The Official NHL and Hockey Thread [Archive] - Page 3

Shifty

01-28-2007, 05:15 PM

NHL all-star television rating plunges 76 per cent in U.S. from 2004
Canadian Press
January 28, 2007

NEW YORK (CP) - The NHL all-star game saw an upswing in ratings in Canada from 2004, but American TV watchers didn't exactly warm up to the NHL's midweek classic, which experienced a 76 per cent drop in household viewership from the previous all-star game in 2004.

The estimated audience on CBC was 1.238 million, up about six per cent from 2004. On Tuesday, 1.038 million viewers tuned in to CBC to watch the skills competition, according to The Globe & Mail, down 13 per cent from 2004 when the skills competition aired in prime time on a Saturday.

Wednesday night's game in Dallas drew a 0.7 Nielsen rating in the U.S. on Versus, the cable channel formerly known as OLN. The game was viewed in an estimated 474,298 households and by 672,948 viewers, down from the 1,985,000 households that saw the 2004 all-star game on a Sunday afternoon on ABC.

Another tie? Get what you really wanted.
Wednesday's most-watched show, American Idol on Fox, drew an estimated 37 million viewers in the 9 p.m. hour.

The NHL ratings drop-off was even greater when compared to the 2000 game in Toronto, which was watched in approximately 2,681,000 households on a Sunday afternoon - or more than five times as many homes as were tuned in Wednesday.

While Wednesday's game was the most-watched cable show that night in Buffalo and Pittsburgh, it did not place among the top 20 cable shows in NHL markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington and Miami. The 7.1 rating in Buffalo was by far the largest in any U.S. market.

In host city Dallas, the game was only the 18th most-watched cable program with a 0.5 rating. The national rating is the percentage of U.S. television households tuned to a program, and each point represents about 1.1 million homes.

The all-star game wasn't held in 2005 because of the season-long labour dispute or in 2006 because of the Olympics.
---

Oy. Draven is right why would they move it to primetime during the week. Hopefully Bettman admits a mistake and moves the All-Star Game to Saturday or Sunday.

Fran

01-28-2007, 05:37 PM

The game is on a Wednesday night, a weekday night. It doesn't make sense to me. :huh:

But the Red Wings beat the Avs 3-1 :up::up:

Eric Draven

01-28-2007, 05:46 PM

Shifty

01-28-2007, 06:02 PM

I swear, the NHL seems to take one step forward and two steps back sometimes. I mean between moving the All-star game to a weeknight and the owners rejecting a change in the schedule (thus almost guaranteeing that Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver won't play at least one Eastern conference Canadian team next year), I'm just speechless.

Why would anyone agree to this three year system in the first place? :huh: Maybe they can convince one or two teams to agree for the switch during the summer.

Badger

01-28-2007, 06:06 PM

The guy that thought having the All-Star game on Wednesday, instead of this weekend when there is no Football or any major sporting events, needs a firm kick in the nuts. :cmad:

Shifty

01-28-2007, 06:37 PM

The guy that thought having the All-Star game on Wednesday, instead of this weekend when there is no Football or any major sporting events, needs a firm kick in the nuts. :cmad:

Not to hard he's open to Winnipeg getting an NHL team now. Still I can't stand his voice or his face. Instead they have Sunday afternoon regular season games on NBC.

The 2007 NHL trade deadline is Tuesday, February 27 at 3pm et/Noon pt.

Less than a month, should get a bit more interesting. That also means its four weeks of TSN talking about what the Leafs should do followed by another 66 years of why the moves the Leafs make won't make them win a Cup.

Poeman

01-28-2007, 07:27 PM

remember ovechkins crazy goal last year!

this year CROSBY has done it and against the coyotes too again !!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y4o6M7zO4s4

Shifty

02-02-2007, 01:22 AM

Who watched the Penguins/Habs game? Wow, right from the start it was great.

Pittsburgh 5, Montreal 4, OT
Preview - Box Score - Recap

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer
February 1, 2007

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins were introduced to playoff-style hockey by the Montreal Canadiens. The youthful Penguins like the way they responded against an opponent that looked to be trying to intimidate them from the start.

The Penguins squandered a two-goal lead late in the third period, but Evgeni Malkin won the shootout by deftly faking out David Aebischer with an inside-out move as Pittsburgh beat Montreal 5-4 on Thursday night for its fifth consecutive victory.

Erik Christensen also put the puck past Aebischer as the Penguins won their second shootout in a row -- they beat Dallas 4-3 on Friday -- after losing five of their first six. Montreal dropped its fifth in nine shootouts as Marc-Andre Fleury stopped the final two Canadiens shooters, Chris Higgins and Tomas Plekanec, after Alex Kovalev had matched Christensen's score. Fleury made 40 saves in regulation and is 9-1-2 in his last 12 starts.

"I've never seen the (Eastern Conference) playoff race so close, five or six teams are so close, and it was a playoff atmosphere," said Sergei Gonchar, who scored twice on the power play and had another slap shot deflected in by Malkin. "You could see their intensity was there. But we're playing with more confidence."

The Canadiens trailed 4-2 after Gonchar scored twice during a rare seven-minute Pittsburgh power play in the second period. But Montreal tied it on goals by Mike Johnson and Mathieu Dandenault in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the third, with Johnson's shot deflecting in off Gonchar and Dandenault's shot bouncing in off defenseman Rob Scuderi's skate.

"Those were tough bounces to take, but we stuck with it and got the two points," Penguins forward Sidney Crosby said.

Crosby, drilled in the midsection by Maxim Lapierre immediately after the opening faceoff to set the tone for a physical and feisty game, assisted on each of the Penguins' first three goals. Crosby became the first player to break the 80-point mark this season with 82, including 25 goals.

Montreal tried to establish its toughness from the start. But the Canadiens' aggressiveness cost them when Sheldon Souray was ejected for jumping on Colby Armstrong, punching him several times and slamming him to the ice after Armstrong leveled Saku Koivu behind the Montreal net.

"You expect teams to be intense, and they had that (checking) line out there to start the game and wanted to set a tone early," Crosby said. "That's part of playing in the second half of the season. Teams want to win hockey games and we're more than willing to play and do whatever we have to do to win games, too."

Souray was given a five-minute fighting major and a two-minute instigating penalty and, about midway into the extended penalty time, Montreal went down two men when Radek Bonk was called for interference.

"The penalties killed us," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said. "I understand the seven minutes but I just don't understand why Armstrong didn't get anything. I still think he was charging (Koivu) and then he drops his gloves. Armstrong knew what he was doing and dropped his gloves and didn't get anything."

Still, Carbonneau took Souray's side by saying, "Saku is our best player and if somebody does something like that to him, I have no problem with someone playing that way."

"I've never seen it called like that at all, it seemed to be one-sided," Souray said.

Bonk returned during the lengthy power play to score a short-handed goal, but Pittsburgh was already up 2-0 following Malkin's 25th goal and Gonchar's slap-shot goal as Jordan Staal screened Aebischer during a two-man advantage. Gonchar scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, on another slap shot from the high slot, with 15 seconds left in the Souray-caused power play.

"We're moving the puck well and I had a chance to shoot it," Gonchar said. "There was good traffic in front and the puck is finding the net."

Bonk scored again, his eighth, late in the second, but Christensen answered with his 10th of the season to make it 4-2 midway through the third.

Notes

Montreal led 44-33 in shots, 7-0 in overtime when Pittsburgh was short-handed for the final 1:40 after Gonchar was called for holding. ... Montreal leads the NHL with 15 short-handed goals. ... Crosby has more assists (57) than any Penguins player has points. Crosby has an eight-game scoring streak (4 goals, 13 assists). ... Penguins forward Mark Recchi turned 39 on Thursday. ... Aebischer made his second successive start, the first time he's done so since Nov. 7-11.

Updated on Thursday, Feb 1, 2007 11:44 pm EST

Western Team GR PTS
01. Nashville 29 75
02. Anaheim 30 72
03. Vancouver 30 62
04. Detroit 30 70
05. San Jose 30 67
06. Dallas 30 64
07. Calgary 32 60
08. Minnesota 29 60

09. Colorado 31 54
10. Edmonton 30 54
11. Phoenix 30 50
12. St. Louis 31 48
13. Columbus 30 47
14. Chicago 31 45
15. L.A. 28 41

Eastern Team GR PTS
01. Buffalo 29 74
02. New Jersey 30 68
03. Atlanta 28 66
04. Montreal 30 62
05. Ottawa 29 62
06. Pittsburgh 32 58
07. Tampa Bay 29 58
08. Carolina 28 58

09. Toronto 30 56
10. NY Rangers 31 54
11. NYI 31 54
12. Florida 29 50
13. Washington 30 49
14. Boston 32 48
15. Phill. 31 31

The defending Champs have fallen from fifth to eighth and the Leafs, Rangers, and Islanders all have games inhand. Penguins could finish fourth which is even higher than anyone expected, if you thought they would make the playoffs. Imagine them winning the Cup this season after what's already happened what was expected of them. That would be two years in a row with a Staal brother winning a Stanley Cup and another winning World Junior Gold.

Shifty

02-06-2007, 07:08 PM

Sergei Samsonov wants out of Montreal and has been waived. Could Edmonton pick him up? Who would?

Mark Messier wants to be the NY Rangers GM once Sather is finished ****ing up the franchise. The trade for Avery was good. Now the Penguins actually need someone who can be tough and protect their players.

McKenzie: Samsonov down; NHL gets ornery
Sergei Samsonov

Sergei Samsonov

Bob McKenzie

2/6/2007 6:50:04 PM

So Sergei Samsonov has asked to be traded.

Good one. The market for underachieving perimeter players making $3.5 million a year on a two-year deal ain't what it used to be.

So what does it all mean? Probably that the Habs realize there's no trade market for Samsonov and since his agent has asked for a change of scenery, they put him on waivers to see if they can give him, and his contract, away for nothing. It's difficult to imagine any team jumping in on that but we'll find out at noon Wednesday.

Assuming Samsonov clears, what the Canadiens do next is really interesting.

They could send him to the minors in Hamilton, but they don't have to.

If they did send him down, they would still be obliged to pay him his full salary but it wouldn't count against the cap, giving them some flexibility leading up to the trade deadline.

And if they did send him down, he likely wouldn't be coming back up this season. As much as the Canadiens would like to free up cap room or get out from underneath the contract for next season, it's doubtful Montreal wants to lose him on re-entry waivers and have to count half his money against the cap next season.

Either way, Samsonov currently qualifies as this season's pre-eminent free agent bust and as for his desire to play in another city, he could get what he wants - in Hamilton.

Don't look now, but the post-lockout NHL is getting on its game face.

Speed and skill are still obviously the watchword's in today's game, but our handy dandy NHL mood ring is indicating "ornery" right about now.

Last week, the Pittsburgh Penguins were thinking about getting some muscle to ride shotgun for Sidney Crosby. Now, by all accounts, it's become much more of a priority, especially after Montreal's Aaron Downey gave Sid a tongue-lashing on the weekend.

But the evidence is there all over the league.

Exhibit A is the New York Rangers' acquisition of Sean Avery. Say no more.

The boston bruins are in the market for an "edgy" player.

Zach stortini has found a home in Edmonton.

The New Jersey Devils feel like opponents have been taking liberties lately so tough guy Cam janssen has magically re-appeared from the minors.

Ditto for the Predators, who felt as though the Anaheim Ducks were not so nice to Nashville defenceman Kimmo Timonen in their last meeting. Big defenceman Sheldon Brookbank has been called up from Milwaukee.

