Mats Sundin to Have Number Retired By Leafs

Mats Sundin will soon be joining some of the Maple Leafs atop the Air Canada Centre, and let me tell you, that's a very exclusive and honored list.

The career scoring leader will be honored before the Feb. 11 game against the Canadiens when his No. 13 is finally raised to the rafters of the Centre. Sundin is the 18th player to have his number retired by the Leafs.

Bill Barriko's No. 5 and Ace Bailey's No. 6 are the only numbers that are officially retired. The other numbers can still be worn by current players. However, no one has donned No. 13 for the Leafs since Mats Sundin.

This announcement was made midway through the first period in the Leafs' win over the Penguins Saturday night.

Leafs fan gave him a standing ovation that lasted throughout an entire TV timeout. 19,256 at the game let him know how revered that he remains in the city.

"To be recognized in that way, you're never going to feel like you deserve it," he said. "I'm just happy to be mentioned in the same breath as Borje Salming, Darryl Sittler and all these great legends of the game of hockey."

This was Sundin's first time back at the arena since 2009 when he retired. He played for the Maple Leafs from 1994-08, collecting 987, which included 420 games in 981 games played with the Leafs.

Sundin won a Gold Medal at the Olympics with Sweden in 1996. However, he was unable to bring that elusive Stanley Cup to hockey-mad Toronto.

But you know what? Sundin is a player that I'll always have respect for as a fan. His dedication to hockey and to the Maple Leafs is a symbol for hockey people everywhere. It was an honor to have Sundin playing in the NHL and because of all that, he deserves to have his number lifted to the rafters.

We all look forward to seeing his number at the top of Air Canada Centre on Feb. 11. His dedication, his loyalty, his skill, and his passion for hockey has made him one of the greatest players ever.

So what do you think? Where does Mat Sundin rank on your all-time greatest players? If you're a Leafs fan or just a follower of them, where do they rank on your all-time greatest Leafs list?

Fans, check out this YouTube video, showing the announcement of Mats Sundin. As I said before, the standing ovation lasted through the timeout and it great.

Should Kyle Turris Be Traded?

We've got problems coming out of the Phoenix Coyotes, and this goes beyond their debt. It involves a disgruntled player.

Kyle Turris has demanded a trade. Kurt Overhardt, the agent for the unsigned center, confirmed that he asked the Coyotes for a trade out of Phoenix.

"This has never been about money, we've been upfront with the club from Day 1," Overhardt told ESPN.com on Thursday. "We've respectfully requested that the player had the opportunity to move forward in his career by having a fresh start."

Overhardt is not wrong in this case, but Coyotes GM Don Maloney stated that he wouldn't trade Turris. So far, his stance has not chanced, which could put Turris's chance of playing in the NHL this year at a high risk. The collective bargaining agreement states that if Turris isn't signed by Dec. 1, he cannot play this season, and that could really hurt his chances as a great player down the road.

"The CBA gives us certain rights to Turris and we are exercising our rights," Maloney told ESPN.com Thursday. "There will be a point in the future Turris will have the right to decide who he wants to play for and how much he will accept. He is not at this stage, given his age and experience. If he wants to play in the NHL this season, he will re-sign with us. We will not trade his rights under any circumstances and are prepared to live with the consequences if he decides to sit out this, and future, seasons."

Well, I have a question for Maloney. Why are you holding Turris hostage on your team? If he wants a fresh start, he should have the opportunity to play with another team and get that chance. Overhardt stated that the Coyotes "can benefit significantly by moving this asset." Well, of course they can. They don't play him. So why are they holding onto this guy?

Maloney should get rid of them. He obviously doesn't want him on this team, and that's why he hasn't signed him yet. The Coyotes are just a team that holds players hostage. Turris is not happy, and he should be. You know why? Because they don't like trading, and that's stupid. They wait until the offseason to get your players, and they get rid of players that benefit their team significantly, like Ilya Bryzgalov. So give Turris a chance to make his mark somewhere else. You know why? Because you don't give him that chance to be a great player. So take note, Maloney, you are certainly not a great GM for this player. He doesn't want you or the team, and you don't want him, so let him go.

