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Category: Columbus-Blue-Jackets

Finding Ways To Keep The Blue Jackets In Columbus

by Paul on 11/05/09 at 08:08 AM ET
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from Jeff Bell of Business First of Columbus,

At best, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost $30.4 million over the last three years, and at worst $43 million, according to a report released Thursday that outlines ways to keep the financially strapped hockey team from leaving town.

Chief among the nearly 20 options are ideas for public-private partnerships that would provide the National Hockey League club relief from its lease agreement at Nationwide Arena, although at the expense of taxpayers in some of the scenarios.

continued

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The ‘Jagr’ Look For Voracek

by Paul on 11/03/09 at 06:28 AM ET
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from Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch,

First, to Voracek’s hair.

It’s not one of the “business-in-front, party-in-the-back” mullets that became, sadly, popular in the 1980s. No, Voracek’s mop is all party, similar to Jaromir Jagr’s ‘do in the early 1990s with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“Jake and Jaromir are both from Kladno,” Blue Jackets defenseman Jan Hejda said, referring to a city in the Czech Republic, an industrial suburb of Prague. “It’s like our Pittsburgh. So everybody looks like that in Kladno.”

Coach Ken Hitchcock—an old-school NHL coach by most measures—said he doesn’t mind the “Kladno cut”. But he might feel differently under other circumstances.

While in he was in Calgary this season, Flames reporters noted that such a haircut would never fly under the old-school rule of Flames general manager Darryl Sutter or coach Brian Sutter.

“Jake’s trying to see how far he can go before he really (honks) off the coach,” Hitchcock said, with a smile. “And he’s getting close.

more

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 Tags: Jake+Voracek,

Morning Line

by Paul on 10/29/09 at 07:20 AM ET
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“I see the sun every morning in Phoenix, and that’s a nice thing.  You have to remember, I’ve seen Siberia.”

-Phoenix Coyotes Assistant Coach Dave King.  More on King from Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Dave+King,

Ott Will Be Talking With Campbell & Scuderi Gets Fined

by Paul on 10/26/09 at 06:59 PM ET
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via Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News,

Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk just confirmed that Steve Ott will have a phone hearing with the NHL on his hip check on Blues defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo Saturday.

Nieuwendyk said he has no feeling on whether Ott could receive a suspension, just that the league said a lot of incidents had happened over the weekend and they are being proactive on them.

Also, Mr. Campbell was on HNIC Radio this afternoon and stated Rob Scuderi was fined for his hit on Jason Chimera.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Rob+Scuderi, Steve+Ott,

Rob Scuderi Check On Jason Chimera Tonight

by Paul on 10/25/09 at 11:13 PM ET
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Do Scuderi go too low to make the hit is my question?

No penalty on the play except for Derek Dorsett leavingt the bench and gettting a game misconduct along with Chimera who was yapping with the Kings bench.

added 10/26/09, 6:06am, from Aaron Portzline of Puck-rakers,

This wasn’t a hip check. Maybe it was intended to be, but it wasn’t even close. Scuderi essentially dived at Chimera’s knees, undercutting him and sending him airborn, skates over tin cup one might say.

Chimera’s face landed on the ice and he skidded that way a few feet before his neck crumpled and his body flopped the rest of the way over. It was a scary sight live, and even moreso in slow motion.

more

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 Tags: Jason+Chimera, Rob+Scuderi,

The Bar Is Set Higher In Columbus

by Paul on 10/20/09 at 06:28 AM ET
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from Larry Wigge of NHL.com,

Expectations have been raised more than just a notch according to Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash. No longer is it about just making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s playing a lot better than when they get there than they did in the first round of the playoffs last spring, when they lost four straight to the Detroit Red Wings.

Nash looks around the room and knows which players he can count on. And that team concept starts across the dressing room from him, in the form of second-year goaltender Steve Mason.

“It’s huge when you’ve got a guy back there who you know is going to stop a lot of pucks. All the confidence in the world starts with ‘Mase,’” Nash said. “It’s so much easier to take a chance or two offensively when you know he’s back there and he’s got your back.”

continued plus Central Division chatter…

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Columbus Extends Kris Russell

by Paul on 10/17/09 at 06:58 PM ET
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COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Kris Russell to a three-year contract extension, General Manager Scott Howson announced today.  As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Russell, 22, has registered four goals and 28 assists for 32 points and 42 penalty minutes in 137 career games with the Blue Jackets. He notched 2-19-21 and 28 penalty minutes in 66 games with Columbus last season.

“Kris is an important player for us, not only in the present, but in the future,” said Howson. “We believe he has just scratched the surface of his potential.”

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 Tags: Kris+Russell,

Hitchcock At Home In Columbus

by Paul on 10/16/09 at 10:29 AM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

At 4-1, Columbus is off to the best start in franchise history. Except for a four-minute lapse against the San Jose Sharks that resulted in a 6-3 loss, they have been relentlessly consistent thus far this season.

“We all have these ideas about how a team is going to play and how you want to play, but then you find out, you gotta drag one guy in at a time,” explained coach Ken Hitchcock in an interview. “As much as you want your team to play committed and everything, it’s like you pull in one guy one day and one guy the next day and that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to get to the level, where every player feels committed to compete for every puck every day on every shift.”

Hitchcock is in his fourth season with Columbus, joining them in November, 2006, after he’d been dismissed by the Philadelphia Flyers. Accordingly, he has been in place long enough that his message is familiar to the players that matter -beginning with team captain Rick Nash - and they’re on board with what he’s trying to sell.

read on plus many additional hockey topics duscussed…

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 Tags: Ken+Hitchcock,

Blue Jackets Lose Jan Hejda To Knee Injury

by Paul on 10/14/09 at 09:06 AM ET
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from Aaron Portzline of Puck-rakers,

Blue Jackets defenseman Jan Hejda is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with a sprained left knee, The Dispatch has learned.

Hejda was injured with 1:24 remaining in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Calgary in Nationwide Arena, when he and Flames winger Curtis Glencross inadvertantly collided—left knee on left knee—as they crossed through the slot in the Flames’ end....

It’s a huge blow for the Blue Jackets, who already are without defenseman Mike Commodore because of a groin injury. Hejda and Commodore formed the Blue Jackets No. 1 defensive pair last season.

Hejda has a plus-8 rating in five games this season, tied with Dallas Nicklas Grossman for tops in the NHL.

a bit more…

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 Tags: Jan+Hejda,

Filatov = Zherdev?

by Paul on 10/13/09 at 01:28 PM ET
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from Tom Reed of Puck-rakers at the Columbus Dispatch,

Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock and his 19-year-old rookie Nikita Filatov met for more than 10 minutes at center ice this morning as the players swirled around them. It was a fascinating scene as Hitchcock, at times tapping his stick on the ice, conveyed what’s expected of the talented Filatov.

By all accounts, it was a healthy and constructive chat.

The coach let Filatov know he would be a healthy scratch for tonight’s game. He also emphasized that Filatov needs to be more competitive on the puck. A smiling Filatov said Hitchcock told him he’s been getting “worse,’’ over the course of the four games. Never mind his ice time has been decreasing each night. Hitchcock wants Filatov thinking “quality over quantity.”

But the most interesting element—and I don’t want to reveal too much because columnist Bob Hunter will be writing about the topic for Wednesday—is that both player and coach conceded that Nikolai Zherdev has been discussed in relation to Filatov’s development.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Nikita+Filatov,

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