The Sports Brothers Join WMEN

WMEN has added The Sports Brothers to their roster of talent and will work weekends starting on Sunday. The Sports Brothers consist of Jeff Fox & Ed Freeman who had previously hosted a show on two other Miami stations. They first hosted a sports show on WTPS until they changed their format. The Sports Brothers joined WAXY and held the early afternoon spot at the station from January 2010 until the end of 2011 when their contract would not be renewed. They began hosting weekends on WAXY until they were promoted to a weekday show.

Flyers Edge Panthers

The Florida Panthers played their only home game in a two-week stretch on Tuesday night at the Bank Atlantic Center, but they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout. The Panthers took charge on their first power play. Following two close range shots by Stephen Weiss, Brian Campbell passed from the left point to Mikael Samuelsson who fired a slap shot from the right side through traffic at 2:49. It was his third goal this season. The Flyers came back with their own power play goal at 10:35 when a shot by Brayden Schenn from the slot rolled over the back of Scott Clemmensen and into the net to tie the game. Philadelphia Flyers increased their lead on a give-and-go play at 17:59. Jakub Voracek skated across the blue line, passed off to Tom Sistito to his right and redirected the return pass in the slot area. In the second period, Florida evened the game 2-2 when they got a two-on-one breakaway. Kris Versteeg streaked through the right circle and skated by Sergei Bobrovsky in the crease area. He then placed a blind backhand pass to the trailer, then Tomas Fleischmann followed with a backhand shot into the open net at 15:40. Neither team scored in the third period, however Fleischmann hit the left post on a left circle shot during the Panthers second power play with just over six minutes left. Only one person scored during the shootout and it was Flyers center Claude Giroux. He scored on the second attempt for Philadelphia as he faked the backhand shot and changed to the forehand for the winner. The Panthers drop out of first place in the Southeast Division as the Washington Capitals now hold the top spot. Florida is now in seventh place in the Eastern Conference as they head to the All-Star Game break.

North Shines In Battle Of Florida

Domination was word in The Battle of Florida as the North team scored 27 first-quarter points as they wiped out the South team 51-3 at FAU Stadium on Saturday night. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be a competitive game between some of the top seniors that have just finished their college careers. It was also a match that involved Bobby Bowden(North) and Howard Schnellenberger(South), two of the most recognized head coaches that led Florida-based colleges. The first possession of the North was led by former Glades Day and Jacksonville quarterback Josh McGregor who led his team down the field. Florida State running back Jermaine Thomas finished off the 11-play, 85 yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give the North a 7-0 lead at 10:17. The South followed going three-and-out. McGregor again drove the North across the gridiron and ended the drive on a one-yard sneak for a touchdown at 6:40 to increase their lead 14-0. The drive took eight plays for 55 yards in 3:06. The North held the South to another three-and-out as former St. Thomas Aquinas and FIU quarterback Wes Carroll was unable to generate any offense in the South's first two possessions. The North continued to dominate the first quarter as Florida State running back Ty Jones launched himself over the top of the pile for a one-yard touchdown with 2:17 left in the first quarter for a North 20-0 lead. The drive went seven plays for 64 yards in 2:38. The South punted again and De'Andre Presley of Appalachian State returned the ball for a 65-yard touchdown and a 27-0 lead for the North. Chris Hart of the South fumbled deep in his own end at the beginning of the second quarter. East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis struck on his first play in the game as he found Florida State wide receiver Bert Reed in the middle of the end zone on a 21-yard touchdown pass to widen the gap 34-0 at 14:43. The North added to lead less than four minutes later as Nick Cattoi of Central Florida kicked a 41-yard field goal. With 2:05 left in the second, Boca Raton and Wisconsin cornerback Antonio Fenelus intercepted a pass in the end zone in front of the hometown crowd. It was one of the few positive notes for the South in the first half. Things didn't change in the second half as the South went three-and-out on their first drive. On the third play of the North drive, former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia found Louisville receiver Josh Bellamy wide open down the right side for a 60-yard touchdown reception and a 44-0 lead. On their next possession, Kevin Elliott of Florida A&M caught a 24-yard reception from Garcia for a score at 5:01 to continue the onslaught 51-0. There was a running clock for the remainder of the contest. The South broke the shutout with 12:43 left in the fourth quarter as Alan Gendreau made a 32-yard field goal. Josh McGregor won the MVP award for North completing 11-of-12 passes for 123 yards and rushed for one touchdown. North Alabama linebacker Marcus Dowtin took the honor for the South with seven total tackles.

