Andrew Luck waited a year before entering the NFL draft, and he might need to wait a while longer before his professional career gets into full swing.

Stanford’s academic calendar provides an interesting logistical hurdle for the likely No. 1 overall draft pick. Because Luck is an early entrant into the draft and has not yet graduated, and because his school is on the quarter system, he’ll have to wait until he finishes finals to report. The league confirmed that to NFL Network on Friday morning.

The one exception made under the policy is for a club’s rookie minicamp. The Indianapolis Colts, who are widely expected to take Luck, have one scheduled for May 4-6.

The real dates to watch are June 12-14, when the Colts have their full-squad minicamp, the last team activity before training camp kicks off in mid-summer. Stanford’s finals are scheduled to be held June 8-13. It is expected that Luck would be ready in time for that minicamp, according to sources. However, his availability for the three organized team activities — scheduled for May 17, May 24 and June 6 — would be up in the air.

Luck is taking two classes during Stanford’s spring quarter, and upon their completion will graduate with a degree in architectural design.

Indianapolis has been down this road before, and managed the situation creatively. In 2007, the Colts selected Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio State fourth-year junior, with their first-round pick. Ohio State, like Stanford, is on the quarter system, so Gonzalez couldn’t report until mid-June. So then-quarterback Peyton Manning went to the receiver, taking it upon himself to drive the three hours to Columbus to teach the rookie the offense.

The Colts have not yet publicly committed to taking Luck, insisting that Robert Griffin III is still under consideration by the club’s new brass, headed by general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano.

The team can sign Luck, or Griffin, at any point between now and the draft.

Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @AlbertBreer.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: School schedule could complicate start of Luck’s pro career.

Andrew Luck waited a year before entering the NFL draft, and he might need to wait a while longer before his professional career gets into full swing.

Stanford’s academic calendar provides an interesting logistical hurdle for the likely No. 1 overall draft pick. Because Luck is an early entrant into the draft and has not yet graduated, and because his school is on the quarter system, he’ll have to wait until he finishes finals to report. The league confirmed that to NFL Network on Friday morning.

The one exception made under the policy is for a club’s rookie minicamp. The Indianapolis Colts, who are widely expected to take Luck, have one scheduled for May 4-6.

The real dates to watch are June 12-14, when the Colts have their full-squad minicamp, the last team activity before training camp kicks off in mid-summer. Stanford’s finals are scheduled to be held June 8-13. It is expected that Luck would be ready in time for that minicamp, according to sources. However, his availability for the three organized team activities — scheduled for May 17, May 24 and June 6 — would be up in the air.

Luck is taking two classes during Stanford’s spring quarter, and upon their completion will graduate with a degree in architectural design.

Indianapolis has been down this road before, and managed the situation creatively. In 2007, the Colts selected Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio State fourth-year junior, with their first-round pick. Ohio State, like Stanford, is on the quarter system, so Gonzalez couldn’t report until mid-June. So then-quarterback Peyton Manning went to the receiver, taking it upon himself to drive the three hours to Columbus to teach the rookie the offense.

The Colts have not yet publicly committed to taking Luck, insisting that Robert Griffin III is still under consideration by the club’s new brass, headed by general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano.

The team can sign Luck, or Griffin, at any point between now and the draft.

Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @AlbertBreer.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: School schedule could complicate start of Luck’s pro career.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more tennis news see: Chilean Gonzalez plays last match of career.

NASHVILLE — The first and the fourth picks in the 1999 Entry Draft were forwards from the Czech Republic.

Predators right wing Martin Erat, a Czech native who was taken in that draft, has 454 points in 677 career games — an impressive haul — and has proven himself incredibly consistent in his 10 seasons. Of late, he is one of the hottest players in the League, with 29 points (9 goals, 20 assists) in his last 31 games, helping to power his team near the top of the League standings, where Nashville entered the day tied for fifth with Pittsburgh.

But back in ’99, Erat was selected by Nashville in the seventh round, 190 players after Atlanta took Patrik Stefan first and 187 after Carolina took Pavel Brendl. Stefan’s career ended after seven NHL seasons in which he totaled 188 points in 455 games and he never scored more than 14 goals in a season. Brendl played only 78 games with totals of 11 goals and 11 assists.

To Erat, who measured only 5-foot-8 or 5-9 when he was drafted and missed five months during his draft year because of a broken leg, it’s simply proof that 18 is too young for NHL teams to pick players.

“Before the lockout they always drafted big guys,” Erat said. The growth “just happened. I was a surprise. I got (to the NHL) the hard way and that’s the way it is.”

