Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Looks like its gonna be a great year with alot of young teams gettin better such as Chicago and the Coyotes...I'm a Leafs fan and I think they will make the playoffs in 7th or 8th because of Ron Wilson...they will be a much more hard working team and alot more defensive...but I think the Rangers may have the cup if they can pickup one more impact player...Who does everyone like this year?

COYOTES NAME MUCKLER SENIOR ADVISER TO THE GM

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Former Ottawa Senators general manager John Muckler has been hired by the Phoenix Coyotes as the team's senior adviser to the GM.
"We are thrilled to add John Muckler to the Coyotes front office," GM Don Maloney said in a release Tuesday. "His extensive hockey experience and wealth of knowledge will be an incredible asset to the organization." Muckler is a five-time Stanley Cup winner with over 50 years of pro hockey experience. He has worked as a GM, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, head coach, assistant coach and player.

The Official 2008/2008 NHL Thread

 ;)

it's gonna be interrestin as always.. shame it doesn't look like mats sundin will continue, my alltime favourite player :yes:


forsberg haven't signed to any team either eh?

happy now..? ;)

i'm so looking forward to the new season.

i'm hoping the oilers have a better start to the season this time round, and i'm intrested in seeing how the "kids" develop.

THRASHERS ACQUIRE DEFENCEMAN SCHNEIDER FROM DUCKS

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Anaheim Ducks have finally found a new home for Mathieu Schneider. The NHL team dealt the veteran defenceman to the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday for blue-liner Ken Klee and wingers Brad Larsen and Chad Painchaud. Ducks GM Brian Burke has been trying to trade Schneider for weeks to help get his team under the salary cap. Schneider is due to earn US$5.75 million this season - meaning Anaheim will save at least $3 million as a result of this deal. Klee ($1.25 million), Larsen ($560,000) and Painchaud ($565,000) will count $2.5 million against the cap if they all play in the NHL this season. "It worked to our benefit, the opportunity to add a player of this calibre with a team that was up against the cap and had to make a move to get under the cap," Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said. "It's a big day for our franchise."

Who has TV rights in US this year?  I hope it isn't 'outdoor network' or whatever...

Its still Versus and nbc unfortunately.

I thought of getting NHL Center Ice but I already have NFL Sunday Ticket and NBA League Pass, So I probably won't.

I love the Thrashers but where I am so close, most games will be blacked out anyway so its a waste of money.

Are you sure? I thought the blackout applies only if the channels they are on are broadcasted in your area.

any game that isn't a sellout gets blacked out. even when u buy the packages.

I could never get any Hawks games which of course is no loss, but u get what I am saying.

I doubt the Thrashers will sell out most nights........ although getting to see my 2nd favorite player Alex Ovechkin play every game would be sweet.

I didn't know that. That must suck for someone who likes a team that doesn't sell out their games and doesn't live in the local viewing area.

My favorite teams though are far away so I get to see their's which is all good. Getting to see all 82 Dirk Nowitzki games is worth the price alone. Throw in Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant and the NBA thing is awesome.

Of course seeing the Penguins every game would be worth the Center Ice price.

Chicago will hoist the cup this year ;D

yo, can someone tell me the best game for the NHL on PS2

2k9 or 09?

GO preds!!!

I'm a newbie NHL fan, but I think I may get "into" it, I really got into the playoffs last year!

NHL 09 (EA Sports Version with Phanuef on the front) is always the best game, its not out until the end of octboer

DUCKS SIGN SELANNE TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Teemu Selanne signed a two-year, US$5.25 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks and scored a pair of power-play goals against the Vancouver Canucks in his pre-season debut Sunday night. The 38-year-old Finn sat out training camp last season and the first four months of the regular season while contemplating retirement. He re-signed in February as a free agent and had 12 goals and 11 assists in 26 games. "We made it clear that we wanted him back, and he wanted to stay," general manager Brian Burke said. "This is a guy who's taking a pay cut to play for Anaheim. These values reflect what Teemu means to us, and what Anaheim means to him."

BLACKHAWKS PLACE KHABIBULIN ON WAIVERS

The Chicago Blackhawks have placed goalie Nikolai Khabibulin on waivers as speculation of a trade continues. Khabibulin was expected to start in Sunday's preseason game against the Dallas Stars but was not on the ice or the bench for the game. Antti Niemi got the start and Corey Crawford served as his back-up. The Blackhawks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night but no starter has been announced. ''He had a great practice [Saturday],'' head coach Denis Savard told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday. ''We'll give him a couple more days and see what happens. He's ready to play.'' Since the addition of free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet over the summer, the future of Khabibulin in Chicago has become uncertain. Khabibulin, who won a Stanley Cup with The tampa Bay Lightning in 2005, is in the final year of a four-year, $27 million contract.

Caps season ticket holder here.

Can't wait for the season to start!!!

was there a blackout on the season openers over there?

CANUCKS ACQUIRE O'BRIEN, OUELLET FROM LIGHTNING

The Vancouver Canucks have acquired defenceman Shane O'Brien and right wing Michel Ouellet from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenceman Lukas Krajicek and right wing Juraj Simek. O'Brien will report to Vancouver and Ouellet will report to the team's AHL affiliate in Manitoba. "They (management) told me that Tampa wanted me for quite some time," Krajicek told CKNW in Vancouver. "They said I would play more minutes there and in every way it should better for me."

MAPLE LEAFS KEEPING SCHENN FOR START OF THE SEASON

The Toronto Maple Leafs like Luke Schenn so much, they're going to keep him around a while longer. General manager Cliff Fletcher told reporters on on Monday that their 2008 first-round selection will stay with the club for the start of the season. Schenn, 18, was selected with the fifth overall pick in June. The Saskatoon native was a standout at training camp, scoring one goal and registering a plus-3 in seven games.

LEAFS WAIVE BELL, FLAMES PLACE THREE ON WAIVERS

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Mark Bell on waivers on Monday, while the Calgary Flames have put defencemen Anders Eriksson and Rhett Warrener and forward Jamie Lundmark on the waiver wire. The Leafs acquired Bell two summers ago from the San Jose Sharks in a package that also included goaltender Vesa Toskala. In 35 games last season, he scored four goals and 10 points. Eriksson, 33, played 61 games with Calgary last season, tallying 18 points. Warrener, who played four seasons with Calgary, was limited to 31 games last season because of leg and ankle injuries.

LEAFS' HOLLWEG SUSPENDED FOR TWO GAMES

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without forward Ryan Hollweg for the first two games of the NHL regular season because he's been suspended by the league. Hollweg was assessed a boarding major in a pre-season game against St. Louis and because he had two boarding majors last season, there is a provision for an automatic two-game suspension as a result of the accumulation. He was assessed game misconducts for checking from behind on Jan. 5 against Edmonton and boarding on Feb. 5 against Montreal. Hollweg is automatically suspended for the Maple Leafs' Oct. 9 date in Detroit and Oct. 11 against the Canadiens.

I think you're mistaken my friend... The NFL is the only league with strict blackout rules....


NHL has no such attendance rule..... There would be a quite a few games blacked out if that was the case!

Call DirecTV, they'll let ya know!!

This is my Team for my fantasy league...whatcha think?

C   Eric Staal (Car - C)
C   Brad Richards (Dal - C)
LW   Paul Kariya (StL - LW)
LW   Andrew Brunette (Min - LW)   
RW   Ales Hemsky (Edm - RW)
RW   Teemu Selanne (Anh - RW)
D   Brian Campbell (Chi - D)
D   Alex Goligoski (Pit - D) 
D   Paul Martin (NJ - D)   
D   Kevin Bieksa (Van - D) 
G   Martin Brodeur (NJ - G)
G   Jose Theodore (Was - G)

BN   Peter Mueller (Pho - C) 
BN   Patrick O'Sullivan (LA - C)
BN   Petr Sykora (Pit - RW)
BN   Mathieu Garon (Edm - G)
IR   Sergei Zubov (Dal - D)

nhl 09 has been out for a while now. awesome game  ;D

Not for PS2

ah get a ps3 off ebay  ;D

Sundin, NHL's Overrated Overlord

Mats Sundin is perhaps the most overrated player in the game today. Labeled a superstar, some will attest to his lofty point total. 1,321 points in 1,305 games. Yes. Very impressive. But the numbers are more a testiment to his durabilty and consistancy, rather than true greatness. He is the captain of one of hockey's most storied franchises, yet has never demenstrated any of the traits which go along with the title.

     Despite his career totals, his seasonly point output has been suspect. After an impressive 114 point season with the Nordiques, where he played alongside the likes of superstar Joe Sakic, Owen Nolan and Valeri Kamensky, he dipped to 85. Following a blockbuster trade, he went to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his 11 full seasons with The Blue & White, he has averaged a grand total of 78 points a season. 78? That's it? Yet he was given captaincy and  called a superstar? Superstars produce. They don't complain about their linemates. Especially when they played with the likes of Alexander Mogilny, Wendel Clark, Dmitri Khristich, Sergei Berezin, Steve Thomas & Bryan Berard. The true hallmark of greatness is making the players around you better. Dale Hawerchuk, Denis Savard, Jaromir Jagr, Steve Yzerman, Peter Stastny & Sidney Crosby. These gentleman would easily have racked up 100+ point seasons playing with this stellar cast. The glaring difference from a star and a superstar.

     Sundin's leadership also must be examined. While with Toronto, Team Sweden is the only place where this trait was demenstrated. Mats is the captain. Captains usually lead by example. However he seldom does on a consistant basis. Mats doesn't buzz up and down the ice, creating scoring chances galore while putting his head down & backchecking like a demon. Does he? Instead of gazing into oblivion while on the bench, Sidney Crosby & Adam Oates would frequently commune with their fellow linemates. Motioning with their hands where to go and what to do. That's the dedication necessary in order to become great. Talent without devotion and hard work is meaningless. His leadership was equally inept in the playoffs. Sundin never strapped the Maple Leafs on his back and excelled.

     Though clearing not a superstar, The Blue & White paid him a premium salary. Often in the seven million dollar price range. Yet, when the Maple Leafs asked him to waive his no-trade clause. He would not. Sundin couldn't see himself playing for another team at that time. His devotion to the team. Even though he could always just resign in the summer. After receiving a facsimile award for "leadership", Sundin announced his intent to explore his opportunities. Where's the devotion Mats? The devotion that cost the Maple Leafs young, blue chip prospects? Would the great Darryl Sittler pull such high jinx? Would Borje Salming?

     The Toronto Maple Leafs are a great franchise. They invested a King's Ransom into Mats Sundin. They and their loyal fans deserved a better return. The dividends that Crosby, Hawerchuk, Jagr, Savard & Dionne deliver(ed)on a consistant basis. Is Mats Sundin overrated? I leave the answer to you, the reader.

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/212495 (http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/212495)

thats a good article axlsmainman  : ok: i totally agree with it, i never understood the fascination with sundin ... or many of their players to be honest...kubina, andropov and ponakarovski come to mind for guys still there

oilers win there season opener, and did not deserve it at all  :hihi:

Rangers are off to a great start this season, best start since the 82-83 season. I hope they can keep this up. Their second line is looking deadly.

I dont even wanna comment on that article...It has some truth to it, but Sundin is still an amazing player...Lets see if Antropov can repeat the same numbers he had last year without Sundin there....He took 3rd and 4th liners (minus Mogilny and Clark) and made them 1st/2nd liners...Lets be honest though....There is no team that has 1 superstar anymore...They all have at least 2

Anyways Coyotes are my new 2nd fav team...Love these guys...Gretzky is a great coach...They have an amazing crop of talent, and there playing as a team...Did anyone see Reinprechts pass in the air to Doan to put him on a breakaway? it was amazing

^ has phoenix made the playoffs once since Gretzky has been coach?

They've always had talent but they never get anywhere... We'll see this year

Preds aren't doing so bad again.

Sucks that Radulov left.

I'm new to hockey so help me out a bit, who would you guys say there best player is on the Preds?

Also which divison is the toughest in the NHL

Anyone see Crosby get his 300th point?

Is he the fastest to that?

If not the fastest, I would say the youngest.

He just turned 21

No they havent...And they have never had the talent they have now and will have for a few years...

