Slightly North

Tonight's scheduled game between the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center in snow-struck Denver, Colorado, has been postponed. The NHL made the decision to postpone the game after consulting with Denver Mayor Wellington Webb.

The game has been rescheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, March 20, at 5 p.m., Mountain Time.

After reviewing all of the options for rescheduling the game and consulting with both Clubs and the NHL Players' Association, it was determined that the postponement was the best alternative under the circumstances.

It is that time of year again. Teams have started to clinch a play-off spot. In the west, the top team of each division has already been assured a place in the first round of the play-offs. Detriot has 96 points, Dallas and Vancouver each have 95 points. The next teams in the race, Colorado and St. Louis each have 89 points, but have not yet clinched.

In the east the story is a little bit different. Ottawa has sealed the deal with 98 points. In fact, Ottawa was the first team this year to reach a playoff spot. In the Atlantic Division, both New Jersey and Philadelphia have secured a spot. No team from the Southwest has made the cut yet, but in this league the top team from each division gets a spot in the play-offs. So at least one team will be able to make it.

In the next few days, I will be getting the play-off tree together. It will not be filled in until the end of the regular season though.

Doug Gilmour's return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup Thursday night didn't last very long.

Gilmour suffered a knee injury 1:24 into the second period when he collided with Calgary Flames winger Dave Lowry and did not return.

General manager and coach Pat Quinn said Gilmour suffered a knee injury and definitely will not play Saturday in Vancouver against the Canucks.

Just our luck. We are headed to Vancouver tomorrow to see this game. We were so looking forward to watching Gilmour play.

More trade deadline news:

Colorado has sent center Dean McAmmond back to the Flames, for a fifth-round pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Colorado also picked up Alexander Riazantsev from the Panthers in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2003 Entry Draft.

The big news of the day however, Doug Gilmore is going home.

The veteran winger was traded just minutes before Tuesday's 3 p.m. deadline, going from the Montreal Canadiens to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he is revered by the team's fans. Montreal received a sixth-round pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Toronto also acquired defenseman Phil Housley from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations.

Colorado just traded another clutch scorer. Colorado sent prized youngster Radim Vrbata to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for proven winger Bates Battaglia. This move comes three days after Colorado landed gritty defenseman Bryan Marchment.

Earlier this year, Colorado traded away "Mr. Clutch" Chris Drury to the Calgary Flames.

Media in Dallas are saying the rumors surrounding Doug Gilmour are not true. The rumors coming out of Dallas state they are not looking for another winger to replace the injured Bill Guerin.

"We're not going to be adding that quote unquote 'top-end player,' " GM Doug Armstrong said.

Sad news today...

The Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars have basically agreed on the terms of a trade that would send Doug Gilmour to the Stars, but it won't be finalized until some provisions in Gilmour's contract are attended to.

Gilmour doesn't have a no-trade deal, per se, but there are some contractual issues that require work before any trade can be completed.

In the meantime, the Toronto Maple Leafs are apparently still interested in Gilmour, but if the contract issues can be worked out with Dallas, Gilmour could become a Star.

Gilmour told the media today he expects to get traded in the next few hours. Gilmour said he was told by GM Andre Savard that he'll try to trade him to a team that has a chance for a Stanley Cup.

For now, Gilmour will stay with the team in Nashville - he even said he may play tonight.

Owen Nolan will probably wear his familiar No. 11 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, thanks to new teammate Nik Antropov.

Antropov switched to No. 80, the year he was born, when the Leafs took to the ice for practice Friday. Nolan had No. 11.

"I don't know if I'm going to accept it yet,'' Nolan said after practice. "I don't want him to feel like he's pressured into doing something. I want to make sure it's 100 per cent OK with him. If it is, I'll be more than happy to accept.''

Antropov had already moved on.

"We had a conversation before practice. I asked him if he wanted my number and he said he would if I didn't mind,'' Antropov said. "So I gave it to him.''

The minor hockey association in Nolan's home town of Thorold, Ont., retired the No. 11 a few years ago in honour Nolan.

Nolan is scheduled to make his debut for Toronto on Saturday night at home against Vancouver.

Huge news today!

The National Hockey League announced Tuesday that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Darcy Tucker has been suspended for five games, without pay, and forward Tie Domi has been suspended for three games, without pay, as a result of separate incidents in NHL Game #981 against the Ottawa Senators, March 4.

While on the ice, Tucker became involved in a confrontation with Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil, who was on the players' bench at the time. It was made clear at the hearing that Tucker did not charge the players' bench as a result of being spit at by Neil. Tucker was assessed a major penalty for fighting and two game misconduct penalties at 7:30 of the third period.

At 18:37 of the third period, Domi was assessed a major penalty for fighting and game misconduct for delivering a punch to the face of Ottawa player Magnus Arvedson.

On the other side of the coin however, the rumors surrounding Owen Nolan. Toronto acquired San Jose power forward Owen Nolan in exchange for third-line center Alyn McCauley, prized prospect Brad Boyes and Toronto's first-round pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

The fact that Toronto did not have to trade any member of its present roster only adds to the magnitude of the trade.