tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95092952011-12-23T08:00:41.288-05:00► <i>from the mouth (and other orifices) of a sports journalist</i>James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.comBlogger39701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-18004648614940661252010-05-19T18:03:00.011-04:002010-08-21T19:00:47.679-04:00

For the kind, lost souls that are still coming here... I've got one of those Facebook pages that all the kids are talking about, and updating it seems to be a breeze. For now the plan will be to post any new articles I'm working on both there and Twitter, at least until I set up a new website that can do something similar. I'd like to get back to blogging on a far more regular basis, probably

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-52387932391529167302010-05-18T08:44:00.005-04:002010-06-02T01:48:35.935-04:00

Just a very brief history of where my archived material is: December, 2004, to October, 2008: Blogger October, 2008, to January, 2010: From The Rink October, 2009, to present: The Globe and Mail I've also started posting links to my writing on both Twitter and Facebook regularly, but don't currently have a set website where original material appears. That may come in the future. .

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-80366943359298460452010-04-08T21:06:00.005-04:002010-04-08T21:10:40.056-04:00

Who should win the Hart Trophy?online surveys

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-46040822980326103722010-03-29T20:21:00.000-04:002010-03-29T20:21:22.701-04:00

Bill Daly, Deputy Commissioner of the National Hockey League, today released the following statement: "In response to the many inquiries we have received in light of the story in the Phoenix Business Journal this morning, we would like to make clear that at this point in time the National Hockey League has no "deal" in place to move the Coyotes' franchise to Winnipeg -- or to any other city for

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-60256760414234536612010-03-14T14:56:00.003-04:002010-03-15T00:42:11.895-04:00

There's no end-of-season award in the NHL for most air miles accrued, but if there was, San Jose Sharks winger Jamie McGinn would win in a landslide. In only his second NHL season, McGinn has skated in 44 games, missing 22 while in the minors with the American Hockey League's Worcester Sharks. Along the way he's been demoted and recalled a stunning and league-leading 14 times, making for more

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-58160871166590179812010-03-12T16:14:00.000-05:002010-03-12T16:14:42.958-05:00

It ultimately came in a losing cause, but it was Stamkos who snapped home the game’s first goal and later added an assist, showcasing his impressive new-found physique and earning the game’s second star. The problem was – as has been the case on too many nights this season with Tampa – Stamkos’s teammates let him down. And the Leafs own young sniper, Phil Kessel, capped a wild overtime with his

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-8608971204787383922010-03-12T16:12:00.001-05:002010-03-18T13:09:50.085-04:00

“Coming back to the Leafs, four years ago, was pretty cool,” Jackson said. “It was an honour to be drafted by them, it was great to work for them. It’s one of the toughest sports markets in the world, so it was kind of a baptism by fire on the management side. “In a lot of respects, it’s been a rough four years because of the inability to have success. I was hoping I’d be part of a winning

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-57110020103579396192010-03-10T00:25:00.000-05:002010-03-10T00:25:25.339-05:00

A barber with a salon just north of Toronto, Caputi grew up in the city, cutting his son’s hair and coaching his hockey teams. What he never dreamed of was watching Luca, now 21, skate with the Toronto Maple Leafs – the NHL team both had cheered for their entire lives. As diehard a fan as they come, Caputi said he still thinks about the Leafs’ playoff run, 17 years ago, and that fateful missed

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-62495427867031730162010-03-08T23:24:00.002-05:002010-03-08T23:26:01.094-05:00

Most players around the league said Monday they want to see hits like the one Penguins winger Matt Cooke laid on Savard penalized – and even suspended. But beyond that, there's little consensus on what, if any, rule changes are needed to prevent similar checks. Some say all hits to the head should be outlawed. Others scream sacrilege at the thought. Another group altogether attempts to avoid

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-4709949079553989752010-03-04T17:52:00.002-05:002010-03-04T17:53:06.690-05:00

“We turned down two picks for Poni because we liked the prospect better,” Burke said. “A prospect is farther along the food chain, as far as development. This is a guy who’s a second-year pro, has played in the NHL, a guy we really liked in junior, a guy we really like as a pro – that to me has far greater value than a draft pick that I’m not going to see for three years, if I ever see him

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-84752329820250527642010-03-01T07:30:00.002-05:002010-03-01T07:32:18.339-05:00

With parity ensuring that all but the bottom feeders are still in the playoff hunt with 20 games to go, it's been the six teams in the league's basement - the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets - getting most of the attention as teams gear up for the 3 p.m. EST trade deadline on Wednesday. "Since about

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-68799579420628538582010-02-28T02:11:00.003-05:002010-02-28T02:18:16.572-05:00

There are a trio of end-of-tournament awards that they hand out in the men's Olympic hockey tournament: One for the MVP, one set of three Directorate Awards for each position and then a media all-star team. Here's who took home that hardware in 2006, when Sweden won over the Finns: Media all-stars: Antero Niittymaki, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kimmo Timonen, Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu and Alex Ovechkin

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-69233154666237804932010-02-26T01:44:00.004-05:002010-02-26T02:03:03.869-05:00

