-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

Forward Ryan Russell, who made his NHL debut last season and ended up playing 41 games with the Blue Jackets, signed a one-year, two-way contract to return with the club in 2012-13. He'll earn $700,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 in the AHL.

Russell, the identical twin brother of former Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell, had two goals, no assists and a minus-7 ratings in Columbus last season. He played 31 games with minor-league Springfield before his recall, totaling nine goals, six assists and an even rating.

"He's a guy who really paid his dues, and when he got a chance to contribute at the NHL level he made the most of it," Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson said. "What really stood out was his willingness to block shots, and that became contagious among our group."

Russell blocked 44 shots in only 41 games. Only one other Blue Jackets forward (R.J. Umberger, 70) had more blocks, even though Russell played only half a season. He had played 286 minor-league games -- including 12 games in the East Coast Hockey League -- before debuting with the Blue Jackets last Jan. 7.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The Blue Jackets have signed right winger Derek Dorsett to a three-year, $4.9 million contract, allowing both sides to avoid restricted free agency this summer.

The deal will pay Dorsett $1.5 million in 2012-13, $1.4 million in 2013-14 and $2.0 in 2014-15, and takes him one year into unrestricted free agency under terms of the current NHL collective bargaining agreement.

"I'm obviously really excited," Dorsett told The Dispatch tonight. "This is where I want to be. I want to be a part of this organization and get things going in the right direction here. That's very important to me.

"We talked before the start of the season, and they weren't in a position to do anything right then, which I understood. So we talked a couple of times during the season and decided we'd wait until after the season. Well, immediately after the season we started hammering out a deal and we got it done pretty quickly. Both sides got what they wanted, I'd say."

Dorsett, 25, set career highs with 12 goals, 20 points and an NHL-high 235 penalty minutes this season, becoming only the fifth player since the 2005 NHL lockout to register double-digit goals and 200-plus penalty minutes. His 14:42 of average ice time also was a career high, and the 1,578 shifts he skate were fourth among Blue Jackets forwards, trailing only Rick Nash, R.J. Umberger and Vinny Prospal.

In his fourth full NHL season, Dorsett assumed a bigger role in the dressing room, too. Late in the season, he wore the 'A' of an alternate captain in a handful of games, and it won't be a surprise if he has the letter permanently next season.

"Derek has always played the same way, left everything on the ice," said agent Allain Roy, who represents Dorsett. "If you put him in a leadership role -- and I expect he'll become more and more of a leader in Columbus, building off last season -- it's hard for guys to play with him and not have that kind of spirit and attitude and passion rub off."

It was a good day for Dorsett. Not only did his contract become official, but he was invited to play a round at Scioto Country Club.

"I didn't break par," he said. "But I ended birdie-birdie."

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The Blue Jackets have named former NHLer Brad Larsen coach of their American Hockey League affiliate in Springfield, Mass. Larsen surfaced as a favorite to land the job almost immediately after Rob Riley was fired last month.

Larsen retired as a player after the 2009-10 season. The 34-year-old gets a two-year contract, and there is a club option for a third season.

"I'll be looked at as a young coach, absolutely," Larsen said. "It's kind of ironic. A couple of years ago, I felt like the old guy playing in the minor leagues. This is a complete '180'.

"I'd describe my style as fair but firm. Accountability is a big deal with me. I want to set a standard for everybody on the team, and it's a standard that will be in place for the entire season. The AHL has its challenges. Guys look up above (at the NHL), and that's where they want to be. But they have a responsibility to play hard, play smart and get better while they're playing for us in Springfield."

Larsen was Riley's top assistant coach the past two season, but Riley was fired shortly after this season after Springfield failed to make the playoffs for a second straight year. The process of hiring an assistant to join Larsen's staff with assistant Nolan Pratt is already underway.

"His passion level for the game speaks very loudly whenever you're around him," said Blue Jackets assistant general manager Chris MacFarland, who oversees the Springfield roster and coaches. "No matter what the team is going through, this guy is really happy to be at the rink. He loves the game, everything about it. Pracitce, morning skates, video meetings, the games, getting on a bus and heading to the next place. He loves competing, and that shines through to everybody around him."

Larsen played pro hockey for 13 seasons, mostly in the minor leagues. He played 294 NHL games with Colorado and Atlanta, totalling 19-29-48 with 134 penalty minutes.

