Here It Is

As promised, the Adam Hartog Hockey Store has been created. The actual store is not fully complete yet, but the online store is. Below is the link to the online store.


Adam Hartog Hockey Store

Website

Hey Guys!

Junior Writer Tom here. Recently one of our employees here at Adam Hartog Hockey discovered a really good hockey website. It is sort of like the Facebook of hockey. There are forums for discussions, an online store, rink locators, store locators, and even a place to sell your stuff, or buy other people stuff. The website is called The Hockey Network. Just click on where it says the name of the website in the previous sentence, and it will take you right there!

Store!

Adam Hartog Hockey (an award winning hockey blog with an over 3,000,000 people audience) will be opening a hockey store! The store will be located on Long Island in New York. The address will be announced once the store is officially open. The Adam Hartog Hockey corporation will also be creating a new website dedicated solely to the the Adam Hartog Hockey store. The main thing that will be sold is equipment, but other things such as hockey accessories will be sold in great quantity, as well. Also, you can book private or group lessons at the store or through the store's website. Also, lessons of topics such as hockey history, coaching, etc. will be offered by Adam Hartog Hockey, and can be signed up for the same way as hockey lessons can.

Bleacher Report

Hi Folks!

Just so you know, things didn't work out with Bleacher Report. I think that when they found out that I am only 15, they decided not to hire me. Anyway, that means I am going to continue writing on this blog to my so far 3,000,000 people audience. Also, all of my writers will continue publishing too. So basically, nothing has changed.

-Adam Hartog
President/ Head Writer
Adam Hartog Hockey

Letting You Know

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been pretty bust ever since the summer ended. Just so you guys all know, I am working on becoming a writer for Bleacher Report. If I were to start writing for Bleacher Report, I would be posting most of my stuff on their website, and less on here.

If I were to have my stuff on Bleacher Report, it would be seen by roughly 20 million people a month. I will most likely (if I do start writing for BR) just post the links to my posts on BR on separate posts on this site. Very rarely (if ever), I might write an article or something of the sort here on this site and post a link to it on BR, but I would mostly just write for BR.

This website has been great for me, and we have reached over 3,000,000 people so far since I believe April, but on BR it will be seen by much more people. Bleacher Report is the fourth most popular sports website in the world, and my posts would have the possibility of being seen by 20,000,000 people a MONTH!

I am not trying to write for BR to make money, I just feel that more people will hear my opinion, and more importantly, I will get to hear their opinions. Posting on BR, I will get to have intelligent hockey discussions with anyone who enjoys hockey. That is what really made me want to write for BR. I didn't want to do it for the money (I even told them I do not want to be paid), I did it so I could have more discussions with people about hockey.

I have always loved writing about hockey, and I am looking forward to taking the next step in my journalistic career.

Thank you so much for all your support up through now, and I hope most of you will still read what I write on Bleacher Report.

-Adam Hartog
President/Head Writer
Adam Hartog Hockey

Wade Belak Suffered From Depression

The mother of Wade Belak told CBC News that the former NHL player suffered from depression prior to his death.

"I think he was taking control of that," Lorraine Belak said in a phone interview from Nashville. "He didn't talk about it all the time or a lot."

The body of the 35-year-old Belak was found Wednesday in the downtown Toronto condominium where he was staying while preparing to appear on the CBC reality show "Battle of the Blades."

"All I know is that it is still under investigation," she said. "The only thing I can tell you is he did not die of natural causes."

There will be a private funeral Sunday for Belak at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville. His family has asked that instead of flowers, donations be made to The Andie and Alex Belak Scholarship Fund. Checks can be made payable to Woodmont Christian Church or Jennifer Belak. The address is 3601 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215.

Free Agent Signings

Below is a link to see which free agents were signed by which teams and when from July 1-September 1:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=69926

You Know You're a ___________ Fan If...

