Empty Netter Assists - 06-16-10
Penguins
-According to the Houston Chronicle, Penguins assistant coach Mike Yeo (above, with head coach Hal Gill, forward Eric Godard, defenseman Mark Eaton and former defenseman Hal Gill) will be named the next coach of the Houston Aeros, the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate.
-Former Penguins coach Gene Ubriaco was on a Baltimore radio station talking about his days coaching Mario Lemieux:
{youtube width="480" height="385"}imbreAPCia4{/youtube}
-Happy 64th birthday to former Penguins forward Derek Sanderson. A star with the Bruins during their Stanley Cup days in the early 1970s, Sanderson capped off his 13-year NHL career by signing with the Penguins late in the the 1977-78 season and and appearing in 13 games while scoring four points. "Turk" retired in the 1978 offseason.
Atlantic Division
-Islanders general manager and former Penguins goaltender Garth Snow said a new contract with unrestricted free agent captain Doug Weight is "in essence, done."
Northeast Division
-The Bruins promoted vice president Cam Neely to team president. The team's owners were apparently impressed with his generosity.
-As expected, the Canadiens bought out the final year of former Penguins forward Georges Laraque's (right) contract. Laraque will get $1 million while the team will absorb a salary cap hit of $500,000 over the next two seasons.
-Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel is gunning for 40 goals next season.
Southeast Division
-The Thrashers signed unrestricted free agent forward Fredrik Pettersson to a two-way contract.
-Thrashers forward and former Penguin Chris Thorburn is digging life in Atlanta.
-Hurricanes general manager and former Penguins goaltender Jim Rutherford is considering buying out the final year of forward Rod Brind'Amour's contract.
-Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said he isn't interested in trading goaltender Tomas Vokoun.
-We're a bit late with this, but former Penguins forward Chris Bourque of the Hershey Bears, the Capitals' AHL affiliate, was named MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs. Fire Ray Shero.
Central Division
-The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup were trumped for Sports Illustrated's cover in favor of Nationals pitcher Stephen Stasburg who struck out a bunch of fastpitch softball players in his major league debut.
-The Stanley Cup (and Blackhawks Dave Bolland and Adam Burish) were back at Wrigley Field Tuesday. Actually, they were on a rooftop across the street.
-The Blue Jackets officially fired interim coach Claude Noel (right), assistant coaches Gary Agnew and Gord Murphy and strength and conditioning coach Barry Brennan.
-As expected, the Predators signed forward Blake Geoffrion, a second round pick in 2006, to a two-year entry-level contract. Geoffrion, last season's Hobey Baker Award winner and the grandson of Canadiens hall-of-famer Bernier "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, is the first native of Tennessee to sign a professional hockey contract.
-Ryan Martin, the Red Wings' salary "capologist" has decided to stay with Detroit after considering an offer from Lightning general manager and former Red Wings executive Steve Yzerman.
Northwest Division
-The Canucks re-signed defenseman Aaron Rome to a two-year contract extension with an annual salary cap hit of $750,000.
-Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi (right) is still trying to sue his former Canucks coach, Marc Crawford, for his role in the attack of former Avalanche forward Steve Moore in 2004. Crawford is currently the Stars' head coach.
Pacific Division
-The Stars re-signed unrestricted goaltender Brent Krahn to a one-year two-way contract.
-The Kings signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Johan Fransson to a one-year contract. Fransson was connected to the Penguins in rumors.
Adams Division
-Today would've been the 81st birthday of former Pittsburgh Hornets defenseman Frank Sullivan.
-Today would've been the 102nd birthday of former Pittsburgh Shamrocks forward Stan McCabe.
(Photos: Yeo-Matt Freed/Post-Gazette; Laraque-Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images; Noel-Jay LaPrete/Associated Press; Bertuzzi-Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)