There were expected to be two high-profile NHL arbitration cases on Thursday but one of those players signed a deal shortly before his meeting.

While the Atlanta Thrashers were inking forward Andrew Ladd, the Chicago Blackhawks weren’t as fortunate and will be biting their nails to the bone while they await an answer that will come on Saturday concerning how large a salary bump goaltender Antti Niemi will be awarded.

Niemi, who led the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years, and the team sat through an arbitration hearing Thursday morning, a hearing that is expected to cause Chicago GM Stan Bowman more salary cap headaches.

Chicago GM Stan Bowman said after Saturday’s ruling comes down, his team will have 48 hours to accept the increased salary figure, trade the goalie with the new salary number or just let Niemi go entirely as a free agent.

After winning the cup, Niemi is expected to walk away with a contract near or over the $2 miilion mark after making just $800,000 last season.

“To be simplistic it’s going to depend on what the number is,” Bowman said. “Basically, our cap situation is tight, as is probably well documented. That will drive the boat. We have plans mapped out, strategies based on how to go, but it’s hard to speculate on any of that.”

While Chicago anticipates the outcome of their situation with Niemi, the Thrashers can relax after re-signing their restricted free agent forward Ladd to a one-year deal to avoid the arbitration sit-down.

Ladd, 24, appeared in all 82 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season, posting 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists).  He registered a career-high in goals (17), ranked third on the club in even-strength goals and was eighth in points.  Ladd earned his first career NHL hat trick on March 7 vs. Detroit and added six points (three goals, three assists) in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games, while helping the Blackhawks capture the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship.

The 6-2, 200-pound left wing has registered 149 points (63 goals, 86 assists) in 321 career games with Chicago and Carolina and brings 53 games of experience to the Thrashers young roster. In those 53 playoff games, Ladd has tallied 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) and been on two championship teams, the 2006 Hurricanes and last year’s Blackhawks.

Ladd was originally selected by Carolina in the first round, fourth overall, of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

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Another NHL arbitration was avoided when the Atlanta Thrashers agreed to a contract with restricted free agent forward Ben Eager.

Eager, 26, appeared in 60 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, earning 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) and a team-leading 120 penalty minutes and added one goal and two assists in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games in Chicago’s journey to win the championship.

The Ottawa, Ontario native has carrers numbers that include (27 goals, 25 assists, 52 points) and 621 penalty minutes in 255 career NHL games with Chicago and Philadelphia.  Eager has also posted five points (two goals, three assists) in 37 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Blackhawks and Flyers. 

The 6-2, 230-pound left wing tallied 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) and 509 penalty minutes in 123 career AHL games with the Philadelphia Phantoms from 2003 to 2007.  He collected three points (one goal, two assists) in 19 AHL playoff games and helped the Phantoms capture the 2005 Calder Cup Championship.

Prior to his professional career, Eager recorded 139 points (59 goals, 80 assists) in 243 career Ontario Hockey League games with the Oshawa Generals from 2000 to 2004.  He also tallied four points (one goal, three assists) for Team Canada at the 2002 Under-18 World Junior Championship.

Eager was originally selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, 23^rd overall, of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

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Photo: Defense Department

Working in the News Department of a news/talk radio station, I have a special opportunity to talk to some amazing people in all walks of life. Usually these interviews are not connected to hockey, but recently I was able to interview retired Sergeant Joe Bowser, an NHL Ambassador for Disabled Hockey and Member of Warrior Ice Hockey.

The media has overused the word “hero” so often that its true meaning has been desensitized. How often have we heard that word thrown around to a Hollywood celebrity who goes to Africa for a one day on a charity mission, but in the end, turns out to only stay as long as it takes to get her picture taken. Bowser is not one of “those” people.

After serving his country in Iraq, Bowser lost both his legs and had to use a wheelchair when he returned to Walter Reed, to receive care.  It wasn’t an easy time for him, but Bowser was able to recover and afterwards, he volunteered his time to helping other injured military veterans recover.

As he attempts to help others make their own recovery, Boswer said he believes playing hockey during his rehabilitation process helped him immensely.

Today, he is encouraging other soldiers to turn to the sport to help them recover. Bowser is not only an NHL ambassador for disabled hockey, he is also a member of the Warriors Hockey Team, a hockey team comprised of soldiers from Walter Reed Medical Center who were injured in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The war veteran said by coming back to hockey–he played before he was a soldier–he was able to turn his health around.