You know you are a _______ fan if:

Anaheim: You pray for one more season from Selanne
Boston: Next year finally came
Buffalo: Will Miller play well again?
Calgary: Iginla will be on fire again
Carolina: Ward is the best goalie in the league
Chicago: Keith will win the Norris again
Colorado: Do we have a No. 1 goalie this year?
Columbus: Will Steve Mason return to Calder form?
Dallas: How will the loss of Richards affect us?
Detroit: Can Lidstrom keep it up?
Edmonton: Will we ever be good?
Florida: Did we make our team good enough?
Los Angeles: Is Mike Richards the right piece?
Minnesota: will Backstrom play well?
Montreal: Can Subban keep it up?
Nashville: What is Shea's future with the team?
New Jersey: Is Marty done?
New York Islanders: Will Streit help us enough?
New York Rangers: Will Henrik ever slow down?
Ottawa: Will our veteran's play like veterans or rookies?
Philadelphia: Did we make the right moves?
Phoenix: What's ice?
Pittsburgh: How healthy will we be?
San Jose: Will Dany Heatley be missed?
St. Louis: Will Halak return to 2010 playoff form?
Tampa Bay: Is Roloson getting old?
Toronto: Is Reimer what we're looking for?
Vancouver: Will we ever win?
Washington: Will we blow it in the playoffs, again?
Winnipeg: How will the relocation affect the team's play?

Why the Rangers Will Win the SC Within 3 Years

Below are the top reasons that you can expect the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup in the next three years, I think:


6. Team Speed
5. Lock-Down Defense
4. Henrik Lundqvist
3. Above Average Special Teams
2. Leadership
1. Depth in Organization

Enigmatic Players in the NHL

Below is a list of some of the most enigmatic players in the NHL and yes, I had to look online to find a word to use, and came up with enigmatic:

• Roberto Luongo
• Matt Cooke
• Dany Heatley
• Kyle Turris
• Olli Jokinen
• Alex Burrows
• Sean Avery
• Mike Richards
• Marian Gaborik
• Dan Carcillo
• Jonathan Cheechoo

Eleven Questions that Can Decide the Champs

Below are eleven questions that can decide which team hoists the Cup over their head at the end of the 2012 playoffs:


11. Is Mike Richards enough to win the West for the Kings?
10. Will the Blackhawks hesitate to use up salary cap space?
9. Can Tampa Bay take the next step?
8. Are the Red Wings getting to old?
7. Did the Sharks make the right moves?
6. Will the Flyers's new pieces fit?
5. Can Thomas Vokoun keep it up?
4. Will the Bruins have a Stanley Cup Hangover?
3. Will the Canucks continue to be pushed around?
2. Will Henrik Lundqvist ever slow down?
1. How healthy will the Penguins be?

Why You Can Expect the Hawks in the SCF

Below are the top 12 reasons that you can expect the Chicago Blackhawks to be one of the two teams playing in the Stanley Cup Final this June:


12. Finally, a full summer's rest for star Marian Hossa (who has been playing into June since 2008)
11. Added much needed experience
10. Four good centers
9. Salary Cap room for the trade deadline
8. A good prospect system
7. A solid goaltending tandem
6. All core players under contract
5. An offensive and a defensive defense
4. Toughness up front
3. A healthy Dave Bolland
2. Coach Quennville has a more stable system to work with
1. Leadership

Wade Belak Found Dead

WADE BELAK

Former NHL player Wade Belak was found dead in Toronto on Wednesday afternoon. Belak, who played in parts of 14 seasons with five NHL teams, was 35 years old.

Belak finished his career with the Nashville Predators and remained with the team in an organizational role following his retirement.

Belak's wife Jennifer released the following statement Thursday evening: "We are overwhelmed and deeply touched by the outpouring of compassion and support since Wade's passing. Wade was a big man with an even bigger heart. He was a deeply devoted father and husband, a loyal friend and a well respected athlete. This loss leaves a huge hole in our lives and, as we move forward, we ask that everyone remember Wade's infectious sense of humor, his caring spirit and the joy he brought to his friends, family and fans. The coming days will be very difficult for our family and we respectfully ask that we be allowed to grieve privately."

In a statement Wednesday evening, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said: "The National Hockey League family mourns the passing of Wade Belak, who competed to the utmost every minute of his NHL career. Our hearts go out to Wade's loved ones, his friends, his former teammates and to all who feel the horrible void left by this tragedy."

The Associated Press is reporting that a person familiar with Belak's death said Belak hanged himself at a downtown luxury hotel and condo building. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because details of the investigation were confidential.

"At this point it's non-suspicious," Toronto police spokesman Tony Vella said Thursday. "We will not provide any further information on a non-suspicious case."

