2009/10 NHL Thread

[Swifty]

Puck drops tomorrow, first national game is Washington @ Boston on VS. Should be a great game to see, unless you have Directv then you can't see it since they dropped VS. Great multimedia partnership, NHL!

Anyway, I thought it'd be fun to start this thread with some predictions as well, here are mine:

Eastern Final Standings:

1 - Washington
2 - Boston
3 - Pittsburgh
4 - New Jersey
5 - Montreal
6 - New York Rangers
7 - Atlanta
8 - Philadelphia

Western Final Standings:

1 - Chicago
2 - San Jose
3 - Calgary
4 - Detroit
5 - Anaheim
6 - Vancouver
7 - Minnesota
8 - St. Louis

Awards:

Vezina - Roberto Luongo (VAN)
Norris - Mike Green (WASH)
Calder - Matt Gilroy (NYR)
Hart - Evgeny Malkin (PIT)

I am so excited for the season. :marchmellow

[Chewford]

THIS year is the year the Panthers finally make the playoffs. I know because I'm delusional by this point.

[Marlinsfan4lyfe]

Finally some more Randy Moeller goal calls.

[FishFanInPA]

I'm excited for the yearly Flyers collapse/hot streak/playoff disappointment.

As an aside, ive never purchased a hockey jersey but im stoked that Pronger is a Flyer.

[Swifty]

Does that mean you got/are getting a Pronger jersey?

[FishFanInPA]

Nah, im considering it though.

[Swifty]

You should, because he signed the extension before his 35th birthday, he'll ruin your cap for years to come.

[FishFanInPA]

If only we could get rid of Briere

[Swifty]

If you want Redden and Rozsival, we'll take Briere and reunite Drury-Briere-Kotalik

[Namaste]

I clicked on this thread because I wasn't sure what "NHL" stood for.


I was rooting for Naked Hot Latinas. :confused

[Swifty]

UP TOP BRO!

[Longview]

Oh great, the first panthers game is on Versus....I was pretty upset when DTV stopped offering versus for exactly that reason.:fist

[Party]

Thus begins year 4 of "I want hockey to be my winter sport, so I'm going to start watching more games, but eventually I'll give up"

DON'T FAIL ME THIS TIME

[Ramp]

The Panthers don't care

[Bobbob1313]

Hey, Sunshine Network is available on campus.

[Beef]

Panthers gon play now
--------------------
After going the first couple minutes watching Chicago hang out in our zone we've put some pressure on and had a couple wide open net type chances that we never put in the net. Didnt put either in the net
--------------------
Ohmygosh how did he not put that one in?

[Swifty]

Patrick Kane's pretty good.

[Beef]

:-(
--------------------
WHAT A WONDERFUL PLAY!!!!

[FishFanInPA]

This is depressing. I want to watch the game and it's not on Direct TV. Instead im watching the NHL Network and this attractive woman doing the radio show.

[Beef]

I love Reinprecht!
--------------------
WHAT A FUCKIN PLAY!!!!

KOISTINEN!!!!!
--------------------
WE WIN WEW I WNEWW
W
E DIDI TI
WWE DI T
IWE WON A SAMNE IN A FUCKIGN HSOTOOUTOU

[Longview]

Hell yea, a shoot out win for the panthers? Dam shootouts cost us the playoffs last year, so its nice to see them starting out strong in one.

[Swifty]

I hate the Penguins.

[PitchingWinsGames]

I hate the Penguins.

hearts

[Swifty]

Druuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[FishFanInPA]

I hate the Penguins.

Best thing you've said on this message board.

[PitchingWinsGames]

wowowowow what a save

[Swifty]

I'll say this for Fleury. I still think he's rather shaky with his stick and on routine shots, but there is no goalie in the league better at that highlight reel shit. He absolutely robbed Prospal.

[PitchingWinsGames]

ib4CrosbyHate

[Swifty]

OK, I miss Renney's trap system. God damn it.

[PitchingWinsGames]

And up by 2, now... quick strike

[Swifty]

We're going to have these games under Tortorella. Still, Staal has to knock Crosby on his ass and not just watch him.

[FishFanInPA]

Survived Game one of the Ray Emery era. Nice work to beat Carolina.