Doan
Jokinen
Carcillo
Mueller
Boedker
Turris
Hanzal
Winnik
Tikhonov
Lisin
Jovonaski
Bryzgalov

Great mixture of veterans and rookies

Preds best players are:

Jason Arnott
Martin Erat
JP Dumont
David Legwand
Shea Weber
Ryan Suter

I believe Ovechkin already has 300 points...Even though I like Crosby more...But I thin k if you go number of games played to 300 points it was Crosby

                W L OTL PTS
 
Red Wings 4 1 1 9
Blackhawks 3 2 2 8
Blues 4 2 0 8
Blue Jackets 3 3 0 6
Predators 3 3 0 6

 :)

hawks played awesome vs oilers the other night, was a bad game to watch from my point of view  :hihi:

Yes, their new coach seems to be striking the right chord with the team :)

Is it me, or are the Pens going to be very tough to stop this year?

Gonchar and Whitney are out too lmao

Malkin for MVP thus far...

Crosby isn't bad either...

hawks were unlucky against the wings the other night.

oilers pk is shocking and after the first couple of games the pp isn't too great either. they need to fix that quick, because after a promising start they've lost there way a bit.

Blackhawks bounce Avs 6-2

By Terry Frei
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 11/03/2008 09:47:18 PM MST

CHICAGO ? Hockey excitement has returned to Chicago, where the Blackhawks beat Colorado 6-2 on Monday night at the United Center and extended the Avalanche's losing streak to four games.

With a team featuring marquee young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, defenseman Brian Campbell, and two goalies who each make more than Lee Majors was worth as a bionic man, the Blackhawks again are packing the United Center.

From the Avalanche perspective, it almost makes you expect to see Colorado defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh tripping up Chicago's Jeremy Roenick from behind in overtime as he's breaking in on Patrick Roy.

Yes, it seems to have been that long since the Blackhawks were a hot ticket and much-discussed.

On Election Eve, the Blackhawks spotted the Avalanche a 1-0 lead after one period on Ben Guite's second goal of the season before coming back for the win that made Chicago 6-3-3 ? and 5-1-2 since former Colorado coach Joel Quenneville took over for the fired Denis Savard.

The Blackhawks' first three goals against Colorado's Peter Budaj came from Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer in the second period, and then from Cam Barker on a one-timer on a power play at 1:21 of the third.

Milan Hejduk had his eighth goal of the season for Colorado at 2:13 of the third to get the Avs within 3-2. Patrick Sharp's shot from the slot made it 4-2 at 10:32, finishing off a Chicago odd-man rush 13 seconds after a thwarted Colorado power play. Ladd got his second of the game at 15:48, increasing the lead to three.

The Avalanche doesn't practice today, then has home games against Minnesota on Thursday and Nashville on Saturday before embarking on a three-game road trip.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_10889809?source=rss (http://www.denverpost.com/ci_10889809?source=rss)

So whats everyone think of Dallas? Will they pull into a playoff spot and was singing Avery a mistake? Rememeber this was all Brett Hull when it came to signing him

Leafs and Blackhawks tonight for the first time in eons, should be a killer game :beer:

I wouldn't normally bother you guys, especially since this is really an AHL question...but, what NHL team is Syracuse (NY) Crush affiliated with?  It almost looked like a 'shooting star' on their shoulder (affiliate patch)...team colors Dk Blue/Red...all I could think was Dallas, but last time I saw them, they wore Black/Green/yellow.

http://www.syracusecrunch.com/

columbus blue jackets

Thanks! But Columbus what???  I have been out of Hockey loop for too long...probably never will get back into NHL (sadly) because I can't get my Bruins games where I live...and they have sucked for so long, it isn't worth watching.  I can get to the Albany Rats games though...so its AHL for me as long as the tickets stay <$20!  Last Bruins game I went to I paid $75 a ticket for goal line above the glass...I think that was 1999???

Dude, the Bruins are incredible this year ;)

last game i went to nhl wise was the kings vs the stars. paid $127 for center ice 5 rows from the glass. i was suprised it actually was a good game, not as good as when i saw my oilers destroy the coyotes way back in march, but hey i'm from the UK i'll take whatever live NHL i can get.

Leafs are announcing Burke singing tomorrow...I'm so glad they got this deal done, Finally in the right direction...Cliff did well though

Oh yeah, the Leafs are destined for the cup now :hihi:

LEAFS INTRODUCE BURKE AS NEW PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER

The National Hockey League's worst-kept secret is finally out of the bag, as the Toronto Maple Leafs introduced Brian Burke as their new president and general manager on Saturday.

''You're talking about the Vatican if you're Catholic, you're talking the centre of the hockey universe, you're talking about one of the most important jobs in hockey running the Toronto Maple Leafs,'' Burke said. ''It's a dream job.''

Burke will reportedly earn $3 million annually on a six-year deal. He replaces Cliff Fletcher, who was hired as interim general manager following the firing of John Ferguson in January.

''I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Cliff Fletcher for his professionalism and commitment over the last 11 months,'' President and Chief Executive Officer of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Richard Peddie said. ''I'm delighted that he is going to stay on board with the team as a consultant.''

Burke, the 13th general manager in the club's 92-year history, became available after the veteran NHL executive stepped down from his post as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 12.

''I'm extremely honoured to join the Toronto Maple Leafs,'' said Burke. ''This is one of the most prestigious jobs in our game.

''This is an opportunity of a lifetime to work for a team in a world-class city with passionate fans, solid ownership and a rich history. I can't wait to get started.''

Burke's first course of action will be to spend time getting to know his roster and staff, saying that a personal trade freeze of Dec. 9 means no dramatic changes will be made right away.

''I don't think players should get traded at Christmas time unless they ask to get traded,'' Burke said. ''So for me to evaluate this team, make some judgments and do something before Dec. 9, probably going to be hard to do. So anyone who's waiting with baited breath for that first deal, might wait past that deadline. Because I believe players deserve to spend the holidays with their families.''

Burke wouldn't offer any timeline for turning the club around but offered fans his three pillars of running a team.

''No. 1 is we play an entertaining style, we want to justify the price of the ticket every night whether the team is successful that night or not,'' Burke said. ''We believe in aggressive pursuit of the puck in all three zones, or possession of it desirably. We believe in answering physical challenges and playing a style that allows your younger players to play and develop in a fear-free environment.

''No. 2, we believe in financial and fiscal prudence. At the end of the day it's the fans' money and the sponsors' money, we try to spend it intelligently.

''And third is community service. It's not optional, you want to play in a great city like Toronto, you'll give back to this community or we'll find you somewhere else to play.''

Burke was hired by the Ducks in 2005 and helped build the club into Stanley Cup contenders upon his arrival.

With a promising young core of players that included Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, he added veterans Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Francois Beauchemin, Todd Marchant and Sean O'Donnell and hired head coach Randy Carlyle. In 2005-06, the Ducks finished sixth in the West and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Final.

The following summer, Burke swung a blockbuster trade deal with the Edmonton Oilers, acquiring former Norris and Hart Trophy-winning defenceman Chris Pronger. The Ducks went on to win the Pacific Division and defeated the Ottawa Senators to capture their first-ever Stanley Cup.

While making it clear that he enjoyed his years in Anaheim, Burke covetes his new position in Toronto, saying he welcomes the scrutiny.

''I like the pressure that's put on the team,'' said Burke. ''The pressure that's on the players and the coach and the general manager to me is a positive thing. I'm thrilled to be back in Canada working.''

Burke began his career in the front office as assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks from 1987 to 1992. He spent the 1992-93 season in Hartford as general manager of the Whalers before joining the NHL as vice president and director of hockey operations.

After five seasons of working in the league offices, Burke re-joined the Canucks as President and General Manager in 1998.

Under his leadership, the Canucks increased their point totals in four consecutive years from 1999 to 2003. He also pulled off one of the most memorable draft day trades in recent history, acquiring the second and third overall picks in 1999 to select Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

Since the 2001-2002 campaign, Burke's teams have qualified for the playoffs all six seasons, playing in 12 total postseason series. He was named The Sporting News 'Executive of the Year' in 2001 and was named The Hockey News 'Executive of the Year' in February.

Leafs have finally got it right this time

whats going on with the red wings at the moment.

they just don't seem to have been that threatening in the last few games.

I wonder if I know even one player...going to have to check out their site.  I go by a HUGE billboard in Boston that says something like 'we want it as bad as you' (I think...usually dead tired) with two Bruins on it...no idea who.  I wish I didn't have to pay to watch the games on TV...I miss the good old days of tv-38.  : ok:

LEAFS HIRE FORMER GM NONIS TO FRONT OFFICE

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Saturday that Dave Nonis has been named senior vice president of hockey operations.

"David Nonis brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our hockey staff," said Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke in a statement. "We have successfully worked together in the past, and he has a deep understanding of contractual, legal and financial matters as well as scouting and roster management. He'll be an asset to our organization in several areas."

Nonis, 42, worked under Burke for six years as the Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the Vancouver Canucks before replacing him in 2004.
 
He was most recently was the Anaheim Ducks' senior advisor of hockey operations.

In three seasons in the general manager's role in Vancouver, his most significant transaction was trading forward Todd Bertuzzi in a package to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Roberto Luongo at the conclusion of his first season.

Nonis joined the Canucks in 1998 as senior vice president, director of hockey operations after serving four seasons as the NHL's manager of hockey operations. With the NHL, Nonis helped craft the 1994 Collective Bargaining Agreement and worked with the league's arbitration team.

ah man the oilers robbed the penguins last night.

outshot 17-43 and won it in OT

Blackhawks big winners on special road trip

Without fanfare, Hawks are there for their GM

Rick Morrissey | In the wake of the news
11:40 PM CST, December 14, 2008

It began with the rarest of elements in professional sports: silence. No press release. No major announcement. No photo opportunity. Just the quiet of people doing a nice thing, the right thing.

Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon was murmuring prayers over his father's casket a half-hour before the wake was to begin. The family was saying its goodbyes to Stan Tallon, a tough, big-hearted guy who liked helping troubled kids. Dale's mother, Julie, was there. So were his wife, Meg, and their two children, Lauren and Kristen.

Dale Tallon looked up and noticed a few members of the Hawks' front office wandering into the funeral home. That's odd, he thought. This is Gravenhurst, Ontario. They're supposed to be in Chicago. In the whirl and clatter of his emotions, Tallon was having trouble connecting thoughts.

Then he saw some Hawks players walking through the door ? Adam Burish, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Cristobal Huet. On and on it went, fresh-faced kids and battle-scarred veterans. Coach Joel Quenneville and his staff. The trainers. John McDonough, the team president, too.

"I told my mother, 'Mom, the team's here. The whole team's here,' " Tallon said. "She said, 'You've got to be kidding.' She became 6 feet tall all of a sudden. She went from one emotion to another, a complete 180. She went from distraught to all of a sudden having a little fire in her eye. She was a little excited about it."

Sports sections are filled with stories about angry, greedy, self-absorbed athletes. There's a simple reason for that. There are a lot of angry, greedy, self-absorbed athletes. So you tend to notice when a group of players goes the opposite direction, especially when it's done in a near whisper.

On Nov. 22, the Blackhawks beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 on Dave Bolland's goal in overtime. Rather than take a chartered flight back to Chicago, the team decided to stay in Toronto, practice the next day and then make the 110-mile trip north to Gravenhurst for the wake. That's how it came to be that two busloads of Hawks personnel walked through the doors of a funeral home in the middle of Ontario on a cold night.

No acclaim. No hubbub. Just a nice thing, the right thing.

No one is exactly sure how the story got out. Some of us media members received an e-mail detailing the feel-good story of a professional hockey team going the extra miles for their general manager. It mentioned how one of the buses stopped at a McDonald's after the wake ? millionaire athletes stopping for Big Macs! ? and how the townsfolk were shocked to see the players walk through the doors. The McDonald's happened to be giving out trading cards, including Toews' and Kane's, with Happy Meals.

Most of the e-mail was accurate. Some of it ? like the description of the buses being "rickety" and unheated ? wasn't. And the players didn't vote unanimously to go to the wake. They were told they were going by management. Not that it matters.

"You might have expected a lot of complaints from people, but I didn't hear one," wing Patrick Sharp said. "It was the eighth day of a seven-day road trip, so I think a lot of people had that Sunday booked with their family, their kids.

"The obvious reaction would have been complaining and guys upset about it. But it wasn't. Everybody was onboard."

The e-mail spread like wildfire, the way forwarded e-mails are wont to do. Tallon heard from friends in the U.S., Canada and Europe who had seen it. The International Herald Tribune picked up the story about the hockey team with a heart.

Why did it resonate with people? Because it answers a deep desire for our faith to be restored in athletes. Some of us don't like where the sports world has taken us. We don't recognize ourselves in most of the people we root for. We don't see humanity in them. When CC Sabathia signs a $161 million contract with the Yankees, he might as well be from Mars.

The behavior the Hawks exhibited by going to the Tallon wake is behavior that good, normal people exhibit in everyday life. We're surprised when athletes do it.

