puckloo39

a) we don't need him, certainly not for the price b) Av turnips would have a cow if he "came home" to Denver - maybe he will go, out of loyalty to the franchise c) we have plenty of stellar Swedes already in Detroit Anywhere but here, please. "Landing" Forsberg... that term 'landing' makes me think of landing a fish on a line -- and having it flop all over the dock, like Petey when he dives. Sorry, Forsberg fans. I'll never like the guy, no matter what uni he's sporting.

Selanne is my favorite player, right after you know who. I would love to see him in Detroit, but wonder what his motivation would be to come here. If the Ducks don't keep him, for whatever salary they can offer, then I suspect he will retire. He is an amazing player, on the ice and off, IMO, so I hope he doesn't retire unless he's really ready to go.

Quite a stretch to go find something "illegal" in the NHL to write about. Now, if you told me some of the refs were betting on games and fixing outcomes -- I might believe that, given some of the nonsense calls I've seen over the years which decided key games, not to mention Stanley Cup outcomes.

"screaming, yelling, and loud music..." Too funny. No one got hurt, and maybe they will take their spankings, learn a lesson and behave now. Or not. At least they weren't setting up dog fights or shooting at other people. NHL is still populated by nothin' but angels, compared to other pro sports.

Peca's a great guy, I have never doubted his heart or "grit" despite his lack of size. He says he doesn't care if he is captain, just wants to play. He does have a history of injuries, though.

Selanne, yes, please... but he won't come here. Why should he? Markov, yes, of course, but only if he's reasonable. Otherwise, go with what we've got. Forsberg, no! Hell, no. Please, Kenny, just say no and give him a one way ticket to Denver.

Dats and Hank make every goalie they face look silly.

good point.

Happy birthday, Pavel! May all your wishes come true! ** OK, that's MY wish, but Dats wants another one, too!

Wow. I am prone to saying, "Why would anyone want to be an NHL goalie?" I may change that to "Why would Cloutier want to continue this torture?" In general, I think it takes a lot of talent to even get into a very exclusive league of extraordinary gentlemen comprising the NHL, and there is really no such thing as a "bad" player in the NHL... but Dan may have missed his calling. Most goalies have highlight reels of saves. PS - the "39" in my screen name does not refer to Cloutier! Just clarifying.

I am American, born in a state where hockey doesn't exist (Kentucky) and live in one where it's a step-child at best. I think I love hockey because it's international, and that includes Canada by definition. I would never look down on Canada, I love Canada! Especially the Canadian men I know, who are all funny and clever. Not that the American men aren't, of course - but I digress... Opie, you're so dead-on abou the NFL and the way the media panders to those thugs and posers. It seems to be accepted that NFL, and to a slightly lesser extent NBA, players should somehow be lauded and admired for their criminal activities. They should be fired and then forced to perform community service to tell kids that what they do and how they live is NOT the way decent people should model their lives. NHLers just quietly go about their business being great dads and community activists and charity role models.... and as Opie says, get tarred with the stupid notion that hockey is "violent" and savage. It's so far from that, I guess people just don't get it in this country. Sorry to say that. I love our exclusive club and am proud to be a fan, but I wish more people "got" it, since acceptance = money = security and growth. I'd also be intrigued to be involved in one of T.R.'s workout, but am quite certain I would not survive it!

Ick. Maybe one of us can come up with something better. I don't doubt that we could, actually.

if no one shows interest in Markov's ridiculous demands for money, do we think he will get "desperate" enough to sign for less, to wear a Wings jersey again? Kenny will never agree to 2-3 years or the price, I am thinking. I like Danny and that little edge he brought to the ice, but we can do without him, I guess.

great article, Hank.. thanks for the report. If I had a son, I would want him to look up to NHL players as the epitome of what professional athletes should be, both as players and as men of good character. There's more talent and althletic prowess on any given NHL ice surface than on any other playing field in professional sports, IMO, and there's no thuggery. The exceptions to this "rule" are few and far between, for which I am thankful. I'd love to see T.O. last even one shift as a defenseman. Goalie would be even funnier. I am looking forward to Hudler having a breakout year, and I am proud of him for dedicating himself to getting there. Go for it, Jiri!!

FWIW, I agree.

they're both big, too. me, too, on either for the Wings.

