joshy207

Exactly. America LOVES thugs--at least the young, money-spending population does. Just look at the way middle- and high-school boys dress and act...

No mention of a new jersey release on the Penguins' website, and I can't open the pics... official?

It could have been MUCH worse. Those actually aren't bad-looking jerseys IMO.

McCarty wouldn't be a good signing. He's not a top-end fighter and his body can't handle the abuse it gets from his style of play. I think he's done.

Ilitch never considered changing the Wings' jerseys. Starter also made light blue-and-red ones...

RBK actually bought out The Hockey Company, which was CCM, Jofa, Koho and Heaton. (They had already retired the Titan and Canadien stick brands which they also owned.)

It all depends. Some drop-ins are very high caliber, some are more beginner level. If it's an open-to-the-public drop-in, don't be surprised if a lot of guys to stay out for 5 minutes at a time and don't pass much. You really can't compare it to a league, it's more of a practice, get-in-shape type of thing. Where do you live, what rink(s) are you thinking of skating at?

I've played since 1980 and I have spent 16 years in the hockey equipment business. I'm not loyal to any one brand, I think each has some good equipment with nice features at a fair price; I also think the same companies have some junk in their lines. Here's what I use: Helmets--Bauer 4000 for playing, Itech 95 for coaching. Cage--Itech titanium cage, not the model that's out now, I used to rep for them so I have a sample of a previous version they tried to introduce in '99. I hate cages, but I have taken 2 pucks to the eye, can't risk another. Shoulders--a pair of Coopers that are 20+ years old (only been using them for about 6 years). Elbows--CCM 652, 2 years old, great pad. Gloves--Itech pro model from '99 for playing, DR for coaching (team-issued). Pants--Hespeler Pro Classics or something like that... they're getting shredded so I bought a pair of CCM Blackhawks pant covers from Hawk Quarters last year. Shins--DR, my old Itechs cracked Skates--Bauer 8090 and Kor Shift 1. Kor doesn't have any NHLers wearing them, but they are by far the best skate available. Composite boot, fully heat-moldable, superior comfort and mobility. Sticks--Black Beauty shafts and wood blades (I work for them). Also, I'm not a believer in this "lighter is better" mentality. Lighter is lighter, not better. Top-end skates that sell for $500 shouldn't be thrown away after a year, and $200 for a stick is asinine. Anyone looking for a great hockey equipment discussion forum, check out www.modsquadhockey.com. It was down for server maintenance earlier today but should be back online this weekend.

Just saw on TSN.ca, ex-Wings Gerard Gallant and John Chabot have been hired by the Islanders as assistant coaches to Ted Nolan (another ex-Wing). Gallant was Columbus' head coach until last season, and Chabot had been coaching in the QMJHL.

I'm not a Holland fan either, but you all pretty much have to agree that his options were very limited this summer. The cap really limits his spending, it's not like the old days for him where he had access to Ilitch's fat wallet and could give anyone whatever money they wanted. Many of the players that were topics of discussion this summer got more than the Wings could afford to offer them, especially with the future in mind. Part of the limited spending room I'd pin on Holland, I think Kronwall is making twice what he's worth and I don't think Maltby was needed anymore (even at $800K or so), but it's also the way the league is set up to be... it'll force GMs to be smarter in their signings in the future, or else they'll have terrible teams. With the bump in the salary cap, teams are spending money like it's going out of style, and upper-end players are getting HUGE contracts. There's becoming less of a "middle class" in this league... you're either making $6M or more, or $2M or less. The guys in between are either risky (Bertuzzi) or aging (Schneider). Pittsburgh is fortunate to get Crosby locked up for what they did, but he sees a great future with that organization, and winning will be more important to him than a few extra million dollars. Detroit can hope for the same attitude from Zetterberg. Besides, there will be arbitration hearings this summer, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some good young players turned UFA by their teams. Keep a watch on those hearings.

Or, a pic of The Hoff biting a burger in half. "Thisss... iz aaaahh messss."

The Hockey News also ranks non-NHLers, you might be able to find something on their website.

Dean played for Cranbrook, one of the better high school teams in Michigan, for the last few years. I haven't heard if he's playing junior anywhere next year.

