NHL FanHouse http://nhl.fanhouse.com NHL FanHouse http://nhl.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NHL FanHouse http://nhl.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Political Fight Over the Palin Puck Drophttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/13/airbrushing-history-with-the-palin-puck-drop/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/13/airbrushing-history-with-the-palin-puck-drop/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/13/airbrushing-history-with-the-palin-puck-drop/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Thanks to just one ceremonial puck drop with Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the National Hockey League has turned into a political football -- and a lot of the folks are working very hard trying to influence what and how you think about it.

In the last 24 hours, I've seen a pair of interesting instances of how the events of Saturday night are being reported that are worth noting. Details follow after the jump.

By now, most of you have probably seen this clip of Palin coming to center ice on Saturday night:



Now, watch this version of the same event, but listen for the subtle audio difference the folks at NHL.com came up with:



Did you happen to catch that? It should be pretty easy to tell that there isn't any crowd noise in the NHL.com clip. It's an easy trick, all they had to do was take the audio feed from the arena that includes the music and the PA announcer and lay it under the video. Voila, pesky crowd noise eliminated!

As you can imagine, plenty of people were all over the puck drop, including Lynn Zinser of the New York Times and their Slap Shot blog. Immediately after the ceremony, Zinser posted the following:
The biggest problem: when Palin came out to onto the Wachovia Center ice Saturday night - greeted by resounding (almost deafening) boos from the Flyers crowd - the the two hockey players who had no choice but to appear with her in that photo op were turned into props in a political campaign. If Rangers center Scott Gomez or Flyers center Mike Richards wanted to make some sort of political statement, that would be fine, but in this case, they were thrust into a situation not of their choosing. Snider put them there with his ill-advised mixing of politics and sports.

The level of discomfort has been palpable for the Rangers' two Alaska natives, Gomez and Brandon Dubinsky, as they have been asked questions about Palin and the election in recent weeks. Dubinsky, a 22-year-old who has shied away from nothing since he broke in with the Rangers last year, looks petrified when the topic gets brought up. I think both would rather play goalie in a shootout than weigh in on the presidential election.
Her post was more or less picked up immediately by both Editor and Publisher and The Huffington Post, who passed along the details. But if you pop over to that post now at Slap Shot now, this is what you'll find:
When Sarah Palin dropped the ceremonial first puck at the Flyers' opener on Saturday night at the Wachovia Center, she was greeted by resounding (almost deafening) boos. Ed Snider, owner of the Flyers, had her introduced to the crowd more as a hockey mom than as the Republican candidate for vice president. She was flanked by Scott Gomez, the Rangers center, and Mike Richards, the Flyers center.

While Philadelphia fans are known for not being shy about voicing disapproval, the question has been raised - including by me in an earlier version of this post - whether the appearance was appropriate at a sports event like this.

Share your thoughts below.

Huh?

The dramatic switcheroo caught the attention of Terry Trippany over at Newsbusters, who has his own deconstruction of Zinser's post, including a detailed look back at statements by Gomez concerning his feelings about Palin -- ones that would suggest he might not have been uncomfortable with last night's ceremony at all. For another view on the ceremony through a political lens, check out Gateway Pundit.

In the end, I'm just happy that we're less than a month away from the election. It just can't come soon enough.

 

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]]>mike richardsMikeRichardssarah palinSarahPalinscott gomezScottGomezEric McErlain2008-10-13T00:00:00+00:00Fans Give Palin a Philly Welcomehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/12/flyers-fans-give-palin-a-philadelphia-welcome/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/12/flyers-fans-give-palin-a-philadelphia-welcome/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/12/flyers-fans-give-palin-a-philadelphia-welcome/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Here's a piece of video that's going to be over analyzed in the sports blogosphere in the next 24-48 hours -- Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's appearance at a ceremonial puck drop before the Philadelphia Flyers season opener with the New York Rangers. Was she booed? I'll let you decide:

Here's Puck Daddy:
Behind the music, you'll have heard a mix of cheers and boos; and as predicted, the lower bowl near the glass was in a standing ovation. (Except for whoever was holding up that Obama/Biden sign. Viral!) In the end, the boos won out because this is, after all, Philadelphia. But it wasn't the vicious hellfire that some predicted. No one threw a beer at her. Probably because they didn't want to hit her daughter. Or waste the beer.
Or get manhandled by a secret service detail. It was hard not to notice that Alaska native, Rangers center Scott Gomez, got a little peck on the cheek from the Governor.

As you might have expected, The 700 Level is all over this, with multiple fan views from within the Wachovia Center, some positive, some negative. For a political angle, check out what Jake Tapper of ABC News had to say.

My only question at this point is whether or not Palin was booed with enough vigor to get Bodog to pay off? Stay tuned.

 

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]]>Eric McErlain2008-10-12T09:28:00+00:00Ovechkin's 85-Minute Drought Endshttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/12/ovechkins-85-minute-drought-ends/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/12/ovechkins-85-minute-drought-ends/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/12/ovechkins-85-minute-drought-ends/#commentsFiled under:

Never fear, Capitals fans and Ovechkin fantasy owners - last year's MVP is off his very brief season-opening slump.

There was a lot of concern around the nation's capital last Sunday when the Washington star took a Zdeno Chara shot off the foot in the Caps' final tune-up game, and worry increased when Ovechkin left practice early Wednesday with an undisclosed injury. Then, like most of his teammates, Ovechkin struggled in the team's opener in Atlanta, with the turning point being him getting turned away by Kari Lehtonen on a penalty shot early in the third period in Washington's 7-4 loss.

In that game against the Thrashers, Ovechkin didn't flash his usual speed, and last year's leading scorer was held without a single point despite a wide-open pace to the contest.


So, after looking sluggish in the first 25 minutes of Washington's home opener against Chicago, Ovechkin does what he does best - take over the momentum of a game.Five minutes deep into the second period, Ovechkin corralled the puck at center ice, and then made the Blackhawks' big-free agent signing Brian Campbell a $7.1-million dollar screen in firing home his first goal of the season through the defenseman and fellow Russian Nikolai Khabiboulin.

