Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays everyone. I hope all of your travels are safe to see your loved ones. I am not going to institute a transactions freeze but I would ask that you respect the fact that we all have familys and that they come first. If you feel it necessary to file a transactions please feel free to do so, however i will be out of town from Friday Night (12/22) to Tuesday Night (12/26) so transactions will not be processed until then.

Reminder: Officepools changes are your responsibility now, please read below. If you need a player moved from Farm to reserves please advise Rick at the ufhl hotmail account.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone,

-Ben

UFHL Forum Issues

As most of you know their have been some issues with the forum over the past few days. We have received an email from the owners of the freepowerboards.com website explaining the issue. Long story short someone who worked for them purposely deleted the backups and corrupted some forums. This issue has been resolved by freepowerboards.com however we did lose 20+ days of posts.

If you go to the transactions link and if you submitted a transaction but it is not listed it is because it was lost in the fracus. Please resubmit and I will process them as soon as possible.

-Ben

Officepools Changes In Your Hands

Effective immediately, all UFHL GMs are responsible for setting up their weekly officepools changes.

Log into Officepools.

Create a team login for your team (remember your password).

Click on trades.

Make changes between your reserves and your active roster.

Click Save

On Sunday AM, an exec will be log into the admin utility and will review and process the officepools changes with the click of a button. This process takes a fraction of the previous amount of time. Because it is so easy to do, the league is insisting that all GMs learn how to do this.

If you need a player from your farm put onto your OFFICEPOOLS reserves, please email the league.

When you make a trade, the officepools rosters still need to be changed by an exec. It is crucial that your trades are done in time for an exec to make officepools changes so that you can then make your officepools changes. It is your responsibility to make sure this happens.

This makes the load on the execs much much less, and will pair very well with Ben's new database set up.

Its the new age of the UFHL! Now lets find some more GMs!

Moving on

It has been a month since the loss of our friend Rob, and more than ever, the craving for hockey is starting to burn. Moving forward with the UFHL isn't a betrayal of a friendship, its a tribute to it. Rob would have wanted everyone to continue enjoying the league and the challenges of a new season.
While the league has not named a replacement for the Kings team, it will likely happen by the beginning of the season. Rob's legacy should pass on to another GM rather than be left to fade.
As you talk trade, sign players, and submit those rosters, don't feel guilty that you have resumed your regular routine. Rob loved the league when it was active. He loved the competition. He loved the communication with peers. Think of Rob when you carry out your GM business. He is inspiration for us all. This year also know that the competition for the Jack Adams Trophy will forward be known as the Robert Ratliff trophy. This award is not based purely on the success of your roster, but for your efforts to make the UFHL a better league. The league hasn't written up the definition of the award yet, but we all have an idea of what type GM Rob was. He raised the bar. His memory will continue to make the league a better place.

Goodbye to a friend,

Our good friend Rob Ratliff has passed away in a fishing accident where he drowned in the ocean.

I don't feel quite right posting this, but his family wants his friends to know. Rob spent a lot of time online, and due to the nature of this type of communication, the Internet now becomes a tool to deliver this unhappy news. Nonetheless, I apologize for the method of delivery.

Rob, 33, is survived by his wife Mel, and three children.

More to follow...

UFHL Draft 2006 team by team picks

The annual UFHL draft was as usual immensly successful event. Hot on the heels of the draft we have compiled the picks made by every team, each accompanied by a short commentary from our correspondent.

