Slovakia picks Hanlon as coach

Players with nhl jerseys wil have a new coach-former NHL player Glen Hanlon.

The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation said Wednesday that Hanlon has been given a four-year contract until the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The 53-year-old Canadian becomes the first foreigner to coach the team. He was previously in charge of Belarus, and has also coached the Washington Capitals, Finnish club Jokerit and Dinamo Minsk in Russia.

He replaces Jan Filc, who led Slovakia to fourth place at the Vancouver Olympics and to its only world championship title, in 2002. Hanlon’s first international tournament will be the worlds in Germany in May.

Langkow back in Calgary

Daymond Langkow with calgary flames jersey flew back to Calgary on Monday, a day after leaving a game on a stretcher against the Minnesota Wild.

The 33-year-old spent Sunday night in a St. Paul hospital following the Flames’ 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild, undergoing tests after taking a shot off the back of his neck. “I think any time you see a player that’s taken off on a stretcher, obviously it plays on your mind,” Flames assistant coach Dave Lowry said.“I think everyone was just scared,” said forward David Moss, who watched as Langkow was strapped to a backboard and wheeled off the ice. “Not knowing what was going on, not seeing him move was a scary moment.”

The Flames later found out that Langkow had feeling in all his extremities.

Selanne’s 600th goal

Teemu Selanne with anaheim ducks jersey can finally exhale. His 600th goal is in the books, with four home games to spare in what likely will be his final NHL season.

Selanne became the 18th player in NHL history to reach the milestone, scoring 34 seconds into the second period during a power play in the Anaheim Ducks’ 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night.“I was a little nervous that if it didn’t happen tonight, it might not happen here at all,” Selanne said. “It’s great, but it’s way more special happening at home. So I’m very happy about that. It was a big relief for me, for sure.”

Selanne said that was the easiest he had had in a while.

Nash scores twice in return

Rick Nash with columbus blue jackets jersey came out and won the game in time.

The Wild came into the game in 11th place and six points behind eighth-place Detroit in the Western Conference playoff race. Instead of getting two points, they came away with none after blowing leads of 2-0 in the second period and 2-1 with less than 9 minutes left.

Nash’s shootout-like goal came just 27 seconds after Kris Russelltied it. Nash then added an empty-netter in the final minute. Kristian Huselius also scored for Columbus, which has won four of five.

Bourque scores twice to help Flames

We all know that players with nhl jerseys do not start until mid-April, but Calgary Flames decided to move up their postseason a month.

It paid dividends against the Colorado Avalanche. Rene Bourque scored two goals, Vesa Toskala made 32 saves and the Flames beat Colorado 3-2 on Wednesday night to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race.

Eric Nystrom also scored for the Flames, who are in ninth place with 79 points, one point behind idle Detroit for the final postseason spot with 12 games left.

Wild signs Wellman

Center Casey Wellman was offered a minnesota wild jersey for two years.

The deal was announced on Tuesday. Wellman just concluded his sophomore season at the University of Massachusetts, where he scored 23 goals to tie for sixth in Division I.
Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher wants to be aggressive about signing college free agents, and Wellman will join the Wild for the remainder of the season rather than going to the minors.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Wellman had 45 points as a sophomore for UMass and 33 points as a freshman.

Penguins beat Lightning down

Sidney Crosby with pittsburgh penguins jersey became entangled with Lightning winger Steve Downie and his knee bent as he crumpled to the ice.

Gonchar scored the winning goal on a power at 5:17, blasting a slap shot past Antero Niittymaki from just inside the blue line.Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier opened the scoring with his fifth goal in six games at 8:09 of the second period. Todd Fedoruk carried the puck behind the Pittsburgh net and fed the Lightning captain, skating in on Fleury.

Dupuis tied it with a wrist shot 2:20 into the third, capping a series of shots that had Niittymaki turned around.

Ryan Miller is named Olympic MVP

It is reported that Team USA goaltender Ryan Miller was named the MVP of the Olympic hockey tournament and was one of three Americans to make the tourney's All-Star team.

