With Sean Avery’s reassignment to the AHL and seemingly self-inflicted muzzle working (for now), it’s very hard to find controversies in the NHL. You’d think there’d be one in Philadelphia, but Flyers coach John Stevens is a pretty smart guy. His former number one goalie, Marty Biron, has lost the starting job to Antero Niittymaki, [...]

Larry Brooks sure is a Sean Avery fan. He says Avery, expected to be assigned to the Rangers AHL affiliate today, can’t get to New York quickly enough. The Rangers failed to score in last night’s loss to the Devils. Brooks argues the team needs Avery to shake things up. Also, he says Avery will [...]

It seems Peter Forsberg is moving closer toward retirement. His comeback game in Sweden didn’t go very well and ended with Forsberg saying the game “wasn’t fun at all.” I thought I’d be happier when Forsberg finally ended his Quixotic NHL comeback drive, but seeing him give up his dream a continent away from the [...]

Some more semi-random notes: The Flyers sold their Philadelphia-based AHL team and are looking for a new affiliate near Philly. Having an AHL affiliate across town is a tremendous advantage for a team. It makes call-ups much easier, but also makes scouting incredibly simple. The Phantoms played in the Spectrum, which is about to get [...]

Some interesting notes out of New Jersey: Brendan spent last night’s loss to the Caps playing with John Madden and Brian Rolston. It represents a more prominent even-strength role for Shanahan, gives the Devils a strong third offensive line and isn’t a bad checking line, either. The Devils also traded defenseman Sheldon Brookbank to the [...]

Craig Hartsburg was fired as coach of the Senators and the consensus seems to be it wasn’t an Xs and Os coaching issue so much as a psychological one. Hartsburg had a solid enough team, albeit one with one line and unspectacular goaltending. All he had to do was keep his top line going and [...]

In Washington, coach Bruce Boudreau says his team is taking too many penalties. Shockingly, he’s blaming his players and not the ghost of Caps teams past. Tonight, in New York, the Rangers retire Adam Graves’ number. I’m sure The Two-Line Pass will be all over this tonight, but for now, Rick Carpiniello says enough with [...]