No hockey, but still plenty of hockey stories to tell.
Here’s a list of links to the online versions of the stories in this week’s Hockey Inside-Out special section.
Stu Cowan: HIO fans express frustration
Pat Hickey: Bouillon happy to be back home
Hickey: Habs owner optimistic a deal will get done
Dave Stubbs: There’s a new sheriff in town (and his name is Brandon Prust)
Stubbs: Prust already has a soft spot for Montreal
Brenda Branswell: Colby Armstrong excited for a fresh start
Branswell: Lockout puts Leblanc on the road to Hamilton
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Beats me why the players don’t just start their own league with teams in the cities they’re locked out of. Give the concessions and parking to arena operators, 25% of the gate, and keep everything else. Television would tag along. They could even leave room at the season’s end for a challenge cup, best of seven against another league’s champions.
So Alex Galchenyuk has been named captain of the Sarnia Sting.
And some great local news from my home town:
The Quebec Players’ tour this year will include some NHL players, including Fleury, Letang, Darche, Burrows, Brassard, Gagné, Desharnais and Vlasic.
And they’ll be playing at our local Chateauguay Sports Complex on September 27th. Good times!
Hope they decide to come further east. Would love it.
Sweet! Is that the old arena across from my old high school H.S. Billings?
No. At the time, that was the Maple Arena, which became Scott Arena.
But it was in such state of disrepair, that it’s now the figure skating arena.
This one is across from LPP. It used to be Crepin arena, but as of last year, they added two new ice surfaces, turned it into a wonderful complex, privately owned, and it now the “Complex Sportif de Chateauguay”.
And the ice is unbelievable. As good as Edmonton’s.
It seems to me that a lot of the leagues problems would be erased with the relocation of the Phoenix Coyotes, ye Buttman stubbornly and pettily refuses to move them, even though it would be better for the league and the team. His attitude towards the Coyotes seems similar to that of a dim-witted dog owner who stubbornly refuses to euthanize his terminally ill dog.
______________________________________________________ …… and on the seventh day, the Lord rested, and while he rested, satan created the Bruins
Q; If Louis Leblanc has “bulked up” to 190, what was he last year?
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Hockey News listed him at 178.
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Thanks
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Sorry if this has been posted already but here’s a recent picture of him, looking a lot more filled out then last season.
http://westislandgazette.com/news/story/2012/09/20/nhl-lockout-puts-kirklands-leblanc-on-road-to-hamilton/
Let’s play if politicians were NHL teams.
Obama – Devils. Consistent performer, maybe a bit dull. Some opponents believe him to truly be the devil.
Romney – Isles. Not merely incompetent, but clownishly so.
PQ – Nordiques. Once thought to be out of business for good, but rumours of a rebirth won’t go away.
Federal Liberals – Habs. Previous consistent winners not looking like they will win again any time soon.
Greens – Columbus. Why do they even have a team? I mean, come on.
Which team are the Tories? The NDP?
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
To me the Tories are the laffs. They haven’t done anything right since ’67. (That’s 1867).
The NDP are the Canucks. Never have. Never will.
Sarah Palin – Maple Leafs. Always lots of presence. Tries real hard, with no direction whatsoever.
Stephen Harper – N.Y. Rangers’ Sather. A real blow-hard, bigger than his britches, located in a central location where there’s no concern for the environment. But loves his hockey.
Peter Mackay – Phoenix Coyotes. Delusional. Likes to play with the big boys, and takes as much money from his employer as he can. Offers little in return.
Obama – Phoenix Coyotes borrows money like it grows on trees… came in with great potential to do good but has failed miserably with economics.
Romney- San Jose – extremely successful in the regular season but can’t put it together when it matters.
Gary Johnson – LA Kings – all the right pieces to the puzzle but no one thinks he has a chance.
“In hindsight, it wasn’t worth it. It was a waste of time. We thought we were stronger than we were. We started falling apart as the months clicked by.
“It’s money you feel you never get back. At some point, we were sold a bill of goods. Everybody was buying it. Everybody thought, ‘Let’s not let each other down. Let’s do it for the future of the game. Blah, blah, blah.’ You’re only in the game so long.”
