Wing Across The Pond

Seeing this makes me want to play hockey. I'm not too old, only 22, yet I still know it has well and truly passed me by. Yet this guy can still be the best at 41? Wow. True, true talent both on and off the ice

Two ideas, one speculative and a bit unfair, but would balance itself out and would make players more interested. The other idea purely to increase fan interest. 1) Make the host city play their team against the leagues best: Ottawa vs NHL All Stars. Next year in New York, say, New York Rangers vs NHL All Stars. Unfair on the home team as they have to play an extra game in the year, plus it means less good teams would get pummled, but it'd be more exciting to see a good team play the league's best. Or how about the Stanley Cup winner (so therefore with a pretty good team to begin with), vs the all stars? Boston vs. NHL All Stars is a game I'd watch. Would make the players work harder to get one over on the champions, or to show that they really are the league's best. Just a though but as I said, unfair. 2) Make the tickets all $10. It's not as though the game is needed to keep the league afloat financially. Why not give something back to the fans who want to see it?

SuperBowl Sunday is laughable, but why not Winter Classic Saturday? The day before? Entire weekend of solid, high profile sport?

Somebody please tell me why I just watched that show on youtube? Witchcraft...

Somehow I'm not too sure most of them would fit on the back of a jersey

Understandable, but my point is still valid. Shopping around for another top 6 player isn't necessarily going to change this team. There's obviously something other causing them to play to a lesser standard, as they're still the same players (apart from being older).

It's also basically the same team that won it 4 years ago. The difference being players who have retired like Maltby, Drapes, McCarty, Drake, Ozzie, Dom, etc. I think we're in a good, if not better, position with Howard in net (although Ozzie and Dom were truly elite players over their careers, but Howard is still young and looking like he could potentially better them), but just need some bottom line people to sure it up like the aforementioned players did. Miller is good, but is not really much more than a PK man, much like Eaves (although he does have slightly more offensive talent). We wont win in the playoffs if our entire bottom 6 forwards are PK men rather than more rounded players. Yeah it's good for a PK situation, but we need someone with a bit more bite during even strength. For some reason then I thought of Chelios putting his foot on an opposition players stick when he was sitting on the bench. Can't remember who that was though As for who I'd actually like, I don't know. Maybe there's someone in Anaheim that could be brought in cheap, as a rental, just to throw the body around on the bottom line and add a bit of zip. We've also been unlucky at certain times. Just imagine if we went into last years playoffs with a healthy Modano who had played an entire season, centering one of our bottom two lines. THAT would have been fun to watch but alas, never happened unfortunately.

Great news that it's finally going to be a rivalry that people will want to watch, and great news that it's at the 'Big House'. Think it fits better than Comerica to watch hockey. Having said that, although I'm damn happy about it and I'm so glad they've finally put a Canadian team in there, why not choose two new teams seriously? Minnisota hosting Dallas would be great to watch in the snow. Or Phoenix travelling to Winnipeg (although more for nostalgia rather than two good hockey markets).

With regards to the playoff, I can't think why no one likes/has suggested the idea that almost all other world sports use: have a blind draw. All the qualified names go into a hat, and each series is drawn blind. Pick up a ball, it reads 'Detroit'. Pick out another ball, it reads 'Buffalo'. Something like that. They throw up some good match-ups and evens the playing field completely. Plus there's the excitement come draw day (not to mention increased revenue from TV. Heck they could even sponsor the draw if they wanted - as long as they didn't sponsor the actual playoffs in the same way).

Somehow, I think that it being an outdoor game in January, getting a *** out would prove quite difficult. I would imagine it'd be well covered up

Lol punctuation does wonders. It's one of the two: ...or...

Truest thing spoken so far. Especially the bold. For some reason all I can think of is this.... yet it's probably more as someone else said, just pulling two kids apart after a spat. When I coached soccer over here and a fight broke out I tried to seperate people, and one of the parents grabbed me around the neck and pulled me away to scream at me. People get protective of their children, that's a given, but some of the time they might be taking chunks out of each other and need pulling away.

Weber's trick shot from the stands with a lucky bounce... [see OP] Weber's trick shot from the blue line with a lucky bounce... http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=142611

They have a place to get names on jerseys WITHIN the St. Pete. Most likely got it done there I'd imagine since it's just a production line and people wouldn't have had the time to question it. Just take the order and pass it onto the guy with the letters. That being said I was thinking of getting a Lightning jersey with 'YZERMAN 19' on the back for my girlfriend (she's a Bolts fan), if only to subliminally subvert her to support the Wings. I'll just get her a Vinny one instead. Also, what would you say to this: I'm looking to get a Team USA Jersey with 'HOWARD 35' I know he hasn't played for them yet but want one.

Ha! Was wondering how long it would take to have someone post this. 5 games. Deliberate charge, leaving the feet, plus he picked up a broken stick which is an automatic penalty... Great hit though, it makes a change to seeing officials get run against the boards as they try to get out the way

I'd get a Lightning jersey if it had Vinny on the back, but my girlfriend is a sort of fan (her grandparents moved out there so we've been to visit recently) so that goes without saying. I mean we went to the Bolts home-opener this year and I loved rooting for them. Did wear my Wings road jersey though. Also it's just what you like. I'm English, but when I was over to the US recently my girlfriend bought me a Michigan Wolverines cap as I love the colours and the 'M' logo. Don't really know anyone from there, and I know the Michigan players on the Wings roster are mainly (if not solely) Spartans, but just love that blue and gold. Also means I can support a state that I like rather than just one pro sports team. Also want a Tebow jersey from the Gators, as I do believe he is a prophet.

