Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips- December 10, 2011

FLYERS Headlines

1. Philadelphia Inquirer- Flyers' Pronger out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms 2. Philadelphia Inquirer- Flyers Notes: Laviolette: Stall tactics may return 3. Philadelphia Inquirer- Concussion-like problems for Pronger, Schenn 4. Philadelphia Daily News- Pronger out indefinitely with 'concussion like symptoms' 5. Philadelphia Daily News- Bernie Parent coaxed by fans to play in Winter Classic 6. CSNPhilly.com- Concussion-like symptoms sideline Pronger 7. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers must proceed as if Pronger won't return 8. CSNPhilly.com- Ten keys to Giroux's winning Hart Trophy 9. Delaware County Times- Flyers' Pronger out with concussion-like symptoms 10. Bucks County Courier-Times- Pronger to undergo more concussion tests 11. Camden Courier-Post- Hartnell emerging as heart of Flyers' top line 12. Camden Courier-Post- Pronger, Schenn out with concussions 13. Philly Sports Daily- Flyers Say They’ll Treat Tampa Trap The Same 14. Philly Sports Daily- Shanahan Meets With Flyers Over Hits 15. Philly Sports Daily- Brayden Schenn’s Latest Injury Is A Concussion 16. Philly Sports Daily- Chris Pronger Out Indefinitely 17. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com- Holmgren: Pronger Out Indefinitely 18. NHL.com- Flyers' Pronger suffering 'concussion-like' symptoms 19. TSN.ca- PRONGER OUT INDEFINITELY WITH CONCUSSION-LIKE SYMPTOMS 20. ESPN.com- Flyers' Chris Pronger out indefinitely Tampa Bay Lightning Headlines

1. St. Petersburg Times- New York Rangers' Artem Anisimov apologizes to Tampa Bay Lightning for gun-shooting celebration 2. St. Petersburg Times- Tampa Bay Lightning's Marty St. Louis progressing after face injury; Lightning offensive stars must step up 3. The Tampa Tribune- Bolts won't try to fill St. Louis' skates 4. ESPN.com- Martin St. Louis hit in face by puck Adirondack Phantoms Headlines

1. Glens Falls Post-Star- Postgame: Portland 2, Phantoms 1 2. Glens Falls Post-Star- Phantoms lose another heartbreaker NHL Headlines

1. NHL.com- Kaberle dealt to Canadiens for Spacek 2. NHL.com- Sutton banned indefinitely, faces Saturday hearing 3. TSN.ca- CANADIENS ACQUIRE KABERLE FROM HURRICANES FOR SPACEK 4. TSN.ca- SENATORS PROSPECT WIERCIOCH HIT IN THROAT BY PUCK IN AHL GAME 5. TSN.ca- PANTHERS DECIDE AGAINST LOANING GUDBRANSON TO WORLD JR TEAM 6. ESPN.com- Leafs, Raptors sold to telecom rivals

7. ESPN.com- Hurricanes trade Tomas Kaberle 8. ESPN.com- Bruins' Daniel Paille has concussion FLYERS Articles

1. Philadelphia Inquirer- Flyers' Pronger out indefinitely with concussion-like

symptoms

Sam Carchidi

For Chris Pronger, the medical news keeps getting worse: The Flyers' star defenseman has concussion-like symptoms and will be out indefinitely. The Flyers made the grim announcement Friday, and general manager Paul Holmgren said Pronger will be evaluated by concussion specialists Joe Maroon and Mickey Collins in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Both doctors have treated the Penguins' Sidney Crosby. Holmgren also said rookie center Brayden Schenn has a mild concussion; he has missed the last two games, and the Flyers hope he can return to practice next week. Pronger, 37, has missed 14 of 27 games this season; he has been sidelined because of an eye injury, a mysterious virus that may be a concussion, and Dec. 2 surgery on his left knee. It was his fifth different operation in the last 16 months. The Flyers had projected he would return to the lineup in late December. Now, there are questions. Lots of questions. "Over the last few days, he's had some difficulties - a fairly persistent headache, just a sluggish feeling. . . . So we're just trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and see what we're dealing with," Holmgren said after the Flyers held an optional skate in Voorhees. "Is it a concussion? I don't know that we know that just yet. We want to get a better idea, obviously." Pronger declined an interview request, saying he would talk after his appointment Wednesday. Asked if Pronger actually had a virus, as the team first thought, Holmgren said: "That's a good question. I don't know that we'll ever know that. We didn't know what we were dealing with then, and I'm not sure we know now. Concussion-like symptoms continue to persist, and we're just going to get him checked." The Flyers have won four straight and are 9-4-1 without Pronger this season; they are 8-3-2 with him.

"When he gets himself healthy and gets himself back, it'll be a great addition to our lineup," defenseman Braydon Coburn said, "but we have guys that have to step up in his place." For the time being, Holmgren does not see a need to make a trade for a defenseman. "We have seven defensemen right now that are healthy, and we're happy with their play," Holmgren said. He said he talks with general managers "every other day" about players who are available, "but I like the way our team's playing right now. I like the way the young kids have played on defense, and I don't feel the need to really rush into anything." The Flyers are 6-2 in their last eight games without Pronger, and they entered Friday atop the Eastern Conference. Holmgren praised the work of veterans Kimmo Timonen, Matt Carle, Coburn, and Andrej Meszaros for keeping the defense running smoothly. He also has been happy with rookie defensemen Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall. Pronger's medical woes this season started when he was inadvertently hit by a stick against Toronto on Oct. 24. He missed six games and returned to the lineup and played five games before being sidelined by what the Flyers called a virus. At the time, Holmgren said the virus was not connected to the eye injury. The veteran defenseman passed a concussion test, but the headaches continued, Holmgren said. Pronger has been rehabbing from knee surgery; he has missed the last eight games and hasn't played since a 6-4 loss in Winnipeg on Nov. 19. "I talked to him after the game in Winnipeg, and he said he didn't feel great," Holmgren said. "It's a very loud building. He didn't feel like himself. We got him checked out after that game . . . and then, obviously, the dominoes started to fall with his knee and then this other stuff. We said a virus because we weren't sure what we were dealing with." As for his surgically repaired knee, Pronger had some fluid removed a few days ago and has made strides, Holmgren said. "His knee is actually doing great right now," Holmgren said. "I think he was on the right timetable for coming back from the arthroscopic surgery." Like Pronger, Schenn has had an injury-plagued season. His has included a shoulder problem, a broken foot, and a concussion. He apparently suffered the latest injury when hit by Phoenix's Raffi Torres last Saturday. Since then, he has experienced "off and on" headaches, he said, but has noticed improvement the last few days. "I'm just going to keep positive, and hopefully it'll turn around eventually," Schenn said of his season.

There is a chance Schenn will resume skating next week, Holmgren said, adding that the center's head injury seemed less severe than Pronger's.

2. Philadelphia Inquirer- Flyers Notes: Laviolette: Stall tactics may return

Sam Carchidi

Flyers Notes If the Tampa Bay Lightning don't go after the puck and stay in their 1-3-1 trap Saturday night against the Flyers, fans at the Wells Fargo Center may again see the NHL's version of "stall ball." "We might sit back there for four or five minutes at a time," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said after the Flyers' optional practice Friday in Voorhees. The last time the teams met, on Nov. 9, host Tampa Bay didn't go after the Flyers when they had the puck in their own end in the opening period. Instead, they sat back and waited at center ice - and the Flyers frequently made little attempt to move forward during the first period, circling in their own zone. Twice, the Flyers were called for defensive-zone faceoffs for not moving the puck forward. After the Lightning scored a 2-1 overtime win, Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger - whose team managed just 15 shots - said Tampa Bay's style of play was pushing hockey "into the stone ages." In Saturday's game, the Lightning will be without star winger Martin St. Louis, who is out indefinitely because of facial and nasal fractures suffered Thursday morning when struck by a shot taken by teammate Dominic Moore during practice. St. Louis had played in 499 straight games before missing the Lightning's 3-2 shootout win over the Rangers Thursday night. "He's a heart-and-soul guy," Laviolette said of St. Louis. Shanny visits Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's dean of discipline, traveled to Voorhees and met with the Flyers on Friday. He discussed several matters, including head hits, boarding penalties, and what types of plays will draw a suspension.

"He just wanted to show us right and wrong hits," said defenseman Braydon Coburn, the Flyers' player representative. ". . . He wanted to show us some examples." Breakaways Entering Friday, Claude Giroux led the NHL with 37 points. . . . The Lightning's Steven Stamkos (30 points) has points in eight of his last nine games. . . . Scott Hartnell has seven goals in the last nine games and has goals in four straight. . . . Jody Shelley, Harry Zolnierczyk, Marc-Andre Bourdon, Kevin Marshall, Sean Couturier, Zac Rinaldo, Matt Walker, and Sergei Bobrovsky were the only players who skated during the Flyers workout. . . . HBO's 24/7, which chronicles the Flyers and Rangers leading up to the Winter Classic, will start airing on Wednesday. . . . The Flyers have won four straight, with two of the victories in overtime.

3. Philadelphia Inquirer- Concussion-like problems for Pronger, Schenn

Sam Carchidi

Captain Chris Pronger has "concussion-like" symptoms, and rookie center Brayden Schenn has a mild concussion, the Flyers announced. They are out indefinitely. Said GM Paul Holmgren: "While Chris' knee is improving, he has struggled with other issues that are concussion-like symptoms. Chris will see Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins on Wednesday in Pittsburgh for further evaluation." Collins and Maroon treated the Penguins' Sidney Crosby. Holmgren said he had no plans to deal for a defenseman. "We have seven defensemen now that are healthy and we're happy with their play," Holmgren said. "I like the way the young kids are playing on defense and don't really feel the need to rush into anything." He acknowledged he talks to general managers "every other day," but that a trade was not imminent. According to Holmgren, Pronger "has had fairly persistent headaches and just a sluggish feeling, so we're trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and see what we're dealing with." The Flyers originally thought Pronger had a virus, but the problem may have been concussion-related.

