It’s day two of the three day GM meetings in Boca Raton, FL. Yesterday, Meredith wrote about the NHL concussion study. Over the next two days the GM’s will debate a number of changes proposed, including whether they want to ban all hits to the head. Maybe it’s just me, but does this seem like this may finally be the year that a change actually gets made?
After the jump, your links for this week…
Lightning links:
- Nolan Whyte writes about Gary Bettman becoming Clarence Campbell and how the NHL is losing him as a fan because of all the issues surrounding it now (Frozen Sheets Hockey)
- Teddy Purcell had three assists last night and has been having a career year with the Lightning. Stamkos thinks he is one of the most talented players on the team (Canadian Press via The Hockey News)
- On his 24th birthday yesterday, Mattias Ritola scored two goals in the second period. He also earned himself shaving cream pie in the face. You don’t see him get the pie in the face, but his interview with TBO.com shows the aftereffects
- Did you know, during Saturday’s game against the Panther’s, Steven Stamkos took a stick to the face and lost a tooth? The National Post writes on his quest for a back-to-back 50 goal season
- Stamkos says that being in the playoffs is more important than scoring goals (St. Petersburg Times)
- Pavel Kubina plans to apologize to Dave Bolland for the elbow to the head that got him suspended
- From NHL.com: breaking down the Southeast Division title race
- This Thursday’s Habs vs. Lightning game makes ESPN’s games to watch this week
- On Greatest Hockey Legends blog, Steve Yzerman on his first impression of Gordie Howe
- Tom Jones calls Bruce Boudreau the most disliked man in Tampa Bay for calling Stamkos and Downie divers. I don’t agree that the call-out has Stamkos questioning his manhood, as Jones put it, but it does make him a lousy person in the eyes of many more people
- Not about the Lightning, but a guest post by Lightning blogger Jon Jordan of Kukla’s Korner on Bourne’s Blog about his late-brother Mikey
Links from around the NHL:
- Puck Daddy breaks down Gary Bettman’s five simple steps for player safety
- Via Puck Daddy, the interactive NHL Wheel of Justice
- In last night’s game against the Lightning Colby Armstrong, who blocked a shot from Marc-Andre Bergeron, broke his foot and is likely done for the season according to Leaf’s coach Ron Wilson (TSN)
- In last night’s Vancouver Canucks / Minnesota Wild game, Cal Clutterbuck tried to take a run against Alex Burrows. He missed and ended up flipping himself into the Canucks’ bench (video on Puck Daddy)
- For the first time since January 6th, Sidney Crosby skated yesterday in full gear
- Ken Dryden writes on hockey violence and asks if 50 years will we be asking ourselves ‘How could we be so stupid’?
- Roy MacGregor talks about the absurdity of the Quebec legal system investigating the Chara on Pacioretty (Globe and Mail)
- Christie Blatchford writes that hockey fans want their players alive and skating
- Even with a concussion, young kids hide the fact that they have one because they want to keep playing. A story on a 14 year old who did that and what he had to go through in his recovery process. Dr. Grant Lum, medical director at a clinic and adviser the NHLPA “recommends that schools and sports associations administer such tests to determine athletes’ healthy scores, which could later be used for comparison if the athletes suffer head injuries.”
- The Vancouver Sun puts together a pretty impressive all-concussion team of players that are currently out with a concussion
- Defending the Big D looks at the Dallas Stars and how they are starting embrace social media
- Interesting read by Steve Lepore of Puck the Media on Washington Capitals fans who although they may not know a ton about their teams history, are still just as passionate as other fans. I think that this would be true of many Lightning fans in that we should set no requirement to ‘know’ about the history but to instead create new traditions
- Elliotte Friedman’s 30 Thoughts: on the Pacioretty fallout
- Sports Illustrated’s writer Michael Farber is taking a leave of absence due to medical reasons because he is battling cancer. Great writer and best of wishes to him. Here’s a great post he wrote about Brian Burke vowing to champion gay rights for his son’s memory
- Melt Your Face Off has what Gary Betteman’s thank you speech would have sounded like if he had one after receiving his 5 year contract extension
Your video of the week:
Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks has been interview bombing his fellow teammates over the past week. Hilarious photos over at the Kurtenblog or the video via Canucks.com
