NHL NOTES

With temperatures in the high 90s, let's cool off on the ice! Wow, that was a cheesy opening.

Jeremy Roenick almost retired because he couldn't get his skates sharpened to his liking in L.A. No, I'm not kidding. What a moron.

Neil Smith was the GM for the Islanders for about a weekend before being fired this week. What a disaster that team is.

Oh well, I used to root for Peca, but now I won't. Hey, but we've got a new reason to root against the Stars: #88!

Oh, and the NHL has introduced NHL Connect, which is like MySpace for hockey fans. Whoop-de-fucking-doo.

And like the MLB has the "walk-off homer", the NHL wants the media to call an OT winner a "skate-off goal". Ugh.

TOMORROW: THE OPEN PREVIEW!