On the Wings

On the Wings has moved

2006-10-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

On the Wings has moved to its own domain: onthewingsblog.com. All future updates will be here but this site will remain for archive purposes. Please update your bookmarks!

Great resource: The Hockey Recap

2006-10-19T20:28:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for quick information on last night's games, go here. (via Mirtle)

Filppula Called Up

2006-10-19T19:33:00.000-04:00

The Red Wings today called up forward Valterri Filppula after the injury to Brad Norton. Norton has a left shoulder injury suffered in last night's game against Anaheim. If he arrived in time, he could be in the lineup tonight. In two games with Grand Rapids, Filppula has recorded one goal and one assist, with a rating of +1. Also, Brett Lebda will replace Anreas Lilja tonight.

Malik: Wings’ Foul-Out Endemic Of An Arrogant Organization

2006-10-19T18:28:00.000-04:00

George Malik continues his practice of posting excellant columns on Kukla's Korner with this critique of the Wings' PR department. He gets a lot right in the first section, where he accuses the organization of arrogance. I do think, however, he somewhat overestimates the response the team would receive if they were to change its ways. Hockeytown has become more and more Pistonstown and Tigerstown lately, and I suspect it will be hard to return to the glory days of Wings fanship.

Greg Johnson Retires

2006-10-11T18:30:00.000-04:00

Due to his heart ailment, Greg Johnson has retired from the NHL. I don't want to blame Ken Holland too much on this one, other than the fact that a physical could've been demanded prior to signing him. And catching the ailment before signing him would've allowed the Wings the cap space to go out and get a young forward. Obviously this is all in hindsight and neither Johnson nor Holland saw this coming. Enjoy your retirement, Greg, and I hope your condition improves.

Griffins Update

2006-10-06T17:36:00.000-04:00

This is a new feature at On The Wings that Matt has asked me to write. Hopefully, I will write about once a week just to report what’s going on with the Wings AHL affiliate. The Grand Rapids Griffins are made up of players assigned by either Detroit or Edmonton, as well as a few with AHL contracts. I will focus mainly on Detroit prospects, though the general success of the team will be reported.

Tonight is the Griffins season opener. They play the San Antonio Rampage in San Antonio at 8:00 PM. When they take the ice tonight, the Griffins will hardly resemble the team from last year. Their roster is as follows:

Goaltenders 33- Jimmy Howard (DET)

1- Stefan Liv (DET)

Defense 3- Danny Syrvet (EDM)

4- Dan Smith (DET)

8- Nick Naumenko (GR Professional Tryout)

12- Tom Galvin (GR Professional Tryout)

18- Jason Becket (GR Professional Tryout)

22- Kyle Quincey (DET)

28- Derek Meech (DET)

Jonathan Ericsson (DET-Injured)

Offense 7- Stephane Goulet (EDM)

9- Kip Miller (GR)

10- Brock Radunske (EDM)

11- Krys Kolanos (DET)

14- Matt Hussey (DET)

15- Valterri Filppula (DET)

16- Ryan Oulahen (DET)

17- Evan McGrath (DET)

19- Eric Himelfarb (DET)

21- Josh Langfeld (DET)

23- Matt Ellis (DET)

25- Scott Barney (GR)

26- Brendan Brooks (DET)

27- Darryl Bootland (DET)

29- Ryan Keller (GR)

Only Howard, Quincey, Meech, Oulahen, Himelfarb, Ellis and Bootland remain from last season’s team. They had an incredible year, offensively, with 323 goals. 172 of those goals were scored by the top four offensive producers (Jiri Hudler, Donald MacLean, Eric Manlow and Tomas Kopecky)-all of whom are gone. The front offices of both the Red Wings and the Griffins have done a good job of getting some high production skaters.

The Griffins played only two exhibition games, and had a somewhat pathetic showing for both. The lost the fist to the Chicago Wolves, 3-2. The second was an 8-5 loss to the 05-06 Conference Champion Milwaukee Admirals. Hopefully, the regular season will have better results.

This season, there are a few key prospects to keep an eye on. Jimmy Howard is an obvious one. He’s already proven he can succeed at the AHL level in the regular season. He’ll be looking to prove that he can play in the post-season. Stefan Liv is a very exciting addition. It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to North American hockey. He and Howard will make a great tandem and will hopefully lead GR to the Calder Cup. On defense, the Wings have Kyle Quincey coming up. His skills were seen quite clearly during the Preseason games for Detroit. On offense, Darryl Bootland and Valterri Filppula will hopefully play on the same line once again, though their linemate will be absent (Kopecky). They were arguably the Griffins best line last season. Filppula is on track to reach the NHL quite soon. If Bootland has another season like this past one, it could give him a much better chance of making the Wings next season.

Don't write about hockey, Drew Sharp

2006-10-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

Sharp got his annual "let's bash hockey and the Wings" column in today's Free Press. Go read it if you can stomach it. Favorite bit of editorial wit:

But change hit home like a cold slap Thursday. Steve Yzerman took the ice in only a ceremonial role. Brendan Shanahan was opening on Broadway. And the goalie that everyone in Detroit truly wanted was on the ice.
The problem was he played for the other team.

Yes, Drew, the first two were definite slaps to the face but you're speaking for yourself on the third.

Shanahan gets 600th goal

2006-10-06T09:15:00.000-04:00

I really would have loved to have seen that. I wish he could have gotten those two goals while still in Detroit. Congratulations, Shanny! As for the Wings, they lost last night and didn't look good while doing it, though it was still great to watch them again. Definitely a lot of rust, for just about everyone on the team. Hopefully they'll be better on Saturday against the Pens. It was very strange to see Lidstrom wearing the "C," but Draper and Zetterberg look good with the "A." Now I have to get one for my Hank jersey. I'm sorry about the lack of posting. I really did mean to do a preview of the game, if not the season, but just was not able to fit it in. I hope to be able to start posting more regularly sometime next week, when the homework push is over.

Wings final roster set

2006-10-02T15:40:00.000-04:00

Brad Horton made the cut as the 13th forward, as the players preferred. So, the team will look like this:

Forwards Dan Cleary Pavel Datsyuk Kris Draper Johan Franzen Brad Horton Tomas Holmstrom Jiri Hudler Tomas Kopecky Robert Lang Kirk Maltby Mikael Samuelsson Jason Williams Henrik Zetterberg Defensmen Chelios Chelios Niklas Kronwall Brett Lebda Nicklas Lidstrom Andreas Lilja Danny Markov Mathieu Schneider Goalies Dominik Hasek Joey MacDonald Chris Osgood

I have a ton of homework to do this week but I'll get a season preview up by late Wedesnday night.

Kubina may be suspended for shot at Hudler

2006-10-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

Update (7:39 PM): The TSN article has been updated to say that Kubina has, in fact, been suspended for Toronto's first regular season game. He'll forfeit $26,737.97 in pay. - Matt The Leafs' Pavel Kubina was assessed a match penalty during last night's exhibition game in Toronto (a 3-2 shootout win for the Wings) for a cross-check to Jiri Hudler's face. Now, the league is reviewing the play and may suspend the defenseman for at least Toronto's season opener against the Senators. I only caught a glimpse of the play while watching it live (I was distracted) but it seems pretty clear that Kubina ought to sit out at least one game. Hudler is the shorter player by a fair margin, Kubina has to control his stick, even when taking a cheap shot after the play. Hit him in the chest next time, Pavel.

Wings give Ken Holland and Jim Nill 3-year Extensions

2006-09-29T16:17:00.000-04:00

It looks like the Red Wings organization is buying into the offseason "success" that Ken Holland had...I would've liked to see the Wings wait until the end of the '06-'07 season, and at that point either re-sign Holland or give Nill the GM position. We can't expect Jim Nill to be assistant GM forever...

TSN: Konowalchuk announces retirement

2006-09-29T13:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know he's a Colorado player but it's relevant because Greg Johnson is in a similar position. I expect we'll be hearing about his retirement pretty soon.

Bootland sent back to Grand Rapids

2006-09-28T05:23:00.000-04:00

It's bad news for the lady fans in Detroit but good news for Darryl's large female fanclub in GR, as long as he clears waivers. Booter may have literally fought his way out of a roster spot, because the Wings could obviously use a physical presence. However, they don't necessarily need a fighter in today's NHL. Update (5:49 AM): Um, I see now that Bootland did, in fact, clear waivers, in case you were worried. Update (3:53 PM): Joe Conklin of The Grand Rapids Press has more on Bootland here.

Bob McKenzie: Johnson may retire

2006-09-27T19:42:00.000-04:00

"Sources say Johnson may soon have to announce his retirement, but he is seeking secondary medical opinions to be sure."

I don't see how any doctor could clear him to play if another told him he couldn't. I've been skeptical of the whole Johnson deal all along but in reality, he would have been helpful to have (I'm still not convinced he was the best acquistion the Wings could have made but anyway...) so it's a shame they would have his servises. The good news, though, is that his condition was noticed before another Fischer-like incident took place. Update (7:56 PM): According to Ansar Khan, Johnson didn't just go to any old Detroit heart clinic. It was the Mayo Clinic that didn't clear him. Good luck finding a contrary opinion, Greg. Khan also has more on the forwards situation so his blog post is worth a read.

Steve Yzerman named Red Wings Vice President

2006-09-25T14:38:00.000-04:00

So, he won't be Ken Holland's right-hand man, he'll be Jimmy Devellano's. It's fitting, given the fact that Jimmy D is the man who drafted The Captain in 1983. Pretty good first post-career job, I'd say. Congratulations, Stevie!

Khan: Markov has slight MCL sprain

2006-09-23T01:59:00.000-04:00

So, two of our big acquistions are having medical issues. Great.

AP: Wings to name new captain at opener

2006-09-21T22:38:00.000-04:00

I highly doubt the final decision will come as much of a surprise. It really doesn't seem likely that it would be anyone other than Lidstrom. Also, the season begins two weeks from today so regular posting will be coming soon. Expect a season preview in the week leading up to the opener on October 5th.

Johnson to miss camp due to abnormal EKG

2006-09-16T15:32:00.000-04:00

The news that he failed his Thursday physical broke yesterday and was followed up by the Wings assuring us that they are not concerned. Now, they aren't taking any chances, given what happened to Jiri Fischer. Hopefully, everything's okay.

Anson Carter signs with Columbus

2006-09-13T21:07:00.000-04:00

He'll get $2.5 million for one year, again making either the Franzen or the Johnson signing look silly.

Buy ten Wings tickets, get two Jan 2nd seats

2006-09-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

Simply select the game(s) that you would like to attend, purchase a minimum of 10 individual single seats in any combination (10 to one game, 1 to 10 games, etc.)* and guarantee yourself 2 upper bowl seats side by side** for this memorable event!
* All 10 or more singles must be purchased in 1 order to qualify for Steve Yzerman Night seats. ** Seat locations will be based on availability.

Um, is it just me or do they seem a little desperate to sell tickets? That little deal is a tad expensive for Joe Fan, especially if the two tickets aren't free in the end (they're a little ambiguous about that) and if they crack down on groups pooling money (like a couple of poor college kids). (Thanks to Megan for the link)

The Final Piece in the Puzzle: Devereaux to attend camp

2006-09-09T14:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right, Boyd "Devoid" Devereaux is attending the Detroit Red Wings' training camp. There's the offensive punch we've been looking for! A 23-goal scorer returns to the team! Yeah! Oh wait.... that was over 256 games.... Why, oh why, Kenny?

Journal News: Shanahan getting a head start

2006-09-08T09:13:00.000-04:00

Sam Weinman catches up with the former Red Wing as he settles into his new life as a Ranger.

Red Wings Season Ticket Availability

2006-09-05T21:26:00.000-04:00

(Click image for full size version)

It looks like the recent success of the Pistons and Tigers has shortened the season ticket waitlist for Wings tickets considerably. It's been three years since I signed up for the waitlist, and back then it was a rumored 10 year wait for season tickets. Has anyone else gotten the letter?

The Captain's #19 to be retired January 2nd, 2007

2006-08-30T14:57:00.000-04:00

The CP is reporting that the one-hour jersey retirement ceremony will take place before the Wings' Jan. 2nd game versus the Anaheim Ducks. Steve Yzerman's jersey will be the 6th to be retired by the Wings and will join Terry Sawchuk's #1, Ted Lindsay's #7, Gordie Howe's #9, Alex Delvecchio's #10 and Sid Abel's #12 in the rafters of Joe Louis Arena. If you want tickets to that game, camp out on your computer the night they are released because they'll be gone very quickly, I'm sure. It's either that or take out a loan in order to buy them off someone. By the way, does anyone know the ticket release schedule?

Dumont to Nashville for two years, $4.5 million

2006-08-29T14:42:00.000-04:00

Sure makes either the Franzen and Johnson signings seem even more redundant, eh? Dumont could have been ours, had the Wings not signed one of those two. Ah well.

