Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• The U.S. World Junior team hit the ice at New Era Field in Buffalo in preparation for Friday’s outdoor game against Canada. [@WJCinBuf]
• Canada moved to 2-0 with a 6-0 rout of Slovakia. The U.S. plays Slovakia tonight. [IIHF]
• Joining the Goo Goo Dolls as Winter Classic entertainment will be drummer Max Weinberg and Ace Frehley. But will the CitiField apple raise after a goal is scored? That’s the all-important question. [NHL.com]
• Corey Crawford hits injured reserve again and will be out at least a week for the Chicago Blackhawks. [NBC Chicago]
• Why it was smart for the St. Louis Blues to give GM Doug Armstrong a four-year extension. [Bleedin’ Blue]
• It’ll be a reunion of sorts Thursday night as Jonathan Drouin and Mikhail Sergachev face their old franchises for the first time. [Tampa Bay Times]
• How the New York Islanders’ new arena deal impacts the franchise beyond the obvious. [Lighthouse Hockey]
• A first-person look at traditional and non-traditional hockey markets. [Blackout Dallas]
• “A 10-year-old New Hampshire boy who was seriously injured in a bicycle accident received a special holiday message from a professional hockey player.” Good on ye, Milan Lucic. [boston.com]
• On Paul Kariya and how he was one of the NHL’s first stars of Asian descent. [NBC News]
• The great-great-great grandson of Lord Stanley of Preston wants to watch his first full NHL in Canada. [The Star]
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.