It’s Sunday and it feels odd because the Maple Leafs didn’t play last night. After wrapping up their Florida road trip with one win and one loss, they head back home to face to visiting Coyotes tonight. It’s the end of an era as both Luke Schenn and JvR no longer play for either team.

Tonight’s game will be followed up by a visit from the Capitals on Wednesday, which will be the last game until February, more than a week, as the NHL moves pauses for the All-Star Game break.

The Marlies are still playing this weekend, with back-to-back games this weekend against the Charlotte Checkers who are among the best teams in the league. Last night they won 4-3 in OT with Mason Marchment getting the game winning goal.

CWHL All-Star Game

The CWHL All-Star Game is this afternoon. TV coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. on Sportsnet. You can still purchase tickets to the game too. It’s at the Scotiabank Arena this year and tickets are a flat $19 in the lower bowl (plus fees if bought through Ticketmaster, but you can probably get them without fees at the box office today.)

CWHL All-Star Draft results

Other News

Goalies were big news yesterday. First up was Tuuka Rask getting injured. Yikes.

Rask leaves the game with a concussion after a nasty collision - Stanley Cup of Chowder
An ugly hit for a guy who had been playing well.

Look at this save by Mikko Koskinen.

The AHL announced it has suspended Adam Clendening three games for physical abuse of an official. This means he will not be in the game against the Marlies later this week, thankfully.

In LOLSNES news...

Hitch wasn’t expecting to ever be an NHL coach again.

Former Sabres player tells his side in exclusive interview in Sweden - Die By The Blade
"I’ve felt like crap, money doesn’t make anyone happy." - Patrik Berglund

Evaporating insurance market for football is major threat to NFL, Pop Warner, colleges - ESPN
The NFL no longer has general liability insurance covering head trauma, according to multiple sources; just one carrier is willing to provide workers’ compensation coverage for NFL teams.

“People say football will never go away, but if we can’t get insurance, it will,” Jon Butler, Pop Warner’s executive director, lamented to colleagues after discovering that just one carrier was willing to cover the organization for head trauma, according to a person who was present.
[SPECIES: This is interesting and has implications for the NHL and hockey in general. I personally wonder if this is why they couldn’t get the World Cup off the ground; no insurance firm will offer a policy that covers head injuries sustained in games outside the NHL season.]

From The Branches