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The Montreal Gazette writes ahead of tonight's match-up with the Red Wings and Canadiens that McGill University alumnus and Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has joked that he’s strong on R&D; in his case, that is rob and do. Even today, with his remarkable pedigree, he admits he’s a shameless thief.

“I’m borrowing all the time,” Babcock said Tuesday. “We’re in constant change. It was on purpose that I hired guys (assistant coaches Bill Peters and Jeff Blashill, brought on over the summer) who hadn’t been in the NHL before.”

It’s this kind of progressive, outside-the-box thinking that has made Babcock one of hockey’s elite coaches, arguably its best, and the only winner of the game’s trifecta: the Stanley Cup, Olympic Games and world championship.

As he began his search for new assistants, Babcock pored over Geoff Colvin’s bestselling Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else.

“The book talked about all the young, enthusiastic people who were outdoing the old veterans,” he said. “So I asked myself, ‘Why wouldn’t I do that?’ I found guys who won at the levels they were at with new ideas, and tried to get ideas that way.

“(Detroit general manager) Ken Holland and I were discussing the direction we were going and we wanted to change our approach. I was going to be in my seventh year with Detroit. You get to be like Charlie Brown’s teacher after awhile.

“Every time I’m out, I’m looking to learn something from everyone. You can learn from people in any walk of life to make you better at what you do. If you’re doing tomorrow what you’ve been doing for the past few years, the chance of you winning and being successful is very, very slim. To me, success is a moving target. You always have to be better.”

It’s been a milestone month for the Red Wings coach, who on Jan. 12 earned his 400th NHL victory and one game later coached his 700th league match. He became the third-fastest NHL coach to reach the 400 milestone; only Scotty Bowman, in 690 games, and Glen Sather, in 694, got there quicker, with now fourth-fastest Toe Blake in 724.

“It wasn’t the number, but who I got there with,” the Saskatoon native said of his illustrious company. “I love being part of a great organization like Detroit. We’re fortunate to have a real good team and, as you can see in the NHL, it’s very hard to have a good team from year to year. We’ve been a model of consistency for a long time.”

As hockey has evolved during his days behind the bench, so, too, has Babcock embraced change.

“All experiences in life change you. You’re in constant evolution,” he said. “The coach I was three years ago, two years ago, is different than the coach I am now.

“One of the things that Scotty Bowman did as well as anybody is embrace lifelong learning. He had energy and was always pursuing knowledge. I like to think I’m much the same, trying to get better all the time. My philosophy and thoughts about the game are probably more deep-rooted. But in saying all that, I’m open to anything.”

Mario Lemieux initially resisted the idea of his statue standing outside Consol Energy Center, according to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Drawing attention to himself has never been Lemieux's way.

However, as a gift to Lemieux, his ownership partners decided to carry on with plans for a statue. It will be unveiled at noon on March 7 in a ceremony that is open to the public.

The statue will rest outside of the Trib Total Media gate.

"We wanted it to be something symbolic of his career," Penguins vice president of communications Tom McMillan said, "and, by extension, his life."

The specific design of the statue is unknown, though the Tribune-Review reported in 2010 that the leading candidate for the statue's design was a snapshot of Lemieux splitting two Islanders' defenseman during a 1988 goal. Members of the planning group also have considered Lemieux raising the Stanley Cup in 1991 and his classic goal from Game 2 of the '91 Stanley Cup Final as possibilities. The team has not confirmed which moment from Lemieux's career will be bronzed.

"This statue will be an everlasting tribute to his legacy," CEO and President of the Penguins David Morehouse said.

Bronze sculptor Bruce Wolfe created the statue with the help of art consultant James Frederick.

The statue unveiling will come about seven hours before the Penguins host the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game that will be nationally televised in the United States and Canada.

"It's going to be something special," defenseman Zbynek Michalek said. "He's the reason why the team is doing so well, why there's a new arena. People in Pittsburgh can say thank you in this way. I think it's a great thing."

"I'm where I want to be pretty much every night," Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo told The Vancouver Province following last night's 30-save performance in a 3-2 shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers. "You always want to get better and keep progressing, but I feel like I'm seeing the puck really well right now.

"You evolve as a goalie. I was always able to stop pucks. But men-tally I have become stronger over the past year."

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that coach Joel Quenneville made sure to squelch any notions that Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews’ left hand/wrist injury had gotten worse.

“The injury, we said, is not serious — because it’s not,” Quenneville said. “Hopefully, he can make some good progress this week.”

Toews, who isn’t wearing a cast, was put on injured reserve and missed his first game of the season Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. As expected, he was replaced on the All-Star team as Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Hartnell took his spot.

Toews’ placement on IR was a procedural move with the team in need of a center. It freed up a roster spot for center Brandon Pirri to be called up from Rockford. Toews is eligible to return next Tuesday against the Canucks in Vancouver.

Toews and Patrick Sharp (wrist fracture) will travel with the Hawks to Vancouver on Monday with the hope that both will be able to play against the Canucks as they open their nine-game road trip. They play the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames after the Canucks.

“They’ll be on the plane,” Quenneville said. “If they’re both playing? We’ll see.”

