The Yost Post was full of good news about some of our old players.
Kevin13--the local Heavealunch fan--informed us that the Assholelanche have signed Jeff Jillson to a contract. I look forward to lots of short-handed breakaways for the Wings.
It's also sounding like Hensick made an impression on the Avs in their prospect camp. His chances of making the roster went up, but as Kevin pointed out, the top two line center slots are filled by Sakic and Stastny, and he's not really a checking line player. Or at least that's not what his strength is.
My thought is that if he's really ready for the NHL, you have to find a slot for him. The Avs aren't so deep up front that they can send a talented playmaker down to the minors just because you've got two good centers already. Even if you have to make him play wing or something, you find room for him. It's nice that he's doing well, even if he deserves better than to play for the Divealanche. I still can't believe he lasted that long in the draft.
Bob Miller posted a link to the Pittsburgh Penguins site, which states that they've hired Jason Botterill as Director of Hockey Administration. JBo just got his MBA from Michigan. He will essentially be the team's capologist, and will dabble in scouting as well. Also on the site is an article which contains some quotes from Botterill. It sounds like a pretty cool job, and one that he seems very well qualified for. Nice to see the education side of college hockey paying off for a player down the road.
Additionally, The Wolverine announced their Top 25 Athletes of the Year and TJ Hensick was awarded the top spot. It's a nice accomplishment considering the championships that some of our non-rev athletes had this year, along with the season the football team put together (last two games not withstanding). Following the absurdity of Hensick not even being in the Hobey Hat Trick--let alone winning the award, like he should have--it's nice that he got some recognition locally, at least.
JMFJ was listed as #15, and future captain Kevin Porter came in at #25.
Shockingly, Billy Sauer was omitted from a similar list, the Top 25 Athletes on the Hockey Team.
Ok, I made that last part up.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Story Time: I Hate Tape Delay Edition
Alright, time to take you all back in time to the 2002 CCHA Championship between Michigan and Michigan State. The Spartans were #4 in the country and had gone 1-0-2 against the Wolverines in the 3 previous meetings that season.
For whatever reason, we neglected to make the trip down to Joe Louis for the game, and instead I invited about a dozen friends to come over and watch the game in my dorm room in West Quad (Rumsey, what?!) on my 13" TV/VCR combo (score!).
Fox Sports decided to show the game on tape delay. So I tried my darnedest to avoid finding out the final score of the game. I turned off AIM for the first time in months/years, I didn't go online. About 15 minutes before faceoff, the phone rang. I pick it up, and--without even saying hello--the voice on the other end says, "I CAN'T BELIEVE WE BEAT RYAN MILLER!!!"
Fuck.
If you want a mix of emotion, that's a pretty good one. Elation that we knocked off Sparty for the CCHA crown. Incredulousness that my idiot friend actually thought that I wouldn't be watching the game on FSN. Anger that I had what was no doubt sure to be an exciting game stripped away from me.
Five minutes or so later, another friend called to see if I had heard. I was kind of speechless.
Then people started showing up. I had to pretend I didn't already know what happened, in an effort to not spoil the game for anyone else. That meant cheering on goals like we had won the Stanley Cup. Cursing penalties and opposing goals. And I'm not especially a good actor.
So there we all sat. Cheering the Wolverines on as Jed Ortmeyer scored early in the third period to put us ahead for good. Biting our nails as MSU made their final run late in regulation. Erupting as the final horn sounded.
After we were done hugging and high-fiving, my friend Chris spoke, "Yeah, so I already knew what happened. I just didn't want to spoil it." I replied, "Yeah, I did too." From the back corner of the room, "Yeah, we did too." Other hands started going up.
It turned out that my friend Matt was the only person in the room that had no idea about the outcome. The other 10-11 of us had heard in some way, shape, or in my case, multiple forms.
And that, my friends, is yet another example of why I hate tape delay.
Sidenote about my friend Matt. Back during the Ryan Miller era, he was once heard talking in his sleep, simply muttering, "Fuck State, all they got is a goalie." So, so true.
For whatever reason, we neglected to make the trip down to Joe Louis for the game, and instead I invited about a dozen friends to come over and watch the game in my dorm room in West Quad (Rumsey, what?!) on my 13" TV/VCR combo (score!).
Fox Sports decided to show the game on tape delay. So I tried my darnedest to avoid finding out the final score of the game. I turned off AIM for the first time in months/years, I didn't go online. About 15 minutes before faceoff, the phone rang. I pick it up, and--without even saying hello--the voice on the other end says, "I CAN'T BELIEVE WE BEAT RYAN MILLER!!!"
Fuck.
