The Tweet heard around the World

ESPN's John Buccigross has become an internet sensation in a matter of hours, all thanks to an innocent twitter update pertaining to a pending trade involving Dany Heatley (who else?) He wouldn't be the first to set blogger's tongues wagging on the topic, and certainly won't be the last. Mere hours after the news broke, the general managers of all three teams involved were in full-fledged damage control, with responses ranging from Dean Lombardi's eloquent and well-versed "complete bull," to Murray's quick-and-to-the-point "it's simply not true," to Wilson's highly dramatic "it's an absolute fabrication."

While it is unlikely this deal will actually come to fruition, the Senators later added fuel to the fire by announcing that Heatley will not be attending a team golf tournament on Friday, encouraging speculation that the much maligned winger will indeed be dealt by tomorrow. Another evening spent chasing details on a rumour that turned out to be false...such is the life of a hockey blogger. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. When will we learn not to trust ESPN's "sources" for hockey news and rumours?

Lost amidst all the Heatley trade talk, former Flame Theoren Fleury was reinstated by the NHL today after a meeting with Gary Bettman and Bill Daly. Six years after Fleury was forced into retirement due to violation of the league's substance abuse policy, the NHL has opened its doors to the fiesty 41-year-old, who has now been sober for four years. While this is a great feel-good story and certainly a welcome distraction from the Bettman vs. Balsille courtroom drama, the fragile state of the NHLPA, and Heatley's next possible trade destination, the question remains: will any GM actually take a chance on the pint-sized pest?

Fleury says he has received interest from teams, but "doesn't want to name the cities without their consent." With only a few days remaining until training camp opens for most teams, there is still a chance Fleury could receive an invitation. Who knows, he just may be the Bill Guerin to your Penguins, the Joe Nieuwendyk to your Dallas Stars or...I don't really know where I'm going with this, but what I mean to say is he could turn out to be that missing piece that pushes the team that signs him over the hump.

Unlikely, but possible. Then again, hasn't that been the story of Fleury's NHL career to this day?

Trouble brewing in the Windy City

I am not going to pretend for a second that I understand the internal workings of the NHLPA or exactly what motivated Eric Lindros and his cronies to kick Paul Kelly's caboose out onto the cold Chicago pavement early this morning, but I do know that these are two images I never want to see again:

 

That's enough to instill fear in the heart of any hockey fan. 

The NHL, especially in the United States, is only just recovering from the-year-that-shall-not-be-named, and teams that were previously on the brink like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington, and St. Louis are now able to compete again. The current CBA expires after the 2011-2012 season, and another work stoppage would not only reverse the progress this league has made, but would surely compromise its already fragile state down south. 

Two lockouts less than a decade apart does not look good on any league's resume, especially one that relies on such a small number of teams for the majority of its revenue. Surely the reconstructed version of the NHL, barely 5 years old, can't be in need of an overhaul already? I sure hope the PA finds the headstrong-take-no-prisoners leader they're looking for, because if they don't, it may be back to drawing board yet again. 

And you thought the off-season was boring.  

NHL Countdown: 31 days