"I don't know if we'll ever know" if it was a virus, Holmgren said. "We didn't know what we were dealing with then, and I'm not sure we do now. But concussion-like symptoms continue to persist and we're going to get him checked." Pronger, 37, originally passed a concussion test, but his headaches continued, Holmgren said. He has not had any other concussion tests. Pronger had minor surgery on his left knee on Dec. 2, his fifth operation in 16 months. He has played in just 13 of the team's 27 games. The Flyers are hopeful Schenn can practice next week. Schenn said he has been experiencing "off and on" headaches since he was hit by Raffi Torres in Phoenix on Saturday. Schenn has missed the last two games. "We'll keep him shut down through the weekend and see how he is Monday," Holmgren said. * * * The Flyers are 9-4-1 without Pronger this season, and 8-3-2 with him. * * * Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's dean of discipline, visited the Flyers in Voorhees on Friday and talked to them about several issues, including what constitutes a suspension. 4. Philadelphia Daily News- Pronger out indefinitely with 'concussion like

symptoms'

Frank Seravalli

The Flyers announced that Chris Pronger and Brayden Schenn will both be out indefinitely. While Chris knee is improving, he has struggled with other issues that are concussion like symptoms. Chris will see Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins on Wednesday, December 14th in Pittsburgh for further evaluation. Chris will be out indefinetly. GM Paul Holmgrem said today: "While Chris' knee is improving, he has struggled with other issues that are concussion like symptoms. Chris will see Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins on Wednesday, December 14th in Pittsburgh for further evaluation. Chris will be out indefinetly.

Pronger missed four games with what the team described as a virus last month before announcing that he would need left knee surgery. Collins is the doctor whom Sidney Crosby saw for his concussion. Schenn has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. "Brayden reported 'not feeling himself' on December 5th," Holmgren said. "Our doctors believe he has a mild concussion. Brayden will be out indefinitely." 5. Philadelphia Daily News- Bernie Parent coaxed by fans to play in Winter Classic

Frank Seravalli

As appeared in Philadelphia SportsWeek on Dec. 10... THE LAST TIME Bernie Parent strapped on his pads, he thought it would be his last. “It was about 2 or 3 years ago, but then 2-year-old kids were shooting on me at the [Flyers wives’] carnival,” Parent remembered. On New Year’s Eve, the shots will be a little bit more powerful, rocketing off the sticks of Mark Messier, Brian Leetch and Stephane Matteau when Parent will make his triumphant return to the ice against the Rangers alumni at Citizens Bank Park. Originally scheduled to just be an ambassador for the game, Parent decided earlier this week — after prodding from fans in public and on Twitter — that he would actually play in the game. Even though Parent, now 66, last played for the Flyers in 1979, he said he felt a certain amount of pressure to “perform well” in front of the fans. His No. 1 jersey was retired by the Flyers upon his retirement; he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. Joking that he was still in his prime — “You may question that, but I’m not,” Parent said — he admitted it took a little time to swallow his pride knowing that he hasn’t stopped a puck in decades. “At first, I didn’t feel like it,” Parent said. “Then I thought about it and thought about it and you look at the fans and [decided] you can’t be selfish about something like this. “Why not go out and wave to the people and maybe play 10 minutes? That’s why I made the decision.” As the last line of defense, goaltenders are always hard on themselves. Parent said that he used to have trouble stopping Bob Clarke or Reggie Leach in practice, but once he

allowed a goal to Bob Kelly — now his fellow team ambassador at home games — he knew “it was the end” of his career. The good news for Parent is that the Flyers alumni roster is made up of many of his former teammates, all of whom will be in the same boat. Of the 29 players on the roster, 11 played for the Flyers in the 1970s. Clarke, Bill Barber and Joe Watson have been skating regularly in preparation for the rapidly approaching game. Luckily for Parent, fellow goaltenders Mark LaForest and Neil Little will handle the bulk of the workload in net. Believe it or not, Parent will be wearing all of his original equipment, including pads, glove and blocker, and mask. Parent said Watson had been recommending that the Flyers play an “old timers” game for years, but with the franchise’s original crop of players getting up there in age, Parent said they should be focusing on golf instead. Watson, 68, is the game’s oldest player. Coach Pat Quinn, also 68, and assistant coach Mike Nykoluk, 77, will be the oldest participants. Parent said the biggest thing that would likely change is his pregame ritual. In the old days, he would eat a big steak in the afternoon and then take a nap. When he woke up, Parent would watch an episode of the Three Stooges. “That’s terrible, but that’s the way it was in those days,” Parent said. “That brought results, so that was my philosophy.” Growing up in Montreal, Parent first started skating outdoors like everyone else. His biggest wish for New Year’s Eve is a cold day to “bring back some good memories.” He started skating at the age of 12 and somehow made his way into the net. “I wanted to become a defenseman . . . You go around the ice and depending on your time, the coach puts you in a position,” Parent recalled. “Most players went around the ice in 14 seconds, I did mine in 21 seconds. He looked at me and said ‘goaltender.’ And then in the first game, it was an outdoor game, I had 21 goals against and then he looked at me again and said, ‘Get out of here.’ ’’ After his first stint with the Flyers from 1967-71, he linked up with his idol, Jacques Plante, as his backup in 1971-72 with the Maple Leafs, late in Plante’s career. Plante made him into the goaltender that backstopped the Flyers to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. Nonetheless, Parent is excited that there will be plenty of fathers and sons shivering in the ballpark seats and passing on each player’s exploits and memories as they skate by — albeit slower — in front of them. You can guarantee that at least one sign in the Citizens Bank Park stands will read, “Only the Lord Saves More Than Bernie Parent.” “The sad part is, there will be grandfathers, too,” Parent said. “It’s been a long time. Guys are getting older now. They’re not in their mid-50s, they’re getting close to mid-60s. A

lot of those [fans] were there when we won the Stanley Cup. It’s a very strong feeling for people to see a lot of former all-stars from the Rangers and Flyers. That’ll be awesome.” Parent is grateful to the fans who have asked him for one more shot at a standing ovation. He knows this opportunity will only knock once. “They made me realize, why not go one more time?” Parent said. “At the beginning, I was putting too much pressure on how I should perform. You go out there and wave to the people and let them see you one more time. Probably the last time.” 6. CSNPhilly.com- Concussion-like symptoms sideline Pronger

Jay Greenberg

Ignorance is bliss. The Flyers, who did not have Chris Pronger for 32 games in 2010-11 and are 9-4-1 without him this season, are actually playing like they don’t know what they are missing. “The fact that he is not in the lineup is disheartening but is not different than yesterday or the day before,” said Peter Laviolette. Pronger has what general manager Paul Holmgren called “concussion-like” symptoms and is out indefinitely. Braydon Coburn, when asked whether it had been easier to wrap his head around just three more weeks without the captain as opposed to the “indefinite” absence announced on Friday, said: “I don’t know. I don’t even know what day it is.” So the Flyers, winners of four straight, losers of only three of their last nine since Pronger disappeared again with flu-like symptoms now termed concussion-like symptoms, will continue merrily along through the mid-season, just as they did without big No. 20 last December-January before his second absence sent them well down the road to a second-round sweep by the Stanley Cup Champion Bruins. Currently, the Flyers seem immune to Pronger’s symptoms. But how does Holmgren deal with this persistent headache and is his overused cell getting sluggish? “Hopefully we’ll get some better news after Chris visits the doctors in Pittsburgh,” Holmgren said and wished after revealing that Pronger, who has felt lousy since Nov. 19 in Winnipeg, will visit Wednesday with two Pittsburgh specialists who treated Sidney Crosby’s concussion. “I talked to [Pronger] after the game in Winnipeg and he said he didn’t feel great in that game, didn’t feel like himself,” said Holmgren, who also announced Friday that Brayden

Schenn has been shut down at least through the weekend with what are being characterized as milder concussion symptoms. “We got [Pronger] checked out (for a concussion) before our next game, which he missed,” said Holmgren. “And then the dominoes started to fall with his knee and with what we said was a virus because we weren’t sure what we were dealing with. “It’s just been the least two or three days where he has had a fairly persistent headache and sluggish feeling. We are trying to do the right thing and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and see what we’re dealing with.” So where does Holmgren turn now, following this apparent concussion, which followed an arthroscopic left knee cleanup, which followed a stick in the eye, which followed back surgery, which followed wrist surgery, which followed right foot surgery, which followed an arthroscopic right knee cleanup? Pronger’s woes have become biblical, putting Holmgren’s left hands on Scriptures and his right hand in the air, when asked about The Plan moving forward: “Everyday you are talking to somebody about what’s out there,” he said. “But I like the way our team is playing right now, I don’t feel I need to rush into anything.” Not only could Holmgren trade a good young forward, of which the Flyers may have a surplus, for a No. 2 or No. 3 caliber defenseman, but he probably will find that necessary for reasons beyond trying to save the Flyers a deep run this spring. With Pronger (age 37) and Kimmo Timonen (36), Holmgren knows he must think ahead to remain a Cup threat over the next few seasons. The Flyers think Erik Gustafsson, out with a broken wrist for probably another three weeks, projects better than just a third-pair guy. They are watching Matt Carle playing better than has been his norm during Pronger’s absences. And they are deeply appreciative of how exceptionally well Timonen is playing. “He has been unbelievable,” said Laviolette. “His positioning, his decisions, his durability, his offense, his defense. “When Chris is in the lineup not enough is said about Kimmo. He plays every situation, five-on-three, five-on-four both ways, plays against the other team’s best players. That’s why we continue to find success, we still have a good back end and it is led by Kimmo.” That back end still could prove as good as anybody’s, minus Boston’s, through the end of the Eastern Conference playoffs, as long as Timonen can continue to average a reasonable 22:03 of ice time, Carle, Meszaros and Coburn hold up, the Flyers keep scoring and Ilya Bryzgalov’s performance Thursday night against Pittsburgh proves a corner-turner.

They aren’t better off without Pronger, of course, only better off if they assume they are not going to have him.

7. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers must proceed as if Pronger won't return

Tim Panaccio

When Chris Pronger spoke with the media last week while we were in California with the Flyers and told us he had concussion-like symptoms, we asked if he could remember taking a head shot. He couldn’t. The thought has been swirling around in my head today since hearing that Pronger may be suffering from post-concussion syndrome that all of this likely has its roots to the stick incident back on Oct. 24. That night against Toronto, Pronger was hit in the right eye on a follow-through shot from Mikhail Grabovski. It makes sense because eye injuries can have all kinds of side effects, including viruses and if you do some research there are actually eye concussions involving the cornea and iris. Some of symptoms mimic what Pronger has experienced, but not necessarily headaches. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren admitted he didn’t know if the stick incident is connected to this, but given Pronger himself can’t remember taking a blow to the head in the few games he has played since returning to the lineup, there really is no other possibility here other than the original eye injury. If I’m Holmgren, I proceed the way Pens GM Ray Shero proceeded last year in Pittsburgh. He acknowledged that Sidney Crosby was out indefinitely and the team would prepare as if he weren’t coming back. Ditto with Pronger. The Flyers should now assume Pronger may not return. Team officials have admitted you can’t go out and replace a No. 1 or No. 2 defenseman and, in fact, the Flyers were rebuffed in trying to sign a No. 5-6. There aren’t enough D-men in the NHL to go around and the few there are, no one is parting with.

What cripples the Flyers is that Erik Gustafsson is still sidelined with a broken wrist. He should be back in three weeks or so. Marc-Andre Bourdon has fit like a glove on the blue line and, quite frankly, is a better choice for my buck than Andreas Lilja. Can the Flyers tough it out to the trade deadline with a couple rookies and then sign a quality rental player? We’re talking late February here. That’s a long way to go. Yet, Pronger has missed 14 games already and the Flyers are doing pretty well as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. There’s no reason to panic. They should stay the course and keep their eyes open for a potential deal that doesn’t hurt them. You don’t want to mess with the chemistry you’ve already attained. That is always a consideration in making a deal born out of injury instead of born out of luxury to make your club better. “Well, we have seven defensemen right now that are healthy and we’re happy with their play,” Holmgren said. “Every other day, you’re talking with somebody about what’s out there, but I like the way our team is playing right now. I like the way the young kids have played on defense, and I don’t feel a need to really rush into anything.” I agree. Yet, I also think the Flyers need to think “worse-case” scenario and that is that Pronger may not return at all because as we have seen with so many players, post-concussion syndrome – if that is what Pronger has – has no statue of limitations. 8. CSNPhilly.com- Ten keys to Giroux's winning Hart Trophy

John Boruk

The season is now a third of the way done and if I had to vote or even had a vote, Claude Giroux would be my favorite to win the Hart. But what will it take come April? Here you go: Stay healthy Obviously, and there’s no reason to think Giroux won’t. He’s played all 82 games in each of his first two full seasons in the league. However, cynics can argue the odds are against him playing the full tilt for a third straight season. Giroux plays an aggressive, physical game and all it takes is one wrong turn into the boards or a slap shot off the top of the skate to cost him 4-6 weeks of the season and take a considerable dip from the league leaders. Healthy linemates, especially Jagr

It’s no coincidence the Flyers' top three scorers are all on the Flyers' top line, but if you look at prior MVPs, they all had a Robin to their Batman. Corey Perry had Ryan Getzlaf, Alex Ovechkin needed Nicklas Backstrom and Sidney Crosby had Evgeni Malkin on the power play. Giroux needs Jagr, if anything, to pad his numbers in the assist column. Big performance in big game Having Giroux perform his magic on a grand stage such as the Winter Classic or the All-Star Game where the entire hockey world will be watching, including voters, would just add to his magical season. It certainly helps Giroux’s cause to have the Winter Classic on his schedule and would further help his case if he has a big game. If he takes home the MVP at the All-Star Game in his hometown of Ottawa that would be a nice “sweetener” as well. Monitoring minutes Ian Laperriere and I both agreed Wednesday night that Giroux can’t maintain this eye-popping pace over an 82-game schedule. He’s sixth among all forwards in TOI (time on ice). No big deal, but he’s averaging around 24 over his last 11 games. That’s way too much. Not only that, Giroux has 74:14 of SH time. Ice time coach Peter Laviolette calls the “hard minutes”. To put that in perspective, that’s more PK minutes than Phil Kessel, Martin St. Louis, Corey Perry, Steve Stamkos and Brad Richards combined. Win division and/or finish with 100 points While I don’t think it’s necessarily essential the Flyers win the Atlantic, I believe it could be a sticking point, especially if Giroux is battling down the stretch with one of the Sedin's or Jonathan Toews, who in turn lead their team to the top of their division/conference. It can hurt more than it can help … see Kessel (once the season is over). Excel in late-February Why? The Flyers have a west-coast stretch of games that goes through Edmonton, Calgary and San Jose and let’s face it, while voters try and remain objective, they have a tendency to lean toward a candidate in the conference they typically cover. If Giroux gets hot during these games, then voters who favor Western Conference teams can see firsthand what all of us are already drooling over. Keep up the Giroux lovefest Pierre McGuire of Versus was “pumping Giroux’s tires” all night long in the game at Buffalo, which included a pregame sit-down interview. Keep it up, Pierre. Watch the rearview mirror Giroux can’t afford Toews, Crosby, the Sedin's or anyone else to explode in the final 20 games of the season like Perry did last season when he scored 19 goals in his final 19 games. Perry came out of nowhere to win the Hart. The aforementioned superstars are all capable of a repeat performance. Finish on the plus side

If the total points are all very close among the top three finalists, I can see plus/minus being used against someone. It’s a "perception" that player wasn’t very good defensively. As of this post, Giroux is a plus-six. Last season, he was a plus-20. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t finish with a plus number. Chris Pronger stays hurt Now before you go off and blow a gasket on me, I’m not wishing this to happen at all, but it certainly strengthens Giroux’s case for the Hart if he’s able to carry the Flyers on his shoulders without their captain. When determining the MVP, the “value” aspect can be magnified by the loss of a teammate. I think it gave Henrik Sedin a slight edge in 2010 when his twin brother Daniel went down with an injury for a good chunk of time. 9. Delaware County Times- Flyers' Pronger out with concussion-like symptoms

Anthony SanFilippo

The following is the latest from Anthony SanFilippo’s blog, In The Room. We knew it when the word "virus" first came out of Paul Holmgren's lips. We knew it when we saw Chris Pronger doing an off-ice work out a few days later - because nobody with a nasty contagion would put his teammates at risk of catching the same illness by hanging around them in the Petri dish better known as a hockey locker room. We knew it when Pronger first spoke to the media following the announcement of the virus and he debunked that diagnosis and said it wasn't a virus. We knew. The Flyers just chose not to acknowledge it - until today. Pronger, who was already on the shelf until Christmas recovering from a minor surgery to clean out some loose bodies in his left knee, is now out of the lineup indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. Pronger will now see concussion specialists Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins, both of whom are based in Pittsburgh. If the names sound familiar, they are - they are the same docs who dealt with Sidney Crosby's concussion and post-concussion symptoms. And if their track record with precaution is any indication - it could be a good while before the Flyers captain returns to the ice. Pronger did pass a baseline test recently, but that is no longer a tried and true indicator of whether a player has recovered.

Baseline tests compare your score post head trauma to a similar test taken pre-trauma, however, many athletes throw the initial test to have a lower cognitive score to attain while possibly dealing with a concussion. "Over the last few days he's had some difficulties," Holmgren said. "A fairly persistent headache, just sluggish feeling - so we're just trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out." Holmgren still wouldn't call the injury a concussion, saying "I don't know that we know that," but he sure had no problem calling this malady a virus, even though there's a far better chance of it being a concussion then there ever was it being a virus. "I don't know that we'll ever know that (it wasn't a virus)," Holmgren said. "We didn't know what we were dealing with then and I'm not sure we do now." The immediate reaction is to assume these symptoms are related to the eye injury he suffered in October, but Holmgren was quick to temper that belief too. "He played four games after that particular incident after missing some time," Holmgren said. "I talked to him after the game in Winnipeg and he said he didn't feel great in that game. He didn't feel like himself... "Just over the last two or three days he's got a fairly persistent headache and a really sluggish feeling." Brayden Schenn, who is in the middle of a rookie year that he'd like to forget, is also out indefinitely with a mild concussion suffered, who took a blow to the face in Phoenix last week and said he doesn't feel like himself. The Flyers aren't in a rush to add another defenseman, but Holmgren admitted that he talks to GM's all the time, so something could always "pop up" at any time. But if it turns into a long-term thing.... "We'll see what happens over the next little while," Holmgren said. Hopefully we'll get some better news after Chris visits the doctors in Pittsburgh and we'll see what happens from there." 10. Bucks County Courier-Times- Pronger to undergo more concussion tests

Wayne Fish

Chris Pronger has taken a turn for the worst, enough so to have him sent to be examined by some of the top neurologists in the country.

The Flyers captain, who had been suffering what the Flyers said were symptoms similar to a virus the past couple weeks, started to feel so bad that the team is sending him to see specialists Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins in Pittsburgh for concussion testing. Even though Pronger is currently sidelined from hockey action by left knee surgery, general manager Paul Holmgren wants to get this more critical health issue resolved. "I think over the last few days he's had some difficulties... a fairly persistent headache, just sluggish feeling - so we're just trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and just see what we're dealing with,'' Holmgren said in a conference call. "Is it a concussion? I don't know that we know that. We want to get a better idea, obviously." Holmgren said there's no way of knowing if the hit Pronger took in the eye (off the stick of Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski) on Oct. 24 might be the cause of the problem. Pronger missed six games with the eye injury, played five games, than has missed the last eight games with a combination of the health problem plus the knee surgery. "I looked yesterday and I think he played four (actually five) games after that particular incident after missing some time,'' Holmgren said. "I talked to him after the game in Winnipeg (Nov. 19) and he said he didn't feel great in that game. He didn't feel like himself. "We got him checked out after that game and before our next game, and then obviously the dominoes started to fall with his knee, and we said a virus at first because we weren't sure what we were dealing with. Just over the last two or three days he's got a fairly persistent headache and a really sluggish feeling." Rookie Brayden Schenn was also diagnosed with a concussion on Friday and Holmgren said both players undergo similar tests. "The protocol that we utilize now for concussions, obviously it's very thorough. We're going through a similar thing with Brayden Schenn right now. I know he got hit in the nose in the game in Phoenix, or just below his nose. . .felt great and continued to play in the game, felt fine on the way home. " I think we had an off-day the next day, came in Monday and he didn't feel great. We kept him off the ice... he got checked on Tuesday, did an IMPACT test and passed that. He went out for practice, felt pretty good halfway through practice, and then came off at the end of practice and didn't feel great. So we're going to shut him down. Those are the rules and that's what we're dealing with." Pronger had been tested earlier and passed.

