Hockey Rocks!

Hockey Rocks!

Who hasn't heard this expression before?

Moreso than any other sport, hockey is the most associated with loud brash guitars, manic drumming, and screaching vocals. Country songs about hockey? There are a few. Country songs about baseball, more than I care to count or listen. Hip Hop dominates basketball songs and football songs tend to begin and end with Hank Williams Jr.'s Monday Night Football theme song. I read somewhwere that there are more songs written about hockey than any other sport. That's easy to understand, because, as Stompin' Tom Connors first declared in 1973, "The best game you can name is the good ol' hockey game".

I happened upon this subject quite offhandedly. Just a few days ago I was perusing my favorite Bruce Springsteen site, when it linked me to a SI.com list of the 10 greatest sports songs. The list included the Boss' "Glory Days" at #8 (ironically, it is a song about aging, and not baseball, despite it's two opening lines), and John Fogerty's benchwarmer classic "Centerfield"(#7). Admittedly, I didn't know many of the songs on the list, although everyone not hiding under a rock surely has heard the #1 tune. Oddly enough, no hockey songs were in the top 10.

What got me going was their selection at #2.

I started making a list of the songs I knew that were about hockey. I came up with a sure dozen plus. I asked friends, aquaintances, and work cohorts to name their favorites. I got the usual responses of "Taking Care Of Business", "We Will Rock You", "Start Me Up", "Pump It Up", and of course "The Hockey Song". Out of 10 people I surveyed not one mentioned my favorite. When I mentioned it to them, they had similar reactions. "Oh yeah, that's right, forgot that one!'

That got me off on a mission. I decided to do an internet search to see what I could come up with and the results were quite interesting. I found more by performing a Kazaa download. I never found the "Gros Bill", a tribute to Jean Beliveau sung to the tune of Jimmy Dean's "Big John" I had heard in my youth, but it was like a whole world of songs opened up, nevertheless.

The most interesting finds were a B.C. (as in Bridgeport, Connecticut - thanks tapeleg!) based band called The Zambonis that had issued three discs worth of nothing but hockey songs, "100% Hockey and Other Stuff", "More Songs about Hockey...and Buildings and Food", and "Play Off Fever". Some of their song titles are simply irrisistable - "The Referee's Daughter", "The Goalie Is Drunk", "Lost My Teeth" and "Hockey Monkey" are but a few delicious samplings. Another B.C. band, D.O.A. has done some hockey related material, the best known of which is a hockey related video cover of BTO's "Taking Care of Business". There is even a french Canadian band called Les Dale Hawerchuks.

Here is a listing of songs I have found. Some of them I have heard, some I haven't been able to get to, but many of them are quite rare. I'll add notes wherever I can and include my own top 10 at the bottom of the list.

The numerical order is irrelevant to anything other than my top 10.

50 - Hockey Night Tonight - Hanson Brothers
49 - Cancer Sticks and Hockey Sticks - SNFU
48 - Joe Murphy - Wheat Chiefs (Not the former NHLer)
47 - Pencilneck Gek - Joey Shithead and Cub
46 - Drinking Whiskey, Playing Hockey - Tankhog (Not sure if there is a rum version dedicated to Zanstrom)
45 - Of Orange Pucks and Mighty Ducks (Hello Battle of California)
44 - Hockey Song - Jughead (Archie's buddy punking out on Stompin'Tom)
43 - Head High - Front End Loader
42 - What's Wrong With Lumme - Glenn Ford and the Piers (Hodge..fill me in on this!)
41 - In through The Five Hole - The Bombshells (Must be a Lalime, Racicot, or Kidd tribute, maybe Manon Rheaume!)
40 - Gump Worsley's Lament - Huevos Rancheros
39 - Pull Your Goalie - Aging Youth Gang (My suspicion is this ain't no hockey song)
38 - Overtime - D.O.A. (A morning after elimination hangover ode)
37 - Our Stanley Cup - the Smugglers
36 - Boy From Omsk - Swell Pod (I'm afraid I won't wanna hear this one!)
35 - Wanna Go ( Do You?) - U.I.C. (If this ain't a fight song - it's gotta be about sex)
34 - She Devil On Skates - Mighty Bitches (Not sure if these chicks once played for the MIghty Dykes!)
33 - Swampwater - Itch
32 - Slapshot - The Wingnuts (Great band name regardless of content or quality)
31 - The Enemy - Hanson Brothers
30 - Blood On The Ice - The Riverdales
29 - Ballad of Cookie La Rue - Stool Pidgeons (Could be the story of the road apple - the original hockey puck!)
28 - Red Wing - The Commies (Not Yzerman fans, I'd imagine)
27 - Hockey Hair - The Pansies (Could be a tribute to the mullet...who knows!)
26 - Gino Odjick - JP5
25 - Some Kinda freaks - The Bones
24 - Ted's Got The Puck - Ted
23 - You High Sticked My Heart - The Dinks ( I've read this is a classic)
22 - Penalty Box - Steaknife (This is either a tribute to Tiger Williams or Mrs. Bobbitt)
21 - Royal Grand Prix - CCM
20 - Fuck Gary Bettman - P.U.C.K. (Obviously written during the 2005 lockout)
19 - Beat 'Em Bust 'Em - D.O.A.
18 - HNIT - The Molestics (Not a sombre tale - stay away Leafs fans)
17 - ECH - The Boskops
16 - One Timer - Pullfinger (Watch out for the fart!)
15 - The Flower - Wry Eel (Must be about Guy!)
14 - Koho - One Ton Shotgun (Stick Love-No graphine shaft)
13 - End To End Rush - Swank (Great magazine!)
12 - Billy Zamboni - Strange Brew
11 - Ring Dem Bells - Hanson Brothers (Ever been hit in the nuts by a puck?)
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10 - "Clear The Track, Here Comes Shack"- Douglas Rankine and the Secrets: A tribute to former Leaf Eddie Shack. The much travelled journeyman was never exactly a star in the NHL, but he had heart and soul to spare. Nicknamed the entertainer, he was the closest hybrid of the NHL and WWF. In today's game game, he would be a cross between Ovechkin and Laraque. Rankine and the Secrets got lots of airplay with this one in the early seventies. A crowd pleaser.

9 - "Gretzky Rocks" - The Pursuit of Happiness: The band better known for their 1980's hit "I'm An Adult Now" issued this tune as a b-side to a single. Lead Singer Moe Berg simply and acoustically waxes poetic about the Great One's exploits. A lost Canadian gem! Not to be confused with "Wayne Gretzky" by Goldfinger.

8 - The Ballad of Wendel Clark Pts 1 & 2 - The Rheostatics: Exactly what you'd imagine. Everything about the former Leaf captain from knockout goals to knockout punches. A true canadian hero minus a Stanley Cup ring. "Well I heard Wendel talking to Dave Hodge last night/And he said that he was confident and keen./And he said that Jacques Plante didn't die so all of us could glide/He said that hard work is the ethic of the free." Guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye of any true Leafs' fan. The album is called "Greatest Hits."

7 - "Hockey Night In Canada Theme" - The Shiffle Demons: A hyped up version of the classic horn driven tune we are all familiar with. Beats the Kazoo Orchestra's version all to Hell. The Demons kick off their album "Bop Rap" with this guerilla jazz take and it includes an appropriately frantic play-by-play break Too bad it never had lyrics.

