Suffering Canadiens withdrawal? The Gazette has the answer with the ultimate fantasy experience as Canadiens beat writer Pat Hickey and Gazette techie Eric Tobon employ EA Sports NHL 13 to produce The Season That Isn’t. Here’s how things might have looked in Tuesday’s night’s game between the Canadiens and Flames in Calgary.
PAT HICKEY
THE GAZETTE
CALGARY – Michael Cammalleri renewed old acquaintances Tuesday morning as he joked with his former Canadiens’ teammates about being the only NHL player to be traded in the middle of a game.
But Cammalleri had little to smile about later in the day. The Canadiens handed his Calgary Flames a 4-2 defeat and Cammalleri was nursing a headache after he slammed into the boards late in the first period.
“He was coming to the net pretty hard and he lost his balance when he tried to change direction to reach for a rebound,” Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said.
Cammalleri was able to leave the ice under his own steam, but he was taken to hospital for observation.
“We don’t think it’s serious, but you don’t want to take chances with head injuries,” said Flames coach Bob Hartley, who wasn’t impressed with his team’s third-period collapse.
“We played them even for two periods and then we gave up two goals early in the third,” said Hartley, whose team enjoyed a 30-27 advantage in shots.
Tomas Plekanec snapped a 1-1 tie when he took a pass from Scott Gomez and scored at 3:31 of the third period.
Max Pacioretty scored what proved to be the winning goal at 7:27 when he hooked up with David Desharnais. The two collaborated on an empty-netter for Pacioretty’s team-leading seventh goal of the season.
The Canadiens jumped off to an early lead after Jarome Iginla took a hooking penalty on the first shift of the game. That led to a power-play goal by Brian Gionta at 1:26.
Mikael Backlund got that one back when he fooled Price with a knuckleball when he hit a bouncing pass from Tim Jackman at 1:32 of the second period.
Jiri Hudler, who was signed as a free agent during the summer, gave the Flames a bit of hope when he cut the Montreal lead to a 3-2 at 12:51 of the third period, but the Canadiens limited Calgary to two shots over the final seven minutes.
The win was the seventh in a row for the Canadiens, who take a 7-2 record into Edmonton Thursday.
phickey@montrealgazette.com
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This fantasy thread article is a waste of time. I hope nobody is getting paid for this tripe.
Another idea for the HI/O writers….I noticed now that you close comments on some topics so as not to disrupt the flow of conversation in other threads, which is a great idea. But, perhaps you should close comments on the fantasy threads since it seems people are either indifferent (like myself) or dislike it all together. Keep the comments open on those threads where the comments would be a positive contribution to the topic posted, like when you’re updating us on our prospects
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It’ll always be Habs Inside/Out to me
double post
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It’ll always be Habs Inside/Out to me
As mentioned below, happy birthday to Tomas Plekanec on the completion of his 30th post-amniotic orbit of the Sun.
And while we’re at it, happy birthday to my favourite all-time Montreal Canadien (and of course my avatar). Mats Naslund turns 53 today.
Feels like just yesterday, and he’s 53…I feel old. Time is just like the honey badger; it just don’t give a &%#@!
53? Really?
I’ll say like you…. I feel old!
*********************************************
“I’m here to tell you: Gary Bettman hasn’t felt this alive since he killed Harry Potter’s parents.”
I suspect the issue here is that the players are adamant against the idea of another salary rollback similar to the 24% cut they took after the last lockout.
The 24% rollback was seen as a one-time agreement, a concession that the players made to get the deal done while also conceding to a salary cap.
That the league is coming back asking for another massive salary rollback just six years later is an insult to the players, regardless of much player salaries have increased on the whole.
If the shoe were on the other foot, the players going to the league asking for more revenues, you can bet that the idea of re-opening all existing contracts to apply an across the board CBA “raise” would be a non-starter.
Equally, the idea of an across the board CBA cut to salaries is a non-starter. So long as the league continues to insist on that provision, there will be no season.
Agreeing to a “one-time” concession twice opens the door for that to become an expectation in all future CBAs. Players are expected to honour the contracts, therefore the National Hockey League can be expected to do no less.