In an organization like Nashville’s in which consistency and continuity are prized — Barry Trotz is the only coach in franchise history and David Poile the only general manager — Erat stands as examples of those traits in a player.

Beginning in 2003-04 — the first season that Nashville made the playoffs — Erat’s points totals show little in the way of vacillation: 49, 49, 57, 57, 50, 49 and 50. He’s a bankable quantity. This season, he has 17 goals and 35 assists for 52 points in 61 games, which puts him on a pace for a career-best 63 points despite missing eight of the team’s first nine games.

Trotz explained why, in his view, Erat is able to remain so consistent.

“He’s got a really good inner spirit, a competitive spirit that pushes him to that level every year,” Trotz said. “He’s a real underrated player. You talk about a player that no one talks about in the National Hockey League, Martin Erat might be that guy.”

Erat said that as a young player, he tried to learn from the work habits of Paul Kariya, who played two seasons in Nashville, arriving when Erat was 24 and had only two full seasons in the League under his belt. Even Peter Forsberg made an impression during his short stay.

“Every game I’m playing, I’m just trying to prepare myself as best as I can,” Erat said. “I learn from the best. We had Paul Kariya here. We had Peter Forsberg here and I just try to take the best from them. I look at them like how they prepare, how they play the games. That was my lesson for my NHL life. I think it makes me better.”

While Erat might be a well-kept secret, so might his entire line. With Sergei Kostitsyn at left wing and Mike Fisher at center, it’s possible that all three can finish with 20 goals, 50 points and a rating of at least plus-12. Fisher already has 21 goals, tied for best on the team. Since coming together around Jan. 1, the members of the line are averaging almost a point per game. Kostitsyn has 11 goals and 12 assists in his last 25 games. Fisher has 13 goals and 13 assists in his last 29 games.

In addition to being the team’s top offensive line, it also can double as a checking line. Trotz likes to match them up against other teams’ top lines. All three kill penalties.

“I think any time, to me, you play with offensive guys, you always get chances and it’s fun,” Fisher said. “I like to play at both ends of the ice and we try to be responsible defensively. And Marty’s an all-around guy who can play at that and with the skill of those two guys, we’ve kind of created a fun line.”

The line has been so productive that Trotz refused to break it up after Nashville acquired Kostitsyn’s brother Andrei from Montreal at Feb. 27-s trade deadline. (He does pair the brothers on the power play quite successfully.)

Fisher said that Erat has “sneaky speed” and is “shifty, too.”

“He does a real good job of delaying the puck and making plays back, cutting wide and finding space,” Fisher said.

Those are the kind of moves that Erat’s Czech countryman Jaromir Jagr also likes to make. Like many players of Erat’s generation — Czech or otherwise — Jagr was his favorite growing up. Erat has twice played on Czech Olympic teams with Jagr, but as both are right wings, they don’t get to play on the ice at the same time. Erat marvels at how Jagr can still be so productive at age 40.

It’s been almost 13 years since Erat was drafted so far behind those other two Czech players back in ’99. That mantra of getting him to the NHL the hard way has carried him far and he hopes it will carry his team even farther this season.

“This year we got more guys who are working, got their working shoes on, and they work every single game,” Erat said. “This NHL, this new NHL, you have to come every single game. If you don’t play (well) for 10 games, you can have a snowball right away. That’s what’s good about this team. Even if you’re losing first or second period, we’re still in the game and that gives you a chance every single game.”

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NHL news see: Consistency, competitive spirit mark Erat’s career.

Sun Devil dropping hoops to pursue football career

Posted by John Taylor on March 11, 2012, 1:01 PM EDT

After two years as a member of the Arizona State basketball team, Chanse Creekmur is leaving both the sport and the school.

The 6-7, 205-pound forward confirmed to the Arizona Republic that he will transfer from the Sun Devils to pursue a career in football at the collegiate level. Creekmur is from Marshalltown, Iowa, and wants to transfer to a school closer to his hometown.

“I’m just having a change of heart,” Creekmur said. “It’s just something I want to do, to see if I can still play or not,” Creekmur told the paper. “I want to see how far I can go because my recruiting caught up late (in high school). I’ve always loved playing football.”

Creekmur had verbally committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball program in August of 2008 before signing with the Sun Devils in April of 2010. At the time of his signing a hoops Letter of Intent, it was noted by Rivals.com that Creekmur had “considered playing Division I football as a quarterback.”

As a senior at Marshalltown High School, Creekmur quarterbacked his team to an appearance in the 2009 state title game. According to the Marshalltown Times-Republican, Creekmur “set single-season Class 4A records in completions, yardage and passing touchdowns” that year.

