Long Weekend Hockey Linkage

Sidney Crosby enjoyed his best and most demanding practice since injuring his right ankle, skating at full speed Monday and spinning off several of the gee-whiz passes that only an elite few NHL playmakers can make.

Peter Forsberg’s agent Don Baizley told CBCSports.ca Monday that “it’s unlikely Peter will return to the NHL this season.”

Just when you figured that things couldn’t get any worse concerning the health of this team, they did. The Carolina Hurricanes were in New Jersey for a special afternoon game with less than half of their regular roster available and some of their players on the ice feeling less than 100%.

Mickey Renaud, captain of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, died suddenly on Monday when he collapsed at his home and was transported to hospital without any vital signs.

The Red Wings Destroyed the Avalanche 4-0. Yes, destroys is a tough word to use against any team and Avs Talk doesn’t use it lightly.

Radim Vrbata scored a goal, assisted on two others and the Phoenix Coyotes defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-0 on Monday night for Wayne Gretzky’s 100th victory as coach.

A group of hockey players at an outdoor rink just east of Edmonton has finished the world’s longest game, breaking a record they set twice before.

The Oshawa Generals will retire Eric Lindros No. 88 when the OHL club hosts the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors on March 6. Lindros, a London, Ontario, native played for the Generals from 1989-1992 and lead the team to their last Memorial Cup in 1990. In 95 games played in a Generals uniform, Lindros scoring 97 goals and 216 points.

Now that Peter Forsberg is out of the running, many NHL teams will go to Plan B, a plan that includes other viable trade options like Mats Sundin and Marian Hossa.

Michigan remained atop the Division I men’s poll Monday, after a sweep of Lake Superior State. The Wolverines held their ground, but the identity of the No. 2 team tailing them changed. North Dakota rose into the second position, picking up the other two first-place nods in the wake of two wins over Denver.

Jim makes heads turn as he drives his Flyers pride everywhere he goes. Definitely a formidable candidate for the “Flyers’ Greatest Fan” title!

Quote of the Week: Canucks and Beyond

…As the ref stopped play to indicate Stortini’s upcoming 2-minute detention, he looked around with the bewildered air of a 14 year old kid having just been busted for reading dad’s Playboy collection… while knowing that it was only minutes earlier that he’d been randomly setting houses on fire all over the neighborhood.  It was as if to say, “Huh?? You’re seriously busting me for THIS?”

He had a point. Stortini went through that first period like a serial killer building a criminal resume.  Finally nailing him for that slash was something like dropping Al Capone for tax evasion—and not nearly as rewarding as just pistol whipping him would’ve been.