Bump

A sad day for Wings fans. RIP Budd.

NHL agent Allan Walsh gets it: "It's become perfectly clear that Gary Bettman cannot continue in his position. It's time for a new commissioner."

Heatley will finally get all the icetime he wants.

He may be right. Ericsson looks to be vastly underpaid.

No, the team that holds the RFA rights gets the player. Players are the property of their team until they reach unrestricted free agency. In your example, if Stamkos gets to restricted free agency without a contract agreement with Tampa and signs an offer sheet with another team, Tampa could match that offer and would keep the player. The choice is Tampa's alone.

Hopefully McKenzie is misinformed and the confirmed contract numbers are at least $750K per year less than what McKenzie tweeted.

Terrible news. I really feel for his family. RIP Probie.

Pistons sale buzz centers on Ilitches: Atlas Oil president said to be part of consortium By Bill Shea Sam Simon, president and chairman of Taylor-based fuel distributor Atlas Oil Co., is the latest name thought to be interested in the Detroit Pistons. Sources familiar with the situation told Crain's that Simon would be part of an investment consortium led by Detroit's Mike and Marian Ilitch, the Little Caesars Enterprises Inc. pizza founders who also own the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings. “I can't comment on that. I can't confirm or deny it,” said Simon, who noted that he's a longtime close friend of Ilitch Holdings Inc. President Chris Ilitch and is a Pistons courtside season-ticket holder for 18 years. “I'm a huge Pistons fan,” Simon said. “They need a person who has passion and the drive. They're missing an owner.” He also was complimentary of the Ilitches: “They're a solid organization.” Atlas, which employs nearly 400 people companywide and has annual revenue of $1 billion, is part of Simon Holdings Inc., which is the umbrella organization for Simon's investments which also include real estate and trucking entities. Atlas recently inked a deal to buy 33 BP North America Inc. gas stations, and it owns or supplies fuel to retail stations in at least 10 states and will manage or supply nearly 400 locations when the current sale is complete. Pistons owner Karen Davidson told reporters last week that the basketball team will soon have a new owner, and details are emerging on who might buy the National Basketball Association franchise along with Auburn Hills-based Palace Sports & Entertainment, which manages venues and the team. Davidson announced in January that she wants to sell the team and entertainment venue she inherited when her auto glass industrialist husband, Guardian Industries Inc. Chairman William Davidson, died in March 2009. Palace Sports recently confirmed that it has retained Citi Private Bank's Sports Finance and Advisory to act as a financial adviser on a sale. The team is estimated by Forbes.com to be worth $479 million. Any deal for the team is expected to include PS&E, which includes The Palace of Auburn Hills, DTE Energy Music Theatre and the contract to manage Meadow Brook Music Festival for Oakland University. The Ilitches hired longtime PS&E President Tom Wilson in February to oversee expansion of their sports and venue holdings. They're believed to want a new downtown Detroit arena for the Red Wings, and Wilson has said several times that it would be logical to build a joint venue for the hockey team and the Pistons. In a legal squabble that erupted this month between Ilitch-owned Olympia Entertainment Inc. and Palace Sports over documents taken by former PS&E employees who left to work with Wilson, it was noted that Wilson had approached Davidson on behalf of the Ilitches about buying the Pistons and the entertainment company. Neither organization will comment publicly about the matter. Another name that's been linked to a Pistons deal is former Cleveland Cavaliers minority owner David Katzman. He's managing partner of Farmington Hills-based Camelot Ventures Group, formed in October 2008 to handle various investments for a consortium of partners. Among those investments are Livonia-based Fathead LLC. Katzman was part of the investment group led by Quicken Loans/Rock Financial founder Dan Gilbert that bought the Cavaliers for $375 million in 2005. Katzman reportedly had a falling out with Gilbert and sold his stake in the team for a reported $70 million. Word of his interest in the Pistons emerged shortly after Davidson said the team was for sale. A message was left for Katzman on Friday but the call was not returned. Also on record as expressing interest in the Pistons is Rochester businessman Andy Appleby. He spent 17 years as a PS&E executive before launching his own sports marketing and investment firm, General Sports and Entertainment LLC, in 1998. Appleby owned a minor-league baseball team for a time and was interested in buying the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues before leading a group of investors in buying English Premier League soccer team Derby County F.C. Ltd. two years ago. He said in February that his group is interested in buying the Pistons as part of an effort to own a U.S. pro sports franchise. The group is believed to include former Yahoo Inc. president and COO Jeff Mallett — who now is principal owner of the San Francisco Giants and an investor in the new Major League Soccer expansion team that begins play next year in Vancouver — and Tom Ricketts, co-owner and chairman of the Chicago Cubs, which his family bought in October for $845 million. Ricketts is CEO of Chicago investment bank Incapital LLC. Appleby declined to comment last week on the Pistons situation. Any sale of the Pistons would require a vote of the NBA's other team owners. http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20100627/FREE/306279978/1069#

