It's Hockey Season!!

“That was only my 2nd hockey game but I have definitely become a hockey fan. You never get bored it's so fast. Plus they fight. What else do you need? LOl

I hate the Aeros' new uniforms too. I like the blue better. These new ones look like Christmas barfed on the team.”

“Apparently, Tara Reid and Kid Rock coached the pro team in last night's Pros vs. USA game in Ann Arbor. I didn't get to go, but it sounded like fun. Also, Sergei Federov showed up at the last second, too. And Yzerman did a little lecture for all the USA players at the end.”

“It doesn't look good for the NHL season.

At about 3:20 p.m., the NHL Players' Association left the building and the negotiations ended. They met for about four hours, apparently breaking for lunch during that time. After saying repeatedly that representatives of the PA would be available following the meeting, the union left without saying a word and went to get on a conference call with its player representatives.

Toronto's FAN Sports Radio reported the NHL contingent has already made its way back to New York, but the league is also still scheduled to meet with the media in Toronto today. Meanwhile, Sportsnet.ca is reporting that the NHL has requested a meeting with the NHLPA on Tuesday, but no word on whether it will be in New York or Toronto
last edited: 12/09/04 6:38:34 PM”

“I heard a report while traveling through Minnesota Monday Evening. Twas about the Stanley Cup, and who owns it.

Evidently, Mr Stanley wanted the cup to go to the best best team in Canadian Hockey. In the early 1900's, the NHL began awarding the cup to the best team in it's league.
If the NHL doesn't have a season, they may loose control of the cup. The cup may be awarded to the best Canadian team and never again be seen in the underside of North America.”

“I bought myself a ticket to the Phantoms-Binghamton AHL game on Sunday night. Center ice, fairly close. It's been years since I've been to a game.”

“geo, enjoy the game. I think the minor league games are well worth the money. More bang for you buck when compared to the NHL.

One of local TV stations did a report on if anyone missed the NHL. The report wasn't good seems most people didn't even know they were locked out or even cared.
I would be willing to guess that the only people across the US and Canada who miss hockey are the true hockey fans.”

“I used to go to AHL games in Baltimore when I lived in Maryland. The team then was the Clippers. The arena did not have glass, just a chain link fence around the rink. One night, a ref went up to get away from the play and got his skate hung up in the fence. It took the two linesmen and some players go get him down, and the crowd was roaring. He's been an NHL official for years now.

I saw Peter Mahovalich play his last minor league game there. Next day he was called up to the Canadiens and played on a nationally televised game. Imagine my surprise when they announced his name as he got into the game.

I went to two Flyers games in the season when they went on to win their first Stanley Cup. But NHL teams quickly priced folks like me out of the game, and the game degenerated into dump and run. I lost interest. But the playoffs last season were more like old time playoff hockey. I was looking forward to this season.

So, I'll at least be seeing some future Flyers. Good seats, a good brew, some hockey. Life is good.”

“A Zamboni exploded A Zamboni is a vehicle used to resurface ice.

Brandon Kolquist, another player, also had small cuts on the back of his neck. "I just got blown over the boards with the explosion, ..."
last edited: 12/20/04 6:23:58 AM”

“I've never heard of that happening before.”

“And they look so innocent ...

Went to the Phantoms game last night. My seat was two rows behind the penalty box, in a section of mostly season ticket holders who call themselves the Psycho Section, and not without merit. We got to tell the Phantoms players what they were doing wrong when they served their pennance, and jawed with one of the Binghamton Senators' bad boys.

The Phantoms lost in a shoot-out after taking it to overtime with a goal by Patrick Sharp with just four seconds on the clock and everybody in the house yelling, "SHOOT!" He did, and lit the light.

Still a good game. The Phantoms made it physical in the second period. If they lost the game, they won two of three fights.

They gave away free team set trading cards, and of course I bought a souvenir puck to go with the modest collection I inherited from my father and another hat (of course, a hat!)

That was my first live hockey game in decades. I will make a few more. The tix are reasonable, and the hockey is still hockey.

As one of the Psychos said, "You mean there's another team in town?"

The only thing missing from the Psycho section was Tango. T, you'd have had a ball.”

“The Zamboni exploded during a "Broomball" game?”

“Sounds like a great time! I'd have loved to be in the PSYCHO section!

Yeah treebait, who knew?”

