Last week, it was announced that former pariah Sergei Fedorov was going to be part of the Winter Classic Alumni Showdown, reuniting with three of the other four members of the famed "Russian Five". It's a decision that has sparked renewed debate among Red Wing fans about Fedorov's place in Red Wing history.

Fedorov was easily the most polarizing of Wing players. He was probably the most talented player in the NHL through the 1990s, but with that talent came off-ice issues and contract hold-outs that did not endear him to the fans. His rejecting the Wings after the 2002-03 season was the final straw for a lot of fans, especially after he held out through the first half of the 1997-98 season.

If there's one thing that Wing fans value, it's dedication. We have been spoiled to have many key members of this team remain in Detroit for well over 10 years, and saw 2 of the greatest players of all time spend 20 years each wearing the Winged Wheel. Fedorov, for all his raw talent, never approached the level of Steve Yzerman or Nicklas Lidstrom in terms of pure adoration.

The question that has been asked of everyone has been whether Fedorov will be (or in some cases, should be) booed when he takes the ice at the Winter Classic Alumni game. If you feel the urge to boo when you see Fedorov, stop, think, take a drink, and then sit down. Booing Fedorov only shows you to be petty and bitter over something that happened 10 years ago.

There are two reasons why booing Fedorov should not be tolerated by any self-respecting Wing fan: his contributions to 3 Stanley Cups, and the scope of the event.

Think about what Fedorov did in Detroit: 954 points in 908 regular season games, 163 points in 162 playoff games, the 1994 Hart, Selke and Pearson Trophies, another Selke in 1996, 4 straight playoff seasons with at least 20 points, at least 25 goals in every full season he played as a Red Wing. Combine those stats with his moves, his skating, his defense, and you may have the most talented Red Wing of all time.

Yet many people can't and won't forget the holdout in 1998 or his leaving the team despite being offered a ton of money in 2003. But the time to boo Fedorov was when he came to the Joe as a Duck in 2003, not at the Alumni Game. This event is to showcase and celebrate the players that made the Wings the dominant franchise they have become, not to re-live past slights. If the Red Wings can forgive Fedorov and allow him to be a part of the festivities, then there's no reason that we as fans can't do the same.

However, the return of Fedorov has got me thinking about what his place is in Red Wing history and how best to celebrate him. Despite the circumstances of how he left town, the fact remains that without him, the Wings would not have been nearly as good as they were throughout the '90s and early '00s.

Still, I can't help but remember the holdout in 1998. The Wings were the Cup champs and there was Fedorov, not reporting to camp and sitting out the first half of the season. A massive contract offer by the Hurricanes was matched by the Wings, and Fedorov came back to help lead the Wings to their second straight Cup. Can you imagine how bad it would have been for him had the Wings lost in the first or second round? Then 5 years later, he bolts for Anaheim after the Ducks swept the Wings in the first round. Many fans still have not forgiven him for that, and sports fans are notorious for holding grudges.

So what do you do for a guy like that? Someone who had all the talent in the world but wasn't necessarily the best representative of the franchise?

The ultimate honor is number retirement. A banner in the rafters is the best way for a franchise to show a player exactly how much he meant to the team. This is reserved for the best of the best; the legends and once-in-a-generation players who are ambassadors for the team on and off the ice. This is where you'll find your Yzermans, Lidstroms, and Howes. This is not a place for a guy who spurned a huge contract to go be "the guy" somewhere else, particularly the team that just swept you out of the playoffs.

Fedorov, for all his greatness on the ice, has too many black marks on his resume to warrant getting 91 retired. But isn't it time for the Wings to do something to thank him for all he did for the team?

I propose a "Ring of Honor" or something similar. Players like Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan, and Chris Osgood deserve to be celebrated in a permanent fashion without having their numbers retired. For as good as these players were as Red Wings, their accomplishments and/or their tenure with the team were not enough to prevent someone else from wearing their jersey in the future.

Sergei Fedorov's return to Detroit as a member of the Red Wings is something to be celebrated. It's time to bury the hatchet, remember that we were privileged to witness the careers of one of the most talented players of all time, and honor him for his contributions. And if your first instinct is to boo him, then perhaps you should give your ticket to someone who can actually appreciate greatness.

Now that the dust has settled on a busy July for the Dallas Stars, the roster is starting to take shape. Up front, the forward lines will sort themselves out in camp. The only real issue revolves around Derek Roy and his shoulder injury. On the back end, however, there are still many question marks. The Stars would love to bring in a top pairing defenseman capable of complimenting Alex Goligoski’s offensive abilities. More realistically, Dallas will look to bring in a proven top-four defenseman with a wart or two (a bad contract, for example) at a reduced cost.

There are two ways to acquire proven talent –via the free agency route, or through a trade. Let’s take a look at a few defensemen who are either free agents or trade candidates.

The Trade Route

Keith Ballard

Cap hit: $4.2 million for three more seasons

Why? Ballard is a proven top four defenseman, having played significant minutes for both Phoenix and Florida. Since coming to Vancouver, he has struggled to adjust to the up-tempo playing style of the team, and quickly found his way into coach Alain Vigneault’s dog house. Ballard is a great skater who brings a consistent physical edge to the ice. His cap hit of $4.2 doesn’t reflect his performance over the past few seasons, and for that reason Dallas may be able to acquire him for less than cost.

He is well-liked as a teammate and has a terrific sense of humor – he is one of the best interviews on the team. He started to settle in nicely last season playing with Chris Tanev – Ballard is a left side defenseman who has struggled when the Canucks have tried to shift him over to the right.

Why not? Ballard has struggled at both ends of the ice since coming to Vancouver in the summer of 2010. His offensive production has been non-existent, thanks to a lack of power play opportunities and a lack of confidence. He would likely benefit from a change of scenery, and would bring a lot to the Dallas back end. However, he needs to regain his form of three years ago before being considered a bona fide top four defenseman.

Jay Bouwmeester

Cap hit: $6.6 million for two more seasons

Why? Bouwmeester is a top pairing defenseman capable of logging extremely difficult minutes. He has been an offensive flop for the Calgary Flames, but he does the heavy lifting for an undermanned (talent-wise) defensive group. Bouwmeester is a phenomenal skater, and he uses it to excel defensively, whether it be controlling his gap or positioning in his own zone. He isn’t an offensive defenseman – he was productive in Florida with significant power play opportunities, but he doesn’t read the play like a true power play quarterback.

He would immediately become the best defenseman in Dallas, and he would eat up 25 minutes of ice time per night, freeing up Trevor Daley and Stephane Robidas to play roles more within their means.

Calgary would be looking to dump off cap space, and could be interested in a Dallas prospect or two, plus some picks. Bouwmeester’s contract runs for two more years, and at that time it is likely that Patrick Nemeth or Jamie Oleksiak would be ready for full-time NHL responsibilities. However, teams like Philadelphia and Detroit are sure to be interested in the big defenseman should he hit the trade block.

Why not? On the surface, trading Bouwmeester makes little sense for Calgary. Sure, they have nine defensemen signed to one-way contracts, but Bouwmeester is their shutdown defenseman and he sees the toughest minutes on the roster. Dennis Wideman, Calgary’s big UFA signing this summer, is a completely different player than Bouwmeester (Wideman is known for his shooting and power play abilities – his own zone play leaves much to be desired).

Douglas Murray

Cap hit: $2.5 million for one more season

Why? Murray would be a welcomed defensive presence for the Stars, who have lost both Sheldon Souray and Nicklas Grossman since last season. His game is simple and straightforward. He hits, he defends, and he moves the puck well for a big guy. He could be expendable in San Jose with the Brad Stuart acquisition and the emergence of Justin Braun. Murray’s cap hit is very reasonable, as well (which may make it harder to acquire him for below market value).

Why not? Murray isn’t a top pairing defenseman, and it is debatable whether or not he is a top four defenseman. On Dallas, he most certainly would be. Murray would act as a stop gap to let the young players in Dallas develop for another year. San Jose would likely prefer to move their smash mouth defenseman outside of the division if they were to trade him.

Nicklas Hjalmarsson

Cap hit: $3.5 million for two more seasons

Why? Hjalmarsson is a skilled two-way defenseman who would be a great partner for Goligoski on the top pairing. He isn’t a top pairing defenseman, but he can handle 22 minutes a night in a variety of situations. The Hawks were rumored to have been shopping Hjalmarsson earlier this summer, which means he could still be available for the Stars to acquire.

His cap hit and contract term are both very reasonable.

Why not? Chicago only moves Hjalmarsson if they can get a center back in a trade. I don’t think Tom Wandell carries that sort of trade value. Perhaps the Hawks would be interested in a prospect like Scott Glennie. Either way, it is tough to see a fit between Chicago and Dallas.

Adam Pardy

Just kidding.

Paul Martin

Cap hit: $5 million, three more seasons

Why? Martin is a steady two-way defenseman. He isn’t an offensive dynamo, but he moves the puck well and a pairing with him and Goligoski on it would be very adept at getting the puck up the ice very quickly.

Why not? After trading Zbynek Michalek away and missing out on signing Ryan Suter, the Penguins back end isn’t as deep as it once was. They boast several high end defensive prospects (most notably Joe Morrow and Simon Despres), but it would be a shock to see them move another veteran defenseman this summer.

Let's look at the numbers behind the numbers.

Not surprisingly, Bouwmeester faced the toughest competition (by far). Ballard was given the easy minutes in Vancouver, while the other three defensemen were handed second pairing defensive responsibilities.

Only Martin had a positive Relative Corsi number among the five defensemen. Bouwmeester's low number is explained by the tough minutes he played, but the other three defensemen don't have the same excuse.

Again, Bouwmeester's defensive abilities are highlighted by his low offensive zone start ratio.

The Free Agents

Michal Rozsival

Why? The 33-year-old defenseman has yet to be signed. He was traded from New York to Phoenix in 2010-11. Rozsival scored only one goal in 54 games with the Coyotes last season, adding zero points in 15 postseason games. His season ended minutes before his teammates’ did. In the 2012 postseason, Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown hung a leg on Rozsival, knocking him out of the game (something I am sure many Stars fans are all-too-familiar with). The injury looked to be quite serious at the time, but there was no structural damage done.

