Pre-seasonings

Oooh the Caps are coming to town in pre-season! September 17. I think I can probably be there for that, especially if T-Sloan is playing! (which he quite likely could be. He's still got the 2-way contract, and he spent a good chunk of time with the Caps last year so they'll probably give him a good look in pre-season.) YAY!

If he is playing and I do go (planning on both) then I should make a sign or something so I can get his attention and say hi! :) I miss him..

A clue!

The Sabres have agreed to terms with Sekera (multi-year) and MacArthur (one year). That's good but what about Staffy?

Something tells me he's on the block and the Sabres are just waiting for someone to bite. I hope they get a good deal for him, because I hate letting good (and potentially good) players walk.

I got it!

Okay it's technically Thursday (at least in my time zone LOL) but here's a hockey SAB for the week anyway.

I will weigh in on the schedule later, but I needed to share this while it was fresh in my mind.

So without further ado, I present you:



-Drew Cribley, guitarist for the (totally awesome and playing in Rochester next wednesday if anyone wants to go with me) band Thriving Ivory

AND



-Our beloved goalie Ryan Miller.

Separated at Birth? You be the judge. I never noticed it before, but I was watching one of their videos and it was like... whoa Drew looks like Millsy. He's even got the super tall/skinny thing going on. :)

THis is rather amusing

Wow peeps, I finally have a hockey SAB. I know I've been slacking the last few weeks, but it's hard when I don't have hockey to watch to gain inspiration from.. but the draft helped a bit in that regard.

(even though it's still Tuesday, I doubt I'll be at the computer much tomorrow since I'm working all day, so here ya go- a bit early)



-New Sabres Draftee Zach Kaissan

AND



-My cousin JP (who has probably never been to a hockey game in his life, and certainly has never played hockey LOL)

Separated at Birth? YOU be the judge. I wish I could get a pic of Zach smiling cuz then we'd really see, but the first thing I thought when I saw the dude was that he looks like JP. (which I suppose means he looks a bit like me since JP and I could practically be siblings, we look so much alike LOL) Maybe Zach is some random distant relative I never knew I had? We did have some family come to Canada on my mom's side back in the 1600s and we know almost nothing about my Dad's side so maybe some of them went to Canada and stayed instead of joining the rest of the peeps in Louisiana. It could happen. LOL

I suppose I should weigh in on free agency etc

First of all- Happy Canada Day to any of my Canadian readers! :)

In reference to my last post- I did not join the Sabres for the draft day party. (but I didn't hear any reports about Royzie being there, so I don't think i missed much and I was super dead tired after 4,000 Subs! so it all worked out for the best.)

I like what the Sabres did in the draft, as much as you can like anything so uncertain. Zach Kassian looks a bit like my cousin. He may surface as a Hockey SAB if I can find a good pic of Jean-Paul (cousin) to compare him to..

(Hockey SAB is on temporary hiatus until I can be inspired again..)

Moving on- we signed someone on Free Agency day! I like the looks of Steve Montador (and I don't mean his mug, though that's not too bad either). He appears to be a tough, stay at home kind of d-man who will put up some points from time to time and basically take no prisoners. I like that in a defenceman. The offence can come, and it may, but toughness is vital.

I will miss Spacek a bit, but my heart's not breaking. That was more money than I think he is worth, and while it will suck to face him 3489754 times a year with Montreal, I will make it through, somehow.

Speaking of other free agent signings- Hossa to Chicago for 12 years SERIOUSLY? That is the kind of contract you offer a franchise player, not a rental. That is so weird and not matching of anything about the 'Hawks (except that stupid Soupy deal of last summer LOL) and it just floors me. But whatev, I'm not a GM. I feel for the Wings- they lost Hossa to Chicago (division rival), Kopecky to Chicago (division) and Conklin to St. Louis (division). Don't they have any gifts for Nashville or Columbus, to round it out? LOL

In other news, I am deeply saddened by the defection of 2 of my favorite Devils to other teams- Gionta to Montreal (seriously, what is WiTH the Habs?) and Madden to Chicago (at least I like them). I will miss them dearly. :(

And now we will see what the next few days hold. July 1 is always the biggest, but there are still some deals that will trickle down over the next few days, weeks and months. Is it October yet?

draft party usa

The Sabres are having a draft party on Friday. Unfortunately, I have to work ALL day on this insanely huge (we're talking 4000 subs) order for Subway. BUt we will be out of there (there being the Rich products building downtown) by 6pm I guess so I may head over to the Albright-Knox (if I'm not dead tired/Subway-ed out from the madness of the day) and check what's going down with the fellas. I need some hockey-love in my life!

I am leaving you without a Hockey SAB again! Sorry dear readers, but my mind is blank and not having hockey to watch is not helping that. I did greatly enjoy Goose's interview on the Sabres lunch today. He manages to pull off boyish and dead smokin sexy all at the same time. It's pretty amazing but I love it. Haha

That's about what I have for the moment. Is it October yet?

