Local Hockey Feeds

Steven Stamkos woke up Monday no worse for the wear. For the Lightning, that’s good news.

Stamkos suffered a lower back contusion on the opening shift of Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh after hitting the end boards as a result of a hit by Penguins’ defenseman Brooks Orpik. Stamkos…

For current season ticket holders, and those who are interested in becoming season ticket holders, new owner Jeff Vinik has a deal for you as on average renewals are down nearly 10 percent and all renewels will have either a price freeze or reduction.

Here is the release from the…

BRANDON - The Lightning still don’t resume their season for three more days, yet the drama of the season is already starting to peak. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the fact that the team is only one point out of a playoff spot heading into Tuesday’s home game…

Here’s the details regarding the Q&A session with the players:

The Tampa Bay Lightning and its players will host their fourth “Lightning Unplugged” event of the season on Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 6-8 p.m. at the Tilted Kilt in Carrollwood located at 14457 North Dale Mabry Highway.  “Unplugged” is…

On whether the situation was discussed with Rick Tocchet: “I did discuss this with Rick, but ultimately this is my decision and Rick should not be held accountable for it. If it works and it does make that eighth-finish difference he should take all the credit. And if it doesn’t…

Just another day in covering the most Dynasty-esque franchise in pro sports today. All that’s missing is a cameo by Joan Collins, who may or may not be in line to be the next assistant coach on Rick Tocchet’s coaching staff.

The drama started on Tuesday night when Darren Dreger…

Dave Mishkin hosts as Victor Hedman and Mike Lundin are guests

* Radio show from 7 to 8 on 620 WDAE, Autographs from 8 to 8:30

* McDonald’s at 10019 West Adamo Drive (corner of 60 and Falkenburg)

* Free event, with appearances from Thunderbug, Lightning Girls, and mobile marketing…

While this technically does not register as Lightning news, it is good to see that Jay Preble, who served the Lightning for 13 years in the media relations department, finally get back on his feet so to speak. Preble was laid off in April as the Lightning’s new (and now…

Saw this video this morning on Kuklas Korner from the Dallas-Chicago game where a pane of glass was knocked out of the extensions following a hard check. Right in the front row was a elementary-aged young boy, who had the entire pane fall onto his face. As…

The contract of defenseman Lukas Krajicek has officially been terminated by the Lightning, which makes Krajicek an immediate unrestricted free agent and eligible to sign with any team, whether it’s in the NHL or in Europe/Russia.

Krajicek, who was signed to a one-year deal worth $1.475 million on July 2,…

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Tuesday that left wing Ryan Malone will be out 10 to 14 days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The team said Malone will continue to undergo treatment for a separate upper-body injury that has kept him out of three of the past four games. No other information was immediately available. Malone, 29, started the season on fire with 15 goals in his first 22 games. He had six goals in his next 43 games and zero in his past 15.

Here is the announcement from the team:

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will host Dave Andreychuk Foundation Night on Thursday, March 18, when they take on one of Andreychuk’s former teams, the Buffalo Sabres, at 7:30 p.m.

There are three different ways for fans to score a ticket to the game while also benefiting the Dave Andreychuk Foundation.  For just $100 fans will receive a Brickwall Productions Club ticket, complete with all you can eat food and beverage, a meet and greet with Andreychuk and a $25 donation to the foundation.  For just $75 fans can receive a plaza level ticket, an autographed 8x10 photo of Andreychuk and also make a $10 donation.  Finally, $30 nets fans a terrace level ticket as well as a $5 donation.

The mission of the Dave Andreychuk Foundation is to accomplish three goals: to assist children in need, to support causes for children and families enduring chronic and/or life-threatening illness and to encourage the investment in youth and amateur sports.  The captain of the Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup team, Andreychuk retired from the NHL in 2007 and founded his charitable foundation shortly thereafter.  Locally, the Dave Andreychuk Foundation has supported The Children’s Home, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and Tampa Bay youth hockey as well as supporting youth hockey in his home town of Hamilton, Ontario.

For more information fans are encouraged to visit www.daveandreychukfoundation.com, contact Ryan West at (813) 301-6851 or by email at rwest@sptimesforum.com.

The league has fined Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Steve Downie $1,000 for taking down Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby during Sunday's game. Downie said he spoke to league disciplinarian Colin Campbell on Tuesday morning. He said there will not be a suspension.

