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HHOF Iceholes

_13_ — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:30:53 GMT

I wrote this a couple months ago.

The Hockey Hall Of Fame Selection Committee.
Pat Burns hasn't coached a single NHL team that he didn't win either a Jack Adams award or a Stanley Cup.
The HHOF has decided that Pat Burns isn't worthy of induction this year. Let's face it, if not for his current state of health, this would be a non issue. Burns will be in inducted sometime so why not now and give the man something to smile about.
What is the criteria you say? I am glad you asked :D

1. Builder Coaching, managerial or executive ability, where applicable, or any other significant off-ice skill or role, sportsmanship, character and their contribution to their organizations and to the game of hockey in general.

Won a cup, has 3 Jack Adams.

2. May be active or inactive.

I'll have to check on this and advise.

3. ONLY members of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee may submit official nominations of candidates for election into Honoured Membership (such nominations are considered at the Annual Elections Meeting of the Selection Committee).

Surely someone on the committee can put up their hand and say " PAT BURNS"

4. Nominations from members of the Selection Committee shall be made annually in writing and must be filed with the Chairman of the Board of Directors no later than midnight (Toronto time) on April 15 in each year. A nomination will be valid and effective only for the annual election proceedings following the filing of the nomination.

My bad, didn't realize it had to be in writing. Sorry Pat.

While Pat Burns has won the most Jack Adams, and the only rookie coach to have accomplished this feat, he also has a long list of achievements.

* 113-91-1 record in 3 QMJHL seasons
* Coached in the Memorial Cup in 1986
* 42-33-4 record in 1 AHL season
* Youngest ever coach of Les Habitants
* Makes up 50% of the people who coached both the Habs and the Leafs
* 3 NHL division titles
* 5 NHL playoff appearances
* 2 of these appearances were finals
* 1 Stanley Cup ring
* 1 cup finals in rookie year

Pat has also given us some great quotes

When asked to comment an article that was published in a Toronto newspaper after Team Canada lost the World Cup against Team USA, reporting that Canadians Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey went to Chez Par�e, Pat Burns said:

�They can do what they want after games. It's nobody's business as long as they weren't there between the second and third period�

Explaining why he moved Jason Allison off the team�s first line, he said:

�There are three things that are sure. You're going to pay taxes, you're going to die, and I'm going to change the lines.�

During a playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres, the Bruins coach responded to all the comments about how strong Sabres goalie Dominic Hasek was:

�I think he let some goals in this year. His goals-against average was not 0.00.�

A reporter asks Burns about the incident where Latrell Sprewell of the NBA tried to strangle his coach:

�If one of my players ever wants to hit me, he better do it really hard because otherwise, I�ll find a rock, a stick, or a piece of wood�and believe me, it�s gonna be a brawl...�

hen asked by a reporter where the exercise room was in the hotel, he simply replied:

�You�re asking me where the exercise room is?�

Join the other 70,000 people at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108020299222767 even you iceholes at the HHOF committee can sign up too.

Hockey Dads

_13_ — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:54:22 GMT

Hockey Dads

A hockey players biggest fan 99% of the time is the bag of flesh and bones we call the hockey dad....notice how I didn't mention brains or hearts? Most are OK but over the years there have been some fine examples of HDGW....hockey dad gone wild.

In 2003 a Calgary a HDGW filed a statement of claim against Springbank Minor Hockey Association claiming that coaches and evaluators showed favoritism towards their own kids during all star evaluations. HDGW claimed that by assigning his kid to house league and having to wear a house league jersey the association inflicted mental suffering and emotional stress on the boy. "He became socially isolated and expressed a desire to immediately quit his beloved game of hockey,"

Apparently $50000.00 should restore the kids self esteem.

In 2000 a Reading Massachusetts parent/coach was taken to the hospital after a fight with a HDGW. Parents in the stands got agitated as a non contact scrimmage got a little chippy and a fight ensued. The man later succumbed to his injuries.

Remember just a couple of years ago in London? Officials claim a Kitchener player was injured when checked from behind by a London player, which sparked a fight. The London player was thrown out of the game and suspended for three more. When the game ended the linesman was attacked by a HDGW while leaving the ice. There was even an cell phone clip making its way around the media of this event.

