The Flyers still think they are being penalized, literally, for the sins of their ancestors, a.k.a. the Broad Street Bulllies.
     Some say it’s no coincidence that the Flyers led the NHL with an average of 17.5 penalty minutes per game last season. The referees, they claim, watch the orange and black more closely.
     And now, with the addition of rugged defenseman Chris Pronger (nine career suspensions, an average of about 100 penalty minutes per season) and feisty forward Ian Laperriere (163 PIM last season) _ and having Dan Carcillo (league-high 254 penalty minutes) for a full season _ the Flyers are expected to fill the penalty box in 2009-10.
     “Trust me. This is on the top of my to-do list this summer _ addressing some of those issues,” coach John Stevens said Monday after a news conference in which Pronger was introduced at the Skate Zone in Voorhees.
     Stevens thinks the addition of Pronger will actually help the Flyers DECREASE their penalties.
    “With Chris Pronger, we’ll have the puck more because of his patience, composure and his passing ability,” Stevens said. “I don’t see our team taking more penalties when you have the puck more.”
     Pronger, coupled with the maturity of the Flyers’ young defensemen, should help the team “make better decisions,” Stevens said.
    Stevens has been reviewing the Flyers’ 2008-09 penalty statistics in an effort to learn from past mistakes.
   “I’ve got the breakdown of how many penalties we took by period,” he said. “We took 170 in the first period, 174 in the second and 116 in third. And we were plus-27 in the third period in goals-for and goals-against,” he said.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist” to figure out their third-period success.
   Stevens has charted which Flyers have taken penalties in different periods.
   Scott Hartnell took the most first-period penalties. “And you have players like (Kimmo) Timonen and (Braydon) Coburn who are right there,” he said. “To me, one of our focuses is playing in the other end more and cutting down on turnovers. I don’t see Chris taking a lot of penalties if we’re playing above the red line more.”
     With maturity, Stevens said, Hartnell “can eliminate the unnecessary penalties, where you don’t even have to force the referee to make a decision. I think we have a style of play that suits us, and Chris fits that style great. But I think there are some things we can do to drop penalties.”
     Stevens said Laperriere “gets penalty minutes, but he doesn’t put teams at a disadvantage…with bad penalties. Carcillo? How many bad penalties did he take? The one in Ottawa comes to mind late in the year; other than that, I can’t think of one.”
     In any event, this is an area that will surely become a hot topic during the season.
* * * * *
    Pronger is in the final year of his contract and he can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Pronger's agent, Pat Morris, and Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren have had talks about an extension.
     It may not be easy. Pronger figures to be seeking a four-year extension in the $25 million neighborhood.
   “We’re just getting started,” said Morris, referring to the contract talks. “Whether we can finish is up to both sides, but we’re going to try. And if we can’t, then the player’s got a little bit of a risk and the team probably has a lot of risk because there will always be another place for Chris to play.”
    Morris said Pronger “looks good in a Flyers uniform, and hopefully he doesn’t have to ever take it off. Chris wants to set some roots here in Philadelphia; his wife is here on the trip to look for a house, and all those things point to good things.”
    The Pronger family may settle in Haddonfield, Morris said.
* * * * * *
    Adding Pronger and the 35-year-old Laperriere, a forward known for his defense, should enable the Flyers to improve on last season’s 44-27-11 record, Holmgren believes.
    Holmgren said the Flyers were too inconsistent last season.
   “I attribute that to youth,” he said, “but having Chris and Ian will help, and I also think the maturation process of our young players will be a factor, too. It’s all part of the process.”
    Learning to beat the arch-rival Pittsburgh Penguins is also part of the process, one that excites Pronger. He is already plotting ways to contain Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
   “You have to be physical and take away their time and space _ and make sure they pay a price when you get a chance,” Pronger said.
_ Sam Carchidi

