(Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's choice of gastric banding has prompted questions about why he opted for a weight-loss procedure less favored by bariatric surgeons and patients.

Lap-Band stirred excitement a decade ago when the anti-obesity device was introduced in the United States. The adjustable silicone cuff filled with saline is placed around the upper part of the stomach. That creates a small pouch less than 1 inch across that limits how much food one can consume at a sitting. The patient also feels full sooner, and can thereby shed weight.

In early 2011 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration extended the approved use of Lap-Band to include use by some people who are barely obese. At the time, manufacturer Allergan Inc, better known for its Botox wrinkle treatment, said the new criterion would make 26 million Americans eligible for the product.

The company's high hopes were quickly dashed, however, when sales plunged from almost $300 million in 2008 to $160 million in 2012 because of concerns about Lap-Band's effectiveness. Most studies find that although some gastric-band patients lose 100 pounds or even more, in general gastric bypass produces more, and more enduring, weight loss. Allergan is now trying to find a buyer for the product line and earlier this year said it considered Lap-Band a "discontinued operation.

Another important reason for Lap-Band's decline is growing evidence that a form of bypass surgery called Roux-en-Y may be more effective in treating type 2 diabetes, which typically develops in adulthood and is linked to obesity.

Christie has not explained why he chose banding instead of a bypass, but experts who were not involved in his case pointed out several possibilities, including that he may not have needed to treat diabetes. In the past, Christie has described himself as healthy despite his weight.

"If he didn't have any other medical problems, that could have come into the decision-making," said Dr Jaime Ponce, president of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

Gastric banding is also a simpler procedure. Its rate of major complications is 0.9 percent, reports the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, compared to 3.6 percent for gastric bypass. That means less likelihood of post-operative infection, blood clots, blood loss or other serious problems.

About 200,000 people in the United States had weight-loss surgery in 2009, the last year for which data are available, according to the bariatric surgery society. Gastric bypass accounted for about half of the procedures and lap banding for about one-quarter.

REROUTING THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

The three main forms of bariatric surgery cost $11,500 to $26,000, according to the surgery society. Medicare, the federal government's health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, pays for them in patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater plus one additional obesity-related condition, such as diabetes or sleep apnea, and who meet certain other requirements. Many commercial insurers have similar policies.

In gastric bypass, a surgeon reroutes the digestive system so that the stomach empties directly into the middle of the small intestine, bypassing a section called the duodenum and jejunum. That has the effect of limiting the absorption of calories. And since the surgery also makes the stomach much smaller, it limits how much someone can eat at a time.

In sleeve gastrectomy, a surgeon staples the stomach vertically. That has the effect of decreasing its volume by more than 85 percent, creating a tube- or banana-shaped pouch that, like banding, reduces the amount of food that can be consumed and absorbed.

Complications from the banding cuff include the possibility that it will erode the stomach or slip out of place, requiring corrective surgery, said Ponce, who is also the co-medical director for bariatric surgery at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Banding can reduce the severity of type-2 diabetes only if it leads to significant weight loss. But Roux-en-Y targets the underlying metabolic causes of diabetes, and blood glucose levels improve even before there is significant weight loss, said Dr Francesco Rubino of Catholic University in Rome, a pioneer in Roux-en-Y.

The more modest procedure also often fails to produce the significant and enduring weight loss that patients hope for. "One of the unfortunate reactions the body has to (smaller intake) is to decrease its energy expenditure," said Rubino.

As the body adjusts its metabolism to near-starvation conditions, it burns fewer calories to maintain basic metabolism. That can cause weight to plateau before patients reach their ideal size.

Even more distressing to gastric-band patients, they can regain weight. That can happen if they force too much food into the stomach, stretching it and thereby loosening the band, or if they eat mostly calorie-dense foods.

By contrast, with gastric bypass "there are more mechanisms at work that counter the body's reaction to weight loss," said Rubino. In particular, a study released this year found, the re-plumbing of the gastrointestinal tract alters the microbes that live in the gut, increasing the population of bacteria associated with leanness and decreasing those that contribute to obesity.

