Top Line: Huge concussion suit in works; class honor for Suter; more

Author:
Allan Muir
Publish date:
Sep 11, 2014

An annotated guide to today's must-read hockey stories:

• A concussion lawsuit filed against the NHL earlier this week by short-timer Cory Larose barely earned a mention even during a slow news cycle, but it just got a whole lot more intriguing. According to Rick Westhead, the court filing says Larose is seeking to sue as part of a larger class of litigants that include approximately 10,000 former players. Yep. 10,000.

• Could this technological breakthrough prove to be an effective defense in the battle against concussions?

• Funeral plans for U.S. Olympic hero Bob Suter are still pending, but a large contingent from the Wild will attend whenever it does take place. Minnesota owner Craig Leipold is planning to fly his entire team to the ceremony as a sign of support for star defenseman Ryan Suter. Class move.

• Bruce Boudreau still hasn't proven that he can lead a team past the second round of the playoffs, but that hasn't shaken the faith of Bob Murray. The Ducks' GM expressed his faith in Boudreau by signing the coach through the 2016–17 season. Smart call. That's not only long enough to give him a chance to make something happen with the current group of players, but it's also short enough to remind him that there are limits to Murray's faith.

• Sidney Crosby really likes the addition of Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins' captain raved about the net presence of the former Predators winger, something that Pittsburgh has lacked in its recent playoff failures.

• Excellent piece here from Lance Hornby on the evolving roles of assistant coaches and general managers. He follows that up with this piece on Rob Zettler, the former Maple Leafs assistant who is now the coach of AHL Syracuse.

• Brandon Saad and Vladimir Tarasenko top this list of 10 players whose advanced stats hint at a breakout season in 2014–15.

• Blake Wheeler says that teammate Evander Kane is being picked on unfairly ... again.

Canadiens must sew C on P.K. Subban

• Is Joe Pavelski the next captain of the Sharks? The team has options (Logan Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic) but Little Joe would be an excellent choice.

• Flames winger Curtis Glencross loves the Calgary organization so much that he signed a contract for a significant hometown discount back in 2011. But if the team wants to keep the 31-year-old around after this season, it should know that he now expects full market value for his services.

• Flames coach Martin Gelinas is lucky he walked away from a serious fall.

• Pekka Rinne says his troublesome hip feels great and he's ready for a return to form this season with Nashville.

• Coyotes captain Shane Doan has put his bout with Rocky Mountain fever behind him and is resolved to be in top shape this season. At 37, though, you have to wonder how much he has left.

• The Capitals revealed the patch they'll wear to celebrate their 40th anniversary season. Clean, simple, sharp.

• The Kings were forced to come up with a short-notice alternative after learning on Wednesday that visa issues will prevent a team of Russian legends from participating in a charity game on Sunday.

• Marian Hossa will drop the puck for the ceremonial face-off ahead of Dukla Trencin's Slovak Extraliga home opener on Friday night. Then he'll try to score a crazy goal for charity. The video is in Slovak, so you might not get much out of it ... until you get a look at his failed practice attempt.

• Remember John Spano, the disgraced former owner of the Islanders? (He's in the gallery below.) Well, he continues to lose at life.

GALLERY: Team owners behaving badly

Owners Behaving Badly

Bud Adams

Tennessee owner Bud Adams made headlines on Sunday when he flipped off Buffalo fans from the owner's box in the waning moments of the Titans' 41-17 victory over the Bills. Here are some other team owners whose behavior could use improving.

George Steinbrenner

The Yankees owner has been involved in a number of off-the-field incidents, but none more controversial than his $40,000 payoff to confessed gambler Howie Spira for "dirt" on Dave Winfield. Steinbrenner was angry after Winfield filed a lawsuit claiming that a $300,000 donation from the Yankees to The Winfield Organization, which was guaranteed in the outfielder's contract, was never paid. Commissioner Fay Vincent banned Steinbrenner for life, though he was reinstated three years later. The incident was Steinbrenner's second forced absence from baseball. In 1970, Bowie Kuhn suspended him for two years following his conviction for making illegal political campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon's re-election committee.

Marge Schott

Schott, the chain-smoking former owner of the Cincinnati Reds, was a lightning rod for controversy and made headlines for her negative comments about African-Americans, Jews and homosexuals. She was banned from day-to-day operation of the Reds from 1996 through 1998, when she sold her share of the team.

Mark Cuban

Cuban has done an enormous amount of good for Dallas in his decade as owner, building a state of the art facility and turning the team from laughingstock to contender. Unfortunately, his passion has also been his downfall. He has been fined over $1.5 million for critical comments about the league and referees. His low point came during the playoffs last season, when he called Denver fans and players "thugs," then got into a verbal altercation with Kenyon Martin's mother.

Al Davis

In addition to a longtime feud with former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, Davis filed an anti-trust lawuit against the NFL in 1980 after his effort to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles was blocked by a court injunction. He also made headlines last September when he called recently-fired coach Lane Kiffin a "liar" and a "disgrace" during a bizarre press conference.

Donald Sterling — John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

Bruce McNall

McNall was seen as a visionary when he became Kings owner in 1986 and traded for the game's best player, Wayne Gretzky. The move turned an entire city into hockey fans. But things went downhill fast; In 1993, he defaulted on a $90 million loan and was forced to sell the team. A year later, he pled guilty to five counts of conspiracy and fraud and was sentenced to 70 months in prison.

Ted Turner

Turner bought the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and immediately set his sights on free agent Gary Matthews. Unfortunately, that pursuit led to tampering charges and Turner was slapped with a one-year suspension from baseball. Her was at the center of controversy soon after when he donned a Braves uniform and became manager for a day to help his team break a 17-game losing streak. The move was met with widespread criticism from players and fans.

John Spano

In one of the more unbelievable ownership stories, Spano bought the Islanders in 1997 and was hailed as a savior for the team. The only problem was Spano had a fraction of the fortune he claimed and his checks to longtime owner John Pickett kept bouncing. It was also discovered that he lied on numerous items on his resume, including his education, inheritance and net worth. Commissioner Gary Bettman was forced to intervene and Spano was forced to relinquish control of the team back to Pickett.

Peter Pocklington

Pocklington, who bought the Oilers in the late 1970s, found immediate success with the arrival of Wayne Gretzky in 1979. The Great One led Edmonton to the Stanley Cup four times during his decade with the Oilers. But Pocklington, who reportedly was in debt, traded Gretzky to Los Angeles for five players and $15 million. Pocklington was sent to jail earlier this year after being arrested on bankruptcy fraud charges. His bail, which was set at $1 million, was posted by former Oilers GM Glen Sather.

John Rigas

Rigas, who founded Adelphia Communications Corporation in 1952, was the majority owner of the Buffalo Sabres until 2002, when he was convicted on 15 accounts of fraud and sentenced to 15 years in prison.