Ms_Hockey

C'est moi!

I do too. But if he's going to ask for $9m a season from us, I'd rather let him walk than to lose cap space like that.

Detroit has gotten the short end of the stick in regards to travel schedule for awhile now. That said, we don't whine about it. These people are professional hockey players. It's their job to pull themselves together and go out and play their game. The Canucks should try doing that rather than complaining that their lives are so difficult. Once it's over, they can take their $3 million a year and go back to their mansions and rest.

I guess the boycott failed. Haha.

The ratings increased by 12% from last year. It was the best overnight regular season rating in almost 13 years.

Hahahahaha. Amazing.

Lidstrom is going to stay with the Wings for the rest of his career. Of that, I'm about 90% sure. Partly because of his no trade clause in his contract and partly because he's already taken quite a bit less in $$$ to stay with the Wings. His allegience is here. There's no doubt in my mind about that. As for the question - Lidstrom all the way.

I can't speak for the entire world, but I grew up in England, and even there, hockey players understood the magnitude of the Stanley Cup. Anybody who plays hockey understands.

LOL... Lidstrom faking the injury? Lidstrom has missed about 30 games in his entire NHL career. He takes promoting the league very seriously - going to every awards event. Almost every off-ice promotional event that he was asked to go to - he was there. He had an MRI done on Wednesday SHOWING the tear in his elbow. But he's faking his injury? Don't be ridiculous.

He only came to Detroit to win the Cup. If he doesn't, you can bet your bottom dollar he'll go to a team that'll pay him $9m a season. We won't. He may be back - but I highly doubt he will be.

More power to you.

I like this one the best. You put something about Bettman on there and chances are - it'll never make TV. No NHL franchise wants to broadcast something like that. Keep Bettman off of the sign & focus on Lidstrom & Datsyuk.

I don't know about Pav - but Lidstrom had an MRI done showing the tear in his elbow. And apparently, that's not enough proof to let the guy, who has only missed about 30 games in his entire NHL career, sit at home and rest.

You & Kenny = my heroes.

How do you decide which injuries are real and which ones aren't? You can't just punish everybody.

So suspend them for needing to rest? It's just not logical. Sore hip flexors make it difficult to walk and bend your knees. It's seems obvious to me that Datsyuk wouldn't really appreciate having to walk around for photo ops and sit for autograpoh signing. Tendonitis is most commonly caused by overuse. So make Lidstrom use his arm even more instead of letting him rest up. If they're ready for play for the game, they will. If they're not, they won't. There is absolutely no logic here - other than the fact that Bettman feels like throwing a fit over hockey players actually being injured.

I'm aware. My point is that signing autographs and taking pictures isn't the same as some regular rest. You don't have someone sign a bunch of autographs who has tendonitis in their elbow. You don't make someone walk around who has a sore hip flexor. The whole idea is pure stupidity.

The players are not indebted to these people simply because they pay their salary. They don't owe it to them to show up on the ice when they're injured because of a couple bucks. When I pay to go to a Wings game and, say Holmstrom is injured... should they put him in anyway just because I paid for a ticket? Absolutely not. It's the coach's and the doctor's decision as to whether the player needs to rest or whether they can go out on the ice. If Lidstrom & Datsyuk need to rest, there's no grounds for punishment. I don't get lashed for staying home from school with a fever.

Thank God for Holland.

Ken Holland made perfectly clear that Zetterberg isn't going anywhere. He was plucked, primed, and polished by the Red Wings. The hope is that he'll be the next Red Wings bred captain. I don't know why the contract talks are taking so long - but Zetterberg himself has also expressed wishes to remain in Detroit. I'm pretty sure Holland & Hank have had talks about his career stay with the Wings. I don't see him leaving anytime soon. In short, we should all calm down. He'll be back again. And again. And again. And... well, you get the picture.

Edited as you have, once again, proven me wrong. I'm such a hockey noob compared to you.

One minor complication. Rafalski has a no-trade clause in his contract. Datsyuk, Draper, Lidstrom, Stuart, Cleary & Rafalski all have them.

Agreed. He's very laid back & takes everything in stride. He also seems like a genuinely nice guy.

That story made me cry. (I know, I know. I'm SO female.) I respect the team & the organization for what they're doing. Man, two kids with cystic fibrosis. =/

Count me out.