Team	Picks	Comments
	#38-Ondrej Fiala #79-Jamie McBain	Both players found themselves slipping on draft day.But they slipped no further than Jons hands.
	#80-Chris Mason (NYR)	Top picks were gone through some spectacular trades, the remaining bottom pick was spent on an unspectacular depth pick up.
	#3-Erik Johnson #4-Phil Kessel #70-Matt Beleskey	Amazing luck with Erik Johnson falling to the 3rd spot. Love or hate Kessel, at 4th pick a steal as well.
	#7-Peter Mueller #11-Jiri Tlusty #40-Shawn Matthias #60-Kenny Jonsson (PHI) #73-Milan Kraft	Even such a great prospect as Peter Mueller can hardly make up for dealing away a superstar in Eric Staal.
	#10-Kyle Okposo #15-Chris Stewart #39-Artem Anisimov	Chicago came away from the draft with some very good powerforward style prospects.
	#49-Mark Mitera	Mitera got wat it takes defensively, will he be able to add some offense?
	#18-Cory Emmerton #26-Jeff Zatkoff #42-Cal Clutterbuck #55-Kyle Gajewski	Kyle who? I am sure Shaun had stumped many GMs with that pick. But he gets an excellent mark for picking one of the best goalies in the draft in Zatkoff. Other picks are solid as well.
	#12-Leland Irving #27-David Fischer #76-Bobby Hughes #83-Tony Lagerstrom	Picking Irving at 12 was a reach in this reporter's eyes, but you know what they say about favorite goalies - everybody has one. It is also rumored that Joey threw a wrench into San Jose's drafting plans by drafting Fischer 1 spot before them.
	#23-Ivan Vishnevsky	Next Gonchar or Tverdovski in the making. Or?
	#17-Bob Sanguinetti #19-Jonathan Bernier #24-Alexander Vasyunov #44-Codey Burki	Los Angeles went straight for players with the highest risk, but can be rewarded.
	#1-Nicklas Backstrom #16-Patrik Berglund #22-Michael Forney #33-Dennis Persson #50-Simon Danis-Pepin #54-Michal Neuwirth #64-David Rucizka #72-Kevyn Adams (PIT)	Minnesota is coming away from the draft with 8 players and prospects, the most of any team. The first four of the picks are especially good, with 3 of them selected from the country which is the new world leader in hockey.
	#61-Jhonas Enroth #74-Matthew Corrente	With only two third round picks it is hard to make a splash. So, none of that here, just a couple of solid picks.
	#77-Yuri Alexandrov	How on Earth a second rated European skater falls to the bottom of the 3d round? This reporter's theory is the usual "enigma" associated with every prospect coming out of Russia.
	#13-Riku Helenius #41-Tomas Marcinko #45-Andrei Popov #59-Johan Franzen (WSH) #63-Andreas Nodl	Solid picks, no surprises. The last pick seemed to have broken a few hearts at other teams' draft tables.
	#2-Jordan Staal #20-Nigel Williams #21-Ty Wishart #31-Ryan White #81-Brady Calla	Did the Rangers think that Nigel Williams may catch up to Erik Johnson when they were picking Jordan Staal?
	#32-Michael Grabner #46-Chris Summers #48-Bryce Swan #75-Eric Godard (TOR)	The Senators are known for drafting well. These picks, while being solid, do not live up to Trev's spectacular reputation. Is there something we do not know?
	#9-Brian Little	Little to be said about this great pick.
	#47-Ben Shutron #52-Jamie McGinn #56-David Kveton #57-Oskar Osala #66-Bobby Nadeau	All of the picks are from the second half of the draft, with Shutron, McGinn and Osala boasting potential quite suitable for the first half.
	#6-Derrick Brassard #29-Jesse Joensuu #30-Ryan Hillier #35-Nick Foligno #62-Mike Weber #67-Mathieu Carle	New Pittsburgh GM served a loud announcement of his arrival by picking a playmaking wizard Derrick Brassard. The rest of the picks however are hit and miss.
	#25-Nikolai Kulemin #28-Ben Maxwell #36-Claude Giroux #43-Robin Figren #65-Jonas Junland	This reporter cannot reveal his true thoughts about these picks. Too much depends on having a source in the San Jose organization.
	#14-James Sheppard #53-Francois Bouchard #69-Trevor Lewis #82-Brian Strait	During the draft, the Blues were on the fence a lot, undecided which player to pick. This reporter is on the fence, undecided how to rate this draft result.
	#5-Jonathan Toews #34-Tomas Kana	Tampa Bay was assured of one of the top 5 forward talents in the draft. They ended up with the one with the least flash, but perhaps with the most bang.
	#51-Jan-Mikael Juutilainen #71-Joe Palmer	The biggest draft story out of Toronto was not about the picks that were made, but the picks that were traded, and the one to look for in 2007. Could Toronto end up with #1 pick AGAIN?
	#58-Semen Varlamov	One of the best goalies in the draft, that late, not bad.
	#8-Michael Frolik #37-Vladimir Zharkov #68-Billy Sauer #78-Joey Ryan	Two of the most dynamic forwards in the draft in Frolik and Zharkov.