– Mike Modano, telling Craig Custance of ESPN.com what it was like to go through the 2004-05 lockout, which cost him more than $7 million in salary.
This is why the players will blink first – holding onto their position isn’t going to gain them anything. The owners have all the leverage in the end, and can wait them out. The “solidarity” of the players is already in question as the star players head to other leagues while the rest of the riff-raff are left to suck it up.
Interesting post.
Fehr might make a difference. That and the fact the players have been through this before.
One difference between the NHL and the NBA and NFL is that hockey is more international. Players DO have another place to go.
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
The hope, as I wrote last week, is that Fehr understands this and was hired to cave with dignity before the players lose money. However, with no talks scheduled, it is increasingly likely that games will be canceled. All of the players are getting 8% checks from the NHL to cover escrow money from last year. This will tide them over for a while. A minority of players have jobs in Europe or received signing bonuses in June. The players may not be feeling any sense of urgency.
Players should not try to maximize salaries in 10 years, they should try to maximize their near term personal earnings power. A lockout does not impact the long term value of a franchise. It greatly impacts the lifetime earnings of a typical hockey player.
Blue, blanc et rouge. Red and White for Canada. Blue for Smurfs.
Forbes Explanation of the numbers in the current negotiation, where they came from last time and where they are coming from this time.
Seems whenever David Stern makes a new policy in the NBA or wags his tail Gary Bettman follows suit.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/prishe/2012/09/20/recent-industry-trends-will-impact-players-share-of-nhl-revenues/
I don’t get it… Did Apple not test the Maps app at all?
They knew it would sell regardless, so why care ?
This is Microsoft level incompetence. Steve Jobs is rolling over in his grave.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Why? What’s the issue with it? Major bugs?
You mean before or after dropping Google and taking up Tom Tom?
This is all pretty self-inflicted.
But with their money, it’s not like they care.
I for one am not regretting my Galaxy S3 purchase whatsoever. Once Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is released for it next month, it’ll make a great smartphone even better.
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“Access Forbidden” gettin’ ya down?
Hold down Shift while clicking refresh.
I went from Blackberry 8380 to iPhone 4S so I think it’s amazing
That being said I will hold off upgrading to iOS 6
I went from the Blackberry Pearl to the I4S, so I hear you.
RIM, for all their early encouraging adventures, are pretty useless.
Does anyone know what happens to draft order if the season is canceled?
Do we go 3rd again? Or is it a pure lottery?
Or does Bettman rig the system to benefit whatever American team he thinks needs the most help, as in 2005?
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
its pure lottery based off the standings of the last 3 seasons, or at least thats what they said they did last time… but if you can rig an election you can rig a draft lottery….
Every team starts with 3 balls in the lottery jar, for every season of the last three in which the team made the playoffs a ball is removed up to a max. of 2balls removed. (insert joke here)
Therefore Habs get the minimum 1 ball in the lottery, Edmonton and Toronto would have all 3 of theirs in the lottery.
Would be awful for Habs.
And Edmonton ends up picking first overall……YET AGAIN!
So we really need there to be some kind of season so we can challenge for top spot.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
As Pierre Lebrun says, the issue of back-diving of some long-term contracts might set owners against owners, even if it is behind closed doors.
Imagine if the teams have to apply the actual year’s salary of a player against the cap, rather than the amortized one?
If that’s the case, then Suter’s and Parise’s contracts will put the Wild, Chicago and others in a heap of trouble.
Happy Birthday Guy. You gave me so many thrills over your career. The game-tying goal against the hated Bruins after the too many on ice penalty is just one of many.
I have a quick story about Guy that is a highlight and also a lowlight of my lifelong love of the Habs. In October of 1984, I happened to be in Montreal. A friend of mine took me to the Forum to watch the Habs play the defending Stanley Cup champion Islanders. I was amazed at the crowd every time Guy’s skates touched the ice. The resounding “Guy! Guy! Guy!” sent chills down my spine. But alas, it was a well-known fact that his “friend” Jacques Lemaire was putting the reins on Guy’s trademark style. So sad to see him try to lead an all-out attack but fail because his linemates were too far behind and he had no one to share his play-making genius.
