finalized or has been dropped from the deal. They have until August 5th to finalize the deal. Daryl Jones, one member of the group tweeted that the report of finance issues “is categorically wrong, #HereToStay”
