NHL

Slaphots

By TOM JONES
Published February 5, 2006

DON'T BE LIKE MIKE: Dumb injury of the week goes to Edmonton's Ethan Moreau, who badly sprained his right ankle last week playing basketball before the Oilers' off-ice fitness session at a health club in Phoenix. Moreau attempted a layup and landed on Shawn Horcoff's foot.

"In retrospect, pretty stupid," Moreau said, even if he often plays hoops on the road with a few guys just to get a sweat going before lifting weights or whatever.

Did he at least make the shot?

"Yeah," Moreau told the Edmonton Journal rather sheepishly.

The Oilers, however, were not upset.

Ken Lowe, the team's head medical trainer and brother of Oilers general manager Kevin, said, "There's nothing wrong with him playing basketball. He was supposed to be doing some exercise. Should we be telling the players not to drive to the rinks? Do they need chauffeurs?"

MR. NEW JERSEY: Miss New Jersey 2005, Julie Robenhymer, stopped by Flyers practice on Wednesday and had photos taken with GM Bob Clarke, coach Ken Hitchcock and star center Peter Forsberg. When Hitchcock posed, he called it the classic example of "Beauty and the Beast."

When Forsberg posed, an equipment manager suggested the two switch headgear so that Miss New Jersey would wear Forsberg's helmet while Forsberg wore her crown.

"Are you kidding me?" Forsberg told Philadelphia reporters. "The Swedish newspaper would take the picture, rip it in half and show me wearing a crown. No way."

I'M IN CHARGE HERE: The Wild names a new captain every month. When it failed to do so two days into this month, forward Randy Robitaille took matters into his own hands.

He named himself captain by forming a C out of tape, putting it on his practice sweater and wearing it during the morning skate.

"It's real informal this month," teammate Todd White told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "If you want to be captain, you pick yourself."

Goalie Dwayne Roloson joked, "Randy deserves it. Just ask him."

Alas, the plan didn't work. The next day, Brian Rolston was named captain for February.

[Last modified February 5, 2006, 01:22:20]