Thomas Vanek & his fiancee Ashley welcomed their first child a son on August 16th, and he now has a name, Blake Thomas Vanek. Everyone is doing well, though Vanek probably hasn't lost this much sleep since his college days.
 
Keith Ballard has re-signed with the Phoenix Coyotes, a two-year deal. Ballard was one of the last higher profile RFAs remaining.  There are several UFAs remaining on the market, including Bryan Berard who is going to attend the New York Islanders camp on a tryout.  Minnesota UFAs still unsigned include Josh Langfeld, Craig Johnson and Mike Stuart.
 
Jake Riddle has signed to play in the UK this season, contracting with the Hull Stingrays of the British Elite League.
 
Nick Anderson will play for EV Füssen in Germany this season after spending last year playing for the Las Vegas Wranglers.
 
A Philadelphia paper reported that Paul Holmgren was seen golfing with Peter Forsberg recently. Holmgren reportedly denied they were having contacts talks but Forsberg has been the subject of much speculation, whether he will sign with an NHL team, retire or return home to play in Sweden.
 
Tim Hambly was signed to a one-year deal by the Quad City Flames, the farm team of the Calgary club.
 
Kudos to the Edmonton Oilers for their "Tickets for Troops" campaign. They have sent a letter to all season ticket holders asking them to donate one game of their tickets to local troops from a nearby base.  Season Ticket Holders can mail their tickets back to the Oilers in a postage-paid envelope and the tickets will be distributed to the members of the military and their family members.  It is a great idea in this time of large deployments, a good distraction and a wonderful campaign.
 
Cole Koidahl has signed to play in Europe, for IF Troja/Ljungby in Sweden. The Minneapolis native spent the last four years with the University of Connecticut Huskies.
 

Quick Speculation:
 
An very usubstantiated rumor out there has Nate Hagemo attempting a comeback with the Golden Gopher hockey team this year. If he could play, his presence would go a long way toward filling the void left by all the departures on the blueline, but Quick Facts isn't expecting miracles from a player who suffered such a severe nerve injury, but then again, I wouldn't rule them out either.
 
 

The Minnesota Wild have signed centerman Serge Payer, who is expected to compete for the 4th line position with the team or will otherwise play in Houston. Payer is known as much for his charitable efforts as his hockey playing.

He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome in 1999 and is a board member for the Guillain-Barre Association of Canada. The disorder is a rare but serious acute paralytic neurological disease; it causes nerve inflammation and that inflammation damages portions of the nerve cell. 

The center from Rockland, Ontario has good hands, winning at least half his faceoffs and as many of his fights,  is a very good skater willing to work in the corners and is known as a penalty kill specialist.  Payer was captain of his Kitchener Rangers Jumior team and was nominated for the Bill Masterson Trophy while with the Florida Panthers for his comeback from Guillain-Barré, and a subsequent severe bout with mononucleosis.  Payer has reportedly fully recovered from surgery he underwent this past March to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.
 

Quick Quotes:

"Guillain-Barré syndrome attacked me pretty severely. When my legs felt so numb that I wasn’t walking and I was put in a wheelchair and than started to walk again on crutches, so rehab was basically at first a walking process through step one. It was like growing up again by starting to walk again, very slowly, and day by day. If I didn’t have the energy to walk, it would be something else, to brush your teeth."

- Serge Payer on suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome


"Grant gives us good size and speed, and he also will be very versatile for us playing either on the left side or at center. A guy that also has his experience both at the collegiate and pro level will be a good fit in our dressing room as well".

-Hershey Bears President/GM Doug Yingst on signing Grant Potulny


"We expect Troy Riddle to strongly compete for a spot in Houston thanks to his two-way presence on the ice. Troy has proven he is a winner in the past.”

-Houston Aeros General Manager Tom Lynn on signing Troy Riddle

Congratulations to Thomas Vanek on becoming a first-time father to a healthy baby boy! at 9:45am, August 16th! Thomas and his fiancee Ashley welcomed their son to the world at 9:45am August 16th. Baby Vanek (no name announced yet) and mother are reportedly doing very well. Baby Vanek weighed in at eight pounds, two ounces and measured almost 21 inches long. No word yet on whether the Golden Gophers have reserved a spot on the 2026 roster for the newest Vanek. Thomas is not yet an American citizen and is on a continuing work visa but would like to get a green card.

Paul Martin finally reached a contract agreement with the New Jersey Devils, reportedly a three-year deal worth $11.5 million. Martin will be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the deal. Martin entered camp without a deal last year so is releived to have the paperwork completed this season. Martin ranked amongst the top in the league in ice time the last two seasons, and was second only to Brian Rafalski (now departed for Chicago) on the Devils, averaging 25:13 time on ice. Martin will now be counted on to run power plays and be a key component for creating offense from the blueline for New Jersey as well as providing leadership. The former Gopher did not miss a game last year other than the preseason tilts he missed while waiting for a contract to be signed. In his 82 games last year he had 3 goals, 22 assists and a -9 rating.

Lou Lamoriello told a local New Jersey Reporter that he hasn't made a decision whether to re-sign former Gopher Erik Rasmussen yet. Rasmussen is an unrestricted free agent.

An announcement is expected Friday that the Houston Aeros have signed former Gopher Troy Riddle. No word yet on whether Riddle will be invited to tryout at the Wild camp this September.

David Lundbohm, who played in Germany last season, will head to Switzerland this year, signing a deal with SC Langenthal.