Johan Franzen re-signs with the Wings

2006-08-25T19:48:00.000-04:00

The Mule's new contract is for three years, $2.825 million, according to TSN. With the signing, Detroit now has 7 natural centers (Pavel Datsyuk, Jason Williams, Robert Lang, Henrik Zetterberg, Kris Draper and Greg Johnson are the others.). Glad to see you back, Johan. Update (26. Aug, 8:27 AM): The Freep reports that, because Steve Yzerman's $400,000 bonus from his last contract counts against the cap this season, the Wings are essentially operating under a $43.6 million limit. Franzen will earn $775,000 this season ($900,000 the next and $1.15 million in the third), leaving them only about $2.6 million left in cap space, according to the paper. Since they'll only be willing to part with about half of that figure in order to have a cushion, they really have only $1 million to $1.3 million to spend on another forward. Because players like Anson Carter and JP Dumont are asking for more than that, it seems very unlikely that the Wings will be making any more deals before the season.

Red Wings Central: the Wings' training camp roster

2006-08-24T15:47:00.000-04:00

Via George Malik, who writes "Lower [jersey] numbers mean a good chance of getting a 'long look,' while higher numbers tend to indicate a season in the minors." George also points out an interesting entry in the list: 02 Jiri Fischer, Detroit (NHL). Since when is Jiri coming back, or at least getting a chance to try out? It must be a mistake, since you'd think someone would have picked up the huge story of Jiri Fischer's amazing return to the ice. But maybe not... It would be nice to know what's going on.

Helene St. James: Lidstrom to be the captain

2006-08-23T07:29:00.000-04:00

No official announcement yet, this is based on a source the paper apparently has within the organization. Obviously, this isn't surprising, if it's true. Congratulations, Nick! Update (5:16 PM): I found and posted the above link right before I left for work today. If I'd had more time, I probably would have questioned Ms. St. James' story a little more. Fortunately, while I was at work, others did the questioning, namely IwoCPO at A2Y. First, he broke down the story piece-by-piece. Then he posted a quote by Mike Babcock (via KK) in a CP report that refuted the Free Press article:

“I’m not saying Nick Lidstrom won’t be the captain but what I am telling you is that we haven’t spent one second on it yet. Anything written about it at this point is pure speculation.”

Obviously the Freep's source is getting a little ahead of themselves and the organization. Nick Lidstrom may very well end up being the captain and he probably should be. I still favor this rumor, however. Update (6:54 PM): Iwo has more here.

Sean Avery: The Maxim Interview

2006-08-16T15:50:00.000-04:00

Everyone's least favorite ex-Wing had this to say about a former teammate:

Which player would you love to cross-check into the boards? The guy I owe the most right now is Kirk Maltby from Detroit. ..... I know Malts would never square off and fight me. If I dropped my gloves, he’d skate away and I’d get a penalty.

No kidding Maltby wouldn't "square off and fight," you, Avery. It' s not his job. His job is to draw penalties from hotheads like you and he's one of the best at doing it. His other job, which he also excels at, is killing off penalties but I guess that's something you wouldn't know about. I'm sure your teammates know all about it, though. What's your job? Penalty box inspector? (link via Checking Line)

Blast From the Past: Wings Sign Greg Johnson to Second Stint

2006-08-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

Ken Holland is bringing together the Wings of old. Greg Johnson, 35, is back. Yes, that's the Greg Johnson of 10 years ago, who was traded to Pittsburgh midway through the '96-'97 season (just missing a Cup run) for Tomas Sandstrom. A horrible trade, it turned out. Sandstrom went 20 games in the playoffs with only 4 assists, and lacked the offensive punch seen earlier in his career. We hated Sandstrom back then, and wanted Greg Johnson back. Well, Holland brought our old friend back. He's put up some decent seasons, and has been a pretty consistent 10 goal, 20 assist player - that is, when injuries don't plague him. Last season, he went 11 goals, 8 assists through 68 games, missing time with a groin strain. My first reaction to this move was thumbs up. Johnson is speedy, and could be a great playmaker on a team like the Wings. Also, his TSN profile says he is good at killing penalties and taking faceoffs. But then I look at his age and what happened to him last season. If he stays healthy, this could be a great move. But, if a groin injury creeps up, it could mess up his entire season. I'm disappointed Holland hasn't been able to sign more players outside the organization (second, third stints not included). I give Holland credit for being creative and probably getting a bargain forward who can play fourth line center for the Wings. But I'd rather have seen the Wings go out and get a guy with more offensive potential: Bondra, Nolan, Carter, Dumont, etc. Johnson replaces Franzen (if necessary), and still leaves the need to fill in for Shanahan's production. I'm still waiting... UPDATED (8/15 11:03 am) Greg Johnson's base salary for 2006-2007 will be $500,000 via the NHLPA site, with I'm sure some performance-based incentives included.

George Malik's Groin-spiracy Theory

2006-08-13T22:59:00.000-04:00

George Malik forms an interesting theory that Hasek's 12" goalie pads during the Olympics led to his groin injury. Malik goes all the way and documents the theory with pictures of the goalie pads in question. Great read.

Malik: Everything changes with Malkin's 'defection'

2006-08-13T11:09:00.000-04:00

George Malik explains how the fallout from Evgeni Malkin's "defection" from his RSL team is going to affect the Wings' efforts to bring Igor Grigorenko to the NHL by next summer.

Henrik Zetterberg's wrist injury

2006-08-10T21:35:00.000-04:00

Update (12. Aug, 2:06 PM): Christy has more here. Update (11. Aug, 5:51 PM): Looks like I overreacted: John Niyo reports that a DMC hand specialist checked out Hank's wrist today and decided that surgery is not needed. Apparently, it's just inflammed and there's no "structural damage." Basically, he'll be fine soon. He's supposed to get a cortizone injection to help with the inflammation and then head back to Sweden. Whew! I still think they need to sign a scoring forward, however. Their options are getting more and more limited, though. Petr Sykora, pending a groin MRI, has signed with the Edmonton Oilers and, as Niyo posted on the Detroit News Wings Weblog, the Wings are not interested in JP Dumont. Peter Bondra sounds pretty good to me, Ken. (Thanks to the posters at KK Forums for the links.) Update (11. Aug, 7:19 AM): The News reports that, due to the terrorist plot the Brits exposed yesterday, Hank's arrival in the States could be delayed by the heightened security at airports. They also quote the assistant GM, Jim Nill, as saying, "I don't think it's anything serious. He played all year with it and didn't even feel it at the end of the season." Again, it's a good thing they're being cautious now, even if the injury isn't a big deal. (End Updates) Helene St. James today regurgitated a Swedish report that broke the story that Henrik Zetterberg has been dealing with a wrist injury for the past 18 months. Apparently, it's been on and off and Hank has been able to play through it by taping it up (Making his play last season even more impressive). However, the injury recently flared up while Zetterberg was skating with his old SEL team, Timra IK. Now, the Wings are concerned enough to bring him back to the States for examination. The Swedish report said the injury is serious and that Henrik may miss the start of the season, a prospect made much more likely if surgery is required. I guess it's good that this happened now rather than in March, where the loss would have been catastrophic (remember, Hank was one of the few Wings to show up against Edmonton). If he needs surgery, he can get it done soon and would be back in time for the important stuff, hopefully. Even so, this is not good news, folks, especially considering the Wings still have not signed any serious offensive talent this summer. Remember the fact that this injury dates all the way back to 18 months ago. It's not like Hank could have kept it hidden. Management knew about it and should have made allowances for it in their plans for this coming season (ie. "Hank may be forced by injury to take a reduced role, rather than an increased one - do you think maybe we should get his wrist checked out and sign someone who can score goals just in case?" Naahhh). With that in mind, the day Shanahan left the team, taking his share of the offensive burden with him, the Wings should have made it their first priority to sign a bona fide NHL forward with some semblance of offensive ability. That they didn't is pretty disturbing. I don't think they have any choice now, in light of the possibility that Hank could be out for an indeterminate amount of time. Please sign someone, Holland. Dumont, Bondra, anyone. (link via. A2Y)

Pavel Datsyuk's Official Site

2006-08-08T22:13:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know if Datsyuk has become a US citizen? The entry page to his site sure is patriotic, with US and Russian flags in the background. Site has video gallery and some interesting bio pages.

St. Louis signs Legace to a one-year deal

2006-08-08T18:12:00.000-04:00

About time someone got around to signing him. Sheesh. Congratulations, Manny! And good luck. We'll be seeing you.

AP: Red Wings consider moving from Joe Louis

2006-08-06T09:38:00.000-04:00

The Illitches have moved one of their chief executives over to head a team investigating two options: a new arena and renovations of JLA. Personally, I can't imagine the Wings without the Joe so I hope they end up deciding to renovate. I don't want to go to some fancy new arena with some corporate name and zero character. But that's just me. The News has a story on this too but I can't access it right now ("Server too busy"). Maybe you can.

CBC to air tribute to Gordie Howe

2006-08-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

"Mr. Hockey: The Life and Times of Gordie Howe" will air on CBC at 8:00 PM, tomorrow night (07. Aug). The Globe and Mail has some more here.

Five Weird Things About Me

2006-08-04T18:51:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by Christy to post five things about me that may be found to be weird. 1) I read. A lot. I'm currently reading a 1296-page history of the British Isles. For fun. 2) I like history. You know that's weird, all you history haters. 3) I work landscaping/lawn maintenance and don't smoke pot. That's very weird, I'm told. 4) I played football and did Quiz Bowl in high school, as did a number of my fellow athlete friends. Ask the QB teams that utterly destroyed us in tournaments whether or not that combination is weird. The geeks... 5) I hate my alarm so much that I always wake up before it goes off so that I don't have to hear it. Even when I'm getting up at 5:00 AM (for the most part). I haven't been following this conversation all that closely so I'm not sure who has done it and who hasn't. I tag whoever's not done it!

Sergei Fedorov's Enzo

2006-08-02T22:51:00.000-04:00

I found these pics in an undeveloped disposable camera. They are from the summer of 2003, when Sergei had his Enzo parked at a dealership for safe-keeping. And with Hasek coming back for his third tour, is it really beyond Holland to bring back Sergei? It won't be next season, though, as Feds is making $6.08 million.

Paul Kukla gets a slot on NHL.com

2006-08-01T15:48:00.000-04:00

Interesting that the first hockey blogger to get their own NHL.com column is also a Wings fan. (fans of the 29 other teams can insert *evil laugh* here) Congratulations, Paul!

More on Dom

2006-08-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

A2Y has a sober reflection on the Hasek deal up. He likes it. I'm still not a big fan of it. Sure, it could be great. In a perfect world. Hasek is going to go down with a groin injury. Does anyone really believe he won't? The only question is when. Will it be 20 games into the season? Or will it come halfway? Say he pulls his groin in an All-Star Game shootout. "So what?" you say, "They can always make a trade for a goalie, right?" Sure. Holland had a perfectly good goalie market this summer and couldn't find it in himself to send a precious player from the inviolable roster in order to get it done. He'll have to get over such sentimentality if he wants to swing a trade at the deadline. Maybe Hasek'll make it until after the trade deadline and injure it in a meaningless game after he's already locked up the Vezina and the Wings have locked up the Conference if not the League. Wouldn't that be wonderful? It could happen at any time, early or late in the season. We've seen Dom go through both early and late (well, mid-season) groin injuries and he made it back from neither. Maybe this time will be different. Maybe not. Will it have been worth it if Hasek carries the team to the best record once again but hurts his groin down the stretch and misses the playoffs? Maybe, if you're satisfied with another President's Trophy. If Hasek's ready for the playoffs, great. In that case, the Wings could go all the way. But they ought to lock him in a cryogenic chamber between now and the end of March, 2007 or else they could be stuck with *gasp* Chris Osgood (horror of horrors!) and end up right back where we were before yesterday when Hasek was still a UFA. Where's the gain in that? My point here is, if that's what ends up happening, we'd have been just as well off going with Osgood all along and saving the $750,000 for, say, a forward. Maybe they should have signed Dom mid-season a la Steve Thomas. My concern is that the healthy Dom will be wasted on the regular season, which no self-respecting Wings fan gives a squat for any more. I fully expect Hasek to be excellent. He proved last year that he still can be great. But I don't want Vezina Trophy candidate Dom. I want Conn Smythe candidate Dom and you'll have to forgive me if his last tour in Detroit put a damper on my hopes for seeing that. If Hasek end up being healthy all season and through a lengthy (if not successful) playoff run, I will look back favorably on this move. That is an enormous if, however.