> So long as the league continues to insist on that provision, there will be no season.
Maybe. Or perhaps the players decide that a rollback (say, 10-12%) is better than what they’re earning now.
This is the thing that most of the fans don’t get. The guys that drive the NHLPA are the marginal guys, the 50% or so who on average play 1 or 2 seasons for $1 M per year or less.
These guys already know that they may never play another NHL game, yet they are fighting for future players. Look at the negotiating committee: 12 of the players are without contracts, and many of them will never play another game in the league. Adrian Aucoin, Alex Auld, Martin Biron, Ruslan Fedotenko, Dominic Moore, Jamie Langenbrunner, Brendan Morrison, George Parros and Dan Winnik are all somewhat marginal players or veterans at the end of their careers.
They have the most to lose, but you can bet that they are amongst the most vocal in these negotiations. The stars, the Ovechkins and Crosbys of the league, are asked to do their part for their peers by showing up and lending the NHLPA a powerful front. The player’s association can’t afford a star-led crumbling of resolve, as happened to the NFLPA back in the 1980′s when star players began crossing the picket line a week or two into the season, basically forcing the end of that strike.
A noble effort on the part of these players, but a good majority of the marginal players who play for 1M/yr are going to want to get paid sooner rather than later.
I thought that the league’s last offer did not include a roll back? Perhaps this depends on what you mean by a “roll back”. The % of revenues going to the players was to be reduced from 57% to 50%, but the all current contracts were to paid in full (albeit some to be deferred but paid in full under the duration of those contracts as per the “make whole” provision). That did not sound to me like the salary “roll back” (24% across the board) that happened with the last CBA. The league’s last offer also allowed for all games to be played this season meaning that none of the money under all current contracts would be lost due to games not played. That offer was rejected by the players who now seem certain to miss a growing number of games (and pay for those games) this season.
The last offer included increased escrow. A rollback under a different name.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Escrow exists on its own and is a separate thing from a roll back. By roll back, I refer to what happened at the start of the last CBA with all salaries being rolled back across the board (by 24%). Note that the last CBA contained both escrow and a roll back.
Escrow is a mechanism to ensure that players percentage of the estimated revenue for a given season lines up with the actual revenues realized in that given season. Three things can happen to the money held back in escrow: 1) if the estimates are bang on then ALL the money held in escrow is returned 2) if the estimates are high then LESS than all the money held in escrow is returned 3) if the estimates are low then MORE than all the money held in escrow is returned. Note that there is also interest accrued and paid on all of the money held in escrow. It happened more than once under the last CBA that the players received back more money (in addition to the interest earned) than was held back in escrow for a season.
I read that the league wanted to reduce the amount held back in escrow during the last CBA but the PA rejected the idea. One article I read speculated that the PA wanted to maintain a higher escrow since it was a sore point for the players and the PA felt it would keep the players more irritated thus likely making them more steadfast to try and play hardball vs the owners for the next CBA.
My understanding of the current deal is that the “made whole” provision would see the player’s contracts paid in full but only by counting that money against future salary cap numbers and player share of revenues. Essentially, the future players are asked to pay the current players.
That is a completely ludicrous position for the league. They give up nothing, but effectively get their salary clawback. The players either screw themselves (if they are young) or the next generation of players (if they are veterans).
Chris: The deferred money under the “make it whole” would have come from the cap space available under likely only the second year of the proposed CBA. It would not take any money away from actual existing contracts. The league has never used up all of the available cap space so it could be a moot or minor point about some cap space that is removed from potential future contacts. I suppose it is a semantic argument to say whether it restricts the top end of total future contracts for the second year or so of the next CBA versus it being players actually paying in the future for the make whole. Perhaps a future contract might not be as big as a player would like (are they ever
, but no player would have to give back any of the actual money in their pockets (or bank accounts) to pay for the the deferred make whole amounts. Perhaps it comes down to how you want to try and spin it, but either way, it is not a roll back as I understand the term (and as it was used under the last CBA).
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Hockey Frustration Song no. 18
Cue the music!
