No damage to Getzlaf's ankle
2.9.2010 / 9:50 PM ET

Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf underwent an MRI this afternoon on his sprained left ankle. The test showed no significant ligament or muscle tears, and Getzlaf is day-to-day. Following the MRI, Getzlaf made the following statement:
 
"My ankle feels much better today and I'm relieved the test showed no significant damage. My goal is to return to the ice this week for the Ducks, and I look forward to joining Team Canada for the Olympics on Monday."

Getzlaf, though, is not out of the woods yet. If he's going to play in the Olympics, he has to be 100 percent healthy, or darn close to it.
 
"He is day to day," Team Canada Executive Director Steve Yzerman told NHL.com via text message. "We will monitor his progress and if needed make a decision over the weekend."

--Dan Rosen

Franzen still kicking for a spot
2.9.2010 / 5:00 PM ET

Johan "the Mule" Franzen might be an Olympian next Monday after all.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Swedish Olympic coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson has asked Franzen to contact him following Tuesday night's Red Wings' game at St. Louis to give him an update on Franzen's status after a lengthy absence. The burly right wing will play his first game since Oct. 8, when Franzen torn the ACL in his left knee in the third game of the season.

"I'm going to call him after the game and tell him how I felt," Franzen told the Free Press, "and then talk to him after the next game."

Franzen, an Olympian in 2006, was not named to Sweden's roster provisional roster due to the ailment.

The 30-year old Franzen has one goal and one assist in three games thus far.

--Rocky Bonanno

Gaborik can't jump high enough
02.09.2010 /3:28 p.m. ET

Rangers and Team Slovakia forward Marian Gaborik left the ice during today's practice after suffering a lacerated right knee. During a breakaway drill, Gaborik tried to hurdle Henrik Lundqvist, but didn't quite make it safely over the goalie; Lundqvist's skate cut Gaborik's knee, and he limped off the ice.

The Rangers reported their leading scorer stayed at their practice site and received stitches, but no X-rays or MRI was taken.

Assistant GM/coach Jim Schoenfeld -- who was running practice while coach John Tortorella was at the funeral for Brendan Burke -- would not say whether Gaborik would be available for tomorrow's game against Nashville.

"It would be a guess," Schoenfeld told reporters. "And I would rather not guess."

Gaborik is fourth in the League with 35 goals and sixth with 69 points.

-- Adam Kimelman

Getzlaf still hopeful, Yzerman won't speculate
02.09.2010 /3:02 p.m. ET

Ryan Getzlaf met with the media at Honda Center before going for an MRI on his sprained left ankle, an injury he suffered in the second period of Monday's game when he got tangled with Kings forward and Team USA representative Dustin Brown. You can view the play here.

Getzlaf is hoping he can play for the Ducks this coming weekend, but of course he'll know more after the test results are back. He said he doesn't have much swelling in his ankle.

Getzlaf also said he has spoken to Team Canada Executive Director Steve Yzerman and understands the predicament Yzerman is now in.

"Mr. Yzerman made it clear they're going to do everything they can to wait and make sure it's well," Getzlaf said. "At the same time, he's got to protect his team, too. I'm definitely not going to go play in a tournament that I'm not ready to play in, especially a tournament of that caliber. I'm going to do everything possible to be there."

In a text message to NHL.com, Yzerman said that it's "too early to speculate on replacement players." He, like everyone else, is waiting for the rest results.

Here's how Getzlaf describe the way in which he was hurt, according to the Ducks web-site:

"I made a little pass back and ended up tucking my ankle underneath me. With the way the play went and the way it felt, it was definitely a scary time. Last night was tough for me. This morning, it looked really positive. My meetings with our trainers so far have gone really well. I’m crossing my fingers going to get the MRI this afternoon.

"I don’t think it’s what they call a high ankle sprain because that from what I understand that is a little higher than where mine is. It’s a great thing. I’m really positive this morning and hope for the best. We’ll see how things go from here. I’ll be in contact with the doctors all day. We’ll probably know a little bit more tomorrow."

-- Dan Rosen

Getzlaf sprains ankle, Yzerman waiting for test results
02.09.2010 /9:12 a.m. ET

Ducks and Canada center Ryan Getzlaf left Honda Center on crutches Monday night after spraining his left ankle. His foot was in a protective boot and he is supposed to be reevaluated by team doctors today.

X-rays taken at the arena revealed no broken bones, but reports indicate that Getzlaf is supposed to undergo an MRI today.

Team Canada Executive Director Steve Yzerman told NHL.com via a text message that he is "waiting for test results" before making a determination on Getzlaf's availability for the Olympics. Yzerman would have until Feb. 15 to replace Getzlaf on the roster.

Should Getzlaf not be able to play in the Olympics, the list of potential replacements likely includes Steven Stamkos, Brad Richards and Jeff Carter. If Yzerman wanted to replace him with a winger, he could look at Martin St. Louis, Shane Doan or Patrick Sharp.

"Hopefully, he won't be out too long," Ducks and Canada captain Scott Niedermayer said. "I don't have to say what he means to this team and what he does for us, so hopefully it's not bad.

"I haven't really thought about (the Olympics), to be honest," Niedermayer added. "I know he would love to play, but we don't know how badly hurt he is right now. Hopefully he's in our lineup in two nights (against Edmonton)."

-- Dan Rosen

Blackhawks handicap their respective Olympic teams
02.08.2010 / 10:40 a.m. ET

Chicago Blackhawks forwards Tomas Kopecky and Patrick Kane and defenseman Duncan Keith are looking forward to international competition in Vancouver. Especially now with just three games remaining before the Olympic break.

And while no player will publicly admit to looking ahead at this point, perhaps the Blackhawks can since the team is sitting second in the Western Conference with 38 wins and 81 points.

Kopecky, who'll join Team Slovakia in a group that includes Russia, Czech Republic and Latvia, feels his first Olympic experience will be a memorable one.

"I think we have a good team," Kopecky admitted. "We have a good balance of the young guys and the older generation. (Goaltender) Jaroslav Halak of Montreal is playing great. We have lots of good guys who can score with (Marian) Hossa, (Marian) Gaborik, (Pavol) Demitra and all those guys. I'm pretty sure we're going to meld as a team together. Each guy is going to find a role on the team,and we're going to be all of us pulling from the same end. I think we have a good chance."

Kane, who leads the Blackhawks in goals (22) and points (62) this season, happens to be the youngest player on Team USA's roster. And despite the fact much has been made of the Russians and Team Canada, he feels the American Team shouldn't be overlooked.

"Going in, I think we're ranked fifth," he said. "We feel we have a pretty good team, especially for a tournament like this. We have maybe the best goaltending in the tournament (with Ryan Miller, Tim Thomas and Jonathan Quick). Sometimes goaltending wins these kinds of tournaments."

Then there's Keith, another first-time Olympian. The 26-year-old blue liner, who has 11 goals, 51 points and a plus-22 rating with Chicago this season, feels that team able to develop chemistry from the outset will be successful.

"On paper everything looks good, but it's important we develop chemistry and that team attitude right away," he said. "In a short tournament when it's one game take all, you have to be at your best every night. You can't afford to have any slip-ups. There are so many great teams that are going. Every team is going to be tough,so it's definitely going to be a challenge."

--Mike G. Morreale

Forsberg rounding into form
2.5.2010 / 10:10 AM ET

Peter Forsberg is back from his latest bout with injury (a rib problem) and playing with MoDo as he prepares for another shot at Olympic glory.

Forsberg

According to reports out of Sweden, Forsberg is playing a regular shift and working hard to get into peak shape for when Sweden leaves for the Olympics next week. In 14 games, he has 17 points and has impressed many obsertvers with his work rate.

"He looks good in practices, he's getting more physical and isn't afraid to do anything," was the report Hannu Aravita, the former Team Finland coach, gave Expressen newspaper on Thursday. The translation was provided by NHL.com's man in Sweden, Risto Pakarinen. "It's good to see, but he has to stay patient."

Patience will be a key it seems as even Forsberg ahs talked about his propensity to take foolish penalties or get too worked up on the ice. According to Expressen, Forsberg has taken to writing the phrase "calm down" on his mouthpiece to keep his on-ice temper in check.

"But then I get on the ice and yell at the ref anyway...," Forsberg was quoted as saying in Expressen.

Also, it appears the injury bug won't leave Forsberg alone. Thursday night, he injured his pinky in a game and may miss Saturday's contest. But, the hand injury should not be a concern for the Olympics.

-- Shawn P. Roarke

Marching orders for Kings' Johnson
2.5.2010 / 9:06 AM ET

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson believes the Olympics are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he wants to experience more than just the hockey.

So, he has chartered a plane to Vancouver on Feb. 12 to take part in the Opening Ceremony as part of the Team USA delegation. He will most likely be the only men's team player to march in the delegation, although Team USA GM Brian Burke, the GM of Team USA, also plans to take part.

The Kings play Thursday and Saturday, but are off on Friday, the day of the Opening Ceremony. Johnson was given permission to skip what is expected to be a light practice to make the two-hour flight to Vancouver. He will return Friday night right after the ceremony.

According to Helene Elliott at the Los Angeles Times, Johnson offered to take along teammates Jon Quick and Dustin Brown, both of whom will play for Team USA. But, both players passed on the invitation. Johnson also offered Anaheim's Bobby Ryan a lift, but the Duck forward passed as well.

"I've watched them before, and it's part of the experience of the Olympics," Johnson said. "It’s unfortunate most hockey players won’t get to do it, but the stars kind of aligned for me to be able to do it."

"We don’t play that day. The Olympics happen to be only a two-hour flight away, and I figure it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’m going to take every advantage of it I can."

Burke is operating under the same thought process. His Maple Leafs will be in St. Louis next Friday, but Burke will be in Vancouver marching through BC Place with thousands of Olympians from across the globe.

