Wrigley Snags Winter Classic originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 09:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sadly, it is very possible [that NHL refs are as bad as their IIHF counterparts], because it happened in an NHL game in 2000, when Philadelphia defeated Buffalo 2-1 in Game two of their playoff series [Pictured above! -- KS]. Philly's first goal came off the stick of John LeClair, but the puck actually entered through a hole in the side of the net. I was in a hotel bar in Pennsylvania watching the look on Hasek's face as he checked and re-checked his glove, thinking the puck had to have gone through his glove, because he had the net covered. Then there's the scene of Sabres GM Darcy Regier storming the replay booth and furiously pointing at the replay monitors while the replay officials just shrugged their shoulders. Remember, at this point the NHL claimed they reviewed ALL goals thanks to another no-goal incident involving the Sabres just one year previous.

Errors and Omissions: Sorry That I Gave NHL Officiating Too Much Credit originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 12 May 2008 19:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sabres Sign Boston College Star Gerbe originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Foster ... was slightly ahead of [Torrey] Mitchell as they chased a puck toward the boards behind the Minnesota goal. The 5-foot-11 San Jose center put out his arms just enough to disrupt the precarious balance of the 6-foot-5 Foster, who already appeared to be falling when the players' skates collided and he went hard into the boards.

Foster remained on the ice for 12 minutes while medical personnel put a splint on Foster's leg and strapped him to a backboard. Foster was moving his head and talking to paramedics when they lifted him off the ice, and he shook hands with Sharks center Jeremy Roenick.

Obviously, not something anyone wants to happen but has happened all too often this season. The final, which now seems really insignificant, was 4-3 San Jose in a shootout.

The Ice Sheet: Six Ways to Win a Game originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are those who suggest that Campbell was under great pressure, quite possibly from the Players' Association, not to sign a deal in Buffalo that would have undercut the market place of a high-end free agent defenceman. That is, too often, the dilemma for a pending free agent: Does the player do what is right for himself, or does he stand up for the supposed greater good of his union brethren? By interpreting Campbell's body language and hearing his spoken words, it was clear he didn't want to or wasn't ready to leave Buffalo. Maybe he should have spoken to Ray Bourque or Martin Brodeur, about the success athletes can have in singular markets, earning less than they could somewhere else.

For the gajillionth time folks, the total amount earned by NHLPA members is a fixed sum determined solely by NHL hockey-related revenues. If Brian Campbell makes an extra million dollars, that comes (proportionally) out of the pockets of every other player in the league. The NHLPA has no reason to want to torque the salary of any individual player (or group of players in comparable situations, e.g. #1 defensemen). And indeed, since 2006, the NHLPA has stepped aside at player arbitration hearings because of the inherent conflict: more money for Player #1 means less for Players #2 thru #750.

Why is it, then, that players who do use their leverage look so glum? Brian Campbell made his contractual bed in Buffalo then acted as if the Sabres had stolen his puppy. Ditto Ryan Smyth last year in Edmonton. If you're Sabres GM Darcy Regier -- who has squandered Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Campbell inside of a year -- you can look glum. But Campbell? In San Jose with Joe Thornton? Please.

For Brian Campbell, a Question of Loyalty originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every Thursday, Earl Sleek will conspire with his pen and scanner to bring you another installment of PuckToons. Hopefully you will find these amusing, relevant, well-drawn, or you're a person who is tolerant towards mediocrity.

As big a deal as Super Tuesday is in the U.S., I'm afraid my "Vote For Rory" reference is a bit dated. Still, I was amused enough by last year's grassroots campaign for the depth defenseman for the All-Star game, plus the NHL's subsequent vote-tampering that I hope the joke's still got some shelf life.

Here's a creative question for the comments: If you could select any NHL coach or general manager to run for U.S. President, who'd get your vote? Who's got the right mix of leadership, charisma, and integrity to turn this nation into a cup contender? (Don't worry about technical things like country of birth; it's just a mental exercise.)

