Ryan Murray is a defenseman for the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. The 6-foot, 182-pound native of Saskatchewan was named Everett's Rookie of the Year in 2009-10 after producing 22 assists and 27 points in 62 games. He became the youngest captain in franchise history during the 2010-11 season while leading the team with a plus-18 rating and all defensemen on the club with 46 points. He was one of two 2012 draft eligible players invited to Canada's National Junior Team development camp for participation in the World Junior Championship and he also participated in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp fueled by G Series in August. Murray has offered to maintain a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Hello everyone and thanks for taking the time to read my initial entry draft blog for NHL.com.

I am definitely really excited about the draft this year, but it's still a long way away and I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I just want to take everything a day at a time until then, and hopefully when that day comes, good things will happen. It's always there in the back of my mind though, that's for sure. There's a little more added pressure this year, but I try not to let anything get to my head or affect my mindset. When I do think about it, I use it as motivation and don't let it make me feel nervous or anxious.

Before I get into my goals for the season, let me tell you a little about myself.

My dad got me started when I was 2-years-old. I was too young to remember it, but I know I started skating on those kids' skates with two blades for stability. So basically I've been playing for as long as I can remember. Growing up in White City, Saskatchewan, I played baseball, football and even a little bit of soccer when I was younger. I also played volleyball for a year.

We used to play a lot of guitar hero -- that was definitely a big hit when we were growing up. Our family never really took many vacations, so we usually just hung around town and found ways to have fun.

A lot of people ask me how I felt to be named captain in Everett last year. I was actually named captain after Landon Ferraro was injured halfway through the year. It was a little hard at first not having him around the team while he was injured because he was such a good leader for the boys.

I tried to make it pretty normal. I didn't try to change who I am and just tried to be the same person. Being captain is a huge honor and a big responsibility. This year I'm just trying to lead the team the best that I can by working hard every day, giving 100 percent all the time and leading by example.

I thought the RDO Camp in August was really interesting with all the rule changes and such. It was great to get out there with some of the top players in the draft class all playing together. It was also good to see what the NHL is thinking about with possible rule changes and it was fun to test them out.

I missed the cut for earning a roster spot for Team Canada at last year's World Junior Championship in Buffalo (N.Y.) so it's definitely very important to me to make the World Junior team this year. Every hockey player in the country wants to play there, and to have the opportunity to make that team is really special. I'm going to give it everything I have to go out there and earn a spot by playing hard every single game and doing extra work after practice.

Our goal in Everett this year is for our team to make the playoffs and hopefully do some damage once we're there. We've got a young team with a lot of rookies, and we need to focus on coming together as a group so we can go as far as possible once the playoffs come around.

Well, that's it for now. I'll be blogging once a month, so check back in November.

HELSINKI -- When the Anaheim Ducks scored goals against Jokerit in Tuesday's preseason game at Hartwall Areena, fans of the local club cheered.

Sure, they rooted for their team when the game was close, and there was an audible sigh when Ryan Getzlaf scored in overtime, but early in the game, when Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne where setting up Corey Perry for goals, the game might as well have been in Honda Center. If that was the atmosphere when the Ducks were facing Jokerit, it is fair to say the Buffalo Sabres are going to be facing a partisan crowd Friday in the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere (1 p.m. ET, TSN2).

"Yeah, that part is going to be interesting," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "I have so much respect for Teemu. There's not many players who could do what he's done and play at the level he is playing at right now at that age. He'll always be known as a tremendous goal scorer. … If I were a fan in Finland, I'd be here cheering for him, too. I think that part is tremendous."

The Sabres arrived in Helsinki Wednesday afternoon after a long travel day from Germany, but like the Ducks did Sunday, they went straight from the airport to the rink for practice. Buffalo defeated Adler Mannheim Tuesday in its final preseason game, and now the focus has shifted to Friday's opener.

While the Ducks have been here all week and the players have had the chance to see the city and explore the culture, the Sabres only will be here for a little more than 48 hours before the puck drops Friday.

