February 5th

DATSYUK, TURCO, DRURY 'THREE STARS' OF THE WEEK

Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk, Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco and New York Rangers center Chris Drury have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending February 3.

First Star -- Pavel Datsyuk, C, Detroit Red Wings

Datsyuk led all NHL scorers with seven points (one goal, six assists) as the Red Wings (40-10-4, 84 points) posted three consecutive victories and extended their lead in the League's overall standings to 16 points. Datsyuk earned points on seven of Detroit's eight goals, beginning with three assists in a 3-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes Jan. 30. He tallied assists on both goals in a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche Feb. 1 and notched the game-winning goal and one assist in a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins Feb. 2. Datsyuk is tied with linemate Henrik Zetterberg for the team scoring lead with 65 points (18 goals, 47 assists) in 54 games. He ranks second in the NHL with a +37 rating, trailing teammate Nicklas Lidstrom (+46).

Second Star -- Marty Turco, G, Dallas Stars

Turco posted a 3-0-0 record, 1.67 goals-against average and .948 save percentage as the Stars swept their three-game trip to Western Canada. He made 29 saves in a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks Jan. 29, stopped 32 of 33 shots in a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers Feb. 1 and made 31 saves in a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames Feb. 2. Turco has posted a 22-11-4 record, 2.35 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and one shutout in 40 appearances this season. The Stars (31-20-5, 67 points) reclaimed the Pacific Division lead, rank second in the Western Conference and third in the NHL overall standings.

Third Star -- Chris Drury, C, New York Rangers

Drury tallied six points (four goals, two assists) in four games as the Rangers posted a 3-1-0 record. He recorded one goal and one assist in a 4-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Jan. 31, tallied two goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils Feb. 1 and finished the week by scoring the game-winning goal and adding one assist in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens Feb. 3. Drury ranks third among Rangers in scoring with 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) in 55 games.


MUELLER NAMED NHL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

Phoenix center Peter Mueller, who led all rookies in scoring with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 14 games as the Coyotes surged to a 9-4-1 record, has been named the NHL Rookie of the Month for January.

Mueller edged Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (2-12--14 in 13 games), Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (3-6--9 in 14 games) and New York Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky (4-4--8 in 14 games) for the award.

Mueller, 19, recorded points in nine of 14 games during the month, including a seven-game point streak from Jan. 10-21 (4-7--11). He tallied a career-high three assists in a 5-3 victory against San Jose Jan. 15 and notched two goals, including his third game-winner of the season, in a 4-2 win at Columbus Jan. 29.

Phoenix's first choice and the eighth overall selection at the 2006 Entry Draft, Mueller registered 78 points (21 goals, 57 assists) in 51 games for Everett of the Western Hockey League last season and captured WHL rookie of the year honors in 2005-06. The 6-2, 205-lb. Bloomington, Minn. native represented the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Mueller joins previous 2007-08 Rookie of the Month winners, Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (October), Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Tobias Enstrom (November) and Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (December).


McCARTY INKS MINOR-LEAGUE DEAL

Darren McCarty soon could get another chance at a National Hockey League stint with the Detroit Red Wings.

The checking winger on Monday signed a contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings' American Hockey League affiliate.

McCarty is expected to play his first AHL game since 1993 this Friday in Cleveland.

The 35-year-old had been playing with the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League, amassing three goals and six points in 11 games.

McCarty spent the last two years with the Calgary Flames following 11 seasons in Detroit, playing on three Stanley Cup-winning teams, and in 742 career NHL games has 126 goals and 160 assists for 286 points.


HORCOFF HAS SEASON-ENDING SURGERY

Already without one of their top checking forwards, the Edmonton Oilers will be minus their leading scorer for the rest of the NHL season.

The Oilers announced Monday that No. 1 centre Shawn Horcoff will have surgery this week on his left shoulder, which he aggravated while falling awkwardly in the all-star game on Jan. 27 in Atlanta.

Horcoff, 29, played one more game before an MRI exam confirmed the injury. He has scored 21 goals and 50 points in 53 games this season.

Edmonton left-winger Raffi Torres was lost for the season in early January with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and this Oilers have also been forced to deal with lengthy injuries to Sheldon Souray, Fernando Pisani and Joni Pitkanen.


YZERMAN NAMED CANADA'S GM FOR WORLDS

Steve Yzerman has been named Canada's general manager for the world hockey championships this spring in Halifax and Quebec City.

The Detroit Red Wings vice-president was officially announced as the GM at a Monday morning news conference in Halifax.
Yzerman's assistant general managers are former Dallas Stars GM Doug Armstrong and long-time Los Angeles Kings forward Luc Robitaille.

Robitaille spent most of his career with the Kings but played with Yzerman as a Red Wing for two seasons. He ended his 19-season NHL career as a member of the Kings in 2006.

Armstrong, who spent five-plus years as GM in Dallas before being fired in November, joins Canada's staff for the third time. He acted as special adviser to Yzerman last year

This will be Yzerman's second straight stint in the job, having put together the team that won a gold medal last May at the IIHF worlds, beating Finland 4-2 for the country's third title in five years.

His roster was short on big names last year, but it was good enough to run off a perfect 9-0 record en route to winning the gold medal in Moscow.

Canada, which is hosting the world hockey championship for the first time, opens the tournament on May 2 against Slovenia in Halifax.


CANADIENS RECALL ROOKIE PRICE

Rookie Carey Price was recalled Monday by the Montreal Canadiens, who returned fellow netminder Jaroslav Halak to Hamilton of the AHL.

Price, 20, began the season in Montreal, and posted a 9-7-3 record with a 2.90 goals-against average in 19 appearances at the NHL level.

He was demoted Jan. 8 to Hamilton, where he was 6-4-0 and posted a 2.69 goals-against average in 10 games.

Drafted fifth overall in 2005, Price is considered Montreal's top goaltending prospect.

Halak, 22, played just 40 minutes in his second stint with the Canadiens, stopping 19 of 20 shots. The ninth round (271st overall) pick by Montreal in 2003 went 10-6-0 with a 2.89 GAA in 16 appearances last season.