NHL Hockey Blogs

It looks like the Devils were more worried about a defensive game than an Ilya Kovalchuk game.

 New Jersey got one of the best shot-blockers in the league.  But don't think that the team is the only winner here; Volchenkov has to be happy that he won't have to block those Brian Rolston bombs anymore.  The Russian defenseman was yet another piece that the Devils knew they needed.  He really brings more of a competitive edge to New Jersey as the league's best shot-blocker.

Continue reading "New Jersey Devils Sign Anton Volchenkov ..."

After gobbling up Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Andrew Ladd from the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks, the Thrashers have signed Chris Mason, formerly of the St. Louis Blues.

Continue reading "Atlanta Signs Chris Mason to a 2-year, $3.7M Deal"

Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski may have help on the veteran end of things in Phoenix.

Ray Whitney, the long-time member of the Carolina Hurricanes, has decided to sign a 2-year deal that will place him in a young locker room full of impressionable faces. 

Continue reading "Phoenix Signs Ray Whitney to a 2-year, $6M Deal"

The boys in blue found a way to get even meaner on Thursday.

On a team that already sends out Sean Avery, Brandon Prust and Aaron Voros every night, the Rangers went after one of the toughest guys in the league.  Boogaard, after being involved in many rumors of him heading to the Detroit Red Wings, gladly accepted a big contract for a big man (6'8” 257 lbs.). 

Continue reading "New York Rangers Sign Derek Boogaard ..."

San Jose got their starting netminder... sorta.

Antero Niitymaki, the former Flyer and Lightning goalie, has reached an agreement with the West Coast team.  But what does this mean for the Sharks?

Continue reading "San Jose Signs Antero Niittymaki ..."

So... Gonchar, who?

The Penguins may have improved even more this off-season, making a big splash in the free-agent market.  Zbynek Michalek was a very steady-defenseman for the Phoenix Coyotes last season, while Paul Martin was skating the puck down his opponents' throats in New Jersey all season.

Continue reading "Pittsburgh Loads up on Defense and ..."

The Flames are taking the stance that if they can't win, they have to stick to what they know.

Both Tanguay and Jokinen are former Flames, though both were at different times.  Is this a questionable move; you bet'cha.

Continue reading "Calgary Goes Old-School; Sign Alex ..."

When you lose to a team in the playoffs, what is the best way to beat them the next season?  By stealing their players, of course.

Sergei Gonchar, an eight-time 50-point scoring defenseman, has called it quits in Pittsburgh and moved on to Ottawa.  Averaging $5.5 million a season, this could prove to be a good signing for Ottawa.  Even at a steep-price for a defenseman, Gonchar has proven time and again that he can still move the puck with the best of them, even at the age of 36.  His 39 assists last season gave him his ninth time of scoring 30 assists or more in a season. 

Continue reading "Senators Sign Sergei Gonchar to a ..."

The Blues got their leading scorer back.

Steen had a semi-breakout year in 2009-10, sharing the Blues lead with a career-high 24 goals, and ranking first on the team with seven power-play goals.  His shot from the point was the driving force behind the man-advantage this season, as he truly developed into a quarterback for his team.

Continue reading "Blues Re-Sign Alex Steen to a 4-year, ..."

Time to jump on the bandwagon – I have compiled a list of what I think will happen in early July during the free-agent frenzy in the NHL.  Some are just thoughts to consider, but I have a few strong beliefs compiled in here as well.  But you really have to ponder over how often us hockey bloggers are actually correct.

Continue reading "Free Agency Spoilers"

In Scout Jarmo Kekalainen and General Manager Larry Pleau's last acts as members of the Blues organization, the team made some noise in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. 

Blues draft forward Jaden Schwartz with the 14th overall pick

Continue reading "Blues Draft Day 1 Recap"

I recently sat with College Hockey Inc. Executive Director Paul Kelly to get his opinion Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin and what the Boston Bruins will do in the NHL Draft with their two first round picks. I have one correction to mention. During the interview, I said the Bruins have the 17th pick in the first round. It is actually the 15th.

Continue reading "Paul Kelly on the Boston Bruins Draft"

Patrick Kane's drive from an odd angle eluded goalie Michael Leighton in OT of game 6 and the Chicago Blackhawks ousted the Philadelphia Flyers in a taut, thrilling finish to win Hockey's version of the Holy Grail.

Continue reading "Kane's OT Goal Take Hawks To The Stanley Cup"

The Chicago Blackhawks returned to the United Center and beat the Flyers 7-4 on Sunday to take a 3-2 games lead in the Cup Finals.  The Hawks need one more win to win their first Stanley Cup since 1961 when Bobby Hull was a young gunner.

