Hockey Rantings

"I Had the Last Waltz With You"

2008-09-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

by Jes

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those ... moments will be lost in time, like tears...in rain.

Time to die" - Roy Batty, Bladerunner.

Back in May of 2004, I got the notion to start this blog, and called it Hockey Rants because I love hockey and ranting. Simple concept, really.

I had often visited many baseball blogs (which there were/are plenty), and was tired of all the childishness of places like HFboards. I wanted a place where I could rant how I wanted, when I wanted, and on topics I wanted, without my voice being lost in the wilderness.

I didn't come into blogging with many expectations, other than having a home for some friends and family reading my blathering, and maybe getting a decent audience who appreciated thoughtful blog posts over playground arguments. I also found the whole process to be a lot of fun, and got to experience a little bit of the hockey writer's life.

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4 years later, I feel the fun has disappeared for me. Perhaps the combination of writing for AOL and my own site just overloaded my positronic circuits, but blog posting now feels more of a chore and an obligation than anything else. I haven't truly enjoyed blogging very much for the past few months, and I don't see that changing in the near future.

You may have noticed I've hinted at burnout the past 1-2 months, and, like an old scented candle, I'm mostly now a mush of wax.

I look back at some of my older posts, and I realize that my content is not nearly as good as it used to be. The posts on this site used to be either funnier, contain more detailed analysis, and/or a lot of Czech/Slovak content, the latter of which I'm the most proud to have brought to the blogosphere.

Like Trevor Linden, I just don't have "it" any longer. I'm tired, worn down, and my abilities have been eroded over time. I know I'm capable of writing some good material, but it would take a lot of time and effort that I'm just not able to handle. When I think about the memorable posts I've written, most of it has not been writing over the past 6-8 months.

That is why I've decided to retire from regular hockey blogging and close the Hockey Rants chapter of my life, as well as stop writing for AOL FanHouse.

What does the future hold? Well, I like to rant and I like to write. I might change this site into an all-around Rants site (a mix of hockey, politics, pop culture, etc), or I might hook up with another blog and do some guest entries. Anyone who has any ideas is welcome to contact me. For the next while, though, I'm just taking an online vacation.

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Hockey blogs have come a long way since I started. Back when I first posted here, there were maybe 10-12 hockey blogs TOTAL. There were many baseball blogs, but almost nothing revolving around our great sport. There was Hockey Pundits, Off Wing Opinion, Sharkspage, Hockey Update, and Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic. The blogroll was smaller than Steve Kariya.

Right after a lockout, there was a sudden explosion on the number of hockey blogs out there. People flocked back to the game, and also to the new type of technology and reach that blogging offered. No longer was I able to visit every hockey blog within my lunch hour.

Not only has the quantity increase substantially, but the quality as well. I used to pride myself on being near the top of the heap, but there are many other sites that just offer much more on the way of quality content than my little old site. Yes, I do feel like I've been left behind like John McCain's ex-wife.

I'm not jealous or spiteful, but rather thankful of how much great stuff is out there. No longer are we subjected to purely reading what bones the MSM throws at us, or are we limited to a few publications and websites. There is just so much out there for everyone, and, in the end, its all of us hockey fans that win.

Do I consider myself a pioneer? Yes, but just a small one. I have helped a few people start their sites out (those who asked), and I know a few people were like "I saw your site and felt I could do that, too!" I know I'm one of the true veterans out there, and am rather proud of some of the baby bloglings that grown up to be strong young sites.

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As I mentioned, I didn't have a lot of expectations from starting this site. Fortunately, and most surprisingly, this site brought me a lot of opportunities and allowed me to meet many people: bloggers, fans, writers, and even an ex-girlfriend. :/

In Academy Awards fashion, minus the crappy, overrated movies *cough*No Country for Old Men*cough*, I’d like to thank and give a shout out to various people who I've met over the past 4+ years. I still intend to maintain contact with many of you, as I certainly won't stop being a hockey fan any week soon. Don't be offended if I forgot you, it just means you aren't important :) (kidding...)

In no particular order ...

Eric "Mac Daddy" McErlain, who scored me the gig with FanHouse and provided a lot of advice when I started out.

Michael "The Hockey Fanatic" Fedor, my fellow Team Slovakia member and one of the longest-serving hockey bloggers.

My Czech loving co-bloggers Dan (Czechmate) and Greg, who helped add another point-of-view and some extra content to Hockey Rants.

My girlfriend, Aurian, for obvious reasons ;)

Snoopyjode, who took over The Sidney Crosby Show, which I started as a social experiment, and made it into a real success.

Pavol Demitra, Jiri Slegr, Trevor Linden, Jan Bulis v2.1, and Tomas Plekanec for their continued awesomeness.

My FanHouse comrades: Wyshynski, Luongo, Lady Killer Mirtle, Ciskie, Schultzy, JD Press, Saler, Earl Sleek, Lackey, Starkey.

Stormbringer10, whom I haven't seen in years, for designing my site's banner.

The Acid Queen, who has helped me with female POV stuff and made me laugh with stories about her evil cats.

Alanah from Canucks and Beyond, who once took me out for dinner and helped me with some personal stuff ;), but hasn't spoken to me for ages :(

My sources from Czechia, Slovakia, and other parts of Europe, who wish to remain anonymous.

My part-time contributors ... guys who sent me in links to articles, news items, and other gossip: Southern Correspondent Wayne, Faux, 2 Man Advantage, the d00ds from Edinburgh, Big Dan, and so forth.

The fellows from esports.cz, Misha/Schlegel, who gave me lots of good stuff before and during the lockout.

BBC Radio Five, for granting me my first ever radio interview. Man, was I ever nervous :/

Of course, those who read and comment on my side on a (semi)regular basis. A blog is nothing without eyeballs. Bloggers love comments more than anything else.

The MSM (Mainstream Mediots) for providing lots of fodder.

Tom Benjamin, another grumpy old-school blogger and the guy who actually made me look like a nice guy by sheer comparison.

Anyone else I've forgotten. I've met so many people and fell out of touch with so many people over the years.

So, good-bye (for now) to all of you. I shall not disappear totally into the night, but I will step back and just allow myself to be a fan and observer, and probably comment on a few blogs which I've been neglecting to read lately due to my busy schedule.

It's been an Al MacInnis blast!

Regards, Jes Gőlbez

The NHL in Europe? Oh, noes

2008-09-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Once upon a time, I wrote a pretty length post on why I believe the NHL would never work, on a full-time basis, in Europe. Playing an exhibition game or two is one thing, but a full season? It ain't gonna work.

This post is a response to news that the NHL is looking at expanding into Europe ... again ...

Since I can't find my original post, I'll just have to rehash some of my old arguments. Most of my European hockey knowledge comes from the leagues I follow (Czech and Slovak), so I may not be totally right when it comes to places like Finland and Sweden.

1. Ticket Prices
The average ticket price for a European club hockey game translates to about 10-25$ US. Most teams charge very little for their tickets, knowing full well that a. the people simply don't have that much money to spend and b. knowing fans won't spend that much for a hockey game.

European clubs make their money almost primarily through sponsorship. You see it on their uniforms, their arenas, and even their team names, which are often sponsored. The NHL's model of ticket-heavy revenue is the complete opposite of what happens in Europe.

Let's face it, most hockey fans in Russia, Czechia, and Slovakia do not have that much disposable income. I know people in Germany and Sweden could afford $60 tickets, but would they really fork out that much for 30-40 games a season? I doubt it. Once the novelty wears off, you'd likely see a lot of empty seats. I can't see 15,000 people in either city wanting to invest that much on the NHL.

Yes, I realize some European teams get over 10,000 per game, but the ticket prices, like I said, are quite low compared to the NHL.

The fact is that many of the rich KHL owners we hear about are oil robber barons or diamond mine owners, and spend money on their hockey teams as an expensive hobby. There aren't an endless supply of these oil barons, nor are many of them likely to want to spend NHL-level prices for their own pleasure. Yes, there are oil barons owning soccer clubs, but you know they make a lot of money from tickets and merchandise.

2. Travel
In the future, I see travel becoming even more of an issue than it is now. Fuel prices will not go down any day soon, and environmental concerns will only cause sports leagues to look into curtailing travel somewhat.

In my view, fuel prices will cause the NHL to start playing even more intra-conference games, and try to eliminate some of the cross-country road trips that suck up so much gas.

Traveling to Europe? Yeah, that would count as a long road trip, and it's certainly quite pricey if you do it constantly.

3. Rivalries
Having an NHL team negates one of the reasons Europeans go to hockey games: The rivalries. Slavia and Sparta's "derbies" just could not be replicated by a bunch of foreigners playing some team from Toronto or Helsinki. Inter-city and regional rivalries would just not exist in the European NHL.

4. Gary Bettman
D00d screws up everything he touches.

Yes, I am a pessimist. Given how the NHL's short-term thinking has caused them so many problems, and given how many American franchises are far from strong, I think expanding into Europe is something the league just will not succeed at. Let the Europeans have their league and focus on making the NHL stronger, rather than even more watered-down than it is.

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More stuff to mention

NHL owners have to realize that the current American economic crises is not good for the league. Obviously, people are going to have less disposable income to spend on hockey games, and/or will be afraid to spend big for fears of even more crap happening

If you are an UFA-to-be, you might want to think about re-signing rather than try the open market. Just a thought.

On a side rant, this whole "crisis" is thanks to your lovely US government. For far too long, the US Government has let corporations run the country, including a highly-unregulated bank and finance industry. This, together with people's horrible spending habits, means that there is a lot of "artificial" money in the market that can never be repaid, and you have China owning a monster chunk of US Currency.

Not to sound too much like a smart ass, but I always figured the US was set for a major collapse. No country can take on that much government and personal debt without the whole thing busting up eventually. Until people stop spending money they don't have, and until banks stop lending money they don't really have, the economy is not going to get better. I'm thankful that Canada had a bit more restraint, and isn't spending billions on a bogus war to inflate the pockets of a well-off minority (Do you really think Bush wants to drive down the price of oil? Ha!). That said, when the US economy tanks, it'll hit our country hard.

(If you know basic economics and finance, than you know that a bank can take $1 of deposits and turn that into $7-10 of loans, hence creating a level of "artificial" money)

Over at his Legends of Hockey Blog, author Joe Pelletier goes into Boogie Nights mode and gives us his Top 10 Hockey Moustaches of all time.

Personally, I would have put Harold Snepsts much higher, and would have had Dave Babych on my list. Lanny as #1 is hard to dispute, though.

Monday Musings: Hockey Burnout

2008-09-15T07:54:00.001-07:00

by Jes

As you might have noticed, the volume of posts on this site has slowed in the past month. Besides the lack of good hockey news, I'm still feeling under the cloud of Blogger Burnout. Even if there is a good story to be had, I just don't have the spark.

Remember the story of young Steven Legein? He's the Columbus Dinner Jackets prospect that quit the game simply because he grew tired of it. All of the practices, training camps, video sessions ... it just wasn't worth it for the young prospect.

This type of burnout seems to be happening more these days among our nation's youth, and most of it can be traced to those parents that push their children so hard in a usually-futile attempt to land a lucrative spot in the NHL.

From The Province:

But the seeds of hockey burnout are now being planted long before a player reaches the junior level, and [Canadian Hockey Head Bob] Nicholson agrees it is becoming a problem.

"It's a big concern of ours that players aren't playing soccer, baseball, lacrosse like they used to (in the summer)," he said. "We're in board meetings now looking at ways to try to make sure that they're not playing competitive hockey 12 months of the year."

Part of the problem is overzealous hockey parents with dreams of their son becoming the next Sidney Crosby. They're the ones forking out the cash for the summer hockey programs, which aren't cheap.

"I think a lot of it comes right from the parents," Nicholson agreed. "It almost seems like it's worse now with the 9-, 10- and 11-year-olds. The message doesn't seem to be getting down to the parents right now."

It's not that the kids don't like playing hockey, it's that they don't like playing it ALL THE TIME, and they don't like the constant work involved. Most kids don't like practices, and most kids certainly don't want to feel pushed into training year round. It just saps the fun out of the game entirely, doesn't it?

Think of how many kids play at the highest level of junior hockey in Canada. It's a very small percentage of the total population of hockey players in that age group. Now, think of how many of those kids will ever make the NHL. It's a very small percentage.

The fact is that if your kid can't possibly be one of the elite players during the course of a regular season, those few extra months are not going to make him the next superstar. That extra training might help the very best young players, but it's not going to help the mass majority become THAT much better.

Again, we must look over to Europe to see how they do things right.

In the summer, even the pro teams never set a foot out on to the ice. In Europe, the players play soccer and tennis ... they go mountain biking, they go jogging, they have fun doing other stuff that isn't even related to hockey.

The result? The players are happier because they get a break from the game, and the players are better trained.

Better trained?

Yes. Soccer and tennis, especially, develop athletic traits that aren't always worked on so well in hockey. Both sports are great for developing agility and stamina, allowing players to develop quickness on a different surface. Biking is obviously great for developing stamina and vitality, something short-burst hockey training doesn't always do.

Having a kid play hockey 12 months a year will leave them rather 1-dimensional in terms of their athletic training, not to mention bored to tears. It's hard for any mind to develop creativity and creatively when it is constantly focusing on one type of task.

Don Cherry is right on the money about these parents who push their kids

Last March, on the Grapeline radio show, host Brian Williams asked Don Cherry what he thought about hockey parents whose kids missed games during spring break to go on a family vacation.

"What do I think of them?" Cherry roared. "You want to know what I think of them? I think they're selfish rats that can't be counted on. The parents that take the kids out of the team and go on vacation are rats that can't be counted on. Can I say it any clearer?

"That's not only my opinion," Cherry added, "but real hockey people think they're selfish rats who can't be counted on."

Revisiting Rod Brind'Amour's Physical Edge

2008-09-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Any hockey fan knows that Rod "The Bod" Brind'Amour is a fitness fanatic. While he's a smart 2-way centerman with good on-ice vision, his strength has always been that he's stronger and possess more stamina than just about any NHLer to ever lace on a pair of skates.

While we know most NHLers are quite fit, Brind'Amour's elite level of fitness does contribute to the other more "mental" aspects of the game. Most players make mistakes when they are tired, and can't chase down errant pucks when they are sucking wind. Brind'Amour and others of his type make fewer mistakes and can make more plays simply because they have more gas in the tank.

If you already didn't feel enough like a coach potato, the Globe and Mail has another article showing you how Brind'Amour works about 1,000 times harder than you, and how other players adopted similar trends to keep up with ... well, each other.

The captain of the Carolina Hurricanes is one of the fittest players in the NHL because he refuses to stop exercising. He turned 38 over the summer and still has three years left on a contract he fully intends to play out.

Brind'Amour typifies the character needed to be a veteran in today's NHL. In the past, some believed that longevity was best achieved by taking extensive time off over the summer to let the body heal before essentially starting anew during training camp.

That strategy simply wouldn't work now.

“It's definitely a year-round job,” Brind'Amour said during a recent interview. “I think the guys that approach it that way are the ones that last the longest.

“Especially with the amount of money guys make now, if you don't treat it year-round you're foolish.”

Chris Chelios is nearing 50, and he's still known for his insane workout schedule. There is obviously some benefit in keeping the engines running year-round.

What is amazing is that these guys can work insanely hard year-round and their bodies just don't break down. You'd think Brind'Amour's body would just say 'ENOUGH!' and shut down from the physical onslaught.

I think one attribute that isn't talked about enough is that some human bodies are just blessed with superior physical construction to others, like Lance Armstrong and his huge heart, or Michael Phelps and his myriad of physical features that help him swim faster (Double-jointed chest, for one).

I know that my body produces a high amount of urea (blood/muscle waste, in simple terms) that makes it hard for my body to recover from physical activity. When I used to work 4-6 times a week, my body simply refused to put on muscle, and I would sometimes ache for days after a workout. Simply put, I could never keep up this type of schedule and expect to be in top physical condition in the long run.

So, compare and contrast that to a guy like Rod Brind'Amour. Obviously, his body has a well-above average ability to recover from workouts and to keep up a high level of physical activity without feeling fatigued, run down, and susceptible to injuries. Compare and contrast that to NHLers who you might consider brittle?

Brind'Amour (and Chelios) should get full credit for his work ethic, but nature obviously gave him a boost that some other humans just can't match, even if they wanted to. Perhaps there is something in their blood that can be measured, and teams looking at potential draftees might want to be on the lookout for in blood measuring or gene testing becomes the norm.

Bulgarian Women Are an Easy Score!

2008-09-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Bulgaria is not known for being a hockey power, so the fact that their women's team got blown away by Slovakia is no surprise.

What is a surprise is just how badly they’ve been thrashed at an 2010 Olympic qualifying tournament over in Latvija.

When my Slovakian friend sent this to my email, I thought it was a joke. Apparently not.

Výsledky - sobota:
Slovensko - Bulharsko 82:0 (31:0, 24:0, 27:0)
Góly:
6., 10., 12., 17., 21., 27., 30., 38., 39. a 52. Čulíková,
5., 5., 14., 22., 31., 34., 39., 42. a 42. Veličková,
6., 10., 21., 30., 34., 42., 57. a 58. Vargová,
7., 7., 14., 14., 35., 45., 48. a 52. Celarová,
16., 20., 26., 32., 51., 57., 59. a 60. Herichová,
2., 5., 36., 37., 40., 45., 53. a 56. Gapová,
6., 6., 24., 33. 54. a 54. Moravčíková,
1., 4., 25., 29., 45. a 48. Karafiátová,
9., 19., 43., 56. a 60. Kapustová,
8., 10., 39., 53. a 59. Sroková,
3., 17., 44. a 51. Danková,
6., 13. a 25. Džurňáková,
11. Konečná,
8. Brémová

That's right, Slovakia won 82-0. All but 2 of the Slovak women dressed for the game had at least a goal.

The Bulgarians also lost 30-1 to Croatia and 41-0 to Italy, hardly hockey powerhouses in their own right.

Every country has the right to try to qualify for the Olympics, but why did the Bulgarian federation even bother? Not only did they not have a chance in hell, but their women get completely humiliated.

I wonder why the Bulgarians even bothered coming out for the final two periods. I mean, do they really expect a comeback after being down 31-0 after the first period? I guess these women have balls, or absolutely don't give a rat's ass how bad they do.

Note to IIHF: Have some entry standards. IT makes the sport look like a joke when you have games like this. Just imagine if it was the USA or Canada instead of Slovakia? Triple digits, easily.

Weekend Wonderings: Teddy's Angry

2008-09-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Caps owner Ted Leonsis has never been one owner who is afraid to speak his mind, and he's one of the rare sports owners who talks publicly at all. Most owners are content to sit in their country clubs sipping expensive wine and laughing at how many people they laid off this week.

Ted? He's ANGRY!!! and he takes a nice shot as some idiot in the MSM.

From time to time, you have heard me rail against media pundits for their lack of criticality; original thinking; creativity; and basic non-understanding of what they are writing about.

Well here is another rant. This time against Ross McKeon and his blog post mentioning contraction of six NHL teams including the Washington Capitals.

First, the throw away notion of shuttering six major league teams is just mean-spirited. Those six teams employ thousands and thousands of people and support tens of thousands of families. I guess Ross wants us to lay off all those people in the toughest economy ever. And those teams generate dollars for their cities in taxes and they generate dollars to hundreds and hundreds of small businesses as vendor/ suppliers. All of that would go away and the benefit and glow of a major sports team franchise would leave those cities marked as second rate for a long, long time.

For the most part, I agree with him. However, invoking the lost jobs argument, especially from a rich multi-millionare, comes across as disgenuine. People lose jobs all the time, and they can gain jobs just the same. It's not like jobs disappear into a black hole. Besides, most people who work at sporting events are part-timers: the concession peeps, the ushers/hosts, ticket takers, etc...

Southern Correspondant Wayne chips in: While I doubt Leonsis' claim about "thousands and thousands" losing jobs, I do see his point: a few of the new arenas are hockey only (Phoenix, Miami, Nashville, Tampa), and don't have an NBA team to fall back on (I would make the joke that Atlanta doesn't have an NBA team, either, but I'm keeping my mouth shut for now, as they were the ONLY Atlanta team to make the playoffs in a year), with millions of $ to pay in municipal bonds...

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Over at ESPN, the Worldwide Leader of Slam-Dunk clips, columnist Terry Frei opines that attendance will decrease greatly if NHL teams continue to charge higher ticket prices.

Will they? Perhaps in some American markets. The Canadian economy is still in fairly good shape and the dollar is fine.

The NHL has always had a risky model based on low TV ratings and high ticket prices. The NHL knows it can get away with charging its hard core of fans high ticket prices because they are willing to pay. The NHL also gets a lion's share of its revenues from ticket prices, and not ancillary sources like TV and merchandise.

One could say the NHL has always been teetering on the ledge when it comes to its revenue strategy, and eventually the league will come to a point where the teams will be charging too much for fans to justify the expense.

Still, it's up to each individual team to set their ticket prices, and some of the Atlanta's of the league may very well have a much lower ticket range than the Minnesota's. It may be that the Minnesota's and such subsidize the Atlanta's even more than they do now. That's the price of revenue sharing.

Canucks to Retire Linden's #16

2008-09-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Trevor Linden, the quintessential Vancouver Canuck, will have his #16 retired into the rafters of GM Place.

No surprise there.

The Vancouver Canucks made official Thursday what many have suspected since the final moments of last season: they're going to retire Trevor Linden's No. 16 jersey.

The big event will take place Dec. 17 at GM Place.

"It's going to be exciting," Linden said Thursday at a press conference to formally announce Trevor Linden Night. "I'm going to be a bit nervous but sharing that with our fans, my friends, my family and my teammates, or ex-teammates, will be very special."

I just hope this game goes better for the Canucks than Linden's final game in the NHL, when the Flames trounced the Canucks 23-1 and the Canucks simply rolled over and played dead.

In terms of # retirements, the Canucks are rather stingy on sweaters hanging from the rafters. After 38 years, Stan Smyl is currently the only retired number on the Canucks (#12), and there don't seem to be any great candidates in the near future. Compare that to the Buffalo Sabres, the Canucks' expansion brothers, who have SIX numbers retired.

The only other possible candidate in the near future, given that past Canucks such as Tomas Gradin or Pavel Bure aren't even considered, would be Markus Naslund. Nazzy is the all-time leading Canucks goal and point scorer, and played almost as many games in a Canucks uniform than Smyl.

The problem? Naslund's acrimonious departure. Naslund clearly sulked during his last two seasons with the club, and never really touched Canucks fans the same as Trev or Stanley Steamer.

I would think that Mattias Ohlund will be a candidate some day, given his longevity and service to the club. Other than him, the clothesline is pretty bare.

Thursday's Thoughts: TSN, Mats Sundin

2008-09-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Americans have every right to be envious of our televised hockey coverage, especially that provided by The Sports Network (TSN), which has supplanted CBC as THE station to watch hockey on a regular basis, especially since they stole the frickin' theme song.

Unfortunately, the producers at TSN don't seem to have heard of the credo "too many cooks spoil the broth". While the network has always prided itself on getting well-known experts to be analysts on their hockey shows, it has long gotten past the point where there are just too many talking heads.

Look at the TSN roster of talking heads ...
James Duthie (studio host who tries too hard to be funny)
Bob McKenzie (The Insider and draft expert)
Darren Dreger (a former host who is suddenly an insider. Too stuck in MSM clichéd way of looking at the game)
Dave Hodge (Old man still kickin around. Likes to rant)
Keith Jones
Matthew Barnaby (surprisingly OK)
Darren Pang
Glenn Healy (utter crap and Leaf apologist)
Pierre McGuire (MONSTER!!!)
Mike Milbury (as bad as he ever was)
Scruffy, the janitor (more insightful than Healy)
Maggie the Monkey (psychic mammal)
Plus other special guests they get during the playoffs and D-day. In the past, they had Neil Smith, Jeremy Roenick, and Mike Keenan.

All too often, these "experts" (Mike Milbury is an expert, but on sucking) get very little screen time, and TSN is constantly switching from one face to another to get in a sound bite. It feels hurried and sporadic, and you can tell that they are trying their damndest just to fit people in, rather than provide in-depth analysis and insight the consumers demand.

So, the TSN solution appears to be to bring in MORE talking heads ... John Tortorella and Ray Ferraro.

On the positive side, I think both of these guys will be a huge benefit to TSN's roster. Tortorella is always a great quote, and unlike Milbury, actually knows what he is talking about and has actually had some actual success. Ferraro has proven himself to be well-spoken and a cool customer. He's worked hard to become an off-ice analyst and provides a lot more insight than the likes of Glen Healy and Greg Millen.

If TSN really wanted to improve their product, they'd get rid of some of the fat and trim off Milbury, Healy, Pang (he can go back to ESPN or Versus), and keep McGuire to the play-by-play booth.

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Want to know where Mats Sundin head is these days? It's certainly not on hockey, since he's not even doing on-ice training.

Nope, the big lug is going to be playing Poker for the near future, leaving you wonder if any team ought to bother chasing the guy for much longer. His head obviously isn't in the game, and he certainly doesn't seem to have the FIRE that you'd want out of him.

Looking at what is left on the UFA market, however, can give you an idea why Gillis and his peers are still offering their first-born daughters to Sundin for his sacrificial fodder supply.

Other than Shanahan, no other uncommitted UFA is really worth the Canucks bothering with. Matvichuk and Murray might be able to play decent roles, but the rest is crap.

10. Nolan Pratt, 32, D. Slow, crappy.

9. Stephane Yelle, 34, C. Just signed with Boston. The Canucks don't need another Byron Ritchie failure.

8. Jeff Hamilton, 30, C. Who?

7. Geoff Sanderson, 36, LW. Soft, unproductive, and useless. Why does any team bother with this guy?

6. Bryan Smolinski, 36, C. Been there, done that.

5. Martin Gelinas, 38, LW. Again, the Canucks don't need another gritty 3rd-4th liner. Canucks fans still love the guy, but he's not that useful any longer.

4. Richard Matvichuk, 35, D. I wouldn't mind having him around in a 6th-7th defenseman role, especially over Nolan Baumgartner.

3. Jassen Cullimore, 36, D. Sloooooooooooooooooooooooooow.

2. Glen Murray, 35, RW. A decent sniper, but has serious health concerns. Canucks ought to give ice time to a prospect.

1. Brendan Shanahan, 39, LW. I'd like to see him on the Canucks, as he could provide 25-30 goals and take some heat off of the Twins and Pavol. Unfortunately, I doubt he'll come to a West Coast club.

Wednesday's Wonderings

2008-09-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Today's random ramblings ...

Smelly hockey equipment is a scourge that ranks up there with American Idol, white guys who think they are black, and Sean Avery. Many advances have been made in the washing hockey equipment, but that always presents just a temporary fix.

Winnwell claims to have come up with a truly odourless set of hockey equipment that can get rid of stinky odour before it becomes a problem.

Natural enzymes in water bond to the material that is used as a liner anywhere equipment touches a player's skin – even the palms of the gloves.

The microbes generate organic-consuming enzymes that remain dormant until activated by perspiration, eliminating the environment that bacteria needs to breed.

"It could work," says Pat Bishop, chair of the Canadian Standards Association committee that certifies hockey equipment. "Bacteria is what causes all that stink. Anything that makes it easier for players to wear and easier on parents is worth trying. Right now, my daughter is going to buy her son new hockey gloves because she can't stand the smell."

Mmm, organisms fighting bacteria. Just what I want in my equipment!

Colour me skeptical, but knowing how much hockey players sweat, and how long equipment sits in stinky bags, I can't see this working as perfectly as described.

---

Over at Hollywoodtuna, the gossip guys have posted some probably-NSFW pictures of Willa Ford, aka Ms. Modano.