In a conference call Thursday afternoon, Burke called marching in the ceremonies one of the "pinch-me moments" in what has already been a rich hockey life and said he couldn't be prouder to represent Team USA. 

In fact, he said that if his Maple Leafs don't make the playoffs, he would be happy to be a part of USA Hockey's contingent at this spring's World Championships. And, he doesn't even need to be the GM.

"I told them, if they need a bus driver, I will get my Class A license," Burke said.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Twin power for Sweden
2.5.2010 / 8:44 AM ET

Ottawa forward Daniel Alfredsson might just be paired as the off wing on a line with Vancouver's Henrik and Daniel Sedin when he reports to Team Sweden next week for Olympic duty in Vancouver.

So, he has been playing close attention to why the Sedins -- identical twins born six minutes apart 29 years ago -- are having the success they are with Alex Burrows this season with the Canucks. In fact, that unit may be the best first line in the game at the moment and Henrik sits second in the League with 78 points, passed Thursday night by Washington's Alex Ovechkin.

Here is Alfredsson's observation, as relayed to Roy MacGregor of the Globe and Mail:

"They toy with you in the sense that they play with the puck with such composure," Alfredsson says. "They find each other. They play on the outside, kind of just drag you away from the net and then they find an opening.

"It's hard to play against, especially now that you can't hook and hold. … They're so good at protecting the puck, its tough to get at them. … You don't see them 'cause they don't have that much speed – they won't burn you wide.

"Their deceptiveness and vision of the ice is as good as anybody."

--Shawn P. Roarke

Elias back to skating
2.4.2010 / 4:00 PM ET

Forward Patrik Elias of the Devils and the captain of the Czech Republic Olympic entry returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since suffering a concussion on Jan. 16 at Colorado, reports Tom Gulitti in his blog for the Bergen Record.

Coach Jacques Lemaire said Elias is "not ready" to return to game action, and Elias said he didn't know if he would be able to play against Toronto on Friday.

Gulitti reports Elias was not able to make it through the full practice and appeared winded. "I felt pretty good actually," Elias said. "It was a great first day for me."

Elias admitted he got tired, "a little bit at the end."

"That's why I kind of just stopped," he said.

Lemaire talked to the team trainer after Elias, then informed the media he didn't think that Elias would be ready to face the Maple Leafs. "Not ready," Lemaire said. "There's a process that you have to go through before a guy comes back and plays and that's what he's doing right now. He's going through that process."

Elias, however, did not rule out playing Friday. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe tomorrow morning we'll see. I think it's just day-by-day. I was pleased with the first day. I felt really good for the first half hour and then obviously (with) endurance, I got a little bit tired and just was smart about it."

Elias said getting back in time to play in the Olympics has not been part of his thought process.

"I didn't think about it, to be honest, throughout the whole thing if it is possible to miss it or not," he said. "There's still a lot of time before the Olympics is going to start (Feb. 16 for the NHL players) and I've responded every time the way I'm supposed to. So, I'm just thinking about getting back here to play quickly and just be part of the team again here and do the job here."

--Rocky Bonanno

Whitney honored to be a part of Team USA
2.4.2010 / 3:13 PM ET

Here's Ryan Whitney's take on being named to Team USA today:

"It'll be amazing. I've played for my country before and it's quite a feeling. It's really a feeling like no other. You have a lot of pride and you're just happy to be a part of the team that is representing your nation. I can't wait. I mean, I'm so excited and I think it's going to be quite an experience."

-- Dan Rosen

Whitney, Gleason in for Team USA
2.4.2010 / 3:13 PM ET

USA Hockey announced Thursday afternoon that Ryan Whitney and Tim Gleason will be named as replacements to Team USA, replacing Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin.

The selection of Carolina's Gleason and Anaheim's Whitney come as little surprise as both attended this summer's Olympic Orientation camp, hosted by USA Hockey, in Chicago.

Both New Jersey's Martin and Toronto's Komisarek were forced to drop off the 23-man roster named by USA Hockey on Jan. 1 because of slow-healing injuries.

Martin, a puck-moving defenseman, played only nine games before breaking his forearm after being struck by a shot from Pittsburgh's Bill Guerin. He decided against surgery initially, but the bone did not heal properly and he underwent surgery to have plates inserted to expedite the healing process. But, he saw the doctor this week and it will be at least another two weeks before he is ready for contact.

Komisarek hurt his shoulder Jan. 2 and the injury has not responded to treatment. There is now discussion that the big, physical defenseman may now be facing season-ending surgery. He consulted with noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews last week before opting out of Team USA consideration.

Team USA management has been contemplating replacements for the past couple of weeks as Martin and Komisarek raced against the clock to return in time. The debate raged well into this week before Whitney, a puck-moving defenseman, and Gleason, a solid two-way player, were chosen as the replacements from a pool of considered players that also included Rob Scuderi of the Los Angeles Kings and Ron Hainsey of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Whitney will replace Martin's offensive contribution, but does not have the same stellar reputation in his own end. Just 26, Whitney is playing more than 24 minutes a game for the surging Ducks and has 24 points. Three of his four goals this season have come on the power play.

Whitney was a member of the 2008 Penguins team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final, registering 6 points and a plus-8 rating in 20 playoff games.

Gleason, who does a little bit of everything for the Hurricanes, also has some good playoff experience, making an 18-game run to the Eastern Conference Finals with Carolina last season. He had a goal and 4 assists in that run.

This season, Gleason is on pace for a record year in scoring. He has 15 points, including a career-high 5 goals, in 46 games. Gleason scored a career-best 21 points, back with the Kings in 2005-06. Ironically, he was part of the trade with Carolina that landed Los Angeles Jack Johnson, another Team USA blueliner.

With Carolina this season, Gleason ranks second among the team's defenseman with 89 blocked shots. He has also dealt out 119 hits, and average of 2.5 hits per game.

-- Shawn P. Roarke

Olympic colors
2.4.2010 / 2:10 PM ET

We're all so accustomed to seeing Sidney Crosby in the familiar black and gold of the Penguins, but to help hockey fans prepare for the Olympics, Pittsburgh's team Web site gives us a glimpse of how Sid and teammates will look wearing their national team jerseys.

At this link you can view photos of Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar (Russia), Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury (Canada), and Brooks Orpik (United States) modeling the uni's they'll wear in Vancouver beginning Feb. 16.

"This is very special and something that again you grow up (wanting)," Crosby said. "I remember watching in Salt Lake and wanting to be a part of the Olympics. It is more than just hockey you are talking about. It is a celebration of sports throughout the world."

Malkin was more succinct. "I am very excited," he said. "We have a very good team."

Whitney, Gleason in for Team USA
2.4.2010 / 12:17 PM ET

USA Hockey is hosting a conference call this afternoon and multiple media outlets are reporting that Ryan Whitney and Tim Gleason will be named as replacements to Team USA, replacing Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin.

The selection of Carolina's Gleason and Anaheim's Whitney come as little surprise as both attended this summer's Olympic Orientation camp, hosted by USA Hockey, in Chicago.

Both New Jersey's Martin and Toronto's Komisarek were forced to drop off the 23-man roster named by USA Hockey on Jan. 1 because of slow-healing injuries.

Martin, a puck-moving defenseman, played only nine games before breaking his forearm after being struck by a shot from Pittsburgh's Bill Guerin. He decided against surgery initially, but the bone did not heal properly and he underwent surgery to have plates inserted to expedite the healing process. But, he saw the doctor this week and it will be at least another two weeks before he is ready for contact.

Komisarek hurt his shoulder Jan. 2 and the injury has not responded to treatment. There is now discussion that the big, physical defenseman may now be facing season-ending surgery. He consulted with noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews last week before opting out of Team USA consideration.

Team USA management has been contemplating replacements for the past couple of weeks as Martin and Komisarek raced against the clock to return in time. The debate raged well into this week before Whitney, a puck-moving defenseman, and Gleason, a solid two-way player, were chosen as the replacements from a pool of considered players that also included Rob Scuderi of the Los Angeles Kings and Ron Hainsey of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Whitney will replace Martin's offensive contribution, but does not have the same stellar reputation in his own end. Just 26, Whitney is playing more than 24 minutes a game for the surging Ducks and has 24 points. Three of his four goals this season have come on the power play.

Whitney was a member of the 2008 Penguins team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final, registering 6 points and a plus-8 rating in 20 playoff games.

Gleason, who does a little bit of everything for the Hurricanes, also has some good playoff experience, making an 18-game run to the Eastern Conference Finals with Carolina last season. He had a goal and 4 assists in that run.

This season, Gleason is on pace for a record year in scoring. He has 15 points, including a career-high 5 goals, in 46 games. Gleason scored a career-best 21 points, back with the Kings in 2005-06. Ironically, he was part of the trade with Carolina that landed Los Angeles Jack Johnson, another Team USA blueliner.

With Carolina this season, Gleason ranks second among the team's defenseman with 89 blocked shots. He has also dealt out 119 hits, and average of 2.5 hits per game.

-- Shawn P. Roarke

Kronwall nicked up again
2.4.2010 / 12:17 PM ET

Detroit defenseman Nik Kronwall did not play Wednesday night for the Red Wings in a 3-1 loss to Anaheim, but there is little reason for Team Sweden to be too nervous at the moment.

It appears that Kronwall tweaked the injury to his left leg, a MCL sprain that sidelined him for 30 games, when he got tangled up with San Jose's Scott Nichol in Tuesday's game, his fifth since the injury.

"I know he was frustrated last night when we got on the plane," Detroit GM Ken Holland told Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. "The leg started to bother him after two periods, and we pulled him.

It was, though, a purely precautionary move.

"He's day-to-day, but it's nothing significant," Holland said.

Detroit doesn't play again until Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Injury bind plagues Belarus
2.4.2010 / 10:25 AM ET

Mike Komisarek is not the only Toronto Maple Leaf that will not play in the Olympics. Lost in the hubbub surrounding the Komisarek announcement was Toronto coach Ron Wilson also announcing that Mikhail Grabovski will also not be ready to join Belarus in time for the Olympics.

