Ilya Kovalchuk shocked the hockey world by announcing his retirement from the NHL. Predictably, Don Cherry pounced all over it. [Toronto Sun]
Jeremy Roenick weighed in with a similar sentiment. [CBC]
But not everyone sees Kovalchuk as the villain in this story. [Montreal Gazette]
An interesting trade option for New Jersey, who probably need to fill their offensive void with someone other than three-goal man Ryan Clowe. [Copper and Blue]
How to fix the current NHL product (hopefully not by another pointless, Kovalchuk-stealing lockout). [Habs Eye on the Prize]
Tie Domi’s son Max has signed an entry level contract with the Seattle, er Phoenix, sorry Arizona Coyotes. [Five for Howling]
This Tyler Seguin party animal thing just won’t die. [Puck Daddy]
Criticizing players after they leave a team is becoming commonplace now. [Edmonton Journal]
Meanwhile, the future of Sam Gagner in Edmonton remains murky. [Oil on Whyte]
The Bruins lock-up what is left of Patrice Bergeron. [Causeway Crowd]
Tukka Rask gets big money. [Boston Globe]
The most interesting goalie in the NHL is now Ryan Miller. [The Inquisitr]
David Clarkson’s tribute to this childhood hero. [Sportsnet]
Matt Cooke can do no right. [SB Nation]
And finally, some NHL players are joining the cause in light of the train tragedy in Quebec. [CBC]