Four teams left and two more big games Friday in Vancouver. Here's a team-by-team look at the NHL players in the running for medals: Anaheim: Getzlaf, Koivu, Niedermayer, Perry, Ryan, Selanne, Whitney Boston: Bergeron, Chara, Satan, Thomas Buffalo: Lydman, Miller, Sekera Calgary: Hagman, Iginla, Kiprusoff Carolina: Gleason, Pitkanen, Ruutu, Staal Chicago: Hossa, Kane, Keith, Kopecky, Seabrook

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-55077910261283615142010-02-25T19:25:00.000-05:002010-02-25T19:25:32.764-05:00

Today in Vancouver, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) signed an agreement declaring the KHL’s intentions to abide by the WADA’s World Anti-Doping Code and the Code's main principles and regulations. In doing so, the KHL becomes the first major, international professional sports league to commit to the tenets of the WADA’s best-in-class anti-doping

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-75172841828045522052010-02-25T14:08:00.001-05:002010-02-25T14:08:44.844-05:00

Here's a quick look at how the 12 countries that are in these year's Olympics have fared over the past 30 years at the Games. I included the Soviet Union as Russia but not Czechoslovakia for the Czech Republic and Slovakia: Country 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Avg 1  Russia   2 1 1 1 4 2 3 4 6 2.7 2  Sweden

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-23688033940029599692010-02-25T13:38:00.000-05:002010-02-25T13:38:27.151-05:00

After Brendan publicly revealed his sexual preference, Brian was flooded with requests to do advocacy work on behalf of gays. He told the groups that while he supported his son, he had other causes: land conservation, blood donation and children's literacy. He didn't want to dilute that work. This, too, changed on that Friday in February. Brendan's causes are Brian's now. He will do a

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-5651054172219313082010-02-25T01:19:00.004-05:002010-02-25T01:36:32.049-05:00

Dan Dunleavy, in Vancouver to cover the Olympics for the Rogers radio network, picks Russia to win the men’s hockey tournament. To use Catriona Le May Doan’s term, it’s a gutsy call, because the Canadian media, generally, are terrified to predict any country but Canada winning hockey gold. They risk being condemned by the xenophobes as twisted, unpatriotic and even seditious. Truth is, Russia,

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-25316987846748468102010-02-24T15:00:00.001-05:002010-02-24T15:00:49.087-05:00

Good stuff. .

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-73524658983812378932010-02-23T12:10:00.003-05:002010-02-25T01:34:41.881-05:00

There have been a lot of great discussions about Team Canada over the past few days, including one I had with Tyler D. on Twitter most of last night. He's defensive of how the team's played so far; I think that, given their talent advantage, they should have been better (even beyond Brodeur). Part of my argument simply comes back to where I think Canada has a real edge, and that's in its depth,

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-62082412232889714912010-02-23T01:42:00.003-05:002010-02-25T01:35:32.671-05:00

I've been working on a couple stats packages after the initial games of the Olympic tournament, looking at some of the leaders from all 240 skaters to this point. Here are the ice time leaders through the round-robin games, separated into forwards and defencemen: Rk Forwards Team GP G A PTS PIM  +/- M/G 1 THORESEN Norway 3 0 3 3 0 -2

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-19536603425130524512010-02-23T00:03:00.012-05:002010-02-23T02:04:44.702-05:00

Robert Stevenson was charged with attempted murder and five other felony counts. He tried to obtain a passport using the name of a dead baby before jumping bail. He fled to Canada and his wife, who had forgiven him, and his son later joined him. Robert Stevenson and his son changed their names and lived under assumed identities and the family lived on the lam. Today, the boy who protected

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-51543833982875342382010-02-22T15:06:00.000-05:002010-02-22T15:06:55.437-05:00

"I feel like a Canadian stereotype," said Lieutenant (Navy) Neil King, who was wearing a Canada jersey, holding a Canadian flag, and drinking a Tim Hortons coffee while sitting on a yellow utility truck that had a large Canadian flag hung off it. "Just the atmosphere here. It's always good to see the Canadians take on the Americans," Lt. King said, before - in true Canadian fashion - politely

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-34280138476939770232010-02-22T02:23:00.011-05:002010-02-25T01:35:57.855-05:00

So, the three-game round robin is over for all 12 teams, and everyone moves on. Here are how they're ranked after Sunday's games:  1. United States2. Sweden3. Russia4. Finland5. Czech Republic6. Canada7. Slovakia8. Switzerland9. Belarus10. Norway11. Germany12. Latvia Next round (Tuesday): G1: Czech Rep. vs. Latvia, 10 p.m.G2: Canada vs. Germany, 7:30 p.m.G3: Slovakia vs. Norway, midnightG4:

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-69951967704859554412010-02-21T23:34:00.011-05:002010-02-22T01:02:03.901-05:00

I'll update this after tonight's Sweden-Finland tilt. .

