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A Ticket to Boo 2007-10-08 12:23:06 What an odd word and an even stranger way to express your displeasure at something. To actually yell “Boooooooo!!!!” Sure, booing often incorporates more than just choruses of that sound, but many times, that’s it.
Years ago while attending Winnipeg Jets games, I can remember getting into the action as the entire arena rained down abuse on opposing teams. There seemed to be particular type of play or penalty committed by an enemy player that elicited the genuine and spontaneous boos. It’s that essence of gutlessness that isn’t always easy to articulate but when you see it, it’s visceral and at once enrages and motivates.
The habitual booing of a certain player is something different and is almost surreal when the arena is otherwise sullen and detached. The off/on switch of the puck on the hated player’s stick has got to have some kind of effect, though I’ve got to think it could be more of a motivator than anything. To know that you& Read more:Ticket
Bloody Chiclets: Some Early Stats and Online Games 2007-10-07 12:16:43 Niedermayer decision coming soon? Five games into a less than fantastic start for the defending Stanley Cup champions and Nidermayer is soon going to fill us in on whether or not he’s going to grace the Ducks with his presence? And therein lies the answer to this increasingly self-serving display of procrastination.
Niedermayer simply wants to convince his teammates and the rest of the league that he, in fact, is not expendable. The longer the Ducks struggle, the greater his loss is felt and the more his stock rises. At the merest hint that Anaheim is returning to form, he will slide back into the line-up and ride the wave with them, undoubtedly bolstering their fortunes even more as they improve beyond what these first few games suggest.
More likely, he’s doing a stint of scouting his current/former team to see if it really is worthwhile to return for another year. Without the assurance of another competitive season with a reasonable shot at repeating as champs, it m Read more:Early
, Stats
, Games
, Online Games
The Maple Leafs and the Media 2007-10-05 12:44:07 I had been ready to write a post about how rising player salaries and long-term contracts have resulted in performance based decisions regarding NHL rosters sometimes taking a back seat to monetary and perception concerns. Management and coaches have to demonstrate their confidence in an investment by allowing a longer period of sub-par or mediocre play before deciding to make line-up changes, trades or demotions.
Then the Toronto Maple
Leafs went and started Andrew Raycroft in goal in their first game of the season against the Ottawa Senators. I was surprised and actually a bit heartened to see them buck the wisdom that you have to go with a newly signed but unproven player because of the hype surrounding the trade and the big contract. It would have looked a lot shrewder if Raycroft had been anything more than his usual uninspiring self.
At least they kept the media hounds guessing with the “clever” refusal to confirm who would get the start. Though the snickering Ray
Hockey Radio: HNIC Hits the Airwaves 2007-10-04 11:35:43 The new CBC produced Hockey Night in Canada weekday radio broadcast was definitely the hockey related media program I was most looking forward to this season.
The most surprising aspect of the new production is that it was so long in arriving.
The Hockey Night in Canada telecast is the biggest money maker for the national broadcasting corporation. The drive-time hockey show has the potential to increase the popularity of the weekly television match-ups even more. Think of it; a full week of hyping the upcoming games, discussing issues surrounding each team and in general just catering to the huge appetite that Canadians and many others have for discussing all things hockey.
Of course, I was excited about all that until I discovered that the radio broadcasts will only be available on Sirius satellite radio. As far as I know, their package is only offered within North America.
Though I’m sure there is a logical explanation as to why even listeners in Canada have to cough up for t Read more:Radio
, Airwaves
Bloody Chiclets: the Flames, Hockey Pools and the Words We Use 2007-10-19 11:05:09 That sound you heard last week may have been Mike Keenan ready to blow a gasket. After the Flames
got off to a rough start to the season and then put a few wins together, they blew a 4-0 lead against the Avalanche to lose 5-4 in overtime in their game in Colorado on October the 16th. Last night however, they came out on top against the L.A. Kings 4-3.
Throughout most of their first seven games they have been competitive, with the majority of wins and losses being decided by one goal. Scoring in general has not been a problem for the Flames.
The most recent Flames Insider e-mail update included this interesting stat and new NHL record heading into last night’s game against the Kings:
“The Calgary Flames set a modern day NHL record Tuesday in Denver when, for the sixth consecutive game to start the season, a player produced a two-goal game.
Daymond Langkow and Kristian Huselius both have a pair of two goal games, where Matthew Lombardi and Jarome Iginla each have one. &ldq Read more:Words
Ottawa Senators: Not a Bad Situation 2007-10-18 10:00:04 But a situation nonetheless.
