Predators Are In Town

Last night, I made an appearance on PredsOnTheGlass. I wasn’t feeling great yesterday, and had to fight having to run to the bathroom to vomit while talking Devils hockey and Ilya Kovalchuk during the first 45 minutes. But after the strong nausea subsided, I was ok.

We’ve kind of narrowed in on why the ‘problem’ is acting up again…just a little overexposure to a toxic chemical on Friday. I contacted the restaurant (which is organic) and discussed it with them, so they’re investigating internally before going to the company they receive their cleaning products from to see why ammonia was in their cleaning products.

I mention this because it is important for people to understand why it is vital to go green with their cleaning products. Cleaning products with ammonia, bleach and other toxic chemicals are HIGHLY toxic to people with cancer.

Don’t just believe the front of the label when it says it’s green. Turn the bottle around and read the ingredients. If the ingredients are not listed, it’s because there are toxic chemicals in the products. If the ingredients are all listed, it should not list one single chemical. Everything should be all-natural and ingredients you should recognize.

Trust me, green cleaning is more effective and less toxic to yourself, your family and your home…not to mention the environment and people with cancer.

Which leads me back to POTG last night…Anthony Curatolo (The Hockey Guys and Crash The Crease) along with George Brew are hosting a Hockey Fights Cancer Fundraiser next month. Since it’s just those two, I decided I’d lend my fundraising/non-profit expertise and help those two out. Details on the event to follow…

So here’s the podcast from last night (if image does not appear on your screen, click on the ‘podcast’ link):

I talked about Ilya Kovalchuk and the trade, the Devils, the possible potential trades, the Olympics, etc. Looking back at the time, I may have monopolized the majority of the show with talks of the Devils.

The Predators face the Devils on Friday. They are playing against the Islanders tonight.

I have another podcast upcoming with Section 303 on Saturday. Details on how you can access the podcast to follow.

A Night of Mixed Emotions

Friday’s defeat of the Toronto Maple Leafs had it’s highs and it’s lows. With the welcome of Ilya Kovalchuk to the Devils (who seems to be very happy to be a part of the Devils), and a wonderful come from behind win to defeat the Maple Leafs, it all came to a sad end for the Maple Leafs.

While sitting in the press room waiting for Coach Lemaire, the Toronto and Devils media learned that Brendan Burke (son of Toronto’s GM Brian Burke) and Mark Reedy were killed in a car accident outside of Richmond, Indiana.

While everyone in Devils territory was cheering the win and the addition of Kovalchuk (including the guys in the Devils locker room), that high comes crashing down the second you realize that the hockey realm has suffered a serious loss to its family.

My prayers go out to the Burke and Reedy families.

A Night of Mixed Emotions

Now, last week I posted something up about a certain Devil I wasn’t pleased with. I don’t know if it was the trade that shook up the Devils locker room or what, but that player finally showed up to play hockey! It makes me think that maybe I should have complained about him months ago…maybe he would have shown up to play good hockey back then.

Through the chaos out on the ice on Friday, I saw that Jay Pandolfo was making some great plays despite the anarchy around him. That game winner he scored wasn’t the good hockey I’m talking about…it was what he was doing during the chaos out on the ice for the Devils that caught my attention. He was doing a lot of great things. That’s the kind of hockey I expect from the Devils. Nothing LESS. Keep up the good work, Jay.

[That post was actually the first time I had ever truly complained about a Devil...and I hope it will be my last.]

So enough about Jay…

Tonight, I’ll be on my favorite show, Preds on the Glass radio, to talk Devils hockey and Kovalchuk with POTG and Anthony Curatolo (The Hockey Guys & Crash The Crease). Anthony will be talking Islanders hockey. The Predators will be in Newark on Friday. This will be the Devils last home game before the Olympic break. Click Here for Details on the POTG show

On Saturday, I will be talking Devils/Kovalchuk and the recap on the Devils/Predators game with Section 303. Details to follow.

As for the Olympics, I am amazed at how much I’m learning from Martin Brodeur BEFORE I’ve even discussed Olympic hockey with him. We had postponed talking Olympic hockey to Sunday, but then practice turned into an optional skate where the Olympians would not be attending [no surprise, it was Super Bowl Sunday]. So now…it rolls into Wednesday and Friday this week.

That will make for a lot of super quick interviews!

If you haven’t read Brodeur Beyond the Crease by Martin Brodeur and Damien Cox, you should. It has become my Bible to the New Jersey Devils…and also now my Bible to the Olympics. It’s filled with so much information when it comes to understanding the Devils and Marty Brodeur. Just an excellent read.

I just wish guys on the train would stop trying to talk to me when they see me reading it! It’s like reading Beyond the Crease in public is a pickup line waiting to happen!

I’m just trying to do my research…

Truth be known…I am one of the very few in the Devils press box to actually read Brodeur’s book. Trust me, it should be mandatory for all rookie Devils writers.

Kovalchuk is a DEVIL!

So I’ve known for a few days now that the New Jersey Devils were the serious contender for Ilya Kovalchuk. A little birdie named EKLUND called me up and told me.

Trust me, it all made sense. But who would go…that was the question we were contemplating.

While everyone thought it would be Travis Zajac, I knew that Lou would not make that kind of deal. Why split up his first line that works like magic?

Niclas Bergfors was the only name I knew for sure was heading out the door. I knew he was being offered around as trade bait (or would be). You can thank Rich Chere for that little piece of information.

Now, I realize that since I’ve been talking Kovalchuk all week this week, I may have scared a certain Devil. If he caught wind of the dream I had yesterday morning, then I can understand his fear that he thought he’d be the one to go.

After all, I think people that come here know that if I get a feeling…or even a dream, it’s going to come true. But sometimes the dream is only half right. So Bergfors/Elias for Kovalchuk turned into Bergfors, Oduya and Cormier for Kovalchuk.

Breathe, Patty, breathe…2 out of 4 names…not bad. The dream was half right.

When Patty’s agent tweeted that his client was sighing with relief, I thought…well, why would Patty think he was going? And then I thought…oh right, I did FB and Tweet the dream.

Now, the Devils definitely won out on this deal. Atlanta…boy, that has to be the dumbest trade of the year. Kovalchuk for a rookie that hasn’t scored a goal in a while…along with a defenseman all of us knew needed to go…and a problem kid that was suspended the remainder of the season for the most controversial head shot of the season???

Atlanta got the Devils leftovers for a superstar. Got to hand it to Lou. He gets the award for trade of the year! You can’t tell me that the man is not brilliant!

Tonight, while everyone will be crowded around Kovalchuk’s locker, I’ll be talking to Marty about the Olympics. Yes, my story is Kovalchuk, but the Olympic stories I’ve been working on with the Devils this week, and we are rushing through them to get it all done in time. This has been a week in the works, so Kovy will just have to wait!

It’s good to hear that Patrik Elias is back to practicing with the team. I feel more confident now about getting my Czech Republic shirt with Elias printed on the back. If he were to back out (which he better not do), Jagr would be on my back.

And Patty, we do not want Jagr on my back!

Also, because there was a discussion with Kovalchuk’s agent a few months back, Kovalchuk will be the new line of artwork I’m creating. The last player I went out of the way to do that for was Brendan Shanahan during his final hockey season. Kovie’s is by special request…which means…I’m on the road with the Devils to take shots of Kovalchuk.

Just weird how it worked out that way…all I can remember was the conversation that led to Kovalchuk and then Devils…and next you know Kovalchuk is a Devil…but we weren’t talking trades or anything. We were talking artwork for Kovalchuk. Just weird how a conversation can turn into something like that…

A False Hope

If anything, hockey should not be predictable. If it does become predictable and you can throw in the word “ugly” to a win…something needs to change.

Friday night, the Devils got lucky in overtime after starting out with a lead to all of a sudden being tied 4-4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Third Time’s The Charm

That same kind of game was being played out on Sunday night against the LA Kings, but this time, the Devils were not so fortunate. A False Hope in New Jersey

So that’s the negative news.

The positive news is this…Dainius Zubrus has been working his magic on the top line (aka Z-line: Zajac, Zach and Zubrus) after his return from IR. Unfortunately, Sunday was the last time. He’s needed back at center and will return to that position (according to Lemaire).

Rob Niedermayer has been doing a great job for the Devils. Sometimes his work is not rewarded as it should be on the ice. He has been working so hard that Lemaire joked on Sunday night that Nieders would be 60 years old by the end of the season.

It’s just unfortunate that he’s not able to produce more. On Sunday, a factoid that seems a bit embarrassing but needs to be pointed out is that Nieders and Jay Pandolfo were on the ice for all three goals scored by the LA Kings. Just those two were on the ice for all three (besides Brodeur).

Now, you can look at it as either Nieders is trying to do the work of three people and it’s just too much…or you can look at it as the line isn’t working…or you can look at it as an individual isn’t working and making the rest of the line look bad. Or you can look at it as ALL OF THE ABOVE.

In other words, I’m saying…Nieders is not the problem. I agree with Lemaire, Nieders is going to be 60 years old at the end of the season because he’s putting forth so much effort, it’s tiring him out, graying up his hair just a little more than the day before. He needs help.

In other sad news, Paul Martin officially withdrew from Team USA yesterday. Paul Martin Withdraws From Team USA

I think it was expected considering he still has not returned to the Devils lineup. We may be hearing the same from Patrik Elias. I believe I heard through the grapevine that a player needs at least 3 NHL games before the Olympics in order to play for their country.

I may be wrong about that…but I’ve heard it somewhere.

If that is the case, Elias would need to return to the lineup by next Wednesday vs. the Philadelphia Flyers if he were to play for Team Czesky.

Personally, I hope he’s back ASAP. That way I know which name to put on the back of my Czech Republic jersey.

Speaking of the Olympics, I will be doing special features on each of the Devils Olympians next week. First up will be Martin Brodeur. The Devils have been working on arranging everything as well as special extras to use with the pieces. Should be fun and exciting…and definitely a new experience.

Devils are in Toronto tonight and will host Toronto again on Friday.

Year 15: Double the Legacy

Year 15 was a double happy moment for Shanny back in 2001-2002.

He finished first on the team with 37 goals and 75 points with 7 game winners, 3 short-handed goals and 3 game-tying goals. He had 12 PPGs and 118 PIMs.

He recorded his 500th goal on March 23rd, and his 500th assist on November 10th. He reached/surpassed the 1,000th point mark on January 12th.

His 14th career hat-trick happened in the season-opener on October 4th.

He was named to the league’s 2nd All-Star Team.

This was a good year for Shanny as he brought home the gold with Team Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

But most importantly…2002 also marked the year that the Red Wings brought home the Stanley Cup once again. He finished with 8 goals, 11 assists in the post-season. He scored the Cup-clinching goal in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals vs. Carolina.

Shanny became one of three players to win the Stanley Cup and gold medal in the same year (K. Morrow, NYI ‘80, S. Yzerman, DET, ‘02).

This is what it’s all about (Shanny solidifies the Stanley Cup win):

[Stats courtesy of the New Jersey Devils]

As an added FYI, Shanny turned 41 last Saturday.

Perseverance

I spoke about this yesterday in my “Tooth Fairy” piece I wrote for Inside Hockey…Georges Laraque perseveres even when people tell him he’s not good enough.

I’ve been waiting to hear what Georges had to say about what happened last week, and he finally has: Georges Blog

That last paragraph in his blog was probably the most important part that was very inspiring:

I also can’t complain or feel down about anything that happened. I just look at what’s happening to my people in Haiti and that brings things back in perspective. Those people have reason to be down, but they are a proud and courageous nation. They have inspired me as well as the rest of the world. Please, realize how lucky we are here in our everyday lives! So since I have some time now, I will take advantage of it to heal up my body, work out harder than ever and stay in game shape… I will be 100% ready for my next opportunity, wherever and whenever it is. I will also use this time to help raise funds for Haiti. They say in life, everything happens for a reason… I will take it as a blessing that I have some time for this cause.

For those looking to donate money to Haiti, here are a few organizations:

Worldvision
American Red Cross
Doctors Without Borders

The Hockey “Stud”

On Saturday, while I was perusing the Devils media packet, I came across a disturbing piece from Vanity Fair about “Team Sweden’s Hockey Studs.”

Here are a couple of excerpts that shocked the hell out of me:

Luckily, the 2010 squad has fielded enough heartthrobs to keep “puck bunnies” and other, let’s say, casual fans of the game happy.

Oh, and he’s known for his ability to go all the way. (regarding Johnnny Oduya)

Here’s the link to the VF article

I tweeted those words on Twitter just to see if the women of hockey were just as outraged as I was with those remarks. They were.

For the record, those words were written by a man, not a woman. When you see those words, it seems to be a bit sexist and chauvanistic…as if the only reason why women watch hockey is because of the “studs” in hockey. *rolling eyes*

So I’m not going to rant today about this. I’m going to give you the address on where YOU can rant!

The author’s name is Darrell Hartman. You can write to the editor at: letters@vf.com

You Can’t Handle the Tooth!

It’s been a pretty busy Devils weekend for me…one of which included a side project…seeing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the movie the “Tooth Fairy.”

So let’s get to the nitty gritty. First, the Devils fell to Montreal on Friday night.

Second, Kevin Weekes and I explored the heights of Montreal.

On Friday, the Devils fell to Montreal in a 3-1 loss. A Homecoming for Gomez and Gionta

After the game, I found Brian Gionta in the Canadiens locker room. I had been waiting all season to do this…ask him what his height was. But before I did, I had to size him up.

I swear to you…Gio is the same height as me. Our shoulders match up and everything!

I asked him about his height. He swore to me that he was 5′7″. I joked that I would pull out the measuring tape next time. He told me to go right ahead.

Well, I reported back to my partner in crime what Gio had said. My accomplice, Kevin Weekes, was in Montreal for the NYR vs. Montreal game that would happen the following night.

Kevin ran into Gio the next day and talked to him about ‘his height.’ Gio apparently was ‘howling’ with laughter. So no ‘threatened’ measuring tape was produced.

So for the record, I am now 5′7″. If you want to dispute it…take it up with Brian Gionta.

Now back to pink tutus…

On Wednesday, I was at the NHL store to see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson talk about his latest movie the “Tooth Fairy.”

I took a few photos (which you can find here with the review and why the NHL was involved with this film).

On Saturday, I went and saw the film and thought that it was a good morale film, especially for adults. A lot of people I’ve encountered in this lifetime are either dream killers or don’t believe in their own dreams. They look at me and think, “Wow, she’s living her dream. How can I do that?”

There’s a mantra that is echoed throughout the film. It is something that even I’ve heard time and time again from veterans in the Devils locker room…when you’re given a chance, you have to prove yourself.

It’s about proving the naysayers wrong and believing in yourself. That’s what is so great about this movie. It’s a great lesson for children (as well as adults) to learn.

So check out the review and the slide show. A few of the photos are courtesy of the New Jersey Devils.

Oh, and just so you know…the Tooth Fairy was a first round draft pick by the New Jersey Devils!

Best line in the film was, “Did you leave your brain in the penalty box?”

Devils Keep On Rolling

Tonight the Devils faceoff against the Montreal Canadiens, just one day after the Canadiens announced that they were buying Georges Laraque out of his contract.

Of course, because Georges has been more than courteous with me since I met him in Las Vegas, everyone wants to know what I think about the whole thing. I think what was said was classless by the Montreal Canadiens. There was nothing nice or diplomatic about it. I wouldn’t even call it ’straight to the point.’ It was harsh.

Now, this week has not been a good week for Georges. The Canadian-born Haitian has been struggling with the two recent earthquakes that have rocked his family’s homeland. He still has a lot of family in Haiti.

After dealing with the emotional devastation of everything that has happened in Haiti, the Canadiens said some nasty things and said they were buying him out of his contract…all in the same week as the devastation in Haiti.

Sometimes, when I hear of these things, it makes me think that this is the NHL’s way of scaling back during these economic hardships. Even Petr Sykora (Minnesota Wild) has faced the cut. It continues throughout the league…players and staff are all effected by it.

In support of Georges and his efforts to raise funds to help out in the Haitian disaster, please visit his site to learn what you can do to help out: Georges Laraque’s Website

As for the Devils…a lot happened on their road trip away that had me spending a couple of days writing and absorbing enough information to throw into one column. You’ll be amazed (or at least I was) at a little statistic regarding how the Devils play in the Western Conference on the road this season.

Truthfully, if they want to make it to the end, they need to fix their poor performance on the road in the West. It’s really bad.

I also talk about Petr Sykora and Sheldon Souray trade rumors of coming back to New Jersey. I will say this about the whole deal…they were the only two NHL players that I said in this past month would make a good addition to the Devils.

Strangely enough, those little mentions were talked about during the game on Wednesday of the two former Devils returning to New Jersey. If it happens, maybe I’ll think that I’m starting to think like Lou…which would be a good thing.

I also called it on Illka Pikkarainen. The reports back from Finland called him a joke. Their words, not mine. It ends up the report may have been somewhat factual as the Devils put him on waivers on Thursday. Clearing up space for a major addition or two? We’ll see…

You can read about all of this in detail here: Inside Hockey

Also, former NJ Devil Brendan Shanahan’s 41st birthday is tomorrow. So if you see him…make sure to wish him a happy birthday.

Kudos to Torts!

I’ve been saying all season…how does the NY Post’s Larry Brooks get away with trashing the New York Rangers all of the time? It’s gotten so bad that I very rarely read his work anymore. I used to read his work on a daily basis, but when you start trashing the team left and right…NON-STOP…you have to think…okay, I’d rather read something more positive about the Rangers. What does the Daily News have to say?

I can’t even imagine someone that constantly printed negative stuff about the New Jersey Devils be allowed back.

Last night, Torts let Brooks have it, embarrassing him in front of the entire media. Torts got right to the point…”sarcastic article” regarding Wade Redden.

Kukla’s Korner has the video (scroll to the 2:00 mark):

Torts Humiliates Larry Brooks

[Thanks to Hendricks Hockey for the link and information.]

The REVISED Stuff I Hate (NHL)…

So the last one was all about the players I love to hate. It’s mid-season so I’ve acquired some new dislikes…

7. JERKO (I mean Jarkko) RUUTU. Truthfully, he should have made the list of players I love to hate. Actually, he should have been #2. I’ve had a distaste for Jerko since he laid a hit on Jaromir Jagr in the 2006 Olympics that sliced open his head!

When Jerko made it to the bench, it was that smug look of satisfaction he had when he was watching the replay that had me going…ooooh…you better be glad I’m not in Torino right now because I’d be coming after you, you SOB.

Jerko has been one of those dirty players that I grind my teeth when I see he’s playing. When I see him in person, I give the guy the cold shoulder that’s as cold as Antarctica. Yet, he’s on my friggin Facebook.

It’s a therapeutic move to help me LIKE the guy…but he’s even bitten current Devils player…ANDREW PETERS (watch this):

I mean what kind of twisted, sick F*CK does that? Then it brings it all back to the original reason why I hate this guy…that smug look he had on the bench after delivering that blow to Jagr. #2 ranking on the original list…is me being NICE.

6. HEAD SHOTS. Simply put…you should be punished severely if you deliver a shot to someone’s head. I’m in favor of 20+ games to indefinitely…maybe infinity depending on how dumb you were.

5. RUNNING THE GOALTENDER. Need I say more? You run the goaltender, plan on everybody in the audience getting pissed off very quickly. It’s dirty, and please don’t expect any of us to still respect you later.

What I also hate is a lack of goaltender interference calls when a goaltender is run. Question to the officials: if the goaltender gets his neck sliced open when someone runs the goalie, does the guy that runs him still get away scott free?

4. RUMORS THAT HURT PEOPLE. While Riley Cote may not like that I’m talking about this…I’m going to anyway. Cote and I got into a long email discussion back and forth about a rumor that some idiot started on his blog which blew up into a media frenzy…someone sleeping with someone’s wife on the Flyers team.

That kind of crap is similar to the whole Brendan Shanahan/Craig Janney situation…it happened to those two…no one else. Anything else that crops up like that is just WISHFUL THINKING. (Sorry I brought that up, Shanny.)

Anyway, rumors like that can hurt the individuals they claim are involved, a team, even the fans. It’s bitter gossip aimed at explaining the dire situation with a team that just happened to be 100% false.

As for the blogger that started the rumor, you will go down as someone no one will ever take seriously. If you were trying to get a job in sports writing…consider your chances to be non-existent. You may have better luck with TMZ or the National Enquirer.

3. COLIN CAMPBELL. I usually shrug my shoulders and say, “It is what it is,” when it comes to Campbell’s disciplinarian decisions around the league, but when he throws Burrows under the bus and says that the translation of French to English was incorrect or inadequate to suffice that “I’m going to get you back,” wasn’t said…well, how in the hell do you explain his officiating that even had members of the press in attendance at the games scratching their head going…what the hell is going on down there…lots of phantom calls?

For the record, translating “Feeling Under the Weather Today?” translates in Spanish, “Feeling Bad Today?” Some translations are not needed, but it’s all the same when you want to friggin dissect it that way.

Campbell and his disciplinary actions are not jiving with what is needed in the league. They want to use past situations to determine the current situation when the past has nothing to do with the present. In Burrows case, because they didn’t like who he was as a hockey player…that’s why he got the fine that he got. Forget that he was trying to say, “Look, this guy targeted me for retribution…” it wasn’t configured into his punishment.

WHAT THE BLEEPITY BLEEP BLEEP is going on? It’s time for a disciplinary overhaul, starting with Colin Campbell.

2. OTTAWA SENATORS & DANIEL ALFREDSSON. I’ve never disliked a team more than any other team in the league…well, maybe when the Broad Street Bullies (Philadelphia Flyers) returned.

While sitting up in the press box one night, I saw a player on the Senators run Martin Brodeur’s head. No penalty called. While I’m sitting there thinking, “Andy Greene, why aren’t you kicking his derriere?” I realized, “Oh crap, we have no enforcers out on the ice!”

This meant that the Senators got away free and clear of that dirty hit on Brodeur…the first time…and the second time when Alfredsson ran his head. You can’t tell me that he didn’t do it on purpose after he saw Marty go down on the ice and grab his head the first time around.

The Senators play dirty…and I don’t like it. I’m just thankful that Jamie Langenbrunner came running to stand up for his team by the end of the night. He was my hero that night.

1. NHL OFFICIATING. Like what else could be #1?

We complain about it every year…bullshit calls or no calls at all. My beef with the refs this season started with the lack of goaltender interference calls. When the call is actually made, you have to question, “Was that really a GTI?”

Officiating this season has been at its worst. But what really pissed me off…well, read the last few entries about the Burrows incident. That really lit a fire under me.

And for the record, if you didn’t side with Burrows in the matter, hockey fans around the world will eat you alive. [Hint, hint #3.]

Year 14: The Jersey # He Remembers

A little story about the #14. #14 was Shanny’s jersey number for years. He grew so accustomed to signing his name “Brendan Shanahan 14″ that when he became a New Jersey Devil (again), he forgot that his number was 18.

I was standing there with Shanny, a colleague and Dainius Zubrus in the locker room. Zubs wanted a game used autographed Brendan Shanahan hockey stick, so he untaped Shanny’s stick and handed it to Shanny with a pen so he could sign it.

While my colleague and I were talking to Shanny, Shanny multi-tasked by signing the stick. The three of us stood there watching him and lo and behold, we watched him sign the stick with 14, instead of his new number 18.

I said, “Wait! Your number is 18 now, not 14!”

It took Shanny a few seconds to let it sink in what I was saying to him. Upon realizing what he had done so methodically (because he had signed his name that way millions of times before), he turned to Zubrus and asked him if he wanted him to do it again. Zubs kind of chuckled and said that it was okay.

That happened to be my colleague’s first memory of Brendan Shanahan…me, telling Shanny that his number was 18, not 14! Since then, we’ve kind of found it funny that he was always signing stuff with his #14 rather than #18 that final year of his career. I had to ask…do you think he signs credit card receipts and checks “Brendan Shanahan #14″???

Seriously, it would be funny if he did…

So when Gionta left in 2009, we really weren’t surprised that he switched back to his #14 jersey. It meant he didn’t have to concentrate so much on signing his name correctly. LOL. [Sorry...we still love ya, Shanny...but we still have a chuckle at the memory.]

Year 14 marked the 2000-2001 season in Detroit. He was still leading the squad with 76 points (15 PPGs). He tied for second with Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov with 7 game winners.

He tallied his 900th career point on November 15, 2000 and appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game on January 30th versus the New Jersey Devils (see Year 13, for some hilarious anecdote from Shanny when he was awarded the NHL Milestone Award for his 1,000th career game).

He had 18 multiple-point games with a career-high (4g, 1a) on March 15, 2001…marking his 13th career hat trick.

Shanny was only able to see two games into the playoffs before he suffered a broken foot (hmmm…now I get why Shanny was saying that a Bruins player was a little too hard on his feet last season…and why he said it the way he said it. He almost got my sympathy with a ‘poor baby, you need to sit down…’).

The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Finals to take home the Stanley Cup in 2001.

Here’s a trip down Shanahan lane from MSG:

Upcoming…

Alright…one last ditty about Burrows before I talk about other stuff (yeah…Venti Soy Peppermint Mocha has somewhat calmed me down)…

Some interesting stuff that Preds On the Glass had written up from the Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks game. Buddy was telling me today that it wasn’t until Tuesday when his son Jackson had written up what had happened with Burrows/Auger that he learned what was going on. He went back to read the feed that he had written during the Preds/Canucks game and thought…there indeed was something going on with the officiating.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE STORY

Oh, and a lot of people are happy I grabbed the comments from the NHL’s Facebook page before it disappeared. It just goes to show that there is a major controversy here and fans disgruntled voices need to be heard!

Moving on away from the stuff that really pisses me off today…

Curtis Joseph will be getting his 19 days AFTER I’m done with Shanny’s so-called 21 days (that has taken forever to write). I think the NHL provided me with enough stuff to work off of for the rest of the season to do CuJo’s 19 days. Thanks guys!

Also, a little follow-up regarding the radio show…we are working out the details and have set a date to begin in mid-February. We’ll have more details in the next month.

Thursday’s IRATE Rants

Yet Wednesday’s rant continues…

I think I’m madder today than I was yesterday, so if it looks like I’m staging a coup…well, I might be. But the interesting part in all of this…seems like almost everyone in HOCKEYDOM agrees with me on this.

So let’s start off with why Colin Campbell (NHL disciplinarian) has gotten me so worked up this morning.

This morning, the Senior VP and Director of Hockey Operations was on Fan590 this morning. As much as I did my best not to call in and give Mr. Campbell some thoughts of my own, I see this come across Twitter:

@FriedmanHNIC On FAN, Colin Campbell says Auger was told he brought up Smithson incident to Burrows at an “inappropriate time.”

Elliotte Friedman-Hockey Night In Canada reporter

So everything that Alexandre Burrows said was true.

But I’m not done with what got me so fired up…

Here’s the official press release from the NHL that was released yesterday on the Burrows incident:

Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows has been fined $2,500 for conduct deemed detrimental to the National Hockey League and the game of hockey, the NHL announced today.

On separate plays during the third period of a 3-2 Vancouver loss to the Nashville Predators Jan. 10, Referee Stephane Auger assessed Burrows minor penalties for diving, interference and unsportsmanlike conduct.

After the game, Burrows made the following comments to the media: “It was personal. It started in warm up before the anthem. The ref (Auger) came over to me and said I made him look bad in Nashville on the Smithson hit (during a game December 8, 2009). He said he was going to get me back tonight and he did his job in the third . . . “

Burrows said his teammates “are battling hard for 60 minutes to win a hockey game because every two points are so huge, so important, and because of a guy’s ego it just blows everything out of proportion and they’re making bad calls and the fans are paying for it and we’re paying for it.

“I think he (Auger) should sit out the rest of the year making calls like that.”

NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell issued the following statement:

“The National Hockey League will not tolerate the personal nature of the comments Mr. Burrows directed at Referee Auger or the fact that he brought into question the integrity of both the official and the game.

“We have determined that Mr. Burrows’ account of Referee Auger’s comments to him before the game, and specifically Burrows’ suggestion that these comments indicated bias against the player or the Vancouver team, cannot be substantiated. While Referee Auger engaged the player in a brief conversation prior to the opening face-off, I firmly believe that nothing inappropriate was said and that Referee Auger’s intentions were beyond reproach.”

Like I’ve said before, I understand why the league fined Burrows. That is understandable.

But what I don’t understand is why Auger got away scott free.

I also want to point out the contradictions in the NHL’s official press release and what was said by Campbell this morning. “CANNOT BE SUBSTANTIATED” are the words I’m looking at…followed by “nothing inappropriate was said”…it’s like saying that Burrows LIED. But, Campbell’s comment this morning indicates that Burrows DID NOT LIE and that Auger’s ‘timing’ was at an ‘inappropriate time’.

Ummm…WHAT THE F*CK?!?!?!

[Sorry, I'm not controlling my language today.]

Since Burrows has brought to light that something is wrong in the face of officiating…that there are indeed vendettas being played out on the ice against the players by the officials…he’s the one the league has sided against?

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Going back to professionalism in this league…Campbell’s decision in this matter says that the league officially endorses, upholds and will protect this kind of officiating.

The kind of officiating that I am adamantly against: personal vendettas being played out during the game against a player/team. There is no fairness to the game when this happens.

I had always had this feeling that some of the calls that were/were not being made were done on purpose. It seems like that feeling may be substantiated.

The league absolutely cannot allow officials to act like gods in the game. They are not gods. When a personal vendetta is played out, you may as well expect that team to lose, because a goal can be called off so easily, a whistle blown to stop the goal from happening, or even a player can be assessed a game misconduct that costs the team the game.

This is the same as knowing what the game’s outcome will be at the start of the game depending on who the official is. So if you’re the betting kind, you’d do well to get in on what officials hate which players/teams that they may have a personal vendetta to play out against. You’d be rolling in the dough.

I’d also like to point out another factor in here. There is a double standard in the league. You are either part of the “it” crowd or you’re in the “out” crowd. I know a little too much about this, because it works when you’re part of the media, too.

Burrows falls into the “out” crowd. He’s one of those guys that you love if he’s on your team, hate when he’s not on your team. To me, I say he’s just doing his job.

Campbell tends to hand out punishments according to whether the player is in the “it” crowd or not. If you’re not in the “it” crowd like Idunno…Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, etc. then you are assessed some BS fines, etc. from Mr. Campbell. There’s no fairness in his disciplinary actions.

Ovechkin and Georges Laraque can do the exact same thing to somebody. Ovie doesn’t care because he’s protected by the league. The most he gets is time to sit out and ice his knee (1-2 games). Laraque will get five games for the exact same offense. This is what we call the double standard.

In Burrows case, he was dealt that exact same hand that Laraque has complained adamantly about on his blog. It’s not right.

For the league to be ok with Campbell dishing out punishment with a double standard attached to it…I question why they keep him or why we should even give a rat’s ass about the NHL if this is the kind of dirty organization they want to keep going.

Fans pay money to see their team. They pay money to see their favorite players play hockey. They pay money to see a real hockey game played by the rules and played fairly. The last thing they want to see and know…is that there’s a dirty side to hockey…one that protects referees who want to act out personal vendettas; and one that will sanction the hell out of your favorite player just because he’s not part of the “it” crowd.

Now that we know that we can expect to lose a game based on what official is in the game…I don’t think we can respect the game of NHL hockey anymore.

Commissioner Bettman, I think it’s time you stepped in on this matter. You just hired someone that I think would be a perfect fit for the disciplinarian job. At least I know that he would look at both sides of the equation and try to come up with a fair assessment on any matter that could spring up in the league. I would respect his judgment because historically he has done his best to come out with a fair judgment for everyone in the matter. His name is Brendan Shanahan.

With the number of fans that are mad over Campbell’s decision in this matter, I think it’s time that Mr. Bettman step in and activate some change in this league.

Here are a few responses from fans that learned that Campbell would be on NHL Live today to discuss the Auger/Burrows decision. You can find these exact comments on the NHL’s Facebook page [UPDATE: The NHL took the status down, so you will only find the comments here]:

The ruling was pure and utter BS.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Agree on that. Been in a game like that and how are you suppose to record the ref says something like that to you.

Maintaining the integrity of the game? By firing the stupid referee you are maintaining the integrity of the game.

Didn’t expect anything different.

ref’s in the NHL need some serious discipline as the majority of them are crap. But what do you expect when the management from the NHL is crap as well.

fuck campbell,bettmen and auger

That ref doesnt deserve to skate another game

That Ref Should Be Kicked Out Of The League.

Who cares? Bettman and Campbell are a disgrace to our sport.

he is one of the worst refs in the nhl good bye auger!

Auger needs to go back to refereeing school!!!

Auger need to review is referee school book….and Burrows need to shut up

Alex shoulda complained about the comments before the game, not after…maybe then people would have been more inclined to believe him

I’m appalled that the NHL not only sided with Auger, but fined Burrows. My respect for the League has dropped considerably.

Inconsistency in calls, vendettas, showing preference for one team over another, early whistles that prevent a goal from being counted…and who knows what else is going on during a game. The refs and linesmen should be held accountable for each game. The officials should not have a “God” status where they are untouchable. Players get fines and suspensions so the officials should also get some sort of discipline or performance review at least.

Too many teams = less talent = more games = more refs needed = less quality refs overall = bad hockey = this Go back to 24 teams. Nashville doesn’t need a fucking hockey team. Nor does Florida need two, Phoenix need one, California need three, Atlanta (there’s a reason the Flames left in 1980 idiots) need one. That’s 4 teams right there, and take your pick of any other two teams.

he should have pulled Auger’s hair

Its a small fine, they must believe him to an extent. Or the fine would have been larger. They fined him to prove a point to the rest of the league that its not appropriate.

Auger is a loser and it doesn’t shock me

and Burrows should have been fined. You don’t complain about officials to the media… you tell your teams NHLPA rep and let the NHLPA go to the league.

Wondering if Bob McKenzie’s latest article has something to do with Campbell discussing the issue publicly… http://tsn.ca/blogs/bob_mckenzie/?id=305937

I agree that the Canucks were screwed, but Campbell and Betman will back THERE ref. I’m a 20+ yr fan. I will no longer watch or spend money on a game that is clearly manipulated by it’s officials. So a big Thank you Auger, you whinny french canadian. Get over it we all don’t dislike the french.

it’s true what joe dewaters said, go back to a smaller league, and kick out toronto too

yea when they say he is a top official and hasnt done but 10 playoff games…cmon this guy is far ffrom a good ref.dude has blown calls all season(brad may in detroit)

Joseph, it’s not about Auger being a poor official, its about Auger letting personal issues get in the way of calling the calling the game correctly.

I don’t think anybody would argue that being an NHL official is easy… half these people can’t skate at public sessions, let alone keep up with NHLers AND stay the hell out of the way, while trying to call the game.

from what i have read, this is not the first time Auger has had issues with players, time to send this clown packing and tell him to ref pee wee league games…Bettman and Campbell are both schmucks for not giving the ref any punishment, typical NHL crap

Being a ref deserves respect, except when you have a personal opinion of a player , and you make calls outside the boundaries of the position. Auger needs to be investigated.

so because youve been a referee, youre saying it s ok to
to call phantom calls against players who fooled you games ago. wake up

Hey Joseph nice try it’s pretty plain to see that the refs need to be held accountable for their actions. It pisses me right off when you have 4 striped shirts out there & blatent calls are over looked on one team & the the stupidist little fucking thing is called on the other team.. It’s not only in the NHL take for example the FUCKING gold metal …

I find it interesting that Colin Campbell is going to talk about an issue that was supposed to be closed. It’ll be interesting to hear what he has to say, if he says anything at all beyond “the issue is closed”.

Burrows got the max fine that is allowed by the CBA, if it could have been higher it probably would have, he should not have gone to the media he should have gone to the captain or coach right away and the NHLPA after the game. Does not dismiss that the NHL has reffing issues. With ref’s having vendetta’s against certain players (it happens on every team) and ref’s like Chris Lee who want to be the star of the game and clearly favour certain teams things need to change in the NHL.

Wednesday’s Rants

I’ve been following the situation regarding fellow Facebook friend Alexandre Burrows. Don’t know who he is? Well, he’s a Vancouver Canucks hockey player.

I came across Alex way back when a good friend of his died in a motorcycle accident…his fellow teammate, Luc Bordon. So Alex has been on my Facebook for a couple of years now…right around the time my first hockey column began.

Right after being named one of the NHL’s First Stars last week, he went to the press about a matter that happened out on the ice that cost the Canucks the game. It just so happens that a personal vendetta was being played against Burrows by referee Stephane Auger.

Auger had approached Burrows during the pre-game skate stating that he was going to get revenge on him. Here are the details, courtesy of ESPN:

Vancouver Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows has been fined $2,500 by the league for his comments regarding a referee, a source confirmed Wednesday to ESPN.com.

A statement from the league is expected to be released later in the day.

No discipline was levied on referee Stephane Auger, who is working tonight, the source said. NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell spoke with each of the parties separately Tuesday night.

Burrows accused Auger of targeting him in the Canucks’ 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators in Vancouver on Monday.

Burrows said Monday that Auger told him during the pregame warmup he was going to “get me back” for a Dec. 8 incident that left Burrows lying on the ice but able to return for his next shift.

Nashville’s Jerred Smithson received a major and game misconduct penalty for charging Burrows in that game, but the call was later overturned by the league because it said Burrows took a dive.

On Monday, Auger called Burrows for diving and interference in the third period, leaving him to watch from the penalty box when Shea Weber score the winner for the Predators.

The disputed interference penalty ended a Vancouver power play after just 4 seconds, and a penalty on Henrik Sedin left the Canucks short a man before Weber’s 4-on-3 goal.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and 10-minute misconduct followed for Burrows with 4 seconds left.

Now, I understand why Burrows was fined…because he went to the press about a matter that the league felt he should not have talked about to the public. The fine was basically a punishment for talking about a private league matter to the public.

But for Auger to go unpunished…this is where I pull out my “WHERE’S THE FAIRNESS IN THAT?” card.

It appeared that the league didn’t believe Burrows story. The press was putting a whole spin on the “did it really happen?” Well, of course it happened! Why would Burrows make something like that up, understanding that there would be ramifications in the end?

Why would he lie to the press about that?

He told the truth…and the league let the referee get away with his personal vendetta against a player during the game.

I call BULLSHIT.

There should be the highest level of professionalism in this game and a referee telling a player that he’s going to get back at him for something that happened in a different game where the league overturned a call…that is WRONG. It is unprofessional and this is not something the league should allow or protect.

This season has marked some of the most atrocious officiating I have ever seen. I’ve watched goaltenders practically get their heads knocked off of their necks multiple times because of someone running their heads. NO GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE CALLS.

I’ve watched hits where a player’s skates left the ice…no call.

I mean…I’m starting to fear for the safety of the players on the ice. But far be it for the players to start policing the ice themselves…oh, the refs will split them up.

Mr. Campbell, I plead with you…make the right decision in this matter. I’m with Georges Laraque. I know what’s going on and I’m just as sickened with what’s going on as he is. This has got to stop.

You rewarded the bad guy in all of this and punished the victim.

****************
In other news, Curtis Joseph retired yesterday from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I think the NHL kind of suckered me into doing a write-up, with a phone # to call if I wanted to talk about getting an exclusive from CuJo.

CuJo Hangs Up His Skates

Seriously, I know NADA about CuJo and his career…but it all started to make sense why I was getting all of these emails from the guys next door about doing a story. Two names are littered throughout CuJo’s career: Brendan Shanahan and Martin Brodeur.

See why it all makes sense? I, at least, know way too many things about those two. After all, Shanny’s overtaken this blog with his 21 Days and Marty…well, he wrote my Bible to the New Jersey Devils. Seriously, his book is my Bible. I’m not kidding when I say that…it’s marked up/highlighted so much…when I finally get Marty to sign it…he’s going to laugh at how well used his book was for me.

Not to mention they are my #2 and #4 all-time favorites. It’s just weird that both of their names come up so many times in CuJo’s career…and he never played for the New Jersey Devils. The NJD name comes up prominently throughout his career.

It’s pretty wild.

Thank you to the boys next door for all of their help in setting me up with everything on CuJo. And they wonder why I say I love those guys next door. I feel spoiled. xoxo

Funny how someone said to me the other day, “And you think the NHL has your best interests at heart?”

Ummm…yeah, they do.

Year 13: 400th Career Goal

While everyone was partying like it was 1999, oh wait…it was 1999 during Shanny’s 13th year as a professional hockey player. He led the squad with 41 goals, 78 points overall with 105 PIMs.

He had a total of 9 game winning goals, which matched his career high back in 1997-98 season.

On November 13, 1999, he tallied his 400th career goal againt Toronto.

On December 19, 1999, he appeared in his 900th game.

Now, these numbers astonish me a bit…he totaled 19 multiple-point games, seven multi-goal contests, including six 3-point games. Signs that he’s a great forward? Oh yeah.

Shanny was named to the league’s First All-Star Team for the second time, and appeared in his sixth consecutive NHL All-Star game.

Yes, the Detroit years were his most respected years by hockey fans everywhere. You didn’t know hockey unless you knew Brendan Shanahan’s name.

The Red Wings were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche in Round 2 of the playoffs. 2000 was the year that Shanny’s old club, the New Jersey Devils, won the Cup.

Here’s some Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche playoff action (I was surprised to see familiar face Aaron Ward…I forgot he was with Detroit):

On January 24, 2000, Sega Sports signed Shanny on to be the spokesperson for NHL 2K.

Here’s a little look back at memory lane from the 1999-2000 season from the Detroit Red Wings on Brendan Shanahan (what a nut):

The moment he arrived in Detroit, Brendan Shanahan knew he’d found what he was looking for.

“You quickly get a sense of the passion here, of how much the people in this city care about their hockey team,” Shanahan said after being acquired in a 1996 trade with Hartford. “There’s a mandate from the fans to win a Stanley Cup. I like that.”

Red Wings fans liked the goods delivered by Shanahan, who proved to be a key component in answering that mandate.

Shanahan led the club with 47 goals as Detroit won the Stanley Cup in 1996-97 and was also the club’s goal-scoring leader when the Wings defended their title in 1997-98. “I like being in the big games and I like being out there during the big moments of those games,” he said.

Many looked upon the acquisition of Shanahan as giving Detroit the final push to climb to the top of the mountain. “He’s the type of player we didn’t have,” GM Ken Holland said.

Coach Scotty Bowman was more elaborate in explaining the elements Shanahan added to the Detroit mix. “He’s a winger, a power winger who can score,” Bowman said. “I don’t know another player like him in the league.”

He’s produced two 40-goal seasons in a Detroit uniform and was selected to the NHL’s First All-Star Team in 1999-2000, tallying his 400th career goal that season. Shanahan and Vaclav Nedomansky are the only players in Red Wings history to register hat tricks in consecutive games.

Shanahan’s winters are the stuff of legend, but Shanny’s summers tend to take on a more mythic tone.

According to his bio, Shanahan’s off-seasons have seen him serve as Ireland’s second-string goalkeeper in soccer’s 1994 World Cup; play saxophone during the Canadian Jazz Festival; appear in the film Forrest Gump and fail a screen test for the role of Dino in the movie version of The Flintstones.

None of it is true. “I saw some of the exciting stuff some of the other guys were doing in the summer and figured I ought to liven up my life a little bit,” Shanahan said. “I don’t want to be a movie star. I want to be a hockey star. ”

Shanahan’s quick wit can enliven the Red Wings dressing room as often as his quick release of his powerful shot can illuminate the goal light.

During the 2000-01 season, when he was presented with an NHL Milestone Award for playing his 1,000th game, Shanahan left a box of Kleenex at the Wings bench before accepting the honor.

“I knew the players and the coaching staff would be overcome with emotion,” he joked.

When it comes time to drop the puck, this prankster is all business.

“I can be a happy-go-lucky guy, but I’m very serious about my hockey,” Shanahan said. “My whole life, all I wanted to be was a hockey player.”

Wings fans are delighted he became one of their hockey players.

The Weirdest Game

Well, I will say that my weekend was completely shot because of a lighting malfunction at Prudential Center.

Since the Devils read the blog moreso than they read the column…

Case study: Power went down a decade ago in the heart of Georgetown for about a week. The responsible party financially in reimbursing all of the restaurants and businesses that were not able to operate due to the power failure: Washington Gas.

Washington Gas had to reimburse every business for every single day they could not do business. One of the top law firms in the country lost $1M per day due to the power outage. That’s $5M for just that one law firm.

So what does that mean for the Devils? PSE&G should be the responsible party financially for the power glitch, since the problem originated in a power line outside of the arena.

Now, I do realize that presents a problem considering PSE&G is a sponsor of the NJ Devils. But depending on how much the Devils lost in the lighting malfunction, they will have to determine if it is worth going after PSE&G for restitution.

PSE&G should make some sort of good faith towards the Devils. Their problem resulted in a serious financial loss for the Devils.

The Weirdest Game

When The Lights Went Out on Newark

From The Yankee Princess: Baby When The Lights Go Out [Thanks, Yankee Princess for the write-up]

As for what I thought of the game…it was the longest game EVER!

You’ll have to read the column to understand what I felt about the way the Devils played. Believe it or not, it is a different take on how a fan would view the game.

I would also like to mention that there will be a NHL Tweetup out on Long Island during/after the NJ Devils vs. NY Islanders game. For information/directions/RSVP: CLICK HERE

I’m not sure yet if I’m heading to the game/tweetup or not on Monday. At this point, I don’t want to commit to anything until I know how my body feels because the Sunday game really threw the body out of whack (since it was demanding a lot of sleep on Sunday). Right now, everything is a maybe until my body is rested up. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that while the boys are on the road this week.

What’s In the Works

I’m teaming up with a couple of other ladies from the hockey blogosphere and creating our own Radio Podcast. We’re still working on the details, but it looks like we’re coming up with a long list of things to talk and vent about the way us hockey ladies should.

Seems like we’re getting a lot of amazing feedback on creating a female threesome radio show.

So stay tuned…we’ll be releasing the details soon.

Brodeur Has Them Seeing Stars

Since I’ve been away from Devils hockey for a couple of weeks, I tried to basically incorporate all of the happenings as of now that is worth noting as it relates to last night’s game.

Brodeur Has Them Seeing Stars

I finally got to vent about Jaromir Jagr’s KHL friggin love. I’m okay with the KHL, but I think I’m still at the point where I believe that Jagr making my Top 7 Players I Love to Hate List has been given the stamp of approval by the Czech Republic because they feel the exact same way.

So funny that I could fit all of that into a column about the New Jersey Devils, right? Thank you, Patrik Elias, for opening that vent for me.

The Czech Republic is still my Olympic Men’s Hockey Team after they gave Elias the captaincy and slapped a big fat “A” on Jagr’s jersey. Hehe…it does make me laugh that they did that to Jari…maybe it will hit home a little that he made a big mistake. Just saying…

I remember back in 2006 that Jari said he was not going to return to Czech Republic hockey because it was too hard (especially if they did not win gold). I hoped he would be on the 2010 team. But you can say I was more surprised that he actually made the team.

Something else that I talk about very briefly in the article today was the whole ‘last time the Dallas Stars were here’ mention of Sean Avery.

Now, I talked about this on Twitter this morning on the way into the office. The last time the Dallas Stars were in Prudential Center, Sean Avery was on the team. Believe it or not, that game was what started on the whole ‘get Sean off the Stars’ demise that followed.

Apparently, Mike Modano was remembering that last night after the game and talked about a few things that I talked about this morning. [I actually did not talk to Mike after the game. I was in the Devils locker room and Lemaire's press conference.]

First, I have a world of respect for the Dallas Stars after three very classy players approached me last year about a certain situation that had happened. They offered up some advice regarding the situation. What followed after that, those guys went to the press in an effort to rid the team of Avery.

My thoughts on the situation is this…Avery got what was coming to him. He ran towards Dallas with the prospects of more money.

Hockey isn’t about money. If he’s chasing the dollar signs, he really should not be playing hockey.

But the thing is, Avery really belongs on no other team than the New York Rangers. It is the perfect fit for him. Apparently, even the universe agrees with that.

The universe created a situation that would spiral into a black hole that would cause him to end up right where he was supposed to be all along…in NYC. It even made sure to smack him around a bit by humiliating him all the way back…just to make sure it humbled him.

The end result ended up being best for everybody: Dallas, Avery, and the NYR. Hell, even I was happy he went back to the Rangers…not that I’m cheering for the Rangers (my God…Sean Avery’s on their team…why in the hell would I cheer for them?)

Will Dallas try to kick Sean’s ass tonight…maybe. But I have a feeling they’ve forgiven him (like I have) because he’s started to put his hockey where his mouth is. As Modano called it…Sean did his DUE DILIGENCE all the way back to New York.

It’s rather interesting that Modano’s take on the whole situation is exactly the same as mine.

I will say that I will never forget those guys for turning on their teammate the way that they did. So another thank you to the three Stars for keeping my best interests at heart. I think I was more surprised they even knew who I was when I stepped into their locker room last season.

[Maybe they're on my Facebook or something because sometimes players come up to me and tell me that they know who I am and I look at them like...HUH? You're on my Facebook? But it is always humorous to get the "Hey, I know you!"]

I will close with a little humorous spoof on our dear, Zach Parise (I hear young 13 year old girls screeching in my ear at the sight of his name).

Oh Mr. Parise…Where Art Thou

It’s On!

There is nothing more annoying than seeing something as dumb as a Canadian radio station waking up Team USA in their hotel rooms on the day that Team USA vs. Team Canada in the gold round of the World Junior Championship.

Not to mention that Canadian hockey fans across the provinces (or whatever the hell they are) are cheering on the radio station as if they deserve to be awarded a medal of honor.

My response to Canada…thank God Marty Brodeur and Brendan Shanahan became US citizens (just saying).

While most of us will be covering NHL games tonight, I’m sure everyone, including every team in the league playing tonight, will be sneaking peeks at the USA vs. Canada game.

I have no qualms in saying for once in this lifetime: GO USA!

IT’S ON TONIGHT!