The line is forming at the left for the Panthers' head coaching job. Already Pat Quinn and Perry Pearn have made it clear that they're interested in working with their pal Jacques Martin.
"Jacques knows my philosophy and he knows what I bring from a coaching and teaching perspective," Pearn tells Biggane. "I doubt anyone in the NHL has had a closer relationship with him over the years."
As for Quinn, he was Team Canada's head coach while Martin was his assistant in international tourneys. When Martin was Ottawa's head coach, Pearn was his top aide for eight years.
No less intriguing would be the name of Pearn's replacement should Perry get the Panthers' gig. How about Adam Graves, who could work with just about anybody?
The Franco-English feud never stops — even in the hockey world. Now it's Michel Brule, a Montreal publisher, beefing that too few Francophone songs were played at Bell Centre during Game Seven of the Habs-Bruins series. Brule figures six out of the ten tunes should be French!
If At First You Don't Succeed Dep't: Buffalo Sabres broadcaster and ex-NHL'er Rob Ray is suing the National Hockey League Players' Association for a second time over money allegedly owed to him during the NHL Lockout. He is accusing the union of deceiving him into settling his initial suit two years ago. Ray is seeking $2-million in punitive damages and back pay.
Overlooked in the playoff frenzy was Olie Kolzig's orderly retreat from the Washington roster. After 17 valiant years and 301 wins, the 38-year-old will consider netminding for another team if offered the job. It would be his 17th NHL campaign, each of which was marked by artistry, class and rich humor.
"I still feel that I can be a dominant goalie in this league. If the offer is not out there... I'll just sit by the pool with a six-pack," he concludes with a smile.
How smart was ESPN's decision to sign Don "Grapes" Cherry for the last two playoff rounds? Sensational would be an understatement! Exhibit A is the fact that the announcement immediately inspired a sizeable story in the Wall Street Journal, of all publications. Author Adam Thompson clearly is bullish about Cherry — and the ice game.
"The fact that ESPN wants him around says something," notes Thompson. "As does the presence of hockey playoffs near the top of SportsCenter broadcasts, after a recent past where NHL highlights might be sequestered to the hour-long show's final five minutes. Or the fact that playoff ratings continue to climb for both NBC and Versus. People are starting to watch again, and they should be. The game is as fast and fun as it's been in years, and this year's playoffs have made good use of its young stars. Names like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin continue to inch into crossover territory with each impossible deke, thread-the-needle pass and goal. A stable of second-tier stars like Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton and Pavel Datsyuk are less known nationwide, but are also spectacular. Scoring is up 10 percent over the last three seasons compared to the three before that."
In case you missed it, this Mother's Day marked the 20th anniversary of "Yellow Sunday." That was the notorious afternoon of the Bruins-Devils playoff when NHL on-ice officials refused to perform their duties following the Jim Schoenfeld-Don Koharski clash in the previous game (Repeat: Koharski was 100% wrong!).
Three off-ice officials, Jim Sullivan, Paul MacInniss and Vin Godleski, efficiently handled the tension-filled game at the Meadowlands. That noble trio still is working and playing and will never forget that remarkable day in East Rutherford.
"I aspired to the NHL since grade school, but never thought I'd finally make it as a referee at age 51," Godleski tells us. "Since Mother's Day 1988, I have continued having fun playing club hockey and refereeing a few youth games. This playoff season I was invited to play on National Championship tournament teams in three different age groups. The results were good and reassuring. The teams I played on, the Massachusetts Rusty Blades (a team for skaters over 70) and the Essex Foxes (over 50) both won silver and the Essex Hunt Club (for those over 60) won bronze. It was fun on the flooded playground in Brookline, Mass in 1942! It still is!"
My Mets Power Rankings this week have Ryan Church finally getting over that hurdle and claiming that top spot.
Dropped out of the Top-10: Mets fans. Welcome to the club: Carlos Beltran andLuis Castillo.
1) Ryan Church (LF/CF/RF) Last week: No. 2
Notes: Last week I claimed Church hadn't had an "eye-opening moment" worthy of the No. 1 ranking. Well, he must have been reading, because he turned it up another notch and now he's being rewarded for it.
2) Billy Wagner (CL) Last week: No. 1
Notes: Wager didn't allow an earned run last week, but that doesn't mean his only outing was pretty. A simple look at the stats won't show anything other than an increased WHIP, but Billy got busted up against the Reds.