It’s been nice to see Martin Gerber step up and play well with Ray Emery recovering from his wrist injury and surgery. Nice because of the fact that Gerber has patiently waited his turn without any whining, sulking or demands to be traded. He is number one NHL netminder material and he has been mature and confident enough to wait his turn, knowing that his chance would come again. Yes, the opportunity has arisen before with Ottawa
and he disappointed. Which makes this impressive beginning to the season all the more valuable for Gerber personally and to the Sens as an organization.
Emery is back with the club after a reconditioning stint with Binghamton of the American Hockey League. The standard wisdom on a situation like this, is that the Senators will play the loyalty card, dance with the one who brought them etc., etc. It’s pretty good logic. Emery was the go-to goalie in the second half of last season and throughout the playoffs unti
Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs: Hockey Game and Public Execution 2007-10-17 13:00:13 I wouldn’t want to be Bryan McCabe heading into the Leafs’ Thursday night game against the FloridaPanthers
in Toronto
. Well, OK, the 86, 000 plus dollars he will pocket for the match-up (at the 7.1 million he will earn this season in the front-loaded contract that averages 5.75 million per year, divided by 82 games) would make it more than tolerable.
But it’s still going to be a gut churning affair for the Leafs’ defenseman. McCabe has been abysmal this season and things got a whole lot worse when he scored into the Leafs’ net in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. It was a performance in which he otherwise made relatively few mistakes in comparison to the blunder-fests of previous games.
Toronto fans have been relentlessly raining down abuse to let the highest paid player on the team know that he has to improve. The only other possible aim of the boo-boons is to pressure McCabe to waive his no-trade clause and hope the Buds can pawn Read more:Maple
, Public
, Execution
Mats Sundin: Leaf Number One 2007-10-16 08:51:54 Despite having played in Toronto for the past 13 seasons and become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, Mats Sundin remains a bit of an enigma.
At the end of every season he retreats to the comforts of home in Sweden.
Though perfectly fluent in English with nary a trace of an accent and as obliging as any player is towards the media, it is well known that he is still quite shy. Sundin will segue into the stock cliches faster than most when giving an interview, always finding a way to deliver them with a thoughtful and genuine disposition.
One of the most popular and well-liked current and all-time Leafs players, there is still a small number of fans not completely enamoured of Sundin. This is mainly due to the absence of any Stanley Cups for Toronto during his tenure, his salary and his apparent “lack of emotion.”
Criticism of any player is warranted, expected and quite often helpful. When you are number 4 in terms of cash raked in by NHL players (see “Fo Read more:Number
NHL 2007-08: Game Day Previews October 23rd 2007-10-23 12:36:11
Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers
Prodigal son returns with a fistful of dollars and burning desire to massage his lagging reputation in his hometown. Loads of post-playing appearances, endorsements and perhaps even a future with the Oilers organization to be considered.
The Mulleted One, Ryan Smyth, spurned Edmonton for a shot to perhaps win a Cup with Colorado and at least slurp up another four and a half million dollars over the course of his contract as opposed to what he would have earned with the Oilers.
In his attempts to assuage the feelings of fans in the Alberta capital, he mentions that his heart is still in the city and he will bring the Cup back if he ever wins it with the Avalanche.
How soon do those kinds of comments start to grate on Colorado team-mates and fans?
With the Oilers continuing to struggle to score goals and the injuries mounting, the fans could have a lot to boo about in tonight’s game.
Atlanta Thrashers at Toronto Maple Leafs
With a 1-1 recor Read more:October
Hockey Radio: HNIC on Sirius: Update 2007-10-22 22:42:26 A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the new Hockey Night in Canada radio show that is only available on Sirius
satellite radio with a paid subscription.
While certain that there was a perfectly logical rationale that fit within the whole concept of a taxpayer funded public broadcaster, lacking any real knowledge of the business or of government regulations guiding the CBC’s operation, I was unable to articulate the details.
I sent an e-mail to the CBC requesting an explanation. The response was a while in coming but when it finally arrived it was in-depth and informative.
Senior Director of CBC Sports, David Masse, outlined the relationship with Sirius (a company that the CBC owns shares in) and the model that is used to produce shows like HNIC and numerous others. The question that I was most interested in regarding the funding and production of such broadcasts was addressed thusly:
“The program was conceived from the start as originating on Sirius, and is fully sel Read more:Radio
, Update
Offside: Anonymous Sports Bloggers and Libel 2007-10-22 07:19:22 When I started this blog I decided to write in the open using my real name (if you follow the links in the “about” section you can find my full name.) I did so for a number of reasons.
