Another familiar face will rejoin the Anaheim Ducks soon.
NHL sources tell us Teemu Selanne plans to follow Scott Niedermayer by putting off retirement and returning to the Stanley Cup champions for the season’s second half.
According to sources, a verbal agreement between Selanne and Anaheim management already has been reached. Before the return becomes official, however, general manager Brian Burke needs to unload a salary or two — and the likely candidates to be discarded are Sean O’Donnell and/or Todd Marchant.
•We’re also told, incidentally, that Burke has been complaining to the NHL this week about its referees, claiming they have pre-conceived notions about the Ducks’ aggressive play and are too quick to penalize them. Entering last night, the Ducks were atop the NHL with 654 penalty minutes … Complaining to the NHL as well has been Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, upset about intentions to reduce the size of goalie equipment next season. Luongo has informed the league and the players’ association that he wouldn’t object as much to smaller pads as to smaller catching gloves … The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Kris Letang is a defenceman with remarkable offensive moves, conspicuous in recent shootouts, where he became the first rookie and first blue-liner in NHL history to score shootout-deciding goals in two consecutive games … Rumblings are strong that the Edmonton Oilers soon will trade Jarrett Stoll, possibly to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Gilbert Brule.
•Baseball’s trade winds are about to blow hard and will send ace pitchers Johan Santana to the Boston Red Sox or New York Mets, Dan Haren to the Cleveland Indians or Arizona Diamondbacks and possibly Ontario’s Erik Bedard to the Los Angeles Dodgers … Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda will sign with either the Seattle Mariners, the Dodgers or Arizona … The San Diego Padres need an outfielder and are pursuing B.C.’s Jason Bay as well as free agents Geoff Jenkins, Japanese star Kosuke Fukodomo and, believe it or not, Barry Bonds … There’s a suggestion out there that the Blue Jays might swap third basemen with the St. Louis Cardinals — Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen. Rolen is at odds with St. Louis manager Tony La Russa … There’s also conjecture that the Detroit Tigers, who obtained Dontrelle Willis in a blockbuster with the Florida Marlins last week, might turn around and flip the pitcher to the Mets.
•And did you know Don Cherry actually goes into his own pocket to pay for those weird suits he wears on Hockey Night In Canada?
“I pay handsomely,” he said, “to look handsome.”
In three-plus decades as a columnist and broadcaster, Marty York has built a network of solid contacts and a renowned reputation for his hard-hitting, groundbreaking style. The tradition continues in Metro Sports.