Grabovski broke his wrist on Jan. 2, but there was hope he could return right before the start of the Olympics. In fact, Grabovski's cast came off earlier this week, but the injury has not healed enough for team doctors to clear the Belarusian for game action.

Grabovski, 26, scored 20 goals last season and had 25 points in 47 games before the injury this season. He was one of four NHL players from Belarus to be named to the Olympics and, unfortunately, he may be joined by two of those players on the injured list for the Olympics.

Andrei Kostitsyn underwent knee surgery in early January and is expected to be sidelined six weeks, put him just past the Feb. 15 date for final roster submissions to the IIHF for the Olympics.

Meanwhile, Colorado defenseman Ruslan Salei has been bothered by back issues all season and has just recently started skating for the Avalanche. It is unlikely, though, that he can get in game shape in 11 days.

That means Sergei Kostitsyn -- Andrei's brother -- is the only healthy Belarusian on a NHL roster at the moment. Sergei Kostitsyn, though, is fresh off injury himself. He missed 10 games with a lwer-body injury before returning Jan. 23. He has one goal and one assist in the five games since his return.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Scratch Komisarek
2.3.2010 / 9:25 AM ET

Team USA's defense took another hit on Wednesday when the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Mike Komisarek will have season-ending shoulder surgery that will keep him out of the Winter Olympics.

Komisarek hasn't played since Jan. 2 in Calgary, but he been skating and was hoping to get medical clearance to return to the ice for the Leafs in their last four pre-Olympic games. Instead, the team announced that his season was over.

"Our team doctors have recommended this after a determined effort to rehab the injury without surgery. Having this done immediately is the right thing to do for the Leafs. I am truly sorry that I will not be able to represent my country at the Olympics," Komisarek said

It's been a tough first season in Toronto for Komisarek, who signed with the Leafs as an unrestricted free agent last summer after spending five seasons with Toronto. He had just 3 assists and 40 penalty minutes in 34 games.

With Komisarek and New Jersey's Paul Martin both having to withdraw this week due to injuries, Team USA has two holes on the blue line.

-- John Kreiser

Hitch can turn focus solely to Team Canada
2.3.2010 / 4:55 PM ET

Now that the Columbus Blue Jackets have fired Ken Hitchcock, he can be a great asset to Team Canada coach Mike Babcock and Executive Director Steve Yzerman in the next two weeks.

Hitchcock is an assistant on Babcock's Olympic staff along with Jacques Lemaire and Lindy Ruff. He will be the only one who isn't busy in these days leading up to the Olympics, so he could be dispatched on scouting missions across the League.

Perhaps Hitchcock might show up Sunday at the Capitals-Penguins game in D.C., where he can watch Russians Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar as well as Czech center Tomas Fleischmann, USA defenseman Brooks Orpik and Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom. He could also get a vibe from Canadians like Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury.

That wouldn't be a bad starting off point.

Now, granted, these are some of the top players in the NHL and everybody already knows what they could do, but scouting never hurts anybody. I'm just speculating, mind you. We don't know anything right now.

It should be noted that in 2002, Dallas fired Hitchcock 50 games into the season, meaning just before the Olympic break. Hitchcock was an assistant on Pat Quinn's staff that year, and Canada wound up winning gold.

Wouldn't Canada love history to repeat itself.

-- Dan Rosen

Kronwall hurt again, will miss game
2.3.2010 / 3:15 PM ET

Swedish defenseman Niklas Kronwall left Tuesday's game in San Jose during the third period after reportedly injuring his ankle and injuring his left leg. Kronwall missed two months (30 games) with an injury to his left knee and was only five games into his return.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock, who will also coach Team Canada at the Olympics, said that Kronwall will not play Wednesday night in Anaheim. Babcock said Kronwall "got slew-footed early in the game."

Wings GM Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press that Kronwall was outwardly frustrated with the situation.

"He got injured on our first goal, when Scott Nichol kind of took his legs out from under him, slew-footed him, and Nik got his leg behind him," Holland said. "The leg started to bother him after two periods, and we pulled him. To what I know, he's day-to-day."

-- Dan Rosen

Boyle misses fifth straight game, Yzerman not worried
2.3.2010 / 11:00 AM ET

Canadian defenseman Dan Boyle missed his fifth straight game Tuesday night when the Sharks lost to Detroit, 4-2, but Team Canada Executive Director Steve Yzerman told NHL.com in a text message that he's not concerned about Boyle's status for the Olympics.

"Spoke with him last week," Yzerman wrote to NHL.com. "Should be back any day. Don't expect it to be a problem."

Boyle has been day-to-day with this nagging upper body injury since Jan. 21. Starting Thursday in St. Louis, the Sharks will play six straight road games heading into the Olympic break.

Boyle will presumably be back soon enough to get in a few of those games before heading to Vancouver to represent Team Canada.

-- Dan Rosen

Holmstrom probably in for Wings at San Jose
2.2.2010 / 1:50 PM ET

Swedish winger Tomas Holmstrom is expected back in Detroit's lineup Tuesday night when they play the Sharks. Holmstrom has been out of the lineup since Jan. 6 after breaking his foot.

Holmstrom, who won gold with Sweden in 2006, could have returned Sunday when the Wings played Pittsburgh, but coach Mike Babcock decided to give his foot a few extra days to heal.

"I told Babs I could go, but he looked out there and said I couldn't skate very well," Holmstrom told the Detroit Free Press over the weekend. "Maybe that's the smarter decision. I don't know if two or three days is going to help me, but it probably will, because it's getting better and better each day. I want to come in and play as soon as possible."

Holmstrom has 15 goals in 42 games this season. He had only 14 goals in 53 games last season.

-- Dan Rosen

Finnish D Salo likely back for Canucks
2.2.2010 / 10:40 AM ET

Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo is expected to return to the Canucks lineup Tuesday in Montreal after missing four games with a groin injury. Salo, 35, is one of five NHL defensemen who will play for Finland in the upcoming tournament.

Salo practiced with the Canucks on Monday at Bell Centre and, according to a report on TSN, was happy to report that he felt no pain.

"It was the first time I skated with the team and I felt good, actually," Salo said. "This was the first practice, so we'll see how it feels (Tuesday) morning."

Salo injured his groin during a 4-3 win over Dallas on Jan. 22. He played 14:18 over the first two periods, but did not return for the third period. Salo averages nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game.

In other news for Team Finland, star Teemu Selanne scored a goal Monday night in his first game back after missing eight straight games with a broken jaw. And, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom (sore back/sick) will likely be out of the lineup Tuesday in Dallas because he is still not feeling well.

Backstrom remained behind in San Jose after Saturday's game because he was sick, but he was reportedly was feeling better Monday, so he flew to Dallas to meet up with the team. However, he was not feeling so great upon landing and is probably out for the game.

-- Dan Rosen

Trades force Jokinen, Hagman to adjust before Olympics
2.2.2010 / 9:33 AM ET

It will certainly be interesting now to see how Finn forwards Olli Jokinen and Niklas Hagman handle these last two weeks before the Olympics begin.

Jokinen was dealt from Calgary to the Rangers in a four player trade late Monday night. Hagman was dealt from Toronto the the Flames on Sunday in the blockbuster that sent Dion Phaneuf back east. Both now face the prospect of uprooting their lives across the continent while thinking about representing Finland in the upcoming tournament and helping the Rangers and Flames regain some of their swagger.

Jokinen, who played for the silver-medal winning Finnish team four years ago in Torino, has struggled this season with only 11 goals. The Rangers, who are starved for offense, will need him to find the touch he had when he was in Florida. He is the Panthers all time leading scorer and a four time 30-goal scorer.

If Jokinen finds his touch again within the next week or so, well the Finns will be delighted. You just have to wonder how the trade will affect him. He called it a "slap in the face" Monday night.

Hagman, who also played for Finland in the Torino Games, had 20 goals for the struggling Leafs.

Both could be a very interesting storylines going into the Olympics.

-- Dan Rosen

Elias nears return from concussion
2.2.2010 / 9:31 AM ET

While the news was bad for Team USA coming out of New Jersey Devils camp on Monday, it was far better for the Czech Republic team.

Patrik Elias, slated to be captain of the Czech team in Vancouver later this month, is expected to be skating again "soon," according to Lou Lamoriello, the Devils' GM.

Elias has been sidelined with a concussion since Jan. 16 when he absorbed a heavy hit from Colorado's Ryan Wilson, but he should be back with the team soon, perhaps before the weekend.
"He's skating and he's feeling good," Lamoriello told the Bergen Record's Tom Gulitti. "He'll be practicing with the team soon."

Lamoriello also said he expects Elias to play before the Olympic Break, which will be a boon for both Elias and the Czechs, who play their first Olympic game on Feb. 17.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Martin's Olympic dream done
2.2.2010 / 9:25 AM ET

Paul Martin, expected to be one of the primary puck-movers on the Team USA blueline, withdrew from the team Monday as he struggles to come back from a fractured left forearm that was originally injured on Oct. 24.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my name from participation with Team USA at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver," Martin said in a statement. "While the decision was an extremely difficult one, I feel it is in my long-term best interest to not rush any return to the ice.

"Team USA was informed of my decision earlier today. I look forward to re-joining my New Jersey Devils teammates in the near future, and would also like to wish my fellow Devils' Olympians and the rest of Team USA good luck in their pursuit of the gold medal."

Although nothing formal has been announced, Team USA will likely name a replacement for Martin to the squad later this week, although the deadline for injury replacements is not until Feb. 15, the day before the start of the Olympic tournament.

In fact, Team USA GM Brian Burke will likely have to find two new defenseman to name to the team. Toronto's Mike Komisarek has been out for much of the month with an injured shoulder and it does not appear that he will get into enough NHL games before the Olympic break to make Team USA management comfortable that Komisarek can make it through a grueling, short tournament like the Olympics.