Then, in the third period, Ovechkin added his second of the year by blasting a puck past Khabibulin to seal a 4-2 Washington win to give the sellout crowd of 18,277 a sigh of relief after Ovechkin's (and Washington's) slow start to the season.

The spotlight is much brighter on the Caps and Ovechkin this year, with the team's superstar being the first player in a dozen years to eclipse the 60-goal mark and Washington being the heavy pre-season favorite to capture the Southeast Divison for a second straight season. Some pundits are calling for a 70-goal season, with some even suggesting a near goal-per-game pace for the scorer over 82 contests.

Ovechkin's role with the Capitals has expanded this season as well, as despite the scare off of Chara's heavy shot, the Russian star is playing on the Capitals' penalty-killing unit now, with him spending over four minutes of ice time Saturday with Chicago having the extra man. He also logged over 24 minutes of total ice time, second only to the Caps' young defenseman Mike Green.

How big a deal is it for Ovechkin to get going?

Well, consider the last two times in the past decade when Washington has come into the season with the kind of expectations surrounding this team, the Caps have fallen flat.

In the season following the team's 1998 Stanley Cup finals run, Washington was ill-prepared for playing the favorite and recorded a miserable 68-point campaign. On the heels of the Jaromir Jagr trade in 2001-02, Washington wasn't quite as bad, but still missed out on the postseason and the Czech star never quite fit in with the Caps before he was shipped off to the Rangers.

So, with Washington getting lit up by Atlanta Friday night, and falling behind just 26 seconds on a soft goal allowed by Jose Theodore minutes after raising last year's division banner to the Verizon Center rafters, the crowd wasn't happy. Ovechkin seemed to struggle out of the gate Saturday, and didn't quite have the step he flashed last year to get separation from opposing defensemen over the first four periods of the campaign.

But, with that move on Campbell, Ovechkin showed the flair that made him the MVP last season and seemed to get into the groove.

Which gave the Caps fans, and his fantasy owners, a big sigh of relief.

 

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]]>Ted Starkey2008-10-12T00:09:00+00:00Lone Maple Leafs Fan Starts Planning Stanley Cup Victory Paradehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/lone-maple-leafs-fan-starts-planning-cup-parade/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/lone-maple-leafs-fan-starts-planning-cup-parade/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/lone-maple-leafs-fan-starts-planning-cup-parade/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Today, ESPN has proved that sports homer ism knows no bounds -- or that it's really funny when someone impersonates a crazed Maple Leaf fan. Deadspin first brought it to my attention in their weekly featured comment from an ESPN.com commenter. The choice this week was an epic quote from a person (or robot, possibly) using the pseudonym deskjockey007. While deskjockey007 is not riding his desk as if it were Barbaro, he/she is already out planning the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup parade.

If you weren't paying attention to the hockey being played last night, the Versus featured game of the week showcased the Maple Leafs facing off against the Red Wings in Detroit. In what can be considered a huge upset, if you agree with Ted Starkey's Power Rankings as I do, the Leafs winning 3-2 last night while the Red Wings raised their 2008 Stanley Cup banner was an upset of "epic fail" proportions. So there you have it, folks -- it's, amazingly, time to start jumping on the bandwagon that is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

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]]>Kevin Schultz2008-10-10T16:08:00+00:00Bodog's Odds on Sarah Palin's Puck Drophttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/bodog-taking-odds-on-palin-puck-drop/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/bodog-taking-odds-on-palin-puck-drop/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/bodog-taking-odds-on-palin-puck-drop/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For those of you who might be looking to make the Flyers-Rangers game on Saturday night a little more interesting, the folks at Bodog are offering odds with a slightly different twist.

With Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin set to drop the ceremonial first puck before the game, the folks at Bodog are offering a couple of additional wagers to the regular menu.

The following come from our friend Jimmy Shapiro at Bodog:

Will Sarah Palin Fall while dropping the Puck at the Philadelphia Flyers Home Opener?

Yes 10/1
Will Sarah Palin get in a Donnybrook with the Flyers Captain at Center Ice?

Yes 1000/1

Will Sarah Palin get Booed more or Cheered more when introduced onto the Ice at the Flyers Home Opener?

Booed Even
Cheered -130

Will Sarah Palin wear a Philadelphia Flyers jersey at Center Ice?

Yes Even
No -140

Those are some interesting choices to say the least. I wonder what Janet Gretzky thinks?

 

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]]>Janet GretzkyJanetGretzkysarah palinSarahPalinEric McErlain2008-10-10T11:39:00+00:00Buys and Sells: Thank Goodness the Season Has Started Editionhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/buys-and-sells-thank-goodness-the-season-has-started-edition/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/buys-and-sells-thank-goodness-the-season-has-started-edition/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/10/buys-and-sells-thank-goodness-the-season-has-started-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Each Friday throughout the season, I'll provide you with my predictions on whose stock is on the rise and whose is failing miserably like an American bank. It's a neat little segment entitled Buys and Sells. There are a few teams/players/issues to buy and a few to sell.

Ah, yes. The smell of a brand spankin' new season is permeating throughout North American and isn't it b-e-a-u-tiful? And with a new season comes all the usual rites of fall; the return of Hockey Night in Canada, the constant questioning of Gary Bettman's sanity and Chris Chelios yet again featured on an NHL roster. But I'm leaving something out... Something really important... Oh, yes! The return of the NHL season also signals the return of Buys and Sells! What? Buys and Sells isn't synonymous with opening night? You cannot be serious. And neither is this column. Ba-dum-bum. Thanks, I'll be here all season. Hey! DO NOT roll your eyes at me!

Strong Buy: Citizens of Detroit Report Sightings of Airborne Swine
Pigs must be flying in Detroit these days. That's really the only explanation I can come up with for the score of this game. How the Maple Leafs -- a team that has been picked by many to be the East's bottom feeder -- pulled off a win against the Red Wings -- a team picked by many to win the Cup again -- in Detroit, on opening night, after the 2008 Stanley Cup banner was raised to the rafters during the pre-game is simply absurd.

