Report: Pisani interested in job with Oilers

By Dhiren MahibanJun 10, 2015, 9:30 AM EDT

With the Edmonton Oilers currently searching for assistant coaches, former NHLer Fernando Pisani has voiced his interest in joining the club according to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal.

Edmonton fired assistant coaches Keith Acton and Craig Ramsay last week.

It was believed Todd Nelson would be considered for a role on Todd McLellan’s staff; however, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been granted permission to interview Nelson for their vacancy with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Jay Woodcroft, who was with McLellan in San Jose, is expected to join the Oilers, but there could still be room for Pisani, if the club is interested.

Pisani served as an assistant coach with the University of Alberta Golden Bears men’s hockey team during the 2014-15 season.

The 38-year-old spent parts of seven seasons with the Oilers during his playing days. Pisani played a significant role in the Oilers reaching the 2006 Stanley Cup Final scoring 14 goals and 18 points in 24 playoff games.

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Oilers relieve Keith Acton and Craig Ramsay

By Dhiren MahibanJun 4, 2015, 9:00 PM EDT

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The Edmonton Oilers front office overhaul continued on Thursday.

The club announced it has relieved Associate Coach Keith Acton and Assistant Coach Craig Ramsay of their duties. The pair were hired by former head coach Dallas Eakins who was fired in December.

Today’s moves could pave the way for Todd Nelson to return to the club.

Nelson was given permission to explore other opportunities following the hiring of Todd McLellan.

However, hockey insider Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday that Nelson has had discussions with the Oilers about joining McLellan’s staff.

Jay Woodcroft, who was an assistant with McLellan in San Jose, is also expected to join the Oilers’ staff.

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PHT’s Morning Skate: Smokin’ Joe Frazier the Flyers fan

By Joe YerdonNov 8, 2011, 7:00 AM EDT

PHT’s Morning Skate takes a look around the world of hockey to see what’s happening and what we’ll be talking about around the NHL world and beyond.

Joe Frazier wasn’t a hockey legend, but he was a Philadelphia legend who had a special place in the Flyers’ hearts as well, especially when Ray Emery was in town. Rest in peace, Champ. (NBC Sports)

Want to melt your brain on win statistics so far this season? Pension Plan Puppets has your hookup. Do not read before caffeinated. (PPP)

Claude Noel does not want to move Dustin Byfuglien back to forward. Say, I don’t suppose Buff misses Craig Ramsay now does he? (Winnipeg Sun)

Curious what the Canadiens would look like all mustachioed for Movember? No, they all won’t look like the Mario Bros. before eating a mushroom. (All-Habs)

Mike Komisarek is giving Luke Schenn tips on how to bounce back from a benching. At least he’s experienced at it. (Toronto Sun)

Loui Eriksson is getting work done for the Stars so far this season. (ESPN Dallas)

Duncan Keith is feeling like he’ll be back in the lineup Tuesday. Chicago has missed him. (Chicago Tribune)

While Tim Connolly is banged up for the Leafs, Joe Colborne is making his mark in Toronto’s farm system. “Thank you, Kaberle” has an awkward ring to it. (NHL)

Jets would like more from Bryan Little. That might be a tall task. (Winnipeg Sun)

The Capitals are mailing it in on fighting this year. Add them to the list with Tampa Bay and Detroit. We bet D.J. King would’ve liked a heads up on this development. (CSNWashington.com)

Daniel Alfredsson had himself an Ice Cube day coming back from his concussion. For you fans that don’t know 90s rap, he had a good day. (Senators Extra)

Adrian Dater ran into former Wings forward Darren McCarty at the pawn shop where “Hardcore Pawn” is filmed. Make your own punchline if you want to. Tread carefully. (All Things Avs)

Finally, Al Montoya may have taken a bit of a beating last night, but he will do his job lying down. Seriously.