Continue reading "Hawks 1 Win From the Cup"

This is a very good Chicago Blackhawks team.  They have a 2-0 Cup Finals lead over the Flyers and their leading All-stars, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews have been held scoreless.  That shows you the depth of this team.  Thank you Dave Bolland, et al.  Kane and Toews looked sharper in the last game, but still failed to score.  They are getting coaching and watching videos prior to game 3, that is for sure.

Continue reading "Kane and Toews Need to Step Up"

It's been a long time, since 1961, that the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, one of the most revered trophies in all of sport.  You start out in the late summer in training camp, go to pre-season in late September and start playing by mid October.  The season ends in April.  Then it's a second season of breathless, fast-paced, high energy hockey, the playoffs, which runs for eight weeks.  If your team wins the Stanley Cup, you truly earn it.

Continue reading "Blackhawks Reach For the Cup"

The NHL may be the greatest hockey league in the world, but it may not have the best system for dealing with disciplinary action.  It seems that they could learn from leagues that play under them.  Way way under them. 

Continue reading "Time for a New Disciplinary System"

The Eastern Conference Finals could have been predicted at the start of the 2009-10 season.  Sidney Crosby will lead his Pittsburgh Penguins to face Alexander Ovechkin and the high-powered Washington Capitals.  Crosby, along with his star support like goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Sergei Gonchar, can only be beaten at their own game; scoring more goals than the other team and flexing their offensive muscles at every turn.  The same can be said for Ovechkin and his teammates like defenseman Mike Green and forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin.  No one can stop these guys; or so we thought.  Who do these Canadien guys think they are?

Continue reading "Who Are These Guys?"

When Jarmo Kekalainen and his St. Louis scouting crew found T.J. Oshie with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, they knew that they had something special under their watchful eye. They had Blues management draft him with their 24th pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and talks of the future immediately began in St. Louis. Up until his first game in October of 2008, Blues President John Davidson kept promising that Oshie would be one of the future Blues that would rock the NHL. Two seasons into his NHL career, Oshie has found himself a permanent spot in the Blues lineup. But what does he bring to this lineup that has ensured him that spot on the team?

Continue reading "Is Oshie Truly 'Untouchable'?"

Its hard to find a bright spot on a team that is currently ranked 21st in goals scored.  Alex Steen is the exception.

The St. Louis forward was not expected to be an offensive force when he was acquired from Toronto on November 24 with Carlo Colaiacovo for Lee Stempniak. Spanning over his two final seasons with the Maple Leafs, Steen played in 86 games and scored just 17 goals, including a minuscule two goals in his final twenty games.  It was even reported that Toronto head coach Ron Wilson was the only member of the Maple Leafs management team to not even say goodbye to Steen the day of the trade.  Steen came to St. Louis looking like another disappointing forward, since his 24th overall selection in 2002 built him up as the gun the Maple Leafs were looking for.  He may have faltered with his former team, but he seemed to fit in with the Blues after just a few weeks.

Continue reading "Steen Should be Top-Priority"

There are no surprises that the San Jose Sharks are the top team in the Pacific Division.  The real surprise is that the Phoenix Coyotes are just four points behind them with just five games left in the regular season.  How is this possible?  While there are many members of the Coyotes organization to give credit to, only one man has truly led the way for the brilliant performance of the Cinderella team.

Continue reading "Tippett is Clear-Cut Best Coach"

Here is how I see the east region and their chances of advancing to the final four.  I have them ranked on likely hood of reaching the final four, not on their seeding.  The seed is in paranthesis.

Continue reading "NCAA East Region breakdown."

Ray Emery was brought in to be the goaltending answer in Philadelphia.  How things change in just a few months.

Emery signed a deal on July 1 by the Flyers for one year, spelling the end for former Flyer goalies Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, whose contracts had let out on the same day.  The Flyers then signed Brian Boucher as a back-up, so it was apparent that the team was ready to commit to Emery as the starting goalie.

Continue reading "Lack of Movement May Have Doomed Flyers"

After a long wait, Edmonton finally moved one of their top players.

Only making a minor deal earlier in the day (Cody Wild to Boston for Matt Marquardt), Edmonton was expected to make a fire-sale on the deadline.  The Oilers rank last in the entire league with a dismal 19-38-6 record, recording only 44 points.  Names like Dustin Penner, Sheldon Souray and Andrew Cogliano were all being discussed today, but only one player is on his way out.

Continue reading "Anaheim Trades Ryan Whitney and a ..."

Rumors swirled that the Capitals were looking for another defenseman to make a serious playoff run; how about two of them?

Reports stated Tuesday night that the Capitals were in discussions with many teams about bringing in a defenseman.  The number one rumor (found on NHL.com) was that Capitals GM Mike McPhee was talking with Blues' GM Larry Pleau about bruiser Barret Jackman.  A deal seemed imminent until it was announced that Jurcina was brought in from Columbus for a sixth-round pick approximately ten minutes before the deadline.  It was announced a half hour later that the club also brought in Joe Corvo from the Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Brian Pothier and an undisclosed draft pick.

