Pierre Cedric Labrie Photo by Linda Hamilton

- Lightning GM Steve Yzerman made an announcement about some roster alterations this afternoon. Defenseman Brendan Mikkelson and forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie have been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch for a conditioning stint. Not a bad idea.

Mikkelson has skated in 2 games so far this season and did suffer a scary injury where he collided with the boards in practice. Labrie has seen time in 3 games and has garnered 5 penalty minutes. Neither has seen a lot of time and this will serve them better than sitting in the press box.

- Anders Lindback missed his start against the Washington Capitals due to a bout of the flu. Per head coach Guy Boucher, the goalie is feeling much better. Lindback practiced today and is anticipating to start in Saturday’s matinee game on the road against the Florida Panthers.

-The Syracuse Crunch are hosting a very special night on February 23rd. “Fear the Beard” night pays homage to the creature that inhabits most of Radko Gudas’ face. The first 1,000 fans will receive a faux Gudas beard and any bearded fans that purchase tickets on game day will get $5 off. This is outstanding.

- It’s Hockey Weekend Across America! The official site has all the info you need. Last year I took a look at my favorite hockey jersey and spent 9 hours watching hockey on Sunday. Plans for this Sunday seem to be exactly the same.