Hawks all for NHL schedule change

The Blackhawks were one of the 26 NHL teams voting in favor of the schedule change for next season that will reduce division games but increase games against the other conference.

Next year the Hawks will play every team from the Eastern Conference one time, meaning stars such as Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin are assured of skating at the United Center at least every other season.

"I think it's great for the fans," Hawks coach Denis Savard said. "They get to see some of the good players around the league that they haven't got to see for a couple years. I still like the division (play), but I'm excited by the fact that you'll be able to see Crosby, (Vincent) Lecavalier and all the good players."

Teams now will play their division rivals six times instead of eight for a total 24 games. There still will be 40 other conference games -- for the Hawks the same four against the rivals from the Northwest and Pacific Divisions.

In addition to the 15 games against the opposite conference, there will be three so-called wild-card games. So it's possible -- and if the NHL is smart enough to do it -- that the Hawks will play their three wild-card games against Original Six opponents.

Fewer games within the division could mean fewer points will be needed to make the playoffs. Last season it took 96 points to get a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"I'm sure the teams from the West, if they do well against the East, that's going to make a difference at the end of the year," Savard said. "Those 15 games, if you win 10 out of 15 and some team goes 5-10, that's a 10-point difference. That's a big swing."

Magnuson family gets $9.5 mil: A jury in Clayton, Mo., awarded $9.5 million Friday to the family of former Blackhawks star Keith Magnuson in a wrongful-death lawsuit against former NHL player Rob Ramage, whose drunken driving accident left Magnuson dead.

Magnuson's wife and two children filed the suit against Ramage and National Car Rentals of Canada.

Magnuson was a passenger in the rental car driven by Ramage that was involved in a head-on collision in suburban Toronto as the men were returning from a funeral on Dec. 15, 2003. Magnuson died at the scene. He was 56.

In closing arguments, attorneys for the Magnuson family suggested a range of compensation of $25 million to $33 million. The jury deliberated about two hours.

"I thought it was a fair result," said Grant Davis, an attorney for the Magnuson family. "We believe justice has been served and this will bring closure to a horrible tragedy."

Ramage was convicted in October in Ontario of impaired driving causing death and four other charges. He could get up to 15 years in prison at sentencing on Jan. 17.

Debating deal: Radim Vrbata may have 9 goals for Phoenix, but the Hawks hardly miss the winger whom they traded to the Coyotes for center Kevyn Adams.

The Hawks still would rather have Adams, even though he is out for the season with a knee injury.

"We felt we needed some leadership and Kevyn has brought that to us," Denis Savard said. "He's been a tremendous asset to us and his injury is going to hurt us."

Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky is happy with Vrbata, whose knock with the Hawks was he wouldn't play in traffic.

"We just needed to find more goal scoring, and sometimes change is good for a guy like Vrbata," Gretzky said. "They got a guy who unfortunately got hurt, but who is tremendous in the locker room, who works hard and is a Stanley Cup winner.

"It was a good trade for both teams. We're thrilled with Vrbata. He works hard every day, is accountable and is very unselfish."