[Swifty]

I <3 Gaborik

[PitchingWinsGames]

Fun game... 3-2

[Ramp]

we have a Rob Neidermayer sighting in Jersey

also, since moving to NYC last year, I'm pretty sure I'm more a Rangers fan than Panthers

[Ramp]

wasn't sure where to put this but..

is anyone else looking forward to the Gretzky Trade Documentary tonight at 8 on ESPN?

I'm gon DVR it, but I expect cool things

[Ramp]

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4532506&categoryid=2378529

preview for the above

[Swifty]

Yeah, this looks great.

[Swifty]

The interviews, especially with Glen Sather, are great.

I'm very bummed with the Gretzky interview itself. I mean, come on, at least know that he never won a cup after leaving Edmonton, don't ask him that.

[Ramp]

loved it...

just so crazy how awesome 99 was.... dude has more assists than any player has total points

thats bonkers

[Swifty]

Rangers - Caps has been a barn burner. Gaborik's got 2 goals.

[Ramp]

Marion's game winner was shot out of a cannon

Caps didn't look good all night and the Broadway Blues made em pay

[Swifty]

I think the Caps are going to have to split up Semin and Ovechkin on some nights. With a real shutdown pairing like Staal & Girardi, the lack of depth scoring really was evident tonight for Washington.

[Ramp]

Yep

If you take out the fluke goal that Henrik handed the Caps, this game wasn't all the close

[Longview]

Ugh...Panthers down 3-0 in the second period

Make that 4-0

[Ramp]

nice 3-0 win today by the Rangers

[Beef]

PANTHERS GOALD!

Couldn't get it past the goalie while on a 5 on 3 and then we get a shorthanded goal.

I believe we are not 1-17 or so on the power play this year

[Longview]

GD 3-2 TB:fip

[Beef]

Yeah, Vokoun was fantastic and then let by a couple that shouldnt happen in the NHL

[Swifty]

Gaborik with at least a point in every game this season. 5 in a row. Undefeated at home.

I love John Tortorella. Last year, we don't embarrass the leafs like this, we come out flat after last night.

[Beef]

Wide open net on rebound.... crossbar
--------------------
Sigh. Maybe next year. This shit aint fun

[Ramp]

Marion Gaborik is so for me

made the Leafs look like tards tonight

[Swifty]

Ramp, I don't know if you watched the Rangers a lot last season, but I love what we've become. Last season, we lose to Toronto on Monday, we certainly don't have a 2-1 lead in the 1st right now on LA. Tortorella doesn't let us take a shift off, forget about a period or game. I really didn't think this team had offensive talent outside of Gabby and on occasion Callahan/Drury, but God damn, it's clear Renney just handcuffed our guys. Dubi looks like a legit #1, Prospal is all over the place where he needs to be and Callahan has become the Colorado Chris Drury. I am in love with what we've done right now. If we ever find a way to get a legitimate left wing for the Gaborik/Dubi line, we'll be downright terrifying.
--------------------
That was a fun sequence. Boyle throws a wrister off the post that goes in and then Voros starts slugging before the goal horn has a chance to go off.

[Ramp]

I didn't watch the Rangers at all last year

anyway, beautiful win tonight

the power play is on fire right now

[Beef]

We goaled on the power play!
--------------------
Lookie what happens when you win a faceoff
--------------------
WE TIED! Had the pressure on for a while there and couldn't put it in the net. Leopold put it in the net

[Longview]

YES, WE DIDNT LOSE!

[Beef]

We dun it

[Longview]

Dvorak is for me

[Longview]

Hey the Panthers are actually in HD tonight

[Beef]

I will watch it with you

[Longview]

Dam it, i have to leave in like 15 minutes...hopefully i will be back by the 3rd period :fist

[Beef]

Are you going to hang out with MiamiHomer?
--------------------
Mothereffers what a joke of a bunch of effin fuckers

[FishFanInPA]

I bet on the Panthers :(

[Ramp]

why? they're garbage

[Longview]

I was fortunate enough to see the 2 goals before i left so i didn't have high hopes...So pathetic.

[Beef]

WHOOPEEEEEE!!!! WINNIN FACEOFFS YAHOOOOOO

[FishFanInPA]

I know how much you love the Penguins Beef. Good luck.

[Longview]

Wow, where has this team been all year? They look....really good.

[Beef]

Wow, where has this team been all year? They look....really good.

