New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard passed away last night at the age 28. He was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment by his brothers. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune writes and excellent piece about the Boogeyman and is a must read. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the his family and friends.
- T.J. Pignataro of the Buffalo News: Former Buffalo Sabres and current ESPN/TSN analyst will be arraigned this morning on multiple charges from a domestic violence incident. He’s being charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespass, harassment, criminal contempt and aggravated harassment.
- Chris Johnston of the Globe and Mail: Ken Hitchcock is ready to coach in the NHL again. 5 teams are currently looking for a new head coach. He has been linked to the New Jersey devils. Also looking for a head coach are Ottawa, Minnesota, Dallas and Florida.
- Andy Strickland via twitter: Strickland has been told that Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood will likely retire before next year.
- Greg Krupa of the Detroit News: Krupa thinks the biggest need for the Red Wings this off-season is add some scoring. The best UFA fits may be Marco Sturm, Radim Vrbata and Brooks Laich, with Laich probably being the best fit.
- Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo! Sports: Whether or not Alexander Radulov returns to the NHL next season is still unknown. Chesnokov thinks it’s a real possibility that he’ll be back with the Predators next year. He was the KHL MVP last year, and won the championship this year. He plays for Salavat Yulaev, and the team has been backed by the local government in the oil rich region of the Republic of Bashkortostan. But the financial backing “will be cut considerably.” KHL teams rely on sponsorship and other fundings as gate receipts don’t generate a lot. KHL contracts are not guaranteed, both the player or team can terminate at any time. “KHL contracts don’t contain “out” clauses.” With the financial situation in Salavat, it’s likely both sides could reach a mutual agreement to terminate the contact. 11 other players won’t be returning to the team.