Why not? Rozsival has seen his fair share of injuries over the past few years. He isn’t a difference maker, either.

Carlo Colaiacovo

Why? Colaiacovo is still relatively young at 29, and he had a solid 2011-12 season (due in large part to playing with blossoming superstar Alex Pietrangelo). He moves the puck well and is better defensively than given credit for. At the right dollar amount, he would be a solid – but risky – pick up for the Stars.

Why not? Injuries, injuries, and more injuries. Colaiacovo is one of the most injury-prone players in the league. He benefitted playing alongside Pietrangelo last year – how would he fare without a defenseman of that calibre?

Brett Clark

Why? Clark played all 82 games last season in Tampa Bay, and led the team with 199 blocked shots (good enough for second overall league wide). He would be a solid depth option, but isn’t an upgrade on Aaron Rome (and probably not on Mark Fistric, either).

Why not? At a low price, Clark would provide solid depth. However, he wouldn’t make Dallas better, and the team needs to add a difference-maker on the back end.

Jaroslav Spacek

Why? Spacek is a veteran who has played in a number of locations – he would be a stop gap (getting sick of that term yet?) until the kids are ready. He scored five goals in 34 games for the Hurricanes last season, although he was placed in a very offensively-oriented role.

Why not? Spacek would provide a bit of a boost to the back end, but he wouldn’t change the complexion of the team a whole lot.

Time to look at the numbers behind the numbers again.

Spacek was given very easy minutes last year, although his data is a combination of his time in Montreal and Carolina. Colaiacovo faced pretty good competition playing on the top pairing with Pietrangelo. Chris Campoli was included just to get another means of comparison. He isn't anything more than a decent #5/6 defenseman.

Spacek's possession numbers were quite solid - aided by the easy minutes he played. Rozsival and Colaiacovo also fared quite well in this regard.

Spacek saw the highest percentage of offensive zone starts. Dallas likely wouldn't be able to create that kind of role for him.

There are several other UFAs, including Scott Hannan, Pavel Kubina, and Matt Gilroy. The Stars are better off keeping a roster spot open for one of the prospects than bringing in a veteran for the sake of it. Colaiacovo makes the most sense if Dallas decides to dip back into the free agent pool.

The team needs to get better on the back end, but to do that they may need to make a trade.

If there's one game to me that represents the best of Sergei Zubov during his time with the Dallas Stars, at least on offense, it's this one.

This isn't much of a looker from the matchup on paper. The Stars were cruising along under rookie head coach Dave Tippett, having picked up points in 18 of their last 19 games and sitting at a sparking 32-11-1. The Hurricanes, meanwhile. were till in the pre-Eric Staal phase, 17-27-6 and just waiting until they could bring up their new star next season.

But during that game in a sold-out AAC, Stars fans got to see Sergei Zubov at his brilliant best, see possibly the most memorable quick fight (and best fight call) in team history. And unbeknownst to them at the time, they also got to see the Stars playoff hopes go up in smoke after an injury to a key player.

Before we get to the Zubov mastery or the injury that derailed what looked to be a deep playoff run, let's just start with probably the single most memorable fight in the AAC, even 10 years later. It was unquestionably the most remembered moment of Aaron Downey's tenure with the team.

Discard what you don't need.

For a while, though, it looked like that epic Downey fight might be the lone highlight of a bleak night for the Stars. Because once the second period came around, things took a turn for the worse.

First, the Hurricanes opened the scoring as Bret Hedican found the net behind Marty Turco. But the much bigger problem came right at the end of the period, when Turco hit a rut behind the Stars net and turned his ankle. Ron Tugnutt came out to replace him in the third period, and Turco would miss the next 18 games with the dreaded high ankle sprain.

But then the third period came, and the Stars flipped the switch. Not only did they outshoot the Hurricanes 10-2, but Sergei Zubov scored what very well may be one of the most skilled individual efforts I've ever seen. It takes a ton of skill to move so little and to make so many Hurricanes look so very silly.

If there is one goal I would pay really, really good money to have a clean highlight of, it's this one. The best I can do is this brief clip of it from a video the Stars produced for a ceremony years later. You'll have to excuse their odd choice of music.

For the full reaction, which includes some unforgettable turns of phrase, here's Ralph and Razor's fabulous call. It really was one of Razor's most memorable nights.

It was also led to one of the most memorable quotes I saw from Tugnutt. This came from the Dallas Morning News game story, but I can't find a link to that particular story on the archives for a direct link anymore, but it is included on this forum.

"On his first goal, it was 'Just shoot the puck, Zubie. OK enough, Zubie. You've scared them all away, now shoot it. No. OK, wait a couple more. Shoot it Zubie. Oh, good you scored,'

What can you say about that goal other than brilliant? Zubov basically skates in a straight line from the middle of the blueline to the faceoff dot then back out slight, but a series of head, stick and shoulder fakes send three Hurricanes sliding past him, one twice. That's efficiency.

But Zubov wasn't done for the night. Those Stars were also in one of their "Cardiac Kids" ruts, where they would have to go late into the night to find a way to win, and this was no exception.

As time was winding down in overtime, Philippe Boucher, in his first season with the Stars, brings the puck around behind the net and dumps it out short side. Jason Arnott is apparently engaged in a battle for the crease/wrestling match at the front of the net, and Zubov, aware of the time and place, also comes down in a last-ditch attempt to avoid the tie.

He outraces the late Josef Vasicek to the near post, and what followed led to one of the biggest smiles I can ever remember seeing from the usually unflappable Russian.

It was only the sixth time in the history of the five-minute overtime period, which came about in 1983, that the game was won the final second. Officially, it crossed the goal line with 0.5 seconds left on the game clock. That's precision.

The goals were so memorable, they even got Zubov on the record after the game to talk about his game-tying goal.

"You can't explain that type of play," Zubov said. "It's not like it's like school, where you can teach it. It just comes up and you do it. When you have some time and space, you just try to make a play. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't."

"Zubie answered the bell tonight," Tippett said. "That's Zubie at his best. He's got a lot of skill and patience, and those are the top assets in his game."

The bad news continue to roll in through the end of the playoffs, however.

The lasting impact from this game was not the Downey clip, which has more than one million views on YouTube if you combine the several versions, nor the brilliance of Zubov. It was the loss of Turco to that lingering ankle sprain.

The Stars went 7-8-3 in the 18 games that Turco missed and lost some of the aura of invincibility that surrounded them early in the season. And even though Turco returned for the final stretch, going 6-1 in the final seven games of the season as he broke the modern-day goals against average record at 1.72, the team was never quite the same as they were before he went down.

In the playoffs, they struggled briefly with the Edmonton Oilers before dispatching them, as per tradition, in a six-game series win. But the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim took both games of the Western Conference Semifinals at the AAC in overtime, and the Stars could never recover, falling 4-2 in series. It was the last time they'd get that deep in the playoffs for six years.

Now, would the Stars have been able to advance further had Turco not been injured in that game? Hard to say. They did seem to regain some of their mojo when he came back, but ankle sprains are notoriously hard to shake, and even when he came back he wasn't quite the same guy. It almost certainly cost him the Vezina Trophy that year, which went to Martin Brodeur as almost a lifetime achievement award.

In the end, it's hard to say what might have changed if Turco had avoided that rut. But the combination of the magnitude of that injury, the absurdly memorable fight and the sheer brilliance of Zubov earns this game a place on our list.

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Our friends at Puck Daddy Blog have been running the very interesting "Essentials" series for the month of August and today it was the Hurricanes turn. Last month when we were asked to submit our entry for the series, I thought it would be best to have input from all of our writers. They did not disappoint.

After reading all the entries, I selected what I thought were the best answers to submit to Puck Daddy, but after the jump, check out the rest of the story and see what each writer had to say in full.

Agree or disagree?

Bob Wage:

Player - I would have said Brind'Amour for the reasons others gave but also because once he came here, he never left. Although I agree with Francis' role in legitimizing the franchise.

Season - obviously 2006 is hard to refute. May want to somehow throw in that it was the season after the lockout, so there was a magic associated with the return of hockey in general as well.

Game - Everyone in the arena stood. I don't think that's ever been duplicated. The roar was deafening. It was a visceral experience. Six years later you can still feel it resonating inside your body.

Goal - I wasn't at the game against the Devils and I'm still bitter so I won't comment further.

Trade - I think you have this one covered.

Unsung Hero - I loved everyone's comments here, especially Gerber. Wallin I could see. For the same reason it's hard to pin unsung hero on someone whose jersey is in the rafters, I have a hard time calling someone who has won a Conn Smythe unsung, but I do believe there's a lot about Cam Ward that goes unsung around the league. That said, I think Brind'Amour handing the Stanley Cup to Wesley is a perfect visual. Also I have photos (albeit not good ones) of that moment if you want to include shots with your story.

Villain - Agree with what you've written but I have to give an honorable mention to Brooks Orpik as the only player still actively and lustily booed in the arena six years after breaking Erik Cole's neck.

Fight - You have this covered but my favorite fight memory, and I wasn't there, and it wasn't even a Canes fight, was actually during the lockout when most of our young players were with the Lowell Loch Monsters, and they had a bench-clearing brawl against the Norfolk Admirals that included Cam Ward against Michael Leighton.

Coach - If you go with Laviolette as the coach then you should go with Paul Maurice as the franchise villain ;)

Broadcaster - Why don't you split the difference and call it a tie? Both have been with the team since the Hartford days, one is in the HOF and one is on national broadcast.

Arena behavior - You have to talk about tailgating as a way of life. People tailgate before games. They tailgated before the draft. They tailgated all weekend of the All-Star game. They tailgate for Select-a-Seat. They start at 9 am with cookers and beverages and corn hole. It's so popular even our players and their families sometimes participate. (photo courtesy of Jamie Kellner)

Arena food - Nothing is spectacular in the arena on account of the tailgating. That said, you can get a great sandwich in the arena piled high with NC-style barbecue and cole slaw. Also gotta mention Natty Greene's local brews on tap.

Swag - Honestly, I see very little Whaler swag in the arena at all anymore. It's dropped off to almost nothing in the last couple of years IMO. I liked whoever mentioned the storm flags. I have a couple of photos of Dale the flag guy (guy who sits at the bottom of Section 102 with the giant storm flags on hockey sticks). Might also be of interest to mention that there are a metric ton of people out there who have Canes tattoos.

