Puck Headlines: Sabres deny sale report, outreach to Balsillie

Here are your Morning(-ish) 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.

• This week's edition of WNY Hockey features an article by managing editor Jim Kelley, who reports that Buffalo Sabres Tom Golisano is looking to sell the team and has made overtures to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who wants to relocate a franchise to Canada. Golisano had previously said he wouldn't sell to Balsillie in the past because of his desire to relocate; WNY reports that the Sabres would play "part of a home schedule in Hamilton's Copps Coliseum." [WROC-TV]

• All that said, Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn said today: "We are not in negotiations to sell the team and as we have stated in the past, we will never entertain discussions to move the team out of Buffalo" Meanwhile, the Hamilton Spectator reports a no comment from the Balsillie camp and that "the Sabres' lease at HSBC Arena is airtight and the team could never be moved, because three different levels of government would have to approve." [The Spec]

• According to Bob McKenzie, the Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Radim Vrbata on waivers. RDS adds that it's actually Vrbata and Chris Gratton. Yawn ... just another day in sunny Tampa. [Kuklas Korner]

Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray says the team will make the necessary room to sign Mats Sundin. What's the salary cap in their dreams again? [Ottawa Sun]

• "Yes, there is now a full-length children's book about how awesome Wendel Clark is." A review of "Wendel and the Great One" by Mike Leonetti. [Down Goes Brown]

• The Pensblog calls on its army of acolytes to stuff the ballot box for Evgeni Malkin in an effort to knock another Montreal Canadiens player out of the NHL All-Star Game. We're pretty sure these guys could have gotten Ron Paul elected if given enough time. And if U.S. elections were held on the Internet and through text-message voting. [Pensblog]

• George James Malik has a great roundup of news and opinion about this week's Board of Governors meetings and the dire economic forecast the League faces. Here's some sugar on your Cheerios: "Two years from now, guaranteed contracts will become the hot-button issue, and if the world's economy doesn't recover by then, the l-word (lockout) becomes a real concern." [Snapshots]

• The rumor out of Philadelphia is that Columbus Blue Jackets Coach Ken Hitchcock would like to acquire Flyers defenseman Randy Jones. But as Ed Moran points out, the Flyers' soon-to-be logjam on defense will be a breeding ground for such scuttlebutt. [Philly.com]

• Jay Feaster presents the loving, caring, jovial side of Brian Burke only his children and Dave Nonis usually get to see. [THN]

• Taking time out from his busy schedule of stealing Dan Ellis's job, Pekka Rinne speaks with NHL Digest about a great many things, including expanding the size of the nets. "I think that if people decide to change the size of the nets, would be a mistake. All the records and games played before would lose their meaning and new era of hockey would begin." Smart kid, that one. [NHL Digest]

• Congrats to the boys from Battle of California for their Super Big News. [BoC]

• Two Washington Capitals bloggers dare to enter the cathedral of the Air Canada Centre and work with the exalted Toronto hockey media without being condemned as lepers. [On Frozen Blog]

• Boston University gets the best of Boston College in their hockey rivalry weekend, while the Wolverines swept the Spartans over in Michigan. David Booth does not approve. [Slap Shot]

• Agent Tobin Wright has been banned by the Minnesota Wild from their arena, and Michael Russo has the scoop why. An interesting story, considering its potential impact on the Marian Gaborik negotiations. [Star-Tribune]

• And there was much joy on the Puck Daddy fantasy team, as Marc-Andre Fleury begins practicing with the Pittsburgh Penguins again. [Penguins]

• Finally, as the Phoenix Coyotes waive brawler Brian McGratton, Daniel Carcillo picks up the slack with three fights over the weekend against BJ Crombeen, Roman Polak and Craig Adams. Here's the Crombeen fight; quite a shot from Carcillo.

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