If you want a mix of emotion, that's a pretty good one. Elation that we knocked off Sparty for the CCHA crown. Incredulousness that my idiot friend actually thought that I wouldn't be watching the game on FSN. Anger that I had what was no doubt sure to be an exciting game stripped away from me.
Five minutes or so later, another friend called to see if I had heard. I was kind of speechless.
Then people started showing up. I had to pretend I didn't already know what happened, in an effort to not spoil the game for anyone else. That meant cheering on goals like we had won the Stanley Cup. Cursing penalties and opposing goals. And I'm not especially a good actor.
So there we all sat. Cheering the Wolverines on as Jed Ortmeyer scored early in the third period to put us ahead for good. Biting our nails as MSU made their final run late in regulation. Erupting as the final horn sounded.
After we were done hugging and high-fiving, my friend Chris spoke, "Yeah, so I already knew what happened. I just didn't want to spoil it." I replied, "Yeah, I did too." From the back corner of the room, "Yeah, we did too." Other hands started going up.
It turned out that my friend Matt was the only person in the room that had no idea about the outcome. The other 10-11 of us had heard in some way, shape, or in my case, multiple forms.
And that, my friends, is yet another example of why I hate tape delay.
Sidenote about my friend Matt. Back during the Ryan Miller era, he was once heard talking in his sleep, simply muttering, "Fuck State, all they got is a goalie." So, so true.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Potential College Hockey Rule Changes
USCHO has an article up about the potential rules changes that have been discussed at their annual meeting. There are a few very interesting--some radical--changes that have been discussed.
Two Referee, One Lineseman: I'm against this, simply because I feel that there aren't enough good officials in college hockey to have a ONE referee system, let alone two. I posted a few weeks ago about the sorry state of CCHA officiating now that Steve Piotrowski has hung up the whistle. And now we want to double the number of refs? Let's concentrate on finding two or three that don't suck before we double the ranks.
One thing that I wonder about--and it doesn't get addressed in the article--is if one/both of the referees will be allowed to call offsides? There has to be a linesman on each side of the blueline. And it would make things horribly tough for that single linesman in transition if the refs don't help out.
A Crackdown on Delaying The Game: Like it. Especially for the positional players. It drives me bonkers when a player just reaches out, pulls the puck underneath him, and there's no Delay of Game call.
Embellishment: Everyone should know by now that I hate players who dive. Anything that works to get it out of the game is fine by me. Hopefully the NBA is next.
Overtime: I also typically hate ties. And they've discussed a variety of methods to eliminating them. One being the standard 4 on 4 OT. One being 4 on 4 and then a shootout. Those are my two favorite options. I could take or leave the shootout. They're fun to watch, but I also get that it's vastly different from the game as a whole, and I don't like that part of it (similar to how I hate soccer penalty kicks).
One option that was discussed, which is clever but far too radical in my opinion, would be to implement a "college football" type overtime. Teams would alternate 2 minute powerplays until someone was ahead at the end of a rotation. Again, I think that's too different from the game as a whole. It's definitely creative though.
Hand Passes: I don't see a need to change this rule. Don't let em close their glove on the puck, but it's ok to hand pass in the defensive zone. I don't think it'd be a positive for the game to allow it in the offensive zone. If they want to get rid of it altogether, I'd be ok with that.
Changes to the Icing Rule: I'd be fine with them adopting the "no line changes if you ice the puck" rule that the NHL put into place. But under no circumstance should they eliminate the ability of the short handed team to ice the puck, even if they did allow line changes after that. It would make killing a penalty way too difficult. Especially with the no-touch icing in place.
Moving Faceoffs to Center Ice After an Offsides: What dude? I see no logic to doing that. Implement the NHL's new system of requiring faceoffs to be on one of the nine faceoff dots, but there's no reason that you need to go to center after an offside call.
Other stuff:
Amir Johnson is signed, sealed, and delivered for three years. Now umm...Flip? Do us all a favor and play the guy. Maxiell too.
But Did We Sign Molly? The Red Wings have signed Mark Hartigan to a two-way contract. Michigan fans will remember him from his days at St. Cloud State. I will say this about his college career. Since I started consistently watching college hockey seven years ago, there has been no player that put the fear of God in me as much as Mark Hartigan. In that Regional game at Yost, I was convinced that he was going to score every time the puck was on his stick. He's got an absolute bomb for a shot. I'm still kind of surprised that we made it out of that game.
So About That Top-Six Forward: According to Jimmy Devellano (and if you've ever heard him talk, you understand why I italicized the last syllable of his name), the Red Wings have "zero" interest in signing Alexei Yashin. He says that they still want a top-six forward, but there's "nobody" out there, so they're going to carry the money into the season.
This means one of a few things:
They're dumb.
They know that the Central is going to be a cakewalk this year, so they're going to try and make a splash at the deadline and use the money then.