Continue reading "Washington Acquires Milan Jurcina ..."

Anaheim just can't seem to stop shuffling their goaltenders.

After shipping away J.S. Giguere and Justin Pogge in the past month, they have also sent recently-acquired Vesa Toskala packing.  After being acquired in the Giguere deal on January 31, Toskala did not play in a single game for the Ducks.  His 3.66 GAA and .870 save percentage with Toronto is an unimpressive stat on this season. 

Continue reading "Calgary Trades Curtis McElhinney ..."

Talks of Peter Mueller being the next best thing in Phoenix have come to an end.

“He's a great young man who loves to play the game,” former head coach Wayne Gretzky once said about the now-21 year old.  “He's good with the puck. We're happy with his progress and production.”

Continue reading "Phoenix Trades Peter Mueller and ..."

If you would have told Scott Walker four years ago that he would be traded for a seventh-round pick, he may ask you how many you have had to drink.

Walker, the gritty 37-year old winger, will be joining his fourth NHL team.  Just three seasons ago, Walker accumulated 51 points in 81 games.  But how the veteran has fallen.  He has added just three goals and two assists in 33 games this season.  While he is not adding the scoring that he used to, he still adds a physical presence that makes the opposing defenses shake in their skates. 

Continue reading "Washington Trades Seventh-Round Draft ..."

Pogge could have counted how many days he lived in Anaheim before being traded again.

After being acquired over the summer from Toronto, Pogge did not even see action with the Ducks before being dealt at the deadline.  It was pretty clear that the Ducks would want Pogge for next season to battle for the backup job with prospect Timo Pielmeier after trading J.S. Giguere to Toronto just a few weeks ago.  Vesa Toskala was acquired in the trade, but his contract will be up at the end of the season and was unlikely to re-sign with Anaheim.  Pogge's .920 save percentage with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL this season shows how impressive he truly can be.

Continue reading "Anaheim Ducks Justin Pogge and a ..."

Shortly after moving defensive defenseman Derek Morris, Boston added another veteran to their blue line.

Dennis Seidenberg, who signed a one-year deal with Florida this past summer, leaves Florida as the top ice-time getter, averaging 22:54 played a game.  The German Olympian adds just two goals to the Bruins' lineup, but has 21 assists on a low-scoring team.  He is very good at getting the puck out of the zone and moving the puck up ice, but will not contribute much to the Bruins and their 16th ranked power-play. 

Continue reading "Boston Trades Craig Weller, Byron ..."

In 2009 Morris gets traded away from Phoenix, and in 2010 he returns to Phoenix.

Morris, who has seen time with the Flames, Avalanche, Coyotes, Rangers and Bruins, will head back to Phoenix after being dealt at the trade deadline last season to the New York Rangers for Dmitri Kalinin, Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes.  The Coyotes get him back for just a fourth-round pick in 2011.

Continue reading "Boston Trades Derek Morris to Phoenix ..."

Montreal landed a top prospect for their gritty winger.

Matt D'Agostini, the Canadiens' sixth round choice in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, has just 14 goals and 11 assists in 94 NHL games played.  The winger is more associated with his feisty style of play, striking fear into opponents when they enter the corners of their defensive zone.  The winger does have an offensive upside though; with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, D'Agostini scored 128 points in 162 games played. 

Continue reading "Montreal Trades Matt D'Agostini to ..."

Of all of the impressive performances at the Winter Olympics, Switzerland goalie Jonas Hiller proved just how good a player he is going to be for the Anaheim Ducks as he came ever so close to guiding the minnows to an unlikely semi-final place.

Continue reading "Hiller gives Ducks something to hang on to"

One of hockey's best critics was given the opportunity to sound off in an interview.  He did not disappoint, as he took full advantage of this occurrence.

Doug Stolhand is the co-host of the Puck Podcast, a weekly hockey podcast that discusses happenings from around the league every Saturday.  He did not start as a podcaster though; just like a professional sports player, he had to spend his time in the minor leagues before hitting the big time.

Continue reading "A Chat with Doug Stolhand of the Puck Podcast"

Rumors have been going around that Jordan Staal might get traded soon. I think trading Staal would be a mistake for the Penguins. Staal is a young and talented hockey player. He is the best penalty ki

Continue reading "The Pittsburgh Penguins shouldn't ..."

There’s been a lot of griping recently over the state of Boston sports, serving (for me) as another ugly reminder of the developing, spoiled and cocksure nature of fans in this area. Let’s take a quick look, shall we?

Continue reading "A Message to Boston Sports Fans"

As the trade deadline approaches it was the Toronto Maple Leafs who made the first big moves to start the rebuilding of their franchise with the addition of hulking defenseman Dion Phaneuf and veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Continue reading "Leafs busy as deadline looms"

It seems that Leafs' GM Brian Burke has not needed sleep this weekend.

