Destination Sochi: End of the Line

With the powers that be in the NHL, NHLPA, IOC, and IIHF meeting when it comes to the NHL's partcipation in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia meeting, the question turns to what's going to happen next for the NHL in the Olympics.

Since the 1998 Games, when the NHL first started in the Olympics-- the NHL has lucked out with the Games being in locations where hockey is a followed sport or is close to locations where hockey is a popular sport, sans Nagano. The good part of Nagano is that the NHL was starting to get into Asian markets, even opening up the 1998-99 season in Japan.

Yet, with all of this, the Sochi Games could be the end of the line for the NHL's involvement. One of the reasons is that the Russians would want to represent their country at home. Of course, we all remember how many Russians said they would play regardless of the NHL's participation; so to include the NHLers would be the best bet for the NHL rather than losing the fire-power of Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Alex Ovechkin, as well as Anze Kopitar-- who would want to help represent his native Slovenia in their Olympic journey. But after this-- it could be an indefinite hiatus for the NHL when it comes to the Olympics.

Past Sochi, there's South Korea in 2018 and 2022 is yet to be decided, but here are some potential bid cities. While the NHL would want to diversify their game, they don't seem to have the bump in Asia that they once had, so suspending the participation would probably happen, despite the IIHF and IOC actually wanting to have those high-profile names in one of the pinnacle events.

There's plenty of discussion about whether or not the NHL should be involved at all when it comes to the Olympics, as the whole "amateur" idea of the Games being put into check because of it, even with the exposure it gives to those involved. There's probably also a worry about the time that the NHL will have to take off because of it, the practice after the NHL is back in business, and the worry for some teams down the stretch when it comes to wear-and-tear of their players.

In the end, the NHL will go to Sochi and it probably won't take long to hash all of that out. The bigger concern is the involvement past this Olympics, which I'm sure the IOC would be pushing hard for a commitment, especially for a lesser revered venue and trying to get all the star power they could muster.

NHL Lockout Over; Now What??

Alright, well, the NHL Lockout is over.

What does that mean?? Well, plenty.

In a 50 (or 48) game season, it'll be a big rush for them to get to the playoffs. If a team gets on an extended losing streak, it could be curtains for their playoff hopes. These games will benefit teams who had a lot of players playing in the AHL or Europe because they won't have to shake off the rust. On top of that, it'll show how good the condition is, which means we could have a lot of injuries because of the short season.

Even before that, when the CBA is ratified; it'll be a rush for trades and signing free agents, especially restricted ones. It'll be a chance to see who gets bought-out for the 2013-14 season and to see if there's going to be quick chemistry between the new free agents with their teams in a short season.

The biggest things is whether the fans will come back or not. You see a lot of people who have mixed emotions on social media, many saying they won't come back. While I think the hyperbole of some is a little extreme, there's going to be some who have their interest of the NHL drop off because of this and that's to be expected. However, you can take the fan out of hockey, but you can't take hockey out of the fan. Most people will come back in some way, shape, or form, thus ending their arbitrary stand-off with the NHL.

How the NHL gets fans back will be interesting to see. While the NHL itself doesn't have the ruling power to dictate ticket prices or concession prices, they will need to somehow make the game a little more accessible, maybe urge the member teams to do something in order to get people back in the seats. Rumors of free Center Ice could be a good start, but who knows how likely that is.

The NHL is back. That's really all that matters. The battles can happen on the ice rather than off.

Airing of Grievances

In the "Seinfeld" tradition of Festivus, it's time for the airing of grievances. AND I GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE.

NHL and NHLPA: Let's get it together. Enough about seeing who's junk is bigger and talking all this noise and actually maybe put that energy to better use. In a world that seems to be all about who "wins" and who "loses," sport is usually the getaway from that...but it's not. It's the same high school drama we've had to deal with for years and you're making an already niche sport less relevant.

NHL-Only Fans: I get that you miss the league, but please let's stop actually saying that all of hockey is over. Sure, the main league is a big loss, but the expansions of horizons about the game as a whole is not a bad thing. Sad that Nike only increases that stereotype that just because the NHL is gone, all of hockey is gone.

