Ryan Miller is named Olympic MVP

It is reported that Team USA goaltender Ryan Miller was named the MVP of the Olympic hockey tournament and was one of three Americans to make the tourney's All-Star team.

Miller, defenseman Brian Rafalski and forward Zach Parise were named to the team along with Canadian defenseman Shea Weber and forward Jonathan Toews and Slovakia forward Pavol Demitra, who led all scorers at the Games with 10 points. The All Star team of the Olympic tournament was named after the second period of the gold-medal game. Rafalski earned best defenseman honors and Toews was named best forward.

Crosby gets a chance to chase gold

Team Canada alternate captain Sidney Crosby has dreamed about playing in a gold-medal game most of his life. Friday night, that dream came true as his Canadians held off a spirited late charge to defeat a Slovakian. With the 3-2 win at Canada Hockey Place, Team Canada booked passage into a dream gold-medal game against Team USA, which is 5-0 in this tournament after a 6-1 pasting of Finland earlier in the day in the other semifinal. Crosby, who had three shots and an even rating Friday night, stopped to talk exclusively to NHL.com after the game.

Vanbiesbrouck on NHL Live!

A special extra edition of NHL Live! will be broadcast streamed on Sunday from 12–2 p.m. ET. In addition to a visit from NHL.com's Shawn Roarke, Dan Rosen and John Dellapina from Vancouver, former NHL goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, NHL Live! co-host E.J. Hradek and former NHL player, coach and executive Marshall Johnston are also scheduled to appear.

NHL Live! is broadcast from the NHL Store Powered By Reebok in New York. Deb Placey and Rob Simpson will co-host Sunday's show.

Weber and Suter appear on NHL Live!

Nashville Predators defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter will be among the guests on Thursday’s edition of NHL Live!, scheduled from noon-2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. Weber will be part of Team Canada at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, while Suter will play for Team USA.

Also scheduled to appear to speak with co-hosts Deb Placey and E.J. Hradek NBC and NESN hockey analyst Mike Milbury and CBC play-by-play man Jim Hughson.

Getzlaf will play for Team Canada

Hockey Canada announced that the roster which is submitting for the men’s hockey tournament at the 2010 Olympic Games is the same as the roster that was announced on December 30, 2009 in Saskatoon, meaning Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim is OK to play.

Getzlaf suffered a sprained ankle last week and Team Canada had the Flyers' Jeff Carter as a replacement if needed. Carter was informed that he will not be added to the roster.

Dodgers sign free-agent Ortiz

The Dodgers have signed right-handed free-agent pitcher Ramon Ortiz to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp. Ortiz last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2007, splitting time between the Twins and Rockies. He pitched in Japan in 2008 and for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Fresno last year, going 5-6 with a 3.05 ERA.

He was the winning pitcher for the Angels in Game 3 of the 2002 World Series against the Giants. Hope he can play well in the dodgers jersey.

McClung signs Minors deal with Marlins

McClung has reached agreement on a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. His deal is similar to that of another former Brewers reliever. Last Friday, the Marlins signed Derrick Turnbow to a Minor League deal with the same contract figures. McClung appeared in 41 games for Milwaukee last year and posted an ERA of 4.94. From 2003-06, McClung pitched for Tampa Bay.

The Marlins have stated that they are looking to strengthen their bullpen. Jose Veras, who pitched for the Yankees and Indians last year, also will get a look on a Minor League contract. The Miami Herald reports Florida also has signed right-hander Scott Strickland to a Minor League contract. Hope he can play well in the marlins jersey.

Ducks sign Hiller to a four-year deal

The Ducks announced that they have signed goaltender Jonas Hiller to a four-year contract extension through the 2013-14 NHL season. Hiller has posted a 54-37-5 record with a 2.46 goals-against average in 108 career NHL appearances in his anaheim ducks jersey. Since he entered the NHL in 2007, Hiller ranks third among all NHL goaltenders. He has also made 13 career playoff appearances for Anaheim.

"Jonas has proved himself as a starting NHL goaltender," said Executive Vice President and General Manager Bob Murray. "We expect him to only get better and are pleased he’s committed to us for four more seasons." Currently in his third NHL season, he has compiled a 21-15-1 record with a 2.75 GAA in 39 appearances this year. He currently is tied with Roberto Luongo for the league lead in January victories. Next month, Hiller will represent Switzerland at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

PNC Park will host Dave Matthews Band

The Pirates announced that the Dave Matthews Band is coming to Pittsburgh to perform a July 10 concert at PNC Park. This will be the fourth major concert, not including music acts following Pirates games, that PNC Park has hosted since opening in 2001. The band's tour, which begins at the end of May and runs through September, will make two other ballpark stops as well. The Dave Matthews Band will perform in New York's Citi Field on July 16 and 17 and at Nationals Park on July 23.

The Dave Matthews Band was nominated for two Grammy Awards -- "Album of the Year" and "Best Rock Album", and will perform live at the awards ceremony this Sunday. Billboard recently named the group as the top-selling touring artist of the decade.

