Barrie

This is for another discussion, but I think Canada and the USA should have a common Dollar, like they do in Europe. Expect for some differences in our Constitutions (guns and healthcare), entertainment and product wise, we're almost the same country.

Great pics everyone, keep 'em coming!

Mostly I was meaning we'd be paying less salary. If we bring in someone now, we may only have room for one impact player under the cap. If we wait until the deadline, we could probably bring in two impact players. I have no problems trading Hudler.

I agree with slim to none. We'll get more bang for the buck if we wait until the deadline.

Faith has been restored in Toronto..... The Leafs have won 3 in a row!! Start planning the Parade down Younge Street!

Yea, which means Sundin probably won't be traded. JFJ will try and make the playoffs, so he can keep his job another year.

I agree with the majority of responses, I enjoy the music at the Joe. Every song fits to what's currently going on. It's fun to figure out why it's being played at the moment. I remember the first times I heard "He's So Fine" for Lang and "I Can See Clearly Now" for Cleary, and thinking, "Man, that's clever". It takes talent and a vast knowledge of music to come up with all those fun connections. Most songs I notice at the Joe too have lasted the test of time. I think since we're Motown and had a lot of influence with the music scene in the 60's and 70's, we should have more classic tunes and not ones that are popular for only 6 months (i.e Barbie Girl song or Macarana).

Yeah as already mentioned, Bettman does what the owners tell him to do. Mostly he's a puppet, and the guy that takes the blame if fans don't like what's going on. Probably the reason why the NHL Players aren't going to the Olympics, is the owners don't want them there. Bettman was the guy that told us. The Owners will find a guy who's exactly like Bettman, because that's what they want. It's not worth taking Gary out and going to jail for life, if the owners will just get Bettman II

Trading Sundin obviously was a big topic today on the radio here in Toronto. They were talking about where to trade him and what they'll get in return. However, it was mentioned that the Leafs are content with just trying to sneak in the playoffs, and Sundin is a guy that can help the Leafs to sneak into the 8th spot. Don't expect Sundin to go anywhere, especially if JFJ isn't fired this season. Also, don't expect JFJ to be fired. Leafs management has said they aren't making any quick decisions on their GM.

Pass on Sundin. I think we need a similar deadline deals like last year, role players. And I'd like to see us get a solid backup for Ozzie. Yes, I don't have much faith in Hasek. How much longer do we have to wait to consider he's finished?

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/7487180 Maybe someone can provide one good reason for Alex Ovechkin to sign a new contract with the Capitals before becoming a restricted free agent on July 1, because we sure can't think of any. Ovechkin, stuck in a hockey market in DC that's as irrelevant now as it was before the lockout and therefore denied a suitable stage to showcase his brilliance, isn't going to make more money by signing with the Caps than he would by inviting offer sheets this summer. Even if owner Ted Leonsis tries to make him the NHL's highest-paid player by offering a max contract of $10.3 million per season, the value of a max contract - 20 percent of the cap - will rise this summer in direct proportion to the anticipated 7-to-10-percent cap increase for 2008-09. Honestly, if Kevin Lowe believed Thomas Vanek to be worth four first-round draft picks last summer, any number of GMs with cap space to accommodate an annual hit of up to $10M per surely will feel the same way about the dynamic 22-year-old Ovechkin. He has registered 112 goals and 221 points in his first 184 NHL games. Memo to Brian Burke and all those who would howl at the thought of rival teams "poaching" another club's marquee player: Ovechkin does not belong to the Caps. Through no desire of his own, he merely is playing for Washington under a three-year, entry-level capped lease that will expire at the end of this season. He never chose to play in DC so much as he chose to play in the NHL rather than remain in Russia after the lockout. The Caps did nothing to earn Ovechkin other than being lousy in 2003-04 before then winning the Draft lottery to leapfrog both the 29th-overall Blackhawks and 30th-overall Penguins. That got them the first pick in what has become essentially a two-player draft, with Evgeni Malkin going second to Pittsburgh. The NHL surely would never admit such a thing, but getting Ovechkin into a marquee hockey market would benefit a league that's most identifiable now by a combination of cap-imposed mediocrity in the guise of parity and the absence of super teams. The Caps have averaged 74.2-percent capacity this season, the third-worst mark in the league behind Florida and Chicago. They're one of six teams in the NHL under 80 percent capacity thus far, one of 13 under 90 percent in a gate-receipts league. Hard Cap utopia, anyone? There's a new coach in Washington after two years of regressing under Glen Hanlon, and the guess is there will be a new GM, too, by the end of the season if George McPhee's team doesn't show marked progress between now and the end of the year. Amid all this uncertainty and performing in a backwater hockey room with talents designed for the big stage, why would Ovechkin commit now to remaining in Washington? Sinatra left Hoboken, didn't he? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I can't really argue with what is being said. Along with Ovechkin in Washington, there's to many top players in the South East Division. I know they have as much right as any other team to have them, but imagine how much better overall the League would be if, for example: Ovechkin was in Philly Lecavalier was in Montreal Staal was in Detroit St. Louis was in Toronto Richards was in Boston Jokinen was in Chicago Horton was in New York Justin Williams was in Colorado etc.. There's to much talent in crappy markets. It just goes to show you, again, there's probably about 4-6 to many teams in the NHL. I'm not saying what teams should go, but I can't imagine adding two more teams.