UFHL Draft

The UFHL Draft is Sunday June 18 at 9:00 AM PACIFIC TIME!

Link to draft war room: http://www.network54.com/Hide/Chat/80697

Link to draft results: http://www.leafs29.com/ufhl/2006draft.htm

-Ben

UFHL Draft & Roster submission

Well everyone it is time for the UFHL Draft. The Draft will occur on Sunday June 18, 2006 at 9:00 am Pacific Time. The exec committee requests that you send in your Draft Rosters by Thursday June 15 by 9:00 PM Eastern Time. If you do not send in your updated roster for the draft we will use your current UFHL roster on the home page. Any player that is on the resevers is able to be drafted by any team.

At 9:00 PM Eastern Time there is a trade freeze. Teams are encouraged to talk trade talks with others during the time. Trades between teams cannot be announced until draft day. During draft day teams will be able to trade their 2007 Draft Picks, not sooner (league rules).

If you have any questions about roster rules (farm players have to have 100 games or less, 40 or less for goalies to be able to be placed on the farm) please ask Ben, Jay, Rick, or Rob.

-Ben

UFHL Stanley Cup Round

Congrat.ulations are in order for the Edmotnon Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens, both teams have now survived 3 grueling rounds of the UFHL Playoffs.

Both teams have until Monday before the start of Game 1 to submit their rosters.
http://www.leafs29.com/ufhl/2006playoffsround4.htm

As noted before the sign and trade freeze will be lifted on Monday the 5th when Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals begin

-Ben

Trade & Signing Freeze Ends soon!

UFHL Headquarters (undisclosed location in western North America) - The UFHL has announced that the Trade and Signing Freeze will end when the Stanley Cup Finals begin, approximately 7:00 PM EST the day of the 1st Game of the Finals. Because the UFHL is expecting an influx of requests for signees we are going to institutue waiver rules for the 1st 24 hours. After the 1st 24 hours every player not signed is fair game. With the UFHL Draft being Sunday June 18th, all draft rosters must be submitted before Thursday June 15 by 9 PM Pacific time. This will give the league enough time to update all team pages and prepare for the draft. Also at this time another Sign and Trade Freeze will be in effect until the end of the 4th round.

To see where you rank on the waiver list: http://www.ultimatefantasyhockey.com/transactions/waivers.htm

-Ben

2006 UFHL Draft

The 2006 UFHL Entry Draft will be held on Sunday , June 18th @ 9:00 a.m. (pacific time)

3rd Round of the UFHL Playoffs

Here are the match ups for the third round.
Edmonton (4) vs. St. Louis (15) - Edmonton awarded first 2 picks
Montreal (10) vs. San Jose (13) - Montreal awarded first pick
Please send your picks in before the 1st game on Friday or you picks will not be accepted.

http://www.leafs29.com/ufhl/2006playoffsround3.htm

-Ben

Second Round of the Playoffs

Here are the match ups for the second round.

Edmonton (4) vs. NY Islanders (16) - Edmonton awarded first 3 picks
Anaheim (6) vs. St. Louis (15) - Anaheim awarded first 2 picks
Ottawa (9) vs. San Jose (13) - Ottawa awarded first 2 picks
Montreal (10) vs. Florida (12) - Montreal awarded first 2 picks

Please send your picks in before the 1st games on Friday.