Victorino and Phillies agree to a three-year deal

It is announced that the Phillies and Victorino agreed on a three-year contract extension worth $22 million, which will keep him under contract with Philadelphia through 2012. The extension buys out Victorino's final two years of salary arbitration and his first year of free agency. Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said that the Phillies also could lock up Ruiz to a new contract before the end of next week.

Victorino hit .292 with 39 doubles, 13 triples, 10 home runs, 62 RBIs and 25 stolen bases last season. He made his first National League All-Star team and earned his second consecutive Gold Glove.

Punto undergoes wrist surgery

Twins general manager Bill Smith said the infielder Nick Punto was scheduled to undergo wrist surgery in Phoenix on Friday. He was in the Twin Cities earlier this week and had his right wrist examined. The team expects Punto to be ready for the start of Spring Training. "He's expected to be ready to go when position players report," Smith said during a media lunch. "We're pleased about that. It was a question of should we do the surgery or not. Because it's not a serious issue, we felt it was better to have it taken care of."

Punto is the second Twins player to undergo wrist surgery this week. Catcher Jose Morales had surgery on his right wrist on Thursday, but his surgery was a little more extensive than the one Punto was going to have. Morales is not expected to resume baseball activities until March. Hope he will get better and play in his twins jersey soon.

NHL Network will broadcast USA Hockey's golden moments

It is said that NHL Network U.S. will broadcast two days of programming to celebrate USA Hockey's Weekend Across America on Sunday celebrating Team USA's golden moments.

Back-to-back gold medal triumphs in the World Under-17 Challenge and IIHF World Junior Championship give Team USA power marching into the upcoming 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. NHL Network U.S. will replay four thrilling games from those games, including all three medal-round games for the Under-20 titlists, culminating with the overtime thriller against Canada.

Red Sox acquire Shouse

According to multiple media, the Red Sox recently signed left-handed reliever Brian Shouse to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. The club is expected to send out a complete list of Minor League signings by Friday.

Shouse posted a 4.50 ERA in 45 games for the Rays this past season. For his 10-year career, the 41-year-old, who was a member of the Red Sox in 1998, owns a lifetime 3.72 ERA with a 1.97 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Hope he can play well in the red sox jersey.

Yost is hired as advisor

It is reported that Ned Yost, a former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, has been hired by the Royals as a special advisor to baseball operations. Yost, who managed the Brewers from 2003 to 2008, was dismissed when the club had an 83-67 record. During his tenure, Milwaukee had a 457-502 record, and his highest finish was second in 2007. From 1991-2002, Yost was a coach for Atlanta, serving eight years as bullpen coach and four years as third-base coach for Braves manager Bobby Cox.

"He'll be a resource for our Major League staff and our Minor League Department," said Royals general manager Dayton Moore. "He'll do some scouting for us as well. He'll be a tremendous asset for us. He has a lot of experience and is an outstanding baseball man." Moore said there are no plans to have Yost on the field to assist manager Trey Hillman during Spring Training. "He may get on the field and do some things, but if he does, it'll be more on the player-development side. He'll be down at the early camp," Moore said.

Reed and Register sign Blue Jays' Minors deals

The Blue Jays added outfielder Jeremy Reed and right-hander Steve Register to Minor League contracts that include invitations to attend Spring Training with the big league club. After spending five seasons with the Mariners, Reed spent 2009 with the New York Mets, hitting .242 over 126 games in the mets jersey. Earlier this offseason, Toronto inked outfielder Joey Gathright to a similar Minor League deal. Reed and Gathright will likely compete for a backup outfield role on the Opening Day roster.

Register split last season between the Rockies and Phillies organizations. He appeared in one game with Phillies and finished a combined 2-5 with a 3.92 ERA at Triple-A over 50 relief appearances. Originally selected in the third round of the 2004 Player Draft by the Rockies, Register was claimed off waivers by the Phillies in May.

Fleury broke his left ring finger

Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury did not practice today in Vancouver and is day-to-day with a fractured left ring finger.The injury occured in the Penguins' victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Fleury remained in the game and made 33 saves on 35 shots to pick up the victory in his pittsburgh penguins jersey.

Fleury has appeared in 41 games this season for the Penguins, posting a 25-14-1 record to go with a 2.60 goals-against average. His 25 wins rank fourth in the National Hockey League.

Marc Savard leaves game with injury

Boston Bruins center Marc Savard left Thursday night's game against Chicago Blackhawks after just 28 seconds because of an injured right leg, and it is said that he will not return. Savard went into the side boards in the Blackhawks' zone along with Chicago center Jonathan Toews. He went down to the ice awkwardly after the innocent collision and stayed there until the team's medical staff attended to him.

Savard was helped off the ice by teammates and team's trainers. The team said he won't return to the game in his boston bruins jersey and offered no other details.

Selanne' surgery is a success

Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne underwent surgery successfully to repair two fractured bones in his jaw. The club said the surgery was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Pulver at St. Joseph's Hospital. The team placed Selanne on injured reserve and said he was expected to miss 2 to 6 weeks.