Carolina's Joe Corvo and Anaheim's Ryan Whitney are the most likely candidates to be named as replacements. Corvo is an all-round defenseman with good leadership abilities. Whitney, meanwhile, has the puck-moving and transition skills that will lessen the impact of Martin's loss.

But none of that is consolation to Martin, who has had a lost season since being struck by a Bill Guerin shot in late October. Martin, who started skating on his own last week, was supposed to be back from the injury in December, but the bone did not knit properly. Doctors opted to insert a plate to the bone to help the healing process and Martin was expected to be back in late-January.

But, things are still not right in Martin's left arm and now he has to wear the cast two more weeks, putting him right up against the Olympic Break and leaving him absolutely no wiggle room to attempt to play in the Olympics.

Martin was scheduled to make his first Olympic appearance in Vancouver. He was named to the Team USA taxi squad four years ago in Turin, but never saw action.

"It is healing properly, it's just not to the point where the doctor wants to see it,'' Devils GM Lou Lamoriello told The Associated Press.

Lamoriello said Martin should be ready to go when the League comes out of its Olympic Break and resumes the season March 1. Martin has played just nine games this season for the Devils.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Martin officially bows out
2.1.2010 / 6:00 PM ET

Martin

The following is a statement from New Jersey Devils defenseman Paul Martin in regard to his participation in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games:

"After careful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my name from participation with Team USA at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. While the decision was an extremely difficult one, I feel it is in my long-term best interest to not rush any return to the ice.

"Team USA was informed of my decision earlier today. I look forward to re-joining my New Jersey Devils teammates in the near future, and would also like to wish my fellow Devils' Olympians and the rest of Team USA good luck in their pursuit of the gold medal."

Selanne back Monday night
02.01.2010 / 3:42 p.m. ET

Anaheim's Teemu Selanne has had enough waiting for his fractured jaw to heal. After missing eight games with the injury, suffered against Boston on Jan. 13, Selanne told reporters at Monday's morning skate that he would play in Monday night's game against Florida.
 
"I think I'm playing," Selanne said "I talked to the doctors. Playing tonight or Wednesday (against visiting Detroit) isn't going to be that much different. I'm very excited to be back in the lineup."

Selanne tried various versions of headgear to protect his still-healing jaw, which was broken in three places and was set by inserting plates into each fracture. He ditched a full-cage apparatus, saying that it restricted his vision too much.

Selanne skated at the morning skate with Jason Blake on the other wing and Saku Koivu at center. Blake was obtained yesterday in the deal that sent Jean-Sebastien Giguere to Toronto.

Both Selanne and Koivu, who returned from injury last week, are being counted on to be key contributors for Team Finland in the Olympics. They were the top two scorers on a Finnish team that claimed silver four years ago in Torino.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Team USA replacements named by this weekend
02.01.2010 / 3:30 p.m. ET

Team USA Executive Director Dave Ogrean admitted his managerial staff likely will name replacements for those currently injured players on the American roster by this weekend.

"The deadline is actually when people check into the Olympic Village, but the team has set, for practical consideration, a bar of having to play a certain number of games before the Olympics," Ogrean said during a Winter Olympics teleconference call on Monday.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek, who was named to the U.S. Team headed to Vancouver, has yet to receive clearance to participate in contact drills after suffering a shoulder injury in early January. In addition, Devils defenseman Paul Martin, also named to the Olympic Team on Jan. 1, has been sidelined since Oct. 24 with a fractured left forearm.

"The players in question are two very good defensemen but they've both been out," Ogrean said.
"Brian (Burke) and (Assistant executive director of hockey operations) Jim Johannson and the management team are going to have to make some decisions on whether to keep them on the roster or to replace them with other players under consideration. That decision is one they'll have to be making by this upcoming weekend."

That said, Ogrean is looking forward to an extremely competitive Olympic tournament.

"The pressure on Canada is relentless right now but they are clearly the favorites in both the men's and women's hockey and sled hockey as well," Ogrean said. "Canada will be extremely difficult to beat on home ice, but we're going in with a team that's very different on the men's side than people have seen in the past. It's a new generation of players -- we're probably stronger in goal than we've been in a while."

--Mike G. Morreale

Brodeur dismisses heavy workload
02.01.2010 / 10:32 a.m. ET

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur, likely the starter for Team Canada in the Olympics, has started 33-straight games and has played a League-high 51 games this season. He is the only goalie in NHL history, aside from Terry Sawchuk during the 1954-55 season, to play at least 15 games in back-to-back months.

That is a heavy workload for anybody, but even more noticeable when the goalie shoul dering that load is 37 years old, like Brodeur.

In fact, Brodeur was asked after giving up two goals to the Los Angeles Kings in the last 106 seconds of Sunday's 3-2 loss if he was perhaps tired and could use a night off.

Brodeur was not pleased with that line of questioning, according to the Bergen Record's Tom Gulitti.

"Are you kidding me?" Brodeur asked. "Ask my trainer. I play the game as hard as I can all the time."

The Kings goals aside -- and both did come through substantial screens -- Brodeur still has impressive numbers. He leads the League in wins, sits fifth in goals-against (2.22), No. 12 in save percentage (.919) and first in shutouts (7).

Team Canada's other goalies are Vancouver's Roberto Luongo and Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury. Luongo has three fewer wins, a 2.31 GAA, a .920 save percentage and three shutouts. Fleury, who is coming back from a broken ring finger on his catching hand, has five fewer wins than Brodeur, a 2.55 GAA and .909 save percentage. He does not have a shutout this season.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Holmstrom held back for a few days
02.01.2010 / 10:13 a.m. ET

Tomas Holmstrom was hoping to return to the lineup for Sunday's marquee matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins -- a replay of last two Stanley Cup Finals -- but was red-lighted by Detroit coach Mike Babcock.

"We're going to give him another couple days," said Wings coach Mike Babcock. "I think he could probably play. Just confidence-wise I think it's good to have a couple days under his belt."

Holmstrom, out since Jan. 6 with a broken foot, has been skating with the team and was ready to give it a go Sunday, but also admitted it was probably best to wait.

"I told Babs I could go, but he looked out there and said I couldn't skate very well," Holmstrom said. "Maybe that's the smarter decision.

"I don't know if two or three days is going to help me, but it probably will, because it's getting better and better each day. I want to come in and play as soon as possible."

Holmstrom is eager to return as soon as possible because the first Olympic action is 15 days away and he would like to get in a few NHL games before reporting to Team Sweden in Vancouver.

The Red Wings are on the road for the next four games and Holmstrom's return could come as early as Tuesday when Detroit visits Western conference-leading San Jose. The Wings play Anaheim on Wednesday and then play in Los Angeles on Saturday.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Sturm makes triumphant return
02.01.2010 / 9:51 a.m. ET

Boston's Marco Sturm returned Saturday from an unspecified leg injury and made an immediate impact for the Bruins, scoring a power-play goal in a loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

Sturm, who missed six games, will be integral for a Team Germany that will struggle to score goals in the Olympics.

He was not expected to play Saturday, but he felt good after a Friday morning skate in Buffalo. When the injury showed no signs of trouble on Saturday, Sturm decided to play.

It appears to have been the right move. He played a little More than 15 minutes and had the goal, as well as another two quality chances that were thwarted by Team USA goalie Jonathan Quick.

Marc Savrad, who centered Sturm on the power play, said Sturm looked as good as new.
"He was breaking down his wing and skating very well," Savard told ESPN's Matt Kalman.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Komisarek most likely to miss Olympics
01.31.2010 / 1:14 p.m. ET

Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Mike Komisarek will almost certainly not be a part of the Team USA lineup for the 2010 Olympics after receiving bad news from the doctors on Saturday.

Komisarek, out since Jan. 2 with a shoulder injury, was hoping to get clearance to begin physical contact when he went to his check-up Saturday. Instead, he was told he must wait at least another week as the shoulder continues to heal.

Team USA boss Brian Burke, who also happens to be the GM in Toronto, had said that Komisarek would have to get five NHL games under his belt before the Olympics to be a viable candidate to play in the tournament.

If Komisarek is able to return next Saturday -- by no means a given -- the Leafs will have just two games remaining before the Olympic Break.

"It's definitely in the back of your mind," Komisarek told reporters Saturday morning. "But my priority, my obligation, my responsibility is first and foremost to the Leafs and that's my goal and objective to come back for them.

"The Olympics is a huge honor and privilege, but I'm here to help the (Maple Leafs), so obviously if I don't come back and play with the Leafs I'm not going to be going to Vancouver. In the back of my mind, that hour glass is definitely ticking, but I'm not losing track of the present and doing what I have to do to get back."

The American blue line is in shambles just two weeks before the start of the tournament.

Not only is Komisarek, the team's most physical defenseman on the shelf, but New Jersey's Paul Martin is losing his race against time to return from a broken arm. Martin, out since Oct. 24, is Team USA's best puck mover.

Los Angeles defenseman Jack Johnson missed Saturday's win against Boston with an upper-body injury, but is expected back before the Olympics. In St. Louis, young defenseman Erik Johnson has been inconsistent to the point of being a healthy scratch last month. He was also an injury scratch earlier this week, although he returned to play 20-plus minutes in Saturday's loss to Columbus.

Burke and Team USA coach Ron Wilson, also the coach in Toronto, have until Feb. 15 to decide on the final look of their blue line. Injury replacements can be made until that day, but no replacements -- for any reason -- can be made after that date.

Carolina's Tim Gleason, Atlanta’s Ron Hainsey, Anaheim's Ryan Whitney and, perhaps, Pittsburgh's Alex Goligoski are the top candidates to bolster the American blue line. 