They showed up against the Flyers and for one period against the Blackhawks.

[Longview]

lol nice tackle by Ballard

[Blackout Pact]

I'm headed to the Red Wings - Avs game tomorrow. First hockey game in ages.

[Longview]

Vokoun is on tonight
--------------------
Ugh...almost killed that 5 on 3.

[Beef]

ohmygosh, David Booth with a fucking Rabeloish move

[Longview]

lol that was awesome

[Beef]

silly losers

[Ramp]

overtime
--------------------
i do love how overtime is 4 on 4

[Longview]

I love overtime, i just wish it were longer because shootouts are a terrible way to decide games.

[Ramp]

shootout time

[Beef]

Uhhh, I cant really imagine the Panthers beating this team in a shootout

[Ramp]

that was nasty
--------------------
it's up to Nathan Horton
--------------------
Pens win

[Beef]

It's tough to win a shootout with 0 talent on offense and 3 little league moves

[Longview]

So pathetic in shoot outs...
--------------------
And yea that was nasty from Crosby
--------------------
Fking short handed goal god damn it
--------------------
Sigh.

[Ramp]

not hating at all here but... who the hell is Bryan(Brian?) McCabe and why is he the Panthers captain?

[Beef]

Really?

[Ramp]

yea really

[Beef]

Oh, I thought you were just hatin.

He is a defenseman. Played in Toronto before we got him. He has been a captain before and an assistant captain in all sorts of places. He is a defenseman that can rack up points pretty well.

[MiamiHomer]

So where can we get one of these Sidney Crosby's?

[Beef]

I am now all for Mike Richards taking some dirty shit to his skull
--------------------
5 minute major, game misconduct and now a filthy slash on the Phips and we wont score on the 5 on 3 or the 5 minute PP probably
--------------------
Hmmm, 5 on 3 almost done and we have one shot on goal and it was with nobody in front of the net

[Longview]

Panthers tied 2-2 with 6 min left in the 2nd period.

[Ramp]

Rangers got worked on the island tonight

sans Gaborik is going to hurt the power play alot

[Longview]

The failtrain keeps on rollin :fip

[Longview]

Hey the panthers are playing against Alex Auld...remember when we traded for him :fip
--------------------
WOOoooOOO 1-0... Reinprecht is for me

[Swifty]

After seeing the 2 games without Gaborik, I cannot imagine anyone saying this guy isn't the quarter season MVP. We look like an AHL team without him.

[Longview]

2-0!! Rienprecht again!
--------------------
3-0! Reinprecht with the Trick with 4 min left in the first!!!

[Beef]

I love Reinprecht!
--------------------
WHAT A FUCKIN PLAY!!!!

KOISTINEN!!!!!
--------------------
WE WIN WEW I WNEWW
W
E DIDI TI
WWE DI T
IWE WON A SAMNE IN A FUCKIGN HSOTOOUTOU

I liked him first. Loved!

[Longview]

MOTHERUFAKSCKJSKAFUSSDFKSJF 3-2 already god dam it
--------------------
4-2! Leopold! Beautiful play right there.
--------------------
Clemensen made the save and then knocked it back in with his stick....4-3....Of course the D and a turnover put him in a terrible position again.

[wanks1212]

The Wild fan reaction to Gaborik's return to Minnesota (or, well, not return, since he didn't play, but quasi-return since he was announced) was high comedy. People still extremely bitter towards him but trying to be "minnesota nice" about it....so alot of "BOOOOO Gaborik stinks!" type of stuff, as opposed to any actual venom, despite every hockey fan in the state hating him because they think he's a giant vag.

Although the high point of the game (for me) had to be when, after the game ended, a drunk girl in an Alexei Kovalev Rangers jersey (phenomenal jersey) yelled at departing Wild fans "WHERE WERE YOU ON 9/11!?!"

[Fishfan79]

so if the cats get the worst record (highly possible) the worst we can pick would be 3rd?

I would love to see hall down here

[Longview]

All right you guys let's listen up. We won a game two days ago, we won one yesterday, that's two in a row. We win one Wednesday, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before.

[Longview]

We did it!!

[Longview]

Down 2-0 to the Caps with 5 min left in the 2nd...

[Chewford]

Sick INT by Vonte Davis.

[Beef]

Sick INT by Vonte Davis.

For real!