We're not quite as surprised when hockey players do it. One of the truths in professional sports is that hockey players are different.

"A lot of us are Canadian, from small towns, and even the American boys are from small towns," Tallon said. "We kind of just do our jobs and do our business and stick our nose to the grindstone. That's a Canadian trait. Canadians just do their work.

"Just like this story. No one really came out and talked about it. It just started picking up a life of its own. The players went to the wake. They didn't brag about it. They were happy to do it. They're normal people. They don't think that highly of themselves.

"That's a nice trait to have. This group especially. Don't forget that some of these guys are first overall ( NHL picks), third overall, seventh overall. Some of these kids could have been a little full of themselves, given their draft position and what they've done. We don't have that on our team. It's really nice to see."

Tallon tried talking to the players in a side chapel at the funeral home but got choked up and couldn't finish. He said he still gets teary-eyed thinking about their gesture.

The Hawks bused back to Toronto and flew home that night. Quietly. Kind of hard to picture Terrell Owens going with that flow. Then again, it's kind of hard to picture NHL players putting up with Owens.

Stan Tallon died at 80 of Parkinson's disease. He had been a fine hockey player in his own right, playing briefly in the American Hockey League, and he had continued competing until he was 68. His son said the old man would have been tickled by the Hawks' show of force at his wake.

"He would have had a smile on his face," Dale Tallon said. "He would have been elated. He loved hockey players."

We do too.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-15-morrisseydec15,0,5328342.column (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-15-morrisseydec15,0,5328342.column)

(http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4320/44764155er8.gif)             

                W L OTL PTS
 
Red Wings 20 5 4 44
Blackhawks 15 6 7 37
Predators 15 12 3 33
Blue Jackets 13 14 3 29
Blues 12 14 3 27

 :beer:

that was an awesome story posted above.

and staying on with the hawks i'm really looking forward to the winter classic this year.

wow oilers are way to inconsistant.

awesome vs vancouver

absolute shite so far tonight vs blackhawks

I fuckin hope Sundin picks the rangers :)

Blackhawks embarrass Oilers; longest win streak in 7 years

Posted: December 16, 2008
Canadian Press


EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- The streaking Chicago Blackhawks stormed into Edmonton and handed the Oilers one of the most embarrassing losses in team history.

Troy Brouwer had two goals and an assist, and Chicago routed the Oilers 9-2 on Tuesday night for its fifth straight victory. The last time the Blackhawks won five in a row was during the 2001-02 season, also the last season they made the playoffs.

"We're an unbelievable team," Brouwer said. "We're young and we've got a lot of heart on this team and we know we're good. I think that's what really makes us even better is that we go out there and know we can win every night."

Patrick Kane added a goal and two assists for Chicago, which improved to 6-5-3 on the road and 6-0-1 in its last seven games overall. Duncan Keith, Colin Fraser, Brian Campbell, Kris Versteeg, Ben Eager and Craig Adams also scored.

Edmonton gave up nine goals in a game for the first time since a 9-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 28, 1992.

"It was humiliating," Sheldon Souray said. "It was a real poor effort. They pretty much exposed us in every area of the game. They took it to us all over the place. All the way around we got outplayed. It's been a long time since I have been part of a game like that."

Shawn Horcoff and Marc Pouliot scored for the Oilers, who have lost two of three.

The seven-goal margin of defeat tied a franchise record for home games. The other two seven-goal losses also came to Chicago, one in 1992 and the other in 1995.

"That's an embarrassing number of goals," Edmonton assistant captain Shawn Horcoff said. "We just weren't ready. There wasn't one area of the game where we were effective at all tonight. We weren't ready off the start and our penalty killing was back to where it has been and where we don't want it to be."

The Blackhawks went 4-for-5 on the power play, with Kane, Campbell, Brouwer and Adams all converting a chance. Chicago is 15-4-6 since coach Joel Quenneville took over for Denis Savard behind the bench.

"It's been a fun little run we're on right now," Quenneville said. "I think it's a good group. I think they care for one another and I think that's important, and beginning with that is a good foundation."

Chicago scored five times in the second period to take a 7-1 lead. After Horcoff's power-play goal got Edmonton within two, Brouwer converted a rebound for a power-play goal and Versteeg sent a shot through Mathieu Garon's legs from in close to make it 5-1 at 12:26.

Dwayne Roloson then replaced Garon but didn't fare much better. Eager scored with 4:06 left in the second and Brouwer added his fifth of the season to make it 7-1.

The Oilers scored an own goal while short-handed 5 minutes into the third when defenseman Tom Gilbert managed to direct the puck into his own net on a goal credited to Keith.

"We really wanted to come out and have a good first game on the road because we have three here before Christmas," Brouwer said. "Just get the first one out here and get on a roll for the next two."

Chicago heads to Calgary to play the Flames on Friday.

The Oilers were glad to get out of town following the drubbing, making a quick trip to play in Vancouver on Wednesday.

"We have to somehow get our energy back up and try to duplicate the game we had against Vancouver our last game at home," captain Ethan Moreau said. "There is going to be a lot of questions going into tomorrow because of our effort tonight, but we have an opportunity to play well tomorrow. As bad as it was tonight we have to leave it here. That's how we'll be evaluated, by how we respond."

Notes: Blackhawks D James Wisniewski made his season debut following knee surgery and had three assists. Wisniewski scored a hat trick Saturday while on a conditioning stint with Rockford of the AHL. ... It was the 125th consecutive regular-season sellout in Edmonton.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=497791 (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=497791)

I hope he goes home.

I'm sure you do

yeah i posted when the score was 3-0 watched the whole shit performance.

fuckin Sundin picking vancouver :P

Blackhawks extend win streak to seven games

Canadian Press
December 21, 2008 at 12:42 AM EST


VANCOUVER ? Quick second-period goals by Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp gave the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-1 victory Saturday over the Vancouver Canucks and a season-high seven-game NHL win streak.

The Blackhawks wingers scored 3:26 apart to erase a 1-0 deficit as their club won in Vancouver for the first time since Jan. 26, 1998 and improved to 18-6-7.

Jonathan Toews scored into an empty net with 39 seconds remaining.

Chicago has only two victories here in their last 12 games but won seven straight for the first time since 1981.

Daniel Sedin scored for the Canucks who slipped to 18-12-3 and missed a chance to vault over the Calgary Flames into first place in the Northwest Division.

Sedin scored on Vancouver's second shot on goal 3:45 after the opening face-off.

He was at the side of the net for a backhand tap-in after Jannik Hansen finessed a pass through the crease of goalkeeper Cristobal Huet.

The goal was Sedin's team-leading 15th of the season and third in two games.

Kane tied the game early in the second period after a turnover by Vancouver defenceman Shane O'Brien.

The young Hawk winger lofted a seeing-eye backhand over the glove of Canuck netminder Curtis Sanford for his 16th goal and fourth in six games.

Sharp, who scored twice in an October win over Vancouver, gave Chicago a 2-1 lead three minutes 26 seconds later when his 40-foot wrist shot went post and in behind a screened Sanford.

The Blackhawks almost took a 3-1 lead into the third period but Sanford robbed Dave Bolland when the Chicago centre tried to stuff a rebound off the end boards into the net.

Sanford later foiled Martin Havlat on a two-on-one break-in early in the third period.

Huet, who had a solid 30-save effort, stopped a close-in Pavol Demitra chance late in the game, then beat him to the rebound.

Canuck defenceman Mattias Ohlund later hit the side of the net on a short-handed chance.

Notes: O'Brien was back on the Vancouver blue-line after leaving Wednesday's 4-2 win over Edmonton with a charley horse ... Canuck fourth-liner Mike Brown has switched to No. 15 to accommodate newly acquired free agent Mats Sundin who wears No. 13 ... Brown was a healthy scratch Saturday ... Canuck defenceman Sami Salo is expected to miss at least a month with a broken rib ... He previously missed a total of seven games with three groin strains.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081221.wspthawks_canucks20/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/ (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081221.wspthawks_canucks20/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/)

the winter classic was awesome!

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the winter classic. Why they don't do a couple games a year at least is beyond me.

I want to see a game IN Detroit between the Maple Leafs and The Wings. Talk about a sell out in 5 seconds.

Minus the result ;)

best team won  :hihi:

i'd love to see more games like that, but the timing for them has to be perfect, if it's too cold then as with the game in edmonton the ice chips and it spoils the game a little. and if the weather is bad then it slows the puck like it did in last years.

wonder where the next one will be.

and i'm also wondering how long hemsky is going to be out for, the oilers without him just don't seem to be anywhere near as much of a threat. though gagner and cole are starting to get something going now.

Maybe if things don't work out with Robin, Henrik could join GNR!!!  :hihi:


NY Post >> Page Six Magazine >> January 4, 2009

So long, Sean Avery!
NEW YORK RANGERS GOALIE
HENRIK LUNDQVIST
IS THE WORLD'S SEXIEST ICE MAN

..... And sometimes the aspiring guitarist even hits dive bars, like the one in Queens where he recently staged an impromptu gig with a pal.  "We play covers that people know - Guns N' Roses, Foo Fighters," he says.  Right now he's looking forward to setting up a jam session with Jay Weinberg, the son of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band drummer Max, whom he met at a Boss concert in Sweden. .....

Oilers and Penguins swap goalies

TSN.ca Staff
1/17/2009 11:46:13 AM


The Edmonton Oilers traded goaltender Mathieu Garon to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday for goaltender Dany Sabourin, centre Ryan Stone, and a fourth-round pick in 2011.

Garon was originally signed by the Oilers prior to the 2007-08 season.  In 15 games this year, he went 6-8-0 with a 3.17 GAA and a save percentage of .895.

Sabourin has similar statistics this season in Pittsburgh.  He played 18 games and had a record of 6-8-2, with a 2.85 GAA and a save percentage of .898.

"Addressing our goaltending situation was a high priority for us and moving forward, we believe we've accomplished that as well as acquiring some valuable assets for our organization," Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini said in a statement to the Canadian Press.

Stone has spent most of the season in the AHL with Scranton Wilkes-Barre.  He has zero points in 2 appearances with Pittsburgh.

http://www.tsn.ca/ctvnews/?id=263571 (http://www.tsn.ca/ctvnews/?id=263571)

Sharks' streaks end in loss to Blackhawks

By David Pollak
Mercury News

Posted: 01/31/2009 10:41:25 PM PST

The franchise-record scoreless streak ended less than a minute into the game. The Sharks' latest streak of four consecutive victories needed a little longer before it ended as well.

Suffering only their second home regulation loss of the season, the Sharks dropped a stranger-than-normal contest to the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 at HP Pavilion on Saturday night.

"The most disappointing thing is we didn't skate tonight and that's the reason why we lost," said Sharks forward Milan Michalek, who scored San Jose's final goal. "We couldn't get our legs going."

It was Sharks' first loss in 14 games to the Blackhawks and didn't sit well with San Jose Coach Todd McLellan, whose team's next game is Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

"You carry it with you for four days," McLellan said. "Thursday we'll get a chance to try and get back in the win column, but from now until then we'll put our work boots on and we'll get going again. We'll skate a lot this week."

Chicago got two goals from center Jonathan Toews and single tallies from rookie right wing Kris Versteeg and defenseman Duncan Keith. Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and Michalek scored for the Sharks, who lost in regulation three times in one month for the first time all season.

Toews' first goal came just 48 seconds into the game and put a quick end to any chance Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov had for a third consecutive shutout. Instead, the franchise record for longest stretch between goals allowed goes into the books at 170 minutes, 58 seconds.

The strangeness began midway through the first period when it looked as if Chicago center Dave Bolland had fired a rebound past Nabokov to give the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead.

But before play could resume, officials huddled for more than a minute, then waived off the goal. A linesman advised referees Don Koharski and Chris Lee that they had missed a high-sticking call when Sharks right wing Jonathan Cheechoo was cut seconds earlier.

"We felt the penalty was rightly called," McLellan said, "but I'm not sure anybody understood how everything was evolving when it came to the disallowed goal, the power play, the faceoff."

Because the high stick drew blood, NHL rules allowed the linesman to intervene. Even so, they cited the wrong Blackhawk, sending Versteeg to the penalty box with a double minor while replays showed it was Chicago right wing Patrick Kane whose stick did the damage.

A little more than a minute into their power play, Ehrhoff launched a shot from the blue line that sailed past Chicago goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to tie the score 1-1 at 12:06 of the opening period.

The momentum shifted back to the Blackhawks in the second period.