Or what I think is the most likely scenario: They have their eyes on Peter Forsberg. There's obviously interest on Detroit's part. If November or December rolls around and Forsberg is healthy, they would then use this money on him. And as much as it would pain me to see Forsberg in a Wings jersey (I would throw up in my mouth seeing it), it would be great for a couple of reasons: 1) It would drive the Avs fans crazy--provided there are any left after they missed the playoffs. 2) He could really help us if he was in the lineup.
Forsberg seems the most logical, because there's no way that they're going to burn $6 or 7 million at the trade deadline. That'd be enough to trade for two, if not three, marquee players. It's just not going to happen. And if they're looking to acquire that top-six forward at the deadline, they better be prepared to pay a premium, unless they've got a line on someone that could be had cheap, like Bertuzzi, due to one reason or another. Look at what even guys like Bill Guerin fetched last year. I just don't see Holland acquiring multiple players at that price.
Personally, I think it's stupid to not have any interest in Yashin. He had 50 points in 58 games last season. Yes, he has a reputation as a lazy player, but he matched Robert Lang's stats despite playing 20-25 less games. Additionally, he was a +6 on the year, which wasn't bad at all if you look at the Islanders team as a whole. I believe that playing for a team with a shot to win the Cup for the first time in a long time could be just what the doctor ordered for him. He'd also be in a veteran-laden locker room. They could get him to buy into the team game. Think about the guys that he's played with in his career. You think that playing with Datsyuk wouldn't invigorate him? I do. And if the internet report that it might only take $2 million--or slightly above--to sign him is accurate, they are 100% loony to not go for it.
And signing him would still likely leave enough room to take a run at someone at the deadline. If they're going to sign Forsberg, this makes sense. If not, then I think it's extremely dumb to bank that much cap room.
Two Referee, One Lineseman: I'm against this, simply because I feel that there aren't enough good officials in college hockey to have a ONE referee system, let alone two. I posted a few weeks ago about the sorry state of CCHA officiating now that Steve Piotrowski has hung up the whistle. And now we want to double the number of refs? Let's concentrate on finding two or three that don't suck before we double the ranks.
One thing that I wonder about--and it doesn't get addressed in the article--is if one/both of the referees will be allowed to call offsides? There has to be a linesman on each side of the blueline. And it would make things horribly tough for that single linesman in transition if the refs don't help out.
A Crackdown on Delaying The Game: Like it. Especially for the positional players. It drives me bonkers when a player just reaches out, pulls the puck underneath him, and there's no Delay of Game call.
Embellishment: Everyone should know by now that I hate players who dive. Anything that works to get it out of the game is fine by me. Hopefully the NBA is next.
Overtime: I also typically hate ties. And they've discussed a variety of methods to eliminating them. One being the standard 4 on 4 OT. One being 4 on 4 and then a shootout. Those are my two favorite options. I could take or leave the shootout. They're fun to watch, but I also get that it's vastly different from the game as a whole, and I don't like that part of it (similar to how I hate soccer penalty kicks).
One option that was discussed, which is clever but far too radical in my opinion, would be to implement a "college football" type overtime. Teams would alternate 2 minute powerplays until someone was ahead at the end of a rotation. Again, I think that's too different from the game as a whole. It's definitely creative though.
Hand Passes: I don't see a need to change this rule. Don't let em close their glove on the puck, but it's ok to hand pass in the defensive zone. I don't think it'd be a positive for the game to allow it in the offensive zone. If they want to get rid of it altogether, I'd be ok with that.
Changes to the Icing Rule: I'd be fine with them adopting the "no line changes if you ice the puck" rule that the NHL put into place. But under no circumstance should they eliminate the ability of the short handed team to ice the puck, even if they did allow line changes after that. It would make killing a penalty way too difficult. Especially with the no-touch icing in place.
Moving Faceoffs to Center Ice After an Offsides: What dude? I see no logic to doing that. Implement the NHL's new system of requiring faceoffs to be on one of the nine faceoff dots, but there's no reason that you need to go to center after an offside call.
Other stuff:
Amir Johnson is signed, sealed, and delivered for three years. Now umm...Flip? Do us all a favor and play the guy. Maxiell too.
But Did We Sign Molly? The Red Wings have signed Mark Hartigan to a two-way contract. Michigan fans will remember him from his days at St. Cloud State. I will say this about his college career. Since I started consistently watching college hockey seven years ago, there has been no player that put the fear of God in me as much as Mark Hartigan. In that Regional game at Yost, I was convinced that he was going to score every time the puck was on his stick. He's got an absolute bomb for a shot. I'm still kind of surprised that we made it out of that game.