Side dishes:

-- Tyler Wright, the Blue Jackets director of amateur scouting, today explained the club's reasons for deciding not to sign Petr Straka, the Jackets' second-round pick (No. 55) in the 2010 NHL entry draft. "We expected him to be more of an offensive guy, and he just kind of stumbled in that regard," Wright said. "He had a good playoff. That's what we envisioned of him."

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The Blue Jackets have agreed to terms with defenseman Austin Madaisky on a three-year, entry-level contract, and the official deal should be announced shortly. Madaisky was a fifth-round pick (No. 124 overall) in the 2010 NHL entry draft.

Two other picks - right winger Petr Straka (2nd round, No. 55) and defenseman Brandon Archibald (4th round, No. 94) - have been informed by the Blue Jackets that they won't be signed, sending them back in the pool of draftable players for next month's draft in Pittsburgh.

Of those two, Straka is the mild surprise.

He had 28-36-64 in 62 games with Rimouski (QMJHL) during his draft year, but tailed off badly the last two seasons. In 2010-11, he had 10-15-25 in 41 games. This season, he had 18-19-37 in 54 games. That's fewer points the last two seasons -- 62 in 95 games -- than he scored as a 17-year-old.

However, Straka made a pretty good last-best argument for a deal with his performance in the QMJHL playoffs. He had 10-12-22 in 21 games, becoming a point-a-game player once again. The bet here is that he gets drafted his June, but certainly on Saturday (2nd through 7th rounds) and probably later in the day.

The Blue Jackets acquired the pick used on Straka with the 2010 trade deadline deal that sent winger Raffi Torres to Buffalo.

Madaisky, meanwhile, blossomed this season in his fourth year of juniors, the last three spent with Kamloops (WHL). He had 13 goals, 37 assists, 50 points and a plus-20 rating, all career highs. He also had 87 penalty minutes. He could play a fifth year of junior next season, or begin his pro career, likely with AHL Springfield.

Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and the hockey operations department face one last difficult decision as it pertains to the 2010 draft class. Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil remains unsigned, and the Jackets still aren't sure if they want to keep him in the fold.

"We'll evaluate him in the Memorial Cup and make a decision," Howson said. "Not sure right now."

Corbeil is 50-11-2 in the last two seasons with Saint John of the QMJHL, which won the Memorial Cup last season and is a favorite to repeat. Corbeil, named the QMJHL's goalie of the year, is 16-0-1 in this year's playoffs, with a 2.18 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.

Those numbers will cause many readers to scratch their temples and wonder: "How could they possibly not want this guy?" What the Blue Jackets are trying to determine is if Corbeil is a product of a powerhouse hockey club or a goaltender with legitimiate NHL potential. These are the questions that keep scouts up late at night.

Two weeks ago, the Blue Jackets seemed to be leaning away from signing Corbeil. These days it seems to be leaning back the other direction, though no decision has been made.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

A stunning day in the IIHF World Championships, as the United States, Canada and Sweden -- three of the globe's hockey powers -- all took a bow in the quarterfinals, not even reaching the medal round.

The U.S. fell 3-2 to host Finland, allowing the tying goal with 6:58 to play and the winning goal with only 9 seconds on the clock. Bobby Ryan and Kyle Palmieri -- both members of the Anaheim Ducks -- scored goals for the U.S.

Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson, the U.S. captain, led the way in ice time with 22 minutes, 55 seconds. He had two shots on goal and a minus-1 rating. Jackets winger Cam Atkinson had two shots on goal and played 15:10.

Johnson was not pleased after the game, especially with officials.

"I thought we deserved a couple of power plays," Johnson told IIHF.com. "I don't know how many guys have to get hit from behind before we get one."

The U.S., which beat FInland 5-0 on Sunday, hasn't earned a medal at this tournament since 2004, when it wore bronze. The Red, White and Blue hasn't won gold since 1960 at Squaw Valley.

Canada will go without a medal for the third straight season, their longest drought since a five-year run from 1998-2003. They lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Slovakia yesterday when Michal Handzus scored with 2:28 remaining.

The goal was scored on a power play, as Canada's Ryan Getzlaf was boxed for five minutes after a knee-on-knee hit with Slovakia's Juraj Mikus, who suffered an apparent injury.

