Hockey Puck_It

I bet I Could Kick Samsonov's Ass

2008-01-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

He's really small, I think I could do it. However, I don't want to.

It's been nice having him here, he's netted some points, doubling what he had coming in. He also increased his G/Game average, up from undefined.

I like his style, he's got some good hands. Watch him if you get a chance.

No Waivers for Leighton

2008-01-03T15:04:00.000-05:00

From section 50.9:

The Re-Entry Waiver procedure will not, however, be applicable to
Veteran Minor League Players defined as follows: (i) for goaltenders, Players who
have: (A) played in 180 or more professional games in North America (NHL, AHL
and ECHL), and (B) not spent more than 80 NHL games on NHL roster over the
prior two (2) seasons or more than 40 NHL games on NHL roster in the
immediately prior season

My bad. Props to whoever found this and posted it at TSB.

I HAS A GOALIE (e12)

2008-01-03T14:25:00.001-05:00

Well, John Grahame has been waived, per Luke DeCock. Interesting. Grahame hasn't exactly been playing well, so I'm not in the least bit surprised. What does this mean for the Canes?

Well, first off, Leighton has had some rather stellar play in the AHL this season. He needs to clear re-entry waivers in order to get to Raleigh. That's not so good. Who would pass on Leighton, for half price? Nobody sane. It'd be a fantastic pickup.

If that happens, then what? Well, ekdork is claiming we're going to sign Cujo. I'd be happy with that, and seems like a viable back-up plan in case Leighton gets claimed. He played in a tournament over seas and did pretty well form what I've heard. It'd be good to give Cam some real competition in net. However, Cujo needs to clear re-entry waivers since he's played elsewhere. That's not so good. What happens if Leighton and Joseph are claimed? I think we'll either bring Grahame back up or promote Peters. I suppose this could clear the log jam we have in our minors system.

So, yes, Jim Rutherford has a goalie. Or twelve.

We could end up screwed though. Someone sign Tom Barasso!

Survey Says? -- 30 Games

2007-12-19T12:05:00.001-05:00

Chris Simon is officially suspended for 30 games. This was about what I was expecting to be handed down. For the number fiends out there, this bumps his percentage of his career he's spent suspended up to 8.3%. Not too shabby for those seeking records. To date, Simon currently holds the NHL's two longest suspensions with his most recent affair and the 25 game ban he served for two-handing Ryan Hollweg. That is, unless he goes the Marty McSorley route and retires before his suspension is completed. I'll say the suspension is "right" in that it's not very light at all, even though its not a season ban.

So, will he serve all 30 games? It's tough to tell. Simon clearly has some issues he needs to work out. He may be hitting the sauce again, who knows. At any rate, a few things can happen. The Islanders can waive him and demote him to the AHL and not call him up to be on the NHL roster for each game, essentially exiling him. That could happen given Charles Wang's (the owner) apparent disgust over his actions. Another is Simon straight up retires, realizing that nobody is going to sign a loose cannon with 70 suspension games under his belt. Which retirement would be likely if he was exiled to the AHL as well.

I'm beginning the count down for how long it takes for Simon to play the race card, or Nolan to do it for him. They've done it in the past, and you know they'll do it again.

Simon Says, "Suspend Me For Life"

2007-12-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

Really, I mean, how in the world do you not learn from a 25 game suspension? Oh, right, you're Chris Simon.

I understand that hockey is a game where emotions run wild, and we all do stupid things. I've done dumb stuff, but what possesses people to go crazy like Chris Simon? He's going to end up killing someone if the League doesn't do something about him. Havlat's kick garnered him a 5 game suspension, but Havlat was down on the ice. Simon just wanted to hurt Ruutu. Hopefully Colin Campbell will not take the "no injury" approach and go lightly. Simon has been suspended 7 times, for a total of 40 games. His last was for 25 games, and he's clearly not learned his lesson only 26 games back from that one. He's played in 770 games, and served 40 suspension games. So, for a total of 810 games available to play, he's been suspended for 5% of that. Five freakin' percent of his career has been suspensions.

At least the Isles put Simon on 'leave' so he can gather his little remaining sanity and get help. I have a feeling he didn't suggest this himself.