6 - Fireworks - Tragically Hip: Sample lyric; "If there was a goal that everyone remembers/It was back in ol' 72/We all held the stick and pulled the trigger/ All I remember is sitting beside you....You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey/I never heard someone say that before/ You held my hand.... looosened my grip on Bobby Orr". Little known fact, lead singer of the Hip, Gord Downie, is married to longstanding Bruins Gm Harry Sinden's daughter. That explains the age old Bruins jersey in the "Courage" video! From the Hips last great disc "Phantom Power".

5 - "Me Like Hockey" - The Arrogant Worms: A tribute to the primitive hockey fan done caveman style. True Canadiana! All attitude and amaturism. If this doesn't tickle your funny bone nothing will. The JimH blog did a great writeup on it and you can even download it from the site for quick listen.

4 - "Hit Somebody" - Warren Zevon: A parody played straight or a complete lack of geographical knowledge by a SoCal songwriter (best known for "Werewolves Of London") - you decide. What isn't in debate is how funny this goon tale plays out despite it's semi serious tone. David Letterman plays the role of the fan shouting out. Buddy is born in Big Beaver, dreams of Rocket Richard, and is scouted by the Flames scout from Saskatoon. "Buddy's real talent was beating people up" could liken this tune to anyone from Tony Twist to Gino Odjick. After 20 years in the game, poor Buddy finally scores one! Check the lyrics and find out how! Ought to be a classic!

3 - The Hockey Song - Stompin' Tom Connors: Okay I know it doesn't exactly rock, but this song has managed to become more controvertial than any punkers tune. It is pretty much to the point in stating that hockey "is the best game you can name". Originally released in 1973, it contained the final couplet, "The puck is in/The Canadians win/The good ol' hockey game". Oddly many Toronto Maple Leafs fans objected to the seemingly Hab obvious lyric and protested loudly at the time. Connors countered by rerecording it in different live versions over the years, mentioning the Leafs and Canucks. Those versions, sent only to radio stations have seldom been heard. No Oilers, Jets, Flames, or Nordique versions have ever been done. The song had a rebirth in the early 1990's when played at a Sens-Leafs game in Ottawa. Toronto coach at the time, Pat Burns, asked that it be played in the Gardens and the song took on nationalistic proportions. The version most have come to know is the "Bobby scores...the home team wins" version. Ironically, the "Canadians win" version, was in tribute to Team Canada 1972 and not the Montreal Canadiens. Jealousy will do that to you! Any way you look at it, this minimalist tribute is a foot stomping classic.

2 - Fifty Mission Cap - Tragically Hip: The Story of Leafs legend Bill Barilko ripped off from the back of a hockey card. Does it get more Canadian than this? After scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in OT in 1951, Barilko disappeared in a plane crash accident in the Northern Ontario Lakes region. His remains were unfound until 1962. The Leafs 11 year Cup drought eerily coincided with the recovery of Barilko's remains.

1 - Big League - Tom Cochrane and Red Rider: This one still gives me chills. In 1986, the Calgary Flames drafted George Pelawa 16th overall. He was a prospect that had size to go with a scoring prowess. He was playing in the U.S. collegiate circles and was killed in a highway collision. The story is told from the fathers point of view. No hockey Dad can distance themselves from the lyric "My boy's gonna play in the big league/ my boy's gonna knock 'em dead" without feeling it's sting. It is a true Canadian tale that ends when "Ice meets metal/In the wrong lane to the big league". Cochrane's broken hearted "Aaaah aha" wail makes one's neck hair stand on end. The truest of Canadian classics.

Almost Blue In The Face

This is Bruins assistant GM Jeff Gorton. Looks like Freddy Krueger has just autographed his fore head or he's forcing himself to go cockeyed. Maybe he's just holding his breath till the Bruins win the Cup,who knows?

Red Fisher's Red Storey Story

I have an amusing tale of name confusion that originated from the offices of the now defunct Montreal Star back in the early seventies. I can relate to this some, as there are two folks with the same name I have, associated with sports in the city. One is a photographer and the other is a marathon runner. We have all taken turns being confused for each other in the local media.

The tale involves Red Fisher, the longest standing "on the beat sports writer" in North America, and his good friend Red Storey, legendary NHL referee in the 1950's, both native Montrealers.

Prior to working for the Montreal Gazette, where he is still employed, Fisher wrote a daily for the Montreal Star. For a time in the early seventies, the Star published both a morning and evening edition. Both editions would carry the same Fisher feature unless news broke mid day and the writer could beat the 3 PM deadline.

One particular day, Fisher was working on one such piece and called to the news room to alert them to remove the morning story in lieu of the freshly written one. Fisher recalls telling a colleague "I've sent down a new story for the second edition. Throw out the one that's in the paper now. Put the new one in."

Apparently the colleague delivered the news orally, shouting past the composing room, "Red's story is dead. There's a new one for the evening edition.

Another writer doors away, overheard, dropped what he was doing and called his wife. "Did you hear about Red Storey? He's dead. We've got a story going in the next edition".

"Oh my, that's terrible, " she said. "The poor man."

Minutes later, she was on the telephone to a Montreal radio station. "My husband works for the Star," she said. "He just telephoned to tell me that Red Storey is dead."

Pat Curran, Fisher's assistant, almost ran him over, getting out of the Star's elevator. "Boy, am I glad I bumped into you", he said. "Did you hear about Red Storey?'
"What about him?"
"He's dead. I heard it on the car radio on the way over here."
"I just spoke to Red on the phone yesterday", Fisher told Curran. "He was fine."
"I heard it on the car radio, " he insisted.

Minutes later, Fisher is on the phone to Storey's wife, Helen.

"How are things?" Fisher asks. "Is everything okay?"
"Everythings fine," she said. "How are you?"
"Your husband there?"
"Here he is," she said.
Storey came on the line
"Red," says Fisher, Have I got a story for you!"

Malkin in the Middle of Mystery

The latest developments in the missing Malkin mystery appeared in the Russian daily I-Tar-Ass in todays morning edition.

The paper quotes several unamed sources who claim not only has he vanished from his Metallicaburg Magnetoscope team, but that the future Penguin has also moved out of his mothers basement apartment.

"He took toothbrush and dental floss', cried a sobbing Mrs. Malkin, oblivious to the mass of KGB dusting her sons computer for prints. "He just waltzed out like a Penguin", she whispered, with a Moscovian nudge-nudge wink-wink.

His companion Gretka was just as puzzled. "He didn't even stop by for his usual Friday night tea", she said, before bursting into laughter. "He may be gone far, far, as sometime in the day he slipped in like a penguin and took back his favorite Moo-Moo blanket he's given me for gift".

A Russian diner owner was being very tight lipped as to knowing anything after it was rumoured Malkin had stopped in for lunch. "He came in, had his usual platter of small fish and squid, and bobbed out like a seal" he said, then blushing, "Well maybe a penguin", before running back into his shop.

The Russian chekists are apparently stumped as to where he would flee to and were last thought working on a connection between the floss and the squid. They have plastered 27 Russian hockey arenas with pictures of the missing Moo-Moo in hopes of a break in the case.

MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD

There is absolutely nothing in the world I would rather be doing than watching this beauty play hockey.

This is my 11 yr old, she has been playing now for seven years. Two years back she was 2nd on her team in scoring with 28 goals. The following season she had 23 goals in her first year of Atom. Last year she made the big jump to travel team. She led her team in assists with 20 and finished 4th in scoring with 26 points. Her team won three tournaments, qualified for the provincials, and won the Ottawa District Women Hockey League championship. Her team is from a little town of 45,000 people, but it still outdueled the big city chicks from Ottawa, Kanata, Nepean and Gloucester to win the title.
Along the way they kicked some butt in the Toronto area and beat up on a couple of boys teams by scores that would have you in disbelief.