    Free-agent winger Chad LaRose re-signed with Carolina Thursday _ and that wasn’t good news for the Flyers.
    LaRose scored 19 goals last season and had looked like he would be a nice fit for the Flyers. He was relatively inexpensive and would have given the Flyers some needed scoring punch at right wing, a position that has been decimated by the departure of Mike Knuble (27 goals last year) and Joffrey Lupul (25).
     GM Paul Holmgren is still investigating the thinning free-agent market.
     As it stands, some of  the Flyers’ lines have been weakened because their projected right wingers scored a combined 27 goals last year _ the same total as Knuble, who signed with Washington.
     Though it could change, it’s possible the right wingers will be Ian Laperriere (7 goals last year), converted center Danny Briere (11 in an injury-plagued season) Arron Asham (8) Andreas Nodl (1).
     LaRose signed a two-year deal for $1.7 million per season; the Flyers have about $2.3 million in cap space, so they would have been able to sign LaRose.
    Without Knuble and Lupul, the Flyers’ lines will look drastically different. Coach John Stevens has lots of options and will probably try numerous combinations. Here is how they might look:
1. Gagne-Giroux-Briere _ The Flyers’ version of the French Connection. Could be sensational.
2. Hartnell-Carter-Laperriere _ Lappy replaces Lupul.
3. Carcillo-Richards-Asham _ The CAR Line is loaded with scrappy, hard-working players. But would Carcillo and Asham be good enough finishers to work with Richards?
4. Cote/van Riemsdyk-Powe-Nodl/Kalinski _ Cote’s roster spot could be in jeopardy. Jared Ross could also fit into the mix.
      The defensive pairings could look like this:
Timonen-Coburn _ Will they be reunited?
Pronger-Carle _ Carle supplies the speed, Pronger the physicality.
Parent-Jones _ Would be a good duo if Jones has recovered from hip problems.
     Send me the lines and pairings you think would be the most effective.
* * * * *
    In Friday’s Inquirer, Flyers chairman Ed Snider tells why the Flyers mortgaged the future to acquire Pronger, who is expected to help give the Flyers one of the league's top defenses.
 

   The Flyers made a quick strike in the free-agent market Wednesday, signing goalie Brian Boucher and feisty right winger Ian "Lappy" Laperriere.

    Boucher's two-year deal is believed to be for $1.85 million, a cap hit of $925,000 per season.

    Boucher, 32, was the Flyers' No. 1 pick in the 1995 draft. He was superb as a backup in San Jose last season, going 12-6-3 with a 2.18 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

    He's the perfect fit as the backup to unpredictable Ray Emery.

    Laperriere, 35, signed a three-year contract for a reported $3.5 million ($1.17 million per season); he collected seven goals, 12 assists and 163 penalty minutes with Colorado last season.

    The Flyers, who would like to add a center who is adept at winning faceoffs, are about $2.4 million under the cap.

    The Flyers will find it difficult to replace the combined 52 goals scored last season by Mike Knuble and Joffrey Lupul.

    General manager Paul Holmgren said the Flyers are trying to add another forward to make up for the offensive losses.

   At this point, the Flyers are much strong defensively than last season, but the offense has taken a hit. Holmgren is hopeful that having Danny Briere (injured most of last year) and Claude Giroux (who began last year with the Phantoms) for a full season will dull the losses of Knuble and Lupul.

 * * * * * 

   It's official: Knuble's four-year career as a Flyer is over.

   The right winger signed a two-year deal with the Washington Capitals Wednesday for a reported $5.6 million.

  Knuble, who will turn 37 on Saturday, became an unrestricted free agent at noon Wednesday. The Flyers at first were offering a one-year deal filled with incentives, but Holmgren said last night they had later offered Knuble a two-year contract.

   Last season, Knuble made $2.8 million and scored 27 goals. His presence on the power play _ and in front of the net _ will be severely missed, but the cap-strapped Flyers could not match the Caps' offer.

    In the first four hours of the free-agency period, 21 players had signed, including former Flyer Donald "Broadway" Brashear (Rangers).

     The Flyers had been high on Florida goalie Craig Anderson, but he signed with Colorado.

   I applaud Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren for his moxie, for going out on a proverbial limb and trying to win a championship this season.

   Chris Pronger, whom Holmgren acquired from Anaheim Friday, is just the type of physical defenseman the Flyers needed to become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
    But the Flyers paid too much.
    The Ducks received Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, two No. 1 draft picks and a conditional third-round selection.

    Sources tell me the St. Louis Blues made a late bid to acquire Pronger, and that may have caused the Flyers to "up" their offer.

