The Official 2008/2009 NHL Thread

[AxlsMainMan]

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

[Malcolm]

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

[AxlsMainMan]

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

[IKnowWhereIAM]

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.

[Alan]

http://www.syracusecrunch.com/

columbus blue jackets

[IKnowWhereIAM]

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???

[AxlsMainMan]

Dude, the Bruins are incredible this year

[Alan]

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???

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.

[Malcolm]

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

[AxlsMainMan]

Oh yeah, the Leafs are destined for the cup now

[Malcolm]

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.

[Malcolm]

''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

[Alan]

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.

[IKnowWhereIAM]

Dude, the Bruins are incredible this year

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. 

[Malcolm]

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.

[Alan]

ah man the oilers robbed the penguins last night.

outshot 17-43 and won it in OT

[AxlsMainMan]

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

[AxlsMainMan]

             

                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

 

[Alan]

that was an awesome story posted above.

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

[Alan]

wow oilers are way to inconsistant.

awesome vs vancouver

absolute shite so far tonight vs blackhawks