The NHL and its players' association are in their second straight day of meeting with mediators, who by now are probably banging their heads on the wall due to the insanity of two sides throwing away $3.3 billion.
While they do that, here's a collection of clips from around the hockey world, starting right here:
*Niagara University goaltender Carsen Chubak leads the NCAA in goals-against average (0.99), save percentage (.970) and shutouts (five) in a spellbinding return to the ice.
*Forbes has issued its annual report on NHL franchise values, and the Sabres rank 22nd at $175 million. Terry Pegula bought the Sabres from Tom Golisano in 2011 for a reported $189 million in a deal that included the Bandits and management rights to the arena.
Forbes says the Toronto Maple Leafs are worth $1 billion.
(I remember being part of a Forbes rant by Golisano when he owned the team. He said the magazine has no access to financial books and therefore had no idea what it was talking about. Other team executives ridiculed the current rankings.)
*Minnesota goalie Josh Harding has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but will continue playing, the Star-Tribune reports.
*The Buffalo Junior Sabres rank 10th in Canadian Junior A hockey.
*The Amerks stunk Wednesday night, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
*Sidney Crosby is thinking about playing in Europe.
*Hockey Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay, who helped create the players' union, said everyone needs to stop bashing Gary Bettman. He tells ESPN the commissioner is merely fulfilling the owners' wishes.
---John Vogl
