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In The Rafters
In this space, we wanted to honor FTR founder James Mirtle by retiring his number. But since he's not wearing a number, we're putting the sportcoat from his photo in the rafters.
Thanks for everything, James!
Rink Side Radio Tonight from 9-10!
by Joe Fortunato on Feb 8, 2010 4:47 PM CST
in Rink Side Radio
2 comments
(Mike's note: I'm bumping this to the top but in case you missed it, scroll down for more on Bob Gainey's resignation as Montreal GM.)
Hey guys, it's Monday again and you know what that means; Rink Side Radio! You don't want to miss tonight's show since we have a plethora of guests coming on.
Julian Sanchez from Pension Plan Puppets will be on at the top of the hour to talk about the tragic deal of Bendan Burke and a little about the fundraiser they are doing (yet again) to help all of those who are dealing with homosexual discrimination.
John Fischer (In Lou we Trust) and Matt Gunning (Bird Watchers Anonymous) will be joining us right after that to chat about the Thrashers Devils swap that saw Ilya Kovalchuk move to New Jersey.
Then my editing manager Jim Schmiedeberg (Blueshirt Banter) will be joining us to talk about the Olli Jokinen deal and what that means for the Rangers and the Flames!
And finally Rob L (Habs Eyes on the Prize) will be joining us to chat about Bob Gainey stepping down as the general manager of Montreal.
We're booked solid guys so make sure to give us a listen. You can listen live and download the archived version at this link here. You can also listen live at the bottom of this post but remember you can't access the chat unless you are listening at the actual Blog Talk Radio show page.
Remember the number to call is in (646) 595-2440, we love taking your calls so make sure to call in early and often. Hope to see you all tonight!
2 comments | 0 recs |
Bob Gainey Steps Down As Habs GM
by Mike Chen on Feb 8, 2010 4:09 PM CST
6 comments
"I've done my best and now it's time for me to pass the torch," Gainey said on Monday. "I believe that the general manager position requires a long-term vision and a long-term commitment. At this point, I'm not prepared to make a commitment of four or five or six more years in this position."
This timing seems awfully strange to me, and perhaps the idea is to let the Olympic break act as a mid-season transition. Since Gainey is staying on in an advisory role, he probably worked in tandem with Pierre Gauthier for at least the past few months while they worked up to this public announcement. At least, that's what common sense tells me, but we all know that common sense doesn't necessarily apply in pro sports.
If that's what is happening behind the scenes, then I don't quite understand why the announcement is made public now as opposed to after the season ends. Perhaps they want Gauthier to step forward and take the team's identity during the trade deadline, or maybe we can take his words at face value and Gainey just figured it was time for personal reasons.
Whatever the case, Gainey's legacy as a GM isn't particularly strong. TSN has a poll up regarding Gainey's best move, and you get to pick from Alex Kovalev, Cristobal Huet/Radek Bonk, Josh Gorges, Mike Cammalleri, Carey Price, or hiring Guy Carbonneau. If that's the best you have to pick from over 6+ years, it's not exactly gangbusters.
For more, check out Habs Eyes On The Prize review of Gainey's GM career.
6 comments | 0 recs |
SBN Gameday: Fox in the Snow
by Mike Chen on Feb 8, 2010 2:00 PM CST
in SBN Gameday
2 comments
Every weekday, FTR will look at the day's games with a preview blurbs from around the SBN hockey network.
Tonight's soundtrack: Fox in the Snow by Belle & Sebastian -- a quiet tune to sooth Danny Briere and co. as they recovered their cars from the recent snow storm.
Game of the Night
New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 PM EST
Ilya Kovalchuk spent his first night as a Devil with Patrick Elias and put up eight shots on net; that combo will remain against Philly. Don't forget, the Flyers were interested in Kovalchuk too, as they need something to ignite their invisible offense.
San Jose Sharks at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 PM EST
The Niclas Wallin-to-San Jose deal is official and Wallin will play tonight. Is Toronto's Phil Kessel better than Evgeni Malkin?
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche, 9:30 PM EST
The Blues are trying to take some positives out of recent losses while the Avalanche have officially suprassed last season's point total.
Edmonton Oilers at Phoenix Coyotes, 9:30 PM EST
Is anyone actually awake in the Edmonton Oilers' front office? For Phoenix, their goal is to not come out as flat as they did against Dallas.
Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks, 10 PM EST
Anaheim might start selling off pieces such as James Wisniewski before they find new and creative ways to lose to their cross-town rivals.
2 comments | 0 recs |
"According to various reports, Bob Gainey will step down of GM of the Montreal Canadiens with assistant GM Pierre Gauthier taking over the reins."
-The Hockey News
More after this afternoon's press conference.
