NHL Hockey Blogs

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 ..."

The New York Islanders announced the signing of former Oiler Dwayne Roloson.

Roloson is coming off of a decent year with the Oilers.  Going 28-24-9, the veteran goaltender stole a lot of games for the Oilers.  He is big in important situations, especially late in games or in the playoffs.

Continue reading "Islanders sign Dwayne Roloson to ..."

Blues fans have been asking about a back-up goalie for starter Chris Mason.  Ask and ye shall receive.

The Blues got a fantastic run out of starter Chris Mason last season, as he was the driving force for the Blues' run to the playoffs.  The Blues sent former starter Manny Legace to Peoria of the AHL in February, which left the back-up role a question mark.  Until now.

Continue reading "Blues Sign Ty Conklin to 2-Year, ..."

Goodbye Martin Havlat, hello Marian Hossa.

The Blackhawks have made it two years running with big off-season acquisitions now.  Last year the Hawks grabbed defenseman Brian Campbell and goaltender Cristobal Huet, and now the team has brought in possibly the biggest name in the free-agent market with Marian Hossa. 

Continue reading "Blackhawks sign Marian Hossa to 12-Year, ..."

The Avalanche have taken yet another step to try and answer their troubles in net.  Craig Anderson, one of the best back-up goaltenders in 2008-09, has accepted a 2-year, $3.6 million deal. 

Continue reading "Avalanche sign Craig Anderson to ..."

The Lightning have empowered their blue line even more this off-season.

After drafting young defenseman Victor Hedman last Friday in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Lightning have brought in a veteran to further along his progress.  Mattias Ohlund, who has spent his entire 12-year career with the Vancouver Canucks, has moved to the Eastern Conference to play with the young Tampa Bay defense.

Continue reading "Lightning Sign Mattias Ohlund to ..."

Canuck fans no longer have a reason to panic. 

Vancouver General Manager Mike Gillis announced just before noon on Wednesday that the Canucks and the Sedins finally reached a contract extension.  It is believed to be a five-year extension  that will earn each brother $6.1 million each season. 

Continue reading "Canucks Sign Henrik and Daniel Sedin ..."

 **This deal was declined by Heatley since he has a no-trade clause.  He is buying time, so this deal could still be made.

Analysis:  The Dany Heatley saga has possibly come to a close.  TSN.ca is reporting that Heatley had a chance to be dealt to the Oilers Tuesday night.

Continue reading "Deal Dead -For Now- Senators Trade ..."

Jay Bouwmeester got his wish on Tuesday; a long-term contract worth a handsome sum.  After having his rights traded last Saturday from Florida to the Flames for defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third round pick, Bouwmeester met with Calgary management all week but finally came to a deal just before the deadline.

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Analysis:  The biggest name in this deal is obviously 2-time Stanley Cup winner Scott Gomez.  Being signed through 2013-14, this Alaska native has been a slight disappointment for the New York Rangers.  Being signed in the summer of 2007 to a 7-year, $51.5 million deal, Gomez has registered 128 points in two seasons with the Rangers, which is a little lower than the Rangers had originally expected.  In 2005-06, Gomez registered 84 points in 82 games with the New Jersey Devils.  He is still a top-line center, but Montreal will be hoping that he can earn his paycheck with better point totals for the remainder of his contract.

Continue reading "Rangers Trade Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt ..."

As you probably already know, the Flyers acquired Chris Pronger and Ryan Dingle from Anaheim for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, their 2009 1st round pick, their 2010 1st round pick, and a conditional 3rd round pick.  I’ve been seeing a lot of mixed reactions regarding the trade. The majority of them tend to be that it was way too much to give up. My thoughts…we clearly paid a VERY heavy price, however, I am absolutely thrilled with this trade. I will admit, the thought of Pronger leaving after his one year is up, makes me cringe a bit, but I do believe Holmgren has every intention of signing him to an extension. Ideally, we can sign him to a reasonable 2-3 year deal (sadly, I think that’s optimistic) and we can lose the salaries of one of, if not both of, Jones and Carle. If those things were to happy, my grade of this trade would go from a B to an A.

Continue reading "Analyzing the Chris Pronger Trade"

The Detroit Red Wings announced that they would not be offering 47 year old D-Man Chris Chelios a new contract, ending his run with that team.

Watching Chelios in the last couple of years was amazing, here is a guy, virtually my age, banging away with the best and the youngest of them in the NHL. I am sure that, if he wanted to, he could find a slot on another team, but should he? I think no.

