We had the news about two weeks ago that Luca Sbisa had been sent back down to Lethbridge, but apparently the source out in Switzerland was wrong.

This time, though, it’s straight from the Flyers.

The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have reassigned defenseman Luca Sbisa to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League, according to club General Manager Paul Holmgren.

“We feel that it is in the best interest of Luca and the Flyers organization that he gets back to playing on a regular basis,” said Holmgren in making the announcement. “Luca will join Lethbridge for its game in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday.”

Everything Homer is saying there is correct — Luca does need to play — but couldn’t this have been done two or three weeks ago?  According to the CBA, if you’re on the active roster for 40 or more games, it counts as one season against your contract. If you’re a healthy scratch, you’re still on the roster — you’re just not playing. Sbisa has only played 39 games, but as far as I understand it, that’s not the number that matters. He’s been on the roster for every game to this point, and is a year closer to free agency now because of it.

EDIT (h/t to Mirtle): A little clarification… after10 games you lose a year off of your contract, but after 40 games you become a year closer free agency. Sbisa is now both.

Holmgren made a mistake here.

The Pride of Huntsville, Alabama and 2009 AHL All-Star Game MVP Jared Ross conducts a chat with theahl.com.

An excerpt:

Q: How does it feel to get to continue to play with former University of Alabama-Huntsville teammate Scott Munroe in Philadelphia? – Virginia from Huntsville, Ala.

Ross: It’s awesome. When I was in Chicago, I thought about getting traded the year I did get traded – thinking if there’s any team I’d want to go to, it’d be Philadelphia just because of the organization and my buddy Scott Munroe’s there. I thought it’d be fun playing together. It’s a thrill to have him playing on the same team as me – we’ve been around each other the last six or seven years now and have become really good friends. Practices are so much more fun being able to shoot on him, and we were roommates on the road. It’s just to have someone that you’re a really good friend with and have known for awhile, and Scott’s a great guy, so I’m really happy to be on the same team with him.

Q: What was the experience like making your National Hockey League debut with the Flyers earlier this season? – Kevin from Boston, Mass.

Ross: It was awesome, everything I thought it was going to be. It was opening night for the Flyers, just playing that game it was unbelievable, wearing the Flyers jersey. Realizing that I was the first hockey player out of Alabama to play in the NHL, I was pretty proud to be able to do that. Just to have everybody calling and texting me from Alabama to offer congratulations, it was a really great feeling.

The Luca Sbisa situation right now is a little odd. No announcement has been made by the Flyers or Sbisa’s junior club, the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes. But, there is certainly evidence that Sbisa has been in fact sent down.

For starters, we have the report from a French-language website based in Switerland, Planete Hockey. As reported here on B&P yesterday morning, the site said that Sbisa had been sent back to Lethbridge, but that the news was not yet official.

Then, we got a report from an English site, forecaster.ca, which despite its 1997 design, is usually a pretty reputable source for  information. They also reported that “the Flyers have assigned rookie defenseman Luca Sbisa back to the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.”

He was not placed on the Hurricanes gameday roster on Friday night against Prince George as I initially reported yesterday. In my defense, he was on the official game report at first, but they must have realized their mistake and fixed it because he no longer is there.

And that makes it all the weirder that Saturday nights game report from Lethbridge’s game against Red Deer has Sbisa listed on the roster, yet a number of people who attended or listened to the game last night (via the WHLFans.ca message board) contend that Sbisa did not lace up the skates for the ‘Canes. The Flyers have still not announced anything, and neither have the Hurricanes or the WHL.

One final twist to the story: Kevin Kurz, the Flyers manager of communications and new media, or someone posing as him, wrote on the flyersphans.com message board that “This is a BS rumor.” Nobody is questioning the integrity of the post over on that site, leading me to believe it’s true, but as it is with any message board post… it could be anybody.

All the other evidence, besides this message board post by “KKurz”, points to Sbisa heading back to Canada.

I guess we’ll only know for sure, though, when he next takes the ice.

1:28 AM UPDATE: The National Post, with a hat tip to Kukla’s Korner, reported what was originally reported here on B&P, with an added quote from Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. Holmgren serves in that same role for the Phantoms.