“After I got wounded, I spent two and a half years at Walter Reed. I was in a wheelchair for a long period of time and started gaining weight. Once I got out [on the ice] and really playing hard, the pounds, I just started sweating them off.”

As Bowser was able to lose his wheelchair and use prosthetic legs, he credits playing hockey, with getting his lower extremities back into strength and his body back into health.

“Being in a wheelchair for a long period of time causes you to start getting Arthropyosis. I know the doctor says that’s what I was getting because I couldn’t wear my leg for such a long period of time. Just getting that blood pumping through your bones strengths it. So there are a lot of benefits to it.”

More than just healing the pain, Bowser says hockey allowed him, if only temporarily, to forget about the pain.  “With hockey, you get into the game and passing the puck and just skating and you lose the thought of, ‘this is really hurting.”

It’s an experience Bowser wants to share with others, and does, no matter how badly they may be injured. “We’ve got guys who maybe only have a thumb on one hand. We’ll take the glove and maybe tape a stick to their hand. One of the things we say in the military is we’ll adapt and overcome. That’s a whole lot of what we do.” (With Warrior hockey.)

And with the Warrior hockey team needing equipment, all the credit in the world must go to the NHL and the Washington Capitals who donated apparel in support of the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Team. Former NHLers like Grant Fuhr and a host of others also attended Walter Reed to talk to injured veterans.

“It’s awesome! The NHL has been absolutely wonderful. They care about the soldiers,” says Bowser.

Used with permission of the author.

Based in Washington, D.C. Michael Hoffman has covered D.C. sports for numerous publications and is the Washington Capitals columnist for Examiner.com. Hoffman is also an NHL contributor to Sports Climax. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The Atlanta Thrashers released the following statement to the media regarding signing free agent goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to a deal:

The Thrashers have re-signed restricted free agent goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to a multiple-year contract, according to General Manager Rick Dudley.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Pavelec, 22, appeared in 42 games during his first full NHL season, posting a 14-18-7 record with two shutouts, a 3.29 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.  The 6-3, 220-pound goaltender made a career-high 50 saves in a 3-1 victory on Oct. 31 at Ottawa and  recorded his first career shutout, with a 38-save performance, on Nov. 13 vs. Los Angeles.  Pavelec was also a member of the Czech Republic team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Kladno, Czech Republic, native has earned a 20-28-7 record with two shutouts, a 3.33 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in 61 career NHL games over three seasons with the Thrashers from 2007 to 2010.  Pavelec posted a 51-36-5 record with five shutouts, a 2.69 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in 92 career games with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League from 2007 to 2009. 

He also appeared in 24 post-season contests with the Wolves, registering a 16-8 record with two shutouts, a 2.34 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, while helping Chicago capture the 2008 Calder Cup Championship.

Prior to his professional career, Pavelec earned 55-29-0 record with four shutouts, a 2.52 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in 90 games with Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2005 to 2007.  He also spent two seasons with the Kladno organization in the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2005. 

Pavelec has represented his native Czech Republic in International Competition four times, including the Winter Olympics (2010), World Championships (2010), World Junior Championships (2007) and World Under-18 Championships (2005).

Pavelec was originally selected by the Thrashers in the second round, 41^st overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

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ATLANTA, GA. – The Atlanta Thrashers have named John Torchetti as the team’s associate coach, according to General Manager Rick Dudley and Head Coach Craig Ramsay.

Torchetti, 45, joins the Thrashers with more than 26 years of professional hockey experience as a player, coach and manager. His NHL coaching resume includes stops in Tampa Bay (1999-00 to 2000-01), Florida (2002-03 to 2003-04), Los Angeles (2005-06) and Chicago (2007-08 to 2009-10). The Thrashers will mark the fourth NHL team which Torchetti and Dudley have worked together.

“I’ve known John for several years and he is a highly-talented and extremely knowledgeable individual,” said Dudley. “He is an excellent coach who will strengthen Craig’s staff and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our organization.”

Most recently Torchetti served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, a position he held since the start of the 2007-08 season. During his time in Chicago, Torchetti helped the team improve in wins and points each season, reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2008-09 and capturing the 2010 Stanley Cup.

“John is a dedicated individual who will be an invaluable resource to me and a significant asset for our players,” said Ramsay. “His strengths compliment mine and match up well with what we will be striving to accomplish.”