"I think in terms of travel and playing, we're all used to that," Buffalo forward Nathan Gerbe said. "We always play, travel, play, travel. ... I think we just try to take the same way. We want to gear up. The preseason is over and training camp is over. Now it is the real thing."

Friday's game may feel a little like a trip to TD Garden or Bell Centre for the Sabres, though they'll likely have a bit of a home-ice advantage Saturday in Berlin against the Los Angeles Kings (2 p.m. ET, TSN2).

"That's pretty cool," Gerbe said when told the Helsinki fans were cheering Ducks' goals. "It was a lot of fun playing in Germany (on Tuesday). It was a great crowd, great atmosphere and they gave a warm welcome to our German players (Christian Ehrhoff, Jochen Hecht). We know it is going to be pretty rowdy here, so we just have to take it as it is and get ready to play."

The Los Angeles Kings cut their roster to 23 players Thursday during an off-day for the team here in Stockholm.

Defenseman Slava Voynov was optioned to Manchester of the American Hockey League, while Jake Muzzin was placed on injured reserve. Colin Fraser, meanwhile, will start the season as an injured non-roster player.

Scott Parse

Those moves got the Kings down to 23 roster players, plus Jeff Zatkoff, the third goalie. Zatkoff does not count against the roster while in Europe; he'll be optioned to Manchester when the team returns to North America on Sunday.

The final roster cut-down deadline is Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET.

Wednesday's announcement also means forward Scott Parse has made the club despite struggling through much of camp.

Parse, who admitted to his struggles in the preseason, had a stronger game Tuesday in a 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere Challenge game against the Hamburg Freezers at O2 Arena in Hamburg, Germany, which likely assured his spot on the team.

After the game, Kings coach Terry Murray admitted he wasn't pleased where Parse was at, but believed there still was room for improvement as the forward tries to put major hip surgery behind him. Certainly, Parse's track record helped him stick with the club.

Murray said he put Parse on the team's top line Tuesday in an attempt to get Parse going. He liked the results, to a degree, and suggested Parse could open the season as a first-line forward -- especially with forward Dustin Penner questionable for Friday's 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere season-opener against the New York Rangers at the Globe (1 p.m. ET, Versus, TSN).

"First of all, he's coming through a lot from last year; he missed all but five games during the season, then he ended up with a couple games in the playoffs because of the hip surgery," Murray said after his team earned a 5-3 victory against Hamburg. "That's a major rehab process that he has gone through. He made a huge commitment in the offseason to work out and get himself ready for camp. I think he's still just trying to find his way.

"The one thing that he brings is that first, second step, where he can create separation and score some goals, and I'm not seeing that quickness right now. It's a little methodical, and so he has a ways to go, but on the positive side of it, I like his attitude. He did work very hard. He's trying to get it all together. Parse is a player who can score. I will keep him there and give him the opportunity to get things on track."

Hey guys! I'm back for my second blog entry, and let me take this time to thank you all for the positive reactions I have received so far. Very encouraging.

I'll start this segment by talking a little bit about the dilemma all of us seem to be facing as we attempt to walk the tightrope teetering between vacation mode and hockey mode. I know on our team there are many players (including myself) who never have been to Europe before. For me, I was just as excited about coming over and starting an NHL season in Finland and Sweden as I was about seeing a new part of the world.

When taking a vacation, I have always liked the thought of really jumping into the culture and experiencing what the city has to offer. Eat the food, drink the drinks and spend some time with the local people so you don't waste time eating hamburgers and French fries halfway around the world! But this trip is a bit different. Here there is a balance we have to maintain, where we are encouraged to soak up as much as we can from our new surroundings, yet at the same time we have to prepare to compete at the highest level against world-class competitors.

Andrew Gordon

Right Wing - ANA

GOALS: 1 | ASST: 1 | PTS: 2
SOG: 5 | +/-: -2

Now, this may not be the same for everyone, but for me, I don't want to be testing my stomach's boundaries the night before I have NHL All-Stars bearing down on me. Thus, here I am in Helsinki, Finland, eating pasta and chicken and feeling like I'm missing out. In the back of my mind, I justify it by reminding myself that I still have a team to make! There is work to do, and as much fun as I would like to be having here, the reward of playing well will feel better than the satisfaction of any traditional Finnish meal.