First and most importantly, I feel it acts as a self-regulating mechanism against going overboard and spinning personal attacks and vitriol. We all have some nasty sentiments that flash in our minds on occasion. What better way to air them out and avoid the usual societal censuring than to blog under the cloak of anonymity.
The inherently passionate and competitive aspect of professional sports and the fans that devote their time and energy to the various games and dramas make it even more tempting to bash teams and players you dislike.
No doubt it can be a liberating feeling to unload on others under the guise of dissecting recent games and the on-ice character of certain players. If you write decently, can spin an original insult and are persistent, you will attract a core of reader Read more:Sports
, Libel
NHL 2007-08 Week Three: Results, Changes and Stats 2007-10-21 21:21:11 50 years since Maurice Richard became the first player in the NHL to score 500 goals. And with the commemoration comes that inevitable parlour game: would he have fared as well in the current NHL? Such discussions are interesting and yet another way for fans to rank their knowledge against one another.
Of course, it’s totally hypothetical and rather meaningless. But because of the passion some invest in these “what if” scenarios, I’m always surprised that the most obvious qualifier of all is rarely mentioned.
If Richard were to have played in this era as opposed to in the past, he also would have come up at a different time and thus benefited from better conditioning, nutrition, coaching and competition. So, all other things being equal, he probably could have been a very good player in today’s NHL.
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The first battle of Alberta is in the books and it wasn’t even close. Apparently the two teams are headed in the opposite direction with the Fla Read more:Three
, Stats
NHL Officiating: Let ‘Em Play 2007-10-20 06:25:00 Growing up in the frigid wasteland known as Winnipeg, a common occurrence to alleviate the boredom was for someone in our group of friends to pull an outrageous stunt. In the process he would provide some entertainment for the others, create instant local legends to be re-told and embellished and gain the approval of his peers.
One such malleable sort would regularly take out one of the family cars when left at home alone. The rest of the lads would pile in, high on the coming adventure and thrilled at how easily they had manipulated the situation.
A quick ride to the outskirts of town and open fields so as to avoid detection from the police (we were well under the legal driving age) and the fun would begin. Everyone would get a chance to hammer the car into the ground. Hard turns that destroyed the alignment, grinding the gears at will and a competition to see who could drive the fastest and straightest in reverse without fishtailing.
It was all light-hearted fun done with the utm Read more:lsquo
NHL 2007-08: Week Four Headlines 2007-10-27 08:26:15 JFJ Tries to Entice Tavares, Tlusty Tallies Two
Ferguson is thankful for the distraction that Tlusty’s early pair provided. The Leaf’s GM tries some creative coercion to improve his credibility.
Are Jerseys a Joke? RBK offers Patch, Pleads Patience
Still being discussed whether remainders from factory to be used.
Oilers Fans Push Penner to Produce
Does a lummox like Penner simply appear lethargic? Or is the “lazy” tag legit?
Visor Usage Vaults
50% of players now wear them. (When this son-of-a-bitch laced on skates in his first organized game at seven, shield use was scattered and still optional.)
Modano Yearns to be Top Point Scoring Yank of All Time
Needs five more to accomplish feat.
Two Swedes on Top in Scoring Race
Sundin at 36 is stunning.
Boys from Broad Street Head into Boston
Flyers and Bruins put their identically respectable 6-3 records on the line Saturday night. Two of the most improved teams so far this season, they’ve both shown toughnes
Bloody Chiclets: Quotes, Shills, and Nasty Thrills 2007-10-26 12:46:32 A few quotes related to hockey that I’ve heard or read recently:
Rick Ball, a Vancouver radio host, on Colorado Avalanche forward Ryan Smyth: “He’s done more crying than Tammy Faye Baker in the past six months.”
Well, Baker’s been dead for a while but it’s still a good one.
Smyth certainly has been blubbering at will ever since he was traded out of Edmonton because of a difference of a couple hundred thousand dollars.
Great fodder for people who want to rip the guy but I reckon if you’re not concerned about things like shedding tears in public on a monthly basis, you probably don’t have much to prove in terms of your character, toughness, guts etc.
