Hockey Hearsay compiles stories from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, 12 months a year.
KOIVU’S LASTING IMPACT IN MONTREAL
The Gazette profiles former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu’s return to Montreal ahead of Thursday night’s game between Koivu’s Anaheim Ducks and the Canadiens squad for which he was the long-time captain. This will be Koivu’s second game in Montreal since signing with Anaheim in the summer of 2009.
Gazette writer Dave Stubbs shared with his Twitter followers his glowing thoughts on Koivu.
Koivu, on his playing future: “I’ll play this year out, we’re still very early in the season, and then we’ll see how I am and where we go from there. It’s very possible this is my last trip to Canada to play, but it’s very possible I’ll be back next year. I really, honestly don’t know.
“It won’t be training during the summer that will tell me. It will be more doing the hard 82-game season and playing at the level where you want to play, pushing yourself every night to do it.
“That will decide for me, when I don’t think I have that fire, or that I can compete at a certain level. That will be my end.”
He also noted: “The ideal situation for a professional athlete is to go out completely on your own terms. The ultimate is that you play until you want and then you walk away.”
STEMPNIAK MENTORING YOUNG FLAMES
The Calgary Sun details how Flames veteran forward Lee Stempniak has collected three goals and eight points in nine outings and he has drawn praise for his versatility and ability to mentor the younger players.
“Stempy is the ultimate team guy,” said head coach Bob Hartley. “He’s the ultimate pro. I can use him in offensive roles, I can use him in defensive roles. He is a real smart hockey player on both sides of the game.
“Sometimes I need to juggle, and guys like that give me options.”
Stempniak on the mentor role: “I was pretty fortunate in St. Louis. I learned a lot from Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight, Bill Guerin, guys like that. Even when they weren’t directly talking to you, you’d watch them and observe them and pick things up. Now, you pass them along. I know things I was taught when I was young, I still use now, and pass that information on because it goes a long way.
“I look at it as an opportunity to help the younger guys is also an opportunity to help grow my game at the same time.
“I like living in Calgary. I like playing in Calgary,” he added. “I think the organization is first-class.”
BRODEUR EMPATHIZES WITH LUONGO
The Vancouver Province supposes New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur’s ability to be frank and open without the scrutiny in Newark allows for some interesting insight into the internal struggle Roberto Luongo was coping with as he battled Cory Schneider for playing time— the one that led Luongo to ask to be traded.
“I was well aware of what (Luongo) was going through,” Brodeur said. “I think for both of us, being from Montreal, I heard all the stories that were being written.
“He did as good as you can. I’m sure it has to be tough for him now to be back in the mix (as the No. 1 guy) again.”
PATIENCE PAYS OFF FOR CAPITALS’ OVECHKIN
Ahead of Thursday’s tilt between the Oilers and Washington Capitals, The Edmonton Sun reflects on Alex Ovechkin’s transition from left wing to the right side last season.
“Shooting, it’s a different angle, 100%,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a situation when you switch something you have to get used to it. It took me a long time to get used to being on the right wing. Thank God I have patience and Oatesy has patience and my linemates have patience. You can ask anybody, if you like to score goals, you have to start thinking what you have to do differently. I watched a lot of video, I talked to my linemates and I figured it out.”
LEAFS’ GARDINER SEEKS ‘PLAYOFF’ FORM
The Toronto Sun believes Jake Gardiner would love to ascend to the level that he found during the Maple Leafs’ brief playoff appearance last spring. But the 23-year-old defenceman is finding it to be a challenge.
“Definitely not there right now, but I don’t think anyone is at that level,” Gardiner said. “Playing my off-side is something to get used to and playing with a new partner (Paul Ranger) is something to get comfortable with and get that chemistry. I think we have been working toward that, but we still need some work.”
KINGS’ SUTTER ON ELLER COMMENTS, MOTIVATION
The Los Angeles Times relays that Kings coach Darryl Sutter got off a good line when he was asked about the Lars Eller comments. The Montreal forward compared the Edmonton Oilers’ style to that of a junior team and on Wednesday, he apologized, through reporters, for his “poor choice of words.”
Oilers Coach Dallas Eakins used those words to motivate his team.
Sutter, on Wednesday, was asked if he ever used bulletin-board material for motivation.
“Not very often,” Sutter said. “You’ve got exposure to everything you want. Why do I have to get it for ’em? You can’t just go buy the Chicago Tribune, right? You’ve pretty much got whatever you want now.”
FLYERS’ TIMONEN DEMOTED, MAD AT HIMSELF
The Philadelphia Inquirer outlines veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen’s demotion to the Flyers’ second power-play unit.
“I’ve made my living doing that. You know, everything ends sometime,” Timonen said after Wednesday’s practice. “I’ve played power play for 15 years, so it is a big deal, but I’m an old-school type of guy. . . . When I came in the league, I had to earn my spot there. I was able to keep it for a long time. But now I have to earn it back. I need to play better.”
He added: “I’m mad about it, yeah. . . . It’s one of those things, if you’re not mad about it, you don’t care. I’m not mad about the guys, I’m not mad about the coaches. I’m just mad about myself. Need to be better out there.”
BICKELL IN HIS ELEMENT ON HAWKS’ THIRD LINE
CSNChicago.com outlines how Blackhawks winger Bryan Bickell has rediscovered his scoring touch on the third line.
“I guess he just needed to get rid of me and (Jonathan Toews),” Patrick Kane joked on Wednesday.
Kane said Bickell’s current game is reminiscent of Bickell’s postseason.
“He just kind of took off. He’s playing well. And when he is, he has a lot of confidence,” Kane said. “He’s got a good shot. With him, you want him to play physical and with that confidence, and it’s bound to go in for him.”
Bickell: “I feel the first couple of games I was trying to do too much. Those (third-line) guys are similar with how I play. We know where each other is on the ice. I was doing too much the first half-dozen games. I had to get back to simple and get this thing going.”
STALBERG STRUGGLING FOR PREDATORS
The Nashville Tennessean notes Predators winger Viktor Stalberg has no points in his only six starts of the season.
Coach Barry Trotz: “Stalberg will have to get going here a little bit. We tried to move him up here a little bit. He’s still learning us and we’re still learning him. But the games are going by now … six now, so he has to start producing.”
Stalberg, who has been mainly relegated to the fourth line: “I’m here to work hard and play hard but I also am probably here to produce a little bit and obviously playing 10 minutes is tough to get that quality ice-time. But you have to deserve that ice-time. I’m trying to do everything I can here with the minutes I have and show them I deserve to play more.”
WILD’S DUMBA LEARNING NHL GAME
The St. Paul Pioneer Press points out that two times this season, Wild rookie defenseman Matt Dumba has turned the puck over at the opposition’s blue line, resulting in scoring chances going the other way.
According to coach Mike Yeo, those mistakes are carry-overs from junior hockey, where Dumba played last season.
“When you come from junior, that’s one of the big adjustments for a young defenseman,” Yeo said. “There’s a lot more slinging and a little less structure there, where you can kind of make that extra move and people are going to bite on it.”
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