The new season is about to start. My kid's been skating for a month to get ready and shake off the rust. One thing about kids - there is no rust! Come the beginning of October, most of my time will be spent driving her to arenas around the city and province. It is time well spent. Damn it's great to be Canadian!

MALKIN DOES DISAPPEARING ACT

According to NHL.com, Penguins prospect Evgeni Malkin has gone AWOL. The site reports that he is nowhere to found and that his belongings and passport are with him. This could be great news for hockey fans in the steel city, as Malkin has generated almost as much excitement as Sidney Crosby did last season. Malkin has been called the best player not currently in the NHL by just about every reliable source. He is under contract to his Russian team, but without a current agreement between the NHL and the IIHL, it is in dispute whether any contracts have legal standing. It will be interesting to follow how this spy caper unfurls. For the complete story so far, follow the NHL.com link.

BEST CANUCKS LOGO EVER

Why didn't they think of this before? Placing a Gibson Flying V on the blue ice to create the "C" is a stroke of genius. The idea rocks doesn't it? What was the the name of that Vancouver based band that song nothing but hockey songs? Bet they'd appreciate this. Now if only they could find a way to improve the boring Maple Leafs logo. Maybe wrap a ball and chain around the Leaf and color it purple. Tinkering with logo's could get real fun. The Hurricanes puck going down the toilet needs improvement, and I would love to see a puck shoved up that Duck's ass. Somebody's got to able to make a Penguin look mean, I hear those flightless birds are real bastards!

2006 OFFSEASON TRANSACTIONS

Here is a listing of player movement since the 2005-06 season. It denotes players added to teams via trades and free agency ( + ), and also notes those traded, signed away, and lost to retirement ( - ). Players marked with an ( * ) are considered not going to be resigned by that particular club. The list includes NHLer`s as well as prospects. The list does not included any RFA's or UFA's left in the balance. As much as possible, I would like to keep this updated as a form of database on a day by day basis. If anyone has information that may not be included, or isn`t up to date, feel free to let me know.


NORTHEAST

BOSTON
+ 9 ( Chara, Savard, Donovan, York, Mowers, Brookbank, Dempsey, Rask, Hoggan )
- 9 ( Raycroft, Green, Tanabe, Leetch*, Reasoner, Guite, Healy, Moran, Isbister )

BUFFALO
+ 1 (Spacek )
- 7 ( McKee, Dumont, Grier, Janek, Pyatt, Leighton, Fitzpatrick )

MONTREAL
+3 (Samsonov, Johnson, Jancevski )
- 4 ( Zednik, Bulis, Sandstrom*, Ivanans )

OTTAWA
+ 7 (Gerber, Corvo, Preissing, McAmmond, Payer, Hennessey, Barinka )
- 6 ( Chara, Hasek, Havlat, Smolinski, Pothier, M.Morrison )

TORONTO
+ 5 ( Raycroft, Gill, Kubina, Peca, Westrum )
- 6 ( Lindros, Belfour, Domi*, Berg*, Allison, Rask )

ATLANTIC

NEW JERSEY
+ 1 ( Rupp )
- 2 ( Klee, B.Ference )

NEW YORK ISLANDERS
+ 7 ( Sillinger, Witt, Poti, Simon, Hilbert, Berry, Hill )
- 2 ( Parrish, W.Smith )

NEW YORK RANGERS
+ 4 ( Shanahan, A.Ward, Hall, Mt. Cullen )
- 6 (Rucinsky, Poti, Rucchin, Sykora, Moore, Grenier )

PHILADELPHIA
+ 8 ( Calder, Sanderson, Baumgartner, R.Robitaille, Mk.Cullen, Grenier, Kane, Meloche )
- 6 ( Desjardins, Johnsson, Handzus, Brashear, Radivojevic, Pletka )

PITTSBURGH
+ 9 ( Recchi, Ruuttu, Ekman, Petrovicky, Eaton, Carkner, Moore, Ehelechner, Penner )
- 6 ( Hilbert, Murley, Caron, Koci, Hussey, Boguniecki )

SOUTHEAST

ATLANTA
+ 6 (Rucchin, N.Kapanen, Hedberg, Sim, Metropolit, Haydar )
- 6 ( Savard, Stephan, Modry, Kloucek, Petrovicky, Abid )

CAROLINA
+ 8 (Walker, Grahame, Letowski, Boulerice, Conboy, Tanabe, Isbister, Peat )
- 5 ( Weight, Recchi, A.Ward, Mt.Cullen, Vasicek )

FLORIDA
+ 5 ( Bertuzzi, Belfour, Auld, Salei, Allen )
- 6 ( Luongo, McLellan, Sim, Krajicek, Payer, Hill )

TAMPA BAY
+ 5 ( Denis, Delmore, Kuba, Janik, Healy )
- 5 ( Kubina, Grahame, Sydor, Modin, Norronen )

WASHINGTON
+ 3 ( Zednik, Pothier, Brashear )
- 6 ( Halpern, Willsie, Kane, Mink, Mt. Biron, Peat )

CENTRAL

CHICAGO
+ 9 (Havlat, Smolinski, Handzus, Lalime, Caron, Arkhipov, Pletka, Koci, C.McDonald,)
- 5 ( Bell, Barnaby, Barinka, Mc.Cullen, Sh. Thornton )

COLUMBUS
+ 5 ( Modin, Conklin, Kloucek, Norronen, Boguniecki )
- 4 (Denis, Letowski, Rupp, Penner )

DETROIT
+ 5 ( Hasek, D.Markov, Hussey, D.Smith, Johnson )
- 6 (Yzerman, Shanahan, Legace, Mowers, Helmer, McLean )

NASHVILLE
+ 6 ( Arnott, Vasicek, Abid, Pivko, Henry, Dumont )
- 11 ( D.Markov, Perreault*, Witt, Hall, Arkhipov, Sillinger, Eaton, Berry, Darche, Haydar, Johnson )

ST.LOUIS
+ 7 (Weight, Guerin, Legace, McKee, Hinote, Rucinsky, Rivers )
- 6 (Lalime, Rycroft, McAmmond, Boulerice,Hoggan, Zigomanis )

PACIFIC

ANAHEIM
+ 5 ( Pronger, Green, Leighton, Sh.Thornton. Moran )
- 4 (Salei, Lupul, Freisen, Smid )

DALLAS
+ 5 (Lindros, Halpern, Barnaby, Modry, Stephan )
- 6 (Guerin, Arnott, Mitchell, Hedberg, N.Kapanen, Traverse )

LOS ANGELES
+ 7 (Blake, Sc.Thornton, McCauley, Cloutier, Willsie, Ivanans, O`Sullivan )
- 4 (Roenick, Demitra, Corvo, Dempsey )

PHOENIX
+ 9 ( Jovanovski, Boynton, Roenick, Laraque, M.Morrison, Zigomanis, Helmer, McLean, Nolan )
- 4 ( Mara, Sanderson, Johnson, Rivers )

SAN JOSE
+ 7 ( Bell, Grier, Darche, Traverse, Mink, Ferguson, Mt.Biron )
- 8 ( Preissing, Sc.Thornton, McCauley, Ekman, Conboy, Carkner, Hennessey, Ehelecchner )

NORTHWEST

CALGARY
+ 5 ( Tanguay, Freisen, Zyuzin, McLellan, B.Fereence )
- 4 ( Leopold, Simon, Donovan, C.McDonald )

COLORADO
+ 6 ( Leopold, Arnason, Murley, Guite, Rycroft, Klee )
- 3 ( Tanguay, Blake, Hinote )

EDMONTON
+ 4 ( Sykora, Reasoner, Smid, Tjarnqvist )
- 7 ( Pronger, Peca, Samsonov, Spacek, Laraque, Conklin, D.Smith )

MINNESOTA
+ 6 ( Demitra, Johnsson, Parrish, Carney, Radivojevic, W.Smith )
- 9 ( Zyuzin, Kuba, R.Robitaille, Tjarnqvist, O`Sullivan, Chouinard, Westrum, Ferguson, Henry )

VANCOUVER
+ 8 ( Luongo, Bulis, Chouinard, Mitchell, Tremblay, Pyatt, Krajicek, Fitzpatrick )
- 9 ( Bertuzzi, Auld, Allen, Carter*, Ruuttu, Baumgartner, Cloutier, Carney, Brookbank )

What The Heck Is This?

