Mike Farrell Behind Back, Breakaway Goal
The Ontario Hockey League has long been the breeding ground for some of the best future talents of the NHL. Personally, I believe it is far and away the most fun hockey to watch in Canada outside the NHL. A great example of the talent and the excitement the OHL can provide was seen this past week in a matchup between Kingston and Niagara where Mike Farrell of the Frontenacs pulled off one of the coolest breakaway goals i’ve seen in years. Bearing down on the net-minder, Farrell put the puck behind his back, then shot it passed the goalie who looked totally confused on the play.
Moss Breaks Stick in Half During Shootout
How bad does your luck have to be running to get to a shootout and then break your stick in half at the shaft before you even get a shot off? For David Moss of the Calgary Flames in a recent exhibition against the Canucks it was running pretty bad. Damn, composite sticks! You’ve got to see it to believe it…
Bloodshed in NHL Pre-season Fight
The 2009/2010 NHL hockey season is set to resume for another year and what would it be without a good old-fashioned fight to kick things off on the right foot (or right hook)!? Check out this great bout between the Ottawa Senator’s Chris Neil and Boston’s Milan Lucic. We have to give this one to Lucic but props go to Neil for toughing it out and going the distance even though he was mangled pretty badly…
Fight of the Day: Sugden vs. Brashear
Wayne Gretzky Steps Down as Coach of Coyotes
Just this morning my Puck Doctors colleague Adam Steevens was discussing the state of the Phoenix Coyotes, and the dramatic battle between Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie and the NHL over the right to buy and move the team back to Canada.
Well, it seems the battle (and quite possibly their in ability to pay what he deserves) has taken its toll on ‘The Great One’, as Head Coach Wayne Gretzky has announced today that he will step down as Coach of the Coyotes. Here is what Gretz had to say:
“This was a difficult decision that I’ve thought long and hard about. We all hoped there would be a resolution earlier this month to the Coyotes ownership situation, but the decision is taking longer than expected. Since both remaining bidders have made it clear that I don’t fit into their future plans, I approached General Manger Don Maloney and suggested he begin looking for someone to replace me as coach. Don has worked hard and explored many options. I think he has made an excellent choice, and so now it’s time for me to step aside.
I want to thank every staff member of the Phoenix Coyotes, past and present. It was a real pleasure to work with each and every one of you. I’ve always said that Phoenix is a great sports city and deserves nothing but the best. I still believe that. As a young boy, I learned to play hockey in Southern Ontario, and I know what great fans they have there. It’s my hope they too will have an NHL franchise in the not too distant future.”
This whole situation has certainly been tough on Wayne Gretzky, but it is nice to hear his kind words towards the team in departing. Its also nice to hear he is staying true to his roots and rooting for southern Ontario to get that second franchise they are so desperately seeking.
“Make it Seven”, A Canadian’s Fight for the Phoenix Coyotes
Adam Steevens is a student, author and blogger who has semi-coherent thoughts about the NHL
The extended legal battle over the Phoenix Coyotes has become the story of the off-season; the franchise is hemorrhaging money and is on the verge of relocation. Jim Balsillie has relentlessly tried to purchase the team with the intention of moving the team to Canada; with all other potential buyers backing out (excluding the NHL itself), the future of the Coyotes in Phoenix looks bleak.Balsillie has even softened his pitch the to NHL this week – offering to keep the club in Phoenix for the remainder of this season. It’s time for the NHL to move on – and to let Balsillie move this team back up north by 2011.
Listen, I feel for the fans of the Coyotes; I can’t imagine my team getting relocated, and you have to feel sorry for the season ticket holders, and even the families of the organization and everyone involved. The move is looking more and more imminent by the day, and if you are a Coyotes fan, you have my sincerest sympathy. But what the league needs now is not hardline-Coyotes fans, but fans who care about the sport itself. Fans who care more about the welfare of the game rather than their favorite team.
Populist homer-ism is harmful to the game itself; as much as it may hurt to see the team go, the fans in Phoenix have to understand that this team will do much better up north – and another fiscally successful franchise in this economy will benefit the league immensely. You may be a Coyotes fan, but you should be a hockey fan first. I can’t stand the Coyotes fans who make martyrs out themselves and their team; the entire reason Phoenix has a organization at all is because it was torn away from Winnipeg in the first place.
Don’t cry foul when relocation comes up – you’re biting the hand that fed you the team in the first place.
Lots of different numbers have been thrown around in an attempt to gauge the profitability of a team in Hamilton; yearly estimates range from $12-90 million extra a year (over current yearly profit in Phoenix). Most arguments regarding the relocation revolve around the accuracy of these numbers, but one thing is clear; a team in Hamilton is going to be profitable and draw a consistent fan-base, something Phoenix has proven itself incapable of.
