Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Idiot of the Day: Paul Stewart
by Jes
Paul Stewart, the former enforcer and popular (with the players) ex-referee had some choice comments about the Chris Pronger situation.
His thinking: Pronger wouldn't have gone all stompy if the game had more enforcers and he wouldn't have to protect himself. Uh-huh
You might expect a referee to have pretty keen insight into the situation, but Stewart ends up sounding more like an old codger like Donald Cherry than anything.
Let's chop this up like spinach ...
1. Does Chris Pronger not have any 'protection' in Anaheim? Brad May, George Parros, Travis Moen ... Anaheim is not lacking with pugilistic talent. The fact that anyone could think Pronger is in any danger is akin to believing we actually live in a true democracy. Pure garbage.
2. If anyone needed protecting, it was Ryan Kesler, who was lying on the ice in a prone position for Pronger to stomp on his leg.
3. Remember when the Blues had Kelly Chase and Tony Twist? Even then, Pronger was cheap and vicious with his stick.
Oh, and this Paul Stewart gem is delicious.
Paul Stewart ... what a moron.
Hockey isn't suddenly more violent now that enforcers' roles have drastically been reduced. Yes, stick fouls 'appear' to be increasing, but that doesn't excuse Chris Pronger or Chris Simon from committing one of hockey's ultimate no-no's.
If the NHL really wants to crack down on vicious and violent fouls, then the suspension system needs to be revamped, opened up, and harsher. The reason Pronger does what he does is because he knows he can get away with it. Do you think a 2-3 game suspension for a check from behind is going to deter anyone? No.
Start handing out 25-30 game suspensions and you'll see the cheap crap start to fade away.
Paul Stewart, the former enforcer and popular (with the players) ex-referee had some choice comments about the Chris Pronger situation.
His thinking: Pronger wouldn't have gone all stompy if the game had more enforcers and he wouldn't have to protect himself. Uh-huh
You might expect a referee to have pretty keen insight into the situation, but Stewart ends up sounding more like an old codger like Donald Cherry than anything.
Stewart, the director of officials for the NCAA's Eastern Conference, told Hockey Night In Canada Radio on Sirius late Monday that the incident is a direct result of the NHL's desire to reduce fighting and, in turn, eliminate the role of the enforcer.
"It is sort of childish the way that he stomped on the guy," Stewart said. "Would [Jean] Beliveau have done that?
"I don't think so because they had No. 22 playing for them — God rest his soul, John Ferguson — and players knew they weren't going to take allowances with them."
Stewart believes the enforcer plays a key role in the NHL because "if you run [Sidney] Crosby or if you run [Alexander] Ovechkin or if you run, sadly, a Patrice Bergeron, you have to face a guy.
"[Wayne] Gretzky had [Marty] McSorley and he had [Dave] Semenko. Nowadays, they're trying to outlaw these guys."
Let's chop this up like spinach ...
1. Does Chris Pronger not have any 'protection' in Anaheim? Brad May, George Parros, Travis Moen ... Anaheim is not lacking with pugilistic talent. The fact that anyone could think Pronger is in any danger is akin to believing we actually live in a true democracy. Pure garbage.
2. If anyone needed protecting, it was Ryan Kesler, who was lying on the ice in a prone position for Pronger to stomp on his leg.
3. Remember when the Blues had Kelly Chase and Tony Twist? Even then, Pronger was cheap and vicious with his stick.
Oh, and this Paul Stewart gem is delicious.
Asked when he noticed the shift away from on-ice enforcers, Stewart responded: "The culture changed when the helmets went on, when the glass went up, when the goaltenders went out back of the net and started playing the puck with an expectation of not being confronted."Yeah, let's go back to not wearing helmets and having a whole bunch of fractured skulls. Just ask Norm Green how that feels.
Paul Stewart ... what a moron.