Burke announced on Sunday morning that the team had made two blockbuster moves that will see all-star defenseman Dion Phaneuf and all-star goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in Maple Leaf jerseys.  Burke shipped forwards Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan, and Nick Hagman with defenseman Ian White to the Flames for Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie.  The second trade involved Giguere heading to Toronto from Anaheim for forward Jason Blake and goaltender Vesa Toskala.

Continue reading "Maple Leafs Make Some Big Moves"

Keith Jeffries of Huntsville Sports Ventures has been the owner of the Havoc, a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League, for all six years - the longest stint of the city's four previous franchises.

Continue reading "Coyote Ugly - Deserted Dogs"

New England Sports Network (NESN) is in the midst of airing a six-episode reality television program titled, Boston Boxing: Team Training.

 

The series documents the teachings of a renowned local boxing trainer to 40 amateur pugilists with extremely varying skill levels over a span of 12 weeks.

Continue reading "Boston Boxing: Team Training on NESN ..."

Has it been 30 years now since the US beat the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid?(It seems like only yesterday...)

The Americans went on to win the gold medal in hockey that year - something that hasn't happened since, but don't expect any miracles next month at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. No, the United States still isn't favored to win a gold medal in hockey. In that respect the Americans remain underdogs. But with a roster stacked with young talent, they certainly are a medal candidate - one that the powerhouses from Canada, Russia and Sweden can't afford to overlook. "A little bit different situation [than 1980] in my opinion," said United States team captain Jamie Langenbrunner, a forward with the NHL's New Jersey Devils. "As much as Canada deserves all the credit that they're getting for the players they have, the 23 players named to the [United States] team play in the same league as those guys and we feel quite comfortable playing against them on a nightly basis. We feel we belong on the same ice."

Continue reading "USA! USA! USA!"

Is it just me, or is it that Canucks media is making it seem that David Backes will ultimately end up in Vancouver?

Canucks GM Mike Gillis attempted to sign Blues forward and restricted free-agent David Backes to an offer sheet worth $7.5 million over three years.  With Backes as a fan-favorite and a valuable asset to the Blues' rebuilding phase, St. Louis GM Larry Pleau had no choice but to match the offer and reclaim his player. 

Continue reading "Weighing in on Blues – Canucks Rumors"

Did I say love? My bad!

A huge fight that stopped a KHL Championship game just after four minutes of play has led to a criminal investigation being launched into the reasons behind the major brawl at the game between Vityaz Chekhov and Avangard Omsk on January 9th.

Continue reading "From Russia, with love."

Did you see that crazy backhand goal by Michael Del Zotto of the Rangers that snuck its way through Boston's Tim Thomas a few weeks ago?  Of course you did, it was the only afternoon game on that Saturday.

Continue reading "The NHL Could Learn from the NFL"

Some nice 2007 foals hit the track as two year olds in 2009 and among the best are those nominated for Eclipse awards in the 2 year old division.

The top nominations for colts are Lookin at Lucky, Noble’s Promise and Vale of York while the top fillies nominated are Blind Luck, Hot Dixie Chick and She Be Wild.

Continue reading "2 year old Eclipse nominees"

Officiating has become so intolerable that one general manager filed a protest in a league that doesn't allow protests and several coaches have talked about reading the rulebook again to see if it had changed.

Continue reading "Uh Oh, Skettio's!"

There was no shortage of excitement last night when the Washington Capitals took on the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The best moment came late in the game when the gloves were dropped by Alex Ovechkin and Steve Downie.  Interestingly enough, Ovechkin and Downie never got down to business.

Continue reading "Ovechkin Drops Gloves with Downie, ..."

 Well, we’ve made it to the halfway point of the season, so it is time to hand out a few awards to the deserving, the hopeless and the sensational.

Team of the season: I’m going to take the New Jersey Devils here since they are the one team to impress me more than I had expected. I thought Chicago and San Jose might be the quality of the West and so it has proved. The Devils; well I saw them as a decent playoff team but not the halfway top seed.

Continue reading "And the winner is…"

I guess Blues management frequents NHL Hockey Online.

Blues President John Davidson announced that the club has relieved Head Coach Andy Murray of his coaching duties (something I eluded to just three days ago).  The team has in turn named Davis Payne the interim head coach. 

Continue reading "Murray Out; Payne In"

A “winning streak” is not a concept that the St. Louis Blues seem to entirely grasp in 2009-10.

The Blues, who did not see their first three-game winning streak until a 2-1 shootout win over the Calgary Flames on December 23, are currently posting a 17-17-5 record, placing them twelfth in the Western Conference and eight points out of a playoff spot.  The record itself is not the biggest problem; it is the lack of production from the core of the lineup.  Before being injured Sunday against the Sabres, left-wing Paul Kariya, who also happens to be drawing $6 million in the final season of his contract, has racked up just eight goals and 19 points in 38 games.  For a former six-time 30 goal scorer, the numbers can speak volumes for the lack of effort the team is seeing from Kariya.

