Here are your Morning Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• New York Rangers writer Steve Zipay of Newsday makes a passionate plea for the Blueshirts to sign Mats Sundin. "Let's face facts: Sundin has size, would undoubtedly improve the decidedly subpar power play and, although a former captain, wouldn't disrupt the locker room leadership." [Blue Notes]
• Vancouver Canucks players wise up, cancel an autograph session that would have charged fans as much as $40 for a signature on a jersey. Rest of the NHL, please take note. [Orland Kurtenblog]
• A very good question: "So, if netminders are considered by many to be better protected nowadays, why are they dropping more quickly than the Canadian dollar?" The only solution is to bring back those old school pads that look like a side of smoked pork. Hey, if the goalies are going to be hurt anyway ... [CBC Sports]
• Hey, look, it's another Canadian journalist writing about how the recession will kill off some American franchises and send others to Canada! "The Florida Panthers have laid off staff, the Tampa Bay Lightning are said to be a financial basket case, the Phoenix Coyotes are believed to be hanging on by a thread." You know, those last two thoughts have been floated around lately; are there any, you know, hard facts behind them? [Toronto Star]
• James Duthie takes a look at how the kids have taken over the NHL's scoring race. "Seven of the top ten players still cannot legally drink in New Delhi, India (minimum 25 years old)." [Ottawa Citizen]
• Ron Wilson is cool with returning to San Jose with his Toronto Maple Leafs to face the Sharks. Not so cool with questions about it: "How many times have you been fired? If you haven't, you don't know what I'm talking about. Don't assume you know what I'm thinking." [Canadian Press]
• If you could have one Philadelphia Flyers center on your team, who would it be: Jeff Carter, Daniel Briere or Mike Richards? Because Carter has certainly increased his profile this season, hasn't he? [Philadelphia Inquirer]
• Celebrity hockey fan Taylor Kitsch will be playing Gambit in the new "X-Men" movie. Apparently as Lemmy from Motorhead. [IESB]
• Sidney Crosby claims he's never thought about scoring 50 goals. This has to be because he only thinks about scoring 100. [NHL]
• We're hockey photography geeks. David Duprey of the AP had this shot from the Nashville Predators/Buffalo Sabres game last night:
• Is George McPhee of the Washington Capitals now a top-tier GM? If you had asked this question three years ago, the "no" would have cut you off before you hit the word "tier." Now ... tough call. [The Red Skate]
• Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon remembers Pit Martin, who died tragically in a snowmobile accident recently. "Pit was a wonderful human being and a mentor to me." [Blackhawks]
• A beloved figure in Boston sports, a cult icon in Western Canada ... sigh. Milan Lucic is slowly becoming that garage band you loved until it signed with a major label. Don't you dare go White Stripes on us, Looch. [NHL]
• Ed Grimley takes in a Los Angeles Kings game. Because Jiminy Glick couldn't afford to purchase two seats for his ass in the lower bowl. [Life in Hockeywood]
• Very interesting column from William Houston about "uninformed" reporters snatching good sound-bytes from savvy reporters (what a pisser that is), and taking Jim Kelley of SI to task for his characterization of Canadians as America-obsessed poseurs. [Globe & Mail]
• Non-hockey story alert: Will Leitch, a friend of Puck Daddy and Deadspin editor emeritus, offers some really interesting insights into his religious background, beliefs and how it all relates to sports. [Prayers for Blowouts]
• Finally, our most important story of the day: Highlights from the Nashville Predators Dancers & Goal Girls 2008-09 Swimsuit Calendar photo shoot.
