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Brad Richards will not be offered a contract by the Dallas Stars

Jun 2

Posted by Chris in News, Rumors | 3 Comments

General Managers with a lot of spending money this offseason just got some good news – Brad Richards will be hitting the free agent market.

With management and ownership of the Dallas Stars in a state of flux, the team has decided not to offer star center Brad Richards a contract this offseason with Richards set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Richards posted 28 goals and 49 assists in 77 games with the Stars last season. He tallied 91 total points the season before.

“We have had talks with Brad throughout the year, and he’s not going to sign with us unless we have the ownership situation resolved, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen by the start of free agency,” general manager Joe Nieuwendyk told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

At 31-years-old, Richards is in the prime of his career and already has one Stanley Cup championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 where he also won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. His resume speaks for itself, but in a year where there is very little offensive talent in the free agent pool, Richards will be highly coveted around the league.

However, after making $7.8 million last season, Richards could be outside the price range of many general managers. However, it’s highly likely that Richards could sign a long-term deal with a team that front-loads his contract to help keep the annual salary cap hit lower. A lot will depend on Richards and whether he wants to play for a contender or if he wants to seek out a big pay day.

Several teams appear to have the cap space to adsorb a big salary like Brad Richards, but many of them are teams currently in the rebuilding process. The Florida Panthers currently have the most cap space with $41 million available and could offer Richards a hefty contract, but Richards would likely have to endure several years of rebuilding and regrouping before Florida becomes a contender. With $27.8 million in cap space, the Colorado Avalanche could be a possible destination. The team has a lot of good, young talent and Richards could really help put the team over the edge. But don’t count out the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings or the Toronto Maple Leafs as contenders for Richards. Both the Leafs and Kings have been itching for a solid forward for several years with rumors swirling that the Kings heavily courted Kovalchuk last season before he signed with New Jersey. The Leafs would love to get Phil Kessel a proper center while the Rangers would love to get the same for Marion Gaborik and Richards would be a huge boost in offense for either team.

All hope is not lost for the Stars, however. The team will likely trade negotiating rights for Richards to another team, although Richards would still need to waive his no-trade clause for that to occur. The team that lands the rights to Richards will be able to solely negotiate with Richards before the free agency period opens. While this is certainly not a new option for teams preparing to lose their star players, teams looking to acquire the negotiating rights run a risk of giving up something for nothing if a player has no intention to sign with that club. This happened last season when Montreal landed the negotiating rights for goalie Dan Ellis from Nashville in exchange for forward Sergie Kostitsyn and future considerations. Ellis rebuked Montreal’s offers and signed with the Lightning at the open of free agency instead. If nothing else, the Stars will likely get draft picks in exchange for Richards’ negotiating rights before the NHL Entry Draft later this month.

 

 

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Could the Thrashers be on the Move?

May 17

Posted by Eddie in Rumors | 1 Comment

Chalk up the Atlanta Thrashers under the list of "Things that have failed under Gary Bettman".

In some news that has been brewing behind closed doors for some time now, the possible relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Canada has some momentum according to recent reports by various media. The two sides have not entered into an exclusive negotiating period nor has a deal been reached. But where there is smoke, there is fire.

TSN and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today that Atlanta Spirit LLS is in negotiations to sell and relocate the team to True North. True North’s plan is to relocate the team to Winnipeg, Manitoba. This move is similar to when the Atlanta Flames relocated to Calgary, Alberta in 1980.

Under current rules, NHL owners do not have to get league approval to identify potential buyers and work out an agreement to sell their franchise. However they would have to get permission to negotiate with a party interested in relocation. Once an agreement in principle has been reached, the league’s Board of Governors would be asked to judge the acceptability of the new ownership. 

It is widely believed that the two sides are quickly trying to work on the move, as various deadlines regarding next season are right around the corner including the 2011-12 schedule being released traditionally during the Stanley Cup Final and division realignment logistics. True North attempted to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes over the course of the last five months, but those plans failed when the city of Glendale ponied $25 million to cover operating costs of a team that the NHL owns. The part of the process where there has to be Board of Governor approval for a team to relocate is why the move isn’t as quickly to happen as one thinks.

