NHL awards/draft/off-season/training camp/preseason running thread

The first two I definitely could see. Fleury is a possibility, but with arbitration being offered, I think the team amy just ride that out and be satisfied with the one year deal to make sure that this last half year wasn't a fluke. And there is no way Stall is a $4 million+ a year player, especially coming off of this last season. great rookie season, sure, but this year was far off it. If he gets more than 2.5 mil I am highly disappointed. A 2 year $5 mil contract I think would be more appropriate.

 

I know as professionals we shouldn't get giddy over meeting athletes, no matter how big they are, and generally I have no problem with this, usually cool as cucumber. The one exception is when I get to meet an old time sporting legend - today was one of those days and it only lasted about 10 minutes.
Covering the Hockey Alberta hall of fame induction I got to shoot the shit with Glenn Hall. One of my all-time favourites. We actually talked more than hockey, which was cool. I had been covering soccer all day and had to rush to the media event, was actually a little bit late, but got to talk to him one-on-one. And since I had been outside all afternoon I was still wearing my Chicago Bears hat, and my Chicago connection was the first thing he asked me about when I introduced myself. We ended up spending more time talking about the Cubs than doing the interview, until he was pulled away for another interview. Despite an early deadline I could have talked sports with him all night.
It totally made my weekend.

 

Glenn Hall is a very nice man. Had the opportunity to interview him between periods at a game I covered a few years ago and I asked him how many coats of paint were on that barn of his.

He laughed. "Quite a few," he chuckled.

 

Don't know if anyone has posted this yet.

First-round order for next weekend. Spector has the full order on his blog.

Round 1

1. Tampa Bay
2. Los Angeles
3. Atlanta
4. St. Louis
5. NY Islanders
6. Columbus
7. Toronto
8. Phoenix
9. Nashville (from FLA)
10. Vancouver
11. Chicago
12. Anaheim (from EDM)
13. Buffalo
14. Carolina
15. Nashville
16. Boston
17. Calgary
18. Ottawa
19. Columbus (from COL)
20. NY Rangers
21. New Jersey
22. Edmonton (from ANA)
23. Washington
24. Minnesota
25. Montreal
26. Buffalo (from S.J.)
27. Philadelphia
28. Los Angeles (from DAL)
29. Atlanta (from PIT)
30. Detroit

 

NHL.com has a terrific entry draft site

http://www.nhlentrydraft2008.com/

And TSN's is pretty good too.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=11476

I wonder if F0F is covering this.

Draft starts at 7:00 Friday. Anybody know how many rounds they do that night?

 

Huh ... it's different than years past, or at least as long ago as when I was doing draft stories.

They're doing the first round on Friday night and 2-7 on Saturday.

Is this new?

 

I used to remember it started at around noon on Saturday --that's when there were nine rounds and they finished up on Sunday.

I think they've been starting it Friday night since the lockout.

 

Flash - If I remember correctly, NHL started this last year in an effort to get one more prime time showcase of the NHL and hockey on Versus/TSN. I don't mind the change because it helps break up the always lengthy first round selection process because tv and trades.

 

Might make for a neat way to spend Friday night, considering I have a big Saturday in the mountains tentatively planned.

 

Brampton has a first rounder in Cody Hodgson--first one since Wolski went 20 (21st?) overall. Will be watching for sure on Friday.

 

There should be plenty of OHL studs taken in the first besides my boy Hodgson and his longtime minor hockey teammate Steven Stamkos, who will got first overall to the Bolts:

D Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian, Alex Pietrangelo (best hair of any first rounder IMO) and F Josh Bailey and Mikkel Boedker. D Michael Del Zotto and Tyler Cuma might sneak in there too.

 

Definitely a big year for the O, especially on the blue line.