'Andy' gets well-deserved day off

Photo of Peter Budaj by Getty Images

The Streak ends Wednesday night for Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson, who has started all 15 of the team's games.

It isn't that Anderson hasn't been playing well. He has, despite back-to-back losses to San Jose and Vancouver last weekend.

But he could use a rest and Peter Budaj needs to shake the cobwebs and rust off, and get into a game for the first time. Budaj has been given the nod to play against another surprisingly-successful team, the Phoenix Coyotes, at the Pepsi Center.

Budaj was scheduled to make his first start back on Oct. 23 when the Avalanche played Carolina at the Pepsi Center, but he came down with the flu, and it turned out to be the H1N1 virus (swine flu).

Budaj regained his health and joined the Avalanche for the games against the Sharks and Canucks but served as Anderson's backup.

"He deserves the opportunity,” coach Joe Sacco said today of Budaj. "Craig has played, as we all know, extremely well for us. I think it’s the right time right now to give Craig a rest and get Peter in there."

It'll be interesting to see how Avalanche fans react to Budaj, who is coming off a poor season in which he had the worst record of his NHL career when the team sank to the Western Conference basement.

Anderson was the NHL's Player of the Month for October when he tied a league record for the most wins by a goalie in that month (10), posted two shutouts and had a goals-against average of 2.04 and a .939 save percentage.

Anderson, who signed as a free agent in July, has become a popular figure in town, which puts more pressure on Budaj to excel. The boos are certain to come raining down from the stands if Budaj allows a soft goal or two.

This is an especially important season debut for Budaj, and a significant homestand for the Avalanche, which has gotten off to a 10-3-2 start despite playing 11 times on the road.

The Avalanche needs to prove that its start isn't a fluke. The Avalanche also needs to show fans disenchanted by last year's poor showing that it's worth purchasing tickets to watch the team play.

This homestand, which includes games against Chicago and Edmonton, could go a long way in doing that, and it all starts with Budaj in goal against the Coyotes.

Anderson could join US Olympic mix

The 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver are still four months away, giving a handful of hockey players who weren't invited to the U.S. orientation camp over the summer plenty of time to impress the powers that be enough to earn spots on the Olympic team.

One of them could be Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson, who is from Park Ridge, Ill., and makes his offseason home in Chicago.

Anderson isn't thinking a whole lot about the Olympic team at the moment, but he has to be opening some eyes in the American camp, including those of Olympic team general manager Brian Burke.

Burke, who also is GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, watched Anderson make 30 saves against his team earlier this month at the Air Canada Centre when the Avalanche skated to a 4-1 win.

Anderson has continued his extraordinary play, starting all 11 of the Avalanche's games -- he'll be in the crease again Tuesday night when Colorado visits Edmonton -- while posting an 8-1-2 record with a 2.14 goals-against average and .936 save percentage.

Anderson's numbers certainly stack up well with the three goalies who took part in the orientation camp: Buffalo's Ryan Miller (6-0-1, 1.69, .940); Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick (8-3-0, 2.91, .897) and Boston's Tim Thomas (4-3-0), 2.97, .902).

"I'm getting wins, and that's all that really matters," Anderson said. "The goal is to get 'W's' and try to find a way to win, and right now I'm seeing the puck well and the guys are getting goals for me. I'm just doing my job, and my job is to stop the puck."

St. Louis' Ty Conklin (2-1-0, 2.40, .918) is another possibility. He won 25 games with Detroit last season, and it was a surprise when he wasn't invited to the orientation camp.

This much is certain: it looks like the Americans, while decided underdogs in Vancouver, should be pretty solid in goal.

Canada deserves more NHL teams

Hard to argue with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who would like to see more NHL teams in the land of the maple leaf.

Canadian fans watched two franchises relocate to the U.S. -- Quebec to Denver and Winnipeg to Phoenix (now Glendale, Ariz.) -- in the mid 1990s, and BlackBerry mogul Jim Balsillie was thwarted in his attempts at bringing an American franchise to Hamilton, Ontario.

You probably could build a hockey rink in the middle of nowhere in Canada, and the team would sell out every game.

Of course, a fan base has never been the problem in Canada. The Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets did very well, thank you, drawing fans to their respective arenas.

But the problems were two-fold: both cities had antiquated buildings, and the teams didn't have enough corporate support.

That isn't necessarily the case today.

The old Winnipeg Arena, which featured perhaps the best press box view in the league and a large picture of Queen Elizabeth, has been replaced by the 15,000-plus seat MTS Centre, which opened five years ago. The American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose call the place home, and it'd be a fine place for an NHL team.

Over in Quebec City, Mayor Regis Labeaume has hired an engineering firm to conduct a feasibility study regarding a state-of-the-art arena to replace Le Colisee, once home to the Nordiques (and the best hot dogs in the NHL or any other league). The Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League now play in the arena.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in a recent interview with the Toronto Sun, said "the door has always been open (to Canada)," adding that the league isn't planning at the moment to move any teams.

"But if we relocate or if we expand," Bettman continued, "we are going to consider all of the opportunities in Canada that should be considered, assuming people want to own franchises in any one of the possible markets."

Interestingly, Bettman has met with Mayor Labeaume, he said, "because he asked for a meeting and we were interested in what he had to say."

Said league deputy commissioner Bill Daly: "We are encouraged by the mayor's announcement on the new arena and we believe it will be a very good thing for the city of Quebec. While there are no guarantees that an NHL franchise can return, certainly a new arena will enhance those prospects significantly."

Plenty of U.S. franchises are experiencing problems on and off the ice, including Atlanta, Florida, Nashville, Phoenix and Tampa Bay.

A brand new arena is sitting in Kansas City and there supposedly are plans to build one in Las Vegas, but if any of these troubled teams have to relocate, Canadian cities ought to get first dibs.

Thrashers need to sign Kovalchuk

If the Atlanta Thrashers ever hope to make serious inroads in Georgia's sporting landscape -- is it even possible to compete with the Braves, Falcons, college football and NASCAR? -- they can't afford to lose their most exciting players.

Hockey is a tough sell in the South as it is, which is why the Thrashers had better find a way to keep star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk in town. Either that, or trade him for a bushel of talent.

Of course, you might ask why the talented Russian would want to keep playing in a city that doesn't really appreciate hockey and for a team that has missed the playoffs six times in his first seven NHL seasons.

At any rate, Thrashers general manager Don Waddell, who somehow manages to hang onto his job despite the club's ineptness just about every year, is trying to sign Kovalchuk to a new contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

That might not be so easy, considering Kovalchuk is being paid $7.5 million in the final year of his contract, already a ton of loot for a team like the Thrashers.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder is an offensive force, having scored between 41 and 52 goals in each of the past five seasons. He's off to a splendid start this year, too, with seven goals in the Thrashers' first five games.

Kovalchuk is just 27, so his best years could still be ahead of him, if that's even possible.

He reportedly likes being in Atlanta -- no pressure, I suppose -- but you'd think he'd enjoy playing in a more traditional hockey city even more, especially for a team with a legitimate chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

It's still early, so Waddell does have some time to get his man re-signed. If Waddell isn't able to accomplish the feat before the March 3 NHL trading deadline, he'll need to put the big guy on the market and get what he can in a trade rather than lose him to free agency and receive nothing in return.

Trust me, there would be plenty of suitors.

Wild looking pretty mild

They've got a new general manager, new coach, some new players, and they opened the season with a brutal road schedule.

The Colorado Avalanche? Well, yes, but first-year coach Joe Sacco and his troops have gotten off to a surprising 6-1-1 start and will take a four-game road winning streak into Wednesday's visit to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The Avalanche will take on the Minnesota Wild, which also has a new GM in Chuck Fletcher, new coach in Todd Richards, some new players in forwards Kyle Brodziak and Martin Havlat, and defensemen Shane Hnidy and Greg Zanon.

The Wild also has a 1-6-0 record and is coming off a disastrous five-game road trip in which it lost every game.

Maybe he wouldn't have re-signed with Wild at any price, but electric forward Marian Gaborik, who has had injury problems and was stifled under former coach Jacques Lemaire's defensive system, left as a free agent to sign a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the New York Rangers.

Gaborik is off to a torrid start with six goals and six assists in eight games. The Rangers have been equally strong with seven wins.

The Wild? Its major free agent acquisition was Havlat, who was given a six-year, $30 million deal after collecting 29 goals and 48 assists in 81 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. Havlat also had 15 points in 16 playoff games for the Hawks.

Havlat hasn't exactly gotten off to a scintillating start with the Wild. He has one goal, four assists and a minus-6 plus/minus rating. He's currently day to day with a groin strain.

Then again, usually-reliable defenseman Brent Burns is an awful -9, and fellow blue liner Nick Schultz is a minus-6.

The Wild still can't score much. Andrew Brunette has five of the team's 15 goals and no one else has more than two.

Goaltending has been a strength in the past, but not so much so far this season. Niklas Backstrom has a solid .913 save percentage to go along with a mediocre 2.82 goals-against average. Josh Harding has lost both of his decisions, and it's easy to see why. He owns a 5.50 GAA and his .738 save percentage is simply embarrassing.

Looking for a spark, Fletcher acquired gritty forward Chuck Kobasew from the Boston Bruins in exchange for minor leaguer Craig Weller, prospect Alexander Fallstrom and a second-round pick in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Kobasew has scored between 20 and 22 goals in three of the past four seasons. He had 21 in 68 games for the Bruins a year ago. He has no goals and one assist in seven games this year and will have to start playing a lot better to make any sort of impact on this struggling squad.

Young Avs are NHL's biggest surprise

So what's the deal with this young bunch of Colorado Avalanche?

Who would have thought these guys would be 5-1-1 through the season's first seven games, with a 3-1-1 record in the first five games of what could have been a disastrous seven-game road trip?

Not me, and probably not anybody else, either.

The Avalanche was coming off a last-place finish in the Western Conference; team president Pierre Lacroix fired just about everybody in the front office and coaching staff; longtime captain Joe Sakic retired; and co-scoring leader Ryan Smyth was dispatched to Los Angeles.

So much for expectations.

I know it's ridiculously early, but free-agent pickup Craig Anderson has been splendid in the crease; the Avalanche has a potent top line in Wojtek Wolski, Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk; 14 different players already have scored goals; 18-year-old rookies -- yes, there are two -- Matt Duchene and Ryan "Radar" O'Reilly sure look like they belong; defenseman Kyle Quincey, acquired in the Smyth trade, has been a force at both ends of the ice; and the special teams have been, well, special.