"I don't think he's had one since then,'' Holmgren said. "He passed the first one, this is going back actually before the first game he missed from what we said was a virus. We haven't given him one since. Most of this has just come up in the last two or three days where he's just got these symptoms that seem like concussion-like symptoms. So we're going to get him checked." Maroon was involved in the treatment of Ian Laperriere, who hasn't played in more than a year due to persistent concussion symptoms. Maroon is also treating Sidney Crosby. Obviously, Pronger is frustrated. "I feel bad for Chris,'' Holmgren said. "He's a very experienced hockey player that still wants to play the game at the highest level. I know this last year for him has been very frustrating, with the injuries he had last year and to have to deal with what he's dealt with this year. He's frustrated.'' 11. Camden Courier-Post- Hartnell emerging as heart of Flyers' top line

Randy Miller

PHILADELPHIA — Flyers coach Peter Laviolette and general manager Paul Holmgren do a lot of talking, and amid their daily discussions about players, opponents and all things hockey, the coach occasionally will get an on-ice suggestion thrown his way. One idea that Holmgren came up with early in the season was giving big left winger Scott Hartnell a shot on the top line with superstar center Claude Giroux and future Hall of Fame right wing Jaromir Jagr. Laviolette was intrigued by the suggestion, tried it out and the Flyers have been reaping rewards ever since. Giroux, the NHL scoring leader, and Jagr, who still has a lot of game at age 39, are getting most of the attention, but Laviolette believes stars on the line are benefitting from Hartnell as much as he is from them. Hartnell put another puck in the net Thursday night in the Flyers’ 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh that catapulted them past the Penguins for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. A 6-2, 210-pound power forward, Hartnell has scored a goal in four consecutive games, has seven in his last nine and 13 for the season in 27 games, a 39-goal pace that would blow away his career-best 30 in 2008-09.

“I think that you can definitely make a case that Hartsie provides a certain element,” Laviolette said. “If somebody else was on that line, maybe the line isn’t quite as successful.” The Flyers, who are home tonight against Tampa Bay, lead the NHL with 3.56 goals per game and a lot of the production is coming from their top line. Giroux (34 points), Hartnell (24) and Jagr (22) are their top three scorers. Hartnell had a miserable start this season, one point in his first seven games, an assist on Matt Read’s first NHL goal. He started out on the third line and not getting much ice time, definitely a lesser role than he had played the last two seasons being a big part of a productive second line with Danny Briere and Ville Leino. “I think Hartsie was dealing with some problems with injuries over the summer and he wasn't able to push his conditioning and his strength,” Laviolette said. “I think once he got a little bit stronger to where he needed to be, his game really took off. Obviously, playing with Claude, that’s only going to benefit anybody, but Hartsie brings something to that line that others in this (dressing) room might not. There’s definitely something there. He brings an element.” The early success isn’t getting to Hartnell’s head. He’s appreciative playing with such talented linemates, especially when they’re all together on man advantages. That’s when he’s scored six of his 13 goals, some of them coming on hard one-timers and others on redirects in front of the net. “Power play has a lot to do with it,” Hartnell said. “You’re not gonna get many points if you’re not in the power play. Being right in front of the net where all the action happens, I've been able to get some shots, and you'll get some breaks. And, obviously, playing with Giroux, who’s been having a great year, and Jagr — seems like he hasn’t lost a step since the early ’90s — it’s a lot of fun. It’s awesome coming to work every day knowing you're playing with those guys, and I don't take it for granted.” 12. Camden Courier-Post- Pronger, Schenn out with concussions

Randy Miller

Chris Pronger’s mystery virus has turned into a real headache that won’t go away, literally. Four missed games and no better, the Flyers captain decided to have knee surgery late last month, then afterward Pronger mentioned that he’d had a baseline concussion test to treat the illness that had been called a virus. The latest update, provided on Friday by Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, is worse:

Pronger, 37, will be in Pittsburgh next Wednesday to be examined by Sidney Crosby’s doctors for post-concussion syndrome. “I think over the last few days he’s had some difficulties, a fairly persistent headache, just sluggish feeling,” Holmgren said. “So we’re just trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and just see what we’re dealing with. Is it a concussion? I don’t know that we know that. We want to get a better idea, obviously.” Holmgren also announced that rookie forward Brayden Schenn, sidelined the last two games with what the team had called an upper-body injury, has a concussion. Pronger is out indefinitely, but Schenn could be cleared to practice on Monday when he’s reevaluated by doctors. Crosby is proof that concussions can linger. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar suffered a concussion last January, then missed 61 games over two seasons before returning late last month only to sit out Thursday’s loss to the Flyers as a precaution following another hard hit to the head. The Flyers aren’t sure if a single hit to the head injured Pronger, who last played Nov. 19 in Winnipeg. “I talked to him after the game in Winnipeg and he said he didn’t feel great in that game,” Holmgren said. “He didn’t feel like himself. We got him checked out after that game and before our next game, and then obviously the dominoes started to fall with his knee, and we said a virus at first because we weren’t sure what we were dealing with. Just over the last two or three days he’s got a fairly persistent headache and a really sluggish feeling.” Pronger, who has 12 points in 13 games this season, had been hoping to recover from his knee surgery and return to the Flyers lineup in late December or early January, but now there’s no timetable. Besides the knee surgery, his fifth procedure in the last 16 months, Pronger missed six games earlier this season with a serious eye injury. “I feel bad for Chris,” Holmgren said. “He’s a very experienced hockey player that still wants to play the game at the highest level. I know this last year for him has been very frustrating, with the injuries he had last year and to have to deal with what he’s dealt with this year. He’s frustrated.” Meantime, Schenn’s rookie season continues to be nothing but misery. The centerpiece of the return from the Los Angeles Kings in this summer’s Mike Richards trade, Schenn battled a shoulder injury during the preseason, then a broken foot and now a concussion in the regular season. “I know he got hit in the nose in the game [last Saturday] in Phoenix, or just below his nose,” Holmgren said of Schenn, a 20-year-old who is scoreless in six games. “He felt

great and continued to play in the game, felt fine on the way home. I think we had an off day the next day, came in Monday and he didn’t feel great. We kept him off the ice, he got checked on Tuesday, did an IMPACT test and passed that. He went out for practice, felt pretty good halfway through practice, and then came off at the end of practice and didn’t feel great. So we’re going to shut him down. Those are the rules and that’s what we’re dealing with.” 13. Philly Sports Daily- Flyers Say They’ll Treat Tampa Trap The Same

Dave Isaac

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a trap game. No wait, the Tampa Bay Lightning play a trap game. A few years ago, the former would have been true, but now it’s the Lightning who are circled on the calendar, not passed over on the way to playing an elite team. Even if they are only four points better than the basement dwellers of the Eastern Conference, sleeping on Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos is a mistake. Last time the two teams met, the Flyers found a new way of avoiding Tampa’s trap defensive scheme. They stood pat…quite literally. They didn’t advance the puck out of their defensive zone unless a Lightning player forechecked and some in the hockey community found that infuriating. The argument was made on both sides — some said that Tampa was unnecessarily slowing down the game, others that the Flyers were making a mockery of a legitimate strategy. In the end, the Lightning struck last, in overtime, when Brett Connolly scored from close range for the 2-1 win. But the game was overshadowed by the strategy. And if it happens again, the Flyers won’t change a thing. “Typically we don’t like to announce our game plan for the opponent to the newspaper,” said Peter Laviolette with a wry smile, “but we might sit there for four or five minutes at a time. We might.” The Flyers clearly wanted no part in the 1-3-1 formation, but say that it’s not that the trap is hard to play against. “I wouldn’t say so,” said Braydon Coburn. “It’s a strategy they use. Obviously they got to the conference finals last year, right? Every team’s got a different style of play. They have some great players and that’s their style.” So what makes Tampa’s system that different from the one that New Jersey played with for years and the Flyers struggled with?

