Today is a sad day at NHL Hot Stove as we close up shop.

I would like to thank every one who has ever contributed, commented and read our site. It was a fantastic ride which unfortunately we can no longer keep up.

Myself and David Strehle are taking on bigger roles at RLDHockey.net while Dustin Leed and The Hockey Guys has been generous enough to give a home to our other excellent contributors. Please be kind enough to give both sites a read.

The NHL announced tonight that they will change their current six-division setup into four conferences. For the first time since 1998, the League’s board of governors reached an agreement that not only alters the current outlook but also will allow every team to play a home-and-home series. The NHLPA will still need to approve the realignment but that appears to be a formality at this point.

These four conferences break down as the following:

Conference 1

Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Anaheim Ducks
Colorado Avalanche
Phoenix Coyotes

Conference 2

Winnipeg Jets
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Nashville Predators
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild

Conference 3

Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning

Conference 4

Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals

The current playoff configuration will also change with the first two playoff series coming within the Conference. However, eight teams will still make the show but there should be much more parity. For example, a team in a ‘weaker’ division would not be allowed to grab the third seed if they narrowly make the playoffs.

Furthermore, the schedule works out well for all teams. Home-and-home series should account for roughly 44-46 games with the remaining games getting played in rivalries within the conference. This change, as well as keeping natural rivals like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia; Chicago and Detroit; Calgary and Edmonton; should pave way for more excitement and interest around North America.

Now that we have the details down, let’s get to the fun part. What do we name these conferences? Do they get the old names: Norris, Campbell, Adams and Patrick? Do we rename them something more current like Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe and Orr? Put your vote in below and give some write-ins into the comments.

By Alexander Monaghan
President

On a night with 12 games on the docket, it should come to no surprise that we have not only one, but two controversial hits. Regarding the Jordin Tootoo incident we took a more down-the-middle approach. However, the shoulder-to-head hit from Dallas Stars defender Mark Fistric is a bit more subjective than most.

New York Islanders forward Nino Niederreiter came breaking down the side boards at top speed and just received the puck. The right wing skated from his left to his right, receiving the puck at full speed and clearly did not see the physical defender. The hit could be construed as east-west but the defender was simply stepping up to the play. Niederreiter either did not see the defender at all or thought he could skate by him but it remains abundantly clear that he should have seen him on the ice — Fistric didn’t skate from the center of the ice to the boards, he was already on that side of the ice.

The game of hockey is incredibly fast as is Niederreiter so we can only assume he wasn’t expecting the hit. As much is clear considering the former Portland Winterhawk was unable to protect himself on the play.

As Fistric hit the Swiss right wing, he left his feet but it is unclear whether he jumped pre or post impact. Nevertheless, if he was actually leaving his feet prior to making contact he probably would have fallen differently. Then again, it could be argued that he did not make an attempt to get low enough on the hit. A lower angle would certainly guarantee no contact with the head. Fistric also could miss the hit altogether which would allow for an odd-man rush.

Not making that hit is not in Fistric’s vocabulary. It’s the type of game he plays. Despite playing in only 19 of the team’s 27 games he leads the team in that counting stat. He posted 173 hits last year in only 57 games and 171 hits over 67 games the year before that. The Stars pay him to hit and frankly not to do much more.

Although the Edmonton, Alberta has never been suspended there have been a few close calls with the law. He was almost suspended by hitting current teammate Eric Nystrom with his helmet during a fight when the latter played for the Minnesota Wild. He also concussed Detroit Red Wings power forward Johan Franzen with an elbow to the head, which went unpunished. He has a history of questionable play which probably leads to a suspension of some kind.

In addition, Niederreiter is believed to have a concussion which should further place the onus on Fistric. See for yourself, courtesy of Hockey Fights, and voice your opinion in the comments.