He was pursued by smaller programs as a football player coming out of high school, the Republic wrote.

How much if any interest Creekmur, who said he would be open to being a two-sport player at his new school, will garner from Div. 1-A programs remains to be seen.

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MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more college football news see: Sun Devil dropping hoops to pursue football career.

Kim English makes a valid point when addressing the size deficiency his Missouri Tigers face when facing physically imposing teams such as Baylor and Kansas.

“They have to match up with us,” Mizzou’s 6-foot-5 senior power forward (yes, power forward) said. “It’s a reciprocal effect. I’ve got to battle a 6-foot-9 guy, but then they have to chase me around off screens … I’ll take quickness over size any day.”

It’s still difficult for me to buy into the fact that this undersized group of perimeter guys (and its lone threat in the paint, Ricardo Ratliffe) is in position not only to win the Big 12, but also stand as a legitimate threat to earn a No. 1 seed when the brackets are unveiled next month. Sure, there’s still seven regular-season games and the league tournament remaining, but this is a group that has gone 22-2 overall and 9-2 in conference play.

And has knocked off both Kansas and Baylor.

English said that, as much as anything, it’s the senior leadership and chemistry that has played into this team thriving while a near-identical group from a year ago struggled.

“It was abysmal last year,” English said. “We had too much freedom. Now we have structure.

“We trust each other. And we trust our coach. We buy in — and we defend.”

English has heaped plenty of praise on new coach Frank Haith, who would have coached the Baltimore native at Miami if not for DeQuan Jones committing the weekend prior to his visit to Florida.

“I remember the call,” English said. “I was supposed to visit Miami the next weekend, but he called me and said they got a commitment from a highly rated guy out of Georgia. He basically told me he didn’t need me anymore.”

But now the pair are a perfect fit. Both have revitalized their careers with one another, English regaining his focus after a brutal junior campaign and Haith getting a new lease on life after being on the verge of being let go at Miami.

“As horrible as last year was for me and for the team, it was a blessing,” English said. “It opened my eyes to how team success will give you what you want individually.”

Memphis hasn’t been able to win the Conference USA over the past few years. How the heck is Josh Pastner going to win — really win — in the Big East?

Those in Memphis are celebrating the fact that their beloved Tigers are heading to the Big East in 2013 and while that league won’t be what it has been (Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia will be history by the time Memphis arrives), it’s difficult to imagine a scenario that has Memphis edging out the Marquette’s, Georgetown’s and Louisville’s for conference championships.

Pastner is having a difficult enough time with the Southern Misses, Marshalls, Tulsas and Central Floridas in C-USA.

It was a no-brainer for the Big East, a league in desperate need of another marquee program after swapping out the Jim Boeheim, Jamie Dixon and Bob Huggins with Donnie Jones (Central Florida), James Dickey (Houston) and Matt Doherty (SMU).

But this fan base will need to lower its expectations.

Sure, the Big East isn’t all-powerful as it’s been in recent years. But there aren’t many “easy outs” in the league — as has been the case in C-USA. The top of the Big East certainly won’t be as powerful and intimidating, but bottom teams such as Rutgers and Providence are improving — and Villanova shouldn’t be down for long.

Memphis fans will finally get to see some of the big boys come into the FedEx Forum.

But would they prefer to watch wins over East Carolina and Tulane — or losses against Marquette and Louisville?

I think I know the answer.

Draymond Green didn’t sleep much, maybe 10 minutes here and 15 there.

He was worried the knee injury he suffered late in the loss to Illinois might be one that ended his college career prematurely. The well-wishing calls and texts — including one from Purdue’s Robbie Hummel — came in after everyone saw Green limp off the court and unable to return against the Ilini.

“I tried to keep a positive mind, but I slept about an hour that night,” Green said. “It was awful. I was so nervous.”

Then Green went in for an MRI a week ago and the big wide smile returned when he was told it was nothing serious. Just a sprain.

Not only did Green return against rival Michigan, a matchup that has given him fits throughout his career, but he played one of the best games of his career. He finished with 14 points and outrebounded the entire Michigan team, 16-15.

“It’s about time,” Green laughed. “They had my number. The last few games against them had been tough on me individually.”

Green and the Spartans (18-5, 7-3 Big Ten) are only one game in the loss column behind first-place Ohio State. He hears everyone handing the Buckeyes the league crown, but with two games against Jared Sullinger & Co. left, he still thinks his team has a shot.