The Battle Of Florida Preview

Florida Atlantic University will be the venue Saturday night when senior college football players will be involved in the Battle of Florida game at Boca Raton. Two legendary head coaches will lead their own team. Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will coach the North while former FAU and Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger will have the honors for the South. Bowden, second all-time for wins in Division 1 football behind Joe Paterno of Penn State, led the Seminoles to two national championships. Schnellenberger, who recently retired as FAU coach, led the University of Miami Hurricanes to the national title in 1983. There will be many former local high school players on the South team. The squad will have four players that once played at St. Thomas Aquinas that includes quarterback Wes Carroll(FIU/Mississippi State), offensive lineman Dan Wenger(Florida/Notre Dame), Nick Pieschel(Central Florida) and punter Mickey Groody(FAU). Royal Palm Beach is represented by two running backs Brandon Pendergrass(Wake Forest) and Zach Brown(Pittsburgh/Wisconsin). Several players who once played at schools in Muck City will also appear. They include Pahokee wide receiver Martavious Odoms(Michigan) along with Glades Central wide receiver Deonte Thompson(Florida) and cornerback Rashad Jackson(Marshall). The North team will have former local products Glades Day quarterback Josh McGregor(Jacksonville), Dillard wide receiver Brian Tyms(Florida A&M), Miami Central offensive lineman Harland Gunn(Miami) and Columbus defensive tackle Jarvis Givens(FAU).

Philbin Named New Dolphins Coach

The Miami Dolphins announced on Saturday that they have named Joe Philbin as their new head coach of the team. He replaces Tony Sporano who was let go by the team late in the season. Philbin had been the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers for the past five years, which includes winning Super Bowl 45 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He becomes the 10th head coach in Miami Dolphins history.

Heat Dominate Lakers

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers made their annual visit to south Florida Thursday night at American Airlines Arena and they were destroyed by the Miami Heat 98-87. Miami swept the home-and-home series against the Lakers last season. Dwyane Wade was not available and did not dress for the game. LeBron James spearheaded the Heat with 31 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Los Angeles scored the first four points of the game and led 8-5 on six straight points by Pau Gasol. It was the last time the Lakers would be ahead in the contest. Miami came back with ten unanswered points for a 18-10 lead at 3:12 and were ahead 25-20 after one quarter. With 5:06 left in the first half, the Heat were up 40-26 following a 15-6 run to begin the period. Miami held a 15-point lead at halftime and continued to control a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter. The Heat increased their lead by 21 points on a Joel Anthony field goal at the end of the quarter 77-56. The Lakers went on a 15-4 spurt midway through the fourth quarter and cut the deficit down to ten points at 94-84 with 2:02 left. Bryant scored the last 11 points for Los Angeles, part of his 24 points in the game. Gasol had a Lakers game-high 26 points. Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier all had double-digit points for the Heat.

Justin Antweil Joins Somerset Patriots

Former WVUM sports director Justin Antweil was named the new radio play-by-play announcer of the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League. He was a play-by-play announcer for the University of Miami Hurricanes on their campus radio station. In addition, he worked in other campus organizations that included UMTV and The Miami Hurricane in a sports capacity. Antweil worked as an intern in 2010 at WEPN in New York City and did an interview segment for the Hurricanes Gameday show on Comcast Sports South.

Craig Counsell Retires

Former Florida Marlins second baseman Craig Counsell announced his retirement from the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. He will join the Brewers as the special assistant to general manager Doug Melvin. Counsell was acquired by the Marlins in July 1997 from the Colorado Rockies for Mark Hutton. He was best remembered for his performance in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. Counsell hit a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game in the ninth inning and scored the winning run in the 11th inning. It brought the Florida Marlins their first world championship and took only five seasons as a major league baseball franchise to get it, once a record. Later, Counsell won the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. He had two stints with the Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers to finish out his career. Counsell helped the Brewers win the National League Central Division in 2011, their first division title since 1982.

