Q: The NHL and the scarecrow in The Wizard of OZ - what's the difference? A: Nothing

Ok, I know that everyone is going to call me a Bruins homer on that Matt Cooke / Marc Savard hit.  The hit is here.   

For the record, I thought Mike Richards should have been suspended for this hit as well.  Richards was not a repeat offendender, but they still messed up on that one.  To use that wrong decision as precedent is just idiotic. 

The NHL disciplinarian (uh-huh), Colin Campbell, said there was no rule violation for what Cooke did, and next year there will be a rule. You can't just make up a rule as you go along. Oh really?  A couple of reminders:


A) Brett Hull's skate in the crease for the Stanley Cup winning goal. An "interpretation" was made that made that play different than the like 23 other playoff goals that were waived off that year.


2) Geno Malkin starting a fight with Datsyuk in the last 5 minutes of a Stanley Cup Final game last year. I thought that was a fine and an automatic suspension for the player and the coach? Oh, not in that particular scenario.


Pi) Sean Avery waving his stick in the face of Brodeur. How did that end again? Oh that's right, they made up a rule in the middle of the playoffs......kind of like the other two.

Anyway, final points:

1)  Imagine if this was your favorite player or the best player on your team?  What would you think then?
2)  What about if / when this happens to Sidney Crosby?  Do you think there will be no penalty and no suspension?
3)  The players are the product you idiots.  It is really sad that the greatest sport on earth is getting ruined by bush league morons.

Ask the STEAMER?

This informative segment is back.........

Dear Steamer:

I think I am losing my faith in the NHL. It is fading quicker than Sammy Sosa'a skin. Speaking of that steroid-laden ESL legend, will the NHL continue progressing towards that same crappy level as baseball. Please tell me it isn't so!

- Michael George, Essex UK

Steamer will let two of its most faith-instilling members answer this question - presenting: Pharaoh Pod and Father Bizz.

Michael -

Keep the faith, my man. While Major League Baseball does suck, remember MLB is not all of baseball. Similarly, the NHL is not really the essence of hockey.

Last year while watching Hockey Night in Canada After Hours, I watched them interview perennial choker Joe Thornton at the HP Pavilion. There was a beer league game on the ice in the back-ground. Scott Oake referenced the game and asked JT if he was familiar with the beer league. Of course he was going to say no, but he did it so condescendingly I was annoyed. It was clear at that point that he just doesn't get it. He has been a pampered prima donna for so long he has forgotten the roots of the game and how important the fans are to the sport. He is like so many pro athletes of today.

Similarly, last year several of the stick companies stopped making wooden sticks and bemoaned the NHL players not buying and using wood anymore. This was another example of trying to placate the "traditionalists" in hockey, the ones who can't see the forest through the trees (maybe its because of the extra trees?). A couple of points: 1) How many NHL players buy their sticks? I am guessing around 0%. Any chance that they give them to NHL players for that free advertising? 2) Is it hurting their profit margin selling all those $100+ composites to youth players? I think not.

There are turd-burglars running the NHL, and a lot of the players are losing their perspective. I guess the point of this rant is do not let the professionals taint your view of sports. You can love hockey for so many other reasons.

Peace out - PP and FB

Editorial - the AVS resurgence.

Top 13 reasons for the AVS resurgence:

13. Release of the floaters, see Arnason, Tyler. It has to be hard to play motivated when guys get to coast w/o repercussions.
12. The free agency period - some decent players didn't get signed in the off-season and remain without contracts. That has to be a motivator for veterans (Tucker).
11. Health - while the defense is banged up it would be unlikely to miss as many man-games as last year.

10. Lowered expectations - they aren't seeing everyone's best game yet.

09. Management - Lacroix finally admitted to some mistakes this offseason. He destroyed the roster with his ego and stable of yes-men. He still has issues, but they appear to have a direction and bringing in heart-and-soul guys like Lefebrve, Konowalchuk, and Deadmarsh was a good move.
08. The Defense is so average, that the addition of Kyle Quincey has been huge. Amazing what a difference he makes. Further, 6 of the Top 7 are making the most they ever will, and may be playing with that in mind.
07. Early road trip - typically this would be bad, but sometimes early bonding for a team with a lot of new players is a good thing.

