Flyers’ Gagne is put on the long-term injury list

Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren told to the media that Simon Gagne will have long-term injury. He said the Flyers also have placed defenseman Randy Jones on re-entry waivers. "When we loaned Randy, it was a cap issue and with Simon going on long-term, we don’t have as many cap issues," Holmgren said. Jones has been playing with the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms so the Flyers could add James van Riemsdyk, Mike Pyorala and Blair Betts to their roster.

Holmgren said the club still will likely not know until Thursday whether Gagne needs surgery or not. He will miss no less than 10 games and 24 days by being placed on long-term injury. "We have not sat down with everyone yet," Holmgren. "There are other things we have to discuss so I don't know if we will have an answer until Thursday." Hope he can return to the team in his flyers jersey as soon as possible.

Flyers and Capitals will meet on Tuesday night

Two powerhouses in the Eastern Conference begin to do battle on Tuesday night as part of a schedule in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers, who are consistently one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division, will get the action started at 7 p.m. against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center. Washington, led by Alex Ovechkin in capitals jersey, have built a five-point lead in the Southeast Division. The game can be seen in America on Versus and TSN and RDS in Canada.

In the final game of the night, the Detroit Red Wings will look to get back on track against the Vancouver Canucks at G.M. Place. The Canucks are leading a 2-0 win against Edmonton on Sunday night that lifted them above .500 for the first time this season.

Blues' general manager’s wife comes back to the ice

The wife of Blues General Manager Larry Pleau -- Wendy, felt some pain in her back and assumed she had a kidney stone in 2006. Doctors then discovered a tumor and diagnosed her with Burkitt’s, a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Over the next several months, Wendy would endure four sequences of chemotherapy, which was an aggressive form of treatment for aggressive type of cancer.

"Larry compared it to the Stanley Cup playoffs," Wendy said. "He kept me battling, along with friends, family, alumni, the fans, the team, just everybody. It was just amazing." The chemotherapy was a success, and Wendy was presented with a cardboard cutout of the Stanley Cup for emerging victorious in her battle with serious illness.

MLB LCS viewership is up to 20 percent

The first four League Championship Series games have averaged 7.49 million viewers, which is a 20 percent increase over the first four LCS games last year. Saturday night's instant classic at Yankee Stadium on FOX, a 4-3, 13-inning win by the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALCS, drew 9.38 million viewers. That total was 87 percent more than Game 2 of last year's NLCS on FOX and became the most viewers for a non-elimination LCS game on Saturday since 2004.

In addition, the first three games of the LCS on Thursday and Friday was the best two-day average in terms of television viewership since 2006. The NLCS will continue with Game 3 from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Sunday at 8 p.m. on TBS. Game 3 of the ALCS, in which the Yankees have a 2-0 win over the Angels, is Monday in Anaheim at 4:13 p.m. on FOX.

White Sox add Alejandro De Aza to outfield mix

It is reported that Alejandro De Aza became the first offseason addition made by the White Sox, as the left-handed-hitting outfielder was claimed off waivers from the Marlins. Although general manager Ken Williams and his staff still have roster problems, De Aza could serve as an extra outfielder in the defensive-replacement role.

De Aza (in white sox jersey) spent most of the 2009 season with Triple-A New Orleans, hitting .300 with eight home runs in 87 games. He also played in 22 games with the Marlins last season. He has also played games with Florida in 2007 and 2009. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 2001. Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios remain the only current certainties in the White Sox outfield. The White Sox and veteran Jermaine Dye have a $12 million mutual option with a $1 million buyout for 2010.

Kings recall forward Oscar Moller from AHL

Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi announced Saturday that the Los Angeles Kings have recalled forward Oscar Moller (in kings jersey) from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Moller has recorded five points, and four penalty minutes in five games with Manchester this season.

He appeared in 40 games for the Kings last season and recorded 15 points. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 11, 2008 and became the 15th youngest player in the Kings. Moller also appeared in eight games with Manchester last season, recording five points.

National Hockey League suspends Artyukhin for three games

Anaheim Ducks forward Evgeny Artyukhin (in ducks jersey) has been suspended for three games without pay by the NHL because of a slew-footing incident against Dallas defenseman Matt Niskanen (in stars jersey). The incident occurred at the second period of the game on Wednesday night.

Artyukhin, who was suspended for two games on Jan. 19, 2009, now is considered to be a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Artyukhin will miss Saturday's game against Toronto and Vancouver. He will return on Oct. 31 at Phoenix.

Vanek may not be out of the game

The Buffalo Sabres( sabres jerseys )Head Coach said Tomas Vanek may only miss a few days, after sustaining an upper body injury in the game against the Red Wings( red wings jerseys ). Vanek left the game following his second goal of the night and did not return to the ice. In his post-game comments, Ruff indicated Vanek could miss a good period of time because of the injury.

"They thought he would feel a lot worse today, but he’s actually feeling a lot better," Ruff said following practice on Wednesday. "He's doing remarkably well which is good.. I wouldn’t even rule him out maybe for a game on the weekend, as well as he's doing today."

MacDougal undergoes hip surgery

Nationals Mike MacDougal had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip on Tuesday. The surgery was performed by Dr. Marc Philippon, the same doctor who performed similar surgery on Yankees( yankees jerseys )third baseman Alex Rodriguez earlier this year.

MacDougal should begin a throwing program in eight weeks and should be fully recovered by Spring Training. MacDougal had problems with his hip since late August, but pitched until the end of the season.