So About That Top-Six Forward: According to Jimmy Devellano (and if you've ever heard him talk, you understand why I italicized the last syllable of his name), the Red Wings have "zero" interest in signing Alexei Yashin. He says that they still want a top-six forward, but there's "nobody" out there, so they're going to carry the money into the season.
This means one of a few things:
They're dumb.
They know that the Central is going to be a cakewalk this year, so they're going to try and make a splash at the deadline and use the money then.
Or what I think is the most likely scenario: They have their eyes on Peter Forsberg. There's obviously interest on Detroit's part. If November or December rolls around and Forsberg is healthy, they would then use this money on him. And as much as it would pain me to see Forsberg in a Wings jersey (I would throw up in my mouth seeing it), it would be great for a couple of reasons: 1) It would drive the Avs fans crazy--provided there are any left after they missed the playoffs. 2) He could really help us if he was in the lineup.
Forsberg seems the most logical, because there's no way that they're going to burn $6 or 7 million at the trade deadline. That'd be enough to trade for two, if not three, marquee players. It's just not going to happen. And if they're looking to acquire that top-six forward at the deadline, they better be prepared to pay a premium, unless they've got a line on someone that could be had cheap, like Bertuzzi, due to one reason or another. Look at what even guys like Bill Guerin fetched last year. I just don't see Holland acquiring multiple players at that price.
Personally, I think it's stupid to not have any interest in Yashin. He had 50 points in 58 games last season. Yes, he has a reputation as a lazy player, but he matched Robert Lang's stats despite playing 20-25 less games. Additionally, he was a +6 on the year, which wasn't bad at all if you look at the Islanders team as a whole. I believe that playing for a team with a shot to win the Cup for the first time in a long time could be just what the doctor ordered for him. He'd also be in a veteran-laden locker room. They could get him to buy into the team game. Think about the guys that he's played with in his career. You think that playing with Datsyuk wouldn't invigorate him? I do. And if the internet report that it might only take $2 million--or slightly above--to sign him is accurate, they are 100% loony to not go for it.
And signing him would still likely leave enough room to take a run at someone at the deadline. If they're going to sign Forsberg, this makes sense. If not, then I think it's extremely dumb to bank that much cap room.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Thank God for Gary Bettman and His Stupid Ass Scheduling
The Red Wings released their 2007-08 schedule today and forgive me if I'm not jumping up and down about it. It's hard to believe that the NHL could be this stupid when making a schedule.
First off, the fact that you don't see every team in any given year is just stupid. I mean, why would you want to get Sidney Crosby and what might be the most exciting team in the league into every arena when they could just play the Islanders eight times?
Another "benefit" to the unbalanced schedule is that this year, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa don't play the three other Canadian teams (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton).
Then you get the Wings. We don't get to play a single one of the original six at home this year, apart from the Blackhawks (and we don't play the Rangers period).
But who cares about tradition when you can close the season by playing: Predators, BJs, BJs, Predators, BJs, Blues, Blues, Predators, Blackhawks, BJs, Blackhawks. Shoot me. That might be ok if the Predators were going to be decent, but since I don't see any real competition for the Central this year, that last month is just going to be tedious. That nine game divisional stretch in November is going to be wonderfully entertaining as well. I'm sure glad we're trying to build a rivalry with the Blue Jackets instead of letting me see Sidney Fucking Crosby or the Toronto Maple Leafs once in awhile.
And that 5 game road trip right through the middle of Christmas is going to be great for those of us who were hoping to catch a game while we were in town. Thanks Gary.
The other thing that's just super is that it looks like the NHL is going to have another outdoor game, with Detroit or Buffalo rumored to be hosting. The Penguins are supposedly going to be the road team, which eliminates Detroit since we don't play them. Wings/Leafs would've been a huge draw but, oops! Detroit doesn't get Toronto at home this year, so that's out. But at least they decided to schedule it January 1st when there are no other sporting events going on. When you're a niche sport, and you're going to have an outdoor game with two of the smallest markets in the league, is it really the best idea to try to compete with the friggin Rose Bowl? Why not just schedule it opposite the Super Bowl? I'm sure the audience would be HUGE.
There is really no reason that every team should not play everyone else in the league home and away at least once. When you've got guys like Crosby, Ovechkin, Kessel, Jack Johnson, Erik Johnson, Patrick Kane, etc. you have to get them out there. Why would you only want to let Crosby and Ovechkin play in the Western Conference cities once every three years? It doesn't make any sense.
This league is completely out of touch with the world. I don't see how anyone could make some of the decisions they've made. I'm honestly flabbergasted right now.
First off, the fact that you don't see every team in any given year is just stupid. I mean, why would you want to get Sidney Crosby and what might be the most exciting team in the league into every arena when they could just play the Islanders eight times?
Another "benefit" to the unbalanced schedule is that this year, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa don't play the three other Canadian teams (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton).
