NHL Hot Stove

[sensei_hanson]

Waiver Wire Results....

Just in case you were too lazy to look for it yourselves:

20 players claimed in 2003-04 NHL Waiver Draft


NEW YORK - Twenty players changed clubs as a result of the 2002-2003 NHL Waiver Draft, held today via conference via conference call. Following is a list of the players claimed, in order of their selection:


Player (Position) Claimed By Claimed From
Nolan Baumgartner (D) Pittsburgh Vancouver
Travis Green (F) Columbus Toronto
Petr Tenkrat (F) Toronto Columbus
Wade Brookbank (F) Nashville Ottawa
Serge Aubin (F) Atlanta Colorado
Darren Langdon (F) Montreal Vancouver
Sheldon Keefe (F) NY Rangers Tampa Bay
Chris Mason (G) Nashville Florida
Ronald Petrovicky (F) Atlanta NY Rangers
Steve Begin (F) Montreal Buffalo
Brian Willsie (F) Washington Colorado
Todd Simpson (D) Anaheim Phoenix
Jeff Heerema (F) St. Louis NY Rangers
Steve Valiquette (G) Florida Edmonton
Shawn Heins (D) Atlanta NY Rangers
Joel Bouchard (D) NY Rangers Buffalo
Denis Hamel (F) Washington Ottawa
Glen Metropolit (F) Ottawa Washington
Jani Hurme (G) Carolina Florida
Mike Siklenka (F) NY Rangers Philadelphia

 

[sensei_hanson]

More bad news for Heatley

Thrasher's Star Heatley has Torn ACL and MCL

Associated Press

ATLANTA -- Already facing felony charges for a high-speed crash that left a teammate in a coma, Atlanta Thrashers All-Star Dany Heatley learned Friday that he will require knee surgery.

An MRI confirmed the seriousness of the injury. Heatley will need surgery to repair the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee.

The Thrashers wouldn't say that Heatley is out for the season, but it's clear he faces a lengthy rehabilitation.

"Anytime you're talking about the knee and you have surgery, it's not good," general manager Don Waddell said during an exhibition game between the Thrashers and the Nashville Predators.

Heatley was injured in a horrific car crash Monday that left teammate Dan Snyder in a coma. Snyder, remained unconscious and in critical condition Friday with a severe brain injury.

Heatley, who scored a team-record 41 goals and was MVP of the All-Star Game last season, also tore the lateral meniscus in his knee. He will undergo surgery in a week to 10 days.

Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said he can wait patiently for Heatley's return, no matter how long the wait.

"We knew there was pain (in the knee)," Hartley said. "I look at the big picture. We have two kids who are alive. Whatever time (Heatley) takes, it doesn't really matter this time."

The Thrashers would only say that Heatley is out indefinitely, but it's clear Waddell is planning for the season without his best player. He traded for Carolina Hurricanes goalie Jani Hurme on Friday with an eye toward trading for help up front.

Atlanta also claimed left wing Serge Aubin from Colorado and left wing Ronald Petrovicky from the New York Rangers in the waiver draft.

Waddell said it's not known if Heatley will miss the entire season.

"Until doctors go in and see the extent of the tear, it's impossible to give an accurate recovery timetable," the GM said.

An MRI on Heatley's left shoulder showed what team officials called a "limited nerve injury" but no injury to the ligaments or rotator cuff. In addition, he will undergo surgery Saturday at St. Joseph's Hospital to repair a broken jaw.

Police say Heatley was driving his sports car about 80 mph on a narrow Atlanta street when he wrecked Monday night. Snyder was a passenger.

The car was ripped in half when it struck a wrought iron and brick wall, throwing the players onto the road.

Heatley faces a felony charge of serious injury by vehicle and three misdemeanor charges. Police are awaiting test results to determine if Heatley was drinking on the night of the wreck.

Snyder underwent surgery for a skull fracture but has not regained consciousness. He is being treated at Grady Hospital.

