Opening Faceoff

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

UNION LOCKOUT PAY More than 700 members of the NHL Players’ Association will receive lockout payments of between $40,000 and $60,000 this season if a collective bargaining agreement is not reached. First payment of $10,000 was issued in November with future monthly stipends of between $5,000 and $10,000 to 730 locked out players. That adds up to almost $44 million for the season. The fund comes from union dues and licensing fees. BENNETT PASSES AWAY Harvey A. Bennett, a former pro goalie and the father of five hockey playing sons, died at age 79. The Edmonton native played one season for the Boston Bruins in 1944-45, then 10 years for the AHL Providence Reds. He was a big promoter of hockey in Rhode Island. His five sons all played pro hockey, including Curt,…

NHL TEAM REPORTS

EURO NHLers There are 255 NHL-proven players who are in Europe, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation’s website in late November. Atlanta has the most players overseas, with 15 Thrashers in Europe. Four NHL teams have just five players in Euro leagues. St. Louis Blues right winger Eric Boguniecki is racking up the air miles this season. Boguniecki scored five goals (and added 47 penalty minutes) in 10 games with Langenthal in Switzerland’s ‘B’ league before transferring to Nurnberg in Germany’s elite league in early November. Boguniecki, 29, was born in New Haven, Conn., spent four seasons at the University of New Hampshire and was drafted by the Blues in the sixth round (193rd overall) in 1993. St. Louis didn’t sign him, though, and his first NHL glimpse was a four-game stint…

Turple next in line to tend Rangers net

Kitchener Rangers coach-GM Peter DeBoer continued to play musical goalies when he dealt Carlo DiRienzo to the Oshawa Generals for Dan Turple. Nine different players have stood in the Rangers’ crease the past two seasons as DeBoer searches for a combination in an attempt to repeat Kitchener’s 2003 OHL and Memorial Cup victories. But this trade Nov. 16, that also saw talented 17-year-old defenseman Devereaux Heshmatpour head to Oshawa, created much head scratching. At the time, DiRienzo, 18, was 8-2-2 and unbeaten in nine starts, including the Rangers’ first shutout in 107 games. He had a. 931 save percentage. Turple, 19, who began his career with Kingston, was 4-4-0 with an. 872 SP. He’d been pulled in three straight starts. “I expected heat, but I also know you never judge a trade two days…