“That was no Zamboni. That was a Zamboomi, a cheap copy favored by the Al Qaeda Zamboomi Corp. of Peshawar, Pakistan.”

“The thing that made me think of Tango was when this little woman in the row in front of me was challenging Brian McGratton of the Senators while he was in the penalty box. McGratton must stand 6-6 and weigh in at about 230 or so, and she stood about 5-6. I said her husband would have been telling people, "Let me tell you how I lost my wife, ..."”

“I was close. McGratton is 6-5 and weighs 226 according to the Sens website.

Okay, so he was wearing his skates, and he gained four pounds since the season started.”

“Could they've put gasoline into a diesel engine? Or the heater for the water had a crack. Man, that's pretty scary...and very dangerous.”

“My friend's sons play broomball, and they are quite devoted to that, travelling all over tarnation to ply their interest.

Despite all the precautions, they've come home with injuries, thankfully not serious. I think they believe they are NHL all-stars out there.

I think that Zamboomi was powered by propane, which explains the explosive force.”

“When a broomball ball hits your shin...it hurts like hell. Not like a puck...but still hurts. And bodies do get checked into the boards.”

“Canuck Juniors win Gold
Ruskies win Silver
Chezks win Bronze
Yanks come in at 4th place

Looks like there will be no NHL this season...so the win's gotta tie us (Canucks) over for a year.
last edited: 1/05/05 3:29:06 PM”

“Thanks for the update. Kinda lost track over the holidays.

It's a good thing the Steelers are doing great! Sorta eases the pain.”

“I'm going to go see the Phantoms again Friday night. Taking the peeps from work this time. Should be a fun night. Maybe a hockey game will break out. Who knows?”

“Fight night in South Philly, GB?”

“Yes, and from time to time a hockey game breaks out.

I don't know what they were thinking when they installed the Phantoms in the same building that once housed the Broad Street Bullies. Then again, maybe they thunk right.”

“The Albany team is once again playing horribly. They have only managed to win 9 of the 35 games they have played so far. I don't even remember when they won their last game.”

“If it weren't for the River Rats, the Phantoms' losing streak would have extended to seven games instead of five. And the Phantoms only won that game via a shootout.

Coach says the team's getting its intensity back. We shall see tomorrow night. I saw the first game in that losing streak, and the intensity was sorely lacking in the first and third periods.

The Phantoms have three games on three consecutive nights.”

“Frank "The Animal" Biolawas, former Phantom enforcer, is being inducted into the team's hall of fame Sunday night. He was interviewed on TV last night.

"I enjoy fighting," he said with a smile, in the exact same tone of voice someone else might say, "I enjoy knitting," or "I enjoy a glass of wine with my meal."

Apparently, that's R&R for "The Animal."

He now works for a living, but also plays in a league in Quebec. The Flyers' Donald Brashear also is playing there in this non-season, so "The Animal" dropped his gloves and challenged Brashear. Brashear wanted none of it. Why get injured fighting in that league? So Frank said, "I had to respect that."

The Code!
last edited: 1/07/05 7:57:15 AM”

“The NHL yesterday canceled a meeting with its board of governors scheduled for next week because the league has nothing new to report in the stagnant collective bargaining process.”

“This is making me SICK!!!”

“Off to the ol pond to see the Phantoms with the gang. WooHoooooooooooo, hockey!

HIT SOMEBODY!!!”

“I think I got the wrong arena. The Phantoms were playing in one, and Dismal on Ice was in the other. I wanted the hockey game, and it looked almost like a hockey game, but the guys in Phantoms uniforms were skating like they were part of Dismal on Ice. I don't think they ever did find Nemo. If it wasn't for the fact that 3,000 kids screamed in high C when they played Spongebob Squarepants on the PA, I could have gotten a good night's sleep.

Best part of the game was when some guys in back started chanting, "Who brought Woodson"? to a guy with a Stealers jersey on. He turned around and laughed.

I did get some cool photos with the new Nikon D70.

Phantoms lost, 2-1. That's two losses against no wins for me! Grrrrrrr!”

“The '92-'93 Penguins' amazing run in NHL.com's Quest for the Best tournament rolls on. Goalie Tom Barrasso and the No. 24 Pens pulled off the upset of the tournament, ousting the top-seeded '55-'56 Canadiens in six games.”

“There's some girls playing ringette near my place....might as well go see them.