“It was a scary incident,” said Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren to TSN Friday night. “But we just got word from our doctor that he’s clear — there’s no facial fracture. They’re stitching him up — his jaw is fine and there’s no tooth fracture or anything. It’s a scary ordeal, but he’s going to be fine.”

The Phantoms website also updated his condition after the game.

Klotz was taken to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital after suffering a facial laceration and a seizure in a first-period fight. Klotz was alert and responsive en route to the hospital, and was able to watch the rest of the game on television upon arrival. He is being kept overnight for observation and is expected to be released tomorrow after further testing.

This was a scary incident for everybody involved, and I must say that as I left this evening to go play hockey myself, it was a little harder to strap on the pads. As soon as Klotz hit the ice, I said something akin to “damn, he doesn’t lose fights that often.” As the cameras zoomed in on his face, the reality that he was having a seizure set in. I said “oh my God,” and my mom (who wanted me to flip back to Jeopardy because she was that frightened at the scene) said “I’m glad you don’t play in college.”

Thankfully, Klotz is going to be okay.

There should be a video on YouTube tomorrow, but trust me… you don’t want to see it. I’ll post the link regardless for full discloure purposes, but it really was an absolutely terrible scene.

This does certainly give us a different perspective on the ongoing fighting debate, though — an example that hits close to home.

7:49 PM UPDATE: It was reported by the CSN broadcasters that Klotz did in fact suffer a seizure and a “facial laceration” but that he is in the hospital and responsive. I looked at another replay and it looked as if Klotz could have hit his head on the top of the boards as he fell to the ice. Westgarth connected with an uppercut to the chin, which was the blow that sent Klotz down.

Let’s hope he’ll be okay.

7:09 PM Original Post: Breaking news… the Phantoms Garret Klotz was carted off the ice on a stretcher after a fight with Manchester’s Kevin Westgarth immediately following the start of Friday nights’ contest.

A Westgarth punch connected with Klotz’s chin and he quickly fell to the ice in front of the Monarchs bench. The game is being televised on Comcast Sports Net, and as CSN’s camera’s zoomed in on Klotz as he lied on the ice, it appeared as if he was having a seizure, but that is purely speculation as I’m not a doctor and, of course, I’m not at the Spectrum.

The stretcher came out immediately and Klotz was taken off after about ten minutes. There is no word on his condition at the moment.

This incident is sure to add to the ongoing debate about fighting in hockey, and whether or not it should be eliminated from the game.

[Flyers prospect James van Riemsdyk and Colin Wilson] stand together as products of Team USA’s national development program. As proof the college game is indeed a breeding ground for tomorrow’s elite professionals. As potential NHL superstars. And, in many ways, as features on the new face of American hockey. — Dave D’onofrio, Concord (NH) Monitor

The Concord, New Hampshire Monitor ran an article today on James van Riemsdyk and Boston University’s Colin Wilson. It focuses on how the college game has become a more common breeding ground for future NHL stars.

Honestly, as a student at a Division 1 NCAA hockey school, I’m a big fan of college hockey and I would love to see it grow into a strong developmental league for the NHL. But I have to wonder if the recent influx of NHL prospects into the ranks of the NCAA instead of the Canadian junior ranks is a really a mandate on the quality of hockey in college, or just an increase in the amount of top-notch American players.

Since I go there and watch every game, I’m going to use the Quinnipiac Bobcats as an example. The Bobcats are a decent team, sitting in a third place with Dartmouth in ECAC Hockey, which is considered one of the “Big Four” college hockey conferences along with Hockey East, the WCHA, and the CCHA. The Bobcats’ best player, Brian Leitch, leads the nation in scoring with 37 points and is a Hobey Baker Award candidate, yet he is not an NHL prospect. He hasn’t been drafted by an NHL club, and if he continues his career after graduation he’ll probably be an AHL player at best.

Quinnipiac has been the sixth most winningest team in collegiate hockey over the last decade, yet they’ve had no players reach NHL prominence. Could you see the same happening with the sixth best team the Canadian junior ranks?

It would never happen. The best players to come out of QU — Leitch, 2007 grad Reid Cashman, ‘08 grad Jamie Bates — are in fact Canadians who, for one reason or another, didn’t play in the Canadian junior ranks. If you take a look at their career paths following college — Cashman and Bates have both bounced between the AHL and ECHL — compared to many of their junior counterparts, you can infer that they probably just weren’t good enough to play there.

