NHL 09-10 Season

[Pizoi]

I just hope that Luongo is ready when the season starts for once. If pre-season gives us anything, give us that.

[Sugarhigh]

I have no worries about Luongos performance during the regular season... BUT he has given me reason to be concerned in the playoffs cuz man did he shit the bed against the 'hawks in the playoffs last season.

I like the direction Gillis is taking this nucks team but hes got some hard roster decisions to make before the regular season starts especially on defense.

[Eomer]

So no comment or discussion about the ridiculous situation with the NHLPA?

Dreger: Horcoff feels Paul Kelly decision made too quickly

Dreger: Crosby, Blake seek information on Kelly's firing

The whole situation is fucked. For those of you that don't know much about the history of the NHLPA, it was largely started and run by this lovely gentleman for a long time: Alan Eagleson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Long story short, Eagleson was a shady fucker stealing from the players, and lo and behold the Assistant DA that helped take him down was Paul Kelly, who was recently made the head of the PA, and then a short time later was forced out by a cabal of people led by Eric Fucking Lindros and Buzz Fucking Hargrove.

Seriously, ask the Canadian Auto Workers how well they like Hargrove. Actually don't, they're probably too brainwashed to realize it, but under Hargrove's leadership over the past 20 years the auto and manufacturing industry in Ontario was pretty much evaporated.

Paul Kelly (lawyer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On August 31, 2009, Kelly was unexpectedly fired as head of the National Hockey league Players' Association following several hours of meetings in Chicago. Russ Conway, the former Lawrence Eagle Tribune NHL and Boston Bruins sportswriter who had helped to expose Alan Eagleson's corrupt practices, described Kelly as the first "true, clean" leader the NHLPA ever had, and said "this is a very sad day for hockey. Unfortunately, the union continues to drink the Kool-Aid.”

Some have speculated that Kelly was forced out in a power struggle.[3] Kelly had ordered forensic audit of the union's activities over the previous three years, which had apparently revealed that Ian Penny and Eric Lindros had been spending millions of dollars of the union's money. Both favored Kelly's firing, and it has been suggested that Kelly had earlier forced Lindros to resign.[4] Ron Pink, advisory board head, who had also applied for Kelly's position in 2007, and an ombudsman, Buzz Hargrove were also instrumental in the decision to dismiss Kelly.[5]

Hargrove, Penny, Pink, Pulver and Lindros were said to represent the "old guard of the NHLPA", one that was confrontational and focused on driving up player salaries, rather than the overall financial well-being of the league, and believed that the union conceded too in negotiations during the 2004-05 lockout. Kelly was not involved with the NHLPA when the deal was negotiated, nonetheless he stated publicly that he did not want to see another work stoppage when the agreement expires on September 15, 2011.[6] The other executives felt that he was heading in the wrong direction, and that his relationship with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Bill Daly had grown too close, as they believed that the NHLPA should use whatever means necessary, including a work stoppage, to get the best deal for the players.[7]

Ian Penny was named the interm director later that day.[8] It is unknown who will become the permanent executive director of the NHLPA.[9]

So awesome, they're letting Buzz "Scorched Earth" Hargrove run the show, instead of a gentleman that worked his ass off to stop the players from getting ripped off by their own union and who might negotiate from a perspective of what was better for everyone, instead of just what was best for the players in the short term.

What a fucking mess.

[Sugarhigh]

IMO the NHLPA needs less retired athletes and more "mathletes"

I realize retired players need something to do after they are done with the game but managing players and what not isnt the right thing. Its not like Eric Lindros has any relevent education. IMO hes a washed up ex NHL'er who got hit in the head to many times and that alone makes me question any decisions or statements he may make.

[Eomer]

Originally Posted by Sugarhigh

IMO the NHLPA needs less retired athletes and more "mathletes"

I realize retired players need something to do after they are done with the game but managing players and what not isnt the right thing. Its not like Eric Lindros has any relevent education. IMO hes a washed up ex NHL'er who got hit in the head to many times and that alone makes me question any decisions or statements he may make.

He's also got a well earned reputation as a fucking head case who was coddled his whole life by his parents (dad was his agent, giving him horrific career advice all along the way) and not being all that bright. He is in all likelihood being played like a fiddle by Hargrove, one of the most confrontational and controversial labor leaders in Canadian history.

The whole thing's a fucking mess.