“We’ve got to go take it,” Green said. “We know they’re up one, but we’ve got a shot.”

The key?

“We need to improve offensively,” he said. “Make sure we don’t go through droughts. Our defense has been great. We’re defending and rebounding, but we need to execute better on the offensive end.”

Just imagine how tough that would have been without Green.

Reggie Johnson isn’t jealous.

Miami’s big man has watched his former coach, Frank Haith, get plenty of accolades at his new spot in Columbia, Mo., as the Hurricanes have struggled to get into the NCAA tournament picture.

“I knew he was going to win there,” Johnson said. “He’s done a heck of a job and I’m proud of him. He gave me a shot to play in the ACC at Miami. “Fans were tired of him here. It was good for us and good for him to get a chance to start over.”

Now Johnson, who missed the first part of the season because of injury, is doing his best to get the Hurricanes (14-7, 5-3 ACC) into the NCAA tournament for the first time since he’s been in college. He had 27 points and a dozen boards in Miami’s road win at Cameron against Duke on Sunday.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re in now,” Johnson said. “That would be foolish. Our mindset is that we’re not in yet — and we still have a lot more work to do. We are one step closer and that’s our goal.”

Miami’s strength was believed to be on the perimeter, but it was Johnson and frontcourt mate Kenny Kadji who combined for 42 points and 20 boards in the win over the Blue Devils. The Hurricanes won despite leading scorer Malcolm Grant finishing with only two points on 1-of-9 shooting.

“We’re getting closer, but we still haven’t arrived yet,” Johnson said.

I’m starting the push for Nerlens Noel in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

It’s not often that I go back to my roots and throw some recruiting info in here, but it’s also not often that guys like Noel come around.

Noel, a Massachusetts native who has spent the past couple years at Tilton School (N.H.), made news last week when he told ESPN.com’s recruiting guru (and my former colleague) Dave Telep he’d be re-classifying into the Class of 2012.

The 6-foot-10 Noel is a game-changer and the most potent shot-blocker I’ve seen come through the high school or college ranks.

He made the decision to go back into the Class of 2012 (he went into 2013 after missing all but five games of his sophomore season at Everett High) after the voting deadline had passed for the McDonald’s Game.

“I know I made the decision after everyone had already voted and I understand,” Noel told me on Sunday. “It’s been a dream of mine forever to play in the McDonald’s game and if they feel I’m worthy, I’d love to play in the game. I don’t want to take anyone’s spot, but I’d love to be in the game.”

Noel immediately moves into the top spot in many recruiting analysts eyes in the Class of 2012 and should be added to the prestigious game.

As far as his recruitment is concerned, he told CBSSports.com he’ll visit Providence this week, go to Syracuse for an unofficial this weekend and take a trip to Kentucky the following weekend (Feb. 17-18). He is also considering Georgetown, North Carolina and Florida.

Maybe Shaka Smart and the VCU Rams weren’t a fluke.

Smart, after losing a ton off last year’s out-of-nowhere Final Four team, has quietly made VCU way into a player for the CAA title. Remember, this was a team that finished in fourth place in the conference a year ago, but earned one of the final at-large spots and wound up shocking the nation in going from the inaugural First Four to the Final Four.

VCU is now in a three-way tie with Drexel and George Mason at 11-2 in conference play with Old Dominion a game back at 10-3.

“I think everyone expected Drexel and George Mason to be there,” Smart said. “They haven’t disappointed and people were waiting to see us and ODU since we were both young. A lot of people doubted us with what we lost, but we’ve both put ourselves in position.”

The next few weeks will be telling with two games against George Mason and a road contest against Old Dominion.

Smart said that this year’s team doesn’t shoot nearly as well as the veteran group from last season, so the Rams have hung their hat on defense.

“We could bang in 3s and outscore people,” Smart said. “We haven’t shot it bad; just not as well. But we’re a much better defensive team.”

Each week we talk to an NBA executive who gives us his off-the-record thoughts on a player he has seen recently. This week we take a look at Florida’s group:

“Everyone seems to be talking about Austin Rivers and Jeremy Lamb as the top two-guards on the board, but I’d go with [Bradley] Beal. He can really shoot it from deep, has a high IQ and also makes good decisions with the ball in his hands. He’s got a good frame and will be able to come into our league and physically handle it right away. He rebounds extremely well for someone his size and also has a terrific demeanor. I’m not quite sure of the Ray Allen comparisons that have been thrown out there because he’s not an automatic shooter by any means at the college level, but he’ll be a more well-rounded overall player than Ray Allen. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t go in the lottery whenever he chooses to leave.”