Wings Sign Hasek for Third Tour of Duty

2006-07-31T12:40:00.000-04:00

Hasek, 41, is back. Deal believed to be for $500,000 plus incentives. (Update, 7:03 PM, Matt: Christy reports it's $750,000 plus incentives kicking in after first round of playoffs) This is completely shocking. Confidence in the Wings and Ken Holland = zero. Via SportsNet: Holland and Hasek will be on conference call at 1 pm today. Media can call 1-866-365-4406, and ask for the the Detroit Red Wings media conference with pass code 7838110. Any fans with time to try to join the call, let me know if you are able to get through. I'm sure Matt or I will post more on this once the work day is over. Update (5:25 PM, Matt): Well, how did you hear about it? I was pushing a wheelbarrow of hardwood mulch in the 98 degree weather (plus a ton of humidity) when my boss told me. Can't say it made my day. I thought he was joking, so I called up a friend (Megan, in fact.) She confirmed it. I have to say, the signing of a 41-year-old goalie makes the loss of Brendan Shanahan due to a "youth movement" seem even more farcical. How short is the institutional memory of the Detroit Red Wings? Very short, it seems. Let me take you back. Hasek was traded to, and signed with, the Wings on July 1st, 2001. I remember being excited about the team acquiring one of game's great goalies. It was a one-year deal with two additional years as team options. He went on to win 41 regular season games and help bring home the Cup the next summer. I was at the parade and, along with the million or so other Red Wings fans there, I chanted to Dom, "One more year." Then, I watched as he wouldn't commit, despite having FSN's mike from Ken Daniels and all of Hart Plaza pleading with him. He didn't come back. He retired and went home to the Czech Republic to play rollerhockey and figure out his clothing line. Curtis Joseph signed an $8-million-a-year contract with the Wings in the summer of 2002 and gave the Wings another #1 goalie after Dom's departure. He won 34 games for the Wings but, along with the rest of the team, fell victim to JS Giguere and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 2003 playoffs. Not long into that summer, rumors started circulating that Dom was contemplating a comeback. He announced his return on July 8th, 2003. At the time, I was happy about it but felt bad for Joseph, who was, in the traditional Detroit way, unfairly shouldering the blame for the team's early exit. Joseph would have a nightmare of a season due to Hasek's incursion. He hurt his groin, was put on the trading block, and even played a game with the Griffins. Hasek's season wasn't much better. On October 29th, he allowed 4 goals on a mere 13 shots against the Blues and was pulled. It turns out he wasn't the only thing that was pulled; his groin was. He would come back from the injury but didn't play again after December 8th and finally announced he was done for the season on February 10th, 2004, after sticking around and souring the locker room. The best news to come out of the Hasek situation that year was that he refused to accept $3 million of his pay, knowing full well that he didn't earn it. Needless to say, the Wings were not interested in bringing Hasek back. Dom, however, was interested in trying again and he was able to con the Sens into signing him during the first week of free agency in 2004. At the time, Brian wrote a pretty good summation of Hasek's time in Detroit. Wings fans laughed knowingly at Senators fans who thought their team had finally made the move that would take them all the way. Then came the Lockout. Once the Lockout was over, Hasek would play 43 games in the 2005-2006 and be one of the best goalies in the League before the Olympic Break. However, yet another groin injury took him out for the rest of the season and he was unable to make it back to help the Sens out in the playoffs. And now he's back in Detroit. Apparently, Dom was surprised the Wings were interested in him when he found out earlier this month but he was unwilling to let the chance pass. James Mirtle, who listened in on the press conference, quotes him as saying, "At the end of the day, I couldn't lose this opportunity to come and play for the Red Wings one last time." James also reports Hasek says he's in full health. Like we haven't heard that before, Dom. Dominik's health is, for me, the biggest stumbling block to being happy with this signing. The second biggest is his age but that goes with his health so they're practically one big stumbling block. The past two seasons Hasek has played, he has had major groin trouble. In fact, the last full season the man had began almost five years ago! I don't care how healthy he is now, what matters is how healthy he is in April and, hopefully, May/June. He's 41 years old. He groin could be fine right now but how will he be feeling after 20 games? He's not some young stud who can just sit out a couple weeks and get all better. He's proven that twice over. A third issue I have is that he is apparently, as Christy wrote, "locker room poison." Granted, there will not be a three-goalie controversy this season but that doesn't mean Hasek will be good for the room. This is the third time he has disrupted the career of Chris Osgood, who was slated to be the team's starter in reports over the past week or two. They're both pros but I expect some tension between them and you know Osgood has more friends in that locker room than Hasek does. (If you can't remember the other two times, here you go: summer 2001 - Hasek's trade demand results in Osgood's ejection from the team that drafted him; summer 2003: Hasek signs with Sens, who send Patrick Lalime to St. Louis, effectively booting Osgood off his third team.) The Wings aren't taking a very big financial risk in doing this, at least not up front (we'll talk about playoff revenue - or lack thereof, if things go south - when the time comes), because the contract isn't for much. They are taking a big risk with their reputations, however. Ken Holland will look like the smartest man in the League if Dominik Hasek hoists the Cup for the second time next summer. He'll be a laughingstock if Dom goes down after 20 games with yet another groin injury and they have to scramble to make a trade for a goalie mid-season. He'll certainly be out of a job if Hasek goes down before the playoffs and isn't able to play when it counts. Kenny has gone from making a great signing to making a signing with a lot of potential for disaster (i.e. a repeat of 03-04) and with much less potential for glorious success (ie. at least a decent playoff showing). Anyway, I guess, welcome back, Dom. You'll make up for the last time, right? A2Y's got a good round-up post of media reports and fan reactions here.

Behind the Jersey has a new home

2006-07-29T16:55:00.000-04:00

Christy has moved to a new domain and BtJ has a new look to go along with it

Blues in talks with Legace but keeping options open

2006-07-29T11:18:00.000-04:00

This is news to me. Last I heard, Manny wasn't getting anything. Good to know someone's interested in him.

Wings re-sign Williams for 2 more years

2006-07-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed Jason Williams for two more years before they had to head into arbitration. The financial terms have yet to be released.

"We are pleased to reach a deal with Jason before going to arbitration," Detroit general manager Ken Holland said. "He took a big step forward as a NHL player last year and we look forward to even more progress in the future."

Williams had 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 80 games. Update (9:40 PM, Matt): Ansar Khan reports that the contract is worth $1.6 million a season, a pretty good bargain these days for a player with Williams' numbers. The Wings are counting on Jason to increase his output from the 21 goals and 37 assists he had last year to help compensate for the loss of Brendan Shanahan. As Mike Babcock's little former Cincy Mighty Duck pet will be getting even more ice time this season, putting up better numbers shouldn't be a problem. Just remember, Jason, the playoffs are what count, not the first half of the regular season. Oh, and Babcock? Williams is not a power play quarterback, okay? All Kenny's got left, as far as RFA's are concerned, is Johan Franzen.

Wings sign Danny Markov to one-year deal

2006-07-26T18:07:00.000-04:00

Finally, Ken Holland makes a deal at the NHL level (with established NHL talent). Albeit he's not the acquisition everyone thougth was coming (i.e. a goalie), but Markov will add to an already-strong defensive corps. Forget Pronger/Niedermeyer. Look out for the Lidstrom/Schneider and Chelios(Kronwall)/Markov defensive pairings, Western Conference. Kind of disappointing Markov only signed a one-year contract (at $2.5 million, by the way) but maybe he'll like it here in Detroit and decide to stay longer. The more I read about him, the more I like him. He's a good skater, good passer, and good in the lockerroom. More importantly, he's tough and plays a gritty game. Oh yeah, he's also a one-time Predator who will no doubt love to play his old team eight times next season. If, as IwoCPO speculates, the pairings will be Lidstrom/Schneider, Kronwall/Markov and Chelios/Lebda, that kinda leaves poor ole' Andreas Lilja out in the cold, doesn't it? Too bad he's not much for trade bait, eh? Welcome to Detroit, Danny. (And, nice one, Mr. Holland) As for the goalie question, it looks like the answer very well could be Chris Osgood. Ken Holland told the AP (quoted from TSN):

"I think Chris Osgood could be the No. 1 goaltender to start the season. Chris can win regular-season games for us, but I'd like to get another veteran, too, that can give us an option in the playoffs.
"I'm continuing to talk to teams. We could do something in the next six weeks, or we could wait until the trading deadline to make a move for a goaltender."

I'm okay with that. Now, Kenny, who's going to be the backup? Are we really going to have to wait until training camp to find out?

Crisis averted: Belfour signs one-year deal with Panthers

2006-07-25T19:03:00.000-04:00

Uh, good luck with that, Florida. Looks like it'll be a trade, if anything, for a goalie, now.

mLive: Physical journeyman Norton signs with Wings

2006-07-20T07:20:00.000-04:00

They list defenseman Brad Norton at 6' 4", 225 lbs. He has 118 games of NHL experience since being drafted in the ninth round in 1993. He can earn a spot on the Wings' roster during training camp but, given the fact that the Wings' defense is pretty much set, it's more likely he'll be in Grand Rapids. Update (25. Jul, 9:39 PM): The Hockey Blog has some more to add on Norton.

Hurricanes Trade for Scott Walker

2006-07-18T19:45:00.000-04:00

Scott Walker, 33, had injury trouble last season with the Predators, but his $1.52 million salary next season and potential to put up 25-30 goals and 50-60 points is his upside. I would've been skeptical if Holland had traded for Walker, as he gives me the Ray Whitney feeling. But anything beats signing Griffins at this point. I'm starving for anything NHL level...

Peca a Maple Leaf: One Year, $2.5 Million Deal

2006-07-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

And the pathetic Summer of Holland continues...

Wings Sign Kopecky to One Year Deal

2006-07-17T16:37:00.000-04:00

Kopecky, 24, has played for the Grand Rapids Griffins the past four years. He has one NHL game of experience with the Wings - last season on February 28. He had 32 goals and 40 assists last season for the Griffins.

Khan: Wings prepared offer sheet for Luongo

2006-07-16T12:56:00.000-04:00

Ansar rehashes a Boston Globe story that reported the Wings had written up an $8.2 million Group II offer sheet for Roberto Luongo. Of course, being a major newspaper, the Globe doesn't name their sources. However, Khan has an idea of who the source could have been: "Have the Bruins hired anyone from the Wings' organization lately?" Yes, they have: Dave Lewis.

The Wings neglect to sign MacLean, who goes to Phoenix

2006-07-16T12:35:00.000-04:00

I'd totally missed this last week but it was pointed out to me and I was pretty surprised. If you remember, Don MacLean had an MVP season in the AHL last year, scoring 56 goals and notching 36 assists in 76 many games with the Griffins. He was brought up to the NHL late in the season and played three games with the Wings, scoring a goal and adding an assist. According to MacLean, however, the Wings didn't have much of an interest in signing him. So, Phoenix gave him two-year, two-way contract that will pay him the league minimum ($500,000) if he makes the NHL roster. Quite frankly, I cannot understand why the Wings had no interest in MacLean. He may well prove unable to put up the same numbers in the NHL but surely he was worth giving a chance, especially given the loss of Shanahan. They'll give little Jiri Hudler a contract but ignore MacLean, who has size, significant scoring ability and who was signed at a can't-beat price. Real smooth, Kenny. Oh well. Good luck in Phoenix, Don.

Khan: Wings sign Hudler, Bootland, Kolanos

2006-07-14T18:17:00.000-04:00

If I recall correctly, neither Hudler nor Bootland can play in the AHL next year so, barring a trade, they should be with the Wings in the NHL this season. Little Jiri Hudler should bring some offense to the table while Darryl Bootland will add toughness, some scoring and new female fans. Kolanos sounds like more GR roster filler, a la Dan Smith and Matt Hussey, yesterday's blockbuster signings by the wheelin'-and-dealin' Detroit front office. (forgive the sarcasm)

Buffalo Signs Biron To 1 Year Qualifying Offer, $2.1 Million

2006-07-13T12:40:00.000-04:00

A sign and trade, perhaps? No one signs a backup for $2.1 million! Look for the Wings to get in the mix.

Montreal Signs Sergei Samsonov

2006-07-12T19:51:00.000-04:00

And another potential Wings signing goes off the market...

The Wings' 2006-2007 schedule

2006-07-12T18:49:00.000-04:00

The NHL announced the schedule for next season today and that means we now know who and when the Wings will be playing. They'll open the season on October 5th, at home against the Canucks, making them the first team to face Roberto Luongo as a Canuck in regular season play. They'll get two of ten games against Eastern opponents out of the way early: on the 7th, they'll head to Pittsburgh to face Sidney Crosby and Co., and after playing host to the Coyotes on the 11th, the Sabres will come to town on the 13th. The Wings will face their first Central Division opponent on the 28th, St. Louis on the road. November includes a three-game Western Canada road-trip beginning on the 14th in Vancouver and ending on the 18th in Edmonton, with a stop in Calgary in between, on the 17th. They'll face Toronto, Ottawa, and New Jersey on December 9th, 12th, 16th, and will have a home-away-home series with Minnesota on the 22nd, 23rd and 27th. That ought to be exciting... The annual New Year's Eve game is against LA this season. Montreal comes to town on January 15th and the Wings travel to Long Island to face the Islanders on the 30th. They'll be back to that area on February 5th as they face Brendan Shanahan's new team, the New York Rangers. They'll close out their games against the East after playing Philadelphia on the road on February 12th and Dave Lewis' new team, the Bruins, at home on March 11th. The season ends with a pair of home-away series with Columbus and Chicago. The final game is at home against the Hawks on April 7th. Click here for the complete Red Wings schedule.