Who, us? Melodramatic and extreme? Never. I don't know that Yashin would be the ruination of the Wings. He was good for Ottawa, I agree. I do agree that if he wants to resurrect his career and reputation, the formula F. Michael proposed ( "low-ball $$$ deal, work his a$$ off, & prove to the league that he still belongs here") is just the ticket. Whether he's lucky enough to try and do that with the Wings is something Kenny will have to determine. As for coaching, Bowman might have had an effect on a player like Yashin. Nolan is no Bowman, for those who think that. I can't see Babcock making much of an impression on Yashin. It's really up to Yashin now, if he gets picked up by another team. Or, he can go back to Russia, for all of me. I have no feeling toward him one way or the other. I would root for him to succeed since he would be one of "my" guys if he comes here. If he truly has no talent at hockey, then he's got a future in sales of some sort. He managed to sell any number of clubs on some aspect of his play which resulted in huge contracts, ill-advised or not. I would love to have the Shanny of old back (not just an old Shanny). He could provide leadership, I guess, although I think we have plenty of that, on and off the ice. If Shanny would put up goals the way he did for while there for the Rags, that would be even better. We could use a wing who can score on the power play. I would prefer to see Selanne here, but he's not going anywhere. I bet he retires if he doesn't re-up with the Ducks.

Shanny would work for me. Not sure how he'd fit in now, but he's a pro... he'd manage. All the stuff he said about his days in Detroit being in the past could turn out to be just that, words. Markov. I bet he will be back, or at least I would like that. Edit: one more thought -- who says Yashin wouldn't flourish as a Red Wing? He's been expected to be a team leader and The Man, and he's not that. Less about laziness than expectations he can't meet, maybe? What if he's not under the gun to be everything to his team, but is expected to be a role player and contribute? I would support getting him under the right circumstances.

well, he's big and young (33) and certainly can perform if the stars align. Everybody wants someone big, so there you go. He's big. I would worry that only someone as expert as Scotty Bowman could get Yashin to show up. Nothing against Babs, but one would wonder about that. Fedorov was (is?) the NHL's most talented underachiever, but he stepped it up when Scotty cracked the whip. Yashin has been playing for the Isles, for heaven's sake. Maybe he would be great as a Wing, who knows? I don't know that I want him, personally. Just asked if anyone else thought he might fit. Also, the odds are that we wouldn't get/want any of the other alternatives. One 'no' vote from rwf19, then.

who's left? hmm. I wonder if Yashin might not be so bad here... if he would play for a reasonable amount, I mean. He certainly has the talent, but I've heard he's a locker room problem. Then again, we have had other players here who had that reputation and it turned out not to be true. Anybody else think Yashin might be a contributor to the cause in Detroit?

this all sounds like so much fun! You guys will have a blast, and must promise to post lots of details for all of us too far away to attend. I want pictures, too.

I know he will do his best, hopefully will have another stellar season like the last one. It was the Wings' good fortune that Murray and the Sens didn't bring Hasek back after he was injured in the Olympics (if that's the 'edisode' you're referring to, Fin). Wings got the Dominator. Sens got Gerber's bloated contract, which they are now trying to send to Bingo to get it off their cap. Works for me. It also let Emery have room to shine. So, it's all good, in my book. Kenny's a genius.

I like the Wings just as they are. Might as well, because what we have is pretty much what we're going to get at least until trade deadline. Complaining about it won't change the facts. The Wings are probably one of the more talented teams out there, even if the roster is smaller. Do I miss the days when we had Shanny and Mac and Fischer and even Feds to put some size to the roster? Yeah. Do I miss the times that other teams looked over their shoulders when they did something questionable on the ice and Mac was out there? Sure. Do I wish there was even one guy on this team who would do more than glare menacingly at an offending player or yap at him when our goalie has been run for the 10th time in the same game? You better believe it. Can't live in the past, though. Given the circumstances and the fact that the make up of the team is not going to change appreciably any time soon, I would love to see the talent we have - especially Datsyuk and Zetterberg - show up and stun the rest of the hockey world with their skills. They are going to have to step up. That's all. Our power play just about killed us last season. Granted getting a premiere scoring forward might have helped that. But money is an issue, and they don't come free, unfortunately. Work with what you've got. We have the league's premiere defenseman, our Captain, and the best goalie in the league. I don't care if some fans don't like Hasek. They will love him (again) when he is key to getting the Wings another Cup. The entire team is going to have to put some work into this and play harder, even if they are not behemoths. They're going to have to work on getting shiftier and play smarter to keep the puck since they can't out-muscle the other teams. The Wings played great this year without size (Bert was really not a factor). I have confidence in Babcock and Kenny, and the men in the locker room. Address that sick, sick PP and concentrate on strengths, not weaknesses. Show up mentally and physically for every game, ALL 60 minutes, play like you mean it every shift. That is a tall order (no pun intended) but I don't see why the Wings can't do just that and dominate again.

the last sentence is the most telling: â€ÂI'm proud of what I've done in this game with the Stanley Cup and trophies and gold medals," Hasek said during the playoffs. "But you don't prepare for the next season by living in the past. You come here to try to do everything to win again. I would never, ever come back just to play the game. I want to come back to be the best and be the winning goalie at the end of the season."

It's going to be a loooong season.