The Canadians played without Blue Jackets defenseman Marc Methot, was who was suspended for one game following a hit-from-behind in Canada's win over Belarus on Tuesday.

Side dishes:

-- Blue Jackets defenseman Nikita Nikitin, playing for Russia, left yesterday's 5-2 win over Norway after playing only 3:31 in the first period. Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson said the club had not been notified of an injury to Nikitin.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The Dispatch hockey writers talk about the new Blue Jackets coach and other CBJ and playoff news.

In the seven-game preliminary round, Johnson had 3-1-4, 16 penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. His 24:20 average ice time is tops on the U.S. Meanwhile, Atkinson has 1-2-3 and a plus-3 rating. He had four PIMs.

Stats for other CBJ players in the Worlds:

Marc Methot, D, Canada: Has no goals, 2 assists, 25 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating in six games. He's averaged 15:24 in ice time after missing the first game of the tournament with a groin injury.

Nikita Nikitin, D, Russia: Has no goals, one assist and a plus-2 rating. He's averaged 16:47 in ice time.

Thomas Larkin, D, Italy: Had no goals, one assist, four PIMs and minus-4 rating. He's averaged 16:23.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The feeling-out process of coach Todd Richards ended this afternoon in feel-good fashion in Nationwide Arena, where the Blue Jackets officially removed the ‘interim’ tag from Richards’ title during a press conference on the arena concourse.

Richards said he it was a “very happy, proud and exciting” moment for him. The former Minnesota Wild coach is ready to begin his second stint as an NHL head coach. He agreed to a two-year contract that runs through the 2013-14 season.
 
“I’ve compared the interim tag to being a substitute teacher,” Richards said. “You’re kind of holding down the fort that day, and sometimes the children of the class will try to take some liberties. Credit to the players, I don’t think they tried to take liberties. But there is great excitement knowing that this is my team now.”
 
The Blue Jackets did not formally interview any external candidates. General manager Scott Howson said he was contacted by “8-10” coaches who expressed an interest in the position. The club considered candidates currently available and those expected to soon be available and decided there was no need to pursue any external candidates.

His two-year run in St. Paul was steeped in mediocrity, however. The Wild went 77-71-16 and missed the playoffs both seasons. Including his half-season with the Blue Jackets, Richards’ NHL coaching record is 95-92-18.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

After a lackluster performance vs. Kazakhstan late last week, the United States rebounded with perhaps its most impressive performance of the IIHF World Championships, riding five different goal-scorers to a 5-0 win today over Finland.

Blue Jackets right winger Cam Atkinson had two assists for the U.S., while Max Pacioretty, Bobby Ryan, Justin Faulk, Chris Butler and Kyle Palmieri each had goals. Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson had a plus-2 rating and played a team-high 23:48.

The win allowed the U.S., which needed overtime on Friday to beat Kazakhstan, to leapfrog Finland into second place on their side of the bracket behind Canada (5-0-1),

The United States, now 5-1 (13 points), plays Switerzland on Tuesday, their final match in preliminary play. The medal round begins on Thursday.

Side dishes:

-- Happy Mother's Day.

-- Blue Jackets defenseman Nikita Nikitin logged 19:55 for Russia today in a 2-0 win over Czech Republic. The Russians lead their side of the tournament with a 6-0 record, allowing only eight goals in the six games.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

Blue Jackets right winger Cam Atkinson broke through with his first goal of the World Championships today in Finland, scoring for Team USA early in the first period of an eventual 5-3 win over Belarus.

Atkinson's goal made it 2-0 only six minutes into the game. His line also was on the ice when Team USA took a 1-0 lead only 99 seconds into the game, thanks to a goal by Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader. It was a well-timed goal for Atkinson, who had a rough third period in a 3-2 loss to Slovakia earlier in the week. He finished today with two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in 8:38 of ice time.

His Blue Jackets teammate, defenseman Jack Johnson, had an assist and a plus-2 rating in 20:51 of ice time. He piled up 14 minutes in penalties, 10 of which came in the first period for a hit targeting the head/neck area.

The U.S. (3-1) plays Kazakhstan on Friday before a rousing match with host Finland on Sunday.