Either the general population is completely wrong in their evaluations of both teams, or this was a serious fluke. And someone go check on Ted Starkey, his head might have exploded since the #30 team in his power rankings just beat the #1 team. Did I mention that it was on opening night? In front of the #1 team's home crowd? After they had raised their Stanley Cup banner? That stuff is not supposed to happen. Jeez, I think my head is going to explode!

Sell: Def Leppard as a viable NHL marketing tool
Hoo boy. These guys are getting grilled and rightfully so. One of the members, Joe Elliott, was given the esteemed privilege of lifting the Stanley Cup. Even the most casual of hockey fans understand the responsibility that comes with. Joe didn't drop the cup. No, that would probably have been easily forgivable. Joe actually hoisted the Cup, walked around with it, then set it to rest upside down. Really? How do you do that? I didn't even know the Cup could sit like that without falling over. But now I do and I kind of wish that I could erase that from memory.

Buy: The Unnecessary Mascot That is Blatantly Only Being Used for Marketing
From a business standpoint, if you can design a cuddly looking mascot, you're set. It's one of the golden rules in sports business. You need a name, logo and mascot that lend themselves to easy marketing and merchandising. Too bad for the Minnesota Wild they dug themselves a bit of a hole on the first requirement. 'Wild' doesn't exactly lend itself to easy brainstorming sessions. But that's OK. Now they have a mascot who may or may not have an over sized brain. And hey, it can't be worse than this disaster of a mascot.

 

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]]>buys and sellsBuysAndSellsKevin Schultz2008-10-10T06:55:00+00:00Malarchuk Cheats Death Againhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/malarchuk-cheats-death-again/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/malarchuk-cheats-death-again/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/malarchuk-cheats-death-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

For most NHL fans, recalling the career of retired goalie Clint Malarchuk conjures some of the most horrifying images in the history of the game. Thanks to an errant skate blade, Malarchuk was slashed across the neck during a 1989 game between his Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins. If not for the quick reaction of the team's medical staff, Malarchuk surely would have died on the ice.

Calling the incident horrifying isn't an understatement. According to reports, nine fans feinted after watching the accident, while another two suffered heart attacks at the Aud in Buffalo.

Now, 19 years later, Malarchuk has cheated death again, this time at his own hand. Here's the AFP account:
Ex-National Hockey League goalie Clint Malarchuk was recovering in hospital from his second nightmarish accident in 19 years after accidently shooting himself in the face with a hunting rifle on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old Malarchuk was rushed to hospital here after he shot himself with a .22-calibre rifle at his residence, The Record-Courier newspaper reported Wednesday.

[...]

Malarchuk's wife, Christy, told police her husband had been out hunting rabbits at the time of the shooting. She said the gun accidently discharged while he placed it on the ground between his legs.

Malarchuk currently serves as the goalie coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. For a look at that incident again from 19 years ago, see the video after the jump.



And here's an interview with Malarchuk from just a week after the injury. Stick with it until the end to witness one of the most bizarre interview questions in hockey history:



Here's wishing Malarchuk a speedy recovery.

 

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]]>clint malarchukClintMalarchukEric McErlain2008-10-09T21:56:00+00:00NHL Power Rankingshttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/nhl-power-rankings/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/nhl-power-rankings/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/nhl-power-rankings/#commentsFiled under:

With the NHL season set to drop the puck in North America tonight, it's time to dust off the power rankings for a new season. Last year, we saw the Wings atop the rankings for most of the year, and justifying their place with an impressive run to the Stanley Cup.

Now, with a lineup that might be even more dangerous, the Wings are back in a familiar spot, but will a new set of challengers be able to deliver an upset that has bitten Detroit in the past?

Check out the 10 things to look for on frozen pond this year, and get the complete rankings after the jump.

