haroldsnepsts

Another thing is that, at least to my knowledge, the system for young hockey players isn't as twisted and tainted by vultures as it is for the NBA and NHL. Kids being recruited in Jr. High, etc.

Awesome. Unless he's already gotten definitive answers from Teemu and Niedermayer, Burke has some juggling to do.

Agreed. Yes kids can play pond hockey, but basically to grow up playing it, it's a family affair. You've got to have the money to shell out for a fair amount of equipment, have someone to drive you to the rink (often at miserable hours) for practices and games. Football and basketball are much more tied to the school systems.

Leave it to the Kings to somehow screw this up and lose a talented young player.

I'm a little alarmed at how many thought that rollerblade league was cool, and actually like the Salsa jerseys. though it does explain the popularity of the shootout in the NHL. I'm surprised Bettman hasn't considered putting in the quarter pipe at the end of NHL rinks to "make the game more appealing to new fans." EDIT: didn't Legace start his pro career in some rollerblade league?

Yes, I'm obviously advocating genetics is more important than hockey skill. And Fedorov is a perfect example of how skill doesn't matter, you just have to be big. Forget it. I don't know how many times I can make a relatively simple point without someone taking my words, twisting them into a ridiculous example and handing them back to me to refute my argument. All I'll say is this. I've been watching the Wings for 20+ years now, and this is by far the smallest, most pacifist lineup I can remember. I don't know why this is such a hard point for people to understand, unless it's just wrong for me to criticize this "classy" lineup. People still talk fondly about the wars with Colorado in the 90s. Those would never ever happen with this team. Ever. Larionov fought Forsberg for chrissakes. (which is a perfect example of team toughness. a non-fighter sticking up for himself and his teammates when needed). Draper would've had his face smashed in and that would've been the end of it, other than the threads here saying how Lemieux served a suspension so the matter was handled, and the Wings shouldn't lower themselves to retaliate in any way shape or form.

Do you seriously think I'm suggesting Fedorov was an example of a tough guy on the team? OF COURSE Fedorov was not a tough guy. But he's 6'2 and 200+ pounds. That would make him bigger than only two or three of the players on the Wings regular roster. Compared to the current lineup, Fedorov practically is a tough guy. Who would you pick in a fight between Feds and Lilja? Everyone remembers how crazy skilled he was, but tend to forget that Feds is a big guy too. And how small this team has gotten. So no he wasn't a tough guy, but he had a temper at times. Can you imaging if Zetterberg got fed up with someone whacking him all game, turned around and dropped the gloves like Feds did? It'd just be nice to see someone react to all the crap the Wings put up with last season. If someone turned around and stood up for themselves instead of saying "the power play is our enforcer." Everyone keeps talking about how much grit they showed in the playoffs and I agree, especially for being undersized, but conveniently forget the way they were knocked around and beat down in many games during the regular season. Which is why my vote for the 2008 slogan is "Detroit Red Wings: Turning the other cheek." EDIT: And Fedorov coming back does not solve our toughness problem. He's not been the same player since he left, and I don't think coming back will magically rejuvenate him.

Because Lang is the new Osgood.

I wish Hull would've given up the Stars job instead of the NBC one. Right or wrong (and he was right more often than wrong when shooting his mouth off, even as a player), he's an entertaining commentator.

People are also overlooking that it was Leipold who triggered the out clause on the lease by announcing the team would relocate unless it averaged 14,000 fans. Leipold is the one who put the brakes on, telling the league not to do any more due diligence with Balsillie until they have a binding agreement. Leipold is the one started entertaining other lower offers like the one from Del Baggio. Here's a good timeline of the deal. And can you really blame Balsillie for wanting to know he has permission to move the team to a new market BEFORE he's contractually obligated, rather than being handcuffed to keeping them in a market that to date has done nothing but bled money?

Great clip of Sergei! At 6'2" and 200+ lbs, people forget how big Fedorov is. And that he wasn't a fighter, but he sticks up for himself. *cough* team toughness *cough*

Yes Balsillie has been brash in his handling of this deal, but I find it funny that the guy who makes the highest offer by far at $240 million and has tried to show how the franchise could succeed in a new market is somehow seen as an enemy of the NHL. When it was Liepold who put the brakes on the deal and said he intends to consider other offers like that from Del Baggio, which was for $50 million less. And Del Baggio owns the rights to put an NHL team in Kansas City. So is the issue really that Balsillie stepped on too many toes while trying to get a franchise, or is it that he wants to relocate it to Canada close to the almighty Leafs?

Yeah, if people think the NHL has the worst officiating of the major sports, they need to watch a few more NBA games. It's the primary reason I don't really watch anymore. It's a joke. Here's another good article on it. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...mp;lid=tab1pos1 As he points out, most fans reactions wasn't "how did this happen?" but was "which ref was it?" Because it really wasn't a surprise. It merely confirmed what a lot of people already thought.