Obviously financial situations would be different. I just find with all the problems the NHL has with attendance and teams making a profit, it's to bad so many good players are stuck in markets that don't give a damn about the game. Imaigne the Marketing opportunities if those players were in better markets? Atlanta's got some great talent as well, Hossa and Kovalchuk, it's to bad they're stuck there. Atlanta's is having serious financial problems too.

I know the Pistons make games affordable for their fans. I think it's time for the Red Wings to do the same, especially since they are the only team in the city who's attendance has gone down.

It'll be nice to atleast play every team once. Finally a NHL change for the good.

And have prices gone down for Pistons and Lions game?

I just googled the Pistons 2007-08 attendance. So far they've sold out every game (22,076). Also I checked the Lions, they're still over 60,000 every game so far this year. Again, I'm not trying to ruin anyone's paper, but it makes me wonder since this topic about the Wings and the economy hurting them at the gate is on here a lot. I still think the lack of North American talent is hurting the Wings ticket sales more than the economy, especially since the Pistons are selling out, Lions are over 60,000, and the Tigers set a team attendance record in 2007. You would think if the economy was the major factor, all 4 teams would be effected, but only the Wings ticket sales have gone down. I know price is a factor as well, so maybe since Yzerman-Shanahan-McCarty are gone, it's time for Wings tickets to go down in price.

I'm curious, how are the Pistons and Lions attendance this year? I know the Tigers, despite a bad economy, set a new attendance record this past year.

Apologies if this is in the wrong Discussion Board, but I just wanted to let everyone know... Every year I go to these Christmas Banquets where there's a thyme, and we're susposed to dress up like something. It's more or less like a Halloween party, but my friends and I are a little mixed up sometimes . Some of our past thymes were, "Christmas in NY", "Christmas at the Oscars", "Christmas in the 80's", etc.. This year it's dress up like a Superhero. I was thinking, Steve Yzerman's 2002 Playoffs Performance was something only a Superhero could do. Sooo, I've decided I'm going to go as "The Captain" and wear my Yzerman jersey with the 2002 Stanley Cup Cap. Instead of wearing full Hockey gear, which would be cool, I'm going to wear a knee brace over my jeans, and have crutches. I'll show up as Yzerman in the summer of 2002 after his 3rd Stanley Cup Championship, and major knee surgery. As mentioned, only a Superhero or Steve Yzerman could do what he did in 2002. The Banquet is in 3 weeks, I'll post a few pics of myself on here. Actually funny story, I've never had crutches before or major knee problems (knock on wood), so I'm going to have to borrow a knee brace and crutches. I have a knee brace lined up, but not crutches. I did have crutches lined up, but when my friend, who will be there, said I could use his, who's a Leaf fan, found out I was going to be Yzerman refused to let me borrow them after saying "yes". Oh, so far I know, one guy is dressing up like Duff Man, another John Cena. Not sure yet what some of the girls are going as.

Tickets for January to the end of the season are now on sale for the general public at Ticketmaster. I got 4 Standing Room Only tickets for Janurary 2nd vs. Dallas. I want to get tickets to a game after the trade deadline too, but can wait a bit to get those. I actually like how we aren't selling out every game this year. It's so easy to get tickets. Man when we had Yzerman, Shanny, Fedorov, McCarty, Lapointe, etc. it was such a hassle getting tickets. You had to be online right at 10:00am or you were S.O.L.. That's what I'm doing with SRO. I'll stand for the 1st period, then by the 2nd grab some empty seats in the Lower Bowl.

People will think I crashed my car on the way over if I show up with crutches, kneebrace, and a red eye. The entire night I'll be explaining to everyone, "No, I'm fine!".

I just bought (no joke, like 2 minutes ago) SRO tickets for Wednesday January 2nd vs. Dallas. It'll be my 4th time there. Also, I'm planning on going in March as well and will be getting SRO. The best part is, by the 2nd period you can move down to empty seats in the lower bowl. Other than the last few rows (where you can't see all the ice), they still are cheaper. Standing Room is $27, Upper Bowl $44, and the final few rows are $22 I found the corners are the best. I was at the side last year and couldn't see half the ice. Maybe it was the people sitting infront of me, not sure. But I've never had problems in the corners.

Good point!

Not to take anything away from your paper, but I wonder how much of it is the car industry, or that the Yzerman-Shanahan-McCarty days are over?

Could be very soon then.

I've been looking for an excuse to dress up as Yzerman. I was thinking of Halloween, but didn't go to a party. I was invited, but passed. I think going with a bum and surgically repaired right knee makes it funny, instead of just wearing all the hockey gear, which will get to hot and smelly anyway. I was thinking of bringing the Cup. I'd probably have to make one. Haha, maybe I can have people drink out of it. It could be like it was Yzerman's day with the Cup. Almost like a lockerroom repair. Tape up the injury, and get back out on the ice. Ah nice, didn't think of that.