Christie, seen as a possible 2016 contender for the White House, told the New York Post on Monday that his decision to undergo the procedure was motivated by his family's concern for his health, not political ambition.

Because the risks and benefits of weight-loss surgery need to be assessed individually for each patient, experts caution that people considering one of the procedures should not be swayed by Christie's decision.

When public figures undergo bariatric surgery it can affect perception of the procedures for good and for ill. "Some patients may understand that this is a medical necessity and not a shameful thing so these examples may help more patients get proper care," said Rubino. But "some patients may decide to seek the same operation as the VIP when it may or may not be the best surgical option for their own case."

(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson and Sharon Begley; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Prudence Crowther)

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert made the announcement Friday. WMAZ-TV reports (http://on.wmaz.com/YB9JwR) that the 80-year-old singer is receiving an honorary degree on Saturday from Mercer University.

Born Richard Wayne Penniman, Little Richard grew up in Macon's Pleasant Hill community. That's a neighborhood that was later divided by the construction of Interstate 75.

The "Tutti Frutti" singer's boyhood home faced possible demolition to make room for a planned expansion of the interchange where I-75 meets Interstate 16 to Savannah.

City officials said the home will be relocated to a lot near the Pleasant Hill community garden. At its new location, the house will be used as a neighborhood resource center.

Machado had a tiebreaking RBI single in a three-run 10th inning as the Orioles rallied for a 9-6 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

Machado who stayed in the game after fouling a ball hard off his ankle in the fifth rolled a single into right field that scored Chris Dickerson and broke a 6-all tie. Nick Markakis added a sacrifice fly and Adam Jones an RBI double to cap the scoring in the 10th.

"I told you many times, that's a mature group," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Even though it's the youngest team in our division, they stay within each other and do what they do."

Tommy Hunter (3-1) didn't allow a run in 2 1-3 innings. Jim Johnson pitched a scoreless bottom of the 10th for his 35th consecutive save dating back to last season to set an Orioles franchise record.

Johnson started getting questions about the save streak at the end of last season. He treated questions about finally setting the record with a shrug, the same way he answered when the streak began.

"I was just thinking about watching us chip away," Johnson said. "It's not really anything I'm real focused on. It's great, but our ultimate goal is the team record at the end of the year. Personal achievements are second."

Anthony Swarzak (1-1) allowed all three runs in the 10th.

Twins starter Mike Pelfrey had a 6-0 lead in the sixth inning and appeared to be cruising to his second straight win before Baltimore started smacking doubles all over the field.

"You've got to remember the offense over there, too," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's a heck of a baseball team over there, and they can run some hitters up there. They can ambush you. They got some big, clutch hits. That's kind of what they're known for."

The Orioles hit four doubles off Pelfrey in the sixth to make it 6-3 and added two more off reliever Josh Roenicke in the seventh to tie the score.

"They're good. There's a reason they're in first place in the AL East," Pelfrey said.

Chris Davis's two-bagger off the scoreboard wall in right-center field scored Nick Markakis and made it 6-6.

Roenicke started the seventh and allowed three runs and four hits and only recorded one out.

"It's almost like we prefer to play from behind," Baltimore outfielder Chris Dickerson said. "As soon as it got to 6-3, we knew it was a different ballgame."

Markakis started the barrage of doubles with a leadoff double in the sixth and finished with two hits and two RBIs.

Joe Mauer had three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota, which had won four of its previous five.

Adam Jones and Davis each had three hits for Baltimore.

Orioles starter Jason Hammel allowed six runs over four innings and failed to win on the road for the first time this season.