Continue reading "Wrong Coach or Wrong Team?"

Does anyone in North America remember Peter Forsberg?  You know, that guy that scored 885 points for the Nordiques, Avalanche, Flyers and Predators? 

Forsberg has attempted many comebacks to the NHL and other professional hockey leagues since playing in his last NHL game for the Colorado Avalanche in April 2008.  His nagging ankle injuries has limited his play, but he has continued working on his game, earning a spot with fellow Swedish countryman Markus Naslund on Modo Hockey of the Swedish Elite League.  Forsberg played in just three games last season, but has stormed back this campaign scoring eight goals and seven assists in nine games.  Is this worthy of a roster spot on the 2010 Swedish Olympic Team?

Continue reading "Team Sweden Making Some Questionable Moves"

Sometimes the best way to learn about a sport is by talking with one of its biggest fans.

Eddie Garcia is a California-native who has followed the Los Angeles Kings for as long as he likes to remember.  He started a podcast with his long-time friend Doug Stolhand after reading a story in a local LA newspaper about a few average Joe's that started their own successful baseball podcast.  Eddie approached his friend about the story, and they sought advice from the baseball podcasters.  3 ½ years later, Eddie and Doug are the only hockey podcast featured on FoxSports.com, and the Puck Podcast has followers from all over the world, making it the number one rated hockey podcast on iTunes.  Eddie had a few minutes to go over his thoughts over the success of his show with me, along with a few thoughts about growing up in LA as a hockey fan and rumblings from around the league. 

Continue reading "A Chat with Eddie Garcia of the Puck Podcast"

This blog is my shout-out to you Pens fans that have been rejoicing in the suspension of Alexander Ovechkin.

For one thing, I was all for a suspension being handed out here, and I am one of his fans.

Continue reading "Cry Me A River"

Violence has been a part of hockey since at least the early 1900's. According to the book Hockey: A People's History, in 1904 alone, four players were killed during hockey games from the frequent brawls and violent stickwork. 

Continue reading "Legend Of The Goon Squad pt.2"

There used to be a bumper sticker that said, "Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent."

The Hall of Famer goalie, who had two Stanley Cup winning seasons with the Flyers, was in Buffalo signing autographs at Benchwarmers Sports Bar.

Continue reading "Buffalo visited by ghost of hockey past"

Alot of people think fighting in hockey is just about two meat heads who feel like kicking the crap out of each other but it has much more to do with intimidation, defending your team mates and getting into the other teams head.

Continue reading "Legend Of The Goon Squad pt.1"

     The Saints have gotten unprecedented rewards out of this season’s motto, “Finish!” Sunday the Who Dat Nation watched the Saints turn in another dominant second-half performance after trailing early to post a new franchise record 8-0 start. Saints fans remember last year’s painful gut-wrenching losses, when the team displayed innovative ways to snatch defeat from the hands of victory in the fourth quarter. In this week’s edition of

Continue reading "Big Daddy Navigates Uncharted Waters:"

There have been plenty of breakout stories early in the NHL season but none more surprising than the form of Colorado Avalanche goaltender Craig Anderson.

Anderson was always considered a journeyman backup in net until a decent effort in Florida last season when he took over the reins from an injured Tomas Vokoun and secured a 15-7 record in 31 games, 27 of which were starts.

Continue reading "Anderson makes Avalanche whole"

     Big Daddy's spectacular Halloween weekend could not have ended any better than with a Darren Sharper pick to clinch the victory against the hated Dirty Birds on Monday night. Don’ t you feel sorry for people around the country living in cultureless gated communities whose neighbors are from anywhere USA, half of which will move within a year chasing a more lucrative job to fulfill the false illusion of sprawling malls, 401(k)s, mortgages, car payments, and college funds which define success in today’ s misguided America? In this edition on the

Continue reading "Big Daddy’s Unforgettable Halloween:"

Tim Thomas has been the heavy favorite for the starting goaltender position for Team USA in 2010 for quite some time.  But Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller is turning some heads with his strong play to start the 2009-10 campaign.

Continue reading "Miller and Anderson Making Pitch ..."

Pardon me while I go off track for a moment.

 

Last night I watched one of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentaries. It was “Without Bias: The Len Bias Story” or something like that. It didn’t blow me away as far as storytelling goes, but it was well done.

Continue reading "Deep 86-ed"

120:52 is an eternity for the St. Louis Blues.

That is how long it has been since the team has lit the lamp, which occurred on October 28th in North Carolina when David Perron added an empty-net goal to seal a 5-2 Blues victory.  The celebration did not seem to last long.