‘Nother non-hoooockey night and someone evil’s lurking in the dark
Skating by moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream but Bettman sucks the air before you breathe it
No ice to freeze as horror of no hockey’s no longer a surprise
Game’s paralyzed
‘Cause it’s a killer, gameless night
And no one’s gonna save you from the Fehr about strike
You know that killer, game-breaker guy
You’re fighting for our game against that killer Fehr, tonight
Bell center’s doors slam and realize there’s nowhere left to play
You feel the cold stance and wonder all the Habs are gone away
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination, men!
But all the while you fear Bettman leaving all of us behind
We’re out of time
‘Cause it’s a killer, gameless night
And not a player saved yet from the Fehr about strike
You know that killer, game-breaker guy
We’re fighting for our game against that killer Fehr, tonight
The league is calling; the players don’t want to go along with this charade
There’s no escaping the jaws of the alien this time
(His jaws open wide)
This is the end of their dime
They’re out to burn you, hockey’s demons closing in on every side
They will possess you unless you change those season’s tickets for a while
Now is the time for fans and I to huddle close together, yeah
All through the night I’ll save you from the terror behind the scenes
I’ll make you see
That it’s a killer, gameless night
And not a player saved yet from the Fehr about strike
You know that killer, game-breaker guy
So let me help enlight’ and show the
Bettman, devil, no-Fehr, gameless tonight
‘Cause it’s a killer, gameless night
And no one’s gonna save you from the Fehr about strike
Time to, open our eyes
So let’s talk of this new league and rid the killers, Bettfehr, yikes!
(I’m gonna thrill ya tonight)
No hockey played across the land
The CBA hour is close at hand
Bettman’s out in search of blood
With no inkling of how hockey’s good
I’m gonna thrill ya tonight, ooh baby
Players suitin’ tonight, oh darlin’
Hockey night, baby, ooh!
The foulest stench is in the air
The NHL is here for our demise
‘Cause our new league would spell their doom
Want to make sure we have no room
And though we fight to stay alive
The enemy starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can compare
The evil of the Bettfehr!
*********************************************
“I’m here to tell you: Gary Bettman hasn’t felt this alive since he killed Harry Potter’s parents.”
Jackson gets the Halloween treatment! Sweet work, Bri!
So I hear the Leafs are dressing up like hockey players today
Any significant virtual injuries to report? I need to know for my virtual fantasy league :headexplodes:
—————-
Me skull and crossbones arn’t the only thing I plan on raisin’ tonight.
Happy birthday to Tomas Plekanec, 30 today.
He is 9g/11a and +9 in 15 games for HC Kladno of the Czech Extraglia.
Really? My favorite Hab but I forgot he was a Halloween baby.
Happy birthday Tomas! Good on ya! Can’t wait to see your turtleneck back in Habs colours.
————————————-
Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Those turtlenecks are apparently discontinued, and he is on his last ones, new ones are not as good apparently.
Here’s your Monster Mash, Burl’. Yes, it’s a bit of a mish-mash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0thH3qnHTbI
They were working on a deal late one night
When their eyes beheld an eerie sight
The CBA from its deathbed arose
And stomped upon their tiny toes!
[Chorus]
It did the mash
It did the monster mash
The monster mash
It’s a hockey world smash
It did the mash
It caught on in a flash
It did the mash
It did the monster mash
From NHL headquarters in the east
The CBA – it’s alive! – now wanted to feast
On team owner ghouls who left it for dead
Two days later it was very well fed
[Chorus]
Hockey fans were having a blast
The season would start – at last!
First night guests included Bettman and his rival Fehr
The rink was rockin’, all were digging the beat
The guests were shown to their special seat
Smug Gary, smarmy Don looked so satisifed.
Til they found out their seats were electrified.
[Chorus]
The fans gathered round and raised a cheer
No more would they live in fear of Fehr
The reign of Bettman was at an end
The fans had taken over, let the games begin!
[Chorus]
Now everything’s cool, the CBA belongs to the fans
It’s a monster hit, the hit of the land
No long-term contracts, no mega-buck deals
And the players now pay for all their own meals
Let’s do the mash
The system we have smashed!
The monster mash
We spend less of our cash!
We’re not trash
You caught on in a flash!
What we fans did
Really wasn’t so rash
Er..with all due respect..