Yesterday was my first experience with international hockey (aside from the World U-17 Challenge), so I was very excited to see what the caliber of play would be. I have always had a lot of interest in the various elite leagues from across Europe because so many players I have grown up with or played against have made the transition to European hockey. I have always wondered how my style of play would fit in.

From speaking with some friends of mine, plus what I already knew about the Finnish Elite League, I was expecting Jokerit to be a hard-working, fast team with some very highly-skilled players. I feel my predictions were right on!

Every Finnish player I have ever known has possessed a similar combination of skill and work ethic, and most of those boys last night were no exception. From the drop of the puck they were playing a strong, disciplined system that clogged up the neutral zone and limited our ability to enter the offensive zone with speed. When we turned the puck over (which happened far too often), they were coming at us with three- and four-man attacks.

STOCKHOLM -- Rangers coach John Tortorella admitted Tuesday night that he had reservations about using either Brendan Bell or Stu Bickel as his No. 6 defenseman to start the season.

His voice was most definitely heard, because the club will recall rookie defenseman Tim Erixon from the Connecticut Whale of the AHL on Wednesday.

After practicing with the Whale on Wednesday, Erixon will fly to Stockholm to join the team for Thursday's practice in preparation for Friday's season-opener against Los Angeles in the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere.

It's been a whirlwind adventure for the native Swede.

Erixon was in Europe with the Rangers until he was cut on Saturday. He returned to Connecticut on Sunday, but now he's ticketed for his third trans-Atlantic flight in a matter of 10 days.

Tortorella wanted Erixon to play in the AHL so he could get used to playing on the smaller ice sheet and work on parts of his game, including closing out players and overall being more physical.

However, with Marc Staal not here due to post-concussion symptoms and Tortorella clearly not comfortable with using Bell or Bickel, especially in back-to-back games, Erixon is on his way back.

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was just happy to survive Thursday night's preseason game against Hamburg.

After all, much was conspiring against him. Most importantly, he had just two practices -- actually one practice and a morning skate -- with the full team after arriving in camp late because of a contract stalemate. Secondly, the game was played on the big ice, meaning he would have a ton of extra ice to cover.

Yet, thanks to the fact that the Kings dressed eight defensemen and coach Terry Murray was judicious with Doughty's ice time, the young defenseman was able to weather the storm and come out the other side in better shape for it.

"I felt good," Doughty said minutes after his team earned a 5-3 win against the Freezers at O2 World Arena. "Obviously, I didn't feel 100 percent or the way I wanted to; but after the long trip, I thought I played well."

Doughty made several good defensive plays in the game and was dangerous from the point on the offensive side of the puck, but he says the Olympic-sized ice was causing him some problems -- especially in down-low coverage.

"That was the tough part," he said. "I think all the guys struggled with that (Tuesday night). You thought you were in a good position and that guy's 15 feet away. It was a tough adjustment, but we did alright. These games are tough to play in."

After landing in Stockholm early Wednesday morning, the Kings were given the day off. They will practice Thursday at the Globe Arena in a final preparation for Friday's 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere game against the Rangers here on Friday.

That game will be played on NHL-sized ice and Doughty says he will be ready.

"You know, I think I will be at my best in that opener there," Doughty said. "Once I put my mind to it, I go out there and play my best. That's my main focus now, getting in a couple of practices and being at my best on opening day."

HELSINKI -- After two days of fairly intense practices and a preseason game upon arriving in Finland, Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle felt his team needed a bit of a break Wednesday.

The Ducks practiced at Hartwall Areena, an event that was open to fans, and the on-ice workout consisted of a lot 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 full-ice scrimmaging.

"With the schedule that we've been presented with, with the number of commitments and the people who have been pulling us in different directions with our players -- and we have another event today with our fans (who traveled from Anaheim) -- we felt after last night's game and the travel and the events that it was just a good day to have some fun," Carlyle said. "It was just kind of like going back to your roots, playing a little shinny and a little bit of pond hockey. It wasn't East-West, but it was U.S./European vs. Canada, and being a Canadian I have to say the Canadians kicked butt again today.