NOTES: SS Pedro Florimon, who left Thursday's game in the bottom of the seventh inning because of a tight right hamstring, was not in the starting lineup but told Gardenhire his leg was feeling better. ... Orioles LHP Tsuyoshi Wada, who had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his elbow last May 11 and spent his entire first season in the majors on the DL, struck out 10 batters in seven no-hit innings in an extended spring training game in Sarasota, Fla. Showalter said Wada would start a rehab assignment next week. ... RHP Steve Johnson will come off the DL to start Saturday in his season debut for the Orioles in place of RHP Miguel Gonzalez, who is out with a blister on his thumb. For the Twins, RH Vance Worley (0-4, 6.95 ERA) will take the mound looking for his first win in 13 starts since last Aug. 1 for the Phillies.

DEAR REALLY READY: Although you think you are ready to start dating, your parents will have to make the ultimate decision on when you enter the "dating game." Their decision will most likely be based on whether you have demonstrated the beginnings of emotional maturity.

Here's how: You need to have proven to them you can handle responsibility, carry out school assignments and chores, be honest with them and keep your word. It will also depend upon whether they know the boy in question, and whether he is responsible enough to be trusted with their most precious possession, which is you.

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 27 years to a man who is a church pastor. We have had to move every six to eight years, partly because he was repeatedly unfaithful. We have gone through his alcoholism, gambling and womanizing, and my two suicide attempts. We have been trying to work things out, but I suspect that he's back to his old ways.

I work part-time, but haven't been able to find a full-time job after our most recent move, so I am financially dependent on him. I have two adult children who don't live near me. Most of the people I know are through the church, and they are all great supporters of my husband.

I feel trapped, and I don't know how to fix my life at this point. Have you any suggestions? -- TRAPPED ON THE EAST COAST

DEAR TRAPPED: You will have to do it in stages. The first should be to talk with a licensed therapist who is not associated with the church. It will help you to clarify your thinking and become more emotionally stabilized.

Next, continue looking for full-time employment. If necessary, start by volunteering. It will help to widen your circle of acquaintances and perhaps lead to a job.

Then, once you are feeling better about yourself, you will be better able to decide what to do about your unhappy marriage.

DEAR ABBY: After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year, I moved 900 miles from home. Shortly after the move, my dog had to be put to sleep. Because of all the stress, my M.S. flared up and I was admitted to the hospital.

After my third day there I was lonely, so I went to the gift shop (the Pink Smock) and bought myself some pretty flowers and knick-knacks as a pick-me-up. While I was paying for them, the ladies behind the counter asked me if I needed a card for the flowers. I explained I was buying them for myself because I was alone.

After I returned to my room, about an hour later more flowers arrived. I thought my mom had sent them to me from afar. The card read: "Feel Better Soon! From the Ladies at the Pink Smock."

Abby, that has to be the most thoughtful thing a stranger has ever done for me, and I wanted to share it. I am so touched! -- RACHEL IN SANFORD, N.C.

DEAR RACHEL: Your letter is an example of what strong medicine an act of kindness can be. I don't know which hospital the Pink Smock is in, but whoever runs it should know what an asset those caring women in the gift shop are. Kudos to them, and I hope you are doing much better now.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in "What Every Teen Should Know." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

Obama made the remarks during an address to the National Academy of Sciences that marked the organization's 150th anniversary. In the speech, Obama expressed his support for the sciences as a fundamental part of American life in today's world.

"Today, all around the country, scientists like you are developing therapies to regenerate damaged organs, creating new devices to enable brain controlled prosthetic limbs, and sending sophisticated robots into space to search for ," Obama said during his address. "That sense of wonder and that sense of discovery, it has practical applications but it also nurtures what I believe is best in us."

, something that the sciences are somewhat short on according to Obama.

"What we produce here ends up having benefits worldwide," Obama said. "We should be reaching for a level of private and public research and development investment that we haven't seen since the height of the space race. That's my goal."

At the moment, however, the sequester sweeping budget cuts that are expected to hamper scientific research could make those goals harder to achieve, Obama said.

"It's hitting our scientific research," Obama said. "Instead of racing ahead our scientists are left wondering if they'll be able to start any new research projects at all, which means we could lose a year, two years, of scientific research."

Many planetary scientists have already come out against . The new document cuts funding from the space agency by $50 million but advocates say that the new budget, if approved by Congress, represents a $268 million cut from planetary sciences funding.

