Icy Bits: Senators in line for 2012 NHL All-Star Game

Look for a Sept. 15 announcement giving the Ottawa Senators the 2012 All-Star Game. Commissioner Gary Bettman will be in Canada's capital that day for a luncheon. Also expected to attend, the Ottawa Sun reports, is Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, nfl jersey
who reportedly was promised an All-Star weekend after the 2008 draft. The festivities would be in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Senators' return to the NHL. …
Free-agent forward Ryan Potulny(notes) landed a gig for next season, as the Chicago Tribune reports he signed with the Blackhawks. Cast off by Edmonton, Potulny had 15 goals and 17 assists last season with the Oilers. It's a one-year, two-way deal that will pay him $500,000 on the NHL level. He'll get a fraction of that for time spent with the Blackhawks' AHL Rockford affiliate. Potulny was a Philadelphia Flyers third-round pick, 87th overall, in 2003. He has 22 goals and 27 assists in 116 NHL games. …
Winger Nigel Dawes(notes) also cut a one-year, two-way deal this week. His is with the Atlanta Thrashers, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The numbers: $600,000 NHL, $105,000 AHL. Dawes was an unrestricted free agent who had 14 goals and 18 assists with the Calgary Flames last season. Dawes was a fifth-round pick by the New York Rangers in 2003. …
Stan Bowman has a new title with the Chicago Blackhawks, adding vice president to his nameplate. Bowman took over as GM on July 14, 2009, when Dale Tallon was fired and helped direct the Tallon-built 'Hawks to their first Stanley Cup since 1961. This summer, Bowman did a teardown of Indianapolis Colts jersey
Tallon's team to keep under the salary cap. Bowman's dad is NHL legend Scotty Bowman. …
Quebec City continues to dream of a return to the NHL, and Canada's government is being asked to help the cause by promising $180 million for an arena in the city. That would be 45 percent of the project's cause, the Canadian Press reports. Quebec's provincial government has already promised that amount, and municipal leaders are willing to kick in the rest. The Quebec Nordiques fled to Denver in 1995, becoming the Colorado Avalanche. NHL brass has said it would consider a return only if an arena is build to replace Le Colisee. …
The Rangers have signed center Kelly Tessier to a one-year, entry-level deal. Tessier became a free agent after he and the Avalanche couldn't come to terms. The Avs made him the 110th overall pick in 2008. Look for Tessier, who is 5-9, 169 pounds, to get a look with the Rangers' AHL Minnesota Vikings jersey
Hartford affiliate. …
Ilar Filppula, older brother of Detroit Red Wings center Valtteri Filppula(notes), appears headed for AHL Grand Rapids. He signed with the Wings in May after coming over from the Finnish league.