Former NHL player Kevin Miller ordered to pay $1.1 million for career ending hit

Back on October 31, 2000,former NHL player Kevin Miller landed a hit on Canadian hockey player Andrew McKim in a game in Switzerland. The hit eventually ended the career of McKim and will cost Miller $1.1 million. Miller previously refused to pay the fine.

A federal judge upheld a Swiss court's judgement against Miller after Allianz Suisse Versicherungs-Gesellschaft, a Swiss insurance company that covered McKim, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids to enforce the judgment it obtained in Switzerland in 2010.

Miller played for HC Davos in the Switzerland National Hockey League. During the game against the ZSC Lions, he hit McKim from behind, a check that resulted in a five-minute penalty and a playing-time disciplinary penalty. McKim fell forward on the ice which resulted in a concussion and other injuries.

On Dec. 10, 2004, the prosecutor’s office of the Canton of Zurich charged Miller with malicious simple bodily injury and grievous bodily injury. The trial, at which Miller testified, began the following August.

“Miller admitted that he checked McKim, injuring him ‘at least lightly,’ but denied his actions resulted in the serious injuries that McKim sustained when he hit his head on the ice,”U.S. District Judge Gordon Quist wrote in his 17-page opinion.

“In concluding that Miller was responsible for the damages resulting from the ‘check,’ the judge observed that Miller must have recognized that he could not have made a legal body check on McKim, that Miller had sufficient time to avoid the improper contact with McKim, and that Miller must have known of the risk that he could inflict serious injury on McKim with contact from behind.”

Keep in mind McKim was not the one that filed suit. It was the Swiss insurance company that wanted to recover the costs paid out to McKim.

Lightning's Ryan Malone arrested for DUI and cocaine possession

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ryan Malone was arrested Saturday morning on charges of driving under the influence and cocaine possession.

Malone's BAC was .112 and .116 according to his booking information, which is over the legal limit in Florida of .08.

"We are aware of the situation concerning Ryan Malone this morning," general manager Steve Yzerman said in a statement. "Ryan will not travel with the team to Washington today, but beyond that we cannot comment further at this time."

According to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's report, Malone, 34, was arrested at 5:40 Saturday morning on Platt Street and Rome Avenue S in Tampa. There were no other immediate details. Malone was being held on $2,500 bond.

It has been a difficult season for Malone, who has just five goals, 15 points in 57 games, has been demoted to a fourth line and has been a healthy scratch in the past three games.

He has one year left on his contract. If Malone was looking to catch on with another team as a free agent he didn't help his cause.

Red Wings Helm and Tatar could face eviction for loud noise

A pair of Detroit Red Wings forwards appear to be in hot water with their condo association.

According to the Detroit News, Tomas Tatar and Darren Helm are named in a lawsuit claiming they must comply with the Main Street Lofts Condominium Association's rules or else they'll be forced to "vacate premises."

The eviction threat is in relation to a number of noise complaints filed by neighbors, which date back to October 2013.

Loud music, yelling and banging can often be heard coming from the third-floor unit in which Tatar is the tenant of and Helm co-owns, neighbors allege. The noise tends to occur between midnight and 4 a.m. "up to four nights a week."

Additionally, Tatar is alleged to have routinely parked his vehicle in parking spaces inside the condominium's parking structure which are designated only for short-term guest parking.

Both Tatar, 23, and 27-year-old Helm, are regulars in the Red Wings lineup.

Tatar is enjoying a breakout season, having racked up 18 goals 34 points over 64 games.

Helm has recorded 13 points in 33 games. He's been injured for much of the campaign.

Columbus' Nikita Nikitin doesn't see the need to learn English

Nikita Nikitin, a defenseman playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League, has told R-Sport he refuses to learn English. I don't agree with it but with three Russian teammates in Columbus I can understand his logic. Artem Anisimov, Sergei Bobrovsky and Fedor Tyutin are there to help him on and off the ice.

It probably doesn't make for any good team building exercises but I guess they get along just fine in Columbus. Russian players have always been criticized for not adapting to their new surroundings, but Nikitin doesn't see it as a big deal.

“You always hear Russian speech in the team, although because of that I should admit I don’t learn English,” he said.

“I understand everything I need to, but I can still only speak with difficulty. But there’s always guys around who give me prompts.”

Nikitin may want to rethink his stance on learning English if he's ever traded which is a certainty in professional sports.

Ottawa Senators accuse Detroit Red Wings of diving

The Ottawa Senators got the best of a reeling Detroit Red Wings team Saturday night,4-2, but the win didn't stop Senators players from being critical of the Red Wings.