The Avalanche boasts the fifth-youngest roster in the league with an average age of 27.043 years. Ten regulars, four of whom are rookies, are between the ages of 18 and 25.

No problem, apparently.

"We're a young team, but we bring a lot of energy," rookie center T.J. Galiardi, 21, said. "We're just trying to do the right things."

This team hasn't done much wrong lately, though Saturday's visit to Joe Louis Arena to face the Detroit Red Wings will be a stern test.

"You saw what happened last year and we're a lot younger team and there probably aren't high expectations," said Paul Stastny, who's in his fourth NHL season but is just 22. "We're trying to prove ourselves after last year, and we're enjoying the challenge."

The NHL hands out more hardware than any professional league on the planet, but it's too bad it doesn't present one for the best coaching job in the first month of the season.

If there was, it would go to first-year Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco.

Hands down.

Laraque in hot water over ad

Georges Laraque usually gets into trouble on the ice as an enforcer with the Montreal Canadiens. The 6-f0ot-3, 253-pound right wing began his 12th NHL season this year with 52 goals and 1,098 penalty minutes in 667 career games.

Now, the 33-year-old is in hot water with the league and women's groups for appearing in a commercial for an alcohol drink that shows him playing street hockey with several scantily-clad women.

The commercial has no dialogue and can be viewed at 33mag.com.

According to Article 25.1 of the league's collective bargaining agreement: "No player shall be involved in any endorsement or sponsorship of alcoholic beverages (excluding malt-based beverages such as beer) and/or tobacco products."

Laraque told Montreal reporters that he regrets appearing in the commercial, adding that he donated the proceeds to an animal-rights group and intends to work for women's causes in the future.

Laraque said he wasn't aware of the script when he arrived for the shoot and that he agreed to appear because it offered a nice payday for charity.

"This is one more example of sexist advertising," Alexa Conradi, of
the Federation des femmes du Quebec, told The Canadian Press. "Why is it that when we're trying to market a campaign toward men aged 20 to 35, we always use this kind of ad? What does that say about our concept of masculinity?"

No rocking chair for Chelios

Gordie Howe did it, so why not Chris Chelios?

Chelios, age 47, is hoping to continue his playing career with the hometown Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League, possibly with the intention of eventually returning to the NHL.

Howe -- Mr. Hockey -- was 51 when he scored 15 goals in 80 games for the NHL's Hartford Whalers in 1979-80, so anything is possible.

To say that Chelios is a workhorse in the gym would be quite the understatement. He's still a rock solid 6-foot, 190 pounds and probably would embarrass plenty of players half his age when it comes to workouts.

The three-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's best defenseman was limited 28 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings because of a broken leg he sustained in an exhibition game, but he played in six playoff games and isn't ready to retire.

Chelios wasn't offered a new contract by the Red Wings or any other NHL team for this season, and he's expected to skate with the Wolves on Monday after the team returns from a road trip.

Chelios is still popular in Chicago -- he spent parts of nine seasons with the Blackhawks -- and the Wolves would be wise to sign him to a contract. No, he can't log 20-plus minutes a game anymore, but he'd provide veteran leadership and solid minutes when called upon.

This wouldn't be Chelios' first stint in the minors. He played in 23 games with the Motor City Mechanics in the United Hockey League during the 2004-05 lockout season.

"Cheli is a guy who knows how to play and how to help your locker room and so to me he'll be a perfect fit for someone," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

Former Red Wings teammate Nicklas Lidstrom, who knows more than a little about playing defense at an elite level, is in Chelios' corner.

"It's amazing that someone at his age still has the drive and the love of the game and wants to continue to play," Lidstrom said. "All the power to him for still being able to play. He can still contribute to a team, especially with his leadership."

Chelios began his NHL career in 1983-84 with the Montreal Canadiens. He's collected 185 goals and 763 assists in 1,644 career games, the most by an American-born player. He's won three Stanley Cups, played in 11 NHL All-Star Games and been a member of four U.S. Olympic teams.

Loose lips costs Leafs a fine

Score one for the Vancouver Canucks ... well, sort of.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were fined an undisclosed amount today by the NHL because, league deputy commmissioner Bill Daly said, coach Ron Wilson violated a league by-law "relating to inappropriate public comments by speaking generally to his club's potential interest in negotiating with Daniel and Henrik Sedin" before the Canucks forwards had officially become free agents.

The Sedins eventually re-signed with the Canucks, getting five-year contracts worth $6.1 million a season.

However, Daly ruled that the league "found no evidence whatsoever" to support the Canucks' concerns that the Leafs might "have engaged in any other conduct of activities" regarding the Sedins that would have been in violation of its rules relating to tampering.

Wilson told Toronto radio station The Fan 590 on June 30, the day before the NHL's free agent period began, that the Leafs would be interested in signing both players.

"You're hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory, but there's a real possibility, I would think, thet we would be going after the Sedins," Wilson told the station. "Let's just speculate there."

If the Leafs had been found guilty of tampering, they could have been fined $1 million and forced to give the Canucks a first-round draft pick.

Too early to panic in Vancouver

Hey, what's the deal with the Vancouver Canucks? Picked by many -- but not me, I like Calgary -- to finish first in the Northwest Division, the Canucks have lost their first three games and haven't looked very good while doing it.