His parents released a statement with hopeful news Friday night.

"Our son, Dan, remains in critical condition," it said. "The doctors are conducting a lot of measurements on his brain and all levels at this time are in a normal range. His condition seems to improve every day, and we thank you again for your continued support and prayers."

Heatley was the NHL rookie of the year in 2002 and the cornerstone of a young, improving team that hoped to make a run for the playoffs this season. Last season, he was the ninth-leading scorer in the league with 89 points.

By acquiring Hurme, the Thrashers have three potential starting goalies. Pasi Nurminen played well last season and Byron Dafoe is hoping to rebound from a disappointing season.

Waddell said he already has received calls from other teams interested in the Thrashers' goaltending situation.

 

[Buckfast]

ESPN.com news services
ATLANTA -- Atlanta Thrashers forward Dan Snyder died Sunday night, six days after he was involved in a horrific car crash with teammate Dany Heatley.

Snyder was 25.

Snyder died at Grady Hospital from massive brain injuries without ever regaining consciousness, the team said.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Dan Snyder. Dan was a teammate and friend to all of us. We feel a tremendous amount of pain as an organization and extend our deepest sympathies to his family," the Thrashers said.

 

[TheRob]

Thrasher's Star Heatley has Torn ACL and MCL

The absolute least of his concerns now.

 

[Buckfast]

Needless to say, a tradegy. As it pertains to the hockey club, they were on the brink of being a legitimate contender in the East (well, at least win the SE Div). How many years will this set them back?

Heatley will never recover. What a shame, he was one of those guys to replace the old guard.

Buckfast

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Yes, this certainly is a tragic event. As Bucky said, he will NEVER be the same as this will be way too much for him to cope with. He will be lucky if he ever plays again anywhere near the level he did last year. Just an awful situation all the way around.


Captain

 

[sensei_hanson]

Didn't Craig McTavish do jail time for vehicular manslaughter while driving drunk when he was playing for Boston? I believe he killed a woman who was riding in another vehicle and he served a year in prison for it. Perhaps he'd be best suited to assist in this situation...

 

[club_i_champ]

Awful

It's devastating what has happened, and the effects of it will be felt by many people.

As mentioned in previous posts, Heatley will never be the same, and thats a shame. With his preformace in last years regular season, he had set himself up in the right direction for a career full of superstar status.

Will EA Sports keep Heatley on th cover of NHL 2004?

 

[Dude]

Very sad indeed.

Yeah- McTavish did serve one year.

I wonder when Heatly is going to face the media? He'll have to eventually. That will be a tough one to watch. Aside from Snyder's closest family and friends, Heatly has to be the most devastated guy around right now. Seven days ago he had the world by the balls, now this. One mistake...goes to show.

As for his recovery...I actually predict we'll see him back again, and maybe play even better. You know the saying...whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Heatly's personality suggests he'll eventually get inspired to want to come back, dedicate the first season back to Snyder, and prove everyone one wrong who are now saying he's a waste.

As for EA Sports...isn't there a curse there? Who's been on the past four or five covers? I'd heard the names, then how their seasons panned out those years. Can't remember them all, but I found it pretty eerie.

 

[sensei_hanson]

EA Sports Cover Curse...

Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons has gone down with a broken fibula during a preseason match. Since the injury coincided with a cover shot of Vick on an issue of Sports Illustrated discussing the NFL preseason, many sounded off that the evil SI curse had again reared its ugly head. But what few people realize is that there’s an even greater curse wreaking havoc in the world of sports. Every year it derails careers, impedes athletes’ ascension into superstardom and trounces hopes for playoff contention—and all one has to do is be featured on the box of an EA Sports video game.

The EA jinx hit first and hardest for its NHL 99 cover boy, Eric Lindros. In a career marred with past playoff failures, a disappointing stint as captain of the Canadian Olympic hockey team in Nagano, and a history of injury, Lindros seemed poised in the 1999 season to regain the form he displayed when he won the Hart trophy in 1995. Through 71 games he had amassed 93 points, and was on pace for what would have been 107 points, but Lindros’ season came to an abrupt and jarring end with a collapsed lung during a game in Carolina. The team staff would be accused of urging the captain to board the plane despite his complaints of chest pain, further damaging what was an already tense relationship between management and the Lindros family.