  • 1. Red Wings
    They're the defending Stanley Cup champs. They got the biggest fish in the free-agent market with Marian Hossa coming over from the team they beat in the finals. And the Red Wings are a strong bet to win back-to-back Cup titles since the Yzerman squads of the late 1990s.
  • 2. Sharks
    If only the NHL awarded the Stanley Cup on regular-season play, San Jose would be regarded as a much bigger success story than it's actually been. We'll see if a coaching change and defensive additions will spark the Sharks to finally enjoy some success in the spring.
  • 3. Stars
    Right now, the Stars have become this year's trendy pick for the Cup, as with Marty Turco in net, it's hard not to see Dallas being able to mount a run this spring. The Stars are hoping to give aging center Mike Modano another chance to lift Lord Stanley this spring.
  • 4. Canadiens
    Montreal enters the year as the class of the Eastern Conference, although it will need to put aside the playoff struggles it had against Boston and Philadelphia to make its 100th season a truly memorable one and claim the franchise's 24th Stanley Cup title.
  • 5. Ducks
    A year removed from their Stanley Cup run, the Ducks brought back Teemu Selanne for yet another shot to try to get the Finnish Flash one more skate with the Cup. The Ducks' core is getting older, but the Ducks' fate likely lies with Jean-Sebastien Giguere's play in net.
  • 6. Capitals
    While Alex Ovechkin will be hard-pressed to top his 65-goal performance this season, the Caps overall are a much deeper team than they've been in recent years. The big question mark in Washington is if Jose Theodore can give the Capitals enough stops to go deep in the playoffs.
  • 7. Flyers
    After a very short rebuilding phase of one season, the Flyers come into the new season back as one of the Eastern contenders. After an impressive run to the third round, Martin Biron has also shown he's capable of being a No. 1 goaltender for a team with a chance to win the Cup.
  • 8. Penguins
    Thanks to the salary cap, the Penguins' training facility had to install a revolving door this offseason. However, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin still in the 'Burgh, the core is here for another strong Cup run - if the team can recapture the chemistry of last spring.
  • 9. Devils
    Martin Brodeur (now apparently selling himself as MB30) is on pace to break Patrick Roy's NHL-record win total of 551 this year, but New Jersey still needs a bit more scoring punch up front if the Devils want to help MB30 equal Roy's Stanley Cup ring total of four.
  • 10. Flames
    Outside of Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla had a tremendous (and underappreciated) season in Alberta, and he could be able to help the Flames replicate their Stanley Cup finals run of 2004 if the team can survive the brutally tough Western Conference.
  • 11. Sabres
    After Sabres fans have suffered a year of suffering more bad news than a stockbroker, things are a getting a bit brighter for Buffalo. With Ryan Miller signed to the fold long-term, this team isn't quite the Cup contender of old, but it could make things very interesting in the Northeast.
  • 12. Blackhawks
    At least Cubs fans will finally be able to see a team capable of winning a playoff series playing at Wrigley. Patrick Kane and the 'Hawks look ready to climb into the playoff mix, as long as Cristobal Huet holds up to the workload in net with him taking the No. 1 spot.
  • 13. Senators
    The Senators still have a decent core of Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley, but Ottawa's turmoil and lack of depth in goal led to a spectacular collapse last season. The Sens still have firepower, but they can't get very far with their leaky defense and goaltending.
  • 14. Wild
    With Marian Gaborik's time in St. Paul apparently winding down, Minnesota's window of opportunity to make another playoff run is closing along with it. While the Wild have the defense and goaltending, Gaborik's one of the few on the team who can light the lamp consistently.
  • 15. Rangers
    Chris Drury takes over the "C" from departed captain Jaromir Jagr, but New York's fate this year depends on how long Henrik Lundqvist plays well and keeps his team in games. So far, the Rangers were able to grab a pair of wins in Europe, but they need to be consistent to contend.
  • 16. Bruins
    Boston's big hopes for a big-ticket free-agent signing never materialized. However, at least the Bruins should have a healthy Manny Fernandez and Patrice Bergeron added into their lineup this season, so this team should make some strides over last year's club that overachieved.
  • 17. Hurricanes
    After a storm surge of injuries has hit Carolina in the preseason, the team should lobby to change its alternate logo to a Red Cross rather than the current hurricane warning flag. This team can still tread water as long as Cam Ward plays at his Conn Smythe best this season.
  • 18. Avalanche
    The Avalanche have Joe Sakic back in the lineup, but having Andrew Raycroft and Peter Budaj in the net isn't like the old days of having Patrick Roy in the crease. This could be the first truly bad Colorado club since the team was still wearing the baby blue fleur-de-lis back in Quebec City.
  • 19. Oilers
    While the price of oil has skyrocketed over the past 20 months, the Oilers' stock has been way down since sending Ryan Smyth to Long Island in 2007. However, Edmonton is looking to turn the tide, hoping that picking up Erik Cole from the Hurricanes can pick up a stagnant offense.
  • 20. Coyotes
    The good news coming out of Arizona this summer is that Olli Jokinen has arrived from Florida to help the club. The bad news is the prospect of making the playoffs in the Western Conference appears to be as tough as a long trek across the state's brutal deserts.
  • 21. Lightning
    Tampa Bay tried to speed up the rebuilding process this summer with a spending spree that brought in Ryan Malone and Olaf Kolzig, along with the draft's top pick Steve Stamkos. It probably won't get the results the new owners hope for, as the goaltending leaves a lot to be desired.
  • 22. Predators
    The Predators spent a lot of last season worrying if they'd end up playing in Kansas City this season. Now, while the team's future appears secure in Tennessee, the team will have trouble going anywhere in the tough Western Conference.
  • 23. Blues
    Another team deserving of wearing the Red Cross symbol, losing Erik Johnson with a golf cart injury will set the team's impressive performance last season back. St. Louis will have a tough time making it back to the postseason it used to regularly qualify for.
  • 24. Panthers
    If history serves as any guide for Florida's prospects this season, the Panthers will begin to play good hockey once they're pushed to the brink of elimination in the playoff race. If only the team knew the points gained in October and November are worth the same as those won in March.
  • 25. Blue Jackets
    The Jackets gave a noble effort towards securing the team's first playoff berth last season with a franchise-best 80-point effort that had them on the brink of the .500 mark, but Columbus has taken a step backwards and it's just reverted back to Rick Nash carrying the club.
  • 26. Canucks
    The Canucks made history by making goalie Roberto Luongo a captain - even though he can't actually perform the duties of a captain. Kind of like how the Canucks can try to call themselves a Stanley Cup contender when they can't really fill the role.
  • 27. Kings
    The Kings continue to be a mess. With the team's uncertain goaltending situation, a revolving personnel department and a tough division, it likely means another winter of people staying away from Staples Center when the Lakers aren't in the building.
  • 28. Thrashers
    You've got to feel bad for Ilya Kovalchuk, as an Atlanta franchise which once looked like it had a very bright future now simply is a mess. A reported loss of nearly 60 percent of season-ticket sales added with this thin club certainly won't make Philips Arena a fun place to be.
  • 29. Islanders
    When a team brings in Doug Weight and tries to sell its team as a youth movement, you might not have a very good NHL franchise on your hands. Fired ex-bench boss Ted Nolan might be the luckiest man around to have been spared another season of trying to coach up a sub-par team.
  • 30. Maple Leafs
    New coach Ron Wilson tried to temper the expectations of hockey-mad Toronto recently, saying that the Maple Leafs aren't going to be winning the Stanley Cup this year. We're certainly not going to disagree.

 

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]]>Ted Starkey2008-10-09T17:00:00+00:00Forbes Magazine Puts Three NHL Teams on Endangered Franchise Listhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/forbes-puts-three-nhl-teams-on-endangered-list/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/forbes-puts-three-nhl-teams-on-endangered-list/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/forbes-puts-three-nhl-teams-on-endangered-list/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Yesterday, Forbes put together yet another list that they know readers love, in this case, the top 10 sports franchises most likely to move. The NHL and the NFL tied for most teams on the list, each with three, while Major League Baseball and the NBA both placed two teams on the list.

The candidates from the NHL aren't much of a surprise. The New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Nashville Predators all made the list, and their problems are more or less familiar to folks who follow the game closely. On Long Island, a team that hasn't won a playoff round in 15 years struggles on with an aging building; in Phoenix, a Canadian refugee is struggling financially in a non-traditional market; while Nashville is just looking for a reliable owner.