"I thought I put all the Europeans … they have all the skill on their side, but the Canadians came through today."

There were plenty of "ooh's" and "ahh's" from a crowd of about 1,000 fans, as all the open ice allowed the players to showcase some fancy stickhandling and passing skills. After one goal, Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf attempted to re-create Teemu Selanne's famous celebration from his rookie season in Winnipeg, when he tossed his glove in the air and used his stick to "shoot" it down.

Getzlaf's effort didn’t go quite as well -- he tried to flip a glove in the air, but it came off his hand wrong and quickly fell to the ice. The crowd appreciated the nod to Selanne, though, and applauded him -- after they were done laughing.

"To me it is about the pulse of where your team is at and how they feel," Carlyle said of the lighter tone. "I know that in not even having to play there are some tired bodies, and it showed last night. It showed in some of the practices. We'll always push our players as far as we can, but it goes back to the old saying that you can't push if they don't have energy. You can't demand that 110 percent if they're not rested and not ready to give it to you. You're just beating a dead horse. We've been pulled in a lot of different directions, plus we're still trying to get over the jet lag, so we felt it was good to go, 'Whoa, whoa' today."

HELSINKI -- Thousands of hockey fans from here in Finland crammed into Hartwall Areena to see the Anaheim Ducks play Tuesday, and they cheered at times in a way that made it feel almost like a home game for the club.

There were about 150 fans sitting together who did not have decide between rooting for the local team, Jokerit, or for Anaheim’s Finnish players, or both -- those fans are here from the Anaheim area.

"I think you could hear the 'Let's Go Ducks' chant once in a while, which was cool that they were cheering for us even though there were all the Helsinki fans in the stadium," Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller said. "It is great to have that support."

A Ducks team spokesman said the organization originally planned for 100 fans, but ended up with about 150 for the trip. The team helped organize a travel and ticket package for the fans, and also helped with some tourism activities once they got here.

As a reward for making the commitment of traveling about 5,600 miles, the Ducks had a reception for the fans with the players and coaching staff at Hartwall Areena after practice Wednesday. The fans were able to take pictures, get autographs and have lunch with the players in a restaurant/bar inside the arena sponsored by Karjala, which is a Finnish beer that is part of the Hartwall brewing company. The bar resembled a mine shaft, with wooden trusses and exposed rocks similar to the ones near the visiting dressing room.

"It is unbelievable. It really shows that we have some great fans, and they support us all over the world where ever we go," defenseman Francois Beauchemin said. "I remember when we went to London (to start the 2007-08 season) there was a few there, too, and it is just a good way to thank them for coming over and supporting us."

The following NHL teams have announced the following roster moves today.

  Buffalo Sabres

Signed: Matt MacKenzie.

  Chicago Blackhawks

Re-assigned to AHL: Jeremy Morin.
Signed: Brandon Saad.

  Columbus Blue Jackets

Re-assigned to AHL: Ryan Russell.

  Nashville Predators

Re-Assigned to AHL: Kyle Wilson.
Placed on injured reserve: Francis Bouillon, Mike Fisher.

  New York Islanders

Signed: Jay Pandolfo, Ryan Strome.

  New York Rangers

Waived: Sean Avery.

  Tampa Bay Lightning

Re-Assigned to AHL: Dana Tyrell.

  Toronto Maple Leafs

Acquired via trade: David Steckel.

  Vancouver Canucks

Claimed off waivers: Dale Weise.

Tyler Ennis scored twice as the Buffalo Sabres rolled to a 8-3 victory against Adler Mannheim in Germany on Tuesday night.

Thomas Vanek, Christian Ehrhoff, Jason Pominville, Ville Leino, Luke Adam and Brad Boyes scored for the Sabres, who will head to Helsinki to take on the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

Jhonas Enroth picked up the win in net.

Yannic Seidenberg, Mike Glumac and Jamie Sifers scored for Adler Mannheim. Glumac also had an assist.