It's been a week without hockey. I'm not sure how you got through it, but personally I watched hours upon hours of glorious tennis, but there was still this nagging feeling of something missing.

If you did catch the skills competition, perhaps you caught Steven Stamkos going three for three on the shootout elimination challenge to win the event. Since he has gone 0-for-10 during the shootout the past two seasons, it should make you say "Stammer, why can't we see this more often?"

Here are your links for the week:

Your Lightning links:

• Stamkos is one of the players trying out the new Bauer Re-Akt helmet that is designed to reduce concussions. Stamkos and Claude Giroux talk about how players are taking a more active interest into their own safety (USA Today)
• Brett Connolly has been struggling since returning from WJC's (The Bolts Independent)
• Former Lightning owner Len Barrie gets evicted out of his $14 million house (Globe and Mail)
• Andrew Johnson of The Hockey Writers wonders if the Lightning and Red Wings could be trade partners. Guess it took him a far leap to make this connection huh?
• Not to take away from his shootout goal scoring at the ASG, but I have an issue with Stamkos' hair (Lightning Hockey Blog)
• Carrie Selivanov, daughter of Phil Esposito has died after long illness. She was married to former Lightning player Alex Selivanov (TBO.com)
• Former Lightning goalie Karri Ramo scores a brutal own goal in a KHL game (Puck Daddy)

The rest of your links after the jump...

Your links from around the NHL:

• Bruce Arthur on how Sidney Crosby's neck injury bring forth more questions (National Post)
• Michael Farber on how Crosby's injury will be the biggest topic from here till the trade deadline (Sport Illustrated)
• Jo Innes gives us the medical low-down on the issue with Crosby's C1 and C2 vertebrae. As someone who works in the pseudo-medical field, I love this stuff (Backhand Shelf)
• The 2012 All-Star Game weekend marked the start of the battle between commissioner Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr (NHLPA) regarding the next NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (National Post)
• Elliotte Friedman's 30 Thoughts: Crosby's recovery plight and various gems from the All-Star game
• Daniel Wagner writes this article on Cody Hodgson and his mid-level icetime on the Vancouver Sun blog Pass it to Bulis
• ...Then Cody Hodgson's agent, Ritch Winter, responds by penning this essay about hockey media. I love the Ayn Rand basis of his argument and he brings up some legit points, but also makes a mistake in saying that Pass it to Bulis is penned by reporters when it fact it's a blog, a very humorous blog most times. (Agents of Change)
• ......Then Daniel Wagner responds to Ritch Winter's post (Pass it to Bulis)
• Seth Rorabaugh looks at five players of the Pens who have been injured and " there have been some peculiar circumstances in how they were treated or how they were publicly reported by the team" (Empty Netters)
• Tony Plush Nyjer Morgan will skate with the Sharks tomorrow during the morning practice (Puck Daddy)
• The Puck Huffers comments on the ASG glam shots taken of the players in which we are confirmed that Jordan Eberle has a perpetual case of bedroom eyes
  
• Is Mason Raymond on the trading block? Ask any Canucks fan, and over half will say yes (The Fourth Period)
• The ups and downs that the San Jose Sharks has had is not hurting Sharks coach Todd McLellan's job security. He doesn't buy sudden coaching changes saying "If a team is taking that approach, then they shouldn't hire the guy in the first place," he said. "I wouldn't have married my wife if I knew I was going to divorce her eventually, and I wouldn't hire staff if I knew I was going to have to release them at some point. That makes no sense." (Mercury News)
• USA Hockey's membership has grown significantly in Southern states where there are NHL teams. "More people have an opportunity to get on the ice, fall in love with the game and become fans," (Yahoo)
• Jesse Spector on John Tortorella having earned his honor as one of the coaches at the All-Star Game (Sporting News)
• I'm loving Ellen Etchingham's History Lessons: The point of the All-Star Game (Backhand Shelf)

Video of the week: Joey the Junior Reporter interviews players before the ASG competition