Also the Panthers were up 3-2 in the 3rd period and lost 7-4

[Chewford]

For real!

Also the Panthers were up 3-2 in the 3rd period and lost 7-4

Lol! H and F look so much alike!

[Party]

Panther 3rd jersey teaser:

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/5748/22509058.png

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz356/MaximGan/Florida_Phanters3dlogo.gif

Meh.

[Longview]

Are they wearing those tonight?

[Beef]

Nope

[Party]

They will be debuted on 11/23.

[Chewford]

What the fuck is that ugly shit. Why mess with a good thing?

[Longview]

Take that Boston.

[Longview]

Panthers tied 4-4 with 3 min left. Came back from being down two to go up 4-2 and then promptly blew that.

[Longview]

Oh yea 2 shoot out wins in a row

[Longview]

Motherfvcker i left when we were up 2-0, i come back to find out we lost 4-3 in a shoot out :rlymad

[FishFanInPA]

Yay, Flyers beat the Devils.

[Longview]

LMAO, this is awesome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-68ToW1UFlw

[Longview]

Tied 1-1 with Detroit 2 min left in the 3rd...
--------------------
WhoOoO OT W!

[Party]

Panthers sent these to the media:

http://blogs.trb.com/sports/custom/business/blog/jerseyletter1.jpg


Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[Beef]

Over the last 10 games, the Panthers are the 2nd best team in the NHL

[Beef]

Over the last 10 games, the Panthers are the 2nd best team in the NHL

Because they beat the SwiftRamps last night

[Longview]

Fancy new uniforms are almost here.

[Beef]

We gold

[Ramp]

whats up with the blue unis?

also, Horton's goal was lovely

[Beef]

Jersey 3

[Ramp]

ah, neato

[Beef]

We gold

[Chewford]

I dislike the jersey.

[Beef]

Panthers blowed it.

Puck was in their own zone for about 3 minutes straight

[Longview]

Dam it. That was terrible.
--------------------
I also dislike the 3rd Jersey, but whatever.
--------------------
FUACUCCUSK. Terrible defense and Crosby is not a good combo for the Panthers.

[Party]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4125678005_f52415ee3b_o.jpg

Poop.

[Longview]

Panthers are up 2-1 in the first vs Toronto. For some reason we are wearing the 3rd jerseys again.

[Longview]

Go up 2-0 in the first 2 minutes...Lose 6-4...Daaaamn it!!!!

[Swifty]

Marion Gaborik is the only reason to watch this team. Lundqvist is becoming alarmingly average. He's getting beaten glove-side high at a very high rate, even by his bad glove-side standards.

[Longview]

Ballard...:fip:fip:fip:fip:fip:fip:fip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOB_Lwpm3vk

We suck again.

[Chewford]

I don't ever want to see Ballard again. He (accidentally) tries to kill our goalie and then acts like nothing happened.

[Ramp]

there's no way he realized he hit Vokoun

[Beef]

If he did realize it, I'd bet he was so embarrassed that he pretended he didn't realize what he had done

[Chewford]

there's no way he realized he hit Vokoun

Apparently not since he skated off the ice like he didn't just to kill a teammate.

[Longview]

Apparently he and Vokoun sat next to each other on the plane when they left, if that means anything...

I don't understand people wanting Ballard to be suspended for the year or something like that, it was an accident, (yea it was really dumb) he didn't do it on purpose and he probably feels absolutely terrible about it. Handle it internally and move on.

[Longview]

ESPN article on Booth

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4704300&name=lebrun_pierre

[Mainge]

Apparently he and Vokoun sat next to each other on the plane when they left, if that means anything...

I don't understand people wanting Ballard to be suspended for the year or something like that, it was an accident, (yea it was really dumb) he didn't do it on purpose and he probably feels absolutely terrible about it. Handle it internally and move on.

Nah, I disagree with this. If you accidentally run someone over, you're still going to get a reckless driving or some kind of charges against you. A year is probably too much but I don't think there's anything wrong with a few weeks suspension. Accident or not, what he did was incredibly stupid and could have killed Vokoun. I think you have to do something.

[Swifty]

It's a catch-22. I don't think the Panthers can suspend Ballard. It was clearly an accident. Maybe fine him or something, but the suspension is unwarranted. Teammates injure each other in practice with a high degree of frequency (especially by professional sport standards).

