Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Oct 5, 2005     Canadiens           Bruins            7:00 PM EDT     -     
Oct 5, 2005    Islanders          Sabres           7:00 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Rangers         Flyers            7:00 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Blue Jackets          Capitals          7:00 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Thrashers           Panthers    7:00 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Senators           Maple Leafs    7:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Penguins            Devils              7:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Hurricanes           Lightning      7:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Blues                    Red Wings       7:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Sharks                   Predators       8:00 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Mighty Ducks          Blackhawks      8:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Flames                   Wild                 8:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Kings                    Stars          8:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Avalanche           Oilers               9:30 PM EDT    -    
Oct 5, 2005    Coyotes        Canucks       10:00 PM EDT

Nice, Rangers vs. Flyers right off the bat.  Can't wait.  Let's Go Rangers!!!

Flyers are going to destroy all teams - Carter, Richards, Forsberg, Gagne, Primeau, Hatcher, Rathje, Desjardins, Pitkanen,

You are now all owned!

Philly in '06

Did Philly Get Peter Forsberg? or is that the other Forsberg?

yes, the flyers signed THE forsberg. i was driving home from work and almost crashed when i heard it.

they're gonna trade JR though, which sucks cause he's my all time favorite. but the goal is to win it all, and this gives them a much better chance.

2 months and a day til opening night. i can't fucking wait.

As far as I know, Peter is the only Forsberg in the NHL.  My girlfriend, who absolutely loves him, is REALLY pissed about this signing.

Bruins pick up Leetch, Murray, McEachern, and Isbister.  I wouldn't count them out in the East just yet.  Oh wait, it's the Bruins.  Shit, never mind.

Philly is looking good, but I'd consider them nowhere near a lock for the East.  Carter and Richards have yet to prove themselves at the pro level, Forsberg is a great player when he stays healthy and doesn't go diving every time someone looks at him the wrong way, Gagne will be good provided he can stay healthy (see 02-03... he'll probably keep up his "2 points every three games" kind of pace), Primeau however will be 34 this year and has seen his production tailing off a bit, Hatcher has health issues every couple of years (15 games in 03-04), Rathje is one of the most overrated d-men in the league (Iginla owned him in the 03-04 playoffs), Desjardins is 36 and is not the same player he was with Montreal and in his first years with Philly, Pitkanen is also young but at least now has a year of experience under his belt.

They also have a big question mark in goal with Esche and Niittymaki.  Esche's breakout year was 03-04, and he only played half the games.  Niittymaki lacks experience, but has put up good numbers in the AHL.

So we'll see.  They look good, but at the same time, I do have my questions.

I still hope Donald "Huggy Bear" Brashear falls off a cliff.

NO there is a lesser known Forsberg, cant remember who he plays for, he isnt a star or nothing, He may be a second line defensemen or something, not really sure.

JR is winding down, lets be honest, And Peter Forsberg is THE MAN, it sucks for my Colorado Avalanche however .

Did Colorado retain Joe Sakic at least?

I know they havent signed Tanguay yet and they lost Adam Foote, so this sucks.


I have moved almost to Atlanta so I am ecstatic cause ill get to drive down and watch some Atlanta Thrasher games, I dont like Atlanta's team but Ill catch them playin the Flyers or the Avs and its gonna be awesome

anyone know how much it usually costs to get a hockey ticket?

The Flyers look to have one of the more talented teams in the East.  But they're definitely old.  I so wanted to see Brian Leetch back in a Rangers jersey.  If they wanted him back he'd be back.  And I'm sure an Atlanta Thrashers ticket would be quite affordable.

Flyers had gone over the cap and now they had to get rid of Roenik.

Habs r gonna win the cup. Re-signed Kovalev, signed Dandenault, drafted the number one goalie. Oh yeah, go Habs, go!

Roenick to the Kings.  Damn they didn't give up anything to get him.

Ronenick and 3rd Pick for a Conditional Choice

This off-season has been insane so far.  Its basically like a fantasy draft with players goin' all over the place.  I think this rapid player movement alone has brought some excitement back to the NHL.

the flyers were one of the top 5 teams BEFORE free agency started. and they are the only good team that improved themselves significantly. and the other two top teams lost their best players.....the top G (the bulin wall) and D (neidermayer) in the east both moved to the west.

the flyers are the HEAVY favorite to win the east. 

I don't know that I'd call Khabibulin the beat goalie in the East.  You mean to tell me he's better than Brodeur, Theodore, Raycroft, Kolzig, and Luongo?

As for Niedermayer going over to the west, it's a big loss for the Devils, but they still have probably the best defensive corps in the East, if not the entire NHL-- Stevens, Matvichuk, Rafalski, Malakhov, White, Martin, McGillis, and Brown.

And once again, Philly's D is full of big guys with almost no mobility-- not good for what's about to become a high-flying offensive game across the whole league.  Don't go giving yourselves the Eastern Conference crown just yet, Flyers fans.

right now, yes, without a doubt, khabibulin in the best goalie in the league. he did win the cup (while brodeur lost in round 1 - to the flyers).

and you obviously are not familiar with the flyers D. their other 4 defensemen are all mobile "offensive" type defensemen.

edmonton made a couple cool aquisitons IMO. Philly kinda went overboard, they still need to sign Gagne and Esche!!! Mr. Clarke needs a brain examination! lol. I'm jealous that Pilly signed Forsberg, kudos to them though.

My team is Detroit, they haven't done SHIT!! well Stevey Y is back so that's cool that he will retire playing instead of sitting  : ok:

The whole free agent thingy this year is quite bizarre, but cool, I can't wait for the puck to drop. if the new rules changes are all implimented properly (Obstruction especially!! :rant: ) it should make for a faster, more exciting game.  : ok:

The shootout in regular season to settle ties will be fun.  :yes:

So just winning a cup makes you the best goalie in the league?  If you want to go by that reasoning, then Esa Tikkanen and Claude Lemieux are both better players than Mario Lemieux.  I'd love to see you try to defend that one.

As for Khabibulin, in the regular season in 2003-04, he wasn't even top 10 in GAA among goalies appearing in at least 40 games (Roloson, Turco, Brodeur, Esche, Raycroft, Aebischer, Legace, Belfour, Nabokov, and Osgood all had lower GAA).  He wasn't even top 15 out of those with more than 27 games.  Khabibulin was 11th in the NHL in wins.  Missed the top 10 in Save Percentage (behind Roloson, Luongo, Raycroft, Aebischer, Nabokov, Legace, Theodore, Belfour, Denis, and Brodeur among those to play in 40 or more games).  He also had fewer than 5 shutouts, putting him out of the top 15 for the NHL.  Best goalie in the league?  Not even close.

As for the Flyers defensive mobility, Hatcher is getting old and coming off an injury.  Desjardins is also getting up there in age.  Pitkanen is still young, so we'll let him slide.  Rathje stood like a post in the playoffs while Iginla skated all over him.  Therien is no better than Rathje.  Seidenberg is still inexperienced, but has potential.  Johnsson is underrated on the blueline.  But with the two-line pass rule being opened up, they're going to need faster d-men than guys like Hatcher, Desjardins, Rathje, and Therien.  Teams just have to exploit the home run pass to ruin them.

Very very good point. I was quite glad detroit got rid of hatcher, he was brutal in the playoffs. verrrrrrrrrrrrrry slow. that is another aspect of the new rules i'm looking forward to. the long bomb  :D

i'm afraid there won't many more defensemen racking up points, and less point shots too

your first comment makes no sense since you're taking what i said about goalies and applying it to forwards. little bit of a different position. and you're also putting way too much into the regular (aka pre-) season.

the fact is khabibulin is one of the best goalies in the league, and he'd probably be listed in the top 3 by every GM in the nhl.

three of the flyers top defensemen (johnsson, pitkanen and seidenberg) can skate with anyone in the leage. all are very fast and mobile. as is desjardins (even in his old age).

the flyers NEEDED some size cause they had little. and although the rules are changing, someone still needs to stop the joe thorton's of the league in front of the net.

The Flyers will be one of the top two teams in the East, but in no way are they a lock.  And with Khabibulin, he's good...but he's definitely not the best in the league.  I think letting him go was a bad move for Tampa, but simply winning the cup doesn't make you the best in the league.  Were Mike Vernon or Chris Osgood the best goalies in the league when they won their Cups in Detroit?  The answer is no they weren't...not even close.  Although the move probably will be a plus for the NHL if Chicago can become a contender.  Its always good to have an original 6, big market team in the mix.

The flyer's defense sucks ?;D

Anyway finally official that gretzky is a coach, that should be intersting to see if he's as good behind the bench as he was on the ice.

And Chris Osgood goes back to the Motor City ?:D That's pretty exciting I always liked him, I never thought they should've signed Hasek and got rid of him, but whatever, I'm happy he's back, that leaves Cujo for some other team (poor guy should've never left the leafs, Detroit screwed him over from Day one).

Maybe he'll go to Philly, sandman, ;) to be with his old buddy Darian "slow ass" Hatcher. ?:hihi:

Seriously though. that free's up an excellent goalie for one team. Maybe the Pittsburgh rumors are true.

Putting too much into the regular season? ?If you don't win in the regular season, you don't get to the playoffs, plain and simple. ?Calling Khabibulin ONE OF the best is different from calling him the best. ?And I still wouldn't say he's top 3. ?Top 10 yes, top 5 maybe.

And just because you won the Cup still doesn't make you the best at your position, even as a goalie. ?If this is true, then I guess Kiprusoff is best in the West. ?Apparently all those Vezinas won by Hasek in Buffalo mean nothing about him being best in the league since he didn't win a Cup until joining Detroit. ?Get real. ?Khabibulin has a Cup and no Vezina, Crozier, or Jennings. ?A TEAM wins a Cup, but the goalie wins these awards-- of which Khabibulin has none. ?Therefore Cups are not the way to measure a single player, no matter what position he plays.

I guarantee that if you switch Khabibulin with Roberto Luongo on Tampa Bay in 03-04, Luongo gets not only a Cup, but also puts up better regular season numbers, and is in the running for the Vezina.

Oh, and you want to talk playoffs? ?Alright, fair enough. ?In save percentage, Khabibulin was behind Joseph, Vokoun, and Nabokov out of all goalies to face at least 150 shots. ?He was third in GAA out of all goalies to play in at least 7 games, once again behind Joseph and Nabokov.

You may say Khabibuin is the best, but the numbers overwhelmingly prove otherwise.

Moving on, Flyers Defense...

My only knock on Johnsson is sometimes he's TOO offensive minded and it could leave his defensive partner open to having to face a lot of odd-man rushes. ?Depending on who that partner is, it could cause problems (especially if it's Hatcher, Therien, or Rathje).

Seidenberg is good all-around, but his lack of size will prove to be problematic. ?In addition, the signing of Therien could cut down on his playing time a bit. ?I'm still iffy on him.

Pitkanen is the best prospect on D, and dare I say the best all-around on the Philly blueline. ?He's the only one I wouldn't worry about at all in any situation.

I still think the opening up of the game for the long passes will prove to be the Flyers' death knell. ?The Joe Thorntons of the league will still get their points, but even more now will go to the speedsters like Sami Kapanen, Martin St. Louis, and Marian Gaborik. ?Look for Wes Walz, of all people, to possibly have a big year. ?

My apologies for the double post, but it has been announced Todd Bertuzzi has been reinstated by the league.

Absolutely disgusting.

IMO it was a fluke incident that moore got knocked unconscious, regardless if the canucks would've been able to settle up with him after Moore cheapshotted Naslund in the first place the whole incident would never have happened in the first place. The need to eliminate the instigator rule.  To avoid this type of shit, and others like highsticking.

Anyway don't really want to argue about it, it's never good to have a star player not playing.

Philly just signed Johnsson and Gagne. They are sitting at about $34,000,000 and only have 18 guys on the roster, and no goalies. that only leaves $5mill for 2 goaltenders and 4 skaters, and alot of luck that no one gets hurt.  :) we'll see how it turns out i guess.

I wouldn't call the Moore hit on Naslund a cheap shot by any means.  Naslund was leaning in and got caught with his head down, hits like this happen in hockey, just ask Eric Lindros.  Ask Keith Primeau, who got KO'ed by Bob Boughner in the playoffs.

I also don't think it was a fluke Moore was KO'ed or had his neck broken.  There was a month between the hit on Naslund and the near-killing of Moore.  This was a premeditated attack, not something in the heat of the moment.  Heat of the moment would be if Bertuzzi had sone after him in the same game.  Bertuzzi's intent was to hurt Moore, if not kill him.  You don't slam a guy face first into the ice and expect him to jump up and say "Boy howdy, I'll never hit a star player again!"  Star player or not, he needs to serve a real punishment, not just 19 games.

And you're right, the instigator rule has to go.  This would not have happened if they had been able to go after him right then and attack from the front to give him a chance top defend himself rather than waiting to completely blindside him.

Simply put, Bertuzzi should have gone after him from the front.

to tell you the truth I believ that the broken neck was as a result of the 4-5 guys jumping on bertuzzi after the initial hit. The tv never shows that footage though. The game in question was the next time that Van played Col. it was the first chance at payback. I'm not saying it was a good thing that happened but, revenge is also a part of hockey. He got KO'd because of the shot to the head. and i don't think bertuzzi knew he was unconscious. when fights are started they alway push heads down. it was an   :( unlucky  :( unfortuantate hit directly on the temple. Bertuzzi didn't set out to Kill him. give me a break.

hell the shot by Claude Lemieux on Draper in the Det/NJ final was just as bad, or the Hunter cheap shot on Turgeon, or the mcSorely stick incident against Brashear.  And feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Moore do a Knee-Shot on Naslund? That is a potential career threatening hit.

IMO Bertuzzi hit Moore with the intention of starting a fight, not maiming. The rest of the players knew it was coming, that's why there was a huge pile-on afterwards. The col coach put Moore on to distract the Canucks and the canucks, specifically Bertuzzi< took the bait. Unforunately the consequences were disasterous. As for the 19 games, it was more than that, because he wasn't allowed to step on the ice at all for the past year and a half, including the world championships. It's not his fault that there was a strike. He never got strike pay either, (At least I don't believe he did) so in truth he hasn't got paid in over a year, I think that's punishment enough.

At least we agree that if the instigator rule was not in effect, then the whole messy situation could've been avoided.

anyone gonna get a Hockey video game this year? Which one?

I pre-ordered ESPN NHL 2K6 today

That kind of neck injury, as well as the concussion and facial lacerations, are caused by the initial blow, not by continued pressure.? Spinal cord injuries are more common with continued pressure, while a fracture is caused more by the initial blow.

The hit on Naslund was him catching Moore's upper arm (closer to the shoulder than the elbow) to his head while leaning to get the puck, not a knee-to-knee.? Had it been knee-to-knee, there would have been a penalty to Moore as well as a suspension.? Naslund even said afterward that it was a clean hit, he just got caught with his head down.

How many fights can you name where a guy pushed the other one's head down?? I can't think of any.? Most are started by a shove or two, perhaps a facewash, then dropping the sticks and gloves.? And while yes, it was the next game the two teams played, that's not my point.? Bertuzzi tried to claim it was done in the heat of the moment-- it would have been a more valid excuse if he had done it in the same game where Moore hit Naslund.

As for the lockout, wow, harsh.? He sat out a whole season that wasn't even played.? I can't even begin to imagine how many tears Bertuzzi shed over that one.? As for not getting lockout pay, for god's sake, the man is a pro athlete.? If he can't live off his millions in the bank, I'll be happy to give up my job at Starbucks to him so he can feed him family.? I'll even donate the change here in my pocket.

As for Lemieux on Draper, that was one that deserved a much longer suspension.? It looked far worse on replays on camera, but in the end, Draper was still able to play again.? Same with Hunter on Turgeon-- Pierre played again.? And McSorley on Brashear (Had Brashear been wearing his helmet properly, he wouldn't have had as bad of an injury).? However, Moore may never play again.? He still has yet to receive medical clearance to get on the ice.? It's terrible how the NHL basically gave a lifetime ban to Marty McSorley for an injury that put Donald Brashear out for a week or two, while giving a whole 19 games to Bertuzzi for a hit that could end Moore's career.

And finally, to the National Hockey League deep thinkers who tried to sneak Todd Bertuzzi's reinstatement through on the same day Wayne Gretzky became a head coach: Go to the box and feel shame. Two minutes for media obstruction, five minutes for issuing a pathetic news release late in the day so no one at the NHL office would have to explain why Bertuzzi's suspension was over, a 10-minute misconduct for blatant stupidity and a game misconduct for leniency.

As for NHL video games, not sure yet.? I have EA's NHL98 through NHL2002, plus 2004, and have found that with the exception of 2004, the game has gotten less and less impressive over the years.? I think I may once again sit this year out, or go over to ESPN.

I went over to ESPN last year, my buddy had bought it 2 years running prior to that, IMO it's just a better game, more about playing hockey than the gimmics EA always seems to be about. Very realistic in terms of actual player movements, EA does have better face though. if looking at faces on a hockey video game is important to you.? :hihi:

About the fighting, you always see one guy Turtle, then the other pushes his head down (not slam it down on the ice though just push down, since moore was knocked-out he just fell, couldn't protect himself and when his face hit the ice he suffered lacerations, then every body piled on, that's when i think the fracture occured). About the strike pay, i'm just saying in principle, Not getting paid for a whole year would suck ass, i would go belly-up in no time, I know they have millions but I'm just saying.

Glad to be corrected on the hit moore dished out to Naslund. Anyway, I don't think the damage taht was caused was intentional, I agree it was premeditated however, but to send a message only not to maime.? It was an unlucky turn of events. Honestly how many time do you see someone get knocked out by one punch? The strike was unavoidable, bertuzzi even tried to get cleared last year, the league said no. really i guess it just comes down to a time period rather than games. I dunno, maybe the league thought it unfair to penalize Vancouver with a hefty salary in the new cap, again i dunno.? If you look at the suspension as games only, then yeah it pretty lenient. But whatever.

like i said, I think that it was an accident, and an unfortunate result from a stupid action. You aren't gonna make me see that Bertuazzi meant to cripple this guy and i'm not gonna make you see that it was an accident so lets drop it k?

I guess Pittsburgh just offer Curtis Joseph a contract.

the regular season is the pre-season. plain and simple. superstars are not made by racking up stats in october and november. they are made by performing at their best in april - june.

so here's something that won't show up on any of your stat sheets.....last may, in game 7 of the conference finals, khabibulin made a ton of huge, pressure saves. and he's getting paid more than $6M a year because of it.

but your a stat guy so we'll agree to disagree.

and trust me, pitkanen is probably 4th or 5th on the flyers depth chart. he plays nervous and chokes in big situations. everyone saw it in the AHL playoffs as well. i wouldn't be surprised if he gets traded during the season, especially if seidenberg can handle being on the second defense pairing. johnsson is the flyers best all around defenseman.

and i also believe the flyers have the best coach in the league which is huge, especially with the rule changes. coaching will be critical this year. 

I'm very pleased how the trades and lineups have been coming together for Pittsburgh this year..

Crosby, Recchi, Lemieux, Palffy, Gonchar.... If Marc-Andre Fleury, or Jocelyn Thibault has a good season, this could turn out to be one of the biggest turn arounds ever. I mean.. How could it be worse than what we had last season (that they actually played on)...

Go Pens!!!  :beer:

Regarding the Penguins, I'm still very concerned about their defense (even moreso than the Flyers defense).  Gonchar was a forward until he came to the NHL and still is very offensive minded.  Ditto on Tarnstrom.  The Pens will have the league's best power play, but I'm still a bit concerned about their defense.

Crosby-Lemieux-Palffy
Fata-Malkin-Recchi
Pirjeta-Kraft-Malone
Lefebvre-Beech-Roy

Gonchar-Jackman
Tarnstrom-Orpik
Strbak-Melichar

Thibault
Fleury

Goalies worry me a bit here too.  Thibault seems to die out late in the season, but having Fleury there with him, they can give him more rest-- possibly each of them will play 40 games or therebouts.  Caron is also available if needed, as is Chiodo if they really get desperate.  I like how the Pens are shaping up, but the defense and overall inexperience of the team is a concern.


OK, my other team-- Boston.  They got back a lot of previous players and also made osme huge pickups.  They're a team to watch out for in the East, possibly one of the favorites with Philly.  Or maybe I'm just a massive homer.

Samsonov-Thornton-Murray
Isbister-Bergeron-McEachern
Axelsson-Zhamnov-Fitzgerald
Huml-Scatchard-Orr

Boynton-Gill
Leetch-Kutlak
Moran-Girard

Raycroft
Toivonen

Goalie, as always, is a weak spot for the B's.  Raycroft has a full season under his belt, but is still young.  Young goalies have been destroyed by Boston more times than I can count-- Tallas, Carey, etc.  The D is weak with Girard having missed the last season with an injury, Leetch getting old, and Hal Gill being Hal Gill.  I'm hoping for a big fighting year out of the rookie Colton Orr.

Well..? this season, the swedish hockey league Elitserien won't be the best hockey league .? ::)

Lol - the Leafs just signed Lindros..... :hihi:

as long as nobody checks him, everything will be fine? :rofl:. they are gonna have to trade someone soon, they are up to around $36mill with only 18 guys signed

anyone know when preseason starts?

Friday, September 16, through Sunday, October 2.

Pens just signed LeClair.? Lineup now looks something like this:

Crosby-Lemieux-Palffy
LeClair-Malkin-Recchi
Fata-Kraft-Malone
Pirjeta-Beech-Roy/Vandenbussche/Bonvie

Gonchar-Jackman
Tarnstrom-Orpik
Strbak-Melichar

Thibault
Fleury

PP1: LeClair-Lemieux-Palffy-Gonchar-Jackman
PP2: Fata-Crosby-Recchi-Tarnstrom-Orpik
PK1: LeClair-Malkin-Strbak-Melichar
PK2: Recchi-Lemieux-Orpik-Jackman
PP3: LeClair-Lemieux-Gonchar-Jackman
PP4: Palffy-Crosby-Tarnstrom-Orpik
PK3: Lemieux-Orpik-Jackman
PK4: Recchi-Strbak-Melichar
SO: Crosby-Lemieux-Palffy-Recchi-LeClair

leclair is a stiff. recchi may have something left, but he'll disappear for 10-15 games at a time. that's a really weak 2nd line.

And how much do your views on LeClair and Recchi have to do with the fact the Flyers missed out on re-signing them?

Let's see LeClair's stats since getting into the NHL...

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1991-92 Montreal Canadiens NHL 59 8 11 19 14 8 1 1 2 4
1992-93 Montreal Canadiens NHL 72 19 25 44 33 20 4 6 10 14
1993-94 Montreal Canadiens NHL 74 19 24 43 32 7 2 1 3 8
1994-95 Montreal Canadiens NHL 9 1 4 5 10 -- -- -- -- --
1994-95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 37 25 24 49 20 15 5 7 12 4
1995-96 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 51 46 97 64 11 6 5 11 6
1996-97 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 50 47 97 58 19 9 12 21 10
1997-98 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 51 36 87 32 5 1 1 2 8
1998-99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 76 43 47 90 30 6 3 0 3 12
1999-00 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 40 37 77 36 18 6 7 13 6
2000-01 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 16 7 5 12 0 6 1 2 3 2
2001-02 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 25 26 51 30 5 0 0 0 2
2002-03 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 35 18 10 28 16 13 2 3 5 10
2003-04 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 75 23 32 55 51 18 2 2 4 8
 NHL Totals  873 382 379 761 428 154 42 47 89 94

So in the last eight seasons in which he has played 40 or more games, LeClair has had at least 50 points in each of them.  He was over 75 points for five seasons in a row at one point.  I'm not asking for that much, but I bet you'll see him EASILY hit the 50-point mark one more time.

Mark Recchi.  More than 50 points per season every season of his career with the exception of the strike-shortened 1994-95 season. 

Add in Evgeni Malkin, the #2 overall pick in 2004.  You have got to be kidding me if you think this is weak for a second line.  I'd question it a bit as a first line, but I'll take a second line like this any day.  I think you're just crying because your Flyers don't have them anymore.

As a Ranger fan, I must say that is a very good 2nd line for Pittsburgh.  Other than a possible first line of Jagr-Straka-Rucinsky, the Rangers have nothing in the way of forwards.  I'm happy hockey's back, but damn do the Rangers look bad right now.

missed out on signing them???? leclair has been a liability to the flyers since lindros left. the flyers bought out leclair's contract. (and CHOSE to let recchi walk.) clarke tried to give leclair away to so many teams the last three years but couldn't.

i will admit that my opinion is based on the fact that he was making close to $10M a year. but even his biggest fans (including myself) realized he's no where near what he was.

trust me, if you are a penguins fan and watch alot of games, you will be cursing leclair by the end of the year. and in the playoffs he can't do shit. he is so easily taken out of a game. he has no strength....his back is done. and his whole game depends on that.

you keep throwing stats out there. when are you gonna learn that stats don't mean shit.

by the way, i like how you conveniently left out leclair and recchi's playoff stats from last year.  ::)

i don't know what they are, but i remember all too well that they didn't do shit. they could not have come up any smaller. if we get anything out of either one of those guys against tampa, philly wins the cup.

