Stargazing: Loui Eriksson Up For Lady Byng At NHL Award Show Tonight

A new head coach, a preseason game in Houston, the draft upcoming Friday night into Saturday, and now the NHL award show tonight? It's the rapid fire pre-draft week NHL news cycle and it has bloggers all over the internet asking the question: Why can't we spread some of this news out into August when we'll have nothing to talk about?

Dallas Stars forward Loui Eriksson is up tonight for the Lady Byng Trophy and will attempt to avenge ex-teammate Brad Richards' loss to Martin St. Louis in last years' voting, but Nick Lidstrom (six time nominee) stands in his way. Voting took place at the end of the regular season before it was known that Lidstrom was coming back, so the smart money is on the old (old) Wing to take his first Lady Byng home.

The Byng is awarded to the player "adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability," so Loui's 73 points in 79 games represent him well here regardless.

We'll have an open thread tonight for the awards show so stop by for some hockey camaraderie.

• John Royal of the Houston Press sees the pre-season game at Reliant Stadium as a pretty terrible idea for both the league and the city, and raises serious concerns about ice conditions. [Houston Press]
• The Houston Chronicle reports that an agreement between Reliant and the NHL for the game does not exist, though Stars PR assures them the details are still being worked out. [Chron.com]
• The FWST asks that whoever the new owner will be, he'll give the Stars a chance to execute Joe's current plan rather than blowing it up. [FWST]
• Pierre LeBrun at ESPN says the Stars are still trying to move Brad Richards rights prior to the draft on Friday, and that they might still be open to the possibility of signing Jamie Langenbrunner. [ESPN]
• Here's a good generic story by the league on Brenden Morrow and all the good thing he's been told about Coach Gulutzan. [Foxnews]
• The Flyers are getting close to a contract agreement with Ilya Bryzgalov. You go, Philly. Keep him far, far away from here. [Sporting News]
• Mike Heika talked to Loui and says that he wants to be more of a leader moving forward in his NHL career. [DMN]
• Hockeysfuture draft preview for the Dallas Stars [Hockeys Future]
• Here's a photograph of Adam Burish as a child. Priceless. [hockeyplayersaskids]
• The Stars are thinking about moving down in this draft to get an extra pick. [DMN]