McCreary and O’Halloran will work for gold-medal game

NHL referees Bill McCreary and Dan O’Halloran have been assigned to work Sunday’s Olympic gold-medal game between Canada and the United States. It will be the second Canada-USA gold-medal game for McCreary, who worked the 2002 title game in Salt Lake City. McCreary also worked the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan. He is retiring from the NHL after this season.

NHL linesman Jean Morin, also of Canada, will work the game with Finland’s Stefan Fonselius. Two other NHL referees, Paul Devorski and Brad Watson, will work Saturday night’s bronze-medal game between Finland and Slovakia. The linesmen will be Petr Blumel of the Czech Republic and Yuri Oskirko of Russia.

Crosby and Miller are big heros in Olympic

Sidney Crosby became a Canadian hero by scoring the gold medal-winning goal in his shinning team canada jersey against Team USA at Canada Hockey Place. Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins resume their NHL season at Mellon Arena. Crosby started and ended February with big games against Miller. In fact, Crosby has had good success against Miller during his career. He has scored six times against the Buffalo goaltender in the past two seasons and seven overall, as well as getting a pair of shootout winners against him, including one in the 2008 Winter Classic.

The Sabres' second game won't be any easier, they return to Buffalo for a Wednesday meeting with Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. It will be Ovechkin's first NHL game after his disappointing appearance in Vancouver.

Maltby's season ends due to the surgery

According to mlive.com, Detroit Red Wings veteran Kirk Maltby will undergo a shoulder surgery next week. As a result, Maltby will be placed on long-term injured serve, solving the Wings' salary-cap problems and also enable defenseman Andreas Lilja to be activated. Lilja said he expects to be in the lineup Monday at Colorado, in the first game following the Olympic break. It seems that Maltby has to take off his red wings jersey and take a rest.

Phaneuf appear on NHL Live!

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf will be among the guests on NHL Live! scheduled from noon-2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. Also scheduled to appear to speak with co-hosts Rob Simpson and Stan Fischler are NHL.com's Dan Rosen, New Jersey Devils/Versus/NBC play-by-play announcer Doc Emrick and Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Phaneuf was acquired by the Leafs in a seven-player blockbuster with the Calgary Flames on Jan. 31. He has two assists in four games with his new team in the toronto maple leafs jersey.

Teemu Selanne sets 2010 Olympic scoring record

Teemu Selanne set the Olympic scoring record last Friday night in Vancouver by assisting on Kimmo Timonen’s second goal of the game when Finland set a 3-0 win over Germany. Selanne drew the secondary assist on Timonen’s goal in the second period. It was his 37th point in Olympic competition, spanning five separate Winter Games beginning in 1992.

Selanne had been tied with Valeri Kharlamov of Russia, Vlastimil Bubnik of the former Czechoslovakia and Harry Watson of Canada. Let's put on team canada jerseys and support them.

Jack Johnson is out for the game against Bruins

Kings defenseman Jack Johnson will miss contest against the Boston Bruins due to an upper body injury. Randy Jones will take his place in the lineup. Johnson suffered the injury on Thursday during the second period of the Kings win over the Blue Jackets. During the play, Johnson was hit by Wayne Simmonds and Jared Boll on the boards. Johnson did not come back the game.

Terry Murray explained the injury during the Kings post game media. “Jack got hit on the hit that Simmer had on Boll. It’s a little bit of an upper-body injury. I haven’t got any medical report on it, quite honestly. I don’t think it’s something we are overly concerned about. We’re hoping that he’s able to recover from it and help us be a part of the next two games on the road.” Johnson, who has tallied 19 in 52 games this season in the los angeles jersey and was named to Team USA with teammates Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown, returned to the ice on Friday and skated during the team’s practice in Boston.

Dodgers sign free-agent Ortiz

The Dodgers have signed right-handed free-agent pitcher Ramon Ortiz to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp. Ortiz last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2007, splitting time between the Twins and Rockies. He pitched in Japan in 2008 and for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Fresno last year, going 5-6 with a 3.05 ERA.

He was the winning pitcher for the Angels in Game 3 of the 2002 World Series against the Giants. Hope he can play well in the dodgers jersey.