Yashin? No way. Did anyone else notice, at the end of the article where they're talking about Grigorenko not attending the prospects camp... not only did he have visa problems, but now there's a contractual problem with his old team? What's that about??

wingsown... Detroit may win the Central because it's the worst division in the league right now. This may finally be Columbus' year to make the playoffs. Nashville has been gutted, Chicago is still a mess, and St. Louis isn't back to playoff contention. If Columbus doesn't gel this year, Detroit will be the only Central team to make the playoffs. IF... IF... IF they get the #1 seed, it will be because they beat up on a horrible division. Anaheim is far and away the best team in the league and should not have trouble repeating as Cup champs. As for Detroit being a strong team next year... they're finally in a rebuilding stage. Not that they've been torn to the ground and rebuilt, but the younger players and role players will be a much bigger part of the team this year. Their success or failure will be tied directly to the performance of these players. Detroit has no second line if Zetterberg and Datsyuk are kept together, or two only marginally decent top lines if they're split apart. They have a great puck-moving, but physically soft/weak defense. They have a goalie who's very good if healthy, but 42 with past injury problems. Will they make the playoffs? If I had to bet yes or no, I'd bet yes. A top team in the West? No. They'll be the best team in a bad division.

Cleary had half a great season, half an invisible one offensively. He may not come anywhere close to that production again. I hope he does, but I've hoped for a lot of things. One thing Cleary was not was consistent. He racked up a lot of points in one part of the season and did zip for two parts. 35 games out of a career doesn't make you an offensive force.

I don't think Babcock and Holland have the same taste in players. Hudler is a Holland player... Cleary is a Babcock player. Holland isn't bringing in a lot of Babcock players...

Yeah, but then Datsyuk would have to give up #13, because Marino is older and has played longer. Isn't that how it works??

Basically what I was saying is that Cleary is not a 2nd-line forward. He's not a guy you can count on to create offense all the time. He might chip in 20 goals again--or he might only get 5. Scoring or setting up goals isn't his game. Hard work, speed, defensive responsibility, hitting... that's the style Cleary plays, which is not a second-line style.

Kohl's had them on sale too, I think it was $49 for a blank CCM.

Looks that way, yeah.

I agree that Cleary was the Wings' best player against Anaheim. He has an excellent work ethic and thrives under Babcock. His mid-season scoring streak was great--the net must have looked like a soccer goal to him. Everything he shot went in. But that just happens to guys sometimes. Draper got 24 goals one year, and most of the time with him, if he gets a breakaway you can get up and grab another beer because you know he's not going to score. John Druce lit up the playoffs in 1990, 14 goals in 15 games. He never scored more than 21 in a regular season. Other guys have done the same thing. Chris Shelton hit .800 with 9 home runs last April for the Tigers, but he didn't make the postseason roster and is back in AAA Toledo this year. Can Cleary have another big year? Sure. Will he? Who knows. Obviously, his linemates will play a part in that, but so will luck. It might have just been a magical 2 months (and 2 weeks in the playoffs). I think he will see time on the 2nd line because the Wings lack "top 6" type forwards, but I would not call him a 2nd-liner.

I don't think Cleary is a 2nd-line forward. However, as someone said, we don't really have a second line. We have 2 "Top 6" forwards and a ton of 3rd- and 4th-line guys. Holmstrom's a third-line type guy who plays really well with Zetterberg and Datsyuk, and who has improved his overall game enough that he can play on a top line. For Cleary, the mid-season stretch where he got almost all of his points was great--the net must have looked like a soccer goal--but he started and finished slow. He's a great energy guy who never takes a shift off and, if he's hot like that again, can play some top line, but not all year. Draper seems to have regained his lack-of-scoring-touch since the lockout, keeping him at 3rd line center where he excels. Filppula should develop into a 2nd-line guy, but he's not quite ready yet. Franzen is better suited to a 3rd-line style but could also be moved up. Who's left, Samuelsson? None of the other guys are 2nd-liners (Hudler may not be back, which would end that debate). While Lang had to go, his departure--along with Bertuzzi's--leaves a HUGE hole.

No... Kopecky plays for the team, so he has #28... Rafalski can ask him for it and Kopecky can either say yes or no... or Kopecky can simply offer the number to Rafalski.

Eh, I guess you can only ride the bus and make $250 a week for so long, ya know? Koopmans wouldn't have gotten any farther tnan occasional AHL stints, and likely would have bounced around the ECHL and (new) IHL. I guess he wants to find something more stable.