Wings Sign Brett Lebda to Four Year Deal

2006-07-11T12:18:00.000-04:00

The Wings have come to terms with Brett Lebda, 24, on a four year deal. Terms were not disclosed, and Lebda is not listed on the NHLPA site which usually lists salaries (being a two-way player between here and Grand Rapids last season). He had 12 points and was +9 through 46 games last season with the Wings, and was partnered with Chris Chelios for much of the year. He was especially strong during the Wings' short playoff run, blocking shots and getting in on offensive rushes. He averaged 13:08 of ice time and was +3 in the series. And if he hadn't hit the post so much in the playoffs, he might've been a first round hero. Says Holland:

"Brett was impressive in the time he spent with us last season. He possesses the skills I think will help contribute to the success of this organization in the long-term."

It says a lot about Lebda that Holland was willing to offer him a longterm deal, as Holland has said he is trying to avoid that during this free agency. Holland is still looking for an inexpensive, physical defenseman to fill Jiri Fischer's role. Update (Matt, 5:26 PM): Ansar Khan reports that the contract is for $2.6 million over the four years, broken down this way:

He'll earn $650,000 in each of the next two seasons, $750,000 in 2008-09 and $850,000 the final season.

Although the Wings are still looking for an affordable defenseman, they now have the same six defensemen signed that they used in the playoffs, as Khan points out, and could already start the season with a pretty good look on the blue line. The un-signed RFA pool is down to Jason Williams, Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler, Tomas Kopecky and Darryl Bootland.

Wings Sign Cleary For $650,000 Next Season

2006-07-10T12:42:00.000-04:00

The Wings have locked up penalty-killing specialist Daniel Cleary for at least next season, at $650,000. Cleary is listed on the NHLPA website as having that salary next season. More sources to come later, I'm sure. And how will Holland replace Shanahan's offensive production?

"We've got a competitive team. We'll try to find another player if we can. If not, we'll start the season with what we've got. Maybe we'll use the Edmonton model and save for the trade deadline."

Ugh.

Update 2:44 pm

TSN: 2 years, $1.325 million

It's official: Shanahan now a Ranger

2006-07-09T13:07:00.000-04:00

(via New York Rangers official site)

The New York Rangers have issued a press release announcing the signing and are holding a conference call at 2:00 PM today as well. So ends another era in Detroit, less than a week after the Yzerman Era ended. Shanahan came to Detroit in at the start of the '96-'97 season and scored 46 goals for the Wings through 79 games. He is generally seen as the final piece of the Stanley Cup puzzle for the team and has become one of the most popular players in the city over time. Ansar Khan reminds us of the scene in the lockerroom after the Wings were eliminated by Calgary in 2004 where Shanahan was in tears because he was afraid that he would be taking off the Winged Wheel for the last time. And now he's gone, despite the Wings desperately trying to bring him back by offering more than they could afford in a two-year deal at $4 million in the first year. Since Shanahan went on the market last week, there had been many conflicting reports on where he was headed. Some thought he was just testing the market as a staunch union man or for kicks, to see what he would get, but that he always intended to sign with the Wings. Others said he was looking to leave the Wings because of Mike Babcock or because he wanted more money than the Wings were willing or able to offer him. It was easy to believe Babcock and Shanahan had clashed due to the coach's apparent distaste for the older players on the team but I remembered Shanny's resurgence this past season and thought perhaps that Babcock made an exception with him. Therefore, I allowed myself to believe reports such as a blog post by Ansar Khan, which came late last night, that assured Wings fans that Shanahan wasn't going anywhere (Khan has since taken the post down - a big no-no in the blogging community, Ansar). We even had it straight from The Captain. Well, the Wings have lost two of their greatest leaders in just a few days. I have no idea what Holland can, or will, do to fill in the holes. The leadership shoes will have to be filled by players such as Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk with the help of Nick Lidstrom, Kris Draper and the rest of the remaining veterans. The hole left in the offense by Shanahan's departure will be harder to fill (remember, he scored 41 goals last year). Anson Carter, Michael Peca and Scott Gomez are names already being thrown around. None of them will really replace Shanahan, even if they produce 20-30 goals a year. Ken Holland is not to blame for this. The Wings really couldn't afford to give Shanahan such a raise and the real shame here is that he wouldn't take a pay cut to help the team stay competitive. I will not be angry at Brendan for leaving. He's done too much for the team to deserve that. But I am very disappointed in him. We wanted change this off-season and we're getting it, folks. It hurts, doesn't it? The Wings' 2002 Playoff CD had a variation of Shanny's Irish Jig that incluced Ken Daniels and Ken Kal calling a number of Shanahan goals from that season. I don't know about you guys but I can picture a number of the goals and it's hard to believe that we'll never again hear the Jig played for a Shanahan goal at JLA. Click here to listen to it and remember (.wma, 1.2 MB). Goodbye, Brendan. Thanks for the memories. I hope you find what you're looking for in New York.

Report: Shanahan signs with Rangers

2006-07-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

A one-year, $4 million deal, which apparently was less than what the Wings offered him. More later. Update - Brian (7/9 12:17) Before learning of the news from my brother this morning, I read Helene St. James' article in the Free Press about how the Rangers were wooing Shanahan. I quote:

"Now Shanahan is being courted by Montreal, and, according to a report in the New York Daily News, the Rangers. The paper said Shanahan was in Manhattan last week being wooed by team officials, who apparently got a little carried away. According to the paper, Shanahan's name and likeness appeared on Madison Square Garden's Seventh Avenue marquee with the words: 'The Rangers welcome Brendan Shanahan.' Perhaps it will turn out to be a test run for the real thing; perhaps it will turn out to be no more than wishful thinking..."

Well, I guess that was a lasting impression enough for Shanny to reject similar offers from the Wings. It will be shocking to see Shanahan in a Rangers uniform, as he has been a Red Wing since October 9, 1996. I had read his shopping on the free agent market as nothing but a veteran taking his last chance to do so, and merely to see what kind of offers he could get. I guess I was in denial to what I've also been saying lately about the Wings: that I see no reason for anyone to want to sign with us other than for a lucrative contract. I don't see the Wings getting past the second round of the playoffs next season, and that Shanahan and Yzerman are both gone in a matter of days makes this only more likely. I don't blame Shanahan at all for leaving, as this is the first off-season as a fan where I actually have said I wouldn't even sign with the Wings, outside the fan perspective. In other news, Yzerman reportedly favors Nicklas Lidstrom as the next Captain, according to a Drew Sharp article this morning.

Legace Left Waiting: "No calls, nothing at this point"

2006-07-07T17:49:00.000-04:00

Unrestricted free agent Manny Legace, 33, who finished fifth in Vezina voting with 37 wins, a 2.19 GAA, and a .915 save percentage, has not gotten any interest on the free agent market. Says Manny:

"It's just mind-boggling. I thought for sure there'd be interest from somebody after the year I had. But nothing. I don't know what to think. And I don't know what teams are thinking...I thought I had a great year to be honest with you. I thought I'd get some interest but nothing, no one has called...To be honest, I don't know what's going to happen...I'm willing to do anything on any team. Ideally I'd like to go to a team where at least I'd have a chance to compete for the No. 1 job. That's all I'm probably looking for now, a chance to compete."

Legace's agent, Ed Ratushny, had to start making phone calls to get the process started:

"We have started preliminary discussions with two teams. But what I find surprising was the bidding for Martin Gerber as compared to Manny."

Florida and St. Louis are reported to be teams that could pick up Legace. Manny also took time to describe the phone call he got in early June from Ken Holland, in which he learned that the team was looking for another starter:

"It was a shocking phone call. I thought we could work something out. It was just disappointing. That was tough because I loved playing in Detroit, it was awesome. That was the best owner I've ever played for, a great organization...But they were very classy about it, they didn't throw me out like an old newspaper. We talked and they made me understand they wanted to go in another direction...I think they were really going after Gerber. Mike Babcock wanted one of his old goalies there and that's understandable, coaches want their own guys. It's unfortunate they didn't get him...I think now they're looking at probably (Ed) Belfour or bring back Dom (Hasek). That's what I foresee for them."

It really makes no sense that Legace has gotten no offers yet. To think he has fallen this far from grace since early April, when he likely could've been traded for a top-line player, is just shocking. Sure, his 4-6 record in playoff games is not all that great. But 14 teams missed the playoffs last season, and Legace could, at the very least, help those teams in getting into the playoffs. He's a lot better of an option than most of the remaining goaltenders out there now, and it's unfortunate that Ken Holland burned bridges with Legace and then missed out on much of the free agent goaltenders available. I would not be totally against Legace re-signing with the Wings, as the Wings offense bears much of the blame for recent playoff losses.

Restricted Free Agents Jason Williams and Dan Cleary File for Salary Arbitration

2006-07-07T12:54:00.000-04:00

The negotiation period is still open foe Cleary and Williams, before arbitration hearings begin in early August.

Bruins Sign Mark Mowers

2006-07-06T16:44:00.000-04:00

Mowers had 4 goals and 11 assists in 46 games last season, and was +13. He joins Dave Lewis in Boston, where there is speculation Brendan Shanahan is also heading.

Belfour in Detroit for Physical, Holland Considering the 41 Year Old

2006-07-05T17:52:00.000-04:00

It looks like the Wings' tactic of waiting out the free agency market has led to Ed Belfour becoming a leading option in net. Belfour, 41, was in Detroit today to undergo a physical, and the results of MRI's on his knees and back will help Wings management with a decision. Belfour, who has a home in St. Clair, seems excited:

"I feel great, the rehab has gone real well. I’m very interested. I’ve always loved Detroit."

Holland clarifies his interest level:

"Depending on his health, we have some interest. He feels pretty optimistic about his back. Our doctors are going to look over him, and we’ll make a decision in the next couple of days...When he’s healthy and at his best, he’s a top goaltender."

Belfour was slated to make $4.5 million with Toronto next season, but was bought out so the Leafs could sign the younger, healthier goaltender in Andrew Raycroft, 26. The former Bruin was recently signed to a three year, $6 million deal, after the Leafs acquired him in a trade for goalie prospect Tuukka Rask. It all makes me think, if Raycroft is good enough for the Leafs, why not for us? They aren't paying him all that much, and it's not like they traded away a top line player for him. We'd probably sign Belfour for around the salary Raycroft is getting, so I don't see the point in investing in a 41 year old goaltender over a 26 year old one. I'd rather have Hasek back instead, almost, if it weren't for the nature of his second stint here. Ken Holland has a lot of questions to answer. Maybe he'll use his new "special assistant" in Steve Yzerman as a point man on the answering to growing fan uncertainty. A2Y has a good take on Holland.

TSN: Roenick returns to Phoenix

2006-07-04T16:50:00.000-04:00

Well, so much for signing with a Canadian team, JR. Or with Detroit.

More Steve Yzerman memories

2006-07-04T01:25:00.000-04:00

[More memories added]

I'll start with the most recent memories that stick out and try to work my way back through the years I've been a Wings fan. Like Brian's post, I'll probably be adding to this as I remember more specifics. 2005-2006 Season May 1, 2006 - Detroit Red Wings @ Edmonton Oilers - 4-3 L The Wings blew a three-goal lead in the third period and lost Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals to the Oilers on the road. Many of us suspected it was the last time we would see Steve Yzerman play and, of course, we were right. His final game didn't end with him on the ice, however, despite the Wings needing a good face-off man in the final seconds. As soon as the final horn sounded, Yzerman made a bee-line to Edmonton head coach Craig MacTavish to congratulate him, showing the classy player he was, despite the ignoble end to his season and career. March 21, 2006 - Nashville Predators @ Detroit Red Wings - 3-2 (SO) L It was just the Wings' fourth shootout game but it became their second such loss as Brendan Shanahan couldn't match the Predator skater before him, Martin Erat. However, many fans nonetheless felt relief after that game because Steve Yzerman had been given the nod by Mike Babcock to participate in the shootout, in the sudden-death round. At the time, as Yzerman stood at center ice facing down Tomas Vokoun, "The only thing going through the mind of every Wing fan anywhere was this, 'I do NOT want to see Steve Yzerman fail,' " as IwoCPO put it at the time. He didn't fail. The Captain skated in and beat Vokoun low, keeping the shootout going. Even though the loss hurt, it would have hurt a lot more had Yzerman not scored there. January 11, 2006 - Detroit Red Wings @ Carolina Hurricanes - 3-2 L In their lone game against the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Wings ran into Martin Gerber and a quick-striking Carolina team that put up three first-period goals. With the score 3-0 'Canes and the period winding down, Steve Yzerman got the puck at center and took matters into his own hands. I wrote at the time,

"He took the puck into the Hurricanes' zone, maneuvered across the Carolina defense from left to right and then down the right boards before crossing back toward the net. Martin Gerber tried to poke check the puck away but he failed and The Captain backhanded it in as he fell, scoring just his 5th goal of the season."