    Trading Lupul, a 25-goal scorer last season, was actually beneficial because his big contract ($4.25 million during each of the next four years) was weighing down the Flyers’ salary cap. And I can understand that giving the two No. 1 picks was necessary to acquire a player of Pronger’s stature.
     But including Sbisa in the deal is what I don’t like.
    Sbisa, 19, spent about half of last season as one of the Flyers’ regular defensemen _ and he showed poise beyond his years and was one of the team’s best skaters. The kid looks like he’ll be a star someday.
    In short, this deal would look a lot more attractive if the Flyers had included one of their other defensive prospects instead of Sbisa.
   That said, assuming Pronger, 34, signs an extension on his one-year contract _ all signs point to that happening _ the Flyers should battle the Penguins and Bruins for Eastern Conference supremacy in the next few years.
   And maybe, just maybe, bring Philly its first Cup since 1975.
* * * * *

    The Flyers continued their Great Goalie Search Saturday by selecting goaltenders Adam Morrison (third round) and Nicola Riopel (fifth round) in the NHL draft.
    The raw-but-promising Morrison was taken with the club’s first pick in the draft.
    For those scoring at home, the Flyers have now selected 23 goalies in the last 16 drafts. They have not had one of their drafted goalies turn into their No. 1 netminder since Ron Hextall, who was selected in the sixth round (119th overall) in the 1982 draft.
    A look at the Flyers’ picks:

   Adam Morrison, Goalie (6-3, 166 pounds), 18 years old _ selected in the third round (81st overall).

  Comment: Had a 9-1-1 record, 2.47 GAA and .907 save percentage in 13 appearances for Saskatoon in the Western Hockey League.
    Simon Bertilsson, Defenseman (6-0 185), 18 years old _ selected in the third round (87th overall).

   Comment: Ranked 17th among international skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau, the hard-nosed Bertilsson is a defensive-minded defenseman who managed 31 points in 30 games in the Swedish Junior Elite League.
   Nicola Riopel, Goalie (6-0 170), 20 years old _ fitfh round (142d).

   Comment: Posted a 43-15 record, 2.01 GAA and .931 save percentage in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League _ and was named the league’s MVP.

   Dave Lebrecque, Center (6-0 174), 19 years old _ sixth round (153d).

 Comment: In his first full season in the QMJHL, Labrecque recorded 61 points (13 goals, 48 assists) in 59 games and was a plus-23.
   Eric Wellwood, LW (5-11 179), 19 years old _ sixth round (172d).
Comment: Playing for Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League, he had 16 goals and 18 assists in 61 regular-season games, then notched 10 goals and 11 assists in the playoffs to lead the Spitfires to the title.
   Oliver Lauridsen, D (6-6 220), 20 years old _ seventh round (196th).
  Comment: The only Denmark native taken in the draft, the towering Lauridsen recorded one assist and 38 penalty minutes in 28 games as a freshman at St. Cloud State in the Western Collegiate Association.
_ Sam Carchidi
 

   MONTREAL _ Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said he wanted "a hammer."

    He got one Friday night in a stunning deal with the Anaheim Ducks.

    During the NHL draft here, the Flyers acquired Chris Pronger, a veteran defenseman whom they hope will fill the missing piece to their 35-year Stanley Cup quest.
   Pronger, 34, gives the Flyers a much-needed physical presence in front of the net.
   Oh, and he also gives the Flyers a blue-line scorer _ something that was missing from a defense that netted a league-low 20 goals last season.

   The Flyers sent Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, last night’s No. 1 draft pick (21st overall) and next year’s No. 1 draft selection to the Ducks for Pronger and AHL forward Ryan Dingle.
  The Ducks, who later traded the No. 21 overall pick to Columbus, also received a conditional third-round pick in 2010 or 2011.
  A five-time all-star, Pronger collected 11 goals and 37 assists last season and averaged 26 minutes, 56 seconds of ice time per game. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder is known as one of the NHL’s most physical players.
   "I'm very excited. It’s obviously a city that’s very passionate for the sport of hockey," Pronger said in a conference call with reporters. "The style of play that the Flyers have been known to play certainly fits my game. They’ve got some great young talent and I hope to help not only develop the team into being regarded as one of the top teams in the league, but winning a Stanley Cup."

    The Flyers paid a lot. But no one will care if the move turns the team into Stanley Cup champions for the first time since 1975.

