Media, Rumors, Denials Follow Lecavalier Home

While the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus left town earlier in the week, a different act rolled into town Thursday.

With the rumor mill still churning out talk of Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier, the entire contingent of Tampa media showed up to the Lightning morning skate. A television crew from Montreal's RDS (owned by ESPN) also showed up, as well as a Montreal newspaper.

Talk of Lecavalier possibly being moved to his hometown Canadiens has been all the rage this week, a fire that was still burning strong as Tampa Bay returned home to start a five-game homestand. There was even talk that a $500,000 signing bonus due to Lecavalier on Thursday would not be paid, but a team spokesman said the payment was made on time.

With that in mind, Lightning general manager Brian Lawton held a news conference to address the issue.

"Normally our club policy is to not address rumors. Obviously with Vinny Lecavalier's situation, there has been a lot of speculation floating around - completely unfounded, I might add," Lawton said. "Vinny Lecavalier is not being shopped by the Tampa Bay Lightning. It would be erroneous of me to say that people haven't called me on Vinny Lecavalier because they certainly have, and that has started literally from the day that I took this position. Why would something like that happen? Because he's a great player."

Lawton emphasized that Lecavalier is "not being traded today, he's not being traded tomorrow or anytime soon."

Lecavalier continues to dismiss all the trade talk as just rumors, but admits this time around, it seems to have a little more credibility behind it beyond the normal run-of-the-mill rumors that normally circulate on a yearly basis about a possible return to Montreal. By not stating emphatically he doesn't want to be moved, he might have told the story of what is going on.

"This summer I signed for 11 years thinking I'd be here the whole time," said Lecavalier, whose 11-year, $85 million extension kicks in next season. "It was a big decision for me this past summer, the people in Tampa have always been great to me, the media, the team, we won a Stanley Cup here but it's been a stressful few days, but right now it's still just rumors."

QUICK STAY: With D Steve Eminger back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday's game in San Jose, the team opted to keep rookie D Kevin Quick - who started the season with Augusta of the ECHL - up and send back former first-round pick Vladimir Mihalik.

"I think we needed a guy who can get to pucks and get the puck out quick and Quick seems to have some foot speed and to be able to make that good outlet pass," Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet said.

Quick, who was dismissed from the University of Michigan team last season for stealing a teammate's credit card, said his legal troubles are behind him.

"Every day you wake up and realize what you did," Quick said. "But I've kind of put that behind me and take everything day-by-day with hockey and try to do my best."

NUTS AND BOLTS: LW Steve Downie was recalled from AHL Norfolk. ... LW Jussi Jokinen was scratched while C Paul Szczechura (lower body) was placed on injured reserve. ... A camera crew followed around radio broadcaster Dave Mishkin on Thursday for an episode next month of "Voices," a show which airs on the NHL Network that profiles radio announcers around the league. ... Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson dropped the ceremonial first puck. He was in town to present the Lightning Foundation with the Surgeon General's Champion Award for the foundation's "Fit Families for Life" program.