Not surprised some European team wants you. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

I have a confession to make. When I decide I’m interested in something, I become obsessed with it to the point that I have to know everything about it. Why am I telling you this? Because that is how I am with hockey.

For some reason, I can’t completely explain it, I must read every article I come across that has something to do with the game. Especially if it is brought to my attention by a writer I trust or a player I root for.

Such was the case yesterday, when Stu Bickel tweeted this article regarding locked out players in Minnesota getting kicked off the ice by a figure skating coach.

I’m guessing Bickel was one of the players (even though he isn’t mentioned) since he is currently in Minnesota and tweeted the article in the first place. When clicking the link, I figured it would be a cute story and I would forget about it later. It was but then my eyes caught this little tidbit hidden towards the bottom:

Jared Spurgeon has already signed with and left for a team in Switzerland. Prosser does have an option to play in Europe, but his wife gave birth to their first child Aug. 1, so he’s hesitant to move his family. Jordan Leopold could be close to signing overseas, while Ryan McDonagh just turned down a real good offer.

Wild player, Wild player, Sabres player, McDonagh….woah, what did that say?

Michael Russo has his connections so I have no reason to believe this isn’t true. That said, I haven’t seen or heard it mentioned anywhere else. Either way, it sounds like Ryan McDonagh was almost the second Ranger to jump overseas.

Instead, McDonagh did this yesterday:

Have I mentioned how close-knit our team is? It doesn’t surprise me in the least that he’s staying here for the moment. (It’s not like he could go play for a team without Stepan anyway.) And while he could go at a later date, for now all I can say is…

Sorry Europe….no Mac Truck for you!