Yesterday we went back to the roots of WIML pitting two scenarios featuring Senators players against each other. I asked which was more likely: that Craig Anderson finished top-10 in wins or that Erik Karlsson finished 2^nd on the team in points. With 65% of the vote, you went with the Honeymooner, and Sheer_Craziness put it best, and compared Alex Auld to saran wrap... so win-win.

Karlsson

I can’t see Anderson improving much on a 33-win season. I can’t see Karlsson improving much on a 78-point season. But I do expect the Northeast will get tougher, and that Ottawa will still be a bubble team.

Assuming that our backup is better than Saran wrap this coming season, and if we assume Ottawa is in the same ballpark for wins, I think the number of wins from Bishop/Lehner will be higher than the number from Auld/Bishop/Lehner this past season. So Anderson’s total drops off a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him more like 12th, as a heavy-load goalie on a team right around 16th in the league.

Karlsson will have little competition. Spezza will put up a lot, but who else? I don’t see Turris doubling his output, Alfie should stay about the same, and Michalek showed us last year that he doesn’t put up a ton of assists when he’s playing his best hockey

Today we go back to the rest of the league, and look at a couple teams in the Eastern Conference that look to challenge for division titles in two wildly different divisions: The Carolina Hurricanes and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Today's question is this:

Which is more likely? That Carolina wins the Southeast Division OR that Pittsburgh wins the Atlantic Division?

Carolina: Has been a summer of change for the Hurricanes, as they have acquired Alexander Semin via free agency and Jordan Staal via trade. This compliments their all-star goalie Cam Ward and captain Eric Staal. The southeast was won last season by a Florida Panthers team that doesn't look to be ready to repeat. The question here is Washington, but with high roster turnover and a brand new coach, will they be back to being the beasts of the southeast, or can they be calmed by the Hurricanes?

Pittsburgh: Arguably the most talented team in the league, the Penguins are always favourites before the season starts. With Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby they have two of the best players in the league, if not the best two. Marc-Andre Fleury had a tough playoffs though, and there is no telling how the loss of Jordan Staal will affect the team. Lastly, playing in the Atlantic division, they play 6 games against each of the Devils (Stanley Cup finalists), Rangers (Eastern Conference beasts) and Flyers (their kryptonite).

So, what say you?

Links.

Sens News:

• Adnan asks what are reasonable expectations for Erik Karlsson this season. I'd say anything over 55 points is a solid season, and he will learn to adapt to coaches keying in on him, and be back to 60-65 points after this season. [SSS]
• Unfortunately Cody Ceci was a healthy scratch in the deciding game between Canada and Russia last night. One bright side is the likelihood of Ryan Murray making the NHL as well as possibly Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Murphy. That could open the door for Ceci if he starts the season strong. [6thSens]
• Senators player spotlight shines on Jason Spezza today. [Sens]
• A look at some of the top Senators prospects! [TSP]

While last season was mostly a forgettable year for the Hurricanes, it was definitely one to remember for Jiri Tlusty. The young forward had a career season with 17 goals and 36 points and seemed to develop a lot of chemistry on the first line with Eric Staal. This breakout campaign earned Tlusty a two-year contract extension and it’s hard to say that he didn’t deserve it. He has worked his tail off the last three years, fought for ice time and took advantage of his shot in the top-six when the time came.

Tlusty has certainly earned a permanent spot on the team but after the additions the team made this off-season, it’s hard to find a place for him in the top-six. Unless the two Staals and Jokinen all play center next season, Tlusty is likely going to find himself outside of the top-six next year and while this may not seem like a big deal at first glance, it will certainly change the expectations for him. Tlusty isn’t a stranger to playing on the third line since that’s where he played for most of the first half of last season. He also has plenty of experience being used in a defensive role as a fourth liner, so he can fill in there if needed and should be a contributor no matter what.

The question is where will he play and how much will he contribute. Something that you may remember me posting in Tlusty’s season recap was that he was very dependent on Eric Staal when it came to controlling scoring chances. Barring an injury, Tlusty won’t get to see that much ice-time with Staal next year, so what kind of production can we expect from him? To do that, we are going to take a closer look at Tlusty’s career numbers, what factored into his career season and what kind of situation he could be playing in next season.

Something that most hockey fans should know is that a player is likely going to see his numbers improve if he sees time with a top-tier center like Eric Staal, and that was certainly the case with Tlusty last year. Tlusty was on Staal’s wing for over half of his even strength minutes and 30 of the 43 even strength goals Tlusty was on ice for also came when he was playing with Staal. These two were also very good at controlling scoring chances when they were playing together, especially when you compare them to some of the team’s other lines.

So what happens when the two are split up? For Staal, there shouldn’t be much to worry about because he was able to do well with other linemates. Tlusty was a different story. He struggled to control scoring chances away from Staal and seemed to get pinned into his own zone a lot when he was used on other lines. Part of this was due to not playing with Staal but another reason is because when Tlusty wasn’t playing with Staal, he was being used on the third line with Brandon Sutter, aka the team’s "shutdown line." Tlusty was being trusted with massive defensive responsibilities then, so it’s easy to see why his underlying numbers look unfavorable.

Looking forward to next season, Tlusty could easily find himself on the third line to start the year, but he might also be used in a different situation. With Sutter gone and Jordan Staal now in the mix, the Hurricanes may roll their lines completely different from how they did last year and the third line might be used in some more offensive situations, especially if someone like Jeremy Welsh or Zac Dalpe is centering that unit. This could put Tlusty in a similar role to the first line, but with a weaker center. That is obviously going to have an effect on what the Canes get from Tlusty next season but it’s not like he is completely helpless without Staal.

Tlusty was a very good offensive player during his time with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and he was a point-per-game player there in 2008-09. Staal definitely played a role in Tlusty’s breakout season but he has shown that he has talent and is capable of succeeding on his own. Just how much production can we expect from him, though?

Well, last season he had 17 goals, 36 points and scored 1.65 points per 60 minutes at even strength, which is considered to be just below a top-six rate, so we might expect him to have lower counting numbers if he plays fewer minutes but his scoring rate could stay the same. It’s difficult to project how many minutes the Hurricanes third line will get because there are so many new players but Patrick Dwyer and Brandon Sutter played roughly 13 minutes a game at even strength last year, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets 11-13 minutes as a third liner. Tlusty also saw his shot rate at even strength jump from 5.4 to 6.3 shots per 60 minutes, which may have been the result of playing with a better center or getting more minutes in general.

So let’s estimate that Tlusty plays roughly 12 minutes a game at even strength, records about 6 shots per 60 minutes and shoots at around his career rate of 12% at even strength. That would give him about 12-13 goals, give or take a couple more depending on what his shooting percentage looks like. His point total is a little more difficult to predict because that is going to depend on his linemates and we don’t know who he will be playing with. Jeremy Welsh has played only one NHL game and his ability to drive possession at even strength is largely unknown, and the same goes for Zac Dalpe who has played 31 total games. If he does stay on the third line, he could play a lot of minutes with Chad LaRose, who always generates a lot of shots but doesn’t score much so that could lead to some interesting things for Tlusty. He could end up getting fewer assists due to playing with a linemate with poor finishing ability or having more assists because he will be playing on a line with someone who shoots the puck a lot. It could go either way.

With this in mind, along with the fact that Tlusty is rarely used on the powerplay, we can say that Tlusty is a good bet to have something around 12-15 goals next season and his point total could reasonably finish around the 30-35 range. Of course, this is subject to change because shooting percentages bounce around over the course of a season and Tlusty may end up getting completely different minutes from what we are projecting here. If he stays on the third line then this projection should be around what the Hurricanes get from Tlusty, which is very reasonable for a third liner with some offensive upside.

Welcome back to LBC's exclusive All-Time Roster Countdown, where we won't stop until we get to the top. For an explanation as to how I figured out who goes where, click here.

Yesterday, we looked at former Florida defenseman Jason Woolley (89 games, 10 goals, 37 assists) and former right winger Marcus Nilson (327 games, 48 goals, 78 assists). In today's listing, we check in on a current Panthers defenseman from Strathroy, Ontario, and a goaltender from Manitoba.

For more on this, follow the link below.

40. Brian Campbell

Campbell was a 5'11" defenseman from Strathmore, Ontario with the Ottawa 67's when he was selected in the sixth round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, 156th overall. In four OHL seasons in juniors, he totalled 38 goals and 172 assists in 260 games, adding five goals and 36 assists in 50 postseason contests. He made his professional debut with the 1999-00 AHL Rochester Americans (67 games, two goals, 24 assists), also scoring a goal and four assists in 12 NHL games with the Sabres.

In 2000-01, Campbell again spent the balance of the season in Rochester (65 games, seven goals, 25 assists), making a brief eight game stop in Buffalo. The following season, he continued to have trouble cracking the NHL roster, scoring three goals and three assists in 29 contests with Buffalo. He also scored twice with 35 assists in 45 Rochester games.

2002-03 would see Campbell promoted to the NHL on a permanent basis, spending the next four and a half NHL seasons with the club. He made the All-Star team for the Sabres in 2007 and 2008. In total, he scored 32 goals and 144 assists in 391 games with the Sabres, adding three goals and 10 assists in 34 playoff games. He spent the 2004-05 season with Jokerit Helsinki in the Swedish Elite League (44 games, 12 goals, 13 assists). The Sabres traded him to the San Jose Sharks on February 26, 2008 with a seventh round pick (Drew Daniels) for Steve Bernier and a first round pick (Tyler Ennis).

After scoring three goals and 16 assists in 20 games for San Jose, then another goal and six assists in 13 playoff games, Campbell signed an eight-year, $57,143,000 contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He played the first three seasons of the contract with the club, making his third career All-Star team in 2009 and helping Chicago to win the 2010 Stanley Cup. He racked up 19 goals and 98 assists with a plus-51 rating and 46 penalty minutes in 215 games with the club. He also scored four goals and 14 assists in 43 playoff games. The Blackhawks traded him to Florida for Rostislav Olesz in what amounted to a salary dump for Chicago following the 2010-11 season.

