Updated: Bryz , Briere and a very nice painting

December 30, 2012

Update #3: Hopefully the last update and the one that clears everything up in concern to Bryzgalov and CSKA Moscow.

On CSKA Moscow's official website the team posted a statement saying that the goaltender left the team because he has an upper-body injury and wants to consult North American doctors, contradicting reports that said Bryzgalov left the team because he believes the lockout is ending or that he was not happy playing for the team.

The statement also says that Bryzgalov will return to the team when healthy.

Pro Hockey Talk's Jason Brough posted the story with a translation of the team's statement that you can read here, unless you can read Russian, then you can see the statement on CSKA Moscow's site here.

Update #2: Earlier today, Ilya Bryzgalov was quoted as saying "I quit CSKA Moscow because the lockout is ending."

The Daily News' Frank Seravalli cited Russian reporter Ruslan Salikhov, who reported that Bryzgalov said the quote, but then Bryzgalov himself tweeted this to Seravalli:

 

bryzgoalie30Verified‏@bryzgoalie30

This article is complete BS, i did not make any comments like that:-)Bryz leaves Russia because "lockout is ending"http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/Bryz-leaves-Russia-because-lockout-is-ending.html …

Bryzgalov's tweet caused confusion over Twitter, but after questioning by Seravalli and the Courier Post's Dave Isaac, Salikhov revealed through the social network that the quote came from a Russian sports website called R-Sport and not from him.

The article on R-Sport does not contain the exact quote from Bryzgalov, but instead refers to a source that said Bryzgalov believes the NHL Lockout is ending.

Salikhov retracted the quote in a series of tweets listed below.

Ruslan Salikhov ‏@rushockey

@davegisaac The sources in Russia say that Bryzgalov is leaving because he feels the lockout is ending. I believe that, but I also believe..

@davegisaac that Bryz may not have said it exactly like that. Who knows what he said, have to go by what Bryz says himself

@itssnick215 @davegisaac @DNFlyers Well, he just said on his twitter he did not, so then not!

@DNFlyers The sources came from http://en.rsport.ru/  I know they are reliable. But I am retracting.

so I want to retract everything for the last day, my official statement!

Regardless of what exacty Bryzgalov said or not, he is still leaving CSKA Moscow.

As for the status of the ongoing lockout, the NHL and NHLPA continue negotiations for a new CBA. It is expected that both sides will meet face-to-face on Monday.

Update: Bryzgalov has now given a reason for leaving CSKA Moscow. Frank Seravalli of the Daily News reports that Bryzgalov said "I quit CSKA because the lockout is ending."

Does the quote create optimism? Yes. Is Bryz right? I hope so.

Original
Ilyla Bryzgalov is no longer playing for CSKA Moscow, the KHL team he signed with during the lockout.


According to a report by Dave Isaac of the Camden Courier Post, Bryzgalov left the Russian team citing that he was not happy having to split time in goal and that he said from the beginning that his time with the club was only temporary.

Bryzgalov played in 12 games for CSKA Moscow with a 6-5 record. His save percentage was .913 with a 2.13 goals against average.

Given recent reports that the latest rounds of CBA negotiations could be the ones that finally end the lockout, maybe it won't be too long before Bryzgalov finds himself protecting the net again, this time with in orange and black.

However, Isaac writes that it is unknown if the speculation that the lockout could be near the end was a factor in Bryzgalov's departure.

(Image from en.riau.ru)

Briere injured

Meanwhile, in Germany, Danny Briere suffered a wrist injury that will keep him off the ice for 2-3 weeks.

Hockeybuzz.com's Bill Meltzer reports that Briere took a check into the boards while playing for his lockout team Eisbaren Berlin and went to the locker room after the hit. The injury is reported to be a wrist bone bruise.

Briere recently signed a contract extension with Eisbaren to allow him to finish the season with the team, unless the NHL season begins, then he will be allowed to return to the Flyers.

With reports stating that the NHL season could start on January 19 should there be a new CBA agreement, Briere may have played his last game with Eisbaren and could soon be preparing for the Flyers' season opener.

(Image from Berlin-Keurier.de)

Look at this awesome painting of Claude Giroux

Via The700Level.com, the painting was created by artist Ari Lankin, who was raised in West Chester, and depicts Giroux's celebration after scoring the game winning goal in overtime in game three of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.