Bettman: "The league is healthy". Reality: "Not so much".

"The dark side of the Commissioner's Office is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural."

We're not going to delve into the mind-numbing details and theories behind expansion and contraction...again. But a new column by The Globe & Mail's Eric Duhatschek takes a close look at the current health of the league as told from those outside the commissioner's office.

"The Tampa Bay Lightning's new owners reportedly needed help from previous owner, Bill Davidson, to complete their purchase.

The Florida Panthers are papering the house with ticket promotions and giveaways: present a Florida driver's licence, get a free ticket.

The New Jersey Devils moved to a new facility in Newark two years ago, but it has not been a cure-all for their economic struggles either. At the moment, as one of 17 teams experiencing attendance downturns in the first quarter of the season, the club is fighting the city and contractors over who should pay utility bills - and it's hard to make ice without water and electricity.

Against this mounting evidence, amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, commissioner Gary Bettman recently reported a sunny forecast for the gate-driven National Hockey League, buffeted by increased attendance in October and brisk ticket sales in many markets.

Looking forward, the picture isn't so cheery."

A most interesting read, and for us locals it's stunning and rather positive in that the Panthers are not the focus of the piece. Lots of insight on the situation in Phoenix...kinda grim.

TRADED: Wade Belak for Nashville's Nick Tarnasky

JM dropped the hammer on a deal today - yes, American Thanksgiving Day - and sent a popular but relatively unused guy he recently signed for two years, fisherman extraordinaire Wade Belak, to the Predators for evolving-journeyman forward Nick Tarnasky (10GP, 1A). The Herald covers it briefly here.

TLB is way too stuffed to present an honest, non-biased op/ed on this deal until tomorrow at the very least, so let's put it on the back burner until that time.

We don't know what to make of this quite yet, other than Belak's relationship with Coach DeBoer was probably beyond repair. A shame that Wade didn't fit into Florida's ever-fluid future...the players and fanbase really liked him.

Tarnasky? Don't know much. Only played ten games. Lots more to come.

Game Day! Prepping for our favorite opponent

Pipe down, Carolina fans...I haven't trudged out the tired Hartford references, or "Diver Down" flags, nor would I stoop so low as to mention last night's performance at home against Nashville. Need to turn things around for your club? Having a tough stretch? You've come to the right place. I've already bitten off what was left of my fingernails so I won't have to during the third period.

Not really news to anyone, but ex-Cane Cory Stillman remains out for at least another week with concussion stuff. That shouldn't be a problem since the rest of the roster has really picked up their offensive play in his absence. Then again he hadn't scored in six games, so it's a moot point. The evil plan is coming together.

A couple of great Hurricanes'-related sites to check out before the game: CanesCountry and Carolina on Ice.

Balsillie Scouting Florida Panthers ?

Was touring the 300s at the BAC during last night's game against Tampa Bay when what appeared before me at the entry to a packed luxury box, focused like a laser, but this:

My apologies for the lack of focus; it was taken on the move. In case you can't make it out clearly, it reads:

(BankAtlantic Center logo); Welcome Special Guests of Research in Motion; Sunrise Sports & Entertainment (parent company of the Panthers).

Anyone who has followed the NHL closely over the past three seasons - especially fans who were dragged through the mud in Pittsburgh and Nashville, barely hanging on to their clubs - is familiar with the Spectre of Darkness To Wayward Markets which is Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research in Motion (RIM) and temporary Hero to Hamiltonians. Are even the Habs out of reach? Evidently so, but that doesn't stop the mill from churning.

Back to the picture above. An optimist would declare that the sign refers to "Special Guests Of" RIM, not necessarily RIM specifically. Now, the Cats don't routinely supply me with updated corporate sponsor lists, but I'm fairly concrete in that I would have noticed the infamous company's name associated with the franchise somewhere. It's not, and I haven't. They're not listed as a corporate sponsor on the team website. I have never seen signage for RIM or their prize product, the Blackberry, at the BAC or during Panthers radio or television broadcasts...until last night that is, when the Blackberry name was figured rather prominently on that annoying sideboard-electronic-scrolling-advertisement thing. The in-game TV crew captured images from the above luxury suite more than a few times, the occupants raising their Blackberries and cheering each occasion. The box they resided in was out of the way, past the major concession areas of the club level.

Is this simply a harmless case of the Florida sales staff treating a new, potential international sponsor who has a recent history of raiding hockey teams in "weak" markets with the intent of moving them to southern Ontario, even going to the effort of selling season ticket deposits in Hamilton, to a sweet night out in Sunrise? Um, suuuure. Any folks seen this bunch in Phoenix? Or Atlanta? How about Long Island?

I've been through this before, kids. I smell a rat, and it has nothing to do with 1996. MY OPINION: We're being scouted for purchase by Balsillie, with relocation to Ontario immediately thereafter. Don't underestimate the man's finances, desire, or resources. But Alan Cohen would never sell, right? Don't kid yourself; everything has a right price.

AccuScore Prediction: Thrash Over Cats, 2.9 to 2.3, and An Idea from W4E

Can't argue with the results AccuScore has drummed up since the beginning of the season. They certainly had the correct outcome - right down to the final score - of 3-2. Which is exactly what is forecast for tonight as well in Atlanta.

No real news to report from the road today. The list of injured remains static.

A Grand Opportunity? Or Fantasy?

IncredibleICE in Coral Springs, FL...the Panthers' home away from BAC.

It occured to me a few hours ago, thanks to this phenomenal item at Puck Daddy, that when neither the home nor away teams are televised in their respective markets, thus providing no feed for NHL Center Ice, why not just play the games at a practice facility? It's not like we're dealing with a case where the Leafs, Rangers, or Canadiens will ever have to step on untelevised ice. Big markets are not the concern here.

In our case, take last night for example. No one anywhere on the planet, outside the Sommet Center (and with an announced attendance of 14,909, there weren't many inside, either) who saw the game in Nashville.

A crazy, fanboyish idea, agreed, but why not play those games - the few we have each year - for the fans - at an alternate site, such as the Preds' practice arena or other local, cozy atmosphere? For those couple of yearly gigs in South Florida, can anyone who's been to IncredibleICE possibly turn down the opportunity to see a big-league game in such a venue?

There are a hundred reasons why it should be done, but a thousand more why it shouldn't: "It's another small-time NHL gimmick, the medical facilities are less than adequate, the seating cannot possibly contain even simply the season ticket holders", etc. And on and on.

But what a great night it would be. For the fans. And probably the players as well.

AccuScore Prediction: Preds Over Cats 2.9 - 2.1

So basically, we're told Nashville will win this one 3-2. Keep in mind AccuScore's got Matthias in and Cullimore out of the lineup, which is incorrect.

Even the probability of a fight is only 42%. Blah.

Saturday Primer: Cullimore, Anderson, and Whatever Else I Can Find at 8am While Working

Defenseman Jassen Cullimore makes his return to the Panthers' lineup tonight (minus the hardware on his left, above) in Nashville versus the Predators. Finally clearing customs, Cully joins a defensive core - and system - he is well familiar with, having spent training camp with the club. It simply seemed inevitable we'd see him this season, given the Cats' injury history - and present - on the blueline.

Craig Anderson will be in net tonight. Kinda surprised by that one, given T-Vo's years of service in Nashville.

Finally, some good news from Sommet Center: the main concourse restroom facilities have been reopened, to the delight of Tennessee's hockey hardcores.