Belak's passing is the third player death in five months. Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien passed away 16 days earlier and New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard died May 13. Rypien waged a well-documented battle with depression during his playing career and Boogaard died from an accidental toxic mix of alcohol and oxycodone.

The three deaths have prompted the League and the National Hockey League Players' Association to examine the safeguards already in place to ensure player safety and make any changes that might be necessary, according to a statement released by both parties Thursday afternoon.

"Everyone at the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association is profoundly saddened by the loss, within a matter of a few weeks, of three young men, each of whom was in the prime of his life.

"While the circumstances of each case are unique, these tragic events cannot be ignored. We are committed to examining, in detail, the factors that may have contributed to these events, and to determining whether concrete steps can be taken to enhance player welfare and minimize the likelihood of such events taking place. Our organizations are committed to a thorough evaluation of our existing assistance programs and practices and will make immediate modifications and improvements to the extent they are deemed warranted.

"It is important to ensure that every reasonable step and precaution is taken to make NHL Players, and all members of the NHL family, aware of the vast resources available to them when they are in need of assistance. We want individuals to feel comfortable seeking help when they need help.

"NHL Clubs and our fans should know that every avenue will be explored and every option pursued in the furtherance of this objective."

Former goaltender and current NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes, who worked with Belak on NHL Network telecasts during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs when Belak appeared as a guest analyst, was one of many trying to come to grips Belak's passing.

"The NHL is a tight-knit family," Weekes told NHL.com Wednesday night. "That's what makes this so devastating. You know there is a ripple effect for Wade's family and all the people he touched in his life as an athlete and human."

Born July 3, 1976 in Saskatoon, Sask., Belak was drafted in the first round (No. 12) by the Quebec Nordiques in 1994. After the franchise moved to Colorado in 1995 and was rechristened as the Avalanche, Belak appeared in 35 games for the team during three seasons, but didn't get sustained playing time until appearing in 40 games for the Calgary Flames in the 1999-2000 season. After splitting the 2000-01 season between Calgary and Toronto, Belak remained with the Maple Leafs until 2008, when he was traded to Florida for a fifth-round draft pick. In November 2008, Belak was dealt to Nashville in exchange for Nick Tarnasky.

He spent the remainder of his career with the Predators before being waived Feb. 25, 2011. After clearing waivers, Belak announced his retirement March 8, 2011.

Belak could play forward or defense, and his primary role was as an enforcer, accruing 1,263 penalty minutes in his career. While his offensive numbers were modest -- Belak had 8 goals and 25 assists in 549 games -- he was considered an affable and easy-going personality who was popular with the Toronto media and among fans.

Belak was scheduled to participate on CBC's upcoming season of the popular "Battle of the Blades." Belak had hosted a short series on Canada's BiteTV known as "The Wade Belak Show." During his time in Nashville, he hosted a radio show on 104.5 FM "The Zone."

Former teammates took to Twitter to express sadness and disbelief over the loss of their friend.

"Wade Belak was one of the funniest dudes I ever met," Predators forward Blake Geoffrion tweeted. "Just was with him earlier this summer. Can't believe it Thoughts and prayers to his fam."

NHL veteran Owen Nolan, who played with Belak in Toronto, tweeted: "I'm lost for words. Wade Belak RIP my friend."

The Maple Leafs released this statement Wednesday night: "The Toronto Maple Leafs are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Wade Belak. Wade was extremely popular with his teammates, the staff, and Maple Leafs fans everywhere. He was the consummate team player on and off the ice. He will be deeply missed in the hockey community and our thoughts and prayers are with Wade's family and friends during this challenging time."

The Flames also reacted to the news with a statement which read: "We are deeply saddened with the news of Wade's passing. We are proud that Wade wore the Calgary uniform and we will always remember him as a member of the Flames Family. We would like to express our sincere sympathies to the Belak family. This is a terrible loss of a vibrant young man; a man with great character who truly loved the game of hockey."

And the Predators released the following statement: "The entire Nashville Predators organization and family is shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely passing of Wade Belak. Wade was a beloved member of the organization, a terrific teammate and wonderful father and husband who will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Jennifer and children Andie and Alex. We offer our full support to them at this very difficult time."