2011-12 would see Campbell turn in his fourth All-Star campaign, leading the Panthers (and the NHL) with 2,206 minutes of ice time. He opened the season by assisting on both Panthers goals in a 2-0 win over the New York Islanders on October 8. Just a week later, he notched four assists in a 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 17. He had nine multipoint game over the course of the season, including four three assist games. He averaged 26:54, appearing in all 82 games, scoring four goals on 131 shots and a team best 49 assists. He finished the season with a minus-9 rating and a ridiculous six penalty minutes. The postseason would see him add a goal and four assists in Florida's seven game series loss to the New Jersey Devils. After the season, he was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for excellent sportsmanship.

Campbell makes a great d-zone poke-check 1/9/12 (via NHLVideo)

All-Time Statline: One season, 82 games, four goals, 49 assists, 53 points, minus-9 rating, six PIM, 10.3 APS.

39. Trevor Kidd

Kidd was a 6'2" goaltender from Dugald, Manitoba when selected by the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft with the 11th overall pick. He posted a 53-67-4 record in three WHL seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Spokane Chiefs, allowing 4.05 goals per 60 minutes.

In 1991-92, Kidd started in goal for the Canadian National Team (18-4-4, 3.51), helping them to a Silver Medal in the 1992 Olympic games. He made two appearances with the Flames late in the season (1-1-0, .857, 4.00). He ended up playing five seasons with the franchise, ranking sixth on their all-time victory list with a 72-66-26 record. He collected 10 shutouts, an .898 save percentage and a 2.83 GAA. Just prior to the 1997-98 season, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes with Gary Roberts for Andrew Cassels and Jean-Sebastian Giguere.

Kidd played for two season in Carolina, totalling a 28-31-9 with five shutouts, a 2.34 GAA and a .916 save percentage. After the 1998-99 season, he was picked up in the Expansion Draft by the brand new Atlanta Thrashers franchise. He was only a Thrasher for a short time, getting traded later that day to the Panthers for Gord Murphy, Herbert Vasiljevs, Daniel Tjarnqvist, and a sixth round pick (Darren Cox).

Kidd posted a 14-11-2 record as the 1999-00 Panthers second goaltender. He shut out the Thrashers on November 27 by a score of 3-0. He allowed 2.63 goals per 60 minutes, ranking eighth in the NHL with a .915 save percentage.

In 2000-01, Kidd shared number one netminder responsibilities with wunderkind Roberto Luongo. He posted a 30-save shutout on November 17 in a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. He allowed 3.31 goals per 60 minutes with an .893 save percentage and a suboptimal 10-23-6 record.

King Louie started his reign proper with the 2001-02 Panthers, as Kidd accepted his role as the first backup option. His 4-16-5 record was on par with Florida's 14th place Eastern Conference finish, posting a 22-50-12 record.He shutout the Buffalo Sabres on November 16 on 31 saves in a 2-0 shutout in one of very few highlights that season. He stopped 89.5% of total shots faced and allowed 3.21 goals per 60 minutes TOI. The Toronto Maple Leafs signed him as a free agent after the season.

Kidd played two seasons with the Leafs (12-15-4, .888, 3.17) before moving on to international play. He last played professionally with the Hannover Scorpions in the Deutsch Elite League in 2005-06.

All-Time Statline: Three seasons, 103 games, 5,611 minutes played, three shutouts, 28-50-13 record, 2,883 shots faced, 2,594 saves made, 28 goals allowed, .900 save percentage, 3.00 GAA, 10.5 APS.

Thank you for reading today's article. Make sure to check back tomorrow as we keep moving up the chain of past, present, and future Panther heroes, with a center from Ontario and another center from Slovakia.

Yesterday we looked at two teams who have a shot at winning division titles, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Pittsburgh Penguins and asked which of these two would be more likely to accomplish the feat. With about 65% of the vote (which shocked me) the readers have chosen to go with the revamped Hurricanes. There were many good comments made on both sides, but the best was made by The Tif:

Voted Carolina

1) SE is a toss up. WAS could be good, so could Tampa, but who knows. They have two settings: win the Cup or be awful.

2) Pittsburgh has more competition, plus if Crosby is out again, they’re in trouble without Staal.

There you have it, short and sweet.

Today we are back looking at the Senators, and I go back to the Parisi well of good ideas. For the first time, we put this format to the test by putting two scenarios up that will make you want to scream NEITHER DAVID YOU JERK! Without further ado:

Which is more likely? That Mark Stone is traded in the next 5 years OR that Cody Ceci is.

Stone: Has already been asked for by GMs around the league (allegedly) when Bryan Murray has been trying to make his deals. He was unknown when the Senators drafted him, but after a couple big WHL seasons and a dominating performance at the World Juniors for Canada, teams know how valuable he can be. Thing is, so does Bryan Murray.

Ceci: Our most recent draft pick, Ceci is already a darling of the media because he is an Ottawa born boy and a current Ottawa '67. The Senators are thin on quality defensive prospects, and that facilitated the need to draft a player like Ceci. Ceci projects to be a strong puck mover with solid size, and that kind of player is always in demand by GMs.

Remember, while neither of these is particularly likely, the game is to pick which one is MORE likely.

Enjoy!

Links after the jump.

Sens News:

• Even though they spell his name incorrectly, this Smith Falls paper tells its readers that Mark Borowiecki will be attending the Smith Falls Bears season ticket drive. Mark played for the team once upon a time. [EMC]
• An article on the official site where they sit down with Robin Lehner and talk to him about when his time will be. [Sens]
• Player spotlight on Erik Karlsson. [Sens]
• The Hockey News picks Ottawa to finish 8th in the East this coming season. [THN]

The AHL schedule was released earlier this afternoon, much to the excitement of AHL and NHL fans alike. There's more interest than I can ever remember in the league from NHL fans, which makes this kind of even more exciting. Any publicity we can get, any chatter we receive, any news that's shared outside of the usual sphere of AHL fans and organizations can only be great for our league.

Every team in the AHL plays a 76 game slate during the regular-season. The league used to play 80, but last summer the powers-that-be asked the AHL to cut down the schedule in order to help the players deal with travel time and help young prospects adjust to the grueling schedule. The league complied, leaving us with our 76 games. One of the immediate effects of that adjustment was to eliminate 4-in-5's (four games in five nights), something that was quite often scheduled in this league before the change. Although 76 games still left room for plenty of 3-in-3's (three games in three nights), many of the of the players were thankful for the slightly roomier schedule. Most teams average about six to eight 3-in-3's a season.

Due to the geographical differences between the two teams, the Crunch's schedule probably looks a bit different from what you've been used to with the Norfolk Admirals. I have some highlights behind the cut!

• The Crunch will play 30 of their 76 games against East Division opponents. The Crunch is located in the East Division. Those teams are Binghamton (Ottawa Senators), Hershey (Washington Capitals), Norfolk (Anaheim Ducks), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Penguins). The Baby Sens will be played 8 times, Hersey 6, Norfolk 8, and WBS 8.
• The new farm team of the Ducks comes to town for the first time since the affiliation switch on December 28th. The Crunch then returns the favor and visits Scope Arena in Norfolk on January 4th and 5th. The Admirals and the Crunch play each other a record 8 times this year. I think both front offices must be figuring this will be a great new rivalry for both teams. NOR and Syracuse met only four times last year.
• Elsewhere in the league, Syracuse will play Adirondack (Philadelphia Flyers) 8 times, Albany (New Jersey Devils) 8 times, Bridgeport (New York Islanders) twice, Connecticut (New York Rangers) twice, and Springfield (Columbus Blue Jackets) twice. They also play Hamilton (Montreal Canadiens) 4 times, Lake Erie (Colorado Avalanche) twice, Rochester (Buffalo Sabres) 10 times, and Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs) twice.
• The Crunch does not play 17 teams in the AHL. Some notables not in our schedule: Charlotte (Carolina Hurricanes) and Providence (Boston Bruins). Norfolk played both of those teams fairly often last year.
  
• The Crunch start off the season away on Friday, October 12th, at Rochester. The Crunch has a rather large rivalry with the Americans, so absolutely no one was surprised by this. Syracuse was 4-6 against the Amerks last year. One interesting thing to note here is that Norfolk didn't play Rochester at all last year, so the whole Amerks/Crunch thing is going to be very new to our players.
• Opening Night at the Onondaga County War Memorial will be October 13th against Hershey. The Crunch was 2-4 against Hershey last year. More relevant is probably Norfolk's record against the Bears., going 5-5 against them last season.
• NHL fans, take note: The Crunch's 11/9 tilt against the Hamilton Bulldogs will apparently be in Montreal.
• We have our first 3-in-3 almost right off the bat. The second weekend of hockey the Crunch is completely away, playing three games in a row against Albany, Binghamton, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
• The Crunch has an insanely home-loaded end of the season: its final 5 games are all at home. The Crunch usually does very well at the War memorial, so this could be a huge advantage for the team.
• The Crunch closes the season at home on April 21st against the Baby Sens. This is the first time in recent memory that the Crunch actually ends the year at home. We've been away the last few years.
  

Welcome back to the LBC exclusive All-Time Panther Roster Countdown, as we recap the pantheon of past and present Florida Panther heroes. If you need more information on how this list was constructed, click here.

In yesterday's entry, we looked back at original Panther left wing Dave Lowry (252 games, 50 goals, 60 assists) and left winger Johan Garpenlov (265 games, 47 goals, 74 assists). In today's article, we'll take a look at Canadian defenseman Rhett Warrener and Czech defenseman Jaroslav Spacek.

To continue, follow the jump.

34. Rhett Warrener

Warrener was a 6'1" defenseman from Shaunavon, Saskatchewan with the WHL Saskatoon Blades. He was selected by Florida in the second round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft with the 27th overall pick. He played one additional season with the Blades after selection, bringing his four season WHL totals to 22 goals and 62 assists in 197 games.

In 1995-96, Warrener started his professional career in the big show with the Panthers opening day roster. He played in 28 contests, making three assists and failing to notch a goal on 19 shots on net. He finished the season with a plus-4 rating and 46 penalty minutes. After the regular season, he appeared in 21 of the Panthers 22 postseason contests as the team won the Eastern Conference Championship in only their third season of existence. He also played in nine games with the AHL Carolina Monarchs.

