January 8th

LEGACE, HUSELIUS,CONKLIN NAMED 3 STARS

St. Louis Blues goaltender Manny Legace, Calgary Flames left wing Kristian Huselius and Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Ty Conklin have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending January 6.

First Star -- Manny Legace, G, St. Louis Blues

Legace posted two shutouts in three appearances, helping the Blues (20-14-5, 45 points) move within two points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the tight Western Conference standings. Legace made 31 saves in recording his second shutout of the season, a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Dec. 31. He made three saves in the first period before leaving the game due to illness in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers Jan. 2 and closed the week by recording the 21st shutout of his NHL career, making 27 saves in a 1-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Jan. 5. Legace has posted a 15-10-2 record with a 2.09 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and three shutouts in 29 games this season.

Second Star -- Kristian Huselius, LW, Calgary Flames

Huselius led all NHL scorers with nine points (four goals, five assists) and recorded points in each game as the Flames (22-14-7, 51 points) went 4-0-0 and took the Northwest Division lead. Huselius began the week with the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks Dec. 31 and notched his second consecutive game-winner and three assists in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers Jan. 2. He recorded one assist in a 3-2 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks Jan. 3 and he finished the week with three points (two goals, one assist) in a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings Jan. 5. Huselius ranks
second on the Flames in scoring and 13th in the NHL with 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) in 43 games.

Third Star -- Ty Conklin, G, Pittsburgh Penguins

Conklin posted a 3-0-0 record, 0.97 goals-against average, .972 save percentage and one shutout as the Penguins (23-16-2, 48 points) won all three games. Conklin began the week by stopping 36 of 37 shots and two of three shootout attempts as the Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, played outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo Jan. 1. He made 33 saves in a 6-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Jan. 3 and stopped all 35 shots for his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Florida Panthers Jan. 5. Conklin has posted a record of 7-0-0 with a 2.00
goals-against average, .939 save percentage and two shutouts in eight appearances for Pittsburgh this season.


STARS EXTEND RIBEIRO FOR $25-MILLION

Dallas Stars forward Mike Ribeiro was rewarded Monday with a five-year contract extension worth $25 million.
Ribeiro, who is making $1.8 million this season, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He leads the Stars with 21 goals on just 58 shots and 46 points in 41 games this season.

The 27 year-old has racked up 39 goals and 103 points in 121 games since the Stars acquired him and a sixth-round draft pick from the Montreal Canadiens for Janne Niinimaa and a fifth-round pick on Sept. 30, 2006, and has posted 89 goals and 256 points in 397 games since being selected by the Canadiens in the second round (45th overall) in the 1998 NHL draft.


TORRES OUT FOR REST OF SEASON

The usually durable Raffi Torres will miss the second half of the NHL season with a torn knee ligament. The fourth-year Edmonton Oilers left-winger will undergo surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament that was damaged in a Dec. 13 game in Detroit.

Torres hasn't played since suffering the injury, and entering this season, he had missed only two games in three previous campaigns with the Oilers.

The six-foot, 216-pounder has five goals and 11 points in 32 games this season.


DOWNIE WON'T BE SUSPENDED

NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell spoke with rookie forward Steve Downie, but decided not to hit the Flyers forward with a ban for sucker-punching Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Blake.

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said he and Downie spoke to Campbell after the incident in Philadelphia's 3-2 win in Toronto on Saturday night.
Downie punched Blake in the eye while the veteran forward was being held by a linesman.

This is not the first time this season Downie has caused controversy with his questionable actions on the ice.

He was slapped with a 20-game suspension after he left his feet and hit Dean McAmmond of the Ottawa Senators in the head during a pre-season game in September.

At the time, Downie was trying to crack the Philadelphia lineup in his first pro season, having been drafted by the club in the first round of the 2005 NHL entry draft.


MASON JOINS JACKETS AFTER WINNING GOLD

It's been quite a week for NHL prospect Steve Mason, who was summoned by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, just two days after leading Canada to a gold medal at the world junior hockey championship.

Mason, who stopped 26 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over Sweden in Saturday's gold-medal game in the Czech Republic, was recalled from the Ontario Hockey League as an emergency replacement.

Blue Jackets starting goaltender Pascal Leclaire left Saturday's game at San Jose after the second period due to illness and won't be available for Tuesday's contest against the hometown St. Louis Blues.

At the world juniors, Mason assumed the No. 1 job from Jonathan Bernier to start the medal round and led the Canadians to three straight wins, culminating in Saturday's fourth consecutive gold.

After the game, the 19-year-old was named the tournament's most valuable player and top goaltender as well as earning a spot on the all-star team.

Mason finished the tourney with a 5-0-0 record, 1.19 goals-against average and .951 save percentage in five games.
Prior to Friday's semifinal victory over the United States he was traded by the OHL's London Knights to the Kitchener Rangers.

Mason broke training camp with Columbus in October after going 1-2-0 with a 1.78 GAA in three pre-season games. He was assigned to the Knights on Oct. 9.

Taken 69th overall by Columbus in the 2006 NHL draft, Mason had a 19-4-3 record with a 2.79 GAA and two shutouts in 26 games this season for London.

He was named the OHL's goaltender of the year in 2006-07 after going 45-13-4 with a 3.20 GAA, .914 save percentage and two shutouts in 62 games.


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