The Sharks were on the power play when Ehrhoff's shot from the blue line was blocked by Bolland. He raced down the ice, got off a weak shot when he was tripped by Ehrhoff in pursuit, only to have Versteeg put in the rebound at 7:56.

The lead grew to 3-1 late in the second period after Nabokov was whistled for tripping Kane as he cut through the crease ? "a very irresponsible penalty," according to McLellan. Toews scored his second of the night at 16:15 on the power play that followed.

Chicago's Keith extended the lead to 4-1 with a power-play goal at 14:34, but Michalek got that one back 10 seconds later to end all scoring.

"It was obviously a special-teams battle," McLellan said, "and they came out on top."

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11602362?source=rss (http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11602362?source=rss)

oilers need a new coach.

still far too inconsistant.

So Habs fans...

Your thoughts on the recent news?

not a habs fan but they're really starting to piss me off on the ice with their slew footing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NEgsMqW3SI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3hd92LAUdI

Either the Habs have no fans here, or they all have their heads buried in the sand.

We're all about the Blackhawks, Brossard ;)

wow what an ending to the Leafs-Vancouver-Sundin buildup...Scores the shootout winner with the crowd standing...it was a nice mix of everything I thought...he got the big standing ovation which brought him to tears, a couple dirty shots, one noticable on Blake, and a few boos as well...Sundins a class act though

Montreal has the most obnoxious hockey fans/players in the league...

Lets riot after a round 1 playoff victory, how'd that work out??  ::)  :hihi:


On a side note:

Fuck You Scott Gomez you stupid piece of shit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVNpe8qvy50

Pretty weak and dissapointing Trade deadline...Leafs didnt get as much as id hoped for there players....Sens and Flames made some real nice trades though

flames are over the salary cap now though are they not?

what the fuck is happening with the wings at the moment. they've had 2 huge blowouts recently.

Gainey fires Carbinaeu? what?...I didnt see any need for that...ovcourse unless Gainey knows something I dont or thinks the players have tuned him out

Hats off to Marty Brodeur, in my opinion, "The Greatest Goalie of All-Time." Of course last night Marty tied Roy in regular season wins, but that win wasn't the last win of a meaningless game at the end of his career. Yesterday, many of you said that you consider Martin Brodeur the Best Player in the game today. Marty is far from done.

The fact that he is among the leaders to be Canada's starter at NEXT YEAR'S Olympics tells you all you need to know as well.

For years Martin Brodeur lost points for having a trap playing team in front of him that was stacked with top defensemen. It is easy to say that, however the style the Devils played had as much to do with the confidence that they had in Brodeur as his record and Stanley Cups had to do with them.

You need to be damn sure of your goalie when you are just sitting back. When you know that even if your team gives up a single goal you are still very much in it...That matters.

237 of his wins have been 1 goal wins.

As great as the Devils have been defensively they have won Stanley Cups with an even below average offense. The pressure on a goalie when you know that your team can't score is immense. As a goalie you can't get that goal back only stick your thumb in the Dam and hold back the next one. Marty has been in that spot MANY more times than probably any other goalie in history.

He is the best and deserves the praise.

The scary thing is that this Devils team learned to play without him and have the first all-out young offensive superstar to play in a Devils jersey in Parise. These Devils have to be huge favorites to come out of the East.

time for revenge  :hihi:

Dude, we've been losin' to everyone lately.

Please be kind :hihi:

we've finally started to turn up and play for the full game.

was a great game, full of chances.


the only downside was from ben eager with his cheap shot on reddox. something he is making a habit of doing recently, 3 in the last week.

Yeah, Eager is a true penalty magnet.

he got no penalty for the reddox hit, but has been issued a 3 game suspension by the league for being a "repeat offender"

it's a shame that players like malkin don't get treated the same when they do cheapshots.

Insane game last night between the Sharks and 'Hawks :beer:

i hate the csn commentator, half the time he sounds constipated

Another solid OT victory for the 'Hawks last night :smoking:

Is anyone else experiencing dificulties with the nhl.com video highligts service? It keeps telling me there are no games scheduled. I can open all the goals of the week and such, but individual games don't seem to be working at all...

i've had no problems with the oilers one.

It started working again this morning. At least for a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_X5FdpsWpg

not an NHL player yet, but this guy is an oilers prospect  ;D

can't say i've seen that one before

Blackhawks To Set 82 Year-Old Franchise Attendance Record Wednesday

The Chicago Blackhawks will set an all-time single-season attendance record on Wednesday before the team hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:30 P.M. The 8,547th fan that passes through the United Center?s turnstile prior to the contest will mark the Blackhawks? 835,972 this season, surpassing the current record of 835,971 established during the 1995-96 season.

"This achievement is the best example of the recent cultural explosion surrounding the Blackhawks franchise,? said Senior Vice President of Business Operations Jay Blunk. ?Our fans have deep roots with the Blackhawks organization and we intend to reward their loyalty and passion. We stand in appreciation to all Blackhawks fans across the country."

The lucky fan will be available to meet the media in front of the Blackhawks locker room at 7:00 P.M., where they will be presented with a jersey signifying the history-making moment before performing the ceremonial puck drop.

Chicago?s current number of 827,425 fans this season is through 38 regular-season contests at the United Center and does not include the 40,818 that attended NHL Winter Classic 2009 at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1. Overall, the Blackhawks, who lead the league with an average of 22,262 fans per home game this season, have drawn 39 capacity crowds in 39 home dates and 42 consecutive dating back to the end of last season.

http://blackhawks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=417051 (http://blackhawks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=417051)

awesome for the hawks. and the NHL.

omark has decided to go play for $$ in the KHL instead of coming over to the NHL =(

who can blame him? he'll be getting more money and probably have more time on the ice, he'll come to the NHL later i'm sure  :)

Blackhawks beat the Chicken Wings 4-2.

Let's do it again tomorrow at home :smoking:

the KHL has huge financial problems at the moment. It's just sad to see such a huge potential talent waste 2 years in a shit league.

there's a big chance that he would have "wasted" 2 years in some AHL team too u know

Prediction time boys n' girls.

Boston over Montreal in 5
Washington over New York in 6
New Jersey over Carolina in 6
Philly over Pittsburgh in 7

San Jose over Anaheim in 5
Detroit over Columbus in 5
Vancouver over St. Louis in 6
Chicago over Calgary in 6

Boston over Montreal in 4
New York over Washington in 6
New Jersey over Carolina in 5
Philly over Pittsburgh in 6

San Jose over Anaheim in 5
Detroit over Columbus in 5
Vancouver over St. Louis in 5
Chicago over Calgary in 4

Boston  over Montreal in 6
Rangers over Washington in 7
Devils over Canes in 6
Penguins over Flyers in 7


Sharks over Ducks in 5
Detroit over Columbus in 6
Vancouver over St.Louis in 4
Calgary over Chicago in 7

Boston Bruins  over Montreal Canadiens in 6
Washington Capitals over NY Rangers in 6
New Jersey Devils over Carolina Hurricanes in 7
Pittsburgh Penguins over Philadelphia Flyers in 5 (gotta be optimistic.. :) )


San Jose Sharks over Anaheim Ducks in 5
Columbus Blue Jackets over Detroit Red Wings in 6 (this is very unlikely, but detroit hasn't really been itself lately...)
Vancouver Canucks over St.Louis Blues in 5
Calgary Flames over Chicago Blackhawks in 6

Alot of optimism for Calgary eventhough they're around 25-5-5 against Khabi', and have exited the first round 3 years in a row.

nah, the oilers have shit forwards, he'd have been in the NHL pretty quick  :hihi:


Bruins over Habs in 5
Caps over Rangers in 6
Devils over Canes in 7
Pens over Flyers 6

Sharks over Ducks in 6
Wings over Bluejackets in 5
Canucks over Blues in 6
Hawks over Flames in 5

Playoffs have been just superb so far.

Let's make 'er 2-0 tonight 'Hawks :smoking:

Bruins over Hurricanes in 5

Detroit over Anaheim in 5

Chicago over Vancouver in 6

Capitals over Penguins in 6

Vancouver over Chicago in 6
Penguins over Caps in 7
Detroit over Anehiem in 6
Boston over Carolina in 5

Vancouver over Chicago in 5
Penguins over Caps in 6
Detroit over Anehiem in 6
Boston over Carolina in 4

Blackhawks blueliners 'a challenge' for Canucks

MATTHEW SEKERES
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
April 29, 2009 at 11:31 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver's second-round opponent, arrived at General Motors Place yesterday with two of the top-scoring defencemen in the playoffs, and two more blueliners known to be among the best puck-carriers in the league. That means Vancouver's game plan has to change for the Western Conference semi-final, which begins tonight in Vancouver.

"They'll always attack you with four guys, so you need all your guys to back-check," Canucks winger Steve Bernier said. "Even if you're 200 feet from your net, you have to make sure you've got one forward focused on the defensive side. You have to think about what could happen ? and you can't rush anything, because you know you'll get your chances."

http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090429.wsptblueline29/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20090429.wsptblueline29 (http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090429.wsptblueline29/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20090429.wsptblueline29)

Let's go Caps!

Killer game for the 'Hawks tonight :smoking:

 :o

Were those tears I saw in Mats Sundin's eyes with 3 minutes left in the 3rd? :hihi:

Here come the 'Hawks!!! ;D :smoking: :beer: :smoking: ;D

CAPITALS, SEMIN FIND OUT WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT CROSBY

PITTSBURGH -- Maybe now Alexander Semin knows what's special about Sidney Crosby.

It's not as if Crosby, the omnipresent face of the NHL since being drafted in 2005, needed the enthralling Capitals-Penguins second-round playoff series to validate his skill, competitiveness and drive. To reassure the league that he's more than a playmaker, that he also can be a clutch goal scorer when needed.

Maybe there was a bit of an edge to Crosby's game because of the Alex Ovechkin factor during a seven-game series that felt more like the Stanley Cup finals than a conference semifinal, at least until the Penguins ended it with a dominating 6-2 victory Wednesday night.

Crosby, though he won't say it, felt a tad slighted when he wasn't one of three finalists for the NHL MVP award, and heard all the talk that Washington's Ovechkin had eclipsed him to become the league's signature figure and best player.

Maybe Crosby didn't need to score one more goal than Ovechkin, 12-11, through two rounds to prove again what he's all about. To validate what he did last season at age 20 by leading the Penguins to within two victories of the Stanley Cup. Or what he did at age 19 by becoming the league's MVP and scoring leader.

But his teammates know this, and there are no maybes about it: Give Crosby a big stage and, no matter who else is starring, there will be few questions by the end who is carrying the show.

Crosby lives for these moments, these games, and now he has at least one more round to show it. He already has helped the Penguins become the first team since the 1996 Red Wings to get back to a conference final the season after losing in the finals, and there is every indication he is not done yet.

"There's a steely resolve about (Crosby) when big games come around," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said as the Penguins waited to see whether they would play Boston or Carolina in the Eastern Conference finals. "For Game 6 in Philadelphia (in the first round), I didn't know quite what it meant but I was pretty sure it meant he was going to have a big game. He was that way for every game in this series."

Especially for Game 7, the one clunker in a series that is likely to go down as one of the best preliminary rounds in NHL history.

Early in the season, Semin dismissed Crosby as being more of a media creation than a substantial player, saying, "What's so special about Crosby? I don't see anything special there. Yes, he does skate well, has a good head, (a) good pass. But there's nothing else."

Crosby didn't need those remarks, or several run-ins with Ovechkin during the season to gain extra motivation. The fact that Crosby took over this series should tell anyone what he thinks about Semin's talking or Ovechkin's on-ice mocking of him late in the season. Semin did not score a goal in the series.

"There were a lot of eyes on this series, it was a battle," Crosby said of his first playoff matchup with Ovechkin. "Individually, we both wanted to make sure we did a great job."

They did, too: Ovechkin had 14 points in the series, including a meaningless goal after Pittsburgh was up 5-0 in Game 7, and Crosby had 13 points. The NHL probably hasn't seen a star vs. star matchup like this since the Maurice "Rocket" Richard vs. Gordie Howe days.

Crosby's maturation into a big-game player -- he had four goals and an assist in Pittsburgh's close-out games against the Capitals and Flyers -- no doubt will be a big worry for either the Bruins or Hurricanes.

"He's one of those guys who never stops," defenceman Brooks Orpik said. "We like to joke about how competitive he is. That's what makes him as a good as he is. Based on just talent, he's probably not the most talented guy in the league, but I'm sure there's anybody who works any harder than him."