Breakdown of his suspensions:

25 games for a high stick on Ryan Hollweg
2 games for kneeing Sergie Zubov
2 games for cross checking Ruslan Fedotenko
2 games for elbowing Anders Eriksson
1 playoff game for cross checking Peter Popivic
3 games for verbal commentes directed at Mike Grier
5 games for slashing Dennis Vial

Duck Doug (Goose)

2007-12-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Doug Weight has been traded to the Anaheim Ducks. I must say that this reeks of betrayal, especially after reading his comments in the paper. As a weird side note, I was actually wearing his sweater when he was traded. Talk about freaky.

Weight's production was down, and it's been a self-admittedly an 'unlucky' year for him. But at the same time, he wasn't being put on the power-play with near as much frequency as a player like him should. You cant produce if you aren't give the opportunity.

I think these few lines explain it all:

When asked how the deal unfolded and why he waived his no-trade clause, Weight said: "I just don't feel like I want to comment on that. It is what it is ... Over the last 15 years, I've developed a pretty good reputation and I'm an honest person. I have no need to leave this city throwing mud, you know. I'm not going to comment on how it went down. If somebody asks me, I'll tell them ... and I guarantee my teammates and friends will know exactly what happen."

Blues President John Davidson said: "Dougie is a proud guy. He didn't bail on his teammates. He didn't waive his no-trade clause because he didn't want to be here. He waived it for the right reasons, to go to Anaheim and get a lot of ice time. There's no way in the world that Doug would leave his teammates with that feeling. This was a hockey decision that we went to him with and he eventually wound up accepting."

It appears as though Doug was being threatened with the LeClair treatment--"let us trade you or we'll send you to Peoria"--effectively ending a 4-time All-Star and 7th leading active player in assists. It's treatment players like Recchi, LeClaire, and Weight don't deserve.

Brian Burke seems to be pretty stoked about getting a player with the leadership and passing abilities Doug can bring. Hopefully, being welcomed with open arms, despite an a-typical season, will ease his transition into getting his game back on track.

Good luck in Anaheim, Dougie. I was getting attached to the Blues, but after the way this appears to be handled, there's no residual love.

Just Walk(er) Away

2007-12-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

Scott Walker is probably on of my favorite Hurricanes, he's tough as nails and is tenacious on the ice. However, last night was the second time that I've seen that tenacity carry him too far. I dont know why he head-butted Fisher, it's just stupid. You know you're going to get suspended for that.

So, at the get go, Walker avoids some contact with two players, and ends up hitting the top of Gerber's leg pads. Interference, yes, but it was rather innocent contact. Ottawa did lose Emery early in the game to injury, but Fisher over reacted. Walker kept trying to get up and skate away, but Fisher wouldn't let up. I'm surprised he didn't get an instigator on it. To make matters worse, Fisher wears a visor. If you want to wear one, fine, but ditch the bucket before you fight.

As for the head-butt it's tough to see in regular motion, and does look like he was leaning in, just trying to get Fisher, but look at the 2:10 mark. He deliberately whacks him in the face with his head. It's even clearer at the 2:35 mark. Then, right at the end, at the 3:35 mark or so, it's blatantly obvious that he intentionally head-butted him.

So how many games will Walker get? I don't know. Guess we'll find out Friday the earliest.

As far as the other instance, I searched for a video, but no luck. He was fighting Ron Hainsey of the Blue Jackets during the 2007 pre-season. At the end after Hainsey went down a linesman tried to intervene, walker kept punching him in the head. He received a misconduct on the play. Both times, plain old stupid, but hopefully he'll have his wits about him in the future.

It's Been a While

2007-12-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Well, It's been quite some time since I last blogged (edit: LOL, one year to the day). I decided i'm going to try to keep up with it all regularly. So, check back later to see if I'm full of it. I'm still in college, and am procrastinating instead of studying for my exams right now, hence the blogging.

I've been through some injuries from playing hockey, but I hope to be back out on the ice with my friends. Remember, beavers rule!
----
Ok, so whats going on hockey wise....

The Dirty Hits--I've been furious with the way the National Hockey League has handled the dirty hits lately. They started to send a message, and then relax and go back to the slaps on the wrist. The next time the Flyers go off the deep end, I'll post some commentary.

The 'Canes--I'll miss the game against Ottawa. I'm pretty bummed about that, because I'll be studying instead. I've got a Quantum Mechanics exam the next morning at 8am, and have both an Electrodynamics exam and an International Trade exam on Wednesday. At any rate, I'll keep up with my analysis after each game. Starting with Cal-GARY (it's talk like Barry Melrose week) on friday.

The League--What's happened lately? My brain is mush, and I cant remember. The plan is to do an update, once a week on the league happenings.
----
Some hockey banter...

