Afternoon Scrum 10/27/09

• The latest development in the Coyotes bankruptcy saga has been revealed. Majority owner Jerry Moyes has sold the team to the League, pending approval of the bankruptcy judge. Hot damn, the Coyotes can stay in Glendale and continue to be a vibrant and productive franchise.
• Punishment for that horrifically dangerous hit that Rob Scuderi leveled on Jason Chimera? An undisclosed fine. Not just for how this incident was handled, but how he performs his job in general, NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell needs to be openly and unabashedly mocked. How the league can pretend to care about the safety of their players when these types of incidents are allowed (essentially endorsed due to lack of punishment) is a joke. What kind of injury will have to be sustained for this issue to be taken seriously by the League?
• Adam Proteau of The Hockey News takes up the discipline issue, as well. Interesting that he does not so much as mention Colin Campbell in his piece, but instead finds fault in the attitude of the GM's toward the issue.
• CBJ F Andrew "Weighty" Murray will be out four weeks with a bum shoulder. Good thing we have a glut of forwards.... too bad they dont all play in the corners like Murray does. Puckrakers has the scoop.
• THIS JUST IN: Hockey Looks Better in HD. The Toronto Star has a rather interesting piece on the role HD is playing in growing the TV audience, specifically in the U.S. Someone get FSN-Ohio on the phone!
• And finally, finally, the Leafs get a win. I would post a link to a story about it, but who cares?

-Top Shelf

Afternoon Scrum 10/26/09

Hockey headlines from home and abroad. Read at your own risk.

• L.A. Kings D Rob Scuderi on his hit that sent CBJ F Jason Chimera toes over beak and left him bleeding from the mouth and above his right eye: "It was a good hit," Scuderi said. "Apparently, it was questionable, if not over the line with how the guys were up in arms. I understand their guys are just standing up for their teammate and that's fine. But at the same time, I thought it was a good hit." Mmmkay.

And Chimer's take: “It’s a dirty hit. There’s no room in the game for that kind of (expletive). A guy takes your knees out, what are you supposed to do? It wasn’t a hip check at all. It was a direct hit on the knee. That’s the way it goes, I guess. And he doesn’t want to fight after a hit like that, either. I landed on my face, on the ice. My neck was squished against the ice. I’m lucky I don’t have a concussion or something. It’s a dirty hit and there’s no room in the game for it. Too many guys now are getting carried off the ice on a stretcher. It’s just dirty stuff. It shows no level of respect. I don’t care if Scuderi’s a good player. He needs to stick up for himself. You fight after you do something like that to somebody.”

Here's the YouTube link. I don't think there is any question that the hit is illegal and dangerous. However, since Chimera came back seemingly no worse for the ware (save for some stitches) I have no doubt the league office will do little by way of punishing Scuderi. Maybe 1 game, 2 at the most.

Puck Daddy over at Yahoo Sports has a breakdown of some of the recent dangerous hits to plague the NHL, including the Scuderi/Chimera hit. Here's the link.

• Manny Malhotra, he of former CBJ glory and current San Jose Shark, had two goals in the Sharks win over the Flyers last night. Here is the game breakdown from the San Jose Mercury News. Nice work Mango.
  
• The 2010 NHL Trade Deadline is only 128 days away. Get some juicy trade rumors via THN. Frolov to Montreal for the Kostitsyn brothers? The Magic Eightball says "Doubtful."