Three NHL games will be on show

The Detroit Red Wings( Red Wings jerseys )aim for their third straight win against the host Buffalo Sabres( Sabres jerseys )at HSBC Arena. The Sabres have scored only four goals in their first three games, yet are off to a 2-0-1 start. Detroit has won two in a row after opening the season with constantly losses to the St. Louis Blues in Sweden.

The Calgary Flames( Flames jerseys )will attempt to clear the cobwebs after losing to the Chicago Blackhawks( Blackhawks jerseys )as they face the Columbus Blue Jackets( blue jackets jerseys )at Nationwide Arena. Calgary scored all five goals in the opening period and Columbus has won three of its first four games.

Lastly, the hottest Colorado Avalanche( avalanche jerseys )will "fight with" Toronto Maple Leafs( maple leafs jerseys )at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto has allowed 24 goals in its first five games on Monday night.

Guzman will undergo shoulder surgery

Nationals' Cristian Guzman will have his right shoulder scoped on Thursday. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Douoguih at The Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Guzman has been hampered by shoulder problems for over a month. He said the shoulder grew worse when he played against the Dodgers on Sept. 24. Guzman did not play shortstop for the rest of the season after that game. The team believes that he no longer has enough range to play the position.

In other news, catcher Derek Norris broke his left hamate bone while working out in the Instructional League. He will have surgery performed by Dr. Thomas Graham in Baltimore to remove the fractured hamate bone. Norris is expected to be able to resume baseball activities in December. He was the Nationals' Minor League Player of the Year this season.

Weekes and Dreger's debut will be on NHL Network

Kevin Weekes and Darren Dreger will debut on Wednesday night, joining "On The Fly" to provide their insight on the NHL Network. Weekes, who appeared in 348 regular-season games with the Panthers, Canucks, Lightning, Hurricanes, Rangers and Devils, will be a regular analyst, while Dreger will make one appearance a week as an NHL Network insider.

"On The Fly" also will welcome Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who will join the show soon.

Cole Hamels is preparing for Game 5 of NLDS

Cole Hamels' wife, Heidi, gave birth to their first son -- Caleb Michael -- on Friday, so he has been a father for a little more than two days. The game against the Rockies postponed Saturday because of cold weather and snow, Hamels will likely to pitch Game 5 on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. And Hamels is back in Philadelphia, working out on his own while the Phillies play in Denver.

Hamels allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings with the Rockies on Thursday in Game 2, but Manuel said he thought Hamels pitched better than he has imagined. "First of all, his performance the other day was not a bad performance," Manuel said. "We were behind, 4-0, when he left the game. I thought his stuff was pretty good, and actually I liked how he threw."

Penguins claim Chris Bourque off waivers

Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero of the Pittsburgh Penguins said that the team have claimed forward Chris Bourque off waivers. It means Bourque, who is the son of Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, will be added to the Pittsburgh Penguins roster.

Bourque spent the previous five seasons in the Washington Capitals organization after Washington selected him in the second roundof the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He has appeared in 12 games for the Capitals, recording one goal. He has also played four seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, Washington’s top minor-league affiliate.

Montgomery is named chairman of Philadelphia Sports Congress

The Philadelphia Sports Congress (PSC), a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that Montgomery is named as chairman of the Sports Congress on October 1.
The Sports Congress works to attract major national and international sporting events and conventions to the Philadelphia region and generate economic impact and jobs for the citizens of Philadelphia.

"The Sports Congress has done an outstanding job of showcasing Philadelphia as a preeminent destination for sporting events," Montgomery said. "Personally, it's an honor to follow Bob Levy, who has contributed so much to the Philadelphia sports community. I'm particularly pleased to partner with Tom Lynch as we attempt to build on the success of the Sports Congress under Bob's leadership."

American great players will visit NHL Live

It is said that three excellent players will be guests on NHL Live on Monday, as Pat LaFontaine, Mike Richter and Brian Leetch are all chosen to be on the program. Richter and Leetch were significant components of the Rangers' 1994 run to the Stanley Cup championship. Richter won 301 games in his NHL career and appeared in 76 postseason. Leetch won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1994 as the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

LaFontaine played in the NHL from 1984 to 1998 with the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. He had 1,013 points in 865 games. NHL Live is also broadcast live on NHL Network.

Osvaldo Martinez is shot in Puerto Rico

The 21-year-old Marlins Minor Leaguer Osvaldo Martinez, who was shot several times in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, was supposed to be the innocent victim of gangsters battling for control of drug distribution in public housing projects. Police spokeswoman Maria Rivera told the AP that Martinez was driving through his hometown of Carolina, when he was shot three times because it seems that the group of gunmen confused him with another person. According to the report, Martinez was recovering from surgery and now in stable condition.

The Marlins released a statement Wednesday night about the news: "The Florida Marlins are aware of a shooting incident involving Minor Leaguer Osvaldo Martinez in Puerto Rico this morning. At this time, we are trying to get more information. The entire organization's thoughts and prayers are with Osvaldo and his family."

McCabe is named Panthers' captain

Florida Panthers head coach Peter DeBoer announced that Bryan McCabe has been named the club's team captain. Assistant captains will be forwards Cory Stillman and Stephen Weiss. "The selection of Bryan as the captain of our club was something that became obvious to our staff after working with him for the past year," said DeBoer. "He exudes all of the attributes you look for in a leader and will be a natural extension of the coaches and our message into the dressing room."

McCabe previously served as captain of the Islanders during the 1997-98 campaign and also served as an assistant captain with several teams during his 14-year playing career. Totally he has played 986 National Hockey League games, posting 457 points and 1,615 PIM.