Did you know?

It's Marty Brodeur Day!

Awesome.

I did not watch the awards show because I had play practice tonight. I'm really happy that Steve Mason won the Calder though! :):)

I am a liar

Or at least I was mistaken. I DID tell y'all about my first hockey season. It was buried in a post about how much the Sabres were making me crazy in March- but here it is if you really want to read it.

I know that this blog tends to be rambly- and I'm totally down with that. I'm not a professional, nor did I ever claim to be one. I'm a hockey fan. (Besides, my degree is in Mass Communications- Broadcasting, not Journalism LOL) I write like a hockey fan. My likes and dislikes are somewhat based on reality- stats and whatnot- and somewhat based on gut instinct. I long ago learned to trust my instincts. (it helps when the two align but such is not usually to be..)

So when I heard that this year's NHL Awards were going to be in Las Vegas, my gut instinct was instant recoil- Vegas? Are you even serious? That's not a *hockey town*. I hate that phrase. I hate it when people say that places south of.. say, Cleveland, don't "deserve" hockey teams. I've been to hockey in a lot of random places- (Las Vegas was one of them) and I think there are hockey fans everywhere. Now, some places might not be very financially stable places for hockey, but that is another matter for another time.

All that being said, I still think that LV is not a good place for the year-end awards of the NHL. I really think they should have the awards show in an NHL city at least. I'm not even picky about which city, per se, as long as they have a team. It'd be like having the draft in.. Indianapolis. It doesn't make sense. It seems to me that the NHL prides itself on history (just look at the names on The Cup. Other sports don't DO THAT.) They also (used to at least, maybe I'm living in the past) market their players as a little more down to earth, and less money-grubbing, spotlight grabbing, (bad)headline-creating, "nice" guys. So why do you put those guys (even if they really aren't all of those things) in the "City of Sin"? for their end of year gala? It just doesn't compute. Yeah, I get that LV is all glitz and glamour (I've been there twice and frankly, I was not impressed all that much. The glitz is kind of blinding and the glamour is all a trick) but since when is the NHL a glamourous league? Maybe I missed the memo.

I doubt this will attract any random casual fans, and it may turn off some more traditional folks. I doubt people will stop watching hockey over this (that would be overkill) but again, it just doesn't compute with me. (I will admit to being kind of old school about my hockey views.) An event like the Winter Classic (in a proper venue, not like Phoenix or something) is a GREAT marketing move. It worked wonders in Buffalo and was amazing in Chicago last year. I've heard rumors about Boston next year and that would be sweet as well. The starting the season overseas thing is cool too (though I think they should be pre-season games because of the traveling and whatnot, that makes it hard on the teams..) In any case, that's a good move to get the game on a more "local" level with some fans overseas. Totally down with those things because they grow the game within the image of what hockey is about.

Las Vegas? Not what hockey is about.

Thoughts? Comments? Does anyone even read this blog? I want to know what you think!

quick post

to let you know that I am, in fact, alive. I did not die of sorrow from the Wings not winning (trust me, if I was going to die of hockey angst, it would have happened in 1994, not 2009), I've just been busy. I even missed the anniversary of my first Game 7 and the end of my first season as a hockey fan. (and the first of many defeats) I will eventually expound on that in full, because I'm pretty sure I never have. (and there was no internet- to speak of- in 1994 LOL) Bits and pieces here and there, many teasers, but never a full recollection of my first season as a hockey fan. (I don't think so anyway, do correct me if I'm wrong- I write a lot of things here and in other websites, so I tend to get confused from time to time.)

Also, I keep alluding to it- and I will eventually write a real post, but I think it's gross that the NHL Awards will be in Las Vegas (yes, there is a hockey team there, I've even been to a game) this year. It just isn't a "hockey" atmosphere. I think it cheapens what our League represents and tries to make it too glitzy and glamor-y and that's not what hockey is. (to me, at least. what do YOU think?)

So more on that soon, but not tonight. It's been a long day on not much sleep and I am beat. And as always, I'm still taking suggestions for Hockey Separated at Births...

and so on and so forth

Well.. 2008-09 is in the books. Someone had to win, and it wasn't the Red Wings. It was a good series and a good game though. The Wings just couldn't pull it out this time.

I can't watch much more because it's going to become a Cros-fest here any minute- oh wait, Malkin won the Conn Smythe? Good for him. (thankgoodnessitwasn'tSID!)

Well I can hear people chanting "Geno! Geno!". That's a bit strange
Alas, it wasn't the first time and surely won't be the last that *my* team didn't win the Cup- (Stanley, Kelly). It sucks but oh well. It's still so pretty.

Wow mad booing for Bettman. I read a cool article from The Hockey News about how they should change the presentation of the Cup. I like his ideas.. what do you think?

I'm outta here. Time to go translate some 100 year old family letters and poetry.. written in French!