Canadian Press - 9/22/2006 3:45:47 PM - (CP) - There are eight new head coaches in the NHL this season and four of them will work in Canada. Paul Maurice takes over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Guy Carbonneau moves up to the top job with the Montreal Canadiens, Alain Vigneault joins the Vancouver Canucks and Jim Playfair runs the Calgary Flames.

Reading Evening Post, UK - 19 Sep 2006 - BRACKNELL BEES player-boss Ryan Aldridge went from hero to villain as his side made a flying start to their English Premier League campaign.

Sportsnet.ca - September 21, 2006 - DETROIT (AP) -- Paul Stastny's shootout goal gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 pre-season win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. Stastny faked Joey MacDonald then beat him with a backhand. Wojtek Wolski also scored for Colorado in the shootout. Jiri Hudler had Detroit's lone shootout goal.

September 20, 2006 - MONTREAL (CP) -Coach Dave Lewis hopes towering defenceman Zdeno Chara's sore foot will be all right. Chara scored a goal but also took a blistering shot on the foot and left after only one period of the Boston Bruins' 3-1 NHL pre-season win over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.

Associated Press - 9/24/2006 10:33:56 PM - ST. LOUIS (AP) - Brett Hull, the high-scoring former St. Louis star who set numerous franchise records in 11 seasons with the Blues, will have his No. 16 jersey retired by the team in December. "It's going to be great," new Blues president John Davidson said. "He made a huge impact on this franchise."

Bob McKenzie - 9/20/2006 10:44:02 AM - It looks as though the injury bug is taking another bite out of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last year it was Rick Nash, Rostislav Klesla and Gilbert Brule who went down with significant injuries in the early going. This year, the Blue Jackets are awaiting word on the status of Sergei Fedorov, who went down in last night's pre-season game with appears to be a shoulder separation.

Canadian Press - 9/22/2006 9:21:26 PM - MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - It's only one game, a pre-season one at that, but you have to think Rick DiPietro was probably hoping for a better performance Friday night in his first start since signing a staggering US$67.5-million, 15-year contract. The 25-year-old goalie gave up three goals on 14 shots in just over 33 minutes of action as the New York Islanders, with owner Charles Wang looking on, lost 5-1 to the Boston Bruins in a tuneup that also saw Ted Nolan coach his first NHL game in nine years.

Canadian Press - 9/20/2006 10:05:13 PM - MONTREAL (CP) - Zdeno Chara and Jeff Hoggan scored in the first period and Hannu Toivonen made 24 saves as the Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 in NHL pre-season play Wednesday night. It was a second win in as many nights at the Bell Centre for Boston (2-1-0 in the pre-season) after a 5-2 victory on Tuesday. Montreal dropped to 0-2-0.

East Valley Tribune, AZ - September 20, 2006 - At 10 a.m. on a Friday in late July, it is already 103 degrees in the Valley. Inside Tempe's Oceanside Ice Arena, where it is a much more tolerable 60, nearly 40 kids in full hockey gear have packed the rink. The youngsters, who range in age from 5 to 16, are not here to escape the sweltering heat or hang out with their friends. For them, Oceanside is a place where they can chase their dreams.

Canadian Press - 9/19/2006 1:49:27 PM - MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby has no problem with his team's decision to not have a captain this season. "We talked after (head coach Michel Therrien) announced that yesterday," Crosby said Tuesday after practice at the Moncton Coliseum. "They just made a organizational decision and that's fine by me.