- Nicholas Cotsonika: Martin Brodeur is skating three or four times a week and has not set a deadline date.
“I’m here if somebody needs me,” Brodeur said. “I’m going to keep myself ready. Whatever happens, I don’t need to make a decision. I don’t want to cheat myself of any opportunities if it happens later on. I’m just taking it day by day.”
Brodeur said he has spoken with Hockey Canada about the Spengler Cup, but he hopes to be in the NHL instead. On a role he’s willing to accept to get back into the NHL.
“I’m willing to play any kind of role that will be offered to me to a certain extent – in the right fit, in the right market,” Brodeur said. “For me, it’s not about ego or anything. I just love to play the game. I know I could help a team out somehow, and I just want to try to get an opportunity. The role will be the role that will be assigned to me.”
- Chris Johnston of Sportsnet: There is talk that the 2016 World Cup of Hockey could feature six countries (Canada, U.S., Sweden, Finland, Russia and Czech Republic) as well as two all-star teams. The first all-star teams would include players from the remaining European countries (Slovakia, Switzerland, Latvia, Germany and Slovenia, among others). The other all-star team is still being discussed. One idea is a top young stars team. A World Cup of Hockey in Toronto could generate as much as $100 million for the owners and players.
- Craig Custance: Gary Bettman on advertising on jerseys: “I don’t love the trend. It’s not something we want to run off and do.” Chris Johnston: Bettman doesn’t like logos on jersey. Would go there “if everybody’s doing it and there’s boatloads of money.”
- Nichols on Hockey: Darren Dreger on TSN 1260 on Ryan O’Reilly.
“Well, Ryan O’Reilly leaps off the page for me. And I can’t imagine the Oilers wouldn’t be interested. But here’s a news flash – there’s probably about 20 other teams that also have considerable interest.
“The asterisk beside that statement though is how much is Ryan O’Reilly going to cost in the future? And is he going to be worth the money? He’s a No. 2 centre. That’s what he is. On good teams, on bad teams – that’s what he is. But when you start creeping well above the $6 million mark, it gets a little bit dicey for a No. 2 guy. Do you need more than that? And maybe that’s enough for Edmonton. I don’t know.
“I know that historically the Winnipeg Jets have been keenly interested. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been keenly interested. So those are just Canadian teams, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of those around the American market who also might be showing some interest.
“And this is less about O’Reilly for me and more about a miscalculation on Colorado in letting Stastny go. I think that’s a big part of why this team is so slow out of the gate, etc.. So how do you fix that when you make mistakes like that? And I’m not throwing it at the feet of Joe Sakic or Patrick Roy. This happens all the time. These decisions are motivated by finances, right? You can’t keep all of these players. And they recognized that they weren’t going to be able to make it work with Stastny, or at least based on the dynamic that they wanted to go.
“But Ryan O’Reilly’s name is out there in terms of media speculation. I don’t know that Colorado is at a place yet where they’re willing to consider that.”