Hope for the sciences is not lost, Obama added. The next generation of potential scientists gives him hope for the future of the country.

"We don't want our kids to just be consumers of the amazing things that science generates," Obama said. "We want them to be producers as well."

Follow Miriam Kramer onand . Follow us on , and . Original article on .

TORONTO (Reuters) - Tuukka Rask is key to the Boston Bruins' Stanley Cup hopes and the Finnish netminder showed he is up for the challenge with a stellar performance that silenced what had been a raucous Air Canada Center.

Rask stole the show when he turned aside 45 of the 47 shots he faced during Monday's 5-2 win over a Toronto Maple Leafs team that was hosting its first National Hockey League (NHL) playoff game in nine years.

"He played huge for us," Bruins winger Milan Lucic, who had three assists in the victory that gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final, told reporters.

Rask has more than lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him as the team's top goalie this season when he was handed the starting reins after Tim Thomas, who led Boston to a Stanley Cup in 2011, decided to take a season off.

He will likely garner plenty of consideration for the Vezina Trophy, given to the NHL's top goalie, after ending the regular season ranked fourth in goals-against average, third in save percentage among starters and tied for first in shutouts.

Rask entered the postseason with 13 games of playoff experience but this year marked his first appearance as the team's starter since he and Boston blew a 3-0 series lead to Philadelphia in the 2010 Eastern Conference semi-finals.

But Rask, 26, was a picture of confidence while manning the Bruins crease during a pivotal Game Three where a sellout crowd of Maple Leafs fans tried to unsettle the visiting goalie by showering him with jeering chants of "Tuuu-kaaa."

"It was pretty tough to miss that," Rask said with a laugh. "I don't know if they were cheering me or trying to get me rattled. I'd say the second one."

TIMELY SAVE

After a quick start by the Maple Leafs, Boston eventually took control of the game. The visitors jumped in front late in the second period and then relied on Rask to carry the load the rest of the way.

The plan worked.

With Boston holding onto a 1-0 lead early in the second period, Rask foiled a brilliant Toronto scoring opportunity when he used his left pad to stop Joffrey Lupul's shot during a two-on-one rush.

The save proved crucial as Boston scored moments later to grab a 2-0 lead.

"It was a nice pass and it was just kind of one of those knuckleballs that just dropped and missed my glove and I just kicked my pad out and it hit my pad," Rask, who was voted the first star of the game, told reporters.

The busiest part of Rask's night came during a frantic final period when the pressing Leafs sent 18 shots at the Boston net.

Toronto cut the Boston lead to 4-2 when Phil Kessel beat Rask with a powerplay goal less than a minute into the third period to set up a wild finish.

But a poised Rask stood tall in the face of pressure, a sure sign that the Bruins could be set for another deep playoff run.

"You just try to stay calm, and well positioned all the time and I thought today I did pretty good job of that," said Rask.

"Sometimes when teams create a lot of traffic and cross-ice passes you kind of tend to get over aggressive and maybe that throws you off your game a bit. But I just tried to stay calm even though they had a lot of shots."

Game Four is set for Wednesday in Toronto.

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have worked out the way in which stress hormones reduce the number of new brain cells - a process linked to depression - and say their work should help researchers develop more effective antidepressants.

The scientists identified a protein largely responsible for the long-term detrimental effect of stress on cells.

They also successfully used an experimental drug compound to block this effect, pointing to a possible way of developing new antidepressants, the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said.

Major depression affects about 20 percent of people at some time in their lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020, depression will rival heart disease as the health disorder with the highest global disease burden.

Treatment for depression involves either medication or counseling - and often a combination of both.

But while there are many antidepressants on the market, including top sellers such as Prozac and Seroxat, it is widely accepted that many antidepressants work in only half of patients half of the time, and drugmakers are struggling to come up with a new generation of drugs.

Depression is linked to changes in a process called neurogenesis - the ability of the adult brain to continue producing new brain cells.