-Ben

http://www.leafs29.com/ufhl/2006playoffsround2.htm

First Round of the Playoffs is underway

The first round of the playoffs is underway, check the link below for up-to-date stats.

http://www.leafs29.com/ufhl/2006playoffsround1.htm

-Ben

Leafs win lottery, hold first pick overall

This is order of the following non-playoff teams picking in the
2006 entry draft being held in Vancouver, BC . The draft date
is TBD and the league will let the teams know asap

#1 Maple Leafs (pick aquired from Phx)
#2 Rangers
#3 Flames
#4 Wild
#5 Lightning
#6 Penguins
#7 Redwings
#8 Capitals
#9 Flyers
#10 Blackhawks
#11 Hurricanes

Playoffs are upon us

Here are the seedings and bonus picks awarded to all teams:
Toronto (1) vs. NY Islander (16) - Toronto awarded 1st 4 picks
Dallas (2) vs. St. Louis (15) - Dallas awarded 1st 4 picks
Boston (3) vs. San Jose (14) - Boston awarded 1st 4 picks
Edmonton (4) vs. Buffalo (13) - Edmonton awarded 1st 4 picks
New Jersey (5) vs. Florida (12) - New Jersey awarded 1st 4 picks
Anaheim (6) vs. Vancouver (11) - Anaheim awarded 1st 2 picks
Los Angeles (7) vs. Montreal (10) - Los Angeles awarded 1st pick
Colorado - 8 vs. Ottawa (9) - Colorado awarded 1st pick

For Playoff Info visit: http://www.ultimatefantasyhockey.com/playoffs/seedings.html

Please email the league your picks by 4:00 Pacific time on Friday.

Anyone who's picks I have not received by Thursday night I will email to remind them to send in their picks.

Colorado, Los Angeles, and St. Louis have submitted their picks so far

-Ben
If you have any questions email me ben@leafs29.com or i'm always on icq and msn after 3:00 central

Toronto Maple Leafs Top 10,000

10,000 point plateau reached for the first time in league history

In the summer of 2003, general managers Johnson and Read were camping on Shushwap Lake in British Columbia. At the time, the idea of a lockout was no more imposing than a small storm cloud on the horizon. Johnson emerged from a tent with a pad of paper covered in UFHL player names and statistical data from the previous seasons.

Because both Johnson and Read had been indulging in beer since breakfast, behaviour not uncommon on camping trips, the exact account of the conversation that followed has been clouded by the effects of lake-chilled beer and campfire fumes. Suffice it to say that Johnson believed he had projected the winning formula for earning the UFHL championship. "10,000 points, and I think I can do it to beat Knutson!"

GM Johnson was partly correct. 10,000 points would have won the UFHL title in 2003-2004. Johnson was wrong in his estimation that his roster could beat the Bruins. GM Knutson's roster won the title with 9982 points. 10,000 would have won it.

Fast forward through the painful days of checking the AHL scoreboard, and watching the Penguins draft Crosby, seeing Mark Messier, Dave Andreychuk, and Mario Lemieux retire, and even Jose Theodore finally getting the credit he deserves, and we find ourselves with under ten games left in the 2005-2006 UFHL season. The Toronto Maple Leafs, fresh off of five straight weeks as Team of the Week, broke through the elusive 10,000 point barrier on March 30th. While the Dallas Stars will also pass the 10,000 mark before the last puck drops, GM Johnson sense of accomplishment was evident when he quipped "winning isn't everything, doing it while drafting first overall would be everything."

While GM Johnson won't state it publicly, he believes his club has earned enough of a gap on Dallas to just about clinch first place. The Leafs would need to be outscored by the Stars by almost 200 points for two weeks in a row in order for the Stars to catch up. As a result, the Leafs have started looking at their potential playoff match-up, and have come to the realization that they will draft 1st (or 2nd, acquired from Phoenix), 29th (League Champion pick), and 30th (also acquired from Phoenix). Clearly things are going a lot better for R. Johnson Jr. than they are for J. Ferguson Jr.

The moral of the story? Don't spend all of your camping time playing crib with a guy who is going to Harvard.

Trade Deadline in Review

Trade: The Buffalo Sabres trade Alexi Ponikarovsky (F), Peter Kalus (F) and Staffan Kronwall to The Calgary Flames for Kristian Huselius (F) and Andy Sutton (D)

Comments

Rob: I think this was a heck of a price to pay by the Sabres; needless to say he got the players he feels make him a strong player in the playoffs. Calgary gets good return using the strong play of Huselius to his advantage.