The curse was equally unflinching to Mario Lemieux after he appeared on the cover of EA’s NHL 2002, as the Penguins’ fortunes and his own personal appeal would take a beating in Pittsburgh. After dealing Czech superstar Jaromir Jagr to Washington, the team was still thought to be at least playoff material, led by the superior talents of Alexei Kovalev, Marty Straka, Jan Hrdina, and of course, number 66. But, following a write-off season in which Lemieux spent all but 24 games on injury reserve, the Penguins failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1990, and Super Mario would find himself the centre of controversy as he put his own team’s needs second to the 2002 Canadian Olympic team. Although he would win a gold medal, he would not dress for Pittsburgh after the Salt Lake break.

Jarome Iginla and Owen Nolan are two young players who both enjoyed breakout years only to see future seasons stymied by the EA curse. Instead of continuing 2003 and 2001 where they respectively left off the years before, the two were karmatically bitch-slapped for loaning their likenesses to the box, damning their promise into wasted years that both would be glad to end. Iginla would suffer a slump reminiscent of his early years when the Flames were really crappy thanks to a groin injury. Nolan would be locked into a tense contract negotiation that would see him miss significant amounts of time.

The dreaded curse was not restricted to hockey, as seen with the recent edition of EA’s MLB game which features both Oakland Athletic Miguel Tejada and Arizona Diamondback Randy Johnson. Following the trend, Tejada has seen his MVP form from a year ago disappear this year while Johnson’s Cy Young ability has evaporated like so many other injured players, as he required surgery early in the season.

Even 2001 cover boy Mike Piazza went from being the toast of the league playing for the Mets in the famed Subway series to the roast of the media as his team show diminishing returns at the plate. Piazza’s luck fizzled and his public image would later be engulfed in a pot smoking scandal (does that explain those 10-10-220 commercials, Mike?).

Footballers Dante Culpepper (QB) and Marshal Faulk (RB) endured the curse as they graced the covers on the 2002 and 2003 versions of the EA Sports John Madden franchise. Culpepper’s 2001-02 season would see his QB rating drop nearly 15 points (from 98 to 83.3) as he threw 1300 fewer yards than the previous year. Faulk’s St. Louis Rams would go from Super Bowl finalists to league laughing-stock as the entire team collapsed under the pressures of losing QB Kurt Warner, while Faulk would fall 400 yards short of his previous season’s campaign.

The curse almost always affects the featured player’s team’s playoff success. Faulk’s Rams weren’t even close to the playoffs in his EA year.

Or also ask cager/NBA Live 2000 cover-model Tim Duncan how it felt to go from 1999 NBA Finals MVP to first-round flameout at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. Jason Kidd would attempt his own revenge on the curse in 2003 by taking his team to the NBA Finals for the second year in a row. But the fact that they weren’t playing the LA Lakers and still lost holds some validity that the curse likes to add insult to injury in the worst
possible way.

On deck for the NBA and NHL covers this year are the Raptors’ star Vince Carter and the Thrashers’ Dany Heatley. Neither one can be said to deserve this burden. Carter is trying to regain his tarnished image and elevate his team back into the ranks of respectability in the NBA, while Heatley is trying to establish himself as a star that can lead his team to playoff glory.

Though the good people at EA have a stranglehold on the video sports franchise, athletes should think twice about boosting their celebrity status. The curse is real.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Madden 2001 cover: Eddie George, Titans RB

Before cover: The Titans reached the Super Bowl the prior season and George had gone to three consecutive Pro Bowls.

After cover: George made the Pro Bowl in 2000, but averaged 3.2 yards per carry in 2001 and 2002 and the Titans haven't been back to the Super Bowl.