The chatter in Detroit sports talk radio is that it could be Detroit’s chance to finally move to the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings log more air travel miles than any other team as they and the Columbus Blue Jackets are the two franchises located in the Eastern Time Zone playing in the NHL Western Conference. Red Wing fans say the move could improve television ratings and pump more money into local bars and restaurants as they are more likely to go to a bar to watch a 7:30 road game on a weeknight versus a 10:00 or 10:30 p.m. game on the west coast when they have to work the next morning. The Red Wings and their fans at home were sparred the late starts in the recent playoff series versus San Jose, as Game 5 and Game 7 in California were played at 9:00 p.m. Detroit time.

The move could also reignite historical rivalries with Toronto and Montreal, teams they do not have the opportunity to play twice a season due to the current NHL schedule format where every team will play in every arena every-other-season at the latest. But do not be surprised if it is the Nashville Predators who will move to the Southeast division, while the Winnipeg franchise will play in the Central division despite geographically being closer to the Northwest division teams.

True North owns the AHL Manitoba Moose, as well as the 15,000 seat MTS Centre, an arena that opened in 2004. Besides being located in a small market that had less appeal to the NHL TV revenues like Phoenix had,  the inability to build a new arena to replace the aging Winnipeg Arena were reasons the Jets left for the desert in 1996. A source within the NHL told The Sporting News that the Thrashers were losing $20 million per season and are last in the league in ticket revenues.

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Busy Friday highlighted by big trades

Feb 19

Posted by Chris in News, Rumors | 2 Comments

The Boston Bruins were big winners Friday night after making some roster overhauls and landing one of the biggest trade-deadline targets this season in defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The Bruins weren’t the only active team, however, as the Atlanta Thrashers, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricane and Colorado Avalanche also made moves.

It was widely expected that Kaberle, who had a no-trade clause on his contract, would be moved by the Maple Leafs this season instead of risking losing Kaberle to free agency for nothing in return. The return ended up being pretty significant as the Leafs received prospect forward Joe Colborne in addition to the Bruins’ first-round draft pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional second round pick in 2012. But the Bruins were willing to take the hit in order to grab a puck-moving defenseman like Kaberle. The extra offensive push that Kaberle provides should help spark the Bruins’ offense, especially on the power play where Kaberle already has 22 assists.

In order to fit Kaberle under the salary cap, the Bruins made another move with the Atlanta Thrashers where they acquired forward Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik in exchange for forward Blake Wheeler and defenseman Mark Stuart. With 34 points in 59 games with the Thrashers, Peverley will help offset the loss of injured center Marc Savard in Boston and will give the Bruins another scoring center and good face-off guy.

The Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche clicked for a deal when they exchanged goalies yesterday afternoon. The Avalanche sent goaltender Craig Anderson to Ottawa in exchange for goaltender Brian Elliott. Both goalies are set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and this may be more of a money move than anything else. In fact, rumors surfaced immediately that the Senators may turn around and try to trade Anderson again as Ottawa is selling off most of their assets in an attempt to rebuild their program. But at 29-years-old, Anderson would be a solid goalie to try and rebuild your program with.

Colorado wasn’t done, however, as the team made another significant move early this morning by sending forward Chris Stewart, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and a conditional 2011 or 2012 second-round draft pick to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Erik Johnson (pictured), forward Jay McClement and a conditional 2011 or 2012 first-round draft pick.

With the moves that Colorado is making, it would appear as if the team is pulling themselves out of the playoff race for this season but gearing up for a strong run next year. Johnson will be a huge addition to the blue line for the Avs and still has another year on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent in 2012. When the rest of the team’s blue line gets healthy, the Avs could have a very deep, very solid defensive unit on the ice next season. Plus, the team could have anywhere between $10 and $16 million in available cap space heading into free agency this summer in order to bring in some quality scoring to help replace the loss of Stewart.

