Your savory breakfast links:
- Catch up on the news of the weekend (such as it was) here and here.
- The League’s lawsuit against the players took another step forward over the weekend, as their case was assigned to a federal judge. Good. Because what the federal courts really need to spend their time on is a professional sports slapfight. [WashTimes]
- Best part about the lawsuit is that it probably won’t work. So…thanks for coming, everybody, good night! [NY Post, Sportsnet]
- Everything you ever wanted to know (and likely more) about the two most public faces of the lockout – Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr. [LA Times (and again)]
- Meanwhile, try as he might, that Bettman guy can’t take away hockey from the land that spawned it… which is true, but he can keep the best in the world from playing it. So there’s that. [Mtl Gazette]
- And down here in Caps-land, he can also keep a guy like Adam Oates (and all of us eager fans) from his long-awaited debut as an NHL coach. [WaPo]
- In simulated hockey world, the Caps dropped back-to-back games to the Flyers and Penguins… and yes, even THAT would be preferable to no hockey at all. Which should tell you something. [ESPN]
- With the KHL on an extended holiday break, the big Alex Ovechkin news of the day (after helping Team Russia win the Channel One Cup) is what shirt he wore and where and dear god end this lockout already. [CBS Sports, Hockeyshopped, Tumblr]
- Here’s what to watch for as Team USA prepares to whittle down their team to its final Ufa-bound 23-man roster… [USoH, USA Hockey, SBNation]
- …including Caps’ prospect Riley Barber, who is understandably excited about the upcoming camp. [@rileybarber94]
- Former NHLer Keith Primeau, whose own career was cut short by a concussion, is working to help other athletes deal with the aftermath of their own injuries. [CBC (video)]
- And finally, happy 54th birthday to Dave Poulin and happy 47th birthday to the Chief himself, Craig Berube.