Ok, so enough of BSing. With my vested interest in the Blues, I've started to watch David Perron a bit more. I really think that he'll pan out to be a pretty decent player for the Blues. He's already decent, proving himself to Andy Murray, and getting time on the PP and PK units. Perron started at a pretty low level while playing Junior, and blossomed into a great player with the Maineiacs. Keep an eye out for him.

Oh, Dougie Weight, where are you??? Doug hasnt been producing much, which I guarantee is grinding on him. Though lately he's kept his +/- in check, so he's not hurting the team. He'll get his rhythm back, just dont hold your stick with a death grip!

Recchi a Trasher? OY. I feel bad for Rex, I like his game. It's Crosby's fault for his exile.

I aint dead... yet

2005-12-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

So, apparently I haven’t updated this thing in a while. I just only missed the entire month of November. Anyway, my synopsis of November’s performance, as I take an exam cram break.

While we haven’t performed to nearly the same level of October, in no way have I been disappointed. We’ve been riddled with injuries; Cam Ward seems to be in a bit of a funk; and we were at the mercy of jetlag quite a few times. Considering the loss of guys alone, we performed fairly well. Big Joe is out for the season, Brind’Amour, Whitney, and Wesely, cornerstones of the team, all had spells with the injury bug. Can we still survive? Yeah, I mean, we did!

I think for the most part I’d like to focus on Cory Stillman. On the forum I admin, a user made the claim that Stillman was better suited as a figure skater, or as some Disney on Ice character. Well, my jaw just about dropped when I read that. Now, I pride myself in my math skills (I’m minoring in math) so I’ll do a little extrapolation of his stats. Through 28 games, Stillman has 7 goals and 18 assists. Let’s see, extrapolate that to 82 games and you’d get a healthy 20 goals and 52 assists. I don’t know about you, but I like those numbers. He’s definitely not Eric Staal, and I don’t expect him to be. In fact, I love the fact that he’s the sneaky SOB that nobody thinks is going to any thing. And last time I had checked Stillman is currently 2^nd on the team in points, with 25, followed by Brind’Amour, Williams, and Cole as the only players to pass the 20 plateau. And he’s 15^th among Left wings (out of 142), preceded by guys with names like Kovalchuck, Gagne, Naslund, Ovechkin, and Kariya (which only 9 guys have passes the 30 point mark). League wide, he’s 58^th overall. I fail to see the complaints. We got him at a steal for $1.75 million (US) a year over three years. I could definitely live with his production at that salary. Furthermore, he’s just an extremely nice guy. I had the privilege of talking to him for a brief little while. I don’t always say “privilege,” it’s not because of his professional hockey player standing, but he is a genuine and easygoing guy. After speaking with him, I got the sense that he wanted to be here, not because Carolina was a last resort. And that made me very happy; for these reasons, I’ll say I’m quite a fan of Stillman.

What Irks Me, the Caniac

2005-10-31T22:07:00.000-05:00

Why do people hate us!?! I've always been proud to tell people that I’m a Caniac. Win or lose, it’s my team.

Yes, that’s right, I’m a Caniac and damn proud of it. People constantly disrespect my team, passing it off as crap because we are in a southern market. Well, to those of you who have said something like this in Ottawa, Philly, Pittsburgh, Boston, New Jersey, and DC: “I fart in your general direction!”

They are “here to play, here to stay.” And playing they are! The team has chutzpah; it’s an experience for me to watch them play. Staal has improved dramatically in the extended off-season, he’s bigger and he’s got hands sent from heaven. The great thing is, we’ve got much, much more to offer, but that’s not why I’m writing.

Long time hockey fans in Raleigh realize what this team has to offer. We see the improvements, we see the skill, and most importantly, we see the heart. Message-boards are being lit up like a Christmas trees, and appropriately October records are being smashed like pumpkins. We've got a great start and we're all riding the wave. What I love even more, is the fact that Raleigh is back to being a hockey city, its evident because non-hockey fans notice the team is thriving. People know that I’m their go-to guy for hockey news, trivia, and updates. So, naturally it was exciting when “is that lockout thing over yet?” has changed to, “the Hurricanes are playing well, aren’t they?” I no longer need the internet to discuss hockey, but I still love my internet hockey-message-board buddies. In the spring of 2002, Raleigh was absolutely electric. Hockey was everywhere; it was the thing to be into at the time. That gradually faded over the course of the next two seasons and the lockout, but now it’s slowly coming back. About 14,000 fans came to see the Bruins play on a Wednesday night; 12,000 for Monday’s game versus the Senators. Friday drew a near sellout crowd, just shy of about 500. For most teams (yes, I’ve checked the official score sheets, so don’t send me threatening emails) these figures are remarkable. But, we aren’t most teams, and we aren’t any “non-traditional” hockey market.

