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A few quick shifts as we skate into the weekend …
Who will be the first coach to get canned? It could be Thrasher benchmeister Curt Fraser, who could definitely use a win tonight in Tampa. Either way, it's hard to blame good-guy Fraser, who has never had an NHL-caliber goalie during his tenure in Atlanta.
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Jordan Leopold
Defense
Calgary Flames
Drafted: 44th overall by Anaheim (1999)
Acquired: Trade for Andrei Nazarov
and second-round pick |
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| THE LEOPOLD FILE |
| Ht. |
Wt. |
Shot |
College |
| 6-0 |
210 |
Left |
Minnesota |
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Flames defenseman Jordan Leopold, who won the Hobey Baker Trophy last season as a senior at the University of Minnesota, could make his NHL debut on Saturday in Chicago. Leopold has been sidelined since suffering a concussion as a result of collision with the Oilers' Daniel Cleary in an exhibition game on Oct. 4.
Reinhard Divis, we hardly knew ya. Divis, the No. 3 goalie on the Blues' depth chart, suffered a groin injury in the first period of the club's 7-1 drubbing of the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Curtis Sanford, the No. 4 stopper on organizational list, replaced Divis. If No. 2 Fred Brathwaite, who is day-to-day with his own groin problem, can't go against the Stars on Saturday, Sanford will make his first NHL start. The Blues No. 1 stopper, Brent Johnson, remains out with a high ankle sprain. He has yet to practice with the team.
Finally, if you're planning to streak at an NHL game, at least wear a pair of skates. In the third period of Thursday's Bruins-Flames game in Calgary, a male streaker (wearing only red socks and a smile) scaled the low glass near the scorers table and jumped onto the playing surface. The naked stranger quickly lost his balance, falling backwards and hitting his head on the ice, knocking himself unconscious. After a six-minute delay, the streaker was covered up and carted off the ice on a stretcher, waving to cheering fans. Hey, I guess you'd cheer too, if your team hadn't made the playoffs in six years.
See ya Monday.
E.J. Hradek writes hockey for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.
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