BURKE: NO TRUTH TO RUMOUR ABOUT DRAFT NEGOTIATIONS WITH TAMPA

Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke appeared on Toronto radio station AM 640 on Wednesday afternoon to dismiss rumours he was looking to move up in the NHL Entry Draft by making a deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In recent days, there had been much speculation that involved Tampa receiving Toronto's seventh pick in exchange for the Lightning's second pick and forward Ryan Malone, who has four years and $17 million remaining on his existing contract.

Burke flatly denied the rumours.

"First off, Malone's under contract to the Lightning," Burke told TSN's Darren Dreger on AM 640. "If a team had interest in him, they're not at liberty to discuss.

"I would ask our fans to say, 'okay, does it make sense for anyone to acquire $17 million in salary to move five places in the entry draft?' And the answer is no. That's a trade that has never been discussed."

There had also been talk that the Leafs would be willing to part with defencemen Luke Schenn and Tomas Kaberle in order to flip picks.

Burke said he spoke with Lightning GM and executive vice president Brian Lawton, who said he had nothing to do with either rumour, and Burke again stressed that such a move would not be practical for the Maple Leafs.
 
"Luke Schenn and Tomas Kaberle - two top-two defencemen - to move five places...does that make any sense to anybody? The answer is no. It's a lot of noise, it's a lot of aggravation and when you actually analyze what's proposed or what's available or what the rumour is, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, either one of them."

Burke then reiterated that the odds of Schenn leaving town are extremely slim, as the team will be looking to build around a younger core of players like the 19-year-old blueliner.
 
"I see Schenn as a vital part of everything that we're trying to do here and I told him that," Burke told the radio station. "I said, 'Luke, you don't have to sit around and worry about getting a phone call from me that you're going anywhere because that's a very remote possibility.'"

The Leafs GM then bristled playfully at all the attention that is already being put on potential dealings.
 
"It's only May," Burke added with a laugh. "I can't imagine what this will be like once it gets closer."
 
Schenn and Lightning centre Steven Stamkos were at a Nike training event in Toronto on Wednesday and shared how the news of the trade rumour surfaced.

''Steven called to say he heard on the radio that I was coming to Tampa Bay, and he made a gem saying his general manager (Brian Lawton) just called to ask what type of guy I was,'' laughed Schenn. ''Then Brian (Burke) literally called me two minutes later and said I'm not getting traded and if anyone asks, tell them I told you that.''

Stamkos viewed Schenn as someone Toronto needs to hold on to.

''They were just rumours and I was trying to give Luke grief that I had a place ready to go (and that) he was coming to Tampa. But I think they'd be wise to keep him in Toronto,'' Stamkos stated. ''He's a guy that you can build a team around and if I was a betting man, I'd bet that he stays in Toronto.''

Penguins over 'Canes in 5

Blackhawks over 'Wings in 6

Hope so.  I love Pittsburgh, I hate Detroit with a passion.  But unfortunately I see Canes in 6, Wings in 5, and Wings over the Canes in the least-watched Finals in history.

Me and my Dad were hopin' for a Blackhawks vs. Bruins showdown for the Cup :crying:

Detroit schooled Chicago yet again today with a 6-1 win. Gotta love those Red Wings!  :beer:

Wings/Penguins Finals rematch again it looks like, should be a bit more fair this time

2 cheap hits in a row on Havlat..yeah, I love cheap assholes : ok:

Power Plays were 9 to 4 in favor of Detroit.  Now, I had to miss the game.  Was this a legitimate discrepancy, or some shit concocted by the refs?  Especially the two called together, both against Chicago, at the 7:06 mark of the second.

Three misconduct penalties against the Blackhawks?  You've got to be kidding me.

luv u 2

The penalty on Matt Walker at 7:06 was probably one of the worst calls in the history of sports, pretty much all the other penalties against the 'Hawks were justifiable and largely the result of them losing their composure due to a ridiculously cheap hit on Havlat in Game 3, and again yesterday.

Your joking right? Granted Havlat never touched the puck before the hit on Friday (though it damn sure looked like he did and I'm fairly sure Kronwall thought the same), but the hit on Sunday was 100% legit. Which is why there was no call against the wings.

None of that really matters now anyway because there is no way in hell they would have won those games even if the hits didn't happen. The wings are too good a team and the hawks are not disciplined or good enough to beat them.

The first hit on Havlat was cheap: while Havlat did touch the puck with his skate and therefore technically had possession, it was a textbook charge and used the forearm.  The Sunday hit was clean.

By the rulebook, the Kronwall hit was clean, but if you go back 25 years or more in the game, those kinds of hits didn't happen anywhere near as much.  You didn't steamroll a player just because you could.  Why?  You didn't want it to happen to yourself.  The players respected each other more back then.  They knew they could cause injury with even a clean hit.  Now with the insane amount of protective equipment they're required to wear, they figure it's almost impossible to get hurt by a clean hit and in a lot of cases, players go out and try to hurt others with clean hits.

Granted, 25 years ago, someone would have kicked Kronwall's ass a few times after those hits.  But the rulebook prevents that now.

And say all you want about how Kronwall didn't leave his feet, but if he didn't, then Steve Downie didn't either on the hit he put on Dean McAmmond that got a 20-game suspension in the 2007 preseason.  Downie's skate was still in contact with the ice when he hit McAmmond.  Ditto on Kronwall's.  Both made contact with the person they were hitting and proceeded to go up in the air.  If you suspend Downie for leaving his feet, you have to call Kronwall too.  It's something Kronwall has done on a ton of hits in his career and rarely gets called on.

You can send a message and deliver a clean hit without putting someone out.

Penguins over Red Wings in 6 (for the love of Gawd)

Hal Gill is composed 100% of suck.

Marc-Andre Fleury is composed of 100% fail.

That was probably the most boring, uninspired playoff game I have ever watched.

Penguins come back with a hard earned win tonight...lets see if they can do it again in game 4

While the National Hockey League believes Jim Balsillie's plan to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton is circumventing their rules, Tom Wright - who helped prepare the relocation application filed Monday - disagrees.

In a conference call held the day after Balsillie filed his relocation application with the league, the former CFL commissioner gave his own insight on the Canadian billionaire's bold moves.

"I was retained to do this project, to provide an objective and fact-based presentation of the information available to support an application to transfer a franchise," explained Wright. "I believe the process that has been undertaken is consistent with the rules and regulations that are set forth in the constitution of the NHL. The information and evidence is quite compelling that the franchise is not successful and financially viable in Phoenix and clearly it has every opportunity and perspective to be successful [in southern Ontario]."

Wright pointed to market size, fan interest and Hamilton's history with regards to hockey as the reasons the proposed move would be a success.

"When you look at all those factors, when you look at how the cit of Hamilton has traditionally been a sports town, if you look at the new arena in which the games will be played, there is every indication and prospective the team will actually be profitable," he said. "But in the event that in its initial years it is not, Mr. Balsillie has expressed his willingness and ability to cover those losses."

The co-CEO of Research In Motion has said he will cover the club's losses following a move. But according to spokesman Bill Walker, Balsillie is certain the club will turn an immediate profit in Hamilton and that the prospects of a financial turn-around in Phoenix are slim.

Wright added that the Coyotes' financial records paint a grim picture of the clubs past, present and future if the franchise were to remain in Phoenix.

"We had access to all of the financial records of the Phoenix Coyotes through Mr. Moyes," he said. "We were able to look at the most recent financials as well as throughout its 13-year history, when you look at those financials they are quite revealing, in 13 seasons the club has never posted a profit."

The records showed $360 million in losses over the franchise's history.

Wright went on to explain he felt that when compared to the two other reported bids, Balsillie's is the only one that would satisfy creditors.

"One was a reported submission that never made it through the NHL to Mr. Moyes," he said. "And the other submission I believe had some conditions on it including an escrow payment in the neighbourhood of $30 million that would have had the bid in the $80 million to 90 million range, so I think as it relates to bids that would be sufficient to take care of a significant portion if not all of the liabilities, none have been received by Mr. Moyes."

As far as the Balsillie camp is concerned, their plan covers every need the NHL set out in their application. They contend the team is currently in financial trouble and that the proposed market in southern Ontario would give them the best chance to become profitable. 

"What we know that this team is bankrupt, what we know is by the criteria of the NHL - owner, market, arena - we have unquestionably an accomplished businessman committed to being the best NHL owner he can be," said Walker. "We have a top tier market-place of seven million people that has already shown great exuberance ... and the arena itself is being designed by one of the top sports architecture firms in the world that has renovated several NHL facilities."

Judge Redfield T. Baum has scheduled a June 9 hearing where the sides in the Coyotes dispute will make their arguments. Baum has stated he will make a prompt ruling on the issue of relocation.

If they move to Hamilton, the Sabres get very hurt by this, as that area provides many fans.... Buffalo is not a strong economic figure, but the Hockey team is... If the NHL loses the Sabres, they lose one of the biggest ratings markets in their league... They know this, and I think this is one of the reasons they are fighting it...

I say bring back the Jets!!!

Phoenix goes bankrupt.

Atlanta lost the Flames and really don't care about the Thrashers.

The Panthers and Lightning can't draw worth a damn.

Good to see Southern expansion has worked out so well.

Can't believe we lost the Jets, Nordiques, and Whalers while getting this shit.

While I'm at it, some numbers on the first 4 games of the SCF...

Overall
Scoring: 10-10
Shots: 124-117 Detroit
Hits: 141-127 Pittsburgh
Blocks: 56-35 Pittsburgh
Power Plays: Pittsburgh 4/9, Detroit 1/10 with a SHGA
Giveaways: 51-44 Detroit
Takeaways: 30-23 Pittsburgh

Games In Detroit
Score: 6-2 Detroit
Shots: 64-56 Pittsburgh
PP: Pitt 1/3, Detroit 0/4
Hits: 77-72 Detroit
Blocks: 24-21 Pittsburgh
Giveaways: 41-25 Detroit
Takeaways: 20-17 Detroit

Games In Pittsburgh
Score: 8-4 Pittsburgh
Shots: 68-52 Detroit
PP: Detroit 1/6, Pitt 3/6
Hits: 68-50 Pittsburgh
Blocks: 32-14 Pittsburgh
Giveaways: 19-10 Pittsburgh
Takeaways: 13-3 Pittsburgh

So... Who saw this series going seven games after the total fail of the first two?

After they won games 3 and 4, I was cautiously optimistic :smoking:

I didn't see it going seven games after the total fail of the 5th game either.

Can the Pens WIN in Detroit?  They just need one good game now.

I was in DC when everybody thought they couldn't and they torched the Caps.

so its possible.

It would have been over last night for the penguins if it wasn't for all the no calls from the refs....

(http://morgamic.com/img/no-more-tears.jpg)

Considering the refs missed two calls that should have been penalty shots in games 1 and 2, you have no place to complain.

Wasn't complaining, just pointing out a fact....

That's opinion.  Not fact.  Big difference.

I bet Hossa is looking for a time machine right about now :hihi:

You mean in between bouts of crying like the little bitch that he is, right?

WOW that Wings show that hit the crossbar at the top! DAMN!!!!!!


what an amazing game.

I wasn't sure we could come back from being down 0-2.  But we did and what a game.  Crosby is only 21, Malkin is only 22.  Dynasty perhaps?

Let's go Pens!!!!!

I am so happy for Mario!!! What a couple of years the Pens have been through, almost being moved, etc.  And Detroit, is a great team.  But Hossa, um, since you only signed for 1 year with the Wings, you coming back to the 'burgh?

the playoff's this year seemed to be plauged by "missed calls" from the officials. kinda took away from it for me.

congrats to the pens for winning.

and congrats to bettman for getting the finals he wanted, get tough on dangerous hits and fighting with the instigator penalty, and the game suspension for starting a fight in the last 5 minutes of a game

unless you're kronwall in the conference finals, or malkin the the cup final.


also don cherry is unreal, his head is so far up crosby's ass it's insane. gets if ovi celebrates scoring, but commends crosby for slashing other players when he's losing.



-------------

however on a positive note, heatley to the oilers seems like quite a good possibility, finally we'd have someone to finish hemsky's passes

Lidstrom had 2 good chances with like 5 seconds left in the game too.

On that second pittsburgh goal, What was Osgood thinking?

Why didn't he cut off the net on the side of the shot and force that guy to take a more difficult shot?

its like he stood in the middle of the net and allowed a shot to go to the near part of the goal

if he cheats over and blocks that side off, there is no way he makes that goal.

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u19/drew23235/Hossa1.jpg)

Flyers acquire Pronger

MONTREAL -- The Philadelphia Flyers made the biggest early splash at the NHL draft -- and they were nowhere near the podium.