“They’re a little more patient with it,” said Coburn. With four straight victories, the Flyers have streamlined their way to the top of the Eastern Conference. But one thing they’re making clear: they won’t be patient with the Tampa trap. 14. Philly Sports Daily- Shanahan Meets With Flyers Over Hits

Dave Isaac

Luckily for them, the Flyers haven’t seen a lot of Brendan Shanahan in his trademarked videos this season. Only Jody Shelley and Tom Sestito have been suspended this season and required editions of the ever-popular Shanaban Video Series. But on Friday, the league’s disciplinarian was there in flesh and blood at the team’s practice facility, going over the right way and the wrong way to hit. “We just went over what it is that he looks at and trying to continue the videos that you see on the NHL Network describing the hits and why this one got something and that one didn’t,” said Peter Laviolette. “I think he was just trying to keep the players informed and up to speed on the hits to the head and the boarding calls and what constitutes a penalty and what doesn’t. I thought it was really good. I thought it was a lot of good information.” Shanahan spoke for about a half hour with everyone from the players, to coaches, to general manager Paul Holmgren. The in-person drop-by was made in front of HBO’s cameras and will likely find a place in the first edition of “24/7” that will air next Wednesday. “He just wants to show us right and wrong hits, that’s pretty much it,” said Braydon Coburn. “Obviously they deal with a lot of hits every night. I think he just wanted to show us some examples. So far, I think at the quarter-point of the year, some of the bad ones and why they were bad and some examples of good hits.” Apparently, Marc-Andre Bourdon’s hit on Buffalo’s Nathan Gerbe was not included in the playlist of bad hits, since Shanahan didn’t walk to the front of the room and start the assembly with: “In a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night…” The point of the meeting is obviously to keep the players healthy and avoid injuries like Brayden Schenn’s recent concussion. “To get clarification from him,” said Schenn, “standing in front of you for a half hour, that’s good for everyone.” While it’s likely that Shanahan has or will have similar meetings with the rest of the team’s in the NHL, Laviolette wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know, maybe we’re just special,” said the coach. Perhaps, but they far prefer seeing Shanahan in person than having him star a video in which a Flyer is facing disciplinary action. 15. Philly Sports Daily- Brayden Schenn’s Latest Injury Is A Concussion

Dave Isaac

But wait, there’s more. It’s not just Chris Pronger, it’s Brayden Schenn too. The Flyers announced on Friday that the 20-year-old has a mild concussion and, according to general manager Paul Holmgren, Schenn won’t play this weekend. He has missed the last two games with what the Flyers reported as an upper-body injury. It turns out that he got hit in the nose in the third period against the Phoenix Coyotes and got his bell rung hard enough for what he says is his first career concussion. “[He] continued to play in the game, felt fine on the way home,” said Holmgren. “I think we had an off-day the next day, came in Monday he didn’t feel great. We kept him off the ice. We checked Tuesday, did an ImPACT test, passed that, went out for practice, felt pretty good halfway through practice and comes off after the end of practice and ‘I don’t feel great.’ “So, we’ve got to shut him down. Those are the rules and that’s what we’re dealing with.” Schenn thinks it may have been Raffi Torres who hit him and kept him out of the lineup most recently. But he’s not concerned with retribution; he just wants to be healthy. “It just seems to be one thing after another right now, but for me I’m just gonna keep positive and hopefully it will turn around eventually,” said Schenn. “It’s definitely never fun sitting out, watching the team. The good thing is that they’re winning hockey games and they’re playing good hockey right now.” The Flyers claim that the concussion is a mild one, so there is no need for Schenn to travel with Pronger to Pittsburgh next Wednesday to see two concussion specialists. He hopes to return to the ice as soon as Monday to begin skating. “Hopefully it gets better day-by-day and I guess you don’t want to rush it,” said Schenn. “There’s still a lot of hockey left and obviously for me I’m real anxious to finally get out there and get back and start playing. At the same time, you don’t want to push it too quick.” Schenn says that to his knowledge he hasn’t had a concussion in his career. It makes it even scarier that the symptoms didn’t show up immediately for him.

“I was planning on playing in Buffalo,” said Schenn. “I’d play through anything, but for the reason of the symptoms, you don’t want to play through that because anything could happen.” In his last two games, against Anaheim and Phoenix, Schenn was knocking on the door numerous times and came dangerously close to getting his first NHL goal, but now, thanks to a hit, the picture looks grim. “You just want to be careful and cautious with the headshots and concussions that are around the league right now,” said Schenn. “Just be cautious while you can and make sure it goes away.” Ironically, the Flyers had a team meeting on Friday with league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. He went over things like headshots, and big hits to eliminate concussions. “To get clarification from him,” said Schenn, “standing in front of you for a half hour, that’s good for everyone.” 16. Philly Sports Daily- Chris Pronger Out Indefinitely

Dave Isaac

Well, it turns out Chris Pronger’s mystery virus might be what we all feared it was all along. According to general manager Paul Holmgren, Pronger, who recently underwent left knee surgery, will be out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. “While Chris’ knee is improving, he has struggled with other issues that are concussion-like symptoms,” said Holmgren. “Chris will see Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins on Wednesday, Dec. 14th in Pittsburgh for further evaluation.” Pronger sat out four games with a mystery “virus” that sounded like it could have been a concussion from afar, but he seemed to suggest otherwise with how he described his effects. “We’re still trying to ascertain what’s going on,” said Pronger on Dec. 1 in a conference call with reporters. “Like I said, I’ve never felt like this before, so I don’t really know what’s going on.” So was it even a virus to begin with? “That’s a good question,” said Holmgren. “I don’t know that we’ll ever know that. We didn’t know what we were dealing with then and I’m not sure we know now. With concussion-like symptoms continue to persist and we’re just gonna get him checked.”

While “concussion-like symptoms” doesn’t absolutely translate into an actual concussion, reading between the lines says that this is serious. Both of the aforementioned doctors were used by Sidney Crosby for his concussions that kept him out of action from Jan. 6 to earlier this month. “I think Dr. Maroon’s been used before,” said Holmgren. “I know with Ian Laperriere from a couple years ago, with his issues, we sent Ian there to see him. Obviously he’s become more of a concussion star with Sidney, I guess.” But even though he said there were “concussion-like symptoms,” Holmgren is not ready to actually call it a concussion. “I think over the last few days, he’s had some difficulties,” said Holmgren. “Fairly persistent headache, just a sluggish feeling, so we’re just trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and just see what we’re dealing with. “We didn’t know what we were dealing with then and I’m not sure we know now. Concussion-like symptoms continue to persist and we’re just gonna get him checked.” While the Flyers say “concussion-like symptoms,” the fact is that Pronger didn’t didn’t begin really feeling awful until earlier this week. “This is going back before the first game he missed from what we said was a virus,” said Holmgren. “Most of this has just come up in the last two or three days where he’s just got these symptoms that seem like concussion-like symptoms so we’re gonna get him checked.” The most pressing concern, of course, is Pronger’s health. Secondarily, it becomes a question whether the Flyers will make a move with Pronger’s future uncertain. But Holmgren doesn’t appear to be doing any extra holiday shopping. “Well, we have seven defensemen right now that are healthy and we’re happy with their play,” said Holmgren. “Through the course of every other day, you’re talking with someone about what’s out there, but I like the way our team’s playing right now. I like the way the young kids have played on defense and I don’t feel the need to really rush into anything.” They also won’t rush into anything with Pronger, who has now missed more games than he’s played in this season. 17. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com- Holmgren: Pronger Out Indefinitely

Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren today updated the injury status of Chris Pronger and Brayden Schenn.

Chris Pronger: While Chris’s knee is improving, he has struggled with other issues that are concussion-like symptoms. Chris will see Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins on Wednesday, December 14th in Pittsburgh for further evaluation. Chris will be out indefinitely. Brayden Schenn: Brayden reported “not feeling himself” on December 5th. Our doctors believe he has a mild concussion. Brayden will be out indefinitely. Q: What changed with Chris? “I think over the last few days he’s had some difficulties… a fairly persistent headache, just sluggish feeling – so we’re just trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and just see what we’re dealing with. Is it a concussion? I don’t know that we know that. We want to get a better idea, obviously.” Q: There’s still no idea what it might have stemmed from? The high stick? “I don’t know. I looked yesterday and I think he played four games after that particular incident after missing some time. I talked to him after the game in Winnipeg and he said he didn’t feel great in that game. He didn’t feel like himself. We got him checked out after that game and before our next game, and then obviously the dominoes started to fall with his knee, and we said a virus at first because we weren’t sure what we were dealing with. Just over the last two or three days he’s got a fairly persistent headache and a really sluggish feeling.” Q: It probably was not a virus? “I don’t know. That’s a good question. I don’t know that we’ll ever know that. We didn’t know what we were dealing with then and I’m not sure we do now. But concussion-like symptoms continue to persist, so we’re just going to get him checked.” Q: Have you seen these kinds of symptoms the way he’s been having them? “I don’t know. The protocol that we utilize now for concussions, obviously it’s very thorough. We're going through a similar thing with Brayden Schenn right now. I know he got hit in the nose in the game in Phoenix, or just below his nose… felt great and continued to play in the game, felt fine on the way home. I think we had an off-day the next day, came in Monday and he didn’t feel great. We kept him off the ice… he got checked on Tuesday, did an IMPACT test and passed that. He went out for practice, felt pretty good halfway through practice, and then came off at the end of practice and didn’t feel great. So we’re going to shut him down. Those are the rules and that’s what we’re dealing with.” Q: So Chris passed a test before and now he’s failed one?

“I don’t think he’s had one since then. He passed the first one, this is going back actually before the first game he missed from what we said was a virus. We haven’t given him one since. Most of this has just come up in the last two or three days where he’s just got these symptoms that seem like concussion-like symptoms. So we’re going to get him checked.” Q: The doctor in Pittsburgh has become the doctor of choice? “Dr. Maroon has been used before with Ian Laperriere from a couple years ago, with his issues we sent Ian there to see him. Obviously he’s become more of a concussion star with Sidney, I guess.” Q: Is there a timetable on Schenn? “We’re going to keep him shut down through the weekend here and see how he is on Monday.” Q: Schenn is not going to Pittsburgh because his symptoms aren’t as severe? “Right. Right now we just see this as a mild concussion.” Q: Does this put the pressure on to make any kind of move? “Well, we have seven defensemen right now that are healthy and we’re happy with their play. Every other day, you’re talking with somebody about what’s out there, but I like the way our team is playing right now. I like the way the young kids have played on defense, and I don’t feel a need to really rush into anything.” Q: How frustrated is Chris? “I feel bad for Chris. He’s a very experienced hockey player that still wants to play the game at the highest level. I know this last year for him has been very frustrating, with the injuries he had last year and to have to deal with what he’s dealt with this year. He’s frustrated. Q: If this turns into a long term thing… “I still feel like between Kimmo and Matty Carle and [Braydon Coburn] and [Andrej Meszaros] we still have four pretty good guys that can play a lot of minutes. On the other hand, it’ hard to replace a Chris Pronger no matter what you do. You’re not gonna get that guy. We’ll see what happens over the next little while. Hopefully we’ll get some better news after Chris visits the doctors in Pittsburgh, and we’ll see what happens from there. Q: This hasn’t kept him from rehabbing his knee?