Sean Curry has re-signed with the Boston Bruins, joining another Minnesota Curry, John, who will be a goaltender with the club this season.

Former North Star Basil McRae has officially been hired as a part time amateur scout by the Saint Louis Blues. McRae has lived in the area since retiring and formed his insurance and financial services business there. His son Phillip is currently a leading scorer with the US Under-18 Team and is considered a top NHL prospect. Basil McRae is also part-owner of the London Knights OHL team.

Unequivocally the ugliest man in hockey, and a super-pest to boot, Mike Ricci has formally decided to hang up his skates and has retired from professional hockey. In 1099 NHL games with the Coyotes, Sharks, Avalanche, Nordiques and Flyers, Ricci has totals of 243 goals, 362 assists and 974 penalty minutes.

Did you know that newly rich Edmonton Oiler Dustin Penner was discovered at lowly Minot State by Maine coach Grant Strandbrook? Penner was tendered an outrageous offer sheet by the Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks refused to match the inflated offer so Penner will be a handsomely paid blue-liner with Edmonton, meaning the Wild will have to find a way to beat him more often this year. Penner was one of the Ducks' players who stifled the Wild in last year's playoff run.

The Wild may have to watch out for the Oilers in another regard this year. Rob Daum, who was fired as head coach of the Houston Aeros, the Wild's farm club, after just one season, has been hired as an assistant coach with Edmonton. Daum will certainly provide the inside scoop on any of his former Aeros players who make the Wild roster this year, as well as the Wild's systems to the Oilers. Daum replaces Craig Simpson who left the Oilers to jump to the broadcasting booth.

Quick Quotes:

"I'm definitely relieved. That was one of the biggest things. Lou had a lot on his plate with free agents and finding a new coach and things of that nature. Now, he was able to get to me and Zach [Parise] and take care of some other issues, so it's good to get it done and not have to worry about it coming into camp. Knowing I'll be skating with the guys and participating in the preseason is comforting. I want to be in New Jersey. I like the way things are run from management all the way down to the players. It's a good group of guys and you know you're going to get a chance to win every year. We were looking to do a long-term deal the whole time. Entertaining free agency, that was an option, but we really didn't talk about it too much." Paul Martin during a press conference announcing his re-signing with the New Jersey Devils

"Paul Martin is an all-situations type of defenseman, and has developed into one of the more talented young players in the National Hockey League," Devils Chief Executive Lou Lamoriello on signing Paul Martin. (Bergen Record)

We expect Troy to strongly compete for a spot in Houston thanks to his two-way presence on the ice. Troy has proven he is a winner in the past" - Houston Aeros General Manager Tom Lynn on the signing of Troy Riddle.

"It is definitely a disappointment but we will play on with what we have left. We are confident with the players we have returning and the incoming freshmen that we will still be in the top of our league and the country." - Senior Evan Kaufmann on the departure of Jim O'Brien from the Golden Gophers.

"I go across it quite a bit. Not every day, but a couple of times a week. Fortunately, no one I'm close to was injured. But it was tough. I went and checked it out and it was a little scary. I couldn't believe what I saw." - Paul Martin on the I35W Bridge Collapse (Newark Star Ledger).

Quick Speculation:

The New York Islanders have released their new Rbk sweaters for this season (see picture courtesy of islanders.nhl.com). Quick Facts speculates that the Minnesota Wild's new sweaters will be very similar to this style. The Wild will reportedly base their new design on the popular third jersey with the circular crest rather than the large animal head. Quick Facts thinks that the Wild sweater will vary from the Islanders' design with wider striping at the hem, and they may not have the piping at the collarbone, but otherwise it may closely resemble New York's jersey. It has been reported that the Wild will retire the Green home sweater for this year, as all NHL teams will be limited to only two jerseys this year (Reebok doesn't have the capacity to make more than that right now) so the Wild will have the Red as the home jersey and White for away jerseys this year. The Wild will reveal their new sweaters in early September, prior to the first preseason game. Quick Facts believes the jersey will be revealed just prior to the opening of training camp or coinciding with the first day of camp, as players will need to have media guide pictures taken shortly after the start of camp in the new sweaters and because the Wild will want fans to have the opportunity to purchase the jerseys to wear to the first preseason game.

 

Breaking News: Jim O'Brien, who would have been a sophomore defenseman with the Minnesota Golden Gophers this season, has signed a professional contract with the Ottawa Senators and will not return to the University. Last week an Ottawa newspaper mentioned that O'Brien would be signing and it was reported that Don Lucia spoke to O'Brien who reassured him he was not leaving.  However, O'Brien has left the program and will play with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL this season.  O'Brien joins Erik Johnson and Alex Goligoski as defensemen who left Minnesota with remaining eligibility.

08.08.07

Thomas Vanek and his fiancee Ashley are due to become parents of a baby boy any day now; the official due date is August 15th. Prior to signing his new deal, Vanek reportedly put his old house in Buffalo on the market in order to find a bigger home for Ashley and his son. With his new 7-year multi-million dollar contract he likely won't have any problems finding bigger home in Buffalo. Vanek visited Austria briefly this summer, where he was swamped by media, reportedly more than 50 members. Check out the video interview (in German) is here. Vanek's father, Zdenek, conducted a hockey camp in Austria last week. Thomas was not able to participate this year because he remained at home in Minnesota with Ashley due to the impending birth.
 