In the great tradition of Zanstorm and Hodge's "Name That Caption", I offer up "What The Heck Is This?"

It's hard to tell exactly what's happening in this photo, but you get the idea this guy's jock ain't too kosher. Dude kinda looks a little like Doug Gimour here, with a David Lee Roth lookalike in the Red Wings colors. Just why the puckbunny is kneeling and the finger pointing guy's jaw dropped is anyone's guess.

What do you think's going on here?

Eric Desjardins' Moment In Time

June 2, 1993.

The date lives on in infamy in the hearts of Montreal Canadiens fans.

From it, a tale steeped in hockey lore will live on as long as the game itself. It is the story of one of the wildest finishes to a playoff final game in history. It had a plot twist as crazy as any, with heroes and villains to spare.

With only two minutes remaining in game 2 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, Canadiens coach Jacques Demers calls a time-out. The Habs are trailing 2-1. If they let this one slip away, they will be down two games to none, and heading to L.A. for game three in a deep hole. Demers confers with captain Guy Carbonneau and calls the referee to the bench. A illegal stick measurement will unsue.

During the first game of the series, three Canadiens have noticed something. After the game, Kirk Muller, Eric Desjardins , and Carbonneau report to the coach that several Kings players seem to be playing with illegal curves on their sticks. The captain had actually brought it up during game one, with the coach taking note of it when certain players skated by. Demers files the information for use at a crucial moment. He writes down four names; Luc Robitaille, Tomas Sandstrom, Alexei Zhitnik, and Marty McSorley.

With the referee and linesman at the bench, Demers has decided that the crucial moment is now or never. The coach and captain scan the ice and see McSorley. The referee skates over to the Kings defenseman and confiscates the players stick for measurement. This is risky move by Demers. Should it backfire, his team will be assessed a two minute delay of game call. Carbonneau assures him it's not in vain. On the L.A. bench, a flurry of sticks are traded back at forth between players and trainers.

The TV cameras zoom in on the elongated measuring gauge. The verdict - not even close! McSorley is pointed to the penalty box and confusion reigns on the Kings bench. L.A. coach Barry Melrose is livid.

With barely two minutes left in regulation, the Canadiens will profit from an unexpected man advantage. It takes only seconds. Smelling blood, the Habs buzz the L.A. net, firing several shots at goalie Kelly Hrudey. Outmanded, the Kings are unable to gather any rebounds or composure. The puck is sent to Desjardins at the point. He fakes a shot, and moves a little closer. A screen in place, he fires low and Hrudey never sees it. The Forum errupts and the visitors are sent to their dressing room wondering what hit them. It is Desjardins' second of the game.

The Canadiens had won seven straight overtimes leading up to this. With the standout play of Conn Smythe winner Patrick Roy, they feel unbeatable in the extra frame. The teams return to the ice and there is a vibe in the building - almost as if the fans could sense what was about to occur. It takes but minutes.

Early in overtime, the Habs swarm Hrudey once again. The L.A. defense plays like headless chickens as the Canadiens cycle the puck around the back board. The puck comes to Desjardins. He fires a bullet, low and wide. From the corner the puck finds him again and he steps up several strides and through a maze of skates and sticks his cannon blast finds net. The building explodes into celebration. Desjardins is tackled by team mates.

The Kings in seconds are nowhere to be found. Melrose tears a strip of the officiating crew before exiting the bench area, seeing red. Make that red, white and blue!

The Kings never recover and the Canadiens sweep the remaining three games to capture their 24th Stanley Cup.

On this day, Desjardins was a hero amongst many. His hat trick represented the only time in a playoff final that a defenseman has performed such a feat. In the midst of events, the story almost became secondary, though it does deserve to be legendary.

Two years after, Desjardins was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers in a blockbuster deal with two other players for F Mark Recchi. It is a trade many a Hab fan regrets.

Desjardins continued on to have a stellar career, going to the final in 1997, playing in some All-Star games, and representing team Canada twice. The 37 year old blueliner has announced his retirement as injuries have compromised his career.

No one needs to ask him for a career highlight!

TWIN BROTHERS FROM DIFFERENT MOTHERS

Taking a cue ( OK, I stole the idea!) from the wonderful "Waiting For Stanley" blog, with an assist to tapeleg, I thought I'd post these separated at birth like photos.

The first pair is Flyers bench boss Ken Hitchcock and his eerily similar birth brother from a different mother, Bob Keesham, better known as Captain Kangaroo.

The second set is Captain Kangaroo's sidekick Mr. Green Jeans, who was played by actor Hugh Brennan, long rumoured to be gonzo rocker Ted Nugent's father. Both Nugent and Brennan would spent year vehemently denying any relation.

Alice Cooper was once thought to be Eddie Haskell of "Little Rascals" fame. Marilyn Manson had a similar story attached to him early on that he was the kid on "Saved by the Bell". Oh well start your own rumour and watch it grow legs!

Okay, so this was just a flimsy excuse to learn how links work! My clone has got a real life!

GOLF BAGS FROM HELL - Swinging With The Leafs!

(RC-Note: This post comes courtesy of the Official TML website. I cannot believe they would not see the humour or humiliation in this. Have they fired their webmaster yet? The link is:
http://www.mapleleafs.com/leafsfund/golfclassic.asp Hell it gave me a reason to employ my favorite Sundin pic! The italics are mine.)

Come golf with the Toronto Maple Leafs!

2006 LEAFS FUND GOLF CLASSIC Presented by:

Glencairn Golf Club - September 26/2006 - could raise more money by starting in April!

The 2006 Toronto Maple Leafs players and coaches will be on hand to golf with you!This tournament offers an experience like no other. It’s a great way to entertain clients or spend a once-in-a-lifetime day golfing with friends.

Your experience includes:

• breakfast - eating crow
• lunch - facewash with Darcy Tucker
• dinner - Ballard burgers - all you can eat
• silent auction -belfour memorabilia
• top three and "most-honest" prizing - signed Lindros posters
• great on-course activities - hide the ball on Tie Domi
• exclusive gifts for every golfer - Antropov autographed putter
• golfing with a Toronto Maple Leafs player and/or coach - let JFJ be your caddy

The proceeds from this event will support the Leafs Fund.

To reserve your foursome please contact Jillian Svensson at 416.815.6103. Foursomes are $5,000 (including GST). Foursomes will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis.In order to confirm your foursome, payment in full must be received by Tuesday, September 12, 2006.

We look forward to hosting you and your guests on September 26!

Earplugs Pleeeeease!

I cannot handle Senators coach Bryan Murray!

Never could. Never will.

It's not that he isn't a good guy - he appears to be a pretty sympathetic dude.

It's not that he's ever done anything despicable, underhanded, or rotten.There's no dirt on him of that kind I have heard of.