“He’s had some fluid taken off his knee since the surgery. This was a couple days ago… that’s the reason he shut down that part. His knee’s actually doing great right now. I think he was on the right timetable to come back from the arthroscopic surgery he had. This other thing is just kind of getting in the way right now, and we need to get some answers and get to the bottom of it." 18. NHL.com- Flyers' Pronger suffering 'concussion-like' symptoms

NHL.com Staff

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren announced Friday that captain Chris Pronger is out indefinitely with "concussion-like symptoms." Pronger hasn't played since Nov. 19. He was originally out with what the team called "a virus" but also had knee surgery Nov. 29 and wasn't expected to return for a month. He is expected to visit Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Micky Collins in Pittsburgh on Wednesday for further evaluation. "I think over the last few days he's had some difficulties ... a fairly persistent headache, just sluggish feeling -- so we're just trying to do the right thing here and get him checked out by the doctors in Pittsburgh and just see what we're dealing with," Holmgren told reporters. "Is it a concussion? I don't know that we know that. We want to get a better idea, obviously. "I looked yesterday and I think he played four games after that particular incident after missing some time. I talked to him after the game in Winnipeg and he said he didn't feel great in that game. He didn't feel like himself. We got him checked out after that game and before our next game, and then obviously the dominoes started to fall with his knee, and we said a virus at first because we weren't sure what we were dealing with. Just over the last two or three days he's got a fairly persistent headache and a really sluggish feeling." Pronger also missed time this season with an eye injury after being hit in the face with a puck Oct. 24 against Toronto. He returned to play five games, but was then taken back out of the lineup. "The protocol that we utilize now for concussions, obviously it's very thorough," Holmgren said. "We're going through a similar thing with Brayden Schenn right now. I know he got hit in the nose in the game in Phoenix, or just below his nose ... felt great and continued to play in the game, felt fine on the way home. I think we had an off-day the next day, came in Monday and he didn't feel great. We kept him off the ice ... he got checked on Tuesday, did an IMPACT test and passed that. He went out for practice, felt pretty good halfway through practice, and then came off at the end of practice and didn't feel great. So we're going to shut him down. Those are the rules and that's what we're dealing with."

Holmgren also updated the status of Schenn, a rookie center who hasn't played since Dec. 3 because of what was being called an upper-body injury. "We're going to keep him shut down through the weekend here and see how he is on Monday," Holmgren said. "Right now we just see this as a mild concussion." 19. TSN.ca- PRONGER OUT INDEFINITELY WITH CONCUSSION-LIKE

SYMPTOMS

TSN.ca Staff

Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Chris Pronger is out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. Pronger will see doctors in Pittsburgh on Wednesday for further evaluation. Pronger has been out since late November with a knee injury but Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said the recuperation from that injury was going well. In late October, Pronger took Mikhail Grabovski's stick to the eye that resulted in facial trauma that caused him to miss six games. "We said it was a virus at first because we weren't sure what we were dealing with and just over this last two or three days where he's had a very persistent headache and a real sluggish feeling," Holmgren said. "We didn't know what we were dealing with then and I'm not sure we do now but the concussion-like symptoms continue to persist and we're just going to get him checked." This season, Pronger has one goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 13 games. In other injury news, rookie forward Brayden Schenn will be out indefinitely with what doctors believe to be a mild concussion. He has missed the last two games due to an upper-body injury. 20. ESPN.com- Flyers' Chris Pronger out indefinitely

Pierre LeBrun

Chris Pronger's timetable for a return to play got murky Friday when the Philadelphia Flyers announced he was out indefinitely because of concussion-like symptoms. Pronger late last month had knee surgery, which was expected to keep him out about four weeks. But now his return has no fixed date.

"While Chris' knee is improving, he has struggled with other issues that are concussion-like symptoms," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement released by the team Friday. "Chris will see Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins on Wednesday, December 14th in Pittsburgh for further evaluation. Chris will be out indefinetly." Holmgren also announced that rookie forward Brayden Schenn is out indefinitely. "Brayden reported not feeling himself on December 5th," Holmgren said in the statement. "Our doctors believe he has a mild concussion. Brayden will be out indefinitely." Tampa Bay Lighting Articles

1. St. Petersburg Times- New York Rangers' Artem Anisimov apologizes to Tampa

Bay Lightning for gun-shooting celebration

Damian Cristodero

Rangers center Artem Anisimov on Friday apologized to the Lightning, a day after his goal celebration sparked a fracas during the second period of Tampa Bay's 3-2 shootout victory. Speaking to reporters in New York for the first time, Anisimov said he meant no disrespect. "I just want to apologize to Tampa. I didn't mean something by it," he said. "It's just my celebration, and when I score goals, I want to do something unusual. I apologize to Tampa." "He did something wrong, so of course we appreciate that," Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said after the team practice in Philadelphia ahead of tonight's game with the Flyers. "He's a young guy and the fact that he's saying it is good." Anisimov, 23 and in his third full NHL season, used his stick as a mock rifle after he scored a shorthanded goal to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead and figuratively fired at Tampa Bay goaltender Mathieu Garon. Garon said he did not see Anisimov's celebration, which sparked a confrontation with Lecavalier, defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and Steve Downie, each of whom took turns trying to get at Anisimov. The episode produced 38 penalty minutes, with Anisimov and Downie getting 10-minute misconducts. Anisimov said he was not trying to show up the Lightning but was imitating the goal celebration of Ilya Gorokhov, a former Yaroslavl teammate in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.

"I watched him, and I liked it," Anisimov said, "and I told myself when I play NHL and I score, I want to do the same thing. "I'll never do that celebration again. It's a good lesson for me — no more shooting." Lecavalier said he spoke after the game to Rangers center and former Lightning teammate Brad Richards. He said Richards told him Anisimov got a good talking to by some of his teammates. "I don't think their team was really impressed with that," Lecavalier said. DOWNIE FINE? Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman spoke with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan about Downie's part in the fracas and believes Downie could be fined. Downie was sitting on top of the side boards near the Tampa Bay bench as the confrontation unfolded and left to join it as it heated up. game highlights: Defenseman Dennis Wideman scored three power-play goals and had an assist, and the host Capitals beat the Maple Leafs 4-2. … Jason Pominville scored 2:19 into overtime to give the host Sabres a 2-1 win over the Panthers. around the league: Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger is sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. He was scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh to see the doctors who have been working with the Penguins' Sidney Crosby during his concussion and recovery. Pronger missed six games with an eye injury this season and had left-knee surgery last month that was expected to keep him out for another two weeks. … The Hurricanes traded underperforming defenseman Tomas Kaberle to the Canadiens for defenseman Jaroslav Spacek basically to dump Kaberle's three-year, $12.75 million deal signed in the offseason, Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford told the Raleigh News & Observer. "I should've known better," Rutherford said of giving the deal to Kaberle, "in the sense of where he was in his career." … Bruins forward Daniel Paille sustained a concussion on a hit he took from Panthers forward Krys Barch on Thursday and is day to day, coach Claude Julien said. 2. St. Petersburg Times- Tampa Bay Lightning's Marty St. Louis progressing after

face injury; Lightning offensive stars must step up

Damian Cristodero

The Lightning on Friday got some good news about injured star Marty St. Louis, whom it said was released from New York's NYU Medical Center and spent the night at his Connecticut home with wife Heather. St. Louis, who sustained facial and nasal fractures at Thursday's morning skate when hit by a puck from an errant backhand by teammate Dominic Moore, was progressing, the team said, and was expected to fly to Tampa today.

Though St. Louis missed what would have been his 500th consecutive regular-season game, left wing Ryan Malone said he hoped the 3-2 shootout victory over the Rangers that stopped a five-game losing streak was solace for him. "To have that milestone taken away, we wanted to make sure we went out and got it done," Malone said. "It was important for us to show Marty it meant something to us in the room." Their priority is to keep the momentum. And with every nod to the concept of a team game and the luxury of secondary scoring, the Lightning needs its top offensive players — Malone, Steven Stamkos, Vinny Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell — to produce. "You can't replace a guy like Marty," Purcell said, "so everybody has to raise their game." That lately has been a struggle. Purcell has three assists in his past 14 games. Malone has one point (a goal) in his past six. Lecavalier has zero points in four games and one (an assist) in his past seven. Even Stamkos, who is tied for third in the league with 16 goals, hasn't scored in four games. "The last eight or nine games, for sure, have been tough," Lecavalier said. Said Purcell: "It's just that after a while without getting production, maybe you're holding your stick a little tighter. You're pressing a little bit more, and you're not as comfortable in those situations as you are when you're on a streak." Coach Guy Boucher agreed that "we need more" from the group — especially against the surging Flyers tonight at the Wells Fargo Center — but does not believe it should bear the entire burden. "It's not the best players that win, it's the best team, so we have to be a better team," he said. "We will never be able to put on the ice what Marty gives us. That's the big mistake when you lose guys. You try to compensate for what they are. Instead of trying to find what Marty has, I'm trying to find parts of Marty. I don't want one guy. I want a team that figures out we need to do this or that and stick together." That is why third-line center and puck hound Dominic Moore will get more opportunities in offensive situations, Boucher said, and speedy wing Tom Pyatt might keep seeing time on a line with Lecavalier and Purcell. The experiments worked against the Rangers. Lecavalier said the game was the Lightning's "most complete. … Everybody stepped up their games two or three notches." But that doesn't let him, Stamkos, Purcell and Malone off the hook. "When you're missing a big piece like Marty, we have to make sure we keep going in the right direction," Lecavalier said. "We have to be sharp every game."

