Moderators: Bill_Abner, ScoopBrady
Janet still looks better.10spro wrote:Hard to believe the 'Great One' turns 50. He looks great too, if he ever decided to lace' em up again, he would still add a few assists here and there. Happy B-day Wayne.
The good old days.Former NHL player and current player agent Tom Laidlaw offers a classically funny story about why it was challenging to hit today's birthday boy Wayne Gretzky during his heyday.
Early in Laidlaw's career, his Rangers were playing in Edmonton and coach Herb Brook's pre-game talk centered on trying to slow down Gretzky with heavy hiting..
Laidlaw did what he was told. "It wasn't a crushing hit," Laidlaw said. "It was hard to get a good hit on Gretzky. But I knocked him down, and he got right back up."
But the Edmonton bench didn't like it. When he was skating back to his bench, Edmonton coach Glen Sather screamed at him: "Laidlaw, you're going home in a body bag."
"In those days, particularly in Canada, it was like being at the opera. During the stoppages, there was no music, so everyone in the rink heard what Sather said to me," Laidlaw said.
At the next stoppage, Laidlaw took his place on the ice and Sather sent out noted tough guy Dave Semenko who was essentially Gretzky's bodyguard.
"He has this wild hair going and he looked like a monster coming right over to me and I'm thinking what have I got myself into," Laidlaw said. "You can't hide, so when he came over to me, I got right in his face. I thought he was going to kill me, but I couldn't back down. He had a scowl on his face, but it seemed like he wanted to lecture me before he killed me."
According to Laidlaw, this is how the conversation went:
Semenko: "Tommy, are you going to hit Wayne any more tonight."
Laidlaw: "Dave, if you don't want me to hit him anymore I won't hit him."
Of course, the funny aspect of the story is that no one on the ice, or in the stands can hear what the two players are saying. All they see is Semenko and Laidlaw looking as if they had barely averted nuclear war.
"My teammates are all coming over and tapping me on the pads," Laidlaw said, laughing. "They are all saying, 'Way to go Tommy, not backing down from Semenko.'"
Laidlaw said Semenko had laughed a bit at Laidlaw's response. "He had done his job, and as far as everyone in the building was concerned, he had sent his message," Laidlaw said. "And to everyone it looked like I hadn't backed down."
A few years later Laidlaw played with Gretzky in Los Angeles and Gretzky became one of his all-time favorite teammates.
The only way for Nabby to play someplace else is if the Isles decide to put him on waivers again. Let him rot there for all I care, here's a guy who could have signed before the season started with any NHL team. But he went for the money, so he signed for the KHL. Didn't like it, so he comes back asking to play for a contender team knowing well ahead in advance that there's a process for clearing waivers.Lancer wrote:So NY suspends Nabokov for the year?
What's going on here? They just hate the guy and want to make his life mislabel?
They can't even trade him right?
It'll be an interesting race. I think I jinxed them too. All along I kept thinking how impossibly healthy 'Nucks were this season compared to the past 3 seasons and all of the sudden for the past month the blue line have been dropping like flies. Wings get Datsyuk back too, no need to mention how important he is to the organization.pk500 wrote:Detroit's path to win the West just became easier. Bummer, James.
I'll be watching.10spro wrote:For some reason, I am really looking forward to tonight's 'Fantasy Draft' than say the skills competition over the weekend or the AS game itself on Sunday. It"ll be fun to find out the last draftee and I am damn sure that either Lidstrom or Staal will try to separate the Twins.
Oh c'mon PK. Everyone knows it's an AS weekend of Shinny Hockey, and as I mentioned a couple of posts before, the 'Fantasy Draft" was my highlight of the event.pk500 wrote: At first glance, I was surprised there was no commentary here about the All-Star Game yesterday. On second thought, I'm pleased. It shows a certain savvy among the fans here, as that "game" resembled NHL hockey about as much as two squirrels having sex resembles quality hardcore porn.
