31.   Albelin has spent most of his nine-year career with the Devils and was among their top six defensemen.

32.   Captain Owen Nolan and top defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson were activated from injured reserve by the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

33.   Chris Pronger was a triple winner Thursday night, taking home NHL awards as the most valuable player and top defenseman and making the All-Star team.

34.   Koivisto, the top scoring defenseman in the Finnish league playoffs, had two assists.

35.   Not only had they lost one of their top defenseman in Konstantinov, there were other factors that impacted them during the season.

36.   San Jose lost top defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson just seven minutes into the game when he collided with Jagr and limped into the dressing room.

37.   The Canucks played without their top two defensemen, Mattias Ohlund and Ed Jovanovski, and then lost Adrian Aucoin late in the first period with a groin pull.

38.   The Blues, with their top two defensemen out indefinitely, acquired veteran defenseman Alexei Gusarov from the Rangers on Monday.

39.   The Flames played without leading scorer Marc Savard, top defenseman Phil Housley and enforcer Jason Wiemer.

40.   The Edmonton Oilers sent three players to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday to get top young defenseman Roman Hamrlik and the rights to unsigned draft pick Paul Comrie.