At a molecular level, stress is known to increase levels of a hormone called cortisol, which in turn acts on a receptor called the glucocorticoid receptor. But the exact mechanism behind this process has been unclear.

A team under Carmine Pariante of King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, who led the research, studied human hippocampal stem cells - source of new cells in the human brain.

They gave the cells cortisol to measure the effect on neurogenesis and found that a protein called SGK1 was important in mediating the effects.

By measuring the effect of cortisol over time, they found that increased levels of SGK1 prolong the damaging impact of stress hormones on neurogenesis.

Next, the researchers used an experimental drug compound known to inhibit SGK1 and found it blocked the negative effects of stress hormones, leading to an increase in new brain cells.

The team confirmed the results by studying levels of SGK1 in animals and then in blood samples from people with depression.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In the past twelve months, Zynga Inc has struggled with a contracting player base, a deflated stock price and waves of layoffs. Now it is coming to terms with downsized ambitions.

As Chief Executive Mark Pincus, 47, leads the online games developer he founded in 2007 through perhaps the most crucial year of his tenure, he is pushing to restore revenues by doubling down on "FarmVille," the franchise that took Facebook users by storm four years ago and launched Zynga to stardom.

Though some industry observers had declared farm simulation games a fad and predicted FarmVille 2's early demise, the sequel to Zynga's best-known title has defied expectations at its San Francisco headquarters, Pincus said in an interview. FarmVille 2 has clung to its perch near the top of Facebook charts and the number of people who play the game each day still hovers near all-time highs of 8 million, even six months after launch.

Given a glaring weakness in mobile games, however, one of Zynga's current priorities is porting FarmVille 2 to mobile devices so players can move from PCs to smartphones and back without losing their data. That presented technical challenges that the company is ironing out, Pincus said.

"The ideal is to make that one seamless experience between Web and mobile so you can take your farming experience from work to home," Pincus said. "We're having to retool and reinvent around our process and technology."

Pincus badly needs a reliable hit franchise. In the past nine months, Zynga has shuttered 20 titles and closed offices in Baltimore, Boston and Tokyo. It has trimmed 5 percent of its workforce, though its headcount of nearly 3,000 still dwarfs that of fierce rivals like Supercell, a Finnish company with 100 people that claims an equivalent amount of revenue, or the 600-strong Rovio, the publisher behind the "Angry Birds" games.

Gone is the swagger that defined the early years, when Zynga's army of developers flooded the market with dozens of new titles from cooking games to bingo variations, its dealmakers splashed money to snap up smaller rivals, and its managers opened studios in cities around the world.

Wall Street is viewing Pincus' shift with cautious approval, having been singed by Zynga's abysmal stock performance an 80 percent decline over the past year that began around the time it invested $180 million in then-promising game studio OMGPOP.

"Certainly their shareholder base wants to see more discipline," said Sean McGowan, an analyst at Needham and Co. "When you have limited resources, it makes sense to start with a proven winner, then expand that franchise. But it needs to be a blend of sticking with the proven brands and realizing when people might say: 'FarmVille 4? No, I'm done with that.'"

Investors place much stock on Zynga's future prospects in Internet gambling, because of its massive poker-playing community and existing game software. But with meaningful income from real-money casino efforts likely to be months, if not years, away, it may have to risk "sequelitis" for now.

TABLES TURNED

Almost 18 months after going public, Zynga is staving off fierce competition from newer or nimbler rivals that mimic its games.

Supercell, founded in 2010, has scored with "Hay Day," an iPad game that contains elements resembling FarmVille. With just one other game under its belt, Supercell says it is on track to make more than $800 million in revenue this year, roughly equal to the $860 million that Wall Street expects from Zynga in 2013.

Veteran video games publisher Electronic Arts Inc, one of Zynga's earliest rivals, in recent weeks said it would lay off an undisclosed number of employees and focus on core franchises like Battlefield and sports titles.

Activision Blizzard Inc, another publishing heavyweight, has fared better thanks to the strength of series like "Call of Duty," which has brought in more than $8 billion in cumulative sales since the first title launched in 2003. Yet even Activision is struggling to sustain revenue growth.

