Around The Boards: July 18th, 2013 – Yet Another Honor for Sidney Crosby

Here is your daily dose of news from around the NHL:

Jun 1, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) handles the puck against the Boston Bruins during the second period in game one of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

  • Sidney Crosby was the big NHL winner at the ESPY Awards, taking home the honour for top NHL player.  Quite frankly I am surprised the network even acknowledged that the NHL existed.  Apparently their SportCenter producers haven’t got that memo, or at least until something in the league goes awry.
  • Still awaiting the confirmation that the agreement to send NHLers to the Olympics is finalized.  Once it is, the NHL can go ahead and release one of the three or four versions of the schedule they have in their pocket covering all the different outcomes of the Olympic negotiation as well as the Phoenix Coyotes saga.
  • Bobby Ryan made his tour around the City for the first time since the July 5th trade that brought him to Ottawa from Anaheim.  By all reports he has embraced the opportunity and also had a very entertaining interview on the TEAM1200 morning show Wednesday.  He is well spoken, engaging and will be a good fit in the community.
  • Nathan Horton‘s anonymous Blue Jackets career will be starting a little later than expected after he underwent shoulder surgery to repair the injury that hampered him during the Bruins’ playoff run.  He is expected to miss the first part of the season and it could be 2014 before he actually puts on a Columbus jersey for real.