Archive for March, 2008

Shane Giroux of Colorado Avalanche Blog submits:

Mixed Emotions

It was a game that made you mad, then happy, then excited, then anxious, then nervous and ultimately…mildly disappointed. The Minnesota Wild took down the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime to stay on top of the Northwest division.

If all had gone well today, the Avalanche would have solidified a playoff berth and been in the hunt for the division title. The playoffs are still looking probable but the division title is less likely. The Wild would have to lose their next 2 in regulation while the Flames would need to grab no more than 5 of their possible 8 remaining points. Oh, and the Avalanche would have to win their remaining two games. So in the immortal words of Jack Sparrow…not probable.*

Theodore Not At His Best

Jose Theodore continued to struggle tonight as he has for his last 3 games now. He’s fighting the puck off and giving up a lot of goals to his blocker side. The knock on Theodore used to be that his glove side was terrible. Well, he appears to have taken steps to remedy that but it’s been to the detriment of his blocker side.

For those hoping for a Budaj start, don’t get your hopes up. You should see Theodore start against Vancouver on Tuesday and given that it’s a 5 day break until the Wild game, you’ll probably see Theodore in goal next Sunday to close out the season. So for better or worse, it will be Theodore leading this team into the playoffs. Here’s to hoping he steps his game up again.

Just Can’t Put My Finger On It

Jeff Finger had a solid game tonight as he found his name on the scoreboard twice, once for scoring the Avalanche’s first goal and again for assisting on Salei’s tying goal. Unfortunately he also found himself victimized on the winning goal but that whole play boiled down to Hejduk trying to be too cute with the puck.

But what does this have to do with Liles? Well, Finger has found a way to pinch in at just the right time in much the same way as John-Michael Liles used to be able to do. Could the emergence of Finger and the addition of Salei make Liles expendable over the summer? My gut says yes.

I Love It When You Call Me Big Foppa

Well, it looks like I wasn’t a chicken little when I claimed Forsberg played too much and was hurt. Some people toed the company line and believed the “He was out of gas” explanation but it just didn’t smell right. If he was so gassed he couldn’t sit on the bench for OT and the shootout, why was he fine talking to reporters after the game?

And sure enough Peter Forsberg sat out tonight with what was described as a “groin injury”. I’d say “Psst…it’s really his foot” but it doesn’t really matter. If he continues to play 20+ minutes a game he…well he won’t continue to play. I seriously want to beat my head against a wall over his playing time but don’t worry, I won’t.

Over the last couple of years, it seems that the National Hockey League and their marketing brass have pulled out all of the stops by promoting games in venues other than the traditional ice surfaces of the NHL teams.

Grassroots Hockey Fans

We have seen the Kraft Hockeyville competition bring pre-season games to small-town Canada. Other pre-season games have been scheduled for hockey hotbeds like Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The driving force behind these games is to drum up fan support through grass-roots campaigns and give hockey fans in smaller market cities a chance to see their favorite NHL stars.

European Expansion

More recently, the league has been scheduling games in Europe as a way to cultivate the growth of the sport overseas and allow the fans in those countries to see their locally grown NHL talent. There has even been speculation that the league might expand into Europe!

In my opinion, European expansion is a long shot at best. The league can barely manage to sustain itself in two countries where hockey is one of the major sports, I can’t imagine the financial disaster that would ensue should the league place a team in Europe and expect it to turn a profit - especially when you add in the overseas travel expense.

The Outdoor Game

The most heavily touted of the “gimmicks” to promote the league has been the “outdoor game”. While this is strategy has been met with some success, as measured by ticket sales and the television viewing audience statistics, one has to wonder how many more tricks the league has up its sleeve?

What Do You Think?

So I’ll leave it to up to you to decide. Is the National Hockey League marketing the game for growth or has the NHL officially “Jumped The Shark”?

Jumping the Shark Defined [Wikipedia]

Jump-the-shark moments may be like those described above that finally convince viewers that the product has fundamentally and permanently strayed from its original premise. In those cases they are viewed as a desperate and futile attempt to keep a series fresh in the face of declining ratings.

Image: everyskyline 

If You Build It, Will They Come?

For those of you not familiar with the ongoing word-slinging in Edmonton regarding the construction of a new arena to replace Rexall Place, I urge you to visit Battle of Alberta and read this letter by Andy Grabia to Mr. Daryl Katz (Who I still think looks like Deuce Bigalow).

Lord Stanley’s Odds

The odds are out on who will win the 2007-08 NHL Stanley Cup. Oddsmakers favor the Detroit Red Wings to win the Holiest of Holy. Here’s a breakdown of the top teams that can compete for the NHL’s top prize. I’m not betting against the Habs, but it they seem to give in to media pressure when the chips are down.