I knew Bobby Pickett..I listened to Bobby Pickett.. Bobby Pickett was a friend of mine.
JohnBellyful..you’re no Bobby Pickett.
Um … You’re turning into a real Curly Howard, euphemistically speaking.
It’s too bad you never met, listened to, and befriended Miss Manners. All due respect aside.
Name droppers! Sheesh!
Thanks JB, much appreciated despite how scary it was to sing along too! Is it true you are dressing up as Donald Fehr to hand out candies tonight?
Dressing up as Donald Trump. That should scare the kids off the property so I won’t have to hand out candy.
I guess I’ll just to have to eat it all myself. Pity.
Scary as all hell, JB. **claps and whistles**
Cal, your eclectic taste in songs is broadening my own musical horizons. Thank you. And your versatile versifying is verysagood. (Sometimes the English language can be so confining.)
I kid you not.
I started writing some hockey-related lyrics to the exact same song last night.
Good choice, my friend.
*********************************************
“I’m here to tell you: Gary Bettman hasn’t felt this alive since he killed Harry Potter’s parents.”
Hey, Bri- may I suggest something from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Hmmmmmmmm?
Ah crap!
Back to the drawing board.
Thanks Cal. Let me look that ghostly one up!
EDIT: By the way, I loved your lyrics this morning:
“You can both go to hell” – That sums it up!
*********************************************
“I’m here to tell you: Gary Bettman hasn’t felt this alive since he killed Harry Potter’s parents.”
Let’s do the time warp again – back to ’04/’05
Good fun John. I like the electrified seats idea – if we could only get them in the same room.
Hell, lets do this fantasy right:
Last night Montreal remained undefeated on the season when they slammed the Calgary Flames 10-0. Carey Price had an easy time getting the shutout as he only face 8 shots. Patricetty continued his torrid pace for a new scoring record when he rammed in 5 goals. Three of his goals set a new record for fastest goals scored when he scored all three in 19.5 seconds.
Other goal scorers were Markov, Cole, Galchenyuk, and two by the red hot Scott Gomez.
The frustration was obvious when Calgary tried to rough up the Canadiens only to smashed to the ice. It was not a pretty sight, and some of the Calgary fans got a little out of hand in the stands. They were quickly subdued by a band of Montreal sweater wearing fans that were up for the battle.
The Canadiens continue to tear up the new North American hockey league led by Pat Hickey. Said a delighted Hickey, “I guess you could say I put my money where my mouth is”.
The folded NHL has asked if they could join the new league, we will keep you posted.
wjc
What was the score in the Toronto game? If Toronto won, did the fans run around town with an aluminum foil Stanley Cup?
Tyler Bozak wearing blackface.
http://jeffler.com/2012/10/31/maybe-not-racist-but-definitely-stupid/
says it’s a tribute.
Some people get offended just for the sake of getting offended, there are way worse things in life.
_______________________________________________________
Well, he’s kind of had it in for me ever since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace “accidentally” with “repeatedly” and replace “dog” with “son.”
“It’s sad when our rookies have no NHL experience before they jump up to the NHL.” – nunacanadien
The URL sums up my thoughts:
“maybe-not-racist-but-definitely-stupid”
My favourite professional athlete strike complaint:
“The players had their own dumb comments during the 1998-99 lockout.
Patrick Ewing then was president of the NBA Players Association. While planning for some player-sponsored exhibition games meant for financial relief for the union’s neediest members, Ewing made a comment that still rings hollow about how self-absorbed and out of touch they were compared to some of their fans.
”If you look at people who play professional sports, not a lot of them are financially secure,” Ewing said in a sound bite that still can be heard on some national talk radio shows to this day. “They make a lot of money and they also spend a lot of money.”
And Kenny Anderson tried to explain how he would cope with the lockout at that time during a detailed story about his finances in the New York Times, spending $75,000 annually for insurance and maintenance of his eight cars.
Something was going to have to give at the time, leading Anderson to make a simple declaration. “You know, you just get rid of the Mercedes,” he said, adding, “It’s like they say, the more you make, the more you spend. I have to start getting tight.”
Those comments still ring almost 13 years later.”