All of this must amuse Anaheim GM Brian Burke, who has never made any distinction between old-school NHL and the new game. His Ducks are an elite team contending for first place but no team comes close to the Ducks' league-leading 50 fighting majors and Burke couldn't be happier on both counts.

By the way, all of this nastiness, real and imagined, it's not such a bad thing for the new game.

Venom Drool

02-06-2007, 10:01 PM

ugh montreal.... frekin ugggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggh

Fran

02-06-2007, 10:02 PM

Red Wings still going strong. Overcome 3-0 deficit to beat the Rangers 4-3 last night. :up:

Eric Draven

02-06-2007, 10:55 PM

Yeah, I don't want Edmonton to get Samsonov. There are other pressing issues the Oilers need to solve first :down

Shifty

02-06-2007, 11:01 PM

Yeah, I don't want Edmonton to get Samsonov. There are other pressing issues the Oilers need to solve first :down

What D-man do you want the Oilers to go after?

I doubt anybody is going to pick up Samsonov, when they can wait and hope he's sent down to Hamilton and then called up on re-entry and then claimed from waivers, having the Habs pay half his salary.

20 days until the trade deadline.

Eric Draven

02-06-2007, 11:03 PM

Shifty

02-06-2007, 11:30 PM

Seriously, I want them to go after Pitkanen. Although I really wouldn't mind it if they got one of the Kings D-men like Visnovsky or Blake.

But I have that feeling that they'll just get a no-name defensement...:csad:

I don't think Philly or LA would depart with those guys, except for Blake - but you would want someone younger I would imagine. You do have the picks from the Pronger trade you could dangle. Or draft a defensemen early in the draft 'cause I don't see the Oilers making it. Avs, Wild and Stars will battle for 8th.

Eric Draven

02-06-2007, 11:56 PM

Yeah, the competitive-as-hell division is pissing me off right now.

I just hate that Chris Pronger so much! :cmad:

Fran

02-06-2007, 11:57 PM

Shifty

02-06-2007, 11:57 PM

Yeah, the competitive-as-hell division is pissing me off right now.

I just hate that Chris Pronger so much! :cmad:

Lowe shoud've been tough and said you either play or you're on the bench like Bob Clarke would've done.

Eric Draven

02-07-2007, 12:00 AM

But then he might pull a Mike Peca/Alexei Yashin and just go home, leaving us with a five million dollar hole.

I still can't stand that he decided to make his trade demand public (through an agent of course), thus lowering any trade value he had. And to add to that, he basically gives no reason for wanting to leave. And this was after signing a 5 year contract.

So yeah, everytime I see his face on tv, I just want to throw up.

Eric Draven

02-07-2007, 12:01 AM

I could never stand Pronger.

I loved it in the '02 Playoffs, when Pronger was trying to take out Yzerman, and Yzerman simply ducks, and Pronger bangs up his knee, basically losing the series for the Blues.

Great times. :):up:

Oh believe me, I was cheering New Years Day when I found out he broke his foot. I was praying his injury would've taken him out longer though :csad:

Fran

02-07-2007, 12:02 AM

But seriously, wasn't that awesome when Yzerman just owned him on that play?

Venom Drool

02-07-2007, 02:13 AM

montreal needs serious retooling on offence. everyone is starting and has already started figuring out our special teams. were screwed unless we get a nice roster shake up in the form of sending rivet,perezhogin,ryder,ninnima,sammy, packing...

stupid ass kovalev

Immortalfire

02-07-2007, 08:14 AM

Atlanta's power play is non existant. We had every chance in the world go to go 6-0 in our recent homestand, but no. Cut the crap, guys! :cmad:

Shifty

02-07-2007, 09:25 AM

Oh believe me, I was cheering New Years Day when I found out he broke his foot. I was praying his injury would've taken him out longer though :csad:

"Why do you have to be mad?"

Ilya Bryzgalov Score Interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ns14hRqwY8):huh: :cwink:

Eric Draven

02-07-2007, 05:33 PM

Yeah, I'm mad because it's so damn cold there :cmad:

Seriously, what's up with his voice? :huh:

Halcohol

02-07-2007, 05:48 PM

Atlanta's power play is non existant. We had every chance in the world go to go 6-0 in our recent homestand, but no. Cut the crap, guys! :cmad:
I wouldn't count Atlanta out by a long shot. The Thrashers are probably one of the top 5 teams in the league with their powerful offense. IMO, if they still had Heatly they'd have the best offense in the league, but since he's rippin it up in Ottawa, I can't really complain ;)

I think the Thrashers will make it to the Conference finals this year, ideally I'd like to see them face Jersey or Buffalo.

Then, of course, in the Western finals we'll see Calgary beat Anaheim to go on to the Stanley Cup :D

Shifty

02-07-2007, 07:50 PM

I wouldn't count Atlanta out by a long shot. The Thrashers are probably one of the top 5 teams in the league with their powerful offense. IMO, if they still had Heatly they'd have the best offense in the league, but since he's rippin it up in Ottawa, I can't really complain ;)

I think the Thrashers will make it to the Conference finals this year, ideally I'd like to see them face Jersey or Buffalo.

Then, of course, in the Western finals we'll see Calgary beat Anaheim to go on to the Stanley Cup :D

I think Edmonton proved that any of the 16 teams can go to the finals (and if they play great in the final can win).

Atlanta defeats Vancouver 4 games to 3 in the Finals seemed like a joke (based on the last two Stanley Cup Finals TB/CGY, CAR/EDM) but today it very well could happen.

What every team needs to buy/sell by the deadline.
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070206.wsptdeal6/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home

Halcohol

02-07-2007, 07:51 PM

I think Edmonton proved that any of the 16 teams can go to the finals (and if they play great in the final can win).

Atlanta defeats Vancouver 4 games to 3 in the Finals seemed like a joke (based on the last two Stanley Cup Finals TB/CGY, CAR/EDM) but today it very well could happen.

What every team needs to buy/sell by the deadline.
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070206.wsptdeal6/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
Just remember, everything Edmonton did in 2005, my Flames did first in 2003 ;)

Shifty

02-07-2007, 07:56 PM

Just remember, everything Edmonton did in 2005, my Flames did first in 2003 ;)

2006

I don't know if I would want to brag about choking in game seven and not actually putting a real effort until the last ten minutes of the game on the road.

Halcohol

02-07-2007, 07:58 PM

2006

I don't know if I would want to brag about choking in game seven and not actually putting a real effort until the last ten minutes of the game on the road.
Yeah, they kinda died there. But, whatever. I've been a fan of the Flames since I was 4 years old, so it was really nice for my team to make it all the way once. If only there hadn't been a lockout :(

Shifty

02-07-2007, 08:51 PM

Yeah, they kinda died there. But, whatever. I've been a fan of the Flames since I was 4 years old, so it was really nice for my team to make it all the way once. If only there hadn't been a lockout :(

It was their third trip, how old were you in 1989?

And hopefully they won't be so cocky this year like they were with the Ducks. All the bandwagon fans were looking forward to another Flames run but I knew the Ducks weren't going to go down without a fight.

Shifty

02-07-2007, 09:44 PM

Edmonton Oilers assistant general manager Scott Howson issued a "no comment" Tuesday when asked if the team had any interest in acquiring Sergei Samsonov, who was waived by the Montreal Canadiens.

Samsonov had his moments during Edmonton's playoff run last season, but is in the midst of the worst offensive season of his career in Montreal.

Source: Edmonton Sun

Venom Drool

02-08-2007, 08:28 AM

no comment might mean we get a 107th round pick for him :)

Shifty

02-08-2007, 09:46 PM

no comment might mean we get a 107th round pick for him :)

How about an autographed jersey from Kevin Lowe? That might fetch a couple hundred at an auction.

Karlis Skrastins breaks Horton's record

Associated Press

2/8/2007 9:47:00 PM

DENVER (AP) - Karlis Skrastins broke Tim Horton's NHL record for durability by a defenceman Thursday night when he played in his 487th consecutive regular-season game.

The Colorado Avalanche honoured Skrastins before their home game against Atlanta with a video tribute that included images of the late Horton, who played from 1950-74, mostly with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Before the puck was dropped, Skrastins came out and took a bow as spinning "487" images were shined on the ice. He was joined by two of Horton's four daughters along with his wife, Zane, and general manager Francois Giguere during the short ceremony.

Since joining the NHL in 1999 in Nashville, Skrastins, who grew up in Latvia's capital city of Riga, has missed just one game, on Feb. 18, 2000, when he sat out against St. Louis because of a shoulder injury.

Just three days later, he started his ironman streak - on the 26th anniversary of Horton's death in an automobile accident outside St. Catharines, Ont.

"I don't have a big secret," Skrastins, one of the league's top shot-blockers, said this week. "Maybe just hard work and a lot of effort."

Skrastins has played through many injuries, including a broken wrist and a bum knee that needed surgery.

"I love what I do, and .. pain is part of our hockey game," Skrastins said.

Horton's record was established from Feb. 11, 1961, to Feb. 4, 1968. Horton was still commuting from Toronto while playing for the Buffalo Sabres when he was killed in a one-car accident on Feb. 21, 1974, while on his way home from a game. He was 44.

Horton made a name for himself through his mean streak and by starting a doughnut chain in 1964. There are now about 2,700 Tim Hortons doughnut shops in Canada and another 300 in the United States.

"Every time I'm in Canada, it's kind of my favourite coffee shop where to go," Skrastins said.

Skrastins said he promised himself that he would now read up on Horton.

"I want to find out more about him," he said.

The overall NHL record for consecutive games played at any position is 964 set by Doug Jarvis over 13 seasons from 1975-87.

Immortalfire

02-09-2007, 08:24 AM

Atlanta puts forth a great effort, beat Colorado 6-3.

Fran

02-09-2007, 08:27 AM

The Red Wings get shut out, 1-0... by the Blues :huh::down

Immortalfire

02-09-2007, 08:29 AM

The Red Wings get shut out, 1-0... by the Blues :huh::down The St. Louis Blues? :huh:

Fran

02-09-2007, 08:31 AM

No, actually the Blue Box Blues. :csad:

Immortalfire

02-09-2007, 08:39 AM

LoL.

We don't play them this year...nor Detroit for that matter.

Fran

02-09-2007, 08:40 AM

Detroit, still, looks pretty damn good right now.

Barry Melrose said they're playing their best hockey right now. This Blues loss was just a little mishap, that's all.

Shifty

02-09-2007, 09:56 AM

Venom Drool that was a very Samsonov-like thing you pulled in the fantasy league. You can still win this week and two weeks ago you won 10-1. Why go this far and give up? Unless you like be compared to Samsonov.

Pksoze

02-09-2007, 04:40 PM

The Devils are having those quiet dominant seasons... the ones people are overhyping west teams & Buffalo then suddenly NJ ='s cup champs.

Halcohol

02-09-2007, 04:44 PM

It was their third trip, how old were you in 1989?

And hopefully they won't be so cocky this year like they were with the Ducks. All the bandwagon fans were looking forward to another Flames run but I knew the Ducks weren't going to go down without a fight.
I would've been 3 :p I remember they won the cup by beating Montreal, and then... I remember they made the playoffs in '94 but were eliminated in the first round by the Canucks (who went all the way to the finals, didn't they? Against the Rangers?), and then I started watching them regularly at the start of the 03-04 season.

Honestly, I'm thinking Anaheim will make it at least as far as the Conference finals.

Shifty

02-11-2007, 03:43 PM

Flames grab Stuart, Primeau from Bruins
Canadian Press
2/11/2007 2:01:26 AM

BOSTON (CP-AP) - The Calgary Flames have nabbed the most coveted defenceman on the market more than two weeks before the NHL trade deadline.

The Boston Bruins traded defenceman Brad Stuart, forward Wayne Primeau and a conditional draft pick to the Flames on Saturday for defenceman Andrew Ference and forward Chuck Kobasew.

The Flames expect both Stuart and Primeau to be in the lineup on Sunday when Calgary ends a three-game road trip in Detroit.

It's the second big deal made by Flames GM Darryl Sutter in the past two weeks. Calgary acquired centre Craig Conroy from Los Angeles on Jan. 29.
Related Info

Stuart, a key player in last season's deal that sent former Bruins captain Joe Thornton to San Jose, had been mentioned in recent trade talk because of his upcoming free-agent status.

Boston's inability to work out a new contract with Stuart forced the deal, completed just over an hour after the Bruins beat the New York Islanders 4-3 in a shootout.

''It became evident that when I wasn't having success signing Brad that I was going to have to trade Brad,'' general manager Peter Chiarelli said.

Stuart, 27, was acquired with Primeau and Marco Sturm on Nov. 30, 2005, for Thornton - who went on to win NHL MVP honours with the Sharks last season.

Boston missed the playoffs and is in danger of doing so again this year. They're last in the Northeast Division with 54 points.

''When any team doesn't win hockey games something has to change,'' Boston coach Dave Lewis said.

Stuart has seven goals and 10 assists in 47 games this season, but has struggled defensively on the underachieving Bruins with a minus-23 rating.

His best season was with the San Jose Sharks in 2003-04, when he had 36 points and a plus-9 rating.

The six-foot-two, 213-pound native of Rocky Mountain House, Alta., was San Jose's first-round pick, third overall, in the 1998 NHL entry draft.

He has 201 points and 285 penalty minutes with a minus-2 rating over 479 career games with San Jose and Boston.

Stuart joins a talent-rich Calgary blue-line already boasting the likes of Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf and Roman Hamrlik.

Primeau is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He had seven goals, eight assists and 73 penalty minutes in 50 games for the Bruins this campaign.

Primeau was Buffalo's first round pick, 17th overall, in 1994. The six-foot-four, 231-pound Toronto native never displayed the scoring touch in the NHL that he showed in a promising Ontario Hockey League career with Owen Sound and Oshawa. His best season was also 2003-04, when he had 29 points and 90 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Sharks.

Primeau has 165 points and 676 penalty minutes in 620 career games with Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, San Jose and Boston.

Ference, 27, played in 53 games this season for Calgary. He is signed for three more seasons.

''Part of what we have to do is preserve the assets of players that are unrestricted,'' Chiarelli said. ''Chuck is 24 and Andrew is 27. They add some youth and energy, which we want to add to this team.''

Kobasew, who played on Boston College's 2001 NCAA championship team before going pro, appeared in 40 games with Calgary - notching four goals and 13 assists.

Ference played in Buffalo on Saturday night. Kobasew has been sidelined with an elbow injury since late January.

''I'm really looking forward to it,'' Kobasew said in a statement released by the Bruins. ''It's disappointing to leave Calgary, but I did play two years of my career in Boston; one at Boston College and one at Lowell in the AHL.''

Ference was surprised to be sent away by the Flames.

''It's always a bit of a shock when you get traded,'' he said. ''But obviously when you're traded to a storied franchise it's definitely a little easier to take.''

Chiarelli hopes this trade shows he is trying to build a winner now while also looking toward the future.

''I would like to think it says that we're getting two high-character players and we have an influx of youth and energy,'' he said. ''I don't want to send a message that we're throwing in the towel. These are players that are on a division-leading team with experience. They're good players.''

Wow. That's gotta sting for the Oilers. I don't recall any talk of Calgary looking for Brad Stuart and they come in and swoop him up. Kevin Lowe has less options and more angry fans. That Joe Thornton trade looks even worse now.

Report: Forsberg to talk to Flyers' Snider

TSN.ca Staff with files
2/11/2007 10:12:20 AM

It could be a make-or-break day for the most talked about name going into the NHL's Feb. 27 trade deadline.

Various news sources in Philadelphia report that Flyers chairman Ed Snider will meet with Peter Forsberg on Sunday to discuss his future with the team and whether or not the two sides can work out a new contract.

Forsberg has been the hottest trade topic around the league as the Flyers continue to struggle at the bottom of the Eastern Conference while as many as a dozen teams have inquired about the veteran centre's services.

Snider told local reporters on Friday that he wants an answer from Forsberg on whether he's going to continue his hockey career beyond this season and, if so, will it be with the Flyers.

I think I deal will be done in the next week. Flyers would be smart to gain a prospect and draft picks and then hope they can resign him in the summer.

14.5 days until the trade deadline! Make it or break it for the Flames, Wild, Canucks, Lightning, Oilers, Leafs, Islanders, Rangers, Avs, Blues, Capitals and Coyotes.

Eric Draven

02-11-2007, 04:15 PM

Ugh, I can't believe the Flames of all teams managed to get Stuart.....:csad:

Somehow, I'll put the blame on this on Pronger! :cmad:

Shifty

02-11-2007, 04:24 PM

Ugh, I can't believe the Flames of all teams managed to get Stuart.....:csad:

Somehow, I'll put the blame on this on Pronger! :cmad:

He did leave after signing a long term deal with the Oilers. The Flames are looking better and better. Lucky for them the shootouts aren't part of playoff overtimes.

Immortalfire

02-11-2007, 08:21 PM

He did leave after signing a long term deal with the Oilers. The Flames are looking better and better. Lucky for them the shootouts aren't part of playoff overtimes. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/immortalfire/owl1.jpg

I honestly had forgotten that, lol

Halcohol

02-11-2007, 08:32 PM

He did leave after signing a long term deal with the Oilers. The Flames are looking better and better. Lucky for them the shootouts aren't part of playoff overtimes.
It would appear that the Flames are now having trouble even making it to the shootout. :rolleyes: Defeated by the Red Wings 7-4? That's just embarassing.

Fran

02-11-2007, 09:38 PM

It would appear that the Flames are now having trouble even making it to the shootout. :rolleyes: Defeated by the Red Wings 7-4? That's just embarassing.

:up::up::):up::up:

Immortalfire

02-11-2007, 09:52 PM

Atlanta's power play continues to not exist. Guys, a power play doesn't mean "Stand around and pass it back and forth to Hossa and Kozlov" :csad:

Venom Drool

02-11-2007, 09:54 PM

sorry dude..i got so pissed off at my team :(... and montreal in a weird way.. was a product of my anger

Shifty

02-11-2007, 10:05 PM

It would appear that the Flames are now having trouble even making it to the shootout. :rolleyes: Defeated by the Red Wings 7-4? That's just embarassing.

From what I saw they had a lousy opening and they did play last night and now they have an early evening game less than 24 hours later.

NHL fans have left the building
Gate receipts paint real picture of a false economy
Mark Spector, National Post
Published: Saturday, February 10, 2007

The National Hockey League has always played fast and loose with the fans and media over the word "attendance." And while under the league's revenue- based salary-cap system, it does not behoove the NHL to spin gate receipts, the latest numbers do not paint a positive picture.

In a confidential NHL document obtained by the National Post, the league's overall gate receipts climbed just 4.9% through Dec. 31, despite an average ticket price hike of 5.9% across the league this season.

More alarming is the fact that gate receipts are down in nine U.S. markets, which means in a gate-driven league with negligible U.S. TV deals, more than one-third of the 24 American clubs are not making as much money in ticket sales as they were last season -- despite higher prices in most cases.
Surprise, surprise. The Leafs still have the highest ticket prices in the NHL. Coincidentally, the Leafs also bring in the most gate receipts per game in the league.View Larger Image View Larger Image
Surprise, surprise. The Leafs still have the highest ticket prices in the NHL. Coincidentally, the Leafs also bring in the most gate receipts per game in the league.

To the scouts, media, players and coaches who travel the circuit, the league's latest PR spin -- an announcement last week that NHL clubs drew, on average, crowds of 17,075 to games in January of 2007, giving the league its best month in the NHL's 89-year history -- approached desperation. The people who see the thousands of empty seats in many U.S. arenas know the real score. They are also well aware that the NHL includes giveaway tickets in its attendance figures -- whether those tickets get used or not.

The NHL's spin stops, however, with the bottom line.

In a league without significant TV revenue that bottom line is gate receipts, a figure on the financial statement obtained by the National Post that does not credit freebie tickets or services in kind.

For the first half of the 2006- 07 NHL season, the bottom line on the leaked document speaks of the NHL's false economy. One that is on the decline in more than one-third of the league's U.S.-based cities.

According to the document, 26 of 30 clubs raised ticket prices this season. On a league wide average, the average ticket price went up 5.9% to $52.31 (all figures in U.S. funds).

Through Dec. 31 however, gate receipts were up only 4.9%, lagging behind the ticket hike -- a hike that will be impossible to duplicate again next season. In 16 NHL cities -- more than half of the league -- the percentage of ticket-price increase was not met or surpassed by an equal percentage of increased gate receipts.

Paced by a whopping ticket increase of 21.4% in Edmonton, the steepest jump in the NHL this season, the six Canadian teams raised their ticket prices by an average of 8.7%.

Their gate receipts also rose, by 9.2%, placing all six Canadian NHL teams among the top dozen gate-receipt leaders in the NHL.

Toronto and Montreal lead the NHL respectively, followed by the New York Rangers, Detroit

Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks.

The Oilers (8th), Flames (9th) and Senators (12th) round out the top 12 leaders in per night profits.

Here are some other highlights from the league's financial picture, through Dec. 31, 2006:

- The Maple Leafs still have the priciest ticket in hockey at $80.31 and bring in the most gate receipts per game at just over $1.5-million per game. By the New Year, the Leafs had rung in nearly $31.8-million in gate receipts, roughly equal to the combined total of Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta and Carolina.

The Oilers' 21.4% increase may be their solution to having just 16,839 seats to sell, but a small market team that once bragged of having the lowest ticket prices in the NHL now has the sixth most expensive tickets, at an average of $61.16 per seat. Will that go down if the Oilers get the new building they're looking for? Not likely.

- St. Louis raised ticket prices by 13.1% for this season, yet gate receipts are down 0.1% from '05-06. That speaks to declining crowds and a franchise that may have exceeded its price point in St. Louis.

- With the best team in the NHL to date, gate receipts in Nashville were up 28% on Dec. 31, at just shy of $525,000 per game. That still left the Predators in 23rd spot overall, with nightly gate receipts that are less than half of four Canadian teams, and not equal to 60% of the ticket revenues the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators reap on a per-game basis.

- Carolina's 47% jump in gate receipts is the biggest improvement in the NHL, no doubt a spin-off of their Stanley Cup victory last spring. With the Hurricanes fighting for a playoff spot, and college basketball season now well underway in Carolina, the club will be hard pressed to hold those gains through the end of the regular season.

- The Islanders' gate receipts are down the most at more than 20%, despite a 1.6% decrease in ticket prices. In Manhattan, the Rangers' receipts are up 19.1%.

A look at the financial statement of the Edmonton Oilers after their Cup run in 2005-06 provides a glimpse into how profitable a long playoff drive can be for an NHL club. Of course, the teams are not paying players during the post-season, and roughly 20% of gate receipts go to the league.

The Oilers still pulled in more than $26.5-million dollars in gate revenues from 11 home playoff dates -- or more than $2.4-million per home game, before concessions and parking.

That helped to change the bottom line from an $8.5-million loss in 2005-06, when the Oilers missed the playoffs, to a profit of more than $13-million last season.

Mspector@nationalpost.com

Hhmmm... 15,500 tickets sold at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg with an average price of $60 looks much better than the 7 franchises in the States with much larger cities/arenas that are failing.

Venom Drool

02-11-2007, 10:08 PM

come tooooooo caaaannnaaaaaaddaaaaaaa... retards..

Shifty

02-11-2007, 10:13 PM

come tooooooo caaaannnaaaaaaddaaaaaaa... retards..

The NHL even said that 1/3 of revenues come from the six Canadian teams. 24 other teams shouldn't be making up the other 2/3.

Eric Draven

02-11-2007, 10:36 PM

Yeah, this total expansion to the US has totally worked. Imagine how much fans the Predators team would draw if it was in like Winnipeg....

Venom Drool

02-11-2007, 10:44 PM

its retarded how...its a canadian game yet they moved two - 3 teams from here to the US

Eric Draven

02-11-2007, 11:36 PM

Shifty

02-11-2007, 11:56 PM

It's because the US is supposed to be the place where they can truly market the game to a "wider" audience. But all they've done is alienated the core audience and the majority of the US still considers hockey to be a huge joke

When Gary Bettman took over they were the "4th" sport in the US. NASCAR, golf, college football, college basketball and tennis get bigger every year and punted hockey to who knows where on the list. San Jose and Dallas are the only real successes.

Eric Draven

02-12-2007, 12:21 AM

You ever read that article on yahoo about how maybe David Stern suggested his most incompetent guy should be the commissioner when the NHL asked for possible candidates for that position all those years ago? When I first read that article, I thought it was a bit extreme and a bit too much of a "conspiracy theory". But the more I thought about it, the more it seems to ring a bit true....

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=dw-bettman012907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I especially loved the listing of what Bettman has "accomplished" during his tenure...:o

Shifty

02-12-2007, 12:35 AM

Why the NHL would bring in a basketball guy is beyond me. The NBA and NHL compete in various markets, the three biggest, and both were also expanding - why not send a fool over. The NFL, NBA and MLB are much stronger. Bettman can boast having the best attendance in January ever, but the NHL has not grown at the same rate of the other leagues. And TV ratings somehow get smaller each year, which sucks when they have a much better product.

Edd Extraordinaire

02-12-2007, 04:11 AM

But you see, many feel that the NHL has lost its edge. I am one of those people. This whole league has become pussified. No one fights anymore, no one hits, it's all a bunch of babies out there. This is not hockey. It's ridiculous.

On a side-note, if the Flyers do decide to trade Forsberg, they better trade him to Anaheim for Bobby Ryan. Homerun.

Fran

02-12-2007, 07:51 AM

USA Today says the Red Wings are a possible suitor for Forsberg.

God, I hope that we can get him, and he turns out to be just as good, if not better, than the Robert Lang trade.

Immortalfire

02-12-2007, 08:21 AM

USA Today says the Red Wings are a possible suitor for Forsberg.\. I hope their medical staff is ready for him.

Shifty

02-12-2007, 10:37 AM

Shifty

02-12-2007, 09:57 PM

It would appear that the Flames are now having trouble even making it to the shootout. :rolleyes: Defeated by the Red Wings 7-4? That's just embarassing.

No, what's embarrassing is the Red Wings losing to the Flyers 6-1 in Philly (5th home ice win). Both goalies were 3rd stringers.

Fran

02-15-2007, 10:21 PM

NOOOO!!! As a Red Wings fan, this really really sucks for my Wings! :cmad: :cmad:

Peter Forsberg traded to Nashville Predators

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2767319

PHILADELPHIA -- Peter Forsberg never gave Philadelphia a firm answer about a contract extension because of lingering concerns about his right foot.

So the Flyers decided his short-term future for him, trading the star center to the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators on Thursday night for forward Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent and two draft picks.

"I liked it here and everything. It's just hard when I couldn't commit, and that's why they had to move me," Forsberg said. "I understand that."

The 33-year-old Swede, in the final months of a two-year, $11.5 million contract, had 11 goals and 29 assists in 40 games for the Flyers this season, his second with Philadelphia after 10 years with Quebec and Colorado.

The former NHL MVP has acknowledged he thought about retiring at the end of this season because of a painful condition that makes his right foot feel crooked in his skate. He had offseason surgery to repair loose ligaments in his right ankle, but the operation has made little difference.

"I'm going to evaluate this summer how I feel and if I'm going to continue to play," he said.

Forsberg can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and the Flyers decided to get some value for their captain rather than risk losing him for nothing.

"I'm a little shocked," Forsberg said. "I could not commit to another year because I don't know what's going to happen. I felt like I was being fair to give up the no-trade clause and they get something for me. It kind of worked out."

Forsberg, drafted by Philadelphia in 1991 but dealt to Quebec in 1992 in the Eric Lindros trade in 1992, was the NHL's most valuable player with Colorado in 2003. He helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001.

The Predators are 39-16-2-1 for 81 points, seven points ahead of Anaheim in the conference standings entering Thursday night's games.

"It's not a fun day, even though I'm going to a good team," Forsberg said. "I'm sure I'm going to be OK in a couple of days, but today is not a good day. I didn't sign here two years ago to stand here today."

Forsberg, a late scratch for Philadelphia's 4-2 loss to Toronto on Thursday night, has visited with doctors around the globe to find out why his foot hasn't felt right in his skate, the health issue mostly responsible for keeping him out 16 games this season. Since Forsberg returned from an All-Star break trip to visit a foot specialist in Sweden, he has three goals and nine assists in nine games.

"We didn't want to do it, he knows we didn't want to do it, but at the end of the day we had to do it," Holmgren said.

Forsberg, expected to be in Nashville's lineup Friday night at St. Louis, said he wouldn't consider signing with any team before he can become a free agent July 1.

"Clearly, we have paid a high price for this," Predators general manager David Poile said.

Poile said he knows that it is gamble giving up so much for one player. But the Predators need to do very well in the playoffs to boost season ticket sales and business interest in a nontraditional, Southern city, and they noticed what winning the Stanley Cup did for Carolina and Tampa Bay.

"All we can do is to put a winning team on the ice," Poile said. "We're doing that, and hopefully we'll have success and ultimate success here in the playoffs. Let's see what kind of interest we have in Nashville. Let's see if Nashville turns out to be like Carolina and Tampa Bay and fill their buildings on a regular basis."

The Predators have little reassurance that Forsberg's foot will hold up.

"It was my understanding that Forsberg would not agree to be traded if he did not feel he could commit and be as healthy as possible to a new team. So I believe Peter Forsberg's an honorable guy," Poile said. "I believe his foot, his skate is in the best condition that it can be. Certainly in watching the last several games, I think he's played well."

Flyers All-Star Simon Gagne said Forsberg told him he would consider re-signing with the Flyers.

"The team was starting to build something and now your captain is gone," Gagne said. "We need to stick together."

Upshall, a 23-year-old left winger, had two goals and an assist in 14 games for the Predators. He had eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points and 34 penalty minutes in 48 regular-season games last season for Nashville.

The 19-year-old Parent, a 6-foot-2 defenseman, was the Predators' first-round pick in 2005. He was a member of the Canadian teams that won the 2006 and 2007 world junior championships.

The Flyers also received Nashville' first- and third-round selections in the 2007 entry draft.

The deal completes a massive shakeup in the organization. The Flyers fired coach Ken Hitchcock only eight games into the season and longtime general manager Bob Clarke resigned before returning to the organization in a different job.

Even with the fewest wins and points in the league, team chairman Ed Snider said the Flyers are not rebuilding.

"We don't feel that we're that far away when we're healthy," Snider said.

Immortalfire

02-15-2007, 10:23 PM

I hope Nashville's medical staff is ready.

Fran

02-15-2007, 10:25 PM

It's a big gamble, but if Forsberg can play, this could be bad for the Wings, and other West teams.

Shifty

02-16-2007, 09:16 PM

Nashville Predators Executive Vice President/General Manager David Poile (http://www.nashvillepredators.com/pressbox/news.asp?story_id=1240)announced today that the club has acquired forward Peter Forsberg (PEE-tuhr FOHRS-buhrg) from the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent and Nashville’s first-round and third-round selections in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Did they really need Peter phonetically spelt? If your fans haven't heard of PEE-tuhr FOHRS-buhrg in the past eight years then how many more signs do you need that its a crappy market?

Fran

02-16-2007, 09:17 PM

I dunno if you saw a post or two above, but I posted the news already.

But yeah, that's stupid how they have to spell out his name. It's pretty straightforward, IMO.

Shifty

02-16-2007, 09:27 PM

I dunno if you saw a post or two above, but I posted the news already.

But yeah, that's stupid how they have to spell out his name. It's pretty straightforward, IMO.

I know, click the link its the Predators Website and the official press release from them.

Venom Drool

02-16-2007, 10:51 PM

he didnt even start in their 1-0 loss to st louis lol

Shifty

02-16-2007, 11:19 PM

he didnt even start in their 1-0 loss to st louis lol

No they're saving him for the soldout home game tomorrow...

4500 remain for the Coyotes game on Monday!

I e-mailed my prof who used to live in Nashville and is a big Habs fan; he said people in Tennessee are so dumb that they were starting to make him question Darwin. He had to get out of there so he could make Cheney jokes and not feel their wrath.

Venom Drool

02-17-2007, 12:15 AM

dont understand your post..

Shifty

02-17-2007, 12:18 AM

dont understand your post..

Basically having "Peter Forsberg" phonetically spelt for hockey fans doesn't surprise my professor who taught there.

Norrena got a shutout tonight, you might actually not lose 13-0-0.:wow:

Venom Drool

02-17-2007, 03:26 AM

oh.. i didnt get what your post was in reference to... i see the humor now... haha

anyway..

wtv... i got the shaft in the draft

Halcohol

02-17-2007, 07:44 AM

I'm *SO* glad that Nashville picked up a potentially powerful forward to help boost their *TERRIBLE* offence. Maybe now they'll have a chance at *MAKING THE PLAYOFFS*. Of course, it's not possible that they'll win *THEIR DIVISION*.

:rolleyes:

Venom Drool

02-17-2007, 10:55 AM

indeed forsberg feels like overkill on their side

Shifty

02-17-2007, 01:53 PM

oh.. i didnt get what your post was in reference to... i see the humor now... haha

anyway..

wtv... i got the shaft in the draft

You had the 4th pick, you just put all your eggs in the Montreal Canadiens basket and waited too long in the draft to select a second goalie. I only have 7 players from the draft still on my team.

Detroit, Anaheim, San Jose or Vancouver could've traded for Forsberg, this way he's on their team. They've been eliminated twice in the first round and Forsberg is Playoff Hockey. And he won't be the #1 or #2 guy like he was in Philly. Last season Philly was a favourite to win the Cup after they acquired Forsberg. This was done to save hockey in Music City, make sure Detroit doesn't get him and ensure they have a nice run in the playoffs. Its an arms race.

Shifty

02-18-2007, 12:59 PM

Oilers trade and get a D-Man..... who may help them in next season....

Oilers trade Bergeron to the Islanders
Canadian Press

2/18/2007 12:35:03 PM

NAPLES, Fla. (CP) - The Edmonton Oilers have made a move, but it's not one that will help with the playoff push this season.

The Oilers swapped defencemen with the New York Islanders on Sunday, sending Marc-Andre Bergeron to Long Island for Denis Grebeshkov.

Grebeshkov was a first-round draft pick in 2002 and has played 33 NHL games, but is spending this season with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the Russian league.

The 23-year-old is expected to remain in Russia this season. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer.

"We see the upside in the player we're acquiring,'' Oilers GM Kevin Lowe said. "We see this as a long-term upgrade.''

Bergeron had spent his entire NHL career in Edmonton. He had 33 goals and 88 points in 189 games.

The Oilers and Islanders are each currently outside of the playoff picture in their respective conferences.

What is Lowe doing? He better have a trade happening soon cause otherwise this could've waited until the actual trade deadline day.

Eric Draven

02-18-2007, 02:27 PM

Oy, looks like the Oilers might be starting to sell players....:csad:

Shifty

02-22-2007, 11:59 PM

Okay, hockey fans watch the Sabres/Senators highlights. Emery was involved in two fights, Ruff lost all respect and it went to a shootout. Rematch is this Saturday!

Eric Draven

02-23-2007, 08:24 AM

I was shocked to see Lindy Ruff badmouth the other team's coach.....:o

Philly Phanboy

02-23-2007, 08:44 AM

That Sabres/Sens match looked like something out of Slap Shot. Ruff deserves to get fined and/or suspended after last night. Here's the YouTube link to the brawl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEorm9c0c7w).

Immortalfire

02-23-2007, 08:50 AM

Double-header this Monday night on Vs. network. Thrashers/Bruins, followed by the Ducks/Sharks.

Venom Drool

02-23-2007, 08:57 AM

montreal is picking up... nashville has nothing on us... how are we barely making it :down

Venom Drool

02-23-2007, 09:01 AM

haha.. i was hoping theyd all get injured :(

Shifty

02-25-2007, 05:34 PM

FEBRUARY 25, 2007.

UPDATED: 6:00 PM EST.

**TRADE ALERT!**

THE SAN JOSE SHARKS REPORT THE ACQUISITION OF DEFENCEMAN CRAIG RIVET AND A FIFTH ROUND PICK IN 2008 FROM THE MONTREAL CANADIENS IN EXCHANGE FOR DEFENCEMAN JOSH GORGES AND A FIRST ROUND PICK IN 2007.

Spector's Note: Hat tip to "Jeff". Analysis to follow shortly on my blog.

BRUINS DEMOTE STUART AND TOIVONEN.

BOSTONBRUINS.COM: reports the Bruins have demoted defenceman Mark Stuart and goalie Hannu Toivonen to their AHL affiliate.

Spector's Note: Hat tip to "Stuart", who adds "As the Bruins beat writer for their website noted, this is a bit of a surprise given that Andrew Alberts is injured and without calling up another D-man they will only have six up (including Alberts). Could those be trade winds blowing?"

EIGHT SCOUTS AT KINGS-AVS GAME.

DENVER POST: Terry Frei reports scouts from 8 NHL teams (Chicago, Vancouver, St. Louis, the New York Rangers, Dallas, Boston, Columbus and Tampa Bay) attended last night's LA Kings-Colorado Avalanche game. "Disclaimers to keep in mind are that a handful of NHL pro scouts are based in Southern California, and that others don't mind traveling to attend games in warm- weather locales, rather than heading to Edmonton in January. (They have been known to bring their golf clubs on the road.)"

Spector's Note: Hat tip to GJ Berg. Read into this what you will, folks. The Kings are believed shopping Brent Sopel and Aaron Miller, while the Avs might consider moving impending UFAs like Ossi Vaananen, Ken Klee or Ian Laperriere. And no, the Avs won't move Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk or Marek Svatos.

JACKETS CALL UP DEFENCEMAN.

BLUEJACKETS.COM: reports the team has recalled defenseman Marc Methot from the Syracuse Crunch.

Spector's Note: My thanks to "Dan", who wonders if this means Bryan Berard could be on the move soon.

BLAKE ON THE BLOCK?

NEWSDAY: Greg Logan reports on his blog that Jason Blake's days as an Islander may be drawing to a close. Logan cites a league source claiming the top five Western Conference teams are engaged in a bidding war for Blake. "Because of Blake’s unsigned status, Snow has offers for the speedy 33-year-old forward from Nashville, which already made a big deal to acquire Peter Forsberg, Vancouver, Detroit, San Jose and Dallas. Only Anaheim among the top six Western Conference teams has not yet made an offer. The Islanders would not trade Blake to an Eastern Conference rival", writes Logan.

Spector's Note: Hat tip to Paul over at Kukla's Korner. It'll be interesting to see if Snow will move Blake now, even though his team, as Logan pointed out, has been on a roll of late and has surged back into playoff contention.

**TRADE ALERT*

TKACHUK HEADING TO ATLANTA.

TSN.CA: Darren Dreger reports sources claim the St. Louis Blues have agreed to a deal that'll send Keith Tkachuk to the Atlanta Thrashers. However, the deal hinges on Tkachuk deciding if he'll waive his "no-trade" clause to go to Atlanta. He's apparently discussing it with his family. The swap "is believed to include a variety of draft picks, including a first rounder, as well as a player off Atlanta's roster."

UPDATE: TSN now reports Tkachuk has agreed to waive the clause. Details on the return hopefully to follow soon.

KUKLA'S KORNER: reports the return as follows: "Glen Metropolit, Atlanta’s 2007 1st round pick, 3rd round pick, a 2nd rounder in 2008. There is also a conditional pick based upon whether Tkachuk resigns in Atlanta or not"

Don Waddell said ask me after the season if he paid too much. I can tell him right now that 1st, 2nd and 3rd draft picks and a decent player plus possibly another 1st if Keith resigns next year is too much. Atlanta is desperate and maybe the move was done to jack up the price to keep other teams away from the trading table and make Jacques Martins look like a competent GM with his high asking prices.

Any Trade Deadline Day plans for anyone? The Score, TSN and Rogers Sportsnet have coverage all day.

Showtime

02-25-2007, 06:52 PM

Double-header this Monday night on Vs. network. Thrashers/Bruins, followed by the Ducks/Sharks.

Sweet. I get to watch the B's and the 2nd team I follow, the Sharks, in one night. Not bad for a hockey fan.

Eric Draven

02-25-2007, 08:50 PM

Ugh, some of these trades just seem to excessive for players that are basically just rentals. First round picks and a player? :csad:

Venom Drool

02-25-2007, 10:44 PM

hihi..

Shifty

02-26-2007, 09:25 AM

Shifty

02-26-2007, 12:18 PM

The following players have been placed on waivers by their respective teams: Michael Leighton - Flyers,
Denis Hamel - Thrashers,
Jason Krog - Rangers,
Niko Kapanen - Thrashers,
Marc Chouinard - Canucks,
Aaron Downey - Canadiens,
Brian Boucher - Blackhawks,
Bryan Berard - Blue Jackets,
Petr Cajanek - Blues - TSN

Cajanek, Berard and Hamel should be scooped up right away.

TSN.CA: reports the Florida Panthers have a trade in place for Gary Roberts, contingent on his waiving his no-trade clause, but sources say the deal isn't with Toronto or Ottawa. The site claims Pittsburgh may have interest in Roberts.

Eric Draven

02-26-2007, 06:27 PM

Leafs signed Tucker to $3 million a year for 3 years.

When are the Oilers going to sign Ryan Smyth? $5 million at 4 years shouldn't be too hard, you would think. If the Oilers can't sign him they might as well sell the team because they won't go anywhere if they can't afford one player for $5 million at this salary cap level.

I've been hearing that he wants like 6 million a year. The authenticity of that is questionable though.

But with some of these teams basically blowing their loads to get rental players, a part of me wants to see the Oilers trade Smyth for like a first round pick and a player and then try and sign him in the offseason......

Soundwave

02-26-2007, 06:35 PM

I hope my Stars make a run for either Ryan Smith or Jason Blake or even try to bring back Bill Guerin. They are playing well right now but they could really use another scorer.

Shifty

02-27-2007, 10:03 PM

I've been hearing that he wants like 6 million a year. The authenticity of that is questionable though.

But with some of these teams basically blowing their loads to get rental players, a part of me wants to see the Oilers trade Smyth for like a first round pick and a player and then try and sign him in the offseason......

Maybe they can. The should've signed him two days after Game 7. The price would've been lower and it wouldn't have dragged on and upped the price and annoy Oiler fans. But now what. The salary cap was supposed to make the Oilers competitive, which it did last season, and let them keep their star players. How do you attract free agents if the Oilers have lost so many in less than a year?

6:06 - Bob Mckenzie just pointed out that the difference in dollars between the Oilers and Smyth on a possible contract was $200-300 thousand dollars per year? Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME? The Oilers traded away the heart and soul of their franchise, a player who actually wanted to stay there (unlike Chris Pronger) over a difference of $200 to $300 thousand dollars per year? Are you kidding me? What in the name of Peter Pocklington is Kevin Lowe thinking? I just don't get it.

It seemed like Bertuzzi would be traded and not Smyth. But the Islanders are looking good, its going to be a battle for the final three playoff spots. I think the Islanders are still lacking in defense but they could be the 2007 Oilers.
ALL THE TRADES (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/trade_deadline/feature/?fid=2524&hubname=)

Fran

02-27-2007, 10:05 PM

I hope that this Bertuzzi trade helps out my Wings. He's projected to play 5-10 regular season games, so it'll be a couple weeks before his debut.

Eric Draven

02-27-2007, 10:43 PM

Maybe they can. The should've signed him two days after Game 7. The price would've been lower and it wouldn't have dragged on and upped the price and annoy Oiler fans. But now what. The salary cap was supposed to make the Oilers competitive, which it did last season, and let them keep their star players. How do you attract free agents if the Oilers have lost so many in less than a year?

I blame Pronger for all this! :cmad:

And part of me is sad Smyth got traded. But if the Oilers do end up signing Smyth in the offseason, they would've basically stolen two prospects and a first round pick from the Islanders. Not that bad....

Shifty

02-27-2007, 10:55 PM

I blame Pronger for all this! :cmad:

And part of me is sad Smyth got traded. But if the Oilers do end up signing Smyth in the offseason, they would've basically stolen two prospects and a first round pick from the Islanders. Not that bad....

Yeah once Pronger requested (demanded) to be traded and was, it started the exodus. San Jose, Pittsburgh, Islanders came out looking good today. Vancouver is better, Buffalo got healthy and was one year too late with the Biron trade, Detroit somehow can become better and the Forsberg to Nashville trade hasn't been that great we'll see what the playoffs bring.

Eric Draven

02-27-2007, 10:58 PM

Yeah once Pronger requested (demanded) to be traded and was, it started the exodus.

Tell me about it. After he left, Spacek and Samsonov and Peca left. Then Laraque didn't stay around (although that had more to do with the Oilers than him).

Seriously, with what happened today, I don't think the Oilers can possibly score any more goals this season. I think this team is even worse than pre-lockout :dry:

Venom Drool

02-27-2007, 11:55 PM

the habs picked up a useless bastard and topped it off with a 4-0 loss tonight. and what islanders paid for smyth, i dotn get why we didnt go after him.

Roughneck

02-28-2007, 12:40 AM

The Oil Traded Smitty.....For nothing.

Venom Drool

02-28-2007, 12:41 AM

hes likely to resign during the offseason.. oilers are given up on the post season anyway.

Eric Draven

02-28-2007, 08:28 AM

The Oil Traded Smitty.....For nothing.

Considering he may actually walk away this summer for nothing, and we got two first round prospects and another first round pick in this year's draft, the Oilers got some value in this trade. As much as I hate the fact that they traded away Smyth, after thinking about it, it's something Lowe was forced to do.

kane9321

02-28-2007, 08:44 AM

oh yes..sharks got a legit power foward in bill guerin...bout time
and we picked up rivet from the habs..nice real nice..go team team

Venom Drool

02-28-2007, 06:32 PM

ugh

Shifty

02-28-2007, 11:13 PM

hes likely to resign during the offseason.. oilers are given up on the post season anyway.

They're pretty far back, they would have to win their next three against Minneasota and hope Colorado stays back and they continue to win. The East will be more tight with Bruins, NY Rangers, Maple Leafs, Hurricanes trying to obtain 8th while the Canadiens, Islanders, Thrashers, Lightning and Penguins hold on.

Pksoze

03-01-2007, 09:45 PM

I hope Carolina gets in... as a Devils fan I think we owe that team a beating.

Eric Draven

03-01-2007, 10:41 PM

Yeah, Oilers aren't scoring anymore goals this season....:csad:

Halcohol

03-01-2007, 11:21 PM

Yeah, Oilers aren't scoring anymore goals this season....:csad:
:D:D:D

Eric Draven

03-01-2007, 11:56 PM

Shifty

03-02-2007, 01:29 AM

Hey, as a Flames fan, I would be worried about next season when they have to worry about whether they should sign Iginla or Kiprusoff. Not to mention the myriad of other FA they have upcoming in the next two years.

Yeah, this Oilers season is basically lost. But they got enough prospects, draft picks, and lots of cap room to be a viable cup contender again in a few years....

And then repeat the cycle....

Oilers drop down to 10th, its all over. And for the first time in the NHL's history both Stanley Cup Finalists may not make the playoffs from the previous year.

Edd Extraordinaire

03-02-2007, 02:17 AM

Oh where, oh where, will Robert Esche go?

Eric Draven

03-02-2007, 07:33 AM

And then repeat the cycle....

Oilers drop down to 10th, its all over. And for the first time in the NHL's history both Stanley Cup Finalists may not make the playoffs from the previous year.

That's the way the "new" NHL is going to work nowadays. Particularly since teams are going crazy with these rental players....

Shifty

03-02-2007, 10:13 AM

Oh where, oh where, will Robert Esche go?

Philly always has a home for their former #1 goalies. That place is a blackhole, Biron won't be there in 2009.

Showtime

03-02-2007, 10:24 AM

Tim Thomas stood on his head for the Bruins and made 51 saves and they still lost 4-3. Amazing.

Shifty

03-02-2007, 10:58 AM

Tim Thomas stood on his head for the Bruins and made 51 saves and they still lost 4-3. Amazing.

:wow: I didn't know it was 51
MIN W L OTL GA GAA SA SV SV%
65 0 0 1 4 3.70 55 51 .927

As is my luck in fantasy hockey, I dropped him after that brutal losing streak in January and he plays much better in February. But Niklas Backstrom was a great pick up, who is injured for a few days right now.

Showtime

03-02-2007, 11:00 AM

:wow: I didn't know it was 51
MIN W L OTL GA GAA SA SV SV%
65 0 0 1 4 3.70 55 51 .927

As is my luck in fantasy hockey, I dropped him after that brutal losing streak in January and he plays much better in February. But Niklas Backstrom was a great pick up, who is injured for a few days right now.

If the Bruins didn't have Thomas, they would be even further down. I am not saying he is the 2nd coming of Roy, but he has kept them afloat night after night.

Backstrom is a strong pick, I agree.

Shifty

03-05-2007, 06:31 PM

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=198872&hubname=

Penguins will move!

Badger

03-05-2007, 08:11 PM

I think this is probably more posturing to sweeten the deal in Pittsburgh, but this is the first step a franchise has to take to move. It was also mentioned on our local news that the Lemieux Group will be in town to meet with AEG (the managing company for the new arena in KC) this week or next.

Here’s the letter the LG sent the government officials to announce the Impasse (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/video/2007_pdfs/0305-pens_letter.pdf).

As mentioned in the letter, the recent gaming licenses approval is under appeal and puts into question the primary funding for the new arena in Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has stated that it maybe early summer before the appeal is figured out, which obviously causes problems for the Penguins and the NHL.

With that said, I won’t believe it until the trucks are pulling up to the Sprint Center. And, that would be a shame because as much as I’d like a team in KC; the Pittsburgh fans don’t deserve to lose the Pens.

Showtime

03-05-2007, 08:45 PM

NHL Goalie Wallpapers:

http://sports.webshots.com/album/556968272DShHOK

Immortalfire

03-05-2007, 09:10 PM

NHL Goalie Wallpapers:

http://sports.webshots.com/album/556968272DShHOK

Kari Lehtonen!

Shifty

03-05-2007, 09:59 PM

With that said, I won’t believe it until the trucks are pulling up to the Sprint Center. And, that would be a shame because as much as I’d like a team in KC; the Pittsburgh fans don’t deserve to lose the Pens.

Neither did the fans in Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hartford or Minneapolis.

Shifty

03-08-2007, 12:07 AM

That's the way the "new" NHL is going to work nowadays. Particularly since teams are going crazy with these rental players....

So in three games without their heart and soul they've scored only three goals, all three games were at home, one against the Flames, one against the Coyotes and one against the Lightning. How has the last week been Draven? 'Cause its going to be a long, long month.

Meanwhile the Avs might sneak into 8th if things go their way.

TSN.ca Staff

3/7/2007 7:14:05 PM

The Anaheim Ducks will be missing a major piece as they continue their chase for the top seed in the Western Conference.

Defenceman Chris Pronger will miss approximately two weeks with a broken bone in his toe, which he suffered during a post-game workout on Sunday.

Pronger missed nine games earlier this season with a broken foot.

In 58 games with the Ducks this season, Pronger's 53 points (11 goals, 42 assists) is tied for fifth among NHL defencemen. His plus-26 places him seventh in league.

Darren Dreger TSN.ca
3/7/2007 11:56:34 AM

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will meet with the Pittsburgh Penguins and all parties involved in the negotiation of a new arena Thursday in Philadelphia.

This meeting is considered key to the future of the franchise remaining in Pittsburgh. A source told TSN that the meeting is expected to bring ''closure, one way or another.''

The Penguins declared an impasse over arena negotiations with government officials on Monday and are looking at options to relocate the franchise. Kansas City is the leading candidate to land the Penguins as they have a brand new arena that is missing a tenant.

''Unfortunately, we still don't have a deal and are faced with mounting uncertainty that an agreement can be reached in a time frame that is realistic for our organization,'' the Penguins said in a letter to Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, Allegheny County chief executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl. ''Therefore, we have no choice but to declare an impasse and to notify NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that we will aggressively explore relocation.

''A project of this scope, with so many complex issues, can ill afford further delays that add more risk and more uncertainty. The risk has been magnified by what we perceive as a lack of collaboration from the public sector in the negotiations.

''Our good faith efforts have not produced a deal, however, and have only added more anxiety to what we thought at best was a risky proposition for us moving forward.''

Aggressively? Kansas City and Houston are aggressive? Winnipeg, Oklahoma City, Portland and Las Vegas should all be visited in the next month if they are seriously considering moving.

Edit- okay it seems Penguins ownership was in Vegas on Wednesday.

Victor Creed

03-08-2007, 01:02 AM

I wish the Pens would be moved to Las Vegas.....get my damn Stars outta the Pacific and back into the central, where the time zone will be the same. Tired of dozens of 930pm start times, lol.

Victor Creed

03-08-2007, 01:04 AM

*double Post*

Eric Draven

03-08-2007, 01:12 AM

So in three games without their heart and soul they've scored only three goals, all three games were at home, one against the Flames, one against the Coyotes and one against the Lightning. How has the last week been Draven? 'Cause its going to be a long, long month.

Just looking at the "bright" side of things right now. I know this season is lost by now. I just want them to tank the season hard enough so that maybe they can get a top 3 or 4 pick in this year's draft. I don't want any damn finishing in 9th or 10th place and getting 13th or 14th overall :cmad:

Also, the Oilers sucking this bad means that a lot of the bandwagoners are going to be off and I can actually buy tickets to a home game next year :cmad:

Immortalfire

03-08-2007, 08:41 PM

Thrashers whallop Montreal, 6-2.

Fran

03-08-2007, 08:44 PM

The Red Wings comin' strong behind Nashville :up:

Fran

03-09-2007, 09:54 AM

Jesus Christ, I saw that high-stick by the Islanders player.

What the hell was going through his head when he did that??

kane9321

03-09-2007, 12:29 PM

I've always hated chris simon...now i hate him even more...he's a gutless waste of space..he should be banned from hockey..forever..matter of fact him and that big oaf todd bertuzzi

Fran

03-09-2007, 01:57 PM

He has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL, Chris Simon has.

And yeah, although my Wings have Bertuzzi, I still don't like him. His ass should've been banned from the NHL for LIFE.

Fran

03-09-2007, 02:02 PM

It's reported that prosecutors are getting involved in the Simon case.

Nassaw County D.A. is reviewing tape to see if charges should be pressed.

Shifty

03-09-2007, 02:10 PM

I wish the Pens would be moved to Las Vegas.....get my damn Stars outta the Pacific and back into the central, where the time zone will be the same. Tired of dozens of 930pm start times, lol.

And Red Wings can go to the East with the rest of the Eastern Time Zone teams. I don't know why teams like Anaheim and others in the East whine about travelling. The Red Wings only play five away games in their own time zone and then play thirty-six in the PST, MST, and CST. Most of the west play away games in PST or MST.

Shifty

03-09-2007, 03:24 PM

I switched from SportsCentre to Connected during the Rangers/Islanders highlights and missed the hit. Enjoyed the Sens win against the Leafs on Sportsnet Connected.

Anyway http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dHzSzexrb0

TSN.ca Staff with CP files

3/9/2007 12:49:15 PM

New York Islanders forward Chris Simon has been suspended indefinitely without pay, pending a hearing, for slashing New York Rangers forward Ryan Hellweg in the face.

Hollweg was felled by Simon late in the third period Thursday night when the Simon angrily charged him and nailed him with a clothesline hit with his stick.

Simon was ejected, and Petr Prucha scored on the resulting long power play to lift the Rangers to a 2-1 win and a sweep of the home-and-home series between the local rivals.

"The best retaliation is to score on that power play," Hollweg said. "I couldn't feel any better than when that puck went in."

The hit was reminiscent of often-replayed clips of Marty McSorley's swinging stick shot to the head of Donald Brashear, and Todd Bertuzzi's blindside punch against Steve Moore. Those both drew lengthy suspensions, and Simon could conceivably be shelved for the Islanders' remaining 15 regular-season games.

"I feel bad for taking a penalty that led to us losing the game," said Simon. "I've always been known as a team guy, and I feel real bad about letting the team down."

Simon was ejected after the slash and slapped with a match penalty for deliberate attempt to injure.

"I didn't really have time to react to it," Hollweg said. "It's scary to your health but in the back of my mind I couldn't believe he did it.

Fran

03-09-2007, 03:36 PM

I already said he was suspended indefinitely. :huh:

Shifty

03-09-2007, 03:47 PM

I already said he was suspended indefinitely. :huh:

I know, just posting the quotes from the two involved in the incident.

Venom Drool

03-09-2007, 05:36 PM

wow.. motreal went down the ****ter. they look like 97 habs. and. montreal was utter **** during those years. im embarassed

Badger

03-09-2007, 05:59 PM

Neither did the fans in Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hartford or Minneapolis.

Very ****ing true, but something just seems odd about this whole deal. Like it's all smoke and mirrors between AEG and Pen's owners to put the screws to the Pitt and PA officials who continue to screw this up.

But you am I kidding it would be nice to get off work and catch Crosby, Malkin, and Stahl. Only a 10 min drive to the new Sprint Center. :up:

Fran

03-09-2007, 05:59 PM

BadgerPhil returns :up:

Shifty

03-11-2007, 05:01 PM

Stastny extends streak; sets new record
Associated Press

3/11/2007 4:23:55 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Colorado Avalanche rookie Paul Stastny assisted on a first-period goal Sunday, giving him a point in his 18th consecutive game and setting the NHL record for the longest point streak by a rookie.

Stastny, the son of Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, broke the mark of 17 straight set by Winnipeg's Teemu Selanne in 1993.

Just over 15 minutes into the first period, Minnesota Wild defenceman Keith Carney took a holding penalty on Joe Sakic to give the Avalanche a power play.

Stastny dumped the puck toward the net moments later and Andrew Brunette corralled it to put a shot on goal. Milan Hejduk got the rebound and beat goaltender Niklas Backstrom, giving Stastny the second assist.

His streak is the longest by any player in the league this season and the longest since Ottawa's Dany Heatley had a point in 22 straight in 2005.

It seems that rookie point streaks are a Stastny trait.

Peter Stastny had a point in 16 straight games for Quebec as a rookie in 1980-81 and Paul's uncle, Marian Stastny, had a point in 13 straight road games as a rookie with the Nordiques in 1981-82, an NHL record also broken by his nephew on Sunday.

Paul Stastny's streak began on Feb. 3 against Edmonton. He has eight goals and 18 assists in that span, production that has kept Colorado's faint playoff hopes alive.

The Avalanche started the day nine points behind Calgary for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but have won their last five heading into the game against Northwest Division rival Minnesota.

Avs 2
Wild 3 OT

Minnesota jumps into 5th in the West and is just two back of Vancouver to move to 3rd.

Last day of regular season for those still in the fantasy hockey league. Playoffs start tomorrow, and will last four weeks, ending when the NHL season does. Looks like BS Badgers will win "The President's Trophy" for having the best regular season record just edging out my Colbeagles. Stastny was a good pick up by the Devils in the league.

Badger

03-12-2007, 10:35 PM

BadgerPhil returns :up:

Thanks Fran, been hella busy with work.

Badger

03-12-2007, 10:38 PM

Looks like the Pittsburgh officials finally pulled their collective heads out of their asses.

Pittsburgh gets deal done, Penguins staying (http://kdka.com/sports/local_story_071223515.html)

Congrats to all Pen fan's :up:

NewYorkSpider

03-13-2007, 12:17 AM

Badger

03-13-2007, 12:21 AM

http://x6.no/images/omtaler/DVD/anchorman2s.jpg

:woot:

Shifty

03-13-2007, 12:22 AM

Well it says the deal will be finished on Wednesday, it wouldn't surprise me if somehow things were delayed.

Edmonton is on a 8 game losing streak. They just may end up with a top five pick at the draft.

Badger

03-13-2007, 11:03 PM

It's official, press conference was today.

Now, look out Preds KC's coming for you. :ninja:

Shifty

03-13-2007, 11:25 PM

It's official, press conference was today.

Now, look out Preds KC's coming for you. :ninja:

Manitoba wants the Preds! :cmad:
You guys can have Tampa. (they're losing 9 million this year)

Fran

03-13-2007, 11:27 PM

Red Wings beat up on the Preds, 5-2, only one point behind them for overall lead :up::up:

Halcohol

03-13-2007, 11:37 PM

Manitoba wants the Preds! :cmad:
You guys can have Tampa. (they're losing 9 million this year)
It's doubtful that the Predators or the Lightning will relocate as long as they continue to perform. I can't see the Blue Jackets lasting for very long... who knows, maybe the Coyotes and/or Blues will fold eventually.

Shifty

03-14-2007, 12:16 AM

It's doubtful that the Predators or the Lightning will relocate as long as they continue to perform. I can't see the Blue Jackets lasting for very long... who knows, maybe the Coyotes and/or Blues will fold eventually.

Continue to perform as in lose money? They may be winning games, and have "distributed" a decent amount of tickets but they're losing millions. JetsOwner.com's message board is filled with information about troubled NHL franchises. Nashville, Tampa Bay, Florida, Phoenix, NY Islanders and Washington D.C. (Pittsburgh just came off the list). Tampa wants to charge $30 USD just for parking at the St.Pete Times Forum!?! Phoenix will lose around $30 million this year! They could move but it would cost them millions to break their lease.

http://www.jetsowner.com/gotFans.htm
Represents number of tickets distributed, not people attending.
Actual attendance is lower.

Penguins likely to stay put
Reports say NHL team has reached an agreement for a new arena in Pittsburgh.
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star

Kansas City’s flirtation with the Pittsburgh Penguins appears over.

According to published and broadcast reports in Pittsburgh on Monday night, the club has reached an agreement with state and local leaders for a new Pittsburgh arena that is expected to be ready for the 2009-10 season.

Final details are expected to be worked out today, and a formal announcement is expected to be made before the Penguins’ home game tonight against Buffalo.

Anschutz Entertainment Group, which will manage and operate the new $276 million Sprint Center, had offered the Penguins an opportunity to play rent free in Kansas City and share 50 percent of all arena revenues.

AEG president Tim Leiweke was in London on Monday night and unavailable for comment. Boots Del Biaggio, a San Jose, Calif., businessman who would own a majority of any team that plays at the Sprint Center, also was unavailable.

Steve Glorioso, an aide to Mayor Kay Barnes, said late Monday night that she had not received any word from AEG or the Penguins.

Paul McGannon, president of NHL21, a grassroots organization helping with the effort to bring the NHL to Kansas City, was aware of the reports in Pittsburgh but said he would not have any comment until the deal is official.

If the reports are accurate, Kansas City will have to shift its attention to either another troubled NHL franchise, likely the Nashville Predators, or an NBA team, as an anchor tenant.

Some have speculated that because of the way AEG followed the lead of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman during the negotiations with the Penguins, Kansas City has put itself first in line for an NHL expansion team.

The Predators have the best record in the NHL but have struggled for corporate support, and owner Craig Leipold is putting 40 percent of the club on the market. The team has an escape clause in its lease, based on attendance, that would enable it to leave Nashville after the 2007-08 season.

In an interview earlier this month, Leiweke said: “We’re not solely dependent, never have been, and won’t be on the Penguins. We have some very, very good conversations going on for a team that I believe it is ultimately further down the road than the first year of the building.”

Penguins owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux met for several hours Thursday in Pennsylvania with Gov. Ed Rendell, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Bettman in a last-ditch effort to come up with an arena plan.

The meeting came three days after the Penguins owners announced in a letter that negotiations for a new arena for the team had reached an impasse and that Penguins ownership would begin to aggressively explore relocating the team.

Those talks were to resume Wednesday, but subsequent negotiations appear to have led to an agreement for a new arena, which reportedly will cost about $290 million and be ready for the 2009-10 season. The Penguins’ lease expires at Mellon Arena on June 30.

Under terms of the deal, the Penguins would pay $3.8 million per year toward construction and add another $400,000 per year for capital improvements.

Nashville needs to average 14,000 for the season. The upper bowl sells out but the lower expensive seats bought by companies are not being sold. No local businesses are interested in spending money on season tickets or ticket packages. So Nashville, the number one team in the league, is another negative story for the NHL. The 40% offered is supposed to lure some local millionaires to become part of the team and with local ownership - they hope to lure more corporate sales. This is the franchise that phonetically spelt Peter Forsberg's name in a press release. This is Music City.

Victor Creed

03-14-2007, 04:33 AM

Since it hasn't been mentioned:

CONGRATULATIONS MIKEY! #500

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v29/Paula3000/mikey50012.jpg

Goals Left to Become All-Time US Goal Leader: 3

Points Left to Become All-Time US Points Leader: 19

Halcohol

03-14-2007, 05:18 AM

This is the franchise that phonetically spelt Peter Forsberg's name in a press release. This is Music City.

:D:D:D

Ah, Tennessee...

Fran

03-14-2007, 11:57 PM

Red Wings have the league's best record now! Beat the Preds again, 4-2. :):up:

thebigtree95

03-18-2007, 06:59 PM

Goals

1. Mike Modano 503
2. Joe Mullen 502
http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/9274/captbffdc81cba624ca1b05qo4.jpg (http://imageshack.us/)

Points

1. Phil Housely 1232
2. Mike Modano 1217

Games

1,227 career NHL games

503 goals + 714 assists for 1217 points in 1227 games played.
http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/5365/modanonsh250crf7.jpg (http://imageshack.us/)

Victor Creed

03-19-2007, 02:51 PM

Thanks for posting that tree, nice to see someone else here giving Mikey some props. Now all we need is Tootoo to mysteriously disappear from the face of the earth and all will be well. :D

Immortalfire

03-19-2007, 03:02 PM

Eight games left folks..eight games... :wow:

thebigtree95

03-19-2007, 05:02 PM

Thanks for posting that tree, nice to see someone else here giving Mikey some props. Now all we need is Tootoo to mysteriously disappear from the face of the earth and all will be well. :D

Mo's the reason I started to follow hockey way back when and it is now and has been my favorite sport for some time.

I guess they aren't going to suspend that sorry piece of $%!&. Hopefully he'll fall down and knock himself out.

Halcohol

03-19-2007, 05:44 PM

Mo's the reason I started to follow hockey way back when and it is now and has been my favorite sport for some time.

I guess they aren't going to suspend that sorry piece of $%!&. Hopefully he'll fall down and knock himself out.
Fear not, justice has been served... kinda...

TORONTO (CP) - The NHL has suspended Nashville Predators winger Jordin Tootoo five games for his punch to the face of Dallas Stars defenceman Stephane Robidas.

Robidas was knocked unconscious on the play late in the third period of Saturday night's 3-2 win by the Predators at Nashville.

Robidas, who was coming to the defence of star centre Mike Modano, was assessed a minor for charging on the play, and Tootoo received a double-minor for roughing.

Robidas was carried off the ice on a stretcher and was taken to hospital. He's out at least a week after sustaining a concussion.

Tootoo, 24, has three goals, four assists and 104 penalty minutes in 61 games this season. Robidas, 30, has 17 assists and 82 penalty minutes in 71 games this season.

Hopefully he'll do something stupid again and knock himself out of the playoffs.

thebigtree95

03-19-2007, 06:27 PM

His first game back will be against the Stars on the 31st.

As much as I'd like Barch to pummel this guy, I don't think Tootoo will have the class to engage in an actual hockey fight.

Victor Creed

03-20-2007, 05:39 PM

His first game back will be against the Stars on the 31st.

As much as I'd like Barch to pummel this guy, I don't think Tootoo will have the class to engage in an actual hockey fight.

Doesn't matter, Ott should also be back by then so it's not like we don't have the means to end anything that tootoo starts. Besides, the whole media storm may not be over by then anyways. That franchise's problems have been going on for a while now, it's just being brought to the forefront during this so called controversy.

It's sad when a team is doing so well in a place where it doesn't sell well and the city doesn't deserve it. Take hockey out of Nashville and put it back into a real hockey market like Hartford or Winnipeg. The Canadians need another team.

thebigtree95

03-22-2007, 08:53 AM

The standings are as tight as a lid on a drum. It's going to be on0 heck of a finish in the west.

Shifty

03-25-2007, 04:13 AM

The standings are as tight as a lid on a drum. It's going to be on0 heck of a finish in the west.

The west is even more close now there is no way to predict playoff matchups. Vancouver and Minnesota will trade between 3rd and 5th or 6th until the season is over. Nashville and Detroit will go back and forth between 1st and 4th. Dallas and San Jose are tied and right behind Anaheim with them either ending up 2nd, 6th or 7th. Then Vancouver/Minnesota could move into 2nd and Ana/Dal/SJ moves into 3rd. And 8th Calgary has to hold off Colorado.

The east is a little more set. Buffalo in 1st, NJ in 2nd, Atlanta in 3rd, Ottawa in 4th, Pittsburgh in 5th. But Ottawa could catchup to Buffalo and become 1st, NJ and Pitts could switch between 2nd and 4th or 5th. Atlanta or Tampa Bay may go from 3rd to 6th. Toronto, NY Islanders and Montreal are on the outside while Carolina, NY Rangers and Tampa Bay try to hold on.

Well, the Oilers played their last home game of the season with a loss. Wow, that Pronger really is a douche.

Eric Draven

03-25-2007, 04:38 PM

Halcohol

03-25-2007, 05:18 PM

That's why I'm so torn with Anaheim in the playoffs. On the one hand, if they win the cup, that means the Oilers will get another first round draft pick next season. But that would mean having to see that gap-tooth bastard grinning all while holding the Cup :csad:
The Oilers have absolutely no excuse for the year they've had. They've whored the franchise out after a great year and left the fans hanging.

I'm already disappointed with one Alberta team, but if the Flames get knocked out of the playoffs by Colorado, I think I'm gonna have to shoot myself in the face.

TwoMinutesHate

03-25-2007, 06:10 PM

I'm already disappointed with one Alberta team, but if the Flames get knocked out of the playoffs by Colorado, I think I'm gonna have to shoot myself in the face.

I wouldn't be too worried about the Flames. It looks like they're back on track. It would be exciting though if it came down to that last game of the season between the two teams to see which one gets into the playoffs. Go Flames!

Eric Draven

03-25-2007, 06:27 PM

The Oilers have absolutely no excuse for the year they've had. They've whored the franchise out after a great year and left the fans hanging.

I'm already disappointed with one Alberta team, but if the Flames get knocked out of the playoffs by Colorado, I think I'm gonna have to shoot myself in the face.

Have no excuse? Yeah, like they just chose to let Pronger go after their Stanley Cup run :whatever:

Lowe had a five year plan in place with Pronger there. We were basically going to build the team around him. But that all got ****ed up the minute Pronger aired (publicly I might add) that he wanted to get traded. After that, it was like rats leaving a sinking ship. It went downhill from there. Losing Peca, Spacek, and Smyth and then suffering an abnormal amount of injuries (Jason Smith is basically the only healthy defenseman now who's played more than a 100 career games) will just absolutely kill any team.

Shifty

03-25-2007, 07:23 PM

Have no excuse? Yeah, like they just chose to let Pronger go after their Stanley Cup run :whatever:

Lowe had a five year plan in place with Pronger there. We were basically going to build the team around him. But that all got ****ed up the minute Pronger aired (publicly I might add) that he wanted to get traded. After that, it was like rats leaving a sinking ship. It went downhill from there. Losing Peca, Spacek, and Smyth and then suffering an abnormal amount of injuries (Jason Smith is basically the only healthy defenseman now who's played more than a 100 career games) will just absolutely kill any team.

If only they traded Roloson and Pronger for Roberto Loungo, a D-Man and draft picks. Then there would be more interest in staying in Oil Country.

Eric Draven

03-25-2007, 07:36 PM

We couldn't have done that at the time. Roloson was entering UFA right at the point when Pronger demanded the trade. In hindsight, the Oilers should've made that trade with Toronton, but I really don't know how reliable that info was :huh:

Shifty

03-28-2007, 12:10 AM

Shifty

03-31-2007, 03:21 PM

Thrashers push closer to playoffs with win

BOSTON (AP) - Keith Tkachuk scored the winner, Kari Lehtonen saved 25 shots, and the Atlanta Thrashers moved a step closer to clinching their first playoff berth with a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

Atlanta squandered a 2-0 lead, but Tkachuk bailed them out when he poked a rebound past Boston goalie Joey MacDonald with 18.6 seconds remaining in the third.

Ilya Kovalchuk and Greg de Vries also scored for the Thrashers, who swept the four-game series with Boston.

The Thrashers improved to 41-27-11, tying their franchise record for wins and moving five points ahead of Tampa Bay in the Southeast Division with three games left. The Lightning have four left, including Saturday night against Washington.

Atlanta can clinch a playoff berth with a win in any of its last three games. The Thrashers would also clinch with a loss by both Toronto and the New York Islanders.

So that would just leave Columbus as the only NHL team to not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
And now that Atlanta has made the playoffs, now they must move ahead to the second round. Which they could very well do. They will probably receive enough points in the final three games (wins or overtime losses) to secure third place (which is stupid it at least should be like the NBA and have the division leaders fall somewhere between 1-4; Atlanta technically is the 5th best team in the East. And their first round opponents could be Tampa, Rangers, Montreal or Toronto. They could take on those teams.

Immortalfire

03-31-2007, 06:12 PM

Thrrrraaaassshheerrrrsssss :hyper:

Eric Draven

03-31-2007, 06:50 PM

Muckler signed Hossa to a new deal and then hours later traded him with De Vries to Atlanta for Heatley. They could've worked something out before July 1, I'm sure Iron Mike would've liked to have Pronger (4 years) instead of Bertuzzi (UFA).

Yeah, but wasn't the Bertuzzi trade made like a day before Pronger's trade demands were made public? :confused:

Shifty

04-01-2007, 04:31 PM

Yeah, but wasn't the Bertuzzi trade made like a day before Pronger's trade demands were made public? :confused:

Wasn't the Bertuzzi trade done right before draft day? And Lowe was asked at the draft if he would make any deals for Pronger? I'll investigate later.

Tampa Bay
NY Rangers
Montreal
Toronto
NY Islanders
Carolina

Who gets in and who stays out?

I say things stay the same and Montreal beats Toronto via a tie break (most wins).

6 TB
7 NYR
8 MTL

Venom Drool

04-01-2007, 10:15 PM

toronto carolina islanders are out..

Eric Draven

04-01-2007, 11:00 PM

Wasn't the Bertuzzi trade done right before draft day? And Lowe was asked at the draft if he would make any deals for Pronger? I'll investigate later.

I don't think so. I recall sitting at a bar the day Bertuzzi got traded and we got started on hearing rumors about a Pronger day that exact same day. It was like June 23rd or something :huh:

Shifty

04-02-2007, 12:33 AM

Troubling signs abound for Thrashers
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070329.wsptshoalts29/GSStory/GlobeSports
DAVID SHOALTS

ATLANTA — There is a lot more at stake than a playoff spot for the Atlanta Thrashers as the National Hockey League regular season winds down.

One year ago, the Thrashers almost made the playoffs for the first time since they joined the league in 1999. Even though they ran up 90 points for the first time, they wound up tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and both teams missed the Eastern Conference playoffs by two points.

This year, the Thrashers look like a much better bet. But their 89 points before Thursday night's game against the Leafs was only three out of seventh place in the conference.

If the Thrashers finish out of the playoffs or get blitzed in the first round, then the jobs of general manager Don Waddell and head coach Bob Hartley could be in danger. Even worse, the future of the franchise, which has yet to take Atlanta by storm, could be at stake.

* Chart: A team-by-team breakdown of complimentary tickets and gate receipts http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/pdf/NHLweb.pdf

"This is a critical year for our franchise," Waddell said this week. "Our attendance is heading in the right direction, but if we fall short, it could affect us for years to come."

Both Waddell and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman say they are not worried about the future of the franchise in Atlanta. But there are troubling signs aside from attendance, which is improving this season but still among the worst in the NHL.

The Globe and Mail obtained the NHL's private statistics on net gate receipts, ticket giveaways and paid attendance from the start of the season to Jan. 31. They show the Thrashers were among the league's worst in every category.

For example, the Thrashers led the NHL's 30 clubs in the dubious honour of most ticket giveaways each game. The league's numbers show the Thrashers gave away an average of 2,827 tickets a game in their first 25 home games. This appears to be part of a promotional effort this season, as it is a whopping jump of about 840 per cent from last season, when the team's average was 336 a game.

The Thrashers could argue they are much better in this department over the past two seasons than the Florida Panthers. The Panthers are just behind the Thrashers with an average of 2,806 freebies a game. That is down from last season's eye-popping 4,155, which was the most in the league.

"Our comp tickets are high and need to come down, no doubt," Waddell said. "But our gate receipts are up this year. That's the important thing." He also argues that the tickets for seats in the luxury suites, which are rented annually, are included in the giveaways because the league has no other category for them.

The league's numbers through 25 games do not support Waddell's contention on gate receipts. League documentation shows that the Thrashers' net gate receipts, after taxes, were an average of $487,890 (all currency U.S.) a game for 25 home games to Jan. 31. That was 26th in the NHL and 0.02 per cent less than last season. The Leafs led the league with $1.514-million a game.

However, the Thrashers say their attendance has improved and is up about 6 per cent overall from last season, although it's not clear whether that figure refers to announced attendance, which the league uses as its official figure for publication, or paid attendance, a figure the league closely guards.

"We're in a different [type of] market," Waddell said. "People weren't [angry] last year when we missed the playoffs, they were disappointed. They felt bad we didn't get there and that's why they rallied around us this year.

"So this is a pivotal year for our franchise. People hung in with us all year. We have to see it through."

Not only are the Thrashers near the bottom in attendance — a fact that Waddell says is eased because the club owns the arena — the club's ownership has gone to court to resolve a dispute related to control of the company that owns the hockey team and the Hawks of the National Basketball Association. Bettman tried to broker a settlement this season and failed, meaning the court action will likely continue.

The ownership dispute may ensure Waddell will not be fired if the playoffs are a disaster, although he says he cannot worry about his job.

"If ownership decides to make a decision, I don't own the team, I work for the team," he said. "I want be here a long time, but unfortunately, I can't control that."

Halcohol

04-02-2007, 03:49 AM

I say the Thrashers just fold and move up to Winnipeg. Atlanta's usually pretty good at providing Canada with franchises. :D

Immortalfire

04-02-2007, 07:51 AM

:whatever:

Atlanta clinched #3 seed over the weekend :up:

kane9321

04-02-2007, 08:23 AM

this weeks game vs Anaheim just might decide who's gonna take the pacfic....cmon sharks you can do it damnit

i loathe the ducks..and i just purely hate dallas

Shifty

04-02-2007, 12:20 PM

Devils fire Julien in a surprise move
Canadian Press
4/2/2007 1:09:31 PM

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CP) - Lou Lamoriello is back behind the bench in New Jersey.

The playoff-bound Devils have fired head coach Claude Julien with less than a week to go in the regular season with the veteran GM Lamoriello taking over for the second straight season.

Lamoriello also stepped behind the bench last season after Larry Robinson stepped down as coach in December.

The surprising move Monday comes with the Devils second in the Eastern Conference with a 47-24-8 record and 102 points. The Devils have won four of their last five games, including Sunday's 3-1 win over Boston. They went 6-6-2 in March while battling key injuries to Brian Gionta, John Madden and Patrik Elias.

Julien, a former Montreal Canadiens coach, took over the Devils on June 13, 2006, after Lamoriello relinquished the coaching duties.

It's reminiscent of the 1999-2000 season when the Devils fired head coach Robbie Ftorek on March 23 and went on to win the Stanley Cup under Robinson that spring.

Did Julien say something behind close doors? Sure March wasn't there best month, Ottawa and Pittsburgh has caught up to them but they've found there winning ways and had some injuries. But hey Crazy Lou can do whatever he wants, they swept a damaged Rangers team last year and were almost swept by the Hurricanes last season. LA fired Andy Murray with 7 games left while sitting in 7th place and ended up in 10th when the season was done.

Devils have three games left against Ottawa, Philly and Long Island.