***********************************************************************************

CREDIT TO NHL.COM FOR SOME OF THE STATEMENTS

Adam Hartog Hockey Award

Award: Gary Bettman Award
For: Worst Management

Nominees:

1. New York Islanders- About thirty people on Long Island actually know they exist. 27 out of those 30 people don't know what the Islanders are

2. Philadelphia Flyers- Getting an all-star goalie, good. Giving away your two best players (one the captain and the other an alternate captain) to get that goalie, bad

3. Atlanta Thrashers- Ran the team into the ground, and out of the country

AND THE WINNER IS...

ATLANTA THRASHERS

Adam Hartog Hockey Award

Award: Islanders Fishsticks Award
For: Worst Jersey

Nominees:

1. Colorado Avalanche- Only the name of the team on the front and only the players name and number on the back. We know what team you are, you can put something cooler on your jersey

2. Dallas Stars- It says Dallas. Nothing else

3. Oilers.- About two different colors. You couldn't even afford to have the stripe go al the way around the jersey

AND THE WINNER IS...

DALLAS STARS

Adam Hartog Hockey Award

Award: Phoenix Coyotes Award
For: No Business Being In a Team's Current Location

Nominees:

1. Phoenix Coyotes- Do they even know what ice is in Phoenix?

2. Atlanta Thrashers- Unknown about by people living in Atlanta. Left the country

3. New York Islanders- Long Islanders don't know that the Isles are there. The few that do don't know what they are, however

AND THE WINNER IS...

PHOENIX COYOTES

Adam Hartog Hockey Award

Award: Alexei Yashin Award

For: Most Overpaid Player

Nominees:

1. Scott Gomez- 7 goals in 82 games, yet getting paid $7.357 million until 2014

2. Ilya Kovalchuk- 31 goals in 81 games played, and still making $6.667 million until 2025

3. Vincent Lecavalier- 25 goals in 65 games played. Making $7.727 until 2020

4. Rick DiPietro- A beyond injury prone nightmare for the Islanders. Has played 39 games in over THREE years. Still making $4.5 million until 2021

AND THE WINNER IS...

RICK DIPIETRO

Adam Hartog Hockey Award

Award: New York Rangers Award
For: Most Overrated Team

Nominees:


1. San Jose Sharks- Every year this team has what it takes to win the Cup, or at least get to the finals. Every year, they fall short. They make it far and do well compared to most teams, but coming close is never, ever good enough. Yet, people still choose them as the favorite to win it all, despite constant failure.

2. Philadelphia Flyers- They almost completed the puzzle. They were so close. They had a scoring offense the best defense in the league, but not enough strength in net. They had a young star in Sergei Bobrovsky, and luckily they kept him. Instead of signing Thomas Voukoun, they had to get Ilya Bryzgalov. He is an amazing goalie, but to get him they had to give away their two biggest stars and team leaders. Big mistake

3. Washington Capitals- We are just about to enter the 6th straight season in which the Caps are predicted to win the Stanley Cup, and we are all still waiting for them to make it pas the second round of the playoffs. They never seem to disappoint the doubters. Their players need to understand that just because the weather starts to get warm, doesn't mean the season's over. They need to show up to one or two playoff games

AND THE WINNER IS...

THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Adam Hartog Hockey Awards

Award: Mark Streit Award
For: Most overrated player
Nominees:


1. Henrik Sedin- Has great regular seasons, but disappears during the playoffs. Good, but nowhere near good enough.

2. Daniel Sedin- See above

3. Roberto Luongo- Starting to see a pattern here. All three nominees are on the same team. They are all nominated for the same reason.

AND THE WINNER IS...

ROBERTO LUONGO

Adam Hartog Hockey Awards

Starting today, Adam Hartog Hockey will be giving out the 2011 Adam Hartog Hockey Awards. They will be posted on this site for you to read and feel free to leave your responses. Don't forget though, all comments must be approved before they appear on this website.

Should Sidney Crosby Be Taken High In Fantasy Hockey?