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-53724885129681047862010-02-21T07:59:00.035-05:002010-02-21T07:59:00.121-05:00

For the curious, here's how the men's hockey format works at the Olympics (courtesy of the IIHF). I may offer a more extensive runthrough of how this works later today, but in a nutshell, the top four teams after today's games will move on to the top four spots in the quarter-finals. Teams five through 12, meanwhile, will play a "bonus" game, with the winners of that one moving on and the losers

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-12350147913921679042010-02-20T14:20:00.002-05:002010-02-20T14:21:49.657-05:00

International hockey's been a bit of a strange road for Jamie Langenbrunner. Named to the 1998 Olympic team in Nagano at age 22, midway through his second full NHL season, he then wasn't invited back for Salt Lake City in 2002. Nor Turin in 2006. Twelve years after that first appearance at the Games, he's now the 34-year-old captain of an American team that has 14 members 25 and under.

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-65665243433796829952010-02-19T02:28:00.003-05:002010-02-19T02:30:19.170-05:00

Seems like a good time to post this given Canada narrowly won out in a shootout tonight over Switzerland. Here's what coach Mike Babcock had to say to Duhatschek about his strategy in picking shooters: "It was really complicated," said Babcock. "We had all the numbers down. Sid was the best, Toews was second and Getzlaf was third. We went in order. Then we said on the bench, ‘Do we go with (

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-12231966143073351152010-02-18T15:50:00.000-05:002010-02-18T17:09:16.033-05:00

I've been asked a lot about Team Canada leading into these Olympics, and for the most part, my responses have been pretty positive. This is, after all, a remarkably different team than the one that finished seventh and was essentially a disaster in Turin four years ago. Here's a comparison of those teams: Returning players Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Chris Pronger, Dany Heatley, Jarome

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-73993428431986936062010-02-17T14:21:00.003-05:002010-02-17T14:33:39.994-05:00

And it was worse. Iginla increased to six after a beautiful Canadian attack, before Corey Perry rose to 7-0. Iginla was probably also the eighth, he steered past the light Støen - which can not be credited to a very successful innhopp. Then it was far from set in Canada's parlor any longer - it was almost as the roof lifted up in the cries for more slaughter of the Norwegians. - Norwegian

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-50122056499286112662010-02-17T12:43:00.002-05:002010-02-17T12:44:40.457-05:00

I like Olympic hockey as much as the next guy, but what I can't stand is 8-0 games between Canada and Norway that feature goaltenders that have day jobs going up against $130-million of NHL talent. All the while, all I can think about is how it's too bad the Olympics don't have Canada play all of its five or six games against other contenders. As it stands now, we may not even see

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com68tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-28232643492386871402010-02-17T01:32:00.002-05:002010-02-17T11:33:03.239-05:00

The boys at The Pensblog and a site called Rinkotology are running a pretty neat hockey pool for the men's Olympic hockey tournament that I decided to toss an entry in for. The great twist in this one is that you have to pick 12 players and one from each country, meaning you can't enter without taking players from tournament minnows like Belarus, Norway, Latvia, Switzerland and Germany. Of the

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-49277740210863443242010-02-16T18:12:00.002-05:002010-02-16T18:19:40.115-05:00

Gold: Canada Silver: Sweden Bronze: Russia This year seemingly more than in the past, Team Canada's roster has a definite edge talent-wise over the other teams, and I can't see any reason to not predict a win at home. As much as the Russians have been trumped up in the lead up and as much as I think Alex Ovechkin will make an impact here, there are holes in that roster (on the blueline and on

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-48279224149554073722010-02-15T20:01:00.001-05:002010-02-15T20:01:37.992-05:00

The Olympics are taking over with games set to start Tuesday, but I'll be doing a couple stats items on the NHL season to this point over at Globe on Hockey the next two weeks. Might also blog here on the Games. The latest stats package looks at which teams are up and which are down when it comes to offensive production this season. Calgary, Boston and Detroit are all way down. .

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-41074268550933640652010-02-14T23:00:00.004-05:002010-02-14T23:57:43.192-05:00

Here's a comparison of last season's attendance with how teams are doing this year. Overall, the average NHL team is down 600 fans per game..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-78834557340538378022010-02-13T12:19:00.002-05:002010-02-13T12:23:16.952-05:00

"It's not supposed to be this way. Your kids are supposed to bury you. It was compounded by the fact that Brendan was a special kid. Not too many 21-year-olds have blazed a trail like that. He had a huge heart, had a great future in it, and I promised that his message will live on."The trail-blazing step Brendan took is he went very public with the fact that he's gay and that that was acceptable

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-26860356461722029292010-02-10T19:16:00.003-05:002010-02-10T19:18:41.287-05:00

I was on Hockey Night in Canada's radio show with Jeff Marek on Tuesday night talking Leafs, Sharks and Red Wings. You can have a listen here..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-23044214388003210852010-02-10T12:47:00.003-05:002010-02-10T12:50:16.776-05:00

I've started answering Leafs-related questions about every two weeks for my pals at Pension Plan Puppets in what they're calling the Mirtle Mailbag. Edition No. 1 is up and going, so feel free to join the discussion..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-31933974666510570462010-02-10T12:37:00.005-05:002010-02-10T12:50:32.576-05:00

Playoff Push has a new home and I'm keeping it updated at least once a week (more once we get closer to the postseason, likely).Tally so far has Washington in the playoffs and Edmonton out, but everyone else is still in the mix..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-78770203339493944842010-02-09T03:04:00.002-05:002010-02-09T03:05:52.989-05:00