Then you get the Wings. We don't get to play a single one of the original six at home this year, apart from the Blackhawks (and we don't play the Rangers period).
But who cares about tradition when you can close the season by playing: Predators, BJs, BJs, Predators, BJs, Blues, Blues, Predators, Blackhawks, BJs, Blackhawks. Shoot me. That might be ok if the Predators were going to be decent, but since I don't see any real competition for the Central this year, that last month is just going to be tedious. That nine game divisional stretch in November is going to be wonderfully entertaining as well. I'm sure glad we're trying to build a rivalry with the Blue Jackets instead of letting me see Sidney Fucking Crosby or the Toronto Maple Leafs once in awhile.
And that 5 game road trip right through the middle of Christmas is going to be great for those of us who were hoping to catch a game while we were in town. Thanks Gary.
The other thing that's just super is that it looks like the NHL is going to have another outdoor game, with Detroit or Buffalo rumored to be hosting. The Penguins are supposedly going to be the road team, which eliminates Detroit since we don't play them. Wings/Leafs would've been a huge draw but, oops! Detroit doesn't get Toronto at home this year, so that's out. But at least they decided to schedule it January 1st when there are no other sporting events going on. When you're a niche sport, and you're going to have an outdoor game with two of the smallest markets in the league, is it really the best idea to try to compete with the friggin Rose Bowl? Why not just schedule it opposite the Super Bowl? I'm sure the audience would be HUGE.
There is really no reason that every team should not play everyone else in the league home and away at least once. When you've got guys like Crosby, Ovechkin, Kessel, Jack Johnson, Erik Johnson, Patrick Kane, etc. you have to get them out there. Why would you only want to let Crosby and Ovechkin play in the Western Conference cities once every three years? It doesn't make any sense.
This league is completely out of touch with the world. I don't see how anyone could make some of the decisions they've made. I'm honestly flabbergasted right now.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Odds and Enz
It's time for one of my famous "I haven't written in a few days so it's time to catch up on everything, even if some of it is out of date" posts:
-The Red Wings signed Dallas Drake to a one-year deal. A lot of people aren't thrilled with the move, citing his age, his cheap shot on Lebda last year, and the fact that we've got roughly 13 players to play on our 3rd and 4th lines. That said, I like the idea of him coming back. As I mentioned in my Steve Yzerman tribute, my brother and I were in Toronto, wearing our Wings jerseys when Detroit was in town, and Drake came up to say hello to us, before we had a chance to approach him. He was really nice to us, and I don't forget stuff like that. It'll be interesting to see where he fits in. I wonder if this signing isn't a vote of confidence for Daniel Cleary--or at least a sign that they think he'll have to be in the "top 6" next year by default.
-My next move would be to sign Yashin. He's getting $2.2 million or something from the Islanders to not play for them, so he might come cheap. He's always put up pretty decent numbers, even if he is lazy. But who has he ever played with? Tell me he wouldn't look really nice riding shotgun with Datsyuk. That'd be the top 6 forward that we need.
Edit: This link has a quote from Yashin, which indicates that there may actually be something to my "Yashin to Detroit" idea.
-The Detroit News has indicated that the Pistons are close to signing Amir Johnson. The rumored contract is 3 years for around $10 million, which I think is going to be an absolute bargain. He'll play some more minutes this year, and then by next year, look out. This kid's a stud. I've been saying it from day 1, and I can't wait to watch him in action this year.
-It also sounds like the three Pistons draftees have been very good in summer league play. In the above link, McCosky had some kind words about Arron Afflalo and Stuckey. It sounds like Maxiell has been a beast as well, losing some 30 pounds as well to give him some more explosiveness. I wonder if that means they're thinking of him as a 3 and Johnson as a 4?
-As the anonymous commenter below confirmed, Dwight Helminen has indeed signed with JYP Jyvaskyla in Finland, the same team that his brother Lars signed with. According to this link, however, the contract allows him to still sign with an NHL club this month if he'd like. So this would be more of a fallback contract. I still could see Dwight making the league as a third or fourth liner. He's small, but he's fast, he's great on faceoffs, and he's a very good penalty killer. He had a really good year point-wise two years ago in the AHL as well.
-A music tidbit. My favorite band, Crowded House, just released their first cd in 14 years today. You all should buy it. They rule.
-Michigan has switched to adidas jerseys. I guess that would be a reasonable explanation for why our hockey jerseys were on sale at MDen cheap. Since it's been like 2 whole years, and we signed on with a new apparel company, I have to believe that we'll be changing the jersey styles again this year.
-Lastly, not that I'm worried about Sam McGuffie visiting Texas A&M, but it gives me an excuse to post the following clip. Sam, do you really want to go there and have them pull out one of dem ill beatz on you?