Selanne was injured in the third period of Wednesday's win over Boston Bruins at the Honda Center when Ryan Whitney hit him in the jaw. He fell to the ice immediately and had to be sent to the locker room. Selanne was playing just his third game after missing 17 games with a broken bone in his hand. Selanne has 16 goals and 23 points in 30 games this season in his anaheim ducks jersey.

Yzerman joins in NHL Hour

Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman, who is now executive director of Team Canada and also a vice president with the Detroit Red Wings, will be a special guest on NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show encourages fans to call in for the Commissioner.

NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman now broadcasts live on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on NHL Home Ice and NHL.com. The show will re-air on SIRIUS XM Radio, with archived shows available for download via podcast on NHL.com. Well will he wear his red wings jersey to show up?

Brian Wolfe signs with Ham Fighters in Japan

According to an article in the Kyodo News, former Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Brian Wolfe has signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. Wolfe becomes the third U.S. Major League pitcher to sign in Japan this offseason and the second player in the last 24 hours.

In 2009 Wolfe posted an 8.22 ERA in 14 games with the Jays and had a 5.05 ERA in 34 games at Triple-A Las Vegas. He also pitched in the big leagues with Toronto in 2007 and 2008 in the blue jays jersey, giving him a lifetime Major League ERA in 72 games.

Yankees' Bautista is suspended

It is reported that Yankees Minor Leaguer Rony Bautista was one of three players to receive a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball for testing positive for substances in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

According to the Commissioner's Office, Bautista, a pitcher assigned to the Dominican Summer League roster, tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone. Bautista did not play professionally for the Yankees in 2009. Pitcher Roberto Toribio of the Angels' organization and outfielder Miguel Negron of the White Sox organization were the other players who had suspensions last week. It seems that Bautista have to take off his yankees jersey for a period.

Dodgers agree to sign Repko

According to a FOXSports.com report, the Dodgers have agreed to term with outfielder Jason Repko on a one-year deal worth $500,000. Repko, who will compete in Spring Training on the Opening Day roster as a fourth outfielder, appeared in just 10 games in the dodgers jersey last season, going hitless in five at-bats.

Repko was selected 37th overall in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, and his professional career stoped due to his ankle and hamstring injuries. Having made his big league debut with Los Angeles in 2004, Repko has hitted .226 with 11 homers, 47 RBIs and 11 steals in 230 games.

Forward Chris Kunitz will have a surgery on Wednesday

It is reported that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Chris Kunitz will undergo surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle and will be sidelined for four to six weeks. Dr. William C. Meyers will perform the surgery in Philadelphia. "Chris has played with this injury for an extended period of time and although it is always difficult to lose a very talented player, we all believe this is the best decision for him," said the Penguins Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero. "We are confident that he will come back strong after this surgery. In the meantime, we’ll look to our other forwards to step up in his absence."

Kunitz has collected six goals and 20 points in 30 contests in his pittsburgh penguins jersey this season. He has appeared in 365 career games in the NHL and got 230 points.

Colorado Rockies may sign Olivo

A report on Wednesday indicated that the Rockies were attempting to sign a deal with Olivo to be the primary backup. In December Iannetta signed a three-year extension with the team worth $8.3 million. Olivo hit .249 with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals. He also has played parts of three seasons with the Padres and Marlins.

The Rockies' decision to add Olivo means the end of Yorvit Torrealba's run in Colorado. Torrealba was seeking a two-year deal worth $6 million to return to Colorado Rockies. Last month Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd told the paper that he was not optimistic about being reached to retain Torrealba. Hope Olivo can put on the rockies jersey successfully.

Mets sign Kelvim Escobar

The New York Mets announced that they have signed right-handed pitcher Kelvim Escobar, one of five active pitchers who have made 200 or more starts and saved 50 or more games to a one-year Major League contract. Escobar was 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA in 30 starts for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2007. Injuries and surgery limited him to one Major League start over the last two seasons.

Escobar, who saved 38 games for Toronto in 2002, underwent right labrum surgery on July 29, 2007. He made one start in 2009 with the Angels on June 6, allowing four hits, two runs, earned, with four walks and five strikeouts at Detroit. He also made three rehabilitation appearances last season, two for Rancho Cucamonga of the California League and one for Salt Lake of the Pacific Coast League.

Escobar has posted double figures six times during his career and has struck out 1,310 batters in 1,507 innings. In addition to Escobar, the four other active pitchers who have started 200 more games and saved 50 more games are Derek Lowe, John Smoltz, Ryan Dempster and Tom Gordon. Hope Escobar can play well in the new mets jersey.

Justin Williams has broken his right leg

Los Angeles Kings right wing Justin Williams was taken off the ice with a broken right leg early in the first period in Saturday game with the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale. Williams fell backward with his right leg trapped underneath his torso and dropped onto his back. He remained on the ice as play continued. He was taken off by stretcher after a lengthy delay at the first period.

"I haven't been told, other than that it's a broken leg," Kings coach Terry Murray said. "I can't play doctor. I can't predict. I have no idea. It's not good We'll take him back on the flight with us tonight, he will see our team doctor and we'll get the word out tomorrow." Williams has 8 goals and 16 assists in the los angeles kings jersey in 33 games.