I was only back on PEI a couple of weeks when word came down that Guy was retiring. What a shame to end this way. Three years later he made a successful comeback with the Rangers, then the Nordiques but he was never the same old Guy to me.
ESPN’s write-up on Seattle’s efforts in reeling in an NHL team.
There’s a great trivia question in there.
So Malkin took a big hip check last night in KHL game. He is okay and had a good game, but I wonder what happens to a guys contract in the NHL if he is severely injured in the KHL or whatever league. Is the insurance really going to cover the Big contracts?
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/20262560/evgeni-malkin-takes-a-big-hipcheck-in-eventful-khl-debut-video
Is Chris Simon still playing in KHL? He could always take a healthy (or unhealthy) run at pretty much anyone.
Here’s Ovie with a good open ice hit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbv-yYTJSFY&sns=em
i’m depressed…..someone tell me we won’t lose the “whole” season. 2004/05 was hard enuf to deal with……..nothing left to say….watching my habs is my warmth for the winter…i think about my habs all summer long…..please someone…..reassure me…..before i jump out of my window……….oh right i live in a basement…..
Happy B-Day to the Flower my Hero.I Like MT we will have a tougher team this year and MB said that PK will get signed.It is nice to see all the guys signed this year wanted to play for the Habs unlike past years.This is the best group of kids we have had in years our future looks great.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! GUY,GUY,GUY,GUY,guy,guy,guy,guy.
To think that your NHL lockout problems are huge, Just check this out.!
From Ian Cobb
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=W5mbldTkruM&feature=share ;
For those interested in some KHL hockey, here’s a link to a stream of a Dynamo vs Dynamo featuring Ovechkin.
http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/141877/2/watch-dynamo-moscow-vs-dynamo-minsk.html
I can’t it to work for me though.
It’s 3-2 for somebody.
I’m glad I’m on a Mac. As soon as I clicked your link, the pop-ups started, en masse.
Check out adblocker, it works for Apple computers as well.
Yeah I know. I’m good. Thanks. They were dismissed as soon as the links attempted.
But the live stream didn’t last very long.
I can’t really check them right now, but there are tons of links to stream of those KHL games.
I don’t know if it was posted earlier, but it’s the Flower’s 61st birthday today.
Happy Birthday Guy.
We certainly miss your streaking hair and skating!
Habby Birthday to the Flower!!
CHeers to a great one!
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61?? He’s even older than me,and I’m an old fart!
No one expressing birthday wishes to Guy today! Happens to be mine too, so it’s easy to remember.
double post
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Ont! Have a good one.
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Happy Birthday to both you and Guy today. All the best. What a neat birthday to share, my childhood hero!
@Bripro… I feel you pain buddy. The politics are more intense and personal when you are in the middle of it. I”ve been out of it for 30 yrs now but still miss Quebec(not the politics though). I used to get down there more often on business and when my son was at Concordia. Next time I get down there I would love to have a pint with you at the”Berry” or is the Girouette still there?
Holy cow…. you ARE as old as me.
The Girouette is gone. It’s now a Mr. Muffler.
The Salaberry is still there, but it’s a shadow of its former self.
If you are in the city however, you let me know and we’ll go to Hurley’s.
That way, I’m guaranteed a Guinness.
Cheers!
Will do Amigo! A muffler shop? Jeesh!
We don’t get to watch them play in Europe, but it’s nice to see Pleks staying in game shape with his new, albeit temporary, team.
https://twitter.com/IngridMbHabs/status/248588084554366976/photo/1/large
While the rest of the NHL is thinking about what to do, he’s playing hockey. That’s my guy! Makes me sad though… sniff! I really want to see him HERE.
Anyway – thanks… and thanks Ingrid!
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Thanks for sharing Brian, I’m kind of sad thinking he might get to play with better wingers there than he will here in MTL if there is a season.
Is this disturbing to others? While I understand Ms. Marios wants to be soverign, until she has achieved that, shouldn’t she abide by some long standing customs at the very least?
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/09/19/graeme-hamilton-marois-swearing-in-ceremony-becomes-a-sovereigntist-farce/
“disturbing” is an interesting way of putting it.
Born and raised here in Montreal, I now have 3 teenagers, 2 of them in University.