Miller, defenseman Brian Rafalski and forward Zach Parise were named to the team along with Canadian defenseman Shea Weber and forward Jonathan Toews and Slovakia forward Pavol Demitra, who led all scorers at the Games with 10 points. The All Star team of the Olympic tournament was named after the second period of the gold-medal game. Rafalski earned best defenseman honors and Toews was named best forward.

Crosby gets a chance to chase gold

Team Canada alternate captain Sidney Crosby has dreamed about playing in a gold-medal game most of his life. Friday night, that dream came true as his Canadians held off a spirited late charge to defeat a Slovakian. With the 3-2 win at Canada Hockey Place, Team Canada booked passage into a dream gold-medal game against Team USA, which is 5-0 in this tournament after a 6-1 pasting of Finland earlier in the day in the other semifinal. Crosby, who had three shots and an even rating Friday night, stopped to talk exclusively to NHL.com after the game.

Gormley will appear on NHL Live!

It is reported that top prospect Brandon Gormley will be among the guests on NHL Live! on Tuesday, scheduled from noon-2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. Also scheduled to appear to speak with co-hosts Rob Simpson and Bill Clement are NBC's Pierre McGuire and Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Gormley is in his second season with the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In 49 games, he has 8 goals, 29 assists and 46 penalty minutes in 49 games. The Prince Edward Island native is eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, which will be held this June in Los Angeles.

Lehtonen is traded to Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars acquired goaltender Kari Lehtonen from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth-round selection in the 2010 Entry Draft. Lehtonen, who was recalled from a conditioning stint in Chicago on Feb. 7, posted a 1-1-2 record with a 2.67 goals-against average in four outings with Atlanta's affiliate. He last played in an NHL game on April 11, 2009, when he made 33 saves against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In four seasons with the Thrashers, Lehtonen posted a 94-83-17 record and a .912 save percentage in 204 games in the thrashers jersey. Lehtonen was selected by the Thrashers in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. "Kari Lehtonen is a proven elite goaltender," Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said. "We are very excited to add him to our hockey clib."

Vishnevskiy was held scoreless in two games with Dallas this year and has posted 24 points in 51 AHL games with the Texas Stars. Vishnevskiy will report to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

Mike Richter appears on NHL Live!

It is reported that former U.S. Olympian and New York Rangers star Mike Richter will be among the guests on NHL Live! on Friday, scheduled from noon-2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. Richter led the United States to the silver medal in 2002 and to the gold medal at the World Cup in 1996. He also led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup in his new york rangers jersey in 1994.

Also scheduled to speak with co-hosts Deb Placey and Dave Maloney are 1984 Olympian Ed Olczyk, later a Rangers teammate of Richter and now a member of NBC's broadcast team at the Games, and Cheryl Pounder, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada.

Thrashers GM is at Devils and Kings game

Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell is in New Jersey taking in the Devils game against Kings from the Prudential Center's press box. The Kings are reportedly high trying to acquire Thrashers' captain Ilya Kovalchuk prior to the March 3 trade deadline. Waddell said that he did not want to do an interview if it centered on Kovalchuk (in the thrashers jersey), but said that he is still trying to sign the Russian sniper who is scheduled to become a free agent on July 1. Waddell added that he is aware of his presence at this game, but he stressed that he's at this game to scout something he rarely gets a chance to do when he's watching his own team play.

The Thrashers played in Philadelphia on Thursday and instead of going with the team to Nashville for Saturday's game, Waddell stayed behind to catch some other games in the area. "When you are watching your own team play, you never get to scout the other team." Waddell said.

Nationals sign Mench to Minor League deal

It is said that the Nationals have signed outfielder Kevin Mench to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. The right-handed-hitting Mench spent this past season playing in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers, but he is best remembered for his years with the Rangers from 2002-06.

Mench's best season in the Major Leagues was in 2004, when he hit .279 with 26 home runs and 73 RBIs in the rangers jersey. He has played seven big league seasons and has a .269 career batting average with 89 home runs and 330 RBIs.