Bruins Get By Panthers

The defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins finally appeared at the Bank Atlantic Center on Monday night and defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 in a shootout. The Bruins struck within the first two minutes of the game. Following a turnover in the neutral zone, Benoit dumped a forehand pass behind to Patrice Bergeron at the top of zone where his wrist shot sailed over the right shoulder of Scott Clemmensen. The Panthers outshot Boston 8-1 ten minutes into the game. Things changed for Florida in the second period as they tied the game at 8:28. Mike Weaver fed the puck across to Jason Garrison on the left point, he fired a slap shot and went off the left skate of Dennis Seidenberg. Boston regained the lead on a five-on-three power play at 14:40 when Bergeron put in his second goal as he redirected a shot in front by Tyler Seguin from the high slot. At the end of the Bruins back-to-back power plays, Tomas Kopecky threaded a lead pass to Shawn Matthias in the neutral zone as he was coming out of the penalty box. Matthias skated in on a breakaway on Tuukka Rask and place a forehand shot between the legs of the goalie to tie the game at 2-2. Stephen Weiss also was credited for an assist on the play. He becomes the all-time leader in Florida Panthers history with 232 assists passing Olli Jokinen. There was no scoring in the third period and overtime so the game went to a shootout. Both squads missed on their first two attempts. Weiss scored on the Panthers third attempt as he faked a forehand and put the backhand behind Rask. Bergeron evened it up was a shot to the stick side of Clemmensen. Mikael Samuelsson, on his first shootout attempt this season, lost control of the puck as he was ready to shoot. David Krejci got the Bruins the victory on the next attempt as he fired the puck between the pads of Clemmensen. Boston is now 16-3 when they score first and 13-1 ahead after one period. Florida heads out of town for a three-game trip beginning with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

WMEN Name Saturday Late Morning Hosts

The New York Sports Report show that airs late Saturday morning on WMEN plugged in their new co-hosts this past weekend. Erik Lengyel and Bruce Warner will now host the program. Lengyel has been the morning show producer and morning sports anchor at WMEN for several years. In addition, he is currently a high school football game analyst on WWNN. Warner joined WMEN in September as the Monday evening co-host of the Miami Hurricanes show. He previously worked as a weekend host at WQAM during the 1990's. They replace Larry Milian and Phil Dominic who started their weekday show at WINZ last Monday.

Penguins Ice Panthers

The Florida Panthers continued their three-game homestand on Friday night and fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 at the Bank Atlantic Center. Pittsburgh was without Sidney Crosby who skated in practice earlier in the day. The Penguins held a five-to-zero shot advantage six minutes into the game and 15-3 after 16 minutes. On the Panthers first power play, Matt Cooke intercepted a pass by Stephen Weiss at the Penguins line and skated down the ice with a one-on-one breakaway. His wrist shot went off the blocker pad of Scott Clemmensen for the save. The Penguins hit the left post twice on their first power play as James Neal and Evgeni Malkin both fired shots from the left circle. With 1:42 left in the first period, a pinball play in the Penguins zone led to Chris Kunitz getting a breakaway on Clemmensen. He went with a backhand shot that hit the left post and bounced out. Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead at 1:49 of the second period when Clemmensen misplayed the puck behind his own net. Matt Cooke placed a backhand pass to the low slot where Steve Sullivan shot it into an open net. The Penguins added to their lead with under one minute remaining in the period. Malkin had a two-on-one breakaway and blasted a shot from the left circle where was saved. He got the rebound beyond the goal line to the left of the net and threw a backhand toward the net and it slipped behind Clemmensen. Pittsburgh continued their scoring spree just 36 seconds into the third period. Following a Weiss turnover in the offensive zone, Tyler Kennedy finished up a three-man weave play by nailing a slap shot from the right circle. Florida broke the shutout at 6:55 as Michal Repik had the puck redirect off his body in the slot area after a slap shot by Jason Garrison from the blue line. Neal had several great chances to score in the first two periods and finally found the back of the net at 15:43. He streaked down the left side and let go a shot that went in ton he near side for a Pittsburgh 4-1 lead. The Panthers next game will be against the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins who make their first appearance in Florida.