Right now, it is hard to tell. With no time table for his recovery, no one has any idea when he will return to on ice competition. If he is able to return to full health by the month of November, I would take him in the top 3. Once he gets back, he will be returning to the form that had him on pace to set career highs last year, until he got injured exactly halfway through the season. Despite playing half the time of most people, he still managed to finish 30th out of about 1,000 NHL players. Anyway, once he returns he will be playing on a line with a healthy Evegni Malkin, and James Neal. Neal was criticized for under-performing after he was brought in at the trade deadline by Penguins GM Ray Shero but don't forget he has never played with Crosby and/or Malkin, so his point total will also increase, meaning Crosby's most likely will to. If Crosby does not return before the month of December, I would say take him in the 2nd or third round of the draft. If Crosby is ready to play and at full health by the start of the season and is in the form he was in last year, don't be surprised if he manages to rack up 117 points, or something around their. But as I said before, with no time table for his return, it is impossible to tell what do do with him once it comes time to draft your fantasy team.

Can the 'Nucks Bounce Back?

They were so close. The Vancouver Canucks came within one game of winning the Stanley Cup, something that has never been accomplished in the 41 year history of the Canadian based organization. One game, four goals. Yes, coming so close and failing, not to mention on your own home ice, is heartbreaking, but don't forget, everyone gets over it eventually. The veteran Canucks still have most of the roster that won them the Presidents Trophy (1st place in the league) with a 117 point regular season intact, and they will be back with more motivation. Coming so close makes people want to work so much harder to get to that point that eluded them only months ago. The Canucks witnessed two groups of people parading around on the Rogers Arena ice in the past two year. One was team Canada winning the gold medal in the Olympics and the other was the Boston Bruins in June parading around while hoisting hockey's holy grail over their heads (just pointing out that when Bruins captain Zdeno Chara held e Cup, it was the highest that it has ever been, 6'10"). Although some of the Canucks were on the Canadian team that won the gold in 2010, none of them were celebrating a Stanley Cup victory this year. The Canucks still have Roberto Luongo, whose stellar play earned him a Vezina Trophy nominee for league's best goalie (although he did lose to Bruins goalie Tim Thomas), and Luongo will most likely be great again in net for the Vancouver team. That is in the regular season. Come playoffs, Luongo's play tends to slip a bit, most notably this past postseason. If his playoff performance does not start to improve , the Stanley Cup Runners-up will have a tough time getting anywhere, and Luongo could even be in danger of losing his job to Cory Schneider, who is a reliable goalie that also performed marvelously when called upon in the regular season and the playoffs.

Adam Hartog Hockey Now Hiring

Adam Hartog Hockey, an award winning hockey blog, is now hiring new employees. This is your chance to join a company that started with one person writing on their computer in their home office, to a large operation that consists of many writers and journalists all composing stories from the Adam Hartog Hockey main office. Apply for the job by emailing the president of the company, Adam Hartog, at adamhartog@rocketmail.com.

NHL 12 Demo

I just downloaded the NHL 12 demo. It is free, and is available for download on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 marketplaces. There are only a few things to do on the demo, but everything will be available to use on the actual game. On the demo, I played a standard game. That EA Ultimate League are the only things to on the game. You can only play as two teams, the Boston Bruins, or the Vancouver Canucks (the two teams that played in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final). Vancouver is automatically the home team, and Boston the away team. That cannot be changed in the demo. You can change the jerseys (only to either home or away), and the standard settings (being difficulty, camera view, and sound effects). You cannot change the roster, the line change settings, or the shot aim (being automatic and manual). The game is played only in the third period, with whatever team you are playing as being down 2-0 at the start. You can either come back and win in regulation, or send the game to overtime. From there you can either score the OT winner, or send the game a step further to the shootout. That is pretty much a basic overview of what I know about the demo so far, but I did not play the EAUHL yet.

NHL 12- They're Back!

NHL 12 has a new feature that makes it different from other NHL games. That feature, is legends! Returning to the game will be such legends such as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Ray Bourque, and Mark Messier. There are more past superstars that will be in the game, those are just a few. Although in some of the past NHL games you could input the name of a legend in the Create a Player mode and the game would automatically create a player with the skill they had in their playing days, this will be the first NHL video game to feature the legends already created and ready to play with. It will be interesting to see if they make legends untouchable, or if they will have trouble keeping up with today's stars, and if they will have trouble or ease in scoring on today's goalies. Also, it might be fun to create a current all star team to use in a game against an all legends team. Anyway, that will be one new feature in the game that is set to release on September 13.