It's not that he isn't a good coach. He isn't!

What drives me just right frootloops about Bryan Murray is that damned annoying voice of his.

I know I'm being "not nice" here. If that makes me into a belligerent twit, I don't care. I get rattled and unhinged, frayed down to my last bare nerve upon hearing his voice.

Have you ever heard him?

He's got this sort of split-tongued Irish lisp that makes me go orangutan the second I hear it. It used to bust me up, now it just frazzles my psyche causing a headlong dash for a mute button.

How did he get this voice? Did he swallow a plastic Indian whistle as a child or does he have a pea sized blowhole in the side of his throat?

What comes out of Murray's whistle is this blown through a tube, syllable interrupting, "schweez" and "shuschwozes" that fart their way forth into every second word he utters. It's enough to make an immature adult crush a bear can into their ear lobe. It's not like what he's actually saying isn't asinine enough.

He reminds me of little Teddy Tedesco in my youth. Teddy was an irritating twerp with a habit of existing where he was most wanted silent. One recess I popped Teddy on the kisser cracking one of his front buckies. He spoke just like Murray until his mother had the good sense to cap the gap.

I wonder if Murray, in his playing days, ever needed to get his jaw wired shut. Maybe some of the wire was forgotten. Or not removed for on purpose.

When I watch him speak, that jaw moves left to right like an old typewriter, clenched tightly to his upper molars, careful to only spout anti-spit enunciations. Making out what he says often becomes a mensa-frustrating task.

Here's a clip of a transcript at the press conference following Ottawa's fifth game loss to Buffalo. I'll add in the Murrayisms - you try to figure what he's chewing about.

Reporter Question: Can you elaborate on what broke down on the Pominville goal.
Bryan Murray: Thatsch the OT winner ishantit! Well he schwept to the inschide of Schara near the boardsch broke into open ische. In our end he caught Alfreschun faltfooted. Eischer of thoshe two schoulda powketschecked him including Avery, Shorry, I mean Emery.

RQ: Did the Sabres relentless intensity wear down your offense in this series?
BM: Not really. We knew Schabres schtyle of play. The relentleschyntenshity wush nu shuprische ta usche. Our offenshied away from shcoring schanshes at the net. Thatsch why we losched.

RQ: In the end, you feel that was the difference?
BM: The conschickwensches of thosche muschtakesh were quite schvere, yesch.

You get the trip! I myself would be jamming Cheez Whiz into my ears at the thought of doing such an interview.

God help us if he should land behind the Islanders bench coaching the line of Yashin, Asham, and Kvasha!

5 Great (And not so great) Hockey Brainwaves - The Brilliant, The Stupid, and The Lucky

1 - In 1905 "One Eyed" Frank McGee was hockey's purest goal scorers. Prior to joining the NHA, McGee played with the Ottawa Silver Seven in the Federal Hockey League. He once scored 14 goals in a game, another time he notched 8 consecutive markers. In the 05 final against Rat Portage (now Kenora) he scored the cup winning goal with a broken wrist. All series he had terrorized the opponant with multi goal games. In the clinching game, McGee wore a specially fitted metal protector on the wrist. During the game, players for Rat Portage took liberties with the metal shield, wacking every chance they had. After the game, McGee revealed that he'd purposely placed the shield on the good wrist to suss out his opponants. Very clever!

2 - Harold Ballard was never a big fan of rules. He worshipped Leaf supporters and feared at times insulting their intelligence. When league president Clarence Campbell ordered him to put names of his players on the backs of jerseys, he balked, saying "Leaf fans know who the players are!" He eventually half conceded, putting them on the blue road jerseys, but remainded defiant they would never appear on the home whites. Campbell had enough of Ballards antics and threatened a fine if he didn't get in line. Next game, the names were indeed on the backs of the home white jerseys. Campbell fined him regardless. Ballard had the lettering done in white so they could not be seen. What a senile deviant!

3 - Roger Neilson, former coach of the Leafs and Canucks, among others, was a very inventive trailblazer for the game. Some of his left field antics are quite legendary in hockey circles. While coaching the Peterborough Petes in the OHL, he'd pull his goalie but tell him to lay his stick down in the crease. There was no rule saying he couldn't. Next season - there was. His most infamous stunt was the illegal substitution. With the Petes attempting to qualify for the playoffs one particular game, Neilson found himself in a hole towards the end of the game. Up by a goal but two men short due to penalties, he called a time out and discussed a wicked plan with certain players. When 5 on 3 play resumed, Neilson threw 2 forwards over the boards. The entire rink was baffled, including the opposing players and referee, who was unable to blow the whistle until a Pete touched the puck. Trouble was, they were avoiding touching it, as per Neilson's orders. Once they came in contact, the whistle blew, and the two players headed to the box. Asked for an explanantion by the ref, Neilson countered there was nothing in the rule book that said he couldn't do it. His ploy was to kill off the final minute of play this way. As only two players can serve penalties at once, and with no overtime in regular season play back then, Neilson was secure in the fact the penalty minutes didn't have to be served. The ref was furious and stated neilson was making a mockery of the game. The coach didn't care, he just wanted to make the playoffs. When play started once more he did it again with the same result. In fact he kept doing it until his bench was half empty and the clock out of time. League governors held an emergency meeting and countered the rule with a heavy fine and suspension. What a sneak!

4 - In 1970, there were two phenominal junior hockey stars that had the hockey world anticipating their arrival in the NHL. One was Marcel Dionne, of the St. Catherines Blackhawks, the other was Guy Lafleur of the Quebec Ramparts. The Montreal Canadiens were desperate and determined to land Lafleur and began planning for it two years prior to the draft. It was a fail proof plan in the sense that if they lost out on Lafleur, they would inevitably settle for Dionne. Call it a win-win deal. What GM Sam Pollock endeavoured to do was trade players who did not fit into the Habs plans to four of the six Western Conference teams. Over the two year period, several deals were concluded to the efeect that the Oakland Seals and the Los Angeles Kings became the weak sisters of the West. Pollock had made one deal with the Seals at the previous draft giving Oakland a #1 pick in 1970, plus forward Ernie Hickey, in exchange for their #1 pick in 1971 - a pick they could use to select Lafleur. All the Seals had to do to comply was finish last. With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Seals began to win, putting a fork in Pollocks plan. The GM took a gander at the schedule and noticed that the last place overall Kings were to play the Seals three more times in the final weeks of the season. Needing the Kings to overtake the Seals to secure Lafleur, Pollock dispatched sturdy two way center and 25 goal scorer Ralph Backstrom to L.A. for a measely future considerations. Pollock did not want to remove a single asset from what he hoped would be a surging Kings squad in the final weeks. It did the trick, in fact the Kings moved all the way up to 9th overall, still missing the playoffs. They hardly cared about the draft picks - they had traded their to Boston. The Kings were hoping to avoid humiliation of having dealt the Bruins a pick that would turn into Lafleur or Dionne. The Bruins Harry Sinden and Milt Schmidt were livid with the Habs and Kings to be sure, and they vowed to never deal with either of them again. The Bruins picked 6th that year in L.A.'s spot and chose Ron Jones. The spin to Boston media was that he was better than either of the players they missed out on. Ron Jones career ended at 54 games. How wickedly ingenious!