With nine days still remaining until the trade deadline, more big moves are still expected. Keep an eye on the Senators as more trades could still be coming. Will they decide to move players like Spezza and Alfredsson? And who can afford Spezza’s hefty cap hit? Brad Richards of Dallas keeps popping up in trade rumors as well. Many pundits think he will not re-sign in Dallas and the Stars, despite being in playoff contention, don’t want to lose Richards for nothing. But the real fun of trade deadline time are the unexpected moves, like the one that Colorado and St. Louis just completed. If nothing else, expect more of the unexpected in the days to come.

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More trades could be on the way for Flyers

Feb 15

Posted by Chris in Rumors, Soap Box | No Comments

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke is no stranger to big trades at the trade deadline, and he certainly found a willing partner in the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday as the Flyers acquired forward Kris Versteeg in exchange for a first-round and third-round draft pick in this year’s NHL entry draft. But with just under two weeks still left to play before the trade deadline hits, the Flyers may have only just begun revealing their master plan.

The decision to bring in Versteeg does several things for the Flyers. First, it provides the Flyers with a ton of offensive depth – something they certainly weren’t lacking beforehand. The Flyers are one of the most potent teams in the NHL, averaging 3.29 goals per game, and Versteeg’s prowess make them even more dangerous offensively. Versteeg already has two consecutive 20-goal campaigns under his belt and with 14 goals tallied so far this season he could certainly be on his way to a third.

In addition, Versteeg also has solid playoff experience and a Stanley Cup ring as well. In fact, Versteeg was a part of the Chicago Blackhawks team that defeated the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals last season. While he’s only 24-years-old, Versteeg’s experience will be hugely beneficial to the Flyers as they look to get back to the Finals and win the Stanley Cup this season.

Perhaps most importantly, however, Versteeg gives the Flyers options. By adding a proven scorer to the roster, the Flyers have made other players expandable. Two names that have already popped up in the rumor mill are James van Riemsdyk and Nikolay Zherdev. Both players have underperformed this season and failed to live up to their expectations. In fact, their combined point total is less than ten points more than Versteeg’s personal point total.

Rumors have also swirled that the Flyers would like to make an upgrade in goal. Or could the team opt to bolster their blue line at the expense of a proven netminder? Either way, the team now has expandable assets available to sell off in order to bring in more key components should they choose to. Could van Riemsdyk and Zherdev become part of a package that brings in those key components? With 13 days left until the trade deadline, all the Flyers may have done is simply set the stage for more to come.

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Ray Emery to Detroit?

Feb 2

Posted by EB in News, Rumors | 3 Comments

As weird as it may sound, Ray Emery to Detroit, it is a possibility for the returning goaltender.

The netminder Ray Emery is trying for a comeback after being diagnosed with avascular necrosis. The disease causes bone tissue to die, and in Emery’s case, his right hip had deteriorated. Emery has since undergone an operation to replace the ball of his hip and now is making for a comeback.

Ray Emery is hoping he does not have to pack his bags on the NHL as he is trying for a comeback.

The Red Wings are currently short a back-up goaltender as Chris Osgood is on the IR from sports hernia surgery. Detroit General Manager Ken Holland looked elsewhere, across the pond, in signing Evgeni Nabokov to a one year deal. However, the deal between Nabokov and the Detroit Red Wings fell short due to league rules disallowing oversees players from entering into the league after December first without going through re-entry waivers. Nabokov was claimed by the New york Islanders while the Wings are still left to look for another goalie or wait it out.

Chris Osgood is expected back mid to late February, a not so distant future. Osgood has been struggling this year, with 10 games started, he has only been able to muster up a 5-3-2 record. Digging a little deeper, Osgood has a .903 save percentage and a rather high 2.77 goals against average. Factor in that Osgood is in his last year of his contract with the Red Wings and at the not-so-young age of 37, the question of if he is not finished now, can you really sign him to another deal?

Ray Emery on the other hand has been a trouble maker in all the teams he has played for. A feisty fighting goalie, that sometimes loses sight of the real goal, meshing with his teammates and winning as a team. But at 27 years old, trying to make a comeback, it seems likely that Emery’s unruly ways are behind him if he wishes to make it back to the NHL.