Up against a San Jose Sharks team loaded with eight Olympians and that had only lost three games in regulation since mid-December, the Leafs outhit, outshot and, for the most part, outhustled one of the best teams in the league. What they couldn’t do was outscore them.– Feb. 8, The Globe and Mail

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-25283768920118332092010-02-08T15:36:00.001-05:002010-02-08T15:38:18.711-05:00

After going through a recent skid in which he had only two goals and 10 points in 20 games, Leafs sniper Phil Kessel opted for a change in the stick department – and it appears to be working.Kessel went from a Bauer X:60 stick to one made by Easton, believed to be an S19, for the game Jan. 29 against the Devils, and has scored five goals and eight points in his past four games.– Feb. 7, Globe on

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-29305055497456808572010-02-08T15:13:00.002-05:002010-02-08T15:17:18.052-05:00

Just like his father, Brendan was a gifted academic, a dean's list student at Miami who planned to study law and potentially enter politics. And, as his brother Patrick told the Boston Herald, being gay was far from what defined him.“If he had been born straight, he would have come up with another cause to fight for, and he would have been front and centre in that one, too,” said Patrick, a scout

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-81108009599362701482010-02-07T19:03:00.001-05:002010-02-07T19:05:26.725-05:00

Despite the win, the mood from Leafs players and coach Ron Wilson was understandably far from celebratory after the game.“It’s been hard,” Wilson said of the 24 hours since learning of Burke’s death. “I’ve known Brendan almost since the day he was born and he was a special kid. It’s just the worst thing that any parent can possibly imagine.“It’s been so hard, you’re trying to prepare for a game…

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-52043420032751496482010-02-07T17:59:00.005-05:002010-02-07T19:09:10.660-05:00

“There was a thought process of what this building could do for Newark and hopefully what Newark could do for the building, with reference to mass transportation and all of the areas that it offers [access to],” Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said.“We’re trying to rejuvenate it.”— Feb. 5, The Globe and Mail

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-66405759970256200112010-02-07T13:43:00.003-05:002010-02-12T13:52:57.844-05:00

It's been a while, but I'm going to be posting my work from elsewhere on this site, letting people know about recent articles or radio/TV appearances. You can also follow me on Twitter for similar updates.All of my blogging archives from October, 2008, to January, 2010, will be kept active at From The Rink. Any new work will appear at globesports.com and Globe on Hockey..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-84903213147543479072008-10-20T10:05:00.002-04:002008-11-25T01:28:14.163-05:00

I'll certainly miss this place.After almost four years and 3,967 posts, this site is joining SB Nation and will be relocated to fromtherink.com for the foreseeable future. I'm taking on the title of manager of NHL blogs, with the goal of building up the site's small offering of hockey sites into a community of 30+ bloggers producing quality content for every team.So if you love blogging on the

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-65343761429841065212008-10-20T00:19:00.000-04:002008-10-20T02:52:56.404-04:00

"We have talked about it. I think Mario feels similar to the way I do. We feel bad about the situation because we trusted Boots and got along very, very well with him. Mario is a very bright man. He was as shocked as I was when this whole thing happened."— Olympic hockey great Mike EruzioneAnother very good piece on the Del Biaggio situation from The Tennessean. Reporter Brad Schrade has done

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-76286345668292296922008-10-19T20:09:00.003-04:002008-10-20T02:09:44.546-04:00

If you missed the hullabaloo at Covered in Oil over the weekend, there are certainly quite a few places to check out the discussion.I liked what David Staples from the Edmonton Journal had to say, if only because he does a nice job incorporating the Oilers' perspective on things here:The issue of bloggers being treated as mainstream reporters is not a simple issue for the Oilers, or any

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-22484880998752500182008-10-18T16:02:00.003-04:002008-10-18T16:08:52.672-04:00

"I don't know how many — 18,000, 19,000 here — and in Russia it's never like this. I was really excited and maybe a little bit nervous before the game. After warmup, I was OK."— Nikita FilatovConsider that one vote against the KHL.Filatov potted his first NHL goal last night against the Predators and looked like he was having a great time out there. He only played just more than nine minutes, but

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-72671188615544587382008-10-17T16:43:00.004-04:002008-10-19T02:39:53.691-04:00

The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenseman Matt Greene to a five-year contact extension that will carry into the 2013-14 season, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.>> team releaseGreene's been getting quite a bit of ice time for the Kings so far this season and they're apparently happy with his play to this point.He came to the team along with Jarret Stoll in exchange

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-36529115820837668322008-10-17T15:03:00.003-04:002008-10-17T15:19:56.510-04:00

Very funny post today over at Barry Melrose Rocks, where the blog's namesake is advised like so:So be warned, dear reader. You must proceed with caution if your name is Barry Melrose. But then again, Barry likes to throw caution to the wind. So maybe proceeding with caution is out of the question. Ah, hell with it. Let's take this thing head on. Bull by the horns. Stuff like that.It's getting

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-91445910113732203962008-10-17T13:33:00.002-04:002008-10-17T13:35:28.053-04:00