My family came to Quebec after World War 1.
I am so out of here.
The future of Quebec will not include Ed Lopaz.
Trying to be polite and respectful regarding the situation. I obviously don’t live there and don’t have a read on the situation as good as all of you folk who live there (or have lived).
I finally took a real indepth Canadian Political Science course in University, which allowed me to read up and understand where the initiative of the “Distinct Society” came from, and how there was an unfulfilled promise from the Federal gov’t. However, the levels to which it has now gone to, I can’t fathom.
It is disturbing to me, as I am such a fan of the people of Quebec that I have met as a Habs fan. I really hope this is more grandstanding than anything else, with hopes of extracting more “favours” from the feds.
In speaking of the English:
“Make them feel that they represent a treasure for all of us and that they are full members of the Quebec nation,” she said.
The first four words of that sentence are very telling. She may as well have said, “Pat them on the heads, and send them off to play in their room so that they don’t get underfoot.”
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Being a Hab fan is like buying real estate: only over the long-haul will you appreciate the true value of your investment.
its not about grandstanding at all. its about making demands that eventually will not and can not be met. each time the Fed turns down Marois she will whine and complain that Federalism is failing Quebecers, until it produces the “winning conditions” for another referendum.
I keep asking myself a basic question: How many referendums resulting in a No Vote against Separation until we finally lose one?
Maybe the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 10th or 20th referendums, eventually the Separatists will win one – and that will be the ONLY one that truly counts – because that will be the last one ever.
Ed, She can whine and bitch all she wants. I HATE Harper, but he has it right. Need help making Quebec better, come talk to us. Want to talk about more powers to Quebec, win a majority or else you’ll be talking to an empty chair.
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Ka is a wheel.
NHLPA vs The NHL: “Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right” – Stealers Wheel
Stuck in the Middle
OK….NO POLITICS!!!
NO POLITICS!!
I need a zen place to escape the insanity of our bush-league minority government.
I refuse to read your link. Sorry buddy. It’s not you, it’s the laughing cow!
It was not too bad, felt like a petty gesture to me.
But I support your not politics assertation.
I’ll keep it short and sweet, I’ve lived here all my (Almost) 54 years…. 33% of voters voted for the PQ?
That means that 67% don’t agree with PQ policies.
I play broomball and softball with ‘pure laine’ francophones, and many of them wanted separation/soverignty in the past, but they now realize it would be the worst thing for Quebec.
I’m convinced a majority of Quebeckers can’t stand Pauline Marois. She reminds me of a slimy conniving real estate saleswoman.
She should be selling shoes!
yeah cement shoes!!
What disturbs me about Marios is her face. But this is where we live – I have no choice but to see it now and then. I try to throw up a mental block.
Burly do you work? I mean… some days? Cause you sure aren’t workin’ today!!
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
I just throw up!
LOL
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
This is old news. Marois has always been part of the lunatic fringe. The only reason she is head of the Parti Quebecois is because NO ONE ELSE wanted the job.
Her minority government will not be able to achieve anything regarding their agenda.
The worst thing people could do is to leave. The less active Canadians in this PROVINCE, the more likely that laughing cow will get her way.
Disturbing, no. Provocative and par for the course, yes.
When Marois states that she wants to ensure that the Anglophone community will be treated well, and then appoints J.F. Lisee to – “build relations with the Anglophone community” – you know she’s just trying to piss off the Anglophone community.
All this means squat. Her hands are tied with her measly minority government.
Enjoy it while you can, Mme. Marois!
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Ka is a wheel.
NHLPA vs The NHL: “Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right” – Stealers Wheel
Stuck in the Middle
Someone educate me. How does this revenue sharing work? The players and owners split the profit or revenues in addition to their salaries. Or are they together. Therefore does a Carey Price get his 6 million plus a bonus based on revenue sharing. I am confused.
The revenue sharing being talked about is essentially a league governed transfer payment to the weak sisters of the league. This money is generated by the large revenue teams (Toronto, NYR, Habs, Philly etc…) and then given to the small revenue teams.
The players want the NHL to use their revenue to do this, the owners are asking the players to reduce their share of Total Revenue thus preventing the owners from paying more in Revenue Sharing than they already do. (in a nutshell)
My issue with this as a Habs fan, is I don’t believe either the players union or league would be considerate of the fact the Habs are the highest taxed team in the league. Much of the extra revenue produced by the Habs has to service this tax burden.
Also, as a Habs fan, I don’t feel my team should be penalized further because we have incredible gate revenues. In the NFL and MLB the revenue sharing stream is greatly generated from HUGE national TV contracts, far greater than anything in the NHL.
Woke up this morning to my regular ritual.
Get the little guy ready for daycare, kicked my wife out the door (although she’d argue that point), got the chores done, planned my workday, then sat down with my double cappuccino and PB&J and Gazette in hand to find this week’s hard copy of the HIO supplement.
I’ve read most of it online already, but it was quite surreal to find you as well as a few others under the spotlight in the commentariat section.
Good job, buddy! It’s nice to see that our collective intellect makes hard-copy sometimes.
I want an autograph!
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Why? You’re in there too! I’m conversing with greatness!
Hi Ton. This might help.
http://nhl-red-light.si.com/2012/08/22/breaking-it-down-why-nhl-owners-oppose-revenue-sharing/
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I was just reviewing the list of NHL owners. Even if you’re a billionaire who wants to support the NHLPA’s position, it’s gotta be pretty hard to go against the 27 other Billionaires/funds in the owner’s club (left out NJ and Pheonix).
A lot of these guys have competing and converging business interests and if they hurt them here, they might turn around and hurt them back elsewhere.
The owners have no problem going against eachother. They want to beat eachother. They are all very driven to win. The owners will not go against the head office. Bettman is secure as NHL president. He can fine or discipline owners as he chooses.
I think the owners feel they can make more money by reducing salaries. I think they feel in charge. They locked out the players. They can unlock the doors. I think the owners know how far they can take this.
Blue, blanc et rouge. Red and White for Canada. Blue for Smurfs.
Woke up in a nasty mood again with this lockout and then I see that picture of The Rocket , pouring Champagne into Lord Stanley. Suddenly I feel good again.Thanks for that Stephanie!
I bet your foul mood had more to do with Marois naming Leo Blouin as “anglophone liaison”. That’s rich!
I thought it was Jean-Francois Lisee?!?!?
Probably. I don’t really care who she assigned.
The hypocrisy of it all just hit me like a slap in the face!
She certainly is “La vache qui rie!”
At this point I say screw’em both (NHL / NHLPA)
ONCE A HAB, FOREVER A HAB!!!
Agree 100%…..Both parties are equally at fault!
As much as I dislike Bettman, Donald Fehr is right up there with him…
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eric-Engels/Can-the-Players-Save-the-Season/82/46631
Eric Engels does a pretty good job surmizing the current situation between Owners and Players.
And in the Globe today, Sean Gordon weighs in on Molson wanting hockey this year. The article is very similar to Mr. Hickey’s, I can’t help but think Geoff Molson is on a bit of an island (no pun intended) when it comes to owners in the league. He needs hockey to be played so he can make money and pay down the interest on his purchase of the Habs. I also think Molson truly respects the players on his team and wants what is best for them. Gordon alludes to how Darche gives the impression Molson is not happy with the current work stoppage.
I wonder how much players on the Habs will recognize how their owner is acting versus other owners, and can this lead to other players perhaps wanting to be part of the Habs?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/molson-keen-for-quick-resolution-to-nhl-lockout/article4554624/
That’s a nice piece Gerald. Thanks for sharing. Did you see Cal’s avatar? It has replaced yours and habfan0 as my new favorite. CHeers bud. Have a good day.
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Morning Chief! Yah I think Cal nailed it with that avatar. In fact the other part of it that I find symbollic is that his avatar is the New NHL logo which of course Bettman had to screw around with as well. What was wrong with the old logo, no Gary had to “rebrand” the logo with L.A. Kings colours and change the direction the letters are placed in the logo.
Way to Go Cal!
Gerry
I have to think that the big money teams (pretty much the original six plus Vancouver an Philadelphia) ought not to be happy about the lockout.
Not all have the debt service issues that Molson has but many have media properties that depend on the product.
What is the ongoing mystery to me is why teams like Boston and philly act seemingly against interest in siding eiyh and even initiating the lockout.
Just Jacobs and snider being pure evil?
“Et le but!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNsgckvAJNQ
I wonder the same, and all I can come up with (aside from Pure Evil) is that Bettman and his Rumple Stiltskin impersonation has Bettman in a position of power with these two over favours granted in the past. I really actually believe that Bettman has made so many side deals with individual owners that they are almost afraid to act with any independance. I like to believe that we have the only owner who still has his own soul.
In reading the story of MT and Mellanby going to visit Prust, makes me wonder how the conversation would have gone had JM done some door to door sales for the Habs.
I can just imagine him showing up at someones house, ringing the bell and then showing the player one page of his notepad then start counting to ten. If the player doesn’t sign by then he goes to the next house.
The more I am hearing about MT I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I was not happy when they hired him not by a long shot but with some of his actions he has shown his passion to form a core unit that plays with some sandpaper. I am interested to see what he can do. I guess we may have to wait for next year to see that though…..Damn
So Darren Dreger of TSN says the NHL will begin a more aggressive plan to root out the divers and embellishers in the game. I like this idea, may be hard on the Canucks though with Lapierre, Burrows and Kesler all guilty of this tact.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=405669
Really? Is THAT the problem with the NHL? It’s not the injuries… not the concussions…. not the sh#t players are allowed to get away with that fit within ‘the rules’… not the inconsistent reffing which seems to worse and worse each year…. yah, it’s the divers. Yah, fix ‘em and the league will be GREAT. Oh – and I TOTALLY trust the refs to know who’s diving and who’s not.
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
2 articles about Prust in as many days!
Looks like Stubbs has a man-crush.
Well Prust does seem to be a burgeoning fan favorite already. He certainly knows how to get the language police off his back. Dating a cute Quebec Vedette is definitely a novel approach!
I suspect most of HI/O will end up with a man crush on this guy once he gets to lace em up for the Habs. I am getting prepared for dealing with this, not sure how, but trying.
Man crush? Or shortage of ideas?
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
I was thinking ‘shortage of ideas’ until I read this line:
“Yet in Prust’s hard rock body ….”
So, I’ll stick with man crush.
Man crush or more!
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Max gives some strategies for those feeling blue over the lockout in the latest “NHL Happy Hour”
http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/20/nhl-happy-hour-lockout-has-me-feeling-blue/
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Here’s the latest book from Todd Denault, whose earlier work, The Greatest Game, was the subject of a thread Sept. 6.
good stuff, love denault’s work
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
sorry if this was already answered, but wouldn’t reducing the players salaries also be a breach of contract, and leave the players who want to leave a way out of theirs?
The CBA supersedes the contract.
Lockout — Day Five
Trying my best to prepare for a winter without hockey.
Took time to smell the roses today. Before Mrs. Johnson chased me out of her garden.
Took the dog for a walk. Good thing he’s not heavy.
Tried meditation. Didn’t help. Tried medication. Same thing. Tried mendication. That REALLY worked out well. Now I can buy better medication.
Went to the attic and got out all my hockey trophy. Just one, in two parts. The little player got separated from the base which reads: Perfect attendance Manotick Tykes 1942.
Good morning JB. Glad you found your trophy. My ex threw mine away. Mine was for tying my own skates, Watertown Squirts.
PS – Thanks for the medication idea.
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Mornin’, Jim
I never did get a trophy for tying my own skates. I’m envious. I coulda had two trophies.
Hope the medication helps. The new stuff is makin’ me mellow. I came across Bettman’s face on one of the sports pages last night and didn’t even gag.
Would be honored if you two gentlemen would “proofread” my book, “Jack Daniels and Me; Southern Comfort for Lockout Days.”
“May you live in interesting times.”
A romantic comedy?
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Inspiration for another chapter!
“May you live in interesting times.”
Diary of a Mad Habs fan continues tomorrow. Be there or don’t show up.
Morning Cal. Great Avatar bud. I love it!
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Thanks, HF. It just seemed right to use it at this time of our Great Disappointment.