The Boston, Mass., native has served as an interim head coach in the NHL on two occasions; with the Florida Panthers in 2003-04, where he posted a 10-12-4-1 record in 27 games, and with the Los Angeles Kings in 2005-06, earning a 5-7-0 record in the final 12 games of the season.

Torchetti served as head coach for the San Antonio Iguanas of the Central Hockey League (1994-95 to 1995-96), the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League (1996-97 to 1997-98), the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (2002-03) and the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (2006-07). He was twice named Coach of the Year, first with San Antonio in 1994-95, then with Fort Wayne in 1997-98.

Torchetti also spent time as assistant general manager with the San Antonio Dragons (IHL) during the 1996-97 season and as general manager of the Detroit Vipers (IHL) in 1998-99, succeeding Dudley in that position. During his tenure in Detroit, the Vipers posted a 50-12-11 record and captured the IHL’s Eastern Conference Championship.

His professional playing career spanned seven seasons in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, the All-American Hockey League, the ECHL and the AHL. In total, Torchetti earned 532 points (258 goals, 274 assists) in 359 career games with the Carolina Thunderbirds (ACHL, AAHL, ECHL), Virginia Lancers (ACHL), Binghamton Whalers (AHL) and Winston-Salem Thunderbirds (ECHL) from 1984-85 to 1990-91. Prior to his professional career, Torchetti had a brief stint with the Plattsburgh Pioneers of the QMJHL during the 1984-85 season, posting five points (two goals, three assists) in eight games.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The Atlanta Thrashers have announced they have re-signed forward Eric Boulton and although team policy is to not announce terms of deals, reports indicate the rugged enforcer will be making in the area of $650,000 this upcoming season.

There was speculation Boulton could possibly be moving on after new GM Rick Dudley acquired a few other tough players that could have possibly filled the role Boulton had held in the past.

More known for his aggressive style of play than putting points on the board, Boulton, 33, recorded 2g,6a-8pts in 62 games last season while spending 113 minutes in the penalty box. During that stretch, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in penalty minutes with 552 when he skated to the box on March 20 vs. Philadelphia.

In his career, the 6-1, 225-pound left wing has appeared in 480 regular-season NHL games with Atlanta and Buffalo, tallying 63 points, 21g,42a and 1,063 penalty minutes.

The native of Halifax, Nova Scotia was signed as a free agent by Atlanta on Aug. 8, 2005 and was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the ninth round, 234th overall, of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

Prior to making his NHL debut in 2000-01, Boulton recorded 131 points (65 goals, 66 assists) in 319 career minor-league games with Charlotte (ECHL), Binghamton (AHL), Fort Wayne (IHL), Kentucky (AHL), Rochester (AHL) and Columbia (ECHL).

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sometimes sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal following of supporters who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Detroit lost another sports legend yesterday when NHL All-Star forward and one of the league’s top enforcers, Bob Probert, died at the age of 45. Probert apparently suffered a heart attack after complaining of chest pains while out boating.

Probert, who was drafted by the Wings in the third round (46th overall) in 1983 skated in Detroit from 1985-94 before making his way to the Chicago Blackhawks.

The rugged left winger was 6-ft-3-in. and packed one of the hardest punches in the history of the game. But along with his ability to go toe-to-toe with the best of them, Probert also brought enough skill to his game to make the All-Star in 1988, a year he tallied 29 goals and 62 points although he spent 398 minutes in the penalty box.

His career stats are impressive considering his role on the teams too. His career stats include 384 points (163 goals, 221 assists) in 935 regular-season games and 3,300 penalty minutes, 5^th most in NHL history.

Probert’s career hit more than a few bumps in the road though. With a laundry-list of arrests and violations over the years, his worst run-in with law officials landed him in federal prison for a three-month period when he was caught trying to smuggle cocaine over the U.S. and Canadian border. The arrest also landed him a one-year suspension from the NHL.

Back to his time on the ice, Probert, in 1988 the winger broke Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe’s record of 20 playoff point in a season when he tallied 21.

Of all of his brawls, the most famous may be his duels with friend andformer teammate Joey Kocur and his minute and a half slugfest he got into with Pittsburgh Penguin player Marty McSorley. You can see that fight here.

Mr. Probert, R.I.P. along with two other Detroit sports’ icons who have been lost recently, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych and Ernie Harwell.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The end of June means the start of the NHL free agent period. Here are some of the top stories creating the most buzz around the league.

Kovalchuk to the Kings?

Could this be the final piece in a championship run for L.A.’s “other” team. Even before the whisperings of New Jersey Devils Ilya Kovalchuk to the Kings, I thought Los Angeles might be the team of the future.

