Argentinean defender Walter Samuel was presented to the press and fans on Tuesday. Following a terrible season both on a personal and team level with Real Madrid, Walter Samuel wants to redeem himself in his new adventure at Inter. “I chose Inter because they showed that they wanted me at all costs. I don’t know why in Madrid they did not appreciate me much; it was a difficult year not just for but for the whole team.” Samuel is not sure whether he will feature in next week’s Champions League preliminary round. “I don’t know, the coach will decide. I haven’t trained for some days therefore it’s a bit difficult, but Mancini will decide.” Bolton are nearing the capture of Besiktas defender Juanfran. The feisty Spanish international, formally of Celta Vigo, is set to be loaned out for a season by the Turkish giants. "We are still reasonably confident that Juanfran should join us soon," said Bolton boss Sam Allardyce. "Nothing is certain about the deal and there is still a little work to be done, but I remain hopeful that it can be pushed through in the near future."
Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Dutch international midfielder Edgar Davids on a free transfer from Internazionale. Davids, 32, has passed a medical and agreed personal terms with the north London club. "I know everybody is very excited, he is a big player and the one we wanted," Spurs head coach Martin Jol told the club’s official website. "He’s one of the most successful players of the last decade. He has played for five of Europe’s biggest clubs and he wants to play for Spurs. "All of our players are ambitious and know why we have brought Edgar in, because both mentally and physically we need to go up a step or two," he said. Jol said Spurs benefit significantly from the extensive top-flight experience of Davids, who has won 73 caps for Holland during a club career that has taken in Ajax, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Inter. He has also appeared in four Champions League finals and won the Dutch league title in 1994, 1995 and 1996 with Ajax. He moved from the Amsterdam club to AC Milan in 1996, before switching to Juventus in December 1997, enjoying seven successful years in Turin. Davids helped the Old Lady to clinch the Serie A title in 1998, 2002 and 2003 - and played in the 1998 and 2003 Champions League finals. He then joined Barcelona on loan in January 2004 and helped spark a revival in the Catalan club’s fortunes, as they rose from mid-table to finish second to Valencia in La Liga. However, he could not agree a deal with Barca and returned to Juventus last summer, before moving to Inter on a free transfer. But that didn’t work out, with Davids rarely getting a first-team game.
Florida Panthers General Manager Mike Keenan announced today that the club has signed LW Martin Gelinas to a two year contract. As per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "Like Nieuwendyk and Roberts, Marty brings with him proven leadership and skills as well as a history of playoff success," Keenan said. "He knows what it takes to win and has the experience to help guide our younger players and accelerate the growth of our team." Gelinas, 35, has appeared in 1,052 National Hockey League contests for five different clubs (Edmonton 1988-93, Quebec 1993-94, Vancouver 1993-1998, Carolina 1997-2002 & Calgary 2002-04) and played in an impressive 147 postseason contests. He earned a Stanley Cup Championship with Edmonton in 1990. Gelinas becomes the third player with more than 1,000 games of NHL experience to be signed by Keenan in the last two days, joining Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts. Additionally, he has appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals with four different teams, Edmonton, Vancouver, Carolina and Calgary. Gelinas posted a career best 35 goals, 33 assists and 68 points during the 1996-97 season while playing for the Vancouver Canucks. As a member of the 2004 Western Conference Champion Calgary Flames, he appeared in 26 postseason contests scoring eight goals with seven assists. For his NHL career, the Shawinigan, Quebec, native has recorded 555 points (269-286-555) and 684 penalty minutes. Gelinas was selected as the Canadian Major Junior Rookie of the Year in 1988 after tallying 131 points (63-68-131) in 65 games with the Hull Olympiques. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with their first choice, 7th overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
Chris Pronger is an Oiler. Pronger is one of the NHL's premier defensemen. The St. Louis Blues have traded the veteran defenceman to Edmonton for defencemen Eric Brewer, Doug Lynch and Jeff Woywitka. Pronger was the NHL's most valuable player and top defenceman in 2000. Blues GM Larry Pleau tendered Pronger a contract qualifying offer of $7.22 million US last week and, with the salaries for Pronger, Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight totalling $19.7 million, many observers felt the Blues couldn't keep all three high-priced players when the new collective bargaining agreement set a $39-million US cap per team. The other shoe fell when the Blues issued a statement on the trade shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday. Pronger, 30, the Blues' captain, has played in four NHL all-star games and is a two-time Olympian. The six-foot-six native of Dryden, Ont., has 400 points including 94 goals in 722 NHL games. When he won the Hart and Norris trophies the same year, he was the first player to do so since Bobby Orr in 1972. He was the No. 2 pick in the 1993 entry draft.