Hockey isn't suddenly more violent now that enforcers' roles have drastically been reduced. Yes, stick fouls 'appear' to be increasing, but that doesn't excuse Chris Pronger or Chris Simon from committing one of hockey's ultimate no-no's.
If the NHL really wants to crack down on vicious and violent fouls, then the suspension system needs to be revamped, opened up, and harsher. The reason Pronger does what he does is because he knows he can get away with it. Do you think a 2-3 game suspension for a check from behind is going to deter anyone? No.
Start handing out 25-30 game suspensions and you'll see the cheap crap start to fade away.
Labels: Chris Pronger, Paul Stewart, suspensions
Monday, March 17, 2008
Do Bloggers Dream of Richard Zednik?
by Jes
At last, I've uncovered the super secret formula that the NHL uses for handing out suspensions.
(Previous Suspension + Media Outcry - Player's "Star"* Power + Number of Bowel Movements Colin Campbell Has Had in Previous 48 Hours) X Random Number Picked Out of a Hat by a Monkey.
* As determined by Supreme Overlord, His Excellency, Commissioner Gary Bettman.
How else can we explain the fact that the NHL gave Chris Pronger a head-scratching EIGHT game suspension for his stomping of Ryan Kesler when Chris Simon got THIRTY games for the exact same thing.
Is Chris Pronger a repeat offender? Yes.
Has Chris Pronger proven himself to be a danger and threat to other players? Yes.
So, then, why the double standard? Was it because the media didn't cry for blood nearly as much? Is it because Pronger is a player that the NHL desparately wants to be in the NHL? Is it because Gary Bettman fears Brian Burke?
The sad thing is that there would have been NO suspension if the folks at TSN didn't call out the NHL out. We'll give a round of applause to the MSM for this one, as they utilized their assets and investigative wherewithall to show the public just what the NHL 'missed'.
---
I rarely have dreams that I can remember, but I certainly had a strange one last night.
It involved Richard Zednik and I as roommates in some apartment. (Somehow, his wife wasn't anywhere to be found). I was taking care of Zednik after another awful injury, and trying to comfort him from his depression.
Zednik had also recovered from cancer, and was wondering when all the pain would end. He had a hard time getting to sleep because of the pain, so I gave him some 'illegal?' drugs to calm him down. For some reason, I didn't want to give him the pills, but he convinced me. Who can resist a sad Zednik face?
Then, after he went to sleep, I went into the living room and starting playing video games from a MASSIVE collection.
Yeah, WTF, eh?
---
It has been years since I've done an Easter egg hunt, but I'm going to try my hand at one set up by Joe Pelletier over his his Legends of Hockey blog.
---
How would you like it if 12,000 people showed up at your birthday?
Well, the Giants/Bruins game last night had Gordie Howe celebrate his 80th birthday with the team he has a minority stake in. Yes, the guy is uber-popular and still draws a crowd.
OK, so his real birthday is not until March 31st, but it was a good excuse for a nice ceremony. With the Canucks sucking as much as they have, the Giants are giving us Vancouver hockey fans something better to watch :)
As for Howe, I saw him at the game on Friday (vs. the Cougars) and he's still looking good. About 1-2 years ago, he seemed to have aged ten years at once and looked rather fragile and weak. On Friday, he seemed to look good and still looked like he could bodycheck a few players through the boards.
---
Today's Photo of the Day involves Ryan Getzlaf combining his other hobby, Tae Kwon Doe, with hockey into ... ummm ... 'Doekey'?
HIYAAAHHH!!!
At last, I've uncovered the super secret formula that the NHL uses for handing out suspensions.
(Previous Suspension + Media Outcry - Player's "Star"* Power + Number of Bowel Movements Colin Campbell Has Had in Previous 48 Hours) X Random Number Picked Out of a Hat by a Monkey.
* As determined by Supreme Overlord, His Excellency, Commissioner Gary Bettman.
How else can we explain the fact that the NHL gave Chris Pronger a head-scratching EIGHT game suspension for his stomping of Ryan Kesler when Chris Simon got THIRTY games for the exact same thing.
