NHL
– The Penguins have signed F James Neal to a 6-year/$30M extension through the 2017-18 season. The extension is worth $5M annually. Through 58 games this year, Neal has 30 goals and 56 points – career highs in both categories.
– The Flyers have acquired D Pavel Kubina from the Lightning for a conditional 2nd and a 4th-round draft pick. The 2nd-rounder is from Florida in the Kris Versteeg trade, while the 4th-rounder is their own. Florida will get to decide whether the 2nd-rounder is a 2012 or 2013 pick, however, and the decision must come before the second round of the playoffs. Kubina should eat up minutes on a depleted Flyers’ blueline. Kubina is in the final year of a 2-year contract he signed with the Lightning in 2010 with an annual average value of $3.85M. He will become a UFA after this season. The 34-year-old has three goals and 11 points in 52 games this season.
– The Flyers are reportedly interested in Blue Jackets’ F Rick Nash, with F James van Riemsdyk, F Brayden Schenn or F Sean Couturier being part of the return package. As of right now, the Flyers are backing out, with the return price being too high for them at this point in time. Philly already has nine players that are scheduled to come with a cap hit of $4M or above next season, and adding Nash’s $7.8M cap hit could make life much more complicated. GMs Scott Howson and Paul Holmgren are expected to meet. Stay tuned.
– Penguins’ F Jordan Staal has been fined $2,500 for boarding hit on Flyers’ D Braydon Coburn on Saturday.
WWE
“FYI: I plan to make a HUGE announcement at Elimination #Chamber tomorrow. It might stop the show, and will certainly be a Game changer.”
Let the speculation begin: “Game” changer could have something to do with Triple H. “Stop the show” sounds like it involves the “Show Stopper” – Shawn Michaels. We’ll find out Sunday night.
– WWE RAW Supershow on Monday, April 23rd, 2012 will be a 3-hour episode, airing from 8 to 11 PM on the USA Network.
– The official Twitter feed of Chris Jericho’s heavy metal band Fozzy wrote on Friday:
“Just got confirmation for some HUGE gigs this summer!!!! Stay tuned friends..”
NBA
– Rockets’ F Jordan Hill (sprained right MCL) was injured in practice Saturday and will miss at least 2 weeks. Hill is averaging five points and 4.9 rebounds a game for the Rockets this season.