I don't think the NHL will suspend Ballard because I think the NHL will view it as an internal matter. Although, personally, I think this needs to be a league suspension. I don't think there's any place in the game for swinging a stick. I also don't really think there's any place for a lot of the hits, and I would support far more aggressive suspensions for those kind of hits, but that's the Euro hockey fan in me.

[Ramp]

Panthers are not best at closing out games

[Ramp]

Brendan Shanahan tells a story, which he repeated Thursday on NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s satellite radio show, about growing up as a Maple Leafs fan and meeting former Toronto captain Rick Vaive during the summer of 1983.

“When I was 14 years old I was skating in the summertime at a rink in Toronto,” Shahanan recalled. “Rick Vaive happened to be skating at an adjoining rink and we were actually in dressing rooms that were right next to each other.

“I went in when he was sort of settled and asked him for an autograph. I didn’t get the best response from Rick Vaive at that time.”

It was not a moment Shanahan would forget.

The Devils made him their first selection and the second overall pick in the 1987 entry draft and he went straight to the NHL as a rookie with the team in 1987-88.

“Fast forward four years later and Rick Vaive is waiting for a meaningless faceoff in Buffalo,” Shanahan said. “He’s now playing for the Sabres. He’s lined up next to some 18-year-old kid from New Jersey. When the puck dropped, I attacked Rick Vaive.

“It was a quiet, uneventful game. He couldn’t believe the rage I had, not only in attacking him, but it took two (linesmen) to restrain me afterwards and throw me in the penalty box.”

Vaive was dumbfounded.

“He said to one of my teammates at the time, Jim Korn, ‘By the way, what’s wrong with that kid and why was he coming after me?’ ” Shanahan recounted. “Jim Korn said, ‘Apparently he asked you for an autograph when he was a little kid and you weren’t that friendly to him. So he’s harbored those feelings since then.’ ”

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/12/brendan_shahanan_recalls_some.html

[FishFanInPA]

So you thought the Flyers have been run over recently, right?

New York Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt isn't laughing.

Witt, according to New York Newsday and TSN, was hit by a truck this morning in Center City Philadelphia. He is in town for tonight’s Flyers / Islanders tilt at the Wachovia Center, as the Flyers try to snap a five-game losing streak.

Witt was apparently walking to a local Starbucks on Arch Street to grab a cup of coffee when a gold GMC Yukon truck made an illegal turn and struck him.

I guess that driver wanted to ease some of the Flyers’ pain tonight, eh?

Onlookers said Witt tried to brace himself by jumping on the hood of the car before he was struck – but ended up getting hit and rolling off anyways. That's more jump than the Flyers have shown in three weeks.

After a few profanities, Witt surprised a few people by dusting himself off and walking away like nothing happened.

"I'm okay," Witt told the crowd as he dusted himself off, according to Newsday. "I've got to go play some hockey. I'm a hockey player. I'm okay. No big deal."

Witt said that he "got lucky" and that he is "just a little sore." He was on the ice for the Islanders’ morning skate a couple hours later and will play tonight.

That's a hockey player for you.

[Swifty]

It's official. We suck. Gaborik's the only player on the Rangers worth a damn. I could beat Lundqvist glove-side high.

[FishFanInPA]

No no no....The flyers suck more.

[Chewford]

We winned.

[Longview]

We on Fiyah. I wonder when our next streak of suck will start.

[Swifty]

Hen - rik

Hen - rik

[Ramp]

nice to see the team rebound after the loss to the Isles the other night

[Beef]

We goaled on the phaggots first

[Fritz]

I almost turned it on the NHL Hockey Ice Game when I saw the guide thingee on the cable box mention this sport.

[Beef]

We goald second

[Longview]

The SwiftRamps are up 2-1 right now

[PitchingWinsGames]

The PenguinsWinsGames are up 6-1

[Longview]

Ugh. 4-1 SwiftRamps.

[Ramp]

Henrik is en fuego

[Swifty]

Huge fan of post-Thanksgiving Lundqvist.

Maybe it's bad food, but he always goes into a funk around November and awakens around New Year's.

[Party]

I'm gonna miss the only hockey game I watch in its entirety every year.

[Ramp]

this is so cool

[Chewford]

It's so retarded they do it when everyone in America is focused on footballs.