Former Gopher standout Matt Koalska has signed to play this season in Italy, joining fellow Minnesotans Matt DeMarchi and BJ Abel with HC Villani Bolzano (the Foxes).  They leave for Italy September 1st.

Nick Angell, who is under a 6-month contract with Brynäs IF in Sweden for the upcoming season, is going to start the year early in Finland with Tappara Tampere after being loand to the Finnish club.

Former UMD Bulldog and Proctor Native Nick Anderson has signed to play hockey in Germany with EV Füssen.
 
Former Gopher Dan Welch will play for Neuchâtel Sports Young Sprinters HC in Switzerland this season after spending last year in France with HC Morzine-Avoriaz.
 
Lucas Fransen of the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks will play for GIJSBears Groningen in the Netherlands this season.
 
Josh Liebenow of White Bear Lake will play for ETC Crimmitschau in Germany this year after spending last year playing with the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL.
 
James Jernberg of St. Cloud has been given a tryout by the Malmö Redhawks in Sweden. He played in France with CS Villard-de-Lans previously.
 
Local sports agents Neil Sheehy and Ben Hankinson & Brian Lawton of Octagon Sports will begin their pre-season training camps next week. Several NHL players as well as collegiate and minor league players from across North America report to these camps in the Twin Cities to begin training regimines in preparation for the upcoming seasons.
 
Paul Martin & Keith Ballard, restricted free agents with the New Jersey Devils and Phoenix Coyotes, respectively, are still in contract talks with one month remaining prior to the start of training camp. Both players are represented by Octagon's Ben Hankinson. Both players' teams are looking to lock up the players long-term to prevent their impending unrestricted free agency.  
 
NHL and NCAA hockey players will team up together for a benefit hockey game for Faribault Hockey on Thursday, August 9th. The game is scheduled to take place at the Shattuck- St. Mary hockey arena starting at 7:30 PM. There will also be a pre-game barbeque and tailgating party in the Shattuck St. Mary Arena parking lot that will start at 5:30 PM where fans will have the opportunity to get NHL and NCAA player autographs and bid on the NHL memorabilia silent auction. The game is sponsored by Top Shelf Sporting Goods of Faribault, Minn. and is hosted by Faribault residents Andy Murray, Head Coach of the St. Louis Blues (NHL), Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils (NHL), Brady Murray, Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Chris Porter, Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), and Drew Stafford, Buffalo Sabres (NHL). The game will feature over 30 current and future NHL players and NCAA hockey standouts. Players will also participate in the Celebrity Golf Tournament on Friday, August 10th at 1:00pm, which will be hosted by the Faribault Country Club.   

Ticket prices for the game are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Advance tickets are available Faribault businesses: Bashers Bowling Alley, The Depot Bar and Restaurant, JavaLive, Boston’s Restaurant, and Eastman’s Music. All proceeds from the pre-game barbeque, hockey game, and golf tournament will benefit Faribault Hockey.

For more information please contact Rick Caron, (507) 210-0454.

Shorewood native John Curry was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, replacing Bobby Goepfert as a goaltending prospect for the team. The Penguins waived their rights to Goepfert and said they would pursue other American college free agents. Curry will join Jeff Taffe and Alex Goligoski under head coach Todd Richards with the Baby Pens this coming season. The three newcomers will join Maple Grove's Joe Jensen as the Minnesota contingent for WBS.
 
The Minnesota Wild have the fewest number of home game schedule conflicts with the Golden Gophers in recent memory. Only two nights have the University of Minnesota and the Wild playing at the same time, Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 29th.  The two teams will also put together a 6 night string of home hockey games for avid hockey fans; between Tuesday, October 30th and Monday, November 5th either the Gophers or Wild will be playing a home game (thanks to Gator for compiling this info).  
 
The week Matt Cullen was traded back to the Carolina Hurricanes was a busy one for the Moorhead native. During the week saw Matt Cullen celebrate his bobblehead night with the Fargo/Moorhead Redhawks baseball team, he hosted his annual golf tournament to benefit his foundation "Cully's Kids" and he was in Nashville being honored by Garth Brooks for his contribution to Brooks' Teammates for Kids foundation.
 
Jordan Leopold and Phil Kessel will participate in the annual USA Hockey golf outing and Alumni game August 23rd-24th in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Cost for golf and dinner is $200 per person or $550 for a threesome. Each foursome will include a USA Hockey alumnus. Registration is set for 11 a.m., with a shotgun start slated for 12 noon. The dinner, silent auction and program, hosted by Ken Kal, radio voice of the Detroit Red Wings, will begin at approximately 5 p.m. Tickets for the dinner only, which will be held at Oak Pointe Golf Club, are available for $50 each. The USA Hockey alumni game will be played at 5 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the Ice Cube. A barbeque will follow at the facility at 6:30 p.m. Cost for the game and barbeque is $10 per person ($5 for children under the age of 12).
 
Eden Prairie's Bryan Nathe has signed with the ECHL Johnstown Chiefs.
 
BJ Abel, who formerly played in the Philadelphia Flyers' system, will play for HC Bolzano in Italy this year.  He played last year for Esbjerg fB Ishockey in Norway last year.
 
Former Wild goaltender Jamie McLennan will play for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Russia this year.
 
Josh Olson, who played with the Wild's farm team in Houston last year, will play in Italy for AS Renon this season.  
 
