RETIREMENT GIFT FOR SENS' MUCKLEHEAD?

The Sens' story du jour is that owner Eugene Melnyk bought the OHL's Mississauga IceDogs last summer essentially as a retirement present for general manager John Muckler.

The Score's Tony Ambrogio had it first and it's been picked up a Sportsnet.ca.

The IceDogs have to be moved before next season, so the story goes that Melnyk will sell the franchise to Muckler dirt-cheap and he'll move it to Buffalo, and become a junior hockey mogul, and retire as Sens GM where he makes his home. This has been rumoured since Melynk, who already owns the Toronto-St. Michael Majors in the same junior league, bought the IceDogs last summer.

(First thought at that time was that Melnyk wants to host the Memorial Cup in 2008, the next time it's held in Ontario. That never would have been possible while the Majors played at the ancient St. Michael's College Arena.)