Here are your Morning Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• The Vancouver Canucks lead the NHL with nine too many men on the ice penalties. Why? Coach Alain Vigneault claims that players on the bench can't tell whether it's Daniel or Henrik Sedin coming off for a change. He's joked about putting their names on the front of their helmets. Nah ... just quietly mark one with a pen like Michael Scott did with his date from the Japanese steak house on "The Office." [Vancouver Sun]
• Alexander Ovechkin will be just happy to be there, but Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau believes it's "dumb" that his star won't be a starter in the NHL All-Star Game. [Washington Times]
• Reassessing the Dallas Stars' two-headed GM monster and asking yet again: What is it, exactly, that Brett Hull does? [Dallas Stars Blog]
• Michel Therrien has lost the room, Sidney Crosby is miserable and has no wingers to play with ... Steven Ovadia isn't exactly bringing the sunshine about the Pittsburgh Penguins today. [Puck Update]
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are going to aggressively enter the trade market for a center and offers plenty of red meat: Antoine Vermette, Doug Weight, and Jordan Staal, whom he writes is miserable playing for Therrien. [Dispatch]
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• Speaking of Weight, this line actually made the cut in an article for Newsday: "One local reporter said Oilers message boards have been alive with talk of a possible return by Weight to Edmonton." [Newsday]
• The top 10 reasons to watch hockey, and all of them have breasts. [Head of Fred, via Busted Coverage]
• Pavel Datsyuk and his Detroit Red Wings teammates discuss his awesome skills competition goal against the Minnesota Wild. Which Dats has decided to name "goal." [Snapshots]
• Regarding the Boston Bruins, Kevin Paul Dupont asks this of GM Peter Chiarelli: "Is the time at hand for the third-year general manager, with what amounts to $8.25 million in shopping money, to dress up his roster by adding a veteran free agent for what appears to be a legitimate run at a Cup?" [Boston Globe]
• Jason Pominville of the Buffalo Sabres discusses his love of blogging, which includes working with an assistant and her loose-leaf notebook of ideas and information. Judging from the screen cap below, we formally challenge Pomer to a blog-off. "Thinki" about it, won't you? [Sabres video]
• The Nashville Predators have recalled Ryan Jones from the Milwaukee Admirals, and The Forechecker is optimistic that this stint could be a productive one. [On the Forecheck]
• Arguing why Bryan McCabe should not be booed upon his return to face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight: "Do me a solid and save your wrath. McCabe doesn't deserve it. Even during his darkest days in a Leafs uniform, no one could accuse #24 of not playing with passion, or not trying. By all accounts, McCabe tried too much; tried too hard. He wanted nothing more than to live up to the massive contract John Ferguson Jr., aka the Antichrist, gave him, and his career in Toronto ended because of that desire and what it did to his game." [Sports and the City]
• Battle of California will be rinkside tonight for the Los Angeles Kings/Anaheim Ducks showdown. Which is a game that, incredibly, features two teams separated by just seven points. [BoC]
• Due to a dispute over allowing national sports federations to use their logos on Olympic jerseys, the Hockey Canada logo may not be worn at the Winter Games in Vancouver. Sweden's logo, featuring a goalie flopping like a beached salmon, will still be allowed. [NHL]
• Finally, a look back at Canada's run to the gold in world juniors. Even if it involves seeing the U.S.'s crushing disappointment one more time.
