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EBERLE DEALING WITH TRADE RUMOURS
The Edmonton Sun explains how Jordan Eberle hears the trade rumours involving him.
“It’s part of the game,” Eberle said, explaining how TV and Twitter spread the message. “It’s such a social-media world now, that some guy in his basement starts a rumour and everyone is talking about it.
“You have to deal with that stuff. I’d love to be an Edmonton Oiler forever and try to turn this thing around. But all I can focus on is trying to focus on my next game and our next win.”
Craig MacTavish said earlier this season he wouldn’t deal Eberle and owner Daryl Katz’s letter to the fans a few days ago indicated the Oilers wouldn’t move core pieces for a short-term fix.
“Daryl coming out and saying that obviously gives you a little bit of reassurance,” Eberle said. “But we have to grab the reins of this thing and try to turn it around.”
FLAMES’ HARTLEY: MONAHAN WILL BE FRANCHISE PLAYER
Flames head coach Bob Hartley, via The Calgary Sun, summing up the rise of rookie centre Sean Monahan.
“Mony is going to be a franchise player for us,” Hartley said. “That’s what I see in him, his demeanour. He’s not flashy, but he’s effective. There’s no smoke, there’s substance.”
More Hartley: “He’s already a true pro with the way that he prepares, the way that he knows the game, plus the way he wants to learn the NHL game. It’s a big learning process but, at the same time, I think he has done tremendously well for us.”
Monahan: “That’s pretty cool to hear, obviously. But I look at it as a team, and I’m just going to work hard and try to do whatever I can to help this team succeed and win hockey games.”
VANEK OPEN TO POST-TRADE, JULY 1 SIGNING WITH ISLES
Candid quotes from Islanders winger Thomas Vanek to Newsday on Thursday.
On the Islanders potentially trading him before the deadline: “I know Garth gave up a lot to get me here, so if they feel they need to get something back (by the deadline), I understand,” Vanek told Newsday. “He’s been great, the team has been great. No one has put any pressure on me.
“I know that we’re getting close and that they want to know what I’m going to do. It’s a big decision that obviously isn’t just about me, it’s a big decision for my family, where we’re going to be.”
Vanek says the Islanders “would definitely be on my list” July 1.
“Even if they traded me, sure,” Vanek said. “I like it here, it’s a good group of guys. This would be a place I’d consider if it gets to July 1.”
BLUES SUPPORT TEAMMATE SCHWARTZ
Touching story told in The New York Times about how on their day off Friday in New York, the St. Louis Blues will be New Haven to support teammate Jaden Schwartz and his family. Sister Mandi Schwartz played hockey at Yale before she died in 2011 of acute myeloid leukemia at age 23.
“We’re in New York and a lot of guys have things to do, but we’re glad that everyone’s making it out,” Schwartz, 21, said. “My family — it means more to us than anyone will probably realize.
JAGR DOESN’T LIKE DEVILS’ LINE SHUFFLING
The Star-Ledger asserts New Jersey Devils winger Jaromir Jagr has built his Hall-of-Fame career on chemistry, and on having a sixth sense about where his linemates are at all times.
He’s not a fan of his top line continually being under construction.
“It keeps changing,” Jagr, who will play with Travis Zajac and rookie call-up Joe Whitney on Friday, said. “You get new guys coming in and out. I don’t really like it, but that’s the way it is.
“This game is too quick to play with guys you don’t know about. Sometimes you have to do things when you don’t even see them. You have to have a sense that he should be there. The game is so quick. We’ll see what happens.”
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello: “We’ve got to try to find a left wing for Travis and Jaromir. We’re going to give Joe a chance. He competes every second. He has good hockey sense.
“And he knows how to handle his size as far as his positioning. He’s been extremely consistent. The things that we thought he had to improve on last year, he has. He deserves that opportunity to see what he can do.”
ALFREDSSON LOVES PLAYING IN MONTREAL
The Detroit Free Press notes the Red Wings will play host to the Montreal Canadiens Friday, where they’ll expect to get Daniel Alfredsson back in the lineup.
Alfredsson had 17 seasons’ worth of seeing the Habs regularly while with Ottawa. He noted that Montreal “is a historic franchise going back a lot of years. In Montreal, hockey is the sport. It’s probably the favorite building to go to play a road game because of the atmosphere.”
Alfredsson called his old foe disciplined and structured.
“If you turn the puck over too much, especially in the neutral zone, they’re quick to counterattack,” he said. “They’re a team that seems to give themselves a chance every night.”
WOULD BABCOCK COACH COLLEGE AFTER NHL CAREER?
Via The Detroit News, Michigan coach Red Berenson was asked last weekend if he thought Red Wings coach Mike Babcock could one day be a head coach of a college team.
“He always mentions that at some point when we talk,” Berenson said. “When he’s done, he could see himself doing that. He’s a student of the game and understands academics and sports and life after hockey.”
STARS’ TATTOOS EXPLAINED
Interesting article via The Dallas Morning News explaining the meaning behind the tattoos of several Stars players.
Tyler Seguin’s left arm is his family tree.
“It’s important to me,” Seguin said of a sleeve tattoo that weaves elements of his mom, dad, two sisters and the Seguin family crest all into an image of a tree. “It reminds me every day of the things that are important to me. It’s a part of me. I haven’t really been home since I was 15, so it’s nice to carry with this with me every day.”
Jordie Benn’s left bicep is tattooed “NEVER QUIT.”
“Honestly, it’s basically my whole life,” Benn said. “I mean, my old man kept telling me and telling me when I was young that I had to keep working, that I had to stay with it, that I had to never quit, and I’ve honestly had to have that attitude pretty much every day to get here. So that right there pretty much tells my life story.”
PANTHERS MORE CONFIDENT THESE DAYS
The Miami Herald indicates forward Nick Bjugstad thinks the major difference between the Panthers now and the Panthers that got Kevin Dineen fired as coach is, simply, confidence.
“That’s what it comes down to a lot of the time, no matter what you’re doing,” Bjugstad said. “Even if you’re the best player in the league, if you’re not confident at certain times, you’re not going to do anything. So if everyone’s confident on the team and confident we can win, buy into the systems, it’s a whole different mentality.”
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