Despite the crackdown on headshots and blindside hits, League referees don’t always make the right call. Last night’s incident is a perfect example of just that when Anaheim Ducks enforcer George Parros delivered his shoulder to the face of Dallas Stars Krys Barch; Barch clearly had no idea it was coming.

While we expected these two to get a bit chippy, a blindside hit is illegal despite the participants. Parros was not penalized on the ice and Barch did not undergo any quiet room procedures as the officials got this call wrong by all accounts. View the play for yourself below:

Luckily for Parros he escaped suspension over his seven-year career so he will not be viewed as a repeat offender, just a bonehead. Nevertheless, he should have some sort of punishment handed to him as he delivered a hit which signified exactly what Brendan Shanahan and company want to get rid of.

Be the judge, lay down the hammer and take a vote:

The Minnesota Wild’s quest to rid themselves of the $1.4 million cap hit belonging to second-generation forward Eric Nystrom successfully ended today. The Dallas Stars acquired the Syosset, NY native, whose contract runs through 2013, today in exchange for future considerations.

With all due respect to Nystrom, the Stars made this deal primarily, if not entirely, for financial reasons. Prior to the deal, the Stars were perilously close to the salary cap floor of $48.3 million because of Sean Avery, yes, THAT Avery. When the New York Rangers moved Avery to the AHL, the Stars’ portion of his cap hit, $1.9 million, came off their books. Consequently, the Stars needed to take on approximately $1.2 million of salary cap space.

The acquisition of Nystrom solved that dilemma (prorated cap hit of $1.34 million for the remainder of the season), but, in doing so, the club added an extra player to their 23 man roster. In addition, defenseman Adam Pardy has reportedly come off the long term injury reserve list, which further complicated matters for the Stars.

In order to become compliant in regards to the number of active roster players, the Stars announced the demotion of forward Tomas Vincour. With 14 forwards, 8 defensemen (including Pardy), and 2 goaltenders still on the Stars’ active roster — per numerous NHL sources — the Stars still need to lose one contract from their active roster. That leaves speculation that the odd man out COULD be 21-year-old defenseman Philip Larsen, who is playing on an entry-level contract and could probably use a bit more seasoning in the AHL.

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Yesterday, we let you in on our contest to play a ‘One Day FREE Fantasy Contest‘ to win $100 in cash prizes from Draft Steet. Well, I signed up, How about you?

Here’s my lineup, I challenge you to beat this roster:

LW: Zach Parise — $11,018
LW: Daniel Sedin — $14,799

RW: Bryan Little — $5,941
RW: Martin St. Louis — $13,081

C: Mark Letestu — $5,990
C: Valtteri Filppula — $6,118

D: Niklas Kronwall — $6,547
D: P.K. Subban — $7,817

G: Jonathan Quick — $20,665
G: Brian Gionta — $7,976

Do you have what it takes to defeat a fantasy hockey expert? CLICK HERE to sign up for free and register for NHL Hot Stove $100 Freeroll on DraftStreet.com. Entry is free of charge while you get a chance of earning $100. No brainer if you ask me…

If you haven’t heard, there is a new trend in the world of fantasy sports. Fantasy enthusiasts all over the country are now participating in daily fantasy leagues for cash on DraftStreet.com. We’ve partnered up with Draftstreet to do a FREE one-day fantasy league with $100 in prizes exclusively for NHL Hot Stove readers.

This is a salary cap league where everyone tries to assemble the best team out of the available players. You will have a $100,000 budget to build a team of 2 LW’s, 2 RW’s, 2 Center’s, 2 Defensive players, 1 Goalie, and a FLEX. Each NHL player has been allocated a price based on their expected fantasy performance. For example, star LW Alex Ovechkin costs $14,331 where as RW Jarome Iginla costs $12,256.

You can adjust your roster up until the contest start’s on Thursday 10/13 at 7:00pm ET at which time your rosters will lock and the Live Scoreboard will be available.

