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Posted On Sunday, 05.26.2013 / 8:28 AM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2013 NHL Draft blog

Drouin named CHL Player of the Year

All of the attention heading into the 2013 NHL Draft has been focused on Portland Winterhawks defenseman Seth Jones and Halifax Mooseheads center Nathan MacKinnon.

Halifax left wing Jonathan Drouin accomplished something neither of them could.

CHL Player of the Year Jonathan Drouin

Drouin, No. 3 in NHL Central Scouting's their final ranking of North American skaters for this year's draft, on Saturday was named Canadian Hockey League CCM Player of the Year. He's the first player to win the award in his first NHL draft-eligible season since Sidney Crosby of the Rimouski Oceanic in 2005. He's also the first QMJHL player to win the award since Alexander Radulov of the Quebec Remparts in 2006.

The CHL handed out its full slate of awards for the 2012-13 season Saturday at the Remai Arts Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The 5-foot-10.5, 186-pound Drouin finished second in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season with 105 points while playing 49 games; he was five points behind the league leader despite playing 19 fewer games. His 41 goals were tied for seventh and he also had a league-best 29-game scoring streak, during which he had 26 goals and 39 assists. He won the QMJHL MVP award and was voted the league's top professional prospect.

He also excelled with or without MacKinnon, his frequent linemate and Central Scouting's No. 2 North American skater. MacKinnon had 40 goals and 75 points in 44 games.

Posted On Thursday, 05.23.2013 / 12:21 AM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2013 NHL Draft blog

Drouin candidate for CHL player of the year award

No NHL Draft-eligible player has won the Canadian Hockey League player of the year award since 2008, but that could change when the CHL announces its award winners for the 2012-13 season.

Halifax Mooseheads left wing Jonathan Drouin, No. 3 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2013 NHL Draft, is one of three finalists for the CCM Player of the Year award. He was second in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 105 points in 41 games. He scored 41 goals, and had a league-best 29-game streak with at least a point. He was named the league's MVP and top professional prospect.

Jonathan Drouin

Other nominees for the award are Vincent Trocheck of the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League, a Florida Panthers prospect, and Adam Lowry of the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, a Winnipeg Jets draft pick.

The previous draft-eligible player to win it was Justin Azevedo of the Kitchener Rangers in 2008, but he was 20. The last first-time draft-eligible player to win it was Sidney Crosby of the Rimouski Oceanic in 2005.

Drouin also is a finalist for the Jack Link's Top Prospect of the Year. Joining him as finalists are two other players likely to hear their names called early when the 2013 draft is held June 30 -- defensemen Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) and Darnell Nurse of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL).

Posted On Wednesday, 05.22.2013 / 12:17 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2013 NHL Draft blog

Nichushkin preparing for move to North America

Valeri Nichushkin, NHL Central Scouting's second-rated European skater in its final rankings of prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft, told a Russian newspaper that he plans on playing hockey in North America next season.

"I have already decided I will go to the NHL," Nichushkin told R-Sport news agency in Russia. "Dynamo [Moscow] has accepted this calmly and I was told that I can leave if I want to. There are no legal problems. My deal with Dynamo is terminated and I am leaving a free agent."

Nichushkin had four goals and two assists in 18 regular-season games with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League. He raised his play in the postseason, scoring six goals in 25 games to help Traktor reach the KHL finals. He won the KHL's Alexei Cherepanov Award, given to the league's top rookie.

Posted On Saturday, 05.18.2013 / 5:04 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2013 NHL Draft blog

Jones, MacKinnon to put friendship on hold

Seth Jones and Nathan MacKinnon have been friends since they were 15 years old. But that friendship will get put on hold Saturday, when Jones' Portland Winterhawks face MacKinnon's Halifax Mooseheads at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.

They are the top two prospects in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of the top North American skaters for the 2013 NHL Draft, and it's likely they will be the first two players to hear their names called when this year's draft is held June 30 at Prudential Center.

Their relationship goes back to when each was 15 years old, when they were roommates at a summer camp run their CAA, the agency that now represents both players.

"We just started bonding and sharing each other’s similarities," Jones told Yahoo! Sports. "It just took off from there."

Posted On Tuesday, 04.23.2013 / 7:33 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2012-2013 At the Rink blog

Flyers shut down Timonen with broken foot

PHILADELPHIA -- Kimmo Timonen missed 15 games in his first five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, but it's not like he's been a fully healthy all that time.

That's why it takes something like a broken bone to get the veteran defenseman out of the lineup. The club announced Tuesday morning that Timonen would miss the Flyers' final three games with a compression fracture in his right foot.

"This particular thing has been bugging him for a couple weeks," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "Every time we'd want to go further than an x-ray with it, maybe get an MRI, take a little deeper look, Kimmo said no, it feels better [so] we just kind of put it aside. He got an MRI [Monday] and it showed this compression fracture and the doctor thought because of where it is, the potential risk of doing something much worse if he were to get hit there in that same spot, you're asking for trouble, so we just shut him down."

Holmgren said with rest, Timonen should be healthy in four to five weeks. It might Timonen that long to get over being taken out of the lineup.

"Kimmo hates missing games," Holmgren said. "He was decimated [Monday] when we called him and said this is what we're doing. He was in a bad mood this morning when I talked to him. He hates missing games. He's a tough, competitive older player."

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette hates having Timonen out of the lineup just as much.

"Losing a guy like Kimmo is tough," Laviolette said. "He provides a lot of veteran leadership on this team, a lot of quality minutes He's had a really good year for us. He's played strong. Taking a guy like him out of the lineup certainly is not what you want to do. … He's a reliable fixture in the locker room. That's why not having him in there tonight will be a difficult sight for everybody. We're used to him being in there."

