Clicks and Clippings: Bit Banged up in Carolina

In the interstices between post game debriefing and game preparation, the news from Edwards Mill Road today is that while the Carolina Hurricanes are tending to the usual physical ailments of the sport, nothing new in the way of personnel should be anticipated. Today's optional practice was lightly attended, and Wednesday will be another day off for the players to just recover from their accumulated aches and pains. The practices Tuesday (10am) and Thursday (11am) will be at the Raleigh RecZone, moved there to accommodate the Disney-on-Ice extravaganza which has taken over the ice at the RBC Center through the weekend. The Canes next games are on the road in Dallas and St Louis this Friday and Saturday.

More on the particulars:

Canes Limited by Injuries - Paul Branecky, Hurricanes TTS Blog While Carolina Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice used last week’s extended break for some tough, grinding practices, he may not have that luxury this time around.

Canes Now - Canes fighting some bumps and bruises | Maurice juggled the lines extensively during the Canes' 5-2 loss Saturday in Nashville, but said some of that was a product of who was healthy and who's not. 

Know your Hurricanes: Interviews

Brandon Sutter, from blogger Ryan Porth at Red Light District,  with their conversation from Saturday after practice in Nashville.

Ian White is featured in this from NHL.com, White finds a home on Carolina's blue line - NHL.com where the last part of this line made me smile:

In Carolina, White is still adjusting to playing with the horse that is Pitkanen. In the past, he has played the role of the defenseman who jumps into the play -- but now he has to cast a watchful eye on what his partner is doing first.

And get to know the boots and short-tie look of Justin Pogge, the telegenic Charlotte Checkers goalie, with this video from last night's Charlotte TV sports show, "Got Game" :  Justin Pogge "Saves" Got Game | FOX Charlotte | Got Game

After the jump, news from the BOG meetings, Holiday Hockey in the offing, and getting a view of hockey players as performance artists.

All things Skinner

If you thought he was just a figure skater, learn more about Jeff Skinner's brief childhood movie career, from the print edition of the N&O over the weekend, Skinner finds a starring role - NewsObserver.com 

Or why NHL Networks's Deb Placey is keeping an eye on the Canes: BlackBerry: Calder Trophy Debate Video Deb Placey and EJ Hradek debate who will win the Calder Trophy this season as the league's top rookie.

Big League Business

A couple bullet points from The Breakers Resort in South Florida, where the NHL Board of Governors is holding its winter meetings:

• Salary cap, and salary floor, expected to increase in NHL - Puck Daddy An increase will not be greeted with universal applause from the governors, though. If the cap hits $62.4-million, that means the floor, or the minimum payroll allowed, will be about $46-million. That will be a tough one to swallow for the league's low revenue teams.
• Latest Coyotes Suitor Seeks N.H.L. Approval - NYTimes.com Matthew Hulsizer, a Chicago businessman trying to buy the Phoenix Coyotes, made his bid to the N.H.L. Board of Governors' executive committee Monday. Plus Stu Hackel, at his new gig with SI.com, has his take at Red Light: Can Hulsizer save the Coyotes?

No doubt, this data is relevant to some (if not most) of the topics: NHL Attendance Figures for each team after 10 home games

Finally, back on the ice, and in the midst of the Hurricanes' stretch of five consecutive games vs Western Conference opponents, some eye-opening numbers for context: NHL's Western Conference Continues To Beat Up Eastern Conference - SBNation.com

Hockey for the Holidays: The Winter Classic and World Juniors

Chris Botta's The NHL Column: Embrace the Winter Classic Overhype - NHL FanHouse

Resist the temptation to squawk (yes, I mean me). Instead, do your part. Throw your arms around the spectacle. Tell your friends who don't "get" hockey to DVR HBO's "24/7" four-part series on the Winter Classic. They're bound to see something (or someone) they can connect to. Maybe they'll take an indoor game in some day.

The above story may put you in the right mindset for this artsy B&W photography of Crosby and Ovechkin in trendsetter standby Vanity Fair and their online edition: Sidney Crosby on Slapshots, Fights, and the Best Hockey Movies | VF Daily: Rich Cohen talks with Sidney Crosby about pond hockey, first fights, and Pittsburgh Steelers football. Disappointed? Puck Daddy didn't think much of it either.

Tomorrow at 11am, USA Hockey will announce the list of 28 players they will invite for final evaluations for the WJC tournament which kicks off December 26, in Buffalo, NY. Here's who you know that's in the mix:  Picking a US World Junior Roster: Defense - Western College Hockey Blog  takes a look at the US born defensemen available for the 2011 World Junior tournament, with a few comments on four Canes' prospects Brian Dumoulin, Justin Faulk, Austin Levi and Mark Alt.

And everything you could want to know about the U-20 format and schedule of play at WJC (and elsewhere) this next several weeks, in this aptly named post: Teenage Riots: U20 Season Hits from SBN's Puck Worlds

Familiar faces in new places

With Ian White seemingly now past the honeymoon phase, let's look at what his trade counterparts, Anton Babchuk and Tom Kostopoulos have done since joining the Calgary Flames. (Short answer: not much)

For better or for worse, this will look familiar, Tom Kostopoulos vs Michael Sauer, Nov 22, 10 - hockeyfights.com 

So will this: Babchuks first goal for the Flames Flames versus Blackhawks - Dec 05 '10 

Injury Report

Patrick Kane "appeared to injure his left leg after falling and sliding into the boards" in the Blackhawks game with the Flames last night.

Also from Chicago, this was announced lat week: Marian Hossa "is likely out 2-3 weeks after injuring what appeared to be his right leg".

The Canadiens' Andrei Markov "will undergo a knee surgery on Wednesday, December 8," and is out for the season. This is the result of the collision with Eric Staal last month.

Mike Modano "suffered a severed tendon and nerve damage in his hand and has undergone reconstructive surgery." He won't return to the Red Wings' line-up before March.

Regarding the Flyers 09-10 post-season hero-in-goal, Michael Leighton, the "issue is not his back, for which he underwent surgery on October 11 for, rather his lower leg/foot, where he feels a bit of numbness and weakness," prompting the Flyers GM Paul Holmgren to announce today that Leighton "will stay on long-term IR and that they have filed for an extension for his conditioning assignment with the NHL to have him stay with their AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms for two more games."

Looking back at the Movember that was

With the announcement by tweet via @ice_chip this morning that Troy Bodie's mustache would be gone by the end of today, let's look back on what we learned from the campaign, beyond being prompted to prioritize regular prostate exams - not a joking matter. However, some just couldn't resist stating the obvious and humorous.

Participation in Movember gets NHLers mistaken for child molesters, cast in cop dramas | Intent to Blow Several NHL players who have grown mustaches for Movember have been arrested in recent weeks after being mistaken by police for child molesters, ItB has learned.

The Hurricane Siren: Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend-The Sutterstache Eulogy with a memorial video, you may regret you'll never forget.

We are gathered here today not to mourn a life lost, but rather to celebrate a life lived. For how can you not celebrate a life as spectacular as the one lived by the Sutterstache? During its all-too brief time with us, it... brightened our day and haunted our dreams. It brought joy to few and nightmares to many.

When hockey players step outside their comfort zone

Video: Roberto Luongo is a poet and he didn't even know it - Puck Daddy Rhymes and such for the Sedin Twins, Byfuglien, his back ups, and a cute little something he found in Vancouver.

And if you haven't yet seen Tuomo Ruutu and his teammates singing "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer", then your holiday season has not begun. This might go down in his-tooo-reee.