Revenge, reunion and review: Jets edge Panthers in shootout

By James O'BrienOct 31, 2011, 11:44 PM EDT

Surely there are some people out there who legitimately felt like the Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers had some sort of rivalry. For the rest of us, it was like watching a battle between cats and dogs, though. In their own minds it was a ferocious fight, but everyone else just giggled at how adorable their bickering ended up being.

Things might be at least a little bit different starting this season, though. The Panthers’ renovation is looking pretty promising so far while their opponents are now the Winnipeg Jets, a team followed as frantically as the Thrashers were largely ignored.

That’s not the only thing that makes this an interesting budding rivalry, though. One could consider each squad Chicago Blackhawks off-shoot A and B; the Jets employ former Hawks like Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd while the Panthers spent big money to add from Windy City players such as Brian Campbell and Tomas Kopecky.

Add some hard feelings for (in my opinion unfairly) fired former Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay and it shouldn’t be surprising that the two squads’ Halloween match featured an almost scary level of competition. The Jets nabbed a 4-3 shootout win, but it wasn’t without its nastiness and a little controversy.

Revenge: Instead of Ramsay’s revenge, the big vengeance storyline developed in-game. Scottie Upshall landed a hit on Evander Kane that might gain some attention from the NHL, but Kane shook it off and scored two big goals.

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Reunion: That wasn’t the only moment when blood started boiling, though. Former Blackhawk Jack Skille clobbered Tobias Enstrom with a hit that might have been legal, but looked rather painful. Byfuglien quickly fought a player he once skated alongside in Chicago and the results weren’t pretty for Skille.

Review: The Jets were on the ropes at 3-2 with less than a minute remaining, but Kane scored with 50 seconds left on a shot that was originally ruled down with a high-stick. The ruling was overturned and the game was sent into overtime, which eventually made way for a shootout ‘W’ for the Jets.

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If Monday’s game is any indication, these games will be a lot more interesting than recent years. Here are highlights from that contest.

Former Atlanta coach on facing Winnipeg: “There is emotion there”

By Mike HalfordOct 31, 2011, 4:41 PM EDT

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The BankAtlantic Center will host a rather strange reunion tonight as the Panthers take on the Winnipeg Jets.

Florida assistant Craig Ramsay — who coached the Thrashers in their final season of existence — will face his former organization for the first time since being relieved of his duties.

“In all honesty, now, since I’ve bounced around from one team to another, I have a whole bunch of those teams where you have special meaning for the game and you have to try to set that aside,” Ramsay told NHL.com. “I’d like to say there’s no extra emotion, but there is… There is emotion there, but I really try not to let it affect the way I do my job and what I have to accomplish.”

Relieving Ramsay of his duties was a low point in Winnipeg’s otherwise blissful summer — lost amidst the good vibes and excitement was the fact that Ramsay had been blindsided by the move. In his lone year with Atlanta, he’d taken the team to its four-highest ever point total and had the Thrashers atop the Southeast Division halfway through the year. “I have to admit it was quite a bit of a shock when it started to transpire when I first heard that maybe we were going to be the team to go to Winnipeg,” he said. “My wife and daughter got on the Internet to check out rentals, assuming we’d be part of the package, and we’d be heading north.”

Instead, the Jets cleaned house and replaced both Ramsay and Thrashers GM Rick Dudley with Claude Noel and Kevin Cheveldayoff. By all accounts, it wasn’t the cleanest of executions — the South Florida Sun-Sentinel said Winnipeg left Ramsay “dangling for several weeks” before informing him he wouldn’t be retained.

Things have worked out for Ramsay to a certain degree. While he’s now an assistant rather than a head coach (serving under Kevin Dineen with the Panthers), Florida’s gotten off to a far better start than the Jets have under Ramsay’s replacement, Claude Noel. The Panthers are 6-4-0 heading into tonight’s action, just two points back of Southeast Division leaders Washington.

And perhaps of equal importance, five points up on last-place Winnipeg.