NHL Offseason thread

[Thora]

I think we win an award for some of the strangest jerseys ever.

Ahh, the good old days of the Halloween colours.

I really love the Orca, so I'm glad they've kept that. I'm not going to rush out and buy a new one, though. I don't really like the shape of the new jerseys.

It looks as if the "old" ones are now on sale, so I'll have to pick up another one of those sometime soon. I can't believe in all these years that I've been a Canucks fan, I still don't have a Trevor Linden jersey, and he's one my all-time favourite player.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I gotta say Ottawa did a class job with the redesign of the logo and new unis.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Habs simply update the classic look, slightly alter the collar by removing a blue stripe, and somehow manage to be the only one of the classic NHL teams to work their horizontal jersey stripes onto that bottom edge of the jersey without the new, curvy overhang looking weird.

 

[DaveC]

Saku Koivu is a moron.

 

[BoMac]

Saku Koivu is a moron.

What, for his comment that the Habs are good enough to make the playoffs, but not to win the Stanley Cup?

What's wrong with that? He was merely stating the obvious and, as usual, he got raked over the coals by a media corps that has never really warmed up to him as captain of Les-bleu-blanc-rouges.

 

[UberBeaver]

You think they'd be happy he thinks that they can even make the playoffs. I'm not so sure.

 

[DaveC]

I know it's pretty self-evident, but as the captain of a team, it's not the best way to motivate a team. The comment itself was not my complaint.

 

[BoMac]

^ So, then, what was your complaint?

 

[Canadiens1131]

Saku Koivu ain't french, so he ain't good enough to be capitain, tabarnak.

 

[BoMac]

^ I believe I once heard a French radio host, Ron Fournier I believe, say something to the effect that he would rather have a losing team made up of exclusively French Canadian players, than a Stanley Cup team composed of Europeans, Americans and French and English Canadians.

That should tell you all you need to know about the French media in Montreal. Now the media has turned their attention to Daniel Briere for not signing with Les Glorieux. They're calling him a traitor etc. He signed on what, July 1 or 2, and this story is still getting space in locala papers. Get over it!

Seriously, who in their right mind would want to play here?

 

[pat132]

Saku Koivu ain't french, so he ain't good enough to be capitain, tabarnak.

Haha, in almost 15 years in the team, he did say like 2-3 short words in french... seriously

 

[DaveC]

Who gives a rat's ass?

 

[BoMac]

NHL to announce outdoor game

Associated Press
9/13/2007 1:36:10 PM
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Winter, Buffalo and Penguins. It's a perfect combination for an outdoor NHL game.

The league is set to announce next week that the Sabres will host the Pittsburgh Penguins in an outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Jan. 1, a person familiar with the event told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the NHL has not made the announcement official.

The NHL issued a release Thursday saying it will ``make a major announcement concerning a special event'' during a news conference at the stadium on Monday.

Several media outlets cited unidentified sources in reporting the planned outdoor game earlier this month.

It will be the league's second outdoor game after the Canadiens beat the Oilers 4-3 in front of 57,167 fans at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2003.

Ralph Wilson Stadium is home to the NFL's Buffalo Bills and has a capacity of 73,967 seats for football games.

The game will cap a home-and-home series between the two Eastern Conference rivals after Buffalo plays at Pittsburgh on Dec. 29.

Buffalo is considered an ideal location to host the game, and not only because of its reputation for cold, bitter winters. The Sabres' attendance has risen dramatically: last season's President's Trophy-winning team sold out all of its 41 regular-season games.

Buffalo also has the potential to draw many fans from the region given that the city is just across the border from Ontario and 90 minutes from Toronto. It's also an easy drive for Penguins fans, with Pittsburgh only a 3½ drive south of Buffalo.

Sabres players, reporting for the start of training camp Thursday, were informed by the team not to comment about the nature of the NHL announcement.

 

[MsMofoGone]

NHL ??

Why isn't there an AHL thread ??

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

NHL ??

Why isn't there an AHL thread ??

Because you would be the only one posting in it

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by elevated_u2_fan
Because you would be the only one posting in it

And what exactly is 'wrong' with that ??

I just can't seem to 'support' any NHL teams these days.
After going to a few Blackhawks games last season ... I witnessed just how 'ignorant' some of those players really are towards their fans.
I thought it was totally ridiculous ... especially since WE SUPPORT THEM !!
The players are so-ooo much nicer when they first start off in the AHL and Canadian Leagues.
Once they hit the NHL, they become glamourously 'stuck-up' !!
What the heck is wrong with them ??

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I can't abandon hockey. It's quite sad, really.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I can't seem to abandon the Leafs, they picked up right where they left off last year: losing

 

[DaveC]

Steve Downie

Shoulda gone for Chris Neal instead.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Steve Downie

Shoulda gone for Chris Neal instead.

qft!

and what was up with that goalie fight with the Islanders and the Rangers?

Could you imagine if Dipietro got hurt during that??

 

[DaveC]

qft!

and what was up with that goalie fight with the Islanders and the Rangers?

Could you imagine if Dipietro got hurt during that??

I didn't see that.

DiPietro's still got something like 12 years (!!!) left on his contract, so he'd be back if he got hurt.

 

[UberBeaver]

He's got 14 years left and he's a bit of a camera ham. I'm not a big DiPietro fan, but it was kinda funny. The Ranger's goalie didn't seem to know what to do, he didn't take off his helmet or gloves at first, and I think DiPietro just wanted to get the crowd going. There was no point to the fight, really and DP got him with a couple of nice hits - I didn't know he had it in him. Then he just said good night and skated off the ice. Probably his best performance since he made that killer save against the Leafs last season.

 

[Canadiens1131]

The outdoor game will be hilarious. I loved the Heritage Classic a few years back. Jose Theodore's in-game tuque action was the best thing ever.

 

[RavenBlue]

They're doing another outside game?

So supposedly there's a game to be broadcast tomorrow from London, England? Is London looking to pick up a team?

 

[trevster2k]

Cup predictions for this year?

I'm going with Ottawa. I didn't think they would win last year, ain't a fan but this is their year after seeing the guys across the ice holding the trophy.

 

[RavenBlue]

I've been supporting Ottawa more and more each year, but they seriously pissed me off last season. I'd still like them to go all the way, but they've got to win me over all over again.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

The Habs almost broke the Sens' winning streak last night - surprising considering everyone is always keen on telling me how much the Habs will stink this year

 

[MrPryck2U]

They're doing another outside game?

So supposedly there's a game to be broadcast tomorrow from London, England? Is London looking to pick up a team?

Yes, the LA Kings and the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks battled it out in a 2 game series in the O2 Arena over this past weekend. The teams spilt the series 1 game apiece. The London series was deemed successful. The British fans roared when they got a dose of good old NHL physicality. (ie. fighting)

I don't see London getting an NHL team anytime soon, but more regular season games could be played there in the coming years.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I remember the year they did it in Edmonton, in November.

I briefly considered doing something as crazy as flying out there to see it, then when I saw all those suckers in their thermal underwear freezing their asses off I was relieved that I hadn't.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Yes, the LA Kings and the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks battled it out in a 2 game series in the O2 Arena over this past weekend. The teams spilt the series 1 game apiece. The London series was deemed successful. The British fans roared when they got a dose of good old NHL physicality. (ie. fighting)

No surprises there - I remember working in a pub in London during the Winter Olympics some years back and the English always loved to watch the "ice hockey" on the tv screens, they always got a real kick out of it, especially the fighting!