I’m not saying that JVR and Colin Wilson aren’t good enough to play in the CHL, because clearly that isn’t true. These are going to be NHL players. But it seems they have other motivations for playing college hockey as opposed to going north of the border. Education, perhaps? Canadian junior players, typically, don’t go to college.

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren is deeply tied in with USA Hockey, and he doesn’t feel that JVR is being challenged enough in the college ranks, as I posted earlier this month.

“The environment he’s in now, it’s different. He’s a good player in college hockey and it might be time for him to move on. I think James is talented. He’s going to be a good player. Is it going to take him a little longer now that he spent another year in college? I don’t know.” – Paul Holmgren

I just don’t believe that the NCAA has become a strong breeding ground for quality NHL talent, and it looks as though Homer agrees with me. I think that quality American NHL prospects have increasing chosen the NCAA because of it’s other perks — a college education, a life outside of hockey before becoming a pro, closer to home and no acclimation to a new country, etc. It has grown a ton over the last decade or so, but the NCAA will, much to my dismay,honestly, never replace the Canadian junior leagues as the top developmental league for the NHL.

Americans are just getting better at hockey and they want to stay home to hone their craft.

As expected, the NHL’s leader in scoring was named as a reserve to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team today. Jeff Carter is a first-time all-star.

The East and West have alternated wins since 2003 when the Conference vs Conference was re-implimented, and if that pattern holds true, the West will win in 2009. But this is one of the scariest looking Eastern rosters in recent memory. Along with Carter are Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Eric Staal, Zach Parise, Dany Heatley, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Marc Savard, just to name a few.

If you ask me, Kimmo Timonen and Mike Richards were snubbed… but let’s not get started with the whole all-star voting process. We know it’s a joke, and there are more important things to worry about.

Like, for example, what to do about the salary cap situation when Danny Briere comes back. He could be back in the next week or two, and when he is inserted back into the lineup, the Flyers will be well over the cap. Could we see a trade? There have been rumors that perhaps Glen Metropolit or Scottie Upshall will be shown the door, but it seems Holmgren is trying to find a way around making a trade. He may have started his manuvering today when defenseman Lasse Kukkonen was placed on waivers. It’s his second trip to the waiver wire this season.

Thirdly, tonight’s game between the Flyers and Wild will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet as usual, but tonight will be a little different.

Comcast SportsNet, the leader in local sports coverage, takes viewers backstage throughout Thursday’s Flyers game broadcast against the Minnesota Wild. Beginning at 7 p.m., this all-access game broadcast will take fans behind the dashers to see the Flyers’ game-day preparations, from the players’ arrival at the arena to the lights going out at the end of the night.

In addition to live game action, the broadcast will feature behind-the-scenes access to player warm-ups, equipment, ice and arena preparations, last-minute coaching decisions and in-game activities in the press box where the Flyers beat reporters cover the action. Viewers will also see how Comcast SportsNet prepares for each game broadcast. Featured players and executives include Scott Hartnell, Mike Knuble, Riley Cote, John Stevens, Paul Holmgren and Peter Luukko.

– Flyers team release

As a broadcasting major and a complete nerd for these types of things, I’m pumped about this. Hopefully, though, it doesn’t take away from the actual game broadcast.

When the Flyers had their worst season in franchise history two years ago, we all knew that, as much as it sucked, we’d get that great prize that every bad team gets to look forward to: an early draft choice.

Our prize was Middletown, NJ native James van Riemsdyk, who the Flyers took with the second-overall pick in the 2007 draft. The strong left winger is now a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire, and his play at UNH has been more than impressive. In his freshman season last year, Riemer was third on the Wildcats in scoring, with 11 goals and 23 assists totaling 34 points. The two players who finished ahead of him were seniors, and with their graduation this season the Flyer prospect has taken over his team. In just 17 games he has 26 points, just five behind the nations’ best scorer, Brian Leitch of Quinnipiac, who has 31.

Riemer has taken his hot college play to the international ranks as well. In the recently completed World Junior Championships, he was Team USA’s second-leading scorer, notching six goals and four assists in just six games. While the US finished a disappointing fifth in the tournament, van Riemsdyk scored a beautiful (not to mention ballsy) OT-game winner in the final game against the Czechs.YouTube, with hat tips to Puck Daddy and The 700 Level.