The biggest problem: subpar work by star goalie Roberto Luongo, who was yanked in Monday's home opener against Columbus after allowing goals on three consecutive shots to begin the second period.

Luongo actually played OK in Saturday's 3-0 loss in Denver, but he was medicore at best in Vancouver's season-opening defeat in Calgary and awful against the Blue Jackets.

Luongo is the Canucks' best player -- at least, he should be -- and he's just too talented to keep playing the way he has. Vancouver has outshot the opposition by a wide margin in each of the first three games, yet has nothing to show for it.

Luongo was in goal for 33 of the Canucks' 45 wins a year ago and is a perennial Vezina Trophy candidate, but he hasn't played like one so far this season. Assuming he starts Wednesday against Montreal, he'll take a 4.55 goals-against average and .820 save percentage into the game.

It doesn't get much uglier than that.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault isn't pushing the panic button yet. Nor should he, not with 79 games still to play.

"Roberto is one of the best goaltenders in the league and definitely one of the hardest workers in this league, so he's going to find his game like he always does," Vigneault told Vancouver reporters. "The other parts of our game are pretty good. Obviously, we're making a few mistakes, but we are generating a lot. And we're not that far away."

I wouldn't worry too much about the Canucks. Luongo will get back on track, the Sedin twins will pop in a few goals, that first win will come and all will be well in beautiful British Columbia.

For a day or two, anyway.

A shrine for Sakic

The Colorado Avalanche certainly did it up big Thursday night for former captain Joe Sakic, whose No. 19 jersey was officially retired at the Pepsi Center before the season-opening 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

A banner with the digits was raised to the arena's rafters to conclude the 45-minute tribute, joining those of Patrick Roy (No. 33) and Ray Bourque (No. 77).

"To see it up there with Patrick and Ray, it's a tremendous honor," said Sakic, who was accompanied by his parents, his wife Debbie and their three children.

Not only that, the Avalanche surprised Sakic by creating a shrine at his old corner locker.

Here's a picture I snapped -- not bad for a fairly no-frills cell phone -- after the game. Sakic's jersey, helmet, skates, stick and other equipment have been encased in plexi-glass, to be viewed by present and former Avalanche players as inspiration.

"They didn't even give me a heads-up on that," Sakic said. "When I walked in the room and saw that, I did a double-take. Honestly, when I saw that, I almost broke down. I got a chance to really look at it (after the ceremony). Never in my life or in my dreams could I imagine that. That's something I really appreciate."

During his tribute, Sakic teased the sellout crowd during his speech that he was "kind of getting that itch" to play again. The fans roared with approval.

But Sakic, who retired on July 9, later told reporters he wasn't really serious about pulling a Brett Favre.

"It was in the moment," he said. "You do look forward to opening night, especially at home. When I played and trained, you couldn't wait for the game to start. I know I'll be up in the stands watching and there are going to be parts of me saying, 'I wish I was out there.' But, no, there's actually no itch to come back."

Sakic, 40, began his NHL career in 1988 with the Quebec Nordiques, who moved to Denver in 1995 and were renamed the Avalanche. He leaves as the owner of practically every significant offensive record in franchise history, including 625 goals, 1,641 points, 84 playoff goals and 188 playoff points.

Sakic won two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche and an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 2002. He captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP in 1996 when the Avalanche won its first Cup, along with the Hart and Lady Byng trophies in 2001 when Colorado collected its second league championship.

Blake to wear Sharks' 'C'

Good move by the San Jose Sharks today, naming Rob Blake team captain.

"(Blake) has experience captaining a team and will give us everything he has,” coach Todd McLellan was quoted as saying on the Sharks web site http://sharks.nhl.com. "He will hold his teammates to the highest standard.”

Blake, who turns 40 in December, has been captain of the Los Angeles Kings and won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. Perhaps he can show his teammates what it takes to win in the playoffs, something the Sharks haven't managed to do even after successful regular seasons.

Joe Thornton, the Sharks' best player, will wear an 'A' as an assistant captain, along with Dan Boyle.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Blake is entering his 20th NHL season and second with the Sharks. He's coming off a 10-goal, 45-point season and was a plus-15.

McLellan took the captainship away from Patrick Marleau in the offseason following the Sharks' first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks in the playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy with the NHL's best regular-season record.

"When you're expected to go far in the playoffs and you don't, things change," Marleau said. "I don't think it's total blame. It's collectively. Everybody on the team knows we messed up."

The underachieving Sharks have won four Pacific Division titles in the past seven seasons, but they've never made it beyond the 2004 Western Conference finals.

Hejduk seals new deal

I spoke with Colorado Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk today about his decision to sign a one-year contract extension that will take him through the 2010-11 season.

Hejduk, 33, is about to embark on his 11th NHL season, all with the Avalanche, and is one of two remaining links to the team's 2001 Stanley Cup championship team, the other being defenseman and new captain Adam Foote.

"The team has changed big time since then," said Hejduk, who is coming off a 27-goal, 59-point campaign. He led the Avalanche in goals and tied Ryan Smyth, who was traded to Los Angeles over the summer, for the team lead in points.

Hejduk wasn't certain during last season if he wanted to play beyond this year, but he still feels he can play at a high level and believes the Avalanche is on the right track with its rebuilding program after last season's last-place finish in the Western Conference.

