Links: Two rookies in Norfolk, two different stories

The reaction I saw last night on Twitter about the new jersey's seems pretty split between liking them and hating them. Does it seem like the younger fans, like under 30 seem to like them, and the over 30 years olds not seem to be so hot on it? I personally love them.

In today's links are stories on two rookies in Norfolk, Mark Barberio and Johan Harju, but that's where similarities end as one is impressing his coaches and the other is about to give up on his NHL dream.

Your Lightning and NHL links after the jump...

Lightning links:

Links from around the NHL:

• Interesting stuff came out of the CBC Hockey Night in Canada player poll, like players rank the St. Pete Time Forum as having the 3rd worst ice to play on or that Guy Boucher comes in 4th among the coaches that a player would most want to play for
• Did you watch the fastest goalie race this weekend? No? Well SBN has a great gif of Tim Thomas falling down in it
• Interchangeable Parts suggests: what about if after three shootout attempts per team, if instead of a 4th round attempt, there was a...goalie race? Is that not the greatest idea?
  
• Craig Custance of the Sporting News says that the sun belt shines on All-Star weekend
• Chris Kontos from The Royal Half chronicles how the LA Kings "Burger King Jersey" became a reality. A really good read.
• Puck Daddy introduced some new NHL Guardians: Financially un-viable X-Teams
• Nucks Misconduct talks about Bettman points (extra points received when an NHL game goes to overtime) and how not having them would affect the current Western Conference standings. Nashville should be sending Bettman gifts for the one's they've gotten
• In the National Post, the Thrashers are hoping that black fans will notice the diversity in their roster, which sounds a lot like what Harrison Mooney of Pass it to Bulis wrote a few months ago
• Evgeni Malkin returned to practice with the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday and Jordin Tootoo has been cleared to practice after substance abuse treatment
• The sale of the Buffalo Sabres is expected to be announced on Thursday and the team is expected to move several veterans by the NHL trade deadline on February 28th
• Versus commits to airing the 2011 World Hockey Championships as per Steve Lepore of Puck The Media. There's no schedule as to which games they will air yet, but the focus will most likely be on Team USA.
• USA hockey proposes rule changes for body-checking, head shots and fighting (NY Times)
• Down Goes Brown this week has Phil Kessel's all-star draft text messages
• In the Toronto Star, a 12 year old girl quits her co-ed hockey team after a hockey dad lawyer drafted an agenda at a parents' meeting trying to limit her ice time or to remove her from the team unless her hockey skills