Mike Green is suspended for three games

The NHL announced that Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green has been suspended for three games without pay, for an incident that took place during NHL game against the Florida Panthers on January 29. At the first period, Green delivered an elbow to the head of Panthers’ forward Michael Frolik. Green was assessed a minor penalty for elbowing on the play.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average salary, Green will forfeit $81,606.21. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Green will miss Washington's next three games, against Tampa Bay at Boston and at the New York Rangers. He will be eligible to return to the game against Atlanta in his capitals jersey.

Reds is fighting for Cabrera's services

Cincinnati Reds has definitely made an offer to Cabrera, who is also considering Colorado and Washington. It appears that none of the three teams were close to reaching a deal. On Thursday morning, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty revealed they were realistic interest in Cabrera. The Reds currently have a superb defensive player in Paul Janish at shortstop but have spent the winter seeking a stronger offensive option.

Cabrera is one of the few shortstops left on the free-agent market. However, he started his career as second baseman. About to enter his 14th big league season, Cabrera batted .284 with nine home runs and 77 RBIs in 160 games combined with the Astros and Twins in 2009. He helped Minnesota reach the postseason after his midsummer trade from Oakland. Hope he can put on the reds jersey and play for the team.

Ausmus sign with Dodgers

After re-signing infielder Ronnie Belliard earlier in the day, the Dodgers now are agreeing on a one-year deal worth $850,000 with catcher Brad Ausmus. The deal also includes a mutual option for 2011 worth $1 million. Ausmus hit a career-high .295 as the backup to Russell Martin in 2009, playing in only 36 games.

Ausmus finished the season tied for eighth on the all-time list of games caught with Benito Santiago. This will be his 18th Major League season, and he has never been on the disabled list. Ausmus is considered to be big league manager material and he managed the last regular-season game of the year for the Dodgers. Fans look forward to seeing him playing in the dodgers jersey.

Orioles re-sign Hendrickson

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles re-signed left-hander Mark Hendrickson to a one-year, $1.2 million contract on Thursday. Hendrickson signed a one-year deal that includes a $1.2 million team option for 2011 with a $200,000 buyout, which added that a pending physical has not been scheduled.

Hendrickson worked as both a starter and reliever this past season and is expected to serve mainly as a reliever in 2010. During the 2009 season, the 35-year-old left-hander went 6-5 with a 4.37 ERA in 53 games in the orioles jersey. For his eight-year career, the 6-foot-9 Hendrickson, who was a former NBA player, is 56-68 with a 5.00 ERA.

De Haan is out for 6 months

Calvin de Haan, who is the New York Islanders' second first-round pick in last June's Entry Draft, is scheduled to have shoulder surgery on Thursday, and the team said he is expected to miss six months. De Haan, a star defenseman for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, left Sunday's game against the Saginaw Spirit in the first period with an upper-body injury.

He was taken with the No. 12 pick in the draft. He nearly made the Islanders' roster out of training camp before being returned to Oshawa, and was a member of Canada's silver medal-winning team at the World Junior Championships. De Haan has 5 goals 19 assists with a plus-5 rating in 34 games with the Generals.

Lincecum shows up in court

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum appeared in court in Washington State on Tuesday morning to resolve his pending charges for possession of marijuana and drug.

Lincecum, who is the two-time defending National League Cy Young Award winner, will pay a fine of $513 to resolve the charges that stemmed from Oct. 30. He appeared before Judge Darvin Zimmerman in Clark County District Court. The charges were reduced to a civil infraction.

D-backs and Montero reach a one-year deal

The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to terms with Miguel Montero on a one-year contract reportedly worth $2 million on Friday. He set several career highs last season with a .294 batting average, 16 home runs and 59 RBIs in 128 games in the diamondbacks jersey. The left-handed hitter also established career highs with 61 runs scored, 125 hits, 30 doubles, 38 walks, a .355 on-base percentage. Among big league catchers, Montero ranked fourth in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage.

The four-year veteran has a career .267 batting average with 31 home runs and 117 RBIs in 288 games with 242 coming at catcher. He was originally signed by the club as an amateur free agent in 2001. The D-backs also avoided the arbitration process with Conor Jackson on Thursday, signing him to a a one-year deal worth $3.1 million.