Philly actually might win the cup, much to my disgust


Him and Palffey

Remember when the re-signed Gilmour? Music to my ears when i saw him leave the rink. ;D Don't get me wrong i dont hate the man, but hes a leaf

Thanks for the LeClair input </sarcasm> but i'll take a huge regular season over nothing in the regular season causing the team not to even make the playoffs.  I don't care what you say about the regular season being "just the preseason," if you don't win there, you don't get to the playoffs.

And don't get so far ahead of yourself about the Flyers winning the cup if LeClair or Recchi shows up vs. the Lightning.  You'd still have to face a Calgary Flames team that should have won the cup, if not for the league's lame "optical illusion" excuse on Gelinas' Game 6 Cup-clincher.  And let's not forget about the 14 power play goals allowed (2nd highest in the playoffs, 3rd worst PK%).  They took 15.1 PIM per game, not exactly a good number for the playoffs.

Oh wait, that's right, the numbers don't matter to Flyers fans, how silly of me.

While we're on the topic of second lines, what exactly will the Flyers' second line be this year?

I'm going to go out on a limb here.  And feel free to quote me on this.  I'll stand by it until the season ends, just remember I called it right now:

The Philadelphia Flyers will NOT appear in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006.

i'd rather have young wingers with speed that will cause problems for oppopsing teams and not break down in the playoffs.

you're not going out on a limb by saying that at all. it's a long season and many injuries will be had. you also have a number of other great teams in the conference - devils, sens, tampa, leafs. are the flyers the favorite? absolutely. but nothing is guaranteed. the cup is the hardest championship to win in pro sports.

not sure what the flyers second line will be....h-cock has said that it is to be determined. i think it will definitely be preems (who was the best player in the league in the 2004 playoffs) and "what's happenin" kapanen. the other winger could be knuble, richards, or sharp.

and don't be shocked if JR is a flyer in march.

Personally I'm with Duffman, I don't think Flyers have that good of a team, of course Forsberg has the ability to carry them quite a ways in the playoffs (if he is healthy of course)

I like the looks of Boston's team they have 2 solid lines in

Samsonov-Thorton-Murray
Isbister-Zhamnov-McEachern

as well as a couple decent defensmen (slegr? and leetch), if they sign raycroft and he keeps performing well then they will be a force.

Also, Ottawa's team is fantastic (If they sign Bondra and he gets back to his Washingotn form lookout) Hasek is the Goaltender they've been looking for and can win games by himself. With Haseks GAA and Ott's goal scoring ability, look out!!!!

If tampa fills the Khabibulin hole (Joseph maybe?) and comes to terms with St.Louis and Lacavalier then you can't rule out the (Fast, Young, Talented) defending champs.

Philly's team doesn't compare to Bos, Ott, TB.? IMHO

Also Pittsburgh's team looks surprisingly awesome. they should make the playoffs for sure this year

Crosbys going to do well there. After all, Lemiux is there

I'm kinda worried for mr Crosby, there is soooo much hype surrounding him. Cuz lots of prospects have fizzled out after alot of Hype. (Alexander Daigle, Radek Bonk and Pat Falloon being primary examples, but even Lindros, Nolan and Hamrlik haven't developed as planned either) I dunno maybe It's just me but I don't think he's ready yet, he's only what 18? geez man the players in the NHL are alot faster, bigger, stronger and smarter than junior 'A' hockey players you know? and goaltenders are way above the junior 'A' caliber I would let him play another year junior then try him out in the big leagues, or even try him in the ahl and see how he does. It would be a shame to see his confidence blown at such a young age cause he can't do anything in the NHL. Of course I guess they have training camp and preseason to try before the regular season starts. and who know he may totally prove me wrong. but like I said it would be a terrible shame if he turned into another Daigle.

Yeah, Crosby could be great in a couple years, but I don't see him being an elite player right away.  If you're counting on him to be a major threat you're probably gonna be dissapointed.  And how much can you realistically expect out of Lemieux?  That being said Pittsburgh should be pretty good. 

the flyers don't compare?? that's a bold statement.

sure there are several good teams in the east. but the flyers are certainly one of them. they were a top team last season, they dominated the devils, won a thriller of a series against the leafs, and took TB to game 7. and they have improved their team significantly. and i like esche alot, but i think niittymaki has the potential to win the starting job. i hope he gets the chance.

Can JR be a Flyer in March?  He would have to take a huge paycut, or the Flyers would have to free up a lot of cap room somehow.  And as far as I know the rules to work this year regarding buyouts, the Kings can't buy him out or cut down his contract and have the Flyers sign him again.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the Flyers dont compare at all to the B's, Lightning, Pens, and Devils.  I'm sure the Flyers, B's, Lightning, and Devils will be playoff teams (with the Pens also looking like a likely team to get in), and as much as it pains me to say it, they're contenders, along with some of those aforementioned teams.

I don't think you'll see Niittymaki get the starting job this season, but I can guarantee he'll take over whenever Esche's contract runs out.  As for Crosby, the Pens have been pretty good when bringing elite young prospects along kinda quickly-- Lemieux, and Jagr are prime examples.  Of course, there are just as many picks they've had in the top 5 who have crashed and burned-- Darrin Shannon, Chris Joseph, Craig Simpson, and Zarley Zalapski to name a few.  I think the fact he'll also have some younger players alongside him plus some star vets will help him out.  It will give him a good balance to work with.

Also, I'm glad to see the B's brought back Slegr again.  He's one of the few European players I really like, and I can't wait to see him working with Leetch, or whomever they put him with.

in march, JR's remaining salary for this season will only have about 20% left to pay.....approximately $1.5 to $2 million left. i believe the flyers are about $2-$3 million under the cap. and knowing clarke, he's saving that to make a big trade at the deadline.

so if the kings are out of playoff contention, it's a possibility. they will be looking to dump salary, and JR is aging so it's not like they can build around him. and they owe the flyers future considerations....which likely will be a draft pick. if JR cannot get them into the playoffs, i'm sure they'd rather give him up as the future considerations and hold on to the pick.

i do admit that this is all just an ideal dream on my part. but i don't think it's impossible.

i haven't seen crosby play so i can't guess if he'll have a major impact this year. nothing is a sure thing, but he's in a great situation. lemieux is an ideal mentor for him to have. and he's still a great playmaker on the ice and makes those around him better.

Ok, ok, you are right i kinda got carried away there. philly does have a good team, but i think the other teams i mentioned "look better on paper" who knows how the players will play together right?

And if Esche"hole" :) stands on his head again, they'll do good for sure.

And now that looks like Cujo is off to Phoenix that means one less #1 goalie for TB, i think all that is left is Irbe (who's old) & Cechmanek (who stinks)
then there are Potvin, Schwab and Storr. yikes! ?:nervous: unless of course they plan on using Sean Burke as thier starter ?:confused:

My team, Detroit needs to get back their 2 young stars, Datsyuk and Zetterberg, What are they waiting for???? :rant: :rant: But i hear they are interested in Wade Reddon too ?:o that would be cool ?: ok:

I think sandman's right, that if they only pay $1,000,000 of his salary they will be ok. by that turn i wouldn't be surprised if det tries to get back McCarty, I'm gonna miss him, he always seems to come up with some big clutch goals.

Lemieux will be lucky to play 40-50 games, what will crosby do for the rest of the season? They do have a good supporting cast in pittsburgh but if teams constantly dbl-team him to shut him down he won't have much of a chance.

Sidney acomplishements: Two-time QMJHL and CHL Player of the Year and 2004 Rookie of the Year, led Rimouski to the 2005 Memorial Cup Final...Canadian Hockey League's leading scorer in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005...helped guide Canada to a silver medal in 2004 and gold medal in 2005 at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Last year he had 168 pts in 62 games in Canadian Junior 'a' hockey, everyone was on him in the world juniors though, he didn't put up a ton of points, he was 4th on Canada's scoring list

The Rangers got Steve Rucchin...its about friggin' time they got somebody.  They still have only one goaltender on the roster listed on the website...and its Kevin Weekes.  Its gonna be a long season, but at least its gonna be a season!

here's current odds to win the Stanley Cup....

2006 Stanley Cup
(Updated August 30, 2005)
 
Philadelphia Flyers  4/1
Ottowa Senators  6/1
Detroit Red Wings  6/1
Colorado Avalanche  7/1
Tampa Bay Lightning  8/1
Boston Bruins  10/1
Calgary Flames  10/1
New Jersey Devils 10/1
Vancouver Canucks  15/1
Dallas Stars  12/1
Toronto Maple Leafs  15/1
San Jose Sharks  17/1
Los Angeles Kings  15/1
Pittsburgh Penguins  15/1
Edmonton Oilers  22/1
Montreal Canadiens  22/1
New York Islanders  20/1
St. Louis Blues  25/1
Nashville Predators  30/1
Chicago Blackhawks 40/1
Anaheim Mighty Ducks 30/1
Atlanta Thrashers  45/1
Florida Panthers 50/1
New York Rangers  40/1
Minnesota Wild  50/1
Phoenix Coyotes  50/1
Columbus Bluejackets 60/1
Buffalo Sabres  60/1
Carolina Hurricanes 70/1
Washington Capitals  100/1

Scott Stevens has retired. Big loss not only for the Devils, but for the NHL. he will be missed.



EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Stevens announced his retirement after more than two decades in the NHL on Tuesday, saying a year off showed him that he could live without hockey.

"I think the game is more mental than physical. You have to be in tremendous shape, but you have to want to do it in your head," the 41-year-old Stevens said. "At this point in my career I didn't think I could put the mental parts there every day, and that's a big part of playing this game."

General manager Lou Lamoriello said Stevens, a 13-time All-Star who has played more NHL games than any other defenseman during his 22 seasons, has "been an integral part of all the success we've had."

"He's been a leader on and off the ice as a hockey player and a person. He feels he's accomplished a lot of things and now wants to devote a lot of time to his family," Lamoriello said.

He added that Stevens will stay with the organization in some capacity.

"I've said all along that the door has been open for Scott to make the decision that's right for him," Lamoriello said. "We would have welcomed him back and wouldn't have thought twice about it. He didn't want it to be a distraction during training camp."

Stevens, an unrestricted free agent, missed the final 44 games of the most recent NHL season, 2003-04, after sustaining a head injury against Pittsburgh on Jan. 7, 2004.

Always known for his rugged playing style, the Devils' captain said during last season's lockout that he expected to return when the labor dispute was settled.

The Devils have won three Stanley Cups with Stevens as their defensive anchor. His sabbatical, and the departure of Scott Niedermayer to Anaheim as a free agent, creates a huge void in the team's defensive corps.

"Obviously, it's a shock right now to hear," teammate Scott Gomez said. "You knew that day would come. We all thought Scotty would be back.

"Right now I'm a little bit shocked because he announced something, but at the same time he didn't play the second half of the year."

Pointing to the offseason acquisitions of Vladimir Malakhov and Dan McGillis, Lamoriello said the Devils' defense "is better than it was last year," referring to the 2003-2004 season.

Malakhov, 36, won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000 before playing for the Rangers and Philadelphia, and the 33-year-old McGillis has played more than 600 NHL games with Edmonton, Philadelphia, San Jose and Boston.

The Devils also will start the regular season without left wing Patrik Elias, who contracted hepatitis A in the spring when he was playing in eastern Europe during the NHL lockout. Lamoriello said Tuesday that Elias is able to do conditioning work but is not yet skating and would not be ready to play by the Devils' first game on Oct. 5 against Pittsburgh.

"He's progressing. It's going to take time," Lamoriello said.

Can't say I'm sorry about that news.

I hated seeing my favorite teams play against Stevens, but I will miss seeing him out on the ice.  This was a guy who embodied what a defenseman in the NHL should be-- could play back, could score and pass, could hit, could fight, and was a hell of a leader.

So who's taking the C for New Jersey?

Stevens, Messier, Klatt, Damphousse... Who's next?

Even more up in the air, who's taking the C for the Rangers?  Jagr?  He's one of only a handful of players who was on the team two seasons ago.

Ron Francis can now be added to the retired list as well.

Let's see, Captains...

Anaheim-- Will Scott Niedermayer take it with Steve Rucchin being off to the Rangers?  Selanne is another possibility.
Atlanta-- Will it go to DeVries, Holik, or Mellanby?  And does anyone really care?
Boston-- Was Thornton, will be Thornton.
Buffalo-- Either Drury, Dumont, or Briere.  All three held the C last season.  Jay McKee should be a possibility as well.
Calgary-- Iginla, no question.  He is as close as we will ever see to another Cam Neely-- a guy who would have been captain on any other team except the Bruins, where he was behind Ray Bourque.
Carolina-- Rod Brind'Amour was given the captaincy.
Chicago-- Had been Zhamnov, now a Bruin.  Does it go to Daze or Todd Simpson, former CGY captain?
Colorado-- Sakic, obviously.
Columbus-- Luke Richardson had it last.  Is Rick Nash ready for it?
Dallas-- Modano will keep it, I'm certain.
Detroit-- Yzerman, guaranteed.
Edmonton-- Peca?  Smyth?  Pronger?  Or does Jason Smith keep it?
Florida-- Olli Jokinen is one of the few bright spots on this team, and should be keeping the C this year.
Los Angeles-- Matthias Norstrom, no doubt.
Minnesota-- Another "captain by committee" team.  Will they have just one?
Montreal-- Should be Koivu again.  I don't see anyone stepping in to change that.
Nashville-- Greg Johnson had it, but Paul Kariya could just as easily have it given to him.
New Jersey-- With Stevens and Niedermayer gone, the captaincy should fall into the lap of John Madden or Jeff Friesen.
NY Islanders-- Will Yashin take it with Peca gone?  Satan and Zhitnik are also possibilities.
NY Rangers-- With Messier and Leetch gone, does it go to Jagr, the Penguins former captain and general malcontent?  Former Anaheim captain Steve Rucchin is another possibility.
Ottawa-- Daniel Alfredsson, obviously.
Philadelphia-- Does Primeau still have the C?  There are quite a few who could possibly wear it in Primeau, Desjardins, Hatcher, Rathje, and not Brashear.
Phoenix-- Shane Doan should be keeping it.  Hull, O'Donnell, and Ricci are also VERY outside possibilities.
Pittsburgh-- You can't not give your player/owner the position of captain too.  Obviously Lemieux.
St. Louis-- Who takes it now with Pronger and MacInnis out?  Weight?  Tkachuk?  Brewer?  Reed Low?  :hihi:
San Jose-- Probably will be kept by Marleau, with McCauley also being a possibility.
Tampa Bay-- Is Andreychuk still playing?  If not, then Lecavalier takes back the C.
Toronto-- Sundin.  No European captain has ever led a team to a Cup win.
Vancouver-- Naslund.  See above.
Washington-- Steve Konowalchuk last held it.  Now, it most likely goes to Brendan Witt.

sami kapanen is out for 10-12 weeks. he needs shoulder surgery. huge loss for the flyers. he's a big part of their team.

they signed savage for some depth up front.

not a good sign they're having all of these injuries. but at least it's early in the year. better for them to miss games in october than in march-may when teams need to build momentum. 

Primeau is still captain of the Flyers

We're less than a week away!

CAPTAINS UPDATE:

Anaheim:  Still haven't heard anything.  Anyone?
Atlanta: Scott Mellanby
Boston: Joe Thornton
Buffalo:  Chris Drury AND Daniel Briere
Calgary: Jarome Iginla
Carolina: Rod Brind'Amour
Chicago: Also unknown.  Anyone know?
Colorado: Joe Sakic
Columbus: Luke Richardson
Dallas: Mike Modano
Detroit: Steve Yzerman
Edmonton: Jason Smith
Florida: Olli Jokinen
Minnesota: Still no word on their Captain.  Who knows?
Montreal: Saku Koivu
Nashville: Greg Johnson
New Jersey: Still no word on who's taking over.  Anyone?
NY Islanders: Alexei Yashin
NY Rangers: Jagr was offered it, turned it down.  Steve Rucchin should be named Captain this week.
Ottawa: Daniel Alfredsson
Philadelphia: Keith Primeau
Phoenix: Shane Doan
Pittsburgh: Mario Lemieux
San Jose: Patrick Marleau
St. Louis: Dallas Drake
Tampa Bay: Dave Andreychuk
Toronto: Mats Sundin
Vancouver: Markus Naslund
Washington: Also, no word yet.  Anyone?

So Washington, NY Rangers, New Jersey, Minnesota, Chicago, and Anaheim still don't officially have a captain.

Washington, I'm thinking Brendan Witt.  Chicago will be either Eric Daze or Kyle Calder.  Minnesota could be almost anyone.  New Jersey will likely be John Madden (provided the team gets under the salary cap).  Rangers are almost certainly going with Steve Rucchin.

We're less than a week away!

Two captains?  I didn't even know you could do that.

I think you can have up to 3 players wearing any combination of C's and A's.  At the very least, I know my old high school team had 2 wearing a C and 1 wearing an A last year.

Either that, or they'll just switch the two back and forth on a regular basis.

i'm getting really psyched. 4 days to go!

forsberg is expected to make his debut in a flyers uniform tonight. it's gonna be important for him to get some time in playing with gagne and carter.

i've seen a couple flyers games and gagne looks like an all star even without forsberg on his line. he's never truly delivered and lived up to his potential. this could be his breakout year.

and richards has been the best player for us overall. he is awesome. all over the ice involved in everything. and he finishes.

and it looks like sim is gonna win a roster spot, which was not expected coming in. h-cock even said there weren't any spots up for grabs, but he's been that good. savage or sharp may start the year on the phantoms.

Game On!!!! Go Flyers!!!!!!

15 games tonight. incredible. i'm going out to watch the flyers and plan to come home and watch all of sports center. highlights of 15 NHL games (and 3 MLB games). good stuff.

hitchcoack said he will have 4 2-man pairings and the 3rd wingers on each line will vary.

forsberg and gagne (carter will probably play with this pair)
richards and knuble (sim)
preems and stevenson (rads)
zuse and savage (brashear)

sharp will likely be a healthy scratch tonight but should get alot of playing time in upcoming games. and kapinen is out until november.

Defensive pairings are:

hatcher and pitkanen
rathje and johnson
rico and siedenberg

therien (aka bundy) is the 7th and will fill in for hatcher for the first 3 games.

cnn.si predicts the flames to win the cup over the sens.

iginla is great, but are his linemates really amonte and langkow?

if so, that's kinda weak IMO.

My pick for the Cup is Anaheim over New Jersey.

Amonte and Langkow are weak linemates?

Wow, you really do hate all the former Flyers in the NHL, don't you?


On an unrelated topic, Hal Gill sucks.

How bout them Rangers?  Pullin' off a comeback victory on the road against the favorites to win the East...good way to start things off.  I'm very excited to see Jagr look like his old self.

amonte is so washed up. he's so slow and he doesn't have the touch he once had. maybe the year off and playing with one of the best in teh league will rejuvinate him. but a cup fav that has him and mr. mediocrity langkow on the TOP line is suspect.

jagr looked great at times. but what imprssed me was how the rangers played as a team. they worked hard. everyone was giving 100%. you didn't see that from them in recent years.

comcast is showing the nhl package for free for one week. i was in heaven last night.....15 games!  :beer:

Tony Amonte has put up 20 goals per season for the last 9 years, plus 15 in the strike-shortened 94-95 season.  In his three seasons before this strike-shortened season, he had 17, 33, and 35 goals.  So he's still consistantly putting up good numbers.  I don't know how you can call him washed up, other than because the Flyers let him go.

Ditto on Langkow-- he has put up more than 20 goals and 50 points in his three previous seasons, plus he's an excellent faceoff man.

Amonte and Langkow will be at least as good as Conroy and Gelinas were in the regular season last year.  Gelinas' stats are similar to Amonte's, and once you add in the fact he's on a line with one of the best offensive players in the game, Amonte will put up better numbers.  Langkow is a better goal scorer than Conroy and an equivalent if not better faceoff man, but not as good of a passer.  Conroy had something like 40 assists and less than 10 goals next to Iginla, while Langkow's goals and assists are usually close to even.

Other than the loss of Conroy, the team is pretty much intact from last year.  They lost an injury-prone d-man in Lydman, and lost a tough d-man in Commodore, but upgraded the blueline by adding Phaneuf and Hamrlik.

Let's compare...

2005-2006 approximate Regular Season Lines
Amonte      Langkow      Iginla
Donovan      Reinprecht   Nilson
Simon      Yelle      Kobasew
Lombardi   Wiemer      McCarty

Ference      Hamrlik
Montador   Leopold
Warrener   Phaneuf

Kipprusoff
Sauve

OTHERS: Ritchie, Regehr, Myhres


2003-2004 approximate Playoff Lines
Gelinas      Conroy      Iginla
Saprykin   Reinprecht   Donovan
Kobasew      Yelle      Clark
Oliwa      Nilson      Nieminen

Leopold      Regehr
Warrener   Ference
Montador   Commodore

Kiprusoff
Turek

OTHERS: Lombardi, Simon, Lowry

To me, the team this year looks at least as strong as last year all around, and much stronger at defense and on the 3rd and 4th lines.  They lost some toughness in letting Oliwa go, but the addition of McCarty will bolster the team's toughness a bit and add someone who's a better player than Krzysztof is.

you'll see come playoff time. amonte is old and he wears down quick.

again, i didn't say amonte is an awful player. i said for a team many are calling one of the best in the league, i have to disagree.

remember, calgary was a low seed last year. but they made a nice run. BUT i am looking at them as a possible top 5 team in the league.

Well, Sidney Crosby is finally starting to put up a few numbers-- 1 goal and 2 assists last game to go with his two previous assists.  Here's top hoping he keeps it up. : ok:

On to a more serious topic now.  After watching the first three games of the Bruins' season, I have decided I will not spent one red cent on the National Hockey League this year.  My thoughts are pretty well summed up in this editorial written by a member of a hockey-related message board I post at.



Side Effects of New NHL Rules will Ruin the Game

Three nights of play and the verdict is in. The "new" NHL is a bad product. But scoring is up, the NHL brass will tell you. There are more power plays, no clutching and grabbing, the game is faster and the ice has been opened up as a result. But is this really what the fan wanted the NHL to be? And what are the side effects of these new rules?

I was lucky enough to be given four tickets to the first two Washington Capitals games. Apparently the owner of the tickets wasn't interested in sitting at center ice on the second level. Neither were countless other Washingtonians, as thousands of blue seats were left unfilled-- and this was opening night. The NHL was back! The pre-game entertainment brought a tear to my eye. The players took the ice and skated around and electrified globe to signify the unity between the players and the fans. The symbolism was well thought out and much appreciated. The National Anthem was sung and as it ended, the loyal fans roared in anticipation of the puck being dropped to officially open the new season for the new NHL.

Then it began. Penalty after penalty flowed in. The game was stopped numerous times for hooking, holding, and interference penalties. And most of these penalties were tick-tack hooks and holds. They didn?t slow the game down. They didn?t hamper the player. Capitals and Thrasher filed their ways to the penalty box with arms in the air wondering what they had done to deserve putting their team a man short for two full minutes. The fans wondered too. After watching a game on the tube, I saw the commentators are taking notice. After a Washington penalty, the Capitals play-by-play commentator jokingly asked the color commentator what he thought the penalty was for. "Hooking by chance?" he replied. The sarcasm saturated my TV like fury was saturating my brain. "The game is ruined!" I yelled as the t.v. "Fans are not going to want to see this product!"

What the NHL failed to consider when making these new rules was that fans want to see a game that flows. They do not want to see players escorted to the penalty box time after time simply because they gave a lame tug to an opposing player?s jersey. They do not want to see an entire sixty minutes of power play. You see, this was the NHL?s master plan for opening up scoring-- more power plays. Don?t get me wrong. They made some great changes that open up scoring without breaking the flow of the game. The two line pass is now allowable, creating more breakaways. The goalie cannot touch the puck in the corners, taking away the goalie?s power to control the puck when slapped down the ice. Now, the other team has a chance to race down and get it. The goalie?s pads are smaller-- another great rule. Three rules that will open up scoring. So why am I complaining so much about the sixty minute power play that creates more scoring, which in turn is supposedly more fan friendly? Where shall I begin?

In deciding to call a penalty for the smallest of infractions, players are no longer allowed to be tough, they are not allowed to put a stick near each other, and they are not allowed to check an opposing player without fear of being sent to the dreaded "sin bin." Opposing players are allowed to run into the goalie without fear of retribution. After being run into no less than four times by Thrashers skaters, Washington Capitals? goalie, Olaf Kolzig, took matters into his own hands and shoved the offender to the ice. Why did he do it? Maybe he was sick of watching his players not stick up for him. I know I was sick of it. Sixty minutes of power play also means less fighting. The tough guys, known to deter the opposing team from taking liberties-- like running into the goalie-- do not typically touch the ice during power plays or penalty kills. So what? Who cares? Fans don?t want to see fighting! Wrong.

Fans cheer just as loud for a fight as they do for a goal. Fans stand and cheer when a player sheds the mits to stand up for a teammate or to spark the team. They appreciate the tough guys for the role they play. I could go on and on about this. But if you ever get a chance to make it to a hockey game, NHL or minor leagues, and there is a fight, take a look around. Are fans hiding their faces? Or are they cheering? And ask yourself, why is the NFL the most popular sport in America right now? Because it is a tough sport and fans crave toughness. Wrong or right, physical sports, sports that allow the players to hit each other without fear of retribution, are popular in America. That is exactly why soccer will never catch on as a popular American sport. That is exactly why the NFL will continue to be popular and fans will continue to pay ridiculous pay-per-view fees for boxing matches. And it is exactly the reason the NHL will fade away if they continue rewarding a league that rewards only speed and finesse.