[Chewford]

That game had a most exciting finish. It was like ice hockey, but they were playing it outside.

[Longview]

Ugh. Panthers. Ugh.
--------------------
There we go, huge goal from the Panthers at the end of the period. 2-1 Pittsburgh after 1.

[Beef]

We tied it
--------------------
We winnin
--------------------
WE GOLD AGAIN
--------------------
WE GOALD AGAIN WE GON BEAT THESE QUEERFACEDQUEERS
--------------------
HAT TRRICK WE WINS PENGUINS SUCK AT SCORING ONB A POWER PLAY

[Longview]

Oh yea, that was sweet. Ballard's goal tending was sweet as well.

[BigGameFish]

Went to see the Panthers blow a 4-1 lead. It was pretty cool you should've been there

[FishFanInPA]

The fips shut out the rampswifts 2-0.

[Ramp]

poor Henrik

[Swifty]

The fips are a bunch of dirty fucking goons, and I hate Dan Girardi so much for not jumping in while Gaborik was eating punches 1 foot in front of him that he has taken the doghouse keys away from Wade Redden.

[Beef]

Yes, the fips are indeed dirty queers.

And I agree that Girardi is a fucknugget that deserves to be hated

[FishFanInPA]

dirty queers who win fights ergo making them not queers because they lose fights for the most part nor do they fight much at all either.

[Beef]

uhh

[Beef]

We have lead now
--------------------
we did it

[FishFanInPA]

6. Atlanta 53 56
7. Philadelphia 52 55
8. Florida 53 55
9. NY Rangers 54 55
10. Montreal 55 55
11. Boston 51 54
12. Tampa Bay 52 54
13. NY Islanders 54 54

That's a clusterfuck in the standings.

[Swifty]

Gaborik gave me quite the birthday present, his first hat-trick as a Ranger, and, as an added bonus, it looks like Kotalik is getting shipped out of town for Jokinen and his expiring deal. Somebody pinch me!

[FishFanInPA]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/64357293.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265768895&Signature=gVFjZdJX7sCZfWqS%2B2EOpZjXii8%3D

:thumbup

[Swifty]

:sheep:

(I love this smilie)

[Swifty]

I am just about the biggest Gaborik fan in the world, but I'm pretty ticked that he's healthy enough to play in the bronze medal game on Saturday but too sore (from a pre Olympic injury) to play tonight in Ottawa.

[Ramp]

yep, atleast they're up

[Swifty]

I want Callahan's baby.
--------------------
And Avery's.

[Beef]

We beat Fips

[Swifty]

And Booth got some revenge.

[Ramp]

Hopefully this Ryan Miller standing ovation tour is awesome everywhere

[Party]

DTV Center Ice preview through this weekend.

[Beef]

1-800-GOPANTH lead 2-0

Dominant first period

[Swifty]

Rangers - Sabres (or Lundqvist - Miller) is an absolute classic.

[Party]

http://www.icethetics.info/blog/2010/3/10/jackets-investigating-logo-theft.html

[PitchingWinsGames]

Random Observation: I really like the Blues' uniforms

[FishFanInPA]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH.

Boucher stuffs Jokinen ftw.

[FishFanInPA]

Sexy start....Flyers win, Penguins lose.

[FishFanInPA]

Panthers fans thoughts on the Horton deal?

[Ramp]

I would think many are happy he's gone

[Bobbob1313]

I think most are happy that they are doing something. That franchise sucks.

[Beef]

Our GM has is big on building through the draft. Hopefully this helps that happen.

Horton has a filthy wrister, but is really no fun to watch.

[FishFanInPA]

Though a return here would be surprising, free agent center Olli Jokinen (15 goals, 35 assists with the Flames and Rangers last season) would love to sign with the Panthers, his agent said.

-- Miami Herald.

[Hugg]

Evgeni Nabokov to the KHL wtf

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5361280

[FishFanInPA]

He turned down the Flyers. Rumors say Kovalchuk is considering bailing to there too.

[Hugg]

Nikolai Zherdev to the Flyers though, enjoy that

[MiamiHomer]

I hear the new GM for the Panthers is going to make them not suck anymore. Is this true?

[Hugg]

That is a false rumor. I heard it about the new Blue Jackets coach too. People will print anything.

[FishFanInPA]

Who is this Zherdev?