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 "He called it a dangerous play," Downie said.

The play happened early in the first period when the two got tangled up and Crosby fell awkwardly with his right leg pinned underneath Downie. Downie said there was no intent to injure. There was no penalty on the play, and Crosby played the rest of the game.

Downie, who has worked very hard this season to not take stupid penalties, did not want to speculate on if his reputation, based on past actions, might have played into the decision, saying he just wants to move on. But he did say, "If he (Crosby) didn't fall in an awkward position, it wouldn't even be talked about."

Coach Rick Tocchet, however, said Downie's reputation probably did play into the situation. Tocchet only wishes Downie, and the Lightning, would get more rewards for the player stepping away from conflicts, as he has done numerous times this season.

"Like I said, he's got a little bit of a reputation," Tocchet said. "He's going to have to suck some of this stuff up. Guys got tangled up, that's all I saw. But he's going to have to live with that for a while. He's been taking a lot of punches in the mouth, and maybe we can get some power plays from it, because we haven't gotten any from Downs."

You also have to wonder how Downie gets fined $1,000 and Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke, whose gratuitous head shot on Boston's Marc Savard likely ended Savard's season, got away without any discipline. 

More stuff from the morning skate: Antero Niittymaki gets the start in net. ... Star center Steven Stamkos (lower back contusion) did not skate this morning, but said that was more a precaution and the chance to get more treatment. He reiterated he still expects to play tonight against the Coyotes. "It feels pretty good right now," he said, adding he will make a final decision after warmups." Said Tocchet about perhaps being cautious with Stamkos: Obviously, a kid like him, you would never jeopardize his career. If he doesn't play, other guys have to step up. He's a big part of our team, but his career is more important to me than this hockey game, no question. ... If Stamkos doesn't play, Tocchet said center Zenon Konopka, who has missed five games with a mild disc herniation, could play. In any case, Tocchet said Konopka is close. ... Left wing Ryan Malone (upper body) and defenseman Mattias Ohlund (left ankle) are out. Ohlund was walking around with a cast, but said it was only a precaution to keep the ankle stable and would be off in a few days. Tocchet could not offer a timetable for his return: "Could be five days, 10 days, a month, I don't know," he said. ... Tocchet said Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov should be a candidate for league MVP. Bryzgalov has a league-best eight shutouts. He is fourth with a 2.27 goals-against average and ninth with a .921 save percentage. "He's definitely a chance for the MVP of the league," Tocchet said. "He's had a hell of a year. He's a big goalie. When he's set, there's not much daylight. The one thing I like about Bryzgalov, he's kind of from the old school of (Roberto) Luongo, they don't flip and flop. They're quiet in net. The quieter the goalie, the better positioning. An incredible year, right now."

Sure sounds/looks like goaltender Mike Smith is finally ready to return to action after being out nearly two weeks with a neck strain suffered when Washington’s Brooks Laich plowed into Smith during a game in Tampa on Jan. 12. Smith stayed in that game, but pulled himself out during the…

Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos, who sustained a lower back contusion in Sunday's game with the Penguins, said he likely will be ready to play in Tuesday's game with the Coyotes.

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Stamkos, who has a team-best 42 goals, said he had an uncomfortable night trying to find a comfortable position so that he could sleep, seemed a lot loose walking the hallways of the St. Pete Times Forum on Monday.

"I think I'll be good to go tomorrow," he said.

Stamkos was hit in the game's first shift by Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik as he was taking a shot. The check knocked Stamkos down and he slid into the boards. He finished the game, but as coach Rick Tocchet said, "He gutted it out. I was proud of him."

Stamkos said he will make a final determination at Tuesday's morning skate. Because the contusion is more on the left side of his back and also on his upper gluteus, he said his left side and left leg are most affected.

"It's just kind of like stopping and starting and getting it back up to gear, that's where you really feel it," Stamkos said. "Once you get out there during play, your mind is on something else. It's the physical contact and the stopping and getting back up to the fast game."

Adding to the concern is the uncertainty of what exactly is ailing Marty St. Louis. The left wing said it is nothing more than the usual bumps and bruises.

"I don't think it's something that should affect my play down the stretch," he said.

Even so, losing Stamkos would put more pressure on a team facing another must-win Tuesday against Phoenix after falling 2-1 to the Penguins in a game in which the Lightning went more than 23 minutes without a shot. And even though it seems as if Vinny Lecavalier is heating up with five goals in six games, Tocchet said, "We've got to find scoring. We've got to find that goal. Whatever the way to put that puck in the net, you've got to do it. We've got to find a way to get second goals, those around the net goals. We've just got to find them. It's crucial." 

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mattias Ohlund was limping noticeably through the Lightning locker room this morning with ice around his left ankle. Coach Rick Tocchet said Ohlund is getting "aggressive" treatment for the injury, which Tocchet said has not required tests but is obviously more than just a bump.

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Ohlund said he didn't know if he would be back on skates in two days five days or seven days. Ohlund was hurt in Thursday's game with the Maple Leafs when he hit the boards with Toronto's Christian Hanson. With Ohlund out, Andrej Meszaros has moved up to the top defensive pairing with Mike Lundin, who was so good Friday against Washington's Alex Ovechkin and gets another tough assignment tonight when he faces Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby.

Injuries have become notable for Tampa Bay as left wing Ryan Malone (upper body) will miss tonight's game with the Penguins. Center Zenon Konopka (back) and David Hale (broken leg) began skating while the Lightning was away on last week's road trip. Konopka, who the team says has a mild disc herniation, said he does not know when he will return and is as frustrated as he ever has ben with an injury that was sustained while he trained over the Olympic break.

"If I push it to hard, which I like to do, I take a step back," he said. "And the way I play isn't overly conducive to coming back from a bad back. I haven't missed a lot of time with injuries. I play through most injuries, and the injuries I've had were at the start of the year or the end of the year. This missing games in the middle of the year is something weird. It's a mental battle too. It's nothing major but it's one of those things where it takes time. I'm not a very patient person, especially with these critical games." 

Other stuff from the morning skate: Only about half the team participated. Players had the option of skating Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. ... No surprise, Antero Niittymaki will get the start in goal after his superb effort Friday against Washington. ... Speaking of the Capitals, is it just me or are you sick of reading how Washington had a "letdown" against Tampa Bay, or that Washington's goalie let in soft goals? Truthfully, after the first 10 minutes of the second period, the Lightning was in control of that game. How about this? Tampa Bay simply outplayed the Caps that night. ... Maybe this is too much of a stretch, but doesn't it seem the Lightning stopped backing down to the Capitals after Steve Downie stood up to Ovechkin in Tampa Bay's 7-4 win on Jan. 12? Tocchet said it is plausible. "I wasn't too happy with the way we played Washington last year," Tocchet said. "It was like we got sand kicked in the face from the bully all the time, and we took it. The game in here when Downie and Ovechkin went at it all night, yeah, I can see that as a stepping stone. It changed the attitude for us." ... We had a story in the paper earlier in the season about how Mike Lundin plays so well against the top players in the league. He did it again Friday against Ovechkin, and gets another tough assignment today with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. How has Lundin made such a huge leap in one year? "The biggest knock on him was we needed him to be more aggressive," Tocchet said. "He's not going to be running guys, but he an be aggressive and getting in front of people's faces and taking pucks off guys. Some of the best defensemen in the league are like that. Nick Lidstrom, he's not going to kill you but he's always in front of you knocking pucks away from you. That was the aggressiveness we were looking for." ... Downie continues to impress, not just with his offense but with the way he controls his anger. It was a small moment in Friday's game with the Capitals when Downie was blasted by Washington's Shaone Morrisonn and ended up with a bloody nose. "The old Steve Downie, I don't know, he would have did something stupid. He was calm. It's maturity. 'It's not the right time.' And he played really well after that, too. The right time came was when Downie jumped into a fray Thursday against Toronto's Dion Phaneuf, who took a poke at Steven Stamkos. ... And finally this from Tocchet about today's game with the Penguins, "This is a playoff game for us."

We all have read the outpouring of hate directed at Penguins trouble-maker Matt Cooke after his blind-side hit on Boston's Marc Savard. And we have heard how the hit, though not penalized or disciplined by the NHL, likely was the catalyst, along with the public and media outcry,  to get the league's GMs to recommend that such hits be made illegal. Cook spoke to Pittsburgh reporters.

Here is the Q & A:

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We you surprised by the NHL's lack of action against you? "I prepared for the league to make a decision; either way I was going to have to deal with it. They did their homework, obviously, with the timing of the GM meetings. Right now, my thoughts are with Savard, and I hope he gets a speedy recovery because it wasn't my intention to hurt him."

Have you made contact with Savard? "I went to as big of lengths as I could to make sure he got a message from me ... (but) I didn't speak to him."

Do you feel  you'll be a marked man now? "I don't know if it's any different than it was before."

Have you had a chance to read the proposed rule, and will it make it any clearer? "I hope that it does bring clarification to what's allowed and what's not. I know they worked hard on it. I know there are strict concerns. I hope it brings clarification."

Does it? "Yeah, I think it does. I think it protects guys in certain areas of the ice."

Would it be easier to have an outright ban on blows to the head? "My personal opinion on that is the speed of the game is so great, it's impossible to do that. I think they are going in the right direction."

Do you see the rule as something that will make players think twice? "I think it's going to make sure you're in that area, and that guys are protected."

One Tampa Bay Lightning note as the team did not skate this morning: Antero Niittymaki gets the start in goal against the Capitals.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier the other day said the shoulder-to-head hit Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke put on Boston's Marc Savard made him "sick." But now that the NHL has decided the hit, which was not penalized, does not warrant a suspension or fine, Lecavalier took it a bit further, saying he is "upset" Cooke was not disciplined and that the left wing is a dirty player.

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It was Cooke's hit on Lecavalier, who was not carrying the puck in April 2008, that separated Lecavalier's shoulder, which needed surgery.

"It's upsetting, and it has nothing to do with what happened to me," Lecavalier said Thursday. "I just can't believe the league is letting him get away with that, a guy like that. He hurts guys. He's a dirty player. He's running around the ice looking for hits like that when guys aren't looking. For the league to protect him; they said Mike Richards' hit and his were the same. Mike Richards is not a dirty player."

To interject, Philadelphia's Richards in October clobbered Florida's David Booth with a shoulder-to-head hit. Booth was taken off on a stretcher and Richards was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.

"But Mike Richards isn't a dirty player," Lecavalier continued. "You've got to look at intentions, and Matt Cooke's intention was to hurt Marc Savard. I don't think anybody is going to argue with what I'm saying."

League GMs on Wednesday recommended a rule change to ban blind-side and lateral hits to the head. Incidents would warrant a two- or five-minute penalty at the referees discretion. Lecavalier said he wants to see all head shots banned.

"We have to protect guys," he said. "Hits to the head have been there a long time, but guys are getting stronger and faster. They've cracked down on hits from behind and they have to do the same thing with hits to the head. if they change the rule, it doesn't mean it will never happen, but at least make a rule that will have consequences, not like this guy (Cooke) running around and hurting guys and getting away with it."

More stuff from the morning skate: Mike Smith gets the start in net. Asked if Antero Niittymaki will start Friday against the Capitals, coach Rick Tocchet said he wasn't sure. "We're day-to-day here," he said of his inconsistent netminders. ... Ryan Malone (upper body) skated this morning and likely will be back in the lineup, though there was no word where. Malone missed one game with what he said was a long-time lingering issue that is "minor." Less so is that Malone has zero goals in 14 games and two in his past 26. "When you're not helping the team it's obviously frustrating," he said. "We've been struggling a little bit of late and you want to help out as much as you can. When you're winning, it doesn't really matter too much, but when you start losing you start looking upon yourself a little bit more to help out and chip in." The theory was floated that Malone, who played on a line with Steven Stamkos for much of the season and with him on the power play, wasn't scoring because Stamkos was scoring so much and not providing rebounds. "Yeah, that's half the battle probably," Malone said. "He's come a long way from missing the net on every shot last year. It's amazing what happens when he hits the net. Especially the last few games, he's really trying to raise his game. You  can see he's playing with a lot of desperation right now to do whatever he can to lead us. It's just great." ... Former Lightning Gary Roberts, who trained Stamkos last summer and will do so again next summer, will also be training Steve Downie. The right wing worked out last summer with Tampa Bay trainer Chuck Lobe in Minneapolis. Downie, who with 16 goals, 39 points and a team-best plus-19 is having a breakout season, said he would do it again, except it is so far away from his Ontario, Canada home. That said, "I know Stammer did a great job last year and Gary is well-known around the hockey world for his work ethic and routines, so I think it will be a good fit for me. I'm excited." ... Spoke to rookie defense Victor Hedman about his drop-off in play, especially from his high-caliber start. He agreed he has not been at his best --he is minus-7 his past six games -- but said it was his inexperience that is causing the dip. Asked if he was feeling any fatigue in his first NHL season, Hedman, who said the most games he has ever played in the Swedish elite league was in the 50s, said no. "I fee well-rested," he said. "I have a lot of energy. You make some mistakes sometimes, but it's not because I'm tired, maybe because of a lack of experience and stuff." Coach Rick Tocchet said Hedman needs to be stronger around the corners and in front of the net, but did not rule out Hedman, averaging 21:34 of ice time, might have hit a wall. "That's the million-dollar question," Tocchet said. "I can't give you an answer, but to be a professional, playing 82 games, training camp, it's hard. It's something you have to train your mind and body. Everybody has raised their level on other teams, too. Guys are holding the puck a lot harder, guys are blocking shots and going in front of the net a lot harder. mentally, you have to match that or surpass it. It's tough. It's part of his maturing process." ... With Stamkos returning to what is basically his home town of Toronto -- he grew up about an hour north in Unionville, Ontario, -- the love-in was in full swing with cameras and notepads all around him after the morning skate. How good has Stamkos been? Since Feb. 17 last season, his 57 goals are second in the league, two behind Alex Ovechkin.

Times sports columnist Gary Shelton will be taking readers' questions during a live chat today from noon to 1 p.m. in Gary's and John Romano's "The Point After" blog. Gary will talk Bucs, Rays, Lightning, college sports or anything else that you like.

NHL general managers on Wednesday recommended a rules change that would ban head shots players do not see coming.

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The rule would levy a minor or major penalty, at the referee's discretion, for "lateral" or "blind side" hits aimed at the head. The vote too recommend the rule change was unanimous. But league disciplinarian Colin Campbell did not penalize Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke for his blind side should hit to the head on Boston's Marc Savard. It is assumed had the new rule been in place, Cooke would have at least been penalized, which he was not during the game.

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Marty St. Louis spoke about head shots on Tuesday in Montreal.

"In terms of head shots, there's no room for that in our game, especially with the speed of the game and the amount of head injuries we've had this year alone," he said. "They're suspending guys, but repeat offenders have to be suspended even more. It's the only way you can police it as well, maybe take the instigator rule out. Then those guys know there will be someone coming after them. ... It's an important part. Guys are missing  a lot of games because of head injuries, and the head is pretty important for a guys' life after hockey. You can get your knees redone and shoulders, but the head is a hard one, so you have to be even more strict as to how you're going to make guys pay for their actions."

Coach Rick Tocchet, a long proponent of getting rid of the instigator to reduce head shots, reiterated the point.

"If there's a good player on the other team vulnerable and out of position, and you know if you're going to hammer this guy, you have to pay the price, I don't know if those guys know that," Tocchet said. "They don't have to pay the price any more. I think that's the key to the whole thing."

Tocchet was torn on the subject. He said if you made all hits to the head illegal "players would adjust to it," as have players in the NFL, which has strict rules against hits to the head. On the other hand, there is this:

"As a coach, a player comes to the bench and says, 'I didn't want to hit him because he was in a vulnerable position,' and the guy goes and scores a goal. What do you say to that player? It's a tough decision to do."

As for what Cooke did to Savard, Tocchet said, "Marc Savard, his head was up, it was from the side. Was it legal? Well, yeah, (Cooke) had his shoulder and he didn't have his elbow up. But was (Savard) in a vulnerable position? Absolutely. Could Matt Cooke have slowed up and hit him in his chest? He probably could have. I think I heard (Maple Leafs coach) Ron Wilson say, and some of the coaches, 'He knew what he was doing.' "

So do players, Tocchet said, who run at those who cannot defend themselves:

"To me when there's a guy in a vulnerable position -- the guy has lost his edge and he has no idea where the puck is and a guy comes and steamrolls him -- you're literally there to hurt a guy. That's the respect factor everybody talks about.