Esquire

Well played sir.

This point of a glass ceiling in a rink where 90-95% of night games are played is...?

Went out and grabbed a few brews... Sorry for the crummy cell pic but the brews in the pic are (L to R): - Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier - Chimay Première (Red) - Innis & Gunn Original - Innis & Gunn Canadian Cask (x2!) - Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale - Creemore Springs Kellerbier Not all will be consumed in one sitting of course

Maybe I'm alone in this statement but for some people here, this signing seems to be going over worse than the Bertuzzi signing last year. Welcome to Mo(dano)town!

Approved!

I do what the players probably do: forget about hockey for 2-3 months. Seriously though, it's the summer! I swim, lay in the sun, drink beers on patios, read good books, BBQ, play beer league and shinny hockey when i can, and starting this week I'll be working out. If you can't find anything to do this time of year other then skim NHL headlines, priorities need to be re-evaluated.

That's the day I became a Red Wing fan for life. My grandfather was the first person to tell me about Gordie's elbows and meeting Gordie is something I'll never ever forget and always be grateful for. Even back then, just seeing the way grown ups looked at Gordie and the way they talked about him made a lasting impression on me. And if there was any hint of doubt in my loyalty to the Wings, it went right out the door the moment I woke the house up after witnessing Stevie go top shelf in double OT against the Blues. Growing up in Sudbury gave me the opportunity to actually choose a team to support rather than support one due to proximity alone.

Are you honestly saying that my statistical comparison of Filppula and Hudler will be "blown to shreds" when in the same reply, you're trying to tell me that salary is an absolute reflection of talent? Also, Filppula makes $125,000 more per year than Hudler so if you can give me an answer as to what Filppula will do more than Hudler for $125,000 than I'm all ears. And the "just wait til next season" lines on Filppula are bordering on legend. Using the logic you have used, if he's paid more he should have already put better numbers than Hudler but as it stands RIGHT NOW, consideration for a top line spot should go to Hudler because he's been statistically better than Filppula every single season they've shared the same ice. If Filppula turns it on then I'll eat crow, give him all the credit he deserves, and call for Hudler to be replaced. Again, I don't have a hidden agenda against the guy I'm just reading the numbers.

2008-2009 Hudler 23 Goals, 34 Assists, 57 points (Regular Season) 4 Goals, 8 Assists, 12 points (Playoffs) Fillpula 12 Goals, 28 Assists, 40 points (Regular Season) 3 Goals, 13 Assists, 16 points (Playoffs) When's the last time Fillpula has cracked 20 goals in a season? Because to automatically assume a guy who has never cracked 20 goals in a season should without a doubt be placed on the top 2 lines is a big stretch. Especially when you'd have to take someone off those lines who have all proven they can produce. From time to time Fillpula has shown that he can be the player everyone thinks he can be, but again, until the points come and he does it on a consistent basis the other 6 guys ahead of him should stay put. Again, if Filppula has the talent that everyone seems to think he has then you can't "waste" talent like that since good players are supposed to make everyone around them better and the points should come. And if he shows he can produce, then there's no reason why he shouldn't be on the top 2 lines. It's not a bias I have, it's just hockey.

"Filppula" and "potential" in the same sentence. Hmm. He'll be put on a top line when he plays consistently at a top line level.

I don't usually post this type of stuff but please view the video around the 2:04 mark. At first I was like, "What the f***?" Then I was like, "WHERE the f*** can I get that?"

We all know Detroit's willingness to help their alumni, so is this jacket licensing a move by Red Wings management in order to help Federov with his current financial woes? Curious...

Record ratings on NBC? So, how much have NBC been paying the NHL to broadcast these games? Because if the answer is $0 then this announcement is kind of a huge slap in the face. I'm still trying to figure out why the NHL gave the ECF Game 4 (a Montreal HOME game) to Versus and broadcast it at 3pm in the afternoon rather than give it to a network that pays the NHL money for these games and runs a show with a small but devoted following called Hockey Night in Canada. /rant

I'm excited to see the Detroit Red Wings ice another team. And if it's the "same team" that finished 7th in the NHL (ahead of the Stanley Cup champs), 5th in the West, has the best defenseman of our generation along with two of the NHL's elite forwards, and makes the playoffs a record 19th straight season...well...that's cool too I guess.

Let's make it prefectly clear that Toronto is NOT a hockey city. It's a Maple Leafs city. Don't believe me? Check out a Marlies/OHL game in the area, have a look at the stands and get back to me.

To assume that Holland didn't see this coming eventually is absurd. As much of a Red Wing as he was, he was fair game to any and every team out there and Holland knew this, and probably has more than a few ideas of how this is going to play out. And to assume that a first time GM is going to out smart a guy like Holland is kinda funny. Our first idea of who's actually pulling the strings in Tampa will be the draft and THEN we'll see what Stevie is made of. All that being said, my money is still on the guy who drafts all-stars past the 5th round whose last name starts with "H" and ends with "olland"

Half silly, half serious. It's great for Stevie to move up in the hockey world because I'm sure being in the shadow of Holland this whole time has been a great but anxious time for him. He's a leader and a competitor and now he gets the chance to show his stuff. I don't know the current ownership situation there, but I'm praying this team doesn't have the problems that Phoenix has had recently and that Stevie molds a great team...in the East.

Congrats to Stevie on finding employment in the current job market.

I believe it was Jay Leno's "final" episode of his show. Turns out...not so much.

18 Paul Stastny COL C 81 20 59 79 19 Evgeni Malkin PIT C 67 28 49 77 20 Corey Perry ANA R 82 27 49 76 21 Mike Green WSH D 75 19 57 76 22 Ryan Kesler VAN C 82 25 50 75 23 Loui Eriksson DAL L 82 29 42 71 24 Mikko Koivu MIN C 80 22 49 71 25 Daniel Alfredsson OTT R 70 20 51 71 26 Eric Staal CAR C 70 29 41 70 27 Pavel Datsyuk DET C 80 27 43 70 28 Tomas Plekanec MTL C 82 25 45 70 29 Vincent Lecavalier TBL C 82 24 46 70 30 Henrik Zetterberg DET L 74 23 47 70 These were the players in the 70-79 point range last year and I just don't see Hudler being in the same range as these guys. I used 70 points as the cut off because even if he hits 69 points, people will still say, "He didn't hit 70". For starters, if everyone is expecting Hank and Pav to "pick up their game" next season then you'd have to assume it would mean getting more goals on the PP, which would take potential goals away from Huds since he's on the 2nd unit and you can't score twice on the same PP. Unless he plays over his head and gets bumped to the 1st line PP then it's a different story. Also, he's stepping back into the NHL after playing a season in the KHL. Whether or not he makes the transition back to the NHL quickly or not will be a big factor. He'll have to produce consistantly ALL year with the ice time he gets and can't afford to be streaky if he hopes to hit those totals given the ice time he has. Lastly, I really think the comment was just to light a fire under the guy. If he produces at that level it would be great, but I'm not holding my breath.

WIN! GO WINGS GO!!!

Remember that time when Ericsson wasn't a complete liability?

TSN is also reporting that Bettman is postponing the playoffs until Staal fully heals.

Just watched Satellite Hotstove and Pierre Lebrun just said that Hudler was coming back to the Wings for sure next season. Has this been old news for a while now?

Marleau is OUT! GO WINGS GO!!