"I decided to go one more year and we started negotiating," said Hejduk, who will make $3.9 million this season and $3 million in 2010-11. His deal includes a no-movement clause.

"I wanted to get it done before the start of the year so I wouldn't have to deal with it during the year," he said. "With February and March and the (league trading) deadline coming, there's always tons of rumors and I didn't want to have to go through that. Definitely me and my family, we don't want to go anywhere else. I didn't want to do that five or six years ago and I don't want to do it now."

Eleven of the 23 players who will begin the season with the Avalanche are 25 or younger. The roster includes two 18-year-olds, first-round draft pick Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, the first of the team's two second-round picks.

"We've got some really good looking kids," Hejduk said. "It looks like we've got some really good young players in the organization, more depth than I saw at last year's camp."

One familiar name is missing.

The roster doesn't include longtime captain Joe Sakic, who retired in July. As of today, his corner locker remained empty as a tribute to the future Hockey Hall of Famer. His No. 19 jersey will be retired during ceremonies before the Avalanche meets San Jose on Thursday in the season opener at the Pepsi Center.

"Joe was the face of the franchise for such a long time," Hejduk said. "We'll be a younger team. Obviously everyone will miss Joe -- the fans, us -- in the locker room and off the ice. But what can you do? If it's time, it's time. We all have to retire at some point.

"It is a different feeling. The main guy, the key guy, is gone. But after a while, you'll get used to it. It'll be pretty exciting when Joe is honored. He's definitely earned it."

Fleury released, but he's still a winner

Well done, Theo Fleury.

No, the comeback kid's attempted comeback didn't pan out with the Calgary Flames, but he did himself proud nonetheless.

Fleury was released by the Flames today, but he performed a lot better than anyone could have anticipated with four points in four preseason games, along with a winning shootout goal.

Not bad for a guy who is 41, has been out of the NHL for six years and is a recovering alcoholic. He's been sober for some time and will continue to fight the good fight, so kudos to him.

In order for Fleury to crack the Flames' 23-man roster -- playing in the minors apparently wasn't an option -- he had to convince the coaching staff that he was one of the team's top six wingers, and his foot speed just isn't there anymore.

"It had nothing to do with his heart or his mind for the game," Flames coach Brent Sutter told Calgary reporters. "At the age he's at, the legs just aren't where they need to be. That's certainly not his fault. It happens. That's natural and it's happened. But I'm darned proud of Theo, I really am.

"This isn't just about hockey. It's about life, and where he's at in his life."

And for that, Fleury ought to be quite proud.

"I said in the beginning that no matter what the outcome, this would be a success story," Fleury said in a statement. "I intend to take the next few days to review this experience and make decisions with my family regarding next steps in my life."

Gretzky leaves Coyotes

Super athletes rarely develop into super coaches, as Wayne Gretzky discovered during his four seasons behind the Phoenix Coyotes bench.

The greatest player in NHL history? You won't get an argument from me.

I had the pleasure of covering Gretzky during his time with the Los Angeles Kings, following his blockbuster trade from the Edmonton Oilers in 1988, and he was as gracious and approachable off a sheet of ice as he was great on it.

But Gretzky, who owns virtually every league scoring mark imaginable, stepped down today as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes after four seasons with a record of 143-161-24, with two fifth-place finishes in the Pacific Division, two fourth-place finishes, and no playoff appearances.

It's unfortunate, because the Coyotes could have the makings of a good, young team whose prospects have been overshadowed by the bankruptcy situation hanging over the franchise, one that has left the club's future location in doubt.

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie wants to purchase the Coyotes and move it to Hamilton, Ontario, though he said he would keep it at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz., this season if he wins an auction for the club.

The NHL wants the Coyotes to remain in Arizona and has put up a bid to keep them there, hopeful that a local buyer could be found in the interim.

In the meantime, Gretzky had been absent from training camp, so the team was being run by interim coach Ulf Samuelsson.

Gretzky resigned, he said on his web site www.gretzky.com, because he no longer fit in the team's plans.

“We all hoped there would be a resolution earlier this month to the Coyotes ownership situation, but the decision is taking longer than expected," Gretzky said. "Since both remaining bidders have made it clear that I don’t fit into their future plans, I approached general manager Don Maloney and suggested he begin looking for someone to replace me as coach. Don has worked hard and explored many options. I think he has made an excellent choice, and so now it’s time for me to step aside."

And in another bit of Coyotes news, fans will be able to purchase all lower-bowl tickets for $25 for the Oct. 10 home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Upper-level seats are priced at $15 for the game.

Considering this team's shrinking fan base, it might be wise to keep those ticket prices for the remainder of the season, no matter which party winds up with the club.

Say it ain't so, Foppa

Brett Favre, and now Peter Forsberg?

The 36-year-old forward and former NHL most valuable player is attempting yet another comeback, this time with his hometown team Modo in the Swedish Elite League.

The oft-injured center has experienced problems with his right foot for several years and didn't play at all last season, except for three games with Modo, when the chronic foot ailment forced him to give up the comeback attempt.

A great one in his prime and one of hockey's most entertaining players, Foppa as he's affectionately known in Sweden and by his legion of fans (especially in Colorado, where he's still revered), has undergone several foot surgeries and experimented with various skates in an attempt to return to the ice.

But maybe, just maybe, it's time for Forsberg to give up the game for good and enjoy life away from the rink.