--Shawn P. Roarke

Selanne close to return
01.29.2010 / 4:14 p.m. ET

Anaheim's Teemu Selanne is close to returning to action, which has to be good news to Team Finland.

Selanne has started skating with the Ducks again as he heals from his broken jaw,

"I don't know when I’m going to play," Selanne told reporters after his first skate on Thursday. "Obviously I have to get my strength back and conditioning back and go from there. I don't know if my jaw is ready to play anyway. But every day, it's definitely better."

Selanne broke his jaw in three places and had to have metal plates inserted for each fracture. He has been unable to eat solid foods and has lost 13 pounds.
 
While Selanne does not know when he will be back, he should return to game action in plenty of time to join the Finnish Olympic cause in Vancouver. And, he says he is not worried about suffering another injury even though his broken jaw happened just three games after he returned from a broken hand.

"I've had a lot of good luck over the years," Selanne said. "I guess it's time to have a little bad luck. Now I think it's even."

--Shawn P. Roarke

Gleason remains potential replacement
01.29.2010 / 4:00 p.m. ET

Carolina Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford feels defenseman Tim Gleason would make an outstanding replacement along the blue line for Team USA next month in Vancouver if Paul Martin is unable to give it a go.

"If Eric Staal wasn't the new captain of the Hurricanes, Tim Gleason would be," Rutherford told NHL.com. "In as short an overview as possible, I think that about sums it all up."

Indeed. Rutherford, who acquired Gleason from Los Angeles along with Eric Belanger in exchange for Oleg Tverdovsky and Jack Johnson in September 2006, feels Gleason is one of the League's most underrated performers.

He was disappointed that Gleason, a native of Clawson, Michigan, wasn't selected in the first place.

"They don't come with any more character than Tim," Rutherford said. "He gives it all he's got. He's a good, strong, tough, defensive-defenseman and has been a real good player for us."

For the season, Gleason, 27, who is in his sixth year, has racked up 114 hits and 80 blocked shots for the Hurricanes.

"I don't want to second guess the people who pick the team because I know how hard it is to pick those teams, but I felt he could have been picked in the first selection group," Rutherford added. "But if he's added here because of an injury, he'll definitely help Team USA."

--Mike G. Morreale

Wilson unsure about Martin
01.29.2010 / 2:43 p.m. ET

Team USA coach Ron Wilson is holding out hope that Paul Martin will be able to play in the Olympics, but it's fading with each passing day that Martin is not on the ice with the New Jersey Devils.

Martin has been out since Oct. 24 with a fractured left forearm and will miss his 44th straight game tonight when the Devils host Wilson's Maple Leafs. The U.S. is slated to open the Olympic tournament on Feb. 16 against Switzerland, but Martin won't be reevaluated by team doctors until Monday, which is Feb. 1.

If he's given clearance to get back on the ice, you'd have to think it's going to take him at least a week or two to get back into shape before he plays in a game, and that might even be pushing it.

Team USA would probably make a decision on him next week just like it has to do with Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek, who could return Saturday against Vancouver.

Ryan Whitney and Ron Hainsey would be potential replacements for Martin.

"He would have to play in a number of games and it's not looking very good right now," Wilson said. "We've got two weeks to go and it wouldn't be fair to the rest of our team if he only played one or two games (before the Olympics). More, it wouldn't be fair to Paul Martin and, more than likely, the New Jersey Devils, as well. This is a huge event. It's not an exhibition tour. If he is ready, that's even better for us, but let's wait until the doctors decide what's going on. He's had his arm in a cast for three months. So, I don't know how he can get himself ready in two weeks. But if he can, that's great."

Martin told the New York Post that he still believes he can be ready for the Olympics.

"I'm optimistic," he said. "I have faith. I know it's not going to be easy. All I ask is a chance. Just let me try."

-- Dan Rosen

Booth in Olympic discussion
01.28.2010 / 11:05 a.m. ET

Despite being sidelined with a concussion the last 43 games for the Florida Panthers, there's an outside chance forward David Booth could still earn a spot for Team USA at the 2010 Winter Games.

Booth, who attended USA Hockey's orientation camp in August but was left off the initial roster because of his concussion, spoke with Team USA General Manager Brian Burke on Saturday during Florida's 2-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Burke, also GM of the Leafs, told Booth that he could be a late addition if another player is injured and he is healthy.

"I'm just hoping for a chance, but I don't want anyone to get hurt," Booth said. "You never know what happens. It was unfortunate for me to get hurt, but that's the way the plans go. There's nothing I can do about it. If it happens, so be it. If not, I'm fine with that, too."

Booth began practicing with the team at full speed for the first time since his injury this week, working on a line with Gregory Campbell and Kamil Kreps.

"It was pretty cool being able to practice again and do some drills. It's been a while since I did it, so it was pretty special," Booth said. "It's been tough doing all these skates and doing nothing but getting in shape. That's the hardest part. But the fun's coming. There's light at the end of the tunnel."

Back in October, Booth was on the receiving end of a devastating open-ice collision with Philadelphia's Mike Richards that left him motionless for several minutes before being taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Florida coach Peter DeBoer has been pleased with Booth's progress.

"He's doing more every day and getting closer,'' DeBoer said. "I don't have a timeline on it exactly, but we're taking more steps and he's taking some battle and contact. We'll see how he deals with that.''

A solid week of practice without any setbacks could go a long way in getting Booth some playing time prior to the Olympic break on Feb. 14.

--Mike G. Morreale

Boyle speaks
1.27.2010 / 4:45 PM ET

Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle was a call-in guest on Wednesday's NHL Live! show with hosts Rob Simpson and Stan Fischler. The League's third-leading blue line scorer will be a big part of Canada's bid for Olympic gold, and you can hear his comments here.

Olympics Report: Czechs and Slovaks
1.27.2010 / 4:45 PM ET

NHL.com Managing Editor Shawn Roarke visited the NHL Live! studio to break down the Olympic roster of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Click here to listen to Roarke's analysis.

Brothers in arms
1.27.2010 / 4:20 PM ET

It was during a conference call last week to promote Hockey Day In Canada when CBC hockey analyst Don Cherry admitted being a bit surprised that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jordan Staal had failed to make the Canadian Olympic roster.

"I thought Jordan Staal should have been on because of his (penalty-killing) ability," Cherry said on the call. "He's magic and he's the guy you put out there on 5-on-3 situations."

When informed of Cherry's comments, Eric Staal, who will be headed to Vancouver to represent Team Canada at the 2010 Games, grinned.

"He's definitely a player in the mix," Staal told NHL.com. "He played a very key role in Pittsburgh going to the Finals and winning a Stanley Cup. He's one of those guys who comes ready to play in big games. If the opportunity arises because of an injury, I'm sure he'll be in the talk and in the mix. He's still a young guy; I'm sure he'll still get his time and his opportunity. But his name could definitely be tossed around with a lot of the guys that are around and in the mix."

Jordan and Eric represented Team Canada at the 2007 World Championships, connecting for two assists in nine games, in helping lead the club to a gold medal.

--Mike G. Morreale

Tretiak worries about D, backs off Zubov story
1.27.2010 / 3:20 PM ET

In an interview with RT.com, Russia GM Vladislav Tretiak said his biggest concern for his team in the upcoming Games is the lack of star power on defense. He also said it was coach Vyacheslav Bykov's call to leave NHL veteran defenseman Sergei Zubov, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and an Olympic gold medal winner, off of the roster.

Tretiak believes Russia's offense and goaltending is strong, but he admitted that the "defense, though, is weaker."

The Russians picked Andrei Markov, Sergei Gonchar, Fedor Tyutin, Denis Grebeshkov, Anton Volchenkov, Dmitri Kalinin and Konstantin Korneyev as their defensemen. Kalinin and Korneyev are playing in the KHL.

"We don't really have any stars on the blue line," Tretiak told RT.com. "Perhaps the only people who come into this category are Gonchar and Markov -- the rest aren't as strong. Even the Canadian press is saying that the Canadians and Americans have stronger defensemen. But our goaltenders (Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov and Semyon Varlamov) are strong and hopefully they'll be able to make sure any mistakes go unpunished. Our main strength is attack though."

RT.com then asked why Zubov was left off the team if there is such concern for the back end.

"This was a decision taken by our coaches, and I didn't get involved in the selection process," Tretiak said. "It was Vyacheslav Bykov's decision."

Zubov won Olympic gold with the Unified Team in 1992 and then the Cup with the Rangers in 1994 and with Dallas five years later. However, he is embroiled in a controversy back home as a result of being named one of the nine substitutes for the team by the Russian federation.

He told the Russian paper, Sports-Express, that he views it as "a spit in my face." He also blamed both Tretiak and Bykov for saying "something like that to make the team every player should do his best and that  no one will be in the team for previous achievements.

"I was really disappointed by all these words," he added. "That's a complete humiliation of me as a person and a sportsman. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I honestly earned my reputation in hockey. I'm not a 25-year-old guy. I proved by 17 seasons in the NHL that I play at high level. I'm not going to prove anything to anyone anymore."

-- Dan Rosen

Jokinen admits to snubbed feelings
1.27.2010 / 1:15 PM ET

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jussi Jokinen, who was part of Finland's silver-medal team at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, didn't get the call to represent his country for the 2010 Games in Vancouver. He had 1 goal and 3 assists in 8 games four years ago and was a valuable component for a team that surprised many by reaching the gold-medal game against Sweden.

During an interview with NHL.com, Jokinen admitted he was shocked about not getting another crack at playing for Finland in the Olympics.

"For sure it was a big surprise and a huge disappointment. I can't deny that," Jokinen said.

It's not as though we're talking about Team USA or Canada here, two rosters loaded with the NHL's best. Three forwards who ply their trade in leagues other than the NHL are on Finland's roster, leaving many to wonder why Jokinen didn't make the cut this time around.