[Hugg]

A floater.

[Swifty]

I liked him. He's really soft though.

[FishFanInPA]

Not a Flyer then. We don't like soft russians.

[Ramp]

or winning

[Bobbob1313]

BOOM

[FishFanInPA]

Yeah, your right. That whole Stanley Cup appearance thing didnt mean any wins to get there.

The Rangers could have made the same run if they didnt suck.

[Ramp]

eh, never really got into the Rangers

tried.. even bought a ticket package

just don't love hockey enough

[Swifty]

Blasphemy

[Hugg]

Zherdev is so lazy that Hitchcock basically told our GM we had to get rid of him or he was gon quit.

Really talented though.

[Ramp]

Uhhhh

rumors going around that Ilya Kovulchuk will re-sign with the Devils for like $125mil over 17 years

[Ramp]

Simon Gagne to TB

[Swifty]

Fuck you Wade Redden! Ilya should be ours!

[FishFanInPA]

Ilya's a puck-hog. He's not worth that deal.

[DropkickAlex]

It's so hard to get back into Hockey, after the strike. Plus the Cats keep trading away superstars. They did have 3 first round picks and they have the best goalie prospect in the game, maybe it's a good time to get back into it.

[Swifty]

Ilya's a puck-hog. He's not worth that deal.

:fip

Best goal scorer in the NHL since he became a pro in 2001 signed to the most cap abusing contract ever devised? They basically took the CBA and fisted it.

He's going to walk away from about $2 mil or so and he counts for $6 mil against the cap until he retires then his cap hit vanishes. 100% worth it, any GM in the league with the cap space would do that for him. AND, to top it off, the Devils have about $10 mil in cap space next off-season to play with. It's mind numbing how good Lou Lamoriello is at doing this kind of thing. I just wish we'd put a blank check in front of him and get rid of Sather.

[FishFanInPA]

A source familiar with the contract issues confirmed that the NHL has rejected Devils left wing Ilya Kovlachuk’s new 17-year, $102 million deal for salary cap circumvention.

The contract, which is the longest in NHL history, pays Kovalchuk $95 million over the first 10 seasons and just seven over the last seven seasons. Kovlachuk’s salary for each of the last five seasons is just $550,000. That helps lower the annual average salary and cap hit to a manageable $6 million per season.

The contract would expire when Kovalchuk is 44 years old. TSN is reporting that the league rejected the deal because it believes neither the Devils nor Kovalchuk expect the player will be playing near the end of the deal.

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello refused comment when I phoned him tonight.

Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek said he had not heard that the contract had been rejected.

According to the CBA, the NHLPA has the right to file a grievance on Kovalchuk’s behalf within five days of the deal being rejected, but the contract remains voided until an arbitrator makes a ruling. The arbitrator must issue a ruling withing 48 hours of the filing of the grievance.

Considering that Chris Chelios played in the NHL at age 48 this past season and multiple other examples of players playing into their 40s, the NHLPA would seem to have a strong case.

According to Article 11.6a (iii), if the arbitrator sustains the league’s rejection of the contract, the contract will immediately “be deemed null and void” and the player will revert to his previous status as a UFA.

If the arbitrator rules that the rejection was valid, then the league must immediately approve the contract and register it.

Oddly, the Devils’ “cap guru”, vice president of hockey operations Steve Pellegrini, used to work for the NHL as the league’s cap regulator and knows the CBA inside and out.


Not so fast Devils fans.

[Hugg]

NHL will lose the arbitration.

[Swifty]

Kovalchuk supposedly walked around telling people he wasn't going to finish the contract.

Probably not a shrewd move.

[Hugg]

haha I hope that's true
--------------------
I'm gonna laugh if the NHL wins the arbitration case and then Kovalchuk signs with the KHL.

[FishFanInPA]

Kovalchuk doesn't seem like the type to be playing till he's 44.

[Party]

Man in Winnipeg wants his hockey team back. (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Lundar-resident-faces-charges-over-911-calls-98975869.html)

[Swifty]

Appeal denied. Kovy's still a UFA.

[Swifty]

Fehr's agreed to head the NHLPA. This gonna be fun.

[FishFanInPA]

The Penguins lost. Cindy Crosby is prolly crying.

[Hugg]

Yeah, I'm sure he's crushed about 1 of 82.