If you're in the U.S., you're due for a holiday weekend. But we'll still have stuff up each day as the Stanley Cup final finally gets underway tomorrow. Later today: Some 2008 draft talk, as some decisions are due.

• Around here: Discussion of the Travis Hamonic signing and ceiling here ... another fantastic tear-jerker Cup commercial from the NHL (that still ignores the Isles, but at least recognizes McNulty Guerin and the Devils) ... oh, about those history commercials.
  
• The NHL's scouting combine blog is pretty useful, with great stuff from Brandon Gormley and Kiril Kabanov (look under the May 26 entries); are you buying what Kabanov is selling? Meanwhile, the Pronger anecdote is funny; his first physical with the Blues was a disaster that caused Mike Keenan to erupt.
• Sticking with the draft, here's the WHL's profile of Nino Niederreiter. And Fanhouse's own top 35.
• Free agent dreaming: Dean Lombardi sounds worried about losing Alex Frolov to a big offer from the KHL ... Manny Malhotra expects a raise but really wants to stay in San Jose ... Anton Volchenkov sounds as good as gone from Ottawa. So: Who do you want? Who are you willing to overpay?
• Where were you on May 24, 1980? [Point Blank] I was too young to know what my father was about to get me into; my hazy memories begin in 1982-ish, but mostly '83. It was tough when I internalized Cup finals appearances don't happen every year ... or every decade.
• If you missed them: Jyri Niemi's local Saskatoon story on his trade and contract. ... and the Islanders official site's great series continued with Micheal Haley on his first NHL game ... and buzz about where Hamonic will start his career.
  
• A great read: Phil Esposito on his team, the Lightning, and what they need. (Goaltending, for one.)
  
• Fatherhood has made John Madden soft.