1996-97 would see Warrener appear in 62 games for the Panthers. On January 23, he scored a goal and an assist in a 4-1 Florida victory over the Boston Bruins. He totalled four goals on 58 shots, pitching in on nine other goals with an assist. He led the Panthers with a plus-20 rating and spent 88 total minutes in the penalty box.

In 1997-98, Warrener played in a career high and Panthers third best 79 regular season games. He went scoreless on 66 shots, dishing out a grand total of four assists. He posted a minus-16 rating, good for the second worst rating on the team, also racking up 99 penalty minutes.

Warrener played in 48 games for the 1998-99 Panthers (zero goals, seven assists, minus-1 rating, 64 PIM) before getting traded to the Buffalo Sabres on March 23 with a fifth round pick (Ryan Milller) for Mike Wilson. He finished out the season with the Sabres, scoring a goal in 13 games.

Warrener totalled parts of five seasons in Buffalo (266 games, nine goals, 33 assists) before getting traded to the Calgary Flames after the 2002-03 season. He was bundled along with Steve Reinprecht for Chris Drury and Steve Begin. He would total four seasons in Calgary (231 games, 11 goals, 26 assists). He is currently still part of the Flames organization, as a scout.

All-Time Statline: Four seasons, 217 games, four goals, 23 assists, 27 points, plus-7 rating, 297 PIM, 11.0 APS.

33. Jaroslav Špaček

Špaček, a 6' defenseman from Rokycany, Czechoslovakia, played five seasons with Plzen HC in the Czech League starting in 1992-93. He totalled 20 goals and 62 assists in 187 contests before playing one season in the Swedish Elite league with Farjestads BK Karlstad. He racked up 10 goals and 16 assists in 45 games in 1997-98. His strong play caught the eye of the Panthers, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 117th overall.

Špaček joined the Panthers out of training camp for the 1998-99 campaign. He averaged 19:27 per game with Florida that season, appearing in 63 NHL games, mostly as part of the second pairing. On January 20, he logged a season high two assists in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. In total, he scored three goals on 92 shots, assisting on 12 more. He also led the team with a plus-15 rating and only 28 PIM. He also scored four goals and eight assists in 14 contests with the AHL Beast of New Haven.

In 1999-00, Špaček enjoyed eight multi-point games for the team, including a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 18. He was one of three Panthers to appear in all 82 games, averaging 22:40 per game, second only to first pair mate Robert Svehla. He led Florida defensemen with 10 goals on 111 shots, assisting a blue-line second best 26 assists. He finished the campaign with a plus-7 rating and 53 penalty minutes. He did not score in the Panthers very short postseason appearance that season, a four game sweep at the hands of the New Jersey Devils, accruing a minus-1 rating in the process.

2000-01 would see Špaček play the first 12 games of the season with the Panthers, averaging 19:12 TOI. He scored twice on 21 shots with one assist, a minus-4 rating, and eight PIM. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Anders Eriksson on November 6.

Špaček played in parts of two seasons in his first tour of duty with Chicago (110 games, eight goals, 28 assists). He later played with the Columbus Blue Jackets (153 games, 16 goals, 55 assists), a second round with the Blackhawks 45 games, seven goals, 17 assists), the Edmonton Oilers (31 games, five goals, 14 assists), the Buffalo Sabres (205 games, 22 goals, 76 assists), and the Montreal Canadiens (145 games, four goals, 36 assists) before joining the Carolina Hurricanes for the second half of the 2011-12 season (34 games, five goals, seven assists). Now 38 years old, the defenseman is currently an unsigned free agent.

All-Time Statline: Three seasons, 158 games, 15 goals, 39 assists, 54 points, plus-18 rating (Panthers sixth all-time), 89 PIM, 11.4 APS.

That's it for today. Thanks for you attention - and make sure to come back tomorrow as we continue our crawl up the listing of Panthers of yore, with a defenseman from Minnesota and a Czech left winger.

George Richards ‏@GeorgeRichards

Due to CBA uncertainty, #FlaPanthers have cancelled rookie tournament (#nhlCanes #tbLightning #Bruins) scheduled for Sept 15-19 in CSprings

Thus Tweeted OFP’s George Richards on Monday. No "official" word from the club as of this writing but evidently the Florida Panthers, along with the Bruins, Lightning and Hurricanes, have cancelled their Rookie Tournament scheduled to begin on September 15. Yep…the very same expiration date of the current collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association (which, it’s worthy to add, none of the tourney’s participants belong to at this stage). The Red Wings cancelled their annual camp less than a week ago, so expect everyone else to follow with similar actions soon. A "united front", and all that crap.

The NHL has already stated it won’t hold training camps if negotiations are not completed with a new CBA by the above date, but anything is possible as each party scrambles for the upper hand in what has (very expectedly) become a public relations war. Next on the chopping block: the aforementioned training camp, so far due to begin September 22.

Update: GR has more on the situation here, which assistant GM Mike Santos confirmed.

The Norfolk Admirals have released the full 2012-2013 schedule. On October 12th, opening night, the Ads will play against the Worcester Sharks, AHL affiliate for the San Jose Sharks. Somehow it ends up being an intense game of sorts, even though the two teams rarely play each other. [Ed. Note: Is it just a coincidence that we're playing our home opener against the Sharks that very night?]

Fans were hoping and praying for an opening weekend match-up against the former Admiral players now with the Syracuse Crunch. There are a couple reasons for this. The players still in the minors for Tampa Bay would get to see the championship banner - that they earned - raised and feel the love that the fan-base still has for them; it's still an unimaginable amount even though Tampa moved them.

The move is another reason in itself. The former team should have first try at ending the streak of regular season wins by Norfolk that paused at 28 before the playoffs started. The players may be different, but the franchise of record for the streak stays the same. We'll have to wait for the first match up between the two on December 28th in Syracuse. The first time the Crunch players return to their former-home in Norfolk is January 4th. It should be an awesome series between two good prospect pools.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were set to participate for the second time in a rookie camp tournament hosted by the Florida Panthers in Coral Springs. The camp (which was also set to involve the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins) and camps like it around the league tend to be a prelude to the start of NHL training camps.

But the camp / tournament was set to open on September 15^th, 2012... On that same date, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and Players Association was set to expire (with the league refusing to continue on under the expiring CBA). With that in mind, why bother flying players in if they'll just be sent home tomorrow?

So, the Panthers decided to nix the camp this season. Consider it the first of what could be many casualties of the ongoing and unsettled labor dispute. I don't even want to think about what will be nixed next. I do know that the lingering issue is ruining my revelry in the 20^th Anniversary season for the Lightning, which the team has been promoting since the 2012 NHL draft.

Welcome to the humpday edition of the LBC's exclusive Panthers countdown, where we profile every player to ever suit up for Florida. The details can be found at this link.

Yesterday, we looked at former Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard (164 games, 14 goals, 48 assists) and recent former left winger Michael Frolik (213 games, 50 goals, 67 assists). Today, we'll take the time to check out another Minnesota defenseman and a goaltender from Ontario.

Follow the jump for a video, a poll, and assorted fine cheeses.

30. Bret Hedican

Hedican scored 15 goals and 19 assists in 23 games his senior year in high school, at North St. Paul. The 6'2" defenseman from St. Paul, Minnesota was drafted in the 10th round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues soon afterward, with the 198th overall pick. He then played three seasons of collegiate hockey with the St. Cloud State Huskies (105 games, 30 goals, 46 assists).

Instead of turning pro right away, Hedican spent the 1991-92 season on the US National team, playing 62 games with the club. After going 4-0-1 in the "Group A" qualifying round, the US team just barely missed the the podium, in fourth. He also made his professional debut later in the season with St. Louis, in four regular season and five playoff games.

Hedican played in parts of three seasons with the Blues (107 games, one goal, 19 assists). St. Louis traded him to the Vancouver Canucks on March 21, 1994 with Jeff Brown and Nathan LaFayette for Craig Janney. In parts of six seasons with the Canucks, he played in 310 contests, racking up 17 goals and 85 assists. He also appeared in 41 playoff matches for the club, scoring a goal and nine assists. He was traded to the Panthers with Pavel Bure, Brad Ference, and a third round pick (Robert Fried) for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes and a first round draft pick (Nathan Smith) on January 17, 1999.

Hedican finished the 1998-99 season in Florida, nearly equalling the departed Jovanovski in ice time (22:24 through 25 games). He scored three goals on 38 shots, tabbing multiple points in three games, including a goal and an assist on April 17, a 6-2 season closing victory for the Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He finished the season with seven assists, 17 PIM, and a minus-2 rating.

Hedican played in 76 games for the Panthers in 1999-00. The only game in which he scored more than one point was a New Year's Day 7-5 win over the Bolts to wave in the new Millenium, with a goal and an assist. He averaged 19:36 TOI per game, getting second pairing minutes and scoring six goals on 58 shots with 19 assists. He racked up 68 PIM and ened the regular season at plus-4. He went scoreless in four playoff games following the season.

In 2000-01, Hedican played a blueline second best 21:49 per contest over 70 games. He scored five goals on 104 shots, including two on October 30 in a 6-5 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He also picked up 15 assists on the year, a minus-7 rating, and 72 penalty minutes.

2001-02 would see Hedican score three goals on 46 shots through the first 31 games of the season, along with seven assists. He was traded to the Carolina Huricanes on January 16 with Kevyn Adams and Tomas Malec for Sandis Ozolinsh and Byron Ritchie.

Over parts of six seasons with the Hurricanes, Hedican appeared in 369 games (in a strange coincidence, a number that ranks 30th on Carolina's all-time games played leaderboard). He scored 19 goals and 82 assists in regular season play. He also scored three goals and 13 assists in 48 postseason games with the club, helping them to the 2006 Stanley Cup Championship.

With the 2008-09 season just underway, Hedican signed a free agent contract with the Anaheim Ducks (51 games, one goal, five assists). He officially announced his retirement prior to the 2009-10 season. He has been married to Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi since 2000, and currently serves as the pre- and post- game host for the San Jose Sharks on CSN California.

All-Time Statline: Four seasons, 202 games, 17 goals, 48 assists, 65 points, minus-9 rating, 169 PIM, 11.7 APS.

