Could MAF lose his #1 GT Spot?

From today's Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

Both Jocelyn Thibault and Dany Sabourin have had good camps and although he entered camp the undisputed #1 goal tender his grip on that position seems to be slipping.

MAF needs to step up his play or he could be sent down to WBS for the start of the season.

Cursed?!?

Im starting to get the feeling that Malkin is cursed. Malkin was taken to the hospital after colliding w/ John LeClair. Details on ESPN.com

Of course I didn't see the game because Directv has blacked out FSN Pittsburgh for the first two games. Why the NHL would enforce a blackout restriction for pre-season hockey is ridiculous. At this point they should let as many people that want to consume their product have access to it wherever they are.

The "C" goes too...

No one. Mike Thierrien decided that "out of respect for Mario" there would be no captain. They'll be 3 "A"s this year. They haven't been announced yet.

I think they should have named Recchi or Leclair. You need a designate to speak for the team during referee disputes, and to call the inevitable players only meeting.

TSN has details

Can you thumb type w/ hockey gloves?

So the Pens may not have a new arena but they may be able to get a good deal on a blackberry pda. The Canadian Press reports on Jim Balsillie, the latest potential bidder for the Pens since Hartford business magnet Sam Fingold failed to secure the funding on his winning bid earlier in the summer.

In case you're keeping track this guy wants to move the Pens to Hamilton Ontario.

Should he win, he's evidentally loaded with cash from all those crackberry's out there. Which could bode well for the future of the Pittsburgh/Kansas CIty/Hartford/Las Vegas/ Hamilton Penguins somewhere down the line.

Russian Tribunal Says Nyet to Malkin in the NHL

Just the term "Russian Tribunal" conjures up scarey images of big burly Russians smoking cigarettes and screaming in between gulps of vodka.

TSN.ca reports on the latest in the drama that has no end. Basically the Russians are saying he legally can't play anywhere but Magnitogorsk (big shock), the NHL is saying "we'll take a look", Malkins people are saying they'll say something "at the appropriate time" and the Pens (who are already marketing the kid everywhere) are saying that he'll be in camp as expected.

One wonders if he can be expected to perform on the ice with all these chaotic machinations of international business law swirling around him.

You would assume this could all be resolved with a fat check but the NHL and the Pens in particular aren't going to be in a financial position to write one any time soon.

As Cope would say "Hmm Ha".

Meet the White Tiger

Patrick Ehelechner is a german goalie that is in the Pens camp. He's got a big following in europe and was profiled on Savarn on Sports last week. Check out his website . Shero thinks he'll get sent back to Europe for another year before playing in the NHL.

Malkin has first practice...watches Steelers game

TSN.ca has a brief story about Malkin's first practice w/ some quotes from his teammates.

Malkin Signs...will wear 71

Finally!

Post Gazette has all the detail.

Good to see Mario still involved w/ the team. Maybe now that the LOI has run out and the dude that was gonna buy the team may be having money troubles, perhaps Lemieux is reconsidering selling the team.

At any rate its nice to have the Malkin situation resolved, and if what we saw in the Olympics translates to the NHL maybe they won't be mathematically eliminated by January.