CLICK HERE to sign up for free and register for NHL Hot Stove $100 Freeroll on DraftStreet.com

Melissa Grissom
NHLHS Dallas Stars Correspondent

On September 21, 2011, Mike Modano, the face and voice of the Dallas Stars franchise, decided to hang up the skates. He’s known as one of the greatest American born skaters in the NHL. He was a fast, smooth skater who had the knack for goals and changed his style of play to win more games. He went from a rookie who scored many goals to become a great two-hockey player. In his 21 years in the NHL, he played 1499 games, scored 561 goals, with 831 assists and ended up with 1374 points, but the stats with Modano wasn’t the biggest impact of his game. It was the impact off the ice as well, as he started the Mike Modano foundation, which raises funds to improve the quality of life for at-risk and under-served children in the Dallas, Texas area.

When I first started this tribute article for Mike Modano, I asked many fans to write what they thought of Mike Modano and how he changed the game of hockey for them:

“Mike is the epitome of hockey players. There’s no words to express what he meant to the Stars or the sport in general from” @hockeyarcher (Mohammad Bakhach)

“Mike Modano was one of the best American born hockey players of all time” @odf371 (Dawn Crupi)

“When @9modano skated he was poetry in motion creating excitement for fans who anticipated that high labeler” @NewYork Puck (Derek B. Felix)

“I have Modano to thank for everything, he truly got me into the sport back in 2000 when we were in the playoffs, I think my first game I watched was against the Av’s.. He stood out to me, not because he was good looking but the plays he made were awesome. I am truly blessed and thankful for being able to watch him for the better part of my life.” @KaPow18  (Kayla Powers)

“Mike Modano was the best of a group of Americans who were inspired by the 1980 US Men’s Olympic team. A natural athlete, he could’ve played just about any sport, yet he chose hockey and US hockey is all the better for it.” @happygirl2525 (Kris)

“I’ve been a Stars fan since I was a kid in the mid 80′s growing up just north of Edmonton. That’s right, while Gretzky and Messier were hoisting Stanley Cups just miles from my house, I was cheering for the Minnesota North Stars. I remember hearing about Mike Modano a little before the draft in 1988 and realized that we were on a collision course as the North Stars were destined for the #1 pick that year. I watched his draft that Saturday morning on June 11 of 1988 and I, as well as my youngest sister, eventually became a fan. I had favorites over the years like Dino Ciccarelli, Neal Broten, and Dave Gagner, but Mike Modano set a whole new standard. A standard that’s not likely to ever be matched. He’s been that Gretzky and that Messier to me, and he’s someone us Stars fans can brag about with confidence when talking about the greatest players to ever play the game. His skill level on the ice was nearly untouchable and so is his class off of it. He’s the definition of idol and it’s been an amazing 23 year ride. Impossible to put in to words. Thank you Mike !” Travis Currie, Gibbon AB (travcurrie)

“Mike Modano is the reason I became a fan of hockey and the Dallas Stars. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him play, his jersey flapping in the wind behind him as he glided across the sheet of ice at Reunion Arena. From that moment on, I was hooked and he’s someone that I have looked up to for the last 14 years. He made hockey relevant in a non-traditional hockey market and he’s done so much for the city of Dallas the surrounding communities. Thank you Mike for all that you’ve done in Dallas. Thank you for all the incredible memories that you’ve given not just your fans, but your teammates, your friends and your family. You will be missed on the ice by many, but you’ve paved the way for future hockey players. Thank you for being an inspiration on so many levels. Good luck in all your future ventures. Welcome back home to Big D, Mike!”  Casey (@StarStruck1409)

As you can tell, Mike Modano had a big impact in the NHL and outside of the whole hockey business. Modano will always be remembered as the greatest American goal scorer who loved the game like we all do. Now he’s retired and maybe he will be coaching or maybe he will be with the Dallas Stars organization. Right now he’s enjoying retirement.

