Hockey Hearsay compiles stories from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, 12 months a year.
NUGENT-HOPKINS ENJOYING RETURN TO OKLAHOMA CITY
The Edmonton Journal notes the Oilers will close out their pre-season at the AHL Oklahoma City Barons’ home rink Friday against the Dallas Stars.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who did make the trip but won’t play, was among the players who attended a local school visit before the afternoon practice. Unlike in Edmonton, where the players are constantly hounded for autographs — often by seekers looking to turn a profit — he said there was something much more organic about their experience on Thursday.
“They don’t know much about hockey, they haven’t been around it like we have been in Canada, but they had so many questions and they wanted to get autographs even though they had no idea who we were,” said Nugent-Hopkins.
“It was a good experience for us. They were genuine and just excited about having a professional athlete in there talking to them.
https://twitter.com/okcbarons/status/383345842926546944
“It’s kind of cool to be back just for a game,” Nugent-Hopkins added. “We’ve seen some of the guys we played with last year and also it’s a chance to walk around town again, show some of the guys who haven’t been here before, a little bit about it.
“I don’t think (the AHL) gets the credit it deserves. Coming down from the NHL last year, it wasn’t that big a step down. Everybody is fighting for a job here.”
STAMKOS, ST. LOUIS TO KILL PENALTIES FOR LIGHTNING
The Tampa Bay Times recalls Guy Boucher, who coached the Lightning from 2010-13, did not want his best offensive players burning energy in a defensive role like the penalty kill. Martin St. Louis had zero shorthanded goals under Boucher with an average of just 33 seconds of penalty kill time. Steven Stamkos averaged 32 seconds, also with zero shorthanded goals.
“Listen, if you’re going out there smart for 20, 25 seconds, I don’t think you’re wasting energy. I really don’t,” said St. Louis, whose 28 shorthanded goals are a Tampa Bay record. “If you can get five, six rotations on your PK, nobody is tired.”
The key, Cooper said, is “player, slash, game management.”
“If we’re in a situation where we’ve had a ton of power plays, (St. Louis and Stamkos) probably won’t see much time killing penalties. I’m not even necessarily a fan of using them together. But I am a big believer in you use your best players whenever you can. I’m not saying they’re going to be regular penalty killers, but there are times we are going to need them.”
DATSYUK COULD BECOME 24/7 STAR
Michigan Live describes how the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will be filmed for the HBO series 24/7 as the teams prepare for the Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium.
“I think (Pavel Datsyuk) will come across pretty good,” Niklas Kronwall said. “He’s a funny guy and I think that will really show. If he feels he can be himself, it will be great to see him. It will be hilarious; he could have a show all about himself.”
Kronwall said Jimmy Howard “would love the camera,” too. Howard didn’t seem to disagree.
“It’ll be something we’ll hopefully be able to show our grand kids we were on HBO one time,” Howard said. “So I’m looking forward to it. I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I’m curious to see who acts like themselves on camera and who puts on a little bit of a show.”
Howard said he expects “a lot of guys doing their hair in the back room” before the cameras start rolling.
“I think a couple of guys will probably be checking themselves twice before they leave the house in the morning,” Howard said. “I’m not going to throw anyone under the bus, but you’ll see.’
PAAJARVI SURPRISING HITCHCOCK, BLUES
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch relays Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said Magnus Paajarvi has played “opposite” of what the team expected when they acquired him.
“What I mean by that,” Hitchcock said, “is his ability to make plays on the rush, his abilities to make plays on the cycle, his offensive instincts were way better than what we thought they were. What we saw in the last 20 games in Edmonton was a high level of tenacity and something you can build on. He hasn’t shown that here. He’s shown at times like he’s overwhelmed, but he’s showing more offensive ability than we thought … ever.”
Hitchcock said that he saw a different player in Paajarvi Thursday.
“Today at practice was the first time we saw the player that we traded for,” Hitchcock said. “Today when it got down to crunch time and he could see numbers, there’s 15 forwards here … he went at it. He was the guy we thought we traded for today.”
HARDING TO KEEP BACKSTROM FRESH FOR WILD
The St. Paul Pioneer Press points out goaltender Niklas Backstrom is the second-oldest Wild player, and the team is counting on Josh Harding to take starts from Backstrom, keeping the team’s No. 1 goalie fresh down the stretch.
“It’s big for us,” coach Mike Yeo said. “Having two quality goaltenders in this league, you need that. We all know you need the starter. You need a guy who’s going to go out and win games on a consistent basis. But that’s not enough. You need two guys that you can play whether it’s because of an injury or to provide rest … whether it’s because he’s got the hot hand, you need two capable goalies, and we have that. So Harding, as far as we’re all concerned, is continuing where he left off at the end of last year, and that’s a great sign.”
PREDATORS’ HOUSLEY WORKING WITH ELLIS
The Nashville Tennessean asserts that in part to help Ryan Ellis, this offseason the Predators hired former NHL defenseman Phil Housley as an assistant coach. Housley was also listed at 5-foot-10 during his playing career, which he finished with 1,232 points.
During the summer, Housley visited with Ellis and said he talked with him about, “trying to get last year out of his system.”
“So far the things we talked about, he’s tried to execute them,” Housley said. “You see it in his play, I think he’s playing with some confidence.”
BLUE JACKET’S HORTON PATIENT WITH RECOVERY
The Columbus Dispatch has an update on Nathan Horton’s recovery from shoulder surgery.
“I’m at nine weeks now,” Horton said. “Ten weeks is when I pick it up a little more in terms of the rehab, and that’s when I expect to start to see progress. But it’s four months before the bone is fully healed. So I’ve got a while yet. I have to stay patient.”
He can’t start skating, he said, until four months after the surgery, which would be mid-November. The club won’t put a timeline on his return, but it’s expected in December or January.
THEY TWEETED IT
https://twitter.com/Realkevinklein8/status/383365446939852800