But for all of Forbes well-deserved reputation for solid reporting, they are not above getting it wrong sometimes. Here's the Nashville capsule:
Predators ownership went into the season armed with a contract clause with the Nashville officials stipulating they could leave town if the team didn't draw at least 14,000 fans per game to the city-owned Sommet Center. They wound up at just over 14,900 per game. No word on whether owner Craig Leipold tried to channel Rachel Phelps (character who played the Cleveland Indians owner in Major League) in an attempt to sabotage attendance.
Last time I checked, Leipold was the former owner of the Predators, having sold the team and been approved as the new owner of the Minnesota Wild.

I have another idea for Forbes: how about a feature on the top 10 sports franchises likely to disappear in the event of a violent economic contraction? You may even get a chance to see your predictions come true in the short term!

 

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]]>craig leipoldCraigLeipoldEric McErlain2008-10-09T16:29:00+00:00PuckToons: Salary Cap Dieting Tipshttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/pucktoons-salary-cap-dieting-tips/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/pucktoons-salary-cap-dieting-tips/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/pucktoons-salary-cap-dieting-tips/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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.

There certainly has been a lot of strange salary cap-related moves in the last few days around the league, particularly in the Pacific Division. Players have been waived, demoted, and even promoted in order to maximize spending under this year's $56.7 million cap ceiling.

In San Jose, defenseman Kyle McLaren was sent through waivers in an attempt to have his $2.5 million claimed by another team, but since nobody grabbed him, McLaren was demoted to the AHL Worcester affiliate. It's not an ideal solution for the team or the player, but it does at least allow the Sharks to begin the season below the salary ceiling. In Dallas, promising youngsters James Neal and Mark Fistric were demoted to the Central Hockey League's Oklahoma City Blazers, but then were recalled the following day to take advantage of Sergei Zubov's long-term injury. Anaheim went through most of its salary-shedding a few weeks ago, with the waiving then trading of defenseman Mathieu Schneider, the demotion of Bobby Ryan, and the trading of defenseman Sean O'Donnell. On top of that, the Ducks promoted goaltender David LeNeveu just for a day to take full advantage of the long-term injury exception.

On the other end of the salary spectrum, the Los Angeles Kings' GM Dean Lombardi and forward Patrick O'Sullivan finally finished their contract negotiations, and Lombardi's stubbornness appears to have paid off, as O'Sullivan signed a very affordable 3-year deal. With the signing, Los Angeles should be comfortably above the salary cap floor, though it still looks to be a tough year for the low-spending Kings. With all the promotions, demotions, trades, and signings of the last few days, one thing is clear: the salary cap is changing the way hockey teams operate in dramatic ways, and it's becoming tough for even hardcore fans to understand what their teams are up to. Regardless of silly salary cap math, though, the North American NHL season begins tonight! Hooray!

 

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]]>PuckToonsEarl Sleek2008-10-09T14:00:00+00:00Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Home Openerhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/flyers-invite-palin-to-drop-puck-at-home-opener/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/flyers-invite-palin-to-drop-puck-at-home-opener/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/flyers-invite-palin-to-drop-puck-at-home-opener/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Ice hockey and politics will cross over once again on Saturday night, when Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin drops the ceremonial first puck before the Philadelphia Flyers home opener against the New York Rangers. Here's the team press release with all the relevant details:
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the nation's most popular hockey mom, will join the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers regional search for the "Ultimate Hockey Mom" contest and drop the puck at the ceremonial opening face-off as the home team Flyers host the New York Rangers at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m.

"Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started," said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider who founded the Flyers in 1967. "We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey."
If you drop by Puck Daddy, the claim that Palin is the nation's "most popular hockey mom" seems to be in dispute. After reading a couple of the comments, it's easy to see how "most controversial" hockey mom might be more appropriate. Here's hoping the innocent winner of the contest, whoever that might be, gets a nice hand in Philly regardless of the reception Palin gets.

As for me, I'm of two minds on the subject. First off, I'm thoroughly sick of election news, and have been since around Labor Day. Once you threw the global credit crisis into the mix, I began to realize that there's really little reason to have much confidence in America's political leadership these days regardless of party. Looking over the horizon, it's hard not to conclude that the winner of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election might very well be the recipient of the biggest booby prize in American political history since the election of 1928.

On the other hand, I distinctly recall that when I first learned that U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA), the 2004 Democratic nominee for President, had played hockey in high school, I somehow managed to process the information without having an aneurysm. Go figure.

 

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]]>john kerryJohnKerrysarah palinSarahPalinEric McErlain2008-10-09T13:27:00+00:00Canes Stiff Lightning on Schedule Changehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/08/canes-stiff-lightning-on-schedue-change/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/08/canes-stiff-lightning-on-schedue-change/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/08/canes-stiff-lightning-on-schedue-change/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This is a good time to be a sports fan in Tampa. Well, maybe too good.

You see, for the first time in the team's history, the Tampa Bay Rays are in the Major League Baseball Playoffs, and they're scheduled to play play host to Game Two of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night at 8:07 p.m.

Unfortunately, across town at the St. Pete Times Forum, the Lightning are scheduled to host the Carolina Hurricanes in their own home opener. Wanting to be civic-minded and to not force local fans of both teams to choose which event to attend or watch on television, management sought to move the start time of the game to earlier in the day.

But because the Hurricanes play another game the night before at home in Raleigh against the Panthers, they had the right of first refusal on the change under NHL rules.And they said no. Erik Erlendsson over at Bolts Report writes that he doesn't think the request was all that big of a deal, and wonders why Carolina was so small-minded in turning it down. Which is where Luke DeCock, 'Canes beat writer for the News and Observer steps in:
But there's a subtext here. In the summer of 2006, the Lightning added an ice-level club to their arena and closed off the tunnel that connected the visiting locker room to the visiting bench. It was a double-whammy for visiting teams, not only forcing them to walk about 100 yards to get to the ice while depriving them of in-game access to their dressing room but forcing them to walk through a bar full of possibly inebriated Lightning fans to get to the ice.

Somehow, the NHL decided this was permissible - nominal, in fact. I wouldn't expect any NHL team to do the Lightning any favors, though.