Continue reading "Bring on the Rivermen!"

After seven games played, the Patriots get a much deserved and needed break, thanks to the bye week. While it’s great for the players and coaches, it is sometimes tough for the fans.

 

Continue reading "Good Bye"

I know what you're thinking:  Kind of cliché to say that checking from behind has to be stopped.  I agree.  But part of me feels that the NHL does not do enough to cast aside this dangerous act.

Continue reading "Checking from Behind Must be Stopped"

Only 3 games into the season, the Blues have plenty to talk about.  So lets get started...

Defenseman Barret Jackman sprains ankle; goes on IR (per Jeremy Rutherford).

Jackman will have to miss at least seven days, according to NHL injury reserve stipulations.  The Blues have claimed that this injury is “week to week.”  Jackman was a -1 to start the season, while posting 2 assists.

Continue reading "Blues Early Season News and Notes"

     Sunday’s rain showers didn’t slow down Black ’n’ Gold tailgaters readying themselves for battle. Entering the Superdome, Big Daddy encountered Jets fans displaying their typically rude, loud-mouthed New York attitudes, demonstrating why many despise New Yorkers. Cocky Jets fans’ relentless attempts to diminish Who Dat intensity were less effective than the Army Corps’ levees. After the Saints forced Jets fans to “eat it!” all day, those Yankees had nothing to say. In this week’s edition of

Continue reading "Big Daddy Screams For Defense"

The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers got hot again last night. Last night there were a few fights and a scrum.

The game started out rough with a penalty to Philly in the first minute of the game. The Pens would capitalize on the power play very quickly. Only a minute and a half into the game, the first fight started between Adams and Laperriere. Adams would win pretty quickly.

Continue reading "Fight Night in Flyer City"

The offensive side of the red line is not the one that aged Blues fans may be used to.

The days of Adam Oates or Pierre Turgeon are over in St. Louis.  It is hard to find which Blue may stand out from the rest, much like the start of last season.  Brad Boyes and David Backes took that spot over with relative ease during the Blues' amazing playoff run.

Continue reading "The Official 2009-10 NHL Hockey Online ..."

What do you get when you mix a group of wily veterans, rising young stars and surprise goaltending?  No, this is not a joke that you heard while playing cards with your grandpa.  The answer is the St. Louis Blues. 

Continue reading "The Official 2009-10 NHL Hockey Online ..."

Could an exhibition game really give bad publicity to a major North-American sports league?

The NHL has constantly been trying to show that their league is the best to the public all over the world.  For the past few seasons, the league has sent four of their teams overseas to play in places such as Germany, Sweden and England.  The teams usually open the NHL regular season a week early, playing two games in the country that they were designated.  This season the league has decided to send the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings to Sweden, and the Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers to Finland.  Not only are these teams playing each other, but they will see time against some of the best teams of the chosen nation in pre-season play.

Continue reading "Inter-League Game Could Spell Bad News for NHL"

While most of the hockey world was reading about Dany Heatley’s monster move to the San Jose Sharks last week, it became clear that a former NHL favorite was about to try his luck at an unlikely comeback.

Continue reading "A most unexpected return…"

Ottawa hockey writers can finally take a small break from their hectic summer before the season starts.  Dany Heatley has officially been moved.

It was announced Saturday afternoon that after many talks with the San Jose Sharks, Heatley and a fifth round pick have been traded to the Sharks for right-winger Jonathan Cheechoo, left-winger Milan Michalek and a second round draft choice in 2010.

Continue reading "The Drama is Over; Heatley Dealt to Sharks"

It's funny how one mistake on an online publication can put a few thousand people in an uproar.

“Phil Kessel Traded to Blues” was the headline on a story without any subtext included with it on Thursday evening.  The New England Hockey Journal, a well-respected hockey website, posted this error that sent the fans of the Bruins and Blues into a state of panic.  Bruins fans were terrified that they did not get a decent return while Blues fans were anxious over who had to be traded.  Online hockey message boards lit up with questions on how the deal went down and when the teams were going to officially announce the news.  The media bonanza even made it as far as ESPN.com when they posted “Rumors:  P. Kessel maybe headed to Blues.”

Continue reading "Misprint Still has St. Louis Buzzing"

Vancouver signs Mathieu Schneider to a 1-Year, $1.55 million contract

The Canucks found the replacement for Mattias Ohlund that they were looking for.

After watching Ohlund sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1st, the Canucks felt a gaping hole in their defensive corps.  Even at the age of 40, Schneider can still play the game.  He only accumulated nine goals in 67 games last season splitting time between the Thrashers and Canadiens, Schneider is still a key for a successful power-play.  6 of his 9 goals last season came with the man advantage, while also amassing 12 power-play assists.  The 20-season veteran will be a nice addition to an already impressive Canuck power-play unit.