It was a great goal and a great individual effort. Unfortunately, it was another loss nonetheless. December 6, 2005 - New Jersey Devils @ Detroit Red Wings - 5-2 W It was a veteran's game, with Brendan Shanahan scoring twice and Steve Yzerman scoring once. His goal evoked memories of the earlier stages of his career as he deked NJ goalie Scott Clemmensen with a fake to the forehand on a breakaway after receiving a good pass from Dan Cleary. The goal got the Joe rocking and we named it the top Wings goal of 2005. It came only a little over a week after The Captain had nearly retired, as Michael Rosenberg reported in May, and was a clear sign of his resurgence around mid-season. November 28, 2005 - Detroit Red Wings @ LA Kings - 5-2 W Only two days earlier, Yzerman had asked to be taken out of the lineup against San Jose after a head injury and problems with his knee flared up, according to Rosenberg. The Kings game was meant to be his last away game but that plan was disrupted by Robert Lang's second period groin injury. Yzerman was given more ice time and The Captain had, "one of his best outings of the season." He didn't look back after that. 2003-2004 Season May 1, 2004 - Calgary Flames @ Detroit Red Wings - 1-0 L The Wings lost Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, falling down 3-2 in the series. They also lost Steve Yzerman, who was injured in a freakish accident involving a deflected Mathieu Schneider shot. The puck hit The Captain in the face around the left eye, scratched his cornea and broke his occipital bone. He reacted immediately and the image of him falling down, getting up and falling down again is etched in the memory of anyone who saw the game. Many feared the worst and when it later came out that he was okay and that he still wanted to play another season, it was an enormous relief. Without their leader, however, the Wings faltered and lost Game 6 by a score of 1-0 and were eliminated. 2002-2003 Season June 12, 2003 - NHL Awards Yzerman won the Masterton Trophy for his perseverance in returning from the major knee surgery he underwent in the summer of 2002. He missed the first 66 games of the '02-'03 season and only had 6 points but was very much deserving of that award. 2001-2002 Season April 17 - April 27, 2002 - Western Conference Quarterfinal Series versus Vancouver Canucks As is well-known, the Canucks stunned the Wings by winning the first two games of the series and throwing Hockeytown into doubt. Just before Game 3, however, Steve Yzerman gave a talk to his teammates and reminded them what they needed to do to win. They came out in Game 3 and, with the help of Nick Lidstrom's long-bomb goal on Dan Cloutier with seconds left in the second period, won 3-1. In Game 4, the teams were tied 2-2 going into the third period. Yzerman scored at :56, however, and broke the tie. The Wings won 4-2, tying the series at two games. They would go on to eliminate Vancouver in six. October 13, 2001 - Detroit Red Wings @ New York Islanders - 5-4 (OT) W In just the fifth game of the season, the Wings were already demonstrating the comeback magic that would serve them in such good stead throughout that year. They found themselves playing catch-up with the New York Islanders and their new goalie, Chris Osgood. Regulation ended with the teams tied at 4 after Yzerman made up for Max Kuznetzov's brutal mistake that had given the Isles a 4-3 lead. An exciting overtime period was capped off by a play that began with a strong save by Manny Legace. The puck went the other way with Kris Draper and Brett Hull on a 2-on-1, Yzerman trailing. Draper passed it across to Hull, who dropped it back to Yzerman. The Captain ripped the puck past a helpless Osgood to score his second of the night and give the Wings their fourth win. 2000-2001 Season April 11, 2001 - LA Kings @ Detroit Red Wings - 5-3 W The Captain left this game in the second period with a sprained ankle and did not return that series. The Wings went on to blow a two-game lead and lost in six. 1999-2000 Season November 26, 1999 - Edmonton Oilers @ Detroit Red Wings - 4-2 W At 12:30 of the first period, Steve Yzerman picked up the puck in the left face-off circle and took it behind the goalline, looking for someone to pass to. He saw Slava Kozlov on the other side of the net and tried to get the puck to him. It hit Tommy Salo's glove, however, and then his skate, before going into the net. It was a flukey way to score goal #600. I remember watching that game on our little black-and-white TV in the basement and I remember Yzerman's reaction: there wasn't much of one. He skated calmly to the bench as the Joe cheered him wildy and apparently planned to act as though it was nothing special. He had to give in, however, as he saw the reaction of his teammates and fans. He stood up on the bench and let the fans pay tribute to his becoming just the 11th player in NHL history to score 600 goals. 1998-1999 Season April 21, 1999 - Mighty Ducks of Anaheim @ Detroit Red Wings - 5-3 W Steve Yzerman scored a hat trick in the first game of the playoffs against the Ducks. The Wings would go on to sweep Anaheim but lost in six games to the Avs in the second round. Yzerman led the Wings with 9 goals and 13 points in 10 games that postseason. 1997-1998 Season June 16, 1998 - Detroit Red Wings @ Washington Capitals - 4-1 W I missed the '97 Stanley Cup because I was in Virginia visiting family. I remember seeing a news clipping about the parade a few days after it happened (which forever messed up the date I associate with the actual victory). I was home when the car accident took place, however, and I remember the shock of it. As is well known, the Wings dedicated the following season to Vladdie and Sergei and it culminated in their sweep of the Washington Capitals in the Finals. Having missed the first Cup made seeing the second awarded that much more special. The Captain did the right thing, raising it per tradition and then handing it off to Vladdie in tribute.

Some Obscure (and not so Obscure) Memories of Steve Yzerman

2006-07-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

This won't be a gushing piece about how Steve Yzerman is "beyond legendary" with countless superlatives describing his career. I've decided to instead think about my best memories of him and share a few pictures from throughout his career. In no particular order, other than the order in which I recalled them throughout the night. I've decided to make the memories a little off the beaten path so you don't just get a bunch of Cup winning poses. I will add memories in the next few days if I can think of any more. October 9, 2003

After having osteotomy surgery for knee realignment during the summer of 2002, Yzerman only played 16 games in the 2002-03 season. The date was opening night at the Joe, and Steve Yzerman scored with 1.7 seconds left to give the Wings a 3-2 win over the LA Kings. I remember watching that night thinking there was no way the Wings could lose the game, that it was opening night and Yzerman was back at home ready to begin a full season. It was an amazing way to open the season at home and really gave fans a lift, and a feeling that Yzerman was back in great form.

October 30, 2003

The officiating on this night was disgusting, with Mike Leggo and Tim Peel in charge. The Wings lost 5-3 to the Nashville Predators. A holding call on Nicklas Lidstrom led to Steve Yzerman lashing out at Leggo and getting thrown out of the game. I remember him exiting through the zamboni tunnel and throwing one of his glove's onto the ice in protest. It stuck out in my mind because it was a rare show of frustration for a usually quiet and polite captain.

November 13, 1998

The Wings lost to the Dallas Stars 5-1, and this game introduced me to Dan Keczmer, an obscure player I'll never forget. The Mt Clemens, MI native slammed Yzerman from behind into the boards. This led to Yzerman throwing off his gloves and taking a swing at Keczmer. Darren McCarty was nearby and finished off the fight with Keczmer. This is the only time I can remember seeing Yzerman fight, and has caused me to remember the nobody NHL player that is Dan Keczmer. Side note: Yzerman also fought Maguire in 1987, Wings versus Buffalo. Probert came after Maguire shortly after for revenge after the Captain took a beating.

May 16, 1996

It was Game 7 of the Conference Semifinals, and the game was 0-0 headed into the second overtime. It took just 75 seconds into the second overtime for Steve Yzerman to beat St Louis goaltender Jon Casey over the right shoulder, with a 60-foot slap shot from near the blue line. Yzerman had picked up a Wayne Gretzky turnover near center ice before taking his famous shot. I was 10 years old , and had stayed up late on that Thursday school-night to watch the Wings. Even though the Wings lost to the Avs in the Conference Finals (The Hit occuring on May 30, 1996), Yzerman's goal and celebration, jumping along the boards before being mobbed by his teammates, will always stick with me. In fact, beyond the Cup wins, this is my favorite Red Wing memory. 1986

While it's not really a memory I have, being only 1 year old at the time, I thought this was a really neat picture showing Jacques Demers awarding Steve Yzerman with the "C," succeeding Danny Gare. It might've even happened in his Riverfront apartment, where he is seen below.

He shared an apartment with Lane Lambert in 1984, and they are seen making hot dogs and macaroni & cheese for lunch above. May 29, 2002

It was Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals in Denver, and the Wings were down 3-2 in the series. At 19:21 of the first period, Brendan Shanahan scored the game-winning goal of the 2-0 victory, setting the stage for the Wings' 7-0 Game 7 shredding of Roy. The goal was the famous "Statue of Liberty" goal, in which Patrick Roy raised his glove after making a point-blank save on Yzerman. He didn't have control of the puck though, and Shanahan jumped on the puck as it laid in the crease. June 13, 2002

The Wings beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and captured their third Cup in six years. It was a special night, as Steve Yzerman handed the Cup to Scotty Bowman, who had earlier whispered in Yzerman's ear that he was retiring. It was Bowman's 9th Cup, breaking the tie with Toe Blake. It was also a special Cup win in that Yzerman willed his way through the playoffs with knee problems, often using his stick as a crutch to get off the ice after receiving crushing checks.

Even though Nicklas Lidstrom won the Conn Smythe after the Wings won the Cup in 2002, Yzerman's gutsy effort and leadership in playing through obvious pain was a big reason for the Wings Cup win.

January 8, 2001

Steve Yzerman scored the game winning goal after deiking Avs goalie Patrick Roy out of his jockstrap in the Wings' 4-3 win. The goal came 68 seconds into OT, when Yzerman stole a Ray Bourque clearing attempt. The Avs had not lost in 25 straight regular-season overtime games, and Yzerman had 2 goals and 1 assist on the night. It was one of the Captain's best goals that I can remember.

*Thanks to the Free Press and Detroit News for inspiring galleries of Steve Yzerman's career.