PuckToons: Just When You Thought the "Vote For Rory" Movement Was Dead originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video of the Day: At the NHL Winter Classic originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Sabres are 0-5-5 in their last 10 games. They haven't won since Dec. 22 in Philadelphia and, in fact, are the only team in the NHL without a win in the 2008 calendar year.

"We didn't make a lot of good plays," coach Lindy Ruff said. "We didn't make good decisions and Al [Kotalik] pounded the puck right into Betts every time. I can't yell, 'Don't shoot it,' but you have to bury your head and move it around those guys. We didn't and that was a disappointing part of the game."

Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier admitted today that he's disappointed with defenseman Brian Campbell's decision to suspend negotiations on a new contract with the team.

"He wants to leave it till after the season and work on it at that point," Regier said following practice in HSBC Arena. "We certainly respect that and that's his right.

Masterton's impact was immediate. He scored the first goal in North Stars history. But tragedy struck on Jan. 13, 1968 - the first season of the new 12-team National Hockey League. In a game against the Oakland Seals, Masterton was hit by Oakland's Larry Cahan and Ron Harris.

"He threw a pass over to me and as I was receiving the pass I was looking over towards them and you could see that he got hit," recalled Connolly. "You looked at Bill on the ice and you could see that it was big trouble."

"When he fell, and his head hit the ice, you could actually hear it from the bench," added daughter Sally Masterton. "And the team doctor said he could hear the pop sound and he knew right away that there was something wrong."

European quotas. OK, guilty, report me to the Xenophobia Hotline. All I know is, other than prime European talent, North American crowds more easily identify with homeboys rather than the vast faceless talents from Russia, Finland, Sweden, et al. On a nightly roster of 18 skaters and two goalies, mandate that a total of 17 must be North American-born.

The Ice Sheet: Sad Times for Sabres Fans originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A No-Brainer Rule Change originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was quite a distance from the stadium to the rink for the players. What normally takes a matter of seconds took about three minutes. If a player or coach had to go to the washroom, they probably much had to hold it in.


The fans were certainly excited. They've waited a long time for this.


What is it about sporting events that makes men want to take off their shirts? It's frickin freezing!!! I'm quite impressed that anyone can stand out there and not get frostbite.


Here, we see the fans cheering the entire Canadian Air Force after their successful occupation of Buffalo and rolling out of their new Canadian flag.


Jodie from The Sidney Crosby Show blog attended the match and sent me this photo from her vantage point. You can see a LOT of space between the rink and the seats.
The wintry conditions led to a lot of ice problems, and plenty of long stoppages to patch holes and clear snow.

Which, of course, meant a lot of waiting ...


Thomas Vanek and his fellow players had to bundle up. Aww, how cute :)


Ryan Miller copied Jose Theodore and donned a toque ('cap', to you Americans) over his helmet. Unlike Theodore, Miller couldn't quite fit the cap right, and it looks like a badly-adjusted condom.


It looks like the Sabres went out and got some busker off the streets of Buffalo to perform during the second intermission. Way to shell out, boys!

Ales Kotalik and his mates celebrate his successful shootout goal. Lindy Ruff is either cracking a rare smile, or wincing at the cold. It's hard to tell.

Sidney Crosby, who is notoriously bad in shootouts, has the weight of the world in his hands as he goes in on Miller.

The NHL couldn't have scripted it any better as Crosby scored the shootout winner. His celebration, amidst the falling snow, is going to be an all-time classic photograph.

The NHL Winter Classic, In Pictures originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When the city of Buffalo was awarded a franchise, the owners, brothers Seymour and Northrup Knox, had a few criteria for what they wanted in a name. They were looking for one that was not in use by any other professional franchise, could be easily used in their marketing campaigns and stayed away from the traditional Buffalo references like Bills, Bison or Braves. A contest was held and from over 13,000 entries, only four offered Sabres. But, the name was exactly what the team wanted.

Where Did They Get THAT Name From? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBC exceeded audience expectations for its coverage of the Buffalo outdoor game on New Year's Day by earning a 2.4 overnight rating (percentage of the potential U.S. audience tuned in).