Minor League Fans: Let's not push the agenda that there's actual hockey out there because of course it is. It's not for everyone and it's not supposed to be for everyone. Why are you trying to blow up your little secret you have only to get interlopers in there and ruin the fun for everyone else when they say that it's not as good as the NHL. It only gets you down and make the minor leagues look that less credible.

Silly Twitter Accounts: It's great to laugh at these little nuances that happen during the Lockout, but the fact that the NHL podium (or lectern if you're a proper jerk) had a Twitter account and people got excited about it shows that NHL fans will flock back easy and almost makes the fans look silly to other sports out there.

Punditry: Enough with the bi-polarness of your reporting. The emotional rollercoaster you put everyone on is almost sickening and makes me believe that you're masochistic and enjoy getting everyone up to let them down-- enough of you.

Lip-Synching Songs: It was cute at once, but much like alternate jerseys-- the oversaturation of the marketplace has made it horrific to even watch the cringe-inducing nature these players put themselves though. I understand this world is all about going viral because everyone wants to be famous-- but come on. Christmas songs are depressing and there's so few that are any good. We all love Mariah Carey, but it doesn't mean you need to keep going on and on with her song. Enough.

I'm sure there's some more, but I've lost my train of thought. Now...the feats of strength.

Going Viral or Gaining Vitriol??

As we all know, tension is high when it comes to the lockout. Fans are getting stir-crazy, the information coming out is never good for too long or vague, and the people already presuming gloom and doom are licking their chops when it comes to their prediction being right.

More over, the players are becoming more and more vocal about this disdain for the owners and the lockout. Of course, the players have that freedom. The NHL has a bylaw restricting the owners or those in the front office from talking about the CBA or the lockout. Jim Devellano can attest to that.

But while the players have their freedom-- that freedom could be a little too much at times. Their accessibility has gotten them to say some things that make their staunchest of supporters do a double take. Amongst those are:

• Krys Barch's crazy Twitter ranting about players being born to play and the owners not knowing what it's like.
• Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Bryzgalov talking about how players could stay over in the KHL, especially if they have Russian passports or don't like the new CBA.
• Dan Boyle saying not all the owners are on the same page.
• Mike Commodore using his rage against Verizon to take jabs at Gary Bettman.
• Most anything Allan Walsh tweets.
• Karl Alzner pretty much spilling the beans that the players aren't going to win, but it being a matter of how little they'll lose. 

While it's good the the NHLPA to allow their members to freely speak their mind and frustration, they may want to reign in their contingency just a little bit-- maybe going full cliche mode for some of them. Especially with what Alzner said, it's almost like he's taking a knee early on.

The PA had the public opinion with them, and even with some people swinging hatred to both sides-- people still seemed to have an edge on the PA's side rather than right down the middle. Yet, with every comment that a PA member is making, the vitriol is being spewed their way in bigger spurts than there were at the beginning of this. 

(In full disclosure, I do believe both sides are idiotic for letting it get to this point, the ownership side is one I'm a little more on the side of. Sure, I get that the players have dedicated their lives in order to get to play professionally in the best league in the world (so they say); the owners sank money into a team and while some of their management styles are sometimes ill-advised and short-sighted, I think many people can relate on not losing money on potential investments over getting paid to live your dream. Both sides are kind of pipe dreams on the larger scale of the Average Joe, but for the sake of explanation-- that's what I use.)

For the NHLPA, they got the social media movement out there from the start. Creating hashtags for their cause (as seen above on the NHLPA practice jerseys), putting out a viral video showing their passion, and just making sure their presence was felt to the masses and the people who will see what they are standing for, especially since the NHL owners have no voice due to the gag order. 

With the PA allowing their guys speak their mind, it's a nice interactive instance from time to time. However, the more they speak, the less sympathy people are taking on them and the more annoyance it is becoming. It's one thing to be open and freely express your views, it's a whole other when those views start to sway people in the other direction. There are times when you can become too opinionated and people start to roll their eyes. 

