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Daily Cupcakes - Links from around the locked out NHL - October 16th, 2012

Daily Cupcakes - Tuesday

By Sandie Gauthier
Doug Pensinger - Getty Images

I read this article about Peter Budaj and fell in love with him all over.

Budaj had a Canadiens link long before he arrived here. In Colorado, on his first day in his first Avalanche training camp, he mustered the courage to ask Avalanche netminder, Habs icon and boyhood idol Patrick Roy, to autograph his hockey cards. He later shared duties for three seasons with former Canadien José Theodore and would gain the insight, upon signing in Montreal, with departed Hab and fellow Slovakian Jaroslav Halak.

For now, Budaj will remain in Denver, enjoying time with his 2-year-old son, Peter Jr.

"He has a little net and hockey stick and he likes to hit balls and little pucks. He’s playing sports all the time," Budaj said of his boy. "I thank God that he’s healthy and can be as active as he is."

An Avalanche prospect had a good game recently.

Lipon — the reigning WHL player of the week on a six game point streak — connected twice on separate man advantages in the second period along with Aspen Sterzer, while Colin Smith, a 2012 draft choice of the Colorado Avalanche, connected in the first to add to a 4-2 lead after two frames.

Smith added to the pile in the third, scoring as Virtanen wore the goat’s horns for a holding penalty.


Tyson Barrie and Stefan Elliott are getting praised by the opposition.

Winger Leo Komarov was not happy that the lockout disrupted his planned start with the Leafs, but is finding the AHL isn’t a bush league. He was no match for Monsters’ defenceman Tyson Barrie on a rush from the point, as Barrie zipped around him and buried a back-hander on Ben Scrivens.

"A big mistake by me, I can’t let that happen," KHL-veteran Komarov agreed. "It’s a junior mistake."

Eakins called it "a good lesson for Leo".

"Barrie is a slick man who has played a number of NHL games. You can’t get caught to the outside with some of these defencemen here. We warned our crew to watch for him and (Stefan) Elliott."