NHL notebook

Lidstrom not retiring type

Blue liner re-signs with Red Wings

Associated Press / June 2, 2010

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Nicklas Lidstrom has chosen to return to the Detroit Red Wings instead of retiring.

The star defenseman signed a one-year contract, the team announced yesterday, instead of hanging up his skates at the age of 40.

“It’s a huge benefit anytime you have an upper-echelon player, who can still play at a high level, decide to stay with your organization,’’ said coach Mike Babcock.

Lidstrom was contemplating calling it a career. He has spent all of his 18 NHL seasons with the Red Wings.

The Swede had nine goals and 40 assists for 49 points last season, his second-lowest total in 14, and wasn’t a finalist for the Norris Trophy for just the second time in more than a decade.

Just two years ago, though, he was honored as the NHL’s best defenseman for a sixth time to put him behind only Bobby Orr’s (8) and Doug Harvey’s (7) total. Last season, he was still Detroit’s top player on the blue line.

Lidstrom has said he is still playing at a high level, but doesn’t plan to challenge Chris Chelios’s longevity in the league. Chelios played last season at the age of 48.

“If I’m going to continue to play, that’s not going to be a goal of mine,’’ Lidstrom said with a smile after the season ended.

No drought worries

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have been absent on the scoresheet the first two games of the Stanley Cup final.

That’s fine with the Chicago Blackhawks stars as long as they keep winning. The Blackhawks lead the Flyers, 2-0, entering tonight’s Game 3 in Philadelphia.

Kane hasn’t scored in six straight games; Toews in four straight.

Yes, both players would like to start scoring. But their absence in the goal column hasn’t affected the Blackhawks in the win column. Chicago has won seven straight games in the playoffs and 10 of 11.

The home-ice advantage might not mean as much as usual in Philadelphia. The Blackhawks are 7-1 on the road this postseason as they try to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961.

Mellanby joins Blues

Scott Mellanby has been hired as an assistant coach by the St. Louis Blues, where he spent four seasons during his playing career. The 43-year-old had been working as a pro scout for the Vancouver Canucks. He played 21 seasons in the NHL, including stints in Philadelphia, Edmonton, Florida, and Atlanta. He had 364 career goals, 476 assists and 2,479 penalty minutes . . . The Blackhawks’ win Monday night earned the best overnight rating for a Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals on record. The Blackhawks’ 2-1 victory over the Flyers drew a 4.1 rating and 7 share on NBC, the highest overnight rating since at least 1975, which is as far back as the records go. The rating was up 21 percent from last year’s 3.4 for Red Wings-Penguins. The rating is the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program, while the share is the percentage of all TVs in use at the time. Overnight ratings measure the nation’s largest markets . . . Former UMass-Lowell goaltender Carter Hutton signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks. Hutton finished his four-year college career as the school’s all-time career leader in shutouts (10) and goals-against average (.933), and tied with Nevin Hamilton for career save percentage (.913).

Columbus closing in

Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson says he is getting closer to hiring a new coach. Howson said he didn’t want to say how soon an announcement might be made. He’s been looking since the season ended April 9.

The Blue Jackets have interviewed American Hockey League coaches Kevin Dineen of Portland and Scott Arniel of Manitoba, and are reportedly interested in Hamilton coach Guy Boucher. Blue Jackets interim head coach Claude Noel is also a candidate.

The club is looking for a replacement for Ken Hitchcock, who was fired Feb. 3.

Howson said he would make the ultimate decision on the new coach, after consulting with majority owner John P. McConnell and team president Mike Priest.