Turris had better get traded soon, because this should turn into a mess, and the Coyotes are already dealing with keeping their team in Phoenix. Let him go, let him play for another team. It's so stupid that they want to keep the player they'll never play. Just release him. Trade him. I want him where he's happy, and if he's not happy in Phoenix, then let him go somewhere where he can be happy.

As for possible locations to go for the troubled center, I see a number of possible destination. Colorado, Nashville, Edmonton, Calgary, and Minnesota can use a guy like him, because he is an agile player. He racked up 25 points last season and even if that might not be superb numbers, it certainly helps when a team is struggling at this point in time.

We'll see where this goes, but if Don Maloney is going to be stupid and keep a player, he deserves to just get out of Phoenix altogether. Let Turris go and let him go to a place where he can play and be happy. This'll turn into a mess somehow and it's not going to be pretty.

Who won the Canucks-Panthers trade?

It's early in the NHL season and even though it's almost the end of October, there's some early trading going on, and this one could be a big early trade.

The Canucks acquired left wing David Booth, center Steven Reinprecht, and a third-round draft pick in 2013 from the Florida Panthers in exchange for veteran forwards Marco Sturm and Mikhael Samuelsson.

"It's an opportunity to have a top-six forward and a left winger to play with Ryan Kesler, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said of Booth, picked 53rd overall in 2004.

In my opinion, he has the agility of a top forward in the NHL. Last season, he played in all 82 games for the Panthers, for the first time in his career. He scored 23 goals and 17 assists last season and so far has one assist in six games and no goals. Certainly it's not there yet but with the Canucks, I think he'll get over that hump and help this Canucks team get back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Gillis had been talking about this deal for several months, saying that he wasn't worried about Booth's previous injuries, which included two previous concussions. Let's hope Booth doesn't get that injured this season and hopes he is able to help out this team in a major, major way.

As for Reinprecht, I have very little information about him, although he was great with Florida the last few seasons and then was all right before that in Phoenix. I don't know how Reinprecht helped this season, which is why it might one of several reasons that they demoted him to Chicago of the American Hockey League. Another reason is that his salary will be sent there, where it doesn't count in the NHL salary cap.

The Canucks seem to be on the right track, but it's the Panthers that are looking for answers. Even though they are 5-3-0 with 10 points, they are still having question marks at a lot of their positions. They get Marco Sturm and Mikael Samuelsson from the Canucks in an attempt to bolster their team, but here's the case.

This is Sturm's fifth team in three seasons. He had two knee surgeries over the span of three years, which has dramatically decreased his play.

Samuelsson is coming off abdominal surgery and his performance has dipped so far this season. He did win a cup with Detroit with 2008 and has had back-to-back 50-point seasons. Canucks coach Alain Vigneault sat him several times for what he called "stiffness." But GM Dale Tallon isn't worried about these veteran forwards.

"They're two useful NHL top-notch people that can play," Tallon said.

So the question I posed at the top is: Who won this trade? Did the Canucks add a sweet deal? Or did the Panthers get the guys they wanted? The answer is: The Canucks. My team to win the Stanley Cup this year just got better with adding a forward that can score on the ice. David Booth is what the Canucks were looking for, and it seems that with all the injuries surrounding the two players they traded to Florida, they needed someone who was as tough as they come and able to make plays on the ice for the good of his team. Honestly, David Booth brings all that to the Canucks and with his size and speed and his abilities, he could be a valuable player come playoff time. Sorry, Panthers fans, but Sturm and Samuelsson are coming off surgeries and plenty of injuries and it'll take some time before they're back on the time. Plus, the Panthers have a tough schedule coming ahead with Buffalo, Chicago, and Tampa Bay coming up.

It's a trade and the hockey season goes on. The Canucks have their man and it will definitely pay off. The Panthers will still have more questions and it'll only be a matter of time before we really find out how well these players adapt to their new teams. Enjoy it, fans!

To show you how good David Booth is, here's a clip of his hat trick from November 9, 2008 against the Ducks. It might have been three years ago, but he's still on a roll.

Blue Jackets vs. Senators: A Must-Win for Columbus

The Columbus Blue Jackets have to be feeling pretty down in the dumps after the way the team has performed to start the season.