Or, it could also have something to do with lacking that acute sense of self-awareness that can make some people cringe at the sight of their own shadow.
At Fan House, Greg Wyshynski quoting Steve Farber from a Sports Illustrated article on Islander’s player Chris Simon: “A man who Read more:Quotes
, Thrills
The Magic Dust of NHL Coaching Success 2007-10-25 05:01:25 Every NHL season is guaranteed to see changes within its fraternity of head coaches. Such are the ways of the big league hockey world with huge payoffs at the gate the further a team goes into the playoffs, valuable exposure and merchandise revenues that come with a successful season and glory for all those associated. Failure to bring these dreams closer to reality with a winning team will result in at least a few unceremonious sackings throughout the year.
Just what goes into making a good hockey coach? What are the different qualities, characteristics and skills that contribute to long-term success? What are the unique elements that are especially relevant at the highest level with all the attendant media pressure and exaggerated expectations?
To first get a shot at weaving his magic in the big show, a coach must possess a decent pedigree. Former NHL players who demonstrated a desire to further their understanding of the game are usually the ones who will follow the coaching pa Read more:Magic
, Success
Hockey and Schadenfreude 2007-10-30 21:36:49 “Schadenfreude” is an imported word from the German nihilist tradition that nicely sums up a common human sentiment. It simply means “to gain pleasure from someone else’s misfortune.” There’s no single word in the English language that captures the meaning so perfectly. Which is probably why it has become one of those newly popular words with the mainstream media in the past number of years.
It’s a logical emotion to experience. The rage that humans have always felt is still present as it was a thousand years ago. But the historical response of bashing in each other’s skulls is no longer an option for most. The accumulation of slights, disrespect, and mistreatment at the hands of others in society needs an outlet.
It fits in nicely with another one of the most widely held beliefs. That somehow there is a cosmic righter of wrongs who makes sure everyone gets what they deserve. An absurd notion that people use to calm themselves whe
Ticket Prices, Profiteering and MLSE 2007-10-30 08:13:58 Ticket prices for NHL games are noticeably higher than for the other major North American professional sports leagues because of hockey’s lack of big television contracts. The money has to come from somewhere to pay for player salaries and make it a profitable enough enterprise for anyone to get involved and take all the related risks.
I knew the Toronto Maple Leafs had some of the most expensive tickets in the NHL and probably could have guessed that they are the dearest of the 30 teams. But I didn’t know the difference was so great or that their increase in prices was close to the average in the league despite already having the costliest ducats. Check out all the numbers here.
You can at least accept the Anaheim Ducks hiking their prices after last season’s Cup win. Bringing their rates more in line with the standard after boosting the popularity of the sport in a non-traditional market also makes their increases more acceptable. The Devils moving into their Read more:Ticket
, Prices
New Jersey Devils New NHL Arena: The Prudential Center aka The Rock 2007-10-29 11:01:12 This is the first example in the history of corporate sponsored arenas that I can remember, in which the rights holder (the insurance giant Prudential
) has attached their famous tag-line (in this case, “The Rock”) to the official name. Quite possibly it has been done before, but none could have been so appropriate and memorable as the one for the new home of the New Jersey
Devils.
Some good reviews of The Rock around the hockey blogosphere. Over at AOL Fan House, there’s a photo of a Devils’ logo that appears atop the flushing mechanism in the arena bogs. Not sure if it’s on top of a urinal or inside a stall. I would guess it’s inside a stall, as my memories of using the facilities at the old Winnipeg Arena are of long troughs with po-faced, drunken schlepps emptying their beer-filled bladders between periods.
I’ve heard that the trough set-up is standard equipment in most other NHL barns. The logistics just wouldn’t be feasible for Read more:Center
, New Jersey
NHL Suspensions: Randy Jones Hit on Patrice Bergeron 2007-10-28 23:38:18 There’s widespread relief at the news that Patrice Bergeron suffered nothing more than a concussion and broken nose after the nasty hit from behind by the Flyers’ Randy
Jones in the Bruins/Flyers game Saturday night. The fact that a head injury and broken nose are met with relief is a sign of how bad it initially looked and the length of time Bergeron lay motionless on the ice.
The guessing, spinning and closing of ranks began almost immediately after the game ended, accompanied by the contrite, humble apology from the perpetrator that has become a requisite part of each subsequent incident.