Easy for me to say, because his love for the sport is so obvious. But how much pain and frustration can a guy endure before reality finally sinks in?

Forsberg is on a one-week contract with Modo and is scheduled to play a minimum of three games, starting Thursday against Frolunda. He's been practicing with Modo since early August and played in two games in a preseason tournament in Switzerland.

Forsberg last played in the NHL with the Avalanche late in the 2007-08 season, when he was only able to play in nine of 18 regular-season games (he had one goal and 13 assists) and in seven of 10 playoff games (with one goal and four assists).

I don't know if Forsberg has any interest in playing in the NHL again, but the Avalanche is in a rebuilding mode and will be icing its youngest team since moving from Quebec to Denver in 1995. Realistically, a return to Colorado is likely out of the question.

But I'm sure that Foppa would love to play for Sweden again in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Perhaps that's what this latest comeback is all about.

An Avalanche of teens

It's beginning to look like the Colorado Avalanche could have a couple of teen-age phenoms on the roster for its Oct. 1 season opener against San Jose.

First-round pick Matt Duchene, 18, should be a lock to start the year in Denver, even if new head coach Joe Sacco is reluctant to say as much. The final 23-man roster, he's said, won't be determined until after the Avalanche plays its final three exhibition games.

Matt Duchene (left) and Ryan O'Reilly have been impressive in Avalanche camp.

"I think he's made some progress every day, and that's what you're looking for," Sacco said of Duchene, who was taken third overall in the 2009 NHL entry draft after collecting 31 goals and 48 assists in 57 games last season for the Brampton Battalion in the Ontario Hockey League.

"It takes a little bit of time to get comfortable with the surroundings, your new teammates, your new league, playing against better competition," Sacco said. "I'm pleased with the way he's developing."

But perhaps the biggest Avalanche surprise is that O'Reilly, also 18 and the first of Colorado's two second-round selections (33rd overall), has already signed a three-year, entry-level contract, is still in camp and apparently has a good chance to make the opening-night roster.

"He's had a solid camp and we're very excited about his future," general manager Greg Sherman said of O'Reilly, who had 16 goals and 50 assists in 68 games last season with the Erie Otters in the OHL.

Remember when the Avalanche made a habit of trading draft picks and prospects for marquee names in an attempt to make a run at the Stanley Cup?

Those days are over following last year's nightmare season, when the Avalanche fell into the Western Conference basement and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.

"Now you have to look at it as a new positive beginning where you have to be excited about our youth," said Adam Foote, who has replaced the retired Joe Sakic as team captain. "That's what we're going to do."

Give Senators edge in Heatley swap

OK, I've had a week to digest the first blockbuster trade of the NHL season, which involved two underachieving teams -- the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks.

At first glance, I'm tempted to say the Senators, who lacked scoring depth behind the Big Three of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, the latter of whom was shipped to the Sharks (along with a fifth-round draft pick) in exchange for forwards Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek, and a second-round pick.

Heatley, for reasons he has yet to explain -- maybe he never will -- wanted out of Ottawa, and it's never a good thing to keep an unhappy player around, no matter how talented.

Heatley is definitely a highly-skilled forward, having averaged 45 goals in each of the past four seasons. But he slipped to 72 points last season, his lowest total in Ottawa, and later complained about a diminshing role under coach Cory Clouston, even though the Senators finished 19-11-4 and showed a lot more life after Clouston replaced Craig Hartsburg.

Will Heatley score a ton with the Sharks? Probably, especially if he skates on a line with Joe Thornton. And maybe, just maybe, the Sharks won't underachieve again in the playoffs.

Of course, the Senators also have been busts since advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006-07. They were eliminated in the first round the following season and missed the playoffs last year.

Michalek is a very underrated player. He totaled 90 goals over the past four seasons and, at age 24, is four years younger than Heatley. Michalek and Cheechoo, 29, will make a combined $7 million this season, $1 million less than Heatley, who still has five years remaining on a six-year, $45 million extension. That's significant in the salary cap era.

Michalek is also a lot more responsible defensively. He was a plus-11 a year ago, while Heatley was a minus-11. And, unlike Heatley, Cheechoo's work ethic has never been questioned. The Senators won't be quite so soft with Cheechoo in the lineup.

It's true that Cheechoo's production, in part because of injuries, has slipped considerably since he scored an NHL-leading 56 goals in 2005-06. He had only 12 goals last season in 66 games, but that total should rise by a substantial margin if he can stay healthy.

For now, at least, I give a slight edge to the Senators for getting a productive deal done after they essentially were forced into making it by a disgruntled star.

Preseason hockey: Zzzzzzzz

The official start of fall is fast approaching, which can only mean the following:

• Baseball pennant races are in full swing.
• The NFL and college football seasons have started.
• Here comes NHL exhibition hockey.

Yawn.

Don't get me wrong. I love hockey, have played the game (though not particularly well) and have been covering it for parts of three decades, on both the NHL and collegiate levels.

I just wish it was somehow possible to skip training camp and preseason games, and get right to the good stuff.

I know that isn't realistic, but the first few preseason games -- exhibitions, whatever -- are usually sloppy affairs featuring a bunch of guys who have absolutely no chance of sticking to an NHL roster for opening night.

