Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin left early in the second period and did not return to the game in the team’s 5-4 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight.  The possible injury occurred when Ovie collided with Raffi Torres.

After falling to the ice, the Russian player stood up and appeared to be in pain.  A team spokesman said that Ovechkin had suffered some sort of upper body injury and is currently being listed as day-to-day.
I know there are other players for the Caps to rely on but no one wants to lose a player like Ovechkin, who went into Sunday’s …read more

What’s it like dating an American Idol?  Ottawa Senators player Mike Fisher seems to think it’s pretty awesome.  He admits that their crazy lives have made things tough but that they “always find a way to make it work.  She doesn’t get too many days off — a lot less days off than I get,” he notes. “She’s always going. She’s talented and she’s getting rewarded for it. That’s good to see.”
They met in Toronto through a mutual friend about a year ago and they’ve been dating ever since.
I have wondered if people who are dating singers ever try to …read more

New York Rangers fans were thrilled tonight to see Marian Gaborik (who the team acquired over the summer) showing some real star quality.  He scored two goals in the club’s 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.
Gaborik was a major part of helping the Rangers end their three-game losing streak but the night didn’t end well for the star player – he limped off the ice with an undisclosed injury in the third period.
Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and he’ll be back in action in no time.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman, Mike Van Ryn, is only 30 years old but his NHL career might be over.  He has elected to undergo extensive knee surgery and, depending on how he heals, he could be forced into early retirement.
Van Ryn is having an osteotomy on October 22, 2009 and the procedure that is usually reserved for the elderly.  His bone will be cut and then the knee will be realigned. 
It takes at least six months to recover from this surgery (seriously, it sounds awful) but Steve Yzerman had the same thing done back in 2002 and was …read more

Theoren Fleury has revealed that his former junior coach Graham James sexually assaulted him.  Fleury is releasing a tell-all book and I’m sure this won’t be the only horrible story he’s got to tell.
Here’s a quote from the book, Playing with Fire, which will be released this week:  “(James) destroyed my belief system.  The most influential adult in my life at the time was telling me that what I thought was wrong was right. I no longer had faith in myself or my own judgment. And when you come down to it, that’s all a person has. Once it’s gone, …read more

Veteran center, Robert Lang, will be playing with the Phoenix Coyotes this season.  No financial details have been disclosed but he did sign a one-year deal earlier this week.

“We are very pleased to have signed Robert Lang,” Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said. “He provides another veteran presence for our team and is a proven scorer in the National Hockey League.”
I think it’s a pretty good signing.  Lang has a lot of experience and has played on some decent teams and garnered a lot of regular season and playoff experience along the way.  This could be Phoenix’s gain since the …read more

Mats Sundin has officially retired from the NHL.  He made the announcement from Sweden yesterday.  The former Toronto Maple Leafs captain said:  ”It was just time, I think. Obviously, it’s not an easy decision but I feel with body and soul right now, it’s time to quit my professional career as a hockey player.”

“I’m very glad that I played last season with the Vancouver Canucks and I think I needed that. But now with the season getting started again, it actually feels nice not having to practice every day and play games every other day so I think this is …read more

For a brief space in time, it seemed like Theoren Fleury might be destined to live out a Cinderella story this upcoming season.  He got permission to return to hockey after his indefinite suspension was lifted by the NHL and then he was invited to the Calgary Flames training camp.  He scored a shootout winner in a pre-season game and I began to believe that I would see him dressing with the team next week.  Unfortunately, Flames GM Darryl Sutter felt that he just wasn’t in good enough shape to play. 
“There was a decision made here this morning that, …read more

Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious but Pittsburgh Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, suffered a groin injury during the first period of their pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets and was forced to sit out for the remaining two periods.

Crosby really didn’t get a chance to play too much at all registering just three shifts and one minute 37 seconds.  “It’s better to stay off it. I’m hoping for just a few days,” Crosby said. “I’ve hurt my groin before. It’s not as bad. I think I missed five games with one last year. It’s just something you have to be …read more

Another day, another Montreal Canadiens player gone.  It’s becoming a recurring theme, isn’t it?  Whether it’s a trade, fired coach or retiring player, that team is changing more and more with each passing day.
This week, a Habs staple announced his retirement.  After 16 seasons with the team (during which time he won the Stanley Cup in 1993) and 18 seasons in the NHL, Patrice Brisebois is saying goodbye to hockey.
He wore his championship ring during his announcement:  "I wore it today for the first time since 1993 because I told myself that I’m a winner.  No one can ever take …read more