The NHL could fix this. One big rule that needs to be eliminated is the new instigator rule which states that a player will suspended for two games if they instigate a fight in the final five minutes of the game. This rule rewards dirty play in the final five minutes without fear of retribution. Example: there are three minutes left in the game and the score is 7-1. Finesse player A does not like Finesse player B and decides to whack him in the face with his stick fully aware that he is going to be sent to the penalty box for two minutes. Who cares? The other team is not going to score six goals in three minutes and no one is going to challenge Player A to a fight for doing it, so they'll do it. These types of incidences actually cause more serious injuries than do fights. But the NHL hasn?t done anything about it.

So what will the NHL look like this year? Expect scoring to be up. Expect scoring records to be challenged. All of this is wonderful, fans love scoring! But expect toughness to be harshly disciplined. Expect to see less fighting. Expect to see incidents of finesse players using their sticks as weapons. And eventually, expect to see more empty seats. I, for one, will not be paying a dime to see to a Washington Capitals game. The Capitals do not have tough players. Actually, they do, but they can't play them because the new NHL has created rules that deter playing them. Just ask Mr. Kolzig. Getting knocked to your back time and time again and watching your teammates not do anything about it has got to get tiresome.

My Penguins suck.

What else is new?

The Penguins will rise...

It's been awful so far, except for a few individuals, and the offence seemed to work in the last game.

They recalled Fleury. He's started great in Wilkes-Barre. Hopefully he'll get to start tonight against Sabres.

I concur, Duffman.  I've caught good portions of the Rangers' first 4 games, and its been one long fucking power play.  Every couple minutes the Rangers are getting called for something.  Thankfully their penalty killing has been really good so far.  But a good majority of goals I've seen have been PPGs.  Its becoming almost odd when both teams are at even strength.  And of course there's the whole taking the toughness out of the game aspect.  The physicality of NHL hockey is one of the big reasons I love it so much.  I always say hockey players are the toughest athletes in major pro sports.  And now they're goona totally pussify the game to boost scoring.  Do they actually think they're gonna get more people to tune in just because teams are scoring more goals?  If anything they're just going to get long time loyal fans to tune out.  None of my non-hockey fan friends are all of a sudden getting into hockey because more penalties are being called.  If I'd explain to them the new rules they'd probably be even less likely to get into hockey.  Let the players decide the game, and let them be the tough motherfuckers that they are.  I'm really happy hockey's back, but this isn't the hockey I remember.

i disagree.

yes, there have been way too many penalties and that ruins the flow of the game. opening night, rangers-flyers, was awful. it was unwatchable. but i think as the players adjust, the penalties will decline, and the game will be much better.

i watched the third period and OT of the sens-leafs game last night and it was AWESOME. it felt like playoff hockey. physical, end to end and lots of scoring. i think these rule changes will turn out to be great for hockey. we may even have a couple 50 goal scorers again.

but the key is getting the penalties down to about 11 or 12 per game.

I was going to stay away from the arena this year as my own self righteous protest, but after watching the opener on TV against Atlanta, I went and renewed my season seats for the Panthers. I'm weak, I know.

So far the new rules have taken some adjustments, both Graham and Luongo got called for playing the puck in the restricted zone friday night, but the action has been at a better pace. If the Panthers can keep this defense up in front of Luongo they could be a team to watch. Alot of good young talent besides Jokinen and Luongo. Watch Weiss, Horton, and Huselius.

Last Night the Yankees vs Angels was on, Monday Night Football with an amazing pittsburgh vs San Diego game was on and WWE Raw was on

Somehow though I found myself compelled by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres game

i couldnt turn it off.

Hockey is back and is exciting and awesome as ever. I just wish I wouldve got to see a shootout.

Sidney Crosby is great and I love watching him play.

Leafs finally won there first game this season last night against the Flyers..How ironic is it that there last win was 526 days ago againt the Flyers..anyways it wa a good game and good to see Lindros is ona  roll and playing well

that was a nice win for the leafs. they played well. i'll always be a fan of lindros - it was nice to see him get one.

flyers are off to a bad start. our special teams are killing us. and with the number of penalties being called, if you're not producing on the power play, you're in trouble.

next game is friday vs. the pens. looking forward to that one!

I'm hoping the flyers won't change their course just yet.. The Pens are also looking forward to their first victory, and have been very close the last 3 games.. Maybe on friday... With the material they've got.. It's only a matter of time.. but rather sooner than later.

Well Leafs beat Atlanta 9-1..What a crazy game that was..I thaught Atlanta was very unprofessional there..Sending guys on the ice to take out other players when your down by that much..I thaught the Leafs handled it very well although they said Belak was on his way back out onto the ice from the dressing room during the 2nd big brawl..Anyways it was nice to see the Leafs come out on top

ATLANTA (AP) - Jeff O'Neill scored a goal in each period for his second hat trick against Atlanta in two seasons and the Toronto Maple Leafs routed the Thrashers and rookie goalie Michael Garnett 9-1 on Friday night.

O'Neill scored his 200th career goal to give the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead in the first period. His second goal was the first of three for Toronto in the middle period, and he added a third when the Maple Leafs blew the game open with four goals in the final period.

O'Neill picked up where he left off against the Thrashers before the lockout. He had a hat trick in a 4-3 win over Atlanta on Jan. 16, 2004, while playing with Carolina.

The Maple Leafs scored seven goals in 14 power-play opportunities.

Play was halted midway through the final period when a fight broke out between Tornoto's Eric Lindros and Atlanta's Niclas Havelid among others. When play resumed, another brawl was touched off after Maple Leafs forward Darcy Tucker, who had a goal and three assists, was knocked to the ice behind the Thrashers' net.

Atlanta's Andy Sutton was ejected after being charged with an attempt-to-injure penalty.

Tucker and Jason Allison also scored in the second period as Toronto pulled away for its first road win.

The game matched Toronto's 40-year-old goalie Ed Belfour against the 22-year-old Garnett, making his first NHL start. Garnett made his first appearance Wednesday night in a 2-0 loss to Montreal after Mike Dunham injured his groin.

The Thrashers were also without No. 1 goalie Kari Lehtonen, who is on the injured list with a more serious groin injury. Lehtonen has missed four games.

Belfour had allowed five goals in each of his previous two games, but he stopped 20 Atlanta shots.

The Thrashers were 0-for-7 on power plays, leaving them 0-for-16 in their last two games.

O'Neill took a pass from Allison and scored a power-play goal 8:49 into the first period. Tucker also was credited with an assist on O'Neill's second of the season.

Ok.. Another OT loss for the Pens but I gotta say it looked a lot worse at one point so I'm satisfied with a point. Crosby got on the board again with a goal and an assist, so he seems to be doing well. Like I said. It's only a matter of time.. Hopefully tonight against Tampa.

that flyers- pens game was crazy. alot of great action. the flyers were up 5-1, but the pens fought back to tie it up. (flyers haven't been shutting teams down when they have the lead). the tying goal was scored from center ice. nitty just wasn't even looking - he was watching a replay on the jumbotron.

the highlight of the game though was with a minute left, richards shoots and hits the post. savage gets the rebound and quickly shoots towards a wide open net. somehow caron reaches back and robs him. incredible save which preserved a point in the standings for the pens.

Okay.. How about now..?? I mean it's been 6 games. They've gotta start winning some time. Though the first away win for the devils has to come some day and the Pens could be the ones to give it to them. Hopefully though their training has had an impact on the team and that they'll get some points tonight.

Just got in from the Panthers-Capitols game. Probably the most one sided 3-2 game in history. Panthers outshot the Caps 28-6 in the second period. Only an amazing effort by Ollie the Goalie kept this game within reach. Panthers made up for their pathetic special teams performance against the Rangers and Devils by scoring 2 powerplay goals and a nice shorthanded goal by Juraj Kolnik.

I forget his name but this rookie on the Caps looks pretty damn good. He scored 2 more goals tonight although the first one was questionable, Luongo appeared to have the puck covered but the refs never blew the whistle.

penquins look awful. still haven't won a game. every other team in the league has won at least 2.

flyers got a great win last night against the leafs. tied at 2 in the third, richards comes down the left side on a 2 on 1 and puts a wrister in the top corner near side. and the flyers were down 2 men at the time. huge goal.

i think he'll be in the running for rookie of the year. may finish second to crosby.

As a sports autograph collector, I just have to say that after my experiences with certain Penguins this past week, I hope they goddamn lose every game this season.

And I'm a Penguins fan too!

no way!?! give some details (and names) please.

that's unbelievable. after cancelling an entire season!! they should be kissing fans asses this entire season. sure, they're in a losing streak right now, but every fan that comes in contact with any player should walk away feeling good about the encounter. 

Every game in Boston, I go to the opposing team's hotel and wait outside it for autographs.  There's a good size group that does this for several sports-- about 30 collectors, but we rarely have more than 10 going for a particular team unless there's some big reason to get autographs.  I've only done baseball and hockey, and I'm going to occasionally do basketball.

Anyways, I went to the Penguins' hotel Friday at 4:15, just after the bus arrived (usually I get there earlier, but I was involved in a poker tournament and winning for the first time in a while, so I decided to play it out).  This particular day, there were 22 of us there-- the largest crowd I've seen in a LONG time for any team at a hotel.  Just as I arrived, Richard Jackman, Sebastien Caron, and Ryan Vandenbussche were walking out.  All three signed the cards I had and were willing to talk to us fans.  Nice guys!  Jocelyn Thibault, Mark Recchi, Rico Fata, Brook Orpik, Craig Patrick, Matt Murley, Maxime Talbot, Ryan Malone, announcer Mike Lange-- same thing, nice guys, signing, talking, stopping for pictures.

Next up, arriving in a cab was Bruin Patrice Bergeron-- he was here to go out with Sidney Crosby.  They all met downstairs-- Bergeron, Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Ziggy Palffy, Thibault, Vandenbussche, Mike Eruzione, and John LeClair.  The first 7 all jumped into two cabs, not signing for anyone, not even looking at us.  John LeClair was his usual self though, walking out and signing and talking with Mark Recchi.

Fast-forward to Saturday morning-- Pens have their morning skate at 11 am, so they left at 10:30.  I arrived at 9:30, and again, most of the guys were nice.  Bob Errey, Phil Bourque, Ed Olczyk, Randy Hillier, Joe Mullen (a hall-of-famer and 500 goal scorer), Rob Scuderi, Andre Roy, Lasse Pirjeta-- all signed and were generally nice guys.  Crosby and Lemieux went out to a cab and ignored everyone on their way-- for all they cared, we didn't even exist.  Whatever.

But it gets even better yet-- I come back to the hotel at 12:30.  There were only SIX of us there.  Crosby did the same thing.  "Sidney, sign please?"  He keeps staring forward and blows by us.  Hell, even Lemieux at least stopped for a picture with a few people!

Finally, 4 pm, on his way to the game-- walks by everyone on his way to a cab.  A few people chased the cab and one got him to sign.  The whole weekend, I heard about Crosby signing for 4 people-- two chased his cab, and two were little kids wearing his jersey.

What's the difference between Alexandre Daigle and Sidney Crosby?  Alexandre Daigle was nicer to the fans.

Bill Romanowski signed a shitload of autographs for a collector here in Boston at a paid signing-- buy his book, get anything you want signed.  So the guy bought 3 books, and got 5 mini-helmets signed.  Romanowski didn't care-- he said it's the least he could do.  Fans spend tons of money on cable packages, memorabilia, clothing, tickets, and various other items, and the players give nothing back.  He said an autograph is the least he could do to thank fans for all they do for the game.  I just wish certain other athletes felt the same way as Romanowski.

All I want is a photo signed by Crosby and a card signed by Mario Lemieux.  It's not like I'm asking him to give me 12 game-used jerseys or his first-born child.  And while there are exceptions, a lot of these guys have taken on an attitude that nothing is good enough for them, while forgetting that if we, the fans, weren't paying out money we made working a REAL job, that they would be nothing.  Is it really that hard and that time consuming to stop and sign for some fans?  It certainly wasn't hard for these guys to do it on their NHL contracts.

This is certainly not what I'd expect from the new ambassador of the NHL.  But I guess I shouldn't be surprised-- Lemieux has a HUGE influence on him when it comes to his off-ice attitude.

Hell, even Mark Messier is signing some things now.

And despite all my criticisms of the Flyers and Senators on the ice, they past few seasons they were the nicest, most down to earth group of athletes you could ever meet.  Hell, as proof that Crosby's attitude is NOT the norm, check this out.  It's my website dedicated to collecting: http://pages.emerson.edu/students/a/andrew_pelto

And although he probably won't give a flying flippity fuck, Gary Bettman will be receiving a letter about this.

I believe that the losing streak is the reason to their behaviour.

They're both players that are used to winning, and at the moment the pressure is huge. From everyone. And like you said. Mario has a huge influence on Sidney, so it'll prolly be like that for a while. If Lemieux's having a bad day, so is Crosby. That'll prolly change within a year. Could change as soon as they start winning games.

I'm not saying that what they did to you was nice, but I really don't feel that any athlete owes me anything, and I do understand that at a time like this (with no wins, and after 8 games) you just want to focus on getting that first win.

I hope they'll be nicer to you next time, but that whole "I hope they loose all their games 'cause I didn't get an autograph..."-thing... come on.

Crosby also hasn't been signing in Pittsburgh since he was drafted.  He hasn't signed in any other cities the Pens have played in this year.  In addition, every other player on the team, other than Crosby, Lemieux, and the always-moody Lyle Odelein and Dick Tarnstrom, had no problem signing despite losing.

And for Mario having a big influence on Sidney, I don't mean it in terms of having a bad day.  You find me a day Lemieux signs anything other than a photo of yourself with him, without getting paid for it, and I'll find you the day hell freezes over.

As for not liking losing, tell Sidney he's better get used to it.  When your best defensive defensemen are Lyle Odelein and Brooks Orpik, you're going to have problems.  And in goal, Thibault is alright, but has no one there to help him out.  And SC-- Sebastien Caron?  Or Swiss Cheese?

The Pens come in again in two weeks.  If I get nothing then, I'll have a longer rant on it.

Joey Mullen, 502 goals, signs for everyone.  Mark Recchi, 458 goals, signs for everyone.  Sidney Crosby, 2 goals, pretends we don't exist.  Oh the irony.

if anything, mario should be telling crosby to embrace the fans. cause if he's in a slump, the fans and media will be much more forgiving if he's considered a "nice guy". and especially with the current state of hockey. they need everyone to promote the game any way possible.

my guess is that it's a financial decision.

duffman - you probably know this better than anyone (based on your hobby and the number of autographs you have), but it seems like the top stars in each sport can make ALOT of money on their autograph, as long as they make it scarce.

i think that's a sick reason, but it's my guess. also, even if he doesn't want to sign, how about a quick hello and a high five.

glad to hear the flyers players have been nice. they routinely have a couple hundred fans at their practices and they always take time to sign and acknowledge them.

That can be part of it, sandman.  That's why Mark Messier rarely signed after joining the Rangers, but was good about signing as an Oiler.  After joining the Rangers and even in his years in Vancouver, Steiner Sports signed him to an exclusive contract that he could only sign photos, jerseys, sticks, pucks, and some other items for them and for no one else.  He's loosened up now and will sign cards for fans if asked.

We'll see how long this lasts, but for the next few years, I kinda doubt I'll be getting the Crosby signed photo to put on the wall of my future "Ultimate Sports Basement."

interesting stuff. thanks for describing your experience. and cool site. that's amazing you have all those autographs. how long have  you been doing this?

I started doing it not long after I came up to Boston-- first day out was MLK day of 2003.  So one and a half full seasons of hockey, and occasionally some baseball games too over the last two years, plus the occasional celebrity here and there.

wow, you've made alot of progress in just two and a half years!

big flyers game tonight.....at montreal. they have been playing real well. lots of good skaters, good goaltending. i believe they are 6-2, and these new rules are benefitting them big time. could be a dangerous team come playoff time. if there's not too many penalties tonight, it should be an exciting game.

Wow, I didn't realize Crosby was like that, what a jerk :rant: If i managed to get my kid to go to a hockey game and we were snubbed like that I'd be pissed too.

Ahh well, he perogative i guess.

My Wings are doing awesome BTW : ok: I'm actually surprised

habs defeated the flyers 3-2 in OT. good game, but way too many penalties. forsberg doesn't kill penalties, and the flyers got called for 5 penalties in the 3rd period (no penalties on the habs in the 3rd). so forsberg sat on the bench for most of the 3rd.

kudos to hitchcock for not blaming the refs though. he said the flyers took penalties caue they were out of position and not skating hard. hopefully the players adapt soon. i agree that obstruction should be called. if the player adapt it's gonna be a great sport again.

anyway, look out for the habs. the new rules were made for them. they are a fast, fast team. koivu and kovalev are so explosive. some of the shots they got off last night were scary. esche kept the flyers in the game.

that northeast division is scary. all 5 teams look like playoff teams.

Yeah that sucked. I have a bunch of Philly guys in my pool this week :(

i cant believe the HABS are 7 and 2! I never would have thought they'd eb doing this well especially cause i think Theo is completely over rated and doesnt react as quickly as he should, he often lets in stupid goals!

Welcome to the New NHL.  Scoring is up.  Power plays are up.  Fighting is down 47%.

It seems to me the mid to late 1980's had the best hockey we have ever seen.  Gretzky and Lemieux putting up 200-point seasons.  Brett Hull potting 70 goals in 3 different seasons.  And you had an average of 3 fights every two games.  Of the 21 teams, almost all were playing to large crowds night after night.

After a dead period, scoring is back up.  But the game has lost its flow thanks to the trap and the constant calls for so much as waving a stick in the general direction of someone.  And look at what isn't being called-- I've seen several major slashes and goaltender interferences go by the wayside, but a "hook" is called for putting your stick near someone, a "hold" for brushing someone with your glove, and a "slash" for someone breaking their stick on a shot while your stick is nowhere near him (I kid you not, Hal Gill got whistled for this vs. Montreal on opening night).

The NHL is forgetting what made it a great game in the 1980's.  It was high scoring, it was rough yet clean, and the game flowed.  I watched the first week of the season, and it's gotten to the point now where I can't sit through an entire game.  And I'm beginning to wonder after talking to many other fans, how many of them feel the same way I do?  And how many are afraid to say anything, thinking they'd rather have a lesser product now than have another year of lockout?

I'm with you duffman!!!

I think they should've rolled back the rulebook to 1986 or something. Bring back fighting, Call the interference.

In my mind the game is alot like it was back then, It just that players are soo used to grabing a guy skating by that it's natural for them to do now. Once players areused to it again there will be less penalties. In fact they have already started to decline. With fighting back you would see even less stuff. And shit like the bertuzzi thing would've never happened. And that Kicking incident from Havlat. someone would've beat the shit out of him. but people are too scared to instigate now.

I've found it funny that a small, fast guy like St.Louis hasn't racked up the points early on this season, maybe his real talent was being slippery. Of course he got 2 points last night so, i dunno.

Anyway Hockey is fantastic right now. I hope they keep calling the interference (nothing pissed me off more than seeing defensemen just fall on someone or grab them and hold on, and picks were everywhere, none of that shit existed back in the gretzky/lemieux/yzerman/lafontaine heyday). The scoring to me is where it should be, 3.60 ish was considered good GAA in the 80's. And less talented teams have no chance now (cough cough New Jersey Devils). And comeback games rule!!!! Anything can happen till the dying seconds. Look at the Nashville/Columbus game last night. Wicked. Shoot-outs are fun too. No more ties!!!!! and teams having 20 a year. the only thing I'm not clear on is why is there no stats column for shoot out goals/attempts and save percentages.

one thing that stood out in your post.....21 teams. expansion has hurt the game greatly.

also, the trap ruined the game. they have to call interference. i think it will make the game better. i agree, they are calling too much right now, but if the players adapt, it's gonna be a great game.

i am a little worried that all this will result in a less physical game. there's a balance in there somewhere and hopefully they find it sometime soon.

If I had my way, the NHL would be 20 teams, composed 75% of North American players, with a 4-tiered minor league system that has an average of at least 5 Canadian teams at each level.  At the end of the season, the two cities with the worst attendance at each level would move down a level, while in the minor leagues, the two best attendances would move up a level.  This way, the teams in cities where people who ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE HOCKEY (Hartford, Quebec, and Winnipeg over Carolina, Nashville, and Florida) will see the higher levels.  More money will be made, and different cities could have the chance of getting upper-level teams for at least a while without having to expand the league and dilute the talent pool.

Amazing comeback by the pens from a 0-4 defecit 9:50 into the first... 7-5 and the first win is here. Lemieux 2+3.. Now if only they'd start playing before giving 1-4 goals to the opposing team.. That would be nice. But as long as they can turn them around like tonight... I don't care.

I'd like to send my thanks out to Brian McGrattan of the Ottawa Senators for doing what every hockey autograph collector wishes they could do...

KICK TIE DOMI'S FRIGGIN ASS!!!!!

Oh man, he looked like he got hit by a fucking shovel!

Mr. McGrattan, I can find you 20 people in Boston who would buy you a drink for that.

flyers dominated their game with ottawa last night. real nice win against the team i think is the best in the league.

Holy hell, did anyone see Ottawa vs. Buffalo the other night?  10-4 and three fights.  Just lower the scoring a tad, and we're back to some 80's style hockey!  Now if only we could get the rest of the league to do it too...

Also wanted to give another update on Crosby and autographs-- He IS signing now.  However, I still haven't been able to get him, as every time he's gotten close to signing for me, he's said "I gotta go guys," and walks off.  I still hope he's another Daigle.  And in related news, I hate autograph dealers.

So he just hates you... Don't take it personally... =)

I've totally changed my mind regarding shootouts.  After watching that Rangers/Devils game Saturday, I friggin' love shootouts.  That was some of the most exciting stuff I've seen in a while.  A couple years ago that game would have ended in a tie.  It still would've been exciting since the Rangers came back from a 2 goal deficit ot tie it.  But them winning in the shootout was awesome.  With each shot I was flipping out.  Great stuff.

I don't like the fact that they have taken physical hockey out of the game.  There are less body checks and fighting now.  I used to love the tough guys but they are getting phased out.  I have lost some interest because of this.

WHat about Mike Richards? He got in a good tilt there last night or the night before ;D He god his ass kicked but it was and awesome scrap!!!

I can't agree that contact is down, Fighting is but not checking really (Unless you enjoyed the 1-0 games where half the game was in the neutral zone :no: )

Personally i think Hockey is really exciting this year, you can be 2-3 goals down and still be in the game. And talented players are getting a chance to shine.

I got to witness my first shootout last wednesday between the Rangers and the Panthers. It definitely adds a lot of excitement to the end of the night. Of course it never shouldnt have gone to OT.

Panthers up 3-2 with less than a minute, Rangers have an empty net and the puck in Floridas zone. The Panthers force an offside and get the face off out of the zone, forcing the Rangers to put their goalie back in the net. Panthers win the face off and for some unknown reason Jay Bouwmeester promptly ices the puck. Face off in the Panthers end, plus the Rangers get to pull their goalie again with 20 seconds left. Sure enough the Rangers score on a shot from behind the net that seemed to deflect off of every Panthers player with 3 seconds left. :rant:

The first big move to "Free Cap Space" - Sergei Fedorov to Blue Jackets

Something just doesn't seem right.  Sergei Fedorov playing in Columbus?  It just seems weird.

Pretty scary situation in Detroit last night. D Jiri Fischer had a seizure and his heart stopped on the bench during the 1st period & the game was cancelled. He is apparently doing well now though.

Sidney Crosby was amazing again tonight, this guy needs to be marketed like hell cause he is the real deal and the future of the NHL.

There are a lot of great players in NHL right now, and Sidney's definately one of them. I don't know if he has to be marketed in any way. His actions will speak volumes on behalf of the sport (not talking about not signing autographs after a 9 game losing streak.. ;) ). Though that's just me. I think over here in Finland people who would follow NHL, would do it anyways, and the sport is so big here, so that NHL will always have a certain amount of coverage.

As a Pens fan I'm just glad that they have a real chance of getting to the playoffs and that they can actually go out there and play to win every night. Now they go on a 2 game away trip, and hopefully return with 4 more points to show. Florida is never easy though (robbed Pens the last time at the Igloo), and Tampa will most likely be even harder. But Caron has played well, hopefully he'll get the start.

One thing I don't get though... Why aren't they using Fleury? The guy's had 3-4 starts. Has been great in every one of them, came out with a win the last time, and they still keep sending him to the baby-pens..

Crosby is the key to getting the NHL back popular in the States.
He is amazing,a nice lookin kid and has the skill to do it but the NHL have to do it right cause I am not really a hardcore fan but I love watching him and the other rookie from Washington play.

He's kinda been playing like shit, I think when they sent him down last year after playing amazing it really fucked him up, he started this year in AHL didn't he? :no:

I agree though they should get him in there and boost his confidence up again cuz he was awesome last year before they sent him down. And him, Crosby and Jackman are the Pens the future so what the hell right?

There are so many great rookies this year it's crazy. I think Ovechkin is a bit more impressive though, look at the Pens team compared to the Crapitals team then compare Ovechkins #'s to Crosby's #'s and you see why : ok:

What do you mean he's been kinda playing like shit??