Teams are supposed to ice a minimum of 10 NHL veterans, and the home teams will normally dress a lot more than that to satisfy fans who are paying regular-season prices for what amount to practice games. The visitors seem to think that a guy who sat in an airplane that once flew over an NHL city is somehow considered a legitimate "veteran."

Not only that, the first couple of games tend to turn into marathon slugfests, with plenty of fisticuffs as prospects attempt to impress coaches with their toughness.

About the only positive thing I can think of when it comes to training camp and the preseason: it doesn't last very long. Gone are the days of two- and three-a-days with 75-player rosters and three-week camps.

Most teams now hit the ice for just a few days of camp for a couple of hours at most -- players supervise their own unofficial workouts for weeks beforehand -- and start playing games right away. And preseason schedules have been cut in recent years from nine and 10 games to maybe a half dozen.

As for the regular season ... bring it on!

Foote new Avalanche captain

The Colorado Avalanche couldn't have made a better choice than to select Adam Foote (left) as its new team captain. The 38-year-old defenseman succeeds longtime captain Joe Sakic, who retired in July.

Foote has played all but parts of three of his 17-season NHL career with the Quebec/Colorado franchise, and he has two Stanley Cup championships and an Olympic gold medal on his resume.

The heart and soul of the defense during the team's glory days, Foote will be counted on to provide plenty of leadership for what promises to be the youngest Avalanche team since it arrived in Denver in 1995.

"I've been with this franchise for the majority of my career and I know what the standards are," he said. "I look forward to the challenge of leading this team, starting with training camp and going into the regular season."

There had been some talk that the cherished "C" could go to fourth-year man Paul Stastny, who has succeeded Sakic as the Avalanche's No. 1 center. Stastny's time will come, perhaps as early as next season. Foote has one year left on his contract and it wouldn't surprise anybody if he decides to retire following the 2009-10 campaign.

Fleury on the comeback trail

You have to feel good for Theo Fleury, who has been cleared by the NHL to return to league play, even if his chances of actually sticking with a club at this point in his life would seem to be pretty remote.

He's 41 years old and hasn't played in the NHL since 2002-03 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

A terrific player in his prime -- he scored 30 or more goals eight times -- hockey's little big man at 5-feet-6 and 180 pounds was troubled by substance abuse, a problem that wrecked an otherwise tremendous career.

I was covering the Colorado Avalanche for the Rocky Mountain News when then-general manager Pierre Lacroix made another of his blockbuster trades by acquiring Fleury from the Calgary Flames in February 1999 for the playoff stretch.

The Flames wound up with a couple of role players in Wade Belak and Rene Corbet, along with junior prospect Robyn Regehr, who eventually developed into one of Calgary's top defensemen and continues to play at a high level.

Anyway, Fleury was a breath of fresh air in a very professional but rather boring Avalanche locker room, a veritable quote machine and one of the most friendly people you'd ever want to meet.

Fleury could still play, too, and he finished with 10 goals and 14 assists in just 15 regular-season games. He had a nice playoff run as well, collecting five goals and 12 assists in 18 games, but Avalanche fans likely still remember his missing a game against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference finals for what the team said was the "flu."

Well, no one really believed that was the reason, but the Avalanche won 7-5 without him to grab a 3-2 series lead before losing Games 6 and 7.

The Avalanche didn't make much of an attempt to re-sign Fleury, who became an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he wound up with the New York Rangers.

Fleury hasn't played competitive hockey since 2005-06, when he looked like Wayne Gretzky while skating for the Belfast Giants in Europe, amassing 22 goals and 52 assists in 34 games.

Fleury was placed in Stage 4 of the NHL/NHLPA substance abuse and behavorial health program in June 2006 and will continue to participate in the program's after care phase.

Good for Theo. He's been sober for several years and has gotten his life back together.

Seems to me his comeback is pretty complete as it stands, whether or not he ever plays another game in the NHL.

Coyotes faceoff heating up

Call it a Duel in the Valley of Sun, the fight to see whether the Phoenix Coyotes remain in Arizona or wind up in Hamilton, Ontario.

On the one side we have the NHL, led by commissioner Gary Bettman, who wants the Coyotes to keep playing at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz.

On the other is Jim Balsillie, whose Research In Motion company makes the popular Blackberry -- and has made him a fortune.

If money talks, and if judge Redfield T. Baum allows Balsillie to bid for the Coyotes in bankruptcy court, the league might have an impossible chance to compete.

Balsillie is willing to pay $242.5 million for the franchise, with several million to take care of the arena lease and with the stipulation he can move the team to Canada. The league is offering to pay $140 million to keep the team in Glendale while seeking a local buyer.

Balsillie gained some traction when a group named Ice Edge dropped out of the bidding. Its offer was only $150 million and was predicated on getting a new lease.

The league's board of governors voted 26-0, with three abstentions, to keep Balsillie from becoming an owner, so whichever way the bankruptcy judge rules will be extremely meaningful in terms of how much authority a league and its commissioner can wield.

Both sides are prepared to appeal.

Violent behavior? See you in court

Should violent behavior on the ice result in prosecution in court?

It's a question that's been debated for years.

Legal wrangling is ongoing in the wake of the much-publicized 2004 on-ice attack by then-Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi against then-Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore.

Moore suffered three fractured vertebrae, facial cuts and still suffers from post-concussion syndrome. He never played another game after the incident and his hockey career is over.

