Opie

I absolutely loved Dougie Brown!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1. Yzerman 2. Lidstrom 3. Cheli 4. Shanny 5. Datsyuk 6. Zetterberg 7. The Professor, Igor Larionov 8. Osgood 9. Holmstrom 10. DOUGIE BROWN!!!!!!

It is not that spelling counts but think of it this way, if you are in a debate with a friend or associate, you are discussing Hockey, your friend says I think Nick Lindstrom is the best D-man ever. Now does it make him wrong, no but it definitely hurts his credibility when he pronounces words or names wrong. Same here, it is not a dumb spelling mistake the U and E really aren't that close, it is not like the guy accidentally typed forsbirg. It hurts your credibility when you are trying to prove a point or win over an argument and you can't even spell the guys name, it makes you look like you really don't know what you are talking about. Not you specific in general. That is my rule of them of when to bring up spelling, if you spell a word wrong, I don't care but if the misspelled word is key to your argument it makes your argument appear weaker!

As a white guy who has lived in the 2 of the whitest states in the country (Maine, New Hampshire) can I ask that people stop typing arrogant untrue statements like, or gems like this There are black people who do act this way, as well as white people, Asians, Latinos, every other group, a sense of entitlement is not a disease of color, it is an attitude that follows people who are usually spoiled or have gone from having nothing to having everything really quickly. EMERY HIMSELF, stated this was not a race issue, this is another person trying to make a name for himself, another Jemele Hill, Skip Bayless, Scoop Jackson, etc..... Poor journalism is not an excuse to lay blame to race, especially when the people involved first hand admit race had nothing to do with it!!!

GMR: What is the point, the main goal of every team to start the season? Have the most fights? Have the Least fights? Have the toughest most badass team? Be the most Penalized? Or.... Could it possibly be to win the cup? I think the latter is the goal of almost every team, player, exec, owner in hockey. Well if the Wings just won the cup with the same roster they have minus Drake, Downey, and Mac (Two of which could be back) yet added Hossa are you really going to ***** and moan that there is no heavyweight enforcer. Because having a dressed enforcer really stopped Lappy last year didn't it? They are the odds on favorite at the cup this year, and have a better team than they just won it with! They are a well balanced team, they are tough (just not by your narrow definition), they skate hard, and play as a team. It is great hockey to watch, if you want to see fighting and dirty play root for the flyers, or watch some old fight clips. But I just don't see why every offseason on this board there is this debate, when for the past 15 years this team has not added a big time enforcer. Even Mac in his prime wasn't a heavyweight champ, he was a guy who could play in Bowman's system, yet provide the fists if needed. The losing to Ana argument is so weak, in the 07 playoff run the wings beat the Flames and Sharks teams that were arguably a ton tougher. Cal was supposed to steam roll Detroit physically, what happened there. The reason the Wings lost to Ana was not that Ana was tougher, it was that 2 of the top 4 D-men who also happened to be PP points were out with injuries, neither of which were caused by or could have been prevented by an enforcer. And wasn't it you who in another thread was saying that fighting is entertaining to you and that was why you wanted to see it. Who gives a rats ass if people call this team soft, just don't let them forget the Stanley Cup champion part of the deal. I love a good fight, however I prefer to watch my team win as opposed to fight. Philly is entertaining hockey, sometimes dirty but usually entertaining I will give you that, but ask their fans how many of them would trade all of that entertainment for one Cup. You would like to see fighting fine, but state it that way, don't call others who could give two s***s about fighting, as opposed to winning, *******. You are a spoiled fan who isn't happy with his/her team winning the cup, TOO BAD. Grow the f*** up and learn to appreciate what you are seeing, instead of being selfish and wanting the winning and your way too, you can't have your cake and eat it too!!!!

Sorry Osgod as I looked back I realized you were defending people attacking his character which I am not, I was just saying he needed to own up and pay. s*** if bad credit or late payments make you an asshat.... Well I already was before all of that but you git the point!

I am sorry but this has nothing to do with Race. He was loved for his ability to fight as a goalie, he was traded because Ottawa thought he could do it, then his own attitude got in the way. It is not like he was a great goalie of color sitting on the pine or in the minors while a lesser white goalie was playing ahead of him. The lesser goalie may have been starting but that was due to his attitude and work ethic not his color!