Social media or just the easy accessibility to players is the biggest it has been before. The NHLPA probably didn't take that into account for....well, most anything-- lockout or otherwise. While their campaigns on it have been widely well received, the fact of the matter is the thing they viewed as the biggest upside for them may end up being a big free-fall in favor, as well. 

On the Topic Of the NHL Lockout

The lockout is coming.

That isn't news to anyone and shouldn't be news to anyone.

While the NHL says they were ready to meet at the All-Star break, the talks didn't start until July. They did meet frequently at least, giving hope to the hopeless-- then dashing those hopes when they had their press conferences when the meetings were over.

The bitterness and vitriol the fans will spew is going to be heightened as the social media movement is one that will ultimately show its worth in this work stoppage. They have began protesting outside the NHL Store in New York and maybe it could spread. And while they do have a right to do it-- it does bring out the worst in people; both attitude wise and in dealing with them when they're steadfast in their opinion and nothing will make them let up from it. Though, the overly pessimistic attitude is something that is a sign of the times in every aspect of life.

You can see the player's side of it-- they don't want to have their money taken away from them, especially since they feel they earned the contracts and shouldn't have it taken away from them. Sure, most of them will have plenty left over and will get a lot for their next contract for playing the game they love-- but it's the principle behind it that makes them fight and gets people on their side. My brother-in-arms Jonny P made a great point about how Fehr was going to be a tough negotiator and there would have been trouble when the NHLPA brought him onboard in the first place.

The owners are always in the wrong and there's few people who will defend them. I, for one, can see their side of it a lot more than I can see it from the player's side of it. The owners want to protect their investment. Sure, them giving insane contract because of "market value" isn't the smartest idea when trying to defend their point, but you have to give your team the best chance to win. Plus, to be in the position the owners are in, they had to take risks and that's how they made their billions and allowed them to actually have the money to own their teams.

Derek Zona wrote a piece about how much the owners are worth. One can assume it's to show that no one should support the owners because they aren't like the common man due to their riches. However, they had to work their way up the ladder in order to be in a position to make the money they did-- and they did a lot of things that maybe the common person would love to do: have financial freedom, be their own boss, own their own sports team. Let's be honest-- how many owners have actually made their fortunes from owning a sports team?? Plus, you can say that the investment in the NHL is a fool's bet-- if it wasn't, the Coyotes would have had an owner three years ago and we wouldn't have the amount of franchises changing owners as we have seen in the past two decades.

On top of that, when you hear many teams would lose less money without a season than with a season-- shows that the economic nature isn't the best in the world. Whether that means new owners are needed, less teams are needed, or whatever-- it seems that some people pass over that point. Not to mention, the owners have their hands in other things as well, which means they'll still make some money while the NHL is locked out.

No one will look good at the end of this. Owners are already hated, regardless of what they do. Players will get plenty of people on their side, but as things wear on-- they could lose some support depending on what they say and do while being locked out. The fans suffer, the arena staff suffers, writers suffer, the industry of the NHL suffers.

The game of hockey will only suffer due to its main league being out. Yet, it will continue to live on that the minor league, junior, and college teams would love for you to spend your entertainment dollar there. That's why I've done my "Better Know A League" series in order to enlighten people who may think the NHL is the only game in town. It'd be great for the health of the game if the lower leagues were supported and when the NHL comes back--maybe fans will be more inclined to go to a minor league game rather than NHL games-- which will really show the owners what you can do with your money and your choice.

And even with the lockout-- it could be a good thing for fans. Buddy Oakes at Preds on the Glass has a spectacular piece about how the lockout could be a good thing for some fans and how the last one was a good one for him personally. That's a kind of story you'll start to see if this lockout drags on for any amount of time. We all want the NHL to come back quickly, but a break from it all may not be the worst for some people out there.

In the end, the NHL will be back. People will go back to it, though it might be a little thinner than it once was. It's times like these where you can really tell that sports isn't about a game anymore-- it's a business.

Another Outlet For Misdirected Hostilities in CBA Talks

Blame the Owners. Blame the Players.