An American icon has retired from the NHL, but his legacy will be remember by the fans who loved him. So good luck, Mike Modano to whatever you do in the near future.

By Jeff Quirin
NHLHS Associate Editor

Every season several players rise from the depths of obscurity in all its various forms. In this premier series of the X List I take a look at the top 10 players to come out of obscurity and forge their way into (back into in some cases) the NHL limelight. Here are numbers 5 and 6.

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Image via Herman Von Petri (Flickr)

6. Jamie Benn – Forward – Dallas Stars

For most NHL players scoring 22 goals and registering 54 points in just 69 games during a sophomore effort would garner more attention. But when your franchise is mired in financial trouble and you skate behind one of the hottest lines in the conference it’s easy to get lost in the mix. So went the 2010-11 season for Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn.

His 2011-12 campaign will not likely go the same.

On the ice the biggest barriers to notoriety have been removed. Benn started last season on the Stars second unit behind their top trio (and arguably the second best in the West) of Loui Eriksson, Brad Richards and James Neal. That line is no more as two thirds have left Dallas. Neal was the first to go in a February trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins which netted defenseman Alex Goligoski. Richards moved on when he signed one of the biggest free agent deals of the summer with the New York Rangers. Taking his team leading 77 points in 72 games with him.

Benn won’t be a stranger to the increase in responsibility that comes with first line opportunity. Returning from injury on February 22nd he stepped in to a larger role with Neal no longer his teammate. In the 23 games that followed during the race for playoffs Benn tallied 9 goals and 14 assists while playing more than 21 minutes a game. Proving that his previous success was not just because of the Richards line taking the tougher match-ups and he can be a clutch performer.

Part of being a trusted option for a head coach is excelling in all situations and areas of play. Like Marian Hossa, Benn realizes that he has defensive responsibilities at even strangth. Like Ryan Kesler he is capable of handling important man advantage and penalty kill minutes. While Benn’s skill set is not as progressed as those two, nor is his resume as defined, their styles are similar. Big bodies making big plays for their team.

Now that the ownership situation is about to resolve itself, Benn’s time to shine on the frozen sheet has arrived.

(Suggested further reading complements of Defending Big D)

Image via BridgetDS (Flickr)

5. Jordan Staal – Forward – Pittsburgh Penguins

A 2nd overall selection. A 29 goal rookie season. One of three 2010 Selke finalists. A key figure in back to back Stanley Cup appearances. An important player in a Stanley Cup championship. Such a resume would lead the average puckhead to think that unnamed player would be well known. Certainly Jordan Staal is to some, but far more know of his teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and owner Mario Lemeuix.

The opportunity to edge his way in to more of the Pittsburgh hockey spotlight has never been stronger.

Staal’s prowess as one of the top checking centers in the league is common knowledge. The silky smooth skater lead the best third line in hockey with Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy on his wing for quite some time. Tackling the toughest defensive assignments for head coach Dan Bylsma. Not only taking care of their own end, but also chipping in more than their fair share of goals.

The Penguins are a club built to be strong down the middle. With question surrounding Crosby’s return from post concussion symptoms and how strong Malkin will be coming off a serious knee injury said strength is challenged. Staal will need to take his offensive game to the next level and fulfill his draft pedigree as a top line, do it all centerman.

The supporting cast is present to aid the Thunder Bay native. James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Steve Sullivan are all experienced producers. Kennedy may be a diamond in the rough consistent 20 goal scorer. Pascal Dupuis knows how to do the dirty work freeing up the skilled players. There is the ever present offensive presence from the point lead by Kris Letang and Paul Martin.

This same group, sans Sullivan, were all present for Staal’s shortened 2010-11 campaign. In which Crosby and Malkin were both missing for the vast majority of games. From the Winter Classic forward he registered 11 goals and 30 points in 42 games. Roughly a 59 point pace projected out over 82 games. The best pace of his career. All while averaging over 21 minutes on ice a night.

