21st Edition:5+Game

5+Game with Danny Boome 29 /01/10

5+ Game with Danny Boome is the new Article and Blog for Powerplay magazine. The article will cover the 5 main events of the week – games, trades, players, coaches – and anything else that affects the NHL community.

5+Game 21st Edition

By Danny Boome

25/01/10

Montreal say au revoir to Laraque, Eric Staal turns it on for new role, two-way dynamo calls it a day, new owners for Phoenix and where will Petr Sykora play next? All in this week’s 5+Game!

Au revoir Georges: Montreal Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque has played his last game for the club. Thursday’s announcement left the Montreal native of Haitian descent extremely unhappy with the timing of the decision, as much of his family has been devastated by the earthquake. The 13-year NHL veteran will be paid his $1.5 million salary this season and remain on the roster. Laraque is in the second year of a three-year, $4.5-million contract that included a no movement clause, which means the Canadiens could not place him on waivers or send him to the American Hockey League. “I told him that he would not be continuing as part of our group for the rest of this season, for reasons of lack of productivity and distractions to our group,” General Manager Bob Gainey said. “We felt our goals were more achievable to continue without him as part of the group.” Laraque has played just 61 games over the past two seasons. He scored his only goal with the club last week against Dallas and dedicated it to the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

And that was the end of Georges

Fresh start for ‘Canes: Eric Staal is taking over as captain of the Carolina Hurricanes. The 25-year-old all-star center, recently named to Canada’s Olympic team, replaced veteran Rod Brind’Amour as team captain. General Manager Jim Rutherford says the switch comes as part of the team’s rebuilding process, “The time has come now for Eric to assume the top leadership role for his teammates.” Brind’Amour had been the captain since 2005 and led the team to its only Stanley Cup in 2006. The 39-year-old will take Staal’s spot as an alternate captain and will continue to hold a leadership role. The Hurricanes, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last season, entered Wednesday night’s games with an NHL-worst 35 points.

Peca calls it quits: Michael Peca, a two-time Selke Trophy winner, announced his retirement Tuesday, ending a 13-season NHL career that was highlighted by an Olympic gold medal in 2002. “I’m not sad by any means,” Peca said. “Several months ago, I came to the decision I wasn’t going to play anymore. Today’s really just a day that I made a public statement. For me, it was so every time I run into old friends, they quit asking me if I’m done or not. “Now they’ve got the answer,” he said. “It’s kind of like a mass e-mail.” Peca, who turns 36 in March, had 465 points (176 goals, 289 assists) and 798 penalty minutes in 864 regular-season games with Vancouver, Buffalo, the New York Islanders, Edmonton, Toronto and Columbus. His feisty, two-way game earned him the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward in 1997 and 2002.

Glory Days

New owners (finally): The prospective owners of the Phoenix Coyotes are close to negotiating new terms on a lease with the City of Glendale and hope to be formally approved as owners by the start of the NHL playoffs. Keith McCullough, chairman of Ice Edge Holdings, the group that signed a letter of intent to buy the team from the National Hockey League last month, told ESPN.com that “there are a couple of very small issues to iron out with the city,” but they don’t foresee any problems in making the deal. Top executives with the Ice Edge group, including McCullough and CEO Anthony LeBlanc, met with Glendale officials several times over the past week in what were described as positive meetings. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was optimistic about the group’s decision to commit long-term to the team in the Phoenix area. “I think that’s what the market needs,” Bettman said.

Sykora’s Headache: The Minnesota Wild have placed right wing Petr Sykora and rookie Robbie Earl on waivers. Earl can be returned to the minors or stay with the Wild if he clears, but Sykora’s stint with Minnesota is all but over. He turned down richer offers to play in Russia and signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Wild in September. The 33-year-old ranked fourth on the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins last season with 46 points in 76 games, but only has two goals and one assist in 14 games with Minnesota, missing nearly two months while recovering from a concussion. Sykora may be the perfect fit for a playoff contender with a low budget. With no trade needed, could Sykora be the missing link?

A Bargain for the Play Offs?

Game

Game On: San Jose Sharks have scored 41 goals in 12 games and have only conceded 18 this month, the best in the league by far!

Who’s got game: Henrik Sedin! One half of Vancouver’s dynamic duo has 74 points in 51 games, with 23 goals and 51 assists.

Who’s not got game: Milan Hejduk won’t be at the Vancouver Games after playing in the last three Winter Olympics for the Czech Republic. The Colorado Avalanche forward will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday and miss up to four weeks.

Game of the week: The Sharks 5-2 win over the Sabres was the battle of the top two teams in the league – and for 10th time this season, the Sharks have beaten all comers to the tank!

What game are you playing @? New York Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton was suspended two games without pay after leaving Pittsburgh’s Pascal Dupuis bloodied with a hit from behind. When will these guys learn?