Drake_Marcus

Globe On Hockey-- NHL Attendance Figures

From what I've read the knock on him was that he wasn't strong enough defensively. The last d-man to win the Hobey was recognized as being very good defensively as well as offensively. Smith's more of a run and gun guy right now.

Agreed.

I disagree. At the end of the summer people weren't even sure whether the Coyotes would be playing in Phoenix. Shockingly, they struggled to get businesses to buy into the team. Season ticket holder numbers plummeted along with any certainty that the team would be there. Sustained success will lead to attendance. Fans want to watch successful teams play. Only the most established teams can afford to blow and still make money.

Meh. Nyquist's point totals are superior. Age shouldn't make a difference.

Wow... I'm a bit surprised Smith didn't make the cut for the top 3. Hopefully Nyquist has this award in the bag.

Man, the guys who don't want Hudler back are right. If there's one thing the Wings don't need this year it's a guy who can put 60+ points up and make the 2nd PP more dangerous. Let's bring Williams back then!

I can't wait for the Yzerman Blues goal. I hope they include the part where Gretzky has the puck and loses it.

I assume by "Newbery" you mean "Ritola" since Ritola's waiver-free AHL eligibility ends this year and the Wings still think highly of his potential.

Weeeeeee I'm Bobby Orr!

I can't believe you made him let 4 goals in! Shame on you!

Those Bryzgalov games can't all be starts, can they? He was mostly a back-up in Anahiem with the exception of the playoff time Giggy missed in Bryz's last year there.

He had a comparatively rough game but none of the D had a particularly good game aside from Kronwall.

Tonight the entire Wings team screwed up on those Oilers goals. It's not like the D and forwards were playing tight hockey and Howie let 4 softies in.

Technically no. The advantage to having this situation not involve the Red wings making an assignment is that these games don't make the season count towards the player's max AHL time in terms of their waiver eligibility. When the Wings "assigned" Tatar to the Griffins the 4 year clock started for him (the window technically started after 9 AHL games). That means that by the time Tatar's 22 years old he won't be eligible to play in the AHL without having passed through waivers (and thus being exposed to 29 other teams as a free pick-up). However, if the Griffins sign a player to an amateur try-out when their season in another league ends that's a choice that does not start the 4 year clock for that player. So, in essence, the ATO gives the Wings and Griffins the opportunity to use non-AHL kids for the remainder of the season (and playoff if they were able to make them) as an evaluation tool without ticking the clock down on that 4 year window.

That was the first helmet I ever wore

Thanks

Let's go Wild and Panthers!

Yeah, have a good b-day Brad. We're winning like crazy so I take back all the horrible things I said about you and everything I did that effigy.

Funniest post I've read all day.

crap! Someone at work is interrupting my LGW time. Be back later tonight. Hopefully we won't see this guy in the meantime:

Woh woh... He still isn't up to the second tier defensive elites. Regardless, we know where we stand on this. I challenge you to a lolcat fight.

Fair enough. I still don't want to see him in Pitts under any circumstances!

I'm leaning towards a Howie jersey too. I always wait until the next contract, though, just to be sure. That's how I managed to avoid having a useless Hudler jersey in my closet.