Already at 20-years-old you won’t find many defensemen as poised and as smooth as Drew Doughty, and it just seems like the Kings encompass every component of a winning hockey team.

Need physical play? Look no further than Dustin Brown, who with 24 goals last year, is begging to be a threat not only to those in the corner but to goaltenders as well.

Every team needs veteran scorers and leaders which the Kings have in Ryan Smyth and Michal Handzus, who does a great job clogging the lane on defense, but a team also needs someone with youthful energy.

For the type of player who doesn’t know the meaning of stop. Enter 22-year-old Wayne Simmonds, who responded to higher playing time after Ryan Smyth went down, with a streak in which he recorded 8 points in 6 games, scoring 4 goals.   

The Kings also have the type of natural scorer that every team needs in creative center Anze Kopitar, who like Simmonds and Doughty, is under 23. To say the future for hockey is bright in Los Angeles is about as obvious as saying that it’s a pretty decent place to find a plastic surgeon.

And if the rumors are true and Los Angeles is indeed at the front runner of signing Ilya Kovalchuk and there’s speculation the signing could occur as soon as early Thursday.

If the Kings win the Kovy sweepstakes, they will also dress their biggest superstar since Wayne Gretzky took the ice in the late 80’s. Since everyone wants to attach themselves to a winner, especially if you are as obsessed with relevance as the Hollywood set, might we soon be seeing Jack at Kings’ games? 

Does Savard get traded?

Bruins management has already shown their hand and said they are not looking to shore up the team with any free agent signings. Instead the B’s will try to cut salary from the books as they look to dump goaltender Tim Thomas ($5 million annual cap hit) and potentially center Marc Savard. ($4.083).

While most talk has centered on Savard possibly moving on to play in Toronto, a number of other teams badly need depth at the center position including the Washington Capitals.

Don’t be surprised if they aggressively become involved, however, a 7-year, $28.05 million contract might dissuade some teams.

Saku Koivu is still very much in demand. But why?

The center position has gotten a lot of attention in this brief pre-free agency period, and for good reason. The last four teams that made the Stanley Cup had elite depth at the center position with not one, but two guys who could play at the highest level. (Chicago: 1C- Kane.  2C- Sharp. Philadelphia: 1C- Briere. 2C- Richards. Pittsburgh: 1C-Crosby. 2C- Malkin. Detroit: 1C- Zetterberg 2C- Datsyuk).

Having one guy who can play but no second line center who can proficiently run an offense is no longer an option for teams that want to win at the highest level. This is a lesson that the Washington Capitals, with the great Nicklas Backstrom, but no one else who could significantly guide the offense at center, learned the hard way.

Because of that fact, even outside of the Savard trade talk, expect a lot of chatter over free agents like Coyotes center Matthew Lombardi, who plays a very complete game, as well as rising New York Rangers center Chris Higgins.

Like Higgins and even Lombardi, 35-year-old free agent Saku Koivu may not be considered a great option as a No. 1 center. Nevertheless with depth at center now a necessity and not a luxury item in the NHL, look at a lot of competition for him as the veteran center showed last season that he still has a little something in the tank with 52 points.

Scarcity of supply versus demand should have something to do with it. When Matt Cullen is your best center free agent option after Koivu, Higgins and Lombardi are eliminated, you know you are looking at a market for centers that isn’t exactly deep.

Finally, teams could also roll the dice and take a stab at Flames center Olli Jokinen, but at only 31, it appears his best years are well behind him.

The best of the rest free agent options.

The deepest position in the free agent market is at defense so we’ll start with that.

Anton Volchenkov, Defenseman, Ottawa Senators- I’ll straight up call you a liar if you tell me your team somehow does not need the man nicknamed the “Russian Bear.” A physical force; a puck moving defenseman and a man who averages 2.4 hits and 2.7 blocks per game. For the ladies enjoying this column, I’m also told he enjoys long walks on the beach and the poetry of Robert Frost.

Teams that may be actively looking for an upgrade at defense:

Buffalo, (if Henrik Tallander or Toni Lydman leave), Carolina, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Long Island, (the Islanders have plenty of cap space,) Minnesota, (if the Wild lose Marek Zidlicky,) Philadlphia, (especially after trading the rights to Dan Hamhuis to Pittsburgh for a 3^rd round draft pick) Ottawa, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington, and Vancouver.