Then again, that was a decision that was made under previous ownership in Tampa, so it would seem a little small-minded to hold Len Barrie and Oren Koules responsible for a decision made by the Bill Davidson regime. And further, while I was shocked to read about this -- somehow the "Tampa Trek" through an open bar had escaped by notice for the past two seasons -- I think we can conclude that it's not exactly a big deal considering we haven't heard of any incidents in the ensuing two seasons since the change.

Thanks to our colleague J.P. for the heads up.

 

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]]>bill davidsonBillDavidsonLen BarrieLenBarrieoren koulesOrenKoulesEric McErlain2008-10-08T13:26:00+00:00Canucks and Lightning in Four Player Dealhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/canucks-and-lightning-in-four-player-deal/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/canucks-and-lightning-in-four-player-deal/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/canucks-and-lightning-in-four-player-deal/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Barry Melrose benched defenseman Shane O'Brien for Sunday's game against the New York Rangers in Prague, Tampa Bay Online's Damian Cristodero wondered out loud whether or not the benching wasn't so much for poor play as it was to make sure O'Brien wasn't injured while the team was trying to deal him.

Just 24 hours later, Cristodero was proven right when the Lightning shipped O'Brien and and right wing Michel Ouellet to Vancouver for defenseman Lukas Krajicek and minor league winger Juraj Simek. Needless to say, the move provoked a lot of headscratching in our FanHouse email group. After all, if Tampa Bay's blue line is soft now, how in the world will the addition of Kajicek -- and the rumored interest in free agent defenseman Bryan Berard -- make things better?

I think this comment in response to today's news at Cristodero's place probably sums it up best:
Basically we got killed on this trade. No other way to describe it.

For as someone who watched Krajicek for years while living in South Florida, we've only become softer. And Krajicek is nothing special, and even worse, he is as soft as tissue paper.

Basically, Screw this hockey club! They don't have the slightest idea what they're doing. And if you think anything different, you are drinking the koolaid. If you want to worry, look at this trade. But of course, most of you guys don't know anything about hockey anyway, so i'm sure you're thrilled.

The only good thing about this is that Ouellet is gone. Other than that, COMPLETE AND UTTER STUPIDITY. Anyone with the slightest bit of knowledge of hockey will say the same thing.

Could the wheels possibly have come off this quickly in Tampa Bay? If something doesn't radically change, and at this point it's hard to see exactly how, Mike Smith and Olie Kolzig better get used to facing 40+ shots per night.

 

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]]>barry melroseBarryMelroseLukas KrajicekLukasKrajicekShane OBrienShaneObrienEric McErlain2008-10-06T16:00:00+00:00The Ice Sheet: Rangers Steal Show in Europehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/the-ice-sheet-rangers-steal-show-in-europe/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/the-ice-sheet-rangers-steal-show-in-europe/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/the-ice-sheet-rangers-steal-show-in-europe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Every Monday morning The Ice Sheet will take a close look at everything that's happened in the NHL since Friday night at 5:00 p.m. To read them all, click here.

On Saturday morning when I passed along the news that Petr Prucha was actually going to get into the lineup for Saturday's Rangers-Lightning tilt in Prague, I also made a point of linking to a rather angry Larry Brooks column where the Slap Shot columnist let loose with every little complaint he had about the way the Rangers were handling their pre-season. After giving it a read, you could be forgiven for thinking the team was in a bit of disarray:
It's all about Renney coaching a team without Jagr and Shanahan to lean on, and it's all about this group filling the huge voids created with the decision to dispose of the team's post-lockout identity as if it were toxic.

It's all about one of the most vanilla Rangers teams in memory bonding in order to form a unit greater than the sum of its underwhelming parts.
Well, here we are a little less than 48 hours later, and all is forgotten in the wake of a pair of 2-1 victories over the revamped Lightning. Rangers newcomers Markus Naslund and Wade Redden combined for two goals and two assists over the weekend, as the New Yorkers pretty easily dominated the run of play as the Lightning played against type. While new owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie spent most of the Summer stacking the team with loads of new offensive weapons, it was their goalies, Mike Smith and Olie Kolzig, who kept things close, stopping 76 of 80 shots over the course of two games.

Meanwhile, the offensive fireworks that the new owners and new head coach Barry Melrose were undoubtedly hoping would come to the fore were noticeably absent, as Tampa Bay only managed 40 shots over the whole weekend against that 'vanilla' Rangers team. Afterwards, Melrose wasn't sparing anybody's feelings:
"Mike Lundin came in and was great. Vladimir Mihalik played another strong game," Melrose said.

"Jamie Heward, the first cut in camp. We bring him back and he's playing 20 minutes and he's better than some guys that are making millions of dollars because he competes and he keeps it simple. We just have to get our great players playing as hard as our lesser players and we'll be fine."

"I went in between periods and said my biggest problem is I can't play Gratton's line every shift," Melrose said. "They're probably the lowest-paid line we got on the ice, but by far our best line on the ice the last two nights ... by far."
That Jamie Heward was the first cut in camp and he's now back in the lineup should tell you all you need about the depth on Tampa Bay's blue line -- between slim and none. Face it, you've probably seen more depth in a public wading pool, as folks begin to realize that all the forward talent in the world can't save you if you can't break out of your own zone.

The fallout is already hitting in Tampa, with Shane O'Brien enduring a benching after only one game, also having to put up with a trade rumor already, while others are asking questions about Vinny Lecavalier's surgically repaired shoulder. And another thing: Steve Stamkos won't be winning the Calder if he doesn't get better than the 8:25 in ice time he saw on Saturday. The honeymoon is definitely over.

Meanwhile Back in Stockholm ... It looks like the Swedes got better value for their hockey kroner. On Saturday, Tyler Kennedy was the unexpected hero, getting Pittsburgh's first goal of the season and the game winner in OT in a 4-3 Pittsburgh win. On Sunday Dany Heatley grabbed some glory with two more goals to go in a 3-1 Ottawa win to along with the one he potted on Saturday. Hometown hero Daniel Alfredsson had two assists.

