¶ The recently retired N.H.L. enforcer Georges Laraque requires 12 stitches to his forehead — not from a fight, but because his partner in CBC's "Battle of the Blades" accidentally cut him with her figure skate. Laraque's injury occurs on Saturday during a rehearsal for Sunday's premiere of the competition portion of the figure-skating contest show, as he and his partner, Anabelle Langlois, practice a maneuver called the Chainsaw. The 97-pound Langlois, swinging from the 275-pound Laraque's neck, loses her balance and starts to fall headfirst. As Laraque reaches to break her fall, her skate blade slices his forehead.

Fortunately, Laraque and Langlois pull the maneuver off without incident on Sunday's live telecast. They finish fifth in opening-night scoring, behind Jamie Sale and Theo Fleury, Kyoko Ina and Kelly Chase, Violetta Afanasieva and P.J. Stock, and the leaders, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Valeri Bure.

¶ The European continental portion of the N.H.L. preseason gets under way with two friendlies on Monday: in Russia, SKA St. Petersburg vs. Carolina Hurricanes; and in Finland, Ilves Tampere vs. Minnesota Wild. Tuesday it's HC Bili Tygri Liberec vs. Boston Bruins in the Czech Republic; and Malmo Redhawks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets in Sweden. On Wednesday the Euro tour concludes, in Latvia, with Dinamo Riga vs. Phoenix Coyotes.

¶ Kyle Wellwood, unable to latch on as a center with the Phoenix Coyotes, signs with Atlant Moscow Oblast of the K.H.L. The 27-year-old Wellwood, who has battled weight problems in previous stints with Toronto and Vancouver, joins the Mytishchi-based club, currently 10th in the K.H.L.'s 11-team Western Division.

¶ Ottawa is named host of the least consequential and least cared about match of the 2011-12 season: the N.H.L. All-Star Game. "We know this great venue and this city are more than well equipped to handle this marquee event," the N.H.L. Commissioner, Gary Bettman, says of the game, to be staged at Scotiabank Place. Can you name where the 2010-11 All-Star Game will be played? No? Anybody?