-The Red Wings signed Dallas Drake to a one-year deal. A lot of people aren't thrilled with the move, citing his age, his cheap shot on Lebda last year, and the fact that we've got roughly 13 players to play on our 3rd and 4th lines. That said, I like the idea of him coming back. As I mentioned in my Steve Yzerman tribute, my brother and I were in Toronto, wearing our Wings jerseys when Detroit was in town, and Drake came up to say hello to us, before we had a chance to approach him. He was really nice to us, and I don't forget stuff like that. It'll be interesting to see where he fits in. I wonder if this signing isn't a vote of confidence for Daniel Cleary--or at least a sign that they think he'll have to be in the "top 6" next year by default.
-My next move would be to sign Yashin. He's getting $2.2 million or something from the Islanders to not play for them, so he might come cheap. He's always put up pretty decent numbers, even if he is lazy. But who has he ever played with? Tell me he wouldn't look really nice riding shotgun with Datsyuk. That'd be the top 6 forward that we need.
Edit: This link has a quote from Yashin, which indicates that there may actually be something to my "Yashin to Detroit" idea.
"Some think my move to Detroit is a settled thing but I can say only that they want to see me in the squad as well as a number of other clubs, yet I can's say anything more definite."Interesting. Then again, who knows what that actually said before the translation, purple monkey dishwasher.
-The Detroit News has indicated that the Pistons are close to signing Amir Johnson. The rumored contract is 3 years for around $10 million, which I think is going to be an absolute bargain. He'll play some more minutes this year, and then by next year, look out. This kid's a stud. I've been saying it from day 1, and I can't wait to watch him in action this year.
-It also sounds like the three Pistons draftees have been very good in summer league play. In the above link, McCosky had some kind words about Arron Afflalo and Stuckey. It sounds like Maxiell has been a beast as well, losing some 30 pounds as well to give him some more explosiveness. I wonder if that means they're thinking of him as a 3 and Johnson as a 4?
-As the anonymous commenter below confirmed, Dwight Helminen has indeed signed with JYP Jyvaskyla in Finland, the same team that his brother Lars signed with. According to this link, however, the contract allows him to still sign with an NHL club this month if he'd like. So this would be more of a fallback contract. I still could see Dwight making the league as a third or fourth liner. He's small, but he's fast, he's great on faceoffs, and he's a very good penalty killer. He had a really good year point-wise two years ago in the AHL as well.
-A music tidbit. My favorite band, Crowded House, just released their first cd in 14 years today. You all should buy it. They rule.
-Michigan has switched to adidas jerseys. I guess that would be a reasonable explanation for why our hockey jerseys were on sale at MDen cheap. Since it's been like 2 whole years, and we signed on with a new apparel company, I have to believe that we'll be changing the jersey styles again this year.
-Lastly, not that I'm worried about Sam McGuffie visiting Texas A&M, but it gives me an excuse to post the following clip. Sam, do you really want to go there and have them pull out one of dem ill beatz on you?
Friday, July 06, 2007
Daytona
Just a reminder to the Nascar world, as the series gets set to race at Daytona once again, that Kevin Harvick really did win the Daytona 500. If the race ended at the start/finish line, he won. If the race should've "ended" when the cars behind he and Martin started wrecking, he would've won anyway.
All that talk about how Martin was ahead, and if they would've thrown the yellow flag, he would've been the winner is bunk. Harvick was ahead when the cars started wrecking and he was ahead at the finish line. The only argument in Martin's favor is that Nascar should've thrown the yellow flag in the middle of the wreck, which is a BS way to win a race if I've ever heard one.
Note that in this still shot, Martin is drawing closer to the nose of Harvick's car as Kyle Busch (#5) starts to wreck. Even if the caution had flown a second or two later--as Martin started to pass him--the field would've reverted back to the previous scoring loop and Harvick probably would've been the winner anyway. At least this way, they raced back to the line and we know Harvick beat him.
I like Martin, and it would've been nice to see him get that win, but Harvick deserved it--and thankfully they got it right.
All that talk about how Martin was ahead, and if they would've thrown the yellow flag, he would've been the winner is bunk. Harvick was ahead when the cars started wrecking and he was ahead at the finish line. The only argument in Martin's favor is that Nascar should've thrown the yellow flag in the middle of the wreck, which is a BS way to win a race if I've ever heard one.
Note that in this still shot, Martin is drawing closer to the nose of Harvick's car as Kyle Busch (#5) starts to wreck. Even if the caution had flown a second or two later--as Martin started to pass him--the field would've reverted back to the previous scoring loop and Harvick probably would've been the winner anyway. At least this way, they raced back to the line and we know Harvick beat him.I like Martin, and it would've been nice to see him get that win, but Harvick deserved it--and thankfully they got it right.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Free Agency Thoughts
We're a few days into the NHL's free agent period, and there have been a lot of interesting happenings around the league. Christy over at Behind the Jersey did a pretty excellent job of breaking down the winners and losers so far.