At the end of the day, NHL franchises are a business like any other, and decisions should be made for the greater good of the league, not individual teams. Sure, the NHL could carry this club on its back, but why should they when there are clearly more receptive markets? Canada deserves another NHL team, and it’s time for the league to stop delaying the inevitable and let the process take its course.
Let’s make it seven. It’s the best decision for the league, and for our sport as a whole.
Tommy Sestito Got Knocked The F$&# Out by Tootoo!
If you didn’t catch this weekends preseason games you probably heard about the fight between Nashville’s Jordin Tootoo and the Blue Jacket’s Tommy Sestito that ended in a head injury to Sestito. Both players lost their lids during the scrap and unfortunately for the 6′5″ Sestito, a huge blow from the much smaller 5′9″ Tootoo knocked him backwards to the ice where he hit the back of his head and was knocked unconscious for a couple minutes. We are happy to report that Sestito eventually ‘came to’ and was helped on his own two feet to the bench.
(H/T to Preds on the Glass for the Video)
Artem Anisimov’s Amazing Dangle on the Bruins
Welcome back folks, hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. The weekends are certainly a lot more enjoyable now that there is some hockey back on TV to watch. Speaking of which did you guys see Artem Anisimov’s goal on the Bruins Saturday? Talk about dangling the defender. He hung him out to dry. Check the replay:
Jason Allison Rips Powes Helmet in Half During Fight
We told you a couple weeks ago that Jason Allison is making an NHL comeback attempt with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Well if he isn’t wanted for his scoring or playmaking abilities, I think he should be considered for his enforcer abilities. Check out this Allison vs. Powe fight where he grabs a hold of Powe’s helmet and rips it in half.
I can almost see the green in his eyes, a-la Incredible Hulk:
(H/T to NHL Fanhouse for Video)
Past vs. Present: Jersey Colors and Styles
For the people who know me personally, they know I have quite a few of hockey jerseys. I have them in all sizes and teams. At one point, I had over 40 jerseys of NHL teams. This weekend, I decided to wash the jerseys that I wear throughout the winter months that have not been cleaned in a while (it sucks wearing a hot jersey in the humid months).
In the 2008-2009 season, the NHL switched to the new Reebok Edge jerseys. The players had their complaints, claiming that since moisture does not go through the jersey, it rolls off the jersey into the gloves and skates. With the new jerseys came new designs that weren’t what everyone expected. There was less horizontal striping, and more interesting patterns. Some of the fans hate the edge jerseys, and I understand their complaints.
The biggest problem I have is how over time the colors of the jerseys changed. And while it may sound like a small complaint, it is important to me. We live in the age of high definition televisions, capable of giving off tremendous detail and more colors than we can imagine, yet it feels like every team’s jersey is black, or very dark shades of whatever color.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that every jersey can’t be a different color. What I would like to see though is some of the colors of the past. For example, look at Dallas’ jersey. The jersey is such a dark green that it may as well be black. What about going back to the green that was the North Stars’? Think about the powder blue that was the Quebec Nordiques – we won’t see anything even close to that color for a very long time. It isn’t just the main color of the jersey either – everyone is starting to use it for the trim of their jerseys. I point to the Devils going from red and green to red and black. The Calgary Flames used to have red white and yellow on their dark jerseys, now it feels like there is much more black than yellow.
Some teams do put on some different colors, and my favorite example is the Oilers’ bright blue and orange jerseys from the ‘80s. That is what I want to see more often not a radical departure from their current. Get rid of their dark navy jerseys and wear those the whole time. The Pittsburgh Penguins use their blue jerseys from the Winter Classic (based off of another old jersey) as their alternate jersey, and that is another one I’m a fan of. As much as I hate the fact that the word “Vancouver” is on the front of their jerseys, Vancouver’s blue jersey is another good example of wearing some bright colors.
Some of the designs of the new jerseys are terrible in my opinion. I point at Dallas again. I cannot stand having numbers on the front of the jersey. I also just hate that the Stars and Canucks put a word on the front of their jersey. I just don’t like it – put the logo on there and nothing else. Even the Sharks jerseys are acceptable to me with the small number on the upper corner of the jersey. The Buffalo and Florida jerseys are a mess, but I guess their logo isn’t helping matters very much. I wish that all of the teams kept the same base design that was around before the jersey switch. Look at the old Colorado and Dallas jerseys – two of my favorites. They were unique, and incorporated something into the jersey that could only be used by them. The Stars’ jersey was actually a star when the arms were extended and the Avalanche jersey looked like mountains.
I give credit to teams like Detroit and Montreal to recognize that their jerseys are awesome the way they are, and that they should not be drastically changed. There is something to say about that. Detroit and Montreal are original six teams that have had different styles of jerseys in the past, and yet they still continue to use these because everyone loves them. I doubt you’ll ever find anyone (including Buffalo fans) who calls Buffalo’s jersey one of the best in the league and excludes the likes of Chicago or Boston.
Enjoy your high definition television and the most colorful thing to see on your screen is the players’ sticks and the blue line.
