The NHL in conjunction with the Bruins organization made the decision to postpone the game last night following the two blasts at the marathon that have rocked the United States.

The rescheduled game means that the NHL regular season will be extended by one more day. Originally the abbreviated 48-game regular season schedule was to wrap up on April 27th with the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs set to begin on April 30th.  For the Bruins and Senators, one more day will have to be included before they can begin their quest for the cup.

Given yesterday’s tragic events, I don’t think many people involved with this game have a problem extending the regular season by one extra day.  Afterall, sports will always come second when tragic events like this happen.

The NHL did issue the following statement courtesy of TSN.ca surrounding the marathon bombings.

“The NHL wishes to express its sympathy to all affected by the tragic events.”

Andrew Ference RT @ferknuckle Game is off. Our best to everyone affected, please be safe.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 15, 2013

The decision comes mere hours after two explosions rocked the Boston marathon that had concluded on their annual Patriots Day celebration.  Reports from the main stream media have confirmed that two people have died as a result of the explosions and that close to two dozen are injured.  Unconfirmed reports have cited that numerous bombs have been located around the city that have not detonated.

There is some debate as to whether or not the game should be played tonight in lieu of the explosions.  Twitter has lit up with both sides having their say.

Most feel that the game should be cancelled, that the pain the city residents and fellow Americans are feeling is just to palpable.  The minority feels that the game should be played so that those that are behind the explosions don’t over rule the good we have in our lives.

There has been no announcement about when the two teams will play the rescheduled game according to Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun.

More on this as it becomes available and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this unspeakable tragedy.

Mar 28, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall (55) controls the puck against the San Jose Sharks during the third period at HP Pavilion. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Red Wings have signed college star Dan Dekeyser to a two year contract. The amount of the contract is unknown, but he was talked to by nearly all 30 NHL teams. A great two-way defenseman, he chose to pick a team close to home. The Michigan native, who plays for Western Michigan University, decided to sign with the Red Wings.

Chris Peters of Eye on Hockey said this in his scouting report:

“The 6-foot-3, 198-pound blueliner is a gifted two-way defender who excels in his own zone. He plays a simple, mature game, can play the body and makes a good first pass out of the zone. DeKeyser had two goals and 13 assists after two previous seasons of 17 points at the college level. He might have a little more offensive upside than his numbers suggest, but his defensive game is high end already.

Having spent the last two years under the tutelage of former NHL head coach Andy Murray and a year before that under Jeff Blashill, who left Western Michigan for a job with the Detroit Red Wings, DeKeyser is well schooled in what it takes to play at the next level. He clearly made the most of his extra year of development and all of the offers from last year are still there.

DeKeyser wouldn’t be any team’s savior. After all, he has no NHL experience and there would be some amount of adjustment. He’s a good player who has an NHL skill set and he would almost certainly help a team right now though. What makes him so intriguing is that every single team in the league has a chance to make a valuable acquisition without sparing any more than a maximum entry-level contract.”

The Red Wings have been a bit down on the defensive side of their play since captain Nicklas Lidstrom retired last season. Maybe Dekeyser is exactly what they need to step up their play.