Is Chris Pronger a repeat offender? Yes.
Has Chris Pronger proven himself to be a danger and threat to other players? Yes.
So, then, why the double standard? Was it because the media didn't cry for blood nearly as much? Is it because Pronger is a player that the NHL desparately wants to be in the NHL? Is it because Gary Bettman fears Brian Burke?
The sad thing is that there would have been NO suspension if the folks at TSN didn't call out the NHL out. We'll give a round of applause to the MSM for this one, as they utilized their assets and investigative wherewithall to show the public just what the NHL 'missed'.
---
I rarely have dreams that I can remember, but I certainly had a strange one last night.
It involved Richard Zednik and I as roommates in some apartment. (Somehow, his wife wasn't anywhere to be found). I was taking care of Zednik after another awful injury, and trying to comfort him from his depression.
Zednik had also recovered from cancer, and was wondering when all the pain would end. He had a hard time getting to sleep because of the pain, so I gave him some 'illegal?' drugs to calm him down. For some reason, I didn't want to give him the pills, but he convinced me. Who can resist a sad Zednik face?
Then, after he went to sleep, I went into the living room and starting playing video games from a MASSIVE collection.
Yeah, WTF, eh?
---
It has been years since I've done an Easter egg hunt, but I'm going to try my hand at one set up by Joe Pelletier over his his Legends of Hockey blog.
Today GreatestHockeyLegends.com has a photo of the largest easter egg in the world? Why? Because I'm announcing the first annualPerhaps I'll start by going to Steve Smith's profile (if he has one), since he certainly knew how to lay an egg ;)
GreatestHockeyLegends.com Easter Egg Hunt!
Amongst the approximate 700 legends profiled across my Legends of
Hockey Network I have planted pictures of easter eggs on 5 biographies.
If you can find all five, you will be entered into a draw to win a
$100 gift certificate to Amazon.
---
How would you like it if 12,000 people showed up at your birthday?
Well, the Giants/Bruins game last night had Gordie Howe celebrate his 80th birthday with the team he has a minority stake in. Yes, the guy is uber-popular and still draws a crowd.
OK, so his real birthday is not until March 31st, but it was a good excuse for a nice ceremony. With the Canucks sucking as much as they have, the Giants are giving us Vancouver hockey fans something better to watch :)
As for Howe, I saw him at the game on Friday (vs. the Cougars) and he's still looking good. About 1-2 years ago, he seemed to have aged ten years at once and looked rather fragile and weak. On Friday, he seemed to look good and still looked like he could bodycheck a few players through the boards.
---
Today's Photo of the Day involves Ryan Getzlaf combining his other hobby, Tae Kwon Doe, with hockey into ... ummm ... 'Doekey'?
HIYAAAHHH!!!Labels: Chris Pronger, Colin Campbell, Gary Bettman, Gordie Howe, Richard Zednik, Vancouver Giants
Friday, September 14, 2007
An Off-Season Look at ... The Anaheim Ducks
by Jes
Being the Stanley Cup champs, the Anaheim Ducks were obviously in the spotlight a lot more than they are used to.
What should have been a quiet summer of celebration turned interesting with the whole Scott Niedermayer mess, the Dustin Penner fiasco, and the big ticket signings such as Todd Bertuzzi and Mathieu Schneider.
The Ducks are certainly big spenders, but Niedermayer's absence, combined with Selanne not showing up for camp, means that the Ducks are well under the salary cap, surprisingly.
Without a doubt, the Ducks aren't as good as they were a few months ago. Scheneider is an excellent Power Play defenseman, and a fine 2-way defender, but he's not quite Scott Niedermayer. That said, Schneider is generally underrated, and the downgrade is small. If Niedermayer comes back at all during the season (very likely), this D core will be the awesomest.
