Afternoon greetings Caniacs! Jennifer has already given you some Monday Morsels as an appetizer this week and I will continue to give you some stories to munch on today. Maybe by Wednesday we will be able to work up to a couple of pasta bars and a carving station just like at all those weddings you are forced to attend in the Spring! It may be the off-season, but Cardiac Cane will not let you go hungry for hockey news.
In case you missed the announcement yesterday, the Hurricanes signed 24 year-old restricted free agent Jiri Tlusty to a two-year, $3.2 million contract. Tlusty will get $1.5 million next season and $1.7 million for 2013-2014. Here is the official press release. More details can be found from Chip Alexander of the News and Observer here. Tlusty’s career with the Canes had gotten off to a slow, injury-plagued start but he was finally finding his groove at the end of this season providing support on the first line to Eric Staal. He finished 4th on the team in points with 36, comprised of 17 goals and 19 helpers. I know KP jumped on the “Tlusty Train” earlier in the season and became a believer. I have not yet come all aboard, but if he continues to play like he did this season and consistently improves, I will be queuing up to buy a ticket.
Blueliner Jamie McBain, another restricted free agent, is under the watch and wait category for news concerning his contract negotiations. In the press conference following the team exit interviews, President and General Manager Jim Rutherford mentioned that McBain’s contract was something they were trying to work out in time for him to play in the IIHF World Championships which start the preliminary rounds on May 4th. The complete schedule can be found here. The only update I have now is that McBain has been tweeting about his sunburn.
"@jbain4 When will I learn I can’t beat the sun. #burnt #mixinsomesunscreen"
Any contract negotiations should come with some coupons or a map to the local Walgreens to get some sun protection for our boys from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. For more information on players’ contract status check out the contract chart put together by Michael Smith on the official Hurricanes’ site. It gives a great visual representation of the contract situation for the team.
Speaking of the World Championships, Jussi Jokinen has been playing some preliminary games since returning to Finland. I had a link for you Caniacs shared by my friend from Finland, but it is not working at this time, and frankly Google Translate mangled the content. She reports that as of this past Sunday he played in two contests against Belarus earning a helper in the first game and getting the game-winning goal in the second in, you guessed it, the shootout! The Juice is loose! To see a photo of the Juice suited up for Team Suomi head over to this link.
In NHL news the nominees for the Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication have been announced. The nominees are Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens and Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators. General Manager of the Year nominations have been made as well, and it’s no surprise that the men on the ballot are Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues, David Poile of the Nashville Predators, and Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers.
Another team was eliminated from the playoffs last night as the Chicago Blackhawks fell to the Phoenix Coyotes who are in their first post-season run since the team relocated from Winnipeg in 1996. While I am a Blackhawks fan, it’s nice to see the Coyotes (sans Raffi Torres) having success. Like lots of Caniacs, I still miss former Cane and Phoenix glue guy Ray Whitney. It wouldn’t be so bad for the Wizard to win another cup would it?
Concerned about Jamie McBain’s sunning habits? How do you feel about the Tlusty contract? Will you be watching the World Championships? Leave us a comment!
To witness my “How can I like Claude Giroux when he is a FLYER?” dilemma follow me on Twitter:@Esbee92. The rest of the Cardiac Cane gang are getting their tweets on at: @CardiacCaneFS, @peacelovepuck, @caniac176 and @CaniacCaz. Find us on Facebook at CardiacCane.