Campbell Makes All-Star Team

The NHL announced who would participate at the All-Star Game in Ottawa on January 29. Florida defenseman Brian Campbell will represent the Panthers for the annual event. It is the fourth time that Campbell has been selected for the mid-season game. He has played all 42 games this season with the team involved with 30 assists, fifth in the NHL, and added three goals. Other players considered by the league were Panthers captain and center Stephen Weiss, defenseman Jason Garrison, right winger Kris Versteeg and left wing Tomas Fleishmann. Nobody represented Florida in the All-Star game last year in Raleigh.

New Basketball Show On WQAM

     Earlier this week, WQAM added a basketball show to their lineup that airs after the Kevin Rogers Show from 11 p.m. until midnight. The new show called Inside The Paint is hosted by Danny Rabinowitz and Danny Garcia. 

     Rabinowitz has been the Heat reporter for WQAM since October 2010 while Garcia has worked as a producer. The program replaces a football show that was hosted by Jon Linder from September until the end of 2011.

Clippers Sail By Heat

The Miami Heat had trouble on the free throw line for the second staight game against the new look Los Angeles Clippers and lost 95-89 in overtime Wednesday night at the Staples Center. Blake Griffin put in his first three field goals to give the Clippers an early 6-3 lead. Miami came back with nine unanswered points to take a 12-6 lead just five minutes into the game. Los Angeles responded with seven straight points taking a 13-12 lead. The Heat led after one quarter 24-21 as LeBron James scored 10 points. Chris Bosh hit a three-point shot with 4:53 left in the second quarter to give Miami an 11-point gap at 39-28. Mario Chalmers nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer as the Heat were up 48-43 at halftime. Chalmers and Dwyane Wade led the team after 24 minutes with 11 points each. The Clippers pulled ahead on a 10-4 spurt at the end of the third quarter to lead 70-69. Late in the fourth quarter, Chauncey Billups was fouled taking a three-point shot by James with 24 seconds left. Billups converted on all three foul shots for a Los Angeles 86-84 lead. After being fouled while driving to the hoop with 16 seconds remaining, James made only one of two free throws to pull within one point. He was fouled again with five seconds left and again put in one of two foul shots to tie the contest at 86-86. The game went into overtime as Chris Paul missed a running jump shot down the lane at the buzzer. Los Angeles got the first two baskets of overtime from former Heat player Caron Butler and DeAndre Jordan. Chalmers pounded a three-point shot from the right side at 1:24 to close it to one, but then Griffin made a lay-up at 1:07. Jordan leveled a slam dunk with five seconds left, then Miami head coach Eric Spoelstra was ejected from the game. Butler made the technical foul shot for a Los Angeles 95-89 lead. The Heat only made one field goal in the last 12 minutes and 30 seconds of the game. Miami continues their road swing as they face the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Former Florida Panthers Writer Wins NSSA Award

Michael Russo was announced as the winner of the Minnesota sportswriter of the year award by the National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association on Monday. He is currently the Minnesota Wild beat reporter with the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. Russo was formerly with the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel as the Florida Panthers beat writer from 1998 until 2005.

Former Miami Sports Anchors Win NSSA Awards

The National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association announced the winners of their 2011 awards on Monday. Two former sports anchors that once worked in Miami were recipients of their individual state honors. Tim Ring won the Arizona sportscaster of the year award for his work as sports director and sports anchor at KTVK-TV in Phoenix. He previously worked at WAMI-TV from 1999 to 2000 as studio co-host on Sportstown, studio co-host of Miami Heat and Florida Marlins broadcasts and evening sports anchor. After Miami, Ring had a stint at Fox Sports Net Colorado. The other former local individual who won was Lindsay Czarniak as she picked up the Washington D.C. sportscaster of the year award for her work at WRC-TV. Last month she began her new job as a sports anchor at ESPN in Connecticut. Czarniak had a stint as a sports anchor and sports reporter at WTVJ-TV in Miami from 2003 to 2005.