Bob McKenzie has offered up his take on the hit at TSN, concluding that the suspension that Jones is likely to receive will be far less than those handed out to his Flyer team-mates earlier in the year (Jesse Boulerice tagged with 25 for his cross-check to the face of Ryan Kesler and Steve Downie with 20 for his hit on Dean McCammond.)
McKenzie’s sound and reasoned interpretati
Major League Pitchers and NHL Goalies 2007-10-28 12:58:11 As the Boston Red Sox look set to win the World Series, if not sweep the Colorado Rockies in four straight, it’s time for a look at the roles played by major league pitchers in comparison to NHL goaltenders.
Success at both positions relies on controlling a small hard missile that the opposing team is trying to drive forward with sticks or bats.
While pitchers are hurling 100 mile per-hour plus fastballs past, and sometimes towards, hitters, goalies are the ones facing the onslaught of rockets in hockey. Yet both represent the defensive linchpins in their respective sports.
Individual pitchers play a far bigger role in terms of their impact on specific games. This is a fact demonstrated by the odds offered by book-makers on a team, which will vary a great deal depending on the starting pitcher. No doubt a goaltender can be the difference in many a game and outstanding performance at that position is often the key to a team winning the top prize. At the very least, solid play i Read more:Major
, League
, Pitchers
, Major League
The NHL and Advertising 2007-11-05 11:06:26 Watching old hockey clips on YouTube is great for a hit of nostalgia and also as a way to see how the game has changed over the years. It’s also jarring due to the different appearance of the rink because of the lack of ads that were plastered everywhere back then. It all looked relatively pristine in comparison to today’s commercialized boards and portions of the ice surface.
The rink isn’t the only aspect of professional hockey that has been over-run by advertising. It seems every part of the game already has an advertiser’s name attached to it. But some marketing genius always thinks up a previously untapped way to flog another call, segment or surface of an inanimate object (though at least the uniforms remain untouched, unlike their counterparts in European leagues.)
The most professional examples of this are seen on the big networks like CBC, whose production values are slick and barely seem to intrude on the presentation of the game.
Other regional te Read more:Advertising
NHL 2007-08: Game Day Previews November 3rd 2007-11-03 13:38:30 The Leafs skate into Montreal on Saturday, continuing one of the greatest rivalries in NHL history in terms of length, passion and polarizing effect. At least in Canada. More than just two hockey clubs playing each other, in many ways the rivalry is symbolic of the dual nature of Canada’s founding and the ongoing struggles that involve Quebec and the rest of the country.
Earlier in the week there was another reminder of just how important the language issue is in Quebec when Habs’ captain Saku Koivu was criticized for not learning how to speak French. The comments against Koivu came from a Quebec lawyer during public hearings about religious minorities in the province.
It’s always ironic that any group feeling threatened (Quebec within Canada in this case) will usually end up taking out their frustrations on other minorities that have even less power in society. There have long been questions about how new immigrants to the province are treated and these hearings a Read more:November
Rick Tocchet Re-Instated by the NHL 2007-11-02 13:35:17 Rick Tocchet will be back behind the bench of the Phoenix Coyotes as an assistant coach in February. He was re-instated by Gary Bettman with a stern but forgiving public lecture and given a set of conditions that must be adhered to.
This seems odd to me on a few fronts. First, the requirement by the league that Tocchet must not have anything to do with gambling and also has to undergo examination by league doctors and agree to treatment if necessary. This is good. But is everyone forgetting the fact that Tocchet attended the World Series of poker only a few short months ago?
If you believe that the legal nature of his participation in that tournament makes such an example irrelevant, you are clueless as to what is at the crux of this issue. The fact that Tocchet got involved with questionable characters in setting up a sports book says all you need to know (the independent investigator hired by the NHL found that there were no links to “organized crime.” But wasn&rsqu
Book Review: King of Russia by Dave King with Eric Duhatschek 2007-11-01 13:49:26 Living and working in a foreign country for an extended period of time opens your eyes to new ways of doing things. But more importantly, it shines the clear light of observation and comparison on your own culture. The experience is fraught with contradictions.
You may be granted a kind of unearned respect and admiration simply because of where you come from and the Hollywood fueled set of myths and half-truths about western countries that exist everywhere in the world. You will be resented by others for the same reasons. You’ll feel like a minor celebrity on occasion and an outsider much of the time.
Dave King was a celebrity in a foreign land in the real sense of the word as he became the first Canadian to coach a team in the Russia
n Super League. King spent one season behind the bench of Mettalurg Magnitogorsk and writes about his experience in King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League.