Continue reading "Vancouver Adding to D"

Hello Readers, I'm back! Yes, after a bit of a summer hiatus where I recovered from Montreal's exit from the playoffs, their decision to not sign Saku Koivu, and then give Scott Gomez a huge contract, I'm back. I've ordered up RDS from my local cable provider so I can start getting the news directly from the sources in Montreal, and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.

Continue reading "The Absent Blogger Returns"

After a grueling summer of NHL media not knowing the full synopsis of the Dany Heatley saga, the man in the spotlight finally spoke.

The German-born right winger informed the Canadian media for the first time since asking for a trade in Kelowna, British Columbia about his situation.  Dany stated that his desires of leaving Ottawa have not changed.

Continue reading "Time to Put the Big Boy Pants on Dany"

1. Well, Brett Favre is back. Just as he started to drift out of our minds again, BAM, breaking news on ESPN: "Favre is a Viking." As obnoxious as this story has been for the last three years, it sure will make the Vikings vs. Packers games more interesting, especially the November 1st game when he returns to Lambeau Field. My guess is the reaction will be half cheers, half boos from the fans, all boos from Ted Thompson.

Continue reading "8-18 Football News and MLB Waiver Wire Deals"

 

 

The National Hockey League lost one of its greatest recent players last week when Jeremy Roenick finally announced his retirement after a glorious 20-year career at the highest level.

Continue reading "A fond farewell to Roenick (mostly!)"

J.S. Giguere is a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Stanley Cup Champion and a 4-time 30-game winner.  There is no way any team would want to dump a guy with these credentials, right?  Think again.

Continue reading "What's Brewing in Anaheim?"

Welcome Back everybody.

Pre-Season will be getting underway next month and I know everyone is excited to see the new additions to their favorite teams, upgrades to the arenas, and empty their wallets for DirecTV Center Ice or to go to the game, but in all, we are excited, so lets get down to business.

Continue reading "Welcome Back LA Kings Fans!"

The Detroit Red Wings, who just so happen to be the reigning Central Division Champions for the past eight seasons, might find it very tough to nine-peat this season.

The Red Wings are still considered by many to be the top team in the Central Division in 2009-10.  With Pavel Datsyuk playing some of the smartest hockey in the league, Henrik Zetterberg putting pucks in the net more often than not and Nicklas Lidstrom stonewalling forwards more than his goaltender, the Red Wings will put yet another powerful product on the ice.  But in order to retain these all-stars, the Red Wings have had to see their depth take a nosedive.

Continue reading "Its Not Going to be Easy"

Philadelphia Sports Fans Are Scumbags

A man was beaten to death in a savage and needless fracas that occurred outside of Citizen’s Bank Park in the final innings of the Philadelphia Phillies 14-6 home win versus the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday night.  

Continue reading "Philadelphia Sports Fans Are Scumbags, ..."

A man was beaten to death in a savage and needless fracas that occurred outside of Citizen’s Bank Park in the final innings of the Philadelphia Phillies 14-6 home win versus the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday night. 

Continue reading "Philadelphia Sports Fans Are Scumbags"

Late July is always the time of year that weighs down on hockey fans.  The Stanley Cup has been handed out, the Entry Draft is over and free-agency is pretty much at a standstill.  It always brings in all of those questions regarding if the team has improved or regressed.  Blues fans always have the same question on their mind almost more than any other teams' fans:  When will it be our turn?

Continue reading "Oh Those Summer Blues"

The New York Islanders have made a plunge into the free-agent goalie market this summer, locking up Dwayne Roloson on July 1st and Martin Biron on July 22nd.  This seems like a good tandem for a team that faced its fair share of struggles last season.  There is just one little problem that the Islanders seem to be forgetting; they own a 15-year, $67.5 million goaltender that was once considered the “franchise goaltender.”

Continue reading "Islanders Could Have a Logjam in Goal"

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my new Steelers Blog.  My name is Nicole, and I live in a little town called Butler, just an hour out of Pittsburg. I have lived here all of my life, and have been

Continue reading "It's another Steelers Blog!"

July 9th was a dark day for the Colorado Avalanche hockey club.  After 20 seasons, all being with the Nordiques-Avalanche franchise, long-time captain Joe Sakic announced his retirement from the NHL. Not only did Avalanche personnel say goodbye to their on-ice leader, but their most valuable player.

Continue reading "Avalanche Should Make Pitch for Tanguay"

*revised

May 1st, 2009

The Detroit Tigers will:

• win the Central Devision

• record = 92-70

• loose to the Red Sox in the ALCS

Continue reading "AARWICH – PRIDICTIONS *REVISED July 14th, 2009"

1. Tonight’s the Home Run Derby. I’m heading down there later to soak up some of the atmosphere and to see if I can get close enough to Clark Street to maybe grab a ball. Albert Pujols has come close to hitting it out of the park in regulation play, so he might have a shot when he’s being grooved pitches. That being said, I’m a little worried about him heading into this competitive batting practice extravaganza.

