Truth & Rumors > NHL

07:21 AM ET 05.17 | The threat of playing for one's country after an NHL season always exists, and the unfortunate has happened in the case of Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal. [Staal] is being evaluated for an apparent knee injury suffered Thursday in the IIHF World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. Staal, who also is serving as Canada's team captain, took a knee-on-knee hit from Alex Edler of Sweden with 4:14 left in the first period. He fell to the ice in pain, clutching his right knee. Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said Hockey Canada officials called him immediately after Staal left the ice for treatment. Rutherford dd not know the seriousness of the injury, saying Staal was to have an MRI exam administered by NHL doctors in Stockholm.

News & Observer

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07:18 AM ET 05.17 | In advance of a Memorial Cup run, the Saskatoon Blades added a new coach to the staff -- one with fresh NHL experience. One day after being fired by the Dallas Stars, Glen Gulutzan was at the Credit Union Centre Wednesday preparing for his temporary role as a guest coach with the Blades for the tournament. With the Stars firing general manager Joe Nieuwendyk last month, Blades head coach and general manager Lorne Molleken engaged in discussions with Gulutzan to see if he would be willing to assist the WHL team. When new Stars GM Jim Nill fired Gulutzan on Tuesday, the coach came on board. ... Gulutzan said he's just "taking it easy" while between full-time jobs and doesn't want to disrupt the Blades coaching staff.

The StarPhoenix

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07:21 AM ET 05.16 | For a guy who takes so many shots at the media, Ilya Bryzgalov doesn't always mind talking -- no matter how much trouble it gets him in. The outspoken goaltender is gaining attention again for comments he made about wanting to meet Joseph Stalin in an interview with the Russian sports website Championat. The webpage and the google translation of the interview have since been taken down, but not before Deadspin picked them up. In the article, Bryzgalov talks about how he thinks people in Philadelphia work the system to stay on welfare, and about how houses in New Jersey smell of mildew. ... The news of Bryzgalov's comments is not going to sit well with the Flyers organization. With the rumors and speculation that Bryzgalov will be amnestied this offseason, will the organization take into consideration that he???s a walking PR disaster?

Philly.com

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07:20 AM ET 05.16 | Even between playoff series, John Tortorella can serve up biting remarks. The Rangers said on Wednesday that they are turning their focus to Boston. But first, [Tortorella] had a parting shot for the Washington Capitals, who believed the officials favored New York in the teams' seven-game first-round series. "I like where our team is as far as how they handle themselves," Tortorella said Wednesday afternoon at the Rangers' Greenburgh practice facility. "We've got everybody and their brother whining up there in Washington about what happened in that series, and I think that's a big reason why they lose that series. So I just think our mind-set is very good, as far as not letting anything bother us."

New York Post

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07:19 AM ET 05.16 | The Caps suffered through the indignity, yet again, of locker room cleanout day, with this one including Alex Ovechkin's public blessing to a key cog. Ovechkin added that the team should also make re-signing Mike Ribeiro a priority, words that flattered the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. "To hear it from him is nice," said Ribeiro. "He's a powerful player. He can score. He's a young player who can still learn a lot about the game, and how to play it." ... [Ovechkin] was held to a single shot on goal in Game 7. He had just one goal and one assist in the series. He led the NHL in power-play goals during the regular season (16), shots on goal (220) and tied teammate Ribeiro for the league lead in power-play scoring (27 points).

TSN.ca

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