Senators goaltender Robin Lehner accused the Red Wings of diving, that contributed to the Red Wings having 5 on 3 advantages on four separate occasions.

“After the first 10 minutes, when we didn’t play very well, I thought the guys really picked it up,” said Lehner. “We have to be a little bit more disciplined. We had a few too many penalties, some of them were soft.

“It’s tough on the (officials). I don't think it's their fault. It’s like there was water out there with how much they were diving. I think we’ve just got to take the positives and go to the next game.”

“We don’t want to give up three or four 5-on-3s. I don’t know if their skate sharpener was broken over there or what? There was a couple where they went down pretty easy,” Ottawas's Clarke MacArthur said, according to the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch.

Both teams had a high number of power plays so it's almost pointless to accuse a team of diving. The Senators should take the win and stop complaining.

Devils' Jaromir Jagr vows to play until 'he cannot walk'

Don't count out Jaromir Jagr just yet. He isn't ready to give up the game of hockey.

The New Jersey Devils winger is saying that this won't be his final year. Whether it's playing in the NHL or elsewhere, Jagr says he'll be playing.

“I’ll tell you one thing, as long as I don’t die, it’s not my last year of playing hockey,” said Jagr, who will turn 42 in February. “I don’t know where I’m gonna play. I don’t know if I’m gonna play U.S. or somewhere else. I’m gonna play. I’ll play until I cannot walk. I love the game too much to leave it.”

Jagr wasn't singing the same tune last August when he said this would be his last season.

Jagr is leading the Devils in scoring and he has no regrets on signing in Jersey despite the team's struggles.

“I’m happy right now, don’t get me wrong. I’m very happy,” said Jagr, who signed a one-year, $2 million pact with the Devils this offseason. “I love Lou (Lamoriello, the team’s general manager). He’s honest. If you play bad, he’ll tell you. If you play good, he’ll tell you. He’s an honest guy. I have no complaints after signing with the Devils.”

Even though he's past his prime, Jagr will play for whoever wants him.

Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers prospects facing off ice criminal charges

CKNW is reporting that Vancouver Giants defenseman Brett Kulak and forward Jackson Houck are facing criminal charges from an incident at an Aug. 18 house party in Delta.

Kulak, 19, a Calgary Flames prospect, and Houck, 18, a Edmonton Oilers prospect, are each charged with assault causing bodily harm. Kulak faces a second charge of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

According to CKNW, both players have had three court appearances so far.

Both are continuing to play for the Giants.

Kulak is Vancouver’s leading scorer, with 20 points, including seven goals, in 20 games. Houck tops the team in goals, with eight, and has 14 points in 20 games.

Report: Federov coming out of retirement to play for KHL team

Reports from Russia say that former Detroit Red Wings star Sergei Federov will come out of retirement to play for his KHL team.

According to Pavel Lysenkov of Russia’s Sovietsky Sport, Fedorov will play Friday. Federov is the general manager for CSKA Moscow and has apparently signed himself to a one year contract. The team is currently 5-3-0-7 and is in seventh place in the KHL West.

Federov was named general manager in 2012 after he retired.

NHL suspends Maple Leafs Dave Clarkson for 10 games

The NHL tonight suspended Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Clarkson for 10 games after Clarkson left the bench to join an on-ice altercation Sunday night in the Leafs' preseason game in Toronto against the rival Buffalo Sabres.

Clarkson left the bench with 10 minutes remaining in the third period after Buffalo tough guy John Scott, who is 6-8, started a fight with Toronto's Phil Kessel, who is 6-feet and not a fighter. Scott apparently had been incensed after Toronto's 6-5 Jamie Devane had beaten up the much smaller Corey Tropp.

Kessel swung his stick at Scott -- and he will likely get suspended, as well -- and that set off a brawl between the teams that included a goalie fight between Toronto's Jonathan Bernier and Buffalo's Ryan Miller. Clarkson left the bench to get involved, triggering an automatic 10-game suspension under NHL rules.

The suspension is mandated by Rule 70.10, which states: "The first player to leave the players' or penalty bench illegally during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation from either or both teams shall be suspended without pay for the next 10 regular League and/or playoff games of his team."

The suspension is without pay, and based on his average annual salary, Clarkson will forfeit $269,230.80. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Clarkson will be eligible to return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup on Oct. 25 at Columbus.

Former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington, sentenced to six months in jail

Some said that former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington should have been thrown in jail for trading Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings once upon a time. Those people are getting their wish, even if it is 25 years later and for a completely different reason.