Sources said an American network has not produced an audience of that size for an NHL regular season game since the Fox Sports telecasts in the 1990s.

The rating peaked at 43.1 at 4:30 p.m., shortly before the Pens' Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in a shootout. It averaged a 37.4 rating from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and a 40.5 rating from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The high ratings are impressive, but not even close to the 46.9 rating that the Buffalo Bills had for a late-season game with the Cleveland Browns that had playoff implications. Somewhat surprisingly, CBC's coverage of the Winter Classic didn't register enough of a rating to register here.

Overnight Ratings for NHL Winter Classic Exceed NBC Projections originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• "What are you putting on now? Not that 'Twilight Zone' marathon again."
• "Nope. A little thing called 'The Winter Classic.' Pittsburgh and Buffalo are playing a hockey game in a football stadium today. It's going to be awesome."
• "Give me the remote, I'll find something to ... wait, WTF? There's, like, 100,000 people there, it's snowing like hell and Bob Costas is standing in front of a hockey rink."
• "I told you it'd be cool. I mean, not as cool as watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve..."
• "Actually, Greg, the word is cruel. You've been doing the same Tom Carvel impression every year since Dick Clark came back from the stroke. Hey, who's this Crosby guy they keep showing?"

• A humorous first-person account of the Winter Classic, including a heretofore under-reported marriage proposal in the crowd.
• The Goose believes that the Winter Classic should remain in either Buffalo or Pittsburgh every year, if anywhere at all.
• Alan Pergament of The Buffalo News and I think alike: As good as NBC's coverage was, it's an absolute disgrace that there wasn't a single interview with any of the 71,217 fans who decided to use a national holiday to freeze their asses off watching a regular-season hockey game in a football stadium.
• What it felt like in the back row of the upper deck at the Winter Classic.
• Patrick Stack praises the NHL for finally playing to its base.
• STOP THE PRESSES! A Canadian newspaper believes the CBC did a better job than NBC on the Classic.
• Finally, for future Winter Classics, Scott Burnside of ESPN makes "a case for why they shouldn't be played, or at least for why they shouldn't count in the standings." Thanks Debbie Downer. Wah-waaaaah...

BEST HALL OF FAME PERFORMANCE: Mark Messier's tear ducts. Seriously, watching him work the room during induction weekend must have been like watching Michael Stipe after cutting the world's largest onion.

First of all, I am not intending to be offensive or imply that another other historic games or moments in hockey have been "fixed" or "staged", but with things in sports nowdays, like Barry Bonds' 73-home run season and his breaking of Hank Aaron's all-time Home Run record both basically being "fixed"/"staged" AND with today's game being an educational experience in which NBC and the NHL were likely trying to win back fans who gave up on hockey after the lockout, and with the shootout coming down between two of the most popular players in the game right now in Sidney Crosby and Ryan Miller, it seems as if that ending was almost a little too predictable.

• Dallas visits Detroit, and despite being 11 points behind the Red Wings, they ain't scared.
• Atlanta visits Carolina for a pretty big Southeast Division battle.
• The Rangers head to Western Canada to battle the Flames, where Calgary faces some burning issues heading into the second half of its season. (Burning...flames...yep.)

The Ice Sheet: Melting Down the Classic originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Named in honor of noted gambling aficionado

Wow, What a Concept: Snow in Buffalo (2:1) -

The Meltdown (30:1) -

• Video Of the Day: Winter Classic Timelapse
• The Tocchet Line: Who Will Be the Next Head Coach of the Atlanta Thrashers?
• The Tocchet Line: Who Will Be the Next Publicity Stunt/Guest Head Coach in the NHL?
  

The Tocchet Line: Worst-Case Scenarios for the NHL Winter Classic originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video Of the Day: Winter Classic Timelapse originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Crews began by removing the goal posts, and laying large tarps, held down by wooden boards, to protect the field. The initial work was completed despite wind gusts of over 50 kilometres per hour and a steady and sometimes blinding snowfall."