Honestly, I can't see that she does it for me, especially in pictures that are completely airbrushed.

Do guys really dig the Maxim-style airbrushed pics? I always feel that such photos make a woman look less desirable and simply more fake.

---

I had serious doubts about John Davidson's ability to preside over the St. Louis Blues, but I have to admit that the club is in good shape thanks to his PR efforts and ability to not suck as a GM.

Even the New York Times has taken notice of the job he's done in St. Loo.

“This team had disconnected from the city, and we had to get people back in the arena,” he said, without naming Bill and Nancy Laurie, the largely absentee former owners who sustained huge losses, cut costs and traded away the popular Chris Pronger. “The Blues tradition had disappeared, and the fans wanted it back. We had to get them to believe again.”

Aahh, yes, the Lauries ... the asswipes who tried to buy the Vancouver Grizzlies and move them while claiming that they really really really wanted basketball to succeed here. *eyeroll*. Even David Stern didn't like the Lauries, which says something.

Larry Pleau is still around as the behind-the-scenes guy, and I think the set-up works well. Pleau's analysis of hockey players was awful, but he does know the nuts and bolts of NHL law and finance, and can help JD with the more technical side of things. This leaves JD the room to do his thing with the public and also with player acquisition.

---

From the LOL! File comes word that the Philadelphia Flyers are going to hold a ceremony to honour Eric Lindros, and the Big Ego won't show up!! Bahahaha!!!

As part of their September 27th preseason game against Carolina at their former home, the Flyers have invited all 15 captains back to take part in commemorative ceremonies, including Lindros who was named captain at the age of 21 in 1994. However, his tenure with the team ended in a bitter dispute with management, which included then general manager Bob Clarke.

While Clarke, Lou Angotti, Mel Bridgman, Dave Poulin, Ed Van Impe, Bill Barber, Ron Sutter and Kevin Primeau have confirmed their attendance, Lindros has declined because of a previous commitment according to senior vice president of business operations Shawn Tilger. Lindros will be attending a memorial service that day for a friend's mother.

Still bitter, Eric? Now that you are retired, perhaps you can set aside your petty differences with the club and do something right for the fans that had your back?

---

To any readers in the UK, you'll be happy to hear that pugilistic Czech Marek Ivan is back in your neck of the woods.

Yes, Ivan is one of the few Czechs that actually LOVES to fight, and does a pretty good job of being a toughie in between scoring a few goals.

(thanks to Southern Correspondent Wayne for some of the linkage help)

Trade Analysis: Bryan McCabe

2008-09-02T07:45:00.001-07:00

by Jes

The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their detox cleansing by dumping frumpy Bryan McCabe and his bad hairstyle on the Florida Panthers in exchange for Mike Van Ryn and a draft pick.

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of McCabe's game. Yes, he puts up a pile of points, and is great on the Power Play, but his defence is atrocious, and he, far too often, goes out of position to make a big hit. Ever since his famed "can opener" was cracked down upon, McCabe's idea of defence is to put his blob-like body in front of a defender and hope that he hits something ... the puck, the ref, the opposing forward ... not pretty. McCabe is basically Sheldon Souray without the model good looks.

This deal was more about dumping salary than anything else, so it's hard to expect the Leafs to come out ahead on the deal ... but how will they fare?

Mike Van Ryn certainly has some skills of his own, and he did put up two straight 37-point seasons. That said, he put up just 2 points in 20 games last season and 29 in 78 games the season before. Ever since Jay Bouwmeester was given the lion's share of ice time in Florida, Van Ryn's game wilted, and his point production wasn't all that great.

McCabe, on the other hand, put up three straight 50+ point seasons until last season, when he fell to just 23 in 54 games. With a healthy McCabe, you can expect about 15 goals and another 35-45 assists.

So, the difference on offence is going to probably be about 15-20 points, which can be a big deal over a long season. In today's offence starved NHL, an offensive powerhouse like McCabe does provide some value.

So, how does Van Ryn compare defensively to McCabe?

Looking at some advanced numbers over at Behind the Net, it ain't pretty.

RATING - Behindthenet Rating (+/- relative to team): -52 for McCabe and -51 for Van Ryn.
QUALITY OF COMPETITION: Van Ryn comes out ahead with .09 compared to McCabe's .02.

The other defensive stats are rather similar, so we could say that Van Ryn comes out slightly ahead, or just call it a wash and leave it at that.

Now, I understand the Panthers want to make the leap into the playoffs eventually, but why McCabe? The Panthers' biggest problem has been preventing goals, and McCabe is NOT going to help that. The last thing the Panthers need is a defensive liability on the ice for 25 minutes a game, and an expensive one at that.

Thumbs down to the Panthers, and thumbs up to the Leafs for clearing out salary. Van Ryn is no star, but he's not chopped liver, either. He will give the Leafs a competent defenseman to plug a hole while plumber Fletcher orders a new part.

Holy Moly! The Butcher Bolts to Tampa

2008-08-31T08:48:00.001-07:00

by Jes

I know my blogmate, Czechmate, an Ottawa resident, was already seething over the lack of CzechoSlovak content on the Ottawa Senators. I'm sure, then, that he'll be crying in his All Bran over the fact that Andrej Meszároš was dealt to the Lightning for some prospect assets. Now, Meszaros can have his surname butchered in whole new ways.

In typical Tampa Bay circus fashion, the Bolts made an offer sheet to the young Slovak, only to find out that *DUH* they don't have the necessary draft picks as compensation. Cue the circus music and annoying clowns.

Ottawa clearly didn't mind the fact that the Bolts wanted Meszaros, so the clubs came up with a rather quick trade to get the deal done.

Tampa Bay gave up defensemen Filip Kuba, Alex Picard, and a 2009 first-round draft pick for the Butcher, and then signed him to a six-year, $24-million dealio.

Kuba is no longer all that great, so it's basically a warm body, a lottery ticket, and Picard for a prime young D-man. Good deal of bad deal for Ottawa? I guess it depends on what Ottawa does with this new salary cap room they have.

Over at FanHouse, JP notes that Tampa, famous for comparing Lecavalier to Michael Jordan, turned on the hyperbole machine to proclaim Meszaros an 'elite' defenseman. JP isn't impressed.

Senators GM Bryan Murray referred to Meszaros' play over the past two seasons as "[leaving] a lot to be desired" (not something you typically hear of the game's top defensemen), and the numbers certainly represent something a lot closer to "pretty good player" than "time to adjust the game plan, we're facing Andrej Meszaros tonight" -- Meszaros finished last season 25th among the League's defensemen in scoring and 68th in that group in plus/minus. He was 80th in ice time, 35th in power-play scoring and 100th in shooting percentage.

I'll play the Devil's advocate and come to the defense of Tampa. Yes, Andy is not an elite defenseman, but he's one of the better young d-men in the game and ought to get better.

Remember Meszaros' rookie season? D00d was only 20 years old and put up 39 points and went +39 in 82 games. How many 20-year old d-men ever do that much?

Then, something went sour for Meszaros in Ottawa and he's been on the Martin Skoula path to stagnation. Perhaps Ray Emery's influence made Meszaros into a party animal, perhaps the Sens' new anti-Slovak policy hurt Andy's feelings ... we'll likely never know. What we do know, however, is that Meszaros' relationship with the club was quit sour, and he needed to get the hell out of that rathole.

I believe Butcher will become one of the league's better defensemen, and the Bolts will end up getting good value for this deal. Yes, they paid a high price, but good young defensemen are worth a premium. This is a far better deal than some of the other odd signings the Bolts have made.

Of course, it's easy to be nervous if you are a Bolts fan, especially when Meszaros is commenting on how much was given up for him.

"I was surprised they gave up that much for me," he said of the Lightning. "They gave up some good players. I really appreciate that. I'm excited and happy to be in Tampa. Now it's a great challenge for me to step up and play as hard as I can."

Sakic Signs for Another Season

2008-08-28T11:42:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Could you imagine the Colorado Crapalanche without Joe Sakic? He's been the face of the Quebec/Colorado franchise since I was a wee little lad, and not having him on the team would be like not having rain in Vancouver during an August morning.

The 39-year old veteran hummed and hawed for awhile, and then decided to come back for one more season of Canuck killing, his 20th in the NHL.

Patience paid off for the Colorado Avalanche, who signed Joe Sakic to a one-year, US$6-million contract Wednesday after he decided to play a 20th NHL season rather than call it a career.

"Ultimately it came down to the fact that I still enjoy playing and competing," the 39-year-old captain said in a statement released by the team. "I'm comfortable with my conditioning and my overall health.

"I'm ready for the start of camp and am looking forward to the upcoming season."

Last season was really quite strange as it was the first time that I can remember that Sakic looked less than immortal. As a Canucks/Blues fan, seeing Joe Sakic with the puck was pretty much guaranteed to induce that crap-my-pants feeling. You just knew that it would take nary a split-second before he unleashed a laser-like wrist shot that scored the Avs yet another goal.

It wasn't too long ago when Burnaby Joe was still an elite forward. Actually, it was just two seasons ago when Sakic reached 100 points and looked even better than he did before the lockout. It speaks to Sakic's skill and conditioning that he could dominate at his age.

At long last, the specters of age and injuries caught up with Sakic, and he fell to just 40 points in 44 games last season. Those who got to see a lot of Sakic on TV could see that he didn't have the same zip in his game and didn't instill the same fear as he once did. I find it amazing that Sakic even put up that much offence, given how "out of it" he looked.

Still, Sakic is one of the league's smartest offensive players, and still adds a lot to the Avs in terms of productivity and leadership. In today's NHL, a point-a-game pace is damn valuable. Even as a mere mortal brought low, Sakic is better than most players in the game.

So, enjoy Sakic while you can, because the face of the Avs, and of the game's best ever, will be skating off into the sunset before long.

Wednesday Wonderings: Burnout Edition

2008-08-27T11:05:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Blogger Burnout sucks, especially when combined with an on-off again throbbing headache and a lack of actual hockey news.

First, let's start off in the world of women's golf (zzzzz....), where the LPGA is going to mandate English proficiency.

At a mandatory South Korean player meeting Aug. 20 at the Safeway Classic, the tour informed its largest international contingent that beginning in 2009, all players who have been on tour for two years must pass an oral evaluation of their English skills. Failure would result in a suspended membership.

Wow, talk about really stupid rule changes ... If there is a sport that doesn't require English to be spoken, it's golf. Hell, they throw you out of the Country Club just for thinking too loudly. When do golfers need to speak, other than to the caddy?

I can understand that the LPGA wants its players to be able to do interviews, but who the hell interviews women golfers, anyway? How about getting some eye candy out on the course? I don't think the media is really concerned about Korean women golfers who can't say boring clichés in broken Engrish.

Imagine if the NHL tried to pull off something like this? Oh, you could just see the exodus of European NHLers returning back home because they didn't pass some stupid multiple-choice test Gary Bettman dreamed up.

----

While French/Quebec players might have the rep for being soft in the NHL (think Daigle, Turgeon, Brisebois), the fact is that Quebec is the #1 province for hockey fighting. The brawls in Quebec beer leagues are infamous, and the brawlers that province produce are second to none (Worrell, Laraques, Brashear)

So, it seems quite strange, then, that Quebec has taken drastic measures to reduce fighting in junior hockey. It's not an outright ban, nor is it European (automatic ejection), but it's a serious change to how fights are penalized.

From Hockeyrefs.com

Young hockey players in Quebec are going to think twice about using their hockey gloves as boxing gloves in the wake of strict new penalties announced Wednesday to curb on-ice violence.

Hockey Quebec is targeting unsportsmanlike behaviour such as fighting, checking the back of the head and verbal abuse in the minor leagues.

Players who fight, instigate, or jump into an on-ice brawl as a third combattant will be suspended for two games on a first offence. A second offence puts the player out for four games and means a trip before a disciplinary committee.

A third offence means an indefinite suspension.

That's right, folks, a TWO GAME SUSPENSION for being in a fight! Gary Bettman must be jealous!

It seems that The Powers That Be felt too much backlash from Jonathan Roy's actions. (Click here for YouTube goodness)

I understand that fighting in hockey is not very necessary, but it does provide us fans with extra entertainment, and allows for on-ice disputes to be handled without the need for serious stick swinging.

Still, this feels like a gross overreaction. Couldn't the Quebec Fed simply give much harsher penalties for serious incidents? Why should a player be suspended two games for an average consensual fight? Most fights never end up close to being monster brawls or outright assaults. Why can't these bureaucrats distinguish between the two?

I'm not sure if the QMJHL will follow these guidelines, or if it is just for the lower kiddie ranks. This is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Video of the Day: Usain Bolt, Poor Sportsman

2008-08-23T18:24:00.001-07:00

by Jes

When I heard about Olympic mafia leader Jacques Rogge whining about Usain Bolt being a poor sportsman, I pretty much rolled my eyes like almost everyone else did.

Then, I was pointed to this video of Bolt's 100m race and now we see evidence that Rogge was right ...

Study: Big Heads = More Aggression

2008-08-22T07:53:00.001-07:00

by Jes

The term "fathead" is often used in describing someone who is rather dull, stupid, and has a temper. Thus, when our buddy Wayne forwarded me a story with the headline "Hockey fatheads end up in the penalty box more often", I was pretty much like "D'uh, Big Moose!"

It terms out that the "fatheads", in this case, refer to the actual size of the player's head, and is not just a cute expression.

From the Regina Leader Post:

Results of the study published Wednesday in the prestigious Proceedings of the Royal Society, concluded of the six Canadian-based NHL teams, the faces of the Ottawa Senators are dead giveaways when it comes to predicting how much time players spend in the penalty box.

"We're not saying that Ottawa is more aggressive than any other team. But each individual player's face predicts how much time he had in the box," said Brock University neuroscience researcher Justin Carre.

The researcher devised a lab experiment comparing facial ratios of a group of student volunteers with their aggressiveness while playing a video game.

The measurements, performed with the help of a digital ruler, compare the width of the face at the cheekbones with the height between the bottom of the eyebrows and the upper lip. An unusually wide male face has a ratio of about 2.3, while a relatively narrow face has a ratio of about 1.6.

Among the male students, those with wide faces were more likely to play the video game aggressively, even downright vengefully.

It is easy to dismiss this as bunk science, but there have been studies that show that finger length can often predict how aggressive guys can be. Perhaps having a larger part of the body means more testosterone?

So, in the next advancement in scouting, will we see teams measure head sizes? Maybe measure finger sizes as well. Why just measure fitness levels? Do DNA testing as well!

Looking for a bruiser? Don't get the chap who looks like John Cleese, go for the Brock Lesnar!

Steven Legein Retires ... at 19

2008-08-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

by Jes

A 19-year old man retiring from professional/amateur hockey is not that unusual. Many prospects that have no real shot of doing much in the pro hockey world do it all the time, opting for University or a career in the 'real' world. Why ride buses for days on end to make $30,000 a year when you can make double that with far less travel?

When it is a promising 2nd round prospect with no history of major injury? That IS unusual.

Via FanHouse: Stefan Legein, a 2007 second round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets who is just 19, has retired from professional hockey. I'm sure BJs fans are quite stunned rightaboutnow.

The reason: He just didn't want to play anymore. It's that simple.

Legein seemed to be on the path to a potential NHL career, and, if you go through the FanHouse post, you see that Legein certainly didn't appear unhappy. The BJ's certainly had big plans for the kid, and you know that the team desperately needs some of its prospects to pan out.

My first instinct, naturally, was to think "What a waste!". I can understand being in a funk, but why waste so many years of training and development when the potential for big $$ exists. Of course, that is merely me projecting my own interests and attitudes on someone I have never had any contact with.

I know that some BJ's fans are probably pissed at the kid for quitting so soon, especially given the team's need for actual talent. It's been a hard few years for fans of the club, and the last thing they need is one of their top prospects bailing on them.

As Adam Proteau of The Hockey News notes, we ought not to vilify the kid for his decision.

I hope the young man isn’t vilified for his decision. Who among us hasn’t had doubts in our late teens (or for that matter, well beyond that age) about our direction in life? Legein’s biggest problem is he has been in a line of work that receives so much publicity and adulation most casual observers assume he should be down on his hands and knees in gratitude for the opportunities he’s been afforded.

Exactly! I know I changed career paths and desires at 20, opting out of a potentially lucrative career as a software designer. I hated (and still do) computer programming and computer science, and I never imagined how utterly dull it would be when I signed up for a program.

I left after a year, and found myself choosing Accounting and Finance. Yes, the money isn't as good, but I'm much happier with myself.

Now, I can imagine that this young man had the same kind of "voila!" moment that caused him to say, "I really don't enjoy all of this hard physical training and I don't enjoy playing highly competitive hockey enough to continue on". Yes, playing hockey is fun, but when it is your job? Maybe not so much.

Oh, and score one for bloggers (Bethany's Hockey Rants, a title she kinda *cough*stole*cough* from us) for breaking the story!

More Olympic Rants

2008-08-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Yes, I am still boycotting/not watching the Summer Olympics, but with no hockey news worth commenting about, and a blogging itch to scratch, I'm gonna bitch about them (again). How long until preseason starts? I really need some actual hockey news or I'm going to cry.

---

1. It was certainly nice to see Canada break out and win some actual medals! With all of the resources and people we have in this country, the fact that we had less medals than Azerbaijan was pretty sad. Canada has 9 now (at least that is what I heard last), which finally vaults us into respectable territory. Canada is never good at Summer Olympics, but we ought to be at least in the Top 20.

2. There is no position worse than finishing FOURTH at an Olympic event.

You finish last? You can laugh it about it down the road ... or you know you weren't even THAT good to begin with.

You finish fourth? You are the best athlete not to get a single piece of bling. There is a certain cachet to having an a Bronze Medal. Saying "I finished fourth at Olympics" just doesn't sound 1/50th as impressive, does it?

3. I don't get the love over women's beach volleyball. These women look way too skinny and manly to actually want to lust over. I know it’s a major step up from women's gymnastics (no jailbait worth looking at there), but still not enough to make me turn away from women's tennis.

Do these women look hot to you?

4. I will be "that guy" and piss on the Michael Phelps love a bit. Yes, he's a dominating swimmer, and I have nothing personal against him, but his gold medal record is a bit of a fraud.

A pole vaulter, javelin thrower, or a softball player can win only one medal for their sport, right? Why should a swimmer be able to rack up multiple medals for the same sport? All they do is change the distance by a small amount or change the type of stroke, allowing one guy to basically rack up a bunch of medals simply because he's a far better athlete than his swimming peers. 100m butterfly vs. 200m butterfly vs. 100m freestyle, etc ... what's the difference?

Want to level the playing field? Give shot putters a chance to win five different medals ... just increase the size and/or weight of the ball they throw for each event.

Let's give the other athletes in other sports to win multiple medals for the same sport. Otherwise, shut up about Phelps and his record and realize that swimming is the one sport that allows such a 'record' to occur.

5. How does one decide to be a professional speed walker? Rejects from the running team? I've never seen or head about speed walking competitions other than at an Olympics. This is the kinda job that falls down there with "guy who cleans up the set of a porn movie".

6. What a shock ... The Chinese government has not authorized any of the 77 applied for protests to take place. The IOC was lavishing praise over this corrupt regime for allowing protest zones, but, of course, the Chinese government pulled the wool over the eyes of the Olympic Mafia ... yet again... of maybe the mafia just doesn't give a damn.

Of course, this is the same corrupt regime that needed to have a 'cuter' girl lip-synch the opening ceremonies. *sigh*

7. Steve Simmons is still a douchebag. I hope he gets cancer from breathing in too many Beijing fumes, or AIDS from his escapades with Al Strachan. Seriously.

They ran the women's marathon here yesterday morning at the Olympic Games and no one died.

No one succumbed to thick air and pollution. Many collapsed and fell: But none of it had anything to do with the conditions, the temperature or the apparent quality of air.

As if people are going to keel over and die right on the spot! Just wait until people suffer long term effects. Some athletes have already reported that they felt a certain odd 'fire' in their lungs while training or running, and not the usual kind. Smokers don't die after one cigarette, do they? How has Steve Simmons managed to live this long with an IQ of 52?

The most pressing issues of any Olympics -- facilities, housing, transportation, venues, the athletes, security and this one, censorship -- have for the most part been taken care of.

Censorship taken care of? BWA HAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, MSM sports reporters should never comment on political issues (Perry Mason, are you listening?). It just exposes them for the morons they are.

Friday's Frank Frothings

2008-08-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

by Jes

From my correspondence with Blues fans over the years, there is one player that is almost universally venerated by most of them.

Brett Hull?
Al MacInnis?
Pavol Demitra?

Close, but it's Brendan Shanahan.

It's hard not to like Shanahan, the blue-collar scoring star with the charming good looks, lyrically pleasing surname, and gritty work ethic that most fans love in a player. Blues fans never saw quite that level of dedication in Hull, or that type of charm in Al MacInnis.

When Shanahan was dealt to the Whalercanes for Chris Pronger, it was almost like a hole was ripped in the fabric of Blues fandom. Even the fact that Shanny went on to success with the hated Wings didn't seem to dampen Blues' fans respect for the dude.

So, you can imagine how excited Blues fans are feeling at the prospect of Brendan Shanahan signing with the club for next season.

Jeff Gordon of St. Louis Today outlines many reasons why Shanny would be a good fit with the Bluenotes. He also makes the point that the Blues are getting some sweet PR points just by saying they'll attempt to sign Shanahan.

Of course, the Blues have had a bad habit of signing or trading aging forwards all too often in the past: Tkachuk, Weight, Guerin, Richer, Derek King (ugh), etc ... but I think Shanahan is worth going after.

Yes, he's 39, but he's still capable of producing some offense. Sure he's declined, but the guy is still a very good 2nd line winger with good skating ability. The Blues certainly have the cap space, so make it happen!

---

Over at his legendary blog, Joe Pelletier is counting down his Top 20 photos in hockey history. So far, he's posted #20 and #19.

Just a hunch, but I'm willing to bet a few Slovak Crowns that Bobby Orr's "Superman" will be #1.

---

There has been a lot of chomping in the media about how Canada's pathetic showing at the Summer Olympics. Yes, a pasty, somewhat out-of-shape (I haven't been to the gym much these days) hockey blogger has as many medals at the rest of Team Canada combined! ZERO!

Over at the National Post, blogger Scott Stinson opines that Canada just doesn't care enough about winning.

Consider, also, the number of times you have read about a sporting event in some other nation and wondered if the people weren't just a little bit crazy. A soccer match in South America sets off a bloody riot. A referee in Europe has to run from a hail of firecrackers after making a questionable call. Have their been similar such incidents in Canada? Some Calgarians lifted their shirts and/or peed in public during the Flames' playoff run a few years back, but that's about it. And we were shocked. A Canadian team hasn't won the Stanley Cup -- our own trophy -- in 15 years, and how upset are we?

A few beefs and reefs.

1. Riots in Montreal and Vancouver suggest that fans don't always accept losing very well.

2. Many fans are upset that a Canadian team hasn't won a Stanley Cup in 15 years. That said, most players in cup winning teams are Canadian, so what's the big dealio?

3. Sport is just that. SPORT! The fact that anyone would riot over the result of a soccer game or hockey game shows how insecure, immature, and petty those people are. Sport is supposed to be entertaining, and if you are not a player or working for that particular organization, what the hell does a loss really mean for you?

Sure, I get upset and happy and all that, but I've never felt the need to light a car on fire ... although I do want to light Greg Millen on fire :)

4. Canada does treat sports like a hobby more than a profession, unless you play hockey, or maybe baseball. In Hungary, a professional fencer is seen as a professional fencer. How many Canadians would take that seriously as a career? In Canada, a fencer would work at Wal-Mart part time to support themselves.

5. Canada has, in the past, accepted "personal bests" far too often. Instead of wanting a GOLD MEDAL, we hear "Oh, I beat my personal best!" Bah, your personal best isn't good enough

6. Then again, who the hell really cares if we get Olympic medals or not? I've lost most interest in this Olympic mafia, and I don't really care to watch weightlifting or shot put.

7. Of course, I went nutso, as did the entire country, when Canada won Gold at Salt Lake City. Perhaps we just don't care enough about other sports.

It's a Cruel, Cruel Summer

2008-08-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

by Jes

(Yes, I used to listen to Ace of Base when I was a kid)

One major factor in why it is hard to have true dynasties in this day and age is the "Stanley Cup Hangover".

I'm not talking about the morning after drinking champagne from the holy mug, but rather the fact that the Stanley Cup Finalists often experience a drop-off in their record during the next season, especially early in the season. The fatigue builds such much that it is harder for the Cup finalists to repeat their great exploits from year to year.

With the seasons getting longer and finishing later, the summer time break for NHL teams has been getting shorter and shorter. Is it any wonder why the Ducks, who also had to put up with a long trip to-from London, faltered so badly last season?

Over at Empty Netters, the excellent MSM blog over at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Seth Rorabaugh crunches some numbers and we see that the Pittsburgh Penguins have the shortest summer break out of all the teams.

After winning the Cup on June 6, 2007, the Ducks enjoyed a brief 115 days off before starting up again on Sept. 29 in London. That was the shortest offseason for any NHL team. The Penguins will own that distinction this offseason by having only 122 days off since losing the Cup to the Red Wings on June 4.

Now, his calculations do not factor in training camps and pre-season games, so the summers for the Pens and Wings will be even shorter than indicated.

Life in the NHL is physically brutal, and players have to work harder, faster, and take more physical punishment then players from 15+ years ago. Every player has to maintain a strong off-season training regimen, leaving few players with a true chance to take a long break from physical activity and fully recover.

It should be no surprise if the Wings and Penguins start the season slowly and have problems later in the year with fatigue. The Wings, especially, might run into problems as their roster has more older players than the Penguins.

Who should really benefit? Take a team on the upswing who had a long off-season, and I figure they will start off gangbusters. How about the Blackhawks? They added some big names, and have had lots of rest. The Capitals, too, could be primed to make another jump ... although their defence corps still sucks.

So, how can a team beat this hangover and succeed year after year?

For one thing, they could stop making these fricking long trips to Europe ... really, these jaunts really seem to do a number on the two teams who participate.

Like Seth points out on his post, the Penguins experienced a rather high turnover for a Cup finalist, which means the newer players will be somewhat fresher and help compensate. The Wings? They experienced very little turnover. Perhaps cycling some fresh players in the depth positions can keep the team's skill level intact while helping offset the fatigue.

It would be foolish to think the Wings and Penguins won't be very good next season, but one must strongly consider the factor of the "Stanley Cup Hangover" when making predictions.

Jarret Stoll and Rachel Hunter: Engaged

2008-08-13T10:20:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Well, it seems like MILF Hunter Jarret Stoll has taken the next step in his relationship with ex-model/prowling cougar Rachel Hunter: Engagement.

Yes, the sexy "veteran" has managed to convince a man 13 years younger than she is to go down the aisle. The warnings signs were certainly there, and Stoll made his move quickly.

Rod Stewart's ex-wife Rachel Hunter is set to tie the knot with her ice hockey player boyfriend who is 13 years her junior.

Hunter, 38, confirmed her engagement to 26-year-old Jarret Stoll to People.com.

The model has reportedly told friends: 'He's my first true love since Rod, and the age difference isn't an issue.'

Talk about a good trade! Rod Stewart has been decrepit beyond belief for some time, and looks like he's been around the block a few thousand times.

Stoll? He's young, fit, and can handle his stick quite well ... although he seems to lack finish. Maybe she likes it like that?

Although Hunter is rather old for him, I still have to say Stoll did pretty well for himself. The former model has aged quite well, and certainly is capable of handling the spotlight.

Now that Stoll is with the LA Kings, expect this couple to get even more publicity than they already do. A marriage made in hockey heaven.

