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Entries with the tag: Michael+Peca

You’d Think A Team Could Use Peca

by Paul on 11/05/09 at 03:10 PM ET
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from Jim Kelley of Sportsnet,

Sources tell me that Peca had a chat with Sabres GM Darcy Regier and that would be a good fit given that he’s put down roots in Western New York what with a home and having his kids in school there, but Buffalo’s roster appears set at least for now. There were rumors that a team in the West had some interest but it was simply too far away. The Philadelphia Flyers were rumored to be interested but they have cap issues. Toronto is close by and the GTA is where Peca was born, but the Leafs haven’t revisited and even if they did it’s not exactly a Cup contending team.

As a result his options are limited, but that’s not as big a problem as you might think.

“I don’t think I’d be comfortable with the decision of having it be over,” he said. “Right now things are different, but I think it would be difficult to concede that this is the end. I still think there’s a fit out there somewhere.”

Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Michael+Peca,

Peca Enjoying Life Away From The Rink

by Paul on 10/07/09 at 07:07 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

The 35-year-old unrestricted free agent hasn’t given up hope on playing this season, but also isn’t sitting nervously near his phone waiting for it to ring.

“If something is meant to be, it’ll happen, and if it’s not, then it won’t. That’s how I’m looking at it,” he said. “I’m more than prepared to move on.”

He’s enjoying life at home in Buffalo, N.Y., with his wife and two children, a 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.

“Hockey has been a big part of my life, but family is the No. 1 thing in my life,” Peca said. “When you can fill your days, weeks and months with things that are fun, then it’s not all that bad.”

Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Michael+Peca,

Peca Wants To Help A Team With The Cup

by Paul on 09/07/09 at 08:38 AM ET
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from Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News,

It’s hard to imagine that no one could use Peca’s experience and grit. He’s a two-time Selke winner as the league’s top defensive forward. He’s gone to two Cup finals. He’s played for six NHL teams, four in the last five seasons.

Peca is one of those players whose intangibles make any team better. No one plays tougher for his size. That’s the problem. The word around the league is that Peca hit so hard, for so long, that there’s little left to give.

“I do hear that,” he said. “It’s in the back of your mind. But then you find a real purpose to play again. My sole purpose is to try to win a championship. That’s my motivation, to win a Stanley Cup. I don’t want to play just to play and have a job or make money. I want to be in a position to win, or a position that’s going to be great for me and my family.”

Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Michael+Peca,

Peca Not In The Lineup Tonight

by Paul on 04/11/09 at 03:58 PM ET
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from Tom Reed of Puck-rakers,

Veteran center Michael Peca will not play on fan appreciation night against the Wild.

“Day off,” coach Ken Hitchcock said when asked why Peca was out of the lineup.

Is he injured?

“Day off,” Hitchcock responded.

Are you happy with the way Peca is playing?

“Day off,” Hitchcock said.

There’s two ways to view it. Hitchcock is trying to hide an injury or he’s sending a message to his 35-year-old alternate captain. Interesting.

Peca In Playoff Mode

by Paul on 04/03/09 at 11:37 AM ET
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from Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch,

To say that Peca has been pacing himself wouldn’t be entirely fair. The first 70 games of the season matter, too, and he has been a solid player all season.

But ...

“Sometimes the seasons get really long,” Peca said. “When you can see a light at the end of the tunnel, and you can see the playoffs are right around the corner, my play has always gotten a lot better.

“I’ve always played in climates where the winters are gray and cold. When it starts to clear up a little bit, I tend to play a little better.”

Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Michael+Peca,

Blue Jackets Agree to Terms with Peca

by Alanah McGinley on 07/07/08 at 06:38 PM ET
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From Aaron Portzline at Puck-rakers in the Columbus Dispatch,

The Blue Jackets have agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent center Michael Peca, The Dispatch has learned.

Best guess here is it’s a two-year deal. It could be announced as soon as Tuesday. Apparently, there are some minor details to hammer out before it’s completed.

read on for other Columbus contract odds &ends

Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: michael+peca,

Peca Close To Re-signing With Columbus

by Paul on 07/03/08 at 06:29 PM ET
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from Puck-rakers,

The Blue Jackets are talking to center Michael Peca about returning to the club, The Dispatch has learned. A deal could be announced soon, NHL sources say, perhaps as early as today.

I talked to Peca this afternoon, and he confirmed his desire to join the Blue Jackets. He also said he wants to sign for more than one season and “be a part of something special.”

Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Michael+Peca,

Columbus Beats Chicago - All Impressed By Kane

by Paul on 10/24/07 at 06:28 AM ET
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from Puck-rakers, a Blue Jackets blog at the Columbus Dispatch,

Hitchcock on Kane: “(The coaching staff) was trying to figure out a player you could compare him to. We haven’t found the right guy yet. If you’re sitting here in Chicago, a hockey fan, you’ve got to be thinking that you’ve got a chance over the next 10 or 15 years to watch this guy play hockey. He has an ability like very few players.”

Michael Peca on Kane: “I think he’s dynamite. He’s got that nose for the puck. I love watching guys like that. I know he was No. 1 overall and there are a lot of expectations. But a lot of people like to knock the little guys. I’d take his skill over the size of some guys in this league. He’s going to be a 100-point guy year after year after year.”

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