Steve Yzerman's retirement press conference

2006-07-03T14:17:00.000-04:00

Before the press conference began, FSN's Trevor Thompson talked with former Red Wings defenseman Larry Murphy about the impending announcement. Murphy, who had talked to Yzerman earlier in the day, confirmed what we already knew, that The Captain was going to retire. He said that Yzerman's plan all along had been to retire after this past season but his strong play down the stretch put doubts in his mind about that plan. At this point, Yzerman made his way to the front, looking comfortable as he shook hands with people on the way. After shaking hands with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, he sat down with Mike Illitch on his left and Jimmy Devellano and Ken Holland on his right. He began by thanking everyone for coming down on a holiday weekend, saying it wasn't necessarily a planned thing. He said he had mixed emotions and joked that refs around the league would be doing cartwheels after he made his announcement. After some comments about being drafted and having a set plan involving winning a certain number of Cups, he said he was very comfortable in his decision to retire. It was the first time he'd actually said the word and it was like he stepped over a threshold as he seemingly had to force it out. He went on to confirm Murphy had said earlier, that his plan all along had been to play just one more season (this past one) and hopefully cap off his career with a successful run at the Cup. He said he enjoyed his final season but that this decision was the right one and that he had no doubts about it. He then began to thank a number of people, beginning with the Detroit sports media. As he was talking, FSN's audio feed cut in and out as they wrestled with technical difficulties so I missed some of what he said. When they got the sound back, he was thanking them for their fair treatment. He then moved on to thanking the fans for their support, though good times and bad. He called Detroit a special place to play and said he never felt a negative burden of expectation but only a positive one. Apparently, it was more like a "little boy trying to please his parents," than anything else. He went on to thank the players he had played with and against in his career. He named Kris Draper and Larry Murphy but seemingly only because they were present. He said he had been playing since he was five years old and that he had had so much fun over the years, because of these players. The next people on his list were Jimmy Devellano, the Illitches and Ken Holland. He thanked Devellano for drafting him and the Illitches for being such a staying force in his life and in the organization. He credited the team's success to them, saying it went beyond the money they were willing to spend. The time and effort they are willing to invest in the organization have made it truly first class. His comments about Holland were particularly interesting. He said that he'd maybe be working with him in the future and joked about Kenny getting the better of him in past contract negotiations that were done face-to-face. He thanked Holland for his support and said that he nearly had him convinced to come back. So, whatever Mike Babcock's attitude was, the front office wanted him back. His final thanks were directed at his coaches, from Nick Polano to Mike Babcock, and to his predecessors, players like Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, who were present. His closing remarks were that he was looking forward to having more time with his family after giving hockey the priority in his life for so long. He said his family was the best thing that happened to him in his career because they helped him keep things in perspective. He finished up by saying he is looking forward to his future with the team. They opened the floor to questions and Trevor Thompson was the first to say anything. He asked Yzerman what the biggest reason for his decision retire was. The Captain responded that his intention all along had been to retire but his play at the end of the season and into the playoffs had caused him to hesitate. However, when it came time to make the call to Holland to tell him he'd return, he found he couldn't do it. He said that the condition of his knee was a major consideration since, because of it, he was becoming a "part-time player," one who couldn't participate in a full practice. He couldn't see himself playing a big role because of his knee. I couldn't quite catch the second question but it seemed to be something about what it was like to be captain for 20 years. Yzerman's answer was short and basically was that he was proud to have been captain of such a first-class organization as the Wings for any length of time. The third question was about his ability to adjust to a lesser role. Yzerman said it was difficult but he could handle it and went on to say that he had still had an expectation of himself that he'd be the best player on the ice every night. That feeling had begun to fade over time, however, and he had become to have doubts about his ability to be effective on the ice, particularly when it counts, "in the spring." He had given up hope of improving. The fourth questioner asked for his greatest moment. He said he didn't have one in particular but cited the three Cups and one gold medal as obvious pinnacles. He said the '97 Cup was a relief because the organization had felt an obsessive need to win it that year and that the '98 Cup was much the same way. He said the highlight of his career was playing with the players he did. He was then asked how much he had wavered back and forth on the decision and how much conversation there had been about his role. Yzerman immediately pointed out Mike Babcock, who was smiling in the corner (indicating a viewpoint opposing Ken Holland's above, perhaps?) and then said he didn't want to regret his decision. He said he just had a feeling and with his health, he knew retirement was the right way to go. He said there had been no specific talks about what role he would play in the organization in the future but said they would "figure it out." He was asked what it was like to only play in one city and what his place is among the other great athletes of Detroit. He responded that he, like most draftees, felt he would always be in Detroit. He said he was lucky to actually stay here and attributed it to the team's success and to fortunate timing. He said he was grateful for the team's loyalty to him and said Detroit is a great city for athletes. He apparently never had a time where he wanted to play somewhere else, though there were a couple times where he thought he would. He said playing at JLA, and on the road with the sizeable contingents of road Wings fans, made it special. The last question was about his legacy, which he said he was not particularly concerned about. After that, they got a picture of Holland, Devellano, Yzerman and Illitch together and that part of the broadcast was over as FSN began a number of interviews. Shireen Saski began with Ted Lindsay, who called Yzerman a great example of an athlete and praised his positional game. Trevor Thompson followed that up with Ken Holland, who said Yzerman would become part of the Wings' management team, working with him and Devellano. He praised Yzerman's mind, which he said was sharp and said he looked forward to it. Thompson asked how they will replace him and Holland responded that they can't. Saski talked next with Kris Draper, who said the players had never bugged him about it, knowing he had enough people on his back trying to influence his decision already. Thompson then talked with Dave Lewis, who compared Yzerman's career with a Hollywood script. He reminded us just how bad Yzerman's knee was by talking about the trouble he had just going up the stairs of the team plane. He called Yzerman the #1 tough player in the league. Thompson's next interview was with Gordie Howe, who aside from a little nostalgia on his part, said that Yzerman had exceed the standard set by Howe and the other legends of Red Wings hockey. He said that Yzerman may be fine with retirement now but once training camp starts in September, he'll be in for a rough time. The last interview was with Larry Murphy, who said the Wings may have handed Yzerman the captaincy very early but that it was part of a long-term plan of theirs were he would grow into the kind of leader they wanted. Thompson asked Murphy who he thought the next captain will be and Murphy said Lidstrom was the obvious choice. He did say he thought Henrik Zetterberg was the dark horse candidate. Nothing was said of Kris Draper, who was the only one of Yzerman's teammates to attend. I wondered if there was any significance to that but no one else seems to think so. Yzerman looked content the whole time and was very calm as he talked. There were only a couple spots where emotion came through and that made it much easier to watch. It's still a little hard to believe but it's happened. We'll have a tribute post up either later today or tomorrow. For now, check out the Freep's 42-picture photo album spanning Yzerman's career (thanks for Brian for the link) and Kukla's Korner for all the links to reactions, videos, audio, etc. FSN will re-broadcast the press conference tonight at 8:00 PM and then at 1:00 AM on July 4th. After the Tigers game tonight, Shireen Saski will have a one-on-one interview with The Captain.

Red Wings press conference tomorrow

2006-07-02T23:28:00.000-04:00

According to Ansar Khan, the Wings have called a press conference for 1:00 PM Monday afternoon. Are we finally going to hear The Decision? The only other thing I can think of would be something involving Jiri Fischer. Update (03. Jul, 11:05 AM): The concensus seems to be that this conference is to announce Steve Yzerman's retirement. Various bloggers have pointed out correctly that it can't be for a trade or a signing because something big enough to hold a press conference for would have leaked by now. I have to say that some kind of unconscious denial has left me basically unprepared for this. Of course, we'll have a tribute post if he does in fact retire today. Kukla's Korner has a number of sources reporting the obvious: an Yzerman retirement. I wish the Wings had just said it had to do with him from the start. There's no need for secrecy any more. Update (03. Jul, 12:25 PM, Brian)

I hope Yzerman announces his retirement this afternoon, for his sake and the Wings' sake. He was frustrated for the majority of the season and his play obviously doesn't fit in with what Babcock is trying to do. Babcock giving Pavs the final faceoff over Yzerman in Game 6 is the microcosm of this. Also, he has had a number of serious injuries but has been lucky enough to return from them all fairly healthy. He does not need to risk his health for another season, he has proven enough. He and his family deserve his health and well-being in his retirement. The only reason he should be returning is to get to 700 goals, but the previous reasons outweight this. Some players might also want to have a pre-determined "last game" with a final skate, like Gretzky did. But Yzerman is not that type of player, so I doubt it bothers him not to have that. And for the Wings' sake, if he returned it'd be another rocky season of Yzerman dealing with Babcock's system and limited ice time. The $1.2 M salary he would likely get would also take up valuable salary cap space. And for the few games where he flashed brilliance last season, he was invisible for the rest. It's just the right time for the era to end. It's been 22 seasons and I don't like to see it end but at the same time it's the right time and I don't see a better time coming.

Wings sign Osgood but lose shot at others

2006-07-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the Wings' big move on the first day of free agency was re-signing Chris Osgood to a two-year contract. Of course, it's a move they've been expected to make for weeks and one I'm surprised they couldn't get done before yesterday. It's a good signing, not the least because it gives the Wings some actual goaltending now that other desirable UFA goalies such as Dwayne Roloson and Martin Gerber are no longer available. Of course, people, including Ken Holland are still talking about the need to get a "real" #1 goalie (as though Osgood never had that role). The biggest-name unsigned UFA goalie is Ed Belfour*, who I hope the Wings wouldn't touch with a bargepole. Beyond that, there are goalies available via trade, such as JS Giguere, Martin Biron, and Evgeni Nabokov, none of whom would come at a particularly affordable price in a trade. Giguere and Nabokov (in particular), have pretty steep salary price-tags as well, at $3.99 and $5 million respectively, as Brian pointed out in the comments. And like he said, it's looking more and more like an Osgood/Howard goaltending tandem may be the way to go. The Wings don't have a ton of choices now. In other news, two of the defenseman the Wings could have best used and afforded, Willie Mitchell and Jay McKee, signed with other teams yesterday. McKee will get $16 million over four years with St. Louis and Mitchell will get four yers, $14 million with Vancouver. Both of these guys would have brought needed toughness and grit to the Wings and it's not too encouraging that Holland didn't bring one of them to Detroit. Of course, there are other players still available but, except for the obvious re-signing of Osgood, it was not a strong start to free agency for the Wings. I am not impressed and neither is IwoCPO. Welcome to the Cap Era. *Dominik Hasek is also a UFA but he is not coming back.

Wings Sign Lidstrom: 2 years, $7.6 million/season

2006-06-30T12:16:00.000-04:00

GM Ken Holland has worked his magic and gotten Nicklas Lidstrom to sign a two-year, $7.6 million/season contract. This comes despite news that the salary cap will be raised to $44 million next season, after higher than expected profits during this past season (when the cap was $39 million). Based on the increase in cap space, Lidstrom could've demanded a raise to around $8.5 million to stay around the same percent salary of cap space. And with his fourth Norris Trophy win, he could've even entertained the prospects of a $8.8 million contract (20% of the cap for 2006-2007). Prior to the lockout, Lidstrom was pegged to make $10 million during the 2005-06 season, but the 24% rollback brought that number down to $7.6 million. This is a honorable move by Lidstrom, who by all reports was expected to get a raise to at least $8 million/season. That extra $400,000 in cap space will allow Holland more flexibility in signing remaining prospects and regulars. And it sets the bar for Shanahan to also sign for the "hometown discount" that Holland has been talking about lately. Frankly, I'm very surprised that Lidstrom signed for anything less than $8 million, as he had a great bargaining position with his career-high 80 point season and fourth Norris Trophy win. Holland, on the other hand, suffered another first round defeat and knew other teams would offer Lidstrom practically whatever he demanded. It shows Lidstrom's dedication to the team that has helped him win 3 Stanley Cups.

Christy's Anti-Roy post

2006-06-29T12:20:00.000-04:00

Ahh, such fond memories. Maybe today I'll break out my Games 6 and 7 tapes from the 2002 Conference Finals...

CP: J.R. wants to play in Canada - for cheap

2006-06-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

I always thought it was a bummer things didn't work out between the Wings and Roenick in the summer of 2001, although they were able to acquire Hasek, Hull, and Robitaille instead, which more than made up for any disappointment I had. Sounds like the number of horse farms around a given city is no longer a determining factor in negotiations, however. So, you know, JR, Detroit's just across the river from Canada. Why not sign here?

Bob Duff on Bob Wyshynski's new book

2006-06-28T13:19:00.000-04:00

Wyshynski's recently-published Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer : The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History looks like a good read.

Dave Lewis to be Named Head Coach of Boston Bruins

2006-06-28T12:37:00.000-04:00

It looks like Dave Lewis finally caught a coaching break. After getting fired late in the summer last year, he was unable to find a coaching position due to the timing of his departure and team stances after the lockout. He worked as a scout with the Wings for the past season. But it looks like the Boston Bruins are going to hire him as their new head coach, after recently firing Mike Sullivan. Congratulations, Dave!

Disturbing Photoshopery at VCOE

2006-06-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

Poor Kirk. The off-season is an ugly, ugly thing, folks.

Still waiting on The Decision

2006-06-27T12:38:00.000-04:00

From TSN (using Freep files): The Captain "has set a self-imposed deadline of July 1," to inform the team of his intentions.

Eric Duhatschek on economic realities in the NHL

2006-06-25T18:41:00.000-04:00

Good read about the two big deals at the draft yesterday but I like the last two paragraphs the best, especially this part:

The Oilers won't be in any hurry to accommodate Pronger's wishes until they get the right deal in place (how about Pronger to Florida for hometown boy Jay Bouwmeester?) ....

After thinking more about that trade request, I'm becoming more and more glad that there's no chance of the guy coming to Detroit. If requesting to be traded, whatever the reason, is all the thanks the Oilers get for putting Pronger in a position to win the Cup for the first time in his career, maybe they ought to send him where he'll have no chance of getting that far for as long as his contract lasts (four more years). Maybe his wife would like Miami. (link via. James Mirtle)

Red Wings Draft Pick Profiles

2006-06-24T22:12:00.000-04:00

The Wings took 18-year-old Cory Emmerton 41st overall as their first pick of the draft. Emmerton scored 90 points (26G, 64A) in 66 games for the Kingston Frontenacs this past season, had an assist in the OHL All-Star Game and scored two goals in six games in the postseason. Hockey's Future has this to say about him:

A talented playmaker with offensive flair and a nose for the net, Emmerton is the type of forward that makes those around him better. He has a knack for finding the open man, or hitting a teammate in full-stride for an offensive chance.
He has elite playmaking and passing skills and is solid on his skates. He could benefit from some extra attention on the defensive side of the game, but he projects to challenge for the OHL scoring title should he remain in the league next season, and could be a solid point-producer for years to come no matter what level he plays at.

He's 5'11", 177 pounds, shoots left, and plays center. A playmaker, evidentally, not a goal-scorer, and yet another center in the system. The Wings' second pick was Shawn Matthias, another 18-year-old center. Matthias played 67 games for the Belleville Bulls, notching just 13 goals and 21 assists over that span. He scored three goals in the first round of the OHL playoffs in six games. Hockey's Future has this to say about him:

He can skate and handle the puck, but he still needs to work on his two-way play. Never one to shy away from hard work, Matthias is considered to have NHL potential.