---

Dominik Hasek's overpriced "Dominator" clothing line is hemorrhaging cash ... Is anyone surprised? Does anyone feel one iota sorry for the douchebag?

I didn't think so.

Nike may very well be able to charge exhobitant prices for their cheap goods, simply because they have a stupid SWOOSH on them, but Hasek has no such marketing clout.

It seems rather funny, too, that Hasek's line will close down in Czechia, but still be open in the USA.

Why I'm Boycotting the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008-08-08T12:14:00.003-07:00

by Jes

I'm not one to tell people what to think or what to do, but that won't stop me from expressing some prickly opinions that will rub some the wrong way, nor will it stop me from trying to change the way people look or think about a particular issue.

Something that has irked me for some time is the Olympic(tm) Games. Ever since Vancouver was awarded (cursed) the 2010 Winter Olympics, we've seen just how disgusting this whole process is.

Make no mistake about it, the Olympics are not about the athletes. The athletes simply provide the cheap entertainment and public front for the money generating merchandise machine that few people truly profit from.

The athletes? Most of them have to scrape by with part-time jobs at Home Depot or the like, with very few getting those lucrative endorsement deals.

Who truly profits? The large corporations, TV stations, developers, wealthy sponsors, and cronies will run the Olympic mafia. Few athletes ever make all that much money, and many of them have to put off more lucrative careers to train in their chosen sport.

As we've seen in Vancouver, the government has spared no expense in dolling out millions of dollars on pork projects that profit very little real value to the people of BC. Millions for an Olympic skating oval? What good will it be after the Games are done? Oh, we can train more Olympic athletes. Lovely. Meanwhile, the downtown Eastside of Vancouver remains one of the most depressing places on Earth.

Now, let's talk about China, that fabulous producer of cheap lead-tainted toys and about 95% of the products we buy.

When the mafia awarded China the 2008 games, it was due to the fact that China promised to clean up its act in the arena of human rights. The IOC figured that putting China in the spotlight would force the Chinese Communist Party to improve living conditions and such in China.

Have things improved? Not really.

Tibet still remains under the strong thumb of China, with the Dalai Lama called a 'terrorist'. Really.

The pollution in Beijing is so awful that many athletes pulled out of the games, worrying more about their long-term health than a shiny medal.

Chinese secret police pose as Tibetan Monks or members of other interest groups to make those groups look bad. Classy.

Freedom of the press rarely exists, and has not gotten better.

Darfur, anyone?

I know, I know ... Canada is far from perfect on the Human Rights issue, but we've long passed the point where we execute people and harvest their organs because they choose to follow a religion not approved by the majority.

I also know that I sound like a radical of some sort, but I don't take this as a partisan issue. The Olympic Games simply costs us peons millions of dollars and gives us nothing but a 2-week party and lots of expensive bills to pay on shiny new buildings nobody needs. Just ask the people of Athens what a poor investment the Olympic Games really is. People of any political stripe should be able to see that they are getting the short end of the stick.

There isn't really much us peons can do if we're not into protesting, so do the next best thing and simply don't watch. It's not as if the Summer Olympics is all that thrilling, and you ought to be outside enjoying the sun. If the Olympics got low ratings, it might send a message, albeit a small one, that people are rather tired of the over-hyped Olympic machine.

Of course, I know that won't happen, so go back to being reamed by the mafia if you so desire.

If you want to learn more, visit these sites.

http://boycott2008games.blogspot.com/
http://boycott2008olympics.org/
http://www.boycott-china-2008.info/
http://www.alternet.org/story/94278/china_unveils_frightening_futuristic_police_state_at_olympics/

Summer Movie Musings

2008-08-06T12:20:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Since there is a lack of interesting hockey news, I might as well do a little summer movie review. Why? Just because my brain is suddenly churning around thoughts about movies and I have no other outlet.

I invite you all to share your comments and recommendations.

Batman: The Dark Knight (9.5/10)

If you are one of the few people that hasn't seen it, then I can easily tell you that this movie definitely lives up to the hype. This is an incredible feat given how much attention this movie got after Heath Ledger kicked the bucket.

Yes, Ledger's performance is awesome, and even tops the great Joker that Jack Nicholson gave us. Lost in the hype machine is the fact that Aaron Eckhard gives a masterful performance as Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

My only beef with the movie is that we have no history/background of the Joker ... he just appears and creates chaos! It would have been nice to get some of the motivation behind his insanity.

Maggie Gylenhaal - To be shallow and blunt, this girl just looks weird. Definitely a big drop off from Katie Holmes in the looks department. Gylenhaal has this perpetual deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face, which makes me wonder how she got a career in Hollywood.

Hellboy 2 (8/10)

This summer's hidden gem is the least hyped and talked about superhero movies of the summer. The first Hellboy never got the recognition it deserves, and the sequel was just as entertaining.

Ron Perlman is one of the best, if not the best, actor-in-makeup/costume that I've grown up with. He plays the character beautifully.

The CGI creatures in this movie and the Troll Market are some of the most creative ... err ... creations that I've seen in a movie in quite some time. The 'tooth faeries' are brilliant, as is the giant nature elemental. I normally don't like too much CGI, but this movie does it so well that I didn't even think about it during the movie.

The downside? The relationship between Hellboy and his flaming girlfriend is really not explored enough, and the way the 'normal' people react to Hellboy is also just a little unreal.

Iron Man (7.5/10)

This was another enjoyable superhero movie that did a good job kick-starting another franchise. Downie Jr. is the perfect casting as Tony Stark, and Jeff Bridges made a fine villain.

This movie gives you a lot of laughs, which is not what most superhero movies do, and gives us a flawed character that is easy to like (unlike Batman, who is rather hard to like at times).

I just don't get why people are quite so gaga over this movie. It does lack a lot of action (we see way too much of Stark working on his suits), and the terrorists that Iron Man escapes from are way too dumb. You have to suspend belief just a little too much for my liking, especially since Iron Man tries to be quite realistic in its delivery.

Be Kind, Rewind (3/10)

This was a movie my g/f and I rented, and I was rather disappointed. The idea is a cute one (quite original) and there are quite a few chuckles, but there aren't nearly enough laughs and the characters in the movie are way too dumb to be believable.

Call it a concept that was good in theory, but poor in execution.

Superhero Movie (4/10)

Typical spoof movie. Lots of chuckles, too many fart jokes, but not enough jabs at the franchises outside of Spiderman. A decent rental if you want something brainless.

Young Triffie (0/10)

Ok, so I rented this some time back, but it was one of the worst pieces of vomit that I've ever let my eyeballs experience. I know it's Canadian and some people went gaga over it, but I'd suggest you never even consider watching this movie unless compensated in triple figures.

a. No captions, so my g/f couldn't watch it (a blessing in disguise)
b. The same "oops, the cop screws up" gags over and over and over again. Purely clumsy characters just aren't funny after the first couple of gags.
c. Mary Walsh, who is the female equivalent of Robin Williams (NOT FUNNY). She basically ruins any scene or show she is on. Everyone knows she was the weak link on 22 Minutes.
d. Slow ... like Molasses in July.

Futurama - The Beast With A Billion Backs (6/10)

Much weaker than Bender's Big Score, and one of Futurama's poorer efforts. I don't understand why so much production went into this movie when most Futurama episodes are better than this. A decent rental for Futurama fans, but not worth buying.

Bladerunner, The Final Cut (10/10)

OK, so this was about 99.9% similar to the Director's Cut I own, so it seems like a rather pointless remake. I did rent it to show it to my g/f, who *GASP* hadn't seen it.

Anyway, the non-narrated version (Which was the Theatre Cut) gets an easy 10/10. Amazingly, it hardly looks all that dated, even after 24 years.

Celebrity Matchmaker: Sidney Crosby & Miley Cyrus

2008-08-01T12:20:00.001-07:00

by Jes (Cross-posted on the sister site)

A lot of NHL players are getting hooked up with celebs these days, and it's great PR for the league.

Elisha Cuthbert and Dion Phaneuf (assist to Sean Avery)
Eric Lindros and Kate Hudson
Alexander Ovechkin and Igor Larionov's daughter
Alexei Yashin and model Carol Alt
Mike Comrie and Hillary Duff

So, why isn't Crosby getting in on the act? Where is his arm candy?

Imagine the publicity the NHL would get if Sidney was shackin up with a Hollywood celeb? Oh, it would be way bigger than Gretzky/Jones.

Who would we pair Sidney up with? Lindsay Lohan? Ewww ... Jessica Biel? Taken. Alanis Morrissette? Too old.

Miley Cyrus? DING DING DING DING DING!!!

Just look at them and their big, toothy grins! Wouldn’t this be a match made in heaven? Just think of the headlines this would generate, and how a new legion of teenage girls would latch onto hockey like never before.

Cyrus, the mostly squeaky clean teen with a big future ahead of her is just waiting to be broken into the dating game with a young, big name celeb.

Sidney needs someone who can deal with his star power. A regular girl just won't do. Sidney also needs a partner who is rather 'fresh' and possesses the same upbeat personality.

Oh, you say, but Cyrus is only 15 years of age?

Damnit!!!! I guess there are laws to be followed. *sulk*

Still, if Sidney is willing to wait a year or two, and Billy Ray gives it his OK, then I think we ought to hook these two up and let the sparks fly.

Who's with me?

----

Check out these totally gnarly posts over at FanHouse:

James Mirtle gives us some Portraits in Heroism (aka Photochop madness)

I cover the Kate Hudson/Eric Lindros rumours. Ooooh, gossip!

JP thinks Pascal Leclaire is the next Martin Brodeur, sans Golden Horseshoe up the arse.

Where Have All The Slovaks Gone?

2008-07-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

long time passing ...

by Jes

One of the sub-themes of this summer's Free Agent silliness has been the exodus of some well-known Czech and Slovak players back to Europe. These guys either want to play at home in Czechia/Slovakia, or try out the new Kontinental Hockey League.

Jaroslav Modry is the latest Czech to say buh-bye to the NHL, signing with HC Liberec (the White Tigers, they're grrrrrrrrreat!) for two seasons.

Of course, d00d is 37 years old and was declining quite badly, but it's still sucky to have less Czech in the NHL.

Who else has left us?

Jaroslav Hlinka: Colorado Avalanche (NHL) to Linköping (SWE)
Jaromír Jágr: New York Rangers (NHL) to Avangard Omsk (RUS)
Tomáš Pöpperle: Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) to HC Sparta Praha
Martin Straka: NY Rangers (NHL) to HC Lasselsberger Plzeň
Martin Ručinský: St. Louis (NHL) to HC Sparta Praha
Josef Vašíček: NY Islanders (NHL) to Lokomotiv Jaroslavl (RUS)
David Výborný: Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) HC Sparta Praha

Jozef Balej: Manitoba Moose (AHL) to Ocelari Trinec (CZE)
Ivan Baranka: Hartford(AHL)/NY Rangers(NHL) to Spartak Moscow (RUS)
Marcel Hossa: Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) to Dynamo Riga (KHL)
Branislav Mezei: Florida Panthers (NHL) to Barys Astana
Branko Radivojevic: Minnesota Wild (NHL) to Spartak Moscow (RUS)
Stefan Ruzicka: Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) to Spartak Moscow (RUS)
Jozef Stumpel: Florida Panthers (NHL) to Barys Astana

Obviously, Jagr's departure is the one that creature all the headlines, but we have other semi-stars, regulars, and fine prospects that are heading back to Europe and giving up on the NHL.

*teardrop*

At least we'll always have Pavol Demitra!

Mark Parrishes From the Wild

2008-07-30T12:18:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Back when I used to cover the Florida Panthers, Mark Parrish was one of my favourite prospects on the club. I always have a soft spot for players who play the kind of game I do when I play ball hockey, and Parrish came from the school of Dave Andreychuk offensive forwards.

Sadly, Parrish has never been quite able to match Andreychuk's numbers, or come close to them, and will probably be known more for being part of the awful Roberto Luongo deal than anything else.

It shouldn't be a huge surprise to see that the Wild, facing some cap issues, had to waive Parrish and his $2.5M+ salary.

"Do I think Mark Parrish can still play in the league, can he make some adjustments to still be effective? Yes," [GM Doug] Risebrough said.

The presence of Parrish, who was paid $2.5 million last season, would have cost the team a salary cap hit of $2.65 million this season, bringing the Wild about $2.1 million short of the cap.

"Too close," Risebrough said. "We were looking for a little relief away from the cap."

The team had few options, he added. "I looked at Mark's salary and at what I thought his contributions would be and they were not totally in line," he said. "It's not Mark's fault;

I negotiated the contract."

Well, Parrish's contract wasn't too out of line given that he was an unrestricted free agent, but putting an offensive winger onto a defensive team and expecting good numbers isn't always the best recipe for success.

When I look at the career of Mark Parrish, I see a player whose style of play led to quite a few injuries as well as a player who only ever scored 30 goals once.

One other noticeable trend, besides the fact that Parrish was good at not taking penalties, is that Parrish NEVER got 200 shots on goal in one season ... not even close! You'd figure a net hang-a-rounder like Parrish would easily cross that threshold, but the guy never seemed to be consistent enough to be a dangerous offensive machine.

Parrish has had a solid career, and done well for a 3rd round draft pick, but I still get the feeling he could have been so much better.

* Over at Wild Puck Banter, Pavol Lover Roy Malhberg suspects that Jacques Lemaire had a hand in this transaction. Is there something between Parrish and Lemaire we don't know about?

Sports Blogging: Does Sex Really Sell?

2008-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

by Jes

One reason I am proud to do blogging for AOL's FanHouse is that the content can be very humorous without (often) pandering to the lowest common denominator. If you like shallow "lad culture", Larry the Cable Guy, and The Best Damn Sports Show, FanHouse isn't quite the place for you.

Sadly, the people who run FanHouse have decided to go in the "lad culture" direction with a new endeavor called the Fantasy Sports Girls. (The link contains a video clip)

The premise is simple: Put a bunch of scantily clad women in front of the TV camera to delivery fantasy football "news".

Oh, I did laugh quite hard when the one chick claimed they were all fantasy league champions and experts. Oh, and I believe your breasts aren't enhanced either, honey.

*sigh*

Honestly, I just like to blog about hockey and am happy when I can do my thing. I don't follow other sports all that much with the exception of some baseball and some MMA. I don't usually react to whatever else goes on in the sports blogosphere.

Still, I did watch that Fantasy Sports Girls video clip and felt rather sick at the obvious and cheezy pandering I was subjected to. Oh, I couldn't possibly want to watch a sports show unless it has plastic women reading off of cue cards and teleprompters!!

As I see it, men love eye candy, but I figure the kind of attention FanHouse would get is rather fleeting. I can remember when I used to watch WWE how us boys loved the Divas, but once they started wrestling, it was like *yawn*.

Eye candy is good for a snack, but that's about it. Fans don't go to games to watch cheerleaders, Ice Girls, etc ... If you really want sex, wouldn't you just surf for porn or go to Maxim?

I can only think that the female FanHouse audience is going to be rather appalled (as will be their female writers), and even many of the men will roll their eyes in some disgust.

I can fully understand why FanHouse would sell out and start pandering like this, but it certainly is a missed opportunity to not be like the others in showing a few half-titty shots to score some easy hits.

*yawn*

Slovak Scrying: Marek Svatos

2008-07-25T11:58:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Quite honestly, I have been surprised at how well Slovak forward Marek Svatos has done in his NHL career to date. Given that he was taken in the 7th round of the 2001 draft, I'm not the only one.

Yes, Svatos tore through the WHL as a member of the Kootenay Ice, but the dude is smaller than a leprechaun (5'10", my shiny metal ass!) and had serious injury problems before he ever hit the NHL ice surface. I never felt that Svatos would become an NHL regular given his shortcomings and brittleness.

That said, one could also view Svatos as a bit of a disappointment, given the fact that his production hasn't come close to the numbers he put up in his rookie season.

A few things are obvious ...

1. Svatos is, and will always be, a big injury risk. Not only does Svatos miss at least 15-20 games per season, but he is often playing at far less than 100%, limiting his effectiveness.

2. 2006-07 was the aberration, simply because his shot percentage was woefully low. Svatos is an excellent shooter and has a nose for the net.

3. Svatos' playmaking abilities still suck.

4. For a guy who can score 25-30 goals, Svatos gets very little ice time. Most goal scorers get at least 15 minutes a game.

Now that the Avs have signed the stunted Slovak to a 2-year contract, what can we expect from the guy?

For one thing, I don't see Svatos getting a whole lot more ice time than he's been getting. Yes, Hejduk is declining and aging, but the Avs have quite a few talented forwards and Svatos will have to fight Ryan Smyth, Darcy Tucker, Wojtek Wolski, and Milan Hejduk for ice time.

Svatos has improved his defensive game, but will likely still be pigeonholed as a 'tweener shuffling in between the 2nd and 3rd units.

So, I'd pretty much expect the same: He'll miss 15-20 games, put up 20-25 goals, and play about 13-14 minutes a game. Don't expect a massive spike in production any day soon.

I'm Looking at You, Dennis Wideman

2008-07-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

by Jes

I remember Dennis Wideman as a rookie with the St. Louis Blues. He wasn't considered much of a prospect at all after being drafted in the 8th round, but the Blues were extremely thin on talent, and Wideman's offensive acumen and ability to run a Power Play earned him a regular spot with the Bluenotes after the lockout. Boy, was that a long season ...

The next season, the Blues dealt Wideman to Boston for sniper Brad Boyes, and I figured the Bruins were smoking something good. As much of an offensive game as Wideman might show at times, his defense was atrocious, and he isn't particularly fast or big. Don't forget Wideman's worst penalty shot attempt of all time. *facepalm*

Never did I imagine that Wideman would develop the defensive ability that he displayed with the Bruins last season, as the young blueliner emerged as a leader on the spunky Boston club. Sure, defensemen take longer to develop, and Wideman is only 25, but most 8th round draft picks with such glaring holes in their game don't usually morph into reliable 2-way players.

The Bruins obviously know what they've got, because they just signed Wideman to a new four year $15.75M contract, avoid arbitration.

Now that the Bruins have locked up Dennis the Menace, what can we expect from him in the next four seasons?

Looking at Wideman's career to date, one sees a rather sharp improvement in the defensive end, as well as a steady increase in offensive production. The advanced metrics show Wideman to be average-ish in his defensive play, a marked increase from being a total sieve early in his career.

The most glaring stat is the large spike in ice time he received last season as his role was drastically increased. Wideman's play quickly thrust him into the role of "#2 guy" behind big Zdeno Chara.

For fantasy leaguers, it would be safe to suggest that Wideman will continue to have a big role with the Bruins last season, as the team looks to make more waves and did not bring in any high priced vets to shove Wideman's ice time down.

Prediction: Wideman doesn’t shoot the puck on net as much as he should (just 2 shots on goal per game), but his passing and smarts are evident when he has the puck.

With Chara as the stalwart, Wideman is not going to put up monster point totals, but 35-40 points out of a guy few people notice could be a huge bargain in your league. Expect 10 goals and 30 assists next season.

Darcy Hordichuk's MMA Cross-Training

2008-07-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell is one of the better MMA fighters in recent history. If he could skate, he’d make one hell of an enforcer.

WTF does this have to do with the NHL?, you be askin.

Well, it appears that Darcy Hordichuk, one of the NHL’s bigger beasts, has been training with Liddell to become an even more effective fighter.

“John, I think, is one of the best trainers in the world and [has] produced some of the best fighters in the world,” Hordichuk said about his reason for contacting Hackelman. “In hockey, there is a lot of fighting, and that’s sort of my role. The guys nowadays are getting a lot bigger and stronger, and I’m always going to stay my same size, so I thought, why not get the edge and come train here at The Pit with John?”

Added Hackelman about his newest client’s progress, “His punching power has probably increased five times. Just by the turn of the hip and whipping the shoulder around.”

Five times, my ass ...

Hockey enforcers have long attended fighting schools or boxing classes to improve their skills, but it’s still interesting that they’d go to an MMA guy to get better.

Are we going to see Hordichuk go into the guard and put Riley Cote (who also has MMA training) into an armlock? Perhaps a rear naked choke?

One could only dream ...

Please STFU About Mats Sundin

2008-07-21T07:42:00.001-07:00

by Jes

I know that news is slow in the hockey world these days, but the whole hubbub over Mats Sundin is just a tad ridiculous, don't you think?

Alanah over at Canucks and Beyond is bouncing off the walls after a KHL contact, and we know how trustworthy those Russians are, told a newspaper about why Sundin turned down a KHL offer.

Umicevic's contact in Russia told him that an unspecified KHL club was very interested in signing Sundin (which is certainly believable) and that Sundin's agent turned them down (also believable, sure) because he had already signed with Vancouver. (Ummm... say what?!?).

Per a REAL source, Mats Sundin himself, the big troll won't make a decision until the first week of August.

So, what do we know for sure.

1. No decision for two weeks
2. Toronto and Vancouver are the most likely decisions
3. Sundin likes fishing
4. Sundin goes to the bathroom more than 3 times a day.

So, please no more Sundin no-news until he actually makes an actual frickin' decision. Thanks.

Musings About the Mess in Nashville

2008-07-18T08:52:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Over at FanHouse, Kevin Schultz pointed out the fact that the NHL's screen process for potential new owners leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of a slum-dunk owner like Jim Balsillie (a guy who actually knows hockey), we get corporate crooks like Henry Samueli, the train wreck that is the new ownership of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and now this whole "Boots" Del Biaggio fiasco.

As an accountant, I know that any multi-million dollar purchase requires a whole lot of due diligence. If you are handing over the keys to the castle, you have to make sure the buyer actually has the money, and won't burn the place down after a couple of weeks.

Reasons for due diligence:
1. To ensure the dude has enough $ to pay for the purchase of the team.
2. To ensure the dude has enough $ to sustain the team and keep it going.
3. To ensure the dude won't ruin the team and/or bring harm to the team(run it into the ground, give it a bad name, etc)
4. To ensure dude's reputation/criminal record/dealings won't hurt your own name/brand/business.

As we well know, the NHL did not do its due diligence on "Boots" Del Biaggio, and the guy didn't have all of the money he claimed to have.

To rub salt in the wounds? Doug Bergeron, one of the potential investors for the Preds, recalls "Boots" bragging about how easy the NHL was on doing their homework. (Assist to Mirtle)

"Boots bragged to me that he was able to convince Bettman's office to overlook the need for his audited financial statements because it was too much work."

So, why isn't Bettman feeling more heat for this?

In almost any other industry, failing to do your research on such a buyer would land you on the firing line. Instead of looking like a professional business, the NHL appears to be an old boys country club where friendships matter more than actual business acumen.

Honestly, I haven't been following this story all too closely. If you want to know more, head on over to "On The Forecheck" blog where our favourite Preds blogger has the full analysis of this sick situation.

Canucks Get Another Brutal Schedule

2008-07-17T10:32:00.001-07:00

by Jes

I usually don't get too excited when the NHL releases its schedule for the upcoming season, but news is slow and my curiosity is piqued.

Looking at the Canucks schedule, the big news is that they'll begin the season at home versus Todd Bertuzzi and the Calgary Flames. A nice way to start the season. Practice those boos and hisses.

Unfortunately, the Canucks are then scheduled to play SIX straight away games versus Calgary, Washington, Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago, and Columbus.

Yes, the Canucks get fux0red over by the schedule makers once again. Instead of making one nice Eastern seaboard sweep, the Canucks have to travel across the continent again in November to play the two New York teams. As if the Western teams don't have enough travel to do!

While this might seem like sour grapes, the long and grueling travel schedule does take its toll on the West Coast teams over the course of a season. How many Stanley Cup winners have we had here? Exactly, one.

While the Eastern teams can almost ride a bike to half of their games, teams like the Canucks are forced to make two or three cross-country roads trips every season, and it certainly has a negative effect on their play. The least the NHL can do is try to ensure that all West Coast/Alberta teams make one cross-continent trip each year and play their games in one swoop.

*grumble*

An Off-Season Look at ... the Minnesota Wild

2008-07-16T12:29:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Much to the joy of Canucks fans, the off-season has not been terribly kind to the Minnesota Wild.
Besides losing His Worship Pavol Demitra to free agency, the Wild also lost 2-way rock star Brian Rolston, as well as Branko Radivojevic.

Replacing them? An overpaid over-the-hill Owen Nolan.

Wow.

Let's check out the roster and salary commitments for the Wild as of right now.

Goaltending - Harding and Backstrom give the Wild a fairly strong pair for reasonable salary.

Defence - The strength of the Wild, with a noticeably pricey salary structure. Not a lot of good deals down here, but a group that possesses good mobility and puck moving. The Wild will obviously utilize their speed and passing to keep up a good transition game.

Forwards - The big weakness of the Wild, especially after the departures of Rolston and Demitra. The Wild have a few decent weapons, and little else. Nolan is a decent role player, and Parrish's offence has declined in his later career. Overall, this forward group won't put up many goals.

Never underestimate what Jacques Lemaire can do with a club, and we know the Wild will certainly be tough to play against. For sure, the Wild will be even more boring to watch on TV as Lemaire will have to tighten his system even further.

Right now, the Wild don't appear to be a playoff-bound club, despite what magic Lemaire can make. The Wild will certainly be a great team at preventing goals, but the lack of quality talent and lack of offence will ultimately kill this club.

The Penguins Turn to Satan

2008-07-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

by Jes

For much of his early career, I referred to Miro Satan as "Zero" Satan, as that is about how much effort and emotion he displayed on a nightly basis. Satan just oozes talent and has puck-handling skills rivaled by few NHLers, but he's had a habit of not putting up as many points as I think he ought to be able to.

After settling in with the Buffalo Sabres, Miro finally seemed to 'get it' and turned into a dangerous player. His leadership qualities mutated almost out of nowhere, and he was a regular captain for the Slovak team at various events. It was a surprising, but welcome, development.

Unfortunately, during his last season with the Sabres, Satan was spurned for the Sabres' captaincy and started whining and playing his way out of Buffalo. Miro was clearly stung and couldn't handle not being the top dog in the pound. His play deteriorated and he was soon headed for Long Island.

Satan is clearly no longer one of the top threats in the NHL, and his production, and attention to defence, has really declined over the past few seasons.

Year Team GP G A Pts +/-
1995-96 EDM 62 18 17 35 0
1996-97 EDM 64 17 11 28 -4
1996-97 BUF 12 8 2 10 1
1997-98 BUF 79 22 24 46 2
1998-99 BUF 81 40 26 66 24
1999-00 BUF 81 33 34 67 16
2000-01 BUF 82 29 33 62 5
2001-02 BUF 82 37 36 73 14
2002-03 BUF 79 26 49 75 -3
2003-04 BUF 82 29 28 57 -15
2005-06 NYI 82 35 31 66 -8
2006-07 NYI 81 27 32 59 -12
2007-08 NYI 80 16 25 41 -11

I was rather surprised that the Penguins would sign Satan to a 1-year $3.5M deal, even if they need the depth at forward.

Given that Satan is going to be 34 years-old next season, and was never the fastest cat to boot, I guess a decline can be expected.

It's just that, well, Satan has reverted back to his ZERO ways and doesn't look like he's worth that much money or a roster spot on a good team.

Watching Satan play last season, the guy looked SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW. Oh, the slick puckhandling skills were evident, but the guy looked like he was skating on quicksand. A lack of effort, age-related slowdown, or both?

I just wonder which Satan will show up for the Pens. While he clearly isn't first line material, he ought to be good for 20 goals and 50 points with a talented Pens team. Clearly, this is likely his last shot to prove that he hasn't fallen off a cliff like Jozef Stumpel did last season. If Satan's puts up the same crappy numbers, he'll likely be playing in that KHL before too long.

