Brad Marchand: still no contract. That won't stop us from linking to a bunch of stories about him, though.Apparently after a rough start, his Cup day was pretty much a resounding success. Good on him.

And, hey guys...It's almost the end of August, which means it's almost September...which means preseason and regular season are just around the corner. It's the calm before the storm. We're almost there. The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler and it's a great feeling.

Just a reminder to check out @Hawgs38's Hurricane Rebuild fundraiser if you haven't already.

After the jump...hey, there was an actual NHL trade yesterday, some fantasy hockey advice, and more...

• Here's a video of Adam McQuaid's speech during his Cup day a couple days ago. [Youtube]
• Move over, Sidney Crosby...there's a new Halifax Hero in the NHL. [Metro News]
• Some people from Nova Scotia are huge Bruins fans...like this couple, who named their newborn son Thomas. [Chronicle Herald]
• Marchand was a terror on skates starting at the age of oh...about 2. Not surprising. [Chronicle Herald]
• The Bruins will be ready for all 29 other teams to come gunning for them when the season starts. [NESN]
• Johnny Boychuk is still pinching himself, two plus months later, but he's ready to get going again in a few weeks. [Gazette]
• The LA Times takes a look at the Northeast Division next year, including some bold predictions - one about Boston's goaltending situation. Interesting perspective. [LA Times]

NHL News:

• The Flames and Coyotes made a trade yesterday, swapping Lee Stempniak for Daymond Langkow. The Calgary Flames really are "like watching the Toronto Maple Leafs...only two hours later." [TSN]
• Looking at the Center position from a fantasy perspective - Stamkos takes the #1 spot, obviously. [NHL]
• Don Cherry is really pumped about the Jets for some reason. [Canoe]
• The Capitals aren't ready to panic about their recent playoff choking woes, and Jason Chimera explains why. [Journal]
• The Blues' favorite charity events are the ones that help rescue animals, and Alex Steen was a guest at quite an unusual one this summer. [SLGT]
• NHL Preseason ticket prices have gotten out of hand. Isn't the point of preseason to see NHL-calibre talent on the cheap? [Our Hometown]
• Fighting should be out of Junior Hockey, say top concussion specialists. [Buzzing the Net]
  

Non-Hockey Link of the Day:

Ever wonder what famous images in history would look like with dinosaurs and aliens added in? Wonder no longer. (I particularly like the Boston Harbor Monster one.)  [Etsy]