After Friday night's 5-2 loss to Detroit, the Jackets are now 0-6-1 and only have one point and are currently the worst team in the league. Derrick Brassard and Aaron Johnson scored the only goals Friday night while Steve Mason stopped 28 shots. But the team is still not together, according to coach Scott Arneil.

"These guys are going to have to find a way to find the answers to get a win," the Columbus coach said. "The only answers are going to come from that room. We've got to stick together."

They're going to have to, unfortunately because they are still without center Jeff Carter (broken foot), RW Jared Boll (hand), and D James Wisniewski (suspension). Honestly, these guys are the best core guys the Jackets have and without these players, they're going to have a tougher time getting up the standings and catching the leaders of the Western Conference.

But there might be some hope for the Jackets to redeem themselves a bit and that's Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators. The Senators are 2-5-0 with four points after a Thursday win against the Jets, but they aren't looking too hot right now, either. Ottawa has been outscored 14-2 in the opening 20 minutes of its seven games, so maybe Columbus has a chance to get their offense going, but without their key players, Ottawa can easily turn themselves around and put up a fight against the Jackets. After all, Senators goalie Craig Anderson is 4-0-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average in his last four starts against the Blue Jackets. And that might not be a good sign for the Jackets.

The Jackets need to win now because their schedule down the stretch is pretty brutal. After Ottawa, Home against Detroit, at Buffalo, at Chicago, and then home against Anaheim to finish the month. That could be bad and these are premier teams that can really do some damage.

Will the Jackets succeed in getting a win in Ottawa? We'll be finding out. I'll be watching the game and seeing just if the Jackets can pull themselves together and finally nitch out a win. Enjoy your Saturday hockey, puckheads!

Is There Bad Influence In the Vancouver Riots Spa Campaign?

This is one of the weirdest and maybe most negative stories to hit the NHL airwaves since the Vancouver riots after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Eccotique Spa and Salon, a Vancouver-area spa treatment place, is offering a $50 gift card to eligible Vancouver riot members. However, there is a condition: The recipients must turn themselves in for their role in the riots.

"We'll get them nicely manicured for a court date or prison or whatever punishment they're going to get but we want to make sure they're going to get punished for what they did," spa owner Milajne Soligo said, according to The Star of Toronto.

The riots have had a brutal impact on the downtown Vancouver business and the spa owner wants to make sure they pay for what they did. Some restrictions away, as one might expect when receiving a prize. The candidate must show valid photo ID, explain his role in the riots, then apply his fingerprints to a certificate, which must be taken to the police.

So far, no one has taken up on the offer by the spa and some Canadians are pretty upset about the spa using the riots as a playful market campaign. Charles Gauthier, a worker with the Business Improvement Association, thinks it's "not something we'd recommend -- prizes for people to come forward."

Soligo isn't surprised that some reactions to the campaign have been negative. But believes that the larger goal is for people to turn themselves in for what they did. The whole point, she said, was to "coax them into some confessions, that's the whole point of the campaign."

Now although the spa seems like they're having something going, it just seems like a one-way ticket to long-term jail. I understand their direction and their idea, but this is something that just doesn't make sense at all. You're giving people a reward just for turning themselves in. Actually, it just seems like a trap for people to confess and then go to jail for an incredibly long period of time. It doesn't seem worth it to use this kind of ad to get people to turn themselves in and get the reward. It is negative and it seems like it's bad infleunce. I don't believe you should get people to turn themselves in by making an offer up for grabs.

Whether or not the ad is a good idea, it's already out there. It's driving criticism and it's making more people not confess to these riots. Whether or not it was Canucks fans or fans alike, I think they should turn themselves in, but I don't think an advertisement is a great way to get them to confess. I hope this wasn't you, puckheads, because a lot of good property was damaged thanks to violence that shouldn't have happened in the first place.

Wednesday Night Hockey Recap: The Blue Jacket Struggles

Out of all the Wednesday night hockey I've seen last night, there's nothing I can be more sad of than seeing the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team that had somewhat high expectations, fall completely flat on their first three games of the season.