Minnesotans still unsigned for this upcoming season include Kellen Briggs, Mike Vannelli, Wyatt Smith, Matt Koalska, Troy Riddle, PJ Atherton, Erik Rassmussen & Josh Langfeld. Also unsigned are restricted free agents Paul Martin and Zach Parise.
 
Former UMD Bulldog Brett Hull is out at NBC for their hockey broadcasts after accepting a position with the Dallas Stars in their front office. Mike Milbury will replace him in the NBC booth but the entire studio staff is reportedly under reconstruction.
 
Gopher forward Evan Kaufmann was asked to play in the World Jewish Ice Hockey in Israel earlier this month but was advised by doctors to not participate. Kaufmann was in Isreal with his family more than a week prior to the tournament. Players like Boston University's Zach Cohen, Nathan Davis of the University of Miami - Ohio & the University of Massachusetts' Matt Burto. Kaufmann is still recovering from stress injuries to his knees suffered around Christmas last season so is guarded about overworking them.

 
Quick Quotes:
 
The camp was great. I think having my team mates helped alot with my comfort level. We all traveled together & it was a good time; they both did
really well out at the camp too. It was alot of fun!"

-Ryan Stoa on taking part in Colorado Avalanche prospects camp with Gopher teammates Derek Peltier & Mike Carman.
 

"It was a humbling experience. I'm confident in myself. But when you go there, it shows you your weaknesses right away. So that was a real eye-opening experience. It shows you that if you want to be a good player, you have to work on the things you're not good at, so that was good for me."

-David Ficher on his first season with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (Montreal Gazette).
 

"He's very mature, he's well along in his physical development, and his skating is topnotch. I don't think you'll see him too long at the university level before he turns pro. He's there physically; he just needs to be able to play the game at a higher level."

- Montreal Canadiens head scout Trevor Timmins on Ryan McDonagh (Montreal Gazette).
 

"Hockey is fun. It's hard work, but it's fun. So I like to do it year-round."

- Ryan McDonagh on playing hockey (Montreal Gazette)

 
"St. Cloud was the best fit for me. They have a great program. They have great coaching and it's a fun place to play. They have a great atmosphere. You go there on a game day and you can just smell something's in the air. It's good hockey there. They've been ranked high nationally the last couple of years."

- Aaron Marvin on his choice to attend St. Cloud State University (Calgary Herald)

 
"I'm thrilled, honestly. I had an inkling that it may happen, but I know how hard it is in this day and age to pull off a trade. I'm absolutely thrilled to be coming home. It's funny to say that, but it feels like it."

– Matt Cullen on being traded back to the Carolina Hurricanes where he won a Stanley Cup.(Raleigh News & Observer)

 
 
Quick Take:
 
The Minnesota Wild have announced they will be replacing baritone Michael P. Schmidt as anthem singer for the majority of games this season.  Schmidt who has been the primary singer for the team since their inaugural season battled cancer last season and had moved to Texas, but has since returned to the Twin Cities.   
 
An early July entry in Schmidt's online blog indicated that he believed he would be replaced as the Wild's anthem singer.
 
"I am singing with the MN chorale and The Twin Cities Gay Mens' chorus again this season. I may be with the Wild, but at this point, it doesn't look that promising. Sorry Wild Fans, it's out of my hands."
 
Wild Spokesman Wayne Carlson said, "Mike gave up his position as anthem singer when he moved to Texas.   At that point, the organization decided it would be best to hold auditions to fill that role, and we remain committed to that idea.  Mike certainly can (and I'm told will) audition for the role.  The organization already had plans in place for selecting an anthem singer and it will be following through on those plans."
The Wild will be accepting audition materials for a new Wild anthem singer from Monday, July 30 to Sunday, Aug. 19.
 
No one will be able to match Schmidt's perfect renditions which were quick, accurate, beautiful and moving.  Other pathetic attempts like Paige Poyer's lengthy massacre of the song could never match the superb vocals of Schmidt.
 
Hopefully the Wild will see fit to re-hire the anthem master and not these Maria Carey/Faith Hill/Whitney Houston wannabes who extend every note into a run and butcher what is a very complex song. It is Per-I-lous, not Per-A-Liss for crying out loud!  
 
Schmidt's baritone vocals are perfect for the National Anthem and the Wild should allow him to return to the job he has held since the Wild's first game.  If any of the judges have half a clue about music Schmidt will win the auditions hands down.  But it is unfortunate that the Wild organization wasn't able to make an exception to rehire the popular and fan-loved Schmidt outright, despite disrupting their promotional plans for the auditions.

Erik Westrum's annual auction & raffle to benefit the Parkinson's Association of Minnesota was a big success. Several great prizes and auction items were awarded and thousands of dollars were raised for the PAM. In attendance at the event on Sunday were Shjon Podein, whose annual event to benefit his Children's Foundation inspired Westrum to start this one, and former Gopher Ryan Kraft.
 
Kraft will be leaving this week to play in Germany. Westrum, unless his agent can swing a better NHL deal, is scheduled to report to his team in Switzerland on August 3rd.
 
Former Gopher Reg Berg has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey. Berg played the last 11 seasons with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. He will return home to Minnesota and will work for The Hartford. The Everblades are in discussion about retiring Berg's number this season or at the very least find some way to honor their long-time player.
 
Luke Stauffacher has signed to play with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL this season.
 
Former Wild goaltender Manny Fernandez will reportedly mimic his former Wild goalie mask with his new Bruins helmet; he is having it painted with an open Bear mouth and bared teeth similar to that of former Bruin 'tender Andy Moog.
 