I completely agree with her that the Kings have done an excellent job. Could they end up being the new Vancouver Canucks? A scary, scary team to face, but without a quality goaltender that could pull everything together and make them a real contender? With Blake, JMFJ, Stuart, and Preissing, that's a great group they've got back on the blueline. And four guys that can play on the PP to boot.
I have to laugh at the Buffalo Sabres. I know that's not nice, because they're a small market team with extremely loyal fans--and with me being a diehard Packers fan it's almost hypocritical for me to do so--but screw em. I hate Ryan Miller, I hate that fucking arena that was the site of one of the worst days of my life, and I hate those douchebags in the Anchor Bar that told me the Wings just bought their Cups. So there.
One guy I do feel bad for, however, is Jed Ortmeyer, who deserves SO much better than the sinking ship that is the Nashville Predators. And he deserves better than the "Hey, a guy named Jed signed with a team in Tennessee" jokes that are sure to come. At least I'll get to watch him play 8 times a year now! One positive of this asinine unbalanced schedule.
As for the Red Wings, thusfar they've lost Kyle Calder, Todd Bertuzzi, and Mathieu Schneider, and signed Brian Rafalski and Jiri Hudler.
I'm still not sure what to make of the Rafalski signing. I really want to like it. I think he's an upgrade from Mathieu Schneider. Even if he doesn't have Schneider's shot from the point (maybe he can put HIS on goal sometimes), he's a better passer, and a better all-around defenseman. He's good enough that if Lidstrom hangs it up in the near future, we've still got a guy that could be a legit #1 defenseman (even if he's not Nick). He was an all-star last year, has been durable (82 GP the last two seasons) and he averaged 25+ minutes of ice time.
And because of that, $6 million a year isn't an unreasonable salary. Especially if the report is true that he turned down a 6 year/$40 million offer to play for his hometown team (he's from Dearborn).
The only thing that scares me is that if the cap doesn't go up much higher and Lidstrom hangs around for a few more years, we're going to have quite the money crunch when Zetterberg's raise comes due. You're going to have Z making $7.5 or so, Datsyuk making $6.7, Rafalski making $6 million and Lidstrom making $7.5ish. That's almost $29 million on four players (which would leave $21 million for the other 22 guys). That puts an insane amount of pressure on Jim Howard to be for real, because it really wouldn't leave a buffer to go sign a high-end goalie.
And after putting that down on paper, I have to wonder if they don't have a pretty decent idea of how much longer Lidstrom is going to play.
I'm not really upset that Bertuzzi left. Anaheim overpaid for him, and for Detroit to match that and give up another second round pick? No thanks. I'm disappointed that we couldn't land Kozlov though. I was really liking the idea of seeing him in red and white again, flanking Datsyuk.
I wish things had worked out with Kyle Calder. He looked so good when he got to Detroit. I remember writing "I'd be working out a contract extension with him right now" two weeks or so into his tenure. Then something happened. He ended up in Babcock's doghouse, and his play dropped off big-time. I don't know which happened first. Still, he was cheap, and he was the kind of player we need. I would've brought him back.
It's puzzling that Hasek isn't signed yet. Based on the reports in the media, it seems that he's asking for a raise, they're close, but he and the Wings haven't come to terms yet. There have also been rumblings that LA made him and offer of 2 years/$10 million that he turned down. I'm wondering if he hasn't said something along the lines of "I'd like $2.5 million, but if taking less would allow us to get another player, I'm willing to do so--or at least take a lower base salary" but since contracts can't be renegotiated, they have to wait to sign him until we know for sure how much money we're going to have at the end of the free agency period. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.
As for the Pistons, it seems like the free agent market is shaping up nicely for them. Chauncey will get signed. There aren't any other suitors out there. Additionally, there is an unsubstantiated rumor that Amir Johnson will sign a 3 year/$12 million offer sheet with the Houston Rockets. If true, I can't imagine that Detroit doesn't match that offer sheet. You can't let a player with that much talent get away. Sign him, and MAKE Flip play him. I view that offer sheet (if it's true) as a good thing, as it gets the deal done. I can't see Detroit letting him go for $4 million a season. Additionally, I believe it's going to come down to Detroit and Phoenix for Grant Hill, and I think the Pistons have more money to offer (even if they use $4 million on Johnson). I don't know a ton about the NBA cap, but that seems to be the gist of what I read. If they could land all three of those guys, this offseason is a success in my eyes. If they can move Nazr and Flip for a center, all the better.