The funniest moment of the weekend came in the postgame presser, when the media throng asked Pittsburgh hero Kennedy a few perfunctory questions before abandoning him to get to Sidney Crosby. Kennedy looked a little disappointed and who could blame him? And another thing -- as Sean Leahy wrote during his Saturday live blog, does Kennedy look an awful like Chief Wiggum on the Simpsons?

And before I forget, Martin Gerber got benched in favor of Alex Auld on Sunday. Somehow, I don't think that's going to work long-term. Then again, there are probably no regrets as the last I heard, Ray Emery had a sub-.900 save percentage in Russia.

For those of you who might be wondering about the Pittsburgh power play with Sergei Gonchar on the shelf, we got a lot of Crosby and Malkin working the points as they went 0-for-7 on Saturday by 2-for-4 on Sunday, with Alex Goligoski getting his first NHL goal as time wound down in Game Two. As for the The Pens Blog, they've already decided that Goligoski looks better back at the point than Daryl Sydor.

So after two years of kicking off the season in Europe, what does it all mean for the NHL? If you're Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, it means expansion, sooner rather than later:
"It's happening, it's going to happen," Eugene Melnyk told a small group of reporters before Sunday's Senators-Penguins game at Globe Arena. "A question of time, a question of how we can set up a schedule, but you can see here in Sweden, fan response been absolutely ... almost as crazy as us Canadians.

"In Gothenburg, crazier than anywhere. In Sweden, it's absolutely wild. They consider it one of national sports. There are other countries where the product can be marketed. We can take a run at it.

... My vote's in for European expansion."

NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly hopped on board later, only to have NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman throw cold water on the idea, taking pains to point out that Melnyk was "not voicing an official league position." And while it can be hard to take Bettman's side in any argument most of the time, he's probably right. Between finding enough cities where the economics could work to figuring out how in the world to make trans-Atlantic travel affordable, there are just too many near term obstacles. If I was betting, I think there will be a KHL division in Western Europe well before the NHL ever gets a sniff of the continent on a fulltime basis.

And speaking of Russia, while there are no definite plans to return to the continent next season, there is a pretty obvious choice -- how about the Caps, Red Wings, Leafs and Hawks in Moscow and St. Petersburg in October 2009? Put the Wings in St. Petersburg and the Caps in Moscow. Have the Hawks and Leafs switch cities for the second game.

Tweaking Lennie: Over the Summer, new Tampa Bay Lightning owner Barrie made some headlines when he predicted that the revamped Bolts would win the Southeast Division. Washington Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau decided to have a little fun at Barrie's expense when he uncorked this winner:
"We just hope to be in second place because Tampa says they're going win the division," Boudreau said. "So if we play good enough to get to second place, we'll be happy."
Well, after Washington's 5-4 shootout loss to Boston in their pre-season finale at home on Sunday, Boudreau was at it again, as he couldn't help tweak Tampa Bay one more time after they dropped their first two games. If you're looking for a link, you won't find it, as we picked it up off of the quote sheet the team sends to the press after each game. When he was asked whether or not the Capitals had a successful training camp ...
"I'd have to call it a successful training camp, but what we've accomplished is really nothing. We're still tied with Tampa and so we'll see....the proof will be in the pudding."
Ouch! You've gotta love Coach B's sense of humor, though I'm not sure Barrie feels like laughing around now.

The Podcast for Hockey Bloggers: I know this might sound a little too meta even for this audience, but if you've ever blogged about hockey you ought to make some time every week for The Rink, a new podcast produced by our own Tom Luongo along with James Gralian, better known online as Tapeleg at Jerseys and Hockey Love. In episode one, James and Tom talk about why they started blogging, Tom provides a great "two minutes of hate" and they wrap it all up with an extended interview with our old buddy Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy.

Hockey Fight of the Weekend: With so few games getting on television in the pre-season, the pickings are mighty slim when it comes to compelling fisticuffs these days. Still, this clip shot from the seats of a tussle between Jordin Tootoo and Boris Valabik tells you all you need to know about why fighting is part of the heart and soul of the game:



As always, thanks to David Singer at HockeyFights.com for doing the dirty work that we all love him for.

 

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]]>dany heatleyDanyHeatleymarkus naslundMarkusNaslundmike smithMikeSmitholie kolzigOlieKolzigsidney crosbySidneyCrosbythe ice sheetTheIceSheettyler kennedyTylerKennedywade reddenWadeReddenEric McErlain2008-10-06T01:00:00+00:00Tollefsen Sends Blake Into Next Weekhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/tollefsen-sends-blake-into-next-week/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/tollefsen-sends-blake-into-next-week/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/06/tollefsen-sends-blake-into-next-week/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

From tonight's pre-season bout between the Leafs and Blue Jackets comes, potentially, the best hit of the pre-season. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen of the Blue Jackets absolutely levels Jason Blake who needs to keep his head up a bit. The Leafs naturally take exception to it and Tollefsen proceeds to beat up Alexei Ponikarovsky. Thankfully, Blake got back to his feet after only a couple moments. Enjoy...

 

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]]>Kevin Schultz2008-10-06T00:07:00+00:00Prucha to Get Start in Praguehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/prucha-to-get-start-in-prague/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/prucha-to-get-start-in-prague/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/prucha-to-get-start-in-prague/#commentsFiled under: ,

The first min-controversy of the New York Rangers season was settled early today in Prgaue, where it appears that head coach Tom Renney has reversed a decision and will dress Czech native Petr Prucha for the team's season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning later today.

Newsday's Steve Zipay set off some online furor yesterday when he reported in his Blue Notes blog that Prucha had stormed off the ice and blown off a television interview after saying that he wouldn't be playing today. It was a reaction that was easy to understand, especially as Prucha had expected around 20 relatives to attend the game in Prgaue to see him play.

But as of a couple of hours ago, all has been forgotten, and Renney talked to Zipay to perform some damage control:
"I didn't change my mind, I made up my mind," said Renney. "I think Petr's had a good camp, he's been a little bit snakebitten offensively, but he's had chances as much as anybody on our team, and we need to score to win. The fact that he would be energized is not going to hurt us at all. But that's not unusual for Petr, we could be playing in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and he would play the game the same way. It was just one of those things, I contemplated it all day yesterday and last night."
Problem solved, right? Well, maybe not.