Adam Graves will appear on NHL Live!

It is reported that former New York Rangers star Adam Graves will appear on Friday's edition of NHL Live! from noon-2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. Also scheduled to appear to speak with co-hosts Deb Placey and E.J. Hradek are NBC hockey analyst Ed Olczyk, a former teammate of Graves, and retired defenseman Teppo Numminen.

Also on the show will be Joseph Bowser of EveryBODY Skates New Jersey, a group of disabled athletes who will make history this weekend by visiting all 54 rinks in the State of New Jersey in just 54 hours.

Rockies is pursuing Cabrera now

Recently according to Major League sources, the Rockies are making a push for veteran infielder Orlando Cabrera. The team have an open roster spot, and general manager Dan O'Dowd has been monitoring the market with veterans such as Cabrera, former Orioles All-Star Melvin Mora and Gold Glove Award winner Orlando Hudson. Rockies manager Jim Tracy was the Expos' bench coach and Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett was a key figure in player development when Cabrera came up with Montreal in the late 1990s.

Cabrera split last season with the Athletics and Twins and hit .284 with nine home runs and 77 RBIs. The right-handed-hitting Cabrera has spent most of his career at shortstop, but with Troy Tulowitzki entrenched at the position, Cabrera would only be seen as insurance there. He also has experience at second base, where the Rockies have Clint Barmes. Hope that he can play on the fileld in the rockies jersey.

PNC Park will host Dave Matthews Band

The Pirates announced that the Dave Matthews Band is coming to Pittsburgh to perform a July 10 concert at PNC Park. This will be the fourth major concert, not including music acts following Pirates games, that PNC Park has hosted since opening in 2001. The band's tour, which begins at the end of May and runs through September, will make two other ballpark stops as well. The Dave Matthews Band will perform in New York's Citi Field on July 16 and 17 and at Nationals Park on July 23.

The Dave Matthews Band was nominated for two Grammy Awards -- "Album of the Year" and "Best Rock Album", and will perform live at the awards ceremony this Sunday. Billboard recently named the group as the top-selling touring artist of the decade.

Feldman agrees to join in Rangers

The Rangers and Scott Feldman have agreed on a one-year deal to avoid an arbitration hearing for the right-handed pitcher. The club made the announcement at the 2010 Dr Pepper Texas Rangers Mid-Winter Awards Banquet on Friday night. Last season, Feldman went 17-8 with a 4.08 ERA in 31 starts in the rangers jersey and was named the Texas Rangers' Pitcher of the Year for 2009 by the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Earlier this week, the Rangers agreed to a one-year deal with closer Frank Francisco to avoid an arbitration hearing. Francisco, who can be a free agent after the season, agreed to a $3,265,000 contract for 2010. He has made $1,615,000 in 2009.

Ott will appear on NHL Live

Dallas Stars forward Steve Ott will be among the guests on NHL Live! scheduled from noon-2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. Also scheduled to appear to speak with co-hosts Rob Simpson and Dave Maloney are defenseman Cam Fowler, who is expected to be among the top selections in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, as well as Andy Brickley of Versus and Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Ott has 10 goals and 9 assists in 46 games in the dallas stars jersey this season. He was drafted in the first round by the club in 2000 and had a career-high 19 goals and 46 points last season.

Rangers ink with Jorge Alfaro

According to industry sources, the Rangers have signed Jorge Alfaro, a highly regarded 16-year-old catcher from Colombia. He is a right-handed hitter known for his raw power and strong arm. He is currently batting .250 with two RBIs in six games for Los Montaneros Del Sur in the Dominican Prospect League. The Phillies, Mariners, Indians, Giants and Yankees also expressed interest in this outfielder.

The Rangers, under the guidance of A.J. Preller, have been among the most aggressive teams in Latin America over the past few years, concentrating much efforts on premium players. Among the organization's top prospects are Tomas Tellis, an 18-year-old catcher from Venezuela who hit .322 in the Arizona Rookie League last summer and catcher Leonel De Los Santos, who hit .272 in 65 games at Class A Hickory last season. Hope Alfaro will put on the rangers jersey and play for the club.