LOL, tough times, and believe me I don’t side with the owners either, this is just a case of greed pure and simple, the two sides could make the league work if they really wanted to, if they both really loved the game as much as they say they do they could make it work.
To put it in language that both sides can understand, there are 3.3 billion reasons to get it done.
wjc
Work had us dress up for Halloween, I wanted to dress as a hockey player, but my friend that was supposed to loan me the hockey gear did not come through, so I’ve been locked out of pretending to be a hockey player.
My only consolation is that I’m a badass ninja.
Awww!!
You should have gone in in shorts, flip-flops, a Polo shirt and a douchey baseball cap, and you’d have been a locked-out hockey player!
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Well Chris Farley played a great Ninja, and his character would have been completely believable eating a large plate of Poutine, so I think you did well Shiram!
Gerald!
By the looks of the pictures on the Summit page, you guys had a great time. Wish I was there but I am playing nurse for bed ridden Andree right now.
Summit game tickets, News, Pictures and comments
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montreal-Canadiens-We-Are-Fans-Summit/197390760316125
We had a nice time, not big numbers but we did get to meet a few people we hadn’t met before. Depending on what happens with NHL, perhaps in late spring I will do a little more preperation work and try organize a larger one here. Ideally, if the Bulldogs appear to be in a position to make the playoffs this would be ideal. That way it could be done to catch a couple home games with a building hopefully buzzing.
Otherwise, a regular season weekend could be picked near end of reg. season when the weather has less chance of wreaking havoc.
You have inspired many here with your Summits Ian and thanks goes out to you for that.
I wanted to come to work dressed as Moe Howard of The Three Stooges.
But then I thought better of it.
NYUK NYUK NYUK
Some thoughts on the lock out:
Every 6 years a new CBA has to be signed and agreed to.
Every contract is subject to adjustments according to the agreement reached. So contracts either go up, or down according to new structure.
So if you sign a contract, even one day before new agreement you should know that it could be adjusted, possibly in your favor.
The owners said six months ago, that the would not live with this agreement as it stood.
The players were aware that over the course of the 6 years, it raised their salaries UP by quite a bit.
Bettman raised the revenues by about 1.1 billion dollars, thus justifying his 8 million dollar contract.
Now the players do not want to adjust their salaries downward, the status quo was fine with them.
Now some random opinions:
With the 30 team structure that the NHL has in place, no team actually loses money. Financial statements can make success look like failure.
The league takes the monies they make off of pay-per-view (center ice) Sweaters sold by the NHL, Television contracts, etc. and redistributes this money so everyone is whole and able to turn a profit, although not obvious.
The rich teams that make tons of money are expected to contribute to the league after they have made a huge return on their teams.
At the end they get their kick back from profits by the league.
Like every big league sport/entertainment they have a system in place that all 30 teams understand and endorse.
They are trying to grow teams/interest in southern states because of the future potential of these markets on the bottom line.
Now Bettman has to put on the villans hat and try to get the players back to 50%, where every other sport has its players.
If they continue to grow the league and it goes up another billion dollars the players would be getting 65% of the revenues, which is not realistic.
When a team commits 100 million dollars over ten years or 10 over one year. They are investing in that player attracting $20 million dollars of extra revenue, so it is based on sound business principals. Invest in the players and they bring in the fans, and people buy more pay-per-view.
How would the players get 65%? How would that ever happen?
57% is the max they could have gotten under the current deal. No matter what the revenues grew to.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
So you are saying that if they kept the current agreement in place for the next 6 years and the NHL grew revenues another billion dollars, they could not raise beyond 57%?
How come they rose over the last agreement, help me to understand where my thinking is wrong.
wjc
Suppose revenue is 4B. @ 50%, players get 2B.
If revenue grows to 6B, players get 3B. Still 50%, or half.
Amount goes up, % stays the same.
Okay that makes sense. Confused how the last agreement worked then. I thought the cap kept rising.
Isn’t revenue and the cap the same thing. Does cap not rise.
meant to say total revenue goes up, cap goes up, salaries go up
wjc
Yes, the cap rose to keep pace with revenue.
The pie got bigger, so did the players’ piece.
