JOE SAKIC HAS HIS CAREER FINISHED

Bad news, guys. One of my all-time favourite players Joe Sakic decided to hang his skates.

DENVER (AP)—Longtime Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic is officially retiring after 20 seasons and two Stanley Cup titles.



The 40-year-old Sakic has been the face of the franchise since the team moved to Denver in 1995. He will formally announce his retirement plans at a 3 p.m. EDT news conference on Thursday.

Known for his lethal wrist shot and precision passing, Sakic leaves the game among the NHL’s career scoring leaders. He’s eighth in points (1,641), 11th in assists (1,016) and 14th in goals (625).
Sakic’s No. 19 sweater will also be retired, getting raised to the Pepsi Center rafters during a ceremony at the season opener, which is not yet scheduled. It will be just the third sweater retired in the 14-year history of the Avalanche, joining Patrick Roy (33) and Ray Bourque (77). The organization also retired four sweaters when they were the Quebec Nordiques.

“It is appropriate and deserving that we launch the season by honoring Joe’s accomplishments,” Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix said in a statement. “We can’t put into words what he meant to this franchise and to our hockey fans.”


Sakic was regarded as a quiet superstar, known for his clutch scoring— tallying an NHL-record eight overtime goals in the playoffs—and his class.

He captured the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 2001, showing his true character by handing the Stanley Cup over to Bourque after winning the title and letting the longtime defenseman skate it around the ice.

Over the last two years Sakic has been riddled with injuries. He missed most of the 2008-09 season with an aching back that required surgery to repair a herniated disk. He also damaged three fingers on his left hand in a snow-blower accident.

Sakic tried to make his way back onto the ice before the end of the season, but his body didn’t cooperate.

He departs with an impressive resume.

Sakic wore the captain’s “C” for 16 straight seasons, making him the second-longest serving captain in league history. He guided the team to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, won league MVP honors in 2001, was a 13-time All-Star and led Team Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002.

He skates away with no regrets.

“After having the privilege of playing for 20 years, I’m leaving the game of hockey with nothing but great memories and a sense of accomplishment,” Sakic said. “The game has given me more than I ever dreamed of, and for that I am truly grateful.”

Never an intimidating presence—he’s only 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds—he made up for it with speed, determination and intelligence. There are only four players in league history that have scored more points with one franchise than Sakic: Gordie Howe (1,809) and Steve Yzerman (1,755) with Detroit, Mario Lemieux with Pittsburgh (1,723) and Wayne Gretzky with Edmonton (1,669).

Sakic also was remarkably consistent, scoring 30 or more goals in a franchise-record nine different seasons.

He leaves as the team’s leader in virtually every offensive category.

“His leadership, sportsmanship and respect for the game of hockey are legendary,” Avalanche owner E. Stanley Kroenke said.
Sakic was originally taken by Quebec with the 15th pick in the 1987 draft. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 6, 1988, picking up his first assist against the then Hartford Whalers. Two nights later against New Jersey, he scored his first goal.

That would be a familiar occurrence.

“Joe’s contributions have been invaluable and his achievements speak for themselves,” Lacroix said. “I find myself very much like a hockey fan, filled with a tremendous sense of satisfaction which comes from having had the opportunity to know him as a person, to have watched him play and simply appreciate him as a complete professional.”

OVECHKIN, OVECHKIN, OVECHKIN...

Alexander Ovechkin of the NHL's Washington Capitals was named Monday as an official ambassador to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in his home country of Russia.


NO LIMITS FOR FAN's LOVE...
The announcement was made in recognition of Sochi's two-year anniversary since being awarded Russia's first Olympic Games. The Black Sea resort city celebrated the anniversary on Saturday.

Construction has already begun on the Bolshoi and Maly Ice Palaces - the two hockey venues of the Sochi Games.


"As an ice hockey player, it is truly an honor to become an Ambassador of the Winter Games being held in my home country," Ovechkin said in a news release. "As an athlete, I'll try to do everything possible for bring the Olympic gold for the Russian team. And as a Sochi 2014 Ambassador, to help ensure that the Winter Games will be held at the highest level possible."

At 23, Ovechkin is considered to be among the world's best hockey players. In June, the left-winger received both the NHL's Most Valuable Player awards: the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Trophy. Ovechkin is expected to lead Russia in February at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic ice hockey tournament.

DANY HEATLEY CASE - NO PROGRESS

Last week, Chris Neil signed a new four-year contract to stay with the Senators. On Monday morning, the gritty winger said that if Dany Heatley doesn't have the same commitment to Ottawa as he does, then it would be best for the sniper to find a new home.