50,000 Snookies or 1 Kovalchuk?
by Mike Chen on Feb 8, 2010 11:00 AM CST
17 comments
Ilya Kovalchuk turned down $101 million dollars (said in my best Dr. Evil voice) from the Atlanta Thrashers. That's a whole lot of bucks, no matter how you cut it up. I mean, really, could any sane person turn down more $75 or $100 million to do something they loved?
Ah well, what's done is done. In the meantime, the Thrashers suddenly have $101 million dollars in their wallet. What could they do with it? Well, let's see. They could buy...
-202 million Jack in the Box tacos: Jack in the Box offers two scrumptious tacos for a dollar. Just think, the Thrashers could fill Philips Arena with 202 million tacos -- not just any tacos, but the delicious deep-fried goodness of Jack in the Box tacos (seriously, I love these things). With 202 million tacos, the Thrashers could feed the entire post-frat party community of a college town for two whole weeks before needing to restock.
-1.01 billion packages of Top Ramen: Jack in the Box tacos too expensive for you? Try Top Ramen -- just add boiling water and the high-sodium seasoning and you are good to go! Remember to wait for Safeway's 10-for-$1 club special before you purchase your billion or so Ramen packs.
-50,500 Snookie appearances: At $2,000 a pop, you get a lot for a Snookie (you know, the overtanned horror from Jersey Shore) appearances -- in fact, that would basically make Snookie your entertainment slave for the rest of her natural life (138 straight years of Snookie showing up for an evening). Maybe she can be an Ice Girl at Thrashers games from now on. Oh, but remember -- you have to pay for transportation.
17 comments | 0 recs |
Rumors From The Rink - Tim Thomas On The Block?
by Bob Harwood Waeghe on Feb 8, 2010 9:00 AM CST
1 comment
The Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes are over but there are still plenty of teams out there who need help and who will be looking to add a piece or two before the deadline. Most in need right now are the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators.
Each of these teams have losing records over their last 10 games, some worse than others. (The Flyers are 5-5.) If they want to stay in their respective playoff races, they should be looking seriously at the market.
One surprising rumor which just hit the wire is that the Boston Bruins are shopping last year's Vezina Trophy winner, Tim Thomas. If this is true, is it too early for the Bruins to give up on their down-to-earth goalie, a player they have a very heavy financial commitment to? (5 Million USD per year).
Does Chicago have faith in Cristobal Huet to take them to the promised land? It is possible that these two teams are disappointed enough in their respective goalies to try a switcheroo. But of course, that's easier said than done.
1 comment | 0 recs |
Everyone wrote the obituary of hockey in Atlanta during the lockout--and here we are 5 years later. We are committed to building a team here. This is one of the largest markets in the USA, I'd rather own a team here than a number of other NHL cities. We wouldn't have made a $101 million offer to Kovalchuk if we planned on bailing on hockey. I live in DC and I remember a game when the Thrashers traveled up to play the Caps. We beat them in their building and Kovy had two goals that night...It was a Monday night and there was nobody in the building--just a few thousand people. And now the Caps are the hottest ticket in DC. That's what winning can do.
-Thrashers part-owner Bruce Levenson at a season ticket holder event. Complete coverage of the Q&A at Bird Watchers Anonymous.
1 day ago
Mike Chen
6 comments
0 recs
The Week in Hockey Blogging
by Mike Chen on Feb 7, 2010 8:00 AM CST
in The Week in Hockey Blogging
0 comments
Every Sunday, FTR will go back and visit some of the best posts across the hockey blogosphere from the previous week.
-Catch the archive of Rink Side Radio's debut. New show on Monday night!
-Travis Hughes from Broad Street Hockey wrote a touching piece on the tragic loss of Brendan Burke, son of Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke.
-Did you hear Ilya Kovalchuk got traded this week? Bird Watchers Anonymous examines the absurdity before the trade went down, including where Kovy had for breakfast and how that might have affected things.
-Olli Jokinen's wife doesn't like Puck Daddy one bit and advises Greg Wyshynski to change his job.
-Patrick Marleau Facts: Chuck Norris once tried to smile like Patrick Marleau but it broke his face.
-Hockey history blogger Joe Pelletier has been profiling every Olympic hockey tournament in history. Did you know hockey started in the Summer Olympics? Or that Vancouver almost hosted the 1976 Games? Or that the Olympics were open to NHL players in 1988?
-You have to be pretty bad to be a team's worst draft pick of the decade. Congrats, Marek Zagrapan.
-Florida Panther fans are so over Olli Jokinen.
-Yes, there's life outside of hockey...and some guys are much braver than others. Former St. Louis goalie Ed Staniowski is a perfect example of this.
-And finally, Versus is planning a nightly news and entertainment show. Don't worry, no signs of Jay Leno around.
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