St. Louis Blues President John Davidson announced today that goaltender Chris Mason underwent emergency appendectomy surgery on Thursday night. He is expected to miss approximately two weeks.>> team releaseEither Marek Schwarz or 6-foot-7 Ben Bishop will be called up to backup Manny Legace..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-18237289471940106132008-10-17T00:41:00.005-04:002008-10-17T01:44:33.309-04:00

Normally I wouldn't delve into something like the year-end awards this early into the season, but it's becoming crystal clear who probably isn't going to win the Calder Trophy this year.Steven Stamkos.Even against the Islanders on Thursday night, coach Barry Melrose parked his prized rookie at the end of the bench, where Stamkos twiddled his thumbs for all but 9:22 of a game that ended in

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-17171971724796231872008-10-16T13:59:00.008-04:002008-10-16T15:27:54.829-04:00

The Chicago Blackhawks have named Joel Quenneville the 37th head coach in franchise history, replacing Denis Savard, who was relieved of his duties earlier on Thursday.“This was an extremely hard day for this organization and for me personally,” Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon said.>> team releaseYou wonder why they even let him coach four games.The Thrashers firing Bob Hartley six games

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-65413854947444925662008-10-16T11:19:00.004-04:002008-10-16T11:19:01.004-04:00

It's early, with Edmonton, Minnesota and Florida having only played two games, but here's a peek at goal and shot differentials for all 30 teams through the first week of the regular season: Team GP G/G GA/G Gdf Rk S/G SA/G Shdf Rk 1 BUF 3 3.67 1.00 2.67 1

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-4923769026976125092008-10-15T22:59:00.012-04:002008-10-15T23:28:56.635-04:00

Talk about quieting his critics.Fabian Brunnstrom didn't exactly light the NHL on fire in the preseason, scoring one goal, adding two assists and going minus-3 in six games, and the Stars stuck him in the press box for their first two games of the regular season. Down 0-1-1 and heading into a game against the Predators tonight, however, they deployed their secret weapon.Brunnstrom scored a hat

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-91322966119140053012008-10-15T13:59:00.003-04:002008-10-15T15:13:04.583-04:00

"Definitely, thinking about it now, they don't pay attention to a lot of the little things that are an everyday thing in the NHL. You always see an ambulance here. They might have been there, but I can see something like this happening. For a [Canadian] guy like me, you'd think about it a little it harder now if you're going to make that choice to get over there."— Jamie LundmarkBut [TSN analyst

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-39272899902622351612008-10-15T02:52:00.005-04:002008-10-15T03:35:58.342-04:00

As former Winnipeg Jets go, Thomas Steen is way, way up there in terms of notoriety. He put up the second most points in franchise history (817) and is the only Swedish player to have his number retired.Given his popularity in the city, even all these years later, a career in politics makes sense.The former Jets captain ran for the Conservative Party in yesterday's federal election in the

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-40312312412788758212008-10-15T01:34:00.005-04:002008-10-15T02:02:30.656-04:00

You have to hand it to Los Angeles and new coach Terry Murray, who managed to pull out their first win of the season against Anaheim tonight despite icing a defence core that looked like so (with minutes played):Tom Preissing 23:56Sean O'Donnell 22:03Peter Harrold 17:55Matt Greene 16:06Denis Gauthier 15:56Drew Doughty 15:52Doughty apparently left this one with flu-like symptoms, which at this

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-33743032340396891222008-10-14T14:32:00.007-04:002008-10-14T15:02:56.917-04:00

The Oilers, of course, will open the season with three goaltenders: Garon, Dwayne Roloson and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers.Roloson and Garon are both in the final year of their contracts, while Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers is in the first year of a two-year, one-way deal. Drouin-Deslauriers has yet to play an NHL regular-season game, but did turn heads during the pre-season.— Edmonton JournalAside from

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-88942342812476759912008-10-14T14:18:00.003-04:002008-10-14T14:21:55.512-04:00

Kukla's Korner points us to a live streaming feed of Detroit's visit with George W. Bush today at 2:30 p.m. at the White House.Ty Conklin and Marian Hossa, who played for Pittsburgh during last year's finals, won't take part in the ceremony but plan on hanging around..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-90869469093881366022008-10-14T01:10:00.003-04:002008-10-14T02:51:44.685-04:00

The Canadian dollar has been going cuckoo lately, along with a lot of other things, and at one point on Friday afternoon was below 83 cents — its lowest point since the spring of 2005 when the NHL was still locked out.In the past two weeks, the dollar has dropped more than 10 cents. Heck, on Friday, it fell by 4.5 cents at one point, the first time in 47 years that it had decreased by more than

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-56910673485110573342008-10-13T16:06:00.009-04:002008-10-14T03:00:03.884-04:00

New York Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov collapsed on the bench at or near the end of Omsk's Kontinental Hockey League game and died a short time later, he was 19.Omsk head coach, Wayne Fleming said Cherepanov collapsed on the bench during the third period of the game and did not see anything that happened on the ice that may have contributed to it.— TSN.caA horrible tragedy.Kukla's Korner,

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-49438220885822670392008-10-13T16:05:00.001-04:002008-10-13T16:18:39.775-04:00