This is a chorus that many a fan are chanting, with the former being the one that the venom is most being spewed at. Rightfully so, as the owners control the lockout and don't seem to agree with what the players are proposing and can't figure out a revenue sharing plan amongst themselves to get their own top dollar.

Of course, the players are going to want their own share as they are the "product" and really don't care (and shouldn't care) about the economic stability of the teams because they're getting paid, so who really cares about the actual health of the team they're playing for as long as they get theirs. And the player's shouldn't worry about how the team's health is because they have their own health, their own well-being, their own on-ice performance to worry about; they shouldn't have to worry about the book of the team.

And while the owners did negotiate the crazy contracts we have been seeing and seems to really be giving out far too much money, thus making them hypocritical when they "cry poor" over losing money; there is one group that could actually be more to blame than the players and the owners combined.

The Agents.

It seems that this topic has been briefly touched on, but it is my own belief that the agents should the most vitriol from the fans.

Sure, the owners do give into the player's contracts demands at times, but at the same time; if not for the agents overrating and overvaluing their client (the player), the owners really have not much of a choice if they want to put a winning product on the ice. The agents know this and know that they can sell ice to an Eskimo if they wanted to, which is why they have driven third-liner's contracts into the $3M/year range when they probably should be half of that. They hype up their player, they use leverage of going to rival teams with their client, and then they smooth talk their way into making the GMs believe they're actually getting a deal.

Yes, the GMs (and, honestly, they play with the owner's money) can avoid this by not buying into their schemes and actually call the agents' bluff, but the agents know they can go to another guy and get the money they want. The fact the agents can manipulate the market the way that they do is almost criminal. They are the guys who skew the contracts and how the value of a player can be determined due to past results. The agents also realize that past results are not indicative of future results; so they have to get their client their maximum dollars-- of course, the fact they take a percentage plays into that, but they're looking at the best interesting in their player-- I'm sure.

Agents are hype-men for the players and in the end, they have to do the best for their client in order to not only retain them, but get them the most money they think they "deserve" and will go at all lengths in order to actually get those dollars-- not caring about who they get it from because loyalty is nothing to the agents, especially since they represent multiple players on different teams and in different standing on the depth chart.  As long as their players (and to a lesser extent-- them) get paid, they don't care where it comes from and they shouldn't either.

In other sports-- the disdain for agents are very much there. In baseball, it's Scott Boras and in football it's Drew Rosenhaus. Both are big mouthpieces for their clients and do get the maximum amount for their players and don't settle for less. It seems that Allan Walsh seems to the be most outspoken of the NHL agents and tries to do what he can to rattle the cages of people everywhere. Sometimes, it's for good (likes speaking out on fake insiders), but most times-- it's for bad (running down his client's [ex]teams). It's a shock that NHL owners/GMs would deal with Walsh when all is said and done, especially with how overaggressive he can be in the social aspect of things. It's one thing to get to the court of public appeal, but it's another thing when you are running down the people who have an effect on your client's career.

You can bitch and moan about who deserves what, but of course because of the entitlement that both sides have--owners because they own the team and make money in other ventures, believing they're above it all; players because they are the show on the ice and their agents overrate them in order to get the utmost, unattainable contract values (for the most part)-- are the main thing. It's more than Billionaire vs. Millionaire-- it's Ego vs. Ego.

On the Topic Of....Hockey Cards

Thursday was the final day of the NHLPA's Rookie Showcase, where the newest of NHLPA members get their pictures taken for their first hockey cards, their images put into the latest EA Sports video, sign some memorabilia  and just give some face time to the media.

Merchandising has been a big thing in the past decade or so and you often had to wait until the second set of cards to be released in order to get an action shot of the rookies in the league. However, with days like these, they are able to get in on the first set in their new uniforms rather than just their draft pose.

The cards factor itself got me thinking as to what my own personal favorite were. Of course, Upper Deck was the king of the cards in the late-90s and early-00s, having the exclusive NHL license before Panini America got back into the fold. The first set of Upper Deck, 1990-91, could be my favorite of the entire timeline. The design was simplistic, the wordmark at the bottom was a nice nod to the part of the logo sheet that didn't get much notice, and it was a solid design with an ice look of team colors along the border.

