Merger announced:

PuckHog first victim of contraction, beats out Ottawa, Buffalo and Atlanta

Washington, D.C. - A tearful Gary Bettman bid farewell to a pioneer in niche weblogging earlier today, as the Puck Hog web log merged with HockeyPundits.com.

It is hoped that the combination of the two teams, under the HockeyPundits banner, will lead to a new puckblogging dynasty. Faithful readers (and hapless passersby) are encouraged to root for the new home team...

Next up: Seatbelts at the NHL arenas: Two morons sustained minor injuries and were taken to a hospital after falling about 15 feet from the stands onto a concrete walkway in Columbus.

This was the same arena that saw a puck strike a child, inadvertently killing her, last year. As a result, arenas now have annoying nets around the ends which obscure the view for fans who can actually afford to come to games.

I don't mean to belittle that previous incident. I do mean to warn that a risk-averse league is bound to over-react to this incident.

Look for lap-belts in your NHL seats next year.