Revenue sharing is not the cap. It involves distributing revenue from the rich teams to the poorer teams.
Revenue sharing == Robin Hood
The Cap rises because the revenues rise.
Like Oz said, lets use 50%
Revenue 4 billion… players 2 billion
If revenue is 6 billion… players get 3 billion
Revenues rise 2 billion… players share rises 1 billion.
Every increase in revenue increases the amount the owners get and the amount the players get.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Strong opinions, with a tenuous understanding of how the system actually works. Other than the percentage thing that people have already mentioned, you seem to be suggesting that players’ salaries went up and down every year. The overall pot (which influenced the salary cap) was based on percentage and could fluctuate (although it always went up), but individual salaries were set when they were negotiated (other than a small percentage for escrow, which they always ended up getting back). Their contract was their contract, and their salary was their salary (for the most part).
I have a problem with suggesting that players knew that the owners would eventually contest the contracts that they had signed (in some cases only days after their signed them), and that the players should therefore be okay with that. I’ve said this a few times, but a contract is a legally binding document, and it’s reasonable that an employee should expect that contract to be fulfilled. I love my job, but if my employer decided that they didn’t want to pay me because she felt our profits were too low, I would not appreciate it at all.
That “legally binding document” states that it’s terms can be superseded by the terms of the CBA.
If Suter’s agent didn’t advise him that a rollback was a possibility, well then, he didn’t earn his ~4M$, IMO.
I am not saying this quite right, I think I am communicating poorly.
When revenues go up, then cap goes up?
When players sign a contract, do they not realize that a new agreement can alter that agreement?
Did they not make more money on old agreement because revenues went up…..cap went up…….players money went up.
Does that not follow that if the agreement is changed, salaries go down. Would the player agent not know this fact.
It can fluctuate….up…..or …..down according to agreement and revenues……..less revenues….less to share…..
More revenues more to share.
Just color me confused, seems to be some disagreement on my take on this?????…..help me understand.
wjc
Great picture of George Laraque in drag:
http://teliopost.com/pictures
Telio
The greatest Canadiens and NHL news-site: http://teliopost.com/
Twitter: @teliopost
Dear HI/O writers,
I’m not saying throw away the fantasy thing we’re doing here, but could we see some reports on our Habs prospects in the junior system on a regular basis? I’m sure most of the commentariat here would be more interested in hearing about how guys like Gally, Vail, Hudon, Bozon, Kristo, Thrower, Collberg, Dietz, Archambault, etc. are progresing, if they’re scoring, are they getting good ice time, etc. I know I would.
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It’ll always be Habs Inside/Out to me
I’m with you man, I don’t care about anything NHL right now until these $%&holes get back to work. Including a dream that the Habs are actualy 7-2 to start this year.
Let’s here about the people really playing right now please…
Feels like the Gazette is being paid by EA. At this point the joke/originality of the season that wasn’t has pretty well run dry. You have to be delirious to enjoy this fantasy season.
SUMMIT NEWS!.
I have had a couple of calls pertaining to refunds from a couple of members that had missed this notice!
Summit News! LOCK OUT,
I have instructed the Bell Center to not refund my visa account, but to hold on to our money and replace all the tickets purchased with the same seats at a date of our choosing.
They are going to do that for us.
It would be a nightmare for me to get everyone’s mailing address, pay for money orders U.S. and Canadian, stamp envelopes etc. for a hundred and fifty people.
I am just not going to do that.
Anyone who could not make the new date next year, we will help you sell your new tickets to other HIO members that would like to go on the new Summit dates.
Summit game tickets, News, Pictures and comments
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montreal-Canadiens-We-Are-Fans-Summit/197390760316125
Sure hope this works for everyone.
Ian
Don’t sweat it Ian. Just sit back and enjoy the off-season.
See you next year!
*********************************************
“I’m here to tell you: Gary Bettman hasn’t felt this alive since he killed Harry Potter’s parents.”
Thanks Brian!
Hey…this is for Dave Stubbs.
Great job with the charity dinner. If you want to turn it up a notch, perhaps ask each player to match the winning bid??
Despite the lockout, I assume they could all afford it and that would be an AMAZING gesture this time of year.