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Movie Rant:

Will Smith, the king of the summer blockbuster, has loads of talent ... and I know I'll sound like a douche for questioning the decision making of a guy who has made millions and will make millions more ... but it seems like he wastes himself playing in less-than-stellar films. This summer's Hancock, which I haven't seen, looks to be another dud.

Amazingly, choosing Wild Wild West over The Matrix didn't kill Smith's career, which speaks to his talent and power. It does show, however, that Smith often chooses the quick buck over making a quality movie.

Look at this list ...

1999 Wild Wild West - One of the worst movies ever made, and not in a 'good-bad' way, either.
2001 Ali - An Oscar nomination and a career saver.
2002 Men in Black II - AN unnecessary sequel and not very good
2003 Bad Boys II - Another unnecessary sequel
2004 I, Robot - Another terrible movie that may lead to another bad sequel
2005 Hitch - Zzzzzz
2006 The Pursuit of Happyness - A boring movie (I thought so), but one that was well received and actually known for its quality.
2007 I Am Legend - Very disappointing movie that was expected to be better
2008 Hancock - Doesn't look good

When Will Smith retires, is he simply going to be known for summer blockbusters and nothing else? Looking at that list, most of his movies are not memorable in the least, and even Independence Day, which was one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, has aged very poorly.

It's Pavol Time!

2008-07-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Now that the shock of the news of Crown Prince Pavol Demitra (Our lord, Jedi Master, and archbishop of the Church of the Shiny Head) signing a 2-year deal with the Canucks has abated somewhat, I am composed enough to make a coherent post without going too OMGfanboy on your asses.

On the hockey side, this deal is a good one for the Canucks. A 2 year investment at $4mil is both reasonable for the cost and not going to put the Canucks in any sort of bind.

Compared Demitra to Naslund and you can see that the Canucks will get similar production, at the very least, for $2M/season cheaper AND not have a guy who sulks all the frickin time.

Demitra can play both center and on the wing (where he is better), can play well in all situations, which gives Alain Vigneault a lot of flexibility in his constant line juggling. At least now we have a secondary offensive threat, although the Canucks still need at least one more talented and proven forward to really get serious about a playoff run.

Unlike James Mirtle, I don’t see Demitra as potential captain material to replace Naslund. While Demo was one of the rotating flavour-of-the-month Kapitans for the Wild, his personality isn't really suited for the position.

On the non-hockey side, this deal, obviously, has me more content than Richard Simmons in a room full of obese housewives. Never did I ever think Pavol Demitra would END UP IN VANCOUVER!!!!!1111111oneoneone

*sorry*

Then, suddenly, we get Mike Gillis as an agent, the pieces fall together ... it's all so sudden.

For years, I've struggled to have much of a real emotional attachment to my hometown club as there have been so few players that I've actually liked all that much: Trevor Linden, Jiri Slegr, and Jan Bulis v2.0 is pretty much all there was.

It didn't help that the Canucks had many players I really disliked, such as Bertuzzi, Ruutu, Cooke, and Tarantula Head. I cheered more for the laundry than the players, and my fandom was never quite as deep as it was during the days of Lumme, Smyl, Linden v1.0, Captain Kirk, and Pavel Bure.

Wouldn't you find it a bit hard if your absolute favourite player was off somewhere else?

Having Pavol on the Canucks will permit me to invest more of myself into the team, and have my heart stomped on even more so than it usually is by this frickin club. It's hard to be a Pavol fan when he's playing for a hated division rival, or for the bland LA Kings.

For my entire Canucks fandom, I have rare seriously considered buying a sweater of any sort. It wasn't just because some of the designs sucked (the first Killer Whale sweater, ftl), but because by the time I actually had $$ to purchase such a luxury good, I, instead, bought a DEMITRA Blues sweater, for obvious reasons.

Now? I'm going to be hunting hard for a good place to get my #38 Canucks sweater to wear. I expect few around here will have the same, and I can laugh at them as their BERTUZZI, NASLUND, and COOKE sweaters are merely retro crap.

To all of you haters, such as Zanstorm over at Waiting for Stanley, you are not invited to my Pavol Demitra-themed Christmas bash this December.

You know who else will be happy to have Pavol? Roberto Luongo.

John Davidson's Revenge

2008-07-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

by Jes

When the Blues' John Davidson signed Canucks winger Steve Bernier to an offer sheet, we knew that it was based on one thing: SPITE!

While the move makes sense from a hockey standpoint, it is obvious that the offer was made only because the Canucks made a similar RFA offer sheet to the Blues' David Backes.

“Steve is a good young player who would play a big part in our youth movement,” said Davidson. “Our coaches and scouting staff are extremely positive about him.”

Did JD say that with a straight face?

Despite negotiating the RFA offer sheets into the CBA (and it's not a NEW thing), GM's get so childish when one of their players is signed to an offer sheet. Just witness Brian Burke going ballistic (over and over again) after Kevin Lowe signed Dustin Penner to such a deal.

So, why do GM's get so petty when an offer sheet is made?

1. Inflation - Let's face it, Steve Bernier would not have been given $2.5M by the Canucks, nor Backes by the Blues. GM's don't like seeing younger players get more money than they would have been offered by their 'owning' club.

2. Meddling - GM's, being middle-age executives, have large egos that can't handle somebody being in their business.

GM's often get pwned by the agents/PA, so when a fellow GM's makes an offer sheet, it's basically looked like cutting the legs from out under that particular executive. When you make an offer sheet, you are certainly getting your nose involved in another team's business.

Well, it's time for GM's to grow up and realize that the RFA Offer Sheets are simply part of the business. All 30 teams must compete with each other, so why shouldn't they be looking to acquire talent by any means necessary.

Certainly, a smart GM won't go making dozens of offer sheets and pissing off GMs, but a smart offer sheet is simply another tool to acquire talent, or at least TRY to acquire talent.

Really, if GM's are so worried about salary inflation, they'd stop offering insane UFA deals like $3.5M a season for the likes of Jeff Finger. I don't see GM's going after each other in the press for signing such moronic contracts. Do you? (Except for Brian Burke, who loves to hear his own voice)

Vancouver's New Olympic Arena: Money NOT Well Spent

2008-07-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

by Jes

I've made it known that I'm not a big fan of the Olympics these days, especially since British Columbia (Well, the Lower Mainland) was cursed with holding this expensive two-week corporate wankfest.

Once again, John Furlong, the guy in charge of making sure big corporations and building developers rape the taxpayers violently (that's his unofficial title), took the chance to through his powder-puffed nose.

"We've done here what many people said we couldn't do -- we came home from Prague and we made a commitment in front of the world that we would get this project on time and on budget, and we would give the athletes the chance to use these venues two seasons before the Games," crowed VANOC boss John Furlong.

It's a promise kept. It's a mission accomplished."

Want a good idea of how much Right-Wing/Corporate ass our major media kiss here in Vancouver?

The Vancouver Sun, a dishrag that I wouldn't even allow my dog to poop on, declared the building to be ahead of schedule and below budget.

Built at a cost of $48.7 million, most of it from Vanoc, the facility was completed four months ahead of schedule.

NO NO NO NO NO!!

Most of the money from VANOC? Umm, no, the money is coming from the pockets of BC Taxpayers. Remember, folks, VANOC, nor its members, were ever ELECTED to spend our money like a drunk Hollywood widow.

The next time the Mainstream Mediots blast us blogs for lacking fact-checking, they ought to look in the mirror. This outright lying simply degrades the already pathetic product put out by the CanWest rags, and continually excuses the government for their poor asset management.

In addition to this, I see a lot of other MSM outlets picking up the same misinformation. They simply copy-and-paste from CanWest, failing to actually check the facts, and going to VANOC's website and looking at the original budgets.

24 Hours, a free daily known for having better journalistic integrity than the pay papers, chopped up those lies like fresh green onions.

Based on the five-year-old Vancouver 2010 bid book, however, the University of B.C. complex is $6.7 million over budget and nine months beyond its original October 2007 completion target.

This new arena is going to seat a whopping 7,500 people for what amounts to a month's worth of good hockey games. The rest of the time? It'll seat the 200 people who actually want to watch Canadian University hockey.

Money well spent ... riiiiight.

Face it, you shallow Yaletown Yuppies, the only people who benefit from the Olympics are those few corporations that are getting lucrative government contracts. Instead of solving real issues, like homelessness, housing the mentally ill, and environmental technology, we get money spend on expensive sporting facilities that will never provide their worth to the people.

With expensive ticket prices, excessive "security", and millions of taxpayers money wasted, this is one event I wish that Vancouver had never won.

Post-Vacation Viewings

2008-07-06T08:19:00.001-07:00

by Jes

While on vacation, I was able to access some brief internet forays and day-old newspapers for a bit of NHL news. What I saw was the usual blend of GM madness, Canucks inaction, and Leafs stupidity.

---

The Canucks have put all of their eggs in a cheap Ikea basket with their 2-year offer for Mats Sundin ... $20mil!! If it doesn't work, what is Plan B? I'm a bit nervous about any plan that relies on a guy to make up his mind and ultimately not choose the Canucks.

To those Canucks fans comparing Sundin to Messier: Shut the hell up!

Mats has nary the ego nor lack of drive that Messier had. Messier already had 6 cups, a history of big egoness, and no incentive to win. Sundin? He's still waiting to get his name on the cup.

That is why I think Sundin won't choose the Canucks. Yes, our GM is offering the most cash, but why would Sundin want to play for a mediocre team? If he wanted to do that, he could stay in Toronto.

Meanwhile, the Canucks signed 4th-line/PK specialist Ryan Johnson, because we never have enough of those ... but made up for that by trading 2 draft picks for Steve Bernier.

Remember how Bernier was a big up-and-comer for the San Jose Sharks? At one point, he appeared to be a solid 30-goal Power Forward in the making.

He didn't do much in San Jose, and I blame Ron Wilson's choking system for that. Just ask Patrick Marleau how hard it is to produce offense for that coach.

Bernier clearly needed a change of scenery, and we saw how he could produce during his short Sabres' tenure.

The Lightning are mighty busy, signing and trading with the intent of becoming instant contenders.

The problem? Their defense really sucks, and their goaltending duo isn't exactly solid like a rock.

The Lightning D thus far: Matt Carle, Filip Kuba, Shane O'Brien, Paul Ranger, Alex Picard, and Matt Smaby

Yeah ...

Speaking of the Lightning ... Olaf Kolzig?

This move surprised me for 2 reasons

1. Anyone who saw Kolzig play last season should clearly see that Godzilla is finished
2. Kolzig seemed intent of being a Cap-or-nothing.

I guess $ talks. In this case, it's saying stupid things.

Maid Marian Hossa signed a 1-year deal with the Wings for just over $7mil.

To Wings fans, you have to understand why the rest of us are very angry at this.

Simply put: The rich get richer.

When 29 other teams are trying to win the Cup, it pains us to see a star player take less money to play with the Wings. Imagine if a lot of players started doing this, and the top 4-6 teams were constantly able to lure star talent for 1-2 years for cup runs?

That said, I'm not gonna be like Skeletor Gallagher (I'm too lazy to link his crappy article) and rip on Hossa for what he did.

1. Who cares if Hossa's salary isn't $9-10 mil! Is the NHLPA really going to suffer? Mmm, try looking at some of the signings. Exactly.

2. Hossa has every frickin right to sign with whatever team he wants at whatever price he can get. So, he wants to forego some security and a couple of mil to play for the Wings ... he earned that right.

If I were Hossa, I might very well do the same thing. With the younger UFA age, players can afford to wait 1-2 years to capitalize on that one BIG contract.

Jagr to Russia ... well, this does surprise me.

1. Jagr's goofy sense of humour doesn't mesh well with serious Russians.
2. Russian hockey is extremely defensive and passive in nature. Why does Jagr want to play in a system that is opposite to his own style?

It must be the women.

Leafs Give Fans The Finger

2008-07-02T08:25:00.001-07:00

by Jes

So, I'm on vacation here, checking out the Internets for a few mins whilst sipping a bitter Americano ... mmmm ...

This one signing really caught my eye

The Toronto Maple Leafs jumped into the free agent market on Tuesday, signing defenceman Jeff Finger to a four-year deal worth $3.5 million a season

Jeff Finger for $3.5mil a season??!?!

A guy with less than 100 games NHL experience and one who hasn't proven himself to ever be above-average gets $3.5mil a season?

Wow ...

---

Apparently, one of the links in my linkroll led to a very nasty site. I've taken the link down, and apologize to all those who were redirected to something their eyes weren't meant to see.

Pre-Vacation Ponderings

2008-06-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

To readers of this blog and those of you who landed here thanks to searching Google for "Mike Comrie boinked Salo's Wife", I'll be on vacation in sunny Tofino for the next 10 days. Don't be alarmed that I am MIA. I need the break from you :)

Sure, I'll miss the free agency frenzy, but maybe it's better that I don't see how badly Gillis screws this franchise, or fails to deliver anything but scrubs like Kyle Softwood.

---

As an aside, I am looking for a co-blogger to add to Hockey Rants. As you may have noticed, Greg hasn’t posted here since Scott Lachance last scored an NHL goal. His work has kept him very busy, so we need a replacement.

Do you have a blog that you've struggled with? Have the itch to blog about hockey and rant your head off? Think Pavol Demitra should be in the Hall of Fame?

If so, click the contact links on the left side and give me a shout. This site could use another good voice.

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Some thoughts from our Southern Correspondent, Wayne:

WTF was Don Waddell (hockey killer) doing drafting a 6'1" 158 lbs. project center at the end of the first round? We need a center who can step in right away and feed Ilya the puck, along with getting garbage goals...

This guy (Levielle...isn't that what they play in the Army to wake you up in the morning?) is expected to go on to college and play at least 3 years...Great; by the time he suits up and plays for the Thrashers (after college and the minors), John McCain will be running for re-election...

Now, I'll have to disagree strongly with Wayne on this topic.

1. The only SAFE pick is a Crosby/Ovechkin type. Every other pick has an element of risk, and only the true superstars will deliver value. With 18 and 19-year old kids, you can never truly project how they'll develop.

2. When I hear SAFE pick, I always think of 'low ceiling'. Just because a guy is defensively responsible and has a good work ethic doesn't mean he is a safe pick.

Remember who was a safe pick? Nathan Smith. Yeah, look how that turned out.

Give me the guy with the highest ceiling any day, unless his attitude is complete rotten (Alexander Volchkov).

3. Never draft by positional need, unless you have a glut of 15 goaltenders.

Look, kids can rarely ever step in and make a positive impact in the lineup. How many draft picks step in right away? How many of those who do make a positive contribution? Hell, even Joe Thornton and Vinny Lecavalier sucked the big one in their rookie seasons.

By the time a draftee develops, which can be 1-5 years, the organizations positional needs will likely have changed. By the time your #1 centerman prospect develops, you may very well already have a good 1-2 centerman punch.

Simply put, you should follow the cliché and draft the best talent available. If you get a glut later on, then you make deals.

4. If you want to fill a need, then you need to sign and/or trade to fill that hole. Mr. 18-year old is not going to fill that #3 checking winger spot you need filled, is he?

5. They play the "Reveille" in the army :), and I play Reveillark in MTG. Booya!

Kyle Wellwood: Damaged Goods

2008-06-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

When the Canucks picked Kyle Wellwood off of waivers, I didn't think too much of it, other than we're getting a risky Leafs castoff.

Then, I did a little more research, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing.

First, the injury history. It's not good news when any player has groin troubles, but how can a guy have to need THREE different surgeries on the area before they reach 30? Not to mention the fact that Wellwood broke his foot playing soccer earlier this off-season ... yeesh ...

The real cause for these injuries? Piss poor conditioning.

Take this diatribe from a Leafs fan over at "He Score, He Shoot!"

To say that Kyle is a baby-faced guy is the understatement of the century unless you quickly follow it up with "baby-bodied", "baby-legged" and "baby-conditioned". Everything on him is round. Kyle is so out of shape, he wouldn't make it in my league; and my league features Wash, who regularly samples an entire tasting menu with wine minutes before a game.

Everything about Wellwood's shit season can be attributed to the fact that last summer, the heaviest lifting he did was hauling the empty 2-4 case out of the back of the pickup and into his local LCBO. How do we know? Because unbelievably, Wellwood's dad said so last year before training camp.

Want proof?

How about this picture of his beer belly doing some hard rehab with his puckbunny girlfriend.

Second, Wellwood's style of play. The boy is soft, and not just his stomach, and also very small. 5'10"? With skates on ... Wellwood doesn't take the body, and doesn't shoot enough.

Basically, we have a tiny Power Play specialist in the mold of Herbert Vasiljevs.

Lovely.

Welcome to the Mike Gillis era.

It's Housecleaning Time in TO

2008-06-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, "Trader Cliff" Fletcher is certainly not your typical Interim GM. Besides, being given the reigns for at least a season, and not just 1-2 months, it seems Fletcher has been tasked with leaving a clean slate for the new GM (Burkie?) to work with.

Instead of just sitting back and waiting for his sponge bath, Fletcher has been busy cleaning house and getting rid of garbage stowed away in the attic.

Witness ...

1. Waiving Andrew Raycroft - one of JFJ's biggest mistakes was giving this young goalie a monster contract. Raycroft wilted in Toronto and never found the form he found in his rookie season. Raycroft is too expensive to be a backup goalie and simply not good enough.

2. Waiving Kyle Wellwood - This move shocks me somewhat, even if Wellwood is a midget and soft on the body. Wellwood is young, offensively talented, and isn't too expensive. You'd think Wellwood would stick around for at least another season.

Then again, the guy did only get 21 points last year in 59 games and is very suspect defensively. The Leafs are obviously worried about his ability to stay healthy, also.

3. Waiving/Buying-Out(?) Darcy Tucker - Love him or hate him, you know Tucker is an effective pest who can occasionally put the puck in the net. He's also overpaid at $3mil per season, and has had problems staying healthy. With his age (33) and his style of play, you know Darcy is an asset that will depreciate quickly.

4. Not going after Mats Sundin - Even if the Leafs don't intend to compete, this is a move that I think is a poor one. Besides being Mr. Maple Leaf, Sundin is also one of the most bankable, consistent offensive producers in the game. You can always count on Sundin to provide about a point-a-game whilst staying healthy. If Sundin wants to stay, why not sign him? It's not as if the Leafs don't have cap room.

I've been extremely critical of the way fossil Fletcher was brought on board and critical of the way the Leafs have managed their franchise since ... forever. Instead of finding a talented GM to chart a new course, the Leafs decided on some old guy to come in and simply 'hold the fort'.

That said, I have to commend the fact that Fletcher is not afraid to clean up some of the mess left behind and ensure that the GM-to-be doesn't have to waste time on such endeavors. While being in a 'holding pattern' for a season is a poor way to manage a club, Fletcher seems intent on at least allowing the Leafs to start fresh and not simply hang onto whatever chaff they have on board.

The fact is, JFJ signed a lot of players to deals that pay them too much: Jason Blake, Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker, Andrew Raycroft, and Pavel Kubina. With the Leafs not being a very good team, it's obvious that some of these expensive players had to be let go in order to leave room for any future business.

As long as Fletcher doesn't spend this new-found cap room on aging vets in a stupid attempt to make the playoffs, the Leafs are, shockingly, looking like they might know what they are doing.

Monday Morning Musings

2008-06-23T07:54:00.001-07:00

The more things change, the more they stay the same *sigh*

Mike Gillis' reign of error as GM of the Canucks thus far has not been much different than the man he chopped to pieces in the media. (Nonis, FYI)

I figured since Gillis, who NEVER smiles, is going to gut the scouting staff, and would have dealt the 1st Rounder to another team.

Instead, Gillis got greedy, couldn't get a deal done, and ended up with Cody Hodson.

Now, reading Hodson's scouting reports, he's not a BAD pick for the 10th slot, he's just ... boring.

The Canucks have a history of taking boring '2-way' forwards with a rather low ceiling. Remember Nathan Smith? Hell, as hard as Ryan Kesler works and as well as he skates, he's not putting up big offensive numbers, nor will he ever.

The Canucks' are never going to be a great team if they continue to draft players that have no true "star" potential. Hodson may very well become a solid citizen for the Canucks, but it's highly unlikely he'll ever become an above-average player in the NHL.

The Canucks could have drafted bad boy Kyle Beach, but they went with the conservative pick ... bleh

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Speaking of the draft, I was out on Friday and Saturday and was glad I missed to whole thing. How could anyone sit through 4 hours of First Round draft coverage. Yeah, I missed a lot of trades, but that'll allow me to slowly catch up on what went down.

The Canucks could have had Cammalleri, but ended up being rebuffed.
Canadiens got Tanguay and want Sundin. Gainey obviously knows the time is now and is being aggressive. In today's salary cap era, where few teams seem to be able to sustain success, you'll see teams go for broke if they see an opening.

At least the Habs have lots of good young talent, so going after Sundin and Tanguay won't cripple them in the long term.

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Some very sad news to report as George Carlin, my favourite comedian and one of the very best, died at the age of 71.

The way Carlin saw the world and the way he talked about the softening of our language made him more than just a jokester. Listening to or reading Carlin's rants can open your eyes to the wicked ways of the world.

And, of course, those "seven dirty words that can't be said over the air."

"There will always be language taboos in any culture. There are aspects of our bodies that certain religions have put beyond the pale. I don't think it's cheapened our discourse. I think it limits people," he said. "I've always said I enjoy using all the language. Human beings invented all of this language. When I was a little boy, I was told to look up to policemen and look up to sports stars, and look up to the military. And we all know how they speak. Apparently it hasn't corrupted them morally. So. I think these words are overrated for their power."

Frat-boys like Dane Cook might be able to fill some arenas, but they will NEVER be 1/100 as funny or relevant as Carlin.

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Speaking about humour, the boys at 2 Man Advantage are back with another hilarious episode.

Hungry Hungry Hippos + New York Islanders = Loads of fun.

2 Man Advantage hang out with a few Islanders on Islanders Illustrated and grill newbie Kyle Okposo. This is the kind of quality fan-made content that makes the Mainstream media less relevant in our lives.

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Is the KHL the New WHA?

2008-06-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

In the last decade, we've seen the Russian Superleague dish out some very lucrative US$ contracts to NHL-caliber players. Despite the fact that Superleague tickets, like most European teams, are dirt cheap, and the attendance in most arenas isn't more than a few thousand, some salary structures of RHL clubs rival that of the lower-scale NHL clubs.

Now, this new KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) is threatening to expand this toss-money-around mentality akin to the old days of the WHA.

The WHA put $1mil together to lure Bobby Hull from the NHL, and now the Russians are trying to do the same with one Evgeni Malkin.

Per TSN.ca

If the new Russian professional hockey league has its way, the National Hockey League career of Hart Trophy candidate Evgeni Malkin will be pretty short.

According to a report in the Toronto Star, the Russian teams are prepared to offer the Russian-born Malkin a contract that would make him the highest-paid hockey player in the world. The multi-year contract would be worth at least $12.5 million tax free per season, or the equivalent of $15 million per year in the NHL.

"Hey, we can afford to pay more than the NHL right now," a high-ranking executive with the Russian league, called the Continental League, told the Star. "Our economy is commodities-based so we're not going through the same problems that you have in America."

Hilarious. This guy really thinks Russia's economy is greater than the US of A's? Yes, Russia has some extremely rich bastards and things are looking up from a decade ago, but the economy of the entire country is hardly strong.

Commodities - That, my friends, is the key word. These Russian teams are owned by billionaire Oil, Energy, and Diamond Barons who need something fun to spend their excess cash on. What better than a hockey team which can double as a tax-shelter? Yes, I know I'm repeating myself from earlier posts, but the point is a good one.

In the NHL, owners actually try and make a profit, either on normal net income or on the sale of their team. Russian owners, such as the ones who want to be in the KHL, know that they'll be losing a lot of their own money. This is an expensive hobby, and a real threat to the NHL.

I know there is an element of "Yeah, right!" to the threat that the KHL could lure NHL players to Russia, but we have to realize that many players simply value their financial situation over playing against the best in the world. Players in Russia pay little or no income tax, which is another big incentive for them to put up with cold Russian winters.

Do you really think Malkin wouldn't take the bait and play in his home country?

If I were the NHL, I would be a bit nervous. These maverick billionaires have no qualms about spending their Monopoly money to overpay NHL stars to show off to their friends.

You know that if this KHL gets under way and doesn't fold within 1-2 years, the NHLPA will be happy. Sure, it means some of their members are going overseas, but it shows the NHL that they'll have to pony up more money if they want to keep the talent on this side of the pond.

As for the IIHF? Shockingly, they are siding with the NHL, but only because Malkin has one year left on his deal with the Penguins:

"We would view any signing, from either side, of a player under a valid contract, who does not have any legally valid out-clause, to be a clear violation of the mutual understanding and existing principle. It would potentially be punishable with suspended national team eligibility and suspension from all competition or activity organized by the IIHF or any IIHF member national association. This would include events like the Olympic Winter Games, the IIHF World Championship or international club competitions like the Champions Hockey League.

Of course, we know the IIHF would hail any true free agents to sign with European clubs. The NHL has long pilfered players from Europe, so envision how Fasel and his cronies would laugh it up as the thought of the KHL pilfering players from North America.

The NHL vs. MSG

2008-06-19T12:19:00.001-07:00

Gary Bettman is a classic case of someone with Napoleon Syndrome. You know, a short little runt that has an insatiable taste for power to make up for his physical shortcomings.

Case in point is his personal vendetta (And it IS personal, believe you me) versus MSG for control over their ... website.

Yes, MSG dared not to become part of the NHL.com collective, and actually likes to do its own thing. While I think it is better for the Rangers to be part of the whole NHL.com thing, I respect the fact that they want to have their own voice.

The NHL, not liking anyone to step out of line, is threatening some serious legal action.

From the National Post:

The National Hockey League is threatening to strip Madison Square Garden of its ownership of the New York Rangers, WNBC reported Thursday.

According to the report, the NHL is seeking to punish MSG for accusing the league of violating anti-trust laws. On Wednesday, the NHL filed court papers that included a letter from commissioner Gary Bettman notifying MSG that it has begun disciplinary proceedings against the organization.

The league and the Rangers have feuded over control of the team's web site. In September, Madison Square Garden sued the NHL, saying it violated antitrust laws by monopolizing control of team promotions. However, a judge ruled in November that the league was within its right to take control of the web site.

In Wednesday's court filing, the league asked a judge to agree that MSG breached its contract by challenging NHL rules. The NHL further claimed that it can force MSG out of the league.

I am amazed that the judge sided with the league. Shouldn't the team be able to control its own frickin website? Geezus.

The Dolans are rich and powerful, and I am amazed Bettman is throwing such a hissy fit over a website. Do you really think he's going to kick MSG out of the league? I just can't see it happening.

Just call this what it is, rich men with small penises who can't stand to lose control. This is just a small example of why the human race is going to eventually wipe itself out ... people just cannot share.

The HHOF Screws Up Yet Again

2008-06-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the idiots who run the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Glenn Anderson, Igor Larionov, and two other non-player jabronis (Ed Chynoweth, former WHL president in the Builder Category and Ray Scapinello in the Referee/Linesman Category).

I understand that referees and 'builders' contribute a lot to the game, but the fact is that the PLAYERS make the game, and should be put above the officials and rich businessmen who profit from them.

Why is it that we continue to have so many builders and officials inducted while only two players make the cut?

TWO?

How can these morons induct only two players from the likes of Adam Oates, Phil Housley, Doug Gilmour, Dino Ciccarelli, and the other host of fine players that could have been considered?

*grumble*

Once again, the voters valued playoff exploits heavily as their selection of Glenn Anderson indicates.

Now, Glenn Anderson was certainly a fine player, and his playoff numbers (6 Stanley Cups and 214 points in 225 playoff games) are quite impressive, but was he anything other than a great supporting scorer during his career? Was Anderson ever one of the top players in the game at any one point? Did the HHOF not consider that Anderson is a horrible person who cheats his ex-wife out of alimony, among other lovely character traits?

