Isles target mid-December for DiPietro

After months of toughing it out in the eastern conference, the isles plan the return of their starting goaltender.Rick DiPietro took part in a 90-minute practice with the team Monday, according to Newsday, and an encouraged General Manager Garth Snow said if all goes well he could be playing with the team by the middle of December.DiPietro will begin his rehab assignment on Saturday with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers against Springfield."We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves,'' Snow told Newsday. "He's practicing today, he'll practice again tomorrow. Then at some point he'll do a conditioning stint in Bridgeport (AHL) and if everything goes well, I would think the middle of December.''DiPietro signed a 15-year contract with the Islanders prior to the 2006-07 season and proceeded to put up a career-best 32 victories and .919 save percentage, leading the team to its most recent playoff berth.After playing in 63 games the following season and winning 26 of them, DiPietro missed almost the entire 2008-09 season with lingering knee problems.He played three games in October before undergoing knee surgery and returned Dec. 26, 2008, against Toronto to stop 28 of 29 shots and record his only win of the season. He started again on Jan. 2, 2009, against Phoenix, allowed five goals and missed the rest of the season.Pietro said that at the moment he isn't concerning himself with a target date for his return."I've kind of really tried to put myself out of that whole thing,'' DiPietro told Newsday after Monday's practice. "I think how my knee responds and how I practice will prove to everyone involved when I'm ready to come back. I just continue to feel better, which is a positive sign. It's exciting to be back.''

Kane turns 21, embraces new outlook on life

On Thursday November 19, Patrick cane from the chicago black hawks turned 21. "I've got a lot of birthday wishes, which was good. I was expecting a bit of a prank," said Kane, who will celebrate his 21st birthday with a game against the Flames at the Pengrowth Saddledome.The 2008 Calder Trophy winner has, however, come of age a little earlier than he expected. As everyone in the hockey world knows, Kane was arrested Aug. 9 following an incident with a cab driver in Buffalo, who claimed he was assaulted after Kane and his cousin demanded 20 cents in change from a $15 fare. The third-year Blackhawk pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, but all other charges were dropped.Kane and the Blackhawks, who entered Thursday's game leading the Central Division with a 12-5-2 record, are kicking off their first major road trip of the season -- seven games -- after winning their past four on United Center ice.They're starting the junket in Western Canada, where hockey is king and the scrutiny is intense. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound right wing expects the subject of his arrest to be raised continually, and says the August altercation already has changed the way he conducts himself in public."I still feel I'm the same kid at heart. Obviously situations like that open your eyes a little bit," said Kane, who leads Chicago with 19 points, including 12 assists, through the club's first 19 games. "It was a tough situation. You never want to go through that. Obviously, the only story you guys heard was what the cab driver said."The worst kind of came out of the situation, but at the same time, I think maybe it was better that it happened sooner rather than later. You can take a positive from a bad situation. Pretty much every (situation) I treat now, when I'm out to dinner or walking down the street, I'm going to treat like it's going to be publicized, and like it's going to be put in the media."said kane. Be sure to watch the black hawks take on the flames tonight at 8.

Kings' Smyth, Scuderi to miss Wednesday's game

The Kings returned home from their five-game road trip as a bit of a battered bunch.Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi both will miss Wednesday night's home game against Philadelphia, and it seems as though Smyth might be out significantly longer.Smyth suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury sometime during the second period Tuesday night against Florida and did not play in the third period.Coach Terry Murray said Smyth would not play Wednesday, will be out "longer than that, for sure," and is scheduled to be evaluated by a team doctor Wednesday.Scuderi suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday's game at Tampa Bay and did not play Monday. Murray said Scuderi received treatment at the Kings' practice facility Tuesday and said Scuderi is "progressing, but not ready."The Kings did not practice Tuesday, but Murray said Alexander Frolov will take Smyth's place as the first-line left wing. Frolov skated on the first line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams in the third period after Smyth left the game.

Ovechkin nears closer to return

NHL superstar Alexander Ovechkin has been out for three weeks wih a shoulder injury. On Thursday ovechkin was seen at the washington Capitals non-contact practice, taking full slapshots. Something he was not able to do before thursday. However Ovechkin, out the last four games with an upper-body strain reportedly linked to his left shoulder, sounded iffy on the topic of playing this weekend."I'm getting closer, but still need probably a couple of days," Ovechkin said. "I'm excited right now to come back to the team to play. Still a couple of days, maybe."It is ore likely that he will return on Tuesday when the Capitals face off against the Rangers. Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said he first needs to hear from head athletic trainer Greg Smith that Ovechkin is ready, and then he has to make sure that he's ready."We don't play until Tuesday after (Saturday's game in New Jersey), and if those three days are going to make it 100 percent better we're going to wait the three days," Boudreau said. "We want to make sure. He's the premier player in the League. If it's two weeks that we had to lose him, than that's his All-Star break or his Olympic break. Let's let it go and when we get him healthy then hopefully he'll play the rest of the year."

Cam Ward Stays in Hospital

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward remained in the hospital after suffering a skate laceration during a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Ward is expected to miss a minimum of 3-4 weeks.  He was injures during the first period of the game, and was taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital.  He received stitches for the injury and was kept overnight, it was decided on Sunday that ward would stay overnight for precautionary reasons.  "He's stitched up but he has to stay real stable. They want to be careful about infections and those things," Carolina GM Jim Rutherford told The Canadian Press.  Ward should make a full recovery and be back in the starting line up in about a month.   

Canuck's O'brien suspended for one game

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Shane O'Brien has been suspended for one game, without pay, for an incident against the New York Rangers on Nov. 3.At 4:21 of the third period, O'Brien's stick made contact with the Rangers' Sean Avery, while both were on their respective players' benches. No penalty was assessed at the time of the incident. Based on O'briens average salary, the suspension will cost him $8,290.16. The money will go to the Players Emergency Assistance Fund. O'Brien will miss Thursday's game at Minnesota and be eligible to return Nov. 6 at Dallas. Some People are upset with the suspension. They think that he should have been served a more strict punishment. What he did was childish and very dangerous. The ends of the sticks are very sharp and he could have seriously injured Sean Avery. Also what people are upset about is the coaches blatent disregard for his players action. The incident happened right in front of the coach, and he did nothing about it.

Hockey players celebrate 100 days till winter olympics

Today started the 100 day countdown to the 2010 winter olympics that wil be held in vancouver. They marked this day by bringing soem of the top olympic athletes, past and present to rockefeller center. Thousands of adults and children gathered in the center to show their spirit during a ceremony that was held. Members of the 2010 olypic ice hockey team attended the ceremony. Along with some of the gold medal winning ice hockey team members who played in the 1960s. "It's pretty nostalgic," David Backes said, the right wing for the st.louis blues, and a 2010 U.S. olypic team hopefull. "It gives you a little bit of a glimpse on what the Games may be like as far as kids looking up to you and some of the camaraderie that you have amongst Team USA. It's been an experience and we just started the day early this morning."