The Flyers acquired towering defenceman Chris Pronger and prospect Ryan Dingle from the Anaheim Ducks for forward Joffrey Lupul, defenceman Luca Sbisa, first-round picks in 2009 and 2010 and a conditional third-round pick in 2010 or 2011.

Pronger, who had 11 goals and 37 assists in 82 games last season, is going into the final year of a deal that will pay him US$6.25 million next season.

overpayment for pronger?

draft day was a bit dull this year, i'm suprised MPS dropped down to 10th happy the oilers got him though



you'll have a dynasty if the NHL keep bending the rules to let sid win.

malkin not having his jersey tied down (hossa was suspended for this)
malkin hitting the ref (carcillo suspended for this in round 1)
malkin instigating a fight in the last 5 minutes (automatic 1 game suspension)

without malkin the pens would only have 2 guys playing C, since they roll crosby and malkin on 4th line duty

Few Headlines

NIEDERMAYER TO RETURN NEXT SEASON

Sources tell TSN Scott Niedermayer has informed the Anaheim Ducks he intends to play next season. It's likely Niedermayer will re-sign with the Ducks, however the veteran defenceman has to negotiate a contract. Sources say both Ducks GM Bob Murray and Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson spoke with Niedermayer this week on whether he would return. The Ducks should be considered the frontrunner to sign him, although San Jose, Vancouver and Calgary are also believed to have strong interest.

VETERAN SELANNE TO RETURN FOR ANOTHER SEASON WITH DUCKS

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Ten-time all-star Teemu Selanne has decided to play another season with the Anaheim Ducks. Selanne's decision, announced by the Ducks on Saturday, came a day after defenceman Scott Niedermayer, who turns 36 in August, told the team he's coming back. Selanne turns 39 next week. "Teemu is still playing at a high level, brings passion and energy to the locker room and is a loyal member of this franchise," general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. The Finnish-born Selanne has played 10 of his 17 NHL seasons with Anaheim and was signed for the 2009-2010 season.

NHL, NHLPA SET CAP AT $56.8M FOR NEXT SEASON

The National Hockey League Players' Association and the National Hockey League announced Friday that the team payroll range established for the 2009-10 season will be $56.8 million with a salary floor of $48.8 million. The move represents an increase of $100,000 from last year's ceiling total.

PANTHERS TRADE BOUWMEESTER'S RIGHTS TO FLAMES

Jay Bouwmeester's days in Florida are over.

The Panthers have traded the 25-year-old star defenceman's rights to the Calgary Flames for the rights to blueliner Jordan Leopold and a third round pick (67th overall), which the Panthers used to select right winger Josh Birkholz. The trade gives Calgary a window of exclusivity in negotiating a new contract with Bouwmeester and his agent. Bouwmeester can become a free agent on Wednesday.

TSN's NHL Insider Bob McKenzie spoke about the possible money issues for the two sides in making a potential deal. "There are salary cap considerations that need to be addressed for the deal to get done, and I don't mean the cap that the Flames need to live with, I mean the one that Bouwmeester has to live with - the Dion Phaneuf cap," McKenzie said.  "Bouwmeester won't be offered more than the $6.5 million a season on a multi-year deal, that Phaneuf is making."

PENGUINS AGREE TO TERMS WITH GUERIN

The Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with veteran forward Bill Guerin on a one-year, $2 million contract. The 38-year old Guerin was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. ''We are excited to agree to terms with Billy on this one-year deal,'' general manager Ray Shero said. ''He made a tremendous impact on this team with his scoring ability, physical play and outstanding leadership and was a key factor in our drive to the Cup. I know our players, coaches and fans will be happy to have him back in Pittsburgh.''

DEFENCEMAN BLAKE SIGNS ONE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH SHARKS

Rob Blake won't be testing the free agent waters on Wednesday, as the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the 39-year-old defenceman has signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks worth approximately $3.5 million. He spent last year with the San Jose Sharks, putting up 10 goals and 35 assists in 73 games.

HABS GET GOMEZ FROM RANGERS

Getting a jump on the free agent market, the Montreal Canadiens moved to secure their centre ice position via trade, making a deal with the New York Rangers Tuesday and taking on a whole lot of salary in the process.

The Canadiens acquired centre Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt and defenceman Mike Busto from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Chris Higgins and defencemen Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko.

Gomez, 29, is coming off a down season for the Rangers, finishing with 58 points, his lowest total since 2002-2003.

"We are extremely pleased to have acquired a player of the caliber of Scott Gomez. He is an outstanding playmaker and an excellent skater. Having won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils, he brings to our team a lot of playoff experience. Scott is an elite player who will certainly contribute to the success of our team for years to come" said Canadiens GM Bob Gainey.

A two-time Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils, Gomez was a blockbuster free agent signing for the Rangers in the summer of 2007.  Gomez is signed through 2013-2014, at a salary cap hit of more than $7.35-million, so he represents a significant investment.

In 706 career games, Gomez has 148 goals, 430 assists and 578 points, adding 81 points in 114 career playoff games.

Higgins, a 26-year-old restricted free agent winger, also struggled in 2008-2009, scoring a career-low 23 points in 57 games as he missed a combined 25 games with hand and groin injuries.

Prior to last season, however, Higgins recorded three straight seasons of at least 20 goals and he'll be a more economical option for the Rangers as he earned $1.7-million last season.

McDonagh, 20, was Montreal's first-round pick in 2007 and recorded 16 points in 36 games as a 6-foot-1, 212-pound sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in 2008-2009.

Valentenko, 22, has good size at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, but left the Canadiens' farm team in Hamilton early last season to play for Moscow Dynamo in the KHL, where he finished with one assist in eight games.

Janik, a 29-year-old journeyman acquired from Dallas last season, will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The minor leaguers coming to Montreal aren't considered elite prospects.  A six-foot, 185-pound forward, Tom Pyatt is a 22-year-old who put up 37 points in 73 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL last season and was a fourth-round pick in 2005.

23-year-old Busto is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and registered 11 points and a minus-7 rating in 54 games with Charlotte of the ECHL.

Whine much?

Zettergerg's jersey wasn't tied down either.  Carcillo wasn't suspended for hitting the ref but rather for butt-ending Max Talbot in the head.  Accidental hits of linesmen come with the territory of their job of breaking up fights, there was no intent on Malkin's part.  And the NHL pretty much showed in other rounds of the playoffs that it planned to ignore the instigator in the final five minutes rule (see Scott Walker in the Carolina-Boston series).

Get over it.  No one is bending any rules for Pittsburgh to win.  If anything, they tried to throw it Detroit's way by letting Zetterberg get away with covering the puck in the crease twice.  Should be a penalty shot, or at least a delay of game minor.  Neither was called.

God damn, you Detroit fans are bitter.  And have the thinnest skin of any team's fans in any leagu.

Maple Leaf fans take the cake.

Ya really...NHL bending the rules so Sid can win the cup? Give me a break...How bout Sid is just the best player in the league, top 3 anyways and so is malkin..and Fleury is a top 5 goalie in the league, Gonchar a great defenceman, Letang, going to be a great defenceman..Guerin had the leadership, just deal with it, they had a team put together very well...Now lets hope Burke can do the same with the Leafs ya? lol...
If Burke only makes 2 signings today my 1st would be Camalleri and then Beachumin...
And wow is Heatley ever being a asshole right now..Demands to be traded, and then crushes a deal to the oilers for Penner,Cogliano and Smid (which wouldve improved both teams instantly

Anyways whos watching Free Agency today?

BOUWMEESTER AGREES TO FIVE-YEAR DEAL WITH FLAMES

Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter made the most of his opportunity to negotiate with Jay Bouwmeester.

The defenceman avoided unrestricted free agency by agreeing to a five-year deal worth $6.68 million per year against the salary cap on Tuesday night.

The Flames acquired the rights of the 25-year from the Florida Panthers on Saturday at the NHL Draft  for the rights to blueliner Jordan Leopold and a third round pick (67th overall), which the Panthers used to select right winger Josh Birkholz.

"Jay is one of the most complete defenseman in the game, and we are very pleased to have reached an agreement that will make him an important component of the Calgary Flames success," said Sutter. "We identified Jay as the priority player where we were going to focus our money. We wanted an opportunity a few days in advance of the deadline, and that's why we made the move we did this past weekend."

LIGHTNING SIGN OHLUND, WALKER TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS

MAPLE LEAFS SIGN ORR TO FOUR-YEAR, $4 MILLION DEAL

HURRICANES KEEP COLE WITH TWO-YEAR DEAL

ISLANDERS SIGN ROLOSON TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

CANADIENS SIGN SPACEK TO THREE-YEAR DEAL

NIEDERMAYER STAYS IN ANAHEIM WITH ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

CANUCKS RE-SIGN SEDINS TO FIVE-YEAR CONTRACTS

OILERS GET THEIR NO. 1 GOALIE IN KHABIBULIN

BLACKHAWKS SIGN HOSSA TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

After signing big-money free agents like Nikolai Khabibulin, Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet over the last few summers, the Chicago Blackhawks have kept the momentum going by signing star winger Marian Hossa to a 12-year contract averaging $5.2 million a season.

The contract is front-loaded with about $59.3 million paid out over the first eight years, and $3.5 million total for the final four years.

"To add Marian, an elite and world-class player, and Tomas, a Stanley Cup Champion, to our exciting young core reinforces our commitment to try to win the Stanley Cup," Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon said in a statement.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Marian Hossa

Obviously this means Havlat will sign elsewhere - so here's a quick look at the numbers

Marian Hossa
Detroit Red Wings
Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Born: Jan 12, 1979

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2008 - Marian Hossa 74 40 31 71 27 63 10 0 8 1 307 13.0


Martin Havlat
#24 / Right Wing / Chicago Blackhawks
Height: 6-2

Weight: 217

Born: Apr 19, 1981

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2008 - Martin Havlat 81 29 48 77 29 30 5 0 5 1 249 11.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


We all loved Havlat last year with the Blackhawks - he still has nothing lower than a B in his season review.  He was a crucial piece of the Blackhawks run to the Western Conference Finals.

But Marian Hossa is a better player.

We'll look more at this later but for now we're all still too busy watching everything else, expect more tonight.

http://www.secondcityhockey.com/2009/7/1/934443/chicago-blackhawks-sign-marian (http://www.secondcityhockey.com/2009/7/1/934443/chicago-blackhawks-sign-marian)

Sens pass on Blackhawks trade

The Chicago Blackhawks were willing to offer up Brian Campbell for Dany Heatley, but the Senators, even owing the ungrateful Heatley $4 million in bonus money, declined.

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/108457 (http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/108457)

RANGERS SIGN BRASHEAR TO TWO-YEAR DEAL

CHRIS NEIL TAKES LESS MONEY TO STAY IN OTTAWA

GABORIK AGREES TO FIVE-YEAR DEAL WITH RANGERS

CANADIENS SIGN SNIPER CAMMALLERI FOR FIVE YEARS

OILERS WORKING OVERTIME TO SELL HEATLEY ON TRADE

MADDEN SIGNS ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH BLACKHAWKS

CANADIENS INK GIONTA TO FIVE YEAR DEAL

Rangers
Higgins-Drury-Gaborik
Zherdev-Dubinsky-Callahan
Avery-Boyle-Brashear

Canadiens
Cammalleri-Gomez-Gionta
Kostisyn-Plekanec-Kostisyn

Hawks
Kane-Toews-Hossa
Versteeg-Sharp-Byfuglien
Koepecky-Madden-Bolland

Keith-Seabrook
Campbell-Barker

Wow some teams improved greatly today

What do you think of the Hossa trade, Malcolm?

It'll be interesting to see how he meshes with Kane and Toews.

MAPLE LEAFS DEAL KUBINA TO THRASHERS

Pavel Kubina has been traded to the Atlanta Thrashers. The Leafs will receive defenceman Garnet Exelby and winger Colin Stuart, while Atlanta also gets the rights to forward Tim Stapleton. The trade with Atlanta will save Toronto roughly $2 million in cap space for future moves.

MAPLE LEAFS SIGN ORR TO FOUR-YEAR, $4 MILLION DEAL

The Toronto Maple Leafs have dipped in the free agent market signing forward Colton Orr to a four-year contract worth $4 million.
Orr, 27, played the last four seasons with the New York Rangers and tallied five points and 193 penalty minutes last season.

MAPLE LEAFS SIGN BLUELINER MIKE KOMISAREK

Defenceman Mike Komisarek has gone to the Montreal Canadiens' biggest rival.

The 27-year old defenceman signed a five-year, $22.5 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.  The deal will count $4.5 million annually against the salary cap.