29. Mark Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick, a 6'2" goaltender from Toronto, gained his chops with the WHL Medicine Hat Tigers. In four seasons beginning in 1984-85, he accrued a superb 94-34-11 with a GAA just north of three. He was selected in the second round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, with the 27th overall pick.

1988-89 would see Fitzpatrick split his season between the AHL New Haven Nighthawks (10-5-1, 3.31, .887), the NHL Kings (6-7-3, 4.01, .887), and after a trade, the New York Islanders (3-5-2, 3.92, .869). He played the next four seasons in the Islanders organization, splitting his time between the Islanders (51-53-17, 3.41, .891) and the AHL's Capital District Islanders (10-15-4). During the 1990-91 season, he contracted the potentially fatal Eosinophilia–myalgia syndrome. His recovery and persistence led to his winning the 1992 Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy.

After the 1992-93 season, Fitzpatrick was traded to the Quebec Nordiques with a first round pick (Adam Deadmarsh) for Ron Hextall and a first round pick (Todd Bertuzzi). Four days later, he was claimed by the Panthers in the NHL Expansion Draft.

1993-94 would see Fitzpatrick post a 12-8-6 record backing up first ever number one netminder John Vanbiesbrouck. He blanked the Boston Bruins on February 6, stopping 38 shots in a 3-0 shutout. His .913 save percentage (NHL fifth-best) and 2.73 GAA, although not quite up to snuff with Beezer's numbers, at the represented career bests for Fitzy.

In 1994-95, Fitzpatrick went 6-7-2 in his 15 decisions as the season was shortened to only 48 games. Two of his victories were shutouts, a 2-0, 21-save performance on February 15 against the Ottawa Senators, and a 17-save, 1-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on April 20. His 90% save rate and 2.64 goals allowed per 60 minutes again ranked second on the team.

Goalie fight - Bill Ranford vs. Mark Fitzpatrick dual-feed (via nefraz)

Fitzpatrick started out the 1995-96 campaign with a 9-1-1 record before coming back to earth. He finished up at 15-11-3, with an .896 save percentage and a 2.96 GAA. In two playoff games, he allowed six goals on 30 shots, but did not figure into any of the Panthers 22 decisions (Beezer went 12-10) as the Cats took home the Eastern Conference Championship.

1996-97 would see Fitzpatrick again start out hot, with a 6-1-2 record through his first nine decisions. He went on to post an 8-9-9 record. a career and NHL eighth best 2.36 GAA, and a .914 save percentage, both marks were only marginally short of Vanbiesbrouck's on the season. The Panthers again qualified for the playoffs, but were eliminated in five games by the New York Rangers. Fitzpatrick did not see any playing time in the series.

In 1997-98, Fitzpatrick posted his fourth and final shutout as a Panther, in a 23-save, 1-0 victory over the New York Islanders on November 15. It was one of few bright spots that year for him, as he went on to compile a 2-7-2 record before getting traded on January 15 to the Tampa Bay Lightning Jody Hull for Jeff Norton and Dino Ciccarelli.

After finishing out the season with the Lightning (7-24-1 3.16, .895), Fitzpatrick went on to play for the Chicago Blackhawks (6-8-6, 2.74, .906) and the Carolina Hurricanes (0-2-0, 4.49, .882). After going 4-4-0 for the IHL's Detroit Vipers in 2000-01, he tried to make the Vancouver Canucks out of training camp in 2001. He was not signed, and retired shortly thereafter.

All-Time Statline: Five seasons, 119 games, 6,528 minutes, 43-42-22 record, four shutouts, 3,051 shots faced, 2,756 saves, 295 goals allowed, .903 save percentage, 2.71 GAA, 11.9 APS.

Thank you for reading today's article. Leave a vote in the poll - please, comment - and check back tomorrow for a Swedish left winger and a currently rostered Russian Florida defenseman.

Welcome back to LBC's exclusive all-time Panthers roster countdown. If you already have the score, but need to know things like who led the team in positive zone starts and shorthanded blocked shots, click here.

Yesterday, we looked into former Panthers left winger Kristian Huselius (257 games, 58 goals, 69 assists) and current roster member defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. (198 games, 13 goals, 57 assists). Today, we'll check out a right winger from British Columbia and a defenseman from Toronto.

To continue, follow the jump.

26. Bill Lindsay

Lindsay was a 6' right winger from Fernie, BC. He was originally selected off the WHL Tri-City Americans (177 games, 120 goals, 151 assists) by the Quebec Nordiques in the fifth round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, 103rd overall. Initially, he stayed put with the Americans as the 1991-92 season started, scoring 34 goals and 59 assists in only 42 games (2.21 points per game). He made his NHL debut later in the season, playing in 23 contests and racking up two goals and four assists.

In 1992-93, Lindsay split the season between the Nordiques (44 games, four goals, nine assists) and the AHL Halifax Citadels (20 games, 11 goals, 13 assists). After the season on June 24, Florida selected the unprotected Lindsay in the NHL Expansion Draft.

Lindsay made his debut with the Panthers on the same night the Panthers made theirs. He set a season high with two points, both assists, in a February 20, 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. He scored six goals on 90 shots, also tabbing six assists and finishing the season with a minus-2 rating and a team seventh best 97 PIM. He was one of two players to play in all 84 games.

In 1994-95, Lindsay was one of five Panthers to appear in all 48 games, as the season was started late due to the players strike. He ranked fourth on the team with 10 goals on 63 shots, pitching in nine assists and a plus-1 rating. He finished fourth on the team with 46 penalty minutes. He was the only Panther to play in every game through the first two seasons.

1995-96 would see Lindsay appear in 73 games for Florida. He had seven multi-point efforts with the Panthers that season, including three three point games. He scored two goals and an assist on November 11 in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He logged 57 minutes in the penalty box, and led the team with a plus-13 rating. After the regular season, he ranked fourth on the team with five goals and 10 points. On April 27, he scored the game clinching goal in the Panthers first ever playoff series victory over the Boston Bruins (see video).

Den of Honor Moment: The Goal (via FloridaPanthersVideo)

In 1996-97, Lindsay logged two points in six different contests, including two assists in a season opening 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. He played in a team third best 81 contests, ranking seventh on the club with 34 points. (11 goals on 168 shots, 23 assists). He finished the campaign with a plus-1 rating and a team fourth best 120 penalty minutes. He tacked on an assist in three playoff games as the Panthers lost to the New York Rangers in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Lindsay was the only player to appear in all 82 games with the 1997-98 Panthers. He scored a team fifth best 12 goals on 150 shots, also making 16 assists, a minus-2 rating, and 80 PIM. He scored twice in a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on March 26.

1998-99 would see Lindsay rank third on the Panthers with 92 penalty minutes. He scored 12 times on 135 shots with 15 assists and a minus-1 rating. He played mostly on the third line with 13:37 ATOI through 75 games. Just prior to the next season, the Panthers traded him to the Calgary Flames for Todd Simpson.

After parts of two seasons with the Flames (132 games, nine goals, 21 assists), Lindsay joined the San Jose Sharks for the end of the 2000-01 season (16 games, zero goals, four assists). He signed a free agent contract to return to the Panthers just prior to the 2001-02 season.

Lindsay averaged 9:40 TOI per game for Florida through 63 games, scoring four goals on 63 shots with seven assists. He was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens on March 23 after Florida sent him through the waiver wire. After parts of two seasons with Montreal (32 games, one goal, five assists), he played part of one season with the Atlanta Thrashers (24 games, zero points). He is currently half of FS Florida's two man broadcast booth, along with Steve Goldstein. He ranks eighth on the Panthers all-time games played leaderboard, with 506.

All-Time Statline: Seven seasons, 506 games, 67 goals, 98 assists, 165 points, minus-1 rating, 609 PIM (fourth all-time), 13.2 APS.

25. Bryan Allen

Allen, a 6'5" defenseman from Kingston, Ontario, was selected in the first round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, with the fourth overall pick. Before turning professional, he turned in four seasons with the OHL Oshawa Generals (148 games, 15 goals, 34 assists). He made his pro debut with the AHL Syracuse Crunch near the end of the 1999-00 season (nine games, one goal, one assist).

In 2000-01, Allen spent most of the season with the IHL Kansas City Blades (75 games, five goals, 20 assists), joining the Canucks for six games in February and March. In total, he spent parts of five seasons with Vancouver (216 games, 14 goals, 18 assists). After the 2005-06 season, the Canucks traded him to the Panthers with Todd Bertuzzi and Alex Auld for Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek, and a sixth round draft pick (Sergei Shirokov).

2006-07 would see Allen take 99 shots on goal, potting four of them. He ranked 10th on the team with 21 assists and second with 112 penalty minutes. He also logged a team fifth best plus-seven rating. He averaged 21:36 TOI while appearing in every game that season on the Panthers second pairing, usually with Mike Van Ryn. He scored a season high two points with a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 27.

In 2007-08, Allen secured three games in which he logged two points, including a goal and an assist in a March 6 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-2. He scored two goals on 67 shots, dishing out 14 assists. He logged a team third best 21:17 ATOI on the season while appearing in 73 Panthers games. He finished with a plus-5 rating and 67 PIM. (Incidentally, the top eight Panthers that season each earned between 64 and 85 PIM).

2008-09 would see Allen start the season with an assist in an opening night 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on October 10. The very next night, he played over 30 minutes of the Panthers next contest, a 3-2 overtime victory against the Atlanta Thrashers. Unfortunately, he was hurt in the game, and missed the final 80 games of the season with a left knee injury.

Allen returned to form in 2009-10, averaging 19:10 TOI in 74 Florida games. He led the team with 99 penalty minutes, and scored four times on 78 shots. He also managed nine assists and finished with a minus-8 rating. On March 13, he logged a season high two points with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

2010-11 would see Allen score four goals on 50 shots with eight assists. He made a career high three assists on November 5, in a 7-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. On February 28, the Panthers sent him to those same Hurricanes for Sergei Samsonov.

Allen Times Two (01/26/10) (via theultimategoalcom)

Allen played a season and a half with Carolina (101 games, one goal, 18 assists). On July 1, 2012, he signed a three-year, $10,500,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

All-Time Statline: Five seasons, 284 games, 14 goals, 53 assists, 67 points, plus-1 rating, 341 PIM, 13.6 APS.