Ben: With four weeks remaining in the regular season and 74 point between 15th and 18th there is quite a fight for the last two remaining spots in the UFHL Playoff race. Randy acquired two players who will help him maintain his status in the playoff race. However it could be said that Randy over paid for these guys services but two sure fire NHLers for one everyday player and two prospects who haven’t yet proved themselves doesn’t look that bad.

Trade: The St. Louis Blues Trade Chris Neil (F), David Leneveu (G), and Evgeni Artukhin (F) to The Buffalo Sabres for T.J. Oshie (F), Nikolai Lemtyugov (F), and Sean Brown (D)

Comments

Rob: This is a win –win deal for both teams, they swap good prospects in Oshie and Lenevau. Neil helps The Sabres more at this point so I give the edge to Buffalo.
Ben: This is a win – win deal for Buffalo. St. Louis gives up too much in current points and future points in LeNeveu for Oshie and a throw in enforcer in Sean Brown, definitely the odd man out when all the defensemen in Vancouver get healthy.

Trade: The New York Rangers trade Adrian Aucoin (D) to The Buffalo Sabres for Cory Schneider (G)

Comments

Rob: This deal was done in a win now mind set, The Sabres get an NHL dman for a prospect goalie who might not be here for 3-4 years so it is a win now , I got to go with The Sabres

Ben: This deal confused me. Aucoin is injured for the rest of the year and with all the hot stud men developing in the Chicago system, I don’t see Aucoin playing much in Chicago anymore. Don’t have to say anything positive for the Rangers to for them to win the deal.

Trade: The Edmonton Oilers trade Adam Munro (G), Garth Snow (G) and Cal3 to The St. Louis Blues for Chris Osgood (G)

Comments

Rob: This deal was done because Edmonton needed an NHL goalie and found one very cheap. Too bad he is basically a backup goalie

Ben: Another deal that confuses me. Edmonton does not need to do anything to maintain his status in the UFHL. He’s a lock for 4th place and if he felt he needed to improve his goaltending for 2006-07 season he could do so in the off season.

Trade: The Anaheim Mighty Ducks trade Ana1, Los 2 and Sergei Kostitsyn (F) to The Los Angles Kings for Cristobal Huet (G) and Darryl Sydor (D)

Comments

Rob: Abstain

Ben: Rob had encountered what Randy will soon encounter a log game in goal with young goaltenders. Rob was able to get prime price from Gino with Huet’s strong play as of late. With acquiring Huet and Sydor it give Gino a shot to hit 5th place in the league. The sleeper of the deal is the Belarussian Sergei Kostitsyn.

Trade: The Anaheim Mighty Ducks trade Kim Johnsson (D) and Danny Richmond (D) to the The Boston Bruins for Mike Van Ryn (D) and Antony Stewart (F)

Comments

Rob: This deal is a win for both teams, although with Johnsson’s injury history this deal may come back and bite the bruins in the rear

Ben: This definitely a win for both teams. I agree with Rob in the injury status of Johnsson, however I consider this a wash with the injury of Stewart. Injury at the end of a player’s career is less significant than an injury at the beginning of a player’s career.

Trade: The Edmonton Oilers trade Martin Rucinsky (F) and Bryan Smolinski (F) to The Toronto Maple Leafs for Sergei Fedorov (F) and Pho3.

Comments

Rob: I really like this deal, Toronto who is in the middle of a fierce battle for #1 ov in The UFHL didn’t stand back and watch as other teams picked up players. He made the smart move and got two good NHL forwards in exchange for an aging vet who seems his best days are behind him. Toronto wins this deal by a mile even without Smolinksi

Ben: I really like this deal too. We are not sure in how much longer Fedorov will play, but playing with sniper Nash and the shifty Zherdev will definitely help his points, but every time Jagr gets a point you’ll see Rucinsky as the goal scorer or a player receiving an assist. It’s very beneficial to have a player who plays on the same line as the NHL’s leading scorer.

Deadline 3/11/2006

*TRADE DEADLINE*

Has

PASSED

No More Deals

UFHL - Future Watch

The Hockey News recently released their future watch edition for the 2005-06 Season. We have compiled who has the best prospect list in the UFHL.

