Now Mats Sundin and Claude Lemieux are returning for shortened season action, with Forsberg reportedly shopping himself once again

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Roger Clemens started the trend in Major League Baseball, and Peter Forsberg brought it to the ice last season when he signed with Colorado late in the campaign. Now Mats Sundin and Claude Lemieux are returning for shortened season action, with Forsberg reportedly shopping himself once again. Sundin's reappearance has already shrunk the Stanley Cup odds for the Vancouver Canucks from 30-1 down to 18-1. Welcome to the future of hockey ֠and thank you, Roger Clemens.

The history of sports can be written as a history of labor relations. Clemens is a pioneer in this regard. After announcing his retirement in 2003, baseballӳ version of Ԕhe RocketԠjoined the Houston Astros in 2004 on a one-year deal. And Clemens kept coming back year after year, extracting favorable terms for both money and working conditions with each new contract.

Hockey now has its own guns for hire. Peter Forsberg signed with the Colorado Avalanche last February and scored 14 points in nine games; the Avs squeaked into the playoffs and eliminated the Minnesota Wild in the first round before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup winners from Detroit. Forsberg reportedly wants another go in 2009; if so, heӬl join a league that has already welcomed back two mercenaries: Mats Sundin and Claude Lemieux.

Sundinӳ case has been the top storyline in hockey since the Red Wings hoisted the Cup. At age 37, heӳ still looking for his first championship at the NHL level, and heӳ still one of the best players in the game, judging by his 78 points (32 goals, 46 assists) in 74 games with a bad Toronto Maple Leafs team. After five months of rest and relaxation in his native Sweden, Sundin agreed to terms with the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 18 and is expected to make his West Coast debut sometime in the first week of January.

This is outstanding news for the Canucks. Not only do they get some scoring punch on a team that is No. 13 in the league with 2.89 goals per game, they also get some validation as a viable Cup contender. Vancouverӳ betting odds have improved from 30-1 to 18-1 on the futures market; Sundin obviously likes those odds at least as much as the cityӳ idyllic lifestyle and the $5.6 million or so heӬl make for the rest of the season.

Lemieuxӳ potential haul is a lot smaller ֠heӳ signed a two-way contract with the San Jose Sharks after playing 14 games with their minor-league affiliate in Worcester, Mass. At age 43, itӳ questionable how much Lemieux can provide the Sharks, but this is a team that has been collecting Stanley Cup winners like Rob Blake in an obvious attempt to win it all this year. If Lemieux can make the parent club, heӬl have an excellent shot at a fifth Stanley Cup ring at 4-1 odds.

Watch for other teams to start loading up on mercenaries as a way to get around the salary cap, and for veteran players to settle for less money in order to play less hockey in more favorable conditions. Itӳ an absolute travesty for hockey purists; then again, so was free agency and the goalie mask.

Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks Thursday, Jan 1, 1:00 p.m. (ET) NBC This is the Winter Classic, the modern NHLӳ third outdoor game ֠which means itӳ time for a weather report. Conditions at Wrigley Field are expected to be almost too good for outdoor hockey: temperatures around the freezing mark, with some light snow coming in later in the afternoon and gusts of wind up to 25 mph. The surface has been built by Dan Craig, considered the best ice-maker in the business, so anything short of a heat wave shouldnӴ be a concern.

This is also the back end of a home-and-home series. Detroit took the first leg on Tuesday with a 4-0 shutout at Joe Louis Arena, putting an end to Chicagoӳ nine-game winning streak. The Red Wings are making a habit of this; on Dec. 18, they blanked the San Jose Sharks 6-0 to hand them their first regulation loss in 15 games.

Ty Conklin (.909 save percentage) was in net for both contests, as Chris Osgood (.876 SV%) continues to sit out with a strained groin. Conklin will also get the start on New Yearӳ Day. He played in both the 2003 Heritage Classic (with the Edmonton Oilers) and last yearӳ inaugural Winter Classic (with the Pittsburgh Penguins).

If the 24-7-5 Red Wings are pegged as the favorites over the 20-7-7 Blackhawks, then this might be a good time to look at the puckline. The Wings are just 10-26 ATS this year, dropping 12.07 units, while Chicago is the No. 2 breadwinner in the NHL at 23-11 ATS and 19.88 units of profit.
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