With some of the top Russian talent in the league at the time, including Evgen
Eric Lindros: Retirement, Legacy and Hockey Hall of Fame Consideration 2007-11-10 02:47:45 Eric Lindros officially announced his retirement on Thursday. As he recounted his career, presented a 5 million dollar cheque to the hospital where the press conference took place and joked with the media, Lindros seemed more relaxed and content that he had been at any time during his playing days. An aura of relief seemed to surround him and there was a sense that the drama and controversy that dogged him as a player is finally at an end.
As Lindros steps away from the game far earlier than he probably expected way back on that draft day in 1991 when he snubbed the Quebec Nordiques and set the course for his career, the debate over whether he belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame heats up. It seems that more than most former NHLers, this will be decided as much by the perception people have of him as a player and a person as by any hard facts.
The Eric Lindros saga resonated from the beginning with anyone who has even a mild interest in the game. The response of fans and the media to Read more:Legacy
, Consideration
NHL Player Profiles: Teemu Selanne 2007-11-07 23:23:21 Heading into the NHL’s Hockey Hall of Fame weekend, it’s a good time for many fans to look back at their favourite retired players of all time. Joe Pelletier at Greatest Hockey Legends came up with the idea to get as many hockey bloggers onside in posting profiles and memories of NHL players from the past.
My entry is in the de facto retired category. While Teemu Selanne may still end up returning to the NHL, he is already considered one of the game’s great players.
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Teemu Selanne exploded into the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets in the 1992-93 season at the age of 22. Though a 10th overall pick by the Jets in the 1988 entry draft, he played in his native Finland for four seasons after being selected by Winnipeg.
His record setting year was something to behold for fans in Winnipeg. Playing on a line with Alexei Zhamnov and Keith Tkachuk, Selanne started filling the net early on and just kept scoring as the season progressed. He was also helped out by the play-makin Read more:Profiles
The Design Geniuses at Work for the Vancouver Canucks 2007-11-06 11:06:37 At the beginning of the season I did a review of some of the e-mail bulletins that most NHL teams send out to fans, who can sign-up for the newsletters on the relevant websites. Often there is a general update of goings-on as well as pre and post game reports. It’s been a nice surprise to find that most don’t mince words when writing up the post-game analysis for games in which their team played poorly.
The Islanders bulletin still stands out as one of the better ones for design, content and different features, such as their ongoing “pick and win” contest that they alerted subscribers to earlier in the season.
Some other bulletins haven’t maintained the same standard.
The VancouverCanucks
don’t exactly have a history that includes creating well-designed logos and team uniforms. Their current jerseys have that odd, pasted on “Vancouver” lettering that ruins what would otherwise be one of their better sweaters compared to past years.
S Read more:Geniuses
Darcy Tucker vs. Sean Avery 2007-11-15 10:54:08 In a sport where driving your fist into an opponent’s face is tolerated, the uproar over the pre-game tiff between Sean Avery
and DarcyTucker
the other night is a bit surreal. Such incidents always elicit responses from those who seem to have a hyper awareness of some kind of honour code that respects a certain “line” that they of course would never cross.
That line apparently applies to both actions and words. Where exactly is that line then, regarding what is allowable in terms of physical play? Does it stop in front of launching an assault against another player who is much smaller and doesn’t want to fight? No, that happens all the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da0exRn-xcw
How about continuing to hammer one’s fist into an opposing player’s face once he is down on the ice and prone? Again, no. That is a regular occurrence in the NHL. While many of these actions may be ostensibly prohibited in the NHL, everyone knows they are brazenl
The Sultans of Swap: Online NHL Trade Rumours 2007-11-13 13:05:51 Rumour bloggers have become standard on most of the commercial websites that focus on the NHL.
Look at the transactions that have occurred in the NHL this season and you will find little of consequence. As of today, the only trade that has taken place between two teams was on November 8th when the Colorado Avalanche acquired goaltender Jason Bacashihua from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations. Colorado promptly sent him to Lake Erie of the American Hockey League.
Yet the rumour mongers are never lacking for any fodder to stoke their claims. And herein lies half the explanation regarding the proliferation of trade discussion in the internet age.
It’s all about content. In the never-ending quest for narratives, angles and column inches to be devoured by fans, rumours provide the foundation for some of the easiest stories to churn out.
It is important to note that within the fraternity of trade forecasters, there are those who engage in at least some due diligence an Read more:Trade
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