But despite all of van Riemsdyk’s apparent accomplishments as a college and international player thus far, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren doesn’t seem happy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Aaron Asham proved to us last night that he’s a bit more than an enforcer. Every once in a while, he’ll show off the offensive skills, which gives him a steady hand up on fellow tough guy Josh Gratton.

Apparently though, the Flyers felt that Asham could use his counterpart as they recalled Gratton from the Phantoms. He fills a roster spot voided by Andreas Nodl, who was sent down due to his lack of production. It’s a smart move to send the young guy down, since he’s gotten oodles of (Nodls) chances to score and hasn’t been able to bury one, which could hurt a rookies’ confidence. Let him relax in the AHL, destroy the competition, and then come back and give it another go.

Also, Scott Munroe was sent back to the Phantoms to play tonight’s game, which the good guys won 5-2 (seven straight wins!). He will be called back up in time to back up Antero Niittymaki tomorrow afternoon at the Center. Again, it’s like beating a dead horse, but we’re going to miss the convenience of the Phantoms when they’re forced to move elsewhere next year.

Niittymaki could start both back-to-back games this weekend, but Stevens has yet to make a decision. Marty Biron is still out with a lingering flu bug and his time of return is still unknown.

Panaccio: Gratton to Pick on Those His Own Size - CSNPhilly.com

Other quick notes: We’re in the midst of Philly versus DC weekend as the Sixers took on the Wizards tonight, the Flyers face the Caps tomorrow, and the Eagles play the Redskins on Sunday. Philly is 1-0 so far thanks to the Sixers 109-103 win. Let’s get the sweep.

The Phantoms won again tonight in overtime, 3-2 over the Binghamton Senators, in the second game of a five game homestand.  It is their sixth straight win since losing 9-0 to Hershey back on November 29th.

The game was Randy Jones’ first action since Game 5 of the Conference Finals last season against Pittsburgh, and he made an impact on the scoresheet immediately. 11 minutes into the first, Jones and Jared Ross connected with Claude Giroux to make it 1-0 Phantoms. It was Giroux’s 15th of the season. Two minutes later Josh Gratton would score to make it 2-0, while Giroux would add an assist to his point total. He’s in the top 10 in the league with 31 points.

Neither Philadelphia hockey team has lost a game in regulation in the month of December.

Michael Teslak was in goal for the Phantoms, since regular starter Scott Munroe is on recall with the Flyers due to Martin Biron’s flu bug. Teslak performed admirably in his counterparts’ absence, stopping 32 shots to grab the victory.

In an interview with the media Wednesday, Munroe was asked about the differences between the Phantoms and the Flyers.

“This is my third year with the organization, so I know a lot of the guys up here. We play the same type of a system with the Phantoms, so I think obviously the level of play picks up a little bit, but ultimately the systems are mostly the same.”

This makes you realize how important it is having the parent club and the farm team so close together. The coaching staffs are able to work so closely together, since practices are held under the same roof and everything, and it makes the transition from the Phantoms to the Flyers both cost-effective and seamless.

It also allows for quick transactions between the two clubs. In many situations, Jones would not have been able to go to the Phantoms in time to play tonight.  But with the defense clicking so well lately, John Stevens seems quite content in keeping Jones with the Phantoms as long as necessary.

“I think we have to give Jonesy the opportunity to get his game as ready as he can be before he gets back in and plays. The fact that we have six healthy guys playing well right now and we have the Phantoms that are right next door, it only makes sense to let him go through that progression before he returns to the lineup.”

I think, given that quote, it’s safe to say Jones won’t be in the lineup tomorrow in Montreal.

I personally hope the Phantoms play next season in Atlantic City, as it’s close to me and, as I wrote about a month ago, “it keeps the cozy relationship between [the teams] going.”

It seems the Phantoms are doing their best impressions of their parent club these days. The Flyers are one of the hottest teams in the NHL and the Phantoms have now won four straight games following last night’s 5-2 win over the Springfield Falcons. It’s also their sixth win in seven games.

Jared Ross picked up where he left off last weekend, scoring two goals.

The team is back in action on Sunday afternoon against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the Scott Hartnell Glove & Mitten Toss.