He has the experience with the 2006 team, only the second Finnish team to place as high as second at the Olympics. He's spent the last four years facing NHL competition, undoubtedly the best in the world. He's one of the best -- if not the best -- when it comes to the shootout, something that can come into play during the Olympic competition. And on top of all that, he's coming off last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs when he scored his share of clutch goals in the Hurricanes' seven-game win against the New Jersey Devils and had 7 goals and 4 assists in 18 postseason games.

Jokinen carried that confidence over to this season, and his 15 goals and 37 points in 50 games have him on pace to eclipse his career highs in those categories.

Yet for Finland General Manager Jari Kurri, it wasn't enough to garner Jokinen's inclusion on the 2010 team.

"Four years ago I was on the team in Turin and we lost in the final to 3-2 to Sweden. I think that's when Finland played their best hockey," Jokinen said. "Since that you kind of start to think, 'When's the next Olympics going to be? Vancouver is going to be the best tournament ever.' And you feel you've played pretty good the last Olympics. After that I feel I've been playing pretty good hockey in the NHL.

"Last year's playoffs I felt I played pretty good hockey and this year obviously my team hasn't been as good as we all hoped, but I still feel I'm playing pretty good hockey, so it was a big disappointment."

Jokinen isn't so upset about his snub that he's rooting against his countrymen ("Obviously I don't care if I'm on the team or not I hope they can win a gold there") and he certainly didn't spend a lot of time sulking about it either.

Since the Finnish team was announced at the end of December, Jokinen has kicked it into another gear offensively. He has 12 points in 12 games this month, and those 4 goals and 8 assists have come in Carolina's last eight games. Jokinen said he didn't use the disappointment as a motivational tool, but he also didn't use it as an excuse to get down on himself and let the level of his play dip.

"I don't think it's that," Jokinen said when asked if being left off the Finnish team lit a fire under him. "There are a couple things you can do after that. You can go down and try to figure out an explanation for why you're not on the team, but the truth is there's nothing you can do. The only good thing you can do with yourself is try to play as good as you can. But I've been trying to do that the whole year, so I don't think that's why I've been so good lately."

Being partnered with Eric Staal on Carolina's first line certainly doesn't hurt, either. Staal will represent Canada at the 2010 Games, and when asked to make a prediction as to which team Finland would beat in the gold-medal game (Because really, what NHL player is going to pick against his country?) Jokinen offered some bad news for his linemate.

"I'll say Canada," Jokinen said when asked who Finland would take down in the gold-medal game. "Obviously they're going to have lots of pressure with their home fans. I think in Turin they probably took too many veteran guys there and now they have so many good young players and still a few really good veterans there. So I think they are probably the team to beat."

-- Dave Lozo

Recchi carries torch
1.27.2010 / 12:00 PM ET

Mark Recchi, the NHL's senior active player, will carry the Vancouver 2010 Olympic torch in his hometown of Kamloops, British Columbia on Wednesday. He will light the Olympic cauldron outside the city's Hillside Stadium, near the Tournament Capital Centre.

Recchi, who will turn 42 on Feb. 1, is taking advantage of a four-day break in Boston's schedule to participate in the relay. The torch will arrive in Kamloops at 4:20 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET) Wednesday afternoon and make its way through the city before arriving at Hillside Stadium at 7:00 p.m. PT (10:00 p.m. ET).

Wednesday is Day 90 of the torch's nation-wide tour. The relay concludes in Vancouver for the opening ceremony on February 12. The 2010 Olympic torch has passed through more than 1,000 Canadian communities since it arrived in the nation from Greece on October 29.

Recchi represented Canada at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan, where the team finished fourth.

-- Rocky Bonanno

Kronwall returns, Holmstrom back this weekend
01.27.2010 / 10:00 a.m. ET

Punishing Swedish blue-liner Niklas Kronwall was back in the Detroit's lineup Tuesday night and skated nearly 22 minutes with a minus-1 rating in the Red Wings' stunning 5-4 overtime loss to Phoenix.

Not only is Kronwall's return from his sprained left knee great news for the Wings, who have been without him since Nov.  21, but Swedish hockey fans can also breathe a sigh of relief.

Kronwall was expected back before the Olympics, but you never know until it's official. Wings GM Ken Holland told NHL.com last Tuesday in Washington that Kronwall was a week to 10 days away, and as usual, he hit it right on the nose.

Kronwall, who was part of Tre Kronor's gold-medal winning team four years ago, had been skating for a while. He was finally pain free for a week before playing Tuesday.

"Words can't describe how important he is to our team," Wings forward Dan Cleary told the Detroit News.

Kronwall, though, might not play tonight in Minnesota, according to Mike Babcock, but only because back-to-back starts after being out for more than two months with a knee injury may not be the best for him.

The Wings want to slowly work Kronwall back into the lineup, and you know that Sweden GM Mats Naslund and coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson appreciate that.

"I thought Kronner was real good," Babcock said. "I thought he made an impact. I thought we had the puck more because he made plays. Obviously, it's going to take some time. Starting back-to-back, I don't know if we'll dress him (tonight) or not. I'll see how he's feeling and if he's capable."

There's more good news for the Swedes and the Wings. Tomas Holmstrom (sore foot) is due back by this weekend. He hasn't played since Jan. 5.

Johan Franzen, though, isn't sure if he'll make it back from knee surgery before the Olympics or just after the tournament, so he's probably a no-go in Vancouver. Then again, Franzen wasn't named to the Swedish roster because his status was so up in the air.

"I want to come back as soon as possible, but I want to be ready, too," Franzen said. "I don't want to get out there and make a fool of myself. I gotta make sure I'm ready."

-- Dan Rosen

Koivu ready to go
01.26.2010 / 3:00 p.m. ET

It appears as if a sprained right knee won't keep Anaheim center Saku Koivu out of the lineup too long. Koivu, who has missed four games, said after the Ducks' morning skate in Atlanta that he plans to play on Tuesday. The 35-year-old, selected to be Finland’s Olympic team captain, also practiced on Monday before today's morning skate.

Asked if he would play, Koivu responded, "Yeah, should be a go." Ducks coach Randy Carlyle's only comments on the matter were to instruct media members to ask Koivu about the subject himself. Koivu, who has 10 goals and 19 assists and is plus-8 in 43 games, was injured on Jan. 14 in a game against Los Angeles. The Ducks went 3-1-0 without him in the lineup and are 8-2-0 overall in their last 10.

-- John Manasso

Caps' Backstrom likes being the underdog
01.26.2010 / 2:51 p.m. ET

Sweden is coming off a gold medal in 2006 and 13 players from that team will play for Tre Kronor next month in Vancouver, but Canada and Russia are the early favorites to meet in the gold medal game on Feb. 28.

Sweden is third, fourth or maybe even fifth, depending on who you ask.

Nicklas Backstrom, an 18-year-old playing for Brynas IF in the Swedish Elite League when his country won its second gold medal in men's hockey, doesn't hide his appreciation for all the talk surrounding the Canadians and Russians.

"I think it's great that they're talking about Canada and Russia so we're coming in a little bit like underdogs," he said. "I think that's good for us. I like it that way. I like flying under the radar."

Backstrom definitely flies under the radar in Washington, where publically he's probably third in facetime behind Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green but he may be as important to the team as both of those players.

Backstrom has been so good, with 21 goals and 35 assists so far this season, that he's put himself in position to basically name his price for his next contract. Talks are proceeding slowly between Backstrom and the Caps, but he's not going anywhere and he'll be a rich man soon enough, maybe even before the Olympic break.

The Olympics could turn into a major showcase for Backstrom to show the world exactly what he's capable of. He's already played in three World Championships and two World Junior tournaments, but let's get serious. We're talking about the Olympics here.

"Absolutely it's a showcase," Backstrom said. "It's going to be a challenge for a lot of players. It's going to be a good tournament with a lot of good players. It's a tournament where you want to show up.

"The Olympics have been a dream since I was a kid," he added. "It's the whole atmosphere there. It's going to be a life experience."

-- Dan Rosen

Zubov angry about substitute status
01.26.2010 / 9:41 a.m. ET

It appears that former NHL defenseman Sergei Zubov was not too happy to be among the nine substitutes to the Olympic team named by the Russian federation this weekend.

At least, that is what he told Russian paper Sports-Express, according to a translation provided by russianhockeyfans.com.

"I've just been called by the national team's administrator and informed that I'd been included in the list of substitute players for the Olympic Games. Honestly, I didn't even know what to answer. This situation was really, really surprising.

"Also I was astonished and I'd even say offended by the words of Vladislav Tretiak, the president of the Russia Hockey Federation, and the head coach Vyacheslav Bykov. They said something like that to make the team every player should do his best and that no one will be in the team for previous achievements. I was really disappointed by all these words. That's a complete humiliation of me as a person and a sportsman. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I honestly earned my reputation in hockey. I'm not a 25-year-old guy. I proved by 17 seasons in the NHL that I play at high level. I'm not going to prove anything to anyone anymore.

"If they found a spot for me among substitute players then I think it's a spit in my face. I really wanted to play for the national team but, unfortunately, it won't happen. I want to tell the fans I'm sorry. I think they will understand me. I wish good luck to our guys in Vancouver."

Those were harsh words from a man that has won two Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal. But, Zubov does have a point as he remains a top player with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. In fact, he leads all defensemen in scoring in that League.

Yet, Bykov, the Russian coach, was shocked by Zubov's comments, eventhough the player made it very clear that he was unhappy to be excluded from the 23-man roster, a slight that many believe is the result of Zubov skipping out on a national team call-up back in November.

"Frankly speaking, I don't even want to comment on this," Bykov told rt.com. "There are just three weeks ahead of the Olympics and scandals are absolutely unnecessary for us. The team needs something completely different these days -- unity, support, interest. Well, now we know Zubov's stance. But, we must go on."