   The move was risky, however, because Pronger will be in the final year of his contract (at $6.25 million) and can become a free agent after next season.

   General manager Paul Holmgren said he hasn't talked with Pronger's agent yet, but that they will get together in the near future and attempt to work out an extended deal.

  "We haven’t had the opportunity to talk to Pat Morris, Chris’s agent," Holmgren said. "I’ve talked to him a few times over the past few days … he represents a couple guys on our team and a couple guys we were looking at in this draft. When we get back to Philadelphia, we’ll sit down and see where we’re at, and see what we can do. He’s certainly a guy we’ve invested a lot in, and we realize we have our work to do to get him tied up for more than one year."

    Holmgren called Pronger "one of the top defensemen in the league, and I think he makes everybody around him better on our defense. It puts things in the proper pecking order. First of all, he’s a winner. He’s won a championship. I know Chris from our days together in Hartford. He’s a tremendous character player who works hard and cares. Obviously he’s a great defender. He’s one of those guys who brings a presence in all zones on the ice, and in terms of what he’s been through as a player in our league and his accomplishments, he’ll be a guy who’s looked highly upon by our younger players and a good role model for those guys."

   Holmgren was asked if he had been searching for a physical defenseman.

 "I made it sort of clear myself, would I like to get a hammer, a guy who makes life miserable for the other team?… This is one of those guys," Holmgren said. "I think we’ve made some strides in terms of revamping our defense over the last few years. You put Chris in our mix, and it makes our defense a good group of defensemen."

   Call it The Hammer Era, Part II. The first one ended with consecutive Stanley Cups as Dave "The Hammer" Schultz helped the Flyers finish atop the NHL in 1974 and 1975.

    Notes. Holmgren said the deal doesn't mean the Flyers won't make a move when the free-agency period starts Wednesday. By trading Lupul (25 goals last year), re-signing Mike Knuble becomes almost a necessity....It'll be interesting to see if coach John Stevens pairs Pronger with Kimmo Timonen. Or he may reunite Timonen with Braydon Coburn _ they were together the previous season _ and put Pronger with Matt Carle or Ryan Parent....Rounds 2-7 of the draft will be held Saturday starting at 10 a.m. (NHL Network).

********

  There was some good economic news for NHL teams Friday.

   The NHL and NHL Players' Association announced that the cap for 2009-10 will be $56.8 million. That's a $100,000 increase from last season. Since it was introduced, the cap has gone up each year, starting from the original $39 million at the end of the NHL lockout.

   There had been fears the cap would shrink for the upcoming season..

  .

_ Sam Carchidi  

   Reggie Lemelin has been fired as the Flyers' goaltending coach, general manager Paul Holmgren confirmed Thursday.

   The easy-going Lemelin, 54, who was stunned by the decision, was the Flyers' goalie coach for 14 seasons.

   "I just felt we needed a change," Holmgren said.in Montreal, where he is preparing for Friday's first round of the NHL draft

   Flyers goalie Marty Biron was inconsistent during the last two regular seasons _ and perhaps that influenced Holmgren's decision. The Flyers were 16th in the NHL last season with a 2.83 goals-against average, just ahead of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (2.84).

   A club source said the Flyers are expected to hire Tampa Bay goalie coach Jeff Reese, 43, as Lemelin's successor.

    Lemelin said he saw Holmgren talking with Reese during a Flyers game in Tampa last season "so maybe it's not something that just came up."

   Lemelin, who won 236 games during a 15-year NHL career, was baffled by his dismissal. He said he “tried to dig a little deeper” into the reasons for the firing, “but never got any answer. He (Holmgren) said you’ve been here a long time and he needed to do something different, something new.”
  Speaking via telephone from his Massachusetts home, Lemelin said: “They never gave any indication I was doing a bad job. I was pretty much on my own and everything seemed fine. I got along with my goalies very well and got along great with the other coaches. This came out of the blue a little.
  “I don’t know if my age was a factor, but I thought I related very well” with the goalies.
  Holmgren said Lemelin didn't disagree with the Flyers' decision to bring in controversial goalie Ray Emery. He said the goalie change had “nothing to do” with the coaching switch.

  The GM didn't want to elaborate on the decision.