At 6'3", 211 lbs., Matthias definitely has some size so he brings something the Wings could use if he really is NHL material. For their third pick, the Wings took the 19-year-old Swede Dick Axelsson 62nd overall. Axelsson split his time between the Huddinge J20 team and the Huddinge main roster, scoring 19 goals and 34 points in 28 games with the former and 17 goals and 19 points in 23 games with the latter. Elite Prospects has this to say about him (translated from Swedish):

Axelsson has great size and is an aggressive and physical player. He has good timing in his hits. His skating, the intensity he plays with and his forechecking is quite good. Axelsson's main asset is his hockey sense and he is good at finding passing openings. At the same time he is a good scorer. Technical skills and hands are good. There is room for improvement when it comes to his defensive game and his acceleration.

Axelsson, at 6'2", 176 lbs, has some good size as well. He's listed as a forward so maybe he's not a center. That's all I have on these guys for now but I'll post more as I see it. Three picks, three forwards. So much for bolstering the defensive depth of the system.

Update (11:11 PM): Christy has more here.

Red Wings Draft Update

2006-06-24T21:00:00.000-04:00

Just after the 28th pick, the Wings completed a trade with Phoenix, handing the Coyotes the 29th and 152nd picks in exchange for the 41st and 47th. So, although they've only had two first rounders in the last 7 years, the Wings traded it away for two second-round selections. They now have three picks in the second round (41st, 47th, and 62nd). Phoenix used the pick to select a defenseman, Chris Summers, a smooth-skating American U-18 gold medal winner, according to TSN's draft tracker and James Mirtle. Pretty disappointing the Wings only did such a minor deal. I'll be honest: visions of Shane Doan in the Winged Wheel went through my head when they mentioned the Wings were talking a trade over with Phoenix. Paul Kukla says the Wings are uncomfortable drafting in the first round. It sure seems like it! Guess we'll have to wait and see who they pick with what they got. Since OLN is no longer broadcasting the draft, if you're in the States, you'll have to watch it online with NHL Network's live stream (via. Kukla's Korner). If you're like me and on a slow connection, try refreshing Mirtle's liveblog or NHL Draft Net's tracker. Update (10:04 PM): The second round picks are in:

41st - Cory Emmerton - C/LW 47th - Shawn Matthias - C 62nd - Dick Axelsson - W

More to come.

6/24 Notes

2006-06-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

... James Mirtle addresses the surprising news out of Edmonton involving Chris Pronger's trade request. Apparently, "family issues" meant "my rich wife from St. Louis hates Northern Alberta." Although Pronger did request a trade earlier in the season due to his wife, he obviously didn't make a big stink about it and was honorable enough to play through the season, becoming the Oilers' most dominant player through their playoff run. As Mirtle says, Pronger's stock is incredibly high now so Kevin Lowe will be able to get a lot in return if a trade does in fact happen. Of course, that fact just makes Brian's rumor that much more unlikely but it's still a nice dream, eh? ... Ansar Khan reports that there has been progress made in contract negotiations with Nick Lidstrom. He quotes Ken Holland as saying,

"We had good conversations. We've gone back and forth the last couple of weeks with different ideas and numbers. I'm trying to convince Nick on a number, he's trying to convince me on a number. We're trying to find a compromise. I'd like to get something done (next) week."

It sure would be nice to know just how far apart they are (i.e. $8.8 million versus $8 million or $8.8 million versus $7 million, etc.). No talks will take place this weekend but they will pick up again on Monday. Khan also reports that Holland doesn't have a lot happening on the trade front, which isn't all that encouraging. Perhaps that'll change today after all the GMs get together for the draft. ... IwoCPO has a further reaction to last night's big Luongo trade, posted from the Richmond airport today:

Yes, it would have been a move that re-kindled the excitement in Detroit. Yes, it seems that if it were to occur Pavel Datsyuk, at least, would have been sent to Florida in return. Yes, Luongo was the best goalie available, is going to be a great playoff performer and is a franchise player.
And if goaltending was the only problem the Wings had against Edmonton, the deal may have been made. But, in the heat of the discussion over whether Holland should have mortgaged the offensive talent pool in favor of Luongo let's recall a few happy moments. Remember Ryan (Jason, Smith, Smyth) with continued access to the crease, untouched. ...

Basically, the Wings need grit, speed, and heart more than they need a big-name goalie. The equation "Luongo=the Wings' savior" was always a false one (Luongo≠the Wings' savior). Holland needs to focus on acquiring players that bring those qualities to the team and on losing players that don't. Be sure to check out Iwo's classic timeline of his experience at the airport here. ... Of course, the draft is tonight and, as I posted yesterday, we'll have whatever information we can find on the Wings' two picks (29th and 62nd) in today's rounds (1st and 2nd). Be sure to stop by James Mirtle's liveblog of the event and checking Kukla's Korner for updates is always a good idea. Hockey's Future and Red Wings Central are also good resources for information on draftees (they're basically where we'll be going for it). I should have thought of this earlier, but Hockey's Future has a Red Wings draft preview here. Their section on draft tendencies is very interesting, noting,

New CBA rules, however, put heavy transfer fees on European players chosen after the second round and force NHL teams to sign European draft picks with two years of their draft date. Consequently, look for the Red Wings to reprioritize the draft and lessen their emphasis on European talent.

I had missed that little fact. It will be interesting to see the impact that will have on the Wings in the future. Their reliance on European talent was made necessary by their success over the years. It has to be easier to find overlooked and unknown players at the isolated rinks of Russia and Sweden than in the well-publicized arenas of the North American systems. Update (2:58 PM): Christy also will be updating throughout the draft. Update (4:10 PM): Looks like Luongo was caught off-guard by the trade, since, apparently, he thought he and Florida had a tentative agreement on a four-year contract. I guess that means there was no pre-negotiated long-term deal that the Canucks can count on simply because Luongo was not involved in the trade negotiations. For now, apparently, Luongo is too emotional to think about signing a long-term contract with Vancouver so Nonis will have to wait. Update (6:50 PM): BoA has a reaction to the news about Pronger here. Definitely sucks for those fans.

More on Luongo, and Big News with Pronger and Brind'Amour

2006-06-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

On the eve of the NHL draft, the Vancouver Canucks have traded Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alexander Auld to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Roberto Luongo and Lukas Krajicek. Rumors of Vancouver moving Bertuzzi for Luongo had been circulating this week, but it comes as a surprise that they also gave up Bryan Allen and Auld. This was a tough offer for the Wings to beat, the approximate equivalent of a Datsyuk, Osgood, Lebda trade. I would not have liked that if Holland had gone that far. Both Bertuzzi and Luongo will be UFA's next summer, so I'd have a hard time giving as much up as the Canucks did. Jes Golbez agrees with me. Also, check out the Vancouver Canucks Op Ed reaction here and Mirtle's reaction here. And if there was a Florida Panthers blog I could link to, and this non-existent blog had a reaction, it would be linked here. Someone start a Panthers blog or drop a link, eh? The one thing I like about the deal is that Bryan Allen is going to be in the Eastern Conference. If you remember, he was the player who broke Zetterberg's leg with a dirty slash and caused Derian Hatcher's torn ACL off incidental contact. Good riddance, you punk. Bertuzzi being in the Eastern Conference is also great. If I was a Colorado Avalanche fan, I would be very worried with Luongo joining the Northwest Division. But the Wings only face the Canucks four times during the regular season, so it isn't as big of an issue for us, until the playoffs at least. It looks like the Wings will have to go after Giguere now, as A2Y says. A shocking report out of Edmonton. Chris Pronger has asked the Oilers for a trade, after he helped lead them to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The reasons are based on "personal, family considerations." Granted, some are saying Al Strachan has a hand in this rumor, so take it with a grain of salt. Oilers GM Kevin Lowe reacts:

"I think they're more rumblings than anything. I'm pretty focused on the draft right now I don't want to get too much into player personnel stuff."

On whether Pronger has said anything to him:

"He hasn't asked me. I'll just leave it at that...We just got over a seven-game series in the Stanley Cup finals and there seems to be a lot of discussion about this and I'm not sure where it's coming from. Let's put it this way. Why would we want to trade Chris Pronger? One thing I've learned in my five or six years as a manager is that stuff tends to out of right field for whatever reasons. It can be agendas, hidden agendas, certain motivations, so nothing surprises me."

You've heard it first, here. I'm going to start a rumor and say Chris Pronger will become a Red Wing and his $6.25 million salary will be offset when Nick Lidstrom signs for $1 million in reaction, Paul Kariya style! It's a great dream, anyways. Oh, I'd also like to mention that the Canes signed Rod Brind'Amour to a five year deal. It's a bit surprising to me to see them lock Brind'Amour, 36 in August, up for such a lengthy deal. He is the captain and all, but I would've signed him for three years max if I was the Canes GM. Update (24. Jun, 12:01 AM, Matt): In spite of this trade, Ansar Khan still won't let go of the idea of Luongo in the Winged Wheel, posting the following to his blog tonight:

Well, is it too soon to start writing about how the Red Wings need to sign Roberto Luongo as a free agent in 2007?

Ansar, the Canucks are going to sign him in the next couple days. Okay? I'm sorry. Khan wraps up the post with comments on possible Plan B's such as Biron, Raycroft, Giguere, Aebischer, Gerber, Roloson, etc, etc. Guess we'll just have to wait and see which one of them, if any, it'll be. -- Matt

Luongo to Vancouver for Bertuzzi, Allen and Auld

2006-06-23T22:17:00.000-04:00

Well, there goes that rumor. More to come.

Red Wings Central draft preview

2006-06-23T21:29:00.000-04:00

Because I'm no expert on prospects and the immediate draft needs of the Wings' minors system, I'm deferring the draft preview to Red Wings Central. All I'll say is maybe they should think about bolstering their defensive depth because it's pretty weak beyond the main roster. Based on what Matt Wuest says, that could be what they'll do:

It’s just the fourth time in the past 10 years that the Red Wings have held their first-round pick. Each time, the Red Wings have looked to the blue line — selecting defensemen Jakub Kindl (19th in 2005), Niklas Kronwall (29th in 2000) and Jiri Fischer (25th in 1998).

OLN is broadcasting the draft tomorrow beginning at 6:00 ET. Be sure to stop by GlobeandMail.com to catch James Mirtle's special feature live-blog of the event. Update (24. Jun, 11:31 AM): Here's a more direct link to the live-blog, which James reports will start in the hours before the draft begins. -- Matt We'll have the Wings' picks posted along with any information we can find on them, of course. Also, my Dad is out of the hospital. The scare was that he had had a stroke on Sunday but it turns out he just had a TIA (transient ischemic attack), which amounts to a mini-stroke. He's doing a lot better but will have to undergo therapy and hopefully he'll be able to recover fully. It's been a rollercoaster of a week, to be sure.

Manny Legace Finishes Fifth in Vezina Voting; Luongo Seventh

2006-06-23T21:28:00.000-04:00

Something the Red Wings can use to leverage Luongo's potential contract closer to the $5 million mark. Just acquiring him will be hard to do with all the talk of Bertuzzi or Pronger for Luongo, though.