Upper Deck made an off-shoot of their cards, the Collector's Choice, that started in the 1995-96 season. It was more of a collection that had a lot of specialty inserts in it, which made it more unique than the base Upper Deck brand. It was almost an alternative of the regular cards, with different contests and geared to a younger crowd with their packs. Their "You Crash The Game" cards were interactive and gave the collector a chance to redeem them for bigger prizes should the player displayed get a certain achievement on the date stated. While the first run was nice, the 1996-97 set was a personal favorite for the design that they put out there coupled with the crisp shot of each player, as well as little facts on the back from their little mascot "Chippy."

Though, if you want to talk unique cards-- you have to go to Fleer and their set called Power Play, the tall boys of hockey cards. While they were awkward to put into sleeves, the fact Fleer took a different approach to cards was a nice outlook and very kitschy. They already had a solid looking Fleer Ultra set with a marble-esque design at the front; the 1993-94 Power Plays were another outlook to the card, even though it was short lived.

Yet, one timeless hockey card set is the Pro-Set set from the 1990-91 season. Regardless of all the inaccuracies that the line had for that season, the design is something that has been engrained in our memories-- so much so that the AHL's card set for the 2011-12 season almost mimicked the design of the Pro-Set line. Pro-Set also did a helluva job with their Pro-Set Platinum edition of the 1991-92 season, which was one of the first with a full shot of the card-- no borders, no names-- as well as no stats on the back of the card, either. It seemed to be a higher class of card. Not only that-- their Celebrity Captain cards were always aces for Hollywood's......elite??

For me, those are the classics when it comes to NHL cards and those that stand out to me. While I'm sure there's others that are memorable, I had to limit some of them. If you've got any you remember-- leave 'em in the comments and enlighten us.

Locking Out Hyperbole

While the "impending doom" of the end of the CBA comes to term, the ideal of Gary Bettman as the bad guy has reared it's ugly head. Sure, the figurehead for the owners will get the brunt of the heat-- something he has been able to take in stride; him mentioned the fact the owners won't go past the expiration date IS NOT NEWS, because he has said it in the past. There's some probable reasons why he wouldn't do that:

1. The owners don't like how the CBA is structured (of their own doing in-house, mind you) so why would they want to keep playing under it??
2. They would lose bargaining power with the NHLPA saying, "Hey, if this is okay enough for you to keep going-- why not keep it going??" 
3. It's hard to get any kind of roll-back once the players start to make money. 

Even with common sense being around, the hyperbole amongst many fans is running rampant-- especially with Donald Fehr playing the nice guy act saying the players would play past the expiration. Of course they would-- they'd still be making money. From people getting upset about Bettman about his comments, sports columnist painting the doom-and-gloom scenarios that riles up the troops, and then people saying that "the game as we know it will never be the same"-- it's hard to be a fan or actual reasonable human being during these times. 

First and foremost-- THERE IS OTHER HOCKEY OUTSIDE OF THE NHL!! I can't stress this enough people. Sure, the void will be vast with the NHL not around and that's a crying shame for the global scale of the game-- but there's plenty of other hockey out there that would enjoy your entertainment dollar at a small price. Sure, it's not the NHL hockey you're accustomed to, but at the same time-- it could be good for people to diversify themselves into the minor league or junior levels of play. When the NHL does comeback, the future stars would have already been seen by others. Hell, support your local minor hockey team even if there isn't an extended lockout or a lockout at all. 

Second, the rage against Bettman is silly, but understood. He's the NHL owner's speaker. While he has the commissioner title, the fact remains that his powers beyond what the owners give him is very limited. Bettman is at their beckon call and if he doesn't do what the owners want-- they will get someone who will-- which could be even worse than Bettman. 