Side dishes:

-- Former Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell, now playing for the St. Louis Blues, joined Team Canada today, a few days after the Blues were bounced from the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

-- Blue Jackets defenseman Nikita Nikitin played only 12:13 and had no stat line in Russia's 3-1 win over Denmark today.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The Dispatch reported this morning that Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman has informed NBA commissioner David Stern of his wishes to bring an NBA franchise to the city, either by relocation or expansion. The franchise would play in Nationwide Arena, along with the Blue Jackets.

Let's be clear: very few people think an NBA franchise will land in Columbus, for myriad reasons. Expansion will not happen, Stern has said. That leaves relocation, and only one franchise -- Sacramento -- seems on the verge of moving. The strong belief by many in NBA circles is that the Kings will land in Seattle, which has an investor ready to build a building and a strong desire to re-enter the league that once included SuperSonics.

So what's the mayor thinking? Only he truly knows, but there is much to consider:

-- Coleman dreams big. We try not to dabble in politics on this blog, so this is neither an endorsement nor a complaint of his terms in office. But most agree that Coleman is a visionary, that he deserves credit for elevating Columbus' status around the country and making the downtown a more vibrant, liveable space. When he's done with one lofty aspiration -- Scioto Mile, Columbus Commons, making the Scioto River flow again -- he moves on to another. The man now wants a pro basketball team.

-- Would Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert ever allow an NBA franchise to land so close to Cleveland? Not a chance, and you can put that in 23-point, Comic Sans-font type. It's likely the NBA's competition boundaries would prevent this from even being an issue.

-- Told Gilbert took to the radio today in Cleveland and, at one point, joked that he was seeking an NHL franchise for Cleveland.

-- Would residents of Columbus prefer an NBA team or the current NHL club? That's a fairer question than many on this blog would care to believe, and I honestly don't know what the results would be. The Blue Jackets' struggles have taken a toll on the fan base. Many of the Jackets' hardcore fans remain in place (thanks for reading, by the way), but others have lost interest and drifted away. The novelty fans are long gone. It's not a failure of fans in Columbus, it's a failure of the club. And it's a reality everywhere. Pro sports teams MUST win to draw fans these days. They ask for a huge commitment, both in time and money. Once they stop entertaining, once they fail to put a competent product on the ice, it's easy for fans to find another hobby.

-- It's likely the NBA franchise would experience a one- or two-year honeymoon, just as the Blue Jackets did. But, outside of Chicago, take a look at the NBA's attendance figures for clubs in the Midwest. Some farmer's markets draw bigger crowds.

-- If anybody thought the Blue Jackets' day-to-day operations would remain status quo after the sale of the building, this is a wake-up call. The Blue Jackets gave up control of the building when they got the deal they wanted, with public assistance being used to rework their lease agreement. Now the city/county own the building, and they can invite whomever they want for dinner. They might even ask them to stay a while. It's not just the Blue Jackets' house anymore. Further, the general sense that the city is lucky to have a major-league team is now a bygone sentiment. The prevailing sentiment now is that the Blue Jackets are lucky to call Columbus home.

-- Furthering the previous point ... it only behooves the city and the county if their arena is a busier space. The NHL gives them 45 nights including the preseason. On those nights, the bars and restaurants thrive, especially on the weekends. On the other nights, not so much. The Triple-A Clippers help in the summer, but the arrival of an NBA team would create a schedule from October to April (and beyond, for playoffs) where the Arena District has a game -- either hoops or pucks -- about four nights per week on average. Currently, eight other arenas in North America are home to both NBA and NHL franchises. It can work. It must be noted, though, that all eight of them are cities with bigger metro populations than Columbus.

-- One can safely assume that Coleman -- like may fans -- is more than a little dismayed at how long its taken the Blue Jackets to become a consistently legitimate NHL franchise. Clearly, he wants an NBA team here, and if the short-term benefit is a stoking to the Blue Jackets' sense of urgency, so be it.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

After a day of rest on Sunday, the United States returned to action today in the IIHF World Championships in Finland. Team USA looked slumbery, especially early, trailing the entire game an losing 4-2 to Slovakia.

Blue Jackets winger Cam Atkinson was in the middle of the action, though not always in the best way. With the U.S. trailing 3-2, he took a four-minute highsticking minor on Slovakia's Zdeno Chara. Yes, the 5-6 Atkinson highsticked the 6-8 Chara.