Hang in there John, only about 360 more days to go, they always say the first 7 days are the hardest when kicking a habit. I am sure a couple weeks from now you will be providing us all with the updates on the INternational Figure Skating competitions being held around the world. I look forward to reading, heck you may even be doing Triple Salchows!
Nice! I have a team picture of my 1962 Ville De Lery Mosquitos. No helmets, just toques! (Outdoor rink)
Thanks HI/O for all the stories/links. Perhaps a bigger thanks to Mr. Cowan who put some of the Commentariats names in the bright lights of the Gazette!
The current roster may not be ready to challenge for a division win and may be make or break for playoffs, but I do look forward to watching this group play.
Even better, if we actually get a CBA, MB and the other GM’s in the leagues can finalize contracts with RFA’s and move on to other things like Tweaking ™ the roster with trades.
Yes thanks Mr. Cowan, I just seen my comment in the Gazette woohoo ^_^.
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
Good morning Cat. There are a lot of you who are now famous. When we finally do have a summit I need some autographs. Very cool.
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Way to go, Burli.
With Leblanc now weighing in at 190 pounds, he won’t be one of the bigger guys in the league but he definitely won’t be a ragdoll anymore either. He should definitely be over the “Pouliot” effect of having a tall and thin frame that made him super light and easy to take off the puck.
At 190, he should be able to stay strong on the puck which compliments the way that he likes to play hockey and should make him a more dynamic player. I think that by next year he will probably max out somewhere between 195 and 198. Glad to see how seriously he has taken his development. He just may turn out to be that first line talent we hoped he would be!
Morning geo. Agree. All good signs. Seems to have a good head on his shoulders to go along with some quick hands.
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Definitely a good thing.
It was tough for him to bulk up last offseason after shoulder surgery. Good to see he’s bigger this year.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
The same can be said of Eller.
Bang on both of you Oz and Commandant. I don’t think it can be overstated the difficulty both players had with an offseason where shoulder surgery was involved.
Ryan White had a similar last offseason with his injury.
I love it that MT and Mellanby went over to Prust’s place and brought the sweater with them.
If you want to win, you have to try harder. Nice work les boys.
Yeah it definiitely bodes well for the direction that the team is going on. Therrien is slowly making me come around to him. He is saying all the right things and seems like he has his eye on the prize. A coach who comes in with a winning mentality can spark the players. I think that is something we’ve been missing the last few years, even when we were flying a little higher as a team.
…enjoyable reads, especially from Stubbs on Prust
)
…Prust, Armstrong, Moen, White and other prolific potential muckers in the System …suddenly We have ‘the pugnacity and truculence’ that delusional leprechaun in T.O. has been saying he wanted for the Weedz for the past several years …Price-less (literally
…MT says He would relish a Prust-type player on each line …He seems to have that in spades
…I have not been in Quebec since ’96, and never heard of Marie-Pier Morin …but I am impressed Brandon shares My taste in ladies
…Leblanc added 10 pounds of muscle and now is almost 200 lbs. …AHL time for Our Youngers to better be taught and learn Their chops
…on one hand, I just want this lock-out over with and Our Habs to make Their magic on the glace, because Our Vets need to not waste a season of Their careers and I’m damn horny for hockey …on the other hand, Our Young-guns will definitely benefit from a highly-competitive AHL schooling
…talk about Me bein’ fickled
…I plead, no contest !
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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 !!!
…and, last, but not least: FREE PUSSY RIOT !!!
So the Great Ape has threatened not to return if his salary is rolled back!
Good, and void his guaranteed contract at the same time time so he can stay in Moscow forever!
He might learn that loosing money to a CBA might be exponentially cheaper that paying the mafia in his own backyard.
Strange how Ovetchkin’s production dropped at the same time increased testing for PED’s was implemented by the NHL!
Very strange!
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The cerebral insight of PJ Stock:
“Le problem est Markov n’a pas jouer un seul game cette annee”
“Louis Leblanc est un kid locale”
” I have a pet peeve”
…Roy, losing Ovechkin to the KHL, to Me, is not as big a deal as it would have been a couple years ago …now, if Malkin defected, that would be a loss
central scouting released 2013 prospect watch list
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=641797
and
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=641798
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