Third, you have to love the likes of David Shoalts and the others who are already cancelling the season until the Winter Classic. Sure, that's a possibilty, but there's also a possibility that the season only gets delayed a day, a week, a month, whatever. The feeding of the already upset fan bases is something where they can feed off of for page views and recognition. While in some way, shape, or form we are all gloryhogs, but at the same time-- there's also a limit to it all. 

Fourth, just because the NHL is planning lockout, the fact that people are worried that games in September could be cancelled makes me snicker a bit. Sure, pre-season games are fun-- especially those in neutral locations like Baltimore, Brooklyn, Kansas City, and Vegas-- but the loss of them doesn't mean as much as many would like you to believe. As much as I would like to see some AHLers battle out for a spot on the roster or see star players just go through their motions-- cutting out the pre-season games all together probably isn't the worst thing for the players in terms that they won't have that added risk of injury during meaningless games. 

Donald Fehr said there's still significant time (though that's before the "meaningful gulf" comment) to get a deal done. Bill "Don't call me Steve Wilkos" Daly has said that in the past, as well. Some players aren't panicking at all of a lockout, while others are making contingency plans-- just in case. The fact the NHLPA hasn't put forth a counter-proposal yet is reason to believe that this process is going to be a tactical one and something that could bring about good things. Both sides have met more and had seemingly more meaningful conversations than that of the last labor meetings that started in the summer of 2004 should be a good sign.....but you can't put that forth through all the hyperbole being flung around by emotional fans. 

Should the NHLPA's proposal (rumored to be put forth Tuesday) be something that causes both sides to not talk for a couple weeks, then we should have a problem. However, with the extreme case the NHL put together and the NHLPA still meeting with the NHL for a couple days a week after that could mean that they are serious about getting something done in time. Outside of fans, the livelihood of both sides (read: money) is something that is of significant loss and that neither side wants. 

In the end, we're still 36 days away from a possible lockout and the true test will come with the NHLPA's counter-proposal and what that does to the owners. Even then, we'll be close to a month away from a lockout-- still a lot of time to go and bargain. While there hasn't been much going on this summer, the fact that every fan out there is turning into a pessimist all the sudden is somewhat expected and somewhat disappointing. Cooler heads will prevail in the end....but if it's before, slightly after, or really after the deadline remains to be seen. 

Friday Five: Off-ice Thoughts of an On-ice Event

It's been a crazy week and it's now time for a short recap of the odds-and-ends of the week with the Friday Five. Maybe, just maybe-- someone would want to cash in on this fantasticness, because like "Wayne's World"; I do bow down to sponsors.

1. Is Air Canada using this as PR or do they actually think the NHL couldn't get another airline for 11 teams, so they pose a threat??

The Air Canada stunt was ridiculous and was only used to put themselves over. Odd how it "leaked" out and if any other sponsors raised issues-- still hasn't come out yet. While I understand the position of Air Canada and wanting to put the NHL under the gun, but this sponsorship is beneficial to both sides and kind of cutting the nose off to spite the face. Plus, if a sponsor starts to dictate how the game is play, the slippery slope of what could come after it would be monumental. That'd be like a patient telling a dentist how to go about drilling. In the end, I think that while it's a great stunt; Air Canada has a lot more to lose than win in a situation like this, because I'm sure other airlines are out there looking for 11 teams to be under their umbrella and others waiting to be the marquee name on the Toronto Maple Leafs arena. Bad spot that Air Canada put themselves in.

2. When it comes to the headshot issues-- how can the GMs actually change the rules and enforce it better without taking hitting out of the game??

Another fine-line issue, but there has to be something to discourage shots to the head-- whether it's by not playing and losing money or something; but the respect between fellow players just isn't there. I don't believe that any new rules in place will be a landmark change and actually make players not play as cheap as they have been. The league doesn't want to take hitting out if they don't have to, because it is a part of the game that appeals to some sectors of fans and is really what separates this from other games, to the extent of whether it's clean or not. It's more of something that the player's have to talk about themselves and start to respect each other.

3. The NHLPA seems to have hedged their bets when it comes to not directly coming out against one player over another in this event-- smart or silly??