Carrasco and Pirates agree to Minors deal

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Pirates agreed to a Minor League deal with reliever D.J. Carrasco, who is set to make $950,000 if he can earn up to $250,000 in performance bonuses. The five-year veteran has a career 20-16 record and a 4.45 ERA in 181 appearances with the Royals and White Sox. Carrasco became a free agent after the White Sox decided not to give him a contract.

Carrasco went 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 49 appearances in the white sox jersey in 2009. He struck out 62 batters while walking 29 in 93 1/3 innings.

D-backs deal with Qualls and Heilman

It is reported that the D-backs have avoided arbitration with a pair of players by signing relievers Chad Qualls and Aaron Heilman to one-year deals. Qualls, who will make $4.185 million this season, was the D-backs' closer in 2009, going 2-2 with 24 saves and a 3.63 ERA in 51 relief appearances. The 31-year-old eventually underwent surgery and his rehab this winter has gone well.

Heilman was acquired by the D-backs from the Cubs in November. The 31-year-old right-hander was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA and one save in 70 appearances for Chicago. Heilman ranks first among all relievers since 2005 and eighth in appearances with 349. He also pitched for the Mets from 2003-08 before joining the Cubs. Hope they can play well when they put on the diamondbacks jersey.

Beliveau suffers a stroke

According to CTV News in Montreal, Canadiens Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau has been sent to hospital after suffering a stroke. CTV News reported the Hockey Hall of Famer suffered the stroke on Wednesday night and was taken to Montreal General Hospital. It is said that Beliveau is now in the neurological department and no further details on his condition are available at this moment. A source tells that his life is not in danger.

Being one of the NHL's greatest players, Beliveau spent his entire 20 NHL seasons with the Canadiens and scored 1,219 points in 1,125 games in his canadiens jersey.

Langenbrunner is named Team USA's captain

According to the New Jersey-based Bergen Record, Jamie Langenbrunner of the New Jersey Devils will be named captain of Team USA for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Langenbrunner is a 15-year NHL veteran who has served as Devils captain for the past three seasons in new jersey devils jersey. He is a two-time Stanley Cup winner, for Dallas in 1999 and New Jersey in 2003.

"To be on the team is an honor, but if it were to happen it would definitely add to that," said Langenbrunner. "I don't think it's anything I ever dreamed of as a kid or anything like that but it's definitely something, if bestowed on me, I would take very seriously and be very honored to do." Zach Parise of the Devils and Chris Drury of the New York Rangers will be named alternate captains. Parise has never played in an Olympics but was a member of the 2004 U.S. team that won gold at the World Junior Championships.

Senators relieved Eli Wilson of his duties

Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced that the club has relieved goaltending coach Eli Wilson of his duties. "Performance of the goaltenders in the organization had everything to do with it," said Murray. "I think Eli was a hard worker and paid a lot attention to it, but for some reason, both at the NHL level and American league level, we felt that the goaltenders weren't where we thought they were going to be and where they have shown they can be." Considering a replacement for the balance of the season, Murray noted: "Hopefully, in the next week we'll have someone at least in a consulting capacity. Somebody that can have insight and give direction to our goaltenders and get them back on track to where we think they're capable of being."

Wilson joined the Senators in August 2007. He previously worked with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers, where he spent four seasons.

Jovanovski is suspended two games

The NHL announced that Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski has been suspended for two games without pay, for hitting New York Islanders center John Tavares. With 17 seconds remaining in the first period of a game, Jovanovski delivered an elbow to Tavares' head and was assessed a major penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct.

Jovanovski now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He will forfeit a lot in salary based on the number of games in a season, rather than the number of days. The money goes to the Players’Emergency Assistance Fund. Jovanovski will miss Coyotes' games against San Jose and New Jersey. He will be eligible to return Saturday against Minnesota Wild in the coyotes jersey.

Yankees' Bautista is suspended

It is reported that Yankees Minor Leaguer Rony Bautista was one of three players to receive a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball for testing positive for substances in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

According to the Commissioner's Office, Bautista, a pitcher assigned to the Dominican Summer League roster, tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone. Bautista did not play professionally for the Yankees in 2009. Pitcher Roberto Toribio of the Angels' organization and outfielder Miguel Negron of the White Sox organization were the other players who had suspensions last week. It seems that Bautista have to take off his yankees jersey for a period.