Hockey is back, and for once, it feels good to be a fan of the game AND a fan of The Carolina Hurricanes.

Puck_it

October Madness

2005-10-30T23:25:00.000-05:00

So, it’s been quite a while since I last updated the blog. School has been pretty busy, but I’ve managed to attend most of the home ‘Canes games. Unfortunately, I did miss the scoring fest against Philly on the 28^th.

The Hurricanes are playing extremely well. They aren’t playing well for 60 minutes, but they have the foundation to go very far this year. This team, providing they stay healthy, has enough skill and chemistry to be a powerhouse this year. Let’s start off by saying that Eric Staal has been absolutely incredible. Time after time, he leaves me stunned with the amount he has improved. The guy is simply amazing. Due to a scoring snafu in the Philly game, nobody in the arena realized that Eric had notched his first hat-trick. He didn’t get the traditional hats on the ice, which is rather unfortunate. However, he was able to do the deed in front of his father, as a part of Coach Laviolette’s team/family building atmosphere. As an aside, Eric put up a 4 point night the following night in Pittsburgh.

Coach had decided to make this past weekend fathers’ weekend. About 15 of the guys fathers came to Raleigh to see the Flyers game, then were going to travel to Pittsburg, on the team plane, for the Penguins game on Saturday. It seemed as though the players loved being able to take their fathers with them and share a little bit of their professional career with the guys that took them to practice as kids. Coach Laviolette’s father even came in for the occasion, and I think its really done wonders for the teams chemistry.

The team chemistry is insane right now. They know where everyone is on the ice, they know their moves, they pass well, and it’s quite a sight to see. But not only is there team chemistry, there’s fan chemistry. Raleigh is abuzz with hockey glee right now, its quite a great thing to see. About 14,000 fans came to see the Bruins play on a Wednesday night; 12,000 for Monday’s game versus the Senators. Friday drew a near sellout crowd, just shy of about 500. People are slowly returning, the seats are getting filled, and Raleigh is re-establishing that hockey town feel that was here in April, May, and June of 2002.

The whole league is starting to take notice too. We don’t lead the Eastern Conference and have the leading scorer for no reason. We truly are good. I hope anyone who reads this gets a chance to see the ‘Canes play.

Opposition Notes:

Washington – When I saw them on the 12^th of October, they were not palying smart hockey at all. Ovechkin is a bright spot, but for the love of God, get this guy some support! This team will end up taking Kessel in ’06.

Ottawa – What a great team to watch. They are strong, they are fast, and they’ve got a little bit of flash. Hasek is playing strong, and Spezza is phenomenal. Heatly ain’t half bad either, but we were able to shut him down when he was in Raleigh. The only way to beat this team is to out skate them, which is no easy feat. I doubt any team can out grind them; Chara will pop the lid off just about any takers.

Boston – I sure how the Bruins that I saw aren’t the Bruins everyone else plays. They were getting lucky when they scored on us. They lack real play making, and Brian Leetch carried them on his shoulders in this match up. The only reason they were shutting us down was because we tried to play physical to match their style. Then we decided to just out skate them, and sure enough we won. Boston’s bright spots are that they can dole out punishment, and they also have some great stick tying ability. Tying up our sticks saved them quite a few times.

I’ll post after the Florida game… I’ll be at the Toronto game, but I’ve got a paper due Friday, so I'll be polishing that after I return.

Lemieux, Crosby, Ward, Shootouts!

2005-10-08T19:40:00.000-04:00

I went to the Carolina Hurricanes home opener on Friday night, and boy, what a game! The hockey wasn’t so great, but what an exciting night! Well, Crosby was blanked, but I got to see his second NHL assist/point. Don’t think I’ll ever forget that play; it was very simple and very good.

This was the first time I ever saw Lemieux play (in person). WHAT A TREAT. It was just amazing to watch him skate and you could tell how, and why, he’s a Hall Of Famer. It was absolutely brilliant play. I did notice that he lagged behind on a lot of the plays, which I mean he is 40, but I think he was hoping to use the two line pass to his advantage. I’ve seen some excellent plays on the ice, and I’ve seen some brilliant players. Hull was amazing to watch as was Yzerman, Stevens too, but no skater has ever captured my attention like Lemieux did. His vision was absolutely the best I’ve ever seen, I don’t think I can accurately describe seeing him play, it was an experience more than anything really.