Gopher players Ryan Stoa, Derek Peltier and Mike Carman attended the Colorado Avalanche's annual prospects camp, last week, at their own expense. They skated with other prospects like TJ Hensick & Paul Stasny. Unlike other camps, like the Blues' or Islanders' prospect training events, the Avalanche restricted media availability for their players all but one day. Carmen's suspension triggered just a mention in a columnist blog. The three Gophers paid for their fill trip, including, reportedly, their proportionate cost of ice time during the skating sessions.
 
Stoa and Peltier are among speculated Gopher captain candidates along with Evan Kaufmann and Blake Wheeler.
 
Wild prospect Matt Foy is among several current and former hockey players to take part in the annual National Hockey League Players’ Associations (NHLPA) 2007 Golf Classic being held at The Club at Bond Head in Bond Head, Ontario. Over the past 14 years, the NHLPA Golf Classic has raised over $2.65 million for Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities and the Players Helping Players’ Fund.
 
Blarney's Pub, which was at the center of a scandal that affected the Gopher Hockey team two seasons ago recently completed part of their punishment for serving minors, closing for two weeks. The second part of their liquor license suspension will come with the bar closing for three consecutive Mondays in the coming weeks. The business also received a fine for the violations.
 
Congratulations to former Gopher and Coleraine native Ken Gernander on his promotion to head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack.
 

Quick Quotes:
 
“There was a lot of fun stuff this year. We won the regular season championship, we won a playoff championship, that was great. Getting some individual awards was nice. But the team stuff is nice. We hung two banners out of three, so that was the biggest thing and obviously the most fun.”  

- Erik Johnson on his favorite memories as a Golden Gopher (blues.nhl.com)

Matt Hendricks, who spent the last two seasons with the Hershey Bears, has signed with the Boston Bruins and will likely play with their AHL affiliate in Providence.
 
Despite Cullen telling the NY media that he wanted to stay in New York, the New York Rangers traded Cullen back to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he won the Stanley Cup, for defenceman Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes and a third-round pick in next year's draft. With the acquisition of Chris Drury & Scott Gomez, the Rangers had a surplus of quality centers. The move also allows the Rangers the option of retaining Marcel Hossa should he receive a large arbitration award and remain within the contrains of the NHL salary cap.
 
Joe Motzko, who won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks this past season, has signed to play with the Washington Capitals this season where he will join Ben Clymer who enters the final year of his contract with the Caps.
 
Toby Petersen, who was nominated for the Bill Masterson trophy this season, has signed a two-way deal with the Dallas Stars. Last season Petersen split time between the Iowa Stars and the Edmonton Oilers.  
 
Matt Jones was re-signed to a one-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes.
 
Matt Hussey was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Avalanche. He spent last season in the Detroit Red Wings' system with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Hussey was brought in as a depth player to help stock the Avs' new AHL affiliate in Cleveland this year.
 
Bryce Lampman had signed to play in Finland next season but the New York Rangers have traded his NHL rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning with whom he has signed a qualifying offer. Lampman, who was acquired in exchange for left wing Mitch Fritz, will most likely play with the Norfolk Admirals next season but will have an opportunity for recall by the parent Bolts.
 
The Minnesota Wild pulled off an underrated transaction signing free agent goaltender Nolan Schaefer. The Wild's depth at goaltending was weak beyond Josh Harding, with Miroslov Kopriva yet to prove himself at the AHL level and Schaefer, who received great guidance by the late great Warren Strehlow in the Sharks' system, will be a great help to the Houston Aeros this season and will be ready and able to fill in for the Wild should anything happen to either Harding or Backstrom.
 
Congratulations to Ryan Stanzel who has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Communications for the Houston Aeros, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. Stanzel began as the media and public relations coordinator for the Louisiana IceGators of the ECHL, which became an affiliate of the Wild until they folded.  
 
Look for Troy Riddle to be added to the roster for the Houston Aeros.  No word on jobs for Sheehy's other clients from the same Gopher class, Matt Koalska and Grant Potulny.  Both are unrestricted free agents.
 
The Detroit Red Wings signed three Minnesota-connected players, inking Mark Cullen and Adam Berkhoel as well as former St. Cloud State Husky Mark Hartigan to one-year contracts each.
 
Junior Lessard was re-signed to a one year deal by the Dallas Stars.  The Hobey Baker winner had a good year with the Iowa Stars in the AHL but has yet to break through to the NHL level.
 
Mike Vannelli will become a free agent on August 15th unless the Atlanta Thrashers officially release his rights prior to that date. With the kind of season Vannelli had his senior year with the Gophers, there is little doubt that he will find another NHL team willing to give him a look. He is most likely to at least find a job with an AHL club this season.
 
Gopher forward Evan Kaufmann missed some time practicing with the team to take a trip to Isreael this summer. Kaufmann's doctors have cautioned him on overexercising because of the stress injuries he suffered to his knees at the end of last season. Because of the limited work-outs Kaufmann will not likely repeat as the Ironman Award winner as the most fit player coming into the Gopher season.
 
Former Gopher Andy Sertich will play for the Utah Grizzlies again this season.  Sertich signed a one-year deal with the ECHL club where he had a very solid season.
 
Plymouth native Steve Slaton has signed to play with KEV Hannover Indians in Germany next season. He played the last two years with ESV Kaufbeuren in the same league.
 