The Wing’s are currently in second place within the Western Conference, an almost guaranteed playoff spot and a definite Stanley Cup Contender. If the choice was yours, do you want Osgood backing up netminder Jimmy Howard, or Ray Emery, a player fighting for another chance?

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Langenbrunner trade appears imminent

Jan 6

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

Rumors are swirling around New Jersey Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner after the announcement that Langenbrunner would be a healthy scratch for the team’s game against Philadelphia tonight leading many to believe that New Jersey is waiting to announce a trade for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

“The fact that I’m not there tonight probably means a trade will be happening sooner rather than later,”  Langenbrunner said according to the Newark Star-Ledger. “I’m in limbo waiting.”

Langenbrunner was not even in attendance at the Prudential Center for the game, according to the report, which also states that Langenbrunner has been in talks with New Jersey management recently about waiving his no-trade clause. Langenbrunner is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 when his five-year contract with the Devils expires.

The 35-year-old winger reportedly clashed with head coach Jacques Lemaire last season, who retired and then came out of retirement to coach the Devils again this season after the team fired head coach John MacLean on Dec. 23. It is not known yet if this is a factor in Langenbrunner’s reported decision to waive his no-trade clause.

One of the leading destinations appears to be Dallas, but speculation persists that Colorado, Toronto and Chicago may also be interested in his services. Regardless, Langenbrunner would be an excellent addition to any of these clubs in terms of offensive depth and veteran leadership.

In 996 career NHL games, Langenbrunner has totaled 232 goals and 388 assists for 620 career points. He has won Stanley Cups with both the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars and also claimed a Silver Medal at the Vancouver Olympic Games last February as the captain of Team USA.

Bruins actively shopping Savard

Jun 27

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

It appears as if there are some legs to the rumors that the Boston Bruins are looking to trade away their top-line center Marc Savard. Reports have surfaced that Savard, who signed a seven-year contract extension with the Bruins in December 2009, will waive his no-trade clause if it means being dealt to the Ottawa Senators or Toronto Maple Leafs – two teams that could have some legitimate interest in Savard’s services.

After drafting Tyler Seguin at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft this past weekend, the Bruins have too many bodies at center and need to clear a player in order to fit Seguin into the lineup. The 32-year-old Savard looks to be the odd man out. While some aspects of this move make sense, other aspects would make any fan scratch their head with wonder.

Savard’s seven-year contract extension carried with it a $4.2 million cap hit, which is quite reasonable for a center of his abilities. While somewhat injury-prone, Savard has managed 70 or more points in four of his last five seasons. In two of those seasons he registered 90 or more points. Last year, during a season in which Savard only played in 41 games, the gifted center still tallied 33 points – and that’s playing without a legitimate winger on his side.

For comparisons sake, Jason Spezza, who has registered similar numbers over the past several seasons, makes roughly $7 million a season. If Savard took a “hometown discount” to finish his career with the Bruins, it seems quite disrespectful that the Bruins would turn around and send Savard and his friendly cap hit elsewhere. It’s especially disrespectful when you consider that Bruins teammate Patrice Bergeron accounts for a slightly larger cap hit of $4.75 million per season and has been considerably less productive over the same time period. Granted, Bergeron has dealt with several significant injuries, but Savard is a proven commodity and a veteran player. Why not look to trade away Bergeron and keep Savard?

Well, the answer is in the numbers. Bergeron is younger at 24 years old and does have a huge offensive upside when he is healthy. Savard also makes for tasty trade bait with the numbers he is capable of producing offensively coupled with a low salary cap hit. The Bruins are currently $4.7 million under the cap. If they move Savard and his $4.2 million cap hit, as well as goaltender Tim Thomas and his $5 million cap hit (which they are definitely expected to do), then the Bruins all of a sudden have roughly $13 million to bring in a scoring winger or general scoring depth on the wings with money leftover to replace Dennis Wideman on defense. Heck, Boston management is probably licking their chops at the thought of being able to make a legitimate offer to unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk.