06. Speed - maybe its the youth, but they seem way faster.

05. Penalty Killers - most of the young guys can kill penalties, this should allow scorers (Stastny, Hejduk) to focus on just that, not the PK.
04. Youth - there appears to be renewed vibe and energy.
03. Getting rid of Tony Granato - he is horrible. No accountability at all. Last year is more proof of what a good job Quenville did the year before.
02. Sacco has nothing to lose - especially if he is keeping the seat warm for Roy. He can do what he wants and the players know that and have to perform.
01. Goaltending - Raycroft and Budaj are best at opening the door for defensemen. Craig Anderson had great numbers last year and is now seeing less shots (although still too many).

I still think they will regress to the mean and not make the playoffs. The old defense and Anderson's workload will wear them down. Regardless, it is great to watch them play with passion again!

Editorial - the NHL on television.

We do not editorialize very much on the Steamer blog. That is a bit uncommon for a budding national media outlet with a loyal following of over 6 readers. That being said, I have seen a lot of recent talk about the NHL on television.

I guess I have a couple of the same questions that you hear on occasion. Does the NHL need more coverage? Since the lock-out is the NHL just a niche sport? Are you really going to gain more hockey fans or will it just be the same die-hards watching on a new channel?

I'll post a couple of links to some great discussion which all have one central theme. Should the NHL go back to ESPN? Don't get me wrong, I think ESPN totally sucks. I tried to watch Sportscenter the other night and it is brutal. As Slim Shady said, why did they need an NBATV channel when ESPN already exists? And although it is not the NBA season, and shockingly, the Yankees and Red Sox were not on ESPN for the whole hour - it was the standard crap festival. You see my point.

Where was I? Seeing the newest debate between Comcast and Direct TV made me re-think the issue. I guess "the rub" is that Comcast owns the Philadelphia Flyers. Comcast has just raised the fee for Versus for Direct TV - as they did with Dish Network a couple of years ago. My hatred of Comcast and the Flyers aside, that just seems like an inherent conflict of interest.

Anyway, a couple of unique arguments are brought out in the following articles:

Ken Campbell of The Hockey News wrote this interesting take. I think the most salient point is that even if the NHL goes back to ESPN they might still be behind golf, NASCAR, and poker.

Mike Chen busted out this beauty on Kukla's Korner. This is a compelling article as he points out that with Center Ice, the NHL Network, the internet and the BLOG world - you really don't need ESPN. I guess people in favor of "growing the game" might take issue with this quality read.

But here is the article you should read from Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. Brief and simply put, he makes a lot of sense. I have to say that I found this as the most persuasive article. Harlan Pepper sort of emphasized this point when he referenced last season when reporters asked Zetterberg if he had watched one of the games. HZ said no because the hotel they were staying in didn't have Versus.

There is another vicious cycle hurting the NHL. Being the best spectator sport, seeing it live in person will "grow the game." Of course, going to the games is tough as the ticket prices are so high. Why are they so expensive? Because of the terrible TV contract. And while hockey is the best sport in HD, don't kids need to be able to go to the games?

I guess the corollary to that argument is the Quebec Nordiques becoming the Colorado Avalanche. Since their arrival in 1995, youth hockey and the building of rinks has increased in the Denver area. There are kids from Denver that include the # 2 prospect in the Carolina Hurricanes system, and players in Division I hockey at Northeastern and Notre Dame. And of course, there and 7 Colorado kids playing for the University of Denver - who will likely be the pre-season #1 in college hockey this Fall. Is that a result of these kids attending AVS games, watching them on national TV or following them on the local carrier Fox Sports or Altitude? I really don't know.

At this point though, I guess I really wonder if we should want the NHL to grow? Do you want more competition to buy tickets? On the other hand, it would be nice to go into a sports bar and be able to get playoff games on the big TV without The Professor having buff and shine the cougar waitress.

What is my rambling point? I guess I'd like to see the NHL return to be the # 4 sport in the USA. But maybe I realize that at this point the NHL is like your favorite band - people either get them, or they don't.

Editorial # 14 - Total class!

I think a lot of you have heard about David Carle, the younger brother of Former DU Pioneer Matt, who won the Hobey Baker trophy while playing for DU. David (pictured above, thanks to the LetsGoDU Blog) had signed to play at DU starting this Fall and was rated to be about a 2nd or 3rd round NHL draft pick.

A couple of days before the draft, doctors conducting tests on David Carle found a heart abnormality. He was diagnosed with the same heart condition that led to the deaths of basketball players Reggie Lewis and Hank Geathers.