Crosby is a good player, but honestly Palffy, Lemieux, and Gonchar out played him. He pulled some amazing moves, but they were too infrequent, and his hockey wasn’t quite as sound as the aforementioned three. Does he have the potential? Oh, you better believe it. There definitely is some sort of adjusting or something that needs to be done. The only thing that made Crosby really stand out was his incredible stick work. It seems as though the stick is an extension of his body, he’s just so fluid with the puck.

Cam Ward… I can’t speak any more highly of this guy. He was very gracious when I met him, and not to mention he’s a killer goalie too. The focus he has is absolutely impeccable for a goalie of his age/experience. I tell all my hockey friends that they need to see this guy play some time soon. Pressure seems to be his ally more than his foe. He may not be the next Roy or Brodeur (yet), but he has the ability to become a championship goaltender.

Canes notes… Most of our defenseman ended up at the goal line of the attacking zone for some odd reason, not sure what Laviolette intended, but it was interesting seeing a guy like Nic Wallin trying to act like Bobby Orr. It was very bothersome to see forwards like Cole have to go to the blue line because a defender was in the net area.

Penguins notes… They have the potential to kill any penalty thrown at them. The first power play the Canes had, the Pens played such an excellent defense on them, that I’m not upset we got basically zero scoring chances on. The defense was that good. Short lived, but it was good. Pens have difficulty generating offense. They can’t pass worth a crap. Crosby can, Lemieux can and that’s about it. Their passing was just horrendous at times; we were intercepting passes left and right. It’s mainly an issue of timing than player placement. For instance, Lemieux on the power play would get crap half the time. The other half, it would be intercepted. Now, I doubt Mario Lemieux was not in his proper position, he just doesn’t do stuff like that. I did notice that the guys doing the passing hesitated a bit too much at times. Other guys would be doing the “one timer” (for lack of a better term) passing and be able to connect with great ease. Olczyk also needs to work on shuffling his lines.

The shootout was incredibly fun. It’s not every day you get to see a goalie block Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, and Ziggy Palffy. Stillman scored the lone goal in the shootout, which is no surprise because he scored on Caron on a breakaway when he came out of the box and caught a homerun pass.

Also, I love my new mini-Stanley Cup. It’s quite the little knick-knack to decorate my room.

Hockeyeve

2005-10-05T00:44:00.000-04:00

So, tommorrow the new NHL hits the ice. My, my, I've waited so long for this. I hope the preseason was an accurate indicator for how well the season is going to go. Hockey is finally exciting to watch. I always enjoyed going to games, but I've often left feeling unsatisfied. Woo hoo, heres to a boring game. Now, I think it will be a challenge to leave feeling unsatisfied. The game is different. And I love it.

Tommorrow is the first time all 30 teams will be in action on the same night. What a crazy day. I wish more games were on television, but then again, ill be watching the 'Canes tackle the Tampa Bay Lightning and have the Rangers-Flyers matchup in picture-in-picture.

I think that trying to accurately portray my emotions with word would be an injustice. So, I'll give you the liberty to deicde what I'm really thinking.

IT'S HOCKEY!!!!!

Canes over Tampa 5-3

Ahhh, Hockey!

2005-10-02T01:41:00.000-04:00

So, it's been quite a while since my last blog entry, which I'm going to blame school work on. Being immersed in 3D Schrödinger's equations for the past few weeks has been semi-taxing. But, telling you that would sort of be a lie. Yes, I've been doing school work, but I've been far to busy with other things, including but not limited to, Wolfpack Football. I love my collegiate team, but after a few frustrating failures and lack of discipline, I thought I'd return to my blog and focus solely on hockey. Which is a second lie, because as long as there’s football season, I will be out there in the Fairgrounds Lot tailgating no less than 4 hours before kickoff (the Chapel Hill game was at 12 pm mind you ;-) ).

Before I get to my hockey blabber, I'd like to commemorate the return of Ice Age on NHL.com. The author, Phil Coffey, was a mentor for a hockey project of mine that I did for high school. We've since kept in correspondence and kept each other entertained with amusing volleys of email this past summer, while both of us were stuck at work with nothing to do. Ice Age had always been one of my favorite sections; so, as a fan and friend, I'm giving him free face time to my constituency of exactly three readers.