For the Lightning, that would be good news. NOTES: Defenseman Pavel Kubina (lower body) is on injured reserve retroactive to Monday. He is eligible to play Monday against the Devils at the St. Pete Times Forum. "That's what I'm shooting for," said Kubina, who skated with the team wearing a red no-contact jersey. … Center Nate Thompson (upper body) was expected to play against the Flyers, Boucher said. … Right wing Adam Hall and defenseman Matt Gilroy did not skate for what the team said was body maintenance. Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8622. View his blog at lightning.tampabay.com. Follow him on Twitter at @LightningTimes. .TONIGHT Lightning at Flyers When/where: 7; Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM Key stats: The Flyers, winners of four straight and nine of 12, are tied with the Panthers for most points in the Eastern Conference (37) and lead the league with 96 goals. … The Lightning road power play is on a 2 for 29 skid. … Philadelphia RW Claude Giroux has a league-best 37 points on 16 goals and 21 assists. … The Flyers' 16.6 average penalty minutes lead the league. … Philadelphia is 11-0-0 when leading after the first period and 14-0-1 when leading after two.

3. The Tampa Tribune- Bolts won't try to fill St. Louis' skates

Erik Erlendsson

For just the third time in the past decade, the locker stall normally occupied by Marty St. Louis sat empty during a game and his equipment remained in his hockey bag. After being struck in the face with an errant puck during Thursday's morning skate, St. Louis is expected to miss a significant amount of time with fractures to his sinus and orbital bones, stopping his consecutive games played streak one short of 500. St. Louis left NYU Medical Center on Friday, the team announced, to spend the night at his Connecticut home with wife Heather and is scheduled to return to Tampa on Saturday. St. Louis will be evaluated by team doctors once the swelling subsides and a timetable can be established for his return. So, how do the Lightning fill St. Louis' void until he returns?

"That was my first career game without Marty in the lineup, so it was a little weird,'' fourth-year center Steven Stamkos said. "And you can't replace a guy like Marty, we all know that, and no one is going to try to replace him. We just all have to step up in other areas of the game because we know he's missing." Tampa Bay did that in Thursday's 3-2 shootout victory against the Rangers. "We just showed a lot of character, we stuck with it and played a lot better defensively which we haven't been doing," Stamkos said. "Now, without one of our top offensive guys, we are going to have to step up even more (defensively). It's not about producing more offense because Marty is gone, it's about making sure we are better defensively. We showed that (Friday) and we got the win.'' Lightning coach Guy Boucher believes it's not always the best players that win, it's the best teams. In the absence of one of the team's best players, there must be a concentrated effort to make the team better. "We will never be able to put on the ice what Marty gives us, and that's the big mistake that you make when you lose guys, you try to compensate for what they are,'' Boucher said. "You have to be who you are, but just make sure you put your best on the ice to make sure we make the best team possible. It all comes back on structure, team character and having a survival mode.'' St. Louis is more than just an offensive presence. While he was second in the league last season with 99 points, has eight consecutive 25-goal seasons and registered 80 or more points in seven of the past eight seasons, the 35-year-old former Hart Trophy winner provides leadership in the locker room, on the bench, in the gym and just about everywhere else he has influence on the team. In many ways, St. Louis acts as an extra member of the coaching staff and is a main component of the team's leadership group. "When you are missing a big part like Marty, a big piece, he's a great leader and as leaders we have to make sure we keep going in the right direction,'' captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "It's been tough lately and especially now, with all the injuries, you have to be even more sharp every game. It was a great start against the Rangers, the leadership group was really solid.'' 4. ESPN.com- Martin St. Louis hit in face by puck

Associated Press

Martin St. Louis will be out of the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup indefinitely because of facial and nasal fractures sustained Thursday morning when he was struck in the face by a shot taken in practice by teammate Dominic Moore. St. Louis sat out Thursday night against the New York Rangers, ending his consecutive games streak at 499 games -- the third-longest current run in the NHL. The Lightning announced the star forward's injuries in a statement and said St. Louis would return to Tampa immediately and be evaluated by team doctors when the swelling subsides in and around his left eye. The Lightning recalled forward Blair Jones from Norfolk of the American Hockey League on Thursday, and he was in the lineup for the game against the Rangers. Jones was injured early in the first period when he crashed into New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist. He was given a penalty for goalie interference and left a trail of blood from his nose as he skated off the ice. St. Louis, who hadn't missed a game since Nov. 15, 2005, at Washington was hit near his left eye when Moore shot wide of the net Thursday morning. He was bleeding profusely when he left the ice at Madison Square Garden and was assisted to the dressing room by a trainer. St. Louis left the arena in an ambulance. St. Louis is second on the Lightning with 22 points and third with nine goals in 27 games. His consecutive games streak trailed only Calgary defenseman Jay Bouwmeester's 533-game run, and Vancouver forward Henrik Sedin's 526 straight games, among active streaks. Tampa Bay has lost five in a row and nine of 12. Adirondack Phantoms Articles

1. Glens Falls Post-Star- Postgame: Portland 2, Phantoms 1

Tim McManus

All of the attention from this one is going to go to the two-on-one, shorthanded breakaway that cost the Phantoms their third straight game in the final minute. But the reality of this three-game streak of heartbreakers is that the Phantoms haven't played well enough offensively to take the final minute out of the equation. As Joe Paterson pointed out postgame, when you only score once a game, the margin of error becomes non-existent. Cullen Eddy's goal Friday snapped a 140-minute scoreless streak.

The Phantoms have only allowed five goals in their last two games, but have only scored three of their own. Too much of the burden is falling to Michael Leighton, who has stopped 92 of 97 shots over the last three games. Perhaps not surprisingly, as they're missing five of their regular defensemen, the Phantoms are spending a lot more time in their zone and not breaking out as cleanly. That ends up affecting the offense at the other end. While the top line of Denis Hamel, Ben Holmstrom and Mike Testwuide continue to function well as a shutdown unit, they haven't provided much offense. Hamel has an empty-net goal in his last 13 games and Testwuide has an empty-netter in 21 games. Now, about that final play. Thanks to the call-ups, the Phantoms had two rookies on the point on the power play, including one in just his third career game. A whole conflux of things went wrong. (Was I the only one, by the way, who thought Hamel was going to get called for interference before getting high-sticked to draw that last penalty?) It started with a terrific shotblock by Dean Arsene. At the same time the puck bounded out of the zone, Jason Akeson was sneaking in from the point, leaving a two-on-one the other way. 2. Glens Falls Post-Star- Phantoms lose another heartbreaker

Tim McManus

Michael Leighton skated toward the blue line and heaved the rolled up T-shirt he'd been given as the game's second star deep into the Civic Center stands. It was the toss of a frustrated man. If the last two games ended in punches to the gut, then this 2-1 defeat to the Portland Pirates on Friday was something even worse for the Adirondack Phantoms. For the third straight time they lost in the final minute, and it was hard to imagine a more disheartening end. The Phantoms gave up a shorthanded two-on-one breakaway that Ethan Werek turned into the go-ahead goal with 19.2 seconds remaining. "When you score one goal ... things get magnified even more so," Phantoms coach Joe Paterson said. "You can't make little mistakes until you're scoring more goals. You have to play a perfect type of game." Things broke down quickly after Denis Hamel drew a power play with 37 seconds remaining. Off the ensuing draw, Hamel took a shot that was blocked by Dean Arsene and kicked out high in the zone, creating a two-on-one.

Phantoms defenseman Brandon Manning, the lone player back, thought help was coming in the form of a streaking Hamel, but it never got there. Matt Watkins slid the puck late to Werek, who connected on the backhand. "You can't give up that kind of scoring chance, especially late, when you're within a point of moving on and then perhaps in overtime you have a chance to win it," Paterson said. The goal was Werek's first as a professional. Adirondack lost 1-0 in Hamilton on Tuesday, allowing a goal with 45 seconds left in overtime. Last Saturday, they fell 2-1 to Norfolk on a goal with 30 seconds remaining in regulation. Leighton made 35 saves. He's allowed just five goals over the last three games, but the Phantoms are 0-3 as they've only scored two of their own during that span. Cullen Eddy's goal early in the third period, which tied the game at one, broke a 140-minute scoring drought for the Phantoms. "Sometimes you think you should simplify it," Paterson said. "I remember seeing some shots where we put the puck right over the net, too. We had some misses. It doesn't count as a shot on net, you don't get a rebound off of it." Loose pucks: Johan Backlund dressed as the backup goaltender as Jason Bacashihua was out with a minor issue. .... Forward Andrew Rowe made his season debut for the Phantoms. Luke Pither was out of the lineup. Portland (11-10-1-1) 0 1 1 - 2 Adirondack (13-9-1-1) 0 0 1 - 1 First period - None. Penalties - Kalinski, Adk (holding), 1:30. Second period - 1, Portland, Trotter 4 (Summers), 2:15. Penalties - Duncan, Por (hooking), 10:16. Third period - 2, Adirondack, Eddy 1 (Harper, Sestito), 0:47; 3, Portland, Werek 1 (Watkins, Arsene), 19:40 (sh). Penalties - Duncan, Por (hooking), 9:14; Trotter, Por (hooking), 13:23; Hollweg Por (high-sticking), 19:23. Shots on goal - Portland 18-12-7--37; Adirondack 9-9-6--24. Power-play opportunities - Portland 0/1; Adirondack 0/4.

Goalies - Portland, McElhinney 7-9-0 (24 shots-23 saves); Adirondack, Leighton 10-8-0 (37 shots-35 saves). Referee - Brown. A - 2,792. NHL Articles

1. NHL.com- Kaberle dealt to Canadiens for Spacek

NHL.com Staff

The Carolina Hurricanes have traded defenseman Tomas Kaberle to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Jaroslav Spacek. Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said last week that he was not happy with Kaberle's play and if he continued down his current path he wouldn't be with the club much longer. Rutherford found a partner in Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier, who has acquired a player in Kaberle that has 9 assists and a minus-12 rating in 29 games. In return, the Hurricanes are getting Spacek, who has 3 assists and a plus-2 rating in 12 games this season. Spacek, though, hasn't played since Nov. 12 due to an upper-body injury, but he was cleared for contact earlier this week and was considered a possibility to play for the Habs Saturday afternoon at New Jersey. After playing in Winnipeg on Friday, the Hurricanes don't play again until Tuesday in Toronto. The Hurricanes signed Kaberle over the summer and were so convinced he could help them that they immediately traded Joe Corvo to the Boston Bruins. Kaberle, who was coming off winning the Stanley Cup with the Bruins, was far from a hit in Carolina, leading Rutherford to go on XM Radio's NHL Home Ice and blast the struggling defenseman. "He came into camp and didn't prepare himself properly," Rutherford said. "He came in like the Boston Bruins did after winning the Stanley Cup and enjoyed his summer, and he hasn't caught up. He got off to a slow start by his own doing and now he has to figure out a way to get out of it or he won't be playing with the Hurricanes long." Kaberle, though, had 2 assists in each of his final two games with the Hurricanes, and helped new coach Kirk Muller pick up his first win Wednesday night in Edmonton. Spacek has missed the last 12 games after suffering an upper-body injury in the second period of the Canadiens' 3-2 shootout loss to Buffalo on Nov. 14. He also missed five games earlier in the season with an upper-body injury.