Played it once...when I was young, not that easy trying to stab at the doughnut hole, while it's coming at you at 40mph. Us newbies had to put a skate in front of it to stop it.”

“I'll be sitting behind the penalty box Sunday night so I can talk to the other team's bad boys.”

“http://www.hockeyribbon.com/



last edited: 1/14/05 10:59:39 AM”

“I'll have to post some pix for Tango.

I just hope the team plays better this time. So far, they've played just one good period of six.”

“That would be nice Geo. I swear I went through DT's!

I was just thinking about it last night Thursday, I'd have been seriously into the game.”

“Frankly, for the price, the Phantoms are fine hockey. I had not been to a hockey game in years, and after one game I can't get enough.

Of course, last game we were sitting in the end, and my most vivid memory of the game was the guys in white jerseys busting over the blue line and firing at will. It's interesting sitting in different parts of the arena. You get different perspectives on the game.

I did get a photo of Niittymaki making a nice glove save.”

“Sat among the Psychos again last night, right behind the penalty box.

There was a pair of leather lungs sitting behind me - one left, one right.

A fellow named Shawn Thornton got two in the bin at the end of the second period, so he came to the bin to start the third period.

"Thornton, will you throw me a puck?" asked a little girl with the LL on the right. So Thornton asked the attendant if he could have a puck, and the guy got one out of the cooler where they keep game pucks. Thornton tossed the puck to the girl and sat down. We all applauded him.

Later in the game, Thornton came back for another two.

"Hey Thornton, why are your panties all in a bunch?" LL on the right yelled. "He'd not wearing panties," LL on the left yelled.

"Imagine the size of the panties on that one," Thornton said.

Apparently, Thornton has a significant other named Erin, because LL yelled out, "Erin didn't seem to mind!"

Thornton laughed and said, "That's a good one. You guys have really been doing your research!"

Earlier, Michel Barinka got two and started to go into the Phantoms penalty box. The Psychos laughed and yelled that he was in the wrong box. Sheepishly, he made his way to the Admirals box. Then LL on the left yelled out, "When your time's up, go to the player bench on your right!"

Another Admiral joined him, and LL on the left yelled, "Do you guys have any trouble with Barinka finding the team bus?"

A player named Babchuk came for a visit, and LL on the left checked his scorecard and found out Babchuk is a minus 9 player. That resulted in two minutes of taunts.

Oh yeah, they played a hockey game too. Unfortunately, the Phantoms were not on their game like the Psychos were and lost in a shoot out.”

“The Norfolk Admirals are your AHL team, and they have a lot of good players. They are fast, disciplined, and heavy hitters. If the lock-out ever ends, you will be getting some quality rookies, if they don't get traded.”

“The Admirals Rule! I've got their '04-'05 schedule on my fridge and I live in Dayton Oh. When I lived in VA they were still ECHL but they were by far the best team in the league. Now I'm stuck with the sorry Bombers. The one thing I miss about VA is good hockey.”

“NHL puck maker now at half staff

Daily News Wire Services


The NHL's official puck supplier has laid off half its staff, a result of the hockey lockout that entered its 123rd day yesterday.

InGlasCo, of Sherbrooke, Quebec, laid off 20 of about 40 employees from a plant that normally produces about 300,000 pucks and souvenirs for NHL teams.

"The business has been down since September, we haven't shipped anything to any NHL teams, no souvenir or licensed products," said Denis Drolet, president of Groupe Drolet, the parent company of InGlasCo and the Sher-Wood stick manufacturer.

Minor and junior league teams make up half of the company's business.”

“Wow great story Geo. I feel sad not only for the fans but the others that make their living through hockey.

And their still not talking!”

“It's clear that the owners are planning to break the back of the Players Association.

Incidentally, the Flyers, and I'm sure other teams as well, put their most promising rookies on their AHL rosters so they'd play hockey this season. The players seem to like the fact that they are playing rather than sitting it out.”

“the Pens did too. But big deal, I can't see 'em!”

“You could if you move to Wilkes Barre. Then you'd freeze your butt off, but you'd still see hockey.”

“By Scott Burnside
Special to ESPN.com
The new World Hockey Association has a decision to make: start playing an abbreviated schedule in February or wait and launch a full season in the fall.


While there are several factors involved in the process, not the least of which is the number of teams, none of them include the National Hockey League.


