Afternoon Scrum 1/13/10

Hockey headlines for the CBJ and from around the league. Mmmmm... hockey

• The Alex Burrows/Stephane Auger fiasco is the story of the day regardless of how quickly the league tries to sweep it under the rug. PuckDaddy's first story about it this morning had me scratching my head as it seemed he was 1) happy that Burrows was fined, and 2) more perplexedly, was content with the league's assertion that the matter was "closed", without any statement of facts or possible repercussions for Auger. Wysh later clarified his view of the story noting that while Burrows did deserve the fine, the league owes its fans an explanation of Auger's role in the incident.
• Bob McKenzie has an excellent piece on the Burrows/Auger issue. I admit that my first reaction was that a referee should always be above the fray when it comes to matters of retribution. McKenzie argues that the history of referees calling/not calling penalties for a team or player based on personal feelings is neither anything new nor unacceptable. Even as I write that sentence it sounds absurd to me, but reading his argument, I was convinced. Damn you Bob. McKenzie's 2nd treatise on the matter is also worth checking out. And until the League and/or Auger are willing to give the other side of the story, I'm stick with Door #1.
• Oilers G Nikolai Khabibulin is having season-ending back surgery. Khabibulin is a free agent after this season.
• Former Jacket G Pascal Leclaire's play, combined with that of the rest of the goalies in the Senator's system, has gotten his goaltending coach fired.
• As you probably have heard, the ice rink in the hometown of CBJ F Derek Dorsett burned to the ground recently. In small towns like Kindersley, Saskatchewan the local rink is like a church and town hall rolled into one. Hockey fans and Central Ohioans are a giving sort by nature, so if you have the means please do consider helping out. A Facebook group has been started to assist in the rebuilding effort, and the R-Bar has started a fund raising effort as well.