5 - Also in 1970, at the Cornwall Royals traning camp, an undrafted walk on showed up to make the team. Head scout Gord Wood was surprised as he'd never heard of the defenseman from any scouting sources. After checking references, the player was given a tryout. Two days into camp, the lanky redhead with the long flowing locks emerged as not only the cream of the rookie crop, but also as the teams best blueliner. Everyone was stumped to be sure. After 10 days in camp, coach Orval Tessier told the big bruiser, all he needed to do to make the cut and the team was get a haircut - the team had a longstanding short hair policy. The player refused. With the team insisting the player held out for a day or two and then bolted when he received a tryout offer from the Kitchener Rangers, where a trim wouldn't be needed. The Royals did fine without him, winning their first Memorial Cup in '72. The player however would not be forgotten. He was none other than Larry Robinson! Oops!

1914-15 Vancouver Millionaires

The Vancouver Millionaires were founded by Frank and Lester Patrick in 1911. The franchise lasted until 1926, having renamed themselves the Maroons two years prior. Back in the day, the league winner of the West Coast Hockey Association met the finalists of the NHA and then NHL to vie for the Stanley Cup. In 1924, the WCHA merged with the Pacific Coast Hockey League to become the Western Canada Hockey League. The Millionaires name came from the wealthy Patrick family and the teams logo was a large V with Vancouver spelled down the right side and back up the left.

The Millionaires won the 1914-15 Stanley Cup with a 3-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.The 26 goals Vancouver scored in the series set an early NHL for most goals by one team in a Stanley Cup final.

Millionaires also appeared in the 1917-18 final, losing to the Toronto Arenas, three games to two. Cancouver outscored The Arenas in the 5 games series 21-18. The 39 goals scored by both teams, set a finals record.

In 1920-21, they lost again, this time to the Ottawa Senators, three games to two. The following season the renamed Vancouver Maroons lost 3-1 to the Toronto St.Pats.

The Millionaires biggest star was Cyclone Taylor. In 1912, helped draw an estimated 20,000 spectators to watch the final. Each Vancouver player received $300 while the Senators earned $200 for their appearance. Taylor was a defenseman originally, and could skate backwards as fast as he could forward. The 1915 Cup was Taylors second. He scored 6 goals in his teams domination of Ottawa. The sheer magnitute of his play elevated him to the status of cross Canada hero. He retired in 1921 having scored 194 goals in 186 games. Taylor earned the remarkable distinction of being named to the First All-Star team in each season he played, whether in the PCHA, the IHL, the ECAHA, and the NHL.

The Millionaires playing manager was Frank Patrick, one of the greatest builders the game has known. He and his brother Lester were both excellent players, managers, team owners, and organizers of leagues across North America. Frank also refereed a Stanley Cup final game at the age of 20. The two brothers were the first pair of defenseman to rush the puck up ice. Prior to them, the position was used strictly to protect a team's own goal. They once held out on the Renfrew Millionaires, demanding a salary of $3,000 each to suit up. They got it. Frank teamed with Cyclone Taylor to become the best defensive pairing the game had seen to that point.

Following their years in Renfrew, the brothers along with their father decided to start a league on the West Coast. The father sold a lumber company and the three headed west. They founded the West Coast Hockey Association (WCHA) and spent $350,000 to build a 10,000 seat arena in Vancouver. It became at the time, the largest building in the country. At that time, the sport was little known and rarely played in that part of Canada. It took off quickly thanks to Taylor's star power and the Patrick family, who build a 4,200 seat arena the following year in Victoria. The league began play 1911-12, with Frank as Manager of the Millionaires and also president of the league itself. The WCHA was given a major boost when Frank convinced superstar of the day, Taylor to join the team. Patrick set an NHL record in the teams first season that stands to this day - scoring 6 goals in one game, not bad for a defenseman!

Frank Patrick accounted for 22 rule changes that remain in the NHL presently. The innovations he brought were numerous and visionary. He introduced the blue line, the forward pass, and the playoff system, a change adopted by leagues of every sport around the world. Along wih Lester, they were the first to use numbers on players sweaters to identify them and created programs for the fans. The goal crease and faceoff circles were their idea. They allowed the puck to be kicked everywhere but into the net. They allowed goaltenders to fall to make saves. They created the assist and invented the penalty shot.

It is no wonder, the Patricks were called "the Brains of Modern Hockey!"

Members of the 1914-15 Vancouver Millionaires were: Ken Mallen, Frank Nighbor, Fred "Cyclone" Taylor, Hugh Lehman, Lloyd Cook, Mickey Mackay, Barney Stanley, Jim Seaborn Si Griffis (Captain), Johnny Matz, Frank Patrick (Playing Manager)

HABS 2005-06 REVIEW

It's high time I get around to assessing my Habs. I've been shooting my mouth off about everything else and since I make no bones about this being a Hab biased site, it's time to lay down the cards.

This weekend I hope to get down to predictions on dozens of subjects regarding the upcoming season.

Hopefully the new comp I've inherited won't set me back too many days here.

Where to begin?

I'll start by going backwards to last season and a quick (LOL, OK nevermind) overview of what happened in 2005-06.

What happened was lots Twilight Zone - like twists. The Canadiens started the post lockout season with renewed hope. The promised more open style of hockey seemed well suited to the Habs assets. There was a coach we had confidence in, and a GM rightfully steering the ship. In goal we had our only superstar, a former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner with a penchant for tabloid like mishappenings. Added to the mix, was the FA signing of the slippery and elusive Alexei Kovalev. All combined, there hadn't been this level of pre-season excitement in years.

Out of the gate, the Habs did not disappoint. Nearing the quarter schedule mark, their record was 13-5-2 - good enough to have them leapfrogging the Ottawa Senators for first place in the conference on a daily basis. People were beginning to take notice of the quickly improved squad when the bricks hit the fan.

One after another, three prime componants suffered injuries that shook the team. Captain Saku Koivu was out for 10 games and returned still injured to the lineup. Kovalev had knee surgery to repair a buildup of scar tissue from a previous ailment and missed 13 games. Just as both were set to return, defenseman Andrei Markov went down, missing 15 games. Radek Bonk, aquired prior to the lockout, played hurt for the first half of the season, and was a shadow of a shadow of his forner self. On most nights, that would be putting it nicely.

Through a 20 game span, the Habs clung tight to a .500 record. The team began losing close games and confidence in themselves The Markov injury seemed to be the last straw. They were playing terribly and coach Claude Julien resorted to drastic measures, sitting second line center Mike Ribeiro and starting backup goalie Cristobal Huet, who had been winning, more often than 5M man Theodore. The season it seemed. was going to Hell.

I was in Scarborough, Ontario for my daughters hockey tournament early in the new year. While watching her game, I noticed everyone around me stuck stuck on a small screen hung up by the ceiling. Approaching it, I saw GM Bob Gainey flanked by former Habs captain and associate coach Guy Carbonneau. I was stunned slightly, bemused, upset, and happy all at once. Relieved, was the common emotion I gathered from fellow Hab supporters that day.

As Gainey assumed coaching duties with Carbo at his side, there was an initial jump in the Canadiens step. Trouble was, things had long gone all crooked with the team. Soon they fell back into the same detrimental patterns experienced by Julien. Oddly enough, Gainey sought refuge in many of the same solutions. He began playing Huet more often and had rotating pressbox seats for Ribeiro, Jan Bulis, and Richard Zednik.

During the Olympic break, Theodore slipped on his doorstep, fracturing his ankle. Gainey must have looked shyward and wondered aloud, "What next?"

A week prior to the trade deadline, Gainey shipped the distraction Theodore had become, injury and all, to Colorado for goalie David Aebischer. The backup would play a key part in the Canadiens late season resurgance.