Glenn Anderson was only ever ONCE in the top ten in scoring in any one season, when he finished with 104 in 1982-83. How many true Hall of Fame forwards, playing on the same frickin team as Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, would ever not make more Top 10's than that?

Meanwhile, superior players in Adam Oates, Doug Gilmour, and Phil Housley get the shaft. Crikey!

Yes, the same Adam Oates who had SEVEN Top 10 scoring finished, also finished with nearly a point-a-game in the playoffs, and sit 15th on the all-time points scoring list.

W
T
F?

As for Igor Larionov, I don't mind his induction, although not at the expense of more deserving players. I know Igor would make it eventually, anyway.

At least Vladimir Crouton wasn't inducted.

HHOF: Do Makarov and Krutov Make the Cut?

2008-06-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

With the Hockey Hall of Fame set to induct some more members into the holy shrine, everyone and their mothers has an opinion on who should be in.

Joe Pelletier, who is quite knowledgeable about the players who are up for nomination, goes out on a limb and proclaims that Sergei Makarov and Vladimir Krutov should also be inducted, after assuming Igor Larionov's induction.

But are there more deserving European candidates than Larionov? We need not look any further than Larionov's own wingers to find two equally deserving Hall of Fame inductees, perhaps even more worthy - Sergei Makarov and Vladimir Krutov.

Igor Larionov was the unselfish and brainy chessmaster of the KLM Line. With his help, both Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov harnessed their near limitless raw talent and became the best players in the world. I am absolutely convinced that both Krutov and Makarov are among the top 5 wingers of the 1980s. I would suggest only Mike Bossy and Jari Kurri would challenge either for top billing, with Michel Goulet maybe rounding out the top 5.

First, let's get it right out there: The Russians were a bunch of professionals in the guise of 'amateur' status that routinely beat up on true amateurs. Yes, they often did well against NHL competition in the rare times they met (Canada Cup), but not enough to get a true measure of their skill level. If we start inducting the likes of Krutov, then how about Milan Novy and Dzurinda? There are plenty of European players who you could make a case for, eh?

Krutov is an easy NO, given that he has a whopping 34 points in 61 NHL Games.

Yes, after doing very well for the Russian team, Krutov came to North America, got fat, and was out of the NHL after one season. He was 29 at the time, and finished off his career playing in the lower tiers of Swedish hockey. What a way to go, eh?

Unless you are Bobby Orr, you don't get inducted after finishing your good playing days at the age of 29. Krutov didn't prove himself to be at all good against NHL competition, and his career was quite short. At least Larionov proved himself worthy against NHL players. Krutov was simply a Russian-league star on a team that Communist government stacked well, and nothing more.

Makarov? At least his brief NHL career showed that he was a pretty good player. From the ages of 31-38, Makarov put up 384 points in 424 games. Showing that he was a point-a-game player after the age of 30, plus his international achievements, and you have a player that you can make a solid case for, if you do your homework.

In the end, I could see Larionov making it, and maybe Makarov in a very slow year, but never EVER Vladimir Krutov.

Dare to Dream: Demitra to the Canucks?

2008-06-15T08:14:00.001-07:00

Whilst perusing her CanWest propaganda this fine morning, my girlfriend happened upon Tony Gallagher's latest pennings, and had my ears perking by mentioning those magic words:

"Pavol Demitra"

Oh? What's this?

According to Skeletor (that's Tony G, not my girlfriend), new GM Mike Gillis might be scrapping the Canucks' long-standing Anti-Slovak policy and has shown interest in Pavol.

Speaking of deals, there are also stories circulating around the league that Gillis and the Canucks could end up the subject of an NHL investigation if the GM's former client, Pavol Demitra, should end up signing with Vancouver on or about July 1.

While nobody is saying so officially, the word is that at least one general manager -- one would suspect it would be Doug Risebrough but nobody knows for sure -- is going to make a stink to the league that Gillis might have had improper contact with a player under contract to another NHL team (Minnesota) when the Slovak centre decided to come to Vancouver and be shown around by Markus Naslund.

Gillis wasn't even in town when his former client came to scope out the city, but for some reason somebody is telling at least one well-connected media guy he'll ask the league to look into the possibility of impropriety.

But any such contact would not only be difficult to prove, it would have been totally unnecessary on the GM's part.

The hitch? The Wild aren't really keen on keeping Pavol, but they know that his best friend, Marian Gaborik, would be easier to sign to a long-term deal if his BFF was still on the team.

I don't dare to dream about Pavol playing for the Canucks, because I know I'll have my heart broken. It would just be like the Canucks to end up with somebody crappy like Steven Reinprecht or some other castaway.

Wayne's World: Musings on the Media

2008-06-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

by Wayne, our boy from the South

---

Last week, in USA TODAY's TV sports section, there was a brief item about several current NFL players going to a TV "Boot Camp" at the NFL Network run by the sainted NFL Films (cue up symphonic warrior-type music). The seminar was to see if these players had what it took to move on to the commentary booth and/or wear the TV blazer when their playing days were over.

I'd like to see the NHL do something similar, but with a twist: have ALL players AND executives (league and team) attend a PR "Boot Camp" run by PR and media-types where they'll all learn how to be a little more media friendly. The instructors should come from both Madison Avenue and TV execs, with the latter not coming from Versus, but from other entertainment channels (E!, Spike TV, VH1) with the idea of getting all involved with the league to loosen up a bit, "let their hair down a little", stop delivering stock answers ("We have a real good organ-eye-zation"), and just get their faces out a little more. (And English lessons for those coming from Europe.)

Last Saturday, Jim McKay died. He was before your time; I wish you were able to see ABC's Wide World of Sports back when it was really good (early 60's-mid 70's). The show broadcast events no one (other than the partcipants) knew existed: Acupulco cliff-diving, demolition derby, sumo wrestling, and other stuff. But McKay (and others) made it so compelling, you couldn't turn away. (That, and there were only THREE networks then).

McKay was also ABC's lead announcer for the Olympic telecasts (ABC WAS the network of the Olympics up to Calgary in Winter '88), which pioneered a feature, first innovative, then later parodied and ridiculed: a feature called "Up Close & Personal", showcasing the athletes from other countries and their personal stories: The gymnast from Romania who was a product of the Communist system, the swimmer from Austria swimming for the memory of his brother dying of cancer, the barefoot track star from Kenya, etc. During the packaged TV obituary on The Worldwide Leader in Sports, Roone Arledge (the Godfather of what we see on sports television today) made a great comment: "You had to know who the people were, so you'd know who to root for."

I mention this because, as I've said too often in these emails, the NHL has no damn clue on how to reach the casual viewer. If pro sports had to depend on the casual fan, the NBA and NHL would've closed up shop years ago. There are way too many announcers who can X-and-O you to death (true for the NFL and NBA as well), but give you no reason to not to change the channel.

Remember that story about Georges Laraque visiting the sick boy? How come you never hear more stories like that? Why can't Versus, NBC, TSN, CBC, and the regional sports nets pool resources to interview players off the ice and tell their stories? Not only that, with more and more players coming from Europe, get on a damn plane and interview Ilya Kovalchuk, Alex Ovechkin, et al, during the off season in their native lands?

We can't give charisma transplants to people born without, but the league and broadcast partners need to do something fast if they want to capitalize on the buzz after last week's Cup final...

Quick Question: Who is Better Off?

2008-06-11T12:38:00.001-07:00

Wayne, our ever perky Southern Correspondent, comes to me with a rather hard-to-answer question

---
In a typical Presidential election year, the candidate whose party is out of office always asks the voters, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Four years ago, NHL fans were about to face a lockout. Three years ago, we finally got back to playing. But are things any better for fans of certain teams? Of these teams, who's better off (or worse off) today than they were three years ago when the playing field was supposed to be leveled financially?

L.A. Kings
Atlanta Thrashers
Florida Panthers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Phoenix Coyotes
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues

Or everyone's favorite:

Toronto Maple Leafs
---

Without having access to the finances of these clubs, it is very hard to comment on if they are truly better off than they were before the lockout

Chicago? They are much better off, simply because "Dollar Bill" Wirtz bit the big one and his spawn 'get it'. The Hawks are on TV (GASP!), have some great young talent, and seem to be getting some buzz in the Windy City.

St. Louis? They were always well off...they have a good fan-base, good corporate sponsorship, and never were in any danger.

The Canadian teams are doing great, but I would opine that they got hurt a lot by the CBA. We know the Canadian teams make a huge chunk of the league's revenues, so we know that these same clubs have to contribute a huge chunk into the revenue sharing pool.

Who benefits? Atlanta, Florida, Nashville, etc.. Oh, the Leafs are in terrific shape, especially since the Canadian dollar is strong, but they likely would be stronger if we were under the old system and the Leafs could keep every dime they make.

Does anyone else have some theories?

TSN Delivers Groin Shot to CBC

2008-06-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

If TSN and CBC were in a UFC-style fight, TSN (via CTV) would be young strapping utilizing the ground-and-pound technique on the old over-the-hill 'ceeb'.

Punch by punch, TSN continues to pound away at CBC's hold on hockey in this country and the CBC doesn't appear to know how to use 'the guard' to defend properly in this fight. The CBC is still alive and kicking, but seems incapable of stopping TSN's offensive tide.

Another big blow was dealt this week as TSN purchased the rights to Canada's other national anthem, the song formerly known as the Hockey Night in Canada theme song. This comes after TSN signed a deal giving them more games to broadcast, featuring more Canadian content.

Watching TSN last night, they spent a LOT of time bragging about their new purchase, and how they delivered an elbow to the face of CBC.

I mean, look at the headline: "CTV SAVES 'THE HOCKEY THEME' SONG". As if TSN is the saviour protecting hockey fans from the evil cheapness of CBC.

Brilliant PR, methinks.

Toronto, ON - CTV Inc., together with Copyright Music & Visuals, today announced that CTV Inc. has acquired all rights to 'The Hockey Theme' in perpetuity, preserving the song's legacy and ensuring it will be heard on national television for years to come. 'The Hockey Theme' song will now live on CTV Inc. properties TSN, RDS and across Canada on CTV during coverage of the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympics as outlined below.

"The song has a long and storied history in Canadian sports and has become ingrained in the hearts and minds of hockey fans across the country. It is an iconic tune, embraced by Canadians everywhere, and we felt it was imperative to save it. We know we will be in hockey forever, so there's no doubt this acquisition will create value for us," said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. "It's an honour and a privilege to own such a cherished piece of Canadiana

The problem, as I see it, is that the song will always be known as the Hockey Night in Canada theme song, and part of CBC's Saturday night coverage. The song can never be truly owned by TSN, because folks like me will always associate it with CBC, Don Cherry, Ron MacLean, and so on.

The song is classic, strong, and ... not modern. TSN is all about the fancy graphics, state-of-the-art technology, and being 'cool'. The song just doesn't fit TSN's theme, and is akin to having your 55-year old step-mom go to the mall wearing a pink Hannah Montana t-shirt.

It just doesn't seem right, does it?

---

DJ Gallo, a funny writer (and part-Slovak!) over at ESPN's Page 2, 'found' a letter that the NHL wrote to Tiger Woods after the golfer/corporate whore slagged the NHL.

Good stuff!

(Original Link)

Holistic Hockey Hall of Fame Selections

2008-06-09T10:22:00.001-07:00

Over at his Legends of Hockey site, author Joe Pelletier has a look at the potential candidates to be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 8 eight days time.

Joe has gone so far as to do his own Power Rankings, although I have no idea what criteria he used other than his own encyclopedic knowledge of the game.

Here is his power rankings, with a couple of his comments left in there.
Doug Gilmour
Igor Larionov
Pavel Bure - The Russian Rocket was the game's most electrifying and explosive scorer in the 1990s. But his career was cut short by injuries. If Cam Neely got in, so will Pavel.
Adam Oates
Dino Ciccarelli
Sergei Makarov
Claude Lemieux
Glenn Anderson - Clutch playoff performer is one of the top 5 playoff scorers in most offensive categories. But the squeaky clean selection committee does not like his off-ice reputation.
Boris Mikhailov
Anatoli Firsov
Tom Barrasso
Pat Verbeek
Mike Richter

Others: Mark Howe, Neal Broten, Phil Housley, Mike Vernon, Andy Moog, Rogie Vachon, Wendel Clark, Dale Hunter and Guy Carbonneau.

---

Now, if I had a vote, you can be sure the HHOF would not include the likes of Clark Gillies. I'm not as anal as some Baseball HOF voters, but I think the HHOF should include only the very best. Playoff success is not a great measure of a player given how a guy like Gillies can simply get lucky to be where he was. Poor Marcel Dionne was one of the very best, yet he was stuck on crappy LA Kings teams and never got close to the Stanley Cup.

If I was to pick 3+1 players to get into the HHOF, my picks would be
1. Adam Oates
2. Phil Housley
3. Mark Howe
4. Boris Mikhailov

I add the +1 candidate because I believe the HHOF should keep 'International' players in a separate light, especially if they spent the majority or all of their careers outside of the NHL. Less and less players do so, but it's important to recognize the Mikhailov's.

Now, some explanations

Adam Oates vs. Doug Gilmour - I know the media love Gilmour, and will select him over Oates, but I consider Oates the superior player. Oates ranks higher in career assists, points, and points created per game than "Killer"

Phil Housley - I know the waif-like Housley is easily panned by most hockey fans, but how can the HHOF possibly leave out one of the best offensive defensemen to ever play the game?

He ranks 18th in career assists, 4th among D-men, ranks 36th in points all-time, and, until recently, was the king of all American point scorers.

Mark Howe - Unfortunately, I know that Mark Howe will never make the HHOF, despite his family pedigree.

Howe was simply one of the league's best defensemen back in the mid-early 80s, overshadowed only by the likes of Coffey, Potvin, and Bourque. Those Flyers teams were hard to score against, and Howe was the prime reason.

Oh, as a defenseman, he also ranks 24th(!) all time in shorthanded goals with 28, and ranks 11th all time with a +/- of +400. Howe was a complete defenseman, but barely ever got his due.

Bure - While Neely was voted in, Bure will not. The media love "Sea Bass", but see Bure as nothing short of a 'pouty cherry-picking Russian'. Sorry, Pavel

Larionov - I'd bet on him making it, but I'd rather take Mikhailov as the 'International' pick. Larionov's NHL career wasn't even close to HHOF-worthy, so that is why I'm not exactly keen on voting him in. Still, we can't deny the risks he took and the path he helped pave for other Russians.

Ciccarelli/Anderson - Despite their numbers and skill, the HHOF votes just plain don't like these guys for their off-the-ice exploits. I think Anderson was a good-but-not-great player, while Ciccarelli has the numbers to support his inclusion.

Clod Lemieux - Playoff exploits aside, Lemieux was an above-average player who got far more fame than he deserved. All too often, he'd coast through the regular season. A hall-of-fame forward from his era should do a lot better than only 2 70-point seasons.

David Pratt Fired for Plagiarism

2008-06-05T17:46:00.001-07:00

TV/Radio/Print personality "Big Fat" David Pratt is a divisive figure among Vancouver/BC sports fans. You either love him or, more probably, loathe the man for his blustery, opinionated views on the topic-du-jour. (He doesn't bother me too much these days)

Well, Pratt haters will be amused to hear that David Pratt has been canned from his side gig at The Province, our local mainstream birdcage liner.

The reason? A blatant rip off of a quote by American writer Rick Reilly, who is known more for being a fraud who poops his pants.

From one toilet to another, eh?

From the mouth of the lion:

The Province is ending the column written by TEAM 1040 AM sports talk-show host David Pratt after he admitted to plagiarizing some portions of a Sports Illustrated piece written by well-known writer Rick Reilly.

The column, celebrating the winding down of the long career of Hockey Night In Canada play by play man Bob Cole, contained some clear similarities to the Reilly piece about legendary U.S. college basketball coach and broadcaster Al McGuire published in the Sept. 18, 2000, edition of Sports Illustrated.

The most striking was a passage in Reilly's piece: "They say he was born 72 years ago last Thursday, but don't believe it. McGuire dropped straight out of Guys and Dolls with a martini in one hand and a basketball in the other."
Pratt wrote in Tuesday's column in The Province: "Cole was born 75 years ago, but it's more likely he dropped straight out of Guys and Dolls with a martini in one hand and a puck in the other."

Now, Pratt claims that radio guys like him rip off/borrow quotes all the time. I suppose that is true, and it's not as if we don't all borrow/use lines.

But this? Purely lazy and purely blatant plagiarism. Pratt admits that he just wanted to go home early on a Saturday afternoon, and he got caught. Ha!

You just know that in today's Internet age, such plagiarism, especially of a fairly well-known quote, is going to be caught by somebody.

As a blogger and *cough*writer*cough*, I know better and liberally utilize quoting and block quoting in my post. How hard would it have been for Pratt to add a simple "As Rick Reilly might say" before his line? That would acknowledge the source, and he'd still have a job.

Now, Pratt's written content was pretty dull and not very intelligent. It's one thing for a blogger on a free-to-visit site, like me, to write crap, but it is another for a guy like Pratt to be paid by a newspaper, a product consumers PAY for, to write such drivel on a regular basis. Then again, The Province and the CanWest Empire is hardly known for its quality.

---

As an aside, I once committed by own act of plagiarism by posting material written by Rich "The American Hockey Fan", and should have been more vigilant in my posting.

A friend of mine had sent me a very humourous take-off on those Nigerian SPAM mails we receive all too often. I thought it was my friend who had written it, and so I posted it on my site. I didn't realize that Ritch had posted that material, which he wrote, the day before.

Lesson: I should have asked my friend if he wrote the material. He was known for funny stuff, so I just 'assumed'.

When you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME

*grooooan*

EuroWings: The Cream of the Crop

2008-06-05T09:05:00.003-07:00

Don Cherry must be crying into his loud polyester pajamas this morning. Not only did his beloved Gary Roberts not skate off into the sunset with a Stanley Cup, but the Detroit Red Wings are, by far, the most Euro-laden team to ever win the big prize.

It is true that in the past, you'd want Canadian grit and heart on your roster, given how most Stanley Cup winners were very much filled with a majority of Canucks (and a few Americans). The Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Anaheim Ducks had very few Europeans on their roster, and gave fuel to the fire about European players sucking trash when it counts most.

Then came this year's Red Wings... just look at the European influence on their roster.

Henrik Zetterberg
Pavel Datsyuk
Johan Franzen
Niklas Kronwall
Jiri Hudler (look at how many points he scored with so little ice time)
Mikael Samuelsson
Nicklas Lidstrom
Tomas Holmstrom
Valtteri Filppula
Andreas Lilja
Dominik Hasek

Yes, almost half of their playoff roster was European.

The best players on the team? They are European. You have Conn Smythe winner Zetterberg, captain Lidstrom, and slick Datsyuk.

Role players? You have the hard-working Franzen with Holmstrom, plus defensive-minded guys like Filppula and Samuelsson.

Yeah, the evil Swedes can certainly bring it when it counts.

It's not where the players are from, but which players you get. Yes, Zetterberg and Datsyuk were once playoff non-factors, but they obviously matured and learned how to score when the spaces get tighter and the battles get fiercer.

Despite the fact that I still maintain the Wings got lucky not to play a physical opponent other than overmatched Nashville in the playoffs(Anaheim and San Jose would have given the Wings fits), we can't deny that from start to finish, the Wings were just the best team in the league this year.

Record: 54-21-7 (1st)
Goals For: 257 (3rd)
Goals Against: 184 (1st)
Power Play: 20.7% (3rd)
Penalty Kill: 84.0% (8th)

As for the Penguins, this was a great year for them, and, despite the lack of a cup, no Pens fan should look back on this season with much derision.

EuroWings: The Cream of the Crop

2008-06-05T09:05:00.001-07:00

Chad Kroeger: Wings Fan and Giant Douche

2008-06-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Crad Kroeger is the lead singer of the horrible band Nickelback, for which I, on behalf of many Canadians, apologize for us spawning onto the world. Listening to their music is only slightly less painful than puncturing your ballsack with a Hattori Hanzo sword.

Kroeger is also a drunk driving douchebag that just happened to be caught cheering for the Red Wings in this (Getty Images) photo.

As if you needed another reason to hate the guy, besides the fact that he likes to such himself off, and is uglier than Hillary Clinton.

Way to jump on the bandwagon there, buddy.

Notice the douchebag look on his face, and the douchebag hand gestures? Does he think the fans are there to see him 'rock it out'?

Kid Rock as a Red Wings fan is believable. Chad Kroeger as a Wings fan is not.

Tuesday's Thoughts

2008-06-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

As if typical with the Toronto Maple Leafs, they can't quite do anything right.

Such is the case of their soon-to-be-hire of coach Ron Wilson, a guy they've hired before a new GM has been put in place.

Toronto Maple Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher says he's found the man he wants to coach the team and has offered him the job.

Sources tell TSN that former Sharks coach Ron Wilson is on his way to Toronto to meet with Leafs officials to try and work out a deal.

When reached by phone, Wilson, who was about to board a plane, refused comment.

While scrambling to catch a plane himself on Monday, Fletcher told reporters he had offered the Leafs' coaching job to a candidate and was in negotiations to seal the deal.

That's just asking for trouble down the line. What if the new GM and Wilson butt heads? What if the new GM wants to make an offensive team, and not the stifling defensive club Ron Wilson is so keen on putting out?

Of course, given JFJ's experience, we know the GM doesn't make the final call on whether the coach is hired or fired. It makes you wonder why anyone would take the job.

As for Wilson, we know he's an excellent coach. Still, I don't see him fitting in well in Toronto, given the kind of team they have. Wilson is very much defensive-oriented, and the Leafs have quite a few offensive-minded players on the club. Kyle Wellwood? Don't expect to stay around much longer.

---

The Pens got lucky, and should be kissing Marc-Andre's Fleury's feet all day for the way he stole Game Five for them last night.

You had the feeling the Wings had the game sewn up, and were greatly outplaying the less experienced Penguins.

But, Fleury robs Samuelsson with the save of the series, Hossa ties it up, and now the series shifts back to Pittsburgh.

At the very least, the NHL must be thrilled that the Penguins managed to stretch this thing out somewhat.

---

Freaknomics was a book that I enjoyed, and their blog is one I frequent regularly.

It was rather surprising that the blog mentioned hockey, albeit briefly.

The blog post points out one very interesting stat that the AP picks up.

Road teams have won 10 of the past 12 overtime games in the finals and are 15-4 since 1990.

Some interesting comments, including this one (poor capitalization included)

it is mental. the home team typically has the mental edge during the game as they “should win” and get energy from the crowd. as the game goes on and into overtime, that edge shifts to the visitor as they are now almost in a “nothing to lose” situation because technically, they should not be there still, they should have already lost. this translates into the home team playing “tighter” and leads to mistakes. since it is hockey, a single mistake can lead to a goal and the game.

in this game, detroit had it won until the lat .35 seconds and could clinch the cup at home. that increased the anxiety on their part. a pittsburg win would allow them to go back home for the next game….

One other point: Good teams tend to get home ice advantage because they put up good records. That's just a fact

Barry Melrose is Back

2008-05-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

I don't get American ESPN up here in Vancouver, so I rarely get to experience the 'experience' that is "The Mullet" Barry Melrose.

He seems to be a popular figure among American hockey fans, although I don't know if it is just the hair, rather than his hockey knowledge.

I figured doing TV was a comfortable gig, and that Melrose had been out of the game so long he'd never be an NHL head coach again.

Yet, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have a thin team that even Scotty Bowman couldn't do much with, hired Mullet Man to be their head coach.

ORLY?

Per TSN.ca

The Toronto Star reports that ESPN hockey analyst and former Los Angeles Kings head coach Barry Melrose is set to return behind the bench for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Melrose, who coached the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, would replace John Tortorella, who still holds the post.

According to the Star, incoming team owner Oren Koules has pushed for the hiring of Melrose in an effort to further sell the team and the sport in Florida. His group is awaiting approval from the NHL's Board Of Governors to take over the team, with the vote set to take place on June 18.

What sells hockey tickets? WINS!!! Even if Melrose a minor celeb in hockey circles, how will his hiring help sell tickets for a team that is obviously short on depth, defence, and goaltending?

Now, I shouldn't rag on Melrose too much, although I wonder if he's way too stale at this point.

Melrose had a good track record of success as a head coach, including taking the LA Kings to the Cup Finals in 1993, a Memorial Cup in his first year of CHL coaching, and an AHL Calder Cup in his third year of AHL coaching.

Some Melrose Facts, per Wikipedia.

Melrose is cousin to former NHL players Wendel Clark and Joe Kocur.

Melrose guest starred in a season 5 episode of the ABC sitcom Spin City ("Hey Judith," January 17th, 2001).

In the video game Mutant League Hockey, Melrose is portrayed as Coach Smellnose. (haha!)

He was in a scene of the second Slapshot movie Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice

Had a small role in movie Mystery Alaska with Russell Crowe.

An NHL blog (unaffiliated with Melrose) entitled "Barry Melrose Rocks" bears his name as a tribute. (hmm, who could that be?)

R.I.P Luc Bourdon (1987-2008)

2008-05-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

I was going to do a post on how happy I was that Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins finally broke through and scored some goals ... and won a game! OMGZ

Instead, there was a big bomb dropped on the hockey world with the shocking announcement of the death of Canucks prospect Luc Bourdon.

Now, the only major media link I have right now is in French, so I can't really translate.

RDS LINK

Le défenseur des Canucks de Vancouver, Luc Bourdon, a perdu la vie lors d'un grave accident de moto entre Shippagan et Lamèque, au Nouveau-Brunswick.

Autour de 12h30 heure avancée de l'Est, (13h30 Heure des maritimes) il aurait perdu le contrôle de sa moto avant de percuter un semi-remorque.

Sa soeur, Ève, a confirmé la nouvelle.

CKNW.com (radio station) also reports the same.

Basically, Bourdon was riding a motorbike and got hit by a truck. His sister confirmed the death.

As if life as a Canucks fan wasn’t crappy enough, our top prospect goes and dies :(

I never knew the guy, so I can't really express deep sympathies (something I don't like faking).

Instead, I'll talk about my favourite memory of the Canucks prospect.

A few years back, I covered the World Junior Hockey Championships for eurohockey.net, as they were being held in Vancouver. The Canadians were heavily favoured, and Bourdon was one of the big stars on the team.

I can remember how dominant he was in that tournament, and I was always surprised that he could never translate that into success at the pro level.

During that WJC, Bourdon was a machine... he was hitting, scoring, and scaring goalies poopless with his big slap shot. Basically, he looked like a great all-around defensemanin the making.

The crowd definitely appreciated the effort, and greeting the kid with many loud shouts of 'LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUC'. Very few Canucks players have ever gotten such love, so it was definitely fun to hear that.

*sigh*

Luc's NHL Totals

36GP 2G 0A 2PTS 24PIM

R.I.P.

Bold Prediction: Wings in Six

2008-05-27T10:17:00.001-07:00

Yes, I planned to have a prediction post done last Friday, but real life and laziness got in the way. Besides, everyone and their dogs have posted a prediction for the series, so it's not like the hockey world is missing the content.

My original prediction was the Wings in 6, but even that might be a bit generous to the Penguins given how thoroughly they've been pwned in Games 1 and 2.

Instead of doing a detailed analysis, I can say that the primary asset that the Wings have in spades is EXPERIENCE. Look at any past cup winner, and you see loads and loads of playoff experience.

The Wings have Lidstrom, Holmstrom, McCarty, Rafalski, Hasek, Osgood, Chelios, Draper, Maltby who have Cup rings, plus other crusty veterans like Dallas Drake and Brad Stuart. These guys have been there, done that, and have the T-shirts to prove it.