Moore filed a multimillion dollar civil suit against Bertuzzi, who lost about $500,000 in salary when he was suspended by the NHL. He also pleaded guilty in a British Columbia court to "assault causing bodily harm," received a conditional discharge and was ordered to perform community service.

Bertuzzi's suspension was lifted by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before the 2005-06 season -- the 2004-05 campaign was lost to a lockout -- and he continues to play. He signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings in August.

I bring this up because Jonathan Roy, the son of Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy, will face assault charges in October for beating up Chicoutimi Sagueneens goalie Bobby Nadeau in a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game in March 2008.

What is it about March?

Anyway, Jonathan Roy was tending goal for the Quebec Remparts -- coached by his dad -- when he skated across the ice to pummel Nadeau. The Canadian Press reported Tuesday that Quebec court judge Valmont Beaulieu rejected Roy's lawyer's request to have the case tossed, even though Nadeau didn't suffer any long-term injuries and no other brawling players have been charged.

If convicted, Roy could face a maximum fine of $2,000 or six months in jail.

So, what do you think? I don't have a problem if an athlete is charged for behavior that takes place on the field or ice.

It's called being forced to take some responsibility for one's actions, no different for anyone else in society.

Lightning struck with Tanguay

Nice move by the Lightning this week, signing left wing Alex Tanguay to a one-year deal for $2.5 million, a pretty good bargain when you take into account some of the millions other teams have been throwing at free agents.

It's less than half what Tanguay made in each of the past three seasons with the Flames and Canadiens.

Tanguay is a very good offensive player when he's healthy, and he's responsible at the opposite end of the ice, never having been a "minus" player in nine previous NHL seasons.

Is he healthy? That's the rub. Shoulder problems limited Tanguay to 50 games last season in Montreal and he underwent offseason surgery, but he passed a physical before signing with Tampa Bay.

The Lightning probably will try Tanguay on a line with Vinny Lecavalier, whose 29 goals last season were his lowest total in six years. Tanguay isn't a huge goal-scorer -- his 29 goals in 2005-06 with the Avalanche is a career high -- but he's a very good playmaker and should be a terrific setup man for Lecavalier.

I covered Tanguay during his six seasons in Colorado, and he was especially effective in the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals when the Avalanche knocked off New Jersey in seven games. Tanguay was a horse in the postseason, and he scored two goals against the Devils in Game 7.

OK, that was eight years ago, but Tanguay is still only 29 and he's never played on a team that's missed the playoffs. If there is one drawback to Tanguay's game, he can be too unselfish at times. He has a strong shot but tends to think pass first. The joke among some writers in Colorado was that he might look to make a pass even while on a clean breakaway; obviously, that never happened.

But Tanguay is a good teammate and he's certain to help the Lightning, which has needed all the help it can get since winning the Cup back in 2004.

Tanguay isn't superstitious, either. He'll continue to wear sweater No. 13. Hopefully, for the Lightning's sake, he proves to be a good luck charm.

Kelly victim of power play

One of these years, the NHL Players Association will manage to maintain some semblance of harmony and keep a union chief for the long haul.
Well, maybe.

The dismissal of Paul Kelly on Monday means the union will be searching for its third boss since Bob Goodenow resigned after the collective bargaining agreement was finalized to end the 2004-05 lockout.
General counsel Ian Penny will serve as executive director on an interim basis.
Kelly, a Boston attorney who was involved in the prosecution of disgraced former NHLPA head Alan Eagleson, was named to replace Ted Saskin, who negotiated the final terms of the CBA that includes the salary cap that Goodenow found to be so objectionable.
Saskin, who had been Goodenow's right-hand man, took over as union head but was ousted in May 2007 following complaints that he had been monitoring players' e-mails.
Kelly was named to the position five months later, but now he's gone following a power play inside what has become a very dysfunctional organization.
Kelly appeared to be doing a good job, having inherited a CBA that, despite a salary cap, hardly has put a stop to the lucrative salaries that teams continue to bestow on players, whose free agent rights are more liberal than ever.
But because players are "limited" to about 56 percent of league revenues – still not a bad take – an escrow procedure requires a portion of players’ checks to be withheld during the season.
A final accounting following each season ensures that players have received no more than the percentage permitted under the CBA’s terms.
As much as 25 percent was withheld last season because of the poor economy, but that hardly was Kelly's doing.
Barring some surprise revelation, the reasons for Kelly's firing appear to have a lot more to do with union infighting than with Kelly himself.

Welcome to Through the 5 Hole

Welcome, hockey aficionados, to my new blog.
I'll attempt to keep you posted on news from around the NHL, and include as many rumors and quirky items as possible. I'll offer opinions and analysis on various hockey-related topics and try to have some fun.
Professional sports should be about entertainment, after all, even if the outcome of a game can seem to have life-or-death ramifications at times.
Hey, I'm a fan, too, so I know all about that.
Some interesting questions:

• Are the Penguins on the verge of starting a dynasty?
• Can the Red Wings bounce back after blowing the Stanley Cup Finals?
• Will the Senators finally trade Dany Heatley?
• How will the Avalanche, coming off a disastrous season, fare without Joe Sakic?
• Who will emerge as 2010 Olympic champion?
• How long will the Coyotes remain in Arizona?
• Will a Canadian-based team finally capture the Cup for the first time since 1993?

Just a few things to ponder as we await the start of training camps.