Madden 2002 cover: Daunte Culpepper, Vikings QB

Before cover: Culpepper threw 33 TD passes and led team to the NFC championship game.

After cover: Culpepper missed five games in 2001 with a knee injury, threw a league-high 23 interceptions in 2002; the Vikings have gone 11-21 since 2000.


Madden 2003 cover: Marshall Faulk, Rams RB

Before cover: Faulk had become the first player in NFL history to gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage in four consecutive seasons; the Rams had been to three straight postseasons.

After cover: Plagued by an ankle injury, Faulk started a career-low 10 games as the Rams missed the playoffs.

 

[Reccos]

Craig McTavish did kill an innocent 21 year woman in another car but I don't recall him getting hurt like Heatley seems to be. I think McTavish hit a parked car, but I am not sure of that. So that may be the difference here for a come back for Heatley. Like McTavish, if he does come back, it might best be back in Canada.

The USA are now taking a stronger stand on convicted felons crossing the international boundary for work and that might also be a bit of an issue later on - if he is convicted and he does want to return to the US and play or even go down there with a Canadian team. That might be easier but that is down the line.

McTavish, now reformed, was one of the few remaining players who didn't wear a helmet. What does that tell you about the guy back then?

 

[zenga]

EA NHL 2004

Guys the game is out already so I dont know what will happen, here at EA.

Its funny because originally Joe Thorton was suppose to be on the cover but then had that bar scuffle.

 

[hammerhead]

The border issue with Heatly wont be a problem. With Bob Probert, when he was in Detroit, he just never left the US to play games in Canada, and so didnt have to worry about crossing back.

 

[Dude]

I think physically, he should be able to recover. It appears he’ll have plenty of time for that. At least a year, I’d think. Really, it's all about recovery emotionally. Does he have it in him?

The wild card is the impending conviction. Will he see jail time? I personally think that, given he (assuming) doesn't have a past criminal history, and he's been, by all accounts, an upstanding citizen, he should pay his dues in the form of community service. Obviously, he should lose his license indefinitely. I’m not sure that jail time would serve any purpose, in this case. If he were drunk, or impaired, I'd see it differently.

Again it will be very interesting to see his first appearance before the press. Surely he will want to, or feel obliged to attend Dan Snyder's funeral.

Have his parents made a public statement since his passing? A bit early, perhaps....

Thoughts Reccos?

 

[sensei_hanson]

...too bad, really

Derian Hatcher tore ligaments in his knee last night after tangling with Naslund near the benches.

He'll be out 4-6 months after surgery.

Couldn't have happened to a better guy. Hope the gash gets infected, ya head-huntin' piece of garbage.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Wings move CuJo for some (more) depth on the blueline given the latest development.

 

[Regs]

Cujo for Sopel sounds good

~Regs.

 

[Hands of Stone]

Re: ...too bad, really

Originally posted by sensei_hanson
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Wings move CuJo for some (more) depth on the blueline given the latest development.

More depth on the Blue line, you got to be joking, they have one of the best blue lines ever put together in the NHL. I don't think that Hatcher being out will not make them rush to trade Cujo for another D-man, I think they will be fine for the time. They just have to be care-full with the other old-guys on the blue line.
Lidstrom looks awsome, what a D-man he is.

HOS

 

[sensei_hanson]

All I'm saying is that someone in Detroit figured they needed help on the blueline, because they went after Hatcher in the first place, even with Lidstrom, Chelios, Schnieder and Fischer already there.

Now that Detroit's big signing is gone, and for such a long period of time, it wouldn't surprise me if they moved CuJo that much earlier, either to get a d-man, or maybe a center.

 

[hammerhead]

Cujo cleared waivers.

No one even tried to get him for free, so who would now trade a solid D man for him ?

 

[Jinky]

A trade might still be possible if Detroit would agree to pay a portion of Cujo's salary as part of any deal.

The Rangers still have to do their annual panic button push so you never know what might happen.