Adam Hartog Hockey Magazine

Adam Hartog Hockey, an award winning hockey blog, is now available to hockey fans as a monthly magazine. The magazine features informative articles, news about players, and much more. The magazine for the month of September is currently on sale for $5.00. The main article in September's issue focuses on the NHL returning to Winnipeg. If you would like a copy of the magazine, just leave a comment saying your name and address, and a copy will be sent to you from the Adam Hartog Hockey main office. You will get a confirmation once it is sent. Once you get the confirmation, you must send the $5.00 to the main office. You will be given the address of the main office in a private message. You can return the magazine, but it must be in the same condition you received it in. You can expect full credit for all acceptable returns.

Crosby Still Has Concussion Symptoms

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar captain Sidney Crosby, one of the game's best players and the face of the NHL, is still suffering from post concussion symptoms, according to team general manager Ray Shero.

Crosby has not played in an NHL game since January 5, after suffering two concussions in the span of one week.

Shero does not know how fit Crosby will be when training camp opens next month, but said he will continue to train.

Penguins fans, and the league as a whole, have much concern over Crosby's ability to have an injury-free career following this battle with concussion symptoms.

It's clear that the Penguins are taking the process with the most caution, and will not push Crosby to be ready by a certain point.

The Boston Bruins are going through a similar issue with center Marc Savard, who is the team's best playmaker.

Savard was viciously checked by Penguins forward Matt Cooke in March of 2010, has played sparingly since and is still having concussion symptoms.

Savard's best choice may be to retire, protecting his long-term health and well-being.

The NHL has had a serious concussion problem for a few years now, and there have been rule changes to limit the aggressiveness of the game slightly in order to prevent the frequency of concussions.

The NFL had major issues with concussions last season, so the issue is not solely a hockey matter.

Crosby represents the NHL's worst fear; losing the league's best player and the face of the sport.

Crosby's situation does not appear as serious as Savard's, but when he does return to the ice, how good will he be?

He will certainly be less aggressive and more passive on the ice, which is how any player with concussion issues would play.

The Penguins coped very well without Crosby and fellow center Evgeni Malkin, who injured his knee and needed surgery, last season.

With Malkin back, the Penguins will make the playoffs and remain a top team, so there is no need to rush Crosby back.

Crosby is an all-time great player, and his importance to the league, the Penguins and the sport is too great to be taken lightly.

If it takes a year to recover, so be it. Crosby has much more of his amazing career to play.

2011-2012 NHL Team Schedules

Click Team Schedules below to see the 82 game schedules for all 30 NHL team for next year:

Team Schedules

2011 NHL Draft Order of Picks

Round 1

1. Edmonton
2. Colorado
3. Florida
4. New Jersey
5. NY Islanders
6. Ottawa
7. Winnipeg
8. Columbus
9. Boston (from TOR)
10. Minnesota
11. Colorado (from STL)
12. Carolina
13. Calgary
14. Dallas
15. NY Rangers
16. Buffalo
17. Montreal
18. Chicago
19. Edmonton (from LA)
20. Phoenix
21. Ottawa (from NSH)
22. Anaheim
23. Pittsburgh
24. Detroit
25. Toronto (from PHI)
26. Washington
27. Tampa Bay
28. San Jose
29. Vancouver
30. Toronto (from BOS)

Round 2

31. Edmonton
32. St. Louis (from COL)
33. Florida
34. NY Islanders
35. Ottawa
36. Chicago (from WPG)
37. Columbus
38. Nashville (from NJ)
39. Toronto
40. Boston (from MIN)
41. St. Louis
42. Carolina
43. Chicago (from CGY-TOR)
44. Dallas
45. Calgary (from NYR)
46. St. Louis (from BUF)
47. Florida (from MTL)
48. Chicago
49. Los Angeles
50. NY Islanders (from MTL)
51. Phoenix
52. Nashville
53. Anaheim
54. Pittsburgh
55. Detroit
56. Phoenix (from PHI)
57. Calgary (from WSH-CAR-NYR)
58. Tampa Bay
59. San Jose
60. Vancouver
61. Ottawa (from BOS)