Minnesota players remaining as NHL Free Agents include:  Matt Koalska, Grant Potulny, Josh Langfeld, Wyatt Smith, Erik Rasmussen, Mike Stuart, David Tanabe.  Paul Martin and Zach Parise remain unsigned as restricted free agents by the New Jersey Devils and Keith Ballard remains unsigned by the Phoenix Coyotes.
 
Former Wild defenseman Lubomir Sekeras will play for HC Ocelári Trinec in the Czech Republic this season. He played last year for the Malmö Redhawks in Sweden.
 
Another former Wild blueliner, Jason Marshall, will play for the Frankfurt Lions in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga next season. He played for Kölner Haie in the same league last season.
 
Former St. Cloud State goaltender Jake Moreland was selected by the Bloomington Prairie Thunder in the UHL dispersal draft. Moreland won the Colonial Cup with the Rockford Ice Hogs this year but the Hogs UHL franchise has been dissolved and there will be an AHL club playing in a renovated facility under the same name in Rockford next season.
 
After several years overseason Maple Grove's Dave Iannazzo will return to the US to play for the CHL Colorado Eagles. Iannazzo played last seasons for the Cardiff Devils in Wales in the UK Elite League and before that he played in the Netherlands where he top scorer of the Coupe der Lage landen in 2005-06.
 
Roseville's Brett Hammond will play in Germany for Rote Teufel Bad Nauheim next season. He played for the Fresno Falcons in the ECHL last year.
 
Andrew Canzanello will play for EHC Straubing in Germany next year after spending last season in Syracuse in the Columbus Blue Jackets' system.
 
Former UND Bulldog Rod Aldoff was selected in the UHL dispersal draft by the Kalamazoo Wings after playing with the Chicago Hounds last year. The Hounds folded after only a few years as an expansion franchise.
 

Quick Quotes:
 
"In Bryce Lampman we are obtaining a mobile, very good skating, puck-moving defenseman with good vision who sees the ice well, makes a very good first pass and who possesses excellent hockey sense. He is also a player who can be used in all special teams situations. For the past three or four seasons now our pro scouts have felt that he was on the verge of playing regularly in the NHL. Based on our discussions with the Rangers it was pretty much an identical situation for them with Lampman as to what we had with Mitch. Bryce had been considering playing in Europe this upcoming season and he, too, wanted a chance to play. He was tendered a two-way QO, just like Fritz, and he has signed that contract. He will come to training camp in September and have a chance to battle it out with probably five or six other players for the sixth and seventh spots on our blueline. Based on everything we have seen from him in the past, he is knocking on the door of being an NHL regular. We are thrilled to have him in our organization and we wish Mitch Fritz nothing but success."

- Tampa Bay Lightning Executive Vice President & General Manager Jay Feaster on Bryce Lampman.

"New School" Defensemen Leaves School: Alex Goligoski signs with Penguins
 
All American Golden Gopher defenseman Alex Goligoski has signed a two-year entry level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, foregoing his final season of eligibility at the University of Minnesota. The Grand Rapids native was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round, 61st overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He ends his Gopher career with 25 goals and 63 assists in 117 games played, two regular season titles, two playoff titles, one Frozen Four appearance and a mural on the wall of Mariucci Arena.
 
Goligoski had reportedly made the decision that he wanted to turn professional at the beginning of July but there were numerous contractual issues to be worked out; a very detailed process due to Goligoski's shoulder injury. Surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder went well but terms were met to ensure that Goligoski's signing bonus and other payments were not affected regardless of results of his pre-employment physical. He was examined by Penguins doctors in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.  
 
Goligoski's contract with the Penguins will pay him $400,000 the first year and $500,000 the second season if he plays in the NHL, and less than $100,000 annually at the AHL Level. The contract includes a sizable signing bonus regardless of whether he plays in the NHL or AHL because Goligoski was grandfathered under the terms of the former Collective Bargaining Agreement because he was drafted in 2004, allowing him a larger signing bonus if he signed prior to August 15, 2008.
 
The deal became final on Tuesday, but Sidney Crosby's signing trumped the announcement, which was posponed until Wednesday.
 
Penguins' General Manager Ray Shero is pleased with the signing. “What we’ll be getting is a young defenseman not big in stature but he can really skate and really pass the puck,” Shero said in a Pittsburgh radio interview. “He’s a guy from the back end that can really help the transition game.”

Cliff Fletcher, the Penguins' Assistant General Manager also pointed to Goligoski's transition game as his greatest asset. "He really sees the ice well. He can go into the zone, get a loose puck and move it forward. That is the strength of his game. He plays the game the way we want to play it. He’s probably a new-school type of defenseman," said Fletcher.

Clarifying Fletcher said, "he's not a physical defenseman who's going to punish you, but he's a very smart player who reads the play well. And again, the strength of his game is, once he gets the puck on his stick, he has very good puck skills and makes very good decisions," said Fletcher.
 
"The way the game's going, there's an emphasis on players with talent, and players who can think the game well, and he has both of those attributes." Goligoski is expected start his professional under former Gopher defenseman Todd Richards, the head coach of the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes/Barre-Scranton. The Penguins will be patient in his development but won't rule out being surprised.
 
"We've talked to him about Wilkes-Barre, and starting the year there; just giving him time to come back from his shoulder,and let him adjust, not throwing too many things on his
plate right off the bat," said Fletcher. "But having said that, you never underestimate the ability of talented young players to make quick adjustments. But again, there's no expectation."
 