The Penguins? They have Gary Roberts, whose idea of leadership is to go after the concussed head of Johan Franzen, and Petr Sykora as cup winners. Gonchar is really the only other big-time old guy they got goin.

Oh, I guess Ty Conklin has cup experience, although he's likely tried very hard to forget that. Hossa? He hasn't done THAT much in the playoffs until this season.

So, the Wings know what the deep playoffs are like, and know how to handle all of the pressure. They are calm, cool, collected, and playing like the well-oiled machine we know them to be. The Wings were way better than anyone else at preventing shots against, and have held the Penguins to just 41 shots and 0 goals in 2 games. Kinda hard to score with 20.5 shots per game.

The Penguins are clearly frustrated.

Sidney Crosby? He's visibly frustrated at the Wings ability to choke the neutral zone and hem the Penguins in their own zone. Seeing him swear his head off is rather disconcerting.

Evgeni Malkin? Is he even playing? It's hard to notice. Did he suddenly remember that Russians aren't supposed to play hard when the calendar nears June?

It's pretty much a golden rule in the Stanley Cup playoffs that the most experienced team will win, especially when the gap is wider than Tara Reid's genitals.

I just hope the Penguins can take Game Three and turn this into a respectable series. The fact that the Pens are down 2-0 wouldn't be so bad if they were actually putting up a fight, but we know that hasn't been the case.

*sigh*

Video of the Day: Jennifer Hedger's Experimental Daze

2008-05-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Mention the name Jennifer Hedger to any Canadian male hockey fan, and they'll likely get that 'special feeling' in the nether regions that is triggered by the thought of a hot female.

To an American hockey fan? They have no idea who this blonde bombshell is, so let me introduce you to Canada's cutest sports broadcaster, who is somewhat our equivalent of your Erin Andrews.

Jennifer Hedger is best known to Canadians as the female face of our version of SportsCentre, the most-watched sports highlight show in the country. If we're watching highlights of Andrew Raycroft letting in another soft goal, it's probably Hedger doing the honors.

She's no blonde bimbo, either, and clearly knows her stuff. While she might appear, at first glance, to be some ratings-generating eye candy, but frequent appearances on "Off the Record", a popular sports talk show, showed her to be a knowledgeable and enthusiastic sports fan.

Of course, that's not the only thing she seems to be enthused about, as the video below will show you. (Probably not safe for your workplace. You've been warned).

Thanks to my pals, especially JP, over at FanHouse for the pointer.

Before Hedger got her nightly broadcasting gig, she was chosen, in 2001, to be a part of "U8TV: The Lofters", a crappy Canadian reality show where eight strangers lived together in a Toronto loft while also producing and hosting their own online television shows. It lasted only a year, and was watched by about four people.

I'm guessing more people would have watched if they had known Ledger was engaging in some hot girl-on-girl kissing, as seen in the video.

It's sloppy, but Hedger is clearly enjoying herself as much as you are enjoying watching the video.

Now, when is TSN going to make this their "Highlight of the Night", or at least the "TSN Turning Point"?

Broken Sticks May Break My Stones

2008-05-22T09:25:00.001-07:00

Another email from my Southern Correspondent brought up the topic of broken sticks and any potential hazard they may bring.

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Several weeks ago, MLB commish Bud Selig said he would look into doing something about maple bats; specifically, when they break, they can become health hazards...I can't count how many times I've seen a broken bat barrel stick into the ground like a javelin, and last night, a broken barrel almost hit Braves' third baseman Larry Wayne Jones when he was trying to field a grounder.

What does this have to do with hockey?

Over the past few seasons, I've seen too many times when Ilya Kovalchuk winds up for one of his slapshots and the stick breaks. Over the course of a game, you'll see about a dozen broken sticks on the ice -- and these guys are now using composite sticks (no wood). Years ago, a broken stick was a rarity...Maybe something needs to be done about hockey sticks as well...
---

This also seems to happen a lot to Mattias Ohlund (I have nothing to back that up, but that's my observation), and is certainly a LOT more commonplace than it was back in the days of Al Iafrate.

Are the composite sticks to blame, since they are the ones that seem to break all the damn time? Yes, somewhat.

From what I've heard and read over the years, the biggest problems with the new sticks are that it is much harder for a player to tell if it is cracked and/or compromised.

With a good old wooden stick, it's pretty damn easy to know if the thing is slightly cracked as it feels different and even sounds different. The new sticks just seem to hide the cracks better, so players are more likely to keep playing with their composite sticks, not knowing that they are at risk of having it break in their hands.

One other factor is that teams do not want to pay for too many of these sticks, so they are less likely to want to use new ones until the old ones are completely worn or broken.

As for safety, I haven't seen a lot of broken sticks causing injuries or coming close to doing so. The only danger is having a goal scoring against the team that had the misfortune of another stick getting buh-roke.

A Look at the Conn Smythe Candidates After Round Three

2008-05-21T10:35:00.001-07:00

With Johan Franzen's injury causing him to miss the Stars/Wings series, the Conn Smythe race has opened up to a whole swath of contenders, mainly the big names and usual suspects.

Right now, Sidney Crosby and Henrik Zetterberg sit 1-2 in the scoring race, with the likes of Malkin, Hossa(!), and Datsyuk not far behind.


Name               Team    GP   G   A   Pts   +/-

Sidney Crosby      PIT     14   4   17   21    6
Henrik Zetterberg  DET     16  11   10   21   15
Marian Hossa       PIT     14   9   10   19   7
Pavel Datsyuk      DET     16   9   10   19   12
Evgeni Malkin      PIT     14   9   10   19   5

While Crosby does have 2 less games played than Zetterberg,
I'd give Zetterberg the edge in the Conn Smythe race because goals are far more important than assists, and 7 is a large margin. Zetterberg also has a better +/-, and over twice as many shots on goal taken than The Kid.

Henrik also has 2 shorthanded goals and 3 game winning goals, which is tops among the Top 5. If I had to pick a winner after the first three rounds, he'd be it. I'd also give credit to Zetterberg for putting up his points against tougher defensive teams like Dallas and San Jose, compared to Crosby versus the likes of Philly and Ottawa.

Of course, we can't forget the starting goaltenders, both of whom have had an incredible playoff run.

Osbad: 13GP 10-2 1.60GAA 93.1SV%
Fleury: 14GP 12-2 1.70GAA 93.8SV%

Despite the fact that Osgood has a career full of mediocrity, and Fleury has had his growing pains, both goalies are practically 'money' right about now, and are neck and neck in terms on stats.

Of course, I'm loathe to give evil goalies too much credit, so I'd want them to prove

Хоккей Россия-Канада 5:4. ПОБЕДНЫЙ ГОЛ !

2008-05-19T08:42:00.001-07:00

In case that title shows up very wonky in your browser, Russia beat the Canadians 5-4 to claim gold at the World Hockey Championships.

Here is a great videoclip of the Russian call of Ilya Kovalchuk's game winning goal.

Despite the fact that the evil Russians won, the game was highly entertained, and I don't feel all that upset that the wrong guys won :) Unlike some of the one-sided NHL Playoff contests we've been watching, this game had passion, speed, and lots of goals. This is the type of hockey the NHL wishes it could have on a regular basis.

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Another random thought from our Southern Correspondent:
Going on the supposition that the Wings will eventually beat Dallas to face Pittsburgh, after the Cup final, it will be the first time in several years that the Cup parade will NOT be held in an arena parking lot...

Ooooh....

The World Championships Are On?

2008-05-18T08:53:00.001-07:00

You'd think with the World Championships in Canada, I'd blog about the tournament somewhat.

But, how can anyone with a day job blog about a tournament that plays its game at 11AM? Yes, I know the times are set for the European audience, but it seems rather foolish to have Canada's game in the morning when nobody can watch them. Why not have Canada's games, at the very least, during the evening? *sigh*

So, here are some highlights, courtesy of TSN, from the tournament that nobody around here seems to be watching.

Highlight #2 is sick...

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The Czech uniforms from this tournament are ... hideous! Red armpits, WTF?

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Southern Correspondent Wayne shares some thoughts on the PIT-PHI series.

Once the Flyers scored the empty net goal to put the game away, why didn't the Pens' coach take Crosby out and put in Georges Laraque? I don't think fights at the end of games "to send a message" makes much sense, but it was obvious something was gonna happen...

Every time I see Don Cherry with those loud coats, I can't help but think of an old sketch on the old Carol Burnett Show. A comedy classic, it was the "Gone With the Wind" parody which had Ms. Burnett (as Scarlett O'Hara) descending down a flight of stairs wearing drapes (curtains and rod) saying, "I saw it in the window and just had to try it on"...

Proof that Versus (cable TV's witness-protection program) has a tiny viewership: if Chris Simpson were a sideline reporter in any other sport, fans would be making signs saying, "Marry me, Chris Simpson"...

I think Thrasher fans may have dodged a bullet: Dave Nonis interviewed for the Maple Laffs job this week...

Dear Sidney, Please Shave That Mess Off!

2008-05-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's an annual rite of spring that hockey players grow disgusting-looking beards as they march on towards the Stanley Cup. It's one of the great, unique features of the NHL, and gives guys a real excuse not to shave for a couple of months.

The sad fact is, however, that some guys just can't pull it off, and should just get out the Gillette Mach 3's and get back to their regular shaving rituals.

One such guy is our beloved Sidney Crosby, who has been trying his very hardest to be a big boy and grow a playoff beard. It's really quite sad to see him fail so miserably, given how he's basically kicked ass at everything else in the hockey world.

Now, before you go getting up in my ass about being 'mean', you have realize that Sidney and I share the same slow facial-hair growth that doesn't allow us to look like the Wolf Man. I'm 29, and have to shave only once a week. Ivan Majesky, I am not.

Two years ago, when the Canes went on their long playoff run, I tried to grow a playoff beard just for the hell of it. Despite my efforts, and despite waiting a couple of months, I could never grow a full beard. Much like Sid, it looks like I had a random mass of spots on my neck and face that just refused to allow hair follicles to escape into freedom.

Sidney is just too much of a babyface to pull off a beard, anyway, and comes off looking like trailer trash, albeit well-paid trailer trash. Looking at home now, don't you think he'd be better off sitting on a ratty couch, watching fishing shows, and drinking Bud Light swill?

"But Jes, what if the Penguins lose because Sidney shaved his face?"

Oh, so the Penguins talent, hard work, and tenacious forechecking have nothing to do with their success? It's all about facial hair?

*facepalm*

I'd sent Sid some free razorblades, but I'd probably be arrested for mailing weapons or some BS the corrupt authorities would come up with to suppress my rights.

So, next time any of you Pittsburghers you go to a Pens game, bring a sign/placard that asks Sid to get a shave. He needs it.

Photo of the Day: Ovechkin, the Hero!

2008-05-15T12:41:00.001-07:00

My girlfriend sent me this photo, and it gave me a good chuckle.

It basically looks like a religious situation, with the rest of the Caps worshipping their lord Ovechkin, and Ovechkin looking up to the skies in victory. All that is missing is the bright white light.

Well, all are worshipping Ovy, except for that one intense Cap behind him, who looks like he's trying to assassinate Jesus.

Martin Erat's Contract REJECTED!

2008-05-14T10:39:00.001-07:00

Just when Nashville Predators fans were celebrating Martin Erat's new contract extension, comes this big fat NO! from the NHL's Head Offices of Doom.

Per TSN.ca:
Martin Erat's new seven-year, $31.5 contract with the Nashville Predators has been rejected by the NHL.

All that means is that it is likely to be re-jigged to conform to the CBA and re-submitted for approval.

Erat's contract was rejected because it violates a clause in the CBA that regulates year to year fluctuations in salary.

For example, if you take the first two years of contract, the higher salary in those two years can't be more than double of the lower salary. After that, the salary can't fluctuate up by more than 100% of the lower salary and can't fluctuate downward by more than 50% of lower salary.

On that basis, Erat's contract doesn't cut it on a number of levels.

For starters, the $5.25 million in the second year is more than two times the amount ($2.5 million) in the final year.

If the Preds and Erat re-allocate some of the dollars, the contract can be re-submitted for approval.

Contract Rejection:
Martin Erat – contract rejected due to violation of 100% rule from 2012-13 season to 2013-14.

08-09 - 3.50 NHL
09-10 - 5.25 NHL
10-11 - 5.25 NHL
11-12 - 6.00 NHL
12-13 - 5.50 NHL
13-14 - 3.50 NHL
14-15 - 2.50 NHL
No Move Clause (effective July 1, 2009)

I'd expect, like TSN mentions, that the contract will simply be restructured and life will go on.

So, why the hell was this clause enacted in the first place?

If the total salary is spread evenly for the salary cap hit, what does it matter if Erat gets $500,000 one season and $10.5mil the next? Obviously, Erat agreed to the terms, and the Preds want the contract to mimic Erat's expected production path.

I'm guessing the prime reason is that the NHL wants to control salary inflation. Take these examples

Example 1:
08-09 $3mil
09-10 $3mil
10-11 $6mil
11-12 $3mil

Example 2:
08-09 $3.75mil
09-10 $3.75mil
10-11 $3.75mil
11-12 $3.75mil

Now, the contracts are worth the same (not accounted for the time value of money, yada yada), but Example 1 could lead to problems.

Say a comparable player's contract is up for renewal after the 10-11 season, and he had the same exact stats are Martin Erat. Under Example 1, he could easily demand $6mil. Under Example 2, it would be much harder to demand $6mil, since Erat makes just $3.75m.

So, I guess this is simply the NHL's way of assuring that random-looking fluctuations don't lead to bigger contracts down the road.

Tuesday's Tight Thoughts

2008-05-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

While the Nashville Predators gave the Wings some fits with their physical, grinding play, the finesse of the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars has allowed Detroit to easily roll into the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yes, I know the Stars/Wings series is not officially over, but the Stars have as much chance for a comeback as Hilary Clinton. It ain't gonna happen, as we all know.

Wayne, our Southern Correspondent, charms in:

Could someone put the Stars-Wings series out of its misery? I tuned to a hockey game, and a soccer game broke out...The only thing missing was the voice of John Paul Della-Camera (the second greatest soccer announcer ever)...No wonder Wings fans are staying home...

In a topic I've covered before, Wings fans just aren't coming out to pack Joe Louis Arena. Combine a bad economy with a spoiled fanbase, and you get empty seats.

Wayne chips in again:

Take a look at things right now: $4/gallon gas, homes being forclosed, layoffs in the white-collar/middle-and-upper management sector (the people who buy season tix and luxury boxes), make MLB, the NBA, and the NHL (especially the NHL) particularly vulnerable...I don't think people are going to be willing to plunk down $60/ticket much longer, especially in soft markets. All NHL teams are going to have to take a good hard look at themselves...

Well, Detroit certainly isn't a 'soft' market, and the NHL is probably going to realize that American fans might have to cut expensive NHL tickets out of their budget as food and gas prices soar. It's rather troubling that 'Hockeytown' (self-billed, I know) can't sell out a Conference Finals playoff match.

At least the Flyers/Pens series is entertaining, if not entirely one-sided. The Flyers' are getting punished for taking penalties, and Martin Biron is not the answer to the question, "What goalie is going to take us to the Stanley Cup?"

Whiner of the Day: Michel Brule

2008-05-08T08:52:00.001-07:00

Despite some of the things I've written on this blog in the past, I don't hold any ill will towards the people of Quebec. Hell, Poutine is one of my favourite guilty pleasures. Mmmm, cheese curds ... *drool*

That said, I cannot stand whiny separatist snobs who feel the need to force others to do things in French. You know, have a French-speaking captain on the Habs, have French signs for shops, have French fries with every meal, etc ... it's quite silly. While I understand that certain people feel their culture is threatened, it's quite another to constantly whine about it, and force people to cave in to the wishes of a vocal minority. It's not as if Quebec doesn't get a disproportionate share of federal funding, is it?

The latest whiner: Michel Brule, a fellow who is pooping his diapers because the Habs aren't playing enough French music at the Bell Centre.

A prominent Quebec publisher is calling on governments to force the Montreal Canadiens to spin more French-language tunes for the Bell Centre crowd.

Michel Brule said he was shocked the team's DJ played one French song during Game 7 of the Habs' first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins.

"We are not in Raleigh, (North) Carolina, we are not in Philadelphia, we are in Montreal and we are in Quebec," said Brule, publisher of Les Editions des Intouchables.

"Anglophones think the only language on the planet is English."

A single tear rolls down my cheek ...

Let's see ...

1. Has a petition EVER worked? Maybe once or twice, but that's it. You know the TV show FAMILY GUY? It didn't return to the tube after a petition circulated, it came back to the tube because people went out and bought a lot of DVDs. Speak with your wallet if you want some real change. If people stopped going to Habs games over this music issue (and they won't), then you might actually be doing something. Signing a piece of paper is simply an empty action designed to make people feel better about themselves, while not actually accomplishing anything.

2. The Canadiens are a privately held club, playing in a privately-owned arena, charging people money for the privilege of watching a hockey in this privately-owned building. Why should anyone be able to tell the Habs what music they can play?

If Brule wants to listen to French music, perhaps he ought to spend his money at a concert, instead. The Habs are a business venture, and they obviously feel it is in their best interest to play English-language music.

3. Snobby Francophones like this Crème Brule fellow seem to think that the world is divided into Anglophones and Francophones, as if the rest of the non-French speaking world is all the same. Come to Vancouver some time, and you'll soon realize that most 'Anglophones' aren't even 1% British, and many of them speak another language.

(Hat-tip to 'hockeychic')

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Playoff Predictions?

Well, I went 3-for-4 in the second round, which is much better than the 6-for-12 record I compiled for Round One.

Philly vs Pittsburgh is the must-watch series, and this will feature a lot of offensive chances, physical play, and bad blood. I'll take Pittsburgh in 6.

Detroit vs. Dallas is the must-not-watch series, given how both Dallas and Detroit can slow down the game to a crawl.

I know I shouldn't keep betting against Dallas, but I'll maintain that it takes a physical team to beat Detroit, and Dallas is more finesse than brutish. Detroit in 5.

Paul Maurice is Fired

2008-05-07T10:01:00.001-07:00

Leafs fans can finally rejoice ... PAUL MAURICE HAS BEEN FIRED!!! W00t!

In a classic case of a new GM wanting a new GM, fossilized interim GM Cliff Fletcher canned 'Chairman Mo', opting not to wait for the new regime to come in and make a change.

Paul Maurice said his firing on Wednesday morning as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs did not come as a surprise.

"I don't think, based on the season we just had, that this was a surprise," Maurice said, adding that his immediate plans are "to hang with my kids."

"I appreciate the fact it was clearly a decision they made and they didn't sit on it for a long time. I don't know that it was a shocker. It's a conversation you never want to have. The first [firing] is the toughest one. After that, you're in the fraternity," Maurice said.

As the Acid Queen would be quick to tell you, Maurice is one of the worst head coaches in the entire NHL. Take away his flukey run to the Finals with the Canes a few years back, and you get a long trail in inept coaching decisions and underperforming teams.

From our favourite Canes fan:

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Like I said months ago, I tried to warn the Leafs fans–I did, I really did. And all they did was laugh at me and bray about how I CLEARLY don’t know anything about hockey because otherwise I’d see what a great coach Paul Maurice is and how he’d make the Leafs great again.

Who’s laughing now, kids?

He’s a decent coach ... in the AHL. Nice guy, too–but as an NHL coach I really don’t think he’s up to snuff. Coaches have to be developed too, just like players, and Mo’s development as a coach was severely hampered by his being thrown right into the fire all those years ago in Hartford after a whopping six weeks and change as an assistant coach under Paul Holmgren (who now GMs the Pflyers). If he wants to salvage any kind of career at all, he needs to go back to the AHL or just be an assistant somewhere for a few years and learn how to do more than the same old crap he did for 8 years in Carolina and 2 years in Toronto.

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Our Southern Correspondent has a couple of questions for us. One I can answer, and one I can't.

1. Once again the Red Wings won the President's Trophy (for whatever that's worth); I remember, at one time, the team doing so used to get a $100,000 bonus...Is that still true?

*Jes: Per Wikipedia, the Presidents Trophy winning team gets $350,000 to spread around*

2. Do the players on the winning Cup team get some sort of financial bonus? Players on the World Series winner get about $350K; players on the Super Bowl winner get $64K...

*Jes: I have no idea, but anyone who needs financial incentive to win the Stanley Cup if somebody I wouldn't want on my team*

A New Dawn for Hockeysfuture.com

2008-05-05T12:24:00.001-07:00

Some weird news to report as CraveOnline, a Maxim-wanna be website, purchased hockeysfuture.com and HFboards.com. Obviously, Craveonline wants to reap in the young horny boy demographic and HFBoards has that in spades. This was quite a shocking piece of news, to me.

I have more details over at FanHouse, so I'll just use this space for personal musings. (Warning!! Rambling ahead)

As some of you know, I used to write for Hockeysfuture for a few years. I was with the site when it was still quite young and finding its feet. I recall the website used to be called something like Hockey 2000, although my memory is failing me in my old age.

I started out writing about the Florida Panthers, my favourite team at the time (Beezer!). I remember extolling the virtues of Dan Boyle, Peter Ratchuk, Chris Allen, Peter Worrell, Oleg Kvasha, Mark Parrish, and so one. Obviously, some of them turned out to be not much at all, but that's just the nature of the prospects business.

One of my first articles was about the signing of junior-phenom Ivan Novoseltsev. Remember him? Yeah, he didn't do much in the NHL, but he was their top prospect at one time, and a lesson in how risky the prospects game can be.

After some time, Mark Fischel, now a big wig within the NHL media division (last I heard), an actual guy from Florida, took on the Panthers area and I focused more on the Slovaks, taking over from the previous writer (whom helped me greatly over the years with information and getting sources).

Anyway, I never imagined that HF would become as big as it has, especially given that it focuses on prospects, and not mainstream hockey.

I remember when the Taylor brother sold the business, and then it was taken over by a group who wanted to aggressively expand the brand. Next came a magazine that failed miserably and cost a lot of money to put out.

It was at this time that I became a lot less active with the website, given the new ownership was focused so heavily on profits and I didn't like their overall attitude. It didn't help that they took good content and put it in the pay magazine. I wrote the stuff for the website, and I never received a cent for my work.

No, I never expected to get paid ... it was simply a hobby/interest of mine. Still, I never expected them to simply take and chop up my work into their magazine, a publication of which I never received a copy.

I know the site was then re-sold and stabilized in new ownership. Of course, I wrote less and less and didn't keep in contact with new ownership much at all. Finally, work and other commitments have lessened my interest in hockey prospects, so I'm really out of the loop these days except for a few Slovaks and some WHLers I can keep an eye on when watching Giants games.

Back to my original point, I am still amazed that HF grew as much as it has, mainly due to its forums. I never visit the forums, and part of my disgust with them led me to create Hockey Rants, but I can't deny their influence. Without the forums becoming as big as they were, HF would still just be a niche site, albeit a very influential and well-visited niche website.

Does this purchase help hockey become even more mainstream? Can a company like CraveOnline help hockey get more exposure among the horny young men crowd?

Thursday's Tepid Tantrums

2008-05-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

As most people know, the NY Daily News, a tabloid known for misinformation and sensationalism, screwed the pooch reporting Sean Avery as having Cardiac Arrest when he really just had a ruptured spleen.

In the rush to get the 'scoop', the tabloid sensationalized the story, and went with the first bit of 'knowledge' they had, rather than do some further investigating.

What is even funnier than the sloppy cover-up attempts is the fact that the 'reporter', John Dellapina, is fighting back and claiming some mass conspiracy.

Finally, for all those from other media outlets and newspapers who have sarcastically dismissed our initial web story about Sean Avery's hospitalization since the Rangers refuted it Wednesday afternoon, I wonder:

Was your initial reaction that the story couldn't have been correct or did you simply race up to the MSG Training Center to get player reaction? And, did you call the hospital and/or Avery's representatives to get the real story or did your "reporting" simply consist of taking the team's word for what happened?

Fortunately, the intrepid men an women of the press who have exposed baseball's steroid problems didn't similarly regurgitate what they were told by people who understandably want their businesses viewed as beyond reproach.

So, is there a mass cover-up by the Rangers and other media outlets? Did Avery really have a heart attack, and the team wants us to think otherwise? Not bloody likely.

Dellapina would have us believe that the rest of the media is doing sloppy reporting, and he had the real story, in a lame attempt to cover his ass. Yes, how dare other media outlets try to get the real story, after the NY Daily News made some serious claims about Avery's health.

It won't work, stupid!

---

Wayne's World!!

Our Southern Correspondent shares some thoughts.

First, I heard the news about Sean Avery about I left this library...It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy; I'd like to see him on a slab on "CSI: New York"...Now on to the other stuff:

Montreal has a player named Francis Bouillon; if he played baseball, his teammates would call him "Soupy"...

What is that song that they play over the PA system in the Walk-over-ya Center whenever the Flyers score a goal? I remember it being played last year at Anaheim as well...Sure beats the hell out of Zombie Nation or Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll, Part 2" (which should be buried once in for all in the desert outside Las Vegas, never to return)...

Darren Eliot, please STFU: You are the reason I turn down Thrasher telecasts to listen to Jeff Odgers and My Favorite Kamalian on the radio, and now you're boring people to tears on Versus...On the other hand, being boring and charisma-impaired may be a job-requirement at that channel (just look who they have doing the studio show)...

I knew the San Jose-Dallas game was gonna be a low-scoring snoozefest, so I warmed-up for the game by watching the UEFA cup game between Chelsea and Liverpool...was out cold before the end of the first half...

---

Some banter between us FanHouse boys, and the realization that this could be THE END for many NHL legends.

From JP of Japers Rink

Don't know if anyone wants to make mention of it, but tonight could be the last chance fans get to watch the two active all-time points leaders - Sakic and Jagr - play (at least in the NHL).

3228 points, 4 Cups, 5 Ross Trophies, 2 Harts, 22 All-Star games, 2 Olympic Golds, etc., etc.

Throw Forsberg into the mix and the combined stats are even more ridiculous.

Don't forget about Jeremy Roenick and Brendan Shanahan. If this was the end for all of them, we'd be losing the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 17th active all-time scoring leaders. Catch them while you can.

Sean Avery: YOU GONE!

2008-04-30T10:29:00.001-07:00

Some strange breaking news this morning as Sean Avery, our 'favourite' son of a bitch, will be out for the remainder of the season with a broken spleen.

As JP (Japers Rink) remarked, one wonders why it took THIS long for Martin Brodeur to get out his Avery voodoo doll.

Sean Avery has a lacerated spleen and will be out for the remainder of the season.

The laceration was detected with a CT scan after Avery was taken to hospital directly following Game 3 with the Penguins.

"He's stable and everything is going to be okay," a team source told TSN.

Avery suffered the injury during Game 3 but the Rangers are unsure of exactly when it occurred. The winger's pain got continuously worse during the game and became more of an issue when play concluded. Team doctor, Dr. Andrew Feldman, suspected Avery had suffered an injury to his spleen and the pair were driven to hospital. Avery entered the hospital under his own power.

Now, I'm not going to be one of those patsy types who is going to feel sorry for Avery. Yes, I know the PC thing to do is to say, "Well, no matter how much of an asshole he is, I'd never wish this upon him."

To that, I say you are full of shit. Call this Karmic justice, or just desserts, because Avery is certainly the type of fellow that could use this type of humbling. Given how much of a shallow ass Avery really is, I'm not feeling one ounce of sympathy for him.

When Forsberg had a similar spleen accident, I actually did feel for him in some manner. As much as I dislike Forsberg's diving antics and hate him for killing the Canucks again and again, I can respect him as an individual and admire him for his courage and tenacity. With Avery, I feel none of that. He's an asshole, plain and simple.