His GAA is the lowest the Pens have on their roster, so is his save percentage. He also leads the AHL with the smallest GAA (1.53) and the highest save percentage. And from what I've listened (radio on the internet) and read, he's pretty much stopped everything there has been to catch. Personally, I think Thibault hasn't been at all what the Penguins expected him to be.

I say give him more ice time.  And yeah.. He started in the AHL with Caron and Thibault on the Pens roster. Caron has been pretty good, but I say sell Thibault, and give Marc-Andre the chance he deserves.

About Ovechkin. He's unbelieveable. But I don't think that his numbers would be a whole lot bigger if he had better players by his side. Sure he'd get some more chances, but from what I've gathered he tends to make his moves by himself, and I don't know if he'd make use of his fellow linesmen to the degree that Crosby's doing. Of course we can't really say for sure either way because he doesn't really have the chance at the moment. But if you look at some of the plays Crosby's been making, a guy in a wheelchair could've scored from the places he's passed the puck to.. But as far as solo efforts go, I think Ovechkin has made some unbelieveable goals, that Crosby hasn't been able to answer. Not that it's a contest.. :)

To tell you the truth, I didn't research to back up my claim, sorry, my bad. I just remeber the losing streak at the start of the year where he was in the minors and when called up he couldn't win either. :( I was just basically saying that he more than deserved to have been given the #1 role at the beginning of this year considering his play last year. I have no idea why they got Thibault in the first place ???

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to slag him, I think Fleury is a huge talent, and i think he's ready. Hand the reins over Mario!!!! :rant:

:) I know you didn't... I just thought if you had seen the games somewhow, you might have some info that I've missed.

No I'm stuck in Maple Leafs Country :crying:

Okay... So much for Caron making the saves. allowed 3 out of 7 shots before changed to Thibault who wasn't too impressive either.

Neither team was playing much in the way of defense, luckily for the Panthers though Luongo snapped back into form from the beginning of the year making some extremely acrobatic saves.

This was my second chance to see Sidney Crosby and he is just an amazing player. He made a couple plays tonight that just left me shaking my head in amazement and eventually led to me muttering "Oh Shit" every time he touched the puck.

Crosby did get hit with a puck in the foot in the 3rd and took awhile to get up. He continued on in the play but was favoring the leg heavily when he did leave the ice. Should be something to keep an eye on for the next game.

He's not playing because of his contract. He gets a bonus if he plays in "X" number of games and reaches certain goals during the season. Basically, the Pens could never afford his contract, which is why he's always sent down.

Or nothing.. Nothing's pretty good too..

Yeah I know, pretty shitty IMO but what can you do right? oh well. Did Crosby play this weekend or did he it? (cuz of his foot? is that what he hurt? A puck in the skate or something)

Friggin' Legace hurt his knee again, it's prolly still hurt from that Barnaby incident. That guy is such a fucking loser, I've always hated him, even back when he played for the Sabres.

Yeah, Crosby played. Also, Thibault was placed on waivers and Fleury called up with the intention of being the starting goalie.

Well, the Pens lost even with Fleury starting. Though it was only by a goal and from what I read, Palffy had a post, and Crosby was robbed with a diving stick save, so it could've gone either way.

Thibault declined the offer to go to AHL to work on his game. I hope the Pens don't have to pay him his salary. He's been awful for the beginning of the season.

joe thorton traded? WOW!!

here's an article from today's philadelphia daily news. good writer and he gives his thoughts on the current state of the "new" NHL.


Rich Hofmann | So far, net result of rule changes has been positive
 
THE FLYERS had 33 shots on goal last night and the New Jersey Devils had 31. Not that this is a huge deal or anything, but the last time these two teams both had more than 30 shots on goal in a game - against each other, that is - it was, well, a long time ago.

It wasn't earlier this season, and it wasn't in 2003-04, and it wasn't in 2002-03, and it wasn't in 2001-02, and that's as far back as the game-by-game stats go on the NHL Web site. So despite getting close once or twice, it was before that. In other words, it was before Jeff Carter and Mike Richards had driver's
licenses.

Yet this was a quiet game in the new NHL. This was a 2-1 Flyers victory that was, for the most part, pretty under control. This is what the sport has come to: A 64-shot combined effort by divisional rivals who have been bludgeoning each other for a decade can now be described as a "playoff game" by one of the coaches, the Flyers' Ken Hitchcock.

And the critics get quieter and quieter. Goaltenders don't like it, understandably. Defensemen don't like it either, also understandably. So while Eric Desjardins, who has seen just about everything there is to see in the modern NHL, could take a little solace in the fact that there still can be this kind of game under the league's new rules, he wasn't kidding himself.

As he said, "You're going to have games like this night, but overall, over 82 games, you're going to have more offense.
"Defensive play is going to get better. We're starting to adjust to the speed... But you're still going to see the three-on-twos because you can make those two-line passes now. You've just got to be more alert."

What once was jarring, just 2 months ago, is now just about comfortable. The players have settled down, it seems, understanding better what is and isn't allowed anymore - especially when it comes to contact in front of the net. The officials have settled down, too, swallowing their whistles now on some of the more minor infractions. The game is better now than it was at the start of the season, and the officiating is less intrusive.

But the scoring remains up, and the style of play - especially in the wild, wide-open neutral zone - is outrageously easy on the eyes. There was a time that, scanning past an NHL game between two teams you didn't care about on television, there was no reason to stop. Now, as often as not, stopping for even 10 seconds rewards you with a scoring chance - or, at least, the great first few strides of a defense-to-offense transition, with open ice and churning acceleration and the rising voice of the announcer and the possibility of something you might remember.

That is what this is about - whether or not you like it, and whether or not you embrace it. It isn't about what the goalies think or the defensemen think or the coaches think. This was done for you and me, not for them. This was done by a league desperate to reconnect with fans after a disastrous lockout cost them the 2004-05 season.

And the best news is that the trend is continuing in the right direction. Despite the example of many prior years, when good intentions about rule changes died a slow but steady death as the playoffs approached, this thing is still working.

After 97 games, the NHL did a study. Scoring was at a combined 6.2 goals per game, compared to 4.7 in 2003-04. There were 13.2 power plays per game, up from 10.4, and more power-play scoring as a result.

Well, now we can look at the next 269 games (not including last night). As everyone got
used to the rules and adjusted accordingly, the power plays did go down a little bit, to 12.3 per game. But, even with that, scoring was up slightly after those first 97 games, to 6.3 goals per game.

The numbers tell a story - that a lot of this is not necessarily about the officiating, but rather that it is baked into the other rules changes, such as allowing two-line passes and enlarging the attacking zones and shrinking the goaltending equipment.

And another thing: The no-tolerance officiating at the start of the year has altered behavior. That seems obvious. And it looks good.

I can't believe they traded him? WTF?!

He's such an amazing talent. his 33 pts mean he has been in on approx 41% of all Boston's goals this year so far. and how will Samsonov and Murray fair without Joe? and Stuart, Sturm Primeau have combined for only 36 pts. all I can say is WTF ??? Scoring has not been the Bruins problem.

Stuart is an alright defensman but he's not that great, definately not better than Slegr and Leetch, so that means he'll be 2nd line and i cant see Sturm breaking top line. Primeau is barely half the player his brother is and I don't really think Keith is all that great. Stupid, stupid move for the bruins IMHO. oh well, it's just too bad he didn't go to a good team. I would've dangled him for a goalie (well i would've never have traded him to begin with but if it was absolutely necessary it would've been for a goaltender.)

The 3-0 win over the Sens tonight with Sturm and Stuart getting points make it seem wiser.

Wait for a goalie to trade Thornton?  WHY?  You have two good ones in Raycroft and Toivonen.

Leetch is more of an offensive D-man, AND aging, AND has already been injured once this season.  He's on his last legs.  Stuart is a good pickup for a weak defensive corps.

In addition, the B's biggest problem has been their depth.  Once you get past those first two lines, there's nothing.  Samsonov-Thornton-Murray is great, of course.  Isbister-Bergeron-McEachern was alright.  The problem there was no one really pairs well with Patrice's speed in the middle.  The third and fourth lines had an extreme drop-off to some penalty killers and roleplayers-- Axelsson-Zhamnov-Fitzgerald, and Scatchard-Green-Orr.  And once injuries came about, the team had to turn to stiffs like Pat Leahy, Brad Boyes, Eric Nickulas, Zdenek Blatny, Eric Healey, and Jay Leach.  WHO?!?!?!

So now, you have Samsonov-Bergeron-Murray on the first line.  Patrice finally has a winger with some speed to go along with him.  Line 2 has Sturm-Zhamnov-Isbister together.  I like the addition of Sturm, especially over McEachern.  Axelsson-Primeau-Fitzgerald make line 3-- a VERY good penalty killing combo.  Fourth line is Boyes-Green-Lacouture.  So despite losing one of the top power forwards in the game (and I use that term VERY loosely), the Bruins added depth, which they desperately need.

Just for the hell of it, let's look at the D.

BEFORE
Slegr, Boynton, Leetch, Gill, Dallman, Alberts, Moran, Jurcina

AFTER
Slegr, Stuart, Boynton, Leetch, Tanabe, Gill, Dallman, Alberts, Moran, Jurcina

The key to the trade is depth.  And also, a source of mine tells me this wasn't a trade because of Thornton's performance ON the ice, but rather his attitude OFF the ice.

As an autograph collector, all I have to say is-- Joe, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.  Good riddance.

Damn, you people talk about the Penguins a lot around here.  I guess I'll talk about them too.  How bout them Rangers beating the Penguins?  The win-streak continues.

And the Penguins losing streak.. yahoo.. God damnit..

It's like, when they have Fleury in goal, they only allow 2-3 goals a game, but the forwards get nothing done. Damn!

Raycroft's play has been mediocre at best and Toivonen is a rookie, I was talking about picking up a proven veteran goaltender.

Thorton is a franchise player, and he's only 25. whatever.

One thing I totally forgot about till seeing the Box Score this morning was Zhamnov, cuz he's been a ghost so far this year with his injury and all.

Of course it all looks good after Sturm's 2 pt night but can he keep up the pace like Joe? we'll see. I also wonder how good Murray will be without Thorton feeding him.

I agree Stuart is a good pick up, you can't have too much 'D' but for Thorton? come on.

Well if both teams wanted a shakeup they got one, that's for sure, If i was on Boston i'd be like "Holy fuck!!! if they can trade him then nobody here is safe"

i think boston management has been frustrated with thorton for years. they pay him all that money and

- he's not a leader off the ice.
- he's been terrible in the playoffs
- the team has been awful in the playoffs with him as their leader
- he doesn't play physical and use his size as he should

i don't want to say he doesn't have the heart to be a winner, but he's certainly not as gritty as he should be.

BUT, the W vs. ottawa aside, my initial reaction is that it wasn't a great trade for boston. time will tell. 
 

Another L for Penguins. Again, with a one goal margin. 3rd time in a row! And this time they allowed a goal for Calgary that wasn't even a goal?! What the fuck is up with that? And they didn't even consult the video referee in Toronto, which yhey appearently should've.  Like these teams need to be helped to get a win over Pittsburgh?? Fuck!!  :rant:

rough season for the pens.

recchi has 1 goal in his last 13 games, and is a minus 15 during that span.

leclair has 1 goal in his last 10 games, and is a minus 4 during that span.

Not to mention Lemieux's health...

A Leafs Carol:

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, six useless d-men, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, seven forwards slumping, six useless d-men, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight shootout losses, seven forwards slumping, six useless d-men, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, nine better Marlies, eight shootout losses, seven forwards slumping, six useless d-men, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten scoreless shifts, nine better Marlies, eight shootout losses, seven forwards slumping, six useless d-men, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eleven home ice losses, ten scoreless shifts, nine better Marlies, eight shootout losses, seven forwards slumping, six useless d-men, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, twelve rounds of golf, eleven home ice losses, ten scoreless shifts, nine better Marlies, eight shootout losses, seven forwards slumping, six useless d-men, FIVE FLYERS GOALS, four decades losing, three coaches bungling, two lucky goals and an overpayed Swede who wears the C.

Yes - I wrote that - merry Christmas Leafers - Should be 8 Ottawa goals though - lol

no spezza on the olympic team????

what the hell is up with that?

or Staal who is #1 in goals scored, or McCabe highest scoring defenseman and Turco is a 3rd stringer?!!! best goalie stats of the 3 :rant:

Heatley is playing Spezza should to, they just know each other

Oh well we'll still kick ass, and Nash and Gagne are both far under 100% so maybe they'll get in anyway

i agree....why would you not have heatley and spezza on a line together? and maybe the top line at that.

gagne returns for the huge game tonight vs. ottawa.

i am actually going to the game. kicking my long holiday weekend off with some live hockey action!

No doubt, they have proven they have chemistry together. alfy/spez/heat are ranked #3, 4 & 5 in overall points.


BASTARD!!!! :hihi: I'm jealous. Have a good time.

I haven't been to an NHL game in 10 years, I've seen tonnes of AHL and OHL but no NHL, I'm not willing to dish out tonnes of cash to see the Leafs, I might try to get tickets to Buffalo later this year or next year, maybe, we'll see, but that Philly/Ottawa game sounds like it'll be a good one. I'd love to see Forsberg live, and the Alfredsson/Spezza/Heatly line is killer :o

the game was awesome. the flyers played their best period of the year in the first. they were physical and had a ton of scoring chances. and gagne didn't miss a beat. he looks the same as he did before his injury.

it was a little disappointing having the sens score 3 straight and make a game of it. but still, the flyers are 2-0 vs. the sens this season. which is big considering the sens only have 6 regulation losses and 2 are vs. the flyers. 

the flyers start an 11-game road trip tonight in pittsburgh. i think they play 11 road games in 22 days.

Well, they'll propably want to start it off strong.. That's bad news for the Pens. Hopefully the one week off has done the trick for Pittsburgh and that they'll be able to challenge the Flyers tonight. Although I do think that with the attacking material they have, and with Fleury in goal you should be able to do more than to just 'challenge' other teams.

We'll see.

Well, we were able to challenge... but again (for the 11th time 12 games actually) we lost.. too bad.

I don't know who to back in the Olympics.  I'm American, but the Czech Republic team has 5 Rangers on it.

yes, it was a great game. crosby stepped up and i thought the pens would win. but this flyers team continues to win games. almost all of their games have been close (several 1 goal games) and they find a way to win most of them.

last night was another example. florida outplayed us, forsberg had a bad game, and luongo looked awesome. but we fought back and tied it in the third. it goes to a shootout and none of the first 6 scored. then handzus comes down and calmy goes top-shelf with a backhander. so the flyers won another one, and we've finally taken over first in the division from the rangers. 2-0 so far on this 11-game road trip.

Another defeat... but in OT.. First point in.. I don't know how many games. Fleury was excellent. From what I saw from the highlights that is.

Hopefully they'll start getting some W's as well...

Ya im a Leafs fan but Fluery did play amazing and so did the whole Pens team actually..Sundin was at the top of huis game though

This isnt NHL but wow is the Russia-Canada gold medal game ever good..one of the ebst hockey gamesI have ever seen..its 2-0 Canada after the firtst

You guys gotta take notice, the Buffalo Sabres are what's hot on ice now. Watch them play, and you'll see the hardest working team in the NHL, and see some unknowns like Ales Kotalik, Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, and THE BEST AMERICAN GOALIE IN THE WORLD Ryan Miller. Join the bandwagon, which isn't very big but it will be soon.

cant forget about Tim Conolly..prolly the best player on buffalo

Fuckin' Gagne...I was so psyched for an exciting overtime and possible shootout for Rangers/Flyers then he scores 7 seconds in to OT.  The Rangers have points in their last 4 games, but three of them were still losses.  Quick question, are they having an All-Star game this year or are they skipping it for the Olympics?

Im sure theyll still have one

no all star game in olympic years.

The flyers continue to rack up points. We?re 6-0-1  on this 11-game road trip ? all 1-goal games. We?re only one point behind ottowa, and we have the same number of regulation losses.

And the remarkable thing is that we are missing some of our best players ? our #1 goalie, 2 of our top 4 D, and our second line center.

The rangers game was great. They probably outplayed the flyers overall. The rangers are good, tons of energy and they hit. But they just don?t have a lot of scoring depth - they depend a little too much on their top line.

The great thing about the new schedule is you play the teams in your division 8 times each. Which means there are 6 more flyers-rangers games left this season (and maybe a few more).     

As for the All-Star Game, it's said to be because it's an Olympic year.  The players didn't want to play an ASG that they won't get paid for if they're going to already be in the Olympics.  Cry me a river. NHLPA.  Then again, the All-Star game usually is boring anyway, so I really don't give a crap what they do with it.

Anyways, I'm sure you hockey fans heard about this one.  Just another bit of crying from another "Fuck you, pay me" overrated piece of shit (I would make a remark about my disdain for European hockey players, but I'm sure I'd get jumped on for it).

http://www.sportsline.com/nhl/story/9172553

 BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Ziggy Palffy will retire because of a lingering shoulder injury, a Slovak paper reported Wednesday.

"I have agreed on all matters related to my retirement with the Pittsburgh management," Palffy told the Sport daily. "There is no point in suffering any longer."

It was uncertain whether Palffy would retire immediately or at the end of the season. Neither the Penguins nor NHL officials would comment to the paper.

Palffy, 33, was injured while playing for the Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim in January 2004, and had reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder twice, but the problems persisted.

"I have talked to my doctor and he did not recommend a third operation," Palffy told the newspaper.

Earlier this year, Palffy retired from the Slovak national team ahead of the Turin Olympics.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005-2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

He's only doing it because he's stuck on a team full of underachieving stiffs with no coaching whatsoever.  Good riddance to an overrated stiff.  Bring up someone from the AHL's top team, Wilkes-Barre Scranton.  Someone who deserves to play.  Someone who won't puss out and turn tail and run just because his team is playing like ass.

RIGHT ON BROTHER. if pens were doing well then he would be going hard every day. but thats what you get when you pick up guys like that as a backbone of your team. you gotta get those role players that'll die for their team, then others pick up on that shit. look at Mats Sundin before and after Gary Roberts was on the leafs compared to when he played for them. like night and fucking day.

Just like Damn Jagr when his team didn't play well, I'm going home :crying: now they are doing good and he's leading the league in pts.

fucking losers :rant:

Alright, I've said my peace on the Penguins.  Let's look at my other team, the Bruins.

I'm sure that another fabulously brilliant Mike O'Connell move is on the works. Maybe an 87th round pick in 3027 and a water bottle to be named later are in the 'Ruins immediate future. From Boston.com:

Raycroft stays home
Decision not to take goalie to Philly fuels speculation

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff | January 18, 2006

Goalie Andrew Raycroft won't be with the Bruins tomorrow night in Philadelphia, fueling speculation that the club might be looking to deal the 2003-'04 Rookie of the Year.

According to head coach Mike Sullivan, the 25-year-old Raycroft did not make the trip to Philadelphia today because the goalie's ailing right knee needs time to heal. Raycroft banged the leg earlier this month, but was not sidelined, and was last seen in net when the Bruins suffered back-to-back hammerings to the Sharks and Kings last week on Causeway Street. He was relieved by backup Tim Thomas in both games.

The Bruins called up rookie Jordan Sigalet from Providence (AHL) to fill in for Raycroft. Hannu Toivonen, one of their top two goalies, remains sidelined with an ankle sprain.

Around the league, both the Colorado Avalanche and Vancovuer Canucks are believed to be looking for goaltending help. The Bruins have dealt with the Avs before, most notably when they dished then captain Ray Bourque for Brian Rolston on March 6, 2000.

The Bruins remain in desperate need of gaining ground in the Eastern Conference if they are to make the playoffs. They have picked up three points in their last two games, going with Thomas (tomorrow night's starter) in an OT loss to Dallas a win over the Ducks.

YEAHHH!!!!! Robitaille passed Dionne!!!  And we needed those two points BADLY!  And to top it off with a hat trick? :drool:  Good days here in L.A.. Lucky Luc will get his #20 in the rafters when he retires.

flyers made an interesting trade...their acquired nedved for siedenberg. preems return is still in doubt.

flyers have a home and home with the penguins. im' looking forward to these games - it's usually exciting games when these two teams play.

and the flyers are starting to get healthy again. esche is starting today, and pitkinen is due back real soon as well. forsberg will miss today's game but should reurn on monday.

I'm sure everyone has seen this alot by now but here is the video of Ovechkins amazing goal last week.
The talent and body control to get this shot off is just incredible. I'm still in awe everytime I watch this.
Of course if the goalie wasnt so badly out of position this would be a total non issue ::)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2636503729289931176&q=ovechkin

Sweet, kujo!  My sons loved it!  : ok:

What a talented player he is.  It's going to be so much fun watching him and Crosby go at it for 20 years. :drool:

Well the Habs suck. Theodore(I still have faith in him) has let in 10 golas on the last 28 shots he's faced and has been pulled in back to back games. MY GOD!! Their defence sucks ass, and are softer than Pittsburgh's D despite what Micheal Therrian might say. They're forwards are way too small and whimpy. No offence to Europeans here but Montreal needs a few hard nosed North American grinders. Enough with the crap that Bonk is giving us and C'mon Koivu wake up, you're better than this. They've got a terrible attitude right now. They suck. They need to call up Pete Vandermere from Hamilton and have him kick some ass.

On a side note now that Mario has retired from the NHL that's 3 guys from my hockey pool that have retired mid season. Fischer, Palffy and Lemieux. Nice. Thanks guys. >:(

LOL, sorry dude but it's funny :rofl:

Well Lemieux was a bad pick...just cuz his health is always a question mark.

and yep, habs stink, but I've know that for years :-*

Any team refusing to employ an enforcer deserves any ass-kicking they get.  Bring up Vandermeer or Ivanans NOW!!!

So, the greatest player ever has retired (Yeah, that's right, I said it: I put Lemieux over Gretzky, Orr, and Howe).  Does this mean Crosby takes over as captain?  I'm sorry, but no 18-year-old KID should be put in a leadership position of a hockey team.  Hasn't this league learned from Lecavalier being named captain of the Lightning as a 19-year-old?  Shit, give the C to Mark Recchi, Lyle Odelein, or Eric Cairns.  They seem to be the only players on the team worth a damn as leaders.  It's bad enough having a kid wearing the A.

Eric Cairns was the closest we had as an enforcer down here until he got traded.
Being a season ticket holder, I got an invite to a state of the team meeting with Coach Jacque Martin. Since nobody hardly goes to the games, I should get alot of time to ask him why our team sucks so frigging bad on the road :rant:

They did call up Ivanans. They should still call up Vandermere. Instill some fear in the other teams. Vanderemer was like the only guy in Professional hockey to have 30 goals and over 400 minutes in penalties I think. Somthing like that anyway when he played for the Phantoms. he can score and he'll nock the piss outta guys. bring him up!!!

Jacques Martin, ouch.  He was notorious for dressing the worlds' pussiest teams in Ottawa when he was there too.  We'll give you Andre Roy!


Whatever happened to the days when Montreal had some tough teams?  Shit, they had the first real enforcer ever, in John Ferguson.  Pierre Bouchard, Larry Robinson, John Kordic, Chris Nilan, Todd Ewen, Moose Morissette, Lyle Odelein, Darren Langdon... Damn.

Finally a win!! And a great one too... Now we can lose the next 10 again.. :)

Nah.. Hopefully this was a sign of things turning better....

What a crock of shit. I'm glad they won but why the hell do they play like that for Huet? Has the team really lost confidence in Theodore? Bullshit. If Theo gets the shaft and they move him outta Montreal I'd love to see him win the Cup ala Patrick Roy just to show what a bunch of dumbasses the Habs organization is when it comes to treating their number ones with proper respect and confidence.  Theodore the only reason they ahve made the playoffs the last two times and the only reason they ahd any type of success in the playoffs and they're bailing on him like he's got the plague. I've got your back Theo. You da man!! Just win a game ;)

I think Skeba was talking about the 8-1 drubbing that the Pens handed to the Caps.

What's with that cheap shot on ovechkin huh? i got him in my pool :rant:

Leafs are going down the shitter big time, Defensemen injuries on a weak blueline are taking their toll. I feel sorry for Eddie Belfour.

They desperately need 2 good Defensemen

McCabe is a #2 defenseman at best and Klee is a solid 2nd pair guy, and Colaiacovo/Khavanov would be alright as the third pair.

but...

Tomas Kaberle :puke:

and

Aki Berg :puke: :puke:

They need to move those to bums

and their big moves from the summer: ::)

O'Neil - Bust (really streaky player, i thought he was more consistant, wow)
Lindros - Bust (surprise, surprise the Big E is hurt again)
Allison - Actually doing not to bad but he is playing nowhere near as good as in his Bos & LA days

And Sundin needs to step it up a bit here, his shooting % and goal Scoring has dropped off dramatically since he put that fucking visor on, and now that Roberts is gone so he has no one to light a fire under his arse. Although he showed a bit of spark last night, but i think that was more frustration than anything.

Also they regularily play 7 forwards that are natural centres and only 5 guys that are actually true wingers, WTF is that?! Get a decent guy that can score from the wing, left or right it don't really matter but when your top 2 wingers are Darcy Tucker (but he's hurt right now) and Alexei Ponikarovsky ... then you have problems.