Just a thought.
Go Habs Go!!
“Fans are great, but the quickest way to start losing is to listen to them.” – Sam Pollock
Jeez man, go easy! They’re unemployed!
You want to get blood out of a stone?!
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Loving how he’s spending other people’s money.
It’s just a thought Cal. It would be for a great cause and likely would not hurt the players’ lifestyles that much. I could give the equivalent of my salary, which would be roughly $20.
Go Habs Go!!
“Fans are great, but the quickest way to start losing is to listen to them.” – Sam Pollock
An Early Look at what Team Canada’s World Junior roster could look like, with extra talent this year due to the lockout.
http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/10/31/early-look-team-canada-world-juniors-2013/
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Cool. Strong line-up. Will be fun to watch. I like the token Hab in your line-up.
McDavid – too young for the tourney, I think.
Given his performance in the Canada/Russia series, I think he’s more than just a “token” on this team.
For McDavid, I agree. Not ready yet, which is why I mentionned him but ultimately left him off the team.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Kidding about Hudon…although Drouin playing next to MacKinnon on the 3rd line would be intriguing.
So, if I understand where we’re at, it’s a case of “we won’t negotiate off your proposal” vs. “well your proposal sucks and we won’t negotiate off that proposal”. Dinks.
So, if I was in charge (and I should be), I’d retain Ken Dryden for a couple of weeks to look things over and create a hybrid proposal that each side hates equally and see if these shmucks can get some actual negotiating started.
Any chance that Boone shows up at Moishes and gives a live blog of the dinner conversation? Could be the most excitment we see from Habs players all winter!
Come on Boone make it happen.
LOL
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
For those wondering how are friend Jim (Habfan 10912) is making out, here is some footage from his area.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121031/MEDIA0201/121039927/-1/WAP
Looking like it could be awhile before he and others in his area get power restored.
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2012/October/31/O&R_update1-31Oct12.htm
What a mess. I can see where that may take a while to straighten out.
Sure hope that wasn’t his car under the tree. Chin up Jim!
Happy Halloween Everyone!
I received a request, so here it is:
http://calsnhllockout2012songparodies.weebly.com/1/post/2012/10/no-time.html
Nice job Cal, especially like the closing lines.
Have a good Halloween.
(Have to admit, I was expecting the Monster Mash, perhaps JB will be providing that one)
Great stuff Cal. Maybe these should be emailed to both of them – give them a further understanding of fans frustrations.
I hope the Habs aren’t pulling a Brian Savage here!!
Yours truly, a very serious Habs fan who hopes this goodwill will last past mid-November.
We want Boone to fantasy LIVE BLOG!
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THE KINGS ARE KINGS!! 2012
it would be nice if the team current stats were. like after each game post an updated fantasy stats page or something. i think it would help people get more into it while we wait for real hockey…if it ever comes. maybe even post the videos?
7 in a row.
I think your playstation/xbox is broken.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
7 in a row off the top isn’t that far-fetched. Leafs do it every year don’t they?
…Hick’s Fantasies !!!
…He really has no shame, does He not ?
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What I WANT ! is an aircraft carrier at centre and nuclear destroyers on each wing going to the net like bats out of Hell !, …NO MORE rubber duckies !!!
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Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
Campaign to Retire Toe Blake’s Number 6 !!!
Bring Back Boone, and send Hickey to Hamilton until the f&*(^g NHL season resumes !!!
…and, last, but not least: FREE PUSSY RIOT !!!
…here Pat, is a ‘fantasy’ that any red-blooded male HIO member will give more than a rat’s ass about http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/paulina-gretzky-sexy-halloween-no-winter-classic-no-190321361–nhl.html
…maybe, this is an idea for the journalistic wizards of HIO writing this filler crap, to attract ‘eye balls’ ?
PS: Happy Halloween !!!
Seven wins in a row. Really remarkable. I ‘m impressed. Looks like MaxPac is continuing where he left off last year.
Don’t miss Cammi too much. Always injury prone and it looks like he will now be out for a while with a concussion.
First but I really don’t care.
Does first count when the thread is just fantasy?
…’bad’ for him, …honkin’ GOOD for Us !