Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
There was a certain irony about Ted Nolan returning as Buffalo's interim coach on the day Darcy Regier, the Sabres' 16-year GM, was fired. Nolan left Buffalo in 1997 after a one-year contract offer.

"It was one of those things, one of those stamps, that now your soul can rest," Nolan said. "I had some dark moments, I really did, when I got let go from here. I might have lost my job. I may not have coached. I never lost who I am as a person, as a man."

Beat the Devil out of Brodeur
Martin Brodeur, the New Jersey Devils' lifer, says he would consider waiving his no-trade if the Devils ever are out of it.

"I hope it will never happen, but if there is a situation that could be really fun for me and really good for the Devils, why not? It's not like I'm going to play 25 more years here," Brodeur said.

Rocky mountain high
Erik Johnson, the Bloomington native and No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft, has seven points and is plus-11 in 18 games for Colorado.

"[Avs coach Patrick Roy] got me aside and he just told me the amount of confidence he has in me as a player and what I can do," Johnson said. "When you hear that from a coach with that pedigree as a player, it makes you feel good. They've given me a lot of ice time, a lot of responsibility, and I've responded with good play. It just feels good to have the staff believe in me."

Teenage wasteland
With the Edmonton Oilers in turmoil, going winless against the West, Nail Yakupov whining about ice time and destined for another No. 1 overall pick, GM Craig MacTavish says he'd trade his first-round pick: "We don't need another 18-year-old coming in here."