And then there is the HDGW who is in charge of discipline in his league who sent emails to officials complaining about calls against his son on a little fake artist. HDGW even went so far as to not discipline another player who took out this little fake artist and laid him up for a couple months with post concussion syndrome....what an icehole!

Ouch that hurts!

_13_ — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:13:45 GMT

In honour of Snoopy's latest injury and his history of unlucky injuries lets look at some other athletes misfortunes.

Dave Beasant, the former England goalkeeper, ruptured his ankle ligaments avoiding a falling bottle of salad cream he had just taken out of his fridge. He was injured for two months.

Adam Eaton, the baseball pitcher, apparently stabbed himself while attempting to open a DVD in 2001.

Sam Torrance, the former Ryder Cup golfer, fractured his sternum in 1993 when he fell over a plant pot whilst sleepwalking. He almost missed the matches at the Belfry.

John Smoltz, of the Atlanta Braves injured himslef while trying to iron his shirt.....while wearing it.

Sammy Sosa, the Cubs right fielder injured himslef by sneezing that resulted in back spasms.

Glen Healy, of the Toronto Maple Leafs is an accomplished bag pipe player. While trying to change the bag, Healy cut his hand and required stitches. Healy didn't miss a game! He's either a tough guy or the injury happened in the off season.

Glenallen Hill, of the Toronto Blue Jays suffered from arachnaphobia....a fear of spiders. One terrifiying nightmare involving Hill being chased by a giant eight legged freak, caused the outfielder to fall out of bed, cut his foot on a glass night table and then fall down the stairs. I wonder why the opposing teams used to call him Spiderman.

and my personal favorite

Clarence Blethen, was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and the Brooklyn Robins who decided that he would look much tougher if he took out his false teeth while he pitched. He would slip them into his back pocket while batting and put them back on whenever he took the mound again. On one play, though, Blethen forgot that he had his dentures in his back pocket and literally bit himself in the ass sliding into second base.

Toronto Maple Leafs 2010 Draft

Alfie11 — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:56:27 GMT

...lol

Playoff Predictions

alfie forever — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:38:42 GMT

It's amazing sometimes what boredom can do to someone and for me, it has forced me to post to my blog. Blogs have been hugely unpopular for a few months and while this won't resurrect them, it'll at least give me something to do for the next, mmmm, 10-15 minutes.

So, playoff predictions. Predicting the playoffs in February-March is much smarter than predicting the regular season results in September and there's a bit mroe chance you'll be right. There are still plenty of spots left out there, but I have my views on what will happen and who will be the top 8 teams in the West and East. In my opinion, Washington, New Jersey, San Jose and Chicago have all but guaranteed playing with hockey sticks and not golf clubs past April. Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Ottawa (:D), Vancouver, Phoenix and LA are close to joining that club of near-clinchers. That leaves roughly 6 spots (3 in both conferences) spots up for grabs. In the East, I believe those spots will go to Philadelphia, NY Rangers and Tampa Bay. Florida, Boston and Montreal will just miss out. In the West, the lucky ones should be Calgary, Anaheim and Detroit. Nashville and Colorado will fall out, while the rest of the pack won't come close enough. So, if taht's what happens, here are my playoff predictions....

EAST

ROUND 1

1) Washington Capitals vs 8) Tampa Bay Lightning

Currently the league's best team will stay there and the powerhouse Caps should have no troubles against the one-line and young Bolts.

Washington in 5

2) New Jersey Devils vs 7) New York Rangers

The new-look Devils can go far in the playoffs. The new-look Rangers will fall to their opponent's depth and their own questions, but will put up a fight.

New Jersey in 6

3) Ottawa Senators vs 6) Philadelphia Flyers

Yes, the Sens will win the division, though just barely. the Flyers will go a long way in securing a playof position. Philly's tough, but a hot Sens team can beat virtually anyone.

Ottawa in 6

4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs 5) Buffalo Sabres

For some reason I think the Pens will face some major problems come playoff time. In the meantime, I think the Sabres will just lose out in the Northwest and Miller will be on fire and hungry for more.

