Truth & Rumors: March 9, 2005

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Commenting on the possibility of the NHL using replacement players next season, Phoenix managing partner Wayne Gretzky said, "My honest opinion is I don't like it. They're not the (Mats) Sundins or the (Brian) Leetches of the world. This is replacement players, and it is what it is. The commissioner has to do what he thinks is best to get the game back on the map and get it going. We're only one of 30 teams, we'll follow suit." -- Associated Press

Six full-time Coyotes employees and three full-time Glendale Arena workers lost their jobs as the dormant NHL team trimmed its workforce again on the 172nd day of the lockout. the Coyotes and the arena now have 74 full-time employees, 41 fewer than were working the last time the Coyotes played a game, on April 3, 2004. -- Arizona Republic

Asked about the possibility of playing in the NHL if the league opens with replacement players, top junior prospect Sidney Crosby said, "I'm not going to play in a replacement league. With replacement players it's not the best league in the world - that's the league that I dream of playing in, the NHL - with real NHL players." -- TSN.ca

When asked about which team he would play for if he was ruled a free-agent upon the NHL's return, Crosby picked his favorite childhood team, saying, "That's a tough one, my dream was to always play with Montreal. That's the first thing that comes to mind. It depends on the situation, but I think that would be my dream come true -- to play for Montreal." -- TSN.ca

Crosby also assessed his options if the NHL is still locked out at the start of the 2005-06 season, saying, "As of right now, go back to junior, the WHA or Europe. I guess those are the three main options, and who knows if other leagues are going to form, or what's going to happen if there is no season again... I haven't really given it a whole lot of thought. That's something that I'm going to decide after the season is over - what's best for me." -- TSN.ca

In a bizarre exchange to get Jay Bouwmeester and Stephen Weiss playoff experience, Panthers GM Mike Keenan loaned the two to the 2002 Calder Cup champion Chicago Wolves, who are battling Milwaukee for the top spot in the AHL's West Division. Both had been playing for the Panthers AHL team in San Antonio, who are in sixth place in their division. "This is something we felt really important to both of these young players in terms of their own development," Keenan said. -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Doug Shedden, the coach of the St. John's Maple Leafs, said, "There is no way this is fair. The only way this would be fair is if those two players were Atlanta Thrashers property. I don't think the bottom-feeders should be supplying the upper teams. That's not where we want to go with the league. No way." AHL executives could not be reached for comment. -- Toronto Sun

Recent reports that talks are heating up with the Tri-City Americans regarding possible relocation to Edmonton are news to Oilers president Patrick LaForge, who said the WHL team has turned a cold shoulder to repeated overtures by the Oilers "As everybody knows, it's been an ongoing thing. We've been talking to them for almost two years," said Laforge of his team's interest in acquiring a WHL franchise. "They've talked to us, but they've said, 'No, we don't want to talk anymore.' That's where it's at." -- Edmonton Sun

In the absence of NHL hockey, Oilers forward Ryan Smyth has set up a charity tour through Winnipeg, Regina, Red Deer and Moose Jaw for later this month. Tie Domi, Wade Redden and Kris Draper are slated to participate. -- Toronto Sun