Sources tell TSN that Komisarek's deal with the Maple Leafs includes a limited no-trade clause. Every September, Komisarek will be asked by Toronto to submit a list of 12 teams he would accept a trade to. This will allow Toronto to control his contract in the event things don't work out the way both sides anticipate they will.

"We are extremely pleased to add a player with Mike's ability and leadership qualities to our lineup," Leafs general manager Brian Burke said in a statement. "He's a respected competitor in this league and we know that he will bring his hard-nosed approach to our team on a consistent basis."

Earlier in the day, the Canadiens had reportedly offered Komisarek a five-year, $20 million offer.

Komisarek had two goals and nine assists and an even rating in 66 games with the Canadiens last season, while leading the Habs in both hits (191) and blocked shots and (207).

Komisarek was taken seventh overall by Montreal in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Love the Komisarek Signing

Hossa Signing you mean? Shocker to me...Had no idea they had the salary for that but great for them, Madden will be good to

Leafs
Blake-Stajan-Stempniak
Ponikarovsky-Grabovski-Hagman
Hanson-Bozak-Kulemin
Tlusty-Mitchell-Orr

Kaberle-Komisarek
Schenn-White
Finger-Van Ryn

Only time will tell how the leafs stand...I still belive this year is about developiment

Haha, true. Although due to salary cap room, it will probably be a trade off between him and Havlat.


I'm optimistic, but kinda' worried about Huet in net. I would have never signed him and just kept Khabi' and Corey Crawford.


Schenn is alot of fun to watch. My neighbor is always going on about how he's the next Great One ;)

Ya I dont think Huet can take them anywhere..They should try to trade for a cheaper goalie...and ya Schenn is my favourite hockey player, as the Leafs have always been my team

HAVLAT SIGNS SIX-YEAR, $30M DEAL WITH WILD

After losing Marian Gaborik earlier in the day, the Minnesota Wild have found a scoring winger to replace him.

The club signed free agent forward Martin Havlat to a six-year, $30 million contract.

''We are excited to add the speed and scoring of Martin Havlat to our lineup,'' Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. ''He is a terrific two-way player.''

In 81 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, Havlat registered 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points - the Blackhawks' leading scorer last season.

Hossa is a BIG mistake.  He'll have a great regular season but disappear in the playoffs.  He's averaged a point per game or more in the regular season 4 times in his career.  He's done it in the playoffs once.  He just wants to go somewhere to ride the coattails of teammates to the Cup.  He tried it in Pittsburgh, he tried it in Detroit, and now he's going to try it with Kane and Toews.

I like the Blackhawks, but it makes it hard for me to cheer for them with that piece of shit playing for them.

Now, I usually never watch ESPN for my hockey news, but they made a pretty good funny this morning:

"Its official, the Chicago Blackhawks will make the Stanley Cup Finals and lose, because they have signed Marion Hossa"  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Thing is Tallon overpaid for Huet and no one is really gunna' want his 22 million dollar contract. If Tallon had such a boner for him, he should have offered him no more than 12-15 million so he's at least tradeable.


Havlat is good, but fragile as porcelain. He's definately due for an injury.

As a random sidenote, how many penalty minutes do you guys see the Rangers having this year since they now have Avery AND Brashear? :hihi:

AVALANCHE TRADE RYAN SMYTH TO KINGS

Two years into his time in Denver, Ryan Smyth is once again on the move.

The Colorado Avalanche have traded Smyth to the Los Angeles Kings for puck-moving defenceman Kyle Quincey, blueliner Tom Preissing and a fifth-round pick.

Smyth, who posted 26 goals and 33 assists in 77 games last season, said he's excited about heading to L.A.

"They have great young players," he said. "I've always thought the world of (Anze) Kopitar since playing against him at the World Championships in Austria where he dominated. To play with him and Drew Doughty and (Dustin) Brown...these are great young players and I'm excited about that."

"Ryan is the type of player who fits with our team," Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said in a statement.  "He fills an important need as he is a competitive, gritty scoring left winger, and he fits with the overall identity we continue to build here."

The 33-year-old spent most of the first 12 seasons of his career with the Oilers, but after failing to reach a contract agreement, he was dealt to the New York Islanders at the trade deadline in 2007.

In that off-season he signed a five-year, $31.25 million deal with the Avalanche.

"As a family, we've really enjoyed Colorado," he said. "It's been a great place to play and a great place to live and I really think if our team had been healthy over the last two years we would have been a lot better."

Smyth said he wasn't surprised when his agent Don Meehan called to present the offer and ask if he was willing to waive no-move clause.

"With management and coaching changes, I didn't know, but there was talk of rebuilding and moving salary, so I wasn't surprised."

Smyth, also know as Captain Canada for his long resume of playing internationally, was invited to Canada's Olympic orientation camp set for the end of August.

In 920 career games, the Banff, Alberta native has 310 goals and 350 assists.

INVESTIGATION ONGOING IN STRANGE BLACKHAWKS EPISODE

According to both the NHL and the NHLPA, the investigation into how and why the Chicago Blackhawks bungled a number of their qualifying offers is ongoing.

Neither side will comment, however since this story broke Friday evening on TSN.ca, interest into how the league and players association will respond is significant.

If the NHL grants leniency and attempts to sweep this issue away, it's expected the NHLPA will swiftly file a grievance and the matter will go to a hearing.

Sources with hands on knowledge of how qualifying offers have to be filed say as innocent as this mistake may have been, there is no excuse for it, and the league should follow through with the ultimate penalty and declare all players who didn't received proper notification, unrestricted free agents.

Blackhawks stars Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker are among that group.

Neither player has arbitration rights and both should have received qualifying offers of less than $1 million, retaining their playing rights for the 2009-2010 season.

Versteeg, a highly skilled forward was a Calder Trophy nominee, while Barker on the open market would easily command between $3 and $5 million per season.

Dale Tallon told TSN he believed all of the qualifying offers were post marked for June 29th and didn't sound concerned when the matter was discussed on Friday.

Tallon acknowledged there was a mistake made and wondered if the July 1st holiday may have interfered with the players and player agents receiving the qualifying offers via mail, on time.

Multiple sources say it's clearly stated in the collective bargaining agreement, qualifying offers, or QO's, as they're commonly referred to, are not supposed to be mailed, but rather faxed or delivered by courier.

In 2000, the New Jersey Devils forgot to file the paperwork to renew the contracts for Brian Rafalski and John Madden.

Rafalski was scheduled to make $450,000, while Madden would have earned $550,000 had the mistake not been made.

Instead, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was forced to pay market value rather than allow his two stars to go free.

Rafalski agreed to a 4-year, $11 million dollar extension. Madden signed a 4-year, $7 million dollar deal.

While not identical scenarios, the Devils paid the price for a clerical mistake.

However, because of cap issues, the Chicago Blackhawks have no such out...other than to hope the NHL and the NHLPA find a way.

KOVALEV SIGNS TWO-YEAR DEAL WITH SENATORS

A day after some fans held a rally to keep Alex Kovalev in Montreal, the forward's tumultuous tenure in La Belle Province has come to an end as the enigmatic sniper has signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Ottawa Senators.

One of the most skilled players in the league, the Togliatti, Russia native is also one of the most unpredictable.  He can look spectacular one night, controlling the play, while completely disappearing for long stretches at a time.

The Kovalev signing comes at a time where the Senators are struggling to move forward Dany Heatley, who requested a trade last week, and twice wouldn't lift his no-movement clause to go to the Edmonton Oilers.

"I think you always want your player to play 100 per cent, and that's difficult over 82 games and if you are judgmental you can find a hole," Murray told reporters. "I think Alex, they claim, has been a little more inconsistent than he should be. I think the opposite. I think when he plays great he can win a game for you.

"In this organization we've got many hard workers and guys that will compete for us every night, but we needed something special to go with that and this guy's a special player."

Kovalev spent five up-and-down seasons in Montreal after being acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers for Josef Balej and a second round draft pick.  He enjoyed his best season with the Habs in 2007-08 when he scored 35 goals, added 49 assists, was named a Second team NHL All-Star and helped lead the team to their first division title since the 1992-93 season.

Kovalev, like many of his Canadiens teammates, struggled under the weight of expectations during the Canadiens 100th anniversary campaign this past year.  The low point for Kovalev came in March following the All-Star break when General Manager Bob Gainey told him to take some time away from the team in order to ?clear his head.?  Many speculated that Kovalev had played his last game for Montreal.  He did return after missing two games and finished the season with 26 goals and 39 assists.

The 36-year old broke into the league with the New York Rangers after a stellar international career that saw him collect gold for the Soviet Union at the 1992 IIHF World Junior Hockey championship as well as gold for the Commonwealth of Independent States at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

Kovalev continued his winning ways upon entering the NHL as he helped the New York Rangers capture the Stanley Cup in his second year in the league.

In 1151 career games, Kovalev has 394 and 547 asssists and twice played in the NHL All-Star game, being named the game's MVP this past year in Montreal.

NHLPA FILES GRIEVANCE FOR MISHANDLED QUALIFYING OFFERS

Sources tell TSN the National Hockey League Players Association has filed a grievance over the Chicago Blackhawks mishandling of a number of its qualifying offers and intends to argue the players affected by the mishap, who remain unsigned, should be ruled unrestricted free agents.

The NHL will be notified and can agree with the NHLPA's filing, or the league can disagree and the case will move on to an expidited hearing.

"In response to various media inquiries, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) confirms today that it has filed a grievance regarding the failure of the Chicago Blackhawks to submit Qualifying Offers to its 2009 Restricted Free Agents prior to the deadline stipulated in the CBA.  The NHLPA will make no further comment on the matter, which is now pending before the Impartial Arbitrator," said Jonathan Weatherdon, NHLPA Spokesperson.

At this moment, it's the Players' Association's contention, these players are unrestricted free agents and free to negotiate with any team.

The NHL is sure to fight back.

If the PA is accurate and the players involved are deemed unrestricted free agents,  the Blackhawks could lose both forward Kris Versteeg and defenceman Cam Barker to the open market.

The interest in these two players league wide as UFA's would be significant. In Barker's case, one league source cites his value at $3 million on the low end, and as much as $5 million on the high end.

The Chicago Blackhawks have cap issues and may not be able to afford to compete in the feeding frenzy without making drastic moves to free up money.

This issue is far from resolved, but early indications suggest it may not end well for the Chicago Blackhawks.

MAPLE LEAFS AGREE TO TERMS WITH FIVE PLAYERS

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Monday that the hockey club has re-signed forwards Ben Ondrus and Ryan Hamilton to one-year contracts. The Maple Leafs also signed a trio of free agent forwards including Jay Rosehill to a two-year contract, Tim Brent to a one-year contract, and Richard Greenop to a three-year entry level contract.

?Ondrus is a consummate professional,? said Burke. ?He is a very good example of leadership and commitment for our young prospects and adds great depth to our organization.?

LEAFS INK FIRST ROUNDER KADRI TO ENTRY LEVEL DEAL

The Toronto Maple Leafs wasted no time in signing Nazem Kadri. The club announced on Monday that they signed the 18-year old to a three-year Entry Level contract.  The Leafs selected Kadri with the seventh overall pick in this year's NHL Entry Draft. The London, Ontario native placed ninth in the Ontario Hockey League with 53 assists and 15th with 78 points in 2008-09.

BEAUCHEMIN AGREES TO THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH MAPLE LEAFS

After four years in Anaheim, it appears Francois Beauchemin is on the move again as the Sorel, Quebec native has agreed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth an average of $3.8 million per season.

Beauchemin suffered through an injury plagued season that saw him miss all but 20 games after suffering a torn ACL in November, causing him to miss the remainder of the regular season.

The 29-year old blueliner did return in time for the playoffs and skated in 13 games, picking up one goal.

"Francois will be a welcome addition to our blueline," Leafs President and general manager Brian Burke said in a statement.  "He's a rock solid, steady defender that will add character to our team."

Beauchemin was originally acquired by the Ducks along with Tyler Wright in a deal that sent Sergei Fedorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was on the West coast where he flourished, enjoying his best seasons statistically with the Ducks and helping lead the team to their first ever Stanley Cup title in 2007.

In 246 career games split between Montreal, Columbus and Anaheim, Beauchemin has 21 goals and 69 assists.

Beauchemin was originally selected in the third round, 75th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1998 NHL Entry draft.

REPORT: NHL TO INVESTIGATE MAPLE LEAFS FOR TAMPERING

Remarks by Maple Leafs' head coach Ron Wilson on a Toronto radio station could prove to be very costly.

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the Maple Leafs are under investigation by the NHL due to Wilson's comments on the club's interest in Daniel and Henrik Sedin prior to July 1st, the first day that unrestricted free-agents could test the market.