“Patric Young is overrated. I wouldn’t take him in the first round this year, especially with all the big guys that will be available. I’m not sure who had him as a lottery pick coming into the season, but they obviously didn’t watch him. The kid looks the part physically and he plays hard most of the time, but he’s so limited offensively. He’s improved, but he’s still not a threat in the post. The other thing that worries me is that he’s not a dominant rebounder and for someone with his frame and lack of skill, he needs to be averaging double-digit rebounds. He’s a guy that needs to stay in school and work on his skill-set.”

“The guy that I think has a chance to play in our league that few talk about is Erik Murphy. He’s every bit of 6-10 and can really step out and shoot it. He’s a smart player who is a tough match-up. He’s not a great athlete, but if you can stroke it like he can and you possess that size and length, I think there’s a place for you in the league. He needs to become a better rebounder and defender, I think he’ll be a second-rounder who has a chance to stick.”

Rising

Notre Dame: The Irish have reeled off four straight against teams that could all wind up in the NCAA tournament. Mike Brey seems to do his best coaching jobs after losing his best player.

Tyler Zeller: We all overlook the veteran North Carolina 7-footer. We gush about John Henson’s defense, Harrison Barnes’ ability to shoot from the perimeter and Kendall Marshall’s distributing ability. However, Zeller has been the model of consistency of late, averaging 17.8 points and 9.8 rebounds over the past eight games.

Travon Woodall: No one’s stock has risen higher because of his team’s performance with him on and off the court. Woodall is finally healthy and Pittsburgh has won four straight to climb back into the NCAA tournament picture.

Falling

Seton Hall: At one time, not all that long ago, Kevin Willard’s team appeared a lock to make the NCAA tournament. Now the Pirates have lost six straight and are 4-7 in Big East play. They had better stop the bleeding — soon.

Purdue: Robbie Hummel is having trouble finding his shot, Lewis Jackson’s back is hurting and Matt Painter can’t get anything from his big men. After a home loss this past weekend to Indiana and a close call at Ohio State, the Boilermakers may need to win five of their final eight Big Ten games for Hummel & Co. to go dancing.

Patric Young: Florida’s big man needs another year in college. He’s dealt with tendinitis in his ankle and is also trying to learn how to play hard all the time. The last two games, leading up to a 12-point, four-rebound performance against Kentucky, he scored a total of seven points and grabbed nine rebounds.

• My top half-dozen candidates for Coach of the Year? Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, San Diego State’s Steve Fisher, Missouri’s Frank Haith, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Georgetown’s John Thompson III and Murray State’s Steve Prohm.

• There are nine teams still unbeaten in league play: Long Beach State (Big West), Utah Valley (Great West), Harvard (Ivy), Murray State (Ohio Valley), Bucknell (Patriot), Kentucky (SEC), UT-Arlington (Southland), Mississippi Valley State (SWAC) and Saint Mary’s (11-0).

• On the flip side, there are a dozen teams without a win in conference action: Binghamton (America East), Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun), Texas Tech (Big 12), UC Davis (Big West), Loyola (Ill.) (Horizon), Dartmouth (Ivy), South Carolina State (MEAC), Boise State (Mountain West), Tennessee-Martin (Ohio Valley), Navy (Patriot), Santa Clara (WCC) and San Jose State (WAC).

• Saturday just might be the best day of college hoops all year. I’ll be one of the matchups involving a pair of Top 25 teams: San Diego State at UNLV. Baylor heads to Missouri, Michigan State goes to Ohio State, Virginia is at UNC, Kentucky is at Vandy, UConn travels to Syracuse, Wichita State and Creighton play in Omaha, Harvard faces Princeton on the road and Louisville is at West Virginia. Loaded.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more college basketball news see: Good ‘n Plenty: Haith, English perfect fit; each rejuvenates career at Mizzou.

Of all the numbers that serve to encapsulate the impressive 20-year hockey career of Ray Whitney, here are three that might surprise even the most observant NHL followers:

Two, two and 38.

Whitney has been waived twice in his career — once after just nine games by his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers.

Whitney has been bought out of his contract twice — once in Carolina a few years after leading the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup.

But as he laces up his skates for the 1,191st time in the NHL tonight in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, where his one-year stint with the Red Wings ended with one of those “it’s not you, it’s us” buyouts almost eight years ago, the impish, 39-year-old winger stands just 38 points shy of the 1,000-point mark in his career.

And the man they call “The Wizard” is on a scoring pace that makes that milestone possible by the end of the season.