Thanks for reading today's entry. Make sure to leave some comments, and check back tomorrow for a center from Alberta and a right winger from Ontario.

Our jersey number series continues with #24, where we find a mix of wingers, including one who was chosen by OTF readers as part of an All-Time Nashville Predators team voted on a few years ago...

Scott Walker

Walker joined the Predators for their inaugural campaign, where he ended up playing for seven consecutive seasons. The Cambridge, Ontario native was given more responsibilities and expanded ice time, allowing him to score a career-high of 15 goals and 40 points in his first year. Walker's next explosive season came in the 2000-2001 season, breaking his previous record with 25 goals and 54 points and leading that team with most goals and powerplay goals (9) scored. Walker underwent a slump during the next two years, though he was named as the Predators' interim captain from January 12-25, 2003 when Greg Johnson was sidelined with injuries.

Nevertheless, he bounced back again in the 03-04 season when he accumulated 25 goals and 67 points in 75 games, becoming the highest-scoring player in Predators history. Not only did he have the most goals, assists, and points of the entire team, but he was also named the NHL Offensive Player of the Week of December 22^nd. After an unimpressive follow-up season, Walker was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Josef Vasicek on July 18, 2006.

Brandon Bochenski

Spending the majority of his career honing his skills in the AHL, Bochenski was traded to the Predators by the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations on February 26, 2008. After 8 regular season games with the Preds, he scored 1 goal and 3 points. Bochenski followed the team to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings, though he was unable to record a single point in the three games he was put on the ice. That summer, Bochenski signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ben Guite

Another tenured minor league player, Guite signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Nashville Predators on July 14, 2009, spending the majority of the season with the Admirals (6 games with the Predators). In 64 games with the Ads, he recorded 8 goals and 21 points. Guite left as a free agent in the offseason and signed a one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on August 18, 2010.

Matt Halischuk

"Hally" was traded to the Predators on June 19, 2010 from the New Jersey Devils for the Preds' beloved captain Jason Arnott, who returned to the team for which he scored the Stanley-Cup winning goal in 2000. In his first season with the organization, Halischuck split his time between the Admirals and the Predators, scoring 4 goals and 12 points in 27 games for the Preds in the regular season (along with a fairly impressive +5 rating). Halischuck was called up to play in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Preds. Not only did he help the Predators win their first ever first-round series in the playoffs, but he also scored the game-winning goal in the 2nd overtime of Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinal series against the Vancouver Canucks to even up the series at 1-1. It was Nashville's first-ever win in the second round of the playoffs. Though the Predators' remaining time in the playoffs was cut short, Halischuck's contract was extended to two more years with the Predators in the offseason. This past season, Halischuck amassed 15 goals and 28 points while playing on the third line with Nick Spaling and Gabriel Bourque.

Halischuck has proven to be a phenomenal addition to the Predators and he is not even close to reaching his fullest potential. He is aggressive on plays and does not hesitate to take shots, which explains him scoring the seventh-highest amount of goals for the team this past season. Expect the right winger to be paired up with rising stars Craig Smith and Gabriel Bourque now that Jordin Tootoo has gone to the dark side.

As the National Hockey League and the Players Association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, hockey fans everywhere are concerned that another work stoppage may occur. I understand and sympathize with these fears. In light of the intense scrutiny during this time, I made some statements last week that may have been misconstrued by media and the public and I would like to clarify them for our wonderful fans.

When I said the NHL recovered from our last work stoppage because we have the greatest fans in the world, I meant it sincerely. Some in the media think I was intimating that hockey fans were "suckers" and that we are taking advantage of their loyalty. This could not be further from the truth.

I mean, what's not to love about hockey fans? They came back after our work stoppage in 2004. They came back after our work stoppage in 1994. They pretty much forgot that the 1992 strike even happened. They spend a lot of money on tickets and jerseys and third jerseys and jersey shirts and special one-time-only jerseys that will just be worn during the Winter Classic.

And hey, how about that big party, huh? That one game makes more money than the franchise values of all three California teams combined. Why? Because hockey fans are the greatest in the world. Case closed.

Speaking of money, I also said last week that the owners feel they're paying out more money to players than they think they should be. Some short-sighted yellow journalists called this hypocritical - that somehow signing players to lucrative long-term contracts while saying you want to spend less money is contradictory.

Frankly, this is hogwash. What the owners want is a larger share of Hockey Related Revenue. I could try to explain HRR further, but most laymen wouldn't understand this very complex amalgam of assets. I don't expect readers of this or any other hockey blog to have the intelligence or business acumen to follow this fundamental issue that we at the negotiating table are trying to hash out. So let mommy and daddy talk, OK kids?

Let me clarify that. There are a lot of ways for team owners, whom I consider to be my friends, to make money. Right now, most of that money goes to the players. My friends want more of it coming back to them. Why should the players get the lion's share? What did they do to earn it?

Let me clarify that. Players make a lot of money, mainly because the owners sign them to very expensive contracts. What the owners want is a new system that keeps them from spending too much on player contracts. Seven years ago, we lost an entire season because owners wanted to add a salary cap to curb salaries and close the gap between big and small market clubs by keeping teams from spending too much on player contracts. But that system simply does not work.

Let me clarify that. Because it sounds like the owners got the exact system they wanted during the last work stoppage. They did, but...they really didn't.

Let me clarify that clarification...

On second thought, forget it. I find it unproductive to get into a public debate about this. Games will get played when we're good and ready and not a minute before.

And would it kill you guys to use some pictures that don't make me look like either a vampire marionette or The Penguin? I mean, geez.

Gary Bettman
Commissioner
National Hockey And Periodic Lockout League

___

This is a work of parody. Although, ironically, the funniest lines in it are the ones that are real.

Welcome back to another week of the all-time roster countdown, where we feature every player to ever lace up and skate for the Florida Panthers. For more information, click here.

Last week, we covered left winger Dave Lowry (272 games, 50 goals, 60 assists), left winger Johan Garpenlov (265 games, 47 goals, 74 assists, defenseman Rhett Warrener (217 games, four goals, 23 assists), defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (158 games, 15 goals, 39 assists), defenseman Keith Ballard (164 games, 14 goals, 48 assists), left winger Michael Frolik (213 games, 50 goals, 67 assists), defenseman Bret Hedican (202 games, 17 goals, 48 assists), goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick (43-42-22, .903, 2.71), left wing Kristian Huselius (257 games, 58 goals, 69 assists), defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (198 games, 13 goals, 57 assists), right winger Bill Lindsay (506 games, 67 goals, 98 assists), and defenseman Bryan Allen (284 games, 14 goals, 53 assists). This week, we start with a center from Alberta and a right winger from Ontario. On Tuesday, we'll check in with defensemen from Ontario and BC, and later yet we'll hit up a left winger from Detroit and two more defenseman from Ontario.

To go on with the show, follow the jump.

24. Stu Barnes

Barnes was a standout 5'11" center from Spruce Grove, Alberta with the WHL Tri-City Americans when selected by the Winnepeg Jets in the first round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, fourth overall. In three WHL seasons, he split his playing time between the New Westminster Bruins (71 games, 37 goals, 64 assists) and the Tri-City Americans (133 games, 111 goals, 174 assists).

Before making the turn professional, Barnes played the full 1990-91 season (53 games. 22 goals, 27 assists) with the Silver Medal placing Canadian National Team, at the 1991 World Championship. Over the following three seasons, he played significant time with both the Jets (102 games, 25 goals, 23 assists) and their AHL affiliate, the Moncton Hawks (72 games, 36 goals, 51 assists).

Contrary to popular belief, Barnes was not on the Panthers when they opened the franchise with a 4-4 tie with the Chicago Blackhawks on October 6, 1993. He played the first 19 games of the season with the Jets before a trade brought him to Florida with a sixth round pick (Chris Kibermanis) for Randy Gilhen on November 23. As a Panther that season, he had four two point games, with a goal and an assist each time, including in a 5-3 win over the Hartford Whalers on December 29. In 59 Florida games that season, he placed third on the team with 18 goals (on 148 shots) with 20 assists, a plus-5 rating, and 30 penalty minutes.

In 1994-95, Barnes led the Panthers with 19 assists and tied for the team lead with 29 total points. He appeared in 41 games on the strike-shortened 48 game schedule, finishing with a team second best plus-7 rating and only eight penalty minutes. He had five two point games on the season, including a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on March 22.

1995-96 would see Barnes rank fifth on the Panthers, with 44 points on 19 goals and 25 assists. He ranked last on the team with a minus-12 rating and also spent 46 minutes in the penalty box. As the Panthers charged to the Stanley Cup Championship series, he led the team with 10 assists, also making six goals through 22 postseason matchups. Including the regular and postseason, Barnes had 14 multi-point efforts, including a three assist game in Florida's 6-2 win in game two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

In 1996-97, Barnes plyaed 19 games into the season with the Panthers. He made three assists in a 6-0 victory over the Whalers on October 12 on his way to two goals and eight assists. Florida sent him to the Pittsburgh Penguins with Jason Woolley for Chris Wells on November 19.

Tribute to Stu Barnes (via Uki1338)

Barnes went on to play for 10 more NHL seasons with the Penguins (204 games, 67 goals, 69 assists), the Buffalo Sabres (310 games, 67 goals, 105 assists), and the Dallas Stars (329 games, 53 goals, 67 assists). He officially retired preceding the 2008-09 season. After serving as an assistant coach with the Stars for two seasons, Barnes, along with Olaf Kolzig, currently own the WHL Tri-City Americans.

All-Time Statline: Four seasons, 191 games, 49 goals, 72 assists, 121 points, minus-3 rating, 94 PIM, 13.8 APS.

23. Ray Sheppard

Sheppard was a 6'1" right winger from Petawawa, Ontario when chosen in the third round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, 60th overall. Before joining the AHL's Rochester Americans in 1986-87 (55 games, 18 goals, 13 assists), he played three seasons with the OHL Cornwall Royals (180 games, 150 goals, 130 assists).

Sheppard played three seasons in Buffalo (159 games, 64 goals, 50 assists). He later played with the New York Rangers (59 games, 24 goals, 23 assists), the Detroit Red Wings (274 games, 152 goals, 113 assists), and the San Jose Sharks (51 games, 27 goals, 19 assists).