Pleau was delighted to get Brewer, who skated in the all-star game in 2003 and who was a teammate of Pronger on Canada's 2002 Olympic-champion team. Eric Brewer has been a premier defenceman in the NHL for the past several seasons and we are very excited about the talents he brings to the Blues," Pleau said. "We are also adding two skilled younger defencemen who are clearly up-coming players at this level. "We're looking forward to having all three of these players in our lineup together one day in the future." Brewer, 26, from Vernon, B.C., has played six seasons in the NHL including the last four with Edmonton while amassing 113 points including 34 goals in 404 games. The six-foot-three blue-liner began his NHL career with the New York Islanders after being selected fifth overall in the 1997 draft. Lynch, 22, from North Vancouver, B.C., made his NHL debut with Edmonton in 2003-2004, appearing in two games. He completed his second season with the Oilers organization in 2004-2005 with the Edmonton Road Runners of the AHL. He was the 43rd player picked in the 2001 draft. Woywitka, 21, from Vermilion, Alta., played the last two seasons in the AHL including 2004-2005 with the Road Runners. He was drafted 27th overall by Philadelphia in 2001.
The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with left wing Cory Stillman on a three-year contract Tuesday. The 31-year-old Stillman was second among scorers for the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2003-04 season. He was seventh in the NHL with 80 points in 81 games and third with 55 assists. "Cory has been a consistent offensive player throughout his NHL career," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He was a key member of Tampa Bay's power play, and we will look for him to do the same for our team." Selected sixth by the Calgary Flames in the 1992 draft, Stillman has 184 goals, 250 assists and 326 penalty minutes in 645 career regular-season games with Calgary, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. He has eight goals and 15 assists in 53 playoff games.
The Florida Panthers highlighted the first day of NHL free-agent signings by outbidding the Toronto Maple Leafs for forwards Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts. The free agent season usually begins quietly on July 1, but the recent lockout made for a busy Monday. The activity should stretch through August and continue until training camps open next month. "I think it was a little more active," New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "Everything came today, whereas it was spread out in the past and will be in the future." The Panthers were looking for some savvy veterans to help their young, talented players develop. Nieuwendyk and Roberts looked like a perfect fit. "These two players are consummate professionals and will basically teach our younger players," Panthers general manager Mike Keenan said. "First of all, how to be a professional in many respects - and how to win." In other moves, Boston acquired forward Brad Isbister from Edmonton for a fourth-round pick in next year's draft. In 51 games with the Oilers during the 2003-04 season, Isbister had 10 goals, eight assists and 54 penalty minutes. Also, St. Louis signed right wing Aaron Downey to a one-year contract, Minnesota signed free-agent forward Andrei Nazarov and Los Angeles signed unrestricted free-agent winger Tom Kostopoulos to a two-year deal. The Anaheim Mighty Ducks introduced former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Randy Carlyle as their new coach. Carlyle replaced Mike Babcock, who left Anaheim to coach the Detroit Red Wings. The day's biggest move was undoubtedly Florida's. It was significant to Nieuwendyk and Roberts, too. The two buddies also wanted the chance to finish their careers together. "It's a very attractive situation," Nieuwendyk said. The Panthers signed the four-time All-Star center Nieuwendyk and longtime left wing Roberts away from the Maple Leafs less than 90 minutes after the window for new moves opened. Nieuwendyk, who's won the Stanley Cup with three franchises, and Roberts will both receive $4.5 million over the next two years from Florida - which hasn't won a playoff game since 1997. Roberts is 39, Nieuwendyk 38. They join a locker room in Florida stacked with potential, like goaltender Roberto Luongo, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, and centers Stephen Weiss, Nathan Horton and Olli Jokinen - none of whom are older than 26. "I just know we're ecstatic about the opportunity to come down with probably a younger group of guys than we had in Toronto and a great goaltender in Luongo," Roberts said. "We feel we can make an impact and make the Florida Panthers a better hockey team." Each has a familiarity with new Panthers coach Jacques Martin, another plus supporting the move. In the NHL's new age that will seemingly lead to parity, the duo believes that Florida - which made the Stanley Cup finals in 1996, yet hasn't even reached the postseason since 2000 - could improve greatly and quickly. "I don't see any reason why they can't do what Tampa Bay did up the road, going to the finals and winning," Nieuwendyk said, referring to the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup title. "I don't think Gary and I are going there to be just part of a playoff team. We're going there to try to put a lot of wins on the board."