--Shawn P. Roarke

Komisarek in race against time
01.26.2010 / 9:04 a.m. ET

Toronto defenseman Mike Komisrek is close to rejoining the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Komisarek, who hopes to be healthy enough to represent the United States in next month's Olympics, said Monday that he is not quite ready to return from an upper-body injury that has sidelined him for the past three weeks. But, after a vist to a specialist in Alabama, he believes he could be a go by Saturday.

That would be good news for Brian Burke, the GM of both the Maple Leafs and Team USA, and Ron Wilson, who coaches both those clubs.

"It's been a tough couple of weeks, sitting on the sidelines, not playing, not helping your teammates," Komisarek said. "It's definitely tough watching the games and not being part of the games, and not being out there battling side-by-side with your teammates."

It's actually been a tough year for Komisarek, a splashy free-agent signing by the Maple Leafs. He has been routinely injured and has no goals and just 4 points in 34 games. He also has an ugly minus-9 rating on a team that sits No. 28 in the 30 team League.

Now, he has the fear that he may well miss the Olympics because of injury. He knows the clock is ticking as he fights to regain his health. And, just in case the sense of urgency was not as keen as it should be, Wilson turned up the heat on Monday.

"(Tuesday) is three weeks to our first game," Ron Wilson told website 640Toronto.com. "If you take the one week away, he has I'd say a week to feel comfortable. If he's not, we'd have to make other plans for the Olympics. I'm not going to put his career at risk. And we're not going to risk his future with the Leafs for a two-week Olympic thing, either."

--Shawn P. Roarke

Stars once again shining in Dallas
01.26.2010 / 8:39 a.m. ET

A pair of Olympians is due back in the Dallas Stars lineup for Wednesday's game against the Calgary Flames.

Both Canadian forward Brenden Morrow (oblique) and Finnish forward Jere Lehtinen (neck) are expected to practice this afternoon and play in Wednesday's home game against the struggling Flames.

The players were both injured in a Jan. 16 game against the Detroit Red Wings and did not make the just-concluded road trip.

NHL.com staff writer Mike Morreale recently had an interesting look at Jere Lehtinen, one of the more experienced players on Team Finland. Dan Rosen, meanwhile, talked with Morrow about surviving the Team Canada roster bubble.

Canadian Press writer Chris Johnson caught up with Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman this week and has some insight nto the status of all of Canada's injured players.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Orpik thinks about the what ifs
01.25.2010 / 3:27 p.m. ET

Brooks Orpik usually won't shy away from a hit, especially if it can be a game-changer in open ice. That's why Orpik is quietly hoping that in the Olympics, when the Americans are playing either the Russians or the Canadians, he doesn't catch Pittsburgh teammates Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby napping.

Orpik would have to hit them, right?

He'd be letting down America if he didn't. He'd be letting down his teammates who want to win gold as badly as he does. He would most definitely be letting down Ron Wilson and Brian Burke, the men who put him on the team.

But, what if he does? What if Crosby comes across the middle and Orpik knows he can derail him with a blow? What if Malkin is skating with his head down and Orpik lines him up?

It's almost enough to keep a punishing defenseman like Orpik up at night.

"You definitely think, 'What if I injure one of those guys?' " Orpik said. "And, then what's the backlash when we get back (to Pittsburgh)."

I then asked Orpik if he sees Crosby or Malkin ripe for the taking, well, what do you then?

"Maybe take him out of the play, yeah," Orpik told NHL.com. "I think naturally you would let up a bit, but in terms of just battling, you can't let up on those guys. They're so talented that once you do let up on them they get a step on you and you can't recover.

"It's unique," he added. "You put so much of your effort and time, invest it here, and then you go out and play against those guys in a two week tournament. You can't let up on those guys at all because they will make you look pretty stupid and they won't let up on you at all."

It's not as if Orpik openly talks about this kind of stuff with Malkin and Crosby. He said the Penguins' Olympians, a group that also includes Sergei Gonchar and Marc-Andre Fleury, barely ever discuss the upcoming tournament.

"To be honest, and I'm not just saying this, there really hasn't been hardly any talk," Orpik said. "When guys got named to the team they congratulated each other, but there really hasn't been that much talk about it. I don't think you can afford to put too much attention to it right now with what we're in right now."

-- Dan Rosen

Fleury set to return
01.25.2010 / 2:00 p.m. ET

Marc-Andre Fleury admitted this morning at Madison Square Garden that he did think about his status for the upcoming Olympics when the pain in his left ring finger didn't subside.

Fleury broke his finger after Ryan Stone's slap shot hit him squarely on the outside of the glove on Jan. 14, but he only had to sit and watch three games in street clothes and one as the backup goalie. He's back tonight against the Rangers and his Olympics are saved.

Not that they were really ever in jeopardy.

"When it happened I thought about it because I wanted to know how long it would take to come back for sure, but they told me it wouldn't be long," Fleury said, sounding relieved. "I still have a grip in there, so I figure a month from here I should be fine."

Fleury will play tonight with a new catching glove designed exclusively for him. It gives him added room inside the glove so he can fit the splint that is protecting his finger in snugly. It also gives him added protection on the outside of the glove.

If his finger heals properly, Fleury should not have to use a specially-designed glove in the Olympics.

-- Dan Rosen

Swedish Wings getting healthy
01.25.2010 / 1:03 p.m. ET

Positive vibes were emanating out of Detroit this week for Team Sweden.

Big punishing defenseman Nik Kronwall is back on the ice and reporting no pain in his injured knee. Power forward Tomas Holmstrom, meanwhile, has started skating after suffering a hairline fracture on Jan. 6

Holmstrom says he hopes to come back either Jan. 29 or Jan. 31. If he keeps to that timetable, Holmstrom will have two full weeks of game action before reporting to Vancouver for the Olympic tournament.

Kronwall hasn't played since spraining his left MCL on a knee-on-knee hit with Montreal's Georges Laraque on Nov 21.

The defenseman has been skating on and off for the better part of the past mnonth, but has not felt right until the past week.

"It's always frustrating when you don't know really what's going on," Kronwall told the Detroit Free Press earlier this week "But I had a good day skating yesterday and today felt even better, I did some more stuff than I did yesterday and it still feels really good, so hopefully I’ll come in tomorrow morning and still feel really good. It definitely feels like we’re on to something."

Despite the optimism, there is no firm timetable for Kronwall's return.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Report: Russia has substitute plan
01.25.2010 / 12:28 p.m. ET

Kovalev

A Russian Website reported during the weekend that Russia has formulated a list of nine substitutes for its Olympic team, which was named Christmas Day.

According to infox.ru, current NHLers Alexei Kovalev (Ottawa), Alexander Frolov (Los Angeles) and Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto) are on the list and have been issued Olympic equipment.

Former NHL defensemen Sergei Zubov and Oleg Tverdovsky, both now playing in the KHL, are also on the sub list. Zubov was perhaps the most surprising omission when Russia submitted its roster last month.

Frolov

Vasiliy Koschechkin, Alexander Eremenko, Vitaliy Proshkin and Alexei Tereschenko, all from the KHL, were the other players on the substitute list.

It is unclear how Russia plans to add these substitutes to its official roster, which is due Feb. 15. The IIHF has made it clear that changes to the provisional rosters submitted last month can only be made in the case of injury. Right now, goalie Semyon Varlamov is the only NHL player on the Russian roster that is injured.

--Shawn P. Roarke

A. Kostitsyn unlikely for Belarus
01.25.2010 / 10:59 a.m. ET

Belarusian coach Mikhail Zakharov spoke recently with IIHF.com and stated that Andrei Kostitsyn may not be ready to play in time for the Olympics.

Montreal's Kostitsyn has been sidelined since late December with a knee injury that required surgery. Zakharov is unsure that Andrei Kostitsyn will be ready in time and suggested he may name a replacement a week before the tournament rosters are due on Feb. 15.

"With Kostitsyn, it's a serious situation after his knee surgery," Zakharov told the Website.

But, on a happier note, Zakharov said that Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski should be available, despite breaking his wrist earlier this month

"Grabovsky started to skate but he still uses a cast," Zakharov said. "We think he will be able to play."

In jury questions are also swirling around Colorado Defenseman Ruslan Salei, who is on injured reserve with a back injury, and Montreal's Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei's brother. Sergei returned from an ankle injury in Saturday's game against the New York Rangers, playing 13 minutes.

Sergei Kostitsyn has just one goal and four points in 20 appearances with the Canadiens this season.

So, how does Zakharov see his team doing, especially with all four of his NHL players dealing with injury issues?

"We will take the place for which we are ready," he said."It will be the strongest tournament in hockey history and we will grow with it. There are many NHL players, also Germany which is in our group, has many NHL players."

--Shawn P. Roarke

The Russian QB
01.22.2010 / 6:00 p.m. ET

There's no question Russian Olympic coach Vyacheslav Bykov will be looking to defenseman Andrei Markov to not only solidify his defensive end, but chip in as a catalyst whenever his team is presented a power-play opportunity.

"Andrei Markov is one of the key figures in our team's defense," Bykov told the Moscow daily Sport-Express. "He is a very strong defenseman in attacking and defensive work. You know that we always tried to develop traditions of Soviet attacking hockey. Attack is often the best way of defense and in this respect our fans should be satisfied with our hockey."

Markov returned to the Montreal Canadiens lineup on Dec. 19 after missing the previous 35 games with a lacerated tendon in his ankle suffered in the season-opener on Oct. 1 in Toronto. He's since notched 3 goals and 14 points in 16 games, including 3 goals and 8 points as the quarterback of the League's second-rated power-play.

For Markov, getting his second shot to play in the Olympic Games is a dream come true.

"It's like a dream any sportman would love," Markov said. "It's huge honor to be there and it's an unbelievable feeling. It's my second and hopefully not my last one."

When asked which Olympic Team he felt possessed the most talent, Markov shook his head.

"I don't know," he said with a smile. "Maybe Canada playing home is a plus, but maybe it's a minus. I don't know, tough to say.