3) Johan Santana (SP) Last week: No. 3
Notes: Is Santana ever going to live up to the hype? He had a less than spectacular week, but it was still better than most of the starting staff. Basically, by default, Santana claims the No. 3 spot.
4) Scott Schoeneweis (RP) Last week: No. 6
Notes: As was the case last week, Schoeneweis dominated when called upon. He hasn't given up a run since April 19 and appears to be the Mets most consistent bullpen arm.
5) Jose Reyes (SS) Last week: No. 4
Notes: From this point on down, it's a bit of a crapshoot offensively. No one has really stood out on a consistent basis, and Reyes is a perfect example of that. Last week I noted that he was on a hot streak, but assured it would turn cold. Sure enough, he promptly went 5-for-24.
Notes: There are times when Maine looks like the Mets best pitcher, and last week vs. the Dodgers was one of those times. Still, he's got a lot to prove before he can make any significant strides on this list.
8) Carlos Delgado (1B) Last week: No. 9
Notes: Two weeks in a row for Delgado? That's impressive, but I wouldn't count on his hot-streak continuing. Mr. Carlos will eventually revert back into the average hitter he's become.
9) Carlos Beltran (CF) Last week: N/A
Notes:It's about time Beltran showed up! Now he needs to continue to earn all that money. He's got a long way to go, but it's better late than never.
My Yankees Power Rankings this week have Mariano Rivera reclaiming the top spot.
Dropped out of the Top-10: Bobby Murcer. Welcome to the club: Robinson Cano and Jason Giambi.
1) Mariano Rivera (CL) Last Week: No. 3
Notes: I've asked this before, but I'll ask it again: What can you say about Rivera without repeating yourself? He had another dominating week and has yet to give up a run this season. At this point, he's too good for the word dominant.
2) Hideki Matsui (RF) Last Week: No. 5
Notes: It's time to give Matsui his due. He's been the most consistent batter for New York all season, and last week was no exception. He silently gets the job done each and every time he goes out there. What more can you ask for?
3) Chien-Ming Wang (SP) Last Week: No. 2
Notes: Wang picked up a loss last week, but it was through no fault of his own. He went heads-up with the Indians'Cliff Lee, who was able to stonewall the Yankees' offense. Still, he held his own and kept New York in the game.
4) Melky Cabrera (CF) Last Week: No. 1
Notes: Melky had a rough week, but he'd have to prolong this little mini-slump to fall out of my Top-5. Along with Matsui, he's been one of the most consistent, and arguably most valuable players this season.
5) Derek Jeter (SS) Last Week: No. 7
Notes: Jeter's production isn't exactly what it's been in the past, but he's still been able to get it done on a daily basis. He finally picked up his first homerun of the season and appears ready for a classic Jeter stretch.
6) Darrell Rasner (SP) Last Week: No. 9
Notes:Two games, two wins. Rasner is never going to strike out the park or appear unhittable, but he will give the Yankees quality outings. There is absolutely no reason to believe his success at this level is a fluke -- Rasner is the real deal.
7) Kyle Fanrsworth (RP) Last Week: No. 8
Notes: I think it's safe to assume that Farnsworth is no longer Farnsworthless. He pitched 2.2 scoreless innings last week and dropped his season ERA to an even 3.00. Whatever button Joe Girardi pushed, was the right one.
8) Johnny Damon (OF/DH) Last Week: No. 4
Notes: When Damon is on fire, he's the king of the locker room. When he struggles, he's just that creepy guy who does naked pull-ups. Last week, unfortunately, he was that creepy guy doing naked pull-ups.
9) Bobby Abreu (RF) Last Week: No. 6
Notes: The wall will not eat you, Bobby! AH! Does Abreu's fear of the wall drive anyone else insane? At this point, I would trade all of his production at the plate for a routine out up against the wall. I'm tired of him turning flyouts into doubles or triples.
T-10) Robinson Cano (2B) Last Week: N/A
Notes: Robbie! I've been anxiously awaiting the moment I could put Cano on the Top-10. And after a solid week, I am finally able to do so. Robbie is currently riding a six-game hit streak (8-for-22) and it's beginning to look like he's gotten his stroke back.
T-10) Jason Giambi (1B) Last Week: N/A
Notes: This list would not have been complete if I didn't add Giambi. Like Cano, he finally snapped out of it last week and really turned it up a notch. And while I don't have much faith that this hot-streak will continue, I can't deny him a spot on theTop-10 list.