Buffalo in 7

ROUND 2

1) Washington Capitals vs 5) Buffalo Sabres

Ryan Miller is the only thing that is truly hard to solve in Buffalo. AO and Co. should solve him though.

Washington in 6

2) New Jersey Devils vs 3) Ottawa Senators

Flashback to 2007. Again the Sens will be considered the underdog to NJ and with the Caps beating the Sabres, these are the other two top team in the East. Well....

Ottawa in 7

ROUND 3

1) Washington Capitals vs 3) Ottawa Senators

The Battle of the Capitals may not be as impressive as Ovechkin vs Crosby in Round 2 last season, but with their current play, it will be a huge match-up. Cue Thursday's game as the Conference final preview.

Washington in 7
Caps advance to the Stanley Cup Finals on a power-play Game 7 OT winner by Mike Green. :lol:

WEST

ROUND 1

1) San Jose Sharks vs 8) Anaheim Ducks

Re-match from last season's first round, but the conference-best Sharks are out for revenge and they'll get it.

San Jose in 6

2) Chicago Blackhawks vs 7) Calgary Flames

Like the Pens, I feel the 'Hawks will have trouble in late March - early April. This will let the settled in Flames to take them down in a big upset.

Calgary in 7

3) Vancouver Canucks vs 6) Detroit Red Wings

The Wings will turn their season around late and the Canucks won't be able to stop them. It will be a good match-up, but Detroit will also pull off an upset.

Detroit in 6

4) Phoenix Coyotes vs 5) Los Angeles Kings

The two surprise teams will go head to head in an unpredictable match-up. I like the 'Yotes more and could be biased, but I think they could take LA down. Not an exciting match-up, but interesting...

Phoenix in 7

ROUND 2

1) San Jose Sharks vs 7) Calgary Flames

The Flames will make it past the first round finally, but the Sharks are the West's Washington. Pretty much unstoppable.

San Jose in 5

4) Phoenix Coyotes vs 6) Detroit Red Wings

Another match-up which will hold fans in astonishment. The Desert Dogs are the favourite against DETROIT?! All I can say is: What a season in the West!

Phoenix in 7

ROUND 3

1) San Jose Sharks vs 4) Phoenix Coyotes

The twin series of the East's Washington vs Ottawa, with a powerhouse against a huge surprise. Like the Sens, the 'Yotes won't be able to overcome the force of one of the league's best.

San Jose in 6
Sharks take this series with a 3-2 result in Game 6, with the winner coming from Patrick Marleau.

STANLEY CUP FINALS

1) Washington Capitals vs 1) San Jose Sharks

This is my finals prediction. I think Washington will meet San Jose no matter what happens in the rounds before. The Caps will have home ice imo, and this will go the full 7. Neither team has won the cup before. In goal, Varlamov will be a solid opponent to Nabokov. The Sharks defence will be better and well-rounded despite the efforts of Mike Green, but Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, Knuble and the Caps offence should outscore Thornton, Marleau, Heatley and Pavelski. I don't want to predict how this would end because it would be unpredictable, but if it was up to my gut....

Washington in 7

Ze Blog

alfie forever — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:59:30 GMT

STILL ALIVE

Yep, believe it or not, alfie forever, formerly known as Mr.Troublemaker, The Terror amongst other "terrifying" names, is still alive. While his presence might not be felt as it once was before his infamous suspension at the Sens Army Central, he is still here, always watching.

OK, enough of third person, as posting about myself always comes out better in first person. Still not having reached 300 posts, though an year ago, I'd have done that 10 times already, I am really slacking off in my conversations with Sens Army. With no times for debates in the hockey talk forums (though watch out when the 2010 Olympics roll around) and even avoiding the General Chat thread (goodness, I must be going crazy!), I come onto this forum from time to time to participate in the Fantasy League, Hockey pool, some soccer talk and then I leave again. Another forum's gotten into my brain too much and being human, posting on two forums is very difficult. Well, with the prediction league starting off soon, and me taking up the role of commisioner there, you'll see me more often than not online, however, it's still not much. Perhaps, someday, no one will remember my epic spamfest from the SAC and I will go down in history as the biggest lurker....