Zynga's bottom-line could be shored up through a more streamlined pipeline, Pincus argued. Since FarmVille first launched, it has gradually honed its development process to reduce the resources and development costs required for each significant update by more than 80 percent, he said.

"As long as our players are interested in farming, we'll offer a Farmville," Pincus said. "It could be the Seinfeld of our era in gaming, a multi-season show that has a quality and a consistency that you can rely on."

Zynga declined to address its game pipeline. Bing Gordon, an investor at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and a Zynga board member, said he has repeatedly nudged the company to develop FarmVille 3.

"Coca Cola has learned not to change their formula," said Gordon, a game industry veteran who formerly served as chief creative officer at Electronic Arts. "If you've got something people want, keep doing it."

BOLD BEATS

Even as Zynga seeks greater efficiency, it acknowledges it has been pressed to invest more to stay competitive.

At the heart of the company's strategy has been its "bold beat" schedule, a roadmap first laid out by Pincus in 2009 to release significant upgrades and new features to games every quarter to keep players hooked.

Once criticized in the industry for low-quality graphics and rudimentary gameplay, the company's latest launches and "bold beats" have placed a greater emphasis on elements like visuals that were once considered superfluous, game designers said.

"Player expectations are higher than they used to be," said Zynga Senior Vice President Todd Arnold, who oversees FarmVille and FarmVille 2. "You're not able to launch a minimalist product as we used to be able to."

For its leading franchises, the company is also investing more in quantitative and analytical tools. Every week, it shuttles players into a room deep inside its offices, where they are shown minute new design features. Their reactions are recorded by video cameras as well as a team of game designers sitting behind a two-way mirror in an adjacent room.

The company also holds periodic panel discussions with its most loyal fans to solicit suggestions for new features.

Linda Zoccoli, a retired daycare business owner in Moraga, California, suggested at a session in March that water was too scarce a commodity in FarmVille 2. Weeks later, she noticed the game began to feature periodic rainfall.

She has spent three hours almost daily for the past eight months tending her plot but hasn't found it repetitive.

"As long as they come out with new quests, new items, it keeps it interesting," she said.

(This story was fixed to correct spelling in paragraph 22 to oversees instead of overseas, corrects spelling in paragraph 25 to Zoccoli instead of Zoccolli)

(Reporting by Gerry Shih; Editing by Edwin Chan, Jonathan Weber and Chris Reese)

The Swedes took bronze at the Ivan Hlinka and it was Wallmark driving the bus offensively the whole tourney. The gifted pivot led the team in scoring with four goals and seven points in five games, including the game-tying goal in the final victory over the Czechs. No surprise then that vision is one of his strengths, not to mention special teams.Power play is my biggest strength, Wallmark said. I can play on the penalty kill too, but the power play is my best; Im a playmaker.Though Henrik Sedin is the youngsters offensive model, a couple of defensemen who played for Skelleftea before him have helped Wallmark along the way, particularly when it comes to a future in the NHL.I have talked with Adam Larsson and David Rundblad, he said. They say its so cool to be here and thats my goal, to play in the NHL one day.Like many Europeans, Wallmark noted how the smaller North American rinks will require an adjustment, but hell be playing for Skelleftea this year anyway, so thats a future conversation. In the meantime, hes gearing up for the Elite League after putting up a point-per-game at the under-20 level last season.Its bigger guys, faster tempo, Wallmark said. I talked to Adam a lot. He said that youre training all day. I must go up in weight.Luckily, pounds can be put on the vision and skill he possesses dont come around so often. Draft eligible in 2013.

A hat trick in the gold medal game? Yeah, I guess thats pretty clutch. MacKinnon led the way for Canada (and the tourney) with six goals and 11 points in five games, thus kicking off his campaign to be taken first overall in 2013 in style. The next question is whether Hockey Canada tabs him for the world juniors, as well. Draft eligible in 2013.