Other prized defensive options

Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh- It appears that the Penguins are ready to give Gonchar his walking papers. Gonchar at 36 is still one of the best offensive minded forwards in the league, but unlike many of his offensive minded cohorts, (cough, cough, errr. Mike Green) he doesn’t typically make a lot of mistakes getting back into position or coughing the puck up.

Paul Martin, New Jersey- Martin’s game is no thrills in a good way. He rarely makes a mistake in his own end, and with the puck he may not go down the ice, guns ablaze, but Martin’s controlled style was perfect for the Devils power play. Martin finished the year with two goals and 16 assists on the power play, as his 18 power play points tied for the team lead.

The Highest Sought Free Agent Goaltender

Evgeni Nabokov, Goaltender, San Jose Sharks- Even though it always seems to come apart for him eventually in the playoffs, you can’t deny Nabokov’s considerable talent. You also cannot deny the fact that he is the only who has posted three consecutive 40+ win seasons in the past three years.

Teams that may be in the market for a goaltender

Atlanta, Buffalo, (backup to Ryan Miller) Calgary, Edmonton, Long Island, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, San Jose, (if they decide not to resign Nabokov,) Toronto and Washington.

The next best option after Nabokov

Chris Mason, St. Louis- With the Blues trading for Jaroslav Halak, it appears Mason has a one-way ticket out of the “show me” State. For everyone in search of a starting goaltender, Mason could be a relative bargain as he will likely receive less money than free agents Nabokov and Dallas goaltender Marty Turco, despite posting a solid 2.47 GAA in his two years with the Blues.

Best Bargain

Jay McKee, Defenseman, Pittsburgh Penguins- The perfect 3-5 defenseman on most any team. Jay “The Key” McKee is not the type of player that will ever have a slick New York marketing company touting his rugged individuality, but he is a player who is consistently steady, having only been a minus player in 3 of his 14 seasons in the league. McKee just plays the position and the man he is defending well, nothing more nothing less. McKee also averaged 2.21 blocks a game, having blocked 137 shots in 62 games. Not to shabby for a guy who makes $800,000, a year and next season might command even less.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Based in Washington, D.C. Michael Hoffman has covered D.C. sports for numerous publications and is the Washington Capitals columnist for Examiner.com. Hoffman is also an NHL contributor to Sports Climax.  

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Just days after pulling off a major trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that landed Minnesota native Dustin Byfuglien along with Ben Eager and Brent Sopel, new Atlanta Thrashers GM Rick Dudley went right back to work on day two of the 2010 NHL Draft.

The Thrashers selected a total of eight players on day two, making a total of nine selections in all over the two-day draft, including the first-round, eighth-overall choice used they used on center Alex Burmistrov.

In addition to Burmistrov, the Thrashers’ selections included defenseman Julian Melchiori (third round, 87th overall), left wing Ivan Telegin (fourth round, 101st overall), goaltender Fredrik Pettersson-Wentzel (fifth round, 128th overall), right wing Yassin Cisse (fifth round, 150th overall), defenseman Kendall McFaull (sixth round, 155th overall), center Tanner Lane (sixth round, 160th overall), defenseman Sebastian Owuya (sixth round, 169th overall) and defenseman Peter Stoykewych (seventh round, 199th overall).

Melchiori, 18, appeared in 39 games for the Newmarket Hurricanes of the Central Canadian Hockey League last season, recording 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists). The 6-3, 190-pound defenseman received the B.J. Munro Memorial Award given to the OHA’s top prospect at the end of the season. The Richmond Hill, Ontario, native has committed to attend the University of Massachusetts-Lowell next season.

Telegin, 18, tallied 44 points (26 goals, 18 assists) in 51 games for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. He also recorded two points (one goal, one assist) in six playoff games. The 6-2, 195-pound left wing tied for second on the team in goals and finished as the runner-up for the OHL’s Rookie of the Year Award. A native of Novokyzneck, Russia, Telegin also represented Russia at the 2010 World Junior Championships.

Petterson-Wentzel, 18, appeared in 37 games with Almtuna in the Swedish junior league posting a 1.85 goals-against average and six shutouts. The 6-1, 170-pound goaltender was ranked second among European goaltenders by the Central Scouting Services. The Uppsala, Finland, native finished the season with a .924 save percentage.

Cisse, 18, tallied 19 points (13 goals, six assists) in 31 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League. Over two seasons, 6-3, 208-pound right wing has registered 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in 49 games for Des Moines and was the only forward for the Buccaneers that finished with a plus-rating at plus-3. A native of Westmount, Quebec, Cisse will attend Boston University next season.