Sanchez underwent shoulder surgery

Giants manager Bruce Bochy confirmed to The Associated Press that second baseman Freddy Sanchez underwent left shoulder surgery and could miss Opening Day. Bochy first told KNBR radio of Sanchez's surgery, which was an arthroscopic procedure. Sanchez also had surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus in early October. "He's going to be a little delayed," Bochy told the AP. "It'll be close if he can go Opening Day or not."

Sanchez suffered shoulder and knee injuries last season, which limited him to just 25 games with the Giants after putting on his giants jersey. Sanchez batted .284 with a home run and seven RBIs in those 25 games after batting .296 with six home runs and 34 RBIs in 86 games with the Pirates. Even with his injury problems last season, Sanchez was rewarded with a $12 million, two-year contract extension with San Francisco on Oct. 30. The eight-year veteran is a career .299 hitter with 38 home runs and 300 RBIs in 733 games with the Red Sox, Pirates and Giants.

Bonanno is named fantasy award finalist

It is reported that NHL.com's Rocky Bonanno has been named a finalist for the 2009 Fantasy Hockey Writer of the Year presented by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Also nominated are Sean Allen of ESPN and Scott Pianowski of Yahoo!
This year the not-for-profit organization collected close to 1,000 articles from more than 150 participating writers. The annual writing contest has grown in each of its six years.

"This contest demands hundreds of volunteer hours from our executive staff and judges," said Mike Beacom, FSWA president and chairman, "but the increased interest in the awards suggests all of that hard work is well worth it." The FSWA Executive Committee collects all of the entries and guides the two-step process, which includes a round of judging by the FSWA Board of Directors and then by an independent panel of journalism academics. Judging for this year's awards has now been completed and the winners will be announced at the Winter FSTA Business Conference and Research Symposium in Las Vegas on Jan. 26, 2010.

Michael Leighton appears on NHL Live!

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton will be among the guests on NHL Live! on Monday, scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com. Also slated to appear with hosts Deb Placey and Dave Maloney are NHL.com's Adam Kimelman, TSN commentator Bob McKenzie and NHL Central Scouting Director E.J. McGuire.

Leighton has played a major role in the Flyers after being claimed off waivers by the club on Dec. 15 from the Hurricanes. In 10 appearances with Philadelphia, Leighton is 7-0-1 with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in the flyers jersey.

Yzerman joins in NHL Hour

Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman, who is now executive director of Team Canada and also a vice president with the Detroit Red Wings, will be a special guest on NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show encourages fans to call in for the Commissioner.

NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman now broadcasts live on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on NHL Home Ice and NHL.com. The show will re-air on SIRIUS XM Radio, with archived shows available for download via podcast on NHL.com. Well will he wear his red wings jersey to show up?

Selanne' surgery is a success

Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne underwent surgery successfully to repair two fractured bones in his jaw. The club said the surgery was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Pulver at St. Joseph's Hospital. The team placed Selanne on injured reserve and said he was expected to miss 2 to 6 weeks.

Selanne was injured in the third period of Wednesday's win over Boston Bruins at the Honda Center when Ryan Whitney hit him in the jaw. He fell to the ice immediately and had to be sent to the locker room. Selanne was playing just his third game after missing 17 games with a broken bone in his hand. Selanne has 16 goals and 23 points in 30 games this season in his anaheim ducks jersey.

Yankees agree to terms with Mitre

The Yankees has agreed to term Mitre on a one-year contract. Mitre will earn a base salary of $850,000, plus possible performance incentives. The Yankees officially announced the signing on Thursday morning. Mitre was 3-3 with a 6.79 ERA in 12 games for the Yankees in 2009, returning to the big leagues after undergoing ligament-replacement surgery in July.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Mitre will enter Spring Training in competition for the fifth starter's role as well as auditioning. If Mitre does not make the team out of Spring Training, he would have to clear waivers to be assigned to the Minor Leagues, but his affordable contract and potential upside could make him attractive to other clubs. Mitre has pitched in parts of six Major League seasons with the Cubs, Marlins and Yankees.