But don't you worry, I'm always reading what you have to say, and guess what, one of these days, I'm coming back for real.

See you soon....

Dani California

SENS19 — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:05:58 GMT

It's confirmed!! He's gone! No more rumours, false alarms or speculation!! Today is the day TSN graced its covers with a Dany Heatley trade! What did we get? Milan Mich�lek and Jonathan Cheechoo.

Best part about this is that we didn't lose anything with Heatley other than a 5th round pick. The worst part about it is that the Sharks don't play in Ottawa this season, so we won't be able to boo Heatley like we would like to. At first I didn't like the trade, in fact I was very very unhappy. But after calming down, absorbing the shock and thinking more about it, this is great for us. We are now no longer a one line team. We are faster and somewhat younger. We got better work ethic and players who actually give a damn. The future looks good people.

My theory is the Sens now have a very legitimate shot at a playoff berth and maybe not just fighting for an 8th spot. The way I see it is we have improved defense especially if Karlsson makes the team, our goaltending looks bright *crossing fingers* and our offense is more balanced than ever. These are my estimate predictions for our forwards:

Spezza 35+ goals
Alfie 40+ goals
Kovalev 35+ goals
Fisher 25+ goals
Mich�lek 25+ goals
Cheechoo 20+ goals

And those are our 6 guaranteed 20+ goal scorers. We still have Foligno and Shannon who are very much capable of pushing 20-25 goals each. We have Kelly who should give us 15 goals and Neil and Winchester who should contribute with a fair 10 goals each. With scoring balanced like that all around the team, this definitely makes us a better oriented team. And with a coach like Clouston, I repeat the future looks great!

* From S19 Hockey Thoughts

A Rockin September Part II

SENS19 — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:00:44 GMT

This edition's band is somehow related to our beloved Sens. I first heard about this band on a Mike Fisher feature in which he stated they were one of his favourite bands and his good friends. They are also the artists behind the goals song you hear every time Fisher scores. Thousand Foot Krutch is their name and Welcome to the Masquerade is their newest album released on September 8th 2009.

I think EA NHL games fans would recognize the band as one of their singles "Fire it Up" is featured on the new NHL10 soundtrack. Great choice too as there is no way you can listen to this song without getting pumped out. Another great pumped up song is Smack Down which will definitely be played at more than a few sports events. The band has stated this song is an homage to We Will Rock You and I like it! And the name the single Welcome to the Masquerade is not only a great album title but also a great song that combines Trevor Mcnevan's great voice, hardcore music to give an introduction to the rest of the album. If you've enjoyed the above songs, the loud powerful trend continues with Bring Me to Life, Scream, E is for extinction.

TFK try to get a little calmer with songs like Look Away which is based on e-mails the band got from fans about giving up. Slower songs also include Watching Over Me, Forward Motion and Already Home.

Then there are the songs which I combine a little head banging with slower melodic tunes at times such as The Part That Hurts the Most and Outta Control.

Rating: 9.5/10

This album will get pumped up no matter what and has some great lyrics that offer motivation to never give up and hope to people who feel like they're alone in the world. Great album all around and has impressed me even more than the new Chevelle album. There isn't one song on the album that I can say I dislike.

Favourites: Forward Motion, The Part that Hurts the Most and Fire it Up

A Rockin September Part I

SENS19 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:16:47 GMT

The past summer has been great for rock music fans as it has seen the release of great albums from Our Lady Peace and Alexisonfire. Billy Talent has also released a good album and a band that I wasn't necessarily a fan of before (Mariana's Trench) released an album that impressed me. And of course we cannot forget the discovery of the band After Midnight Project by our super Mod Sens Devil. But September is going to be even better and not just because Sens training camp is starting ;). Some great bands are going to be gracing us with new albums throughout the month, such as Breaking Benjamin and Thousand Foot Krutch. So from now on till the end of September, I'll be writing a review for each album as it is released. This week the victim is Chevelle who released their 5th album "Sci-Fi Crimes" on September 1st.

The title of the album is quite intriguing but don't be fooled, this isn't an album about aliens and space. Chevelle have excelled in this album by going back to their older work and adding a new element to it. Pete Loeffler has a great voice that has immense emotions in it and doesn't need to scream in a song for people to feel the power of his song. And to add to the beauty of the lyrics and his voice, the music and the sound of the guitars is as powerful and beautiful. This album has something for everyone from songs that are high on adrenaline such as their single "Jars" (this one is for you 13 :p) and A Change of Momentum to something a little calmer and slower such as Highland's Apparitions.

I think Chevelle have succeeded of staying the same kind of band but putting out something new. Unlike a band like Billy Talent, who as great as they are have been releasing albums that sound very similar to each other. Which is why I called their new album as good in the first paragraph. My rating for this album would be a 9/10 just because there is a useless track on the album called Interlewd.

If you're interested and I recommend that you check this album out if you're a rock music fan, the following are links about the band:

Wikipedia Biography: Chevelle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Their newest single: Jars: YouTube - Chevelle - Jars
One of my favourite songs of an older album: Send The Pain Below: YouTube - Chevelle - Send The Pain Below
Their Official Website: Media | The Official Chevelle Site

Listen to their new songs on Youtube: YouTube - chevelle- sci fi crimes

Recommended Songs: This Circus, Letter From A Thief and Jars

Still not sold about: Interlewed, Fell Into Your Shoes

Tell me what you think and stay tuned for my next edition of a Rockin September :)

Predictions and Updates

JoshLind — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:21:13 GMT

August 22, 2009
Predictions and Updates

From: The Lind Hockey File

Pre-season Conference rankings are coming soon! I have developed what I think to be quite a scientific method for ranking teams, and while I don�t want to give it completely away, I�ll let you in on some of the factors. There are, of course, the obvious considerations � offence, defence, and goaltending � but there is much more to be measured. It doesn�t suffice to simply compare team rosters in those three categories.

How well a team played in the previous season is usually an important consideration, and how they�ve changed in the off-season can be even more significant. It�s always important to look at the quality of a team�s youth and prospects � while it may not seem necessary for the current season, injuries and fatigue will always be a part of the game, and they will both often result in the need for teams to call up fresh skaters, sometimes early in the season. At the same time, the quality of a team�s experience cannot be undervalued � the balance of youth and experience on a team is something you can�t ignore when ranking them.

You�ve also got divisional play. Each team plays more than one quarter of their games � 24 to be exact � against only four of the other 29 teams. A certain team may be good, but if their four division rivals are all better, then they�re going to be losing games. There are also travel considerations. Some teams travel more than others do, but this changes each season. You might be tempted to think that because Team A travels more than Team B, the strain will be tougher on Team A. But if Team A is actually travelling 4000 miles less than they did last season, while Team B will be travelling 4000 more�you get the picture. For a great resource to compare team travel, check this out: How Much Does Your Favorite Team Travel?

I tend to give important NHL updates much quicker on twitter, and wait a while to analyze the events over here. So if you�re in need of quick updates, be sure to follow here: LindHockeyFile on Twitter � just don�t forget to come back here for the analysis. For a rundown of some of the bigger stories:

Patrick Kane was able to arrange a plea bargain, whereby the larger charge of felony robbery was dropped. Now, my understanding of the way a plea deal works is that you either plead guilty for a reduced sentence, or you plead guilty to lesser charges and have the larger charges dropped. But the day after having the felony robbery charge dropped, Patrick Kane proceeded to plead not guilty to the misdemeanour robbery and theft charges. Some people think it�s all over, but I have doubts about this one�

Dany Heatley finally addressed the media Friday, via telephone conference. He reiterated his desire to be traded, but still left fans hanging as to why, citing a perceived �diminished role on the team�. He did say, however, that he was prepared to report to camp if a trade wasn�t made by that time. Don�t expect it to happen. You can check out the press conference here: Heatley Conference Call.

There have also been updates here! Aside from changing the layout to feature the expandable articles, Twitter updates are now displayed on the sidebar and updated automatically, and the site log and disclaimer have both been updated (you can find them at the bottom of either column). Social bookmark buttons have been added for Delicious, Facebook, StumbleUpon, and Technorati, so give them a click if you�re on those networks! Also, a pretty nifty animated 3D tag cloud has been added, clicking the tags allows you to find the topics that interest you most.

And more is coming! There will soon be a contact form on the page, whereby registration for the Lind File Hockey Pool will take place. I can�t give out too many details yet, but the pool will be hosted on ESPN, so make sure to sign up for a free account at ESPN Fantasy Hockey. The contact form can also be used to ask me your fantasy questions, which I will e-mail you answers to and post in fantasy mailbags. I�ve also got plans to add games, videos, and a chat system � all hopefully before the season begins!

- Josh Lind

The Lind Hockey File

Ze Blog

alfie forever — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:46:48 GMT

ZE BLOG; SEASON 1 - EPISODE 3

Rant of the Day: K-I-C-K-A-P-P-S S-U-C-K-S, L-I-K-E S-E-R-I-O-U-S-L-Y I-T-S T-H-E W-O-R-S-T T-H-I-N-G E-V-E-R C-R-E-A-T-E-D B-Y M-A-N, A-RGHHHHHH!!

(kickapps sucks like seriously its the worst thing ever created by man, arghhhhhh!!!)

Just recently my good ol' account called Oilmaster at the Oilers forum has been changed to the devastating Vector-1 (:eek:) but thankfully kept its post counts, sigs and avatars and guess what, the Oilers forum actually cares about its members because they are actually changing their users usernames back to normal unlike the infamous Sens Army Central. However, Kickapps still sucks despite these somewhat good things (compared to SAC) at the Oilers board. Scrolling is pathetic, it's hard to use and ya, I'm not gonna frequent that site anymore. IT'S AWFUL!!!!

Thank you for your attention, Kickapps still sucks but it does have one use:

It gave us this wonderful forum.

Been away

alfie forever — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:37:28 GMT

I haz been obzezzed wiz anozer zite, zo I had lezz time to come here.

Ze Blog will rezume pozting tomorrowz.

Zank u

:crazy:

Ottawa Senators Alternate Jersey (S19 Hockey Thoughts)

SENS19 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:20:05 GMT

When the new third jerseys premiered last season, I don't think there were many Sens fans impressed. Yes the black colour was great and believe it or not the jerseys bought the team some good luck but they are still not favoured by Sens fans. The "Sens" writing on the jersey made it appear unprofessional and you should never use the team's nickname on an official jersey anyways imo. A great vintage design surfaced online last season with the "O" on it in honour of the team's history. The jerseys were black, classy and everything you want in a third jersey. Even after the release of the current third jersey, the O design seems to be gaining more popularity. And rumours have surfaced that the Sens may be releasing them as a replacement or even as a fourth vintage jersey. A petition site has collected 1490 signatures and counting from interested Sens fans.

If you would like to see the Vintage "O" Jersey as our third jersey, sign the petition here ---> Ottawa Senators alternate jersey

Uncertain Times

JoshLind — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:19:54 GMT

Friday, August 14, 2009
Uncertain Times

From: The Lind Hockey File

With little more than a month and a half remaining until the regular season opens, it may seem to some like the NHL is on the brink of turmoil. In the midst of ownership crises, teams up for sale, more than a few decent free agents still left unsigned, player arrests over the summer, noticeable loss of talent to the KHL, teams perilously close to the cap ceiling � and others just as close to the cap floor, it can seem a little disheartening. But rest assured, hockey faithful � when that first puck drops October 1st, some of these issues will be the furthest from our minds [...]

As of this writing, two NHLers could be facing charges in incidents that were made public. Alexandre Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks is reported to have high-sticked an opponent during a ball hockey match, while Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks will have a jury decide his fate concerning the taxi episode. While both accounts merit attention, the general consensus is that both players will start the seasons with their team, relatively unscathed.

As far as the ownership issue in Tampa Bay is concerned, it may not be as bad as it looks. Majority owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules will each have a chance to buy the other out. Should they both fail, the names of a few potential buyers have already popped out � a list that includes Hall of Famer Phil Esposito. Still, that leaves sales to be made for the Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens (still not finalized), Nashville Predators (minority sale), and � who could forget to mention � the Phoenix Coyotes. Will Jim Balsillie finally succeed in his bid to bring another team to Canada?