Their first game was against the Predators. A team that went to the playoffs last year, Columbus was hungry to give Nashville a loss to start their season, but instead it was Nashville who came behind to win it. Next up, Minnesota Wild, who I though was a good team to start the season and Columbus allowed them to walk away with a 4-2 win, with goalie Steve Mason allowing goals by Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley. Next, it was Vancouver at home. It started out well, with rookie Cam Atkinson scoring his first NHL goal of his career. But there was nothing the Blue Jackets could've done to stop the mighty firepower of a Vancouver team and they walked out with a 3-2 loss. An 0-3 start? Well, it was a chance for a win against Colorado. It was a pretty good start. Even though Colorado got the first goal, the Blue Jackets answered in the 2nd and 3rd periods with goals from Rick Nash and Radek Martinek. But the Avalanche came back with a late-tying goal and an eventual shootout winner to continue the Blue Jackets' misery.

Now, you would think that with all the players they picked up in the offseason, such as Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski, the Blue Jackets would be top contenders in the Western Conference, right? Well, right now, it's a bit of a sore start to this team. Even their attendance has dropped. 8,986 attended the game and that's below 50% of the entire stadium. Yes, I realize it was a school night, but come on, at this rate, the Blue Jackets won't even have 40% of their entire arena filled.

The Blue Jackets have had the worst first week of any other team in the league. Surely, they only have a point, but their offense is really not picking this team up and Jeff Carter is certainly having a quiet start to the season. Rick Nash is being Rick Nash but the other members of that team are not helping out in any way.

They’re tied for the league lead in games played with four, yet they’ve managed only one point in those games. At least it puts them ahead of the Flames, who only played two games and the Winnipeg Jets (with only one game played), and it ties them with the Phoenix Coyotes (two games played).

The bright side to these games are that they are not getting blown out in those games, like Winnipeg did against Montreal. Three of their four losses were only by one goal and they got a point from the shootout. But certainly the offense and special teams needs to find a way to get that act together and get Columbus right back into the mix, because other teams are going to find a way to beat those sorry Jackets if those Jackets don't get their offense in shape.

78 games left for Columbus and probably 74 with Wisniewski. Right now, there should be no panic. But there should be some worry from GW Scott Howson, coach Scott Arniel, and Jackets fans if this teams' month turns into a lousy one. They have a home-and-home with Dallas and if they want to get some offense going, how about beating Kari Lehtonen in those games?

A rough start to Columbus, but can they rebound and can they get back into the mix as one of the favorable teams come playoff time? Only time will tell, puckheads. And we'll see if Columbus steps it up and really makes a statement that they can be one of the favorites when the playoffs roll around. Keep an eye on them!

Here is the recap and a little analysis from last night's Jackets game, courtesy of NBC Sports.

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The Bruins Are Being Thrown the Punch

It may only be three games in, but the Boston Bruins are certainly taking the beating from teams alike, and coach Claude Julien is not impressed with how things have been going so far for the Bruins.

That Monday afternoon affair with the Avalanche, with resulted in a 1-0 loss, is my best description of "flat play." Tuukka Rask made 35 saves on the day, but the offense gave no help to them in trying to get pucks past Simeon Varlamov.

That team's effort is certainly not fitting well with coach Claude Julien. "I don't think I can stand here and say I was. We got outworked by a team that was a lot more hungry than we were. Right from the get-go, as soon as they got that power play, it gave them some momentum and then they just never looked back. Throughout the game, I felt our team was second on the puck. We're losing the races, and whenever we got there and got into battle, they certainly were a lot hungrier than we were," he told reporters.

It is agreed that the Avs are an improving team, but the Bruins are a team that is already flying into the dumps after winning the Stanley Cup last season. The top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton has yet to make offensive dents in the opposition. And whether or not letting Michael Ryder go was a good idea, it is certainly not his leaving that is causing the Bruins' problems. Without the top line, the offense is pretty much nothing more than a cellar team. The Bruins need to get going, if they are to defend their Stanley Cup, and right now it's not looking that good.