Few seem to know just how much of a positive contribution the renewed Teemu Selanne gave to the Ducks, and how much he pumped up line-mates Kunitz and McDonald. Those two players will not be nearly as effective as they were last season, and Bertuzzi won't give the Ducks anything but headaches and some 'decent' offensive production.
The Ducks will also face some trouble next summer, when Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf will have their contracts come up. Will we see some more free agent poachers?
Also, Kunitz will get a nice raise against the cap next season, and the Ducks won't have any big contracts coming off of the books until 2009.
That said, the Ducks are still a very powerful squad, and are certainly a favourite to take the West. I wonder just how much the Stanley Cup hangover will affect the squad, and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't take the Conference crown. San Jose will provide stiff competition within their division, and Detroit will get a lot of easy wins over their divisional rivals. It's going to be an interesting 3-way race.
Ph33r the quack!
Being the Stanley Cup champs, the Anaheim Ducks were obviously in the spotlight a lot more than they are used to.
What should have been a quiet summer of celebration turned interesting with the whole Scott Niedermayer mess, the Dustin Penner fiasco, and the big ticket signings such as Todd Bertuzzi and Mathieu Schneider.
The Ducks are certainly big spenders, but Niedermayer's absence, combined with Selanne not showing up for camp, means that the Ducks are well under the salary cap, surprisingly.
Without a doubt, the Ducks aren't as good as they were a few months ago. Scheneider is an excellent Power Play defenseman, and a fine 2-way defender, but he's not quite Scott Niedermayer. That said, Schneider is generally underrated, and the downgrade is small. If Niedermayer comes back at all during the season (very likely), this D core will be the awesomest.
Few seem to know just how much of a positive contribution the renewed Teemu Selanne gave to the Ducks, and how much he pumped up line-mates Kunitz and McDonald. Those two players will not be nearly as effective as they were last season, and Bertuzzi won't give the Ducks anything but headaches and some 'decent' offensive production.
The Ducks will also face some trouble next summer, when Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf will have their contracts come up. Will we see some more free agent poachers?
Also, Kunitz will get a nice raise against the cap next season, and the Ducks won't have any big contracts coming off of the books until 2009.
That said, the Ducks are still a very powerful squad, and are certainly a favourite to take the West. I wonder just how much the Stanley Cup hangover will affect the squad, and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't take the Conference crown. San Jose will provide stiff competition within their division, and Detroit will get a lot of easy wins over their divisional rivals. It's going to be an interesting 3-way race.
Ph33r the quack!
Labels: Chris Pronger, ducks, Off-Season Analysis, Scott Niedermayer
Friday, August 03, 2007
Photos of the Day: I <3 SPAM!
by Jes
Time for a little photo spam...
Selanne and his friends with the Cup... how very Finnish of them. After this photo was taken, they beat each other with birch leaves and played the HNIC theme song with their armpits.
A photo that'll make any Oilers fan throw up their Subway sandwich. Pronger, his bimbo jezebel wife, and spoiled little blonde brats celebrate with the Stanely Cup.
Just your average confused Avs fan ...
Palffy has sure let himself go after retirement. How fast can he lose the extra pounds?
Hell, just talking seems to make him sweat. How out of shape is he?
Well, at least he's not as out of shape as Robert Svehla. Somebody's been busy at the buffet table!
Time for a little photo spam...
Selanne and his friends with the Cup... how very Finnish of them. After this photo was taken, they beat each other with birch leaves and played the HNIC theme song with their armpits.
A photo that'll make any Oilers fan throw up their Subway sandwich. Pronger, his bimbo jezebel wife, and spoiled little blonde brats celebrate with the Stanely Cup.
Just your average confused Avs fan ... 
Palffy has sure let himself go after retirement. How fast can he lose the extra pounds?
Hell, just talking seems to make him sweat. How out of shape is he?
Well, at least he's not as out of shape as Robert Svehla. Somebody's been busy at the buffet table!
Labels: Chris Pronger, photo of the day, picture of the day, stanley cup, Ziggy Palffy