The United States kill that penalty, then went on its own power play when Atkinson drew a tripping penalty midway through the period. With 5:00 to play, Atkinson had his best scoring chance so far in the tournament, getting a clean look at Slovakia goaltender Jan Laco. Atkinson pulled the puck back to his backhand and tried to flip it past Laco. But Laco did not bite on the fake, managing to brush the puck wide with his right pad.

The lead remained 3-2. With less than a minute to play, Atkinson coughed up the puck under pressure in the neutral zone, leading to an empty-net goal by Slovakia's Miroslav Satan to push the lead to 4-2.

Atkinson finished with two shots on goal and a minus-1 rating in 12:15 of ice time.

Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson had one shot, a minus-2 rating and 26:36 of ice time.

The United States (2-1) plays Belarus on Thursday at 9:15 a.m. (NBCSportsNetwork)

Side dishes:

-- Blue Jackets defenseman Marc Methot had one assist, two shots on goal and 16:50 of ice time in Canada's 7-2 win over France. Canada is 3-0 heading into Wednesday's games vs. Switzerland.

-- On Sunday, Blue Jackets defenseman Nikita Nikitin had two shots, a plus-1 rating, two PIMs and 19:55 of ice time in Russia's 4-2 win over Norway. Also that day, Blue Jackets prospect defenseman Thomas Larkin played 14:30 in a 4-3 win over Denmark.

-- Former Blue Jackets defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen is captain of Norge, by the way.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson scored at 1:47 of overtime, his second goal of the game, to lead the United States to a rare victory over Canada in the World Championships today in Helsinki, Finland.

"We had the lead three times and couldn't hold it," Johnson said. "That was kind of frustrating, but I think we deserved to win this game. I think we were the better team for the majority of the game,

"This is a good starting point. We have a lot of first-year players who are trying to leave their mark in this tournament, and that's a recipe for success. It's a great win, but we're probably going to have to face them again (here) to get the medal we want."

That would be gold, of course.

Johnson had two goals -- giving him three for the tournament -- and finished with a club-high 25:44. He played 9:59 in the second period.

Of his winning goal, he said he was simply trying to get the puck down low, where teammate Bobby Ryan had pitched a tent in the vacinity of Canada goaltender Cam Ward.

"I walked the puck toward the middle of the ice, and I kept looking over to (teammate Paul) Stastny, trying to get their high penalty killer to commit and give me a path to the net," Johnson said. "It was a seeing-eye puck all they way. I was trying to get the puck to (Ryan) off a rebound, but instead it went right through (Ward's) pads. That's OK, though, we'll take it,."

It marked only the fourth time in 42 World Championship meetings that the United States has beaten Canada. The U.S., which next plays on Monday, is 2-0 after beating France 7-2 on Friday. Team USA plays Slovakia on Monday.

Around the World:

-- RW Cam Atkinson played 11:52 and had a minus-1 rating in Saturday's game for the USA.

-- D Marc Methot played 12:33 and one shot for Canada. Methot, who missed Friday's opener for Canada with a groin injury, had his ice time limited to keep the injury from worsening. Canada plays France on Monday.

-- D Nikita Nikitin had three shots, a minus-1 rating and 20:15 of ice time in a 5-2 win over Latvia.

-- D Thomas Larkin and Italy are dark today. They play Denmark on Sunday.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The 2012 World Championships got underway this morning, the puck dropping at 5:15 a.m. eastern on two games. Don't know about you, but having a live coffee game to devour between sips of coffee is pretty sweet.

The USA earned an easy 7-2 win over France. Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson, the U.S. captain, had a goal, took two shots and had an even rating. He played 22:52, which must have seemed like a morning skate compared to the ice time he logged down the stretch in Columbus. Me thinks U.S. coach Scott Gordon is saving Johnson and others for Saturday high-noon showdown with Canada.

Blue Jackets winger Cam Atkinson, making his Worlds debut, had one shot on goal and drew 13 minutes, 24 seconds of ice time.

Canada beat Slovakia 3-2 without the services of Blue Jackets defenseman Marc Methot, who's nursing a lower-body injury. It's likely Methot will dress for Canada against the U.S. on Saturday.

Blue Jackets prospect defenseman Thomas Larkin, playing for Italy, had one shot on goal and played 16:40 in a 3-0 loss to Germany.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson has been named captain of Team USA in the IIHF World Championship, which gets underway on Friday in Finland.