On Tuesday, June 30, Wilson told Toronto radio station The Fan 590 that:

"You're hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory but, there's a real possibility, I would think, that we would be going after the Sedins. Let's just speculate there."

Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke confirmed that the league was investigating the remarks.

"The league has indicated that they are looking into it, so we will have no public commentary at this time," Burke told the Globe and Mail Monday night.

While NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly did not confirm that the league was investigating tampering allegations against the Maple Leafs, he did say that the Vancouver Canucks have not filed a complaint with the league.

"We wouldn't normally comment on whether or not we were investigating a club for a potential tampering violation," Daly told the Globe and Mail.

"No, the Canucks have not filed tampering charges."

The Sedin brothers ended up resigning with the Canucks with identical five year contracts worth $6.1 million per season.


GUSTAVSSON MAKES DECISION, SIGNS WITH MAPLE LEAFS

Swedish free agent goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has decided to call Toronto home.

Gustavsson, who is nicknamed "The Monster," has signed a one-year deal with the Leafs worth $810,000, including a signing bonus of $90,000, to back up current starter Vesa Toskala.

"Jonas is considered by many to be the best goaltender not playing in the NHL today," said Maple Leafs' general manager Brian Burke. "He has a unique combination of size and agility and we're excited to add a player with his potential to our roster."

The 24-year-old Gustavsson visited several NHL clubs before choosing the Maple Leafs; Colorado, San Jose and Dallas being the others interested in signing him.

"I want to thank Brian Burke and his staff for giving me the opportunity to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs," said Gustavsson. "It is truly an honor and privilege and I feel very fortunate to wear the Blue and White sweater. Toronto is a great city, with tremendous fan support, and I am very excited about the future."

Labeled the best goaltender outside of the NHL last season, the 6'3", 181 lb backstop was the top goalie in the Swedish Elite League last season while playing for Farjestad. He posted a 1.96 goals against average and a save percentage of .932 in the regular season, and led the team to the league championship this spring.


BLACKHAWKS SIGN BARKER TO 3-YEAR, $9.25 MILLION EXTENSION

The Chicago Blackhawks have responded very quickly to a grievance filed by the NHL Player's Association of mishandling their qualifying offers to restricted free-agents by signing defenceman Cam Barker to a three-year, $9.25 million contract extension.

Barker was one of five players whose qualifying offers from the Hawks reportedly were mailed but didn't arrive on time.  Had Barker not agreed to a deal, and the grievance had gone through, he could have potentially become an unrestricted free-agent.

Forward Kris Versteeg however remains unsigned.  The Calder trophy finalist had 22 goals and 31 assists for the Hawks last season.  Should Versteeg sign the grievance would become moot.

PRONGER SIGNS SEVEN-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH FLYERS

It looks as though Chris Pronger may finish his career as a Philadelphia Flyer.

Pronger's agent Pat Morris said on Tuesday that his client has signed a seven-year contract extension with the team worth $35 million. The contract also includes a no-movement clause, meaning Pronger, 34, is likely to wrap up his time in the NHL as a member of the Flyers.

"I am very excited to be able to retire a Philadelphia Flyer and I am looking forward to many years with the Flyers logo on my chest," Pronger said in a statement.

"We are pleased to have one of the NHL's premier defencemen in our organization and under contract long term," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. "When we made the trade for Chris, it was our intention to get him signed to an extension and we are glad we could come to this agreement."

SAY IT AIN'T SO JOE: SAKIC EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT ON THURSDAY

After 20 NHL seasons, Colorado Avalanche forward Joe Sakic may be ready to hang up his skates.

The Avalanche have called a news conference for Thursday at 3pm et/12pm pt, where according to local reports they will announce Sakic's retirement.

The Burnaby, B.C. native would leave the game as one of the most decorated athletes to ever take to the ice. Sakic hoisted two Stanley Cups, participated in 13 NHL All-Star games, and was named tournament MVP for Canada's gold medal winning team in the 2002 Olympics.

Sakic played his entire career for the Quebec/Colorado franchise, and served as their captain since 1992, after being drafted 15th overall by the Nordiques in the 1987 NHL Entry draft.

Heading into last off-season the Avalanche were unsure if Sakic was going to continue his career or opt to retire. In late August 2008, it was announced that he had signed a one-year contract with the club. Sakic played in only 15 games during the 2008-2009 season, due to injury, recording two goals and 10 assists.

As the year came to a close, he remained non-committal about retirement talk other than to say the decision would be made much quicker this year. Sakic kept his word, but retirement was not something that came easy to on-ice leader.

"This is what you've done you're whole life. Since I was six years old I've played hockey," Sakic explained at the end of the regular season. "I think when you get to that point, you have to decide first and foremost if you can do it at the level you want to play at, and secondly if you're willing to do what it takes off the ice to get that accomplished."

With the 2010 Olympics taking place in his Vancouver, some believed the veteran would lace up his skates for one more year in order to respresnt his country at the international level in his hometown.

"Obviously there are not too many people who get a chance to play in the Olympics in their hometown," he said. "That would be something special, but going into the summer you have to be realistic with yourself and health-wise and motivation-wise you have to be willing to do what it takes."

In 1,378 games, Sakic posted 625 goals and 1,016 assists for a total of 1,641 points, leaving him eighth on the NHL's all-time point leaders list.

Another one of the all time greats done in the NHL..Excpected one more season for 2010 in Vancouver but what a career

In a typical Chicago Blackhawks move, they fire they guy that got them back on the map in not just the NHL but the city of Chicago.... See ya in 15 years blackhawks fan  :peace:


http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AjmXaVUPmnTz65BonVtwH2c_2bYF?slug=ap-blackhawks-gm&prov=ap&type=lgns

If we lose Kane and Toews, you might have a case. Until then..

The home of the Boston Red Sox will finally host a National Hockey League game.

The NHL announced on Wednesday that the 2009-2010 regular season schedule would be highlighted by a matchup at Boston's Fenway Park between the Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 1.

"A unique event deserves a unique venue, and we are delighted the Bruins and Flyers will renew their rivalry with the 'Green Monster' providing the backdrop," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We welcome our fans, our teams, our sponsors and the great city of Boston to this annual celebration of our sport."

In what has recently become an annual event, the 2010 Winter Classic game marks the fourth time in five seasons that a regular season game has taken place in an outdoor venue.

The idea for a winter game began with the Heritage Classic in November 2003, when the Montreal Canadiens beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.

The first branded Winter Classic was held New Year's Day in 2008, at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout in front of more than 71,000 fans.

Last January, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 at Wrigley Field.

The regular season gets underway on October 1 and four of Canada's six teams will be in action.  The Original Six rivalry of two new-look teams helps open the season when the Toronto Maple Leafs play host to the Montreal Canadiens.

Later on that night, the Flames and their improved defence that includes Jay Bouwmeester will play host to goaltender Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks.  Joe Sakic's number will also be retired by the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center that evening.

On October 3, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins will be in Long Island where John Tavares should be making his home debut with the Islanders.

The Battle of Alberta also begins that night, with the Edmonton Oilers playing host to the Flames.

The Bruins will play the Canadiens in Montreal on December 4, which is their 100th birthday.

Because of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the Canucks will be starting a team record 14-game road trip that begins on January 30 in Toronto.  The NHL will suspend play during the games, meaning a layoff from February 15 until March 1.

The final game of the regular season will be played on Sunday, April 11.

The San Jose Sharks: A Cursed Franchise?

06:43 AM ET  07.14

At the end of the 2008-2009 NHL regular season, the San Jose Sharks find themselves atop not just the Pacific Division, not just the Western Conference, but the entire NHL. With franchise records in wins (53), points (117), and Wins at home (32). One would think this would be enough to at least get a team out of the first round of the playoffs, right? Wrong.

The furthest the Sharks have ever been in the NHL playoffs is the Conference Finals in 2004. They lost to the Calgary Flames in 7 games. Since then, they have made the playoffs 4 times, yet never past the 2nd round. For an 18 year old franchise, this is not a very impressive track record. No season however was anywhere near as dissapointing as this most recent.

Entering the playoffs, it was a pretty safe bet for most fans that the Western Conference Finals would consist of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, and the Presidents Trophy Winner San Jose Sharks. It wouldn't be til the Conference Finals that we saw a truly competitive series. Wrong again.

When the Sharks received the No.1 overall seed in the West, they were to play one of 4 teams, the Blue Jackets, the Wild, the Blues, or the Ducks. None of those teams were suspected to be much of a challenge for the Sharks, rather a good warm up series. When it was determined that the Sharks would play the Ducks, nobody thought too much of it as the Sharks had a 4-1-1 record vs. Anaheim on the season. Once again, we were wrong.

With all the matchups set in place, the playoffs commenced. Detroit and Vancouver handled the Jackets and Blues respectively. The Blackhawks won their series against the Flames in 6. The Sharks however, were a different story.

Who would've thought, that of all the favorites to struggle in the playoffs, the Presidents Trophy Winner would be the team that found themselves on the brink of elimination. After a terrible homestand, the Sharks found themselves down 2-0 heading back to Anaheim. This would prove to be too much for the Sharks to comeback from. After bringing the series to 3-2, the Sharks were crushed in Anaheim 5-2. I watched in disbelief.

As I sat on my sofa, Sharks jersey on, Sharks towel in hand, with my dad at my side on his usual chair the two of us watched as our beloved Sharks were dismantled in front of us. The team that had been put together over the past 4 seasons, the team that had been built to win NOW was thwarted, by a division rival to make things worse. We just couldn't understand what happened. I sat in front of my TV for over an hour after the game had ended, wondering what the hell I just saw. Had it really just ended? Had the joyride that I had witnessed over the past 4 months just ended? It had, and I didn't understand how. And the scary part is, I don't think anyone understands how.

Doug Wilson, the Sharks GM did similar to myself, sat and watched not understanding what had happened. He had assembled a team that had all the pieces to win, a playmaker (Joe Thornton), a quarterback/puckhandler (Dan Boyle), goal scorers (Patrick Marleau, Devin Setoguchi), veteran leadership, (Rob Blake, Jeremy Roenick), a great goaltender (Evgeni Nabokov), young talent (Joe Pavelski, Milan Michalek), and even fighters (Jody Shelley, Brad Staubitz). Yet, it wasn't enough, what were they missing?

This leads me to my point, are the Sharks a cursed franchise? What will it take for them to win? They bring together great mixes of talent year in, year out yet no combination ever seems to work. When you lose to a division rival who you dominated all season long, are you simply unlucky, or cursed? The Sharks will need to produce if they ever want to rid their name as the NHL's, and possibly all of sports as the biggest choker.

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/414440-the-san-jose-sharks-a-cursed-franchise (http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/414440-the-san-jose-sharks-a-cursed-franchise)

Per the excellent article written in today's Toronto Star by Paul Hunter, the Leafs have decided to shop Justin Pogge so that he can have a chance to advance his NHL career.

    The Leafs considered not even offering Pogge a qualifying contract. They were pursuing highly-regarded Swedish free agent Jonas Gustavsson at the time. But when it became obvious that Gustavsson wasn't going to decide his future until after July 1, Toronto protected itself by qualifying Pogge.

    The Leafs eventually signed Gustavsson and pencilled him in as the No. 2 netminder behind Vesa Toskala. Pogge was left to fight for playing time on the Marlies, likely behind impressive prospect James Reimer.

    A trade will mark the end of the fall for Pogge who never lived up to the hype created when he was a teenaged star with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen or when he was named MVP at the 2006 world junior tournament. His play then made it look as if the Leafs long-term goaltending was secure and convinced the team that Tuukka Rask, another goaltending prospect, was expendable.

    But either Pogge couldn't deal with the heightened expectations or he simply wasn't that good. He was slow and awkward in his auditions with the big club, his 6-foot-3 frame seeming more a hindrance than an asset.

It is a commentary on the management style of Mr. Burke that as with Mark Bell and Steffan Kronwall last season, if he thinks that a player is not for his organization, that he tries to move players where they may have a chance at furthering their career.

This news is another example of the decision making acumen of former GM John Ferguson Jr, who decided to trade former 1st round pick Tuukka Rask in the deal to acquire Andrew Raycroft and to keep Pogge as the heir apparent. Rask's NHL career has not been a blazing success up to this point, but he has a path cleared to be the backup to Tim Thomas in Boston and may be their No. 1 of the future. At 22, the future path is brighter for Rask, whereas the path for Justin Pogge is like the roads in Buffalo every spring, loaded with potholes.

Good on Burke...Pogge will be good