Quenneville gives thoughts on Kubina’s suspension
WASHINGTON — The three-game suspension to Tampa Bay defenseman Pavel Kubina for elbowing Dave Bolland to the head only mildly satisfied Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville.
“I wasn’t happy with the hit,” said Quenneville, who is also upset referees Marc Joanette and Tim Peel failed to call a penalty when it happened. “We don’t get any benefit out of it. We lose a player and don’t get a power play off it or anything like that.
“I would say that’s one when you look at it, it’s probably exactly the hit they talk about not wanting in the game.”
Bolland suffered a concussion and needs to pass NHL-mandated baseline tests before being cleared to play again. Bolland is certain to miss Sunday’s game against the Capitals.
“Bolly today is the same,” Quenneville said Friday. “We’ll say day-to-day today and see how he goes.”
Brian Campbell, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Duncan Keith also sat out Friday’s practice. Keith and Hjalmarsson are expected to play Sunday against the Capitals while Campbell (lower body) first has to practice today.
Campbell wore a walking boot at Friday’s White House ceremony.
Look who’s tweeting:
Patrick Sharp became the first Hawk off this year’s team to start tweeting — at least for now.
“I don’t really know how far I’m going to take it, to be honest with you,” Sharp said. “I had the account for a while because there’s so many fake Patrick Sharp accounts.
“I just felt that going to the Walter Reed center yesterday was a good opportunity to fire out a tweet. I didn’t know there was going to be so many followers right away and it was going to be so exciting. I’m new at it and don’t really know how to work it. My focus now is on playing hockey and I don’t want to take anything away from that. Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t last very long.”
Sharp got more than 4,000 followers his first day.
Wouldn’t miss it:
Two former Hawks accepted invitations from the club and were at the White House on Friday: Brent Sopel and Cristobal Huet.
Sopel got permission from the Montreal Canadiens to attend while Huet flew in from Switzerland for the special event.
“I was talking with Huey about his league and his season there,” Joel Quenneville said. “I’m sure he misses what happened last year and our group.”
Huet, who spent this season playing in Switzerland, is under contract to the Hawks through 2011-12.
Good motivation:
Those Hawks who weren’t with the team last season weren’t on the podium with President Obama, but they were in attendance and participated in First Lady Michelle Obama’s street hockey clinic for Washington area youngsters.
“Maybe having to go through all this stuff and hear about last year’s team every single day is kind of painful for those guys new to the team this year, but for them it gets the thought in their head that they definitely want to win this year,” Jonathan Toews said.