This tournament will mark the 13th time Johnson has played in an international tournament for Team USA. He also was captain of the 2010 World Championship club.

"I'm always careful how I characterize guys," said Team USA director of hockey operations Jim Johannson. "But he has the same DNA of (former NHL and international star) Chis Chelios. 'There's a hockey game? Great. I'm in.' That's literally how he approaches it.

"For us, and for what we do putting the team together, he's a guy who always answers the call."

Johnson will be playing in his fifth World Championship -- '07, '09, '10, '11 and this year. In 2010, he was the only Team USA player -- and one of a handful of players from the world's so-called hockey powers -- to play in both the Olympics in Vancouver and the World Championships in Germany.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

If you've grown tired of watching former Blue Jackets' excel for other clubs in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the IIHF World Championships might come to your emotional rescue.

Jack Johnson and Cam Atkinson (Team USA), Marc Methot (Team Canada) and Nikita Nikitin (Team Russia) will enjoy a second season, beginning Thursday in Finland. The championship game is set for May 20.

Lots of players find lots of excuses to avoid this tournament. The travel isn't easy. Nor is gearing the engine back up following an 82-game season and a one-month lull. In Europe, this tournament is second only to the Olympics, but it's an afterthought in North America because the Stanley Cup playoffs are in full bloom.

Why go if you're a player?

"Well, for one, I want to win the tournament," Johnson said. "It's a huge tournament. It might not be big in the States, but to all of us who play hockey, it's a big-time tournament.

"The other reason is it's a chance to play for your country. I will always say yes to that, if it's humanly possible for me to play. Every time I get asked to represent the United States, I say yes, because it could be my last time. I don't want to turn it down. I don't have children or other commitments like some of the other guys, but as long as I'm healthy, I'll do it."

Atkinson was, to many, a surprise choice by Team USA. The NHL rookie said he was thrilled when, with about two weeks left in the season, he started to hear whispers that he might get an invite.

"I tried not to think about it, and I tried to just finish strong, to do everything I could to make it happen," Atkinson said. "When I got that call (from USA director of hockey operations Jim Johannson) the day after the season ended, I was so excited.

"It's a chance to keep playing. It's a chance to become a better player. But, like everybody says, the biggest thing is it's a chance to put on your country's sweater and represent it. That's an honor."

This isn't Atkinson first taste of international play. He played in the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament for Under-18s before heading off for a three-year run at Boston College.

Methot is playing for Team Canada for a second straight year. Last year was especially meaningful for Methot. It was his first big shot to play for his country on the world stage, and it revealed his status as an up-and-coming player in a hockey-mad country.

This opportunity is not without meaning, either. Methot missed the final two months of the season after suffering a broken jaw. He lost a ton of weight going a month without solid food, only pureed foodstuffs. Yum.

Now he has a chance to play again before the hockey world closes the books on 2012.

"It's an honor to play for Canada, absolutely," Methot said. "But for me, it's a chance to get back into games again. I'll need those two exhibition games before the tournament starts probably more than the other guys. But it's great. The last thing I wanted to do is show up at training camp (next fall) without having played a game for six months. That's too long a break. This will help soften the blow a little bit."

We'll have more on the Worlds in The Dispatch later this week.

Side dishes:

-- Mentioned in this spot on Saturday how the Blue Jackets signed center Michael Chaput to a three-year, entry-level contract. Failed to mention that he'll play in the Memorial Cup, as his junior club -- Shawinigan -- is the host city. The Memorial Cup is the four-team tournament to decide the champion of the Canadian Hockey League, the governing body of the Ontario, Western and Quebec Major Junior hockey leagues. The winners of each of those leagues make the final field, along with the host city. Often, the host city isn't the hostest with the mostest. In this case, though, Shawinigan is pretty good. The Cataractes (look up that logo) were 45-16-3-4 (97 points) in the Q this year, trailing only Saint John.

-- Beginning this week, Puck-rakers will go player-by-player on the Blue Jackets roster and breakdown their season -- the good, the bad, the ugly, the future, etc. -- and provide player grades. We stole this idea from the Denver Post's Adrian Dater, who became weakened one night over a pot roast sandwich at the TIp Top. Looking forward to hearing what grades you loyal Puck-rakers readers would give the players. We'll keep a pretty good flow of it.

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

Twitter: @aportzline