Our rating scale:

• THN 1-10: 10 Points
• THN 11-25: 9 Points
• THN 26-50: 8 Points
• THN 51-75: 7 Points
• Team 1-5: 3 Points
• Team 6-10: 1 Point

Disclaimer: The players listed are the players that were selected by the hockey news. Some prospects were not listed because the hockey news claimed they have already established themselves in the NHL

1. Washington Capitals - 104 Points: Nicklas Kronwall (THN - 5), Marc-Andre Fleury (THN - 6), Jiri Hudler (THN - 29), Marc-Andre Pouliot (THN - 39), Marek Zagrapan (THN - 41), Jimmy Howard (THN - 47), Alexandre Picard (THN - 55), Loui Eriksson (THN - 56), Valtteri Filppula (THN - 60), Roman Voloshenko (THN - 63), Konstantin Pushkarev (THN - 69)
2. Los Angeles Kings - 71 Points: Jack Johnson (THN - 2), Anze Kopitar (THN - 11), Carey Price (THN - 12), Robbie Schremp (THN - 15), Brian Lee (THN - 22), Denis Grebeshkov (THN - 26), Lauri Tukonen (THN - 35)
3. Buffalo Sabres - 68 Points: Evgeni Malkin (THN - 1), T.J. Oshie (THN - 33), Alexei Kaigorodov (THN - 59), Cory Schneider (THN - 68), Danny Irmen (THN - 70), Dustin Penner (THN - 72), Justin Pogge (THN - 73)
4. New York Rangers - 59 Points: Gilbert Brule (THN - 7), Jack Skille (THN - 13), Wojtek Wolski (THN - 24), Derek Roy (THN - 32), David Bolland (THN - 46)
5. Minnesota Wild - 58 Points: Bobby Ryan (THN - 3), Luc Bourdon (THN - 18), Marek Schwarz (THN - 34), Nicklas Bergfors (THN - 38), Stanislav Chistov (THN - 57), Steve Bernier (THN - 66)
6. Chicago Blackhawks - 58 Points: Travis Zajac (THN - 21), R.J. Umberger (THN - 43), Lauri Korpikoski (THN - 45), Ondrej Pavelec (THN - 58), Adam Cogliano (THN - 75)
7. Phoenix Coyotes - 52 Points: Drew Stafford (THN - 16), Guillaume Latendress (THN - 23), Ryan O'Marra (THN - 36), Yann Danis (THN - 74)
8. Pittsburgh Penguins - 49 Points: Cam Barker (THN - 9), Ladislav Smid (THN - 10), Alexander Radulov (THN - 19), Scott Upshall (THN - 48)
9. New York Islanders - 35 Points: Marc Staal (THN - 8), Mark Stuart (THN - 31), Pascal Leclaire (THN - 51)
10. Calgary Flames - 35 Points: Patrick Eaves (THN - 17), Devin Setoguchi (THN - 27), Andrei Kostitsyn (THN - 53)
11. Ottawa Senators - 32 Points: Eric Fehr (THN - 30), Josh Harding (THN - 40), Brandon Bochenski (THN - 50)
12. Anaheim Mighty Ducks - 25 Points: Alvero Montoya (THN - 26), Carlo Colaiacovo (THN - 54)
13. Montreal Canadiens - 24 Points: Benoit Pouliot (THN - 14), Timofei Shishkanov (THN - 52), Kyle Chipchura (THN - 71)
14. Tampa Bay Lightning - 21 Points: Andrew Ladd (THN - 20)
15. Boston Bruins - 21 Points: Anthony Stewart (THN - 44)
16. St. Louis Blues - 20 Points: Ryan Parent (THN - 67)
17. Colorado Avalanche - 19 Points: Jeff Tambellini (THN - 35), Eric Nystrom (THN - 65)
18. Carolina Hurricanes - 19 Points: Noah Welch (THN - 64)
19. Toronto Maple Leafs - 17 Points: Shae Weber (THN - 4)
20. Edmonton Oilers - 17 Points: Matt Carle (THN - 62)
21. Dallas Stars - 17 Points: Blake Comeau (NYI - 3)
22. San Jose Sharks - 16 Points: Tuukka Rask (THN - 37)
23. Vancouver Canucks - 14 Points: Blake Wheeler (THN - 25)
24. New Jersey Devils - 14 Points: Matt Niskanen (THN - 49)
25. Philadelphia Flyers - 10 Points: Steve Downie (THN - 61)
26. Detroit Red Wings - 7 Points: Aaron Johnson (CBJ - 4)
27. Florida Panthers - 3 Points: Petr Vrana (NJ - 6)

Congrats to the Washington Capitals for blowing out the rest of the UFHL Teams in this year's future watch. The future sure looks bright for Washington.