Blind Leading the Blind

Some of the NHL’s most powerful agents got their first real glimpse of Paul Kelly, the new executive director of the NHL Players’ Association on Wednesday, and they liked what they saw. They began the day with the customary hand shakes and continued to line their pockets with commission checks, laughing over the latest 15 year deal for a goalie with a bad hip!

Daddy Luongo

Alanah from Canucks and Beyond is reporting that Roberto Luongo has now left the team for the greener pastures of a Florida maternity ward as his wife gives birth to their child. and about 1000 (and counting) Canucks fans are expected to throw themselves off the Lions Gate bridge sometime later this afternoon.

Who’s On First, What’s On Second?

John Tortorella will serve as bench boss of the U.S. entry in the World Championships this spring with his assistant Mike Sullivan serving in a similar capacity. Not that it will matter much…it’s not like coaching Team USA at the World Championships is a big resume booster.

Habs Fill The Net

Scoring may be down a little in the NHL this season, but don’t tell that to the Montreal Canadiens. With five games left in the regular season, the Canadiens are on pace for their highest goal total 1995-96. Don’t count this young Canadiens squad out for Cup contention. It was just a couple of decades ago when a Rookie Goaltender named Patirck Roy led the Habs to a Stanley Cup victory. Can Carey Price repeat that amazing feat? Only time will tell.

Welcome Brian, Here’s Your Cup Of Tea

Brian Lee celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday by cleaning up pucks at Scotiabank Place. The Senators rookie defenceman, who made his NHL debut in a 6-3 victory over the Sabres in Buffalo on Tuesday, was one of the last players off the ice following a 45-minute workout.

The “Real” Sweet 16 Is Announced

The field of 16 for the NCAA tournament has been announced, and although the pairings will — as they always do — provoke some consternation, the important thing is to make it.

“The anticipation of the national tournament, the opponent, the site you’re going to play, it’s a special day,” said Boston College head coach Jerry York. “You have to earn it to get here.

My vote goes to the University of North Dakota to become this season’s NCAA Division I Champion.

Simon Says…

Simon Gagne, who has been out since February 10th with lingering concussion symptoms, has been making progress in his return to the ice. He has been advised to sit out the remainder of the season, but Gagne believes that he could return to the ice in the unlikely event that the Flyers make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

My friends over at Blade Pro Products recently announced the release of NHL Branded Blade Tape and they wanted to celebrate by giving away 30 NHL Blade Tape Samples to NHL Digest readers.

The Contest

Now, it appears to me that the folks at Blade Pro Products really want to give away some NHL Blade Tape because the rules for the contest are way too simple for what you get in return. They are simply asking for your help in answering a couple of questions that will assist them with improving their products and marketing their business.

All you have to do is leave a comment below this article with your response to the following three questions before April 15, 2008:

1.) Where did you first here about Blade Tape?

2.) What is your favorite NHL Team

3.) Where do you buy your hockey supplies?
(ie. Online, Local Hockey Shop, At the rink, Department Store, etc.)

You’ll also have to sign up to the NHL Digest e-mail notifications using the form in the upper right hand corner in order to be contacted for your shipping address (if you are not already signed up).

What You Could Win

Just for answering the two questions above, you could receive your choice of NHL Blade Tape from the following teams.

I’m really looking forward to your comments, and the kind folks at Blade Pro thank you for your time in answering these questions.

As a special bonus, one lucky winner will receive a Hat and Travel Mug courtesy of NHL Digest.

This contest is now over. Thank you for your participation!

Reebok has continually pushed the envelope with their new RBK 9K line-up. They have released cutting edge technology with the RBK 9K-O stick, some of the best skates on the market with the RBK 9K Pumps , the new 9KN Gloves and what I believe are the best elbow pads on the market today.

Reebok has also developed a well-designed product for the core protection, the RBK 9K Hockey Pants.

The following are some of the features of the RBK 9K pants:

• A core and shell construction provide a streamlined pant with a focus on performance.

• A very interesting and significant feature are the independent custom thigh guards adjust in both length and width. This offers an even more customized fit for superior protection and agility.

• Ventilation is significantly increased on the back. This increased air flow on the lower back was found to be one of the most noticebale comfort differences when compared to other pants.

• Protection is provided in the kidney area in both internal construction and the shell of the pant. This provides additional protection while maintaining a good freedom of movement throughout the hips.

With a retail price nearing $300.00, it is hard to recommend a purchase as they are significantly higher priced than most pants. However, they are highly recommended if you buy them online at Hockey Giant.com for $169.99. There is certainly value in these pants at that price point.

Over the course of this season there has been a lot of hype over the Reebok RBK Edge Jersey and now that we are getting closer to the playoffs, the NHL Shop has decided to make it easy to get your own.

Today, March 25, 2008 the NHL Shop is having a 1-day only sale jerseys.

Click Here to Go To The Shop.NHL.Com Jersey Sale and get 20% Off Today