Wade Returns As Heat Fall To Warriors

Dwyane Wade returned to the lineup for the first time in four games as the Golden State Warriors beat the Miami Heat in Oakland 111-106 on Tuesday night. It was Wade's first game since playing a home game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 2. The Heat scored the first six points of the game and led 8-2 just two minutes into the game. The Warriors bounced back with a 14-4 run and led after one quarter 27-22. Miami finished off the second quarter on an 11-6 spurt and led 57-53 at halftime. Wade garnered 20 points while LeBron James had 15 in the first half. The Heat picked up a double-digit lead as they began the third quarter on a 21-8 run to lead 78-61. It was their biggest margin in the game. Golden State chopped at the deficit throughout the fourth quarter on a 21-9 run and tied the contest 93-93 with 1:44 remaining. Following three foul shots made by Miami, former Heat player Dorell Wright hit a three-point shot from the left side to tie it with 31 seconds left in regulation. Monta Ellis drained a field goal with 34 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Warriors a three-pont cushion and the eventual victory. Miami lost their first road game this season and dropped to 8-2. Dwyane Wade finished with 34 points and six rebounds while LeBron James added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven rebounds. The Heat play tomorrow night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

WINZ Shifts Lineup

WINZ rolled out their new on-air lineup on Monday. Jeff DeForrest, a.k.a. Defo, moves to evenings at the station. He had been hosting late mornings at WINZ since late September 2010. The Dan Patrick Show returns to late mornings and will air live instead of on tape delay in mid-afternoons like it had for the past 15 months. The Amigo Larry Milian and Dizz Phil Dominic take over from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. They both come from WMEN where they hosted the Saturday late morning program New York Sports Report. Milian also was a morning co-host at WMEN since July 2010.

Former Aquinas Players Win National Title

Alabama defeated LSU 21-0 Monday night for the BCS Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Several players from the Crimson Tide have roots playing high school football in South Florida. They included wide receivers Duron Carter and Nick Williams who once played at St. Thomas Aquinas. Both won Class 5A state titles with the Raiders in 2007 and 2008. Ed Stinson, who played at South Dade, also played for Alabama as a defensive tackle. The most recognizable player in the game played for LSU. Karnell Hatcher was the starting middle linebacker for the Tigers. He was shifted during the off-season by head coach Les Miles from the safety position which he occupied for the past three seasons to the linebacker spot. Hatcher was a four-year starter as a free safety at Atlantic High School in Delray Beach.

Panthers Defeat Canucks

The top team in the Western Conference faced the top team in the Southeast Division as the Florida Panthers upset the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 Monday night at the Bank Atlantic Center. Roberto Luongo made his return to Sunrise along with several former Panthers including Keith Ballard, Chris Higgins, Alexander Sulzer and Mike Duco. David Booth, who was traded to Vancouver by Florida general manager Dale Tallon on October 22, was not activated due to a knee injury games he sustained 17 games ago. Dale Weise scored on the Canucks first shot of the game at 3:11 on a two-on-one breakaway after Manny Malhotra intercepted a pass to Erik Gudbranson on the right point. The Panthers tied the game at 5:00 of the second period as Dmitry Kulikov followed up on a rebound shot from the top of the left circle and put the puck in the short side. It was his fourth goal of the season. Florida took the lead on their second power play of the game at 10:52. After a wild scramble in front, Marcel Goc scored from the lower crease area for his fourth. The Panthers held Vancouver to only two shots in the second period. The Canucks had numerous opportunities in the third period. Vancouver pulled Luongo for an extra with one minute remaining, however Alexandre Burrows was called for interference at the Panthers blue line with 29 seconds left. Florida was zero-for-three in penalty killing against Vancouver, which has the best power play in the NHL. The Panthers have to wait until Friday for their next game as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins, who will be without Sidney Crosby.

WAXY Cancels The Sports Brothers

WAXY announced that they would not renew the contract of Jeff Fox and Ed Freeman. They hosted The Sports Brothers talk show that aired weekdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. since January 2010. Both also hosted a weekend show at WAXY before being promoted. They previously hosted a sports show on WTPS in Miami until the station flipped their format. They were the only personnel that executive producer Marc Hochman hired to host a weekday sports show at WAXY during his reign as the station program director. Eric Reed filled in as host last week and this week.

