2008/09 NHL Thread

I'd like to thank Flash and whomever for teaching me a new word: Puckfuck.

I'd heard puckbunny before, but not puckfuck. Tremendous.

 

Yeah, maybe I read to much into this

"We see her as trollop and that's what he pointed out therefore it's OK"

excuse me.

 

Stoll is in L.A. now. Traded there in the offseason with Matt Greene for Lubomir Vishnovski.

 

Sorry. I don't see that as 'had it coming.'

I'm surprised by all the men who are so damn reactionary and oversensitive to this. Maybe it's because you're afraid to stand in front of a camera and say what's on your mind.

 

HB is right. Big, Big Maurice fan here. Not a bad coach and a came across as a really good guy. But I'm not sure this roster is suited for what he has done with teams on the ice. Bottom line: We'll find out how well Mo adjusts - and if nothing else, the Triangle isn't a fraction of the hockey media fishbowl that Toronto is.

Maurice has three times more offensive firepower at his disposal than he did his previous stint in Raleigh. About the only thing that would make it better is for Ron Francis to find the Fountain of Youth and be skating again. Yes, that's a joke ... point is he doesn't have a Ron Francis out there again, but he does have Eric Staal and a bunch of other good standouts. And don't forget that Justin Williams is almost ready to return.

That being said, I'm not usually a fan of canning coaches and this is no exception. Has the Joni Pitkanen-for-Erik Cole trade worked? No. Yet nothing has been done to Jim Rutherford, who should be blamed more than Maurice was (who was fired) for the fire sale the Whalercanes had in '03 when the '02 run wasn't being duplicated because of injuries.

And Ronnie as "associate coach"? Good thing I ordered that new sweater with the '02 Cup patch. Perhaps I'll need to rub it for good luck.

 

This has nothing to do with marketing. If you want to learn about that, talk to John McDonough at the Black Hawks.

And this is only good public relations if you think that appealing to the lowest common denominator is the way to go.

It's like after the Bertuzzi incident. All non-hockey fans came away with was confirmation that it's a sport played by thugs and watched by knuckle draggers. They didn't suddenly sign up for NHL Centre Ice.

 

We're not being reactionary. Sean Avery embarrasses us.

 

This is hardly comparable to the Bertuzzi incident. Nobody's hurt, nobody's career is damaged -- if Ms. Cuthbert deems it to be so, she's more than capable to file a slander suit.

And if you don't think there are marketers around the league trying to figure out how to spin this to put asses in seats the next time Avery comes to town, you're nuts.

 

Because he's the first? Sweet Jesus, y'all have had a long line of embarrassments to your gender before Avery.

 

Pitkanen for COle hasn't exactly been a roaring success up here either, but that is largely MacTavish's fault, I'm sure. Was actually hoping Mo would be in the running to replace MacTavish.

 

Thank you.

 

They are of a different kind but the net effect is the same.

Neither helps grow the game. And furthermore it only helps to enhance the image of the NHL in the USA as a second rate bush league operation.

The fact that TSN/ESPN/Sportsnet/The Score might lead with the Avery or Bertuzzi story is going to have neglible impact on attracting eyeballs to the game or putting bums in the seat.