If a trade is to happen, the Maple Leafs would seem like a logical destination for Savard for several reasons. First, Savard has a history playing with Phil Kessel. They have made magic together before and I doubt that Maple Leafs GM Brian Bruke could resist the temptation to pair them together again. Burke has also stated several times over the past few weeks that he wants to add offense this summer. Tons and tons of offense. Well, a healthy Savard paired with Kessel could bring about 80-90 points out of Savard. Second, the Leafs are still looking to trade Kaberle and, as I’ve already stated, the Bruins will look to replace Wideman. Could a Kaberle-for-Savard deal be in the works? It would seem mutually beneficial to both teams.

With the free agent frenzy beginning in just a few short days, if there is a deal to be done expect it to happen soon. Both teams involved in the trade will want to hash out the details and get their ducks in a row before free agency begins so that they can figure out what pieces they still need to put into place this summer.

Trade rumors heat up as GM’s prepare for draft

Jun 25

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

The days preceding the 2010 NHL Entry Draft have been some of the busiest in recent years in terms of trades and trade rumors. Now that the draft is only a few short hours away from beginning, trade rumors are heating up as general managers around the league look to get the most bang for their buck and do whatever it takes to make their team a contender. And it appears as if nobody is safe from the trading block. Here is a quick rundown of some of the last-minute rumors going around the net that could come into fruition before or during the draft tonight:

- It appears as if several teams are offering their first-round draft picks. The Florida Panthers (#3), Columbus Blue Jackets (#4), New York Islanders (#5), Atlanta Thrashers (#8), Florida Panthers (#15) and the Phoenix Coyotes (#22) are all said to be fielding offers for their first-round draft picks. If any of these teams do give up their selections, don’t expect them to come cheap. Several of these teams are looking to rebuild and they will want promising prospects or a package of later draft picks. Florida, Columbus or New York may even want a roster player plus prospects in exchange for their selection.

- Tomas Kaberle talks continue and will continue through the draft until he is dealt. The number of interested teams appears to be in the double digits, but the number of serious offers may only be around 5. While I would be very surprised of Kaberle wasn’t moved tonight, it’s being said that Toronto GM Brian Burke is asking for a lot in return and some teams may not be willing to give up what Burke is asking for. When push comes to shove, I expect Kaberle to be moved tonight.

- Dallas Stars forward Mike Ribeiro has recently come into play. Rumors state that inquiries have been made about Ribeiro’s availability, but Dallas isn’t actively pushing to unload Ribeiro, who carries with him a cap hit of $5 million per season.

- Stars center Brad Richards has also been linked to the New York Rangers as a possible center for Marion Gaborik. Richards carries a hefty price tag of $7.8 million, but the Rangers may be willing to pay.

- Senators forward Jason Spezza has been the center of trade talks for a few weeks now, but it appears as if talks have died down for Ottawa’s top center. With a hefty cap hit of $7 million per season, many teams may not be able to absorb that kind of salary. Spezza could be moved tonight, but my guess is that he is still a Senator by the end of the draft and that talks will heat up next week before free agency begins. Spezza’s no trade clause kicks in next Thursday at the beginning of the free agency period.

- Boston Bruins center Marc Savard has recently appeared in trade rumors. The general feeling is that Edmonton will take taylor Hall with the number one overall pick, leaving Boston to take Tyler Seguin at number two. This will leave the Bruins overloaded at center. They will most likely try to move a center in the near future. I highly doubt that Savard will be that center, however.Teams rumored to be interested in Savard are the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames.

- Reports state that the Florida Panthers have decided to take defenseman Erik Gudbranson with their number three overall pick (if that pick is not traded).

- Flyers center Jeff Carter continues to appear in trade rumors. Philadelphia needs a strong goaltender next season and Carter may be the sacrifice to get what they covet. Carter would certainly be a welcome addition to any team needing a young, goal-scoring center. Carter is set to earn $5 million this season and will be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

In short, it appears as if the rumor mill has either gone crazy with wishful thinking or  simply no player, no matter how gifted or well-liked, is safe from being traded. While I don’t think tonight’s draft will be as crazy as some rumor mongers are making it out to be, I certainly believe that some moves will be made and that at least one big player will get traded before the night is out. Draft starts in roughly two hours. Grab a pizza and a beer and enjoy.

