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 NHL goes dark for Dec. 24 and 25. The NBA has staked out Christmas Day as an annual TV event. But hey, there was a time when college football owned Jan. 1, too. So should the NHL play on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? That idea gets a Will Smith-like "aw, hell naw" from Detroit Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock: "I'm 100% against playing on Christmas... I think it's imperative that you're with your family. I think that's what Christmas is all about." [Freep, via Snapshots]
• Remember how we said the Canadian media has a real hard-on for the collapse of the Phoenix Coyotes? Yeah, this is sort of what we were getting at.
• That said, David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail had a terrific piggyback on Scott Burnside's ESPN bombshell that the NHL has stepped in to help the financially strapped Yotes. Two important points: the financial aid is in the form of advances on shared revenue, and that the only way to fix the team's horrible lease with the city is to declare bankruptcy. [Globe & Mail]
• Via the Bleacher Report, we get our first fan-penned "Save the Coyotes!" plea following the NHL assistance story. [BR]
• Finally, would Jerry Bruckheimer take over in Phoenix? And if so, would the movie poster look this hilarious? (Mr. Gretzky, you sir are no Maria Bello.) [Fanster]
• The Hockey Gods smite the Colorado Avalanche again: Paul Stastny breaks his forearm on an Olli Jokinen slapper, and could miss over a month. Adrian Dater: "This means that Tyler Arnason is your new No. 1 Avalanche center, folks. If that doesn't drive up the alcoholism rate among the die-hard fan base reading here, I don't know what will." [Dater]
• It's Staal vs. Staal vs. Staal! Winner gets bail money for the next bachelor party. [Hockey News]
• Scott Hockey's evisceration of the New York Rangers after last night's OT loss to the Capitals is a must-read for its rants on Tom Renney, Wade Redden and this passage on Scott Gomez: "He made the remark that Scott Gomez was a helluva Devil. And I would have to agree. Unfortunately he is a terrible Ranger. The Mexican't was worthless in this one, collecting a second assist while skating all sorts of circles to nowhere. He doesn't backcheck, his passes are off the mark when he isn't just softly dumping the puck away before he can get hit and he rarely shoots. For seven million dollars a year." [Scotty Hockey]
• Goalie Marty Biron and center Glen Metropolit were out of the lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers, but should be back in action this Friday. [Philly.com]
• Columbus Blue Jackets fans chant "Wake Up, Jackets!" as their team struggled, and then "Toronto Sucks!" after a Rick Nash goal was disallowed. [Puck-rakers]
• Dave Tippett gets praise for putting James Neal and Trevor Daley, two Toronto boys, in the starting lineup against the Leafs; especially after they responded big time. [Dallas Stars Blog]
• Canada goes for its fifth straight World Juniors gold medal. We're in favor of anything that'll make Angelo Esposito smile again. Even if for just a moment. [Slam]
• Christmas wishes for the Ottawa Senators. For Jarkko Ruutu: "Another constant for the last name. A Canadiens toque to wear in Montreal, just so crazy Habs fans don't jump him. And a big bottle of Scope, to show a little consideration for the opponents with whom he goes nose-to-nose." Whoa, that Scope shot was a little T.M.I. [Sun Media]
• Rookie Brett Sutter gets called up and scores in his NHL debut for the Calgary Flames. [Sportsnet]
• The great Rudy Kelly of Battle of California on two good defensemen for the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings: "It has since come to my attention that Douglas Murray actually kind of sucks and Matt Greene is far superior." The point-by-point comparison is rather wonderful. [BoC]
• Our buddies at On Frozen Blog begin a video pod cast called (what else?) On Frozen Pod. Congrats. [OFB]
• The coach who was fired on Christmas Eve. Ouch. [Press Connects, H/T/ Neate Sager]
• The Chicago Blackhawks star in a Winter Classic Christmas Carol. Funny stuff, with goofy Photoshop wonderment! [Mouthpiece Sports]
• Finally, here's Patrick Kane visiting Nike Bauer to design equipment for the Winter Classic. "Only 88 skates and 88 sticks were created for this special event and Kane will personally sign and auction off a portion of the limited edition product to raise money for breast Cancer research in Chicago and his home town of Buffalo." Awesome. [Branded]