Round 3

62. Edmonton
63. NY Islanders (from COL)
64. Florida
65. Anaheim (from NYI)
66. Ottawa
67. Winnipeg
68. Columbus
69. No selection
70. Chicago (from TOR)
71. Minnesota
72. St. Louis
73. Carolina
74. Edmonton (from CGY)
75. Dallas
76. Florida (from NYR)
77. Buffalo
78. Montreal
79. Chicago
80. Los Angeles
81. Boston (from PHX)
82. Nashville
83. Anaheim
84. Philadelphia (from PIT)
85. Detroit
86. Toronto (from PHI)
87. Florida (from WSH)
88. St. Louis (from TB)
89. San Jose
90. Vancouver
91. Florida (from BOS)


Round 4

92. Edmonton
93. Colorado
94. Nashville (from FLA)
95. NY Islanders
96. Ottawa
97. Winnipeg
98. Columbus
99. New Jersey
100. Toronto
101. Minnesota
102. St. Louis
103. Carolina
104. Calgary
105. Dallas
106. NY Rangers
107. Buffalo
108. Winnipeg (from MTL)
109. Chicago
110. Los Angeles
111. Phoenix
112. Nashville
113. Montreal (from ANA)
114. Edmonton (from PIT)
115. Detroit
116. Philadelphia
117. Washington
118. Philadelphia (from TB)
119. San Jose
120. Vancouver
121. Boston

Round 5

122. Edmonton
123. Colorado
124. Florida
125. NY Islanders
126. Ottawa
127. NY Islanders (from WPG)
128. Columbus
129. New Jersey
130. Toronto
131. Minnesota
132. St. Louis
133. Winnipeg (from CAR-FLA)
134. NY Rangers (from CGY)
135. Dallas
136. NY Rangers
137. Buffalo
138. Montreal
139. Chicago
140. Los Angeles
141. Phoenix
142. Nashville
143. Anaheim
144. Pittsburgh
145. Detroit
146. Detroit (from PHI)
147. Washington
148. Tampa Bay
149. Winnipeg (from SJ)
150. Vancouver
151. Boston

Round 6

152. Toronto (from EDM)
153. Colorado
154. Florida
155. Phoenix (from NYI)
156. Ottawa
157. Winnipeg
158. Columbus
159. New Jersey
160. Toronto
161. Minnesota
162. St. Louis
163. Carolina
164. Calgary
165. Dallas
166. San Jose (from NYR)
167. Buffalo
168. Montreal
169. Chicago
170. Los Angeles
171. Ottawa (from PHX-ANA)
172. Nashville
173. Toronto (from ANA)
174. Pittsburgh
175. Detroit
176. Philadelphia
177. Washington
178. Tampa Bay
179. San Jose
180. Vancouver
181. Boston

Round 7

182. Edmonton
183. Colorado
184. Florida
185. NY Islanders
186. Ottawa
187. Winnipeg
188. Columbus
189. New Jersey
190. Toronto
191. Minnesota
192. St. Louis
193. Carolina
194. Winnipeg (from CGY)
195. Dallas
196. Phoenix (from NYR)
197. Buffalo
198. Montreal
199. Chicago
200. Los Angeles
201. Phoenix
202. Nashville
203. Toronto (from ANA)
204. Ottawa (from PIT)
205. Detroit
206. Philadelphia
207. Washington
208. Tampa Bay
209. Pittsburgh (from SJ)
210. Vancouver
211. Chicago (from BOS)

Stamkos NHL 12 Cover Athlete

Gamers take note. The new cover athlete for EA NHL 12, which will be in stories Sept. 13, is Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos.

Stamkos follows a two-year run on the EA cover by Chicago Blackhawks stars. Patrick Kane was the 2010 cover athlete, followed last season by teammate and fellow Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews.

"I am very excited to be part of illustrious group of guys who have been on the cover," said Stamkos, who added the EA NHL game has "probably been at the top of my Christmas list since I was six years old."

"I even bought a copy to play with teammates in Tampa," Stamkos said.

Atlanta Move Approved

The wait officially is over. Winnipeg is back on the National Hockey League's map.

The League's Board of Governors gave its unanimous stamp of approval of the sale and move of the Atlanta Thrashers to the group from Winnipeg at its meeting in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday. It's the first franchise relocation in the NHL since 1997, when the Hartford Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes.

True North Sports & Entertainment purchased the club from the Atlanta Spirit group for a reported $170 million and paid the NHL a $60 million relocation fee to move the team to Winnipeg, which hasn't had an NHL team since the Jets left for Phoenix after the 1995-96 season.