Buffalo, For Christmas, You Get Ice originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Costas said he wasn't assigned by NBC to host the Winter Classic, but rather was asked by Flood and sports television guru Dick Ebersol, who had already run the idea by Gary Bettman. Costas said yes immediately. "If it's a big enough event, I guess people expect me to in some way be involved," he said. Costas clearly sees himself as a presenter and moderator here, rather than a more active host like he is on something like "Inside the NFL" on HBO. "It's not unlike when I host the Kentucky Derby or the U.S. Open golf. Other guys have more expertise in horse racing and golf who are on our team than I do," he said. "My job is to provide the overview and set the scene, which is what people, I guess, have come to expect from me in my various roles at NBC. I'm not going to be analyzing the game or providing any of the bits of information that Doc Emerik does so well."
  
  
• Flood said that the potential for Costas to return and host the Stanley Cup Finals is contingent on his pre-Olympics schedule.
  
  
• Flood was asked what this Winter Classic will look like if Buffalo has a warm Jan. 1. He said the ice will be in no danger, as it's controlled by the same technology as is found in hockey arenas. "Unless it's 80 degrees out, they'll be in good shape," said Flood.
  
  
• (An aside: It's sort of a shame Howie Mandel won't be appearing at the Winter Classic. I would have loved to have seen the self-professed germaphobe take a dare and insert his hand in a sweat-drenched Reebok EDGE System glove. It would have been as intense as the time when Flash Gordon reached inside of that tree trunk on Mongo, only without the eminent coolness of Timothy Dalton watching close by.)
  
  
• Jim Williams from the DC Examiner asked about making the Winter Classic a permanent thing, which I found odd because I thought it was generally assumed that this was basically a pilot -- to put it in television terms -- for an annual NHL New Year's Day tent-pole event, should hockey remain on NBC. "The League is going to make the decision on that. We think it's a wonderful start," said Flood, diplomatically.
  
  
• I asked Milbury about taking over the role that Brett Hull failed to play last season as the broadcast's provocateur. "I'm going to call the game as I relate to it. I'm entering the third period of my life here. I've had experiences at every level ... I just hope to be able to bring some measure of candor when it comes to the game and then relate it to experiences in my life. I didn't go to Bob Costas Broadcasting School. I kind of grew up in the hockey world, and I carry my passion on my sleeve. If I guy is dogging it, I'll let you know," he said. "I'll broadcast the way I played: obnoxiously."
  
  
• From an event coverage standpoint, I asked Flood about the technology NBC will trot out for this game, referencing the "rail cam" that made the Heritage Classic so bitchin' cool on Canadian television. "We want to be bigger than the rail cam. The rail cam, to me, was not the right thing for an outdoor game. The outdoor game, you want to see the spectacle and the size and scope of it."
  
  
• To that end, Flood said there will be the same number of cameras as the network uses to cover the Finals, plus one more: a camera in a plane over the stadium, proving aerial shots like the ones seen on "Sunday Night Football." Flood said part of the game will be covered by the plane, which sounds intriguing: We're either finally going to get an NHL game presented with the simplistic glory of the overhead perspective in NHL '94 for the SEGA Genesis, or we're going to be seeing what looks like 10 raisins in shoebox as filmed from Ganymede.

What, No Howie Mandel at the Winter Classic? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ice Sheet: Auld's Return originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caption This Photo: Ryan Miller originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"I did think I was done," said Malarchuk 13 years later, "Somewhere I'd heard that if you cut your jugular vein you've got a matter of minutes, like three minutes. I was going through the minutes preparing to die. I thought I had just three minutes to live and I've got a lot of repenting to do in three minutes."

The sight was so grizzly that 2 spectators suffered heart attacks and 3 of Malarchuk's teammates vomited while still on the ice.

It was estimated that if the skate hit 1/8 inch higher on Malarchuk's jugular, he would have been dead within 2 minutes. In the dressing room and on his way to the hospital, doctors spent 90 minutes and used over 300 stitches to close the wound.

NHL's Goriest Scene: Clint Malarchuk originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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