The following is the first round order of selection for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, updated after the New York Islanders won the NHL Draft Lottery in April and after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final:

1 New York Islanders
2 Tampa Bay Lightning
3 Colorado Avalanche
4 Atlanta Thrashers
5 Los Angeles Kings
6 Phoenix Coyotes
7 Toronto Maple Leafs
8 Dallas Stars
9 Ottawa Senators
10 Edmonton Oilers
11 Nashville Predators
12 Minnesota Wild
13 Buffalo Sabres
14 Florida Panthers
15 Anaheim Ducks
16 Columbus Blue Jackets
17 St. Louis Blues
18 Montreal Canadiens
19 New York Rangers
20 Calgary Flames
21 Philadelphia Flyers
22 Vancouver Canucks
23 New Jersey Devils
24 Washington Capitals
25 Boston Bruins
26 New York Islanders (SJ-OTT)
27 Carolina Hurricanes
28 Chicago Blackhawks
29 Detroit Red Wings
30 Pittsburgh Penguins

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But over the years the rest of the world has been catching up, and when you look at who is winning awards each year you really have to wonder if the kids from Canada are still No. 1.

Don Cherry would beat you down for saying it, but clearly the players from the former Soviet Union are right there in terms of the best players.

But Canada is still regarded as having the best, and will continue to do so simply because Canada is the birthplace of hockey.

Sidney Crosby is the latest in a long line of great Canuck players and he will be the star attraction when Canada takes on the world at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Heart and toughness has always been Canadian players’ calling cards, and that is what makes Canada's hockey players the best.

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They now own the Super Bowl champion Steelers and the Stanley Cup champion Penguins.

Even the World Series winners, the Philadelphia Phillies are in the same state.

No city has ever won more than two titles from the NBA, NFL, MLB, or NFL in the same year.

Pittsburgh’s feat, following the double by the Pirates and Steelers 30 years earlier, solidifies its claim as one of the nation’s most successful pro sports cities, per capita, even if the Pirates can’t overcome their current deficit in the NL Central and make it a triple.

Can you imagine if only Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds had missed that layup? The Panthers could have made a run at the NCAA title.

Other cities like L.A. and New York have had multiple champions before, but they also have more teams.

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Now that the Stanley Cup has been raised it is time for teams to look to next season. Here are 20 of the most intriguing free agents eligible this summer when the market opens July 1 at Noon ET.

Forwards

For the second straight year, Marian Hossa could be the biggest prize in the free agent pool.
Others worth a look: Martin Havlat, Marian Gaborik, the Sedin twins, Mike Knuble, Brian Gionta, Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Nik Antropov and Mike Cammalleri.

Defense

Jay Bouwmeester was supposed to be the biggest fish in the NHL trade deadline pool last season.
If you can't get him, Scott Niedermayer, Sergei Zubov, Rob Blake or Mattias Ohlund are up for grabs.

Goalies

Nikolai Khabibulin's great athleticism, focus and big-game experience means he will be a prize acquisition in net.

Two other starting goalies on the market: Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson.

Add the loss of Sidney Crosby in the second period of Game 7, and the situation became even more dire.
But the scrappy Pens won Game 7, 2-1 as +170 underdogs, and finished the comeback by becoming the first club to take the Cup with a Game 7 road victory since Montreal in 1971.

This instant classic series featured two one-goal games, four two-goal games, and one Red Wings 5-0 blowout in Game 5 that seemed likely to propel them to a repeat.

Pittsburgh finished the postseason as the fourth best money team, cashing in 14 times, while the  Red Wings were the third best for bettors.

"It took as awhile to get it," said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. "But we got it."

Now that hockey has finally wrapped up its season, we can all focus our attention on basketball. Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic goes Sunday. With the Lakers ahead by 3-1, we could be celebrating another major victory by the end of the weekend.

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Even if the Pens win Game 6 they must go back to Detroit where they have been outscored 10-2 while losing three games.

Detroit is loaded with experience, especially with Pavel Datsyuk's return after missing seven playoff games with a foot injury in Game 5.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper, Tomas Holmstrom, and Kirk Maltby played on all four Red Wings Stanley Cup winners since 1997, and they can make it five tonight. Get all your NHL odds with Bodog now.

The Penguins rallied from the brink already in these playoffs. They were down 2-0 to Washington in the second round and came back to win, and they trailed Detroit 2-0 before tying the finals.

This comeback would be the toughest yet, because they first must win a Game 6 in which the Stanley Cup will be in their building but out of their reach.

Even if they survive, they would also have to win a Game 7 in Detroit, where they have been outscored 20-5 while losing five of six in the last two finals. Get your NHL betting in the Bodog Sportsbook.

Jordan Staal’s shorthanded goal during back-to-back Detroit power plays started Pittsburgh’s comeback, and the Penguins scored three goals in less than six minutes of the second period Thursday night to win 4-2 and tie the series at 2.

Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist each to help rally the Penguins from a 2-1 series deficit a year to the day Detroit raised the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh by winning Game 6.
Game 5 is Saturday night in Detroit, with Game 6 in Pittsburgh on Tuesday after the series’ first two-day break.

The Penguins are only 2-6 in the last eight meetings in Detroit. Get your NHL playoffs odds with Bodog now.

The Pens are not acting at all like they did when they were down a game in this same situation last year, against the same opponent. And it's certainly not because Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk, who is capable of winning a game at both ends of the ice, expects to play after sitting out six games with a foot injury.

Evgeni Malkin's upgraded play is one of the reasons the Penguins are optimistic they can pull off a comeback after losing the first two games on the road, despite the fact only one of 32 teams has previously overcome such a deficit in the finals.

Malkin has 33 points, the most in the NHL playoffs since Joe Sakic had 34 for Colorado in 1996. Get your NHL finals odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.