2. NHL.com- Sutton banned indefinitely, faces Saturday hearing

NHL.com Staff

Edmonton defenseman Andy Sutton has a phone hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Saturday afternoon to discuss a hit delivered to Carolina's Alexei Ponikarovsky in the third period of Wednesday's game at Rexall Place. On Thursday afternoon, Sutton was suspended indefinitely, pending a hearing. Sutton was offered the option of an in-person hearing. The NHL suspended Sutton for five games earlier this season for a hit to the head of Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog during an Oct. 28 game in Denver. 3. TSN.ca- ANADIENS ACQUIRE KABERLE FROM HURRICANES FOR

SPACEK

TSN.ca Staff

The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenceman Tomas Kaberle from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in exchange for defenceman Jaroslav Spacek. This season, Kaberle has nine assists in 29 games with the Hurricanes, including four points in his last two games. He has another two years left on a contract that pays him US$4.25 million a year. "Offensive players are paid in this league and Mr. Kaberle is an offensive player," Canadiens general manager and executive vice president Pierre Gauthier said. "But that's probably the most desirable asset you have; when you have offensive players." With Andrei Markov on injured reserve after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and not expected back for at least another six weeks, Kaberle will be called upon to help out with the power-play. "We feel we have a good team that's competing very well in many areas," Gauthier said. "We have good goaltending, we have good penalty killing, good five-on-five ... but we need a better power-play and with the absence of Mr. Markov, Mr. Kaberle can help us. And then hopefully Mr. Markov will be back soon and they'll both be together to help the power-play." Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said he believes Kaberle will provide the dominating power-play presence the team hoped Markov would bring. "Andrei Markov is our quarterback, but he hasn't played a game yet," said Martin. "If we can get better production out of it, maybe that can make a difference."

Upon hearing of the trade Friday morning, Kaberle said he was shocked to hear the news but welcomed a trade back to a Canadian city where hockey is the number one sport. "Obviously we weren't in a good situation here in Carolina. We've got only 22 points and we have been struggling the last few games," said Kaberle. "I was shocked but when things aren't going well things are going to happen. It started with the coach and now it's me. I'll just do my best in Montreal and hope that I can fit into the lineup." After a lengthy career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kaberle was dealt to Boston last season and helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup. "In Boston, he contributed to the Stanley Cup and was able to integrate himself with a good team very well, so we hope that he can integrate himself to this good club as well," said Gauthier. Canadiens defenceman Hal Gill played two seasons with Kaberle in Toronto and knows what he can bring. "In Toronto, he was the guy running the power-play and he's a guy who's smooth with the puck. Hopefully he can come here and feel comfortable and play the way I know he can," said Gill. Spacek will be back playing with former Canadiens assistant coach Kirk Muller, who is now the head coach in Carolina. Spacek was activated from injured reserve on Friday and Muller expects him to play in Winnipeg. "This deal brings a solid, veteran defenceman to our team for the remainder of this season and allows us more flexibility with our roster moving forward," Hurricanes president and general manager Jim Rutherford said. In other news, defenceman Frederic St-Denis was assigned to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs on Friday. 4. TSN.ca- SENATORS PROSPECT WIERCIOCH HIT IN THROAT BY PUCK

IN AHL GAME

TSN.ca Staff

Ottawa Senators prospect Patrick Wiercioch took a puck to the throat in tonight's game between the Senators' AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators and the Norfolk Admirals. Wiercioch was taken to the hospital but is in stable condition and his teammates in Binghamton were told that he should be okay. The 21-year-old defenceman will require further evaluation to see if swelling in the area occurs, and more on the extent of the injury will be known Saturday.

Wiercioch was playing the point on a Senators power play when a clearing shot struck him in the throat. In 26 games with Binghamton this season, Wiercioch has two goals and 12 points. 5. TSN.ca- PANTHERS DECIDE AGAINST LOANING GUDBRANSON TO

WORLD JR TEAM

TSN.ca Staff

Team Canada got a boost on Thursday when forwards Brett Connolly and Devante Smith-Pelly were granted permission to join the team by their respective NHL clubs. The Florida Panthers have different plans for defenceman Erik Gudbranson. The organization has decided not to release Gudbranson, instead having the 19-year-old rookie remain at the NHL level as the club battles for top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers currently sit second in the Conference with 36 points, one behind Philadelphia. The Ottawa native was a member of last year's silver medal winning Canadian team. He finished the tournament fifth on the team in points, scoring three goals and two assists while holding a plus-8 rating. A third overall pick of the 2010 draft, Gudbranson has one assist and a minus-7 rating through 22 games with the Panthers this season. 6. ESPN.com- Leafs, Raptors sold to telecom rivals

Associated Press

Canada's largest telecommunication companies announced Friday they have agreed to buy the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA's Toronto Raptors in a billion-dollar deal as the fierce telecom rivals seek content for their sports channels, digital properties and smartphones. Rogers Communications and BCE Inc purchased a majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for about $1 billion in one of the richest sports deal in North American history. Rogers and BCE, major competitors in wireless, internet and cable, will each own 37.5 percent of Canada's largest sports conglomerate while Toronto businessman Larry Tanenbaum upped his minority stake from 20 to 25 percent in a total sale worth $1.32 billion Canadian (US$1.3 billion)

The storied Maple Leafs are hockey's richest club and have long been the most followed hockey team in hockey-mad Canada. In all, the Leafs have won 11 Stanley Cups, but none since 1967. MLSE also owns the Air Canada Centre, the home of the Maple Leafs and Raptors and a major concert venue in Canada's largest city. The deal also includes Toronto FC of Major League Soccer, a minor league hockey team, and the Leafs and Raptors TV stations. Rogers already owns the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team and their stadium, the Rogers Centre, as well as the Canadian sports channel Sportsnet. Rogers CEO Nadir Mohamed said the Blue Jays are not a part of the deal. He said he was thrilled to be a part owner of the iconic Maple Leaf brand. BCE and Rogers are the largest wireless, internet and cable companies in Canada. They will share the sports content of MLSE. Mohamed noted that Rogers and BCE worked together as broadcast partners at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. BCE controls the rival TSN sports channel. Mohamed said it will bolster Sportsnet and their digital, print, mobile and radio properties. Mohamed said more people have wireless devices like smartphones and tablets and they want to watch live sports. Advertisers pay a premium for such viewers. "Sports content is king. Let's face it, nobody wants to watch a game two days later," Mohamed said. "Between the two organizations I can't think of anybody that can bring live sports to Canadians wherever they are without missing a second." George Cope, the president and CEO of BCE, said it delivers on their goal to deliver the best content to what he calls the "new four-screen world that we live in." "We believe, increasingly, that live content is going to be more and more important in the technology world and there is no better live content than the professional sports that we are talking about today," Cope said. Cope said BCE will continue its minority ownership position in the NHL's Montreal Canadiens despite owning part of the rival Maple Leafs. The deal will require regulatory approval and approval by each of the leagues. The $110 billion Canadian (US$108 billion) pension plan, which represents 300,000 current and retired teachers, said the deal came a few weeks after they announced it had given up trying to sell the stake. Shortly after that, BCE and Rogers stepped forward with a bid that met all of its original terms and conditions, Teachers' said. Mohamed said the new owners are focused on winning, but will take a hands-off approach and allow Tanenbaum to oversee the day-to-day operations. Tanenbaum said bringing the companies together will give MLSE the resources to build championship

teams. Tanenbaum will remain as chairman of MLSE and as a governor of the NHL, the NBA and Major League Soccer. A person familiar with the deal said Tanenbaum will have first rights at buying the stake of BCE or Rogers should they decide to sell. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. 7. ESPN.com- Hurricanes trade Tomas Kaberle

Associated Press

The Carolina Hurricanes have traded defenseman Tomas Kaberle to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Jaroslav Spacek. The Hurricanes announced the deal Friday, a few hours before their game at Winnipeg. Carolina signed Kaberle to a three-year, $12.75 million contract in July hoping a reunion with Paul Maurice -- who coached him in Toronto -- would help improve the Hurricanes' defense and strengthen their power play. Instead, Kaberle had no goals and nine assists in 29 games with Carolina and was a minus-12. Maurice was fired last week. The 37-year-old Spacek had three assists in 12 games with Montreal and was a plus-2 before he was placed on injured reserve last month with an upper-body injury. The veteran Czech can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. 8. ESPN.com- Bruins' Daniel Paille has concussion

James Murphy

Boston Bruins forward Daniel Paille suffered a mild concussion from the hit he took from Panthers forward Krys Barch in the first period of the Bruins' 2-0 loss to Florida Thursday night, coach Claude Julien confirmed Friday after practice. Paille will not make the trip to Columbus for the Bruins game Saturday night. Paille left the game 2:17 into regulation after trying to get up and skate to the bench, but stumbled back to the ice. "He suffered a mild concussion," Julien said. "So he's going to be out for the time being and they think it's a mild concussion, but again you never know. So we'll take it day by day and we'll see. He's feeling better today and that's certainly good to hear." Julien seemed to expect -- just as the medical staff confirmed -- that it was a concussion after watching the replay.

"I saw him stumbling there when he tried to get up and then they went in and tested him, I guess," Julien said. "He had some good things but it wasn't good enough for him to return so that's why they assessed it as a mild concussion for now."

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