The comment Donald Fehr made in the official statement, saying the injury of Max Pacioretty could have been caused by lack of padding, showed that he may have been led wrong; but at least his first statement saying he wasn't knowledgeable on the hit or dynamics behind it was honest and truthful. This padding thing could be silly, but the fact they haven't gotten to the point that the disrespect between union members is running rampant seems to be like an ostrich with its head in the sand. Granted, Fehr is new-- but at the same time, the people around him should have been seeing this for the longest time and should have brought this up to their members. While the NHLPA is looking out for their player's wallets and all of that, they should get more concern for their player's health and safety-- and maybe the padding is the first step, who knows-- but doesn't seem like it.

4. When it comes to Gary Bettman, he signed a five-year contract extension last fall. Fans hate it, but are they missing the bigger picture??

Of course they're missing the big picture. Bettman is a heel, he knows he's a heel, and he plays it well and almost embraces it. He doesn't kowtow to pressure from outside sources and has made great business for the NHL since he's come into the league-- bigger revenues some good and not so good expansions/relocations, and all around growth of the game. While people may hate him and his Count Count statue/appearance-- he's a great guy to have as the figurehead because he doesn't care what you call him and the Board of Governors have been making money out of his regime. He's good for everyone and should have been retained. (Sure, this all could be because of the fact the CBA is coming up and they want to look strong, but still-- all the things I said hold true.)

5. It seems after Chara-gate, the rest of the on-ice product has been ignored-- sans for hits and what-not.

Considering it's the same week (and same day, I think) that the Bertuzzi-Moore event happened back in 2004, the debates ramped up hardcore and, sure, the games got lost in the mix-- but that's going to happen when something this crazy happens. Sure, we've had some fancy shootout moves from Mike Ribeiro and Martin St. Louis (that caused its own controversy), but nothing too out of the ordinary happened. Maybe it wasn't the best time for teams to go into hibernation with excitement, but that's the way the universe works.

---------

That's it for the week that was, which seemed very Chara-bomb heavy-- oof. In any case, you have a topic or a question to submit-- Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com is the place to send it and I'll get to it, post-haste.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Glenn Healy

We start the second year of the AGM (odd, isn't it??) with someone that is a jack of all trades....in his own mind, I'm sure. This week's AGM saw it from on the ice and off of it on the bench. That said, he can tout that he's the best bagpipe player the NHL has ever seen, to which I'm sure not many will challenge him. This week, we take a look at the career of Glenn Healy.

Healy started off playing in the Metro Toronto Junior Hockey League with the Pickering Panthers, playing 66 games and ending out with a 3.73 GAA over two seasons. After the Panthers, Healy moved onto the college ranks, playing for the Western Michigan University Broncos at the start of the 1981-82 season. In his freshman year, Healy played 27 games and went 7-19-1, though WMU didn't go far in the playoffs of the CCHA. Healy was able to get more games in his sophomore season, but it wasn't much of a different result. Healy went 8-19-2 in 30 games; with the Broncos falling short of any post-season success. By the 1983-84 season, Healy and the Broncos got better, as Healy played 38 games, going 19-16-3 and help the Broncos get to the CCHA Finals, but lost to the University of Michigan. By Healy's senior season, he had come into his own and went 21-14-2 in 37 games, as well as capturing CCHA Second Team All-Star honors and NCAA Second Team All-American honors to close out his college career.

In the summer of 1985, Healy signed with the Los Angeles Kings as a free-agent and would start out in the IHL with the Toledo Golddiggers for the start of the 1985-86 season before being called up by the Kings to get a start in November, one of which he replaced Darren Eliot and got a no-decision. After that, Healy was sent to the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL and would get a bulk of the games over the rotation of goalies there, playing 43 games and going 21-15-4. Healy would stay in New Haven for the 1986-87 season, playing 47 games and putting up a 21-15-0 record, while going 3-4 in his seven playoff games. In the 1987-88 season, Healy got the call-up to Los Angeles full-time to back-up Rollie Melanson and did respectable with a 12-18-1 record on a so-so Kings team. Healy would get a boost by being the starter for the Kings, while the Kings got a boost with getting Wayne Gretzky. Healy would play 48 games and improve tremendously with Gretzky and the likes being in front of him. Healy went 25-19-2, but Healy lost his gig before the end of the season to Kelly Hrudey; who was acquired mid-season.