Pocklington will begin a jail sentence on December 9 for violating his probation on a previous perjury conviction related to a bankruptcy fraud case. He has been sentenced to six months in jail, followed by six months of house arrest and two more years of probation

The assistant U.S district attorney who prosecuted the case had asked for nine months in prison, while Pocklington sought to avoid jail altogether so he could continue to care for his wife of 40 years, who has serious heart problems.

According to court documents obtained by CTV News, in 2011 and 2012, Pocklington was ordered to disclose his monthly income to a probation officer -- but he didn't share details about all the money he was making.

Investigators found Pocklington had millions of dollars worth in unreported income over both of those years -- money that was kept in the bank accounts of resource companies he was involved with.

Pocklington bought part ownership of the Oilers in 1976 and the team won five Stanley Cups in the 1980s. He sold the team in 1998.

That means that the dealmakers in the famous Gretzky trade, Pocklington and former Kings owner Bruce McNall will both have spent some time behind bars.

St. Louis Blues will name Brett Hull as team vice president

Brett Hull started his NHL career with the St. Louis Blues and now he's coming back home.

Hull will be welcomed back to the franchise when the Blues will officially name him as the team vice president.

The club will introduce Hull at a press conference set for 6:16 p.m. at Scottrade Center. It will be open to the public, which is asked to enter through the atrium area of the building.

As the Post-Dispatch reported Thursday night, Hull is rejoining the Blues as a vice president who will focus his attention on the business side of the organization. He will report to Bruce Affleck, who last week had his job title changed to president of business operations.

‘‘If that’s the case (Hull rejoining the Blues), I think it’s awesome,” winger T.J. Oshie said Friday. “Obviously (Hull is) probably one of the most well-known players in town here, an unbelievable guy ... a great team guy who knows the players’ side of the game probably a lot better than most people. It will be great to have him up (in the front office).”

Hull played his first 11 NHL seasons with the Blues and had 527 of his 741 career goals there. Hull also won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings.

Chris Chelios to rent out his Malibu home

You might not be able to play like Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios, but now you can live like him.

The former Red Wings defenseman has put his Malibu, Calif., house up for rent.

According to realty.com, the house, which has unobstructed ocean views and a guest house, rents for $25,000 per month if you take it for a year.

If you only want the house to enjoy the summer months, it goes for $40,000 per month.

The listing reads:

Unobstructed ocean views from Point Dume to Palos Verdes. This is the best location in Malibu within the prestigious Paradise Cove area with the sandiest beach. Located behind gates on the sand with a main house and a detached guest house.

Chelios was named as an analyst for Fox Sports 1 and will be covering 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Doug Gilmour trades his son to another OHL team

Doug Gilmour played 20 years in the NHL and earned his way into the Hockey Hall of fame.

After retirement he took his knowledge of the game and turned it into a front office job as general manager of the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.

Young Jake Gilmour is a prospect for his father's team. At least he was until the old man traded him away to the Niagara Ice Dogs for a 12th round draft pick.    

I guess there goes the father/son quality time. It had to be tough for Doug to trade his son, but he might get questioned at the next family dinner as to why he traded his son.

Doug Gilmour played 20 seasons in the NHL, scoring 450 goals and adding 964 assists with St. Louis, Calgary, Toronto, New Jersey, Chicago, Buffalo and Montreal before joining the Frontenacs.

Florida Panthers have their goaltending coach in uniform

It's been quite a while since we've seen a player/coach in any sport. Today that came to an end.

With a little misfortune the Florida Panthers had no choice but to suit up their goaltending coach, Rob Tallas.

How did this happen? On Saturday, Jose Theodore tore his groin against the Carolina Hurricanes. So the next option was to call up minor league netminder, Jacob Markstrom, from their San Antonio affiliate. Problem solved. Not so fast. Markstrom made it to Florida for the game but his equipment didn't. It was lost with the other luggage at United Airlines. So that left Tallas as their lone option as the back up to Scott Clemmensen. So they signed the 39 year old coach to a one day contract until Markstrom's equipment arrived.

Tallas played 99 games in his NHL career, most recently in 2000-01 with the Chicago Blackhawks. He posted a career save percentage of .891 with the Hawks and Boston Bruins compiling a 28-42-10 record. So for those keeping score at home, that's 12 years in between games wearing a team sweater and gear for Tallas. (CBSSports.com)

Good thing that he didn't have to hit the ice. It might've turned out bad for the Panthers but good for anyone intrigued by seeing a coach actually playing and knocking off some rust in the process.