Congratulations Capitals!  By just sitting back and letting Ovechkin get speared with no retribution, you just gave the entire NHL the green light to run him all they want!! The Caps will let you do so absolutely free of charge or retribution!! That's right! AND, if you call within the next 20 Minutes, we'll even through in this combination plum-pitting yogurt squirter at no extra charge! That's a value of $59 for free!!

The state of the league sickens me.  Although I'm not sure which is worse: the fact no one came to the aid of Ovechkin, or the fact Ovechkin needed someone to defend him from Ryan Whitney.

Ya the Leafs are in need big time for a good defenceman..McCabe is a really good offensive defenceman as is Kaberle..Colicolvo is a good all around defenceman but they need a stay at home one now..and Berg got hurt last night so tehres another one down

I didn't see the spearing. NHL.com only showed the goals of the game since there were so many. I think people from Caps said that if it was a cheap shot, they'll play the Pens again on the 6th (or something to that effect).  So I guess if it was as bad as some people said it was, there'll be some action in the next game.

One would think so, but, well, this is the Caps we're talking about.  Their management calls Brendan Witt, Chris Clark, Matt Bradley, and Nolan Yonkman "enforcers."  Their only possibility is to call up that minor-league punching-bag Robin Gomez or trade for someone (Laraque?)

Why did they ever let Stephen Peat go?

P.S.-- Habs fans, ask and you shall receive.  The Habs called up Ivanans AND signed Aaron Downey.

Them Leafs make me laugh. every time you're in trouble you bring in a 33 year old forward. Defensemen, who needs defensemen? (8-4 loss at home to Buf) That's who needs defensemen!

Yeah!! Finally an O.T. vs the Leafs goes the Habs way. Jose loked good and Koivu stepped it up tonight. Now hopefully the can build on this and start a home winning streak. Leafs losers of 8 in a row. gotta love that as a Habs fan : ok:

Man, that Rangers/Pens game Saturday was fun to watch.  I don't remember the last time I've seen a team get outplayed that badly.  The Pens remind me of the Rangers a few years back.  They had lots of overpaid, over-the-hill vets who would basically dog it every game.  The defense is terrible, and also like those Rangers, they are a very small team.  Its a shame for the few guys that are still giving what they got on that team (Crsoby, Oulette, Fleury).

The St. Louis Blues traded second-leading scorer Mike Sillinger to the Nashville Predators on Sunday night for forward Timofei Shishkanov.

RALEIGH, NC (January 30, 2006)  - Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has acquired center Doug Weight from the St. Louis Blues.

Weight will join the Hurricanes for the team's practice at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday. Rutherford will be available to the media today at 3 p.m. in the RBC Center's fourth floor conference room.

"Doug is one of the premier forwards in the National Hockey League and will add a strong element to our top lines," said Rutherford. "His skill, leadership and experience will be a great benefit for our team."

In exchange for Weight and left wing Erkki Rajamaki, the Hurricanes have traded their first round draft pick in 2006, Toronto's fourth-round pick in 2006, Chicago's fourth-round pick in 2007, right wing Jesse Boulerice, center Mike Zigomanis and rights to unsigned draft pick Magnus Kahnberg to the Blues. Carolina acquired the fourth-round pick from Toronto in the draft-day deal that sent Jeff O'Neill to the Maple Leafs, and acquired Chicago's 2007 fourth-round pick in the Dec. 29 trade that sent Radim Vrbata to the Blackhawks.

Weight, 35, leads St. Louis with 33 assists and 44 points, and ranks third on the team with 50 penalty minutes in 47 games this season. The Warren, MI, native has notched seven of his 11 goals on the power play. He will represent the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy along with Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette and left wing Erik Cole.

pretty decent move IMO, it's obvious they are gonna try to make a run for the cup, it'll be interesting to see what other moves they make as the season winds down.

With Staal, Brind'Amour, Cole, Stillman, Williams, Adams, Whitney and now Weight all at forward positions I wonder if they'll move somebody for a top-notch Defenseman.

In other news, the leafs finally won again, but lost  another defenseman in the process (Khavanov). McCabe is suposed to be back tonight though.

And Jovonovski is out for at least 6 weeks for Abdominal surgery so that means that McCabe should get the nod for team Canada at the olympics, if he stays healthy that is. It would be the first Leaf in a long while to make the team

that's an incredible move by carolina. an aggressive move by their management and shows a committment to win it all.

i was hoping the flyers would make a trade for him. they are waiting to see if preems can make it back this season. a decision will be made near the end of february. if not, they will try to make a blockbuster deal, cause they will have $2M available under the cap. so they could afford anybody's pro-rated salary. 

the flyers stole a game from the rangers last night. a much needed win after playing like shit the last few games. the rangers were up 1-0 most of the game, then 2-0 in the 3rd. the flyers tied it, and then won it in OT. beating the rangers always feels so good.  :hihi: especially in MSG.

Haha, I guess you can take sandman's comment there and switch some of the words around and you'll have my thoughts on the Rangers win against Phily yesterday.  Back in first place, baby.

Woo hoo!!!!!! hockey is back tonight : ok:

It felt like the season was over (or like they were back on strike :hihi: )

anyway with the season winding down, Ottawa has lost their foothold and my Red Wings are fighting with Carolina :-\ for the Presidents trophy.

Here is to all the old Hartford fans that stuck with that shitty team all those years. :beer: It's too bad you didn't get to see them win as the Whalers though :'(

Heyoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

the season starts tonight!

"This game is gay now," Brashear observed. "You can't even do anything anymore... They changed the game to favor the superstars. You can't do anything anymore to set some respect out there."

I despise Brashear as much as any player (by far my least-favorite enforcer, and I use that term loosely in his case), but I gotta admit, he does have a point.  He was given a one-game suspension for going after Darius Kasparaitis and getting an instigator penalty.  Kasparaitis was being his usual pest-like self and doling out borderline hits.  Oddly enough, Brashear got 27 minutes in penalties without even dropping his gloves.

Go ahead, call me a racist for not liking him (it has nothing to do with him being black), call me a homophobe for this, but I for one agree with his commentary.

i agree as well.

but why don't you like him. he's one of the toughest guys in the league, he's a great enforcer. and he can hold his own as far as skill goes.

i've met him several times and he's such a nice guy. mad cool.

Anyone see Pat LaFontaine have his jersey retired in Buffalo? That was cool, he is often forgotten in discussions about the all-time greats but he is clearly the best American forward to ever play. Shame some asshole hit him in the head like a baseball swing. Right now the Leafs are showing why they're 11th in the East at Buffalo.

RUMOR: flyers trade - esche and brashear for todd bertuzzi.

just a rumor.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060304/SPORTS04/603040366/1017

with the trade deadline coming up this week, there's gonna be all kinds of rumors. if anyone knows of any, i'd love to hear them.

In regards to why I don't like Brashear, I give you a three-fold answer.

1. He's a spot-picker.  He will only fight on his terms when he feels like fighting.  A true enforcer will fight when the team needs him to fight, not just when he wants to.  If an opponent takes a run at a star player, the enforcer goes after him.  I have seen far too many times where Brashear declines to do so.  I've seen him blatantly duck fights several times-- Marty McSorley just before the slash to the head for one, and a fake glove-drop on Scott Parker for another (Parker did it right back to him later in that game).

2. His fighting style.  We've seen he can give a hell of a punch and take some good ones.  So why do all the huggy-bear crap that he does?  Hug the guy to death, punch, punch, punch, back to a bear-hug, then a few more punches.  Last time I saw him truly open up and go toe-to-toe in a good battle (other than the fight vs. Eric Godard early on this year), willing to receive a few in order to give a few huge ones back was in 1998, I believe, as a Vancouver Canuck, when he fought Dan Kordic, with Kordic getting the edge in a good fight.

3. His ethics in fighting.  I've seen a few times where he'll be winning a fight, but then the opponent starts to come back and he just decides to bail out, similar to spot-picking.  The main one coming to mind there is the Tie Domi fight in the 2004 playoffs.  Brash is winning, Domi comes back, and Brashear bails out.

He's a hell of a fighter.  If he would just open up and go toe to toe more often, he could be the best ever, or at least a top 10 all-time.

I've also met Brashear a few times.  He's basically a good guy-- signed a card, got a picture with him.  As with most players, I can name plenty of nicer guys in the league and plenty who are bigger assholes.

More on this thing with Kasparaitis, "Brashear, whose one-day salary of $8,918.37 will go to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund, did not return a phone message.  He said after Thursday night's game that Kasparaitis has not seen the last of him.  'Maybe next time,' Brashear said, 'if he keeps playing like that, maybe it will be worse.' Kasparaitis seemed amused by Brashear's threats after the game when he quipped, 'I have a big head, it doesn't hurt.'"

However, they did cut out the part where Kasparaitis said "I also have a hairless vagina" but I guess thats the media for you.

Forgot to add I've also heard rumors of Brash being sent to Detroit, Carolina, or possibly even the Rangers.

TORONTO (AP) - Maple Leafs forward Eric Lindros will undergo surgery after tearing a ligament in his right wrist Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.

Lindros hurt the wrist earlier this season and recently returned after missing 26 games. He aggravated the injury when he took a slap shot in the second period Saturday, and didn't return in the third.

"I tore it," Lindros said. "I'm going to need surgery this week."

Lindros declined to have surgery when he first got hurt in December.

The Toronto native might have played his last game in a Maple Leafs uniform if the surgery forces him to miss the rest of the season.

"It's been a frustrating time for him and us as well. We had hoped to have him healthy," coach Pat Quinn said.

Lindros signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract last summer, fulfilling a lifelong dream to play for the Leafs.

His career has been plagued by concussions.

"His history has been to miss some games. With his history, you wouldn't think it would be something like a wrist," Quinn said.

I agree with all of them but you didn't mention the most important reason why I don't like him

He's a fucking asshole :rofl:

He can dish out he punches, that's for sure, but when it comes time for him to take a few, he's a fucking crybaby, he's a bully in short. Cocksucker ended McSorely's carreer, over basically a nothing incident

McSorely, Probert, Ray among others...those were the real tough-guys, dishing it out or taking shots to the head, they never said shit, just went out and played their game. Brashear thinks he's some kinda pioneering fucking hero. I hope Detroit doesn't get him :rant: they never shoulda gotten gid of Darren McCarty in the first place (I'm still pissed about that move :rant: )

I don't like the idea of a "pure" enforcer. I like guys who are tough and will fight if needed but can also forecheck pass and skate (ex. Grier, and I would include Bertuzzi but he's an asshole and I hate him for what he's done to some of the greats).

Who's the best enforcer ever?

Wendle Clark : ok: or Bobby Probert : ok:

and who are "some of the greats" ? I hope your not implying Steve moore is/was a great player :-\

Best enforcer ever has to go to Probert.  No one had his longevity as a top 10 guy every year from 1987 well into the late 1990's.  He fought everyone, most of them multiple times.  There are only a handful that he fought and never beat (Chris Simon and Sandy McCarthy are the big ones coming to mind).  Additionally, he skated on Steve Yzerman's line for a while, putting up a 29-goal season with a spot in the All-Star Game.

Others who should be on this list of tough guys who could also play well are Clark Gillies, Bob Nystrom, Gordie Howe, John Ferguson, and any of the "original" group of power forwards-- Cam Neely, Rick Tocchet, Wendel Clark, and Shayne Corson.  The current term "power forward" pisses me off.  These original guys could score, check, forecheck, backcheck, and fight.  The current breed of "power forwards" (e.g. Bertuzzi, Iginla, LeClair, Thornton, etc.) are NOTHING compared to these guys.  Now all you have to do to be called a power forward is have a good shot and occasionally throw your weight around in front of the net.  I hate it.  Out of that group, I'd say Iginla is by FAR the best, followed by Thornton in a close second.

As for 10 best fighters ever, I've been through this many a time.  Bob Probert, Nick Fotiu, Dave Brown, Behn Wilson, Clark Gillies, Marty McSorley, Joe Kocur, Glen Cochrane, John Kordic, Bob Nystrom.  I already know what the next responses I get will be-- "You forgot Dave Schultz and Tony Twist."

I could go on and on for weeks/months/years on how overrated these guys are as fighters.  Just ask the question and I'll give my 98 cents on it.  But before anyone asks, just remember, it could be very long.

overrated who? Twist and Shultz?

My only beef is you forgot Rob Ray, but a good list :peace: And don't forget Ron Hextall back in the day :hihi: He was a fucking Nutcase ;D Belfour's hacks look like love taps compared to some of Hextall's shit.

One time at a Hockey card show in Detroit, there was this guy with a tape of hockey fights (6 full hours) I finally talked him into selling it, $10 it's a fucking sweet tape man, lotsa Probert scraps on there : ok:

Yes, I am calling Twist and Schultz overrated by many.

Ray is a great fighter, but I wouldn't call him a top 10 guy at all.  Top 20 maybe, top 25 certainly.  And Hextall is certainly one of the best goalie fighters ever, along with Jim Pettie, Billy Smith, Gerry Cheevers, and Dan Cloutier.

I have an assload of fight tapes-- probably over 150 hours worth-- on various VHS tapes that I want to convert to DVD as soon as I can get them down here to Texas from Ohio, where they're currently taking up space in my Dad's house.  That's how I and many other serious hockey fight fans compile rankings.  I know there's another member here (Philly Riot) who's also a member at the hockey fight board I post at.

Rob Ray will always be my favorite. Anyone who causes the NHL to add a new rule is pretty baddass. He was an emotional leader and was loyal to his team and community, and was an enforcer but seemed to not take as many cheap shots on star players. I really liked that about him. He comments on the Sabres Post game show now, and it looks like he took a few too many shots to the head at times. :hihi:

RUMOR: mark rhecchi for rj umberger

Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope it doesn't happen but I have a feeling it will.  :no:

i agree with you. i am not a big rhecchi fan anymore.

i'd be shocked if the flyers do not make a trade, and both sides are very interested in this deal.

it's almost guaranteed rhecchi is getting traded. if not to the flyers, very likely to the flames.

I am not a big fan of Recchi anymore, either. Plus, I think RJ is too much to give up for him. It looks like the Recchi rumors have cooled off a bit. The Sens are supposedly interested in him now. Now there are rumors of JR returning instead. I am going crazy until the deadline!

Well.. Being a Pens fan... I really don't care if Pens trade Recchi away.. If they do, it's an investment to the future. If they don't. Well.. He's made a pretty good amount of points this season, and hopefully it'll continue.

I don't know. It's kinda hard to be a Pens fan right now. We have Crosby, Fleury... About a line worth of good solid players. Malkin's coming next year. But we should get a lot more if we wanted to start winning games on a constant basis.

Heres some of the big moves around the NHL


The Minnesota Wild traded veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson to the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday for a first-round pick in the 2006 Entry Draft and a conditional draft pick. That will be a third-round pick in 2006 if the Oilers are able to sign Roloson to a contract for the 2006-07 NHL season.

The Boston Bruins have claimed veteran forward Mariusz Czerkawski off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS-Traded D Luke Richardson to Toronto for a conditional draft pick.

NEW YORK RANGERS-Traded F Ville Nieminen to San Jose for a 2006 thrid-round draft pick.

Rolie the Goalie's always been overrated...

The Colorado Avalanche announced today that the club has acquired goaltender Jose Theodore from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goaltender David Aebischer.

Yup. What a fucking joke. Nice to see Montreal bail on a guy after a bad year. How soon they forget that it was theodore who got them to the playoffs the last two times adn it was theodore who almost single handedly lead Montreal to Upset wins over the bruins in the playoffs. Abeschier is a good goalie but to trade Theodore straight up for him is a joke as far as this Habs fan is concerened.  I can already see it. Theodore is gonna lead the Avs to a Stanley Cup by 2008. You watch! And Montreal..... they're gonna suck for another 5 years now.

Bono.(Angry Habs fan)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenceman Ken Klee to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday according to John Ferguson, vice-president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. In exchange, the Maple Leafs received forward Aleksander Suglobov (pronounced suh-GLOH-bahf) from the Devils.

And two careers have now come full circle.  Czerkawski started as a Bruin in 1994 or so, while Richardson came up as a Leaf in the late 1980's.

Very ho-hum trading deadline so far.  Only big name moved so far is Theodore-- no Bertuzzi, Esche, Brashear, or Luongo moves with only an hour remaining.

The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenceman Todd Simpson from the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

The New Jersey Devils acquired defenceman Brad Lukowich from the New York Islanders on Thursday in exchange for a third-round draft pick.

The Ottawa Senators claimed goalie Mike Morrison off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, picking up some insurance while starter Dominik Hasek recovers from a groin injury.

Philadelphia Flyers acquire defenceman Denis Gauthier from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Josh Gratton and two second-round picks in 2006.

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim acquire defenceman Sean O'Donnell from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Joel Perrault.

Vancouver Canucks acquire goaltender Mika Noronen from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a second-round pick.

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim acquire forward Jeff Friesen from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick.

Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Mark Recchi from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Niklas Nordgren, forward Krys Kolanos and a second-round pick in 2007.

New York Rangers acquire defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in exchange for a third-round draft pick.

The Washington Capitals have finally found a new home for Brendan Witt, trading the veteran defenceman to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Kris Beech and a first-round pick.

Detroit Red Wings acquire defenceman Cory Cross from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2007.

Atlanta Thrashers acquire defenceman Steve McCarthy from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2007.

Edmonton Oilers acquire forward Sergei Samsonov from the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Marty Reasoner, a second round draft pick and forward Yan Stastny.

Ottawa Senators acquire forward Tyler Arnason from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Brandon Bochenski and a draft pick.

Vancouver Canucks acquire defenceman Eric Weinrich from the St. Louis Blues for a prospect and a third round pick.

Phoenix Coyotes trade forward Jamie Lundmark to the Calgary Flames for a draft pick

2 wins in a row!!!

Amazing!

Yeah!! We're maybe the best team out there! Ever!

Go Pens!

I'm thinking we might win 20 games this season! With Malkin next year, who knows.. Maybe we'll get 30. Awesome.

^ Keep on dreaming and one day your dreams will come true. Unless you live in a small city like Buffalo or Pittsb---- oh wait, nevermind.

Bettman statement on the passing of Red Storey

NEW YORK -- National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman released today the following statement regarding the passing of Hockey Hall of Fame member Red Storey:

"Red Storey brought passion, dedication and enthusiasm to each and every game as an NHL referee," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "Long after his retirement as an on-ice official, he continued to serve as one of the truly great ambassadors for the game in his travels around North America officiating charitable games. On behalf of the NHL family, we extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Bunny and sons Bob and Doug."

Mr. Storey, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967, was considered one of the top referees during his NHL career from 1950 to 1959. In addition to working 480 regular-season games, Mr. Storey worked in seven consecutive Stanley Cup Final series from 1952 through 1958.

I think Theodore is done. He had an amazing season, then a good one and then he shit the bed. It's ok, it happens to goalies all the time. The Avs will win again and Theodore will play a role in it, but the Avs are a good team, Montreal is not. The weight will be off Theodore and he won't be required to be the whole team.

Well, Andy Murray was fired yestserday.  Came as a surprise to us in the city, but at the same time, it wasn't as shocking.  Hopefully the Kings can get some momentum going into the playoffs.  The move was necessary because Murray lost respect in the locker room.  The Kings have a lot of potential, as showcased in the first half of the year, maybe a new voice will lead them to better things.

I am not sure what's wrong with the Kings. There is no reason they shouldn't be a great team.

Hopefully a new coach will turn them around.

Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour is expected to miss the remainder of the season after being placed on injured reserve Thursday with a hurt back.

Belfour hasn't played since March 10.

The 40-year-old, who has a history of back problems, has had a subpar season - going 22-22-4 with a goals against average of 3.29 in 49 games.

yeah and after that 5-1 loss to the Habs last night I think their playoff hopes are pretty much fucked :rant: they need to have a big shakeup this summer

We all knew Toronto wasn't a playoff time. They need more talent, and younger players that don't get hurt or fatigued at season's end. The team needs a facelift.

Belfour's a sure fire Hall of Famer.  I think its time he calls it a career now.

hockey's second season starts in a few days. it's such a great time of year.

alot of seeds are still up in the air - next couple days will be interesting.

detroit looks tough in the west. right now i'm thinking the east is wide open.

Wow. Look out for the Sabs in the playoffs. Miller's hot, allowing 0 goals in his second career shutout as the Sabs spank the Leafs 6-0. Whoever they play (Devils, Rangers, or Flyers) is gonna have to find a way to beat him.

west conference is pretty much set....east...it's tight there  :o

um yeah buff looks good..I like carolina myself, and also if atlanta makes it they could be a darkhorse : ok:

West oconference...I gotta go with my wings, SJ is a scary team though IMO.

If Thorton doesn't win MVP its rigged :-\

Thornton makes the players around him so much better.  When he's in the game, other teams have to scramble around to stop him.

There's a phrase I truly hate.  That being said, he should win the Hart, no question.

A pity the 'Nucks aren't in the Playoffs. We were stacked too..

That being said, I hope the Sens bring Stanley north of the border.

flyers, devils and rangers could each end up 3rd, 5th, or 6th. it's unbelievable that the devils could win the division. all to be determined tonight.

and two of these teams will face each other in the first round. that will be an awesome series.

Wow crazy shit in the Atlantic  Division...anyway

OK i joined a playoff hockey pool through sportsnet.ca

You can make a group, so i made one :beer:

anybody intersted in Joining? Its free to join and the top prizes are $500 Boston Pizza gift card and a 26" Flat Panel HDTV

here is the link

http://contest.blastpromo.com/cgi-bin/sportsnet-hk_playoff06/cookie_login.cgi

The Group is:     Roses Of Velvet
The Password to Join the Group is:   better

so basically you register, then go to Group memberships, go down to join a group click the 'R' select Roses Of Velvet, type better in the password box, then click 'Join Group'

Then go to Enter Change picks and fill in the blanks....pretty easy..if you are lazy there is even a random picks feature :hihi:

You get to pick a group Before round 1 then you can re-select your entire roster prior to Round 2 and then again before Round 3. After that, your roster is set for the remainder of the playoffs. Should be a fun time, Entry deadline is 7:00 PM ET on Friday, Apr. 21, 2006 (Picks must be made by then)


....I'm gonna kick everybody's ass  :-*

Damn wish i woulda saw this...Ah well

Lets go Buffalo!!!!

People who think Buffalo isn't a physical team should check out this hit we threw on RJ Umberger last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fkp9qv15dA&search=Umberger

Should make for an interesting game 2 (I'll be there!!! ;D).

I jumped about 15 ft off my couch when that happened... Have fun tomorrow night man!!

I saw that one last night.... shit, I FELT that one last night.

That's really weird, the second I clicked on the link, I heard my roomate saying "watch this hit.." - showing someone else the video at the same time.

Its all about the Devils. They killed the Rangers yesterday. and the best part was when that bitch jagr tried to hit gomez and ended up hurting his hand. Ill be at game 2 tomorrow.

Go  HABS  Go!!!!

I think you can join for next round..just your points this round will be zero :peace: i think the prizes are the most in any given round

Best hit I've seen in a while.  If you want to find something hilarious, search google for some Flyers message boards and forums and find how many of their fans were whining for a charging call on it and saying that if the same thing had happened but by Gauthier on Philly's home ice, they would have been blasted all over the media for condoning cheap play.  Get a grip!

This Campbell hit was clean.

Yeah, right now i'm sure all Philly fans are saying there were no dirty hits after Ken Smallcock sent em all out thugging... But oh well, i guess they just cant handle gettin spanked...

Go Esche!!

Damn do the Rangers look horrible.  And Jagr's no bitch, GNR estranged.  I'd wager anything he'd whoop your ass.

as long as he doesn't punch him....he might throw out his shoulder :hihi:

maybe he could do girlie slaps or pull hair ;)

Jagr's a big motherfucker.  If he wanted to he could fuck Scott Gomez up something serious.

you forgot that jagr is a pansy :peace:

He's got a point in that regard.  That being said, I'd rather see the Rangers start playing good... hmmm... remember on Seinfeld when the Rangers were playing the Devils in the playoffs?  Putty: we're the Devvvvvvvviilllllls!!! the Devvvvvvvilllls!!!! *hiss*

 :rofl: :hihi:

Jagr's no pussy, you guys obviously don't watch him play.  I do.  You don't have to get in a lot of fights and log tons of penalty minutes to be tough.  I'm not gonna get into a childish my players can beat up your players argument.  I admit he wasn't always the most motivated guy, especially in Washington where he didn't want to play.  But this year he played the entire regular season, and he's started to really play both ends of the ice.  Not only that, but his size and strength are two of the key components to his whole game.  Its almost impossible to knock him off the puck.  He can skate in and out of traffic with such ease without ever losing the puck.  Its a shame you guys don't realize how great he is.  Stop watching old Capitals highlights and start watching how he carried this Rangers team for most of this season.

Dude, I know he's a great player....it's quite sickening how great he is actually.


I was just teasing you :beer: but if he doesn't get back in the Rangers lineup soon they are done :-\

Also its getting down to the nitty gritty with my redwings too......maybe its time to let ozzy get in goal :nervous:

Yeah Neemo, what the fuck is going on over there??? fate?  As in, the Stars will win out over the Avs soon so that Edmonton and Dallas can meet in the next round?   :hihi:

I wouldn't swap out Legace though, it's not his fault.  The guys are playing awful in front of him.


