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ESPN’s NHL coverage scrutinized; Zach Redmond’s seriously injured in practice (Puck Headlines)

Greg Wyshynski

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Mike Eruzione brings his Miracle on Ice swag he’s selling to the “Today Show”, but more importantly got to meet Savannah Guthrie.

• Ron Rolston layeth the smack down on his new Buffalo Sabres players: "From what I saw, it was more of just a lot of shortcuts, a lot of shortcuts, a lot of rest in shifts, the things that you just have to eliminate if you’re going to be a good hockey team.” [Sabres Edge]

• Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks on the Jannik Hansen hit: “I knew it was not going to be that bad like last time. I didn’t remember last time anything." [Tribune]

• Eeek … Zach Redmond of the Winnipeg Jets suffered a serious cut during practice and was taken to the hospital via ambulance. Said Claude Noel: “He cut him just above the back of the knee. It's a fairly wide cut and he'll need to be taken to the hospital. He lost a fair amount of blood quickly. It looks like it was a vein. They got it tied up and pressure on it, but he'll be fine.” [Canes Now]

• Sad news on Wade MacLeod, who had that on-ice seizure last week: "A CT scan performed on Wade resulted in the discovery of a benign mass. He will be undergoing further examination to determine the appropriate treatment. We appreciate the respect of Wade's privacy at this time." [Falcons]

• Jimmy Howard said his blurred vision episode was “scary”, but that he’ll play for the Detroit Red Wings vs. Columbus. [Freep]

• Really nice piece by Will Leitch on his love for hockey fans. [Sports On Earth]

• ESPN president John Skipper on his network’s coverage of the NHL: “I see SportsCenter every day and we cover hockey every day. We do not have a significant differential between highlights of hockey now and when we had it. The only difference is we are not there [as a rights holder]. If we were there for the playoffs, we'd be throwing to the guys calling the game. We can't do that, but we are at hockey games. We are doing hockey highlights." [Awful Announcing]

• Steve Lepore on the NHL/ESPN relationship: “I, personally, have grown completely worn out of the subject. It doesn't matter anymore, it won't matter again until NHL television rights are up again at the start of the next decade, and I just don't want to have this discussion. The National Hockey League has moved on. ESPN has moved on. So why can't everyone else?” [SB Nation]

• Gabe Landeskog changes for no one! NO ONE! [Denver Post]

• Will the Colorado Avalanche do the right thing on Ryan O’Reilly? [Mile High Hockey]

• On Boston Bruins rookie Dougie Hamilton: “Hamilton is the 19-year old that is frequenting Bruins fans’ conversations, Tweets and yes, even Facebook statuses. Contrary to Bieber’s fan base, everyone is gushing over Hamilton. It’s not just a specific gender or age group that can’t get enough of him. Men and women, old and young, sports reporter or fan, Dougie is the man – excuse me, teenager – who everyone is talking about.” [Inside Hockey]

• “Brendan Gallagher joined his Canadiens teammates for Thursday’s morning skate in Brossard, but has not been cleared for contact after suffering a concussion in last Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers and won’t be in the lineup Thursday night against the New York Islanders (7:30 p.m., TSN-HABS, RDS, TSN 690 Radio).” [Hockey Inside/Out]

• Jake Allen is sent down by the St. Louis Blues. [STLToday]

• The Goose's Roost on the end of Lindy Ruff: "Other people are capable of coaching the Buffalo Sabres, and the last 15 years have proven that other National Hockey League coaches are capable of winning the Stanley Cup. Lindy Ruff will always have a place in this franchise’s history, but it was time to put his reign on the bench in the past." [TGR]

• Ellen Etchingham on character: “Pay for character, if you want, but it’s a high-stakes gamble in the modern NHL. Of course everyone can see the advantage of getting buddies for your essential pieces, and if Sidney Crosby needs some fourth-liner in the stall next to him like a comfort goat, maybe that’s the compromise any rational team would make to keep a thoroughbred happy. And sure, maybe a team full of shiftless layabouts would hypothetically need an ass-kicker to come in and kick some ass (although any NHL team that gets itself full of shiftless layabouts in the first place probably has more problems than any ass-kicking can solve). But with so much roster turnover and so many divergent backgrounds among players, chasing some intrinsic charisma that will be equally appreciated by rookies, veterans, call-ups, Canadians, Swedes, Tatars, and goalies is a fool’s errand. The guy who fits today might be a misfit next year, or even next week. He might develop an addiction, or marital problems, or just never feel right in the city. The team will change. He will change.” [Backhand Shelf]

• Alex Kovalev is a healthy scratch for the Florida Panthers. [@GeorgeRichards]

• Jen Neale on the return of Brian Burke to the Anaheim Ducks: “When Burke was first fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, I honestly could not see any way he's brought back to the Ducks. Maybe because the team is successful at the moment, Murray felt comfortable enough to bring back his Cup-winning predecessor? Maybe it's just a favor? I mean, Burke did help propel Murray's career.” [Anaheim Calling]

• A Hall of Fame hockey writer either made a mental lapse or revealed explosive tampering by the Edmonton Oilers. (We’re assuming the former.) [Copper and Blue]

• A heartfelt farewell to youth hockey to which we’re sure many parents can relate. [Times Union]

• Finally, the Penguins vs. Flyers Harlem Shake video is pretty good (and BizNasty inspired), but it needed Vokoun just standing alone at the start to fit the joke: