Official 2007-08 NHL Thread

[Fran]

Wings get back Hasek and Cheli, not bringing back Lang

I still miss the days of NHL on ESPN.

 

[AhabTheArab]

how bout the flyers? i hate them with a passion and they're in the conference with my team but, damn did they make some good moves already.

 

[Immortalfire]

Thrashers, dammit!

 

[Poeman]

New York Rangers Draft Alexei Cherepanov
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5NISUq1rtv8

Cherepanov's Highlights
http://youtube.com/watch?v=R7IaeEzrjHE -My fav video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=c5SJSG9AW54
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bqZcfbG64Hw
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q2q6g60xSPY

NHL.com Article

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=318475

Cherepanov broke scoring records at every level
John McGourty | NHL.com Staff Writer

One of the biggest problems for a hockey player growing up and playing in Siberia is that you don't get a lot of international attention. Compare two of the leading prospects for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus, Ohio, on June 22-23:

London Knights right winger Patrick Kane is ranked No. 2 among North American skaters. Alexei Cherepanov, the Siberian, is ranked No. 1 among European skaters.

NHL Central Scouting Bureau's Al Jensen wasn't scouting a tournament in St. Catherine's, Ontario, nine years ago. He was there with his son, but he'll never forget what he saw, on what was for him a day off.

"Some 8-year-old kid named Patrick Kane scored five goals in a game there," Jensen recalled. "He's been ahead of the pack all along and people have been aware of him for a long time."

Cherepanov was born in a small town near a big city you've never heard of, Barnaul (pop. 750,000), in Siberia.

"I was born in the small Siberian village of Ozerk, which is near Bernaul, where we moved a few years later," Cherepanov said through an interpreter at the NHL Draft Combine. "We moved to Omsk when I was 12, after my parents, Alexei and Rita, made a decision that would help me develop as a hockey player. We had long winters in Siberia. My dad took me skating when I was 3-years-old and it seems like I have never left my skates. I love to skate and play hockey.

"Our decision to move was keyed by a recommendation from the Omsk coaches who saw me in Bernaul when I was scoring a lot of goals and playing well. So, we moved there and I became part of the Omsk development program. When I was 15, I was Russia's leading scorer among players my age. I was impressive at a regional tournament and got invited to play for Omsk. My 21 goals and 38 points broke Sergei Samsonov's record."

Although Cherepanov was a young hockey phenom, his notoriety was restricted to local legend. He wasn't picked for any Russian national teams in international championships until last winter when he was the top forward at the World Junior Championship. Rumor has it that Cherepanov wasn't in the top two dozen Russian players before the tournament and rocketed to No. 1 with his performance.

Cherepanov was fifth-leading scorer with five goals and three assists in six games, but it was his propensity for big goals that caught the scouts' eyes, including a critical go-head goal against the United States that led to their 6-5 victory. Cherepanov's credits the win to the team finding its chemistry in mid-tourney.

"It was very different in the preliminaries. We were forced to overtime by the Swiss while the U.S. and Canada were easily beating their opponents," Cherepanov said. "When the important games emerged, we played much better. In the tougher games, our team came together and played much better. I scored the winning goal in the last second against the Swedes."

American right winger James vanRiemsdyk competed against Cherepanov in that game and came away with a strong positive impression.

"Cherepanov had one strong, dominant shift and that's when he scored on a great shot," he said. "You know, great players find a way to get it done. I give him a lot of credit."

"When I beat the American goalie, Josh Unice, to make it 5-4 before we won 6-5, his defensemen were in front of him, blocking the goalie's view. I saw that and tried to put it over his shoulder and under the crossbar. There wasn't a lot of room. It was a small opening and a very tough angle, but I got the shot I wanted and it was perfectly placed so it was tough for the goalie."

Cherepanov's 18 goals in the Russian Super League this past season surpassed the performances of every great Russian player you've heard of. No surprise they gave him uniform No. 17, immortalized in Russia by the great Valeri Kharlamov.

"I broke records held by players like Pavel Bure, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin which was a great honor for me," Cherepanov said. "It's a very pleasant moment when someone congratulates me for those accomplishments. But I tell everyone that I'm very grateful for the help I got from my Omsk linemates, Anton Kuryanov and Alexander Popov. We had nothing but pure success and they helped me get exposure."

