Blake officially hangs up skates after 20 seasons

Hockey Betting Lines

06/18/2010 - San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Jose Sharks defenseman Rob Blake announced his retirement on Friday after 20 NHL seasons.

The 40-year-old notched seven goals and 30 points with a plus-14 rating and 60 penalty minutes in 70 regular-season games last season for San Jose, his second with the club. He added a goal and two points in 15 playoff tilts as the Sharks were swept in the Western finals by Chicago.

Since breaking into the NHL during the 1989-90 season with Los Angeles, Blake has compiled 240 goals, 777 points and 1,679 minutes in penalties over 1,270 career games.

"I was very fortunate to play 20 years in the NHL," said Blake. "I would like to thank [Sharks general manager] Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks for allowing me this opportunity to say thank you to the teammates and organizations that have helped make this a very memorable journey. I also want to thank my family for all of their support throughout my career."

The Canadian was the recipient of the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman in 1998 while playing for the Kings and won a Stanley Cup in 2001 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

Blake is just one of 24 players who can claim to have won a World Championship (1994 and '97), Olympic gold medal (2002) and Stanley Cup (2001).

"What Rob Blake has accomplished over the course of his hockey career speaks for itself," said Wilson. "The standard that he helped bring into our dressing room will be felt by our organization and players for years to come."

An All-Rookie Team choice in 1991, Blake also made seven All-Star Game appearances. He was also a Norris Trophy finalist in 2000 and 2002, and was selected as a First-Team NHL All-Star in 1998 with three Second-Team selections.

Wwwibetcasino Hockey Betting News

<< NL East: Chipper staying silent on retirement
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones doesn't know if he is going to retire at season's end or not. He also doesn't want to talk about it anymore, at least not until the season is over. Jones addressed the media on Th

<< Garcia-Lopez, Llodra land in Eastbourne final
Eastbourne, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and No. 8 seed Michael Llodra were Friday's semifinal winners at the grass- court Aegon International tennis event, a final Wimbledon tuneup. The Spanish G

<< Astros sign first-rounder Foltynewicz
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros signed first-round pick Mike Foltynewicz to an undisclosed contract on Friday. Foltynewicz, the 19th overall pick in the draft earlier this month, is a right-handed pitcher from outsi

<< Dinwiddie leads in France
Lumbres, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robert Dinwiddie fired a six-under 65 on Friday to take over the top spot on the leaderboard after two rounds of the Saint-Omer Open. Dinwiddie finished 36 holes at six-under 136 at Aa Saint Omer Golf

<< Ducks bring back Chipchura for another year
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks signed center Kyle Chipchura to a one-year contract for the 2010-11 season on Friday. Anaheim acquired Chipchura from the Montreal Canadiens last December for a fourth-round selection in

Henin eases into Den Bosch finale >>
's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former champion Justine Henin was an easy semifinal victor Friday at the $220,000 Unicef Open, a final grass-court Wimbledon tuneup. German Andrea Petkovic will be on the

Heat pick up Chalmers' option >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat exercised their club option on guard Mario Chalmers on Friday. Chalmers played in 73 games last season for Miami and averaged 7.1 points and 3.4 assists in just under 25 minutes per game. T

Predators' Bouillon signs 2-year, $2.7M contract >>
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Francis Bouillon to a two-year contract worth $2.7 million.The team announced the deal Friday, saying Bouillon will make $1.2 million in 2010-11 and $1.5 million in 2011-12.The 34

White Sox promote 3B prospect Viciedo >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox have promoted third baseman Dayan Viciedo from Triple-A Charlotte. He is expected to join the team for its series opener against the Nationals on Friday night. The 21-year-old

England held to scoreless draw by Algeria >>
Cape Town, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England tied Algeria 0-0 on Friday at Green Point Stadium in the FIFA World Cup, leaving the knockout round spots from Group C up for grabs entering the final round of matches. England tied the Uni

NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.