Red Wings' arena dilemma will eventually occupy a lot of Tom Wilson's time BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG FREE PRESS COLUMNIST Nothing has been announced yet, but pretty soon the Red Wings will sign an agreement to play at Joe Louis Arena next season. New Olympia Entertainment executive Tom Wilson said this week that a new lease "should happen," echoing the recent words of his boss, Mike Ilitch, on WXYT-FM (97.1). Wilson would not get into details, but it is likely that the team will sign a multi-year agreement with the city, because nobody wants to go through this again next year. And right now, the Red Wings have no other options. http://www.freep.com/article/20100528/COL22/5280375/1319/Tom-Wilson-wants-facets-of-Ilitchs-Olympia-empire-working-together

Red Wings sign Brendan Smith, former top draft pick, to three-year entry-level contract By Ansar Khan May 27, 2010, 2:15PM DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Brendan Smith, their first-round pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft (27th overall), to a three-year entry-level contract. Smith, a 21-year-old skilled, puck-moving defenseman, spent the last three seasons at Wisconsin. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey this year. “Brendan improved tremendously in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin,’’ Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said in a statement. “He was a dominant player at the collegiate level, in particular at his position, and we feel he is ready to take the next step in his career at the professional level. We look forward to having him at training camp in Traverse City in September.’’ Smith is slated to play for the AHL-affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins next season. Smith (6-foot-2, 190) led the nation in scoring among defensemen this past season, with 15 goals and 52 points. He was named to the All-WCHA First Team and was named WCHA defensive player of the year. Smith became the first Badger defenseman to record 50 points in a season since 1989-90 and the first to post at least 10 power-play goals in a season since 1979-80. In three seasons at Wisconsin, Smith collected 87 points, including 26 goals.

Where can you find stats on shootout wins and losses? Does anyone have a link? Thank you.

UPDATED: Wilson will be responsible for a new stadium for the Red Wings DETROIT (WXYZ) - Tom Wilson will soon work for llitch Holdings, sources tell Action News. Having resigned last week as president and CEO of the Pistons and their owner, Palace Sports and Entertainment, he now joins the company that owns the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings. Wilson will be responsible for heading up all the talks surrouding a new stadium for the Detroit Red Wings. The move is right up Wilson's alley considering he was involved in the building of the Palace in Auburn Hills. He will report directly to Mike Ilitch. It is not yet known if Ken Holland and Dave Dombrowski will report to Wilson. A press conference could be held as early as Tuesday. In addition to the Red Wings and Tigers, Ilitch Holdings, Inc. also controls Little Caesars, Olympia Entertainment, Uptown Entertainment and MotorCity Casino Hotel. http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/BREAK...Boi6VrMmnQ.cspx

Does anyone have a link to a site that has Olympic hockey stats. I'm looking for game stats that include TOI for individual players. Thanks.

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2768/4312194930_38b1d8ee40_o.jpg">

From the blog it was posted on: "• Lots going on in this 1940s Red Wings shot. The “V,†obviously, is for victory, to support the Allied war effort. Underneath it is the Morse code for V — dot-dot-dot-dash. But what’s that patch on the other sleeve? Anyone know? Also note that the V — but not the other patch — is visible in this shot. Not sure if these two photos are from the same season, but there’s enough info in the two captions to figure it out. I haven’t had time to do that myself, but maybe someone else would like to tackle that? (It’s worth noting, incidentally, that NHLuniforms.com doesn’t list any sleeve adornments for the Wings during this period — another reminder that we shouldn’t take online databases as gospel.)" http://www.uniwatchblog.com/ Another photo: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/431145...d949812a3_o.jpg

Thanks for the assist. I take it html doesn't work here.

Cole is 31, Hudler 25. Cole had a bad time in Edm but is generally a 60-70 pt player. Hudler had a career year with 57 pts.

Is there a site that breaks down stats by position? Anyone have a link? Thanks.

I didn't it see it covered anywhere. What referee called the penalty on Stuart for the hit behind the net. I know it was the far referee who was out near the blue line and not the ref near the play, but was it Watson or Peel? If it was Watson, that's two blown calls and he shouldn't work another game in these playoffs.

What are the CBA rules for a contract extension? How is the salary cap figure calculated? Can anyone provide a link to the rule or a site that explains it? Thanks-

I wondered why he wasn't in the line-up last night. This should benefit Detroit in the race for the Central and 1st in the West. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=197666&hubname=nhl

FWIW, Greg Brady on WDFN said he's heard Shanahan is asking for $5.5M/yr. He won't get that anywhere. For a 37 year old winger who has been a playoff failure the last few years, any amount above the $2.28 he got last year is over paying. I'm comfortable with letting him walk, but the free agents who would have been a good replacement (Arnott, etc) has already signed elsewhere. Also, the MLive story doesn't say the Wings offered Shanahan $4M, but that they would be unlikely to offer more than $4/yr. Khan could have gotten that number from conversations with Holland or from his own reading to the Wings' payroll.