"When your top line is supposed to be your top line, it should try and be that every night," Julien said. "And so far I don't think they're in sync, I don't think they're working hard enough as a group." They aren't working hard enough and it is showing. I mean sure, they managed to take one from Tampa Bay but Philadelphia and Colorado took bites out of this team. And the Bruins' group will need their leaders to put the bite back in the other teams.

The Bruins are in a bad position right now. They need their offense back and they need it back fast. If they don't, it'll look like a losing season and Bruins fans definitely don't want that. You know, at least on Sunday, they participated in the Stanley Cup ceremony at the Jets-Patriots game. But that ceremony is over. It's time to focus on a new season so now they have to find a way to jack up that offense or else it's bust.

The Regular Season Starts Tomorrow

Preseason is over, puckheads. Starting tomorrow, the real action gets going. Four teams are over in Europe, preparing to delight the fans of Finland, Sweden, and Germany. While at home, most eyes are on Sidney Crosby after his first skate with the Penguins met with success. Not only that, but fans are excited, tailgates are starting, and mascots are entertaining them with many tricks and games. They dance, they play, they sing (maybe not all) and most especially, they root for their team.

Ah, yes, that's nothing more entertaining than the return of hockey. Okay, maybe there's the playoffs, but that'll take many months to get to. Meanwhile, which teams are we to watch for? Well, I'll give you one. The Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby is coming back his season, but he'll be out a little bit longer while the coaching staff makes sure he is tip-top shape before making his return to the ice. Another team to watch is the San Jose Sharks. Will they make it past the Conference Finals to the Stanley Cup Finals? Sure, unless they manage to get the Canucks or the Red Wings with them, in which case, it'll be a lot harder, considering the fact that Dany Heatley, even though he performed poorly in last year's playoffs, is gone to Minnesota. Also Devin Setoguchi is gone. He was a big player for the Sharks and without his presence, how will they do, especially down the stretch?

No more Sean Avery? That's right, the New York Rangers just waived his contract, meaning he could head to Europe soon. Right now, he just cleared waivers and is currently playing in the AHL. Should Sean Avery just go to Europe? It sounds like it's a better deal for him than playing in the AHL. The mouther is officially without a team...again! But the Rangers have more problems and one of their top players, Marc Staal, is on the IR with concussion symptoms. Will he be able to play soon? Or will this be another Sidney Crosby thing? I doubt it. This is not as bad as what Sidney Crosby went through, but anything is possible. There is a chance that he might not be back for a long, long time.

The Coyotes and the Stars? They have question marks concerning ownership. Can they stay in their respective cities? Or is it time to start packing? The Coyotes will be able to play in the desert one more year but after that, it looks like it's time to hit the road to Quebec City. The Stars are in a better position but not by much. Will Dallas keep its recent struggling franchise? Or is it goodbye and off to either Seattle or Thunder Bay, Ontario?

Well, puckheads, there's more. Below are the teams I believe are going to win each division respectively, the East, the West, and finally, the Stanley Cup. Below that are the players I think you should keep a close eye on.

Atlantic: Philadelphia Flyers
Northeast: Buffalo Sabres
Southeast: Washington Capitals
Central: Chicago Blackhawks
Northwest: Vancouver Canucks
Pacific: Los Angeles Kings
Eastern Conference: Washington Capitals
Western Conference: Vancouver Canucks
Stanley Cup: Vancouver Canucks

MVP: Alex Ovechkin
Vezina: Ryan Miller
Norris: Duncan Keith
Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
Rookie of the Year: Not sure yet.
Coach: Bruce Boudreau

As you may have remembered, I picked the Kings and the Lightning to go to Finals and certainly that didn't happen. This year, even though the Kings are slightly better, I'm not sure they can beat out the Canucks. The Capitals are going to have to go eventually and I think this is their year. Bruce Boudreau knows he's on the hot seat. If he doesn't perform well, he's out. So I think he knows what must be done to get this team to the Stanley Cup. For the player awards, I don't know who all the rookies are this season, but I'll know who my favorite is sometime later this season. Come back in December and I'll probably have the idea.

Regular season's on us, fans. We got a great cast of teams this season. The players are ready, the fans are ready. The question is: Are you ready? Three games to start it off tomorrow, then on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the big games overseas. Should be an interesting season, puckheads. Get that puck dropped!