The 2011-12 season appears to be the one where Staal takes his place along with the Ryan Kesler‘s, Jonathan Toews‘ and Mike Richards‘ of the league.

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Thanks for reading. As always you are welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1.

Greetings Stars’ Fans!  The day we have all been waiting very impatiently for, has finally come:  Tom Hicks is being kicked to the curb per the Stars Press Release.  It is usually not nice to kick someone when they’re down, especially since Hicks is really hurting right now (Google Cache link), but exceptions can be made.  In true Hicks fashion, this sale process has been a rigamarole of conjecture, rumor, “facts”, and countless stories of “as soon as next week…”.  To say that Stars fans are exhausted from the news of ownership or lack thereof over the last year, is an understatement.

But alas, the time has come…to wait longer.  60 – 75 days to be exact.  While we have training camp and the first quarter of the season to focus on and keep our mind off things (seriously who isn’t ready for the season to begin?), the Lord of the Debt trilogy will be wrapping up the epic conclusion.  This time period could prove tenuous and nerve racking and with so much possible legal jargon being thrown about, it would surprise no one if Law & Order sues for copyright infringement.

Hope is not lost, Stars fans.  Someone once said ” its darkest before the dawn”.  We can survive and even thrive during these coming weeks.  The ways are numerous but here are the top 5:

#5 – Become a Bankruptcy Expert

Everyone else has (I think the NHL employs a permanent team these days for this) or will become one, so why not join the club.  We can then talk about assumed debt, unsecured creditors, reorganization, and court approved operations to our heart’s content on the message boards and twitter.  In the end, we’ll realize how crazy and delusional we are for watching this debacle but it was still better than watching any preseason game.

#4 – When visiting AAC for games, be sure to bring extra cash and some thick skin

While operations will continue as normal, we may start to see a few changes.  Cost cutting is a way of life these days and its no different for the Stars.  Creativity will be king.  Lower quality food at higher prices wouldn’t be hard to fathom.  Maybe even the removal of the brand-name beer we all enjoy and replaced for, well, beer-like substances.  All of this at the low, low price of $20 for an AT&T 12 ounce cup and $15 for the Reebok 6″ hot dog (the foot long ones were just too expensive).  Don’t forget the Chili’s Trifecta Ketchup!!

#3 – Community Outreach

Charity is chicken soup for the soul.  What better way to make a difference and feel good about it, than to donate to the Stars’ inaugural “Adopt an Unsecured Creditor” drive.  There are some very notable creditors for the Stars and we should do everything in our power to make sure that these poor, poor souls can recover some of the money owed to them.  Sean Avery thanks you in advance.  Joking aside, these people deserve their money before Tom Hicks sees a cent, but I digress.

#2 – Twitter-ing

If you’re not into Twitter, this is the time to join.  To see 5,000 opinions flying at you in 30 seconds is a very magical thing.  I highly recommend the guys at @DefendingBigD as well as @DalStarsWriter.  Follow the #Stars hash and join in on everyone’s opinion or create your own.  While completely unproductive, at least boredom will not be an issue.

#1 – Drinking

Last and certainly not least, while not advocating any illegal activities (DWI, underage drinking, etc), I highly encourage every fan (that is every fan of legal age in your respective area) to continually put back some brew, wine, or your favorite liqueur profusely while watching, discussing, or tweeting about the Stars.  Stars fans are the greatest fans in hockey and drinking is just the Texas way.

As any Stars fan will tell you, this has been the news we’ve all been waiting for (well since we finally got our answer about Brad Richards).  It’s taken a long, long time and then took more but here we are waiting again for one final time.  The payoff is worth it as the Dallas Stars will be a better team and organization once this saga is over.  Goodbye Mr. Hicks, please don’t let the door hit you.

Feel free to add to the list in the comments section.

Kevin Navarre
NHLHS Correspondent
knavarre@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @jabberwockkie