With Hrudey taking the reigns, Healy was set free by the Kings and would sign on with the New York Islanders in the summer of 1989. Healy would split games with former AGM Mark Fitzpatrick in his first season on Long Island; getting 38 games in with a 12-19-6 record. Healy would become the starter before the 1990-91 season, as Fitzpatrick was sidelined with Eosinophilic Myalgia Syndrome of the blood. Healy was still on a subpar team and only had an 18-24-9 record in 53 games, but had a 3.32 GAA in the process. Healy dealt with injuries in the 1991-92 season, as he fractured his finger, thumb, and had his finger-tip severed during a practice. Even through all of that, Healy had a 14-16-4 record in 37 games. It was a more fortunate 1992-93 season, as he took the 1a spot over Fitzpatrick; playing 47 games and going 22-20-2, as well as take the Islanders on a solid playoff run, going 9-8 as the Isles lost in the Conference Finals to the Montreal Canadiens.

It was an eventful summer of 1993 for Healy, as he was left unprotected by the Islanders in the Expansion Draft. Healy was claimed by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the first phase. However, in the Phase II Expansion Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning claimed Healy from Anaheim, which was the next day. That same day, Healy was traded from Tampa to the New York Rangers for the Rangers 3rd Round pick in 1993, which was actually Tampa's because Tampa traded it to the Rangers. Got it?? Great.

With Healy knowing that he's in the Big Apple for the 1993-94 season, he settled himself into the role of the back-up to Mike Richter. Healy saw 29 games of action and went 10-12-2, as well as two games of playoff relief action, as the Rangers went onto win their first Stanley Cup in 50 years. Healy only got 17 games of action in during the lockout shortened 1994-95 season, as he went 8-6-1 and actually got a couple votes in the Vezina race, which he finished 13th. With Richter dealing with a groin injury, Healy got more playing time for the 1995-96 season, getting 44 games in and going 17-14-11 with a 2.90 GAA during the start of the "dead-puck" era. Richter was healthy again and Healy was put back on the bench, but he didn't fare too well in his 23 games with a 5-12-4 record to show for that season.

Healy wasn't retained by the Rangers and it wasn't until August of 1997 for the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign him to back-up Felix Potvin. For that 1997-98 season, Healy deal with some pulled groin issues, which restricted him to 21 games and a dismal 4-10-2 record. With the Leafs signing Curtis Joseph and still having Felix Potvin; Healy was sent down to the IHL's Chicago Wolves, which was the first time since his career started that he was in the minors. Healy said about his experience, "One road trip, were stuck on the runway for two hours. The plane kept driving and driving until we arrived and I realized that we were on a bus!!" Healy would spend 10 games in Chicago going 6-3-1 before receiving his call-up back to Toronto after Potvin was traded. Healy started for nine games, going 6-3-0 in those games. Healy was back full-time in Toronto for the 1999-2000 season, backing up Joseph, which got him 20 games in, but with a 9-10-0 record. The 2000-01 season would see Healy get less time as the workhorse of Curtis Joseph showed, as Healy got 15 games in for a 4-7-3 record. It would be Healy's last season as he would hang up the pads after the season.

We all know Healy now as a commentator for CBC's and formerly of TSN. Healy also played a role with the NHLPA for a year during the two-year tenure of Paul Kelly, but quit when many of the NHLPA members question his credibility for the job. Healy was always known as a good man and good teammate, as well as an accomplished bagpipe player. In fact, in the summer of 2000, Healy injured his hand while changing bags on his bagpipe, but was healthy enough to be ready for the start of his eventual last season.

Healy was part of some not-so-great teams, but had some great moments and played in some historic hockey cities along the way. While he may have not gotten as much time in net as he would have hoped, he did what he could when he was out there, especially with some of the teams that he had in front of him in the start of his career.