Edit: Forget what I said about Grant Hill. ESPN is reporting that he'll sign with Phoenix when this dead period is over.
I completely agree with her that the Kings have done an excellent job. Could they end up being the new Vancouver Canucks? A scary, scary team to face, but without a quality goaltender that could pull everything together and make them a real contender? With Blake, JMFJ, Stuart, and Preissing, that's a great group they've got back on the blueline. And four guys that can play on the PP to boot.
I have to laugh at the Buffalo Sabres. I know that's not nice, because they're a small market team with extremely loyal fans--and with me being a diehard Packers fan it's almost hypocritical for me to do so--but screw em. I hate Ryan Miller, I hate that fucking arena that was the site of one of the worst days of my life, and I hate those douchebags in the Anchor Bar that told me the Wings just bought their Cups. So there.
One guy I do feel bad for, however, is Jed Ortmeyer, who deserves SO much better than the sinking ship that is the Nashville Predators. And he deserves better than the "Hey, a guy named Jed signed with a team in Tennessee" jokes that are sure to come. At least I'll get to watch him play 8 times a year now! One positive of this asinine unbalanced schedule.
As for the Red Wings, thusfar they've lost Kyle Calder, Todd Bertuzzi, and Mathieu Schneider, and signed Brian Rafalski and Jiri Hudler.
I'm still not sure what to make of the Rafalski signing. I really want to like it. I think he's an upgrade from Mathieu Schneider. Even if he doesn't have Schneider's shot from the point (maybe he can put HIS on goal sometimes), he's a better passer, and a better all-around defenseman. He's good enough that if Lidstrom hangs it up in the near future, we've still got a guy that could be a legit #1 defenseman (even if he's not Nick). He was an all-star last year, has been durable (82 GP the last two seasons) and he averaged 25+ minutes of ice time.
And because of that, $6 million a year isn't an unreasonable salary. Especially if the report is true that he turned down a 6 year/$40 million offer to play for his hometown team (he's from Dearborn).
The only thing that scares me is that if the cap doesn't go up much higher and Lidstrom hangs around for a few more years, we're going to have quite the money crunch when Zetterberg's raise comes due. You're going to have Z making $7.5 or so, Datsyuk making $6.7, Rafalski making $6 million and Lidstrom making $7.5ish. That's almost $29 million on four players (which would leave $21 million for the other 22 guys). That puts an insane amount of pressure on Jim Howard to be for real, because it really wouldn't leave a buffer to go sign a high-end goalie.
And after putting that down on paper, I have to wonder if they don't have a pretty decent idea of how much longer Lidstrom is going to play.
I'm not really upset that Bertuzzi left. Anaheim overpaid for him, and for Detroit to match that and give up another second round pick? No thanks. I'm disappointed that we couldn't land Kozlov though. I was really liking the idea of seeing him in red and white again, flanking Datsyuk.
I wish things had worked out with Kyle Calder. He looked so good when he got to Detroit. I remember writing "I'd be working out a contract extension with him right now" two weeks or so into his tenure. Then something happened. He ended up in Babcock's doghouse, and his play dropped off big-time. I don't know which happened first. Still, he was cheap, and he was the kind of player we need. I would've brought him back.
It's puzzling that Hasek isn't signed yet. Based on the reports in the media, it seems that he's asking for a raise, they're close, but he and the Wings haven't come to terms yet. There have also been rumblings that LA made him and offer of 2 years/$10 million that he turned down. I'm wondering if he hasn't said something along the lines of "I'd like $2.5 million, but if taking less would allow us to get another player, I'm willing to do so--or at least take a lower base salary" but since contracts can't be renegotiated, they have to wait to sign him until we know for sure how much money we're going to have at the end of the free agency period. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.
As for the Pistons, it seems like the free agent market is shaping up nicely for them. Chauncey will get signed. There aren't any other suitors out there. Additionally, there is an unsubstantiated rumor that Amir Johnson will sign a 3 year/$12 million offer sheet with the Houston Rockets. If true, I can't imagine that Detroit doesn't match that offer sheet. You can't let a player with that much talent get away. Sign him, and MAKE Flip play him. I view that offer sheet (if it's true) as a good thing, as it gets the deal done. I can't see Detroit letting him go for $4 million a season. Additionally, I believe it's going to come down to Detroit and Phoenix for Grant Hill, and I think the Pistons have more money to offer (even if they use $4 million on Johnson). I don't know a ton about the NBA cap, but that seems to be the gist of what I read. If they could land all three of those guys, this offseason is a success in my eyes. If they can move Nazr and Flip for a center, all the better.
Edit: Forget what I said about Grant Hill. ESPN is reporting that he'll sign with Phoenix when this dead period is over.
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