Nieuwendyk had 22 goals and 28 assists in 64 games with the Maple Leafs in 2003-04, but he missed parts of the year with back problems. Nieuwendyk - who won the 1999 Conn Smythe Award with the Dallas Stars and has 533 goals and 529 assists in 18 NHL seasons - signed a one-year, $3 million contract with Toronto last spring, before the season was lost in the lockout. Roberts had 20 goals and 28 assists with the Maple Leafs in 2003-04 and was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team that season. The 17-year NHL veteran played just 14 games the previous season after he missed the first 57 games recovering from offseason shoulder operations. But Keenan said the durability of Nieuwendyk and Roberts isn't a major worry. "We don't have that much of a concern or we wouldn't have hired them. ... They're both well-trained athletes. They're both respectful of how they look after themselves," Keenan said. Nieuwendyk and Roberts have long been linked. They grew up playing together, first as opponents from the age of 5, then for many years on the same youth-level teams and even played lacrosse together as kids. Later, they spent nearly a decade playing together with the Calgary Flames. They were offered to the Panthers as a package deal, and Keenan found it too intriguing to decline. "We had to make a decision or lose them to competitors. ... The fact they could play together was more enticing than the financing," Keenan said. With hundreds of players on the market, the free agent signing period is expected to be wilder than ever. Many teams have fewer than 10 players under contract for the upcoming season. Stars from forward Peter Forsberg to defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Brian Leetch are available, but they might not go to the highest bidder. Teams can only pay players up to 20 percent of the new $39 million salary cap. "In the old days, it was they may not be willing to give it to you," Curran said. "Now they just can't."
Calgary Flames General Manager and Head Coach Darryl Sutter announced today the signing of forwards Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty. As per club policy, terms and conditions of either deal were not disclosed. “Amonte fits our needs of a winger who can play on one of the top two lines while fitting in the team’s identity,” said Sutter.” He’s a proven veteran who can score and a player I’m very familiar with having coached in Chicago.” Tony Amonte, a 6’0” 200 lbs. right winger has played in 1,013 NHL games over 13 seasons with the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes and the Philadelphia Flyers. During his NHL tenure the Hingham, MA native has scored 828 points on 392 goals and 436 assists while adding 669 penalty minutes. In 86 NHL playoff games Amonte has recorded 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) and 46 penalty minutes. Amonte was the Rangers third choice, 68th overall, in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Darren McCarty, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with Detroit (1997, 1998 and 2002), played the previous 11 seasons with the Red Wings recording 273 points (119 goals, 154 assists) and 1,275 penalty minutes in 643 NHL games. The second round choice, 46th overall, of the Red Wings was born in Burnaby, BC and raised in Leamington, ON. In 150 NHL playoff games the 6’1” 215 lbs. McCarty has recorded 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) and 194 penalty minutes. “McCarty is a proven winner with a big physical presence,” added Sutter. “He makes our team much tougher to play against and he knows what it takes to win.”
Veterans Bobby Holik and Derian Hatcher will cash in from both their new and old teams. Holik, a sought-after free agent after the New York Rangers bought him out, signed a $12.75-million US, three-year deal Tuesday with the Atlanta Thrashers. He'll earn $4.25 million from the Thrashers this season and around $9 million from the Rangers once his buyout paperwork is finalized.
The New York Rangers signed star winger Martin Straka and defenceman Marek Malik - both unrestricted free agents and also re-signed goaltender Kevin Weekes to a $3.9 million, two-year deal. Malik, who leaves Vancouver, will earn $2.5 million in New York this season.