It's unfortunate, because the majority of NHL players are Canadians who barely graduated highschool, as they're in elite hockey programs by the time they're 10-13 years old, and living with billets in far flung CHL hockey markets by the time they're 16. Most are probably barely able to handle their own financial affairs without the assistance of their agents/managers. And then they're expected to figure out how to run a union or player's association and not get taken advantage of by opportunistic assholes like Eagleson, Saskin, and Hargrove? They don't stand a chance.

[Usha Starchild]

Anyone watch the Canucks game tonight? Man the shootout goals were awesome! Spinoramma

[Kasi]

Some more recent info on the Kelly ousting here.

The Hockey News: Campbell's Cuts: Campbell's Cuts: Was Kelly ousting an NHLPA coup?

[Sinter1]

Isles to hoist the cup

[Usha Starchild]

Originally Posted by Sinter1

Isles to hoist the cup in three or four years

Fixed

[Sugarhigh]

Originally Posted by Sinter1

Isles OR LA Kings to hoist the cup in 3 or 4 years

now its fixt

NHL needs to change its draft policies maybe adopt a similiar system to what the NBA has in place now for draft pick order.

[Eomer]

Isles to hoist the cup in three or four years if they get a new owner and GM who know what the fuck they are doing and actually start building a team for a run

Fixed again. They could easily be the next Pitts or Chicago, if they get their shit together. But that's simply a product of being so bad for so long, you stock up draft picks. However as the Oilers in the 90's demonstrated so well, just because you're picking high doesn't mean you're going to end up with a good team. We've got sweet fuck all to show for it nearly, despite picking in the top 10 for a decade. Fuck you Glen Sather, fuck you.

[Usha Starchild]

Originally Posted by Eomer

Fixed again. They could easily be the next Pitts or Chicago, if they get their shit together. But that's simply a product of being so bad for so long, you stock up draft picks. However as the Oilers in the 90's demonstrated so well, just because you're picking high doesn't mean you're going to end up with a good team. We've got sweet fuck all to show for it nearly, despite picking in the top 10 for a decade. Fuck you Glen Sather, fuck you.

Patt Quinn will do a good job.

I still consider him to be the best gm for the Canucks. Gillis is catching up though.

[Eomer]

Quinn is only coaching, Tambellini is the GM. He was an assistant GM in Vancouver for awhile before the Oilers snatched him.

So far I'm liking Quinn, at least his comments to the media. He has not been shy calling the veterans out. There's now no question that the Oilers biggest problem last year wasn't MacT, but the culture in the dressing room. MacT and Moreau both should bear responsibility for that, but only one did. In the 3 seasons that Moreau has been captain since Jason Smith's departure, the Oilers became a soft, pussy team that was easy to play against, and unwilling to put in consistent, hard efforts. There appeared to be no accountability. And Quinn has said outright that there are some of the "younger veterans" that have taken little or no interest in helping rookies to develop. That sounds like Hemsky, Horcoff, Pisani, and Moreau to me.

In a perfect world, Pisani, Staios, and Moreau would be on the way out of town. That's 6-7 million salary easily replaced by cheap, young guys with far more upside. Souray has been the captain in all but name for the past two years, frequently making statements to the media about the state of affairs that should damn well be coming from Moreau. Staios is used up, unfortunately, and both Pisani and Moreau are frequently injured, overpaid third line checkers that are on the very steep downslopes of their careers. Clearing the three of them out would really go a long way towards fixing the Oiler's roster and salary problems. Hell, I'd love to see Horcoff on the way out as well, but there are 29 other GM's in the NHL wondering what the fuck Kevin Lowe was thinking when he gave Horcoff his contract extension. Scratch that, 30, because Tambellini is probably wondering why he had the misfortune to inherit such a fucking bone headed contract.

Looking forward to the season starting, that's for sure.

[Sugarhigh]

I have to give the Oilers credit they definitely made some character changes to the team and its showing.

The game last night against my Canucks was very entertaining and Edmonton showed some line chemistry which is something that Edmonton has been missing the past few years IMO.

also Mike Comrie is looking great this year!

[Eomer]

CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - Hockey NHL - Edmonton- Oilers coach drops hints

Pretty strong words from Quinn, and if I were Kevin Lowe I'd be thankful that I didn't lose my job given the shit team he built after our Stanley Cup run. To hear Quinn tell it, half the veterans on the team could be expendable, were it not for contracts and the like.