"Our expectation, long-term," Fletcher said, "is that he's going to be a good player for this franchise. Short-term, it's just, 'Get healthy, acclimate to pro hockey and make the adjustments you have to make'. It's like any player coming from junior or college: professional players are bigger, stronger and smarter, so there's going to be an adjustment period. He's certainly talented enough to play in the NHL at some point next season, but like every player, he's going to have to make some adjustments to the size and speed of the players in professional hockey. We're fortunate that we don't have to rush him and, when he's ready, he's ready."
 
So Goligoski is no longer a collegiate hockey player and will prepare to take the next step in his career. Next year that step will bring him to Wilkes/Barre-Scranton and the AHL, but it does appear that the future is bright for the former Gopher star.
 
“Hopefully he’ll be an NHL player at some point," said Shero.

—Thanks to Dave Molinari and Rob Rossi for quotes and information
 




 
The NBA has announced their salary cap as $55.630 million, up from $53.135 last season. The NBA cap is only about $5 million more than the new NHL salary cap, however and NBA team has a roster limit of 15 players versus the 23-man NHL roster limit.
 
Dan Bjornlie has signed to play with the Vienna Capitals in Austria next season. He played last year with SC Bietigheim-Bissingen in Germany. Bjornlie will be joined by oft teammate Aaron Fox. Fox played last year for HK Acroni Jesenice in Slovenia, but competed in the same Erste Bank league as his new Austrian team.
 
Former Gopher Defenseman Matt DeMarchi began last season attempting to play for a team in Siberia but a visa issue saw him return and play with the Iowa Stars of the AHL. Next season he will play in Italy for HC Bolzano .
 
Mike Erickson, who played for both the Golden Gophers and Northern Michigan and who was drafted by the Minnesota Wild will play next year for Nybro IF in Sweden next season. He spent the year with the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL last year.
 
TJ Guidarelli who played last year for EV Landshut in Germany will play this season for HC Amiens Somme  in France.
 
Bryan Lundbohm, who spent last year in the Wild's farm system in Houston, has signed to play next year with Kalpa Kuopio in Finland.
 

Golden Gopher defenseman Alex Goligoski will inform the Pittsburgh Penguins of his decision to remain at the University of Minnesota for his senior year or forego that final year of eligibility to sign with the Penguins by July 1st. His meeting with Ray Shero and Cliff Fletcher last week allowed the Penguins' management to let him know where he stood in the organization; how they see him fitting in and what their expectation would be if he went pro. They did not put any pressure on Goligoski either way and said they would be supportive if he chose to return to Minnesota for his senior season. Goligoski said at the time they would let the Penguins know by July 1st so that they can make free agency decisions, some of which are dependent on whether Goligoski is in their fold or not.

Former Gopher defenseman Jake Taylor is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery well and is getting ready to walk down the aisle with Haley Allison, whom he met during his freshman year at Minnesota. She moved to the New York area to play soccer so it worked out well as Jake signed with the Rangers and has been playing in Hartford. The two will wed on July 28th. Taylor will re-sign with the Hartford Wolf Pack on an AHL contract this season, which will allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next season. Taylor's three year career in the Rangers' minor system has been besieged by injury so this year with Hartford under Ken Gernander will allow him to regain some lost ground. The New York Rangers are already near or at their limit for roster contracts so this move allows Taylor to remain in the system. PJ Atherton was signed to a similar agreement by Tampa's AHL affiliate in Springfield last year because they had too many roster contracts.

Ryan Potulny is in Philadelphia this week undergoing a medical evaluation of an ankle issue. It is not considered serious and Potulny hopes any treatment won't delay his training for this season. He is excited at the prospect of playing with Scott Hartnell whom the Flyers just signed.

Players in attendance at the Shjon Podein Children's Foundation Celebrity Party in Rochester included current and former Minnesota hockey players: Paul Martin, BJ Abel, Jake Taylor, Ben Clymer, Mark Parrish, Dan Hinote, Darby Hendrickson, Ben Hankinson, Bryce Lampman, Mark Stuart, Matt Cullen, Mike Stuart, Tom Chorske, Chris McAlpine and Doug Zmolek. Other celebrities and sports personalitites included: Brian Engblom(Versus analyst) , Michael O'Neill (actor), Nicole Sullivan (actor), Steve Shenbaum (actor, comedian), Erik Stohlhanske (actor), Steve Lemme (actor), Jake Schroeder (singer/songwriter), Darrell Thompson (NFL) and Matt Blair (NFL).

Talks for Paul Martin began with Lou Lamoriello of the New Jersey Devils at the NHL Entry Draft and will continue this week. Martin is due for a sizeable raise this season. He can become an unrestricted free agent next year.
 
In conjunction with his annual auction and raffle Erik Westrum will be presenting a Flywheel Crossover Challenge event to benefit the Parkinson's Association of Minnesota. Activities will include. The Endurance Challenge – A skating competition where the winner is the last local hockey celebrity standing on the Crossover Flywheel during an increasingly grueling protocol, Pick up hockey on The Power Plant – Hockey Studio’s Studio Skills Rink, Hockey Skills Competitions in Competitive Edge’s second bay, Autographs and Meet and Greet with Professional Hockey Players and Athletes and more.  The event will be held at Comepetitve Edge in Rogers on Sunday, July 8th  from 2-6pm. Tickets are $10. For more information or to purchase tickets go to cesnetwork.com.