As for me, I'll be glued to the TV tonight to watch my Habbies take on the Canes in Montreal.  Should be a good game.   As an aside, what's with all the goal-scoring during the playoffs?  The scores are out of wack!  8-4? 6-5? 8-2?  Playoff games used to end 2-1 in double overtime!

Jagr literally did that the closest he ever came to a fight.  Rich Pilon came after him and he literally started slapping at him with his gloves on.

Anyways, as for the Wings, I for one don't mind seeing them get knocked out early.  The fewer teams that succeed the way Bettman wants them to succeed (all finesse, no toughness-- they set a new record with only 6 fighting majors in an 82 game season), the more likely we are to see more good hockey return-- a good combination of scoring and toughness.  That's why my support is going toward Ottawa and Calgary.  Now I've probably jinxed them.  Goddamn.

It must be all the penalties... even if they aren't power play goals, they're messing with everybody's head.   :nervous:

I watched the Detroit - Edmonton game last night... it was entertaining.  My roomate flipped his TV off when Williams shot the puck under the net.  He had a suprise this morning.  :hihi:

Damn, I really didn't think Brodeur was still this good.  The Rangers haven't been playing very well, but Brodeur is stopping everything that comes his way.  He's still the best.

Yeah since mid-season, right before the olympics, he's been a god :-\ NYR need that one tough guy back ASAFP :hihi: maybe this extra day of rest will be good.

phew....redwings tied up the series

looks like the defending champs are done and SJ has taken a stranglehold after losing game one.

And what is up with Dallas ???

Yeah, Rob... I'm a little surprised his season went so well this year.  Good thing I have him in the pool though, eh Neemo??  :hihi:  Oh, and Neemo, that was cheap in Edmonton last night...  :rant:

hmmmm.rangers gone....4 games.... :-\

kinda funny...kinda sad

If Jagr was as tough as you said Rob....he woulda played injured...the team is shit without him...that's the problem with the guy...things don't go his way and he folds like a seven/deuce off-suit hand. he's notorious for playing like shit when things look tough.

But I don't wanna take anything away from the Devils they've been fantastic after a shitty start to the season...

My poor wings have their backs up against the wall now.....dammit >:( ....give Osgood a shot....Legace doesn't have the experience

You've got a point Neemo.  I don't know how hurt he is, so its hard to criticise, but he better have been really hurt cause we didn't stand a chance without Jagr.  Of course I don't know if we standed a chance with him either.  The Devils are scary right now.

Right now the Devils are the team to beat.  I thought they would win the series but was hoping that the Rangers would at least wear them down a bit and take them to 6-7 games.  Unfortunately the Devils will be well rested for their round 2 opponent.

At the moment, it looks like the Devils will be playing the Hurricanes. Although it could be the Sabres or the Flyers. I think the Devils would beat Flyers easily, and the Canes in a 6 game series, but I honestly think the Sabres could make it tough for them. Not just because I'm a fan, but the Sabres are a faster team that can hurt you with any given line. If the Sabres played the Devils, it would come down to Miller's impact. The Hurricanes just haven't been convincing against Montreal, and the Devils are a good enough team to shut down Philly's Forsberg line (no other line has been effective for them).

DammiT!!! Redwings are gone now :rant:

Legace had a mental lapse again for 3 minutes and cost them the game.  ah well....there is always next year...and if NJ and Colorado get beat out next round then it'll be an all new team to win the cup...that'd be nice for a change :yes:

Rangers, Lightning, Red Wings.  21, 10, and 6 fighting majors respectively, in a combined 246 regular season games.

Devils: 24 fighting majors, with an enforcer capable of playing a regular shift.
Senators: 41 fighting majors, fifth in the league, three relatively good fighters, one of whom is also their best d-man.
Oilers: 28 fighting majors, several good, tough players.
Avs: 38 fights, 9th in the league.  Gotta love guys like Brad May and Ian Laperriere!

Which of these teams advanced?

Just goes to show once again that good tough, gritty hockey will win out in the playoffs over this high-flying, fancy-pants CRAP when playoff time arrives.  Here's to hoping Carolina (17 regular season fights, 3rd lowest in the league) is next to be added to the first list.

I just wish both Calgary and Anaheim could advance.

Go SABRES! : ok:  :beer:

 :peace:

God, i'm so glad Philly got their asses handed to em in their own building  :hihi:

Sabres in 6 over Ottawa

I hope so! its gonna be a great series. I can't wait! :drool:

Ottawa is known to have a great team in the regular season, then suck in the playoffs...Buffalo is the perfect team to bounce em!!!!

*Covers up his "See, I told you so" smirk in regards to the Flyers*

Well, other than Carolina advancing, I love it.  Buffalo, Ottawa, New Jersey, and Carolina in the east, San Jose, Colorado, Edmonton, and either Calgary or Anaheim in the west.

The best possible finals for me would be Ottawa vs. Calgary, especially if it would go 7 games.  However, I just know the Bettmanist regime will find some way to get Carolina vs. another American team.

Crosby's my boy...I'm not gonna lie. Penguins WILL make the playoffs next year and I'll have to admit watching the Rangers getting embarassed was even better then that would be.

I hate to break it to you buddy, but watching the Rangers lose is probably the most joy you Pens fans are gonna get for a while.  Your team is a joke.  If it wasn't for Crosby you guys would've been significantly worse than you were...and you guys were already the worst team in hockey pretty much.

insane game by buffalo and ottawa yestarday! Buffalo up 1 - 0  :)
hope the series is like that first game. Unbelievable action!

Yeah, this is the casual hockey fans's dreams come true.

And yet, a former die-hard hockey fan like me isn't watching.

Thank you, Mr. Bettman.

^ Yeah, because 2-1 is way better than 7-6. Come on, man. I bet a lot of die hard fans loved it too. I know I did.

I can't believe the wings lost game 6. They played so well that game but their goalie blew it for them in the 3rd period.

Wow... 6-0.

That one, I didn't see coming. Weird. I only saw the highlights reel (it's all I get out here, and even that's online), but the Devils looked really poor in comparison to the last series. I hope they get their act together so that it'll be a real series..

Well of course you'll see 7-6 scores when the teams get a combined 11 power play opportunities and manage to score one 3 of them and get 2 shorthanded goals.   Or 6-0 scores with a team going 5/8 on the power play.  Last thing I want to see is a 60-minute battle of power play and penalty killing units.  If I wanted to watch a high scoring sport with little physical play, I'd go watch baseball in the steroid era, or basketball.

The NHL wants nothing more than to have a boring-as-all-hell Finals matchup of Carolina vs. San Jose and it seems they're doing whatever they can to make it happen.  This league makes me sicker every day.

i think the hitting is more ferocious than ever. guys are skating into corners uncontested and slamming people.

and i think it's pathetic that teams still take tons of penalties. it's lazy play, nothing else. teams need to follow what the oilers did vs. the wings. smart, positional, team hockey.

i hope anyone that loves hockey saw the sabres-sens game last night. incredible game. non-stop action, vicious hitting, great goaltending. it doesn't get much better than that.

hopefully the sens find a way back into the series, cause this is a good one.

Of course the hitting is more ferocious.  No one is held accountable for their actions anymore when it comes to borderline hits.

but you mentioned "little physical play". i disagree with that. the game is very physical.

i love fights as much as the next guy, but there hasn't been fighting in the playoffs in years.

Actually fighting seems to be up this year over past years in the playoffs, so I do appreciate that.  Physical play, especially clean physical play and fighting, seems to be down and has been decreasing for some time.

That being said, I think next year's attendance, TV ratings, and other numbers will be the litmus test of how the "new NHL" will go over with fans both old and new.

Ottawa's got some problems. They were top seeded, and lost to a team they were 5-3 against in the regular season. Heatley and Havlat were a joke, neither of them having an impact on the series dispite their "star status". Alfreddson was okay, but also didn't live up to his reputation. Even Redden and Chara weren't consistent. For all the "stars" they have, their effort was embarrasing. The fact that they lost in 5 games, all of which were close, makes me question their motivation. If you want to disagree, then I suppose you believe Pominville is a better clutch player than Alfreddson. Ottawa had better try something else next year.

TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to a five-year deal with defenceman Bryan McCabe, a source told The Canadian Press.

The deal is worth between $5.5 million US and $6 million per year, the source said Wednesday.

McCabe would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

According to a team spokesperson, the team has not reached an agreement with McCabe, but talks are progressing forward and a deal could happen soon.

Related Info
Off-Season Game Plan: Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs' salary commitments for 2006-07
He earned $3.458 million US last season when he was third among all NHL defencemen in goals (19) and points (68). Both were career highs.

Tomas Kaberle, McCabe's usual defence partner, signed a five-year deal for $4.25 million per season in February.

The Leafs missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 1998. Much of the blame was laid on a January tailspin during which they lost seven of nine games that McCabe missed with a groin injury.

McCabe never wanted to go elsewhere.

"I love it here," the 30-year-old blue-liner said in March. "I want to be here."

McCabe has 95 goals and 243 assists in 781 NHL games. He previously played for the New York Islanders, who drafted him 40th overall in 1993, the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chicago traded him to Toronto in October 2000 for Alexander Karpovtsev and Toronto's fourth-round choice (Vladimir Gusev) in the 2001 entry draft.

Toronto needs to make some moves...bigtime but they constantly build on this team...we need a shake up bigger than firing the coach IMO :-\

Back to the playoffs....Tonight is gonna be intense....McKee didn't travel to Carolina with the team but says "I'll be there"...I heard that on the radio this morning.

For buffalo's sake I hope he plays and can contribute...that would be defensemen #4 to go down  and he's like the #1 shot blocker in the playoffs too. Miller has bee shakey too last few games...we'll see i guess

Carolina vs. Edmonton.

Just like 1999 and 2004, the fix is on.  Carolina in 7.

Ill ring in....Edmonton in 6 ;)

although a 7 game series is highly possible here IMO....that would be sweet OT game 7 for the cup :drool:

Pronger = Conn Smythe Trophy : ok:

Id love to see Edmonton win but ill take Carolina in 7...And for anyone who watches OTR they had the best one ive ever seen yesterday with the GM of the Leafs,Wild,Blues and wings on, such a good show

Edmonton in 6 or 7. Carolina is overrated, it took them seven games to beat a team missing 4 defensemen and their best player in the playoffs, all this while having home ice. And Cole's injury doesn't equal Connolly's, maybe if Staal couldn't play for the series that would've been an even injury. But to score only one goal (I'm talkin about game six) against a team with 3 injured defensemen, and only 5 defensemen that could play in the second and third period, is pathetic. With the way Rolie is playing, I very much doubt Carolina can win.

The only reason I'm saying Carolina in 7 is twofold-- 1999 and 2004.  This league will do anything, even bend the rules, to allow the southern teams to win to help promote hockey in those markets.  Hull's "goal" in 1999 and Gelinas' disallowed goal in 2004 both had weak explanations from Bettman and others and both eventually led to southern teams to win it all.  Both are becoming thriving hockey markets after these wins.

Look for something similar to happen in this series, as well as poor officiating similar to that of the Carolina vs. Buffalo series.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid.  I'm cheering for Edmonton, but saying Carolina in 7.

I'm also cheering for Edmonton, but what the fuck!! was that behind the goal tonight???

Forget Bettman, foget bending the rules... That was just something you _don't_ do at Stanly Cup finals.. Other thing you don't do is give up a 3 goal lead.

FUCK!!! Rollie is out for the series :rant:

damn, is markenen still with the Oilers? I wonder who starts on wednesday  :-\

Ward was amazing last night as was Brind'Amour..I can't believe that Oilers blew a 3-0 lead :no:

I think he is... I do believe though that Conklin will start on wednesday...

Well at least now no rules need be bent/broken/outright ignored.

I'm changing my prediction to Canes in 5.

Conklin will start Wednesday, though with his nice little behind-the-goal fuckup, I'd consider Markkanen.

Cam Ward is the next Johan Hedberg.

Unlike Hedberg, I hope he retains a starting position :nervous:

hmmm is it all Conklins fault? why the fuck didn't Smith give him a heads up? Don't these guys communicate on ice? and whats up with Staios? It's hgockey not Soccer....USE YOUR FUCKING STICK!!!....and Bergeron get the lead out on that staios play....and bergeron....knock guys away from the net not into it Jackass! :rant:

Defensive brain farts killed them last night...that and poor smyth can't hit the fucking net on 2 superb chances :hihi:

Basically, I'm saying he's just going to be another one-year wonder who came up huge in the playoffs for a while.

Jim Carrey.. :hihi:

How did the Caps do in the playoffs that year?

The officiating in this series is horrifying.  George Laraque literally got two minutes for skating while black.

At least he pounded Ladd after putting out Roloson (yes, Laddie was pushed in, but he also was making no effort to put on the brakes).  Sic semper tyrannus.

Oilers need to shoot the fucking puck :rant: . bombard Ward...don't just wait for the perfect opportunity.

also Horcroff and Smyth need to step up and score

Horcoff's confidence is gone right now.  He had a ton of net open last night and put a backhander over the net.  Two huge robberies will do that to a man (though one of them was going wide).

Oilers have put 63 shots on net in two games.  I don't think that's as much of a problem right now as just the fact that #1. Their goaltending has gone to crap.  #2. They've run into a hot goalie with a defense that's blocking more shots as the playoff go on.  #3. Penalties are killing them, which the officials certainly aren't helping them with.  #4. The great defensive system they've played in the previous three series has fallen apart.  #5. Laraque needs more playing time.

Carolina is a bunch of wimps.  Hit them and they'll back down.  Laraque can play the body (when the officials don't have a target painted on him like they did last night even befoire the hit on Ladd) and he can take up space in front of the net to knock in rebounds and screen Ward, especially on the power play.  Keep Ward from seeing shots, and he won't stop them.

Smyth and Horcoff are back and we have a series once again!

I currently have an Edmonton Oilers temporary tattoo in the middle of my forehead.

haha Duffman...i hope you scrubbed it off after that horrendous third period last night :rant:

Honestly, last night's game was worse than game two.  I'm not even watching game 5 now.

In two years, Carolinians will forget they even have a team.

well I have a feeling that tonight edmonton will win....but i wouldn't bet on it :hihi:

regardless between 1 and 3 games left for the year...I gotta watch :peace:

JUST SHOOT THE FUCKING PUCK AND CRASH THE NET ALREADY!! :rant:

It sounds easier than it is.

Alright, I cracked.

I'm watching.

Edmonton is finally starting to play the body, and like I said, Carolina (especially their D, read: Kaberle) is backing down a bit because of it.

I still think Carolina wins tonight.

WOOO FREAKING HOOO!!!! :beer:

nice...although Pisani is lucky he got the puck cuz it woulda been a 5 on 3 the other way :nervous: but sometimes you gotta take chances. Cherry was right though...how come they had 2 forwards way back there and no D? I think they were going for the kill but it backfired....wuuuaaahh *shakes hands* gonna be tight on saturday, Rexall Place is gonna be rockin' should be a? great game either way...I'm very happy with these finals, exciting stuff IMO : ok:

Unfortunately, games 1, 3, and 5 were the best games all-around.  Games 2 and 4 were a blowout and a snoozefest, respectively.  Hopefully game 6 breaks the trend.

I think Carolina is gonna win it in the next game, i see no reason this not to happen.  ::)

The fact Carolina even has a team is disgusting.

I can't watch Game 6 because of my damn job.

Games 1, 3, and 5 were good, while games 2 and 4 sucked.  Game 6 will probably continue the trend.

Go Edmonton.

I see a reason... the next game is in Edmonton.  The Oilers generate amazing momentum from the home crowd.  It's been there throughout the playoffs.

Told ya so!  :P

Great game by the Oilers.  Stupid decision by Laviolette to put Cole in though.  He could've gotten hurt. 

All I know is Game 7 better be DAMN good, because 5 and 6 were two of the best games I've seen that didn't have any fights.

Well i still belive that Carolina is goin' to win game 7.

oilers shoulda won game one....and i woulda been right :P

anyway...so exciting...GAME 7!!! now all we need is Overtime ;D Best finals in 12 years IMO : ok:

Game 7 of the Cup Finals!!!

it doesn't get any better than this  (in all of sports IMO).

and i think i agree....best finals in 12 years.

I wouldn't say best in 12 years-- the 2004 Finals were damn good (besides the blown goal call in game 6), but yes, before 2004, everything sucked back to 1994 or 1992.

2-0 Carolina in the 2nd

Fuck.

Anti-climactic, like I said.

So, who gets the Conn Smythe? Can you give it to a goalie who still lost 3 games?

Markkanen deserves it about as much as Ward does.

I hate this league, I hate Gary Bettman, I hate fucking Southerners.

This is the worst thing that could possibly happen to all the real hockey fans-- the purists-- out there.

Carolina getting the cup? Wtf, they shouldnt even have a team anyway.

The primary factors in the Whalers' departure from Hartford were the fact that Hartford was not considered a major television market, and the lack of a modern playing facility. Additionally, the fact that Hartford was located within two hours driving distance of four other NHL teams limited their ability to garner significant corporate support. Many people also criticized the Whalers for long essentially conceding Fairfield County (one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S., and one with a large corporate presence) to the New York-area franchises.

The Hartford Civic Center was adequate, but small, and famously mocked for being part of a shopping mall. As teams in the NHL began moving into larger, corporately-sponsored stadiums with luxury suites and other high-end amenities, it increasingly became apparent that a team playing in an aging municipal facility with limited revenue streams couldn't compete.

On June 26, 1994 a new ownership group led by Compuware founder Peter Karmanos purchased the Whalers for $47.5 million, beating out an ownership consortium with a number of smaller investors. Though the competing group offered a higher price, the Connecticut Development Authority and Governor Lowell Weicker preferred to sell to a smaller ownership structure with a clear lead partner. Karmanos also pledged to keep the Whalers in Hartford for a period of years. Lowell Weicker now sits on the Board of Directors for CompuWare.

Upon purchasing the team, Karmanos quickly focused on addressing the team's two major business issues. Frustrated with lackluster attendance and corporate support, he announced in 1996 that if the Whalers were unable to sell at least 11,000 season tickets for the 1996-97 season, he would likely have to move the team. Furthermore, ownership only made season tickets available in full season (41 game) packages, eliminating the popular 5-game and 10-game 'mini plans', in a strategy largely designed to spur purchases to wealthier corporations and individuals. Sales were underwhelming at the beginning of the campaign, and at the end of the 1995-96 season, it was still unknown whether the Whalers would stay in Connecticut or move. However, thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign that targeted the entire state (and specifically Fairfield County), and the creative efforts of many fans (who pooled together resources to purchase some of the full-season packages collectively) the Whalers were successful in coming very close to their goal of 11,000 season ticket holders. The Whalers announced that they would stay in Connecticut for the 1996-97 season and Karmanos then focused on the second prong of his strategy, gaining a new arena.

In early 1997, negotiations between the Whalers, and the State of Connecticut and Governor John Rowland to build a new $147.5 million arena seemed to be going well and an agreement appeared close at hand. However negotiations fell apart when Rowland and the State of Connecticut refused Karmanos' demand to reimburse the Whalers for up to $45 million in losses during the three years the new arena was to be built. As a result, the team announced on March 26, 1997 that they would leave Hartford, eventually deciding to move to Raleigh, North Carolina. It marked one of the few times in American sports history that a team announced that it would leave its current home city without having already selected a new home city. During that last season, the 15,500+ seat Civic Center was consistently sold out and the Whalers played to more than 90% capacity. Alas, it was not enough to satisfy Karmanos, who many suspect was eager to move the team with support from the NHL and in particular Commissioner Gary Bettman regardless of the package he was offered to stay in Connecticut.

On April 13, 1997 the Whalers played their last game in Hartford, against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Whalers won 2-1. Fittingly, team captain Kevin Dineen scored the final goal in Whaler history.

So you're right, chineseblues.  This is a place that shouldn't even have a team.

I'm done with thie league until Gary Bettman leaves his position.

Those hicks don't deserve it. They got through three rounds on injuries. With Koivu, Montreal was destroying Carolina. With healthy defensemen and Connolly, Buffalo would've won too, and Roloson's loss in the Cup series had a big effect on Game 2.

Good lord.  God this really pisses me off more than 1999 or 2004.

How long until we see the Cup at a Nascar track, Toby Keith concert, or in a white robe and hood atop a horse?

Told ya Carolina won.  : ok:

well duffman you were initially right in your guess, carolina in 7. but i felt over all the officiating was fair...for the most part.

I dunno Carolina has had a tremendous year, last nights game was great, there was about 5 or 6 players that coulda won the Smythe...too bad that edmonton couldn't get going until the 3rd :'( but like i saidearlier in the thread, I felt that this was arguably the best finals I've ever seen.

Congrats Caniac's :hihi: and for 1st cups for vets Weight, Hedican, Wesley and Brind'Amour :beer: I'm looking forward to a busy off season and next year : ok:

who cares what cities have teams? people were PISSED when philly got a team. now we are seen as one of the best hockey towns in america.

maybe if the Hartford fans had gone to see their team play, they would still have a team.

sports are a business. plain and simple. everyone is there to make money - the players, owners, coaches, TV, etc.

and EVERY team that wins the Stanley Cup deserves it. it is the most difficult championship to win. Carolina came out last night and kicked ass. they elevated their game when it mattered most. they refused to be denied. all the result of Brindy's leadership. 

That's my thoughts too....the teams go to markets that can afford it...Winnipeg and Quebec are priome examples too....they don't attend until it's too late...also years and years of losing teams didn't help any of the team that changed locations either :no:

I just look at it that 70% or so of the league is canadian so it's all good no matter who wins : ok: (don't get me wrong though, it'd be great for a Canadian city to win the cup again though, as long as it's not the Habs :hihi: )

The officiating was terrible in the Carolina-Buffalo series.  The officiating in the Finals was better, barely.


I care what cities have teams. Cities like Hartford, Winnipeg, Quebec, and Minnesota are better hockey cities.  And in most cases, they supported their teams!  The owners were just pissed that the city wouldn't build them new, bigger, more luxurious arenas and decide to move them to places with new arenas, no matter how little a hockey tradition there is in that city.  I was pissed when Dallas got a team.  I was (and still am) a firm believer that if you don't get ice naturally outdoors for at least 45 days a year, you shouldn't have a damn team!  So what happens?  They win the Cup under questionable circumstances in 1999 and the game takes off.  Now they're among the top 5 in attendance, have 3 junior teams within a 4 hour drive, and have a successful youth hockey program.  Tampa Bay-- Cup winners in 2004 after a questionable no-goal call in Game 6.  #2 in the league in attendance in 2005-06.

Don't forget that when Philly got a team, there were only 6 teams, and the league suddenly doubled in size to 12 teams.  Of course people will be pissed at something like that.  Typical expansion, which hadn't happened much in pro sports up to that point (2 teams in baseball, and an approaching merger in football) involved putting two teams in at a time, with several years between each two-team expansion.  And Philly had a team before that, the Quakers back in the 1930-31 season.  They had been at least a prospective hockey market for years, much like all the 1967 "Next 6" expansion teams.


Read my post above.  Karmanos told them if they buy 11,000 season tickets, the team stays.  Even after the move was announced (Karmanos did the same deal-- buy 11,000 and they stay; then after selling the 11,000 season tickets, he kept upping the number), they sold at least 90% of the tickets for every game.  They met his demands and still got screwed over.  The fans should not be blamed for the unethicalities of an owner desperate to leave.  I'd love to know how many people would blame the Cleveland fans for Art Modell moving the Browns, or the Baltimore fans for the Colts moving.


And the fans get repeatedly screwed over in the process.  Tradtional fans are abandoning the game in droves, alienated by teams moving away, rule changes, and a game that just isn't what it used to be.  The new markets for the most part have seen the game as a novelty-- something they'll pay to see for a while, but it's just not an American sport to many of them.  Bettman and the BOG need to find a way to replace the old fans fast and the new fans aren't coming in like they need.

And don't tell me attendance is up at record levels, therefore the fans really are back.  Of course attendance will be up after a lockout season-- people were happy to see the game back.  And comparing attendance now to attendance even 20 years ago is apples and oranges-- there are 30 teams, all playing in larger, more luxurious arenas.  Percentage of tickets sold would be a better indication.  I'd love to see someone do a study on that.  Even people who don't care much about hockey will go buy tickets because of all the hype around the game being back, the rule changes, and greatly reduced ticket prices.  Ticket prices are the biggest factor here-- drop ticket prices by 50% and everyone who couldn't afford tickets before will buy them.  Prices were down approximately 50%, but attendance was only up 2.4%.  Next year's attendance will be a better judge as to whether or not the fans are truly back.

You'll probably see Nashville or Atlanta win it all next year-- the league is desperate for the game to succeed there.


And the small markets get screwed over in the process.  I just love how Bettman wants to protect the small markets now long after Winnipeg, Quebec, and Hartford all moved (two teams with a weak Canadian dollar, another obviously desperate to move somewhere else).  It's locking the barn door after the horse is stolen.


I just hate the attitudes of the fans that American hockey is so much better because American teams have won every cup since 1993.  Or that somehow the Cup "belongs" in the States. (Can you believe that?  Someone actually said that to me!)  American players had about as much to do with the Canes winning as they did with the Oilers losing.  And the Cup itself is Canadian (bought in Canada by a Brit and originally awarded to Canadian teams), always has been Canadian, always will be Canadian, and belongs in Canada far more than it belongs anywhere else.