2006 NHL Awards

2006-06-22T22:40:00.000-04:00

The 2006 NHL Awards took place in Vancouver, BC tonight from 8-10 pm. The biggest surprises of the night for me were Lindy Ruff winning the Jack Adams over Peter Laviolette and Miikka Kiprusoff winning the Vezina over Martin Brodeur. The Red Wings went 2-for-2 with the awards they were up for, with Pavel Datsyuk picking up the Lady Byng and Nicklas Lidstrom picking up the Norris. The show opened with a good interview with Ovechkin and Crosby, where they talked about the competition between them during the regular season. The players walked down the NHL's version of the red carpet, and Scotty Bowman and Nicklas Lidstrom were seen signing autographs. By the way, it seemed like this one guy with a New York Rangers jersey got every single player's autograph who walked by. Ron MacLean wore a referee styled jacket and said a few corny jokes before beginning the award presentations. Winners are listed below. CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY: Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina Hurricanes HART MEMORIAL TROPHY: Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks. JACK ADAMS AWARD : Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings LESTER B. PEARSON AWARD: Jaromir Jagr, New York Rangers VEZINA TROPHY: Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames ART ROSS TROPHY: Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks WILLIAM M. JENNINGS TROPHY: Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY: Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks (new name!) KING CLANCY MEMORIAL TROPHY: Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals MAURICE RICHARD TROPHY: Jonathan Cheechoo, San Jose Sharks Mike Babcock accepted the Lady Byng on Datsyuk's behalf, and awkwardly didn't go up to the mic and say a few words. Later in the show, when Kiprussov won the Vezina, Darryl Sutter accepted it for him and did a speech thanking the coaching staff (ha ha) and saying how Kiprussov told him not to swear. It came off a lot better than Babcock jumping on stage and saying nothing, at least. Oh, and I loved the fact that Brodeur didn't win the Vezina. Lidstrom did a good job accepting his fourth Norris in five seasons, but I didn't really catch anything interesting out of his acceptance speech. It sounded like I've heard it before. He did say he might be talking to GM Ken Holland after the show, maybe so they can get some contract talks done! I was soo glad Lindy Ruff won the Adams over Laviolette, because he really did a great job with Buffalo this season and just edged out Peter Laviolette, 155-154, in the votes. None of the other awards were nearly this close in voting. When Kiprussov was honored for winning the Jennings, Brendan Peters, the kid they always showed in the stands during the playoffs with the Flames goalie equipment on, accepted for his favorite player. That was a nice touch. Brian Burke and Tom Cochrane presented the Masterton to Teemu Selanne, who accepted via video from Finland, where he is running a charity hockey camp. Datsyuk could've at least prepared a video clip like Teemu did, but I guess he didn't expect to win the Lady Byng. Ovechkin won the Calder, and gave probably the funniest speech of the night. He thanked his agent or assistant for cleaning his house and helping him buy his car and food at the grocery store. In his tone and Russian accent, it sounded really funny. Mark Messier awarded the Hart to Thornton, who gave the best speech of the night. He was very clear and concise, and seemed the most comfortable on stage in front of the mic. This part of the awards show is always a big question every year, because hockey players are not the best at giving acceptance speeches. But this year every player did well in this area.

Khan: Strange reaction from Luongo

2006-06-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

The Luongo saga continues. I'd comment more but my Dad's in the hospital and I'm only taking a few minutes away from the whirlwind.

Kukla Korner's Stanley Cup party

2006-06-20T21:23:00.000-04:00

Paul Kukla had a brilliant idea: host a Game 7 party specifically for non-hockey fans. Based on his report, it went very well. Sounds like a great way to get people interested in the game.

Mike Babcock goes off the record at media dinner

2006-06-20T20:57:00.001-04:00

And his vision for the team apparently doesn't involve the team's dinosaurs, as the article puts it. The roster is going to look a bit different next season, perhaps more different than expected. (via. A2Y)

The 'Canes are the new Stanley Cup Champions

2006-06-19T23:26:00.000-04:00

For all the talk about how tired Carolina was, it was Edmonton that looked comparitively drained as the Hurricanes returned to form for Game 7. Congratulations to both teams for their long runs and to the 'Canes for their first Cup win.

More on Roberto Luongo

2006-06-19T11:45:00.000-04:00

James Mirtle disagrees that the Wings would be risking losing Luongo after just one year:

For one, there's no way any team trading for Luongo is going to do so with the notion that they'll only have him for one season. A pre-negotiated long-term deal will likely accompany any deal simply for the fact that it will give Keenan something he doesn't have at the moment: leverage.

The scenario James lays out in the rest of the post is much more soberly thought out than my initial reaction to the idea, which he quotes. Still, it's hard to decide which is worse: throwing $7 million a year and a couple of our best young stars at an overrated, only semi-proven goalie but having him locked up for, say, five years for better or for worse. Or making a similar trade at Luongo's current salary and losing him after a year. Maybe Luongo is exactly what the Wings need. Maybe he'll be a force for this team for the rest of his career. Maybe he'll carry them to three Cups and re-establish their dominance. Or maybe he'll totally bomb after he finds that on a skilled team, the goalie doesn't have to make 57 saves a night and he isn't expected to win every game for them singlehandedly. The list of alternatives isn't overly impressive, as James points out. Luongo is certainly the biggest name out there. But this isn't Dominik Hasek in the summer of 2001 (just to mention the last big goalie trade-to-sign deal the Wings made). Dom had proven he could take a team, any team, to the Finals. Furthermore, he wanted to play in Detroit. All Luongo wants is to get out of Florida and get some team to pay him a ton of money before he's done anything. I don't want to see the Wings stuck with a flop of a goalie that happens to have an enormous salary. I think there's a reason Detroit goalies are always derided by the fans: we generally don't have the best and when we do, they often don't perform up to expectations. Think Curtis Joseph. The only exception I can remember is Dominik Hasek, who was a pretty exceptional goalie, in that first year. Even without the best goalie available, the Wings won two Cups. Their historical strength has not been goaltending, it has been skilled skaters backed by strong goalies (just not the "best"). A bigger-name goalie is not the solution to the playoff problem. In fact, generally, the goalie seems to be one of the best players in most of the early exits I can remember. Their problem has always been lack of scoring and I think it's unfair to pin the blame on the goalies by asserting the solution is a better goalie. As far as I'm concerned, the Wings only need a one- or two-year veteran goalie who will help usher in the goalies they already have in their system. Such a goalie will not come at such a high price and would allow Holland to make other moves that would shore up the offense and defense with more grit and speed, which is what the team desparately needs.

Khan: Lidstrom not going anywhere

2006-06-18T18:52:00.000-04:00

Update (10:52 PM): IwoCPO linked today to a Larry Brooks piece in which the NY Post writer opined that the Wings have gone to Lidstrom hat-in-hand, hoping in vain that he will take a pay cut. Can't say I fully buy into that story. I suspect the Wings' and Nick are more on the same page than the rumor-mongers would have us believe. - Matt In a blog post today, Ansar Khan wrote on something I had forgotten to mention in my short response to Game 6, namely Eric Duhatschek's comments about Nick Lidstrom on Satellite Hotstove (Real Media file) last night. The panel was discussing possible off-season moves by various teams and when asked by Ron MacLean to discuss Detroit, Duhatschek just said he felt the Wings would have a hard time signing Lidstrom because they wouldn't be able to throw the necessary money at him. (I'm paraphrasing here and since I'm on dial-up at home, I can't re-watch the clip) Duhatschek is a big name in the business, a journalist who knows his stuff and he didn't say that for the heck of it. He obviously had a reason to believe what he said. However, I am fully with the little Detroit hockey journalist Ansar Khan on this one:

There's a lot of uncertainty about what moves the Wings will make in the next few weeks, but there is one thing that you can absolutely, positively take to the bank: Lidstrom WILL re-sign with the Wings. Frankly, I don't understand why that would even be questioned.

Me either. It's reasonable to expect the Wings to be okay with giving Lidstrom a raise from the $7.6 million he earned last season. Nick could easily demand the league max, which is expected to be just under $8.8 million (20% of just under $44 million) but, as Khan says, I think it's more likely he'll get $8 million. I personally doubt Lidstrom will make it difficult for the Wings. The man used to threaten to leave Detroit and return to Sweden but during the lockout, when others of his countrymen were heading off to the SEL, he didn't go anywhere except for vacation. He was content to stay in town and let his kids go to school and live their life in Michigan. To me, that speaks volumes about his interest in sticking around.

Khan: Wings need to acquire Luongo

2006-06-18T10:03:00.000-04:00

Update (12:50 PM): IwoCPO likes Khan's reasoning as well as the idea of Roberto Luongo in the Winged Wheel. Maybe I'd be okay with the idea too, were it not for the reasons listed below. - Matt Ansar Khan believes acquiring the League's most overrated goalie will be the blockbuster/inspirational move the team needs to restore everyone's confidence. Khan sees the need for Holland to do what he did in the summer of 2001 (which just happened to be one of the best free-agent/trade markets ever), when he acquired Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille and "shocked the hockey world." The difference between those deals and anything that would happen with Luongo this summer was that they hardly cost the Wings anything in terms of personnel. Slava Kozlov was a contributor but Hasek had established himself as one of the game's best, from the regular season all the way to the Finals, unlike Luongo, who hasn't carried his team anywhere like Dom did. That was a worthwhile trade and was so lopsided in the Wings' favor as to be grossly unfair for Buffalo, who had to do it because Hasek demanded it. The only way to get Luongo is to trade away someone significant. Sounds like a great idea, Ansar. Trade Pavel Datsyuk for Roberto Luongo and then lose him on the free agent market after next season. To me, that's the most likely scenario. Khan says the Wings have nothing to lose by such a deal but if Luongo isn't signed to a long-term deal, it absolutely will not be worth it to trade away players like Pavel Datsyuk, Jimmy Howard or any other player the Wings' have pegged their future on. They have a lot to lose and would be hinging their hopes on a prima donna goalie who has never been in the postseason. Ever. Haven't we dealt enough with goalies that have no playoff experience? I want someone who's been there, done that, not some postseason virgin, regardless of his name.

Edmonton wins Game 6 in decisive fashion

2006-06-18T00:06:00.000-04:00

Update (1:04 PM): Alanah over at VCOE takes issue with my comments on the fans at Rexall place. Like I said, I understand the sentiment, but I think that kind of chant should be saved for times when the Cup is a guarantee. It's a celebratory cheer but Edmonton hasn't won it yet. I know I kept thinking, "It's too bad this isn't Game 7," and I'm sure the fans there were thinking the same thing so maybe it's a natural reaction. Still, it was just Game 6 and the Oilers have only put themselves in a position to win the Cup, no more. Tomorrow night, we'll find out whether or not they'll finish the job. I'm not berating the fans at Rexall place. I think they're great for the overwhelming show of support they give the Oilers. They really do put fans in other areans around the league to shame. I just think that particular chant was premature. By the way, Alanah, you've been writing far more great material lately than I have! - Matt I have to say I'm a little shocked at how much the Oilers dominated tonight. Did Carolina forget that they could have won the Cup had they shown up to play? Edmonton clearly wanted it more and absolutely outworked the Hurricanes, who put up one of the most pitiful performances of the playoffs, notching just 16 shots, seven of which came over the first two periods. Scott Oake was trying to pin it on travel, which Carolina is not all that used to, but it's hard to discount Edmonton's performance. Their power play was strong, racking up three goals in nine chances and putting on a good show on a couple power plays on which they didn't score. They were far more physical than the 'Canes all game long and won the majority of the battles along the boards. Cam Ward kept the 'Canes in it, as did their skill (luck?) at blocking shots. Otherwise, it could have been ugly. Laviolette's pep talk in the second period during his time-out got Carolina playing more respectable hockey but they still were nowhere near the form of earlier in the series. Once again, the fans at Rexall place put other arenas to shame with their raucous support of the Oilers throughout the game. I have to say, though, that their chant, "We want the Cup!" toward the end was pretty lame. As far as I'm concerned, you only cheer that during a clinching game or between the end of the game and the actual presentation. You don't cheer it in Game 6 when the series is going back to the other city. All that's going to do is give the 'Canes that much more to draw on for the seventh game. Besides, I don't think anyone in Edmonton really wanted to see the Cup tonight because it would have meant a Carolina victory. I understand the sentiment but it's just obnoxious. I stuck around and watched the post-game interviews on CBC and think I am scarred for life after seeing probably all but about three inches of Chris Pronger's thighs as he sat with Michael Peca to talk with Oake and Kelly Hrudey. I know you're a big man, Pronger, and it must be hard to find shorts long enough, but I never want to see that again. Game 7 is Monday night in Carolina and I hope the 'Canes show up to play, for their fans' sake. The Oilers obviously smell blood and have a heck of a lot of momentum. If the Hurricanes react to tonight the way they should, Game 7 ought to be amazing.

Fernando Pisani sends Finals to Game 6

2006-06-14T23:16:00.000-04:00

Pisani intercepted a pass and took the puck in to score a shorthanded breakaway goal at 3:31 of overtime, keeping Edmonton alive for at least one more game. Guess Karmanos won't get to do this yet, the jerk.

Ron MacLean and Colin Campbell on rule changes

2006-06-14T13:03:00.000-04:00

From the After Forty segment of Game 4. Worth watching, even though CBC doesn't have the rights to play the clips that are being discussed. Ron MacLean makes some good points about the rule changes and I have to say I find it somewhat frightening that Colin Campbell, not just some random puckhead but a person of real power in the League, thinks the way he does. Link opens Real Player. Tom Benjamin has more here.

Acid Queen talks with Eklund

2006-06-14T12:30:00.000-04:00

"whether you like me or not, I have reached a level where I am the only internet blogger ever to be credentialled for the finals...yes even the locker rooms" Gee, Eklund, you'd think the NHL would have issued a press release for such a monumental change in policy. Guess not, eh?

Carolina wins in Edmonton, leads series 3-1

2006-06-13T11:56:00.000-04:00

Oilers look to be running out of gas but need to find the energy to pull off a big win on the road Wednesday

Khan: Datsyuk-Luongo rumor bogus

2006-06-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

Has it straight from Ken Holland: “I can nix (the rumor) in two ways: No conversations with Florida and I don’t have any plan to trade Datsyuk.’’ But Ansar still thinks the Wings will pursue Luongo.