Only 78 skaters have reached 1,000 points in NHL history, a club that is becoming harder and harder to join.

“The 1,000 points is a big number for a lot of people. That list includes some of the greatest players of all-time,” Whitney said. “I don’t think it’s going to get me in the Hall of Fame. I think Wayne Gretzky got to 1,000 points when he was 23, so … but it means a lot to me, and I think fewer and fewer players will get there with the way the game has changed.”

Not surprisingly, Whiney was bypassed for selection to the NHL All-Star Game on Thursday. He’s played in two previously and admitted, while he would have been honored to be picked, the extended break is welcome after the Coyotes endured a brutal schedule over the last six weeks.

But there is sufficient evidence to suggest the decision amounts to another snub for a guy who signed his first NHL contract on the hood of his car more than two decades ago:

* Whitney collected both his 350th career goal and 600th assist weeks apart earlier this season. And at an age where many players are either hanging on or watching from the sidelines, Whitney is a major contributor to a Phoenix team that would have a hard time without him.

* On a team with All-Star defenseman Keith Yandle, Whitney leads the Coyotes in assists with 22. On a team with 20-goal scorer Radim Vrbata, Whitney leads the team in points with 36 and is tied in power-play goals (4) and plus/minus (plus-12).

* And on a Coyotes team where offensive skill is in short supply, Phoenix coach Dave Tippett uses Whitney like a pair of jumper cables to get other slumping forwards in need of a spark back on track.

“I can say a lot of good things about Ray Whitney, but the best is that he makes all the players around him better,” Tippett said. “He makes the plays that other players try to make. The difference is, he makes them. We don’t have any stars on our team, but he’s the guy who has that type of skill level, and he’s unselfish. He’s a very important player for us.”

Whitney is also a go-to player off the ice — a must-stop for both home and visiting media for the latest quip or carve on a teammate, all done with a straight face … and then a wink. Television viewers know Whitney will skate behind any on-ice interview, working his contorted mug into every shot and play the “Where’s Whitney?” game.

“It’s me being me, but I’ve been around long enough to know when it’s appropriate and even a good joke at a bad time isn’t appreciated,” Whitney said. “We have a great room — Yandle and (Adrian) Aucoin are right there with me — but when it’s time to play, we are all business. Some people can watch TV or do a crossword puzzle right before the game. I find a camera or two.”

While scoring a goal is always fun, Whitney has always taken the most pride in his assists — he had 118 of them in his final year of juniors with the Spokane Chiefs in 1990-91. It was something ingrained in him by his father, Floyd, a former Edmonton Oilers practice goalie who help get young Ray a spot as a stick boy for the Gretzky/Mark Messier dynasty teams.

“Dad was always very adamant about the value of an assist,” Whiney said. “Being one of the better players growing up, not being a puck hog was very big to him. If I went through a few shifts where I was puck-hogging in his opinion, I could hear him from the stands yelling, ‘Pass the puck!’ So I always had a quick grasp of sharing the puck with others.

“I grew up watching Gretzky and that’s all he did back then was set up the play. Sometimes I pass on some pretty good shot opportunities, but I’ve always preferred to pass than shoot. A nice pass is better than tapping one in yourself.”

His latest helper, No. 607, was pure Whitney. With Shane Doan looking for the first hat trick of his 16-year career in the final seconds of Saturday’s win over the Islanders, Whitney’s serpentine balancing act on the blue line gave the huffing and puffing captain enough time to drag himself up the ice and receive a teed-up pass that he pounded into the back of the net an instant before the final horn.

“The old goat finally got there,” Whitney said, timing the quip as well as his pass — catching Doan just as he walked past him in the hall and earning both a laugh and a shake of the head.

In the last year of his two-year contract, Whitney turns 40 in May. But on pace to produce his best scoring season since 2008-09, there are no plans to retire, though he’ll worry about next year later.

“No one is giving me a three-year contract even if I put up 70 points,” Whitney said. “And my kids and family have done enough moving around. I plan on playing and this is a great place and a great room, but there are a lot of factors that aren’t in my control about that. We’ll see what the summer brings.”

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NHL news see: Whitney keeps ticking, closes in on career milestone.

The best season of Jamie Benn’s young career keeps getting better.

The Dallas Stars are one of the surprises of the first half of the season, and Benn’s recent hot streak is a big reason they enter the week in the top eight in the West after missing the playoffs for the past three seasons.

Benn, a third-year center, had a pair of goals on Saturday as the Stars beat Edmonton 4-1. He scored three times and added four assists as the Stars won two of three games last week, and has four goals and nine points in Dallas’ last four games.

