55fan

Oh, I'm not putting him up with Andreas Ninja yet. He'll have to grow into that role. But... a bit of training, a few fights, some more training... the kid's got potential. Plus, from what I've heard Ericsson can pop a few, so there's the next Swedish enforcer for Lils to train. Big Rig and the Pain Train. What a team. A bunch of guys who can throw punches is in a way as good as a good fighter. This way the opposition has to mind its manners concerning our skill players because they don't know from which direction the accountability check will come.

Really!?! Do you happen to remember where you read that and have a link? I'd love to read the whole thing. If not, did it say more on the subject? The down side to that is that it makes Downey/Mac expendable. The up side is that it means we have an enforcer (or at least someone willing to take a stand) with talent.

I believe it has to do with the number of years spent with an AHL team, but it may be number of years being available to the NHL. Quincey has been there for 3 years now. Ericcson is older, but played in Sweden first.

Happy 83rd! Make a wish and blow out the candles!

Pavel is so funny. I remember the moon landing. Had I known Pavel would be born on that day, I would have done something to celebrate. I wonder why he gets his own room. Is that a perk of wearing the A, or do they just really like him?

He's hiding behind Hudler.

Besides, those soft Euros who can't win anything are pretty interchangable anyway. Zata, Kronner, Riatola (however you spell him), Sammy, Mule: blondes with beards. Big hairy deal.

For what it's worth: The cup is cleaned thoroughly after each visit, and during the visit if necessary. Last season the team that won (won't say the name) took the Cup to a hospital to visit a very sick boy. The boy had had a relapse, and the nurse couldn't let the Cup in unless it was sterilized. The keepers asked with what it would be sterilized. The nurse said that it would have to be with alcohol. The keepers replied that the Cup had held alcohol before, and the boy was allowed to have his visit. I love these stories. Yeah, some are in bad taste, but some are nice and even sweet. Many are funny. Some are creative. The stories get us through the summer when there is little else to talk about between signings. Besides, it has guards to keep things from getting too out of hand.

Let me say first that I'm not good with maths, so if my addition is off, please correct me. I have been looking ahead at the contracts held by our core veterans. In the summer of 2010, Malts, Homer and Lids will be at the ends of their contracts. Malts and Homer will be 37, and Lids will be 40. In the summer of 2011, Drapes and Ozzie will be at the ends of their contracts. Drapes will be 40, and Ozzie will be 38. Which of these guys do y'all think will retire, and which will re-sign. For those you think will re-sign, what do you see as the lengths of the contracts? Obviously, injuries can happen, and players don't all age the same way. There may also be personal considerations to which we're not privy, or which may not yet have arisen. Which, if any, do you see taking non-playing positions with the Wings, or with other organizations if there is no spot with the Wings? Any speculation? ETA: Resign means quit; re-sign means sign again.

Thank you. The only thing I could think of where FO was involved was not very nice, and I got the impression that I was not being told to F Off. I got lost on the Gilly part since Gilly's is a pub around here, so I got sidetracked with thoughts of alcohol. It happens. A lot, in fact. So, back to the topic, since I haven't given my thoughts yet. I can see Drapes hanging it up at 40. I can also see Malts being done. I hate that since those guys are two of my faves, but at the same time, all good things must come to an end. Goalies can hang on a bit longer, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Ozzie back for at least a couple more years. Normal d-men don't stay too long after 40 (obvious exception: Cheli) but Nick is not a normal d-man. His style and intelligent play have translated into few injuries, which means that he will be able to stay longer, if he so desires. Homer may stay longer as well, but the way officiating has been treating him, he may have to guard the crease from the blue line, which would lessen his effectiveness. I hope they stagger their exits so we don't have too many going at once. No more than one per year. That way they'll each get the send-off they deserve. Is it just me or does Homer not seem as old as the others? He seems like he's still in his 20's when you see him and hear his interviews. Or does he just have the boyish charm?

Now that would be cool. And if (God forbid) Mickey's health doesn't hold up, or if he just decides to take it easy and retire, they would be good with Ken as a 3-man team. Side note to BetterREDthandead: Thanks, but what is a big fat GillyFO? I can sort of guess on the FO part, but what is the Gilly part? I guess it's not used out here in the midwest.

Quite true. The Vikes are huge here in ND. Since we have no pro teams, folks around here tend to root for the Minnesota teams. Football is huge around here, moreso than any other sport. If all of North Dakota is rooting for the Vikings...oh, wait. I just remembered the population of ND. Oh, well, carry on, then. Funny story: My dad was in the hospital in South Dakota a couple of weeks ago and was being transferred to Rochester (Minnesota). He asked my sister to bring him a Lions hat. I asked why he didn't just wear his Wings hat. He replied "There's more Vikings fans than Wild fans." (He's fine now, BTW.)

What people seem to forget in the "X sucks" or "Y rules" type of chants is that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Detroit does suck in comparison to Chicago, if one is talking about golfing ability, although in fairness to the Wings, Chicago gets an extra two months of practice annually. The man in question is a politician, and as such, can not be expected to know what he's talking about. It's the nature of the beast. Perhaps the same can be said of Blackhawks fans. All I can say is "Let's Go Red Wings!" Hmm, perhaps a Detroit politician can put that in a legal document.

Nice to see the cup used for something that has special meaning to the guy who has won the right to use it for a day. If I won the Cup, I would seriously want to have it as the ring bearer at my wedding. Mental note to self: Learn to play hockey. Get a boyfriend. Coordinate plans.

So Zetterberg can sign for $4mil to play hockey, and $3mil to go on TV wearing a toga and saying "Pizza, Pizza"? (Yes, I'm kidding.)

In the event of dementia, Cheli will have two teams to play for.

Because Wrigley has lights. (That's for you old folks )

Gonchar/Gaustad=Gonad Our goalies of the future: Howard/Osgood=Howgood!

I sent Kronner a get well card last year during the playoffs. I didn't get an answer, but it was at the time he re-joined the team for practices, so he was probably busy. That's ok, though. I had never sent a fan letter in my life, so I just rambled on and on about my hamster, Nik. Looking back, it was probably a pretty stupid letter, so maybe it's better if he never read it.

Maybe it should have read that Aves fans consider it a curse if Wings fans listen to it. Or maybe playing the Wings is curse enough to them.

So...shall we road trip to nail him with the shaving cream? Happy Birthday, Pavel, and many more!

Thanks for the info!

The nice thing about favourites is there's no wrong answer. US: Cheli Canada: Ozzie, Mac, Malts, Drapes Finland: Selanne, Val Sweden: Kronner Russia: Larionov Czech: Lang, Hasek

I rather like the kid, so I hope it's true. What's Jimmie like? I'd never heard of him until now. I also didn't realize Jon was 24. I was thinking he was younger. Knock wood.