December 11th

HEJDUK, HASEK AND KOPITAR NAMED NHL 'THREE STARS' OF THE WEEK

Colorado Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk, Detroit Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek and Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending December 9.

FIRST STAR -- MILAN HEJDUK, RW, COLORADO AVALANCHE

Hejduk led all NHL scorers for the week with nine points (five goals, four assists) in four games and extended his point streak to seven games. He scored one goal in a 3-2 loss to San Jose Dec. 3, posted an assist in a 5-4 loss to Columbus Dec. 5, notched the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Philadelphia Dec. 7 and tallied a career-high six points (three goals, three assists) in a 9-5 win over St. Louis Dec. 9. It marked the highest single-game point total in the NHL this season and was the most by a Colorado player since Jan. 1, 2003, when Peter Forsberg tallied six points (one goal, five assists) against the Predators in Nashville.

SECOND STAR -- DOMINIK HASEK, G, DETROIT RED WINGS

Hasek returned to the Detroit crease after missing four games with a sore hip and posted a 3-0-0 record, 1.00 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and one shutout, helping the Red Wings (21-6-2, 44 points) increase their lead in the NHL overall standings to five points. Hasek stopped 15 of 16 shots in a 4-1 victory at Montreal Dec. 4, made 19 saves in a 5-0 shutout of Minnesota Dec. 7 and turned aside 15 of 17 shots in a 5-2 victory over Carolina Dec. 9. Hasek's shutout was the 77th of his NHL career, moving him past Tony Esposito and Ed Belfour into sole possession of eighth place on the all-time list.

THIRD STAR -- ANZE KOPITAR, C, LOS ANGELES KINGS

Kopitar tallied eight points (two goals, six assists) in four games, extending his point streak to six contests. He recorded two points (one goal, one assist) in a 4-3 shootout loss to Edmonton Dec. 3, notched an assist on the lone Kings goal in a 4-1 loss at Phoenix Dec. 5, celebrated his 100th NHL game with a career-high four assists in an 8-2 victory over Buffalo Dec. 6 and finished the week with one goal in a 4-2 loss to Phoenix Dec. 8. Kopitar, 20, leads the Kings in scoring with 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 29 games.


Stars Trade for (Jussi) Timonen

The Dallas Stars acquired minor-league defenceman Jussi Timonen from the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday for a conditional 2009 draft choice. Timonen, 24, tallied seven assists in 14 games this season with the Philadelphia Phantoms — the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate. The Finn had four assists and six penalty minutes in 14 games for the Flyers last season. A fifth-round pick of the Flyers in 2001, Timonen is the younger brother of Philadelphia defenceman Kimmo Timonen.


Minor hockey coach suspended 3 years

An assistant coach has been suspended three years for his involvement in a bench-clearing hockey brawl between two teams of eight-year-old players. Randy Brant of the Niagara Falls Thunder will not be allowed to coach or be involved in minor hockey in any way after leaving the bench during the melee in a tournament in Guelph, Ont., on Nov. 23.
The suspension was handed down by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association over the weekend.

The Greater Toronto Hockey League is expected to make an announcement regarding the Duffield Devils' involvement in the brawl.

Niagara Falls coach Bob Chamberlain has been reinstated after serving his four-game suspension stemming from the incident.
The controversy stems from a game between Duffield and Niagara Falls, two novice AAA teams, during which things got out of hand in the third period. A videotape of the brawl showed the young players throwing punches at each other. An altercation is also visible on the players' bench that appears to involve parents and coaches. Local police had to be called in to help break up the fracas.

There were allegations that a Niagara Falls coach spat on a rival coach and that both sent many of their players from the bench onto the ice during the fracas. The police investigated but eventually decided that no criminal charges would be laid.


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