In Timonen's place, Andreas Lilja was recalled from the American Hockey League Tuesday and will play his second NHL game Tuesday against the Boston Bruins (7:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN).

The Flyers' other lineup change will be Steve Mason starting in goal for the fifth time since being acquired by the Flyers on April 3. In five games with Philadelphia, he's 2-2-0 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.

Here is how the Flyers' lineup likely will look when they take the ice against the Bruins:

Simon Gagne - Claude Giroux - Jakub Voracek

Danny Briere - Brayden Schenn - Scott Hartnell

Matt Read - Sean Couturier - Wayne Simmonds

Jay Rosehill - Ruslan Fedotenko - Adam Hall

Oliver Lauridsen - Luke Schenn

Kurtis Foster - Brandon Manning

Andreas Lilja - Erik Gustafsson

Steve Mason

Ilya Bryzgalov

Injured: Maxime Talbot (leg), Zac Rinaldo (ankle), Jody Shelley (hip), Kimmo Timonen (foot), Braydon Coburn (shoulder), Andrej Meszaros (shoulder), Nicklas Grossmann (concussion), Kent Huskins (concussion), Bruno Gervais (torn stomach muscle)

Scratched: Jason Akeson, Scott Laughton, Mike Knuble, Tye McGinn, Matthew Konan

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

Posted On Tuesday, 04.23.2013 / 5:53 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2012-2013 At the Rink blog

Traveling Jagrs ready to watch their hero play

PHILADELPHIA -- Hockey fans all over the Philadelphia region were looking forward to seeing Jaromir Jagr back in town when the Boston Bruins faced the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN).

However, Jagr's first game back in Philadelphia, the team he played with last season, also drew eight fans from western Canada. The Traveling Jagrs, a group of eight fans dressed like Jagr, flew from Calgary to Philadelphia on Tuesday to get to Wells Fargo Center in time for the game.

The "Traveling Jagrs" in Philadelphia.

The "Traveling Jagrs" in Philadelphia. (Click to enlarge)

Each fan wore a classic Jagr mullet and a personalized Jagr jersey from over the years -- from a Czech Republic national team sweater, through his NHL stops with the Penguins, Capitals, Rangers, Flyers, Stars and Bruins. An eighth Jagr, wearing a Wales Conference all-star jersey, was a late arrival after getting stuck at the airport in Chicago.

Tyler, also known as Ranger Jag, originated the Jagr look a few years ago in Las Vegas.

"We were looking for a group costume and a couple of us had Jagr jerseys," he told NHL.com. "We're all Jagr fans and said, 'let's go dressed as Jagr.' That was our thought process."

Posted On Tuesday, 04.23.2013 / 2:24 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2012-2013 At the Rink blog

Bruins won't watch scores, will handle own business

PHILADELPHIA -- The Boston Bruins enter their game Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN) tied with the Montreal Canadiens with 59 points. The Bruins, however, hold the top spot in the Northeast Division and second in the Eastern Conference based on having played one fewer game.

But with each team playing Tuesday -- the Canadiens play at the New Jersey Devils -- the Bruins know they have to be on their game to stay ahead in the race.

"We have to play a big game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We're hoping to hang on to our top spot in our division and at the end of the night you've got to come up with the two points."

Posted On Tuesday, 04.23.2013 / 2:08 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2012-2013 At the Rink blog

Jagr center of attention in return to Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA -- The Boston Bruins are fighting for the top spot in the Northeast Division and second place in the Eastern Conference, but the major topic of conversation around the team's locker room after its morning skate was the return to Philadelphia of Bruins forward Jaromir Jagr.

The game Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN) will mark the first time Jagr has played here since his one-season stint with the team ended. Jagr, in his return to the NHL after three seasons in Europe, had 19 goals and 54 points in 73 games, helped the Flyers reach the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and after the season said it was the most fun season he had in the NHL.

"It was pretty good last year, that's for sure," Jagr said. "It's too bad we didn't beat New Jersey [in the conference semifinals] to go a little further. I had fun."

In the offseason, while the Flyers pursued high-profile free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, Jagr took a one-year offer from the Dallas Stars. At the NHL Trade Deadline, he was moved to the Bruins.

"I was happy here [in Philadelphia]," Jagr said. "Everybody knew it. I loved that team. I loved the fans. I loved the city. But on the other side, I always believe in God. And I always believed He would find the best place for me. I had a fate that something good would happen to me even if [returning to Philadelphia] didn't happen."

Posted On Tuesday, 04.23.2013 / 1:03 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2012-2013 At the Rink blog

Flyers' Timonen done for remainder of season

The Philadelphia Flyers announced Tuesday that defenseman Kimmo Timonen will miss the remainder of the season with a compression fracture in his right foot.

The report from the team was that Timonen would need four-to-five weeks to recover. There was no mention whether surgery would be needed.

Posted On Thursday, 04.18.2013 / 1:32 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - 2012-2013 At the Rink blog

Devils still waiting for shots to equate to goals

PHILADELPHIA -- New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus has played more than 1,000 games in the NHL, and even he can't believe what's going on with his team right now.

Mired in a 10-game winless skid (0-6-4), Zubrus is positive his team is playing far better than its current record shows.

"Since my injury I've played seven games, and other than maybe the first game, we've played five, six games and honestly they're as good as any of the games I've played in my career and not get a point," he told NHL.com. "It's been five or six in a row like that."

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