- Kukla’s Korner providing link to TMZ story: TMZ as learned that Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek “allegedly punched a woman in the face at an L.A. nightclub earlier this month.”
Law enforcement sources tell us … the 28-year-old defensive powerhouse was named in a police report filed by a woman who claims the whole thing went down after Komisarek decided to lift her up in the air at a Hollywood nightclub.
We’re told the woman claims she demanded Komisarek put her down — but he refused — so she slapped him in the face.
The woman claims Komisarek immediately set her down … and then punched her in the face, causing her to bleed.
The woman claims Komisarek left the club … so she went to the cops.
- George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press: The Red Wings welcomed 3 injured players back to practice yesterday, Danny Cleary, Mike Modano and Pavel Datsyuk. Cleary and Datsyuk are expected to be back in the Wings lineup on Feb. 2. Modano is expected to be out until March. The Wings recalled goalie Jordan Pearce and sent down Joey MacDonald.
- Bruce Garrioch via twitter: After a 7-1 loss, the end may be here for Senators coach Cory Clouston. There is one game left before the all-star break, so the timing could be perfect. The players know something could be happening soon. Garrioch thinks the Sens could put a claim on Evgeni Nabokov to help their “woeful goaltending situation.” Elliott Friedman in a series of tweets said he’d claim Nabokov if he were the Sens. Scott Morrison thinks there could be several teams interested in make a claim. Pierre LeBrun has also heard that several teams could be interested. LeBrun added that if a team claimed him, they could not turn around and trade him, he would have to go through waivers before he could be traded. Ansar Khan of MLive: Teams that could put a claim on Nabokov could be Senators, Islanders (shot down yesterday), Sharks, or possibly teams looking for a backup Kings, Coyotes, Ducks, Blues, Flames and Hurricanes.(If I’m the Senators, I don’t make a claim. Their season is basically lost and they don’t have a shot to the playoffs. They’ll get a high draft pick in the #3-7 range, why try to improve to the #7-12 range. Though there is not guarantee he could help them out that much. Time to clear house and rebuild.)
- Craig Custance of the Sporting News: Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman shoots down the rumors that they might trade soon to be RFA Brent Seabrook. “There’s no truth to that at all. He’s been dynamite for us here,” Bowman told Sporting News. “We’re trying to re-sign him.” Talks are talking place, “I wouldn’t say we’re close to closing it but we’re talking more frequently. We’re working through it,” Bowman said. “It’s good dialogue. He wants to be here, we want him here. We have to try and make it work.”
- Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly: The Flyers continue to move along without saying who there number one goalie is. Sergei Bobrovsky has played 30 games and Brian Boucher has played 19 games, but Boucher has played more in the past month or so. The Flyers will at some point have to name a #1, “We’re a long way from the playoffs and still trying to sort things out,” said goalie coach Jeff Reese. “As cliché as it sounds, we are going one game at a time.” Boucher is expected to start tonight and Bobrovsky could go tomorrow.
- Will DePaoli via twitter: There haven’t been any contract talks between the Penguins and Tyler Kennedy.