In a column that hit the Web about 90 minutes before Zipay's report of Prucha getting back into today's lineup, Larry Brooks of the New York Post tore into the entire organization, using the Prucha snub to catalog a laundry list of complaints about personnel decisions and the way the team has been run during the preseason:
It doesn't compute. None of it computes. This entire disjointed training camp does not compute. Jumping from city to city and country to country with split squads in order to jam in three Garden gates and eight preseason games altogether? Ridiculous.
The source of his ire shouldn't be much of a secret, as Brooks was a staunch defender of the since departed Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery, and not much of a fan of how GM Glen Sather has rearranged things in Manhattan. Truth be told, neither am I and I know I'm not alone.

In the FanHouse preview that Bruce Ciskie posted yesterday, I couldn't see the Rangers finishing higher than third in the Atlantic -- but our collective judgment settled the Rangers in fourth place behind the Devils. What's worse, that same collective judgment had the Rangers on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff spot.

Of course, all will be forgiven if the Rags win a pair in Prague from the Lightning. Then again, it ouhgt to be pretty clear that anyone who expects the Rangers to compete for a Stanley Cup may very well be living in a world of outsized expectations.

 

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]]>brendan shanahanBrendanShanahanjaromir jagrJaromirJagrPetr PruchaPetrPruchasean averySeanAveryEric McErlain2008-10-04T09:45:00+00:00Sabres Trim Roster by Eight Despite Key Injurieshttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/sabres-trim-roster-by-eight-despite-key-injuries/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/sabres-trim-roster-by-eight-despite-key-injuries/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/sabres-trim-roster-by-eight-despite-key-injuries/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Well, Sabres fans the questions about who will and who will not be in the lineup on opening night are pretty much answered. WGR550 has reported that the Buffalo Sabres sent eight players back to their AHL affiliate in Portalnd on Friday. They are as follows: Chris Butler, Nathan Gerbe, Tim Kennedy, Mark Mancari, Matheiu Darche, Dylan Hunter, Marek Zagrapan and Mike Funk. Mancari and Darche have both been effectively waived. Here's hoping Mancari doesn't pull a Pominville for someone else. Not likely, honestly.

With the injuries to Paul Gaustad and Tim Connolly this team is now officially short at center depth. It looks like recent waiver-bait Matt Ellis will be manning the third pivot until one of those guys is ready to play. I doubt Connolly's situation is serious at this point of one of Gerbe or Zagrapan would still be in Buffalo getting more experience for opening night. I'm sure there are a ton of people who would have liked to see Gerbe on the roster but, truthfully, the jump from college to the pros is a big leap and even a few months of living the grind of life in the 'A' is valuable preparation for the NHL. For the team it gives them time to sort out just who does and who does not what to be here come the deadline in February.

So, there will be just 2 scoring lines going out against the Wings on Sunday as a bottom 6 of MacArthur-Ellis-Kotalik / Peters-Mair-Kaleta is not going to scare any many goalies in this league. It also looks like they'll be keeping 8 defensemen as Mike Weber is still with the big club. I wouldn't be surprised if that changed by next Friday.If you're wondering about RW Drew Stafford you should be. It appears his ear took a beating by Oil Tollefsson the other night in Columbus which is getting checked out. No idea how serious it is. Maybe with all the money Tom G. is spending on contracts he could pony up for some fighting lessons for Staff. If he's going to keep taking on professionals like Tolleffson and Chris Neil he better learn to take his helmet off.

No TV the other night in C-Bus but a fan caught the action and posted it to the best creation of the Intarwebz:

Ta,

 

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]]>Drew StaffordMatt EllisNathan GerbePaul GaustadTim ConnollyTom Luongo2008-10-04T06:23:00+00:00Time To Prepare for the Inevitable, Wild Fanshttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/time-to-prepare-for-the-inevitable-wild-fans/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/time-to-prepare-for-the-inevitable-wild-fans/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/04/time-to-prepare-for-the-inevitable-wild-fans/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



I don't like being the bearer of bad news, but sometimes it just can't be stopped.

After all, I'm not smart enough to create the news. I just report it.

In this case, the news is not good for Minnesota Wild fans. Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has an item up in his blog tonight that may be a harbinger of bad things to come for the Wild.
The Marian Gaborik negotiations have hit a stalemate, and GM Doug Risebrough told me today he won't be signed by the Oct. 11 opener.

"Not making any headway," said Risebrough, who last month said it would be prudent to sign Gaborik, the team's all-time leading scorer, to an extension by next Saturday's season opener.

"I was trying to do something before the season. It's not happening. ... It's not going to happen by the start of the season."

Asked if he'll react by putting Gaborik on the trading block, Risebrough said, "That, I'll have to determine."
Might as well start packing the bags, Marian.

Minnesota fans are extremely patient, maybe to a fault. However, there was angst toward Wild management when the only move they could muster at the trade deadline was a deal for Chris Simon. That angst grew when Brian Rolston was allowed to walk at season's end. Risebrough didn't help himself much when he admitted he should have signed Rolston to an extension long ago.

Russo notes in his blog that he asked Risebrough about the prospect of trading Gaborik before, and the answer back then was basically "No way, Jose". Now, Risebrough is hedging.

He can't be seriously considering trading the best player (and only true star) in franchise history? Can he?

You'd think Dougie would learn his lesson. He's done some great things with this franchise, as has head coach Jacques Lemaire. But the fans aren't going to continue to pay to watch this team play when management does nothing to keep the star players around.

Yes, Gaborik will probably make upwards of $10 million on the open market. And that means he isn't at all obligated to give the Wild a discount. Given the average shelf life of a pro athlete, it's reasonable for him to seek the best offer he can find. It's also reasonable to suggest that the Wild are going to have to pay this type of money if the want to buy Gaborik out of free agency years.

So why won't they do it? They have the cap room. They have no one on the roster who is even remotely close to Gaborik's talent level. The fans love the guy.

Is there one good reason not to sign Gaborik, outside of Risebrough be