Goalie Ray Emery was articulate and honest - and didn’t throw a single punch at Flyers trainer Jim McCrossin when he was introduced at Wednesday’s news conference in Voorhees.

OK, that was a cheap shot. But when you come with Emery’s baggage, you expose yourself to all types of criticism.

That said, Emery could emerge as the bargain of the year.

The Flyers announced Wednesday they had agreed to a one-year deal with the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Emery. The deal is for $1.5 million, and if Emery returns to his 2006-07 form - he led Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Finals - the Flyers will be feeling very good about themselves.

Though I was in favor of re-signing Marty Biron, I like this move - if it enables the Flyers to sign Jay Bouwmeester or Mike Komisarek, a pair of defensemen who can become free agents on July 1.

It would have taken about $3.5 million to $4 million a year to re-sign Biron. So the Flyers’ savings, coupled with some other cost-cutting moves (a trade of Joffrey Lupul?), could help the club improve its defense in the free-agent market.

In the playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Biron was not the reason the Flyers lost in six games. The Flyers’ defense and Jeff Carter’s scoring slump were bigger factors.

Emery, of course, has had a long list of off-the-ice problems, including an altercation with a Russian trainer in late January. There were also fights with Ottawa teammates, missed practices, suspensions and, oh, about 30 driving violations.

But he seemed contrite on Wednesday, seemed genuinely sincere about re-inventing himself after being, in effect, exiled from the NHL and sent to Russia.

He will add some fire to a laid-back locker room, and he should be more physical in scrambles around the net - a Biron shortcoming in the Game 6 loss to Pittsburgh.

The addition of Emery is a win-win situation for the team and the goalie, said Peter Luukko, the Comcast-Spectacor president.

“I think it’s a pretty good formula when you have a hungry young man who wants to prove himself,” Luukko said.

Emery, whose heavy partying became a part of his identity in Ottawa, vowed that his off-ice conduct will be much improved.

“At the same time, I’m not saying I’m not going to be a fiery guy,” he said. “I play hockey. I throw it out there. Like I said, I know I have the opportunity and I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that or make people who are giving me this opportunity look bad.”

One of those people is John Paddock, who coached Emery during his tumultuous time in Ottawa and is now the Phantoms' coach.

Paddock recommended that the Flyers sign Emery.

Emery said he wishes he would reverse his final season in Ottawa in 2007-08.

“I didn’t have a great work ethic at the start of the year,” he admitted. “I came in out of shape and wasn’t willing to work like I had in the past. I made a lot of mistakes, but I know this is a last chance for me. I have that knowledge of that past and I’m getting a shot to correct those things.”

Coach John Stevens recently spent several hours with Emery and said he was impressed with the goalie’s makeup.

“He admits he made mistakes and now he’s ready to move on and make amends _ and we’re glad he’s going to do it here,” Stevens said.

On paper, Emery and Biron are about equal. But if signing Emery frees cap space that helps the Flyers land a top-notch defenseman, it will be a move that was worth the risk.

The next move is up to general manager Paul Holmgren.

* * * * * * *

Holmgren seemed upbeat about the possibility of re-signing potential free-agent Mike Knuble….Holmgren also said Antero Niittymaki’s hip injury is not as bad as first feared. There is still a chance that Nitty, a potential free agent, will re-sign with the Flyers and be Emery’s backup....For what it's worth, Emery said he scored over 1,300 on his SAT.

   The death Tuesday of former Flyer Peter Zezel, 44, brought a broad range of reactions from his ex-teammates and management types. The Flyers on Wednesday released the following statements from some of those individuals:

   RICK TOCCHET: “It is a sad day. Obviously, as a former teammate, it is a sad loss. I know he touched a lot of lives. Unfortunately, I had lost touch with Peter the last few years. We kind of went our separate ways in the hockey world. In talking recently with some of his friends regarding the stuff he was doing with the youth hockey he had been involved with back in Toronto, I am sure he will be leaving behind a legacy. He was just a great guy.

“In the time that we were teammates in Philadelphia, he was probably one of the most popular guys, not just with the Flyers, but among all sports figures in Philadelphia. He was probably one of the top three athletes in Philadelphia at that time. Everybody recognized him on and off the ice. As far as his play was concerned, he was one of the best draw guys in the league and one of the best passers. I know his rookie year he had a bunch of assists. He had really good chemistry with Timmy Kerr on the power play. He was just a guy you could count on. He was a guy you couldn’t knock off the puck. He was a big part of our team.

