News & Notes for Wednesday

- Jack Connolly from Minnesota-Duluth won the Hobey Baker Award which is college hockey's award for the top player.

- Boston College won the NCAA Championship over Ferris State with a score of 4-1.

- The Blackhawks signed Ray Emery to a one-year contract extension.

- NHL.com has the final statistical look at the regular season. You know how we love our stats!

- The Dallas Stars had a moving ceremony honoring Karlis Skrastins and Shanny sent us the video of it.


- Surprise, surprise Nail Yakupov has been named the #1 player for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

- The Edmonton Oilers won the number one spot AGAIN for the third year in a row.

- James Reimer has been battling what he calls a neck injury and hopes to be better next season. Don't we all.

- There's a lot of things that Jay Feaster has to consider in this long off season for the Flames like to rebuild or not to rebuild.

- Brian Burke vows to address the issues the Leafs have in goaltending and in the size-department. Mmkay, we will see.

- Nathan Horton will miss the entirety of the 2012 Playoffs with a concussion. Such a shame.

- Jaromir Jagr expects to play next season. Cool.

- The Colorado Avalanche signed head coach Joe Sacco to a two-year contract extension. This makes us happy, we think he's a good coach for the young Avs.

- Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold is optimistic about the Wild making the playoffs next season and says that GM Chuck Fletcher will get an extension.

- Apparently there's a giant replica of the Stanley Cup in Times Square in New York City. What the everloving hell?

- Here's another episode of Unlaced with Ralph Strangis who tortures/interviews Vern Fiddler.

(thanks to Shanny for this link)

- One of the most exciting things going on (besides the playoffs) is the World Championships. Yay!

Team Canada has nabbed quite a few great players. Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, John Tavares, Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, Evander Kane, Devan Dubnyk and Cam Ward.

Among others. We can't wait. As always, Team Canada seems stacked and we hate them.

- Team USA is also getting their shit together and getting guys left and right to play for their country.

So far, the guys named are Jack Johnson, Cam Fowler, Richard Bachman, Alex Goligoski, Justin Faulk, Jeff Petry, Paul Stastny, Bobby Ryan, Patrick Dwyer, Nathan Gerbe, Cam Atkinson, JT Brown, Nate Thompson, Keyl Okposo, Max Pacioretty and Jim Slater.

They've also named Ryan Lasch who is playing in the Finnish Elite League and is not in the NHL. Um, okay.

USA hockey is do or die.