The Los Angeles Kings have placed defenseman Jack Johnson on the injured reserve list with a shoulder injury, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Johnson, 21, was injured in the first period of the Kings-San Jose Sharks game last night at STAPLES Center. He is expected to be out of action two to three months because of the injury.>> team releaseBad news for the Kings,

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-44786844005767110732008-10-13T00:49:00.002-04:002008-10-13T01:09:47.537-04:00

We've seen all sorts of wacky promotions in the NHL, especially from teams that have traditionally had trouble selling tickets, but this season in Florida, they're literally giving them away.All you need is a driver's license:The promotion advises that: "It may be your first game, but it won't be your last." The small print goes onto say that the invitation is "good one time only" and that the

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-74337117006264718492008-10-11T21:31:00.002-04:002008-10-13T01:04:58.650-04:00

Canada, you have a new hockey anthem! Following an overwhelming response from Canadians coast-to-coast, Canadian Gold — composed by Colin Oberst — received the majority of votes in CBC'S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA Anthem Challenge final round of voting, and is Canada's new official hockey song. Don Cherry made the historic announcement tonight on CBC'S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA, kicking off the first

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-60377071998882632892008-10-11T14:27:00.005-04:002008-10-11T14:51:09.753-04:00

The New York Islanders received some unwanted news just one game into the new season as the team learned that goaltender Rick DiPietro has swelling and fluid around his surgically repaired left knee.DiPietro, who has been plagued by knee injuries throughout his career, underwent meniscus surgery in June and played in only one of the Islanders pre-season games.— TSN.caThe Islanders are playing

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-14678447557462496052008-10-11T14:00:00.006-04:002008-10-11T15:03:19.885-04:00

Kings star Anze Kopitar has signed a great, big seven-year extension, a contract that will lock him up until 2015-16 when he will still be just 28 years old.Kopitar's still got a pretty low profile in the league, likely because of where he plays, but he's going to be a superstar in the NHL for a long, long time. Last season as a 20-year-old, he put up 32 goals and 77 points on a last-place team."

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-70727240007227927042008-10-11T07:53:00.001-04:002008-10-11T07:53:00.530-04:00

Just a quick note that I'll be on the radio this afternoon for the Inside Hockey Radio Show, 2-4 p.m. on “NHL Home Ice” XM 204 and Sirius 208, The Team 990 in Montreal, and 1120 AM WBNW in Boston.A bit of a season preview, among other things..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-67372840002366632762008-10-10T13:57:00.004-04:002008-10-10T15:47:52.633-04:00

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis announced today that the club has signed defenceman Alex Edler to a four-year contract extension through the 2012-13 NHL season. Edler enters his third season as a Vancouver Canuck.“Alex is a gifted puck-moving defenceman who sees the ice extremely well for such a young player,” said Mike Gillis. “He has made great strides in his career and we look

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-16655769420751939032008-10-10T13:53:00.002-04:002008-10-10T13:55:51.097-04:00

The 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings have accepted an invitation to visit the White House and meet with President George W. Bush on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008. A ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 2:45 p.m.>> team releasePretty standard stuff. Detroit plays in Raleigh on the Monday night before heading home for a Thursday game, and will have time for the stopover in D.C. on the way..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-48597105925014486292008-10-10T13:45:00.002-04:002008-10-10T13:47:57.765-04:00

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote will play in his 1000th NHL contest when the Avalanche travels to play the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, October 12. Foote will also tie Hall of Fame forward Michel Goulet for second place in franchise games played with 813. Foote has made more regular season (812) and post-season appearances (164) than any other defenseman in franchise history. He will

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-3208241478069386712008-10-09T16:00:00.004-04:002008-10-09T16:32:01.095-04:00

Defencemen Randy Jones is likely going to miss up to two months with hip surgery, according to multiple sources in Philadelphia today.I don't think the Flyers can make the playoffs using the group of defencemen they're going to have for the first few months of the season, which potentially changes the dynamics in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. They also have very few options in

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-29309149848045466872008-10-09T14:39:00.002-04:002008-10-09T14:48:00.157-04:00

A nice little honour here for this site and some other well-deserving hockey bloggers. (Unfortunately they got Mr. Leahy's name spelt wrong.)I think it's going to be a big year for the hockey blogosphere..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-68838332969634171352008-10-09T01:02:00.009-04:002008-10-09T03:01:20.437-04:00

There were some very, very interesting machinations going on the past 24 hours as NHL teams tried to squeeze under the $56.7-million salary cap, some of which received plenty of coverage — but a few you likely haven't yet heard of.Dallas had perhaps the most interesting approach.Without an AHL affiliate after ending their association with the Iowa Stars this off-season, Dallas nonetheless needs a

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-63402672578935495872008-10-08T20:35:00.005-04:002008-10-08T23:13:57.683-04:00

The Thrashers have named five alternate captains tonight at a fan rally: Colby Armstrong, Niclas Havelid, Ilya Kovalchuk, Slava Kozlov and Mathieu Schneider.One member of that group is likely to be named captain down the line.UPDATE Here's head coach John Anderson on the selections: "The guys that we had before were good and we wanted to add a couple more. Sometimes if you have the same guys all

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-399689878980332112008-10-08T18:24:00.006-04:002008-10-08T18:32:06.303-04:00