In the final 20 games, the Habs became the team they were at the seasons start, and began surprising opponants again. They scored key wins over Ottawa twice. Next up was back to back meetings with the Maple Leafs. The Habs shallacked them like a outhouse toilet seat. With the playoffs two weeks away, the team was in 6th, 7th, or 8th place with games in hand juggling the bottom rung of playoff hopes.

With two games remaining they clinched 7th place, backdoor style, due to an Atlanta loss. They would meet the powerful Carolina Huricanes in the opening round of the playoffs.

Initially it seemed like an instant death for the red, white and blue. The Canes had trounced, manhandled and outclassed Montreal in all four meetings. Inside the dressing room, Gainey preached a different outcome. Three of the lopsided losses came without the aforementioned trio of Koivu, Kovalev, and Markov in the lineup. As an added bonus, they had yet to face the red hot Huet. They readied themselves in the confidence they would not be outclassed.

One minute into the the Habs - Canes series, the score read 1-0 Carolina. In testament to the Habs new found backbone was the fact they retalliated with six unanswered goals to stun the Southeast Division champions 6-1. Game two began playing the same movie, but bad Hab penalties caused them to need two extra periods to pull out a 6-5 win.

Returning to Montreal for games 3 and 4, the Canadiens were reeling. Surprised and buyoed to be up 2 games, they endeavored with hard fought dedication to close out the series. The Canes countered by replacing starting goalie Martin Gerber with rookie Cam Ward. It proved to be a crucial turning point.

With the Canadiens leading 1-0 midway through game three, fate struck and derailed the Habs hopes. Koivu, on the lip of the crease was hooked under the face guard by Jason Williams. The eye injury suffered by the Habs captain would leave his career in doubt at that moment. For his part, Williams went unpenalized. Mysteriously, four on ice official missed the infraction, even though Koivu had the puck at the net prior to the deed, and left a blood streak from the faceoff circle the the infirmary!

With the perpetrator of the slash, Jason Williams, unpunished, the Hurricanes rallied for a 2-1 OT win. The remainder of the series went the Canes way, with wins by scores of 3-2, 2-1, and a sixth game 2-1 OT win to seal the Habs fate.

Considering the unlikely turn of events, the Habs could hold their heads high. They had backed the eventual Cup winners into a corner no other opponant would achive. On their way to the Stanley Cup, Canes GM Jim Rutherford admitted the Habs were the most worthy opponant.

The team that appeared shaky in mid season, allowed the Canes a mere 15 goals in their matchup. New Jersey, Buffalo and Edmonton did not fare as well against the Hurricanes defensively.

With their season over, many positives remained.

Starting in goal, the unflappable Huet picked up where Theodore left off three seasons ago. His quiet and confident manner, the composure exuded under pressure, are aspects the team will build upon.

The youngsters brought up their games. On defense, Markov looked like a general. His fluid style adapted to the new league play without speedbumps. Blueline bruiser, Mike Komisarek, showed why he was a first round pick in the last 30 games, by starting to live up to potential. After an inconsistant start (his mother succumed to cancer), he found a steadier game and became flawless.

Up front, rookie contributions, make the future look bright. Chris Higgins (23 goals) was promoted to the top line, tallied 16 goals in his final 26 games with Koivu as his pivot. On draft day three years prior, TSN tagged him as being at best a 20 goal scorer. Michael Ryder improved on what should have been a Calder year for him in 2004, notching 29 goals to lead the team. Rookies Tomas Plekanec and Alexander Perezhogin were at times offensive sparkplugs, stepping up adequately during injuries. Plekanec has the tendancies of a young Carboneau when employed on the penalty kill. He has been groomed that way for 3 seasons in the minors.

Down the stretch, Bonk turned out to be a half decent checking center. Local boys Steve Begin and Francis Bouillon, both hard hitters, were sparkplugs for the team. Gainey brought in toughness by aquiring Aaron Downey and Garth Murray, who both did good fourth line duty. Andrei Kostitsyn enjoyed a call up from Hamilton and teased Habs fans with a glimpse into the future. Kovalev became a crowd favority for his dazzle and dangle abilities with the puck. Sheldon Souray had trouble adapting to the games new fluidity but found his old form in the second half.

All things considered, the Habs were making progress. Not many changes were envisioned by Gainey for the following season.

RFA Gets Sweet FA

Could Sabres GM Darcy Regier have been staring at his teams new jersey too long?

Did he go for a swish in the Captain Morgan swill the night before?

This decision makes little to no sense at all!


Sabres winger J.P. Dumont was recently awarded a 2.9 M salary through arbitration and today the Sabres chose the walk away option. The salary award is hardly a ridiculous one, Dumont tallied stats of 20 goals and 20 assists in 48 games last season. Dumont has always been a reliable cog in the Sabres offense, finding the 20 goal plateau on four occasions, and ay 28 years of age still has a certain upside. Over the course of his tenure with the Sabres, his ice time has always average near the 15 minutes per game mark.

What gets me is that Buffalo has not opted for a sign and trade scenario.

Dumont has been a goal scorer since his junior days and placed with the right centerman his totals would surely be elevated. Playing with Daniel Briere last season allowed both to seemingly be on the way to career seasons before injuries interupted better stats. Arbitration awarded Briere a tidy 5M per for 58 pts in 48 games. The tandem surely would have had success again this coming year.

It would have made sense to have them pair up, get hot them maximize that value on the trade market. Dumont could have yielded a decent prospect from the likes of the Pittsburgh organization, for one.

Perhaps there are some hidden issues at hand, who knows?

Dumont has been given up for next to nothing twice before.

Originally drafted by the New York Islanders, the winger was sent along with a 5th round pick to Chicago for Dmitri Nabokov, May 30, 1998. He had just capped off a stellar junior season with the Val-Dor Foreurs of the QMJHL with 57 goals and 42 assists in 55 games. He was more impessive in the playoffs adding 31 goals and 15 assists in 19 games. This obviously didn't faze Isles GM Mad Mike MIlbury (what does?) as he sent Dumont to Chicago for Nabokov who'd notched mere totals of 7-4-11 in 25 games with the Hawks.

On March 10, 2000, the equally visionary Hawks GM Mike Smith sent Dumont off to Buffalo with Doug Gilmour for Micheal Grosek. Dumont had been playing in the minors at that point registering a point per game. Both deals must had him shaking his head!

Perhaps it is the scenario of a rough negotiation with Goalie Ryan Miller that has the Sabres brass tightening the purse strings. Projected backup and future trade bait Martin Biron has been caught in a waiting game, as he expects to be dealt at anytime. It would have been logical, with as many as ten RFA's to sort through, that Buffalo deal with the case of Miller ( ! ) first.

How this "walk away" plays out remains to be seen. It's doubtful Dumont will get close to the salary he was awarded with any team who signs him. How quick he is snapped up, will measure the extent of the Sabres goof on this one. If they are clued in, they ought to be negotiating with the player to try and keep him in the GM neighborhood. It just might work for them after all. I'm sure GM's league wide are checking their pockets books with their other hand on a cell for the next few days.

Wouldn't Regier just fume if Dumont lands in the Northeast division. Ottawa would be a nice fit.

PREDICTIONS - Coming Soon

With NHL rosters about 90% finalized and only a few remaining free agents of quality left on the market, it will soon be time to toss off the annual predictions. Early you think?

Consider this. By the second week of september, both the NHL Yearbook and the Hockey News Yearbook will hit the newsstands. They are pouring over stats as we in the blog world certainly are, polling various hockey braintrust, busy perusing the goalcreases of their collective craniums to get it all down just right. Either that or they are flowing in a stream of Captain Morgans, allowing the rum to beat the drum.

