John Shannon

John Shannon is an analyst on Hockeycentral.

Let's see: So blind-side hits will never happen again.

Yeah right.

But after two weeks of pressure, posturing and persistence the game is a little closer to creating a rule that will protect players from … err ... players. Of note for me, it appears that the league and the players showed a small sign of unanimity. And for that brief moment, both sides working together was like a flash of bright light. For those of us who have worked in and around the game for decades, it was truly a sign of what could be, if both sides created a single agenda.

No coincidence, it occurred only hours before Donald Fehr spoke to player agents in Toronto. And while Fehr isn't the new head of the NHLPA, it is certainly feasible that he could be by mid-summer. His skill as a negotiator is well known. His bigger challenge will be creating a single unified union voice. Does he want that job? No answer, yet. But rest assured, if Fehr can't find a qualified candidate in the next few months, if he can't find someone that has the same knowledge, passion and ability that he does, Fehr himself will take over.

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And now, what has become a weekly update on the Phoenix Coyotes and the search for a new owner. Tuesday's meeting of Glendale City Council will look at two offers at new leases for the arena in Glendale. One is from the Ice Edge group and the other is from Jerry Reinsdorf.

The Ice Edge boys have hired former Attorney General of Arizona, Grant Woods, to help nudge the city in the right direction. I'm told that Reinsdorf is probably regarded as more popular in the Valley of the Sun because of his new White Sox training facility that sits in Glendale. But he wants the lease re-written to allow for a possible team exit after a few years and he also wants to create a special tax zone around the arena, which would allow for extra revenue for the team.

Ice Edge is also looking for extra revenue from the lease, like parking, but they are prepared to commit to Jobing.Com Arena for the duration of the lease. I'm also told that the group now does have full financing from a European Bank, if they get the lease they want.

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Sunday night, the Oilers lost 2-1 in St. Louis. Keith Tkachuk of the Blues scored the winning goal on the powerplay in the third period, the 538th regular season goal of his career. And it came on his 38th birthday no less! As the season winds down, you have to wonder if this will, in fact, be his last in the NHL. I suspect it will be.

For a time, Keith was the prototype for the power forward in this league. He had size, speed and a will to win. His crowning moment would have to be the 1996 World Cup in Montreal, as a real leader of the U.S. team that beat Canada.

And speaking of the Blues, coach Davis Payne still doesn't know if he will be in St. Louis or Peoria next year. The decision, by Blues management, will probably occur two weeks after the season is done, and the player exit interviews have taken place.

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The regular season winding down also means 14 teams will be missing out on the Stanley Cup playoffs. As a result, some owners will start wondering if they have the right people at the helm of their franchises. Rather than pointing fingers at who is out, it's probably fair to look at who will be in or back in the NHL. We've already talked about Steve Yzerman here, so add Doug Risebrough, Craig MacTavish, Greg Gilbert to the list. As well, Bob Boughner from Windsor in the OHL and Mike Johnston of the WHL's Portland Winterhawks have to be given some consideration. And while he's a valuable member of the Oilers coaching staff, Tom Renney might just get another head coaching opportunity.

You might even want to add two other names to the potential presidents list, my Sportsnet friend Doug MacLean and NHL Senior Executive Vice-President Colin Campbell. Both could be considered by owners who are looking for a mix of experience and street smarts without having to worry about the risk of making rookie mistakes. The other name that will show up in the NHL soon is Roy Mlakar, the former Senators president. He is a great resource for any team that needs to re-build.

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Finally, on a personal note, I am a fan -- and a friend -- of Don Cherry. He stood by me when times were tough. I really enjoyed the movie that his son Tim wrote about the old man. Most of the storylines of the movie, I had heard over a "couple of pops" during my time at Hockey Night. And you know what, it really wasn't a hockey story, even though Don would try to tell you that. Pure and simple, it was a love story ... by a son … for his father and to his mother. Rose would be proud.

Happy Hockey Everyone.