Continue reading "Detroit Red Wings say Bye bye to Chris Chelios"

If, as expected, he is taken with the first pick of the NHL draft on Friday in Montreal, John Tavares will have the weight of Long Island on him.

The New York Islanders are a franchise coming out of two of the toughest seasons in their history and they need a face – a real star in the making – to be the answer towards finally helping them out of what has been a very dark hockey basement.

Continue reading "Pressure on John Tavares"

If, as expected, he is taken with the first pick of the NHL draft on Friday in Montreal, John Tavares will have the weight of Long Island on him.

The New York Islanders are a franchise coming out of two of the toughest seasons in their history and they need a face – a real star in the making – to be the answer towards finally helping them out of what has been a very dark hockey basement.

Continue reading "Pressure on John Tavares"

St. Louis Blues President John Davidson announced Friday that forward Keith Tkachuk has agreed to return to the club for one more year.  The Blues and Tkachuk have been having talks about a return since being ousted from the playoffs in April.  The deal is reportedly worth $2.15 million.

Continue reading "Tkachuk Signs One-Year Contract and ..."

There is no equivalent to the NHL Captain in any other major US professional sport. The man who has a "C" on his sweater has a unique position, both in terms of rules and expectations. The team captain in hockey is the only player who is allowed to discuss penalties with a referee and he becomes the on-ice representative of the coach and the entire team, thus he is identified with the C (or an A for alternate captains who serve as sort of co-captains and can speak to the officials in place of the regular captain). You see these guys standing in front of the scorers tables waiting for the official to sort out penalties.

Continue reading "San Jose Sharks Captains, look back ..."

The NHL season hasn’t even been over for a week and I already miss it. I have a fever and the only cure is more blaring goal horns. This season left a much better taste in my mouth than the previous one because not only did the Blues make it back to the postseason, their biggest rival didn’t win the postseason. The Red Wings had everything going their way. There hadn’t been a home team that had lost a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 38 years. The road team hasn’t won a championship in a Game 7 in any professional sport since the Pirates did it back in 1979. So Detroit took that fact and dominated the first period. Pittsburgh outshot the Wings 10-6 in the first, but it didn’t feel that way watching it. But then Detroit let them off the hook.

Continue reading "NHL Finals Recap and Award Predictions"

The agony of defeat!

After a serious battle in which the home team dominated play in every game but the last in the series, the Detroit Red Wings fell to the Pittsburg Penguins 2-1 in the final NHL game of the year.  Pittsburgh was obviously hungry for the Cup, and they played a great game and a great series to win it!

Continue reading "Wings Suffer Crushing Blow in Game Seven"

The Penguins did what everyone said they couldn't do. They beat the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena in game seven of the finals. Marc Andre Fleury played the game of his life. What a great save he made o

Continue reading "Stanley Cup Champs"

It was reported Friday that Chris Pronger found a new home in the town of Los Angeles.  The unconfirmed reports said that Pronger was sent to the Kings for up-and-coming defenseman Jack Johnson and a fifth-round pick.  The LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks quickly shot down the report.  Kings GM Dean Lombardi was asked via e-mail, and he quickly responded with the simplest of replies:  “No.”

Continue reading "Pronger Trade Rumor Ridiculous"

"It was a really tough decision for me to make," forward Marian Hossa stated last July. "When I compared the two teams, I felt like I would have a little better of a chance to win the Cup in Detroit."

Continue reading "Hossa Perfect Fit for Islanders"

The Pittsburgh Penguins squeaked by the Detroit Red Wings by a single goal to take Game 6 by a score of 2-1 on their home ice.  As has been the precedent, the team having home ice advantage has taken every game so far in this too-close-to-call series.  The Red Wings will be glad to come back to play Game 7 at Joe Louis arena where they rarely lose.  They have an 11-1 record so far this year on home ice in the playoffs - and have outscored Pittsburgh 11-2 so far at home in this series.

Continue reading "Penguins win at home to force Stanley ..."

All eyes will be on the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday as they seek to keep the Cup in Hockeytown for yet another year.  Although the Penguins have played well on their home ice in this series, it is clear that the Red Wings are on a mission after last week's 5-0 blowout in Game 5.  The Penguins were clearly frustrated and showed a lack of class in Game 5, taking several unnecessary penalties and game misconducts.

Continue reading "Red Wings Seek to Clinch Another ..."