Dan’s Daily: Playing Salary Cap Chicken, Hockey Goodbyes

It was a sad but expected day in Boston as Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement and the Pittsburgh Penguins captain and coach offered tributes to him. We also looked at things we got wrong about the Penguins, and Tuesday’s news turned shocking as Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz passed away suddenly.

It’s the second and final day of this spontaneous road trip. I’m writing this in a small hotel outside Beckley, W. Va. (Skyline Lodge), just off I-77. I earned my dragon Tuesday, and there was no way I was not spending the $3 to buy the decal for my bike.

Funny story. I stopped at the Gap Deals trading post like a good tourist. After a good 10-mile stretch with some sharp twisties, I tweeted that I rode the Dragon (Rt. 129 on the Tennessee/North Carolina border). Yay me! I didn’t realize I was at the starting line, not the end. D’oh! So, after I tweeted and put the dragon on my bike, THEN I rode The Dragon; 318 turns of smiling, foot peg-scraping, adrenaline-pumping fun.

Let me tell you, I got after it. Now to the hockey …

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Here you go — The biggest things I got wrong about the Penguins.

The Penguins’ sellout streak is over, and they’re making an effort to sell tickets this coming season. Here are the details on the new Penguins ticket plans.

Sidney Crosby offered his salute to his former Team Canada teammate, Patrice Bergeron, who retired Tuesday.

Steelers Now:

The Raiders are giving Benny Snell a shot.

What is Nick Herbig’s position? The latest Steelers roster report.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now:

Yeah, another wet noodle night for the Buccos. A three-hit loss in San Diego. Get the quickie Pirates recap.

Something to look forward to? Pirates’ spring training dates were announced.

NHL News & National Hockey Now:

Boston Hockey Now: Bergeron confirmed what we thought, but it still seemed too soon. The Boston Bruins stalwart retired.

Jimmy Murphy went through them all. The top five Patrice Bergeron moments.

Chicago Hockey Now: The shocking news Tuesday was that 70-year-old Rocky Wirtz, the chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks, passed away suddenly.

For those of you who weren’t hockey fans before 2006, Chicago was a dumpster fire. Wirtz’s father, Bill, wouldn’t televise home games, the players weren’t given basic amenities, and it was far from a model organization. When Rocky took over, we all figured it would be a continuation, but he quickly made sweeping changes and proved himself an asset to hockey.

Carolina Hockey Now: Welcome to our newest site! Beat writer Bryant Baucom gave a state of the Hurricanes. They’re the team the Penguins are chasing in the Metro and fighting for Erik Karlsson. Where should the Carolina Hurricanes focus?

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs are more than $6 million OVER the salary-cap ceiling and still negotiating with William Nylander. Something has to give, eh? The Maple Leafs and several teams are playing a game of salary cap chicken.

Montreal Hockey Now: An organization on the rise. Players are fighting to make a name for themselves. The top three Montreal Canadiens with something to prove.

NYI Hockey Now: With Bergeron hanging up his skates, is Zach Parise next?

San Jose Hockey Now: The NHL trade market seems to be one player: Erik Karlsson. If not the Penguins or Hurricanes, could the Seattle Kraken swoop in and steal the prize? What’s a reasonable trade between Seattle and the San Jose Sharks?