Quick News

I quickly realize there is no way I can possibly keep up with all the player movement that continues to go on as hockey begins the transition to the off-season before the puck drops again in September.

Here are some brief news updates:

- When Sochi became host to the Olympics the new arenas were set to house a new professional KHL hockey team.  That team, the Leopards, begin play next season.  They already plucked two AHL players with NHL experience away.  Cory Emmerton who played most of the season with Grand Rapids and two seasons with Detroit is headed over.  Mark Olver played parts of the last five seasons with Lake Erie also factoring in 74 NHL games with Colorado will join Emmerton.  This comes after Sochi picked up former NHL goalie Michael Leighton who played very well for Donbass this past year.

- For some reason I was always a Joakim Lindstrom fan when he started playing in the AHL in 2005-06.  He spent three seasons in Syracuse (remember all entry level contracts are for three years) and also played over 30 games for Columbus.  He spent the majority of the next season in the NHL with Phoenix getting in 44 games with 20 points.  Then he left.  After two seasons in Europe and to my surprise he signed with Colorado.  He lasted 16 games before returning to Sweden spending that season and two more with his hometown team.  Well guess what.  He is coming back again.  Now at 30 he signed with St. Louis.  Not a bad place to sign.

-  Unfortunate news from earlier this afternoon when Oshawa (OHL) announced that Eric Wellwood would become assistant coach.  Good that he landed a coaching job but not what the plan was at 24.  Wellwood was the player who nearly bled to death after his own skate cut four tendons and an artery in the back of his leg when he fell into the boards while playing with the Phantoms (AHL) last season.  He missed the entire season this year.   The injury which has been said by many to be one of the worst they have ever seen did enough damage for Wellwood to call it a career.  It's not too surprising.  As often as I like to call the Flyers out for bad moves they should also be mentioned for good moves.  After the injury last season knowing full well recovery was going to be long and difficult the Flyers resigned Wellwood who was a free agent to a new contract for this season.  Even though he never got to play again he still got paid during his time of recovery.