McFaull, 18, played in 62 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League posting 10 points (four goals, six assists). The 6-2, 190-pound defenseman also posted an assist in seven post-season contests this season for the Warriors. Prior to joining Moose Jaw, the Rosetown, Saskatchewan, native appeared in 60 games during the 2008-09 season with the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatoon Minor Hockey League recording 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists).

Lane, 17, appeared in 26 games last year with Detroit Lakes High School in his native Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The 6-2, 180-pound center registered 90 points (49 goals, 41 assists) for Detroit Lakes with 64 PIMs.

Owuya, 17, appeared in 60 games last season for Timra Junior U-20 of the Swedish Junior League and tallied 16 points (three goals, 13 assists). The 6-3, 200-pound defenseman also appeared in six games for the Swedish U-19 team and tallied one assist. The Stockholm, Sweden native appeared in 11 games with Timra of the Swedish Elitserien League and was held scoreless.

Stoykewych, 17, appeared in 56 games for Winnipeg South of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League posting 31 points (five goals, 26 assists). Overall, the 6-2, 190-pound defender has recorded 47 points (10 goals, 37 assists) in 109 games over two seasons with Winnipeg South. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native will attend Colorado College.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC

ATLANTA, GA. – Rick Dudley used to skate alongside Craig Ramsey years ago when they laced their skates up in the same locker room for Cincinnati in the AHL and the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL. Today the Atlanta Thrashers new GM named Ramsay the fifth head coach in Thrashers’ history.

Ramsay, 59, comes to Atlanta with nearly 40 years of NHL experience as a player, coach and talent evaluator for six different NHL teams including the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins.

Ramsay has been behind the Boston Bruins bench as an assistant coach from 2007 to 2010. While in Boston, Ramsay helped the Bruins reach the post-season each year, while capturing the Eastern Conference’s best record during the 2008-09 season.

The Bruins advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in both 2009 and 2010, this year blowing a 3-game lead to the Philadelphia Flyers who went on to the Stanley Cup Finals before bowing to Dustin Byfuglien and the Chicago Blackhawks. Byfuglien just joined the Thrashers after being obtained by Dudley in a 9-player deal with the Blackhawks yesterday.

Prior to joining the Bruins, Ramsay served as an associate coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2001 to 2007, earning a Southeast Division title and the Stanley Cup during the 2003-04 campaign.

Ramsay also served as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers from 1998 to 2000. He was named interim head coach in February 2000, guiding the team to a 16-8-1-0 mark while claiming the Atlantic Division title with 105 points. Ramsay led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils in seven games. He remained behind the bench to begin the 2000-01 season before being replaced after 28 games with a 12-12-4-0 record.

Before joining Philadelphia, Ramsay worked as an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators (1996 to 1998) and the Florida Panthers (1993 to 1995). He began his coaching career with the Buffalo Sabres organization where he served as an assistant coach during the 1986-87 season and took over as interim head coach late in the year, posting a 25-37-6-0 record. Prior to leaving the Sabres in 1993, Ramsay also served as the team’s director of player personnel and assistant general manager.

Ramsay’s NHL playing career spanned 14 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres from 1971 to 1985, earning 672 points (252 goals, 420 assists) in 1,070 career games. The Weston, Ontario, native twice reached a career high with 71 points and tallied eight straight 20-goal seasons for the Sabres from 1973 to 1981. He also appeared in 89 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Sabres, posting 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in those contests.

Ramsay, who was selected by Buffalo in the second round (19th overall) of the 1971 NHL Entry Draft, appeared in 776 consecutive games with the Sabres from 1973 to 1983, which ranks as the fourth longest consecutive games streak in NHL history. He was also named the recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1985, given annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.

Ramsay began his professional career with the Cincinnati Swords of the American Hockey League during the 1971-72 season where he tallied 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 19 games. During his career, Ramsay played alongside Thrashers General Manager Rick Dudley for a total of seven seasons with Cincinnati (1971-72) and Buffalo (1972-73 to 1974-95 and 1978-79 to 1980-81).

Prior to his professional career, Ramsay played four junior seasons for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1967 to 1971, tallying 232 points (84 goals, 158 assists) in 206 games. Ramsay’s best junior season came in 1970-71, when he earned 106 points (30 goals, 76 assists) in 58 games with Peterborough.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC