Bell suspension official: 15 games

I reported earlier that former Sharks forward Mark Bell, sentenced to six months jail time for hit-and-run charges stemming from a drunk driving incident in San Jose last September, would receive a suspension from the league and the terms of that ban were doled out earlier today by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. According to this TSN report, the suspension will last 15 games and will be without pay. The NHLPA, however, are vocally against the penalty, seeing "no basis for the excessive suspension Gary Bettman has imposed" on Bell. In my opinion, this is an appropriate length as it was an off-ice incident that Bell is facing legal repercussions for, and it does set somewhat of a precedent in a league where drinking and driving is a fairly significant off-ice issue.

As training camps around the league begin, NHL-related news is steadily picking up. With the Sharks opening up camp today, here's a trio of Sharks-related articles worth reading. First, the Canadian Press announces their preseason Stanley Cup pick, and it's San Jose, with Joe Thornton emphatically agreeing. NHL.com has begun their season previews and today was the Sharks' turn. This article in particular piqued my interest, not necessarily because of the content, but the author: former San Francisco Chronicle Sharks beat writer Ross McKeon, who seems to have resurfaced as an NHL.com correspondent, after being let go by the Chronicle. Congratulations, Ross. Finally, the Mercury News takes a look at Logan Couture's chances of making the team this year.

Sharks sign Couture

The Sharks wasted little time inking their first selection in last month's NHL Entry Draft, signing Ottawa 67's center Logan Couture, as per the team's official website. Doug Wilson, being a former Ottawa junior defenseman himself, kept his infatuation with 67's players alive by going through painstaking means to obtain the 9th overall pick with which he selected Couture. Having no first-round picks at the beginning of the day, Wilson parlayed Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell into Toronto's first selection, the 13th overall pick, then swapped that and a second-rounder with St. Louis's ninth overall selection.

A solid two-way player with average skating ability, Couture put up 26 goals and 78 points last season with the 67's despite battling mononucleosis. Before his bout with the condition, Couture was seen as a consensus No. 1 overall pick. With Sharks captain Patrick Marleau becoming a UFA at the end of the 07-08 season, it's a distinct possibility Couture is being viewed as the Sharks' second-line pivot as early as the 08-09 campaign. Time will tell, but it's doubtful he'll make the team out of training camp this year.