Benn’s 41 points in 40 games match the entire output of his rookie season two years ago, and his 82-point pace would shatter his career high of 57, set last season.

Five up — Five players who had a week to remember:

Jarome Iginla — Calgary’s captain became the 42nd member of the NHL’s 500-goal club with one of the least artistic goals of his career — an attempted pass that pinballed off two Minnesota players and into the net. Iginla is the 15th player to score 500 goals with one team, and the eighth who has scored all of his goals with the same franchise.

Shane Doan — After 38 two-goal games, Doan finally owns an NHL hat trick. Not that he didn’t have to sweat for it: Phoenix’s captain scored two early goals Saturday against the Islanders, but needed every bit of the game’s 60 minutes to get the third — he completed his first three-goal game by scoring with :00.1 left in a 5-1 win.

Lars Eller — The third-year Danish forward became the second player this season to score four times in a game when he filled the Winnipeg Jets’ net on Thursday. — capping his outburst with one of the most spectacular penalty-shot goals in years.

Joffrey Lupul - Linemate Phil Kessel gets more attention, but Lupul is on his way to a career year. He had two goals and seven points in Toronto’s three games last week, and with 19 goals and 47 points in 41 games, he’s on pace to shatter his career highs in both categories.

Semyon Varlamov — The 23-year-old goaltender is one of the big reasons the Colorado Avalanche enter the week in the top eight in the West. He allowed just one goal in winning both starts last week and is 4-0-0 while allowing just seven goals since the Christmas break.

Five down – Five players who are struggling:

Marc-Andre Fleury — Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are still out with injuries, Pittsburgh has been hampered just as much by Fleury’s recent struggles. He’s lost his last four starts, allowing 11 goals on just 90 shots — including six on 48 shots in weekend losses to the Rangers and Devils.

Michael Frolik — Chicago was counting on offense from Frolik when they landed the two-time 20-goal scorer late last season. The Hawks are still waiting for him to deliver. Frolik has gone 10 games without a point and has just five goals and 10 points in 39 games this season.

Eric Fehr — The Manitoba native came home last summer when he signed with the Winnipeg Jets. But little has gone right for him since then. The former 20-goal scorer has been limited to 17 games due to injuries, and has just one assist all season — with no points in his last 12 games.

Eric Belanger — Belanger’s lack of production continues to be a concern in Edmonton, which has struggled to get secondary scoring all season long. Belanger has no points and is minus-6 in his last eight games and reached the halfway mark with one goal and 10 points.

Brooks Laich — Laich doesn’t lack for ice time, but production is another matter. He’s gone without a point in Washington’s six games since the Christmas break despite averaging 19 minutes a game during that span.

Injuries, news and notes: It took nearly half a season, but two-time Cup winner John Madden has found a home with Florida. He made his debut with his new team on Friday as the Panthers look for some experienced help to keep them in first place.

Out — Jaromir Jagr didn’t make it through the Winter Classic. The 39-year-old left with a groin injury and didn’t play in Philadelphia’s games on Thursday and Saturday. … Washington defenseman Mike Green, who’s missed much of the season with a groin injury, left Saturday’s game when his groin tightened up. The Caps were also without center Nicklas Backstrom after he took an elbow to the head on Tuesday. … Tampa Bay lost forwards JT Wyman and Adam Hall to upper-body injuries on Thursday; Wyman may not miss much time but Hall’s injury could be serious. … Los Angeles defenseman Slava Voynov has missed the Kings’ last three games with an upper-body injury. Dustin Penner missed Saturday’s game with a back injury. … Islanders defenseman Mike Mottau suffered a concussion and was placed on IR. Center Marty Reasoner broke his right hand blocking a shot in Friday’s game and is … Edmonton defenseman Tom Gilbert hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury on Monday night, and prized rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was sent home after he went down with a shoulder injury in the same game. The Oilers also lost their top scorer, Jordan Eberle, with a knee injury on Saturday. … Pittsburgh took another hit when center Jordan Staal injured his knee late in Friday’s game and didn’t play Saturday. … Buffalo center Derek Roy will miss “more than days” according to coach Lindy Ruff, after suffering an arm/shoulder injury during a faceoff Friday night. … Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo left Saturday’s game in Boston with an upper-body injury, and forward Andrew Ebbett is out indefinitely after breaking his collarbone in the same game. … Anaheim’s George Parros sat out Friday with a groin injury and left Saturday’s practice early. Goalie Dan Ellis also injured his groin during that practice and had to be helped off the ice. … Pierre-Marc Bouchard sat out Minnesota’s game on Saturday with a lower-body injury. … Phoenix defenseman Adrian Aucoin left Thursday’s game with an eye injury after being hit in the face by a puck. He didn’t play Saturday. … Detroit forwards Darren Helm and Tomas Holmstrom missed the week with groin injuries.