Now, another twist to this story is the tabloid NY Daily News and their coverage of this incident.

At one point, they claimed Avery was not breathing (!), and then, as the morning progressed, kept changing their story as the REAL details flowed in. As per TSN's story, Avery arrived under his own power, and was not about to die, as the NY Daily News might want you to believe.

This screenshot was captured by FanHouse's Matt Saler. Interesting ...

Sean Avery: YOU GONE!

2008-04-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sean Avery has a lacerated spleen and will be out for the remainder of the season.

The laceration was detected with a CT scan after Avery was taken to hospital directly following Game 3 with the Penguins.

"He's stable and everything is going to be okay," a team source told TSN.

Avery suffered the injury during Game 3 but the Rangers are unsure of exactly when it occurred. The winger's pain got continuously worse during the game and became more of an issue when play concluded. Team doctor, Dr. Andrew Feldman, suspected Avery had suffered an injury to his spleen and the pair were driven to hospital. Avery entered the hospital under his own power.

Monday Morning Musings

2008-04-28T10:47:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't given Dallas any credit this post-season, and they continue to win and win and win against good teams. I never expected their passive-Eurochoke style would work against the physical beasts like San Jose and Anaheim, yet the Stars are just 2 wins away from facing the Red Wings in the Conference final (As if Colorado has a chance)

I always felt Detroit could be exploited by either Anaheim or San Jose, but they might get lucky and not have to face the two teams that would likely give them the most trouble. If that is the case, their Stanley Cup chances look pretty damn good.

---

Don't cry for Sean Avery once his Ranger$ get knocked out by the Pens (not that I'd expect you to), because he has a great summer job lined up!

Meet Sean Avery, Fashion Intern.

Avery, who makes $2 million a year with the Rangers and has cavorted with starlets since his days with the Los Angeles Kings, initiated the contact with Vogue editor Anna Wintour. "He is ridiculously obsessed with fashion," Avery's publicist Nicole Chabot told ABCNews.com. "He loves it more than anything in the world. It's something he has always wanted to do."

Chabot admits Avery is an agitator in the "old-style" of hockey and a "blabber mouth," but off ice the player is "surprisingly articulate, creative and savvy," she said. He's also charming, she noted. "There is not a woman that doesn't fall in love with him in five minutes."

Just the perfect profession for a self-centered shallow guy like Avery. Ridiculously obsessed with fashion? Apparently, that doesn't count for the unfashionable moronic comments that come out of his mouth.

---

Ritch, The American Hockey Fan, has decided to mimic the teams he cheers for, and has become the American Golf Fan. WTF?

So, after some soul searching (and some head-scratching) we've decided to unveil the exciting new format you see in the header above. So keep us bookmarked, America - don't forget to check in for our thoughts on the Players Championship, the U.S. Open, and the John Deere Classic, as well as Ritch's special series on whether this Tiger Woods kid is the real deal.

That's right, it's American Golf Fan all summer long...or at least until we break down and tune back in to the playoffs. Or, failing that, September, when we start our annual complaining about whether or not pre-season hockey is worth watching.

How about discussion on whether Payne Stewart-type high socks will be the new IN trend this summer?

I will never understand how anyone can actually enjoy WATCHING Golf on TV. My gramma loves the stuff, and, as much as I've tried, I can't get one iota of joy out of watching a bunch of rich white assholes (and the token black guys Tiger and Vijay) whack a tiny ball into a tiny hole 400 yards away.

(Carlin Mode) No matter which way you slice it, golf is an elitist game that takes up far too much good land for the sole purpose of providing wealthy assholes a forum to discuss business deals that divide up the country between the wealthiest citizens. Bomb the golf courses and turn them into low-cost housing. Oh, and bomb Yaletown, too. And Coal Harbour. What a Yuppie-generic waste of space that place is.

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Photo of the Day: A crafty and witty Flyers fan (as witty as they can get, really) came up with this t-shirt for the Flyers/Caps series. Despite the total mispronunciation of Semin's surname, the shirt still works.

Talking to Earl Sleek (Battle of California fame), he wasn't all that impressed.

I'll never be impressed by player-name-slogans. Not since the 90s, when some anti-Buffalo fan had a sign that said: "HASEK, YOU SMEHLIK LIKE ZHITNIK".

As far as I'm concerned, that's the be-all, end-all to name manipulation.

Canucks Go With Gillis

2008-04-23T07:46:00.001-07:00

When the Canucks fired No-Balls Nonis, Slumlord Aquilini claimed that the Canucks would look long and hard for a guy with lots of experience.

Well, after a very brief "search", the Canucks are hiring a guy with absolutely no NHL managerial experience: Superagent Mike Gillis.

Listening to Neil MacRae on CKNW this morning, I actually agree (mostly) with what he says: Aquilini appears to be nothing more than a jock-sniffing moron who loves the prestige of hanging around with NHLers and ex-NHLers like GINO! Odjick and the Courtnall brothers (who are also developer thieves).

Waiting for Stanley:

I'm not so sure yet. Zero GM track record. He had better be fucking smart. I don't want the Canucks to turn into a big joke. It's already enough of a fucking circus around there already.
A press conference will be held tomorrow by Mr. Aquilini to make the announcement. He had no comment

Let's see, Mike Gillis has ...
Never hired a coach
Never fired a coach
Never been involved in a draft decision
Never been involved with a trade decision
Never managed a hockey club at any level
Never gonna give you up (whoops)

Yes, I know his agent pedigree is very good (Look at the $ he got for Holik!), and he probably knows the CBA inside and out, but it's a far different job to run an entire hockey club than it is to take GM's over the coals to get more money for clients. Just because Gillis is a great agent doesn't mean he'll be a good GM.

I bet the fix was probably in from the start, and Aquilini, listening to the advice of his hockey player buddies, wanted Gillis all along.

Instead of taking the time, which the Canucks had, to find and hire the BEST candidate, the Canucks go out and get Mike Gillis, a guy with no track record, to run a club in a fragile state.

*sigh*

Things aren't looking good around here.

Sidney Crosby: His Crap Works!

2008-04-22T11:54:00.001-07:00

by Jes

It's rather well known to my 5-6 readers that Sean Avery is one of my least-favourite players. It's one thing to be a pest, but it's another to be an annoying douchebag with few redeeming qualities. I would NOT want to be a teammate of Sean Avery, no matter how many goals he might score when he puts his mind to it.

That said, I have to respect the fact that he absolutely rocked the New Jersey Devils with his motor-mouth and some big goals. I didn't think the Rangers could beat the Devils, but combine Avery's pestiness with Brodeur's craptastic netminding, and you had the round's first upset.

The only way a bitch like Avery can win is if you acknowledge his presence and let him 'win' the verbal battles. Ignore him, and he'll grow bored once he realizes that you aren't going to play that way.

The New Jersey Devils, especially coach Sutter and Brodeur, were so fixiated on what Avery was doing that they were both extremely off of their games. Brodeur should have been much better than he was, but he was obviously flustered and too hot-headed to make the saves he needed to make.

Per Straight Up Sports:

Avery won the battle. He got the entire Devil team chasing him and going after him; leaving the likes of Jagr, Gomez, Henrik to do their thing. Even more irritating, Sean Avery had 3 goals and 2 assists in a series where he got the high holy hell kicked out of him. Not once did he retaliate, not once did he spear Brodeur BACK after one of several times Brodeur slashed and prodded him. The Devils, a lot like the Thrashers last year, seemed a lot more concerned with crosschecking, punching, and disgustingly, horse collaring people as opposed to actually playing hockey, and it cost them. I don't think this can be in dispute. Anyway, back to Avery.

He reads Vogue magazine. He goes to fashion shows. He paints his finger nails. He wears lame hats. He walks around like a hard ass. He spends $300 on t shirts. I'd bet I'll see him at Tonic East on Saturday Night wearing a pink popped collar shirt once the season ends. He probably cuts off little old ladies flying down the Henry Hudson in his convertible. He typifies everything there is to hate about the stereotypical New Yorker.

Yes, Avery took 3 minor penalties in the series, but that's about par for the course when he's around. He didn't get into any fights, and was generally good at not putting the Rangers shorthanded TOO often.

The Rangers next opponent would be wise to see just how much trouble Avery caused the Devils, and learn to ignore his wisecracks. Yes, it can be hard to resist slapping the shit-eating grin off Sean's stubbly face, but it has to be done.

The more Avery succeeds at getting under your skin, the more he'll crank up the volume of crap he spews out of his sewer mouth.

So, I will give props to Avery for disrupting the usually unflappable Devils so well, but I still want him to paralyzed by an anvil dropped by Wile E. Coyote.

The Rangers Aren't Be-Deviled

2008-04-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

by Jes

In my First Round predictions, I gave the New York Rangers little chance and little credit in their ability to beat the New Jersey Devils.

With the Devils on the brink, I obviously have quite a lot of egg on my face.

Admittedly, I don't follow the Devils or Rangers all that closely, since they are far in the East and both not very interesting to watch. Thus, perhaps I should have given more credit to Tom Renney for turning his club into a defensive juggernaught, and getting guys like Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and Jaromir Jagr to buy into his choking system.

In his preview for FanHouse, Greg Wyshynski, a noted Devils fan, wasn't too upbeat about his team's chance at getting past the first round. Despite some decent names on the Devils roster, Greg thought the Devils lack of offence would come back to bite them.

Certainly, 9 goals in 4 games isn't going to do the trick offensively, but the Devils are a collective -31 in these 4 games, something unheard of in New Jersey Devils hockey since the Mickey Mouse days.

Tongue-in-cheek, Southern Correspondent Wayne asks "The team that has few fans is now down 3-1...Will Lou Lamoriello axe Brent Sutter before game 5 to fire up his team?"

Somehow, I wouldn't be shocked :/

I suppose the Rangers goal scoring woes this season blinded me to the fact that they do, in fact, have a lot more talent up front than the Devils. Shanahan, Jagr, Gomez, Drury, Straka vs. Elias, Madden, Parise, and Langenbrunner...it's no contest.

I suppose, from an outsider's perspective, I can blame the Devils woes on goaltending. It's simplistic, but look at the other stats.

Power Plays - Both teams are at 20%
Penalty Killing - Both teams are at 80%, with the Rangers even shorthanded 5 more times than the Devils
Shots on goal - 124 to 117
Faceoffs - Both teams are near 50%

So, we go to goaltending... Martin Brodeur? A 90.4SV% is well below average, and not the type of golden goaltending we're used to seeing from the man with the golden horseshoe up his ass. Lundqvist? He's at 92.4% after struggling for much of the regular season.

Whatever the case may be, the Rangers are one win away from sweeping aside the Devils, and booting me in the groin for not giving them enough credit.

Canucks Fire Dave Nonis

2008-04-15T10:10:00.001-07:00

Well, my day was certainly brightened when I heard the news that Dave "No Balls" Nonis was canned as GM (and various other inflated titles) of the Vancouver Canucks.

Finally, some good news around here! The poor Vancouver Giants were knocked out of the WHL playoffs :(

So, Nonis is gone, and now rumours are floating about who will be his replacement ... Brian Burke, Ken Holland, Jim Nill ... basically, a lot of people around here are doing a lot of dreaming.

I just really hope it's not a promotion for Steve "Tamborine", since he's part of the old guard that helped put the Canucks in the muck they are in.

Now, I don’t want to totally kick Nonis while he is down. The man is obviously very bright and was a good soldier for the Canucks for many years.

Nonis was great as an Assistant GM (a position which he is much more suited for) under Brian Burke, negotiating contracts and doing the heavy legal work. If I were hiring an assistant GM, Nonis would be near the top of my list.

Yes, we know Mike Keenan was desperate to get Todd Bertuzzi, but give Nonis props for one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. Pilfering Luongo out of Florida will always be Nonis' legacy.

Yet, in the end, Nonis could just not get the job done. The team continued to get worse and worse and doesn't exactly have a bright future looming over the horizon.

Everyone and their mother knew the Canucks needed offensive help this off-season, and then he goes out and signs Brad Isbister and Byron Ritchie. WTF?

Marc Chouinard? That's the type of low-skilled player Nonis is notorious for signing, and a big reason why the Canucks are loaded with lots of B-grade talent.

The Canucks have a lot of salary cap room this off-season, which is why now is the perfect time to get a GM who is assertive and has a plan. Nonis was simply too content to stay with the core group that was left to him, and too afraid to make any real changes to the roster, save for the Luongo deal. The new owners could obviously see that Nonis is not the guy you want when big decisions have to be made.

Nonis, to me, is a great business executive, but a poor hockey man. An NHL GM needs to be an astute hockey man, or have staff on hand that are. Nonis doesn't appear to be a wise judge of hockey talent, and lacked the staff on hand to support his weakness. The Canucks' scouting department is definitely below-average, and wasn't giving Nonis enough to work with in terms of talent evaluation. Very few good NHL GM's lack the talent evaluation aspect that Nonis appears to have.

So, today is a good day for Canucks fans, and let us hope that Nonis' replacement will know how to fix this club.

Don't feel too bad for Nonis ... he'll land on his feet. He's got too much knowledge of the business side of things to be unemployed for long.

Wayne's World: Our Southern Correspondent chips in.

The Vancouver 'Nucks fired their GM yesterday; when the hell will Atlanta Spirit get off their collective asses and fire Waddell and McCrimmon...after the Hawks get swept by the Celtics, so that they can get the big broom out and can everybody with both teams???

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if Waddell comes back as GM, I'm not rooting for the Thrasher next season...

Well, the Thrashees have let it be well known that Waddell's job is safe. I guess Wayne will have to join another bandwagon next season.

MLSE Scams Ticket Buyers, World Yawns

2008-04-14T11:22:00.001-07:00

by Jes

The Toronto Maple Leafs organization just continues to be one of the very worst in all of professional sports. To the days of Harold Ballard to the constant inept too-many-cooks management to corrupt employees, the Maple Leafs are just one gigantic joke.

The latest blight to come from Hogtown is a delicious little ticket scam that a few employees develops to 'cash' in on some hockey-starved fans.

From the Toronto Star:

Rob Tanguay thought it was odd when a Toronto Maple Leafs employee told him to bring an envelope stuffed with $5,000 in cash to a truck stop in Milton to help cover the cost of hockey tickets.

A vice-president with a St. Thomas-based transportation company, Tanguay was a typical Leafs fan who figured he might never get his own season seats at the Air Canada Centre. He'd been on a waiting list for season tickets for some 15 years when, out of the blue, he received a call from a Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment sales employee last spring.

"He told me someone wanted to give up their seats and he had tried to reach three other people on the wait list. I was Number 4 and he asked if I was still interested in tickets," Tanguay said.

The seller was looking to dump a pair of tickets in the red section and wanted to sell the personal-seat licences for $20,000 apiece, Tanguay said. There was one hitch: Tanguay said the MLSE employee wanted him to bring $5,000 in cash – at the seller's request – to cement the deal.

"After I bought the tickets, I looked up the seller's name on Canada411.com and contacted him, asking whether he'd received the cash," Tanguay said. "He hadn't. I knew right then I'd been scammed. I called (the MLSE employee) back and asked why he had wanted the $5,000 and he told me that the seller was lying and he had given him the cash. I didn't believe him but I didn't do anything about it at the time."

Reached at his home, the MLSE sales employee declined to comment. He is one of five employees in the MLSE ticketing department who were fired 10 days ago.

Now, this Tanguay guys doesn't seem like the dullest knife in the drawer, so he must have been some kind of desparate to have been scammed like this.

How could ANYONE actually think that you'd have to meet an employee at a TRUCK STOP, and not an official office, and exchange cold hard CASH, and not think something is fishy is beyond me. Yet, Tanguay went through with the exchange as he was so hell-bent on getting his tickets. Sheesh.

Yes, I realize that these are the actions of a select few employees, but the Maple Leafs certainly didn't do a good job in screening these employees and keeping tabs on them. It speaks to the ineptness of the Leafs organization that stuff like this occurs, and that it takes an outsider to ring the alarm bells.

As an aside, PERSONAL SEAT LICENSES have to be one of the best legal scams in years. It's bad enough that you get gouged for just buying a regular ticket, but now a team can charge an extra fee just for having the ability to renew your season tickets year after year. What happened to customer loyalty? What happened to asking the guy if he just wants to renew or not? Sad....

Mediot of the Day: Don Brennan

2008-04-10T12:07:00.001-07:00

by Jes

I've been asked why I spent so much time and energy ranting about the Mainstream Mediots that pollute our airwaves, papers, and internets.

Want a prime example? How about Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun. Yes, that's him in the picture. I apologize if you should happen to vomit.

It's one thing for a blogger like me to spout out nonsense, since I not paid to post anything here, nor do I have a mass audience. I am the face of my own blog, and not the face of a publication.

Today's Mediot of the Day takes the cake as far as utter stupidity and false bravado.

First, he called on the Ottawa Senators to take out Sidney Crosby's ankles ala Bobby Clarke circa 1972. Classy.

Then, when Pens' enforcer Georges Laraques called Brennan out on his stupidity, Brennan penned this garbage...

Seem to have created quite a media uproar with my win-at-all-costs way of thinking and suggestions that the Senators test Sidney Crosby's previously injured ankle by giving it a good whack, eh. We'll spare you details and instead focus on those we are all actually here to cover. Like 6-foot-3, 245-lb. Penguins enforcer Laraque, whom last week we heard Wild tough guy Derek Boogaard refer to as "freakishly strong."

Big Georges, who was quoted as calling yours truly "stupid," had this gem yesterday when asked about Senators targeting Crosby's tender joint. "I thought Slapshot was a movie, not reality." And who didn't like that classic?

By (the way) Georges, stupid? Call me that to my face.

For guys like Brennan, they are being paid by a large newspaper chain, and expose a wide audience to their nonsense while making their employer look like idiots.

Yes, Brennan is the typical mediot who wants to make himself the story, rather than the players or the game. Why would the fans care about some balding reporter with a chip on his shoulder is beyond me, but obviously this doofus seems to think he's more important than he is.

Is it any wonder why newspaper subscriptions continue to dwindle?

Can you imagine what would happen if Georgie did walk up to Brennan and call him 'stupid'?

Yeah, Brennan would crap his pants, run away with his tail between his legs, and then write a column about how much of a thug Laraques is. *sigh*

Tell you what, Brennan, if I ever have the mispleasure of coming face-to-face with you, I'll call you 'stupid', and many other names. How about I take out your typing fingers with a hammer? Would you like that?

Bitch!

Practical Playoff Predictions

2008-04-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

by Jes

With all of my heavy workload at work and school, and with the Canucks practicing their chip shots, I'm finding it hard to really get into the playoffs like I normally do.

That sucks, I know ... the best time of the year for hockey, and I'd need the hockey equivalent of Cialis to get me in the mood to watch the action on the ice.

Wayne, our Southern Correspondent, feels much the same way.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm just not feeling a buzz for this year's playoffs...I guess the only place in the U.S. where there would be palpable excitement would be Washington...

It used to be that the early rounds of the Cup playoffs were far more entertaining than the NBA's; but after the lockout, everything's now in the NBA's favor. Maybe it's Versus, I don't know...

If the NHL were a fast food, it would be Burger King french fries...

If the NHL were a TV sitcom, it would be "According to Jim"...

If the NHL were any other sport, it would be the PGA Tour MINUS Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Well, that's rather harsh. Why aren't the NHL's first round match-ups entertaining? Hell, I can think of quite a few series that you ought to be watching.

Anyway, I might as well make some predictions and use my Jedi powers for something other than stealing Yu-Gi-Oh cards from schoolchildren.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Montreal (1) over Boston (8) in 5 games.
The Habs are a finely tuned machine, and the sum is greater than the yada yada yada. The Bruins are a surprise entrant into the playoffs, and will certainly be destroyed by Tomas Plekanec and the Montreal Power Play.

Pittsburgh (2) over Ottawa (7) in 7 games.
This should be a fun series to watch if you love goal scoring. Both the Sens and Pens have some of the most talented offenses in the NHL, and both teams have major question marks in goal.

Still, I'd go with the hot hand, and Crosby/Malkin is greater than Spezza/Heatley. The Sens are struggling, and are obviously mentally beat up.

Washington (3) over Philadelphia (6) in 6 games.
I don't think Philly is going to get away with murder as much as they want, and the Caps are just on frickin fire. With the addition of Huet and Fedorov, and Ovechkin on performance enhancers, the Flyers won't be able to keep up with the speedy Caps.

Good. Nobody wants Philly in there, anyway

New Jersey (4) over NY Rangers (5) in 7 games.
ZZZZ... the must-not-watch series of the first round pits two of the most defensive-minded teams in the league against each other. Thankfully, nobody outside of the New York area will be subjected to this dreck.

Martin Brodeur...never bet against him, especially when the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist struggled most of the season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Detroit (1) over Nashville (8) in 4 games.
I am not as high on Detroit as many others, but Nashville is not going to be the team to derail them. The Wings have a serious hole in goal, but should have no problem tearing the Preds a new one.

San Jose (2) over Calgary (7) in 6 games.
I did a preview of this series over at FanHouse. Suffice it to say, only fans of grinding, "Blue Collar" hockey will enjoy this series. Not fun to watch.

Minnesota (3) over Colorado (6) in 6 games.
As if I'd go against Demitra and Mr. Potatohead!

The Avs have a scary offence, but questionable goaltending. Minnesota, despite some hiccups, is still a far superior systematic team to the loosey-goosey Avalanche.

Ducks (4) over Dallas (5) in 5 games.
The Stars suck, and will choke in the playoffs once again. Turco is not that great of a goalie, and Mike Ribeiro is living off of an unusually high shot percentage. His scoring won't last ...

Ever since Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne returned, the Ducks we know and hate are back to their old "beat em on the ice, beat em in the alley" ways that won them a cup last year.

So, not one upset pick in the bunch. Not that I don't think the Avs could beat the Wild, but I just don't see much upset potential in the first round.

Farewell, Trev

2008-04-06T11:48:00.001-07:00

by Jes

I'll have more thoughts at a later date. For now, I've written a brief post over at FanHouse.

Time to mourn ... :(

Canucks Post-Mortum

2008-04-04T14:01:00.001-07:00

by Jes

It was a good thing that the Canucks/Flames game was on Pay-Per-View, since I didn't have to witness the Canucks choking away another must-win game by failing to score more than a single goal against a weaker team.

It's also good that I've long been at peace with the fact that the Canucks weren't going anywhere this spring (other than golfing), so I didn't have much of an emotional investment in our city's professional hockey country club.

So, last night's loss booted the Canucks out of the playoff picture, and I barely flinched. Meh, nobody is really surprised, except Dave "No Action" Nonis.

Given my heavy workload with my CMA and actual day job, I haven't had time to worry so much about what the Canucks should do this off-season. There will be time for that, later.

In the meantime, we are lucky enough to have the Giants to cheer for, and I can always leap onto the Penguins/Crosby bandwagon. Wouldn't it be sweet if the Pens and Caps met up in Round 1?

Since I don't feel inspired to write much more on this day of mourning, I figure I'd let my girlfriend, Aurian, have a crack at the blogmike and air out her thoughts on this wasted season

---

Well, looks like it’s about time for the Canucks to put down their hockey sticks and pick up some golf clubs.

Can`t say I am surprised. Last year’s Canucks seemed to specialize in winning game after game at the last minute. This year’s Canucks’ speciality is blowing games and falling apart. Last year, they were buzzed at having a top-tier goaltender in the pipes and played their hearts out. This year, the Luongo buzz is over now and the team obviously expected the goalie to do the work for them.

Sorry, but even Louie can’t score goals.

The defence was decimated by injuries all season long, and did pretty well considering some games we only had 3 regular d-men in the line up.

The forwards? Well, you didn`t really expect Pettinger and Ibister to fix last year’s scoring issues did you? I don`t know why Nonis expected that. Sure, he rolled the dice and got lucky with Pyatt, but c’mon, you can`t expect to get lucky every time. The Sedins? Yeah, you try scoring when the other team knows all they have to do is dog pile two guys and you effectively take away the Canucks’ offense. Its sad when one of your team’s top six scoring leaders is Burrows (no knock on the guy, he`s an awesome find).

I have no idea why Vigneault kept leaving Linden out, given that the team seems to play better when he is in the line up. With all those overtime games lost, if we had Linden, our most reliable clutch guy in the line up on those nights, we might have squeaked into the playoffs.

You know something though? I`m glad they`re out of the playoffs. You heard me right. This team just couldn`t put together any string of wins lately, played stupid and listlessly, couldn`t seem to get any urgency going and I`m glad that they and the fans have been put out of their misery.

This team had some nice building blocks at the beginning of the season, but all Nonis did was sit on his thumbs and hope for the best, despite the clear lack of scoring. I am glad he did not trade away big assets during the trade deadline because by that point I honestly did not think the team had that something that made it appropriate to gamble for a Stanley Cup run. We could have lost Edler, Kesler and other important pieces for a future team in order to rent Brad Richards (bet the Stars love that fat contract now *snark*). The time to get the pieces should have been before the season started. Ibister? Richie? C`mon, it was clear we needed some scoring, dammit!

So the ‘Nucks are out. If Nonis does not do anything to fix the ongoing problem in the offseason, the fans will probably break out the pitchforks and boiling oil. Or being Vancouver, the pointy umbrellas and boiling Starbucks coffee.

Sabres Fan Sues Team, Gets No Sympathy From Blogger

2008-04-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

by Jes

When you go to a hockey game, you know there is a small risk that you *might* get injured. We have netting at arenas, but the puck can still find its way into the stands once in awhile.

Also, we know that the glass can shatter or break from time to time. So, why is it that people feel like they can go to an NHL arena and fell 100% assured that everything will be OK. Hell, the teams go to good lengths to warn the fans that shit happens once in awhile.

Thus, this douchebag gets no sympathy from me. Just more human greed.

A prominent local English professor and arts critic is suing the Buffalo Sabres over injuries he suffered during a playoff game last year when a collision between two players sent a section of Plexiglas crashing on top on him.

Bruce Jackson, a longtime professor at the University at Buffalo and denizen of the local arts scene, filed suit against the professional hockey team Wednesday in State Supreme Court.

He is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages for pain and suffering because he contends the May 2007 incident caused severe neck injuries that continue to limit his mobility.

"The Plexiglas there, I thought it was there to protect me, not to injure me," Jackson told The News today

boo hoo frickin hoo!!

Has glass of ANY kind ever been failproof? No.

When you sit behind the glass of any NHL arena, you must know there is a slight risk that something bad will happen. That comes with the territory.

The fact that this idiot seems oblivious to that fact just speaks to his own stupidity. Then again, English professors are stuck up snobs with little common sense to guide them through the day.

No, I'm not happy that he was injured, but he should have known better than to sit behind the glass if he wanted to live a life free of 'any' danger.

Of course, the US law system is so fux0red that this moron will probably rake the team for a few hundred G's... *sigh*

Perhaps he'll get hit by a milk truck.

A Little Wine And Cheese

2008-04-02T12:09:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Mediot of the Day: Michael Platt.

If you happen to be cheering for the road team at any NHL arena, it's not the best idea to get all lippy and annoying (although that doesn't stop the large mobs of Leafs and Habs fans from doing so). Given how much alcohol is consumed at sporting events, and how alpha male jackoffs allow their emotions to control their actions, it's best just to exercise some restraint when cheering on your team in another team's barn.

Still, there is no excuse for what happened in Calgary, as a bunch of drunken Flames fans took to beating an Oilers fan for being a little 'loud'.

With a broken nose and fractured cheek, Andrew Parker has learned a painful lesson about what can happen if you mouth off to strangers after a few beers.

Parker says he was walking near 18 Ave. and 4 St. S.W. early Sunday morning, still wearing his Oilers jersey, when a group of men in a nearby car started glaring at him.