Can the Mets continue their dominance over the Nationals? Will the weather be a blessing or a curse? What roster moves need to be made to create room for Matt Wise? How do things happening behind-the-scenes and off-the-field impact the team?
External Factor No. 1: Will the weather create or eliminate a rotation issue?
Thanks to Friday's rainout, the Mets were forced to use both Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey in a day-night doubleheader Saturday, creating a hole in the rotation for Wednesday night's game. And according to weather.com, the forecast in Flushing calls for rain throughout the afternoon today.
The Mets can either use Pelfrey on short rest or pull Jorge Sosa or Aaron Heilman out of the bullpen for a spot start -- none of which are ideal moves.
As Mike Puma of the New York Post writes:
"A postponement tonight not only would allow the rotation to fall back into place, it would let Santana pitch Friday in the Subway Series opener against the Yankees."
Matt Wise is ready to be activated from the disabled list, and for Joe Smith -- the only reliever in the Mets' bullpen with options left -- that means a demotion back to Triple-A New Orleans.
"Smith should be here. The only run he allowed to score was on a broken bat base hit, not grand slams like Sosa gives up. All the talk about making the pen stronger will be weakened by that thirty something, or should I say next to nothing."
Is taking Smith out of the mix really an effective baseball decision, or is it purely a financial matter? Only the Mets' front office knows for sure.
How does the Yankees-heavy crowd in Tampa Bay affect the balance of power at Tropicana Field? Will yesterday's rain-out in Detroit hurt New York's focus? And will the warming seat of General Manager Brian Cashman draw some attention away from the playing field? How do things happening behind-the-scenes and off-the-field impact the team?
External Factor No. 1: Home field advantage?
The Yankees are known for selling out stadiums across the country, but when they play in St. Petersburg, Florida, the crowd is rarely out to get them. In fact, it's the Rays that usually find themselves on the wrong side of the hooting and hollering.
Thanks in large part to their many facilities in the state of Florida, the Yankees have become just as popular there as they are right here in New York. And over the years, it has gotten to the point where the majority of fans only turn out when the Bronx Bombers come to town.
Some Yankees, namely Derek Jeter, love to be booed. Much of their motivation is derived from the heckling of opposing fans. However, many others love to be cheered and welcome it with open arms. So every time New York travels to Florida, they are met with a bit of a mixed bag. Unfortunately for the Rays, it's quite the opposite, and feeling alone in their own ballpark has to be mentally tough to accept.
External Factor No. 2: Losing a rhythm ...
If you're a fan of the New York Yankees, then you don't need me to tell you that weather has not been kind to them over the last few years. You also don't need me to tell you that many players on this team are creatures of habit and that a single hiccup in their schedule could send them spiraling into a slump for quite some time.
Had Mike Mussina been scheduled to pitch yesterday, the rain out would have been a little more disconcerting. However, since Andy Pettitte was slated for the start, it's unlikely that the starting staff will face any adverse effects of the postponement.
Still, the Yankees have been known to really toss up a few stinkers following an unexpected weather delay.
External Factor No. 3: Is Cashman on coals?
It's that time of year again! The Yankees aren't 10-games over .500, they aren't leading the AL East and they aren't scoring 12 or more runs per game. So that means it's "hot seat" time.
Filling his yearly role on the warm chair is General Manager Brian Cashman, who appears to be accompanied byJason Giambi this time around. And while Giambi was a legitimate question mark prior to last week, I again struggle to find solid reason for dragging Cashman down this worn-out tunnel.
What sort of distraction will this cause, if any? It's hard to say. This cycle continues year in and year out; it's like a broken record. By now, most Yankees players and personnel have gotten used to it, but when the bosses go looking for someone to blame, watch out!
The New York Knicks have agreed in principle with Mike D'Antoni to become the next head coach of the team. A press conference will be scheduled upon the completion of the contract.
Here are the reactions to the move across the web:
My broadcast partner Steve Cangialosi and I were impressed by the way the Red Bulls struck back after the equalizing goal and by the way they neutralized both David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
Watch what coach Juan Carlos Osorio, and the goal scorers, Angel and Borman, had to say about the big victory by CLICKING HERE.
TODAY'S HOT TOPIC:
The Franco-English feud never stops — even in the hockey world. Now it's Michel Brule, a Montreal publisher, 
External Factor No. 1: Home field advantage?
External Factor No. 2: Losing a rhythm ...
External Factor No. 3: Is Cashman on coals?
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