The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed defenseman Doug Janik on waivers from the Dallas Stars and have traded him back to the Stars in exchange for a conditional draft pick.>> team releaseJust to mess with him...UPDATE The Ducks have some wacky maneuvering going on as well, bringing up a goaltender from the AHL in order to free up more cap space. Seriously..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-18990466085114065042008-10-08T15:58:00.002-04:002008-10-08T16:10:25.245-04:00

He has cast a long shadow across our national sport. Now, David Frost, notorious former hockey coach, NHL player agent, and assassination target, is about to go to trial. He faces charges of sexual exploitation involving young people during a time when Frost coached an Ontario junior hockey team. Bob McKeown reports that his trial will be the latest, perhaps the last, episode in a long, strange,

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-34477014797127965832008-10-08T15:30:00.003-04:002008-10-08T15:36:54.521-04:00

Rookie Ryan Parent, who played well in last season's playoffs and was expected to be one of the Flyers' key defensemen this year, has torn cartilage in his right shoulder and will miss 12 to 14 weeks, general manager Paul Holmgren said last night.— Philadelphia InquirerParent may not yet be a household name, but he was going to play a very important role on the Flyers this season.With him gone

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-86474798147672418792008-10-08T14:48:00.006-04:002008-10-08T15:01:30.081-04:00

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff announced today that defenseman Craig Rivet has been named the 23rd team captain in franchise history. Rivet becomes Buffalo’s first full-time captain since Stu Barnes from 2001-03.Ruff also named four alternate captains: Teppo Numminen, Jaroslav Spacek, Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville.>> team releaseA bit of a surprise. Buffalo fans I talked to the past

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-31450513331182215742008-10-08T01:08:00.004-04:002008-10-08T01:36:39.783-04:00

Both A Theory of Ice and Tom Benjamin have jersey retirements on the brain, so I figured it was a good time to point out the incredible number of ceremonies there'll be this season.The three most high profile ones are likely to be those of Patrick Roy in Montreal, Trevor Linden in Vancouver and Mike Gartner in Washington but no less than seven other players' numbers will also be retired this

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-82551874944145448812008-10-08T00:32:00.003-04:002008-10-08T01:01:03.903-04:00

Dustin Brown will be announced as the Kings' new captain tomorrow morning. The Kings are doing a webcast of the announcement on their official website at 10 a.m. The alternate captains will also be announced. I'm still expecting them to be Anze Kopitar and Jarret Stoll, but that's not 100 percent confirmed.— Rich Hammond, Inside the KingsThe trend toward young captains continues.Brown, who turns

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-72477808570966437462008-10-07T18:34:00.005-04:002008-10-08T00:31:27.306-04:00

The last remaining restricted free agent of note finally signs a contract, as Los Angeles and budding young sniper Patrick O'Sullivan agree to a three-year, $8.775-million deal today.That's a pretty reasonable contract for a player likely to easily better the 60-point mark in those seasons. Only 23, O'Sullivan will still be a restricted free agent when this deal expires in 2011.I think playing

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-11545715211549682802008-10-07T17:08:00.003-04:002008-10-07T17:17:05.523-04:00

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has named four-time Stanley Cup champion Scott Niedermayer team captain. Chris Pronger and Ryan Getzlaf have been named alternate captains for the 2008-09 season. In addition, Rob Niedermayer will serve as an additional alternate captain when necessary.“Scotty is a tremendous leader and has been for his entire career,”

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-1179532339712028722008-10-07T15:39:00.008-04:002008-10-07T15:55:50.805-04:00

Tallon and the Hawks remain in a holding pattern with Khabibulin as they wait for his agent, Ron Grossman, to negotiate with the Russian Kontinental Hockey League. A decision on whether the sides work out a loan agreement or Khabibulin stays with the Hawks will be decided by Wednesday at 3 p.m., when the Hawks have to turn their roster into the NHL.— Chicago TribuneThis process of stashing

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-18682689039132369032008-10-07T14:02:00.004-04:002008-10-07T14:57:28.399-04:00

There are a ton of bodies on waivers today, some of them rather notable. It's interesting to see San Jose waive Kyle McLaren, for instance, after months of speculation that he would be dealt.Also on waivers in terms of established NHLers: Mark Bell, Boyd Devereaux, Jason Krog, Matt Pettinger, Peter Schaefer, Anders Eriksson, Rhett Warrener, Jamie Lundmark and Aaron Downey. The majority of the

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-3786885606952970092008-10-07T00:49:00.005-04:002008-10-07T02:08:32.654-04:00

I mentioned on the weekend that I'd had the flu. What I didn't say was how I spent some of my sick time on Saturday night, slumped in front of the television.Unfortunately, with hockey being played in Europe, there were no night games, and CBC instead went with an hour of programming dedicated to the Hockey Anthem Challenge.Hold onto your hats because the five semifinalists have been revealed.If

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-43848226453439036522008-10-07T00:42:00.002-04:002008-10-07T01:15:17.544-04:00

This last summer I thought Don Waddell should have been moved up to Team President and a new GM brought in. The Thrashers management has made a string of poor bets and this summer they were turned down by all of their Plan A free agent targets. Now it seems that the fans too have given them a thumbs down. And really, who can blame the fans? When there is no change at the top and no big free agent