"The Board unanimously approved both the sale of the Atlanta franchise to True North, which is Mark Chipman and David Thomson, and the relocation of Thrashers to Winnipeg," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Obviously, everybody is sorry and distressed and unhappy that we found ourselves in the circumstance where our franchise was leaving Atlanta. We feel particularly sorry for the fans over there. But obviously, based on the reception that we've gotten, everybody is extremely excited about the opportunities in Winnipeg for our return."

"We are very honored by the NHL Board of Governors' unanimous decision today. We know that the fans of this province have an appetite for NHL hockey that is rivaled by few in the League and intend to work very hard to make Manitobans proud of our franchise for years to come."
-Mark Chipman, True North Sports & Entertainment Chairman of the Board

The still-unnamed Winnipeg franchise will begin play in the Southeast Division in 2011-12, with the expectation that it will be moved to the Western Conference starting in 2012-13.

"We are very honored by the NHL Board of Governors' unanimous decision today," said Chipman, Chairman of the Board, True North Sports & Entertainment. "We know that the fans of this province have an appetite for NHL hockey that is rivaled by few in the League and intend to work very hard to make Manitobans proud of our franchise for years to come."

Winnipeg will play its home games in the 15,015-seat MTS Centre, which previously was home to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

The MTS Centre will be the smallest arena in the NHL, but it likely won't feel that way with 13,000 season tickets already sold and, according to Bettman, "somewhere in the vicinity of a quarter of a million expressions of interest in having season tickets for the franchise."

True North announced earlier this month that 7,158 season tickets were sold in a three-day pre-sale and the remaining 5,842 were purchased online in four minutes and officially processed in 17 minutes.

"The fact of the matter is people have noticed very clearly what Winnipeg has accomplished in a very short period of time," Bettman said. "The response from the corporate community has been outstanding as well. Sometimes it's not just the size of the market; sometimes it's a function of the intensity of the market."

That said, Toronto President and GM Brian Burke said there is cautious optimism among the Board of Governors that Winnipeg will work as an NHL market in the long term.

"I think Winnipeg could have sold the building out three times. The challenge isn't the first five years," Burke said. "What I've said is I believe in the marketplace, but everybody in Winnipeg has to support this team. It's far from over with the fact that they sold the building out in two minutes or 10 minutes. The first five years is the easy part, that's the low-hanging fruit. It's harder if you're in Year 5 and the team hasn't won a championship and you're renewing all those things. That's the test.

"We're all glad the team is back, but there are challenges in that market. It's that simple. It's the smallest market we're in. People need to support this team."

Winnipeg has been operating as a franchise since the sale was announced May 31.

Kevin Cheveldayoff was hired as the team's general manager June 8, replacing Rick Dudley, who was not retained despite having three years left on his contract. Craig Heisinger, formerly the GM of the Moose, was hired the same day to be Winnipeg's Director of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager.

Cheveldayoff and Heisinger currently are in the process of hiring a new coach to replace Craig Ramsay, who was told Monday that he will not be back with the team even though he still has one year left on his contract. Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Haviland and Claude Noel, who coached the Manitoba Moose last season, reportedly are the top two candidates for the Winnipeg coaching job.

Marcel Comeau, who has been the Thrashers' head scout since 2003, is expected to implement Winnipeg's draft strategy this weekend at the 2011 Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minn. Winnipeg has the seventh selection in the first round Friday.

Thrashers Director of Amateur Scouting and Player Development Dan Marr no longer is with the franchise.

"They have been a city pursuing an NHL franchise for a period of time," said Devils CEO/President/GM Lou Lamoriello. "The ownership there has been fantastic in the American Hockey League. They made as good of a presentation as you can ask for. I think they deserve it. I think it's just going to work out fantastic."

Winnipeg did not have any representation at the Board of Governors meeting because it officially was not a member of the League, but former Thrashers President Don Waddell was here representing his now-defunct franchise.

He wished the franchise well and said he believes the team can compete for a playoff berth this season.

"It's a sad day for hockey fans in Atlanta, but the franchise is going to a good place and run by good people and I wish them well because they have a lot of good people that are going to go with them," Waddell said. "They (the Board of Governors) heard the story of why it wasn't working in Atlanta and the bright side is what's happening in Winnipeg with ticket sales and so forth. So, it was voted by all 30 members."