"I've said this from day one: I'm a guy who wants to be here. He doesn't want to be here, so if he doesn't want to be here, let him go somewhere else," said Neil, speaking at Jason Spezza's annual golf tournament.

Neil said he was surprised to learn of Heatley's request for a trade because of tension with head coach Cory Clouston. Neil said it was his belief that Heatley adapted to the new coaching system well -- and even scored more goals under Clouston than he did under previous head coach Craig Hartsburg. The rest of the players who spoke on Monday, also expressed surprise when they found out about Heatley's trade request one month ago.

"It surprised everyone," said center Mike Fisher. "Nobody saw this coming. It's too bad -- it's disappointing. But definitely, it surprised us all."

However, Heatley may not find a change of address after all. Bryan Murray has failed to find a suitable trading partner for Heatley and last week, the Ottawa general manager said that returning to the Senators might be Heatley's only legitimate option right now. The club recently paid a $4 million advance on his salary for next season, after Heatley turned down a potential trade to Edmonton.

His Senators teammates say they would welcome Heatley back into the fold -- after he addressed the team and showed that he was committed to being part of the group again.

"Obviously if he came back, something would be said in the room and it would be addressed with and over. We're men and we can deal with that," said veteran winger Shean Donovan.

"The hockey world is pretty understanding and forgiving. When you have a guy that can score 50 goals, you welcome him back," added center Chris Kelly. "He's been a great teammate in the past and I don't think things would change moving forward."

Jason Spezza -- Heatley's linemate and good friend -- spoke about the situation last Thursday for the first time. At his golf tournament on Monday, the star center echoed his sentiments from last week.

"If Dany comes back, it would be great for him to have him back. But if he doesn't, we have to move on as a team. He's just one piece of the puzzle," said Spezza.

KOVALEV JOINS SENATORS

The Ottawa Senators signed 36-year-old right wing Alex Kovalev, a 16-year NHL veteran who's spent the last five seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, to a two-year contract on Monday.



General Manager Bryan Murray did not release financial terms, but TSN is reporting that the deal is worth $10 million over two years.

"I think he's one of the most entertaining players in the league and I hope our fans are real excited about this," Murray said. "I know our management team and coaches are very, very happy and the players I've talked to think it's a great, great move for this organization."

Kovalev led the Canadiens in goals (26) and points (65) in 78 games in 2008-09. He had 2 goals and 1 assist in four playoff games, capping an up-and-down stint in Montreal. His best season with the Canadiens was 2007-08, when he scored 35 goals, added 49 assists, was named a Second-Team All-Star and helped lead the Habs to their first division title since 1992-93.

"All I know is when I coached or watched our team play in the last couple of years against Montreal, every time he came on the ice, I was scared to death he was going to be the difference in the game," Murray said. "Some nights, he certainly was."

The native of Togliatti, Russia, has played 1,151 NHL regular-season games, scoring 394 goals and adding 547 assists for 941 points with 1,200 penalty minutes. Kovalev has 44 goals and 54 assists for 98 points in 116 playoff games.

In 1993-94, his second season in the NHL, Kovalev had 9 goals, 12 assists and 18 penalty minutes during 23 playoff games to help the New York Rangers win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.

Kovalev was chosen by the Rangers with the 15th pick in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by Pittsburgh on Nov. 25, 1998, along with Harry York for Petr Nedved, Sean Pronger and Chris Tamer. Pittsburgh sent Kovalev back to the Rangers on Feb. 10, 2003, along with Dan LaCouture, Janne Laukkanen and Mike Wilson for Mikael Samuelsson, Rico Fata, Joel Bouchard and Richard Lintner. On March 13, 2004, he was traded to Montreal for Jozef Balej and a second-round selection in the 2004 draft.

Kovalev is a three-time NHL All-Star and was the MVP of the 2009 game at Montreal in January. He has represented his country internationally eight times during his career, winning gold medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 1992 World Junior championship, and bronze at the 2002 Olympics.

"When he plays great, he can win a game for you," Murray said. "In this organization, we've got many hard workers, good workers that will compete for us every single night. But we needed something special to go with that and this guy is a special player in that he's got the ability to make players around him better.

"He's one of the most exciting players in the league. Talking to a couple of our players, they feel that this guy will step in and really help us a great deal."

ALEX KOVALEV ISN'T GOING TO RETURN

MONTREAL -- Alex Kovalev's days with the Montreal Canadiens are over.
General manager Bob Gainey has told Montreal radio station CJAD the smooth-skating Russian won't be playing for the team next season.