Cherepanov is a left-hand shot but Omsk used him mostly on the right wing, his off-wing, like his hero, Bure. He likes the off-wing, but has no preference.

"I can play both wings and I'm equally comfortable," Cherepanov said. "I played right wing for Omsk and left wing on the national team. Thinking about future considerations, I think the extra diversification will help me be more useful to any team that I play for."

Cherepanov has a nicely balanced body and moves gracefully but there is still a lot of boy about him, as to be expected of anyone just turned 18. He was asked if he's ready for the rugged style of the NHL.

"I like physical play. I'm not afraid of it. But I might not be mature enough physically right now to play in the NHL," he said. "I'm getting more power from working out. I don't know. I might be ready for the NHL now but I know there are more things to work on if I want to be a master of the game. I know that if I work hard and I can make my strength equal to my skills that I can be the full package. I think that if I play one more year in the Russian Super League I will be ready the next year for the NHL."

NY Hockey needed this...here we go for the cuppp

 

[AhabTheArab]

haha good luck, i believe my team, along with sid the kid, will be there to take the cup to its rightful place, mellon arena. come on boys, one more cup for the old building...

and on that note, eat it euro trash, americans went 1-2 in the NHL draft, thats unheard of.

 

[Showtime]

Sweet. I was just asking about this thread. Leave it to Double F to open it.

 

[Showtime]

New Bruins Logo:

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Can't see it Showtime.

 

[Showtime]

New Bruins Shoulder Patch:

 

[Showtime]

Can't see it Showtime.

That is weird, I can see it. Right click on it and take the link and post it up in your address bar and click go. Then when you go back it will appear in the thread I bet.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Worked this time. Thanks.

 

[Showtime]

New Uniforms:

 

[Showtime]

Worked this time. Thanks.

Little trick I learned, sometimes I can't see pictures posted as well.

 

[Fran]

They look the same

 

[Showtime]

The uniform below is what they have been wearing since moving to the Fleetcenter, I admit it's not a drastic change, but its definately a change. Fonts, Logo, Secondary Logo, Striping and so on. Every team in the league is getting new uniforms because they are now being done by Reebok and are called "Edge" uniforms I believe. They are going to be cut different and what not, this doesn't mean the teams are getting new color schemes and logos but changes nonetheless.

Old Bruins:

New Capitals:

New Bluejackets:

 

[Showtime]

Kings:

 

[Dark Donnie]

how bout the flyers? i hate them with a passion and they're in the conference with my team but, damn did they make some good moves already.

We just signed Briere!

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Daniel Briere signs with Philadelphia.

 

[Jerry!]

haha good luck, i believe my team, along with sid the kid, will be there to take the cup to its rightful place, mellon arena. come on boys, one more cup for the old building...

and on that note, eat it euro trash, americans went 1-2 in the NHL draft, thats unheard of.

Yeah but one of those picks was the Blackhawks, and the rule still applies:
Disregard anything the Chicago Blackhawks do.

 

[AhabTheArab]

instant contenders are the flyers now, i actually enjoyed the young team, then trade here and there, and losing the draft pick (which was smart, weakest draft in years) now briere, cant wait to stomp them again this year!

how bout the rangers signing gomez too....

oh yea and if you didnt guess, my teams the Penguins. we were the idiots who signed roberts and recchi again, hopefully its just to dump them halfway through the year for draft picks or better players.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Can't believe the Rangers got Gomez and Drury.
If they can jell together they definitely have potential to go deep in 08.

And I know that Niedermayer will probably retire, but can you imagine the Ducks' D if he sticks on with Schneider now in the fold?

 

[Fran]

Rafalski is a Wing

 

[Immortalfire]

Thrashers get Todd White (Wild), Eric Perrin (Lightning), and re-sign Pascal Dupis.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Thrashers get Todd White (Wild), Eric Perrin (Lightning), and re-sign Pascal Dupis.

Those dirty mother****ing bastards!

I was hoping the Bolts would be able to resign Perrin, but it was not to be.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Smyth to Avs