Maloney in Calgary; Islanders make play for Vesey (Puck Headlines)

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at [email protected].

• Alexa Lemieux, daughter of Mario Lemieux, presents Drake with a jersey signed by her dad at a concert in Consol Energy Center. [Drake]

• NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that streamlined goaltending equipment is still “a work in progress.” It likely won’t be used in the World Cup of Hockey. [Sportsnet]

• The Calgary Flames have hired former Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney as a pro scout. Maloney used to work with Flames general manager Brad Treliving when Treliving was with the Coyotes organization. [Matchsticks and Gasoline]

• Maloney said that his firing by the Coyotes was “not unexpected.” [Arizona Republic]

• The parent company of the iconic hockey brand Bauer has been accused of fraud and stock market manipulation. [TSN]

• David Conte has been hired as a pro scout for the Las Vegas NHL team. Conte was a longtime member of the New Jersey Devils. [Review-Journal]

• Are the New York Islanders a serious player for the services of Jimmy Vesey? Captain John Tavares was part of a contingent that met with Vesey. [Lighthouse Hockey]

•  The ownership of the Nashville Predators unveiled plans for major upgrades to Bridgestone Arena. [Nashville Post]

• Why P.K. Subban could be the next captain of the Nashville Predators. [Today’s Slapshot]

• What are the biggest questions for the eight teams in the World Cup of Hockey? [ESPN]

• Five restricted free agent deals that led to bigger NHL trades, such as Adam Graves signing with the New York Rangers. [The Hockey News]

• Bettman was mum on criticism from U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal on the NHL’s handling of head injuries. [CP via Yahoo!]

•  The family of hockey great Gordie Howe wants to return Mr. Hockey to his home. A city official says the family has requested that the cremated remains of Howe and his wife Colleen be interred at the base of a statue that honors him in Saskatoon. [CP via Yahoo!]

• U.S. and Canadian women Under-22 and Under-18 teams are playing in a series, which started Wednesday night. [Color of Hockey]

• Defending the Detroit Red Wings playoff streak and what it means to the organization and fans: “I feel many of us have lost the way in terms of appreciating the streak and it’s kind of unfairly being blamed as a detriment where it doesn’t have to be. As a fan looking forward to watching what might be the least-competitive Red Wings team of the last 30 years, I’m still only at a point where I’m willing to gamble with the streak rather than outright abandon it.” [Winging it in Motown]

• The St. Louis Blues are counting on forward Robby Fabbri, defenseman Colton Parayko and goaltender Jake Allen to step up for some of the team’s departed veterans. [NHL]

•  Radim Vrbata was exactly the type of player the Edmonton Oilers needed. The veteran winger recently signed with the Arizona Coyotes. [Oilers Nation]

• It was a big day for the Kuhnhackl family. Tom brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Landshut where the success story of him and his father began. [IIHF Worlds]

• How many statistics do you need to evaluate a forward’s 5-on-5 performance? [NHL Numbers]

• Catching up with New York Islanders prospect Mathew Barzal about his goals for the upcoming season. [SNY]

• The New York Rangers have signed college free agent John Gilmour from Providence. [Blueshirt Banter]

• Should the Montreal Canadiens think about signing Alex Tanguay as a solution for their scoring woes? [Habs Eyes on the Prize]

• Washington Capitals restricted free agent defenseman Dmitry Orlov will play in the World Cup of Hockey for Russia, even if he hasn’t signed an NHL contract by that point. [Washington Post]

• Who will be the Las Vegas NHL team’s celebrity superfan? [Run Rebs]

• Former Dallas Stars announcer Ralph Strangis has found a new passion in theater. [Dallas Morning News]

• Finally, Check out Tyler Toffoli’s baseball skills.