ogreslayer

Remember, this is the same league that thinks Dallas is on the West coast & therefore in the Pacific division. Granted, it would make more sense to actually talk Dallas or Nashville instead of Detroit to the Southeast when it comes right down to it if all they're going to do is slide a team into that division.

EJ Hradek is saying that the 2 teams in the running to move East are Nashville & Detroit and that it would simply be a move into the Southeast to replace the Jets. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=594302

NHL clubs can send players down to the AHL for conditioning stints for up to 14 days with player approval.

As much as I think Nyquist as earned a spot, given the fact that he's still waiver exempt probably means he starts the season in Grand Rapids. I do think he'll get the call-up before Tatar if the injury bug bites just based on pre-season play. It's gonna be really tough keeping him off the roster next year though.

Personally, I consider the jury still way out on that either way. I will say that the transparency into his decisions are great but we are still talking about a small number of suspensions in the overall scheme of things. I think Smith's suspension was a bellwether moment, telling the players that any contact to the head, regardless of intent, will all be viewed in the same light. As long as that message stays consistent over the long haul, I'm fine with that. For me, the next big test is what happens when an Ovechkin, Chara, or similar high profile player is in the same spot Brendan Smith just got himself into. If it's less than the 5-8 games mark that's been set, that's where I'll have an issue with it.

Interesting comments from one Mr. Ken Dryden on hits targeting the head, including asking the question "What is fighting if not hitting targeting the head?". http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7036426/time-nhl-get-head-smart

This pretty much sends a zero tolerance message in regards to head shots & in my opinion, also sends the message that the player who gets hit is not expected to take some responsibility for putting himself in a position to take a dangerous hit i.e. Ben Smith trying to make a last minute move & changing the angle of the hit from shoulder-on-shoulder to shoulder-on-chin. If that's the message the league wants to send, fine. But if there's a similar situation down the road, whether this season or not, they better be consistent. Your move Shanny. We'll be watching to see if you turn into Colin Campbell 2.0.

Rule #2: It's the Board of Governors that has to approve any realignment plan, not the commish.

Interesting tweet from EJ Hradek on the Wizniewski suspension... I for one am glad Kenny didn't go out & overpay for him like C'Bus did. Makes me like that Ian White signing more & more.

Have to figure it's Emmerton & Brunnstrom. I have to think that Kenny will have more than 2 months to figure things out once Mursak is healthy though because he'll probably also have to do a conditioning stint down in GR before he's deemed ready to return. Just wonder if that would make it easier to get him or one of the other two through waivers if it's happening right before the holiday waiver freeze.

Useless Brick? I think not. He killed a man with a trident! Really love what the league & Shanny are doing with the videos explaining the suspensions. The transparency is great & shouldn't go away any time soon imo.

It really is sad that the NHL isn't smart enough to cash in on this. Imagine Doc Emrick saying: It's the Flyers vs. the Red Wings....the NHL 2012 Stanley Cup Finals on NBC, brought to you by Summer's Eve.

And here I always thought that Pronger was a synonym for 'douchey'

I'm hoping he gets the chance & maybe if he does, he can inspire Big E to do the same.

Well I oughta :flamingmad: Oh, I see what you did there.

If teams could do that with players under contract that would be a HUGE loophole, so no it doesn't work like that. Any waiver eligible player has to go through that system to be loaned to the AHL i.e. any player that has a contract with the Wings organization, from an entry level contract like Mursak & Emmerton all the way to someone like Homer. If a player is not under contract with an NHL club but is on a prospect invite to training camp, they of course can be sent back to their junior club at any time. A contract with the big club though means you have to be waived to move off of it & that can only be done during the waiver period which is defined as starting 12 days before the start of the season & ends one day after a team's season ends according to the CBA. For younger players like Mursak & Emmerton, they may be waiver exempt depending on at what age they signed their entry level contract and/or games played at the NHL level but once their exemption is up, they have to go through the waiver process to be sent i.e. loaned to an AHL affiliate. Mursak & Emmerton are out of waiver exemptions meaning they would have to go through waivers to be sent to Grand Rapids & that can only happen once the waiver period begins which is 9/25 this year I believe. If a team could simply send any player signed to a contract down to the AHL prior to the season, or prior to the waiver period more like it, Kenny would send Emmerton down to Grand Rapids before this Sunday & would be in no danger of losing him at all. By the same token, he would have done the same thing with Ritola previously. Can't be done though according to the CBA. So yeah, if the Wings wanted to send Homer to Grand Rapids to start the season, odds are a team with the cap space & looking for a final and unique piece to round out their team would certainly pick him up.

Plus there's no way they don't lose him on waivers if they do try to send him down.

He's been working out with an MMA trainer? Ladies & gentlemen, your new enforcer for the 2011-2012 Detroit Red Wings...

This means he'll hit with just a little more force when he takes his own teammates out this season. I think that's Happy's strategy for finally getting time in the top 6.

I like the idea of rotating 3 & my picks would be Z, Dats, & Kronner.

That was my first game at the Joe & I was pissed when they lost it. Even more pissed off though when an asshat a suit made a few comments about the Wings losing as I made my way through the hotel lobby after the walk back. Needless to say his buddies quickly shut him up though after they started to look around & saw a lobby full of Wings jerseys.

Not fake here: http://shop.nhl.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=11906799 With video here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/09/06/mb-nhl-jets-jerseys-.html

Reading a recent interview with Brad May about the anxiousness & depression he felt going into a game with Minny where he knew he would have to fight Boogaard really makes me wonder if that emotional rollercoaster isn't doing more damage to players in the enforcer role than the fights themselves. Thoughts & prayers going out to the Belak family...

You know as alternate jerseys go, that's not too......bwahaha!!!! I got soooooo close to doing that without busting up but it's just impossible to do.

Favorite Wings line. Let's see..."Our power play is our enforcer" What, not that kind of line? OK, the Russian 5 is right up there for me.