Selanne hopes Ducks are "pissed" off about their low predictions

Predictions are hardly ever accurate. Unless your team is so bad that you can't help but to finish dead last. Or a team is so much of a sure thing that you can' miss. I'm no hockey expert, but I wouldn't classify the Anaheim Ducks as neither. But the experts are saying the Ducks won't be a contender this season and veteran Teemu Selanne isn't taking it lightly and hopes his teammates won't either.

“That can’t be the only motivation. But hopefully we’ll get pissed off here,” Selanne said.

With this being a shortened season as well as the final season for Selanne, maybe that can act as a form of motivation. The season is only 48 games so anything can happen.  

Los Angeles Kings donate $1 million dollars

Teams in the NHL have a lot of making up to do to their fans. Some are rolling back ticket prices while some are offering free concessions for a limited time. That's a good start to attempt to get the fans back in the fold.

The Los Angeles Kings have taken it up a notch by donating $1 million dollars back to the Los Angeles community. Even though fans won't benefit from that donation directly, it impacts thousands of others in the area. Depending on how it's used of course.

There should be more promotions during the season, but Kings fans will get the best deal of them all.  

Lidstrom tells Red Wings he's retired

The NHL lockout has came to an end and all there's left to do is to finalize all the details in the agreement. Expect a flurry of player movement before the start of the shortened. Also players will have to get themselves  into shape pretty quick.

The Detroit Red Wings aren't going to be the force they were for the better part of the last decade. Age, injuries and retirement have made the Red Wings more reliant on younger, unproven players. That explains why head coach Mike Babcock spoke to recently retired defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom, to gauge his interest in returning for a shortened 48 game run this season.  


"First off, this is all a little blown out of proportion," Babcock said. "But we got to talking and I was asking Nick how his family was, how he was enjoying himself, and he said he was having a great time.

"He said he has been going to some (Swedish) Elite games recently, and it had gotten his blood racing again. But not to the point where he would be interested in putting his equipment on again.

"I just stopped it right there," Babcock said, laughing.

Lidstrom spent his entire 20 year career in Detroit.

With Lidstrom gone and Brad Stuart no longer in the mix and missing out on some of the top free agents the Red Wings could be in for a long season. Even if it is only for 48 games.

Parise and Suter sign with the Minnesota Wild

Minnesota hockey fans will be going wild over the NHL team's reported signings. According to multiple reports, coveted free agents Zach Parise and Gary Suter will be signing with the Minnesota Wild. This will send teams that had Parise and Suter as the top two options on their free agent wish list scrambling for a plan b.

Parise, a forward who is a Minnesota native, and Suter, a defenseman, each received 13-year, $98 million deals according to people familiar with the terms.

In a deal that reminds many of the LeBron/Wade/Bosh signings, this was reported to be a package deal before all of the off-season wheeling and dealing. The signings won't guarantee the Wild a Stanley Cup or being an instant contender, but it will give them some credibility.

Reebok comes up with a slick marketing campaign

The Los Angeles Kings have stunned the hockey world by making a run to the Stanley Cup finals. In the middle of it all is Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. He has stood tall in net and has played above his head this postseason.

Reebok saw enough of Quick to make him the center of a marketing campaign. It might be a ploy to sell more jerseys to women or just more Kings jerseys in general. But the billboard is pretty slick and could get more women to buy a Johnathan Quick jersey.

A clever sexual joke thrown in there, but it might work.
  

Parise and Suter a package deal?

Rumors concerning a package deal to the Red Wings between Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter and New Jersey sniper Zach Parise has been somewhat persistent this spring and early summer. Rumors continued on a Parise and Suter rendezvous in Detroit continued at the IIHF World Championships.

Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News reports it’s a “common assumption … Parise and Suter are intent on signing together with a new team” while the Wings have a mutual interest in the two 27-year-old players.

“I am assuming that, at least as of right now, they are a package deal,” one NHL team official told the Detroit News. “They certainly seem to have set it up that way, themselves.”

But before Red Wings fans start committing money to those new Parise and Suter Winged Wheel jerseys, there is still a chance that Suter re-signs with the Predators. Suter has made it clear so far that he intends to sign his last contract this offseason so the Wings and their fans need to be totally sure if they want Suter for the next 10 years or so.

With Parise, there may be little point speculating on his future considering the Devils are one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals.

But, if Suter and Parise do in fact hit the open market, it’s looking more and more likely that their preferred destination would be Detroit.

If longtime forward Tomas Holmstrom retires, defenseman Brad Stuart heads out west and Jiri Hudler signs elsewhere the Wings would have roughly $44 million dollars committed to salary in 2013 and should be able to accommodate both Suter and Parise without issue.

This is how Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James ended up with the Miami Heat.