I lol'd then realised no one had replied and lol'd even more. That being said, I think the fact that almost every player on this roster has a Stanley Cup ring (don't know all the exceptions but I think Conks, White, Bert, and the rookies are the only ones without, oh and Commodore. Think Howard technically has one, but not one that he won so throw him in too) has a lot to do with it. I mean almost EVERY player. It's like Brodeur owning every record then disappearing off the face of the hockey world. Just some people think it doesn't need to be done anymore, and most have other commitments now.

They were the second best team in the league in '09, for the second straight season, only behind the Wings. They wanted '09 more than we did after the win in '08. I'd still be scared of them as Crosby can change a game in the blink of an eye, regardless of what people think about him. Sharks look like they can be undone this year after their roster changes but would still be pretty fearful of them. It's the mid-level teams that scare me. Not much to lose going into the playoffs. That being said, WE are also beginning to look far better than last year. So maybe some teams may be fearing us again.

In Soccer, world governing body FIFA is imposing a 'Financial Fair Play' system in 3 years time, with one stipulation stating that a team cannot lose more than 45million Euros (about £38million, or about $60million) over these three years leading up to its implimentation. Manchester City Football Club over here, have lost £190Million in one year. That means they need to make a profit, not just an income but a PROFIT, of about £150million in two years. Whilst it's a good plan to stop soccer teams inflating wages (which has been steadily happening in soccer much like other sports, but has ballooned since City gained investment), it means that Manchester City are actively laying people off, players and staff, in order to cut loses. It also doesn't do well for increased sponsorship over everything (although we've always had that in soccer, just not as much - we've started having training kit sponsors when no one actually watches the teams train), and rapidly increased ticket prices. I really wouldn't want to see this happen in hockey as those poor hockey markets would suffer even more, but maybe the IIHF should sort something so that there is more of a financial parity. It can't really just be a league-wide thing, as it still happens in other leagues around the world. What though, I have no idea. I can't really say I'm too knowledgeable of the potentials for cap systems in sport

They would also know, however, that a player's positioning, tactics, and ultimate playing style (as in what they do with the puck/their body, not necessarily the way they carry themselves), has an awful lot to do with doing what their coach tells them or risk getting benched for not listening. E has been pretty solid and has obviously warrented his place in the line-up according to the staff as he's not too big a 'star' to be sitting in the press box. If he was playing that bad, or was constantly out of position, he would be seeing less time. I think he's actually doing what he's told, rather than taking his initiative that may not as of yet have enough experience to be effective. Once he learns solid play by doing as he's told, it'll come more naturally. I'm ok with that.

Was just for lolz. Just wondering what made the Czechs give him the C. I'll try and find the pic again EDIT: hehe

I lol'd when I saw 'The Sedin Twins'. Surely by virtue of there being two of them, they can't be the number 2 player in the league? Pick ONE already. But I guess that's their cruel underpinning. If you lose one, you lose both. Lol what a weird situation they're in. Next the league will have them winning every award by combining all their points and goals, or letting them both play in the same position, effectively having 6 skaters on the ice, and naming them just 'Sedins' hehehe EDIT: Just like this, only not multi-ethnic, and in a hockey jersey:

Don't think anything seriously wrong will come from the injury, as some people have already mentioned it's a fractured jaw which might pose some problems as it's so high up. It wont just be a bone that can be held in place and allowed to fix naturally, it might need a wire or something to stop it slipping under gravity (I mean it must be the very top of the jaw if it's right underneath the ear). But with regards to him falling so dramatically, seeing as it was his ear, it was probably a balance issue that meant he flopped, and most likely passed out. It was shocking to watch and as a fan, I feared something might be wrong, but it probably hit him in a fairly alright place (not that I'd like it! lol) but there's no real shot to any brain area (bit too low), there's quite strong bone protection (jaw), and it was away from his cheeks which can have some serious knock on affects (such as displacing the eye socket which is really horrible). I mean anywhere else could have potentially been much worse, but still wish him a speedy recovery. Shows why he should be in this team every game, just doing everything he can to stop a shot, which like someone already mentioned, this team has been doing a lot of recently. Also have to say I felt so sorry for Josi. He did look like "oh my God what the heck have I done?!" I mean he's not been long playing out of facemasks surely. Classy move by him to see Patty as he was leaving the ice.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this has always been the way that the (modern at least) Red Wings have operated. I remember someone saying (can't remember when, might have been when Lids took over) that generally it was never the captain that talked in the locker room, but usually someone like Draper, who COULD talk. And then when the captain did pipe up, you knew you were in trouble. I mean I can't really see Lidstrom giving big speaches, but heck if he started telling me what to do, I'd work my ass off every shift after that. I think Dats would be good for the C because he's proved he's the best on-ice presence for this team. That doesn't mean Z or someone with better English can't join him as the face of this organisation. On another note, I lol'd the other day when I saw somone post a pic of Hudler as captian for the Czech team but then I also noticed that after every game he's the last off the ice (bar Howard) and always talks longest to the goaltenders every game. Maybe there is some leadership there?! Plus the amount of times he's broken his face or at least have it cut open, only to come back and do it again... born leader. Huds for the C

Yeah, funny thing is, last few years he's seemed to step it up in the playoffs. If he does that this year, he'll be playing the post season as the best goaltender in the league. Period.