Mariners sign Chris Woodward

It is reported that the Mariners signed utility player Chris Woodward to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. "Chris played an important role for us in 2009 and filled gaps when needed," said Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik. "He is a great guy and served as a role model and a mentor as well as a contributor on the field. We are happy that he will be returning to the Mariners organization and we look forward to his continued contributions in 2010."

Woodward was a non-roster invitee with the Mariners last year and started the season at Triple-A Tacoma. In 20 games with the big league club, Woodward hit .239 while seeing action at second base, third base and shortstop. He was claimed off waivers by Boston on Aug. 7 and played in 13 games in three stints with the Red Sox. In all, Woodward sports a .242 batting average in 10 seasons with Toronto, the New York Mets, Atlanta, Seattle and Boston. After playing with these teams, Woodward will put on mariners jersey now.

Cubs sign Minors deal with Bryan Lahair

The Cubs have signed first baseman LaHair to a Minor League contract and he will be an invitees this spring. FOX Sports first reported that LaHair will compete for a spot on the Cubs' bench. The left-handed hitter has spent his entire career in the Seattle Mariners. Last year at Triple-A Tacoma, he batted .289 with 26 homers and 85 RBIs.

In 2008, LaHair appeared in 45 games with the Mariners and batted .250 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his mariners jersey. Micah Hoffpauir began the 2009 season on the Opening Day roster, but hit .239 in 105 games. The Cubs are expected to announce their non-roster invitees later this month.

Forward Chris Kunitz will have a surgery on Wednesday

It is reported that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Chris Kunitz will undergo surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle and will be sidelined for four to six weeks. Dr. William C. Meyers will perform the surgery in Philadelphia. "Chris has played with this injury for an extended period of time and although it is always difficult to lose a very talented player, we all believe this is the best decision for him," said the Penguins Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero. "We are confident that he will come back strong after this surgery. In the meantime, we’ll look to our other forwards to step up in his absence."

Kunitz has collected six goals and 20 points in 30 contests in his pittsburgh penguins jersey this season. He has appeared in 365 career games in the NHL and got 230 points.

Tigers' Laird brothers were arrested

According to Phoenix police, Tigers catcher Gerald Laird and his younger brother, Brandon were arrested on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct last Wednesday in Phoenix. The two ballplayers, plus another man, were arrested after a Phoenix Suns game at U.S. Airways Arena. Gerald Laird was cited for assault, while Brandon was cited for disorderly conduct. Also arrested was Gregory Scott Collins on suspicion of assault after the Suns beat the Boston Celtics.

"While security guards were trying to arrest the suspect for disorderly conduct, the Laird brothers interfered and assaulted the security guards," Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill said. Brandon Laird is an infield prospect with the Yankees. He played for the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. It seems that Gerald Laird will take off his tigers jersey for a while because of this incident.

Colorado Rockies may sign Olivo

A report on Wednesday indicated that the Rockies were attempting to sign a deal with Olivo to be the primary backup. In December Iannetta signed a three-year extension with the team worth $8.3 million. Olivo hit .249 with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals. He also has played parts of three seasons with the Padres and Marlins.

The Rockies' decision to add Olivo means the end of Yorvit Torrealba's run in Colorado. Torrealba was seeking a two-year deal worth $6 million to return to Colorado Rockies. Last month Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd told the paper that he was not optimistic about being reached to retain Torrealba. Hope Olivo can put on the rockies jersey successfully.

Right wing Justin Williams broke his right leg

Los Angeles Kings right wing Justin Williams was taken off the ice with a broken right leg early in the first period in Saturday game with the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale. Williams fell backward with his right leg trapped underneath his torso and dropped onto his back. He remained on the ice as play continued. He was taken off by stretcher after a lengthy delay at the first period.

"I haven't been told, other than that it's a broken leg," Kings coach Terry Murray said. "I can't play doctor. I can't predict. I have no idea. It's not good We'll take him back on the flight with us tonight, he will see our team doctor and we'll get the word out tomorrow." Williams has 8 goals and 16 assists in the los angeles kings jersey in 33 games.