Dallas Stars Daily Links: Scotiabank Saddledome Engulfed by Calgary Flood Water

If you've been following the news at all, you're more than aware of the massive floods that have ravaged Calgary, Alberta. Much of the city if without electricity, countless people have been evacuated, shelters have been set up for displaced citizens... and more rain is on the way this weekend.

To give a little more perspective, there were reports that the Scotiabank Saddlehome, home of the Calgary Flames, is so engulfed by the flooding that at least the first ten rows of the lower bowl were underwater by press time last night. The amount of damage and cleanup that will be needed not only at the Saddledome, but across all of the Calgary metro area, is hard to even imagine.

We at Defending Big D send our thoughts to those affected by the Calgary flooding, and hope everyone stays safe and away from the bridges. [CBS Sports]

USA Today did a Twitter roundup of Calgary well-wishers, including a few celebrities, athletes, and NHL teams. [USA Today]

The New York Rangers said they will decide the fate of Brad Richards soon. There have been rumors that the Rangers would use their compliance buy-out on the former Dallas Star's contract, though much of that chatter died down after John Tortorella got fired, with smart money being on Richards being given another year to work it out. [New York Daily News]

The NHL is nearing another deal with the International Olympic Committee, which would allow NHL players to once again participate in the Winter Olympics, being held in Sochi in 2014. The thought of watching Olympic hockey without NHLers doesn't really appeal to me, so I'm glad they're working this out. [NBC Sports]

ESPN has another nice piece on Jaromir Jagr, and how his career is coming full circle with his Boston Bruins competing for a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. Regardless of what people from Pittsburgh or Washington tell you, it's hard to cheer against the guy. [ESPN]

Have you ever been watching a game at the American Airlines Center and keep getting distracted by the jersey of the guy in front of you? Puffy numbers, fonts that just don't seem quite right, or florescent yellow instead of gold on his Steve Ott sweater? If you have, you're probably familiar with the concept of Chinese Counterfeit merchandise. The NHL is urging fans to stay away, saying if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. [NBC Chicago]

If you thought the scrutiny about Corey Crawford was over, having led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, you were wrong. It seems everyone has something to say about Crawford's glove hand, after Game Four... his coach included. [Canoe]

Every year Gary Bettman awards the Stanley Cup to the victorious team, and every year, he hears thousands of booing fans. One man feels as though Bettman should find someone else to award the Cup, to avoid such a distasteful end of the season... and I'm not entirely sure I disagree, after reading it. [Sports Jury]

Cam Neely's cameo as Sea Bass in Dumb and Dumber is one of the most celebrated and beloved cameos in all of hockey lore. Apparently it so affected Milan Lucic as a child that he has asked to play "Son of Sea Bass" in a possible upcoming sequal. [NESN]

While there is still debate about where the Phoenix Coyotes will play next season, with Glendale and Seattle seemingly being the only two options remaining, the mayor of Kansas City says he's glad it won't be his town. [KansasCity.com]

The atmosphere around the Stars locker room has been described as a country club for much of the post-Hitchcock era... Regardless of what you think of the hiring of Lindy Ruff as the new head coach of the Dallas Stars, it's hard to imagine that atmosphere continuing once training camp opens in a few months.