Center Dave Bolland took Toews’ spot on the first line with wingers Patrick Kane and Viktor Stalberg against the Predators. Toews, who has 27 goals and 50 points in 49 games, has missed 27 games over his five-year career because of injuries, missing 16 his rookie season with a sprained knee.

“Hopefully, Toews is not out that long,” Bolland said. “It’s just a minor injury.”

The Denver Post believes that if Semyon Varlamov were to say he's happy with his situation, Avalanche fans and team management would question his competitive fire. But Varlamov isn't about to start pouting because he has lost his status as the team's No. 1 goalie to Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

"J.S. is playing well right now, and it's good for the team," Varlamov said. "I just have to keep working. I know it's going to be tough, but I just have to be ready — always."

Varlamov hasn't played since allowing six goals in a lopsided loss at Phoenix last week. He lost his previous start before that, to Nashville.

"That's why I'm not playing right now, I think," Varlamov said. "But it's a long season. We still have 30 games after the break."

Varlamov said he will stay in Aspen during the NHL all-star break, as will Avs forward Daniel Winnik.

"I love Aspen. I've been there a couple times now. We were there for Christmas, with my sister," Varlamov said.

The New York Post indicates that Henrik Lundqvist was expecting to spend the night on the bench, but learned he would get the start after being informed that Martin Biron was suffering from the flu while the King was on his way to the practice facility in Tarrytown for the morning skate.

“I had already kind of started looking ahead to being off for the break, but I found out from Benny [goaltending instructor Benoit Allaire] early enough for me to adjust my attitude,” said Lundqvist, whose start was his fifth straight, his longest stretch since getting the call in the first six games of the year. “One of the things I’ve learned is that when you don’t play, you try to get away from the game, but I wasn’t so far away I couldn’t get back into it.”

Biron had allowed one goal on 51 shots in defeating the Jets twice earlier in the year, 3-1 and 2-0. After Lundqvist’s 22-save performance for his fifth shutout of the season and 40th of his career, the Jets have scored one goal on 73 shots in three games against the Rangers.

Chad Johnson was recalled from the AHL Whale to back-up Lundqvist, who has allowed one goal or fewer in nine of his last 17 starts, and two or fewer in 13 of those 17.

Also of note: The Rangers found no takers on an email general manager Glen Sather sent around the league late last week offering Sean Avery on loan to another AHL club, The Post has learned.

There’s no upside for any club to do that, because Avery would have to clear re-entry to join the acquiring club in the NHL, with that club risking dead cap space on a claim. The Post says there continues to be NHL interest in Avery, who is a jagged square peg in the AHL Whale’s round hole, if Sather places him on re-entry.

When the Ducks boarded a bus to head out to a suburban ice rink, The Orange County Register points out that Bruce Boudreau surprised his players by re-routing them to a local bowling alley for his first real team-bonding experience since becoming coach.

Little did he know it would be a painful experience.

“I’m out of shape,” Boudreau said, smiling. ”When you’re sore after bowling, something’s wrong. I was in the high 200s of course. But I woke up at midnight and I thought I needed a hip replacement and I couldn’t understand what was going on.

“[Assistant coach] Bob [Woods] says, ‘You bowl left-handed. It’s your right hip, right” I said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘Well, you idiot, it’s sore because you’re doing lunges every time you come down.”

Boudreau then admitted that “I think I was 138 and 110 or something like that. [Francois] Beauchemin was 202. He had the highest score. But Team Finland won the overall pool.”

The Carolina Hurricanes were hoping to have Joni Pitkanen back in the lineup soon after the NHL All-Star break, according to The Raleigh News & Observer.

That's not going to happen, general manager Jim Rutherford said Tuesday.

Rutherford said Pitkanen, the Canes' most skilled defenseman, might not return until early March. Pitkanen suffered a concussion during a Dec. 6 road game against the Calgary Flames, then had knee surgery Jan. 3.

After the surgery, the Hurricanes said Pitkanen would need about four weeks to rehabilitate the knee. But his recovery apparently is going slower then expected.

"He's coming along," Rutherford said. "Obviously he's a real good player for us and hopefully he'll feel better soon.

"It's all about the approach to rehab and how you go about the rehab. Based on his rehab, it should be about the first of March when he can get back to skating. Then it would be a week or so before he's playing."

Rutherford said Pitkanen's status would not inhibit potential trades. Defensemen Tim Gleason, Bryan Allen and Jaroslav Spacek all will be unrestricted free agents (UFAs) after the season, and there has been much speculation some might be dealt before the Feb. 27 NHL trade deadline.

"Despite all the talk that people stir up, I'm approaching it at this stage as being more interested in hockey trades and not deadline trades or trading UFAs," Rutherford said. "If something makes sense for our organization and from a financial point of view, if it seems like something we should do, I'll do it. But I'm not out there making all the calls looking to make trades."

Rutherford did not rule out a trade that could bring in a veteran - such as Allen last season - who will be under contract next season.

"If we were to trade a UFA for a veteran player, we would want control of him next year or the next few years," he said. "Usually, we have looked to bring in younger players, but a hockey deal where a veteran player is under contract also is a possibility."

Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

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­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.