So, I've been to a handful of preseason games and I've made a few postings on message boards and shot off a few emails about my perceptions. I suppose I'll summarize what exactly I felt about the game.

In short, I love it. I don’t really remember much about the 80's (event wise), because I turned four in 1990, but from what I've heard, this is close to the 80's style of scoring. That extra four feet in the attacking zone is quite an advantageous tool, when used properly. It gives much more room to contain the puck, keep passing simple, and it forces the defenseman to spread out from such a tightly knit box/diamond. Combining all of these factors, your team will HATE being on the penalty kill. In the games that I've seen, the calling of penalties has been very tight to not so tight at all. I love it when it’s called tight. It brings a focus to play making. It’s almost like watching women’s' ice hockey, but at a faster pace. They can't make contact like the men do, so they've resorted to play making and finesse. The NHL still allows contact, but only of the bone crunching variety. I also like the removal of the two line pass. I've seen guys come out of the box and receive a pass from a man in the defensive zone. Then, you've got a breakaway.

I probably could put a little more deliberation about how I feel about the rules, but I'm more eager to talk about my 'Canes. This team is under-rated. They don’t look too great on paper, but let me assure you, there's much more to this team. Something seems to be clicking, guys are passing well, making plays, we've got Cam Fricken Ward... The list goes on. I know that 90% of you will disagree with this, but that 90% probably hasn’t seen them play. I just hope the 'Canes read my blog and help me out by producing ;-). In all seriousness, I'm not being biased toward my team. They have the talent; the question is whether or not they can harness that talent and stay disciplined. If they can stay out of the box, I think that this team could potentially be playoff bound.

I didn't really get into as much depth as I wanted to, but it's late.

Pronger to Edmonton

2005-08-03T01:16:00.000-04:00

What a crazy trade. Atleast hes not coming to the SouthBEAST divison oponents like everyone else!

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=132273

Free Agent Madness

2005-08-03T00:29:00.000-04:00

What a day for free agency! It seemed as though if you blinked, you missed a signing.

The 'Canes picked up Cory Stillman today. This is a HUGE pickup. Since the '97-'98 season, Stillman has had 20+ goal seasons with the exception of '99-'00 when he only played 37 games. There was quite a bit of concern as to who Jim Rutherford was going to pick up to fill the void left by Jeff O'Neill (when he was on top of his game), but it seems as though everyone has let out a collective sigh of relief. Sure, he hasnt tallied any 30 or 40 goal seasons, but Stillman came cheap. Before the lockout Stillman was awarded $3.8 million in arbitration. Today he signed a 3 year $1.75 million dollar per year contract. Talk about a bargain. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.

Rutherford has said that he has about $5.5 million to spend on two or three quality guys. He is looking for an offensive defenseman or a high scoring forward. Stillmans contract leaves us plenty of wiggle room. Also rumored to be signed is Roman Hamrlik. Hamrlik played under Coach Laviolette during his Islander days, so he wont be new to the style of coaching. He was the 1st overall pick in the 1992 entry draft (Tampa Bay), and he hasnt missed many games. Sure there are better offensive defenseman out there, but Aucoins lucrative $16 million for 4 year contract in Chicago set the bar too high for us to really pursue a defenseman in the upper echelon. He should come fairly cheap. I imagine we'll have a few more million to spare to throw at another player.

Around the league some pretty big moves happened past two days.
-Foote to Colombus
-Hatcher, Rathje, Therien to Philly
-Holik to Atlanta
-Aucoin to Chicago
-Gelinas (former Cane) to Florida
-Malik (former Cane) to NYR
-Amonte, McCarty to Calgary.

Still some big names out there. I hope tommorrow is just as busy and energetic as today!

I'm still hoping we sign Mariusz Czerkawski! At under a million, hes a STEAL.

You be the GM Part 2

2005-07-31T13:19:00.000-04:00

Based on recent aquisitions and announcements made by Jim Rutherford, I have decided to update you be the GM. Ive made some changes based on what ive decided after deliberating furhter on certain players too. Comments are only under the new guys.

Here is the old You Be The GM

POS. PLAYER SALARY

C Eric Staal $942,000

C Rod Brind'Amour $3,800,000

C Matt Cullen, $688,800

C Jason Allison, C $1,800,000

LW Kevyn Adams, $718,200

LW Josef Vasicek, $1,140,000

LW Pavel Brendl, $899,745
He wasnt mentioned as a player that wasnt going to be qualified. I wouldn't sign him, but looks like he will be.