"I do know you can have any star or any talent on the team, but you have to play like a team if you want victory," he added. "If you're going to play like a team, I think it's going to be OK."

--Mike G. Morreale

Sizing up Russia
1.22.2010 / 10:30 AM ET

NHL.com Special Correspondent John Dellapina visited the NHL Live! studio this week to break down Russia's chances at next month's Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Click here to watch his appearance with hosts Rob Simpson and Billy Jaffe.

Fleury raring to return
01.20.2010 / 6:04 p.m. ET

While the broken finger on Marc-Andre Fleury's catching hand might be painful, it does not appear it will be a pain for Team Canada.

Fleury should be back in plenty of time to fulfill his role as one of Canada's three goalies in the Olympics, joining New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo. In fact, according to Fleury, he should be back in the crease by this weekend at the latest.

It seems the goalie is waiting for a new catching glove that will accommodate his swollen finger more comfortably.

"We are waiting for a new glove for Flower," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said Wednesday. "He should be getting it (Thursday) morning. He'll be going on the ice with the new glove prior to practice. He could possibly practice with us. ... We are waiting for a new glove that would fit what he needs to wear on his finger and make it more comfortable. We'll see how that goes. Hopefully we can progress to practice and we'll go from there."

Fleury

Fleury said Wednesday that it was just a matter of managing the residual pain from the injury and breaking in the new glove when it arrives.
 
"Usually, it maybe takes two weeks," Fleury said of the breaking-in process. "So, maybe I’ll put it in the shower for a while."

Fleury also said he was not rushing back because of the games looming on Pittsburgh's schedule. The Penguins host the rival Washington Capitals on Thursday and then travel to Philadelphia for Saturday afternoon's NHL on NBC game against the Flyers.

"I don’t like to be sidelined and watching the game on TV," Fleury said.

--Shawn P. Roarke.


Crosby discusses Olympics
01.20.2010 / 4:38 p.m. ET

Even Sidney Crosby's legendary focus is not immune to the siren song that is the Olympics.

Crosby's Penguins are home now from their biannual Western Canada excursion, a trip that concluded with a Saturday night stop in Vancouver, site of next month's 2010 Olympic hockey tournament.

Crosby admitted he spent some time while in Vancouver, as well as during the long flight home, contemplating what it will mean to pull on a Team Canada jersey before a pro-Canada crowd as the Canadaians try to win back the gold medal they won in Salt Lake City in 2002 before it was surrendered to the Swedes four years later.

"We were in Vancouver last week and I was able to take things in," Crosby said Wednesday after practice at Mellon Arena. "You're always wondering what things will look like, but I was there and it was good to mentally see that and prepare a little bit."

While having a bit of familiarity with the host city and understanding the passion with which the city's hockey fans will embrace the national team may be comforting, he knows the most important thing is that hje is ready to play at his absolute best when the puck is dropped to start the 12-nation tournament on Feb. 16.

"I think, for me, the most important thing is that I'm playing as well as possible," Crosby said. That's really been my focus and I guess, when time permits, you let yourself think about what it'll be like a little bit." 

Is Crosby playing as well as he possibly can? Well, it's a tough proposition to argue against. He is coming off a six-point night against the Islanders on Tuesday and his 32 goals are not only second in the League, but just seven off his career high. His 63 points are just four off the League lead.

So, is this as good as Crosby can play?

"That's hard to say," Crosby said. "Sometimes you are playing real good hockey and not getting points and sometimes the puck is bouncing your way and you're getting points. I feel pretty good and that is the most important thing. I'll leave (whether it is my best) to other people to decide, but I feel good and, hopefully things keep going."

--Shawn P. Roarke

Don Cherry on Team Canada
01.20.2010 / 3:30 p.m. ET

Before becoming one of Canada's most outspoken hockey commentators, Don Cherry was a pretty successful NHL coach.

During the 1975-76 campaign, in fact, he would garner the Jack Adams Award as the League's top boss after leading the Boston Bruins to a 48-15-17 mark before losing a five-game series to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Conference Finals.

He also joined fellow coaches Scotty Bowman, Bobby Kromm and Al MacNeil in helping lead Team Canada to the 1976 Canada Cup title following a two-game sweep of Czechoslovakia in the final.

For the most part, Cherry agreed with the majority of players named to Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Still, it wasn't too much of a shock when he admitted being surprised at the omission of two players during a Jan. 19 conference call for Hockey Day In Canada.

"I thought Jordan Staal should have been on because of his (penalty-killing) ability," Cherry said on the call. "He's magic and he's the guy you put out there on 5-on-3 situations.

"I was kind of surprised that (Mike) Green never got picked either. I think of all the guys who didn't get picked, Green's the guy that's really heartbroken and they way he's playing now, he's out to prove they were wrong in not choosing him. So, I think those two guys should have been on. But again, I'm sure some of the guys I like, they wouldn't want either."

Green is the only player in the NHL with three eight-game point streaks this season and he's scored points in 36 of the Washington Capitals' 49 games this season. He leads all NHL defensemen with 12 goals and 50 points -- becoming the fifth Capitals defenseman to post three straight 50-point seasons (Scott Stevens, Sergei Gonchar, Kevin Hatcher and Larry Murphy).

Green has led NHL defensemen in goals each of the past two seasons. Staal, meanwhile, has 13 goals and 34 points in 50 games for Pittsburgh. He also leads the team with two shorthanded goals.

Elias has concussion, placed on IR
01.20.2010 / 9:14 a.m. ET

Patrik Elias, captain of the Czech team at the Vancouver Olympics, has been diagnosed with a concussion and placed on IR by the New Jersey Devils.

Elias, who already missed a dozen games earlier this season, was injured in Saturday's road game against Colorado. He was knocked unconscious and stretchered off the ice after taking a hit from Ryan Wilson 38 seconds into the second period of the 3-1 loss to the Avalanche.

New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello told reporters Tuesday that Elias had seen a specialist and been diagnosed with concussion symptoms. Elias will not be allowed to take part in physical activities until his concussion symptoms disappear. He was placed on IR retroactively to Saturday and will not be eligible to play for at least a week.

Lamoriello is not sure when his first-line forward will return to action, but he said that the specter of Elias missing the Olympic hockey tournament, which begins Feb. 16 in Vancouver, is not a front-burner issue for Elias at the moment.

"I don't think that's even a thought process or a concern."

--Shawn P. Roarke

Hejduk no longer option for Czechs
01.20.2010 / 8:57 a.m. ET

Hopes that Milan Hejduk would be among a short list of proven performers available as injury replacements to the Czech Republic in the Olympics have been dashed

The Colorado forward underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday and will be sidelined for two to four weeks.

A chronic battle with knee problems caused Hejduk not to be named to the Czech Republic's provisional roster last month, but there was a belief that he would be among the first call-ups, if healthy, if the Czechs needed a replacement before final rosters are due on Feb. 15.

Hejduk certainly has the credentials to play for the Czechs, having already appeared in three Olympics, including a gold medal-winning performance in 1998. The 33-year-old has 15 goals and 15 assists in 40 games this season for the resurgent Avalanche.

--Shawn P. Roarke

Finland's Lehtinen on IR
01.20.2010 / 7:40 a.m. ET

Lehtinen

The Dallas Stars placed forward Jere Lehtinen on injured reserve Tuesday, retroactive to Jan. 16, with an upper body injury. Lehtinen, who will be playing for his native Finland in the Winter Olympics for a fifth straight time, was injured during the Stars' shootout win over Detroit on Saturday.

Lehtinen, 36, has played in 32 games this season for Dallas and has three goals and eight assists. Stars coach Marc Crawford still considers the three-time Selke Trophy winner the team's top defensive-forward. He is third in franchise history with 849 career games under his belt.

--Mike G. Morreale

Elias taken off ice on stretcher
01.16.2010 / 4:30 p.m. ET

Devils forward Patrik Elias, the captain for the Czech Republic national team headed to Vancouver, was carted off the ice on a stretcher after he took a shoulder-to-head hit from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson 38 seconds into the second period of New Jersey's game at Pepsi Center on Saturday.

Elias was about to backhand the puck into the Avalanche zone when Wilson skated over and connected with his left shoulder to Elias' face in front of Devils' bench along the blueline.

Elias dropped to the ice on his left side as a trainer attended to the Devils' alternate captain. Elias was awake as he was led off the ice on the stretcher. He raised his right arm and waved to the Avalanche crowd, which applauded for him.

Elias was placed on IR retroactive to Saturday and will miss at least seven days. Losing Elias, who helped lead his country to a bronze medal at the '06 Games in Turin, would obviously be a huge blow to the Czech Republic. Elias missed the first 13 games of the season while recovering from abdominal surgery. Elias had 10 goals and 26 points in 31 games prior to facing the Avalanche on Saturday. He is the Devils' all-time scoring leader with 732 career points, including 188 career multi-point contests.

--Mike G. Morreale

Paul Martin remains questionable
01.16.2001 / 3:25 p.m. ET

There's still a remote possibility that New Jersey Devils defenseman Paul Martin, who has been sidelined since Oct. 24 with a fractured left forearm, might be able to give it a go for Team USA when the Winter Olympics commence next month.

Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello is holding out hope for Martin, who was selected to participate in his first Olympic Games.

"There's still time," Lamoriello told The (Newark) Star-Ledger. "You don't want to mislead or misrepresent. I'd rather say it's longer than shorter.

"We're going to make sure everything is 100 percent," he said. "Of course, it will take some time after (he even begins skating with the team in two weeks). Nothing is displaced. Nothing changed. It's just taking longer than maybe we expected."

Back when Team USA GM Brian Burke announced the roster for the American squad on New Year's Day in Boston, he said the managerial staff would wait as long as possible before looking into a replacement along the blue line for Martin.

The United States plays its first game of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 16 against Switzerland.

--Mike G. Morreale