I posted a few days ago that Vincent Lecavalier was eying Europe if and when the lockout happens. I also stated that more players would be making announcements like this in the coming days. Jaromir Jagr has proved me right.

The prima-donna Czech has told the New York Daily News that he has a conditional contract to play in Russia next fall pending the NHL Lockout. CSKA and Dynamo Moscow are the most likely places where Jagr would land.

I find it rather odd that any player int eh NHL would say that they would play in Russia — much less sign a contract to play in Russia. This is not taking a jab at Russian hockey at all, but this is taking a jab at the Russian Mafia as well as corruption that has been noted in the past (ie Alexandre Svitov).

Rick Dudley must be crying today… If not crying, he is incredibly upset.

For the first time since god-knows-when, he will not have the chance to trade the #1 overall pick in the draft. Dudley, who has traded the pick 3 times (and is on record as the only General Manager in league history to trade the #1 overall pick,) and the Florida Panthers scored the #7 selection in this years entry draft while the Washington Capitals secured the #1 selection.

Of course, Dudley tried drafting Alexander Ovechkin - the likely #1 overall selection this year - last year… So he can claim he had the #1 pick twice last year (ha ha ha :roll:)

The complete draft order is:

1. Washington Capitals
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Phoenix Coyotes
6. NY Rangers
7. Florida Panthers
8. Carolina Hurricanes
9. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
10. Atlanta Thrashers
11. Los Angeles Kings
12. Minnesota Wild
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Edmonton Oilers

Well, Damian Cristodero makes mention of the first controversy of the Lightning - Islanders series… Off ice trash talk? No. Starter status in question? No.

It’s about the Hotel the Bolts are staying in and the fact the Islanders inquired about it.

Must be a slow news day seeing we are making a big thing about this. The Isles will stay at a hotel 2 blocks away from the arena while the Lightning play next door to the arena. Boo hoo, this is terrible folks! The insanity of it all! I can’t take it! :rolleyes

And of course, our favorite trash tabloid, the New York Post decided to make a big thing about the “incident.” Only problem is the incident is Islander created because they refused to share the Marriott Waterside Hotel with the Bolts.

Brian Eklund joins the Lightning for only a couple of days. Eklund was called in from the Pensacola Ice Pilots to serve as a practice goalie while John Grahame took a break to sooth an injury.

Brian will be back with the Pilots soon enough so fear not, Pensacola fans, who fear we’ll keep Brian on roster while the Ice Pilots go into their own playoffs.

Meanwhile, suspected call-ups pending Utah and Hershey making the AHL playoffs, happen to be Shane Willis, Timo Hebling, Sheldon Keefe, Nikita Alexeev and Gerard Dicaire.