LW Miroslav Satan, $3,000,000
Hey, I wouldnt complain if Satan was brought here. Could fill the hole left by O'Neill

RW Erik Cole, $1,140,000

RW Justin Williams, RW $941,441

RW Mariusz Czerkawski, $800,000

RW Radim Vrbata, RW $450,000
Wasn't on the lsit of guys not qualified. No complaints here. Would like to see more offense from him though.

F Andrew Ladd, $850,000

Forward subtotal= $17,170,186

POS. PLAYER SALARY

D Bret Hedican $2,432,000

D Aaron Ward $1,520,000

D Niclas Wallin $836,000

D Frantisek Kaberle $1,292,000
Looks like hes being kept.

D Mike Commodore $450,000.00
Aquired from Calgary

D Glen Wesley, D $1,300,000

D Brian Rafalski $3,200,000

D Bruno St. Jacques, D $450,000

G Martin Gerber $1,064,000

G Cam Ward $570,000

Defenseman subtotal $13, 114, 000

0ffense-$17,170,186
Defense-$13,114,000

Total-$30,284,186

I knocked out Aucoin, because its looking like hes going elsewhere. However if we get him, scratch Rafalski. No more Top Pick, because Johnson is going to college. No more buyout cost.

I think for $30.3 million, we can put an excellent team on the ice.

draft excitement and such.

2005-07-30T22:31:00.000-04:00

Well, the NHL Entry Draft was held today and what a suprise Crosby goes 1st overall to the Pittsburg Penguins. Thats going to be an exciting team to watch with Malkin and Lemieux being Crosby's potential linesmates. What was even more exciting was that Mario said he was hoping to play at least two maybe three more years, health permitting, so he can take Crosby under his wing (haha get it because he's a penguin).

The 'Canes took Jack Johnson at 3rd overall. We need a solid defenseman, but he most likeley wont be here this coming season because he really would like to win a NCAA National Championship. Hopefully college will strengthen the quality of his game and he can come onto the team and become an impact player.

Jeff O'Neill was also traded to Toronto today for a 2006 conditional pick. I'm glad that O will be near his family and I wish him the best of luck. He wouldnt have been qualified by the 'Canes, so we got a free pick for letting Toronto and O'Neill get the inevitable done sooner.

My friend Phil Coffey kept an excellent draft blog on NHL.com. I suggest you check it out, it was a good read (much better than my blog). It was a bit like reading emails from him, something a bit more personable, rather than a straightforward informative article.

Schedules

2005-07-27T18:12:00.000-04:00

The NHL relesed its schedule today at noon. I'm pretty elated that the 'Canes open at home against Crosby, Lemieux, and Company. It should be Crosby's second game, so there is the potential that we can witness some history. Seeing "the Next One" score his very first would definatley be a story to tell.

I hate that five out of our last thirteen games are against the Capitals. I could understand playing teams in home-and-home series, but 5 out of 8 games we play against the Caps fall between March 25th and April 7th. That's way too many.

We do host the Redwings on January 10th, which is a perennial favorite. Too bad we only play them at home every three years.

You Be the GM

2005-07-27T00:33:00.000-04:00

So the News & Observer had a pretty nice "You be the GM" worksheet in Tuesdays sports section. I finally got around to filling out a roster with what they provided.

Staal, Brind'Amour, Hedican, A. Ward, Wallin, Gerber and C. Ward are all under contract already. I decided to keep them. I bought out Frantisek Kaberle for $865,640. He wasnt worth paying the $1.2 million. I took liberties with Ladd and our next Draft Pick since Rutherford was hoping to get a guy who was ready to play. Paid the max just in case.

POS. PLAYER SALARY

C Eric Staal $942,000
already under contract

C Rod Brind'Amour $3,800,000
already under contract

C Matt Cullen, $688,800
The price is right for having him as a 4th line center. Dont really know too much about him.

C Jason Allison, C $1,800,000
Though hes being pursued by the Oilers and Leafs, I still think we have a chance at him. Definately worth the risk.

LW Kevyn Adams, $718,200
No brainer here. Kevyn is the epitome of what a hockey player should be, and is absoluteley invaluable to this team

LW Josef Vasicek, $1,140,000
Big Joe did so well on the wing last year, but can fill in as a center if need be.

LW Ryan Bayda, $450,000
If I remember correctly, He is Lowell's leading goal scorer. So we know hes not crap. Hes a steal for a 4th liner at under half a million.