This obviously signaled the end of Carle's hockey career. Carle called coach Gwozdecky at DU and the NHL to let them know that his career was over. In a move that I did not find surprising, Coach Gwozdecky told Carle that the school would honor his scholarship and that he would be part of the team in a non-playing capacity.

Then surprisingly, David Carle was drafted in the last (7th) round of the NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The new ownership group basically said that since he had worked so hard to get drafted by an NHL team, they did not think he should lose that honor. You can read the story on the Let's Go DU BLOG.

In a time when sports stories are so negative and magnify the lack of perspective of many in the world of competitive sports, I thought this was a refreshing story. So, next time you get a chance, tip a glass to Coach Gwozdecky and the DU Pioneers, as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning!

Editorial # 13 - Mandatory protective equipment?

I recently had the staff at the Big Bear Player's Bench break my helmet as they installed a new shield. They suggested that I wear the helmet without a sheild / cage and play in our game. Huh? I returned the new shield for a new helmet with a cage.

Call me a sissy, but I play beer league hockey. The list of potential injuries and potential ending of my real, salary-earning, non-hockey career is just too daunting of a thought. At that point it dawned on me again, if NHL hockey were my career why wouldn't I protect my eyes?

I understand all the old-school, neanderthal, mainly Canadian criticisms, but they just do not make sense. I think the NHL should implement mandatory half-shield visors for new players.

Now I do not think neck guards are necessary, but the recent injury to Richard Zednik and the memory of the Clint Malarchuk injury make you wonder. Video of those injuries are here - sorry the video is in French. The equally gruesome pictures are below.

Editorial # 13 - Why didn't these guys end their careers together?

Well, you know my answer.

Still bummed to see three potentially legitimate NHL captains on the same team and not end their careers together.

Oh what should have been!

Editorial # 12 - a good mocking of Count Chocula

A pretty amusing read about the NHL Draft. I like this article because he re-submits the theory made previously - that Chub has been espousing for years - that David Stern sent Bettman to the NHL because he is such a turd-burglar. Enjoy..........

Editorial # 11 - The end for Foppa?

Rumor has it that Peter Forsberg will be retiring from the NHL. What a sad moment that will be.

I guess that just makes me think how lucky we were to get to see such an amazing player.

I remember arguing with the Chicago meatheads back in 1997 (?) and telling Glen that I thought Forsberg was the best player in the world. I sounded like an AVS homer, but it was hard not to notice how the game changed when he had the puck.

I think he is a Hall of Famer but there will always be debate based on his lack of statistics. It is too bad that he was so un-stereotypically European and played such a physical game, as it undoubtedly shortened his career.

Regardless, what a pleasure to watch the guy play!

Editorial # 10 - I don't think Drury has anything left!

Thank god the AVS traded this guy. I don't know if he has any more big games left in him.

I am sure you are tired of me complaining about this trade, so someone else does it via the link in the title.

Editorial # 9 - Was Archie Griffing right?

As you are likely aware, two-time Heisman Trophy Winner Archie Griffin is known for his quote where he said "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!'

I am just curious if Archie had ever seen a 282 pound English "Bull" Mastif. Any thoughts on this one Archie?

Nordiques / Avalanche history

While not up to date, this is a good read about the history of the Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche.
The link is in the title.
Enjoy if you see fit.

Editorial # 8 - Do you know me?

I'm the Celine Dion-loving jack-ass who ruined the Colorado Avalanche!

Sure, I won two Stanley Cups, but when I came on board I was handed the keys to a Ferrari which I turned into a Delorean.

I remained as arrogant as ever even though I never had the "sack" to admit my mistakes - and boy are there plenty of them.

Sure the Chris Drury / Stephane Yelle trade followed by the Derk Morris /Keith Ballrd trade are the stuff of legends among village idiots, but I knew I could top them.

I let Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote get away due to my complete inability to see that a salary cap was coming. I then tried to replace them with old has-beens like Pierre Turgeon, Patrice Breeze-By, and Brad May - all of whom are close to the average age of the STEAMER team.

Then during the season, I became more of an idiot and brought in another Montreal has-been, Joe Ted. Not only are he and his family criminals who use performance enhancing drugs, he has an excellent $5.5 million annual salary that I wanted to use an an additional albatross around our neck.

To top that catastrophe off, I bought out the options on the last year of Rob Blake and Joe Sakic's contracts. Being the fat-headed pea-brain that I am, I did not check to see if that move would kick in those bonuses I stupidly signed them to in 2001. Well, they did kick-in and now the AVS are paying both of those guys 2.3 million this season towards our salary cap.