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-46990716763688649622008-10-06T14:02:00.009-04:002008-10-06T17:50:04.245-04:00

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis announced today that the Canucks have acquired defenceman Shane O’Brien and right wing Michel Ouellet in exchange for defenceman Lukas Krajicek and right wing Juraj Simek from the Tampa Bay Lightning. O’Brien will report to Vancouver and Ouellet will report to Manitoba.>> team releaseKrajicek was on the bubble in Vancouver and O'Brien was benched

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-75885457263509177442008-10-06T13:53:00.006-04:002008-10-06T13:58:57.776-04:00

I'll be on The NHL Arena Program today at 4 p.m. for those interested in a little bit of a season preview. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was on the show last night..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-90548360649204073082008-10-06T13:22:00.005-04:002008-10-06T13:32:23.851-04:00

We heard some of the highlights last week, but the full interview is worth watching..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-85862751463592109222008-10-06T13:00:00.006-04:002008-10-06T13:08:22.702-04:00

Things are looking a little bit different today over at one of my favourite stops.One of the neat things they've added is the ability to look at which junior or college teams players played for when they were drafted. For example, here is a list of all of the Kamloops Blazers drafted into the NHL..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-34328847244667017102008-10-06T11:42:00.003-04:002008-10-06T11:54:01.167-04:00

Another year, another season opening overseas. Except this time, the first four games of a 1,230-game schedule were on the other side of the pond.I don't know about anyone else, but the exercise was rather zzzzz this time around. The atmosphere in the rinks made the games seem, on television anyway, like exhibition games (quieter than a library, in other words).We've heard a lot about how these

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-53537696208812784442008-10-06T09:55:00.002-04:002008-10-06T10:01:53.500-04:00

The Vancouver captain, forbidden by NHL rules from wearing the letter on his jersey because he is a goaltender, sported a new C on his mask Sunday night as the Canucks hosted Anaheim in the final 2008-09 pre-season game for both clubs."It can stand for whatever he wants it to stand for," said Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis, when asked if the C stood for Canucks or captain.— The Canadian

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-43480328877101373942008-10-05T14:46:00.004-04:002008-10-05T15:07:20.921-04:00

One piece I put together last week for the newspaper looked at the University of British Columbia's potential bid to join the NCAA at the Division II level, something that would allow the school to play in Division I in one men's and one women's sport.It's believed that, at least on the men's side, that sport would be hockey, and UBC could become the first Canadian team to be a part of the WCHA

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-58893487808227136482008-10-04T08:40:00.004-04:002008-10-04T15:03:49.184-04:00

It seems that one of the ways that Russia's Continental Hockey League is trying to mimic the NHL is in salary disclosure, something the KHL did for the first time on its official website earlier this week:For the first time in the history of Russian hockey withdrawn seal of secrecy on one of the most cherished secrets: salary fund hockey club.At Aug. 2, 2008, meeting of the Board of Directors of

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-46504967112383629892008-10-03T08:23:00.004-04:002008-10-03T08:23:00.370-04:00

The Nashville Predators' ownership tangle has taken another twist with the startling admission the NHL team has defaulted on a $40-million (all currency U.S.) loan.If that raises fresh questions about the franchise's viability, Nashville's owners say the blame should be laid at the feet of former minority owner William (Boots) Del Biaggio III, who declared bankruptcy in June.— The Globe and

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-83752568861735116632008-10-02T14:25:00.002-04:002008-10-02T14:41:34.501-04:00

“He's a staple as far as Canadian hockey goes. And I grew up watching Coach's Corner, and he serves a purpose. But he really does not know shit about hockey.“He knows, like, unnecessary facts about putting Sears catalogues on your shin pads.”— Sean Avery on Don CherryHe's nothing if not entertaining. The Dallas press is lucky to have him..

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-64982785272078523192008-10-02T13:54:00.003-04:002008-10-02T13:58:42.312-04:00

Well, I suppose I should be flattered that so many people read my thoughts this time around.Predictions are really just for fun. There's no wrong way to go about it, not when the league is so unpredictable, and I resent the fact that I'm being called everything from a knob to an idiot for my picks.Last season, I spent all kinds of time defending picks. I was on the radio in B.C., explaining why I

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-80068082064411478782008-10-02T00:40:00.004-04:002008-10-02T03:40:56.587-04:00

In my opinion, the last thing you should do when it comes to an NHL season preview is simply take last year's standings and shuffle teams around a spot or two. If we've learned anything postlockout, it's that this is a league of incredible parity, which means even the best teams are an injury (or bad break) or two from bottoming out.That said, the East seems a lot more volatile than the West, and

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9509295.post-66728453654866420242008-10-01T16:13:00.007-04:002008-10-01T18:21:04.763-04:00

New York's Ryan Callahan just scored with 20 seconds left to beat Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4-3 in the inaugural Victoria Cup. New York was down 3-0 late in the second period and rallied with four straight goals.The game was played in Bern, Switzerland, and was the first meeting between an NHL team and a Russian league one in 17 years. The Rangers apparently receive a $1-million prize for winning

James Mirtlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221488913251638181noreply@blogger.com4