I agree with one pundit's observation that the Fantasy Draft lasted about 30 minutes too long. Even the players were disinterested toward the end. But it's a cool concept that I hope continues. I really liked the skills contest, too.10spro wrote:Oh c'mon PK. Everyone knows it's an AS weekend of Shinny Hockey, and as I mentioned a couple of posts before, the 'Fantasy Draft" was my highlight of the event.pk500 wrote: At first glance, I was surprised there was no commentary here about the All-Star Game yesterday. On second thought, I'm pleased. It shows a certain savvy among the fans here, as that "game" resembled NHL hockey about as much as two squirrels having sex resembles quality hardcore porn.
I wrote this about the poll on my flyers blog that I've been playing with the last few months.pk500 wrote:VERY interesting results in the latest comprehensive NHLPA poll. Plenty of fun categories to peruse:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/allstar/poll/
At first glance, I was surprised there was no commentary here about the All-Star Game yesterday. On second thought, I'm pleased. It shows a certain savvy among the fans here, as that "game" resembled NHL hockey about as much as two squirrels having sex resembles quality hardcore porn.
http://mostlyflyers.blogspot.com/CBC Sports and the NHLPA ran a players poll. The results are here.
Always interesting to get a player's perspective. A few observations:
Crosby
He's public enemy number one in Philly, and a some Flyers fans like to delude themselves about how he is an overrated diver who isn't respected around the league.
Crosby placed first or second in the following votes;
-Toughest forward to play against
-Active player you'd like to start a franchise with (69% of vote!)
-As a goalie, who is the most difficult to stop (2nd)
-Toughest to play against (overall)
-Hardest to take puck off of (2nd)
-Smartest player
-Best skater (2nd)
That is no joke folks.
Flyers-related
-The Flyers came in 5th as the most overrated team with 4% of the vote.
-Chris Pronger came in 3rd as toughest defensemen to play against. Chara, Lidstrom and Pronger were out ahead of the pack in this category.
-The Flyers did not place in the top 5 of teams you'd like to play on. Surely there are myriad of factors here (management, ownership, fan base, rink, consistency, city), but it always appeared to me the Flyers were attractive target for free agents because their fan base, desire to win, and consistency.
Other
-Dan Bylsma number one list of 'coaches you'd like to play for.' Wow, didn't see that one coming.
-Mike Babcock got 2nd on 'coaches you'd like to play for' list, and second on 'which coach demands the most of his players.' Taken together that's pretty high praise I think.
-'Should fighting be banished'-- 98% no. 'Should instigator rule be abolished'--66% no. Nothing's changing there I think.
-Montreal's rink was the runaway winner in favorite arena to play in, despite being number 2 in having the worst boards/glass. Must be the buzz in the crowd.
-'Best referee'? Winner--none, 15%. Figures.
Say what?fletcher21 wrote:What happened to the NHL? It's sad to think that hockey is barely even in the big 4 sports anymore. I'd say Nascar is #4 and hockey would be #5. If you factor in college sports, hockey isn't even in the top 10.
I think the NHL wants it that way, and most of the fans as well. I don't think they want to be the next NFL. They seem to be comfortable with what they are and where they are at in the Sports universe.fletcher21 wrote:What happened to the NHL? It's sad to think that hockey is barely even in the big 4 sports anymore. I'd say Nascar is #4 and hockey would be #5. If you factor in college sports, hockey isn't even in the top 10. I remember watching games on ESPN when I was a kid and the coverage was outstanding. How did the NHL fall so far? Is it because the games aren't on ESPN and you will rarely see any NHL highlights on Sportscenter? I live in an area where hockey has always been huge, but it just seems like not many people care anymore. Kinda sad when the all star game is hidden on Versus, and there is only one prime time game a week on Nbc.
I watched the skills competition and enjoyed it. The "game" is a mockery. I know it'd be a huge shame for anyone to get injured in an all star exhibition game, but they really should just make all star weekend a skills competition only. The game doesn't mean anything and it's at the pace of some high school games. There's no Pete Rose collision at home plate type moments in the game to really make anyone care. I could have sworn back in the 90s the players actually played hard, but I was still a kid then so it has probably always been this way. It's a sad state of affairs for this great game to be so overshadowed by Neckcar and damn near every other team sport.