LW Jeff Friesen, LW $2,400,000
Hes a bit pricey, but I've been very impressed with his play. I think he could provide a little more offensive flair we lack on the left wing

RW Erik Cole, $1,140,000
another no brainer, Cole had done really well in Europ of the past year garnering enough respect to win the Playoff MVP of the league he palyed in. He excelled in the World Championships under Coach Laviolette. I hear he stays on his feet now.

RW Justin Williams, RW $941,441
Willie did really well when he came here in the last season. He fit into this system nicely. If hes not back I'd be suprised.

RW Mariusz Czerkawski, $800,000
Caerkawski has two thirty goal seasons underhis belt, both under Coach Laviolette during his time with the Islanders. He did well last season so you know hes not tanked. Pretty good bargain if you ask me.

RW Darren McCarty, $900,000
This will probably be difficult to pull off because he is hesitant to relocate his family. He'd bring a little more grit to the ice, which I wont object to.

F Andrew Ladd, $850,000
I'm breaking from the criteria, Ladd isnt on the sheet, but I think he'll be signed. He wont be pressured as much as Staal was, but I think he has his place in this club. I gave him the rookie max jsut to be safe.

Forward subtotal= $16, 570, 441

POS. PLAYER SALARY

D Bret Hedican $2,432,000
already under contract

D Aaron Ward $1,520,000
already under contract

D Niclas Wallin $836,000
already under contract

D Adrian Aucoin $2,800,000
Recently I heard he still wanted to play for the Islanders, but I pray Laviolette can woo him down south.

D Alexei Zhitnik $1,600,000
I'd like to steal him from the Sabres. He typically gets 20+ Assists from the blueline.

D Glen Wesley, D $1,300,000
Hes getting old, but hes still very consistent. He can bring the leadership for the younger guys like St. Jaques.

D Brian Rafalski $3,200,000
He has an offensive flair, which perpelxes me as to why he was able to survive with the Devils for so long. Fewest assist was 27 in his rookie year.

D Bruno St. Jacques, D $450,000
He's still developing but I think he can take on a minor roll for the club.

G Martin Gerber $1,064,000
already under contract

G Cam Ward $570,000
already under contract

Defenseman subtotal $15, 722,00
-------------------------------------------------------

Forward subtotal= $16, 570, 441
Defenseman subtotal $15, 722,00

Contract Total $32, 342, 441
+our top pick $850,000 (Rutherford hoped to draft a player ready to play)

Cap Total $33, 192, 441

+Kaberle Buyout $865,640

Total Bill $34, 058, 081

I shot for the $32 million goal, which I came pretty close if you ignore our newest draftee. I suppose we can slightly overspend this year so we can make the playoffs and generate more revenue and team support. Sorry Peter.

The New NHL

2005-07-26T20:55:00.000-04:00

While the new NHL has its fair share of detractors, I'm definately not one of them.

I think that the NHL has done quite a bit to open the game and it will be interesting to see how it impacts the game. Unfortunately, too many people beleive that the game will be instantly open and flow beautifully at the first drop of the puck; I don't think they could be any more wrong. If the officials call the game like they should, the game will be incredibly slow. Penalties will be dished left and right. Towards the end of the first season, if the referees are persisitant in calling the game properly, we will see fewer penalties and only then will the beautiful flow be prevalent. For the officals to keep calling the game tightly, even at the expense of an initial slow-down, the fans, coaches, and players cannot start ranting about it. Its happened in the past (i.e. when those obstruction rules first came about).

I was enthralled by the Draft Lottery Festivities on Friday (July 22). It was quite a suspenseful 30 minutes, though I imagine this was only perpetuated by the fact that my team recieved the thrid overall pick. I wish the NHL had a little more fanfare with teh unveiling of the new shield. I like the shield, though I will miss the orange. At least they are still the sole league of the four major sports to have colors besides red, white, and blue. I first saw it on NHL.com, which suprised me. I would have thought Commissioner Bettman would have had some sort of unveiling with a velvet curtain and all. Thats ok, my team still got third.

I probably could continue with my banter, but then I wouldnt have anything to post on another day.

I'm No Rumormonger

2005-07-26T20:53:00.000-04:00

Well, I decided that I'd try my hand at this whole "blogging" thing. I'm an avid hockey fan and I decided that perhaps i would share my opinions that I conjure up in emails and discussions with friends.

I'm not trying to pretend like I'm all connected like Eklund, because, well, I'm not. I do have friends who know people and I do find out some info faster than others, but thats not the purpose of this blog.

It's open comments for now so have at it.