Returning — Nashville captain Shea Weber (concussion) was back in the lineup Thursday. … Rangers defenseman Marc Staal made his season debut in the Winter Classic after missing three months while recovering from a concussion. … Montreal captain Brian Gionta returned Saturday after missing a month with a groin injury. … Minnesota activated forward Clayton Stoner (groin) from IR on Friday night; he hadn’t played since Dec. 22. … Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek was back in the lineup Saturday after missing six weeks with a broken arm. Forward Mike Brown (back) also returned after missing more than seven weeks. … Winnipeg center Bryan Little played Saturday after missing three weeks with a foot injury after blocking a shot on Dec. 17. … Buffalo defenseman Tyler Myers returned Friday after missing 19 games with a broken right wrist … Anaheim forward Jason Blake was back in the lineup Wednesday; he hadn’t played since suffering cut tendons in his wrist on Oct. 14. … Pittsburgh got center Richard Park back on Friday after he missed nearly five weeks with a broken foot.

Still out — Dallas defenseman Sheldon Souray may start skating again this week. He hasn’t played since before Christmas due to a high ankle sprain. … Toronto’s Colby Armstrong (concussion) had hoped to be back this coming week, but his return has been delayed. … Vancouver forward David Booth (knee) is skating again but likely won’t be ready to play when the Canucks visit his former team, the Florida Panthers, on Monday. … Forward Peter Mueller continues to practice with Colorado but has not been cleared to play. He’s missed all but a handful of games since the start of last season due to a concussion. … Penguins forward Dustin Jeffrey (knee) is skating again and expects to take part in practices this week. He hasn’t played since Nov. 3. … The Islanders activated forward Jay Pandolfo for Saturday’s game. He had been out since Nov. 26 with a broken foot. … Blues defenseman Kent Huskins skated again last week, the first time he’s been on the ice in two months. He suffered a cracked bone in his ankle on Oct. 28. … Los Angeles forward Simon Gagne is not close to returning from a concussion that may be bad enough to keep him out for the rest of the season. He’s missed L.A.’s last six games. … Columbus put forward Kristian Huselius on IR with a groin problem that has kept him out for the past month.

The week ahead — Hard as it is to believe, the 2011-12 season reaches its midpoint on Monday.

Games to watch:

Pittsburgh at Washington (Jan. 11; NBCSN/TSN2) — Sidney Crosby may be sidelined, but that doesn’t mean the animosity between these two teams is any less than it’s been through the past few years.

Montreal at Boston (Jan. 12; NHLN/TSN/RDS) — The Habs pay their final visit of the season to TD Garden; Montreal swept the Bruins in a home-and-home series in late October — and Boston has lost just three times in regulation since then.

Chicago at Detroit (Jan. 14; NBC/TSN2) — NBC’s Game of the Week returns with a rematch of Sunday’s meeting between the top two teams in the Central Division.

New York Rangers at Toronto (Jan. 14; NHLN-US/CBC) — The Rangers visit Toronto for the first time this season after losing a pair of home games to the Leafs before Thanksgiving.

New York Rangers at Montreal (Jan. 15; NBCSN/RDS) — For only the fifth time in 304 visits, the Rangers are coming to Montreal for a Sunday game during the regular season.

Tough week ahead:

New Jersey Devils — What could be better than spending the second week of January in Western Canada? That’s what awaits the Devils, who start a stretch of three games in five nights with a game in Calgary on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh Penguins — The Pens will be playing a lot of hockey in not a lot of time. After a Tuesday home game against Ottawa, the Penguins are in Washington on Wednesday, at Florida on Friday and at Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon.

San Jose Sharks — It’s a week in the Midwest for the Sharks, who play four times in six days, including a weekend back-to-back at Columbus and Chicago.

Easy week ahead:

Calgary Flames and Edmonton — With their seven-game trip in the books, the Flames and Oilers both can look forward to a week at home, with New Jersey, Anaheim and Los Angeles visiting both Alberta teams.

Florida Panthers — The Panthers have their second two-game week in a row, but this time, they’re spending the week in South Florida, with visits from Vancouver and Pittsburgh.

New York Islanders - The opposition (Detroit, Philadelphia and Buffalo) will be tough, but after a weekend out West, at least the Islanders get to spend the week at home.

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