Those moronic transactions made it impossible to re-sign Rob Blake and forced the trade of the tin-man, Alex Tanguay. When I saw this ship sinking I took the cowardly way out and handed the wheel to another frenchie, Francois Giguerre.

Since I can not do math, someone told me that I have 23% of our salary cap tied up in Joe Sakic's bonus, the bonus of current Los Angeles King Rob Blake, and that Paris Hilton-dating turd named Joe Ted. Good luck Giggy, you are going to need it.

Have you guessed it? I am that package-sniffing, c*ck-gobbler, Pierre Lacroix!

Editorial # 7 - Drinking is fun, and....

....you never wear stupid hats when you do!

You'll be missed

Yes, the sad end of an era for DU as co-captains Senior Gabe Gauthier and Junior Matt Carle leave the program. Both were crucial parts of the two National Championships and they will be missed.

Matt Carle

It was sad to see Matt Carle leave DU a year early, but really what else did he have to prove? Two National Championships and a Hobey Baker in three years is about as good as you can do. He became the first DU player to win the Hobey Baker in the 26-year history of the trophy.

While we have been big fans of numerous other DU players who have left the last five years - Jesse Cook; Chris Paradise; Kelly Popadynetz; Wade Dublewicz; Kevin Doell; Greg Barber; Aaron McEnzie; Adam Berkhoel; Ryan Caldwell; Lukas Dora; Connor James; Kevin Ulanski; Luke Fulghum; Brett Skinner, et al. - simply put, Carle was the best player at DU in the last 20 years.

Also included is the picture of him getting named the Hobey winner. In 10 games with the San Jose Sharks thus far, he has 3 goals and 3 assists. Yes, he can play a little. While the most memorable play was likely the slalom through the North Dakota defense and the pass to Paul Stastny for the third goal in the 2005 National Championship, any night watching the guy was a pleasure.

Editorial # 6 - Holy Crap, Holy Cross?

The "vaunted" Minnesota Golden Gophers are out of the NCAA tournament in the first round with a loss to Holy Cross, 4-3 in overtime. The tiny school from Worcester, MA (go chowderheads!)beat the most arrogant team in college hockey (or is that North Dakota-?) 53 seconds into the extra period as Tyler McGregor (nice hockey name) beat goalie Kellen Briggs (Colorado Springs, CO) and his ear-decorated helmet.

This was the first time in tournament history that a # 4 seed has beaten a # 1 seed. In typical gopher fashion they hardly mention the biggest upset in college hockey history on their website: http://www.gophersports.com/

Like with the Canada Olympic loss, I say "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...................."

The John Buccigross Column

Many of you may remember the show NHL tonight when it was on ESPN. A great hockey highlights show hosted by John Buccigross. It has ended since the NHL lockout and OLN getting the NHL coverage contract.

Nevertheless, Bucci still writes a hockey column on espn.com. It is by far one of the best hockey reads you can find anywhere. He is a true fan of the sport (and music) and his new columns are something I look forward to every week.

The link I included (click the title) is to a recent article where he has a brief interview with my all-time favorite AVS player Adam Deadmarsh, and some words of wisdom about hockey and life from one of Chub's all-time favorite AVS - Shjon Podein.

The other picture is of Bucci with Travis Roy. You can read all about Travis Roy below. Enjoy - Joey13

Travis Roy Foundation

Here is a picture of Chris Drury (BU), Ted Drury (Harvard), Tom Poti (BU) and Travis Roy (BU). Chris Drury runs a golf tournament every year for the Travis Roy Foundation which raises money for research of spinal cord injuries.

For those unaware of the story, Travis Roy was a freshman left wing at Boston University. In his first game, on his first shift, on Chris Drury's line he chased a puck into the corner, was involved in a collision, and went head-first into the boards. In just eleven seconds he broke a bone in his back and has since been paralyzed from the neck down. Allegedly as he went off the ice on a stretcher he told coaches and teammates that "he had made it" as a college hockey player.

Needless to say, this is a great story of courage and a fantastic organization. Click on the title for the link to read more about the Travis Roy Foundation.

Editorial # 5 - Winning gold medals....

...is a lot easier when your powerplay unit includes Nicklas Lidstrom, Fredrik Modin, Mats Sundin, Peter Forsberg, and Daniel Alfredsson.