On Friday, WHA president and chief executive officer Richard William "Ricky" Smith retracted a release from his office that stated the league will launch in the fall. He reiterated that the decision has yet to be made and the status of the NHL lockout will not dictate the WHA's timetable, which he plans to announce within the next two weeks.


"We're not trying to do this as quickly as possible just to have players on the ice for the month of February," Smith said.


In the meantime, Smith said he has fielded calls from NHL players, including Dallas Stars captain Mike Modano. Other NHLers -- like Brett Hull, son of the first WHA star and current commissioner Bobby Hull, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios and netminder Manny Legace -- already have indicated they might be interested in playing in the league.


The WHA also has deployed scouts to evaluate players in North America and Europe, where many NHL players are biding their time during the lockout.


"It's definitely a long shot. You can't expect it to work. But if it does it'll be a great thing for the sport," said Louis Sitaras, one of four primary investors. "It's just an opportunity I see that has unbelievable up-side."


The reincarnation of the WHA was left for dead in September after a poorly executed and hurried attempt to take advantage of the impending NHL lockout. A slightly altered version of the original WHA, a rogue league that operated from 1972-79 and drove up player salaries by using lofty contracts to lure away established NHL players, the 2004 edition was billed as being more entertaining and financially conservative than the NHL.


Smith, the leader of a group of investors that bought the WHA trademarks from co-founder Nick Vaccaro in October, promises the same. But this time, he said, the "new" WHA has $50 million in financial backing, which is enough to launch a 6-8 team league without having an owner in each market. The league anticipates good leases in good buildings will attract strong ownership and, in turn, good players.


"It was primarily a hockey decision, not a financial decision," Smith said from the league offices in Oakville, Ontario, a western suburb of Toronto. "Since then we've cleaned up the league, solved all the debt that was around it."


Smith, 47, a British Columbia native whose financial background is in the timber industry, and Sitaras, 43, a Florida businessman involved in real estate and investments, had planned to own and operate the Minneapolis franchise in last year's failed venture, but were unable to reach a lease agreement with the Target Center. Another overture to arena management was rebuffed earlier this week.


Although there are 13 markets that have a facility that could support a franchise, the plan is to start small and expand, with a European division targeted for the league's second full season. Smith wouldn't identify all 13 markets, but listed Las Vegas, Toronto, Vancouver, Phoenix, Dallas and Quebec City as likely ones.


While the WHA doesn't want to rush the process, filling the void being left by the NHL lockout and playing a half-season now would go a long way in ensuring the WHA's viability next season.


The league will operate with a soft cap that, depending on the number of franchises, will be in the $14 million range. If the WHA does implement a half-schedule this year, the cap would be about $5 million, Smith said.


Each team will be allowed one "marquee" player whose salary would be capped at $5 million (reduced accordingly for a half-season) and one sub-marquee player whose salary would be capped at half of that. The irony of a player rejecting a cap in the NHL and an average salary of at least $1.3 million to play under a cap system in a fledgling, low-budget professional league is not lost on Smith.


"It's not so much how we'll pay but how we'll explain it," Smith said.


For instance, players will be allowed to have a stake in ownership. Smith hopes netminder Ed Belfour, who was involved in the previous WHA's Dallas franchise, will again be involved. Teams will have an open-book policy, with designated player representatives who will have access to the books whenever they want, Smith said.


"Profit-sharing with the players is our intent," he added. "That shouldn't be confused with, 'let's have profit-sharing because we don't plan to pay you well.' "


On the ice, the WHA plans to implement many of the rule changes adopted this year by the American Hockey League, which include restricting goaltenders' ability to play the puck, no-touch icing, tag-up off-sides and a shootout to determine tie games.


Also, roster sizes will likely be reduced to 17 or 18 players.


Smith said there has been discussion with a major television network and regional broadcasters, though he declined to specify which ones.


While top agents say they are not familiar with Smith or the WHA's plans, one major agent said the NHL would do well to be wary of the new league.


High-profile players like Hull, Chelios, Roenick, Belfour and others who are nearing the end of their careers might be inclined to join a rival league if the NHL lockout appears to be headed for a second season. Plus, highly-paid players in their prime who have enough financial security might take a chance on becoming a marquee player in a well-run North American league or to wait out the negotiating process.”

“hockey...whats that ;)

thank goodness Arena Football is about ready to start up”

“Arena football is to football as military intelligence is to intelligence.”

“That would be nice!”