Ayala is unharmed after kidnapping

The Associated Press reported that relief pitcher Luis Ayala was unharmed during an apparent attempted kidnapping by gunmen at his home in northern Mexico. Martin Robles, a spokesman for the state prosecutor's office, said that investigators believed Ayala was the intended victim, and police prevented him from being kidnapped.

According to Robles, neither Ayala nor his family were hurt but the pitcher was found handcuffed at the home. Ayala is 29-39 with a 3.67 ERA in six big league seasons. He pitched last year for Minnesota and Florida, and signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers this winter. He was currently playing for the Culiacan Tomateros in the Mexican League.

Gonzalez signs with Japanese Yomiuri Giants

The Yomiuri Giants in Japan have signed second baseman Edgar Gonzalez, who has spent the past two seasons with the San Diego Padres. Gonzalez is the older brother of Padres star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. While the younger Gonzalez was the first player taken overall in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft by Florida, his older brother spent eight years in the Minors with several different organizations before making his big league debut with the Padres in 2008.

Gonzalez hit .216 in 82 games for San Diego in the padres jersey in 2009. According to an Associated Press report citing the team's Japanese Web site, Gonzalez said he was very excited to play for a team with such a rich tradition.

U.S. Olympian Brian Rafalski appears on NHL Live

It is said that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski (in red wings jersey), who was named as a member of the United States team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver last week, will be among the guests on Wednesday's edition of NHL Live! on the NHL Network and NHL.com.

Also appearing with hosts Rob Simpson and Stan Fischler will be NHL Radio Insider Jay Feaster, TSN's Darren Dreger, and NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. He covered the World Junior Championships, including the United States' win over Team Canada in Tuesday's gold medal game.

Phillies sign a two-year deal with Baez

A reprot said that Philadelphia Phillies had agreed to a two-year contract with right-hander Danys Baez. Baez went 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 59 appearances last season with the Baltimore Orioles. He has 114 career saves including a career-high 41 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2005. The Phillies have been looking for bullpen help since the 2009 season. Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero and Chad Durbin are the only locks for the 2010 bullpen, but Lidge and Romero are recovering from elbow surgeries.

Baez's arrival gives Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel another option. His arrival also means free-agent right-hander Chan Ho Park will not be back any more. Amaro said recently that once the Phillies sign a free-agent reliever they might have young men like Antonio Bastardo and Sergio Escalona take the remaining jobs in the bullpen. The Phillies have been interested in bringing back left-hander Scott Eyre, but a source said the Phillies have offered him only a Minor League. Eyre, who was 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 61 appearances since August 2008, has made $2 million last season. It is certain that Baez will paly well in the phillies jersey.

Cardinals might be most logical fit for All-Star outfielder

According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, agent Scott Boras has been doubling back to prospective buyers for Holliday, but it left fielder's most recent club, the Cardinals, remains the most logical fit. The Orioles surfaced recently as a possible destination for Holliday. Last Wednesday, multiple online reports indicated that the Cardinals made an offer to Holliday which was over $100 million and almost approached eight years and $140 million.

Holliday batted .353 with 13 home runs in the final 63 games of the 2009 regular season after being traded from the Athletics. His situation is almost the same as that of Mark Teixeira, when the first baseman was coming off a similar performance for the Angels. But the Yankees lands him for eight years and $180 million.

Alfredsson will be out for several weeks

Now the Ottawa Senators will march on without their captain Daniel Alfredsson, because he will be sidelined for 4 tio 6 weeks with a separated left shoulder. It means that Alfredsson will be lost to the Senators until the break for the 2010 Winter Olympics begins in February. The team is already without Jason Spezza after the Vancouver Games with a knee injury. And forward Nick Foligno is also on the shelf after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, but might resume skating this weekend.

"Very disappointing," Senators head coach Cory Clouston said in Buffalo, where his team will face against the Sabres. "It's compounded when you lose Foligno and Spezza as well, so it's not just one guy. We just need guys to step up, we need guys to pick up those minutes and play hard." Hope Alfredsson will come back to the ice in his senators jersey as soon as possible.