The Minnesota Wild will unveil their new Rbk sweaters in September. The Wild will retire the Green home jerseys and the red will become the home sweater for the Wild with the White remaining the away. The White sweater will reportedly be re-designed, however.
 
Mike Hoeffel's family was delayed in Detroit for several hours on the way to the NHL Entry Draft in Columbus but they did arrive in time for Friday night's first round. Though Mike wasn't selected in the first round he couldn't be more thrilled after becoming New Jersey's first selection in the draft in the second round. Zach Parise is Hoeffel's favorite NHL player so that makes the selection by New Jersey extra special for him.
 
Erik Johnson is about to embark on a whirlwind of travel over the next month. According to his mother Peggy, Erik will be in Michigan July 5-7, in Saint Louis from the 8th-14th, Los Angeles from the 14th -17th, and then joining the Johnson family on vacation in Maui on the 17th. Johnson is expected to begin training with the Blues in Saint Louis in August and will move there permanently in September.
 
Wyatt Russell, son of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, will play hockey for Alabama-Huntsville next season.
 

Quick Speculation:
 
Quick Facts expects Colin Stuart to contend for a roster spot with the Atlanta Thrashers next season. He and former Colorado teammate Brett Sterling had outstanding years with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL last season.

 
Quick Quotes:
 
"Our conversation with Alex was not to put pressure on him to leave school. It was, ‘If you turn pro, here is what we see…’ and if he decided to go back for his senior year, we’re fine with that. But we wanted to know sooner rather than later, and we wanted to know by July 1— and he did not feel that was a problem."

-Ray Shero on his conversation with Alex Goligoski next week.

(courtesy of Rob Rossi - Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
 

After re-signing former Denver standout Connor James to a contract members of the Pittsburgh Penguins management met with Alex Goligoski in the Twin Cities. Quick Facts has learned that the meeting was very informative for Goligoski but that he will make his official decision after mulling over what he learned for a while.  A decision is likely in the next week or so.  The Penguins are also expected to sign Husky Goaltender Bobby Goepfert soon.
 
There is a story that has been posted on that Wild forward Branko Radivojevic and Marian Hossa helped break up a fight in Trencin, Slovakia where a man, reportedly a friend of Radivojevic, was being attacked by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads. The victim was stabbed but reportedly Hossa and Radivojevic broke up the fight and took him to the hospital for treatment.  
 
The Buffalo Sabres have tendered a qualifying offer to star forward Thomas Vanek, retaining his rights, but the two sides will be negotiating a much larger increase over the standard 10% qualifying amount. Vanek, a restricted free agent, is expected to be the target of many offer sheets from other teams willing to give up a couple draft picks for the promising star. It is unknown how high Buffalo is willing to go to match those offers to retain Vanek. One internet rumor has Paul Holmgren of the Flyers as one of the most likely to attempt to sign Vanek, which could give Vanek the possibility of skating with Ryan Potulny, and eventually Austrian countryman Andreas Nodl, who is a draft pick of the Flyers.
Former Wild forward Antti Laaksonen will play in Switzerland next season. He had been relegated to the minors by the Colorado Avalanche at the end of last season.
 
Darby Hendrickson reports that recent Wild signee Andre Lakos may well have a chance to play with the Wild. Hendrickson played with Lakos last season in Austria with Red Bulls Salzburg. Hendrickson has yet to make a decision on his plans for next year.
 
Brandon Bochenski was re-signed by the Boston Bruins to a one-year deal. Bochenski clicked well with former Gopher Phil Kessel toward the end of the season in Boston and especially when the two were matched for the World Championships in Moskow.
 
Shjon Podein's 10th Annual Celebrity Party and Golf Tournament will be held this weekend in Rochester benefitting his Children's Foundation. The party is at Aquarius/McMurphy's includes great music, food, mingling with celebrities, and a silent and live auction. The Golf Tournament will be held on Monday morning. Tickets are $50. Go to Team25.com for more information.
 
Erik Westrum's annual raffle/auction for Parkinson's Association of Minnesota will be held July 22nd at Rascal's in Apple Valley. Raffle tickets are $5 each and prizes include: $100 Cash, Best Buy Gift Certificats, One Night Stay Grand Casino, Outback Steakhouse Gift Certificates, autographed hockey items, hockey equipment and much more!  If you are interested in purchasing raffle tickets you can send and email to Quick Facts.
 

Quick Speculation:
 
The Atlanta Thrashers may allow Mike Vannelli to become a free agent this summer. They currently have Nathan Oystrick, Mark Popovic, Boris Valabick and Trevor Byrne as defensemen who will be looking to make a move from the AHL to NHL sooner rather than later. They also have draft picks Andrei Zubarev, and Toby Engstrom ready to be signed out of Europe and Chad Denney out of the the CHL. Add those prospects to the stable of blueliners the Thrashers already have; Alexei Zhitnik, Niclas Havelid, Garnet Exelby, and Steve McCarthy and there is little room for more blueliners. However, if the Thrashers let Shane Hnidy, Greg De Vries and Andy Sutton leave via free agency the likelihood of Vannelli earning a deal with Atlanta becomes greater.
 
 
 
Quick Quote:
 
"We’ve followed Mike’s development closely and once we get to the appropriate point of this summer, we’ll make a final determination on what his potential role is in our organization and what’s best for Mike and the Thrashers"

- Atlanta Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell on whether they plan on signing former Gopher defenseman Mike Vannelli.