Bertuzzi playing hard ball with Wings; Cheechoo to be bought out?

Jun 10

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

It appears as if unrestricted free agent Todd Bertuzzi may opt to test the open market to see if any more lucrative offers come along than the two-year deal that the Red Wings offered that is most likely worth around the $1.5 million per season that Bertuzzi made this past year.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland appeared on the “NHL Live” radio program where he touched upon several topics including his ongoing negotiations with Bertuzzi and his agent Pat Morris.

“We have interest in him coming back,” Holland said of Bertuzzi. “I think he’s interested in coming back. But it’s a cap world. We only have so much to offer.”

Prior to this past season, Bertuzzi had spent time in a Wings uniform once before after he was acquired from Florida at the trade deadline in 2007. When the season ended, indications were that Bertuzzi was interested in staying and that the Wings were interested in keeping him. However, Bertuzzi left the organization during the free agency period to sign a two-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks for $8 million. Bertuzzi was later placed on waivers by the Ducks.

“We’ll continue to talk to him,” Holland said. “We’d like to have him back, but obviously, there’s gotta be a fit financially for the player and for us. Talks are ongoing. We’ll see where they go.”

In other news, reports are also circulating that the Ottawa Senators are looking to buy out the contract of forward Jonathan Cheechoo when the NHL buyout period begins next week. During that time, each team has a two week window in which they can buy out players for 2/3 of the value of their current salary to be paid over two-times the length of the agreed deal. Cheechoo is signed for $3.5 million for next season which would give the Senators a cap hit of $1,165,500 cap hit for the next 2 seasons.

Cheechoo came to Ottawa last summer as a part of the Dany Heatley trade that sent Heatley to San Jose in exchange for Cheechoo, forward Milan Michalek and a fifth round draft pick in the upcoming draft. The 29-year-old finished the season with five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 61 games with the Senators. Cheechoo also spent time with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, where he totalled another 14 points in 25 games.

Cheechoo’s best performance came in 2005-2006 when he tallied 56 goals and 93 points in 82 games for the San Jose Sharks alongside center Joe Thornton. Since that season, Cheechoo’s numbers have steadily declined.

No word yet on where Cheechoo could end up, although several teams could look to sign Cheechoo later this summer to add depth to their lineup for a low cost. One interesting scenario would be if the Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance and signed Cheechoo for cheap this summer. Pittsburgh has taken chances on wingers in the past who fell to the late stages of free agency, such as Miroslav Satan, to experiment and see if they thrive alongside Sidney Crosby, who the Penguins are constantly trying to match with a suitable winger. Cheechoo had his best season alongside center Joe Thornton in San Jose and could possibly rejuvenate his career alongside Sidney Crosby.

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Developing Story: Rob Blake Retires

Jun 9

Posted by Eddie in Rumors | No Comments

After a 21-year NHL career with three teams, defenseman Rob Blake will retire from hockey with a press conference next week. A report coming from Comcast Sportsnet is saying the Stanley Cup champion, Olympic champion, and six-time all-star will to wait until after the Stanley Cup finals to formally announce his retirement out of respect to the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks. CSN reported for their story that Blake and the Sharks declined to comment.

Blake won the Norris Trophy as NHL’s best defenseman in 1998 with his first stint with the Los Angeles Kings. He spent 12.5 seasons with the Kings, leaving in 2001 in a trade to Colorado and returning in 2006. He finished his career with San Jose when he signed as a free-agent in 2008. He was named captain of the Sharks earlier this season when the “C” was stripped from Patrick Marleau. He won his only Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Av’s as well as winning the Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.

The 70th overall pick in the 1988 draft by Los Angeles played his college hockey at CCHA member Bowling Green, where he was All-America in 1990. His career-high’s for a single season were 84 games (1994 when they played 84 regular season games) 23 goals (1998), 48 assists (1994), 68 points (1994), and 152 PIM (1993).

Other facts about Blake:

Blake also scored 23 goals previously. He lit the lamp 23 times for Bowling Green in 1990, in 42 games.

Blake has also played in an NHL-record 55 different arenas throughout his career.

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