News we knew anyways but confirmed: The Pittsburgh Penguins likely ended Sergei Fedorov's NHL career [From The Rink]
A list of teams on the rise...As the article points out, the Pens have been on these types of lists in past years. Another realization that the boys in black and gold will have a big target on their backs every single night they play. [NHL.com]
The Pensblog's favorite 10 regular season games of this past season. [tPB]
If you need a reason (or excuse), here's why you'll watch the Penguins games in October [Empty Netters]
Nashville signed former Penguins draft pick Ben Eaves. If the name sounds fimiliar, that's because he's the older brothe of Carolina forward Patrick Eaves. Ben Eaves, a smallish center, had serious knee injuries/surgeries but rebounded over in Finland. Best of luck to him in his North American comeback. [Predators.com]
Wayne Gretzky wants the Coyotes to build momentum on and off the ice like Mario Lemieux and the Pens did. Unless the "Great One" has a time machine and can play himself, don't see that happening. [Puck Daddy]
Ilya Kovalchuk and the Thrashers are about to talk extension...Can the fractured ownership convince their franchise player to stay in the fold? [Atlanta Journal Constitution via Kuklas Korner]
Dale Tallon may have gotten demoted because he wanted to trade Nikolai Khabibulin to Washington for Michael Nylander this November and his bosses didn't like that. JP wishes it would have happened, but that means Simeon Varlamov doesn't get his chance to shine in the playoffs. Khabibulin (2.93 GAA, .898 sav%) wouldn't have stretched the Penguins to seven games. Believe that. [Japers Rink]
Tampa co-owner (and former Penguin player) Len Barrie came up with the $10 million he needed to show the NHL, so he gets to keep half-control of the circus known as the Lightning. [TSN]
Effect of the salary cap: teams are taking harder looks at players like Vancouver's Alex Burrows. [The Hockey News]
The tough economy and decline of print journalism is affecting hockey coverage: some newspapers aren't having their beat writers travel on road trips to cut costs. [Puck Daddy]
Joe Thornton doesn't like the NHLPA's stance on not allowing players to practice with their countries this summer. Maybe Jumbo Joe realizes he's not seen as a clutch player and at his position from Team Canada includes such Stanley Cup winners as Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Vincent Lecavalier and Eric Staal. Not to mention youngsters like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Toews. [Puck Daddy]
Huge, huge, huge issue before the Supreme Court....In the plainest terms possible, if they decide that a pro sports league is one unit (instead of 30 individual teams competing with each other) it'll create a huge monopoly and shift the balance of power in its extreme to the owners. Players rights with free agency and salaries will shrink and fans will end up paying more money directly to the owners. The very way pro sports operates could be turned upside down. [ESPN]
Staying in the legal world, here's this summer's aribitration schedule (if deals aren't reached first). Three most interesting cases: Travis Zajac (NJ), Jiri Hudler (DET), Nikolai Zherdev (NYR) [From the Rink]
Finally, please vote in Pensburgh's contest to award a free Stanley Cup DVD in our contest. Here's the direct link [Pensburgh]