Before we begin links of the hockey variety, a little heads up on an annual survey/popularity vote in the Tampa Bay Area: Creative Loafing is currently accepting nominations for the Best of the Bay for 2016 which covers a number of topics and categories with products, people, services, arts, entertainment, writing and sports. [Creative Loafing Tampa]
Consider this a commercial interruption: Long time Raw Charge writer Clark Brooks is also a long time writer, period. In fact, he’s done so much that he’s got a book to show it off. “A Ridiculously Inconsistent Treasury” is summer reading for the idle masses. [Amazon]
Ken Holland, GM of the Detroit Red Wings, is reportedly shopping Pavel Datsyuk’s contract… And has the intention to go after a certain number 91 if he hits the general free agent market on July 1. [The Score]
Roster change for the Wings is one thing to expect in the summer of 2016. [Today’s Slapshot]
In ECHL news, the Brampton Beast will remain affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens organization. Notable if for no other reason than the Beast are in close proximity to the Lightning’s ECHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings. [All Habs]
You likely heard the news from late Friday night regarding the passing of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. What you may not have heard about was his 1983 charity boxing match with former NHL enforcer Dave Semenko. Consider this the one time the Greatest crossed paths with the NHL… Oh, and Semenko just so happened to be an Oiler at the time; a teammate of the Great One mixing it up with the Greatest:
Which Lightning-represented World Cup team will go the furthest?