In any event, by the weeks end, I will dare a complete rundown of what I think will unfold over the coming season. From team standings, to the scoring race, award winners, and lo and behold - a Stanley Cup Champion!

Nuts am I? Probably! In all likelyhood, I'll be fifty percent wrong.

But so what I say! Pedictions are usually for the birds. Fodder for conversation and debate and ridicule. Hell, I can't do worse than Zanstrom's alcohol fueled boldness. At least I'll get all my teams in the right divisions!

As for a preview, I gazed into my recently spit shined crystal ball and watched Leafs Captain Mats Sundin nail a hole in one at some rundown pissy little par-three course south of Hamilton. No, there wasn't a sign of leaves on the trees, but wouldn't you know it - I would have been wrong right off! I had him finishing the season in an Oilers jersey.

THE GRETZKY TRADE PT 1 - The Hockey World Stands Still

August 9 marks the 18th anniversary of the trade that changed the landscape of hockey - The Wayne Gretzky Trade To L.A.

It may not have played itself out as hockey's biggest blockbuster deal ever, but it remains the games most shocking transaction. To say the hockey world was caught off guard would be an understatement. The deal touched nerves on issues of national pride and was analyzed from more than just a hockey perspective. It was by and large a business deal, as Gretzky was often mentioned in the following days as an asset as much as he was a player. As the Great One had recently married, domestic slants infiltrated the opinions of the player and his bride. Some went so far as to compare Janet Gretzky to Yoko Ono!

In Wayne Gretzky's book, "An Autobiography", 99 gave his version of the events that unfolded in the days leading up to the deal, and the days that followed. At the time of the trade, fingers were pointed ramdomly, as every fan of the game, thought there should be someone to blame. The trade's two main instigators were Oilers owner Peter Pocklington first and foremost, then Gretzky himself, as he has admitted.

I'd like to be able to reference Pocklingtons book, trouble is nobody bought it. That goes ditto for the spin he put on the trade.

The root cause of the deal was not so much a hockey issue. It was well known at the time that Pocklington's main financial interests lie with a meat packing firm that was taking on losses. With bankruptcy facing the Oilers owner, his solution became Gretzky. The owner felt for some reason that 99 was a declining asset of sorts who was fast approaching the age of free agency. Fearing that he would either lose him for no return or that his value would continue to diminish annually, Pocklington sought out the players market value. After finding a handful of takers willing to suit his needs, Pocklington began the bidding process.

It is here that Gretzky stepped in. The Great One got the word from another player of what Pocklington was up to. He was furious to say the least, not wanting at all to leave Edmonton. When the owner insisted the trade had to happen, Gretzky forced his hand by demanding he be traded to a destination suitable to him. If not, he used not reporting and retirement as leveredge to get his way. At this point, with little bargaining room, Pocklington let Gretzky in on talks with others teams involved.

Prior to this, the frontrunner in talks was Nelson Skalbania and the Vancouver Canucks, whom Gretzky knew and didn't altogether trust from his days as an Indianapolis Racer. As Gretzky spoke with a few prospective team owners, Los Angeles emerged as his likely suitor. He was charmed by the sly manners of Kings owner Bruce McNall, who saw in Gretzky a future partner in a variety of undertakings. Throw in the fact that the Kings played in the Western Conference, and that Janet lived in L.A. and Gretzky was seduced by the idea. Most importantly, McNall had the money to solve Pocklingtons woes.

Having hatched a deal, Pocklington, McNall and Gretzky talked of a media plan to offset (as if they ever could) the obvious fallout from the media, the hockey world, and Canada in general. All would later admit they underestimated the consequences of what they were about to bring down. It was planned that Gretzky being the biggest long term benefactor of the deal would play scapegoat. Unfortunately the media had done its homework on Pocklingtons troubles, and the plan went awry. Once all the arrows had found Pocklington, he started the mudslinging at Gretzky. In the end none of it stuck.

August 9, 1988, the deal was announced to the world.

Edmonton sends Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyshi and Marty McSorley to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, the Kings first round draft choices for 1989, 1991, and 1993, and 15 million dollars cash.

Canada and the hockey universe were stunned, shocked, and in disbelief.

It would always be one of those moments in one's life where you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news.

I had returned to work from an out of town payroll run to find the entire male population of my workplace gathered around the radio with pale faces and sushed lips. Thirteen years later, the exact scenario played out for me again in the very same way as two planes struck the World Trade Centers. The consequences are hardly comparable, but it is an odd similarity for me in many ways.

THE GRETZKY TRADE PT 2 - Getting Analitical

Trades.

There are small meaningless ones.

There are blockbuster multi player deals.

Analyzing them upon announcement seems almost fruitless but it is done by every fan of the game. One for one deals are sometimes the easiest to assess. "Time will tell" is the attached motto to almost every deal. The simple ones are a lot easier to sort out. The blockbuster deals, take years to declare a winner.

The Gretzky trade, a multi player deal with draft picks, rules the blockbuster category. It would be simple to summarize it quickly and state that the Oilers won the 1990 Stanley Cup with assets received in the trade (Martin Gelinas), and assets culled from the trading of the prime return on the initial deal that was Jimmy Carson (Joe Murphy, Petr Klima, Adam Graves). The Kings for their part reached the 1993 Cup finals, only to lose in five, with Gretzky leading the way.

Pretty much cut and dry stuff, you would think. With the Stanley Cup as the ultimate goal, the Oilers, it appears, win this trade clearly.

Trouble is, a multi player deal has many variables, paths, and twists and turns. Decades worth! Trust me on this! What if, and it's a big "if', a player aquired far down the line as a result of the original deal, figures prominantly in a teams current fortunes. Does the perspective of the original deal, almost twenty years done, change in the public opinion. I doubt it. Memories simply don't work that way. Or that hard!

Consider this fact. Almost 20 years after the Gretzky deal, offshoots of this transaction are still in the league. One currently plays for the Oilers. Two prospects remain in their system. The current longest standing King is a result of the August 9, 1988 deal. Imagine if any of these players were to become sticking points in a trade that landed the Oilers or the Kings a first round pick in an upcoming draft that would yield the either team a franchise player. Unlikely? Maybe. Impossible? You never know!

One cannot be faulted for not remembering names such as Corey Foster or Vladimir Vujtek. They are 51 players who landed with the Oilers as a result of the Gretzky trade. Another 20 passed through the Kings organization. It is hard to believe, I realize. Believe it or not, these players were once sticking points on deals. Vujtek was Jaromir Jagr's center in the Czech republic. Strong final Junior seasons or elevated draft choices, certain players became the make it or break it throw in, in a deal. I always say that hindsight is 20/20. When dealing with a trade of this magnitute, I learnt it is cockeyed also.

Do not discount the fact that a particular player in a trade may at the time seem meaningless in the scope of the overall transaction. Or meaningless in hindsight. The simple fact that they were in the deal may have constituted a sticking point in the deal being made at all. Had Craig Berube not been tossed into the mega trade with the Leafs, the deal falls apart. Toronto was demanding toughness. Glen Sather saw in the player a Semenko / McSorley type of asset that teams had to have in the day. He didn't give him up easily and caused the deal to include seven players instead of five.

The backwards tracing of in excess of 70 transactions is not something I recommend to the average hockey thinker, if one values their sanity. Just when I though I had this whole deal wrapped, seemingly meaningless layers peeled themselves away to reveal a handful of additional transactions and a good 20 more players. What I mean by that, cannot be said in a simple sentence! I almost felt like I was disecting DNA.

Here is the anatomy of it all.