Here are tonight’s scheduled games (listed in Eastern Standard Time):

• Florida at NY Rangers – 1:00 PM
• St. Louis at Atlanta – 3:00 PM
• Edmonton at Dallas – 6:00 PM
• Anaheim at Carolina – 7:00 PM

Here are tonight’s scheduled games (listed in Eastern Standard Time):

• Edmonton at St. Louis – 2:00 PM
• Chicago at Los Angeles – 4:00 PM
• Detroit at Boston – 7:00 PM
• Buffalo at Montreal – 7:00 PM
• Ottawa at NY Islanders – 7:00 PM
• Philadelphia at Toronto – 7:00 PM
• Washington at Columbus – 7:00 PM
• New Jersey at Pittsburgh – 7:30 PM
• Minnesota at Nashville – 8:00 PM
• Tampa Bay at Colorado – 9:00 PM
• San Jose at Phoenix – 9:00 PM
• Vancouver at Calgary – 10:00 PM

Olli Jokinen had not missed any of the last 397 games but, unfortunately, the Phoenix Coyotes center will have to sit out at least two weeks due to a shoulder injury.  His on-ice presence will definitely be missed since he is their second highest goal-scorer. 

He was hurt when he was checked into the boards by defenseman Marc Methot (Columbus Blue Jackets) during the first period of the Coyote’s 3-2 win on Wednesday. 

Coach, Wayne Gretzky, tried to keep things in perspective and put a positive spin on the situation: “We’re definitely going to miss what he brings to the team, but this gives him a few weeks to rest and regroup, and when he comes back he’ll be fresher.” 

Heal quick, Olli – the Coyotes need you!

image: TSN

After the Ottawa Senators put him on waivers Thursday, Luke Richardson decided it was time to hang up his skates and retire from the NHL.  He could have played for the team’s AHL affiliate but, apparently, the 20-year veteran chose to move on to other things.  He first played for the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2007 and went on to play for the Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Despite being a little thrown off by his decision (he described the feeling as “a little weird… like the first day after the season.  Every hockey player feels lost for a while”) he seems to be okay with it: “I definitely enjoyed my time playing and it looks like it’s over,” said the 39-year-old.  “So there’s pretty well no regrets in that area.”

As is the case with many of the former NHL players, Richardson has expressed some desire over remaining with the Sens in a non-playing role so that he could somehow be involved with coaching.  Since he hasn’t played most of the season (he’s been a healthy scratch), he’s been helping with the team practices so maybe he could be a good fit for the organization in that capacity.

Head coach, Craig Hartsburg, even told NHL.com: “We use him at times during games to sit upstairs and get on the headsets.  I think, eventually, he wants to get into that. When it’s time, he’ll do a good job of that. He’s a guy with lots of experience as a player. He’s seen a lot and knows what the game is all about, on and off the ice. He’ll be a good coach.”

In his 1417 as a defenseman, he scored 35 goals and 166 assists with 2,055 penalty minutes.  I wish Richardson all the best. 

image: TSN

Here are tonight’s scheduled games (listed in Eastern Standard Time):

• NY Islanders at Boston – 12:00 PM
• Carolina at Philadelphia – 1:00 PM
• Tampa Bay at Minnesota – 2:00 PM
• Colorado at Phoenix – 4:00 PM
• Chicago at Anaheim – 4:00 PM
• Montreal at Washington – 7:00 PM
• Pittsburgh at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
• Columbus at Detroit – 7:30 PM
• NY Rangers at Florida – 7:30 PM
• Nashville at Atlanta – 7:30 PM
• San Jose at Dallas – 8:30 PM

Mike Cammalleri got his first career hat trick last night as he helped the Calgary Flames earn a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.  It was an intense game with lots of back and forth scoring and I have to say that, while Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary) made some incredible saves, Curtis Sanford (Vancouver) kept right up and, hopefully, this period of time while Roberto Luongo is injured, Sanford will get to gain some experience and respect as a goaltender.

Watch the highlights:

Here are tonight’s scheduled hockey games (listed in Eastern Standard Time):

• Toronto at Ottawa – 7:30 PM
• Calgary at Vancouver – 10:00 PM

And I mean that in the nicest way possible.  Holy crap, though.  Since Dallas Stars captain, Brendan Morrow, was placed on the injured reserve, his team has been floundering. 

I can only imagine how difficult it is for a team to lose their leader but Morrow is going to be out for the rest of the season so the Stars are going to have to just find a way to pull it together.  They are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games which, really, is so bad.  Even veteran goaltender, Marty Turco, looks shaky. 

Morrow had some things to say about his injury: "It’s disappointing.  I am a little bit shocked and I don’t really feel that bad.  Before we found out, I was expecting maybe a game or two, but now it’s six months recovery, and that hit me pretty hard.  It was really a nothing play.  I tried to make a check and I am not sure if it happened when I hit the guy or when I kind of lost balance and I kicked the boards. I got up and didn’t feel right. I had injured my MCL a few years ago and I thought that I might have finished it off, torn it completely. I didn’t find out it was my ACL until (Friday) with the MRI."

Too bad his team has folded like a house of cards.  I would be really disappointed if I was him.  I can see that Mike Modano is trying to up his effort in Morrow’s absence (he even scored two goals in Dallas’ last game against the Philadelphia Flyers) but the rest of the team needs to wake up too. 

image: TSN

Here are tonight’s scheduled hockey games (listed in Eastern Standard Time):

• Boston at Buffalo – 7:00 PM
• Philadelphia at Carolina – 7:00 PM
• Pittsburgh at NY Islanders – 7:00 PM
• Atlanta at Washington – 7:00 PM
• Phoenix at Columbus – 7:00 PM
• Montreal at Detroit – 7:30 PM
• NY Rangers at Tampa Bay – 7:30 PM
• New Jersey at Florida – 7:30 PM
• Dallas at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
• St. Louis at Colorado – 9:00 PM
• Los Angeles at Edmonton – 10:00 PM
• Chicago at San Jose – 10:30 PM

Jason Spezza has signed a deal with Reebok Hockey and I have to say that I’m pretty happy for him.  With the recession, these types of deals are not happening as often (I was stunned this week when GM dropped Tiger Woods after 9 years because of their own financial woes).  

He’s going to be sporting the goods (I’m sure he’ll be wearing the new 9k Pump Skate), of course, but he will also be an active participant in how the company designs products in the future.  That’s pretty exciting!

He’s come a long way from his early years.  Here’s what he said about how different things are for him:  "I was never one to wear much new equipment when I was a kid. I always had used skates and one batch of sticks that I think my uncle took from his junior team and I used those for a lot of years.  So now to be getting paid to wear equipment . . . it’s funny how things turn in a big circle."

image: Reebok Hockey