“Peter was a matinee idol. He was one of those guys who were infectious. When you went out with him, the girls just really liked him. He had a fan base of girls that in all the years I’ve played in the NHL, I have never seen a guy that had so many girls flock to him. He was very fan friendly. I never saw him turn down signing an autograph. The public relations department loved him because he never turned down hospital or school visits. Mr. Snider will even probably tell you that Peter was one of the most accessible Flyers who ever played the game.”

BOB CLARKE: “It obviously is way too early for a man to die at 44 years old. The tragedy surrounding it is just horrific for any of us who knew Peter. Peter was a pretty good hockey player. When he turned pro in Philadelphia, which was my first year (as management), he was an instant favorite with the fans, particularly the young girls. He could play hockey. He was a tank on skates. He could hit and hit very hard. He was terrific on face-offs. He was very skilled with his feet, with the puck and actually very skilled with his stick setting up plays. He was a really good young player who quite possibly had a shot a being a lot better.”

KJELL SAMUELSSON: “I am very sad and very surprised. I knew he was a little bit sick but I didn’t know it was this serious. He was a great guy. I played with him for two years in the Flyers organization. As a player he was very strong on face-offs and a good offensive player. I know when he was here there were guys like Derrick Smith, Rick Tocchet and him. There were a lot of girls, a lot of young girls, wearing Pete Zezel, Rick Tocchet and Derrick Smith jerseys. I do remember that. He was a good teammate. He was kind of a low-key, quiet type. You had to get to know him before he opened up to you.”

CRAIG BERUBE: “Obviously, it is very upsetting. He was a great guy. He was a great teammate. He always had a smile on his face. He came to the rink always happy. He was fun to be around and was a good hockey player for a long time. He played hard.”

BRIAN PROPP: “I was really saddened when I heard of the passing of Peter Zezel. He was a good teammate with the Flyers. I know that he was very involved in the community in Toronto in teaching a lot of ice hockey to children up there.

“Peter was a very good role player on the third and fourth lines as a center ice man. He was very good on face-offs and did whatever the team asked of him. He was a good passer, played on the power play a little bit. Overall, he was a real good role player.”

   The Flyers' interest in controversial goalie Ray Emery does not bother the agent for Flyers goalie Marty Biron.

   Gilles Lupien, Biron's agent, said on Tuesday that he knows how "the game is played" and how Emery's agent is "shopping" his client.

    The bottom line, Lupien said, is that the Flyers say they want to sign Biron, "and Marty wants to stay with the Flyers."

    Lupien said he was relatively confident Biron would sign with the Flyers, but that it "depends on the cap" and how much money the team is able to spend. He doesn't expect Biron to sign until around July 1, the day his client can become an unrestricted free agent.

   "Marty's first option is Philly," said Lupien, who can't contact other teams about signing Biron until July 1.

    Biron made $3.5 million this season; he had an up-and-down regular season but was solid in the playoffs.

   From here, the view is still this: Re-sign Biron and upgrade the defense by adding Jay Bouwmeester and/or Mike Komisarek.

  * * * * * 

   Flyers winger Scott Hartnell was named one of the NHL’s five dirtiest players in a players’ poll conducted by Sports Illustrated.
    “I guess any press is good press,” said Hartnell, who led the NHL this season with 54 minor penalties, one more than Komisarek. “If the players are talking about me, I think that’s a good thing.”
    Hartnell, who scored a career-high 30 goals, said he doesn’t consider himself a dirty player.
    “I play the game hard. I think I play it fair,” he said. “But I guess maybe after the whistles and stuff, that’s where I might get a bad name.”
     In the poll of 324 players, Anaheim’s Chris Pronger and Dallas’ Steve Ott each received 13 percent of the votes, followed by Ottawa’s Jarkko Ruutu (12 percent), the New York Rangers’ Sean Avery (10 percent) and Hartnell (5 percent).
    Hartnell said some of the players on the list “are going to be disliked for a long time. I will just keep chirping and getting in players’ faces. I guess that’s why I am called dirty.”