I'm one who, if my teams are already out, will always cheer for a Canadian team over most of the American teams (unless it's the Leafs).  Cheering for the American team just because I'm American is pointless for the reasons I just named-- the teams aren't composed of a majority of American players or even more than a handful of them.  The Cup needs to return to Canada soon.  It's just a shame Bettman & Co. can't see it as the old school, real, hardcore fans do, but rather just as businessmen with no sense of tradition besides the tradition of printing dead politicians on their money.

(Edited to get these goddamn quotes formatted correctly)

every team you mention was an expansion team. and there was a time when each of those cities had NO hockey. but eventually the sport grew and became part of their tradition.

so why are you so against this possibility happening in other cities? it makes no sense and is actually contradictory.

and if you're not a fan of the NHL, why do you watch? just go watch minor leagues or juniors or college.

I don't recall ever saying I'm not a fan of the NHL.  I'm just not a fan of the people who run the league (I won't name any names except to say it begins with a "G: and ends with "ary Bettman").

I have said before, and I will say again, that the league should never have been expanded beyond around 20 to 24 teams.  I am against any further expansion now and have opposed all expansion since the 1980's.  And not every team I've mentioned is an expansion team-- Dallas and Carolina were not recent expansion but rather theft from another city, Minnesota and Hartford as the case may be.

As a Cleveland Browns fan, I am highly opposed to moving of teams out of loyal fan bases.  I've had it happen to me.  Once again, the Hurricanes were stolen from a loyal fan base by an owner desperate to move the moment he bought the team, mostly since the city wouldn't give him a new arena.

Philadelphia had been seen as a potential expansion or movement city for the NHL since the 1930's.  Hence why I wouldn't oppose it.  Moving Quebec to Colorado is another situation of "team theft," but at least they were moved to a good hockey market in Denver.

Nashville, Carolina, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Anaheim all are recent expansions or movements to non-traditional markets and all were among the bottom 5 in average per-game attendance in 2005-06.  By these numbers, you can't tell me these are markets that want and care about the NHL.  In 2003-04, Atlanta, Anaheim, Nashville, and Carolina were all among the bottom 10.  The NHL is trying to give the game to people and cities who obviously don't want it.

Top 10 in attendance in 2005-06 were all more traditional markets, with the exception of Tampa Bay at #2 (in order, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Minnesota, and NY Rangers).  Top 10 in 2003-04 again were all traditional markets except for Dallas at #8-- Montreal, Detroit, Toronto, Philadelphia, Vancouver, St. Louis, Minnesota, Dallas, NY Rangers, Colorado.

Hockey is a sport that will always do best in more traditional markets.  No matter what, the game has proven that it won't succeed on a major basis in the south.  Atlanta has already lost one team.  Despite have some great teams the past few years, Nashville is a bottom 10 team in attendance.  Carolina, in spite of a Finals appearance in 2002 is a bottom 10-- we'll see if this will change.  Anaheim was a Finals team in 2003 and still managed to be bottom 10 in attendance the following year.  Phoenix, with one of the greatest players in NHL history as head coach was a bottom 10 team in attendance.

The game won't succeed in some areas and Bettman refuses to believe it.  Baseball, football, and basketball will be successful almost anywhere a team is put (only a few exceptions, especially in basketball).

And as for not watching the NHL, I just might quit watching.  I'm working with a junior team, might be moving up to an AHL team soon, and frankly the game isn't what it once was.  Once Bettman is out of the picture from this league, I'll be the fan I once was.

I will say I did find it great that Brind'Amour just stepped right past our dipshit commissioner in the middle of his rambling speech to take the Cup on a skate, as well as Whitney's "Fuckin RIGHT!" shout on National TV.

"I hate this league, I hate Gary Bettman, I hate fucking Southerners."

Here?s where you said it (just before your discriminatory comment against southerners).

But now I understand that you don?t hate everything about the league, just how it?s run.

I hate expansion as well, but not cause I hate southerners, and not cause I think I have a right to a team more than anyone else living in north America. I hate expansion cause it dilutes the talent level of the league.     

I have several reasons for hating expansion and movement, and actually your comment about talent dilution is number one on the list.  Thanks to going from 21 to 30 teams in the span of about 10 years, the league is full of no-talent stiffs like Marty Murray, Marty Reasoner, Kevyn Adams (how the hell does he wear the A for Carolina?), Ethan Moreau, Chris Dingman, and Kent Manderville (no longer in the league, but the epitome of the type of player I despise) and over the hill former stars like Shawn McEachern, Tommy Albelin, and Jason Wooley.

The abandoning of traditional markets runs a close second.  I just can't watch games between places like Florida and Anaheim.  However, I would have watched Winnipeg vs. Quebec anyday.

And like I said, there's nothing I hate more in pro sports than seeing a team moved out from under a loyal fan base to somewhere, anywhere else.  It's already happened to one of my teams (Browns) and is in danger of happening to another (Penguins).  And what's even worse is seeing that moved team win a championship.  Solidarity, my Connecticut brothers!

If it were up to me, the NHL would have 20 teams, with a four-tiered minor league system and 75% North American players.  I have a whole plan written out but really don't have the space to post it all here.  Now if I could only get the NHL brass to listen to me.

i agree with what you're saying, but expansion has nothing to do with abandoning traditional markets.

if people paid to go see their home teams, owners wouldn't have to move to make money.

"75% North American players"....that would just further dilute the talent level. why the hate towards foreign players??

 

Many foreign leagues in other sports have requirements for players of the league's home's nationality (Canadians in the CFL, Europeans in NFL Europe, etc.).  With the NHL being a North American league, I feel the league should be primarily composed of North American players, just as the Swedish leagues are primarily Swedish players, Russian leagues have mostly Russians, and the Czech leagues are primarily Czech.  It's not a requirement but that's the way it is.  I'd like to see North America the same way.  And besides, the league is probably somewhere around 75% North American anyway right now.  There are plenty of stiffs from everywhre around the world in the league right now, and once they're eliminated, it would probably stay at roughly 75% North American.

Anyways, here's how I have my league proposal all drawn out:

23 skaters (18 dressed), 2 goalies (or 22 skaters and 3 goalies), at least 16 North American skaters per team (roughly 69%).

72-game seasons: 1 home and 1 away vs. opposite conference teams (20 games), 2 home and 2 away vs. opposite division teams (20 games), 4 home and 4 away vs. same division teams (32 games)

Play 3-4 games per week, 5 month season October-February, Playoffs in March/April (I'm sorry, but there is no reason hockey should be played in June, unless you live in Antarctica).

Playoffs-- 4 teams per conference, Conference Semifinals-- best of 5, Conference Finals-- best of 7, Stanley Cup Finals-- best of 7

Additionally, there would be none of the Eastern and Western Conference crap at any of the four levels.  The Conferences would have old-style names like Campbell, Wales, Smythe, Norris, Adams, and Patrick (I have the NHL as being Howe, Richard, Gretzky, Esposito, Orr, and Lemieux).

It would take up too much space to post everything about all my redone leagues, but at the very least, I'll post my NHL contraction and alignment:

Howe Conference
Gretzky Division: Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, Vancouver
Esposito Division: St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Colorado

Richard Conference
Orr Division: Boston, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Washington
Lemieux Division: Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Cleveland (I can dream, can't I?)

All NHL teams that were contracted were placed at the highest level of the minor leagues, as well as cities that once had NHL teams (Kansas City, Hartford, and Hamilton are all there).  Traditional minor league markets were preserved, as well as a few experimental markets.  I also tried to put at least one team at some level in every state.

It's things like these that make me realize I need a job that takes up more of my time.

Award winners:

Hart Trophy, Most Valuable Player -- Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
Calder Trophy, Top Rookie -- Left wing Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals
Vezina Trophy, Top Goaltender -- Calgary Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff
Selke Trophy, Top Defensive Forward -- Carolina Hurricanes center Rod Brind'Amour
Norris Trophy, Top Defenseman -- Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
Lady Byng, Sportsmanship -- Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk
Masterton Trophy, Perseverance and Dedication to Hockey -- Anaheim Ducks Teemu Selanne,
Pearson Trophy, MVP voted by NHLPA -- Jaromir Jagr New York Rangers.
Adams Trophy, Top Coach -- Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff
Maurice Richard Trophy, Most Goals -- San Jose's Jonathon Cheechoo
King Clancy Trophy, Humanitarian Contributions -- Washington Capitals Olaf Kolzig
William M. Jennings Trophy: Goalie(s) With the Fewest Goals Scored Against -- Mikka Kiprusoff
Presidents' Trophy: Best Overall Record -- Detroit Redwings

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

for the record...I think the teams should play each team in their division 6 times...each other team in their conference 3 times, and the other conference 2 times = 84 games...i dont think financially that some teams can afford to play less games than 82...they need the revenue...and i don't see the reason to curb the amount of Euro players....but in the CHL they should not allow them IMO....and Bring back the old division names...we need some history for sure.

leave the length of playoffs alone....it has to be 4 teams per side or 8 to get it to work with no byes

The Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have completed a multi-player trade involving some big names on the eve of the NHL Draft.

The Panthers have confirmed that they acquired Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alexander Auld from the Canucks in exchange for Roberto Luongo and Lukas Krajicek and a 2006 sixth round pick.

Luongo is a restricted free agent, and the Panthers had been unable to work out a long-term deal with the star netminder.  The Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that Panthers general manager Mike Keenan said that the team would explore all options when it came to Luongo.

On Friday night, Keenan pulled the trigger on a mega-deal with the Canucks.

damn malcom you just beat me....

that trade is insane :o

Neemo, I like your thoughts on how the schedule should be set out.  The only concern I have is with the 3 interconference games.  I know that it could alternate every second year as to who gets the extra home game, but I'm not sure as to how the marketing would be, especially when you have traditional rivalries like Philadelphia vs. Toronto (for example) and only have one of the games in Toronto.  At the moment, though, I don't like the schedule works out.  Years where Toronto and Detroit only meet once definitely doesn't cut it, especially when you look at the large potential for sales when the two teams face one another.  The potential for an 84 game schedule is not bad at all.  It's been done before (early 90s) and could certainly work in the new NHL, especially in non-Olympic seasons.

As for the Bertuzzi-Luongo trade, call it a huge win for Vancouver if they can lock up Luongo long-term.  They've been looking for good goaltending ever since Kick McLean.

I don't think Bertuzzi can make a big impact for the Panthers, but if they have to move Luongo, they might as well get someone who can bring in as much ticket revenue (I mean, they're in Florida, they need all the draw to the arena they can get).

Good move for Vancouver unless they run into cap problems b/c of it. Florida, well, it's better than just flat out losing Luongo to free agency.

Washington drafts Semen Varlamov.

Seriously, who the fuck names their kid "Semen"?

His life started with semen, so why not name him after it?

No one in the draft will make huge impacts this coming season.

So with Alexander Semin and Semen Varlamov, the Caps have a real mess of Russians in their organization.  :rofl:

Toronto Acquired goaltender Andrew Raycroft from the Boston Bruins in exchange for goaltender Tuukka Rask.

Dallas Acquired center Patrik Stefan and defenseman Jaroslav Modry from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for center Niko Kapanen and a seventh round pick in the 2006 draft; signed Stefan to a one-year contract.

Calgary Acquired forward Alex Tanguay from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Jordan Leopold, a 2006 second round pick and a conditional second round pick in 2007 or 2008.

The Los Angeles Kings shipped forward Pavol Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for Patrick O'Sullivan and the Wild's No. 17 pick, which was used to select USHL center Trevor Lewis.

wow...some ecent size names moving :o

Raycroft to Toronto....i wonder if they will get rid of Eddie or maybe phase him out cut his games in 1/2

Word on the street is that Eddie's done in TO.  As is Domi.  I wonder where they'll go?  Belfour might retire.

wow..really? that would be crazy, lots of leaf fans would be upset i think....but he's really fucked up, he should retire anyaway IMO

I dont think many Leafs fans would be pissed if Domi where to go...I think most of them know that he cant contribute as a scorer and no longer as a tough guy....Im a huge Domi fan but he needs to go

Please god, don't let Domi sign in Pittsburgh or Boston.

I hate that fucking midget.

Montreal Signed goaltender Cristobal Huet to a two-year contract.

I'm also a leafs fan, but I still think there is a small place for Domi under the right circumstances.  A fourth liner only, one who can just lift the spirits up with his 7-8 minutes a game.  He still is an exceptional skater for someone who used to live by the fist.   

It would have to be for the right money though.

Phoenix Acquired defenseman Nick Boynton and a fourth round draft choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Paul Mara and a third round draft choice in either the 2007 or 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

The Ottawa Senators declined to make a contract qualifying offer to Tyler Arnason before the Monday deadline, making the veteran centre an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Goaltender Martin Biron received the Buffalo Sabres one-year qualifying offer and expects to sign it but only in hopes the team grants his wish to be traded.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon announced Monday that the club has bought out the contracts of forwards Matthew Barnaby and Curtis Brown.

And that made me happy.  It's for $5.75 million.  Certainly we're not gonna make the Theodore mistake again.

Great.  B's send P.J. Stock to the cleaners.  Then Doug Doull.  Then Colton Orr.  Then Joe Thornton.  Now it's Nick Boynton.

Every shred of toughness is gone from this team.

Additionally, for better or for worse, head coach Mike Sullivan was fired.  I'm fully expecting to hear the B's have replaced him with Oopsi Poopanen, Boris Scrotumsky, or some other unproven guy who knows nothing about coaching in the NHL.

Travis Green has now become the Bruins roughest and toughest player.  Eddie Shore is spinning in his grave.

i heard either Pat Quinn or Dave Lewis is gonna get the B's coaching job

Bruins are definately doing a major house cleaning...they're gonna suck for a few years now, they shoulda never traded thorton :no:

Dave Lewis.  Great.  Replace one puppet with another.  How is it that every time I get serious about following a team, they go down the crapper?  I became a Browns fan as soon as I could understand football in 1990 when they went 3-13.  I started following baseball closely in 1991-- the Indians were 57-105.  I got back into hockey in 1997 as a Penguins fan, and look at them the last 3-4 years.  I became a Bruins fan when I moved to Boston in 2002-- I have no further comments on them.

Good lord.  They could have gotten Pat Quinn, Dave King, Andy Murray, Ed Olczyk, Marc Crawford, Barry Melrose, or Claude Julien.  Instead, they pick the biggest puppet they can find who has been afraid of his own fucking shadow ever since he retired and was an assistant under Pickle-Puss in Detroit.

What a fucking it is joke that the league's hands are tied in relation to the state of the Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks franchises. It's embarrassing that two of the Original 6 are in the state they are in, simply because ownership has no pride and are so cheap that they have destroyed two once proud organizations. The fans of these organizations caught on long ago that these owners have pushed them aside to save a few bucks and it shows in the attendance. How many coaches and general managers have gone through these two teams with their hands tied on financial issues? Ridiculous signings such as Martin Lapointe, or Nikolai Khabibulin to outrageous contracts shows mismanagement and no direction these teams are going.

As long as Jeremy Jacobs along with Bill Wirtz  own these teams, I see little hope for future players, general managers, coaches and fans. The game may have gone to shit, but there are still a few Bruins and Hawks fans who will not live long enough to see those teams win a Stanley Cup.

Toronto Signed defenceman Bryan McCabe to a five-year contract.

Well sorry Duff...looks like it's gonna happen :(

I'm glad he's outta detroit though...he's supposed to be a pushover coach...a players coach...what Boston needs IMO is a swift kick in the ass...but I could be wrong, we'll see how it pans out

He's a coach that will do anything he's told by management-- a total puppet.  He was one for Ken Holland Mike Ilitch, and Scotty Bo-woman in Detroit, he'll be one for Jeremy Jacobs, Hairy/Harry Sinden, and Peter Chiarelli in Boston.

The guy used to be a good, tough, gritty player in his days with the Islanders.  Now he and the teams he's coached are all afraid of their own shadow.  And being afraid of your shadow does nothing for you come playoff time, or in the regular season, for that matter.

I'm now waiting for Phil Kessel to be traded away for a couple boxes of pucks, 5 sticks, and Bobby Orr's left kneecap.

Goaltender Roberto Luongo finally has the long-term deal he's always wanted, signing a four-year, $27 million US contract with the Vancouver Canucks. According to CKNW Radio in Vancouver, the new contract will pay Luongo $6 million US in the first year, $6.5 million US in the second year, $7 million US in the third year, and $7.5 million US in the final year. The deal also contains a no-trade clause for the final three years.

Gary Roberts could be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs after one season in Florida.

Panthers general manager Mike Keenan tells the Palm Beach Post that the veteran left winger has asked to be traded this off-season so he can be closer to his teenage daughter.

"We put it on hold while working through last week," said Keenan. "But I'm planning to address it in the very near future."

Keenan says he brought up the request with Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr., but talks have not gone beyond the preliminary stages. He added that it likely wouldn't take much to re-acquire the 40 year old, likely a draft pick or minor-league player which would not impact heavily on the team's salary cap.

Roberts signed a two year, $4.5-million deal last August with the Panthers. However, he only appeared in 58 games after groin problems and a sprained knee kept him out of the lineup. He finished with 14 goals and 26 assists.

 

Roberts spent four seasons with the Maple Leafs from 2000-2004, scoring 83 goals and 74 assists.

wow...$7 mill for Luongo....*cough cough* RIPOFF *cough cough*

and fuckoff with Roberts back in toronto...they gotta get rid of the old guys not bring them back...

What about Roenick...swears he'll be on a Canadain team for next year....he'll be injury buddies with lindros in the ACC players box, I can smell it now ::)

The Ottawa Senators have locked up one of their elite blueliners, as sources tell TSN the team has signed defenceman Wade Redden to a two-year contract. Speculation is that the deal is worth $13 million. The team is expected to make a formal announcement over the next 24 hours. Redden, 29, was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Dallas Stars placed forward Bill Guerin on 24-hour waivers Thursday, setting up a buyout of his contract for Friday. Guerin was to make $6.7 million US next season.

The news for my two favorite teams gets worse-- FSN Pittsburgh fires Penguins play-by-play announcer Mike Lange after 30 years with the team.

I don't get it-- the guy is probably the most recognizable voice among hockey announcers and has been there with the team forever, and yet, he's the guy to get fired.  What, is FSN Pitt suffering from bad ratings for Penguins games?  Hey dipshits, look at your on-ice product and then see why ratings are down.

Lange is best known for his colorful expressions during Penguins games that are picked up by sports news and highlight shows across the continent, which include:

- "I'll be cow-kicked!"
- "Oh no, Eddie Spaghetti!"
- "Heeeeeeeeeeeee shoots and scores!"
- "Scratch my back with a hacksaw!"
- "Well shave my face with a rusty razor!"
- "Great balls of fire!"
- "He was hit so hard his kids will be born dizzy"
- "He left the defensemen on the parkway going to the airport!"
- "You would have to be here to believe it!"
- "Look out Loretta!"
- "Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one too!"
- "He doesn't know whether to cry or wind his watch"
- "Michael, Michael, Motorcycle"
- "Get in the fast lane Grandma, the bingo game's ready to roll!"
- "She wants to sell my monkey!"
- "Call Arnold Slick from Turtle Creek!"
- "He beat him like a rented mule!"
- "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building!"
- "Book 'em Dano!"
- "He Picked His Pocket Like He was Walking down 5th Avenue"
- "Smilin' like a butcher's dog"
- "He takes the heat out of a hot kitchen"
- "How much fried chicken can you eat?"
- "Oh slap me silly Sidney!"
- "Get that dog off my lawn!"
- "And the kitchen is closed!"
- "He smoked him like a bad cigar!"

News story is here...

Mike Lange loses job as Penguins TV announcer
By MICHAEL COWDEN, Associated Press Writer, The Associated Press06/29/2006

Mike Lange, the colorful Pittsburgh Penguins play-by-play announcer known for his creative goal calls and whimsical catch phrases, was ousted from the team's TV crew on Thursday and asked to take a lesser role on radio.



FSN Pittsburgh, the sports channel that owns the Penguins' television rights and controls the hiring of the TV announcers, plans to replace Lange with radio play-by-play man Paul Steigerwald.


For years, the two announced games as partners _ Lange on play-by-play and Steigerwald as the analyst _ as their broadcasts were simulcast on radio and TV.


Penguins president Ken Sawyer offered Lange the radio job upon hearing that Lange's TV contract had not been renewed, team spokesman Tom McMillan said. Lange told Sawyer he needed time to consider the offer, McMillan said.


Lange, who worked with the Penguins for three decades, has long been considered Pittsburgh's most popular play-by-play announcer since Pirates announcer Bob Prince, who was fired in 1975 following 30 seasons.


In 2001, the Hockey Hall of Fame Lange honored Lange with the Foster Hewitt Award for outstanding work as an NHL broadcaster.


Lange was known for idiosyncratic calls such as "smiling like a butcher's dog" and "Michael, Michael motorcycle!" Other memorable Lange-isms included "Scratch my back with a hacksaw!" and "Look out Loretta!"


Many of his Mario Lemieux goal-scoring calls have been replayed countless times on various TV and radio outlets.


Steigerwald, who worked with Lange for 27 years, confirmed he will replace his mentor and longtime friend.


"I know this is a very difficult time for him and his fans," Steigerwald said. "The opportunity came up and I figured it was in my best interest to take advantage of it."


Lange was hired by the Penguins for the 1974-75 season, left for one season and had been with them since returning in 1976-77. A native of Sacramento, Calif., he began his professional play-by-play career with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the old Western Hockey League. He also called games for the San Diego Gulls in the same league before landing the Penguins job.


Lange also spent several seasons in the 1980s as an announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates' cable TV affiliate.


A message left for Lange was not immediately returned.


Penguins TV analyst Bob Errey and radio analyst Phil Bourque, both former Penguins players, are not expected to be affected by the changes.

Ottawa Signed defenseman Wade Redden to a two-year contract.

The Detroit Red Wings have taken Nicklas Lidstrom off the free agent market, signing him to a two-year contract. The deal will pay him $7.6 million in each season.

The Ottawa Senators may have locked up defenceman Wade Redden, but his teammate Zdeno Chara could be on his way out of the nation's capital. Chara's agent Matt Keator has rejected the Senators' last contract offer and says he and his client will try the market as an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

The Boston Bruins bought out veteran forwards Shawn McEachern and Travis Green on Friday. Each player had one year remaining on his contract and will receive 75 per cent of what he was to make. Both are also free to test the free agent market starting Saturday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that the club has bought out the contract of forward Tie Domi and have elected not to exercise the option year on the contract of goaltender Ed Belfour."We want to thank Tie for his many years of service to the organization," said Ferguson. "He became a fan favourite for a reason and we wish him well in the years ahead." "Eddie added a lot to the Toronto Maple Leafs and we appreciate all that he did for us," added Ferguson. "At this stage we are taking a different direction, and we feel privileged to have had one of the game's great goalies play for the Maple Leafs."

Sources have told TSN that the Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired Marc Denis from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Fredrik Modin and Finnish netminder Fredrik Norrena

nice to see the leafs get rid of some oldtimers...i heard on TV that pronger might be moving to TO...Chara UFA is interesting

and I;m glad that Guerin was bought out...13 goals for 6.7 mill....nice :rant:

Ahhhh yes, Chris Pronger...

Anyone hear about the reason he wants to be traded?  If not, I'll post it.

Let's just say Jose Theodore isn't the only one sleeping around with pseudo-celebs.

The Vancouver Canucks re-signed forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin to new three-year contracts on Friday worth $3.575 million US a season.

It looks like Fernando Pisani won't be testing the free agent market. The Edmonton native has signed a four-year contract with the Oilers, according to sources.  The deal is believed to be worth a total of $8 million.

as if he'd go or the team would let him...home town boy that can score = Marketing Goldmine

Sources tell TSN that Jamie Langenbrunner has re-signed with the New Jersey Devils.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defenceman Francis Bouillon to a three-year contract, worth $1.875-million per season.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed goaltender Chris Mason to a two-year deal worth a total of $2.5 million.

Sources tell TSN that the Edmonton Oilers have re-signed free agent goaltender Dwayne Roloson to a three-year contract worth $11-million.

Ed Jovanaski signed a 5 year deal with the Coyotes worth $32.5

Zedeno Charas days with Ottawa Senators are over, as the giant defenceman signed a five-year deal with the Boston Bruins worth $7.5 million US a season.


Sources have told TSN that the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenceman Pavel Kubina to a four-year, $20 million contract. Details to follow...

Centre Marc Savard has a new home for the 2006-07 season, signing a five-year $20 million contract with the Boston Bruins.

wow...boston is on a roll....maybe they will doo better than i thought next year

TORONTO (CP) - With their skilled defencemen locked up long-term, the Toronto Maple Leafs added a pair of blue-line behemoths Saturday.

The Leafs signed six-foot-seven veteran Hal Gill to a $6.3-million, three-year contract while coming to terms with six-foot-five defenceman Pavel Kubina on a $20-million, four-year deal.


leafs finally doing something about their blueline

The Senators brought Dominik Hasek's time in Ottawa to an end Saturday, signing former Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Martin Gerber to a three-year, $11.1 million contract.

