So this happened...
Hockey Manitoba’s chief referee says he’s shocked that players kicked and punched a linesman as he lay on the ice during a bantam playoff hockey game.
Grant Heather says he can’t understand why people think violence will be tolerated in hockey when it isn’t accepted anywhere else in society.
The game between the Stonewall Blues and Lake Manitoba First Nation of the Interlake league was called off by officials with 11 minutes remaining in the third period on Sunday. Witnesses say a Lake Manitoba player shot a puck at the linesman while players were being escorted to the penalty box.
Selanne talks about his "old" days in Winnipeg.
Selanne wasn’t ready to retire because of the way the 48-game lockout season ended – with an opening-round loss to the Detroit Red Wings after Anaheim went in as the No. 2 seed in the West. Selanne believed the Ducks had a legitimate chance to win another Stanley Cup, and after a short post-Olympic slump that saw them lose a couple of games badly, the Ducks look as if they’ll win the Pacific Division ahead of the San Jose Sharks.
The Jets won’t make the playoffs, so having the Jets in town was a chance for Selanne to reminisce with old friends about the start of his career. In Winnipeg, neighbourhood kids would just knock on his door to say hi. Access to the budding superstar was so free and easy – it isn’t the same here in California, not the same level of interest and not the same access, either.
“They can’t even get close,” said Selanne, with a laugh. “A couple of Rottweilers in there. A different story now. Obviously I didn’t have kids at that time. I’m pretty playful guy and there was always some action going there, a lot of kids playing street hockey. I don’t know – it was just easy. I didn’t mind. It was fun.”
The Islanders may have a new owner soon.
Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Barroway is in talks to purchase the New York Islanders from Charles Wang for $225 million, according to a report by the New York Post.
Reports leaked last week that Wang was open to selling his majority ownership in the Islanders, and the potential deal with Barroway would include an additional $75 million if the franchise hits certain revenue targets.