And your friends, are their salaries in the range of 4-10 million, did they get signing bonus that were worth more than you or I combined will ever make in our life times. The reason why people get upset, bothered, or even just snippy when it comes to these things is that most of these people who, like Feds, put themselves in these spots have more money than you or I could ever fathom and people like Feds, MC Hammer, Charles Barkley, whomever else you want spend money like it will never stop coming in. And then they ask for more money when the next opportunity arises, and then I have to foot the bill if I want to see them play. This money is easily made in a year for him, for you or I to have a home foreclosed on is a life changing event, for most superstars it is the loss of one home and a couple of Mil. You cannot compare what Feds and others have done to the average working joe who punches a clock for 40 + hours a week and barely can pay for the gas in their Toyota Tercel let alone go out and by 3,4 maybe 5 cars paid for all in cash!

People like most of us on here can't even fathom this situation, the man had what a 20+ mil dollar signing bonus. For you or I that is more than a lifetime's worth of salary, if he can't manage to live within his means he has some serious issues. He is 38 had, as apparently he doesn't anymore, millions of dollars probably totally somewhere near 100 mil. Edit after taxes this man was probably worth about 45 million, more than about 10 of us put together will ever see! I am sorry if you can not live within those financials, YOU OWN FAULT!!! If I get approved to buy a car, and can't make the payments due to my job changing or being laid off, different story, when you can afford to buy your house and as many cars as you want and pay for them in cash, but then you default on your loans, YOU HAVE OVER SPENT AND NEED TO LEARN CONTROL!!!

To quote KG from this year (before they playoffs started) His version of English not mine!

I think when he was talking about 7 he was talking about it in Russia, I soviet union number wears player!

Yeah I might have gone a little overboard with exclamation points!

I said at the start of the season this would be decent deal, middle of the season I thought he was done, then the playoffs rolled around and this man played his best hockey of the season!! I am glad he got to win a cup, you always like seeing guys like Drake who have played so long and so hard finally hoist the cup.

Dude, You ask this question on a site where they still spell it Federov!

Haha Screw you and your trick question!! Ray Emery steals the leftovers from Wade Redden and therefore neither of them have any left!!!! BY THE WAY: I want every to notice my proper use of the word Your, not You're, or even Hour!

Edit: Can the mods change that to 2.2 per year or 4.4 for two years!!! Thanks!! Smith now makes more money than Ozzie! Didn't find this on here. http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Au5_...p&type=lgns

I assume you either meant the need D or you were being sarcastic about Smith handling the puck more than the forwards, they have nothing but forwards.

I am almost 100% positive that you will see about 10-12, no exaggeration, line combos that Babs can use when this team is healthy, the D has about 4 or 5 options for the pairings, the first 3 forward lines are almost interchangeable, to a degree. Sammy, Huds, Flip, Mule, Hossa, and Cleary can play the 2nd line. Dats, Z, Homer, Mule, Hossa, and Cleary can all play the first line The third line Draper, Sammy, Cleary, Flip, Mule, Homer, Huds, Helm the list goes on. Babcock has a team at his availability for the season that for about 80% or the coaches in the league would cream their pants over for just one game let alone a season!!

I only quoted you because you're the last person I saw bring this up. I don't see how this could end up being a bad match, it is not like Nolan is a fiery arrogant coach. He appears (not being an Isle or Sabres fan I am not 100% sure of that eval) to be a very even keeled and a heady type of guy. I could see his style fitting in with Babcock's very well, I could see him using this opportunity in a very similar way to Hossa, come to Detroit coach one year under a great system and then hope to get picked off of the vine like McClellan. The more I read of this proposal on here the more I like it, the only question being is is Nolan willing to be an assistant or is he looking to be the head guy. I still think the timing of this was almost as bad as the firing of Willie Randolph, it is like they waited until the point in time where no one else could hire him as the head guy, pretty s***ty in my book. If you want to get rid of a guy, let him go and give him a chance to persue other options.

Fixed it for you!!!!

The change in value from one year to the next can not exceed 50% of the lower of the first two years' value!

That last part is why Goodell called the current CBA ridiculous! They do have a Salary cap however they have no structure for Rookies like the NBA* and NHL have. *The NBA doesn't have a Salary cap per se as much as they have a salary structure.

Umm Eva I wouldn't exactly call Conklin a Young goalie, I know netminders tend to develop later than skaters but 32 going into the year and 33 by the playoffs (DOB 3/30/1976) doesn't scream young in my book. But he will be the back up, there is no way the wings want to expose Conklin to the waiver wire if J-ho can freely move up and down.

He's pissed it wasn't Feds who was given the "Free Ride" to a cup. As if there is such a thing!

As an avid Bud hater, I would have to agree babys*** in my beer would still taste better than Budwieser!!!

Not getting the Jersey of a rental player,if he signs long term next year I may consider it but he is still behind Dats, Z, Kronwall, and a retro Howe Jersey before I buy a Hossa Jersey. I would hate to drop over a 100 bills to see him walk away next summer!