What do you think of your UFHL Future Watch Report?

Theo, Theo, Theo

Man I was really rooting for this guy ... always (well not always) loved him and the way he played. Also, just seeing how this blogger thing works - Heal

BASINGSTOKE, England (CP) - Theo Fleury is in trouble again.

Fleury's future in Britain's Elite Ice Hockey League is in jeopardy after the ex-NHLer was ejected from Saturday's game between the Belfast Giants and the Basingstoke Bison.

According to a report on the HockeyRefs.com website, The Giants forward was given a game misconduct and match penalty for firing a puck at referee Mike Hicks in the final minute of Basingstoke's 4-1 victory. The puck reportedly missed the referee's head by inches.

After being assessed the match penalty, Fleury reportedly threatened the officials, earning himself a second match penalty.

Fleury and Hicks had clashed earlier in the game, when Fleury refused to go to the penalty box after being assessed a two-minute elbowing minor. Hicks hit him with a 10-minute misconduct.

Saturday's outburst was the latest for Fleury, who was kicked out of an EIHL game Jan. 10 after tussling with Coventry fans from the penalty box.

Fleury, 37, recorded 1,088 points in 15 NHL seasons with Calgary, Colorado, the New York Rangers and Chicago.

The Russell, Man., native played with the Horse Lake Thunder of the Alberta Senior Hockey League last season, leading the team to the semifinals at the Allan Cup, the Canadian senior league championship.

He was under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks the previous season, but didn't play a single game because he was suspended by the NHL for violating the league's substance abuse program.

Since joining Belfast this season, Fleury has recorded 22 goals, 55 assists and 217 penalty minutes in 35 games.

Kings "Huet" named NHL Defensive Player of the week

Huet began a six-game road trip by making 32 saves in a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders Feb. 28. He turned aside 24 shots in a 1-0 win over the Florida Panthers March 2, his third shutout of the season, and made 27 saves in a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning March 4.

Huet is 9-5-3 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in 20 games this season, including a 6-0-2 mark in his past eight starts.

There are rumors around Huet as rookie goalie Hannu Toivonen is getting healthy that huet could be dealt for help in other areas

In other Los Angeles Kingsnews they have locked up a key member of their team. The Kings signed defenceman Mattias Norstrom to a two-year deal worth $4.25 million per season. Norstrom was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
''We're happy to have Matty continue his career with the Kings,'' said Kings GM and president of hockey operations Dave Taylor. ''We appreciate his leadership, dedication and commitment to our organization.''
The stay-at-home defenceman has three goals and 19 assists in 58 games with the Kings this season - his tenth with the franchise.
In 742 career games Norstrom has 13 goals and 123 assists and a +30 rating.


''I am really happy to be staying here with the Kings and excited about the direction we are headed,'' said Norstrom. ''This organization is committed to winning and I am thrilled that they want me to continue to be apart of it.''

How you can post to this page

Hi guys,
I am starting to figure this out.

If you would like to post trade stories etc. to this front page, you have to be a team member of this blog. To become a team member, you need to be invited, then you need to accept the invitation.

Once that is done, you use the Powered Blogger link in the bottom right of this page. Then you log in with the same username and password used for Officepools.

Once that is done you go into Posting, then Create, and write your article.

It is open to all of us to use, but once in, everyone has admin power of it. Hence it needs to be a group effort to maintain it appropriately.

Lets give it a try.

RJ

Making it easier for us all to contribute!

This is an idea I have been mulling over for a while... Have a blog for the main page so that all GMs can post articles.

Lets give it a try!