The news is slow these days, what can I say?


Korea to get �Tikked� Off!

Hokej.sk reports that ex-Canuck, Oiler, Ranger, pottymouth Esa Tikkanen has signed up to coach a junior hockey team... in Korea?!

Is there a Tikkanese-Korean dictionary even on the market? Imagine that combination.

Hmm......

Tikkanese + Korean = Romulan

Better alert the Federation!

Babych is a bitch to the Environment

Island residents around the Lower Mainland are up in arms over Dave Babych and his clear-cut logging ways.

Not simply content with bilking the Flyers out of an injury settlement after they �ended� his career, nor the big fat paychecks he �earned� as a member of the Canucks, Babych has decided to cut down a few thousand trees and develop another resort for rich snobs.

This, after brothers Russ and Geoff Courtnall did something similar not too far away.

Look guys, we know you are rich and bored, but could you do something less damaging to the environment, perhaps? Like own a junior hockey team, or grow medical marijuana?

The Recchi(n) ball is back in Pittsburgh

Well, this is strange to me. The Penguins, who are basically the shameless panhandlers of the NHL, have signed Mark Recchi to a 3 year/$9mil contract!

The Penguins? $3mil a year? Free Agent?

The same team that practically tries to give away any player making over $1mil a season?

It�s great to see some talent going IN to Pittsburgh, no doubt about it. I just wonder how they can �afford� this contract, when all they�ve done is pinch pennies and cry poor for the past few years.

Unless Mario retires, then I wonder where this extra money is coming from.

As for the contract itself, Recchi is 36 and it�s a bit of risk giving a 3-year deal to a player that old. Still, Recchi put up almost a point a game last year, and we�re seeing defensive role players get even more money than Recchi.

According to my psychic, this will be a good deal for at least 1 season, and maybe even 2. The 3rd year, however, could be a ball and chain to the Penguins. Recchi could easily fall off a cliff when he turns 39, and it would be very hard for the Penguins to deal him off to a contender. It�s obvious that Recchi took this deal because of the guaranteed length, rather than the salary.

Which makes me wonder, will Recchi even last a full season in Pittsburgh? In February and March, when they are WELL out of the playoff race, will they be tempted to offload the last 2 years and $6+ mil to another team?


The Devil loves his 'D'

And lastly, Richie Rich Matvichuk is richer after signing a new 4 year/$8.5mil US$ deal with the New Jersey Devils.

This is a great deal for both sides, as the Devils get a pretty solid defensive defenseman at a decent price, and Matvichuk gets to play in a boring trap-me-to-death style that he�s excelled in for most of his career. If Scott Stevens can return from his concussion, Martin Brodeur won't have to face more than 5 shots against per game.

For the Stars, the only link to their Minnesota days is now Mike Madonna.