Empty Netter Assists - 09-18-10

Penguins

-Training camp is going to be competitive.

-The NHL will make tickets to the Winter Classic available through a lottery.

-In case you haven't heard, the Penguins have a new arena. They'll be telling you all season pretty much.

-All six of the Penguins' preseason games will be available on radio (PG+).

-"Yeah, it's a little bigger than we're used to." - Sidney Crosby (above) being understated about the team's new locker room.

-Alex Grant's ailing wrist will keep him sidelined four to six months.

-Dan Bylsma speaks:

-We don't want to make fun of Evgeni Malkin's command of the English language, but he's going to have trouble speaking in any tounge trying to use a Gatorade bottle as a microphone:

-Happy times for Malkin:

-Arron Asham is popular:

-"I know I need to have a big camp." - Ben Lovejoy.

-Marc-Andre Fleury has a new lid:

-Crosby has to start worrying about water heaters and aluminum siding now.

-Practices will be open to the public today and tomorrow.

-The Civic Arena site won't be re-developed any time soon.

-Speaking of which, the PensBlog is pushing a pretty neat idea on how to memorialize the Penguins' first home.

-Former Penguins captain Orest Kindrachuk (right) was sworn in as a United States citizen.

-The Wheeling Nailers acquired defensemen Nick Tuzzolino from the Alaska Aces in exchange for future considerations.

-Happy 44th birthday to former Penguins forward Tom Chorske. A free agent signing in the 1999 offseason, Chorske finished his 11-year NHL career by appearing in 33 games and scoring six points for the Penguins in 1999-2000. A thumb injury cut his season short and forced him to retire.

Atlantic Division

-Islanders defenseman and former Penguin Mark Eaton (right) is dealing with back spasms.

-The Rangers' training camp is off a rousing start. Arguably their two most valuable players - Marian Gaborik (back) and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (groin) - are already dinged up.

-"Obviously, I’ve got to come in and play well and show I belong." - Rangers defenseman Wade Redden who has been a disappointment since the Rangers signed him in 2008.

-"They're the only team we were talking to after that. I told my agent it's not going to be fair to anybody the way Mr. (Jeff) Vanderbeek and Lou (Lamoriello) treated me. It wouldn't be fair if I talked to someone else. We found a way." - Devils foward Ilya Kovalchuk on sticking with New Jersey after his initial contract agreement was rejected by the NHL this offseason.

-Devils defenseman Anssi Salmela said recovery from his right knee injury is "a couple of months behind."

-Unrestricted free agent forward Adam Mair, formerly of the Sabres, will attend the Devils' training camp on a tryout basis.

Northeast Division

-Bruins forward Marc Savard (right) has been sidelined by a reoccurance of postconcussion symptoms. Savard was initially injured last season when he was struck in the head on a check by Matt Cooke.

-Sabres defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani is dealing with a leg injury after being hit with a shot in practice.

-The "S" word is being thrown around in Buffalo.

-"Last year, I learned that you need to earn your ice time." - Canadiens goaltender Care Price on his difficult 2009-10 season.

-The Canadiens shot down a report they have chosen Brian Gionta as their next captain.

-Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov (right) is still recovering from a wonky knee. Markov suffered the injury in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Pengins last postseason.

-Former Penguins forward Wayne Primeau is attending the Maple Leafs' training camp on a tryout basis.

Southeast Division

-The Hurricanes officially re-signed unrestricted free agent forward Patrick O'Sullivan to a one-year, two-way contract.

-Thrashers forward prospect Patrice Cormier was officially diagnosed with a broken foot.

-Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau is a carpet salesman apparently:

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-Boudreau didn't knock down that stuffed penguin. The stick did.

-"There's a positive vibe about being a Lightning again. We haven't had that in a while." - Tampa Bay forward Martin St. Louis.

-"We're a playoff team." - Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier.

Central Division

-"You don't have enough time to get out of shape, really, or get out of the hockey mind." - Blackhawks forward Troy Brouwer on his team's short offseason.

-Thinking Out Loud: Boy, does that sound familiar.

-The Blackhawks want to lock up defenseman Brent Seabrook (right) to a contract extension. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after this season.

-Chicago expects a sold-out crowd of approximately 18,000 for practice at the United Center today.

-Former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Wade Brookbank and former Panthers forward Nick Tarnasky are attending the Blackhawks training camp as non-roster invitees.

Northwest Division

-Captain Adam Foote is the only member of the Avalanche's 1995-96 Stanley Cup championship team still with the team.

-If Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin (right) does get convicted for his DUI-related charges in Arizona, he could do time in an outdoor prison.

-Flames forward Daymond Langkow (neck) has not been cleared for contact in training camp yet.

-Calgary returned forwards Spencer Bennett (Portland - WHL), Max Reinhart (Kootenay - WHL), Patrick Holland (Tri-City - WHL) and defenseman Joey Leach (Kootenay WHL) to their junior teams and released goaltender Cam Lanigan.

-Wild forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion) is not expected to be healthy for Minnesota's season-opener Oct. 7.

Pacific Division

-The Ducks signed Matt Beleskey to a two-year contract extension worth a total of 1.475 million. He will have a salary cap hit of $737,500.

-Anaheim will give forward Bobby Ryan (right), normally a winger, a try at center.

-The Sharks demoted defenseman Cameron Brodie and forward Leigh Salters to Worcester of the AHL and returned defensemen Konrad Abeltshauser (Halifax - QMJHL), Dominik Bielke (Berlin - Germany), forwards Cam Braes (Lethbridge - WHL), Daniel Erlich (London - OHL), Spencer Edwards (Moose Jaw - WHL), Samuel Finn (Lewiston - QMJHL), Freddie Hamilton (Niagara - OHL), Spencer Humphries (Tri-City - WHL), Zach O'Brien (Acadie-Bathurst - QMJHL), Marek Viedensky (Saskatoon - WHL), Philip Varone (London - OHL) and goaltender Thomas Heemskerk (Everett - WHL) to their junior clubs.

-Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen has a new Chuck Norris-themed goaltending mask:

-The mask of course doesn't stop pucks. It tells the pucks to stop.

-The Stars will hold part of their training camp on Prince Edward Island.

Adams Division

-Former Canadiens/Maple Leafs/Bruins/Devils coach Pat Burns (right) let everyone know he's still alive. False reports of his death circulated yesterday after Maple Leafs exgecutive Cliff Fletcher, a friend of Burns, passed on some bad information. Burns has been battling cancer for several years.

-Penn State officially announced it will be building a new hockey arena and will create a Division I men's team to start in the 2014-15 season.

-Happy 77th birthday to former Pittsburgh Hornets forward Jack Bionda.

(Photos: Crosby, Malkin and Asham-Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press; Fleury-InGoal Magazine; Kindrachuk-Penguins Hockey Cards; Eaton-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Savard-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Markov-Al Bello/Getty Images; Seabrook-Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images; Ryan-Victor Decolongon/Getty Images; Lehtonen-Dallas Stars; Burns-Photobucket)