Continue reading "All-Star Preview Among Other Topics"

It was no shock to the city of Anaheim when all-star defenseman Chris Pronger was traded on NHL draft day.  The real shock may come during the 2009-10 season when the Ducks still put out a strong defensive lineup on opening day.

Continue reading "Ducks' Defense Still Staggering"

The Blues have done well this offseason to retain key pieces of last year’s team such as Keith Tkachuk, Jay McClemment, Brad Winchester, and Mike Weaver. I personally didn’t see Weaver coming back, not because of his lack of performance, but because I didn’t think that the Blues would have room for him on their roster. That changed once the team decided to buyout the final year of Jay McKee’s contract. The Blues now have Weaver, Erik Johnson, Carlo Coliacavo, Eric Brewer, and Barret Jackman locked up for next year. They also have a qualifying offer on the table to Roman Polak who is apparently expecting some massive contract offer from the Blues, but the team isn’t biting. The club would probably be willing to pay him more than just the qualifying offer they gave him, but they’re not going to overpay for a guy who’s just a supporting player, albeit a solid one.

Continue reading "The Blues fill a big need, look to sure up roster"

Martin Havlat saw the writing on the wall in Chicago when they signed winger Marian Hossa to a 12-year contract earlier in the day.  The Wild jumped on the chance at grabbing the free-agent winger.

Continue reading "Wild sign Martin Havlat to 6-Year, ..."

The Canadiens keep making the headlines.  They have brought in yet another key forward.

Brian Gionta, one of the most valued New Jersey Devils in recent time, has decided to sign with the revamped Montreal Canadiens.  Gionta has spent all of his 7 NHL seasons with the Devils, playing right-wing on the top line for most of that time.  Gionta is coming off of a 60-point season with the Devils, which ranked him tied for third on the team.  Scoring is not his only strength though.  The 5'7” 175 lb. Rochester native has also been known to kill penalties and play in any defensive situation. 

Continue reading "Canadiens Sign Brian Gionta to 5-Year, ..."

As expected, the New York Rangers have made a splash in the free-agent sweepstakes.  Rangers GM Glen Sather announced late Wednesday that the club has agreed to terms with star free-agent, Marian Gaborik.  

Continue reading "Rangers sign Marian Gaborik to 5-Year, ..."

It’s July 1st and the NHL Free Agent season has begun. Our home team San Jose Sharks have begun the process of addition with a little subtraction letting several players go to make room for the player who will become the latest in a long string of players who will get the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Continue reading "San Jose Sharks Say Goodbye to Mike ..."

Leafs GM Brian Burke was not done adding some grit to his lineup after signing New York's Colton Orr to a 4-year, $4 million contract.  He continued on a few hours later, picking defenseman Mike Komisarek up from free-agency.

Continue reading "Maple Leafs Sign Mike Komisarek to ..."

Bob Gainey jumped right back into making big deals for his squad on Wednesday.  Gainey acquired Scott Gomez yesterday from the New York Rangers and now has added star Mike Cammalleri to his Canadiens lineup.

Continue reading "Canadiens Sign Mike Cammalleri to ..."

Erik Cole has been brought back to the only team he has ever really wanted to know.

Cole was traded one year ago today from Carolina for Edmonton's Jani Pitkanen.  The trade saw Pitkanen play solid defense for the Hurricanes, but things did not go so well for the Oilers' end of the bargain.  Cole registered just 16 goals in 63 games with Edmonton, before being traded back to Carolina for Patrick O'Sullivan as part of a three-way deal with Los Angeles.  Cole added two more goals with Carolina in 17 games, but the real story was the resurgence of Canes' captain Eric Staal with Cole on his line.

Continue reading "Hurricanes Re-Sign Erik Cole to 2-Year, ..."

After parting ways with goaltender Dwayne Roloson, the Oilers pulled the trick out of their sleeve and signed unrestricted free-agent Nikolai Khabibulin. 

The former Stanley Cup winner enjoyed a great comeback year last season, posting a 25-8-7 record.  This came after being placed on waivers to start the season, since GM Dale Tallon brought in unrestricted free-agent goaltender Cristobal Huet for a long-term contract.  Khabibulin took his job back in classy form, being one of the better goaltenders in the league by the start of 2009. 

Continue reading "Oilers Sign Nikolai Khabibulin to ..."

As expected, the Ducks have brought back their captain.

Scott Niedermayer, the man who made up his mind to return to the Ducks just before the NHL Draft on Friday, has signed a 1-year deal reportedly worth $6 million.  The Ducks traded star defenseman Chris Pronger on draft day, knowing that Niedermayer wanted to return to his team. 

Continue reading "Ducks Re-Sign Scott Niedermayer to ..."