On March 16, 1996, Sheppard was traded to Florida with a fourth round pick (Joey Tetarenko) for a second (Geoff Peters) and a fourth round pick (Matt Bradley). Just after joining the team, he put up a hat trick in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on March 21. He played the last 14 games of the regular season with the team, totalling eight goals on 52 shots with two assists. In 21 postseason contests, he scored eight goals and eight assists. On April 17, he scored twice with an assist in game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. In game two, he scored a goal and three assists in Florida's 6-2 win.

1996-97 would see Sheppard take 226 shots on goal, potting a team leading 29 of them. He also led the squad with 60 total points. His 31 assists finished second only to defenseman Robert Svehla's 32. He finished the season with a plus-2 rating and 86 penalty minutes through 68 games. His 16 multi-point games included three hat tricks: On November 26 in a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, on December 22, in a 7-3 loss to the New York Rangers, and on March 13 in a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

In 1997-98, Sheppard spent most of the season with the Panthers, scoring a team fourth best 14 goals on 136 shots with 17 assists through 61 contests. He earned 21 penalty minutes and finished with a minus-13 rating. Florida traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24 for goaltender Kirk McLean. He played in 84 games with the Canes over the next two seasons (84 games, 29 goals, 35 assists).

Ray Sheppard - Power Play Goal (via JesGolbez)

On November 15, 1999, Sheppard signed back with the Panthers as a free agent. He played 47 games for the Panthers that season. On April 5, he scored two goals and an assist in a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins. He totalled 10 goals on 74 shots with 10 assists. He had a minus-4 rating and only four penalty minutes on the season. He retired following the season, and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Florida Panthers Alumni Association.

All-Time Statline: Four seasons, 190 games, 61 goals, 60 assists, 121 points, minus-13 rating, 33 PIM, 14.8 APS.

As we are all aware of by now the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the players and the owners is set to expire shortly, bringing with it the threat of a lockout as well as the potential for missed games. The sides continue to talk, and the latest news is that the owners presented the NHLPA with a new deal that the NHLPA will respond to shortly. In an effort to provide some clarity to the talks and the potential impact to the NHL schedule I've compiled a quick reference set of dates that are critical in the upcoming negotiations.

September 15, 2012 - This is the date on which the current CBA expires. If no new deal is in place by midnight on September 15 the owners have stated that they intend to lock out the players, thus ushering in a new work stoppage. What significance does September 15th have? Realistically none, which is why Donald Fehr has constantly said he doesn't see this date as a major event. Sure the owners would lock out the players, but on September 15th training camp will not have yet begun. For reference, last year the Hurricanes, like many other teams, brought players in on September 16th for physicals and opened camp the following day with the season beginning on October 6th. This year the season won't begin until October 11th, a full five days later.

More important dates after the break.

September 20th/21st, 2012 - This is the time many teams would look to open training camp. Regardless of when or if the owners lockout the players, there will be no real impact to the NHL calendar until this date. Unfortunately it's difficult to know exactly when teams would open camp as those plans have not been announced due to the CBA uncertainty. Is this date important? A bit, but not much. Players won't miss any paychecks if a lockout extends to this time frame and owners won't lose any pre-season game revenue.

September 23, 2012 - Sunday September 23 is the date of the first scheduled pre-season game between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens. It is the only game on the schedule for that day, but there are 10 games on the schedule for the following day. How important is this date? More so than the 20th/21st, but still not terribly significant. Owners will have to start refunding season ticket holders money for canceled pre-season games, but outside of the large markets with the large season ticket holder bases this won't impact owners much. Players will still not lose any revenue for missed games.

October 1, 2012 - This date is 10 days before the start of the regular season and likely the last day that a deal can be struck without having an impact on the regular season schedule. Any lockout continuing past this day likely doesn't give teams enough time to get players through phsyicals, some sort of training camp, and perhaps a pre-season game. This could be the day that the first set of games are canceled. How meaningful is this date? Very much so. This is the first time that both sides will be talking about losing real sums of money. The players won't get paid for games missed and the owners won't collect revenue from these missed dates.

October 11, 2012 - Opening night for the NHL. Any work stoppage beyond this point will officially interfere with the regular season, even if the decision to cancel games is made a week earlier. How meaningful is this date? Less so then the October 1 date, but it's likely that this is a day when fan displeasure gets amped up. This could also be a time where the owners decide to cancel the first month of the season.

November 9, 2012 - It was on November 9, 2004 that the NHL officially cancelled the All-Star game for the 2005-2006 season. It was also around this time that the NHL began releasing game dates on a 45-day rolling schedule meaning that arena operators were able to book other events on dates that had previously been reserved for NHL hockey games. How important is this date? Extremely important. Any lockout that stretches this long will have drastic impacts on the NHL schedule, meaning significant money lost by both owners and players.

Thanksgiving/December 1, 2012 - This is the time frame that the NBA lockout from last year ended. You may recall that getting a deal done by this time was necessary for the NBA to play on Christmas day. How important is this date? This is without a doubt the most critical time in any potential work stoppage. Without a deal in place prior to December 1 it's likely that the NHL has to cancel the Winter Classic, which would be a huge black mark for the league. Any lockout that puts in jeopardy the Winter Classic has the potential to cancel an entire season.

February 16, 2013 - It was on February 16, 2005 that Gary Bettman officially canceled the 2004-05 season. How important is this day? Very much so for both players and owners. Any work stoppage that goes beyond this time frame will cancel yet another season. Losing two seasons will have long term ramifications for the league. I'm not going to get in to what those specifics will be, but they won't be good for the players or the owners.

Greetings, salutations, and welcome back to the Wednesday installment of LBC's exclusive all-time Panthers countdown. If you need to know why some of your favorite players are falling lower than you'd like (or why some of your least favorite are coming in higher), click here for the details on the standards involved in this lists' compilation.

In yesterday's shout, we took a look back at natural left winger and native Detroitian David Booth (309 games, 87 goals, 80 assists). Today, we continued to climb the ladder to number one (and hopefully a season soon afterward) with a look into a defenseman from London, Ontario.

For even more creamy goodness, follow the following link.

19. Mike Van Ryn

Van Ryn was a 6'1" defenseman from London, Ontario. He had played one season of collegiate hockey with the Univeristy of Michigan in 1997-98 (38 games, four goals, 14 assists) when originally selected by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, with the 26th overall pick. Instead of joining the Devils organization, Van Ryn played another season of college hockey (37 games, 10 goals, 13 assists) with the Wolverines. In 1999-00, he played 61 games with the OHL Sarnia Sting (six goals, 35 assists).

Van Ryn didn't like the status quo as it pertained to NHL's rights to collegiate players after a draft selection. According to wikipedia.org:

In June 2000, through a loophole, Van Ryn signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues. NHL teams retain the rights of drafted college players until they leave the school. Van Ryn challenged this practice in court and an arbitrator ruled that a player drafted off a college team could play one season of major junior hockey and then become a free agent. Thus after two years at the University of Michigan, Van Ryn went on to play one year for Sarnia Sting, and then became a free agent, which allowed him to sign a three-year deal with St. Louis.

Van Ryn opened the 2000-01 season as a member of the Blues, failing to score and ending the game with a minus-2 rating. He was sent down the St. Louis' AHL affiliate, the Worcester IceCats (37 games, three goals, 10 assists) soon afterward. The following season, he played a substantial portion of the year in each of the two clubs, scoring two goals with seven assists in 24 games with the IceCats and two goals with eight assists in 48 NHL contests with the Blues.

In 2002-03, Van Ryn was again splitting the season between Worcester (33 games, two goals, eight assists) and St. Louis (20 games, zero goals, three assists). The Blues sent him to Florida on March 11th for Valeri Bure and a fifth round draft pick (Nikita Nikitin). He would finish the season with the San Antonio Rampage, tabbing three assists in 11 games.

Van Ryn opened the 2003-04 season as a full-fledged NHLer for the first time. Out of 79 total games, he tabbed multiple points six times, including a season best three assists on April 4th in a 6-6 tie with the Carolina Hurricanes, the last tie in the history of the NHL (the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers also tied that night, 3-3). He led the team with an ATOI of 24:26, while leading the blueliners with 24 assists (third on the team). He scored a career high and team fifth best 13 goals on 136 shots, finishing tied for a team worst minus-16 rating.

As 2004-05 passed without hockey, so too did Van Ryn do without. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he took the season off, not playing anywhere. When play resumed in 2005-06, Van Ryn rejoined the Panthers, playing in a career high 80 games. In the sixth game of the season, he notched an assist on each of Florida's three goals in a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He would duplicate the feat on February 28th as the Panthers mauled the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-2. In the last game of the season, he scored a season high two goals in a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers, on April 18th. In total, he scored eight goals on 129 shots with a career high and team fifth-best 29 assists. He averaged a team second best 22:36 TOI, finishing at a team second best plus-15 rating.

In 78 Panthers games in 2006-07, Van Ryn made two assists in five of them. He scored four goals on 121 shots, also collecting a team eighth best 25 assists. He had a minus-5 rating as he was relegated to the second pairing, averaging 21:08 TOI (fourth among Panthers blue-liners).

Pantherrrr...GOOAALLL! (via gabtabulous125)

After 20 games with the Panthers in 2007-08, Van Ryn was sidelined for the rest of the season with a wrist injury and subsequent surgery and rehabilitation. He had gone scoreless on 16 shots with two assists and a minus-2 rating. Just prior to the 2008-09 season, the Panthers sent Van Ryn to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Bryan McCabe and a fourth round draft pick (Sam Brittain).

Van Ryn scored three goals and eight assists in 27 games for Toronto in 2008-09, suffering from assorted knee injuries and concussion issues. After missing the entire 2009-10 season, he officially announced his retirement. He joined the coaching ranks with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League, and is currently with the Houston Aeros in the same capacity.

All-Time Statline: Four seasons, 257 games, 25 goals, 80 assists, 105 points, minus-8 rating, 220 PIM, 17.3 APS.

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and wasting your time to read about a pretty good blue line setup man. Leave some comments, and check back tomorrow as we take a look at yet another defenseman from Ontario.