ALEX KOVALEV

Kovalev earned $4.5 million last season and became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Gainey says he offered the 36-year-old a new contract last week, but the crafty winger took too long to mull over the deal.

More than 100 Habs fans demonstrated outside the Bell Centre on Sunday, begging Gainey to open his wallet for Kovalev, who was acquired in 2004 in a trade with the New York Rangers.

The Habs went on a shopping spree last week, signing free agents Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill and trading for high-priced forward Scott Gomez.

The Canadiens have also decided not to re-sign popular forward Saku Koivu.

RICK NASH STAYS IN COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets have reached agreement on an eight-year contract extension through the 2017-18 season.


RICK NASH

Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson confirmed the signing to The Associated Press on Friday night. The Canadian Press first reported the signing, saying the deal is worth $62.4 million. Nash will make $7 million in 2009-10.

“Rick made a significant statement to Columbus and for Columbus in terms of how he feels about playing here,” Howson said. “He loves Columbus; he never wanted to leave. That’s what made me so optimistic all along that we could sign him to an extension.”

Nash, who would have been an unrestricted free agent after next season, set career and team highs last season with his 79 points (40 goals, 39 assists) in 78 games in leading Columbus to its first trip to the playoffs in the franchise’s eighth season. It was not just a coincidence that it was also Nash’s first full season as captain.

The 25-year-old left wing from Brampton, Ontario, tied for the NHL lead in goals with 41 in the 2003-04 season. He was at his cottage in Ontario and not immediately available to return calls requesting comment on the new contract.

There had been speculation that his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, among several others, would have been prime buyers for his services if he had entered the free-agent market.

Howson said it was important to note that the deal still allows the Blue Jackets enough wiggle room in their budget to get or keep other quality players to play with Nash and improve the team.

“He allowed us some flexibility,” Howson said. “He’s aware that by signing this contract that other players will be able to get paid as well.”

The Blue Jackets made two free-agent signings on Wednesday: center Sami Pahlsson and goalie Mathieu Garon(notes). Pahlsson adds another experienced puck-handler to the lineup and Garon will serve as a backup and mentor to Calder Trophy-winner Steve Mason(notes).

The club, which already has touted young players such as Antoine Vermette(notes), Derick Brassard(notes), Jake Voracek and Nikita Filatov(notes), is still in the market for help on the blue line and perhaps another center. Nash’s signing might make it easier to get players to commit to the team.

Nash, Columbus’ first overall pick in the 2002 draft, is the Blue Jackets’ all-time leader in goals (194) and points (355) in 441 career games. The three-time NHL All-Star has led the club in goals for the past five seasons.

At last month’s NHL Awards in Las Vegas, he was named the winner of the NHL Foundation Player Award in recognition of his charitable work and commitment to the community. Earlier this week, he was invited to the orientation camp which will determine Canada’s team in the 2010 Olympics.

VETERAN KHABIBULIN INKS WITH OILERS

Nikolai Khabibulin didn't spend a lot of time making up his mind to become an Edmonton Oiler.


NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN

"It happened very quickly -- an hour, hour and a half," the 36-year-old goaltender said during a conference call with the media on Thursday, one day after agreeing to a four-year contract with the Oilers. "My agent called after Edmonton offered the deal. We thought about it a little bit and decided to go with it.

"Edmonton made such a big commitment. There weren't too many opportunities out there for such a long term."
Khabibulin spent the past four seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. His best season was the most recent -- in 2008-09, he won back the starting job after the Hawks signed Cristobal Huet during the summer, led Chicago to its first playoff berth since 2002 and was a key to the Blackhawks' run to the Western Conference Finals. Khabibulin finished the regular season with a 25-8-7 record, a 2.33 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in Chicago.

Khabibulin will fill the No. 1 goaltending job that was vacated when 39-year-old Khabibulin excelled in Chicago in 2008-09 after being put on waivers at the start of the season and going unclaimed. He said the season was a learning experience.
"I feel really good," Khabibulin said. "The last seven or eight years, I really started to take good care of my body -- a lot of workouts in the summer. I think a lot of goalies, especially lately, have been playing into their 40s." -- Nikolai Khabibulin

"I learned quite a bit," he said. "I learned you have to fight no matter what. I think the guys in the locker room respect that. I think I developed more character this year because I was constantly fighting for playing time."

Khabibulin won't have to fight for playing time in Edmonton -- his backup figures to be rookie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, who played only a handful of games this past season.
Asked how many games he'd be comfortable playing, he replied: "I think if I can play 60 games at a high level, that would be pretty good. I like to feel that the more I play, the better I play."