Bowler Don Carter Dead At 85

Former professional bowler Don Carter passed away on Thursday in Miami. He was 85. Carter was one of the top bowlers in the 1950's and 1960's when the game appeared on television and was considered the first superstar of bowling. He appeared on numerous national and syndicated broadcasts of the sport. They included ABC's Wide World Of Sports, Jackpot Bowling and Championship Bowling. From the 1970's to the late 2000's, bowling alleys were operated in Tamarac and Sunrise with his name associated with the facilities. They were known as Don Carter Lanes.

Miami Hurricanes Pick Up McCord

For the second time Saturday at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the University of Miami received word that another top-tier player has decided to attend their school. Tampa-Jefferson defensive end Tyriq McCord stated at halftime that he would join the Hurricanes. He led Jefferson to the Class 3A state title over future Miami commitment running back Duke Johnson and the Norland Vikings in 2010.

Brown Going To Louisville

During the second quarter of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Norland linebacker Keith Brown announced that he will attend the University of Louisville. Brown led the Vikings to the Class 5A state title back in December. The team appeared and lost in the 2010 Class 3A state finals to Tampa-Jefferson.

Bush Heads For The U

Prior to the start of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Miami-Christopher Columbus safety Deon Bush made a decision where he will attend college. He committed to the University of Miami Hurricanes. Columbus was projected to be a favorite to win the Class 8A state title in 2011, but were eliminated in the state semi-finals at home against Miramar.

Greg Dobbs Resigns With Marlins

The Miami Marlins have resigned infielder Greg Dobbs to a two-year contract on Wednesday. He played as a third baseman and pinch-hitter for the team in 2011 hitting .275 with eight home runs and 49 RBI in 134 games. He previously was with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2007 to 2010 and won one World Series championship in 2008, two National League pennants and four Eastern Division titles.

Panthers Begin 2012 With Loss

The Florida Panthers played their first game of 2012 and hoped they wouldn't be swept in the season-series against the New York Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. That did not happen as the Panthers lost in overtime 3-2. Marcel Goc returned to the lineup after 22 games and gave Florida a 1-0 lead at 4:16 of the first period. Following a loose puck in the Panthers zone, Goc and Mikael Samuelson came up with a two-on-one breakaway and pulled off a give-and-go in the Rangers zone prior to the goal. Scott Clemmensen made a sprawling save as Mike Rupp tried to backhand a shot into an open net at 6:51. Anton Stralman scored a goal at 17:44 from the top right circle from a Panthers turnover to tie the game 1-1. Neither team scored in the second period. Florida was called for too many men on the ice early in the third period. They paid the price as New York scored on the power play as the slap shot from left point deflected off Panthers defender Mike Weaver and Ryan Callahan into the net at 4:24. Just 36 seconds later, Mike Santorelli fired a high wrist shot from the right circle over the left arm of Martin Biron to even it 2-2. It was his fifth goal of the season. At 3:29 in overtime, Derek Stepan made a rush up the ice through the neutral zone, dropped a pass behind to Marian Gaborik at the top of zone and he fired a slap shot by Clemmensen for a Rangers win. The Panthers stay in the New York metropolitan area and face the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Panthers Sign Madden

The Florida Panthers added another veteran to their roster as they signed center John Madden to a one-year contract on Thursday. Madden has been a part of three Stanley Cup champions in his NHL career. He began with the New Jersey Devils and stayed there for over 10 years. He won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1999-2000 and 2002-03. Madden signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks and played under current Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon while there. He helped the Blackhawks end their 49-year drought and captured the Stanley Cup in 2009-10. Madden played for the Minnesota Wild last season.

Marlins Acquire Zambrano

The Miami Marlins made a trade on Wednesday as they acquired Carlos Zambrano and cash from the Chicago Cubs for Chris Volstad. Zambrano has played his entire career of 11 seasons with the Cubs with a record of 125-81 along with 1,582 strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA. Last year for the northsiders he was 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA before being suspended by the team for the remainder of the season. Zambrano is also known for being one of the best hitting pitchers in the game. Volstad, who is a Palm Beach Gardens high school graduate, was drafted by the Marlins in 2005 and had a 32-39 record with a 4.59 ERA in four seasons with the franchise. He was 5-13 with 117 strikeouts in 2011 for his former hometown team.