Seeing their Flames' sweaters, and with a half-dozen bottles of malted courage in his system, 22-year-old Parker did something he now regrets: He yelled at the glowering men, saying something like, "How about those Flames."

The men took exception, got out of their car and gave Parker a good kicking, to borrow a phrase often used in Britain.

Is THAT really worth a beating? I supposed he said something a bit nastier. Still, nothing like that ever deserves a cowardly mob beatdown.

What irks me about this whole thing is the apologetic writing of this Michael Platt character, who seems to remind me of that macho sports jock that talks tough, but got his ass kicked around a lot in high school.

Witness the following crap he writes. Keep in mind that this is a major newspaper, and not some fan blog or rinky-dinky free paper.

But Parker's beating at the hands of a few cowardly yobs shouldn't be a collective black eye for Calgary, nor should it be misconstrued as a case of hockey fans turned hooligans at the sight of another team's colours.

Make that "alleged" beating, because we only have Parker's side of the story, so far. Police are working on the rest.

Oh, since he's an Oilers fan, he must be lying. Right.

But Calgary shouldn't think for a minute we are in danger of borrowing the British motive for such violence -- namely, one group of sports fans targeting another, for no reason other than wearing the wrong colours.

Parker was not targeted simply for wearing an Oilers jersey.

The Oilers jersey got him noticed, but Parker's mouth got him into trouble.

O RLY? Do you think these men would have stopped the car, got out of the car, and administered said beating if the guy wasn't a noticeable Oilers fan wearing Oilers colours? Gimme a break.

So, dude spends the whole column defending Calgary for the actions of these thugs, and basically expects someone should expect a beating any time they show their team's colours.

Now, do I believe Calgary is a bad place to watch hockey simply because of this incident? No, there are 100s of other, more important, reasons to dislike Calgary.

Sheesh.

----

The NHLPA, in a bid to make more money for its alumni, has come out with a series of wines with the likeness of legendary players. Hmm.

The NHL Alumni Association has rolled out a Signature Wine Series, a 12-bottle collection -- six Chardonnays, six Cabernet Sauvignons -- featuring the likeness of some of hockey's greatest players.

In Chicago, the two wines, produced by Ironstone Vineyards of Murphys, Calif., are Bobby Hull's "Golden Jet" 2007 Chardonnay and Tony Esposito's "Tony O" 2005 Cabernet. The wines are sold at Binny's and in the United Center's restaurants and suites.

Given Hull's problems with alcoholism, was it really wise to give him a wine to endorse?

I can imagine the Bobby Hull wine has a hell of a kick, and will get your seriously drunk. Best drunk in a big shot glass. Try not to fight with your children, afterwards.

Tony Esposito? A solid red wine, but you will be 'shut out' when the ladies see you drinking this.

How about a Phil Esposito wine? In remembrance of his tendency to take shifts that were 1-2 minutes too long, this hearty red wine has a serious long aftertaste that takes away from its delicious flavour.

Bobby Orr? A very limited edition white wine that is superior to all other wines, but very hard to find as it was only made for a brief period in the 70s. The red version from the late 70s is disgusting, and should have never been made.

How about a Ron DuGuay white wine? This is great for getting ladies drunk and loosened up. It worked on Cher!

A Tribute to Peter Forsberg

2008-04-01T11:10:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Despite the fact that I deride Swedish hockey players, I've always had a serious man-crush on Peter Mattias Forsberg. If I had to look like a celebrity, I'd choose Forsberg, or Jiri Slegr. (We're no strangers to love)

What defines the standard 'Canadian' hockey player that we hold in such high regard? Looking at Forsberg, he's probably the most Canadian hockey player of all time.

You know the rules, and so do I: Drive, heart, grit, determination ... Forsberg has all of that. Who else could come back from a broken ankle, broken spleen, and the numerous other injuries to be as effective as Forsberg. Mere mortals would have given up, but Peter Forsberg is no mortal.

Despite all of the pain, he'll never give up.

Clutch? Forsberg is that. We know he's one of the best NHL playoff performers of all time, and we can't forget how he pwned Canada at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games.

Selflessness? Yep. Forsberg dishes out plenty of assists, and always looks to set up his friends, rather than selfishly shoot the puck like Alexander Ovechkin or Pavel Bure. In terms of team players, Forsberg has always given it his all and never worried about personal glory. A full commitment, is what I'm thinking of.

Let's took a look back at the career of Peter The Great. You wouldn't get this from any other guy.

---

Peter Forsberg, is one of the most easily recognized names in the sport of ice hockey. He was a great from the minute he joined the NHL in regular season, but he was driven far above the rest when he played (and helped win) the Stanley Cup Playoffs while suffering from internal bleeding from a ruptured spleen. After winning the Cup he landed in the hospital to have it removed.

The next season, Forsberg virtually disappeared. The following season he brushed off the Avalanche (and the $11-million paycheck) because he didn't think he was prepared to get back into the game. The game we all love, the game Peter loves, had taken its toll. Forsberg headed home to frozen Sweden in a town so far north that it has only hours of moderate daylight in winter. Most of us were resigned to Peter being gone from the game -- a thought we hated but could not affect. I remember when ESPN's article, "Finding Forsberg" came out... I wasn't sure if I wanted them to find him or to leave him alone.

Peter is the essence of hockey. He is an outstanding two-way player with grit and determination and a true love and passion for the game. When the Hockey Gods got together to create the mold Peter eventually became, they knew it was a one-shot deal... Forsberg is a one-of-a-kind.

...and now that the Canucks are basically going to flop in the playoffs (Should they make it), I can finally jump on the Avalanche bandwagon and outwardly appreciate Peter, rather than curse his name outwardly while inwardly coveting him.

Accomplishments:

Only Swedish player to have won the Stanley Cup, World Championship, and Olympic Hockey Gold on two occasions.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers as the 6th pick in the 1991 NHL Draft.

Traded to Quebec Nordiques for Eric Lindros (et al)

Scored the penalty-shot goal that won Sweden the Gold in the Winter Olympics in 1994

Played first NHL season in 1994-95 (strike-shortened season) grabbing 50 points and the Calder Trophy

In 1995, became a Colorado Avalanche when the Nordiques moved to Colorado, scored 116 points during the regular season and 21 points in 22 games to help win the Stanley Cup

2001 heralded a second Stanley Cup with the Avalanche but a ruptured spleen for Forsberg

In 2002-2003 Forsberg led the league with 106 points and awarded the Hart Trophy

Material shamelessly stolen from 'hockeychic'

Why Can't I Get Excited About the Canucks?

2008-03-30T17:43:00.001-07:00

by Jes

So, we've got a few games left in the season and the Canucks are in a race for the Western Conference's last playoff spot that is tighter than Hillary Clinton's ice-cold nether regions.

Despite this, I can't seem to get excited about it at all.

Have I just given up on the Canucks, much like the Canucks seem to have given up on the season?



Rank                  GP W  L   OT  Pts GF  GA   Home   Away     L10
1 Detroit Red Wings*  79 52 20   7  111 248 175 27-9-3  25-11-4 7-2-1
2 San Jose Sharks*    78 47 21   10 104 210 182 20-13-6 27-8-4  8-0-2
3 Minnesota Wild*     79 42 28   9  93  214 211 23-11-5 19-17-4 5-2-3
4 Anaheim Ducks       79 44 27   8  96  195 184 26-9-4  18-18-4 6-3-1
5 Dallas Stars        78 43 29   6  92  230 196 22-15-2 21-14-4 2-7-1
6 Calgary Flames      78 40 28   10 90  216 215 21-11-9 19-17-1 5-5-0
7 Colorado Avalanche  79 42 31   6  90  221 211 26-12-2 16-19-4 5-5-0
8 Nashville Predators 79 39 31   9  87  222 221 22-14-4 17-17-5 4-5-1

9 Vancouver Canucks   78 38 30   10 86  203 200 20-12-5 18-18-5 4-6-0
10 Edmonton Oilers    80 40 34   6  86  231 247 23-16-1 17-18-5 6-3-1

While the Edmonton Oilers' are playing their asses off, the Canucks are almost content to get a head start on golfing.

Are the Canucks expecting a first round defeat? Why, then, is there a complete lack of caring and emotion out of most of the team?

I know, I know, it's not as if the Canucks can simply score at will. Still, watch the Canucks on any night and the effort just isn't there. Too many players just dont' truly seem to care.

Maybe that is why I am so apathetic about the team right now. If you are an Oilers fan, you can at least take heart in knowing that the team never gave up (assuming they miss the playoffs, which I bet they will).

The Hawks and Coyotes? They made real strides?

The Canucks? They turned into the Florida Panthers ... a great goalie and a mediocre team that won't go anywhere.

Makes you wonder if Luongo won't get GTFO out of here once his contract expires.

I hope GM Dave "No Action" Nonis is canned this off-season, and ownership doesn't simply let the injury excuse be used. I'm sorry, but the Canucks needed offensive help, and didn't get any.

*sigh*

I feel like I should just jump on a bandwagon this year and not invest too much emotion into the playoffs.

Montreal? They have Tomas Plekanec, but Quebecers hate me ;)
Boston? They have Milan Lucic, but they don't have a shot.
San Jose? zzzzz
Anaheim? Bunch of thugs!

Oh, I almost forgot that I did create the Sidney Crosby blog.

Time to jump onto my other bandwagon. w00t!!!

No, I don't have shame in doing so. Until the Canucks earn my respect and devotion again, I'll take my business elsewhere.

NHL GM's Say NO to No-Touch Icing

2008-03-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

by Jes

No-Touch Icing is a rule that many hockey leagues have had for years, but one the NHL refuses to adopt like Angelina Jolie and any kid from Africa.

Why is that?

As we saw with the recent broken leg injury suffered by Kurtis Foster, the current way of touch icing puts the players at needless risk.

Time and time again, we hear the same refrain: "We can't take away those exciting puck chases. The fans will never stand for another whistle!"

Riiiight... umm... I've watched junior hockey for years, and can't say that I miss the chases for an iced puck. If anything, it spares us the inevitable icing call and just gets on with it. Really, how many iced-puck chases end up being waived off because an offensive player gets to the puck first? Once a game, at most?

It's bad enough that the players' don’t value their own safety, but why do the GM's continue to not care about the well being of their players?

Sure, we know that management groups, throughout labour history, have tended not to give a damn about their employees' safety. Callous management isn't anything new.

The difference between the NHL and your typical steel mill? Replacement cost! It's much easier to replace a steel worker and pays for their medical expenses than it is to do the same for an NHL player.

Not only does the team have to pay a replacement player when their star gets injured, but the team's insurance premiums go up as well.

No-touch icing? That would help prevent needless injuries, and ought to be embraced by GM's as a way to cut some costs and save some limbs.

Alas, the GM's show that, once again, their heads are in the sand, or up Gary Bettman's freshly-shaven ass.

Per Bob MacKenzie of TSN.ca:

The NHL's 30 general managers were asked the following question: In the wake of Kurtis Foster's broken leg, are you in favor of no-touch icing? Yes or No?

Of the 26 GMs who responded, 17 said, No, they do not favor no-touch icing. Eight said, Yes, they would like to see a change to the current rule and go to no-touch. One said he simply can't make up his mind, that he used to be in the No camp but isn't so sure now.

Those results are not a surprise, really. Every year at the NHL GMs' meeting they beat this subject up and come to the same conclusion – the significant majority is not prepared to support a change to the icing rule, they like races for the puck and at the risk of being callous, they say they can't and won't be influenced by injuries because it's the nature of the game. In fact, at the most recent GMs' meeting in Naples, Fla., the GMs decided against even discussing the subject for at least another three years.

Wow, the GM's can't be bothered from their busy schedule of golfing and drinking to discuss an issue for ANOTHER THREE YEARS? Geez, don't work too hard, boys.

Yes, the GM's can't be bothered and influenced by injuries because, well, employees just get injured, and that's that.

*Sigh*

I'd like to ask the GM of the Wild just how much money they'll spend on a replacement player for Kurtis Foster and how much more they'll need to pay in insurance next year. I wonder if a big fat dollar figure would get the message through.

*I'm willing to guess that the GM who couldn't make up his mind was none other than our own Dave Nonis. D00d couldn't make a decision if his life depended on it.

Elisha Cuthbert and Dion Phaneuf? Ewww..

2008-03-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

by Jes

I don't watch "24", and really don't care much for Elisha Cuthbert. She's not quite as good looking as most people seem to think she is, her hairstyles always suck, and her attempt at hockey blogging made Glenn Beck look like a genius orator of opinion.

That said, we can't but help but talk about her when she's a high profile actress and she's dating yappy NHL players. It makes for good gossip and good press. It's certainly more interesting than watching the Canucks blow another 3rd period lead.

Elisha seemed to finally get a clue when she dumped Sean Avery after a year or two of listening to the endless spewing of crap from his sewer mouth. The thrill was gone, and she had to realize that Avery would ...

a. never shut up
b. cheat quite often (as many players do)
c. not make good long-term marriage material
d. continue to accumulate enough facial scars to make Freddy Krueger jealous

Well, maybe she didn't learn anything, because now she's with ... da-dum ... noted asshole Dion Phaneuf (!?)

As if his own star wasn't burning brightly enough, Calgary Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf is now being linked to Hollywood starlet Elisha Cuthbert.

Having been seen recently in Calgary attending a Flames game, the Girl Next Door actress -- who was born in Cowtown before moving to Montreal -- grabbed the attention of those in the entertainment industry, setting the Internet abuzz.

A celebrity gossip columnist apparently got wind of it, and CTV's e-Talk has reported the two are an item.

When asked about the rumours, the big blueliner neither confirmed nor denied reports, saying he won't talk about his personal life.

Women wonder why certain men treat them like crap, and then these women keep going out with the 'bad boy' time and time again. When you play with snakes, expect to get bitten.

Elisha, your taste in men clearly sucks as much as you do after an apple martini, and we know that this relationship won't last more than a year, tops.

*shakes head*

Dater Does Not Dig Dion

2008-03-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Most MSM mediots are rather droll and uninspired. Years of covering the same team and beating the same drum seem to suck the life out of most writers, leaving them bitter husks that create stupid trade rumours out of thin air (*cough* Tony Gallagher *cough*), and always whine about how their team/players aren't good enough after last night's 3-2 loss in OT.

It doesn’t help that the papers practice a big load of self-censorship, and don't allow much in the way of true personality to ever be expressed. We can't risk pissing off those lucrative advertisers, or the teams themselves, can we?

Well, author Adrian "The Hater" Dater is one of the few MSM writers that allows his emotions to get the better of him, and it makes for great reading. It helps that The Denver Post allows him this avenue for expressing himself without a whole lot of interference.

Take this recent blog about a Flames/Avs tilt in which Dater rips into Phaneuf.

So here is Dion Phaneuf tonight, laying one big hit from behind after another on Peter Forsberg, and there goes Forsberg to the penalty box for a little tap on some guy’s glove a few minutes later. Same old NHL, where the retaliator is penalized.

Phaneuf is a bit of a Bill Laimbeer on skates, by the way. And some day he’s going to get his, and it’s not going to be pretty for him. He’s going to hit one backside of a player too many, and somebody is going to rip that shield off his face and hand him his teeth. (And yes, he’s an effective player, though, because he DOES get people off their games mentally. And, yes, if I was a coach and he played on my team, I’d probably love him. But not always. You can argue he cost his team a game, with a foolish interference penalty - and blatantly cross-checking Paul Stastny from behind, not long after the Avs scored on his first penalty, didn’t help the Flames’ cause, either).

We’ll see if the Avs have any hair on their chests the rest of the night or not. I said it once and I’ll say it again - you gotta smack the bully in the mouth.

See, this is the kind of stuff the fans want to read. The Laimbeer comparison is quite apt, and Dater expresses many of the same thoughts most non-Flames fans have had for some time. Dater's blog posts show a good range of emotions, and make for far more interesting reading than you usually get from the stodgy MSM.

Other MSM publications should take note of how many comments and referring links Dater's blog has generated, and get a clue.

Mike is No Dream Weaver

2008-03-23T10:11:00.001-07:00

by Jes

Mike Weaver is certainly not one of my favourite Vancouver Canucks. I don't hate him personally, but I do get nervous any time he is on the ice and the puck is in the Canucks' zone.

I'll admit that Weaver has done a decent job as a fill-in defenseman, but he's played far more than he ever should, thanks in large part to the decimation of the Canucks' defensive corps over the season.

Today's paper featured a cheeky column by Ed Willes that highlights just how bad Weaver's (lack of) offensive production has been.

Weaver, the vertically challenged blueliner, has no goals and no assists for no points in 49 games with the Canucks this season which, depending on how you look at it, either placed him in a 93-way tie for 739th place among NHL scoring leaders before last night or 832nd, and last, in the league because of the 93 players who've yet to score this season, none have played more games than Weaver.

To put it in perspective, Canucks backup goalie Curtis Sanford has one assist in 13 games this year.

"I've never really looked at points," Weaver said. "It's like I've got a shock-collar if I go past the blueline. Everybody has their own thing. That's not mine."

OK ... getting out-scored by Curtis Sanford is akin to being beaten in a game of scrabble by a toddler. Ouch.

While it's safe to say Weaver provides NO offense, I'll argue that he provides a net NEGATIVE to the Canucks offense.

Think about it ... a comparible fill-in defenseman should at least have 2-5 points, given the same amount of ice time that Weaver gets on a nightly basis.

Mike Weaver has played 701 minutes of NHL hockey this season (14:18 a game), and hasn't even managed a single, accidental, assist?

C'mon, that's just pathetic.

Unless Weaver is the world's greatest defensive defenseman, which he is not, than he really is of negative value to the Canucks.

0 assists suggest a guy who can't make good breakout passes, is not good at getting the puck to the net, and has a slapshot that would make Craig Janney laugh.

Unfortunately, Weaver is going to be in the lineup a lot more thanks to the season-ending hurts of Ohlund and Krajicek.

*sigh*

Idiot of the Day: Paul Stewart

2008-03-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Paul Stewart, the former enforcer and popular (with the players) ex-referee had some choice comments about the Chris Pronger situation.

His thinking: Pronger wouldn't have gone all stompy if the game had more enforcers and he wouldn't have to protect himself. Uh-huh

You might expect a referee to have pretty keen insight into the situation, but Stewart ends up sounding more like an old codger like Donald Cherry than anything.

Stewart, the director of officials for the NCAA's Eastern Conference, told Hockey Night In Canada Radio on Sirius late Monday that the incident is a direct result of the NHL's desire to reduce fighting and, in turn, eliminate the role of the enforcer.

"It is sort of childish the way that he stomped on the guy," Stewart said. "Would [Jean] Beliveau have done that?

"I don't think so because they had No. 22 playing for them — God rest his soul, John Ferguson — and players knew they weren't going to take allowances with them."

Stewart believes the enforcer plays a key role in the NHL because "if you run [Sidney] Crosby or if you run [Alexander] Ovechkin or if you run, sadly, a Patrice Bergeron, you have to face a guy.

"[Wayne] Gretzky had [Marty] McSorley and he had [Dave] Semenko. Nowadays, they're trying to outlaw these guys."

Let's chop this up like spinach ...

1. Does Chris Pronger not have any 'protection' in Anaheim? Brad May, George Parros, Travis Moen ... Anaheim is not lacking with pugilistic talent. The fact that anyone could think Pronger is in any danger is akin to believing we actually live in a true democracy. Pure garbage.

2. If anyone needed protecting, it was Ryan Kesler, who was lying on the ice in a prone position for Pronger to stomp on his leg.

3. Remember when the Blues had Kelly Chase and Tony Twist? Even then, Pronger was cheap and vicious with his stick.

Oh, and this Paul Stewart gem is delicious.

Asked when he noticed the shift away from on-ice enforcers, Stewart responded: "The culture changed when the helmets went on, when the glass went up, when the goaltenders went out back of the net and started playing the puck with an expectation of not being confronted."

Yeah, let's go back to not wearing helmets and having a whole bunch of fractured skulls. Just ask Norm Green how that feels.

Paul Stewart ... what a moron.

Hockey isn't suddenly more violent now that enforcers' roles have drastically been reduced. Yes, stick fouls 'appear' to be increasing, but that doesn't excuse Chris Pronger or Chris Simon from committing one of hockey's ultimate no-no's.

If the NHL really wants to crack down on vicious and violent fouls, then the suspension system needs to be revamped, opened up, and harsher. The reason Pronger does what he does is because he knows he can get away with it. Do you think a 2-3 game suspension for a check from behind is going to deter anyone? No.

Start handing out 25-30 game suspensions and you'll see the cheap crap start to fade away.

Do Bloggers Dream of Richard Zednik?

2008-03-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

by Jes

At last, I've uncovered the super secret formula that the NHL uses for handing out suspensions.

(Previous Suspension + Media Outcry - Player's "Star"* Power + Number of Bowel Movements Colin Campbell Has Had in Previous 48 Hours) X Random Number Picked Out of a Hat by a Monkey.

* As determined by Supreme Overlord, His Excellency, Commissioner Gary Bettman.

How else can we explain the fact that the NHL gave Chris Pronger a head-scratching EIGHT game suspension for his stomping of Ryan Kesler when Chris Simon got THIRTY games for the exact same thing.

Is Chris Pronger a repeat offender? Yes.
Has Chris Pronger proven himself to be a danger and threat to other players? Yes.

So, then, why the double standard? Was it because the media didn't cry for blood nearly as much? Is it because Pronger is a player that the NHL desparately wants to be in the NHL? Is it because Gary Bettman fears Brian Burke?

The sad thing is that there would have been NO suspension if the folks at TSN didn't call out the NHL out. We'll give a round of applause to the MSM for this one, as they utilized their assets and investigative wherewithall to show the public just what the NHL 'missed'.

---

I rarely have dreams that I can remember, but I certainly had a strange one last night.

It involved Richard Zednik and I as roommates in some apartment. (Somehow, his wife wasn't anywhere to be found). I was taking care of Zednik after another awful injury, and trying to comfort him from his depression.

Zednik had also recovered from cancer, and was wondering when all the pain would end. He had a hard time getting to sleep because of the pain, so I gave him some 'illegal?' drugs to calm him down. For some reason, I didn't want to give him the pills, but he convinced me. Who can resist a sad Zednik face?

Then, after he went to sleep, I went into the living room and starting playing video games from a MASSIVE collection.

Yeah, WTF, eh?

---

It has been years since I've done an Easter egg hunt, but I'm going to try my hand at one set up by Joe Pelletier over his his Legends of Hockey blog.

Today GreatestHockeyLegends.com has a photo of the largest easter egg in the world? Why? Because I'm announcing the first annual
GreatestHockeyLegends.com Easter Egg Hunt!

Amongst the approximate 700 legends profiled across my Legends of
Hockey Network I have planted pictures of easter eggs on 5 biographies.

If you can find all five, you will be entered into a draw to win a
$100 gift certificate to Amazon.

Perhaps I'll start by going to Steve Smith's profile (if he has one), since he certainly knew how to lay an egg ;)

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How would you like it if 12,000 people showed up at your birthday?

Well, the Giants/Bruins game last night had Gordie Howe celebrate his 80th birthday with the team he has a minority stake in. Yes, the guy is uber-popular and still draws a crowd.

OK, so his real birthday is not until March 31st, but it was a good excuse for a nice ceremony. With the Canucks sucking as much as they have, the Giants are giving us Vancouver hockey fans something better to watch :)

As for Howe, I saw him at the game on Friday (vs. the Cougars) and he's still looking good. About 1-2 years ago, he seemed to have aged ten years at once and looked rather fragile and weak. On Friday, he seemed to look good and still looked like he could bodycheck a few players through the boards.

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Today's Photo of the Day involves Ryan Getzlaf combining his other hobby, Tae Kwon Doe, with hockey into ... ummm ... 'Doekey'?

HIYAAAHHH!!!

Friday's Frank Frothings

2008-03-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

by Jes

Oh, I know I'm a negative Canucks fan, but this season is now officially over.

Sure, the Canucks might make the playoffs, but they certainly won't do anything substantial. I don't even expect an upset, unless the Canucks play Dallas (unlikely). Basically, a season of almost nothing.

Now, Mattias Ohlund couldn't bear the pain any longer and decided to have a season-ending operation. Canucks fans appreciate the effort he put in, and we know that he really didn't want to have to make that decision.

Krajicek, Miller, Ohlund are gone ... Salo is hurt, Bieksa is still not 100%, and the Canucks can't score. Basically, the Canucks are first round fodder.

Last night's 2-0 loss to the Coyotes was a perfect example of how our team doesn't seem to care enough. Not to discount the Coyotes, but most of the Canucks were clearly sleepwalking though last night's game. Apart from Burrows/Kesler and Luongo, who else seemed to want to win the game?

I wonder if it would be better for the Canucks to miss the playoffs. Then, GM Dave "No Action" Nonis might realize how weak his team really is, and do something of SUBSTANCE. None of this Brad Isbister/Marc Chouinard bullshit. Get us some real players! Don't waste Luongo's talent playing behind a bunch of flotsam. Really, is Luongo going to want to re-sign here when his contract expires? Doubtful.

For now, I am completely writing off the Canucks, and anything other than a first round exit will be a bonus. Set expectations low, and your heart won't get hurt.

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When I look at other Western Conference second-tier teams, I see potential.

Colorado has Sakic (always $$$$$), Forsberg, and Adam Foote back in the fold. This team can explode in your face.

Minnesota is Minnesota ... well-coached, and always dangerous come playoff time. Sure, they struggle to score on a regular basis, but we know this team will quietly sneak up on your and steal your lollipop. They have good special teams, which always make a difference during the playoffs.

Phoenix? If they happen to make it, they'll have the 'nothing to lose' energy that is always so dangerous versus uptight teams with high expectations. Oh, and don't forget Ilya Bryzgalov and his Vezina-like play.

Hell, even Calgary has Miikka Kiprusoff discovering his old form, a great defence, and enough offence to make them a viable choice. Remember, this is a team that many expect to do better than they have, so we know they have the talent to do good things.

The Canucks? They have Roberto Luongo, and nothing else. That is why I have written them off.

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When is the last time you heard the term "Jimmy Hat" in casual conversation?

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More on Peter Stastny and his crusade.

I got an email from another friend of mine from Slovakia, and he added his thoughts on the situation. Keep in mind that my pal is also very anti-communist (as are most people who lived through the Soviets occupations), and is no fan of Siroky and his cronies.

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The decision of Peter to open this cause was very stupid. I cannot understand why he sent a copy to Bettman and Hay, who have nothing to do with Slovak hockey hall of fame. A lot of people (in Slovakia) support him but most ones are very disappointed to combine political policy with their most favorite sport.

Peter Stastny was a very respected athlete and personality by all Slovaks. But his first conflict (two years ago) with hockey officials confused a lot of his fans. I can understand that he has a conflict with Siroky, but nobody can explain me why he pulls in other officials and players to his personal conflict.

In my opinion, Siroky is and especially was a real asshole who collaborated with former regime and worked for secret police. However, his present work for Slovak hockey is accepted by most people.

I must remind you to one fact ... that Stastny worked as GM of national team in period 2003-06. Do you know who was a president of Slovak hockey federation? Of course Siroky.

Why Stastny collaborated with such person when he has known him pretty well? Why he accepted good salary from federation when he knew its boss? This conflict started two years ago when the federation has not extended the contract with Stastny.

BTW, Peter knew only players on NHL and had no idea about Europe-skating players. To be ironic he has confused first names of several young NHL-ers e.g. Jurcina and Meszaros.
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My friend makes an excellent point. Stastny surely know the kind of man Siroky was during his days with the hockey federation. Why, then, is it only now that Peter comes out with such allegations? Why didn't he turn down the job if he has such a high moral standard?