If definitely sounds like Balsillie didn't want to play nice with the old boys club. It seems like he lacks some diplomacy skills, but then again, so does Bettman. It makes for a bad combination. Balsillie is right in trying to show that Hamilton would be a viable market to support an NHL franchise, since it's looking like Nashville isn't. He clearly isn't showing a lot of finesse in how he's handled the situation, but if anyone, it's the owners and Bettman who are in the position of spoiled *ssholes. Balsillie is the new kid on the block. How dare he have the nerve of paying a more than generous sum for the franchise and wanting to relocate it to a market where he thinks it will be successful. Especially considering Liepold himself says he's selling because he's tired of losing money.

Yeah. He'd do whatever they asked of him. Like go into the game for 30 seconds and take a two hander to one the closest Wings players.

Let Markov go. Give the kids a shot. Forsberg. Talk about gambles. I'd take a healthy Forsberg on the team. But I think I can say that without gagging because there's no such thing as a healthy Forsberg. Teemu for a year would be cool. He put up 96 points, was +26, and is bigger and grittier than half the Wings' roster. But I'd think he'd retire or go back to Anaheim. Though I'm not sure they have the cash anymore.

I thought these were a couple of interesting points from the article: At some point you have to address the idea that the market in Nashville simply may not have enough support for a profitable franchise. I'm guessing Toronto is the majority of that revenue. But it goes against the perception that most of the canadian teams are basically charity cases because it's that country's sport. They're more than carrying their fair share in the league. What traditions and rules exactly has he stepped all over? It's not even a similar situation. The Preds have never had a profitable franchise in that market. If the Hawks weren't such a crapfest (and if they had a better owner), they'd have a huge fanbase. If Balsille's going to shell out that money to buy the team, can you blame him for wanting to move them somewhere he thinks he can turn a profit?

Roy didn't beat his wife. He tore two doors off their hinges in an argument. His wife wasn't harmed in any way, she called 911 because she was afraid what he might do. As for Cloutier, I'm baffled by that signing and extension. Crawford must've played some part in it, which only confirms what an idiot he is. The only time the Kings looked fairly stable last year was when they had friggin Sean Burke in net. As for the *** stuff, what are you guys, 12?

You asked why I made a statement like that when last year proved it was wrong. I took that to mean you were saying the Wings had enough toughness to win the Cup this past year, and that's how the statement was proven wrong.

Did we win the Cup last year and I missed it? What leads me to believe we won't be adding size? Holland's track record. I'm hoping they will in some capacity. But it's going to take several moves. And year after year, few are made. Adding Bertuzzi was hardly a legit move at size. I never said it was only Holland making these decisions alone. There's obviously several people's input, including Jimmy D, but ultimately Holland is the GM and the one responsible for running the team. If you like I could say "Holland and Wing's management" every time I talk about them.

Since the Wings won't be adding size anytime soon, I hope I'm wrong and you're right.

I'm sure others may have been capable of it, but Lang's the one who actually did it.

No kidding. I'm not even a Lang fan really and think it's better for the team he's gone, but I would love for him to light it up in Chicago this year. Well then maybe more of your anger should be directed at Holland for signing Lang to that contract. Besides, didnt Handzus miss most of last season with a blown out knee? And I totally agree Lang was not a factor in nearly as many games as he should've been, but suddenly every shift people say hes lazy, which is greatly compounded by his skating style. He's a big lumbering dude. Whatever. It's all been said a thousand times. The bottom line is he's gone. Why not move on to the new whipping boy?

I agree that Lang could often go unnoticed for several games. With a few huge exceptions, he wasn't as big a factor in the games as he should've been. But the trashing so exceeds what's actually happening on the ice.

Well, I didn't know we were operating in an imaginary world where Handzus could be our 2nd line center. Why not Crosby? Of course I would've loved to have had a better center out there. But Lang is who we had. And I know Lang was our 2nd line center. My point was that with the lineup the Wings had, if someone else could've done a better job, they would've taken his place. It's not like Babcock had a soft spot in his heart for Lang. He got the minutes because no one else could've done a better job centering the 2nd line. It's not just a deficiency of Lang's. It's a deficiency of the teams. A weak 2nd line. And his contract was an adjusted one from the pre-lockout days. He had a poor season and was overpaid and didn't really fit this team. It was time for him to go. I'm not even really a fan of his, but the level he gets trashed is so ******* ridiculous. He's a decent 2nd line center. He's also a very big guy. People seem to think that because he doesn't move his feet like Draper, he's never skating hard or fast at all. The guy covers a ton of ice in three strides. And he wasn't brought here to crash or bang. That's never been his game. And now he's Chicago's problem. Yet the Lang bashing goes on and on and on...