Team USA was a bit of a mish-mash at the Ivan Hlinka, but Erne proved once again that hes an elite talent to be reckoned with. The Remparts star rang up five goals and six points in four games for the Stars and Stripes and will bring his power forward game to Buffalo in September for the All-American Prospects Game. Draft eligible in 2013.

It was already established that Hagg is not a lot of fun to play against and his 35 PIM including a match penalty at the Ivan Hlinka back that up. But the big, 6-foot-2 defenseman also showed some offensive pop, tallying five points in four games. That ranked him tops on the Tre Kroners blueline. Draft eligible in 2013.

With four goals in five games, Westermarck was a big part of Finlands silver medal engine at the Ivan Hlinka. The right wingers not afraid to shoot the puck and can get it off quick. His converted steal in the semis against archrival Sweden sent the Finns into the final. Draft eligible in 2013.

Morrissey was an ace on the power play for Canada at the Ivan Hlinka, putting up five of his nine points on the man advantage. A high pick in the Western Leagues bantam draft, Morrissey has always dazzled with his offensive acumen and has even chatted with Washingtons Mike Green about that particular blueline role, so the kids doing his research. Draft eligible in 2013.

A Penn State commit who will also be in net at the first-ever All-American Prospects Game, McAdam got his summer off to a great start with a 27-save shutout against HC Energie of the Czech Republic at the Junior Club World Cup. The 6-foot-2 keeper won his last four starts in 2011-12 and will look to make an even bigger impression this time around. Draft eligible in 2013.

The Russians didnt have a great Ivan Hlinka, sinking to fifth after the Czechs knocked them out of medal contention, but Tolchinsky once again shined on the international stage with four points in four games. Small but dynamic, the right winger was selected by the Soo Greyhounds in the CHL Import Draft. Draft eligible in 2013.

Easily the most talked-about prospect ever from North Carolina, Pelnik will suit up for the USHLs Fargo Force this season after a great run with Shattucks. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound blueliner from the Jr. Hurricanes system is committed to the University of North Dakota, where hell bring a Pronger-esque nasty streak though Plymouth owns his OHL rights. Draft eligible in 2013.

A beast of a young man at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds already, Hill brings excellent athleticism along with his frame. Though both Ottawa (OHL) and Muskegon (USHL) wanted him this year, the bruising power forward will remain at Hotchkiss for 2012-13. Spurning the 67s naturally keeps his NCAA aspirations alive, too. Draft eligible in 2013.

,a roundup of minor league, junior, collegeandhighschool players were excited to onedaysee in the NHL,appears every Tuesdayonly on thehockeynews.com.A playeris eligible forThe HotList untilthey play theirfirst NHL game.For more great prospect profiles and news and views from the world ofhockey, to The Hockey News magazine.

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) -- The image was chilling: Snowmobile rider Caleb Moore, launched over his handlebars on a backflip gone wrong, rolled down the landing hill with his 450-pound machine somersaulting behind him.

Run over by his sled, Moore lay on the snow for several minutes before being helped off the course. As of Wednesday, he was hospitalized in critical condition because of bleeding around his heart and a complication involving his brain.

Moore's was the worst accident at the Winter X Games, which wrapped up Sunday night after four days of competition, but it wasn't the only harrowing moment. The wipeouts included a runaway snowmobile that sent spectators scrambling.

Even the highlights were hardly tame. Snowboarding star Shaun White soared a competition record 24 feet into the air during the superpipe competition, and fellow boarder Elena Hight showed off a difficult trick called a"double alley-oop backside rodeo" that involved a couple of backflips and a 180-degree rotation. It had never been seen in a competition.

All that, plus Moore's crash, has some wondering whether dialing up the difficulty each year improves action sports or has simply made them too dangerous.

"Should we be asking these questions? We absolutely should be," said Dan Lebowitz, the executive director of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, which examines the role of sports to promote healthy development and social responsibility.

The people performing these superhuman feats "really are just human," he said. "How do we maintain safety in that progression when that progression sometimes pushes every envelope to some amazingly extreme point?"

Moore's injuries underscore the dangers at Winter X, which was filled with numerous cover-your-eyes crashes.

Halldor Helgason of Iceland over-rotated on a flip in the snowboard big air competition and had to be taken off on a sled with a concussion. Rose Battersby of New Zealand sustained a lumbar spine fracture in a wipeout during practice before the skiing slopestyle competition, which will be an Olympic sport next winter at the Sochi Games.

Then there was this: Summer X Games motocross champion turned snowmobile newcomer Jackson Strong tumbled off his machine during the best trick competition, the throttle sticking and the sled swerving toward fans as they scurried away. The machine came to a rest when it got tangled in some netting and no one was seriously hurt.

Such a scenario had already crossed the mind of Levi LaVallee, a snowmobiler who captured two gold medals only to be sidelined for the final two competitions after tearing a muscle in his back.

"I've always thought about, 'What happens if the thing tips over and the throttle sticks?'" LaVallee said. "It was good, though, because it showed that X Games has a good setup with the fencing."

Whether action sports are too dangerous is an issue that's been raised before.

When freestyle skier Sarah Burke died in a training accident a little more than a year ago in Park City, Utah, there were questions about the halfpipe. Before that, the sport was examined when snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered a severe brain injury in a fall in the same pipe as Burke two years earlier. Pearce has recovered and served as an analyst at Winter X.

But in general, the athletes accept the risks and defend their disciplines.

"To lose Sarah was such a blow to this entire industry," said snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, who didn't compete this year as she recovers from a serious eye injury she suffered in training. "This sport brings so much joy, happiness and balance to my life and that far outweighs what could happen. You can't ever live your life with what could happen."

In a statement, X Games officials said they've paid close attention to safety issues over the event's 18-year history: "We've worked closely with athletes, risk management specialists, sport organizers and event managers to present the best possible experience for athletes and spectators. Further measures are constantly being evaluated."

Athletes say they prepare as best they can by trying out new tricks into foam pits and air bags set up at the bottom of courses. But even all the caution in the world can't prevent the fact that sometimes well-practiced maneuvers can go wrong in the air.

"You don't want to live your life in fear because of a situation," LaVallee said. "Look, I'm driving down the road right now and the worst-case scenario is a car could swerve over into my lane and run over me there it is, end of the road.

"That's kind of the same thing we think when we're competing. Hopefully, the preparation and countless hours of training and practicing will prevent the worst-case scenario from happening."

Tucker Hibbert the Shaun White of snowmobiling after winning his sixth straight SnoCross title just hopes casual fans understand that what they see on television is not true snowmobiling.

"You're seeing the most extreme side of what we do," Hibbert said. "That's a lot different than what the average person does on a snowmobile."

Hibbert doesn't participate in events such as best trick because, "I just wasn't born with those skills. I sit back and watch those guys, enjoy what they do."

He paused.

"You just hate to see anyone crash, anyone get hurt," Hibbert said.

Moore was in the middle of an impressive run in the freestyle event when he caught the top of the hill that was serving as a landing area. He initially walked away with help and went to a hospital with a concussion.

Moore later developed bleeding around his heart and had surgery. His family said that Moore, of Krum, Texas, also had a complication involving his brain.

Colten Moore, Caleb's younger brother and defending champion in the event, separated his pelvis in a crash later that same night.

LaVallee is no stranger to horrific wipeouts.

While training for the "Red Bull: New Year. No Limits" daredevil series two years ago in Southern California, LaVallee lost control of his snowmobile high in the air and landed violently on his side, bouncing down the landing ramp. He broke ribs, cracked his pelvis, collapsed one lung and punctured the other.

But he returned the next year and jumped a record 412 feet, 6 inches.

"We're passionate about the sport that we're in," LaVallee said.

"Anyone who competes has that drive to succeed, to go bigger than the next person or be the first one to do it."

The mentality is similar throughout action sports, even if the bar keeps getting raised.

"There are going to be benchmarks set and people trying to exceed that benchmark," Lebowitz said. "That's just the essence of our society and our social culture."