Rob Blake is returning to his roots. Blake, who began his stellar career with the Los Angeles Kings in 1989-90, agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the team Saturday worth $12 million after spending the last 4 1/2 seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

The most sought-after forward in the NHL's free agent pool is staying in New Jersey.Patrik Elias has signed a seven-year, $42 million contract to remain a New Jersey Devil.Elias, 30, was believed to be looking for a new contract that would pay him the league maximum of $8.8 million US, or 20 percent of the cap.

Sadly Neemo, by signing Gill, the Leafs blueline just got worse, rather than better.  The guy is honestly useless and has been for quite some time.  Kubina is a hell of a good pickup though-- probably the most underrated defenseman in the league who finally seems to be gettign some recognition.

he can't be any worse that Aki Berg :hihi:

arnason to Colorado is a decent pickup and Osgood resigned with the wings (I like that :D) and How in the hell is Lalime still in this league? signed with Chicago

Jay McKee leaves Buffalo for the Blues

Nashville Signed forward Jason Arnott to a five-year contract.

NY Islanders Signed forward Mike Sillinger to a three-year contract.

'Tis a sad day for Hockey...but it was time...a 22 year career with one team unheard of in this day and age....he brought the team from being mediocre, to the top of the world...even if you aren't a Redwings fan you can't deny his greatness and all he has done for this game.

thanks for the memories Stevey Y, you fucking rule!!!! :beer: :'( :beer:


http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AlMjtR0HaTU_n_PBROMQdhd7vLYF?slug=ap-redwings-yzerman&prov=ap&type=lgns

Chris Pronger the biggest name on the summer trade block, is going to California. The Anaheim Ducks have traded Joffrey Lupul, top prospect Ladislav Smid, Anaheim's first-round choice in 2007, a conditional first-round pick and Anaheim's second-round pick in 2008 to the Oilers in exchange for Pronger.

Stevey Y will be missed to...A great player

St.Louis Agreed to terms with defenseman Jay McKee on a four-year contract.

Yeah, there certainly won't be any hot female reporters in Southern California of all places.

So how does the Canadian child support system work? Is it the same as in the USA? How much red tape is there if sending payments from the US to Canada?  If his wife takes half his salary, will it count against the salary cap?

In other news, the Bruins signed Shean Donovan.  You can hand us the Cup now, thanks.

Can anyone tell I'm in a wicked sarcastic and pessimistic mood today?

Not out of sarcasm though, thanks to Steve Yzerman.  Easily one of the 10 greatest players ever.

what's the deal with Pronger anyway? why is he leaving Edm?

and that is the best they can get for him? what a waste :rant:

Alright, here's the info on Pronger: http://www.deadspin.com/sports/nhl/is-this-the-real-reason-pronger-wants-out-184268.php

As for the trade, Edmonton ripped Anaheim off bad.  Lupul was 28-25-53 last season, as a second or third liner, I believe.  Add in a defensive prospect (who is a former first round pick, 9th overall in fact) AND three picks (including a first and a second rounder), and I really think Edmonton got the far better end of it all.

Phoenix Signed center Jeremy Roenick to a one-year contract.

Phoenix Signed right wing Georges Laraque to a two-year contract.

Minesota Re-signed forward Marian Gaborik to a three-year deal

 

Well this fucking sucks :rant: I like Legace :'(Ken Holland is a Jackass...he was a asshole when he fucked over Joseph and he's an asshole now) fuck I'm mad now :rant:

^ The market is just flooded. Several goalies up for grabs, and teams always are thinking of the future. Except the Red Wings, but I suppose he can't go there, now, can he? :hihi:

Also, Legace is overrated anyway, he's really only an okay goalie, but he's asking price is probably more than that of an above average back-up goalie.

The New York Post reports that forward Brendan Shanahan has agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Rangers.

The Post adds that the 37-year-old veteran took the deal - worth about $4 million for next season - after turning down more lucrative offers from both the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens.

Shanahan reportedly informed Canadiens GM Bob Gainey Saturday he was rejecting his team's bid to sign him.

Shanahan had 40 goals and 81 points last season and earned $2.28 million US.

Of what I heard, Shanny really wanted to play for the Bruins, but Dave Lewis absolutely hates him from their days with the Wings.  And so, he becomes a Ranger.

Bruins fuck up yet another great chance.  How many more?

I don't consider Shanahan a great chance. Bruins need to work for a younger, faster team. Signing Shanahan would've hurt the teams cap situation and slowed them down, plus at 37 any year could be the one where he can't compete anymore. It's a gamble to give a guy 4 mil at 37 despite his great year last year. Rangers are going for a "this year is THE year if it kills us" while the Bruins can step back (and they also already made a big move this offseason) and say "2 or 3 years and we'll be ready."

Chicago traded Preissing, Hennessy, defenseman Michal Barinka and a 2008 second-round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forwards Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski;

And of course, Chicago got Preissing and Hennessy from San Jose for Mark Bell.

I think this was a bad move on Muckler's part.  Sure, Preissing has his moments, but Havlat and Smolinski?  that is like trading milk and cookies for asparagus.  The kicker is that Havlat signed a deal with Chicago worth $18 million over 3 years.  Big money for an injury-prone unproven, self-proclaimed, star.

man chicago has gotten rid of Arnason and now bell 2 of their top 3 scorers...not a very good move IMO for a team with low scoring to begin with :no:

Sometimes when you're god-awful you have to ditch your stars. Buffalo had really low scoring, dumped their #1 goal scorer in Satan, and actually got better from it. Although, that was a little different because the players and city didn't like him, and Chicago embraces Arnason and Bell.

Still, chances have to be taken to get better.

Luongo gave his agent permission to do what needed to be done to get a deal done with Florida. The team was still being pissy about last years arbitration hearing that got a bit bitter. So they let their biggest star walk. Their is still some good young talent here(Jokinen, Horton) but Luongo made this team go. If this team played any type of defense in front of him he would have been in the heat for the Vezina trophy again.

I've seen no reason to continue my season tickets, which sucks because I love this sport. I'm just tired of handing my money to an orginazation that makes no attempt to address weaknesses or improve anywhere in general. Excuse me while I go order a Luongo jersey from the Vancouver team page. :rant:

this would be sweet but Hamilton is too close to Toronto and Buffalo



http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/hockey_hearsay/2006/07/11/hamilton_penguins/

I don't understand why they'd set up in Hamilton.  What are they gonna try to compete with the Ti-Cats?  Seriously, Winnipeg would make more sense.  It's not really close to anything and the fans in Winnipeg would be loyal.  It would take a lot to draw out the Leafs fans in Hamilton and convert them to another team. 

Rob Blake has re-joined the Kings, while Jeremy Roenick has left to go to Phoenix.  Plus, our leading scorer Demitra left.  :-\  I dunno, if our coaching is good, we might make the playoffs, but with this squad, I only see another disappointing season ahead.

The Dallas Stars announced on Sunday that six-time All-Star centre Eric Lindros has agreed to a one-year contract with the team, his fourth stop in 14 seasons. Reports say Lindros and the Stars have agree to a one-year, $1.55 million US deal with incentives. Lindros, 33, played for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, but suffered a wrist injury that limited him to just 33 games. He scored 11 goals and 22 points last season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs re-signed defencemen Brendan Bell, Jay Harrison and Carlo Colaiacovo to one-year deals.

TORONTO (CP) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs have landed veteran centre Michael Peca.

The NHL team scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. ET Tuesday to announce the signing of the unrestricted free agent.

Peca, 32, has agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.5-million US, a source told The Canadian Press.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20060717_194235_5168

Signings like that are the kind of things the Leafs need to do.  They're not afraid to fork over money, but half the time it's on the wrong players.  As much as I hate the Leafs, this is a step in the right direction for them.

IMO they need a consistant scorer though...cuz of this signing they will not be able to afford Allison... :-\

they only had 3 players over 20 goals last year...that won't cut it if they wanna contend :no:

Nope. The reason there is not a team in Hamilton is because the Leafs keep blocking attempts to place a team there. Trust me, Hamiliton will not have a problem selling out if they get a team.

WTF!!!



http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Auz656auHdrxNHfhjqWde0d7vLYF?slug=ap-islanders-smithfired&prov=ap&type=lgns

reportedly Team Advisor, Pat LaFontaine, immediately resigned after hearing the news....

what a fucking joke!! :-\

Salary Arbitration starts tommorrow....lotsa people going for it...especially on Buf who has 10 cases

Some top names Maxim Afinogenov (buf), Daniel Briere (buf), Ales Hemsky (edm), Jarret Stoll (edm), Michael Ryder (mtl), Scott Gomez (NJ), Mike York (NYI)

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=7545&hubname=

When I heard Garth Snow was the new GM, my first thought was that he was going to trade himself away from that circus.

Apparently the Penguins have signed Mark Recchi yet again and also picked up Ron Petrovicky.

Both pickups sound good to me.  Recchi still has something in the tank, as he proved this past season.  Petrovicky adds a good presence on the checking line.  Petrovicky, Roy, Vandenbussche, and Cairns:  good to see the Pens are taking protection of players seriously, unlike when Lemieux was in Crosby's shoes skates.

I think if they woulda just listened to Eddie O before last year they woulda been better off

NewJersey has agreed to give Gomez a 1 year $5mill contract as awarded by arbitration but now they are over the salary cap and will be forced to move somebody to make cap room

Lydman and Pommy resigned with the Sabres.

Also, the Sabres have a new jersey. For 16 home games next year they will wear the old retro blue and gold, and for the rest of the games they will wear a NEW blue and gold design. I've seen one possible design, it looks like a squirrel with horns. I hope it's not that one...

Fans at home games have been wearing an increasing number of retro jerseys and most of the city prefers the blue and gold.

(http://buffalonews.com/graphics/2006/07/17/0717adamz.jpg)

The Eagle has signed with Florida!

Yea that logo fucking sucks. Give the thing legs and and I'll upgrade it to "kinda sucks".

why do buffalo teams always use buffalo's? it's so predictable...actually use a sword for the logo...make it flashy and movement lines and shit

(http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMiSBBspEYPEA3t6jzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12u6qdqmc/EXP=1154177025/**http%3a//tbp.smith.dropbear.id.au/tiki/img/wiki_up/arm.sabre.jpg%3fnocache=1)

Well, our shoulder logo is a sword. And the old, awesome, jerseys (which will always be the best) was a buffalo jumping over sabres, which is awesome.

(http://www.newscopy.org/images/buffalo_sabres_old_style_logo.jpg)

Buffalo Agreed to terms with center Tim Connolly on a multi-year contract.

Detroit Signed goaltender Dominik Hasek to a one-year contract.

Sonofabitch :rant: they shoulda signed Legace...fucking fuck :rant:

Buffalo Accepted an arbitrator's decision to award center Daniel Briere a one-year, $5 million contract.

Philly Acquired left wing Kyle Calder from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for center Michal Handzus.

Russian centre Evgeni Malkin has signed a new contract and will play in Russia for the 2006-2007 season, according to a report on the Magnitogorsk Metallurg website.  However, his agents are hopeful that he will be playing in the NHL soon, as J.P. Barry has told the Associated Press that Malkin has indicated his preference is to play in the NHL this season.

An NHL arbitrator has awarded Phoenix Coyotes forward Ladislav Nagy a one-year $3 million contract for the 2006-07 season.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Flyers defenceman Eric Desjardins, the second-highest scoring defenceman in team history, will retire this week, a team spokesman said Wednesday.

Flyers spokesman Zack Hill said the 37-year-old Desjardins, a native of Rouyn, Que., was going to make an official announcement Thursday.

A two-time all-star, Desjardins' 17-year career was slowed by injuries in recent seasons. He played only 45 games last season and just 48 two years ago and was not offered a contract by the Flyers this summer.

Desjardins, a seven-time winner of the team's most outstanding defenceman award, had surgery last season to repair a partially dislocated right shoulder and missed 29 games. He missed the 2004 playoffs with a broken arm.

Desjardins spent the last 11 seasons with the Flyers after he was acquired from Montreal in a 1995 deal that also brought John LeClair to Philadelphia. Desjardins had 396 points with the Flyers behind only defenceman Mark Howe's 480.

 

Desjardins finishes his career with 136 goals, 439 assists and 575 points in 1,143 career games. He was eighth in career games played with the Flyers with 738. He won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993.

St.Louis signed Manny Legace

I'm still mad :rant:

Yeah - bad move by Detroit... Legacy was their future, Hasek is their past.

Evgeni Malkin has yet to play one shift in the National Hockey League, but for the moment he is the NHL's most intriguing story.

Malkin has officially sent his resignation to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.  The team's head coach Dave King told the FAN 590 in Toronto on Wednesday morning that a fax was received by the team that indicated Malkin was exercising his "two-week window rights" to resign. Russian law allows any employee to leave an employer, even while under contract, simply by giving two weeks notice.

Malkin's whereabouts is not currently known.  However, sources tell TSN he is not in Canada and it is believed he will be escorted out of Europe by one of his representatives and into the United States within the next 24 hours.   Upon arrival in the United States his location will be exposed and the entire saga, including Malkin's reasons behind his sudden change of heart, will be made public.

The pressure on the 20-year-old Malkin has been immense.  A Russian source close to Malkin alleges team officials swarmed his car recently and followed him home in an effort to encourage him to agree to a new deal.

Owen Nolan and the Phoenix Coyotes have made his employment with the team official. Nolan signed a one-year contract with the Coyotes on Wednesday.

''A healthy Owen Nolan can help our hockey club,'' said Coyotes general manager Michael Barnett. ''After considerable due diligence, we've found his injuries to be well healed. He's fit, focused and anxious to get back battling on NHL ice.''

Tuesday, Coyotes doctors received the final medical verification Nolan is ready to return to the National Hockey League from a rigorous rehab on an injured knee.

Weird, Hasek hated Detroit (or at least refused to put his autograph on any Detroit items) and now has returned.  Maybe he just hated having Bowman as a coach (god knows I would).

Malkin was last seen in Finland, where Metallurg had its training camp.  Heard he's in either Canada or the US, likely hanging out with Sergei Gonchar or Alexander Ovechkin.  Coming next week on "As The Penguins Turn"...

So far, two players have gotten out of Russia with no transfer payment, even after lawsuits-- Ovechkin and Nikolai Zherdev of Columbus, not to mention all the defections back in the early 1990's.  So I wouldn't be too worried about the amoke Russia is blowing.  If they don't like it, they should have signed the transfer agreement.  Those greedy commie bastards.

maybe Mario has him "sleeping over" like he did with Crosby :hihi: Lemieux likes his young guns ;)

It's official!

Evgeni Malkin...




Is in Los Angeles right now.

yeah i saw that last night...he's seeking legal advice on how to join the pens or something

PITTSBURGH (AP) -Now that Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux has retired again, the Pittsburgh Penguins are moving on behind another big star.

General manager Ray Shero and coach Michel Therrien must decide whether 19-year-old Sidney Crosby - the team's best player and the face of the franchise - should wear the "C" as the team captain at the Oct. 5 opener against Philadelphia.

Other possible choices include forwards Mark Recchi and John LeClair. But they are not the big scorers they once were, and both have spent most of their careers with other teams.

Crosby, making an unannounced appearance Tuesday at the Penguins youth camp, said he wouldn't turn down the "C" but won't campaign for it.

"If one day whoever makes that decision decides they'd like me to have it, it would be a huge honor," said Crosby, designated by Therrien as an alternate captain immediately after the coach was hired in December. "But, at the same time, it's something you have to earn. That's not something you take lightly. For me it's my second year, so it's not something you're thinking about. I'm working on improving myself as a player and a person, and that's all I really worry about."

Crosby acknowledged he and Recchi had issues before the 17-season veteran was traded to Stanley Cup champion Carolina. Apparently, Recchi felt Crosby was too vocal and demonstrative about calls that didn't go his way, especially for a rookie. The two since have talked, and Crosby said he welcomes Recchi's return.

Crosby is a young punk and a whiner. Not a captain.

Damn straight!

Give the C to Recchi, A's to Crosby and Gonchar.

Not related to the Nhl but hockey news

Captain Cassie Campbell announced her retirement from the Canadian women's hockey team Wednesday. The 32 year old, the only Canadian hockey player to captain a national team to two Olympic gold medals, had 32 goals and 68 assists in 157 career games for the national team.

Primeau is retiring. sad day for the flyers, and for the NHL. Preems is everything a hockey player should be.


Primeau is expected to announce retirement
The Flyers center has never fully recovered from a concussion. Peter Forsberg is likely to be the new captain.

By Tim Panaccio
Inquirer Staff Writer

Flyers captain Keith Primeau is expected to announce his retirement before the end of the week.

"I've had those discussions with my wife and I will have something more to say about it either tomorrow or Thursday," Primeau said yesterday. "I have not talked to the club since last week. I had been looking to get myself back into a position to play."

The decision could help explain why the Flyers extended a stunning $1.9 million Group II offer sheet to Vancouver's Ryan Kesler yesterday.

Primeau said the Flyers have not discussed a job with him once he leaves the fold. The captaincy is expected to go to Peter Forsberg, which was the plan in the event Primeau did not begin the season.

Primeau has been unable to recover from post-concussion syndrome. He suffered a concussion Oct. 25 at Montreal when he took a blow to the head from Alexander Perezhogin.

Asked whether retirement at age 34 would be difficult given how much he can offer the Flyers, who sorely lacked for his leadership last season, Primeau responded, "It's very tough to face."

The Flyers have been proceeding as if Primeau will not be at training camp, which opens tomorrow with physicals.

Coach Ken Hitchcock said he had no knowledge of what Primeau's intentions are. But if Primeau announces his retirement, Hitchcock said it would be "very sad for the game of hockey."

Primeau played 51/2 seasons with the Flyers, with 87 goals, 126 assists, and 213 points in 312 games. He assumed the captaincy from Eric Desjardins in 2001.

With the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Kesler, the Flyers would still be overloaded with centers and likely would have to lose players through waivers, send them to the Phantoms and pay them an NHL salary on a one-way contract, or trade.

The Canucks have the option to match the offer to Kesler or take a second-round pick from the Flyers in next year's NHL entry draft. "Obviously, being a Group II free agent gives Vancouver a week to decide whether or not they want to match our offer," general manager Bob Clarke said.

The highly touted but still developing Kesler rejected his qualifying offer with the Canucks, who were reportedly willing to go as high as $850,000 a year on a two-year deal. He would be the third Flyer from Ohio State, having played with R.J. Umberger and Nate Guenin in 2002-03.

Kesler, 22, had 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points and 79 penalty minutes in 82 games last season. He is considered an outstanding skater, but had just one assist at the halfway point of the season despite averaging 14 minutes at center.

A native of Detroit, Kesler was originally drafted by Vancouver in the first round (23d overall) of the 2003 entry draft.

Group II offer sheets are considered taboo by many NHL general managers. "That is precisely how we all ended up in a financial mess before the lockout," one GM told the Sports Network of Canada. "One team trying to stick it to another team. You would have thought we had learned our lessons."

The Canucks are expected to match the Flyers' offer.

The last Group II offer sheet went to Sergei Federov in 1998 from Carolina. Detroit matched it.

Primeau's retirement will free cap space - $3.16 million - to fit Simon Gagne's new deal ($5.25 million) and Kesler, if the Canucks fail to match the Flyers' offer. By subtracting Primeau and adding Gagne's deal plus Kesler, the Flyers would be at $44.2 million. They are still expected to lose some salary before the season starts next month. The salary cap is $44 million.

Loose pucks. There is likely to be a new line at training camp: Kyle Calder at left wing, Mike Richards at center and Jeff Carter at right wing. Carter is making the switch from center. That line played together for Canada at last year's IIHF World Championships in Latvia... . The consensus reaction from most of the players yesterday was disbelief that the Islanders gave goalie Rick DiPietro a 15-year deal worth $67.5 million... . Dennis Tolpeko (hip) and Lars Jonsson (hip flexor) were excused from yesterday's scrimmage.

THE PRIMEAU FILE

Born: Nov. 24, 1971, in Toronto.

Height: 6-foot-5.

Weight: 240 pounds.

Drafted: First-round choice (third overall) in 1990 by the Detroit Red Wings.

Acquired by Flyers: Traded from the Carolina Hurricanes for Rod Brind'Amour on Jan. 23, 2000.

Named Flyers captain: Oct. 23, 2001.

The concussion: Primeau missed the last 73 games of the 2005-06 regular season and six playoff games after suffering a concussion at Montreal on Oct. 25.

Greatest goal: On May 4, 2000, he scored the winning goal in the Flyers' five-overtime playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

i'm not a fan of his but it is kinda sad...too many concussions :'(

Ovechkin turned down the captains "C" saying he wasn't ready...pretty classy of him, i bet Crosby would take it if the pens offered it

(this thread should be renamed to "Official NHL Thread")


tie domi retired.

source: espn.com


TORONTO -- Former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi has decided to retire, The Canadian Press reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed source.

The source told the CP that Domi, a Maple Leafs fan favorite -- and favorite target in opposing NHL arenas -- for his aggressive style of play, will officially announce his retirement Tuesday afternoon.

Domi, 36, despite his fan favorite status, was bought out by the Leafs earlier this summer as the new-look NHL empahized offense and fighting declined. He had only five goals and 11 assists in 2005-06 as the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs.

He played 1,020 career games in the league with the Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets.

Yea, it was time for Domi to go. Too bad he couldn't have retired as a Leaf though...

yeah he was done...at least he managed to scam a $3mill contract for his last year...sadly his style of play is no longer needed in the "NEW NHL" :-\

Good, fuck him.  Domi should have retired 10 years ago before he decided to be a total douche off the ice and pull all the cheap crap he spent his last few years doing.  I love fights, I loved Domi his first 10 years, but he became a total shit both on and off the ice since 2000 or so.

In other news, the Pens have offered the captaincy to..............

No one.  The team will have 3 players wearing the A this year rather than the typical C-A-A format.

i'll miss domi. he was fun to hate. and fun to watch. one of the craziest moments in philly was when he started pummeling a fan. good stuff.


some very minor rule changes this year - 1. increase in the curve of sticks; 2. home team gets choice for shootouts; 3. fines for diving (which i really like).   


The NHL's board of governors approved several minor rule changes Thursday, the most notable one pertaining to the curvature of players' sticks.

Under the new rules, the maximum curve of a player's stick was increased to three-quarters of an inch from half an inch.

The increase in the size of the curve of sticks is expected to give players more zip in their shots.

Players who are caught with a stick that exceeds the maximum curve during regulation time or overtime, but not shootouts, will incur a minor penalty and a $200 US fine for the first offence.

A second offence will result in a minor penalty, plus a fine of $1,000. A third offence would draw a game misconduct penalty and an automatic one-game suspension. The suspension would double in length for any subsequent violation.

During shootouts, a team can request the measurement of an opposing shooter's stick prior to his attempt on net. If he has a legal stick, the complaining team would forfeit its next shootout attempt and incur a fine of $5,000.

If the stick is illegal, the offending player would become ineligible to participate in the shootout and the team would forfeit that shootout attempt. The team would also be fined $5,000 and the player would be fined $1,000.

The board of governors also approved a rule change that will give the home team the choice of shooting first or second in a shootout.

Another new measure deals with players who dive or embellish an offence in order to draw a penalty.

Under the new rules, a player who dives will be sent a written warning from the league. A second infraction draws a $1,000 fine, while a third offence would result in a possible one-game suspension.

The length of the suspension would double for any subsequent violation.

what's with the $200 fine? and $1000 like fuck it's bullshit, these guys wipe their asses with $1000 :hihi: always thought the fines were bullshit

Maybe the refs should start calling dives on the ice. Just a thought...

i like the rule changes.

curves - it's not the $$, it's the one-game suspension after 3 infractions. that's a big penalty.

diving - agreed the refs should call it more. but hopefully the league will review tapes and penalize players even when a diving penalty was not called (since it is difficult to catch). that would be a major deterrant. and again, i like the game suspension.

does anyone here do fantasy hockey?

i've only done it once, and that was 7-8 years ago now that i think about it.

i'm always interested, but the one buddy who runs a league never has any openings.

Good.  I like these new rules.  As long as the game is more watchable than last year, I'll take it.

I used to do fantasy hockey.  Then I managed to get kicked out of two leagues and said fuck it, I'm not doing it anymore.  Plus I don't have time to check my team every day.  I stick with just football.  I can track my teams there on just one or two days a week.

i used to run fantasy leagues but haven't been in on in years...I'm game if somebody wants to set one up : ok:

I am a part of one looking for some people...drop me a PM me and I'll send you the shit to sign up.

100% free, as well....

Even with time to review diving is very hard to call. An accused player could argue that he tripped, slipped, or actually did get pulled or knocked down until the cows come home. And we all know how late cows like to stay up.

I think refs should call it more, and not give so-so plays suspensions, just a 2 minute penalty.

It's easy to tell when someone dived. I can't explain it, but if you've played or watched hockey long enough, you just know. Also, the odds of them diving go up about 50% if the player is European.... :hihi:

well canada and the US have their fair share of matthew barnaby's too :hihi:

...and they're named Derek Roy.  :rofl:

what I meant was that even if everyone knows, the player can still argue like hell and refute video footage. It's not like football, where you can look at a video and say "knee hits ground at the 34, ball is at the 36". It's an argumentative pursuit.

Yeah, players always argue. I ref some minor hockey, they always argue..no matter what. But, what the ref says goes.....

any room left? i didn't realize the season started tommorrow :hihi: