The Archives

09.30.06

Canadians buy a vowel (or two) NHL | (0)
Montreal has acquired defenseman Janne Niinimaa for forward Mike Rebeiro. Draft picks were also involved. Both are coming off disappointing seasons, but you have to think Dallas won this deal pretty handily. Niinimaa is certainly no Tim Gleason...
09.29.06

Finer in Carolina? NHL | (0)
I don't exactly have the best track record with regards to second-guessing NHL GMs (exhibit A being Francois Beauchemin). But, really, what the fuck is Jim Rutherford thinking? Okay, it's no secret that Carolina was shopping unsigned prospect Jack Johnson to shore up a depleted blueline. Fine. But are we really supposed to believe that the best that the Hurricanes could get for the #3 overall pick in the '05 draft was Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger? Never heard of them? Gleason, a defenseman, is a former #1 pick of the Senators, and now joins his third franchise in four years. ...
09.29.06

Konowalchuk retires Avalanche Notebook | (0)
Sad news for Colorado fans today, as winger Steve Konowalchuk retired. Doctors discovered some abnormalities during routine medical checks at the start of training camp, and further tests have revealed a genetic defect with an odd name (Long QT Syndrome anyone?). While his grit, toughness and scoring touch will be missed on the ice - Colorado's PK takes a huge hit here - the biggest loss might be in the dressing room.
09.23.06

Tanguay is gone Avalanche Notebook | (1)
In the 1998 entry draft, Colorado had a whopping 6 of the first 38 picks. A few - Martin Skoula, Scott Parker, Phil Suave - spent some time with the Avs (the first two were on the last Cup team). Robyn Reghr was part of the Theo Fleury trade. Ramzi Abid never signed, and ended up re-entering the draft two years later. The sixth player? That would be the topic of the final farewell entry - 12th overall pick Alex Tanguay. Sandwiched between picks of current NHL superstars Jeff Heerema and Michael Henrich (ok, actually the two have combined for 6 ...
09.19.06

Not ducky NHL | (0)
Chris Pronger has been lashing at all the nasty speculation about the reasons behind his departure from Edmonton this summer. Pronger, in case you missed it, demanded a trade from the Oilers without ever revealing exactly why. Some speculation had his wife demanding the trade after Pronger had an affair with a local reporter. Note to Chris: if you don't want people to guess, just tell them why you left.
09.18.06

Unsung hero Avalanche Notebook | (0)
Last week, I started writing about some of the key Avs who have left the team since last season's training camp. David Aebischer. Rob Blake. Obviously, Alex Tanguay will be coming soon. But I realized that I left one key player out...and his name is not Bob Boughner. It seems sort of fitting that I would forget about someone who's importance always gets overlooked: Dan Hinote. Hinote's game isn't flashy. He has 65 points in 353 career games - you don't get too many youtube highlight reels made for with those numbers. Danny Hinote seemed to have a knack to look, ...
09.18.06

Prettier in pink NHL | (0)
The Sabres finally released their new jerseys on Saturday. And no, the one on the right is not something you'll see on the ice; just another of the silly chick jerseys that have become all the rage. Years ago, as an impressionable youth, I went to my first concert: Corey Hart (Katrina & the Waves was the opening act). I would estimate that every third female in attendance that night had on a pink frilly halter top that said "I had sex with Corey Hart". For some reason, I've always associated the pink hats and jerseys with those tacky half-shirts. (here's what ...
09.15.06

The final puzzle piece Avalanche Notebook | (0)
(Part 2 of the series of appreciation for Avs players who have moved on). He was the final piece. The previous season, GM Pierre Lacroix had swooped in from nowhere to pluck Ray Bourque from the Bruins; all rumors at that point had indicated an east coast destination for Ray - Philadelphia being the expected sweepstakes winner. Instead he came to Colorado, but the Avs fell a bit short, falling to the Stars in the Conference Finals in 7 games. So, in hindsight, it probably shouldn't have been a surprise that Blake - rumored all season to be on the way out ...
09.15.06

New slug jerseys unveiled accidentally NHL | (0)
The Buffalo Sabres will be unveiling their new jerseys on September 16th. The ridiculous slug logo was leaked months ago. And now, thanks to SabreSFans.com, the jeresey has been leaked as well. Apparently, the Sabres put up a countdown to the unveiling with a blurred image of the jersey. Great idea...except the picture was decidely unblurred while loading. The Sabres pulled the image, but it's too late to stop the screen caps. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised by the jersey. The logo is still atrocious but the rest of the jersey looks pretty slick. Great color scheme, nice stripes, ...
09.14.06

Avs start camp, minus some old friends Avalanche Notebook | (0)
Another too short NHL offseason is over. Colorado players are reporting to camp today and will begin practicing tomorrow. While the Avs have several young players to get excited about (Woljtek Wolski and Brad Richarson are probably the two biggest), it's also a time to reflect on some Avs favorites from years past who have since moved on. First up is goalie David Aebischer, traded last year at the deadline for Jose Theodore. Aebischer had the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of Patrick Roy. Many players would have buckled under that pressure, but Aebischer put in a solid season ...