Every summer, a few free agents are surprisingly left unsigned. And a handful of players leave the NHL each summer, either to retire or to play in other leagues. But for the first time, there is a league that stands as a legitimate threat to the NHL � the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). This will be the issue that sticks, and the plethora of financial and cap-related negotiations that are needed to right the issue could be a heavy weight indeed.

That�s not to say there�s nothing else to talk about. Jeremy Roenick and Teppo Numminen have both retired, after 18 and 20 NHL seasons respectively. Will either of Roenick or Numminen join fellow 2009 retiree Joe Sakic in the Hall of Fame? It�s not all about retirements either � 40 year old Brendan Shanahan will play in his 22nd NHL season after signing a deal with the New Jersey Devils.

And trade rumours are still aplenty as well. The Dany Heatley saga still hasn�t met its end. Reports are just about split between him going to either San Jose, Minnesota, Buffalo, New York (Rangers), or remaining a Senator. Word is that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be starting the season with Tomas Kaberle, but the Boston Bruins are still looking to trade Phil Kessel. The Atlanta Thrashers are looking to add a piece to their roster (and coax Ilya Kovalchuk into sticking around � he�s a UFA next summer), so Kessel could be a nice fit there. The Oilers are still trying to land an offensive winger, and trying once again for Michael Nylander has been discussed. Alex Tanguay is also still available, but reported to be close to a deal with either the Tampa Bay Lightning or Minnesota Wild. Will any of these deals come to fruition? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

- Josh Lind

The Lind Hockey File

Summer of 09, next year and me rambling

AK27ReLoaded — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:07:25 GMT

This past summer and off season has been jam packed with action for us Sens fans! There are A LOT of things for us to look forward to this up and coming season! Coming off a season where we didn't make the playoffs for the first time in more than 10 years, a season where we had our worst record in more than 10 years, and a season where we scored the least goals again... in more than 10 years. Someone posted a thread asking has this been a boring off season? to that I say NO WAY! the EXACT opposite actually. That said I can't even begin to think why anyone would classify this summer as boring. I'd say that this has been the BIGGEST in history, THE BEST! and the busiest as well. Most is of course due to the neverending Heatley saga. Pascal Leclaire's debut season with us is HUGE too! and acquiring Alex Kovalev who other than Hasek is our biggest free agent signing in history is another big reason. We finally got the big name forward in July, something that has NEVER happend before. Got to hand it to Murray there, despite being strapped down and held hostage by Heatley, he still went out and got the BEST possible free agent left on the UFA list. When we signed Kovalev he was IMO the guy that could make the biggest impact here. Spezza is a center that could get Kovalev over the 40 goal plateau for the first time since the 2000-01 season. But all in all the off season definitely wouldn't have been as busy and interesting without the Heatley saga. Allow me to show you why I think this is the biggest and best off season in history and what good can come out of all this at least for me, but I doubt I'm the only one.

First off there is no doubt in my mind that if it wasn't for this saga, I wouldn't be here on this site. In June I was searching for a good place to find rumors, discuss alternatives with other fans, share my opinions and stay up to date in the happenings of all this. I checked all my usual rumor sites and meticulously searched for more. Now I know like 10, before it was like 2 or 3. It still didn't seem to be enough, I like to debate, I like to share opinons and I love researching stats. I like to think I have excellent hockey knowledge. I believe I know what I'm talking about. Predicting is also fun too, thats where all the trade suggestions come in, I could sit and do it all day!

Thats when I joined Sens Army. Without the Heatley saga I can't say I would have. I can't say I'd be continuously searching and searching for new sources on inside information day in and day out. I wouldn't even know about Senschirp! Doing all this I'm gaining more hockey knowledge, searching players, checking their Junior stats, and sometimes spending HOURS doing it! I would still be searching for rumors and signing as I always do in the off season but not even close to as much as I am now. Anyone else think that if Heatley didn't ask for a trade they wouldn't be here? there's definitely those who would say they wouldn't be logged in as much. I joined Sens Army on the Sens site and met the core of members there. Seeing that I shared a lot of the same opinions and views I immediately was hooked! there was humor and good people, so its not just the site that kept me here its the members as well!

So how many of you watched the NHL draft solely for the purpose of hearing Bettman say " we have a trade... the Ottawa Senators have traded Dany Heatley to..." I bet I'm not the only one. If I watch the draft it's normally only until Ottawa makes their first choice, well NOT this year, my ass stayed on the couch and my eyes GLUED to the t.v. Prior to the draft I was checking up on those who were supposed to be of the top 10 picks, Schenn, Kane, MPS, Cowen, ect... cause I knew there was a chance Ottawa could trade up and pick one of them. I was never one to pay attention to junior players and their stats. Now I am, again thanks to Heatley. I knew alot about the NHL and the players before, now I know even more!

I'm part of a hockey pool with huge payouts, (ask if interested, I'll give details) all this will definitely help in making my choices. I work security and it can really get boring, thanks to all this my shift will be done and I don't even notice its time to go home cause I'm too busy searching, chatting and comparing. Where as before I'm staring at the clock watching it go backwards playing spider solitaire. So I can thank Hetard for that too.

One definitely can't overlook the fact that there is one player who really wants to play here, one player who all things considered SHOULDN'T! Mike Comrie was acquired from Phoenix in 2006-07 for Alex Kaigorodov, he had very decent numbers playing half a season here scoring 25 points in 41 games. He was with us through our cup run, could have played better could have played worse. In the off season he expressed interest in returning here but ultimately jumped ship to the Isles for 4 million a year over 2 seasons. He played a full season in 2007-08 and then was once again acquired by the Senators this past season on Feb.21 after having hip surgery. I was stoked! I remember hearing Kenny B on Hot 89.9 announce the trade as I was leaving to go home after work, I started hootting and hollering Yeeaaahhhhhh as if Ottawa just scored an O.T playoff goal! hearing we also got Campoli made it that much better. I ALWAYS liked Comrie and NEVER would have guessed that Ottawa would re-acquire him.

He scored a goal in his second game, and then for whatever reason was given minimal ice time, and a job on our third line playing along side Chris Kelly. 20 games, 2 goals and 4 assists later, he's tagged as a waste of McAmmond. I can almost guarantee had he been consistently playing on the top 2 lines those numbers would have at the very least doubled. But he averaged around 14-15 minutes of ice time and on 2 occasions had 9:51 and 10:18 of ice time. Very surprising considering Comrie and Clouston go back to when Comrie was a teenager. So despite that he still wants to come back. Wow Commendable, No? I think now Murray is finally acknowledging that fact, as I have heard multiple times through multiple sources that he would like to get him signed, he did at the end of the season say that Comrie didn't "earn" a new contract. If you ask me he didn't get a chance to show Ottawa why they acquired him. 8 Teams have shown an interest in Comrie and he has yet to agree to any of the contracts offered. Which clearly indicates to me he knows where he wants to play next season, he understands Ottawa's hands are tied because of Heatley and is patiently waiting for the trade to happen. Why rent him twice and not give him a shot to start camp with the team BOTH TIMES, a chance to develop chemistry with players, something thats tough to do during mid season if you ask me. A healthy Comrie this year will get at least 50 points, and if it's him who centers Kovalev even more! So here's to hoping that he doesn't get the cold shoulder. He has something to prove this year and if given the chance with us, he won't fail IMO!

So the deadline to trade Heatley is tomorrow. I'm hoping if a deal for some reason doesn't get done that Murray is bluffing. I can't see Heatley returning here. I can't think of a hometown player who has been booed by his own fans as much as Heatley will be booed the year if he skates in a Sens uniform. I really don't think management should consider that an option after what happened with Yashin, and after Heatley has ignored calls from Captain Alfie and others. We don't need to be going into this year with a big question mark on what the dressing room will be like, and how players are going to react to the constant barrage of question that will be directed at them about Heatley. Murray should call Heatley, tell him that he only recieved 2 solid offers that are worthy. where to Hetard? Buffalo, Edmonton or are you going to cause another cancer in the dressing room? I'm happy that both those teams aren't teams from his list,,, that way a message is sent, were're the boss NOT YOU!

tick tock, tick tock