-The New York Islanders signed unrestricted free-agent defenceman Alexei Zhitnik to $14-million, four-year deal. The former Buffalo Sabre will earn $3.5 million a season.
-Glen Murray elected to stay in Boston. The unrestricted free-agent winger agreed to a $16.6-million, four-year deal with the Bruins. He'll earn $4.15 million per season. The Bruins were busy, also signing free-agent winger Shawn McEachern to a $2.1-million, two-year deal and centre Dave Scatchard to a four-year deal worth more than $2 million a season.
-The Chicago Blackhawks signed defenceman Adrian Aucoin to a $16-million, four-year deal. Aucoin, an unrestricted free agent formerly of the Islanders, is an offensive defenceman who has scored more than 10 goals and put up more than 30 points four times in his career. With the NHL promising a more open game stressing offence, Aucoin cashed in on his reputation, as did Sandis Ozolinsh last Friday when he re-signed in Anaheim ($2.75 million a year) and Sergei Zubov in Dallas ($4 million a year) on Sunday.
-The Flyers also signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Mike Rathje to a $17.5 million, five-year deal which includes a no-trade clause. He'll earn $3.5 million a season. The Flyers also signed free-agent defenceman Chris Therien to a $500,000, one-year deal and free-agent winger Jon Sim to a $450,000, one-year deal.
-Columbus confirmed the signing of Foote to a $13.8-million, three-year deal. The 34-year-old, who agreed to terms late Monday night, will earn $4.6 million a season.
GARY ROBERTS Florida Panthers | LW | #7 Rookie Yr: 1986 Ht., Wt.: 6'2", 215 NHL Exp.: 18 Born: May 23, 1966 in North York, Ontario
While developing his game in the Whitby and Oshawa minor hockey programs, Gary Roberts often had visions of his heroes, Guy Lafleur and Lanny McDonald, skating on either side as he headed up the ice. In reality, though, more often than not the real player at his side was future NHL star, Joe Nieuwendyk. The two were close friends from an early age and played lacrosse together as well as hockey. When it came time to enter the junior ranks, the two parted company for a few years while Roberts joined the Ottawa 67's of the OHL. In his second year with the club, in 1983-84, the 67's won the Memorial Cup. Several seasons later, after a standout career in Ottawa, Roberts joined the Guelph Platers late in the season. He arrived just in time to savour his second Memorial Cup win. Ready to turn pro, Roberts split his first season between the Calgary Flames, who had drafted him, and the Moncton Golden Flames of the AHL. His stay in the minors was short, however, as he caught on permanently with the Flames in 1987-88, about the same time his childhood buddy, Nieuwendyk, arrived as well. From that point forward, Roberts established himself as a rambunctious player, known for his hard drives towards the opponent's net. In fact, his first-ever NHL goal was scored against the Vancouver Canucks. He put himself and the puck behind the goal line.
Roberts' second full year with the Flames brought him to the top as the club secured its first and only Stanley Cup victory. After the big win, he only got better as the years progressed. In 1991-92, he reached his height of personal output, scoring 53 goals in one campaign. Several seasons later, however, all of the hard drives and hits taken from behind caught up with him. He missed most of the 1994-95 season with the hope that a long rest would ease the burning pain in his neck and numbness in his arm. He attempted a comeback the following year, but found that his symptoms got worse. A closer check by doctors revealed bone spurs and nerve damage in his neck. The operation required to correct the situation would be delicate and could offer no guarantee that Roberts would ever play pro hockey again. He sat out the 1996-97 campaign and embarked on a vigourous reconditioning program. With his new super healthy regime in place, Roberts made a comeback as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes. With his neck built up like that of a bulldog's, Roberts was back in the league's goal creases engaged in territorial jousting. Over the three-plus seasons since his operation, he has played solid hockey, netting his usual 55 to 60 points per campaign. In 2000, Roberts accepted a lucrative offer to sign as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs and during the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs was the team's leading point getter and its best player. In the summer of 2002 Roberts underwent shoulder surgery and missed the better part of the 2002-03 season, before returning in the latter stages of the season and post season. In 2003-04, Roberts surpassed the 1,000 games played plateau and notched his 800th point.
Song for the day - "My Happy Ending" - AVRIL LAVIGNE
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