Holiday Monday Musings

Sometimes I wonder what goes through people's minds before they speak. I often wonder if they simply don't think before speaking, resulting in an awkward quote being captured by reporters and fans. Normally, this quote is clarified or explained by the speaker, and everything is fine after the clarification or explanation is given. However, one former NHL player, known for his scoring prowess and his quotes, has made headlines once again by speaking his mind. Whether he thought about his comment beforehand is questionable considering what he said in context of the question. The "he" is Bobby Hull, and the comment is in the first bullet point below. Let's take a look at the stories happening in hockey.

• "If they ever invited me to drink out of that Cup, I'd jump through the rim of my own butt and hang myself just to get another drink out of it". - Blackhawks' legend Bobby Hull, answering Dan Rosen of NHL.com, on what he'd do if the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup this season. Wow. That tells you how much respect the former players have for the Stanley Cup, and what they'd do to have one more chance.
• EA Sports has confirmed that NHL '11 will have all 60 junior teams from the CHL included in the game. The "Be A Pro" feature will have your player start in the Memorial Cup as a junior hockey player, experience the draft based upon your Memorial Cup performance, work your way through the AHL, and (hopefully) end up in the NHL as a star. With the realism that EA Sports is putting into their franchise, is there any reason to actually put the skates on anymore? (I kid, I kid!)
  
• Speaking of the CHL and the Memorial Cup, congratulations go out to the OHL's Windsor Spitfires as they captured their second consecutive Memorial Cup with a 9-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. There's no doubt that this year's version of the Spitfires will go down in Canadian Hockey League history as one of the most dominant teams ever in junior hockey. Congratulations to the Windsor Spitfires franchise on their two years of success, and their work this year in becoming only the eighth team in CHL history to repeat as MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions!
• Congratulations also goes out to Windsor Spitfire Taylor Hall, who became the first player in CHL history to win the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Memorial Cup MVP in consecutive years. Hall led the tournament in scoring with five goals and four assists, one point ahead of teammate Adam Henrique. Hall showed some amazing talent this week in Brandon, and should be the first overall selection at the draft this season if scouts were watching Hall display his talents this past week.
  
• Speaking of dominant, the Hershey Bears eliminated the Manchester Monarchs in six games to advance to the AHL Calder Cup Final for the second consecutive season. The defending Calder Cup Champions ran roughshod over the AHL this season, and are continuing that dominance in the playoffs. Hershey awaits the winner of the Western Conference Final between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Texas Stars. Hamilton leads that series 3-2.
• With the Chicago Blackhawks sweeping the San Jose Sharks out of the playoffs yesterday to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the running joke of the Curse of Hossa continues. Hossa, as you probably know, is a member of the Chicago Blackhawks this season, having lost in the Stanley Cup Final in the previous two seasons with Detroit and Pittsburgh, respectively. Will it be three-for-three in misses, or is the third time a charm for Hossa?
• Charles Wang's dream of relocating having his New York Islanders travel to China next season has been killed by the NHLPA. While no details are given as to why the China trip was canceled in the report filed by ESPN.com's Scott Burnside, the NHLPA reportedly has angered the Islanders' owner. Honestly, Wang has had himself a rough year: no new arena and retail center, and, now, no China trip. Forget Hossa's curse; the Islanders, as a franchise, appeared to be cursed.
• In the story that just won't die, Winnipeg Free Press scribe Gary Lawless has confirmed that True North Sports and Entertainment is the third, "unnamed" buyer in the mix for the Phoenix Coyotes. I have lots of inside information on this, but I've agreed to keep quiet on this for the good of all involved. I will confirm that Lawless has his facts straight in that TNSE does indeed have its house in order to purchase an NHL franchise should one become available. But I want to make this clear: as of right now, the AHL Manitoba Moose are the primary tenants in the MTS Centre this season, and will remain the primary tenants for the foreseeable future.
• In a massive court ruling that will shape the way that all leagues do business, the US Supreme Court has ruled in favour of American Needle, Inc. in their battle with the NFL over an anti-trust allegation. Because of this, the NHL cannot operate as one business entity representing the thirty NHL franchises if a business wants to deal with one or several teams exclusively. Puck Daddy Greg Wyshynski jokes about how video gamers might be affected, but it could mean that we may see a sequel to Electronic Art's 1993 version of NHL hockey.
• If you missed the play in Game Four of the Montreal-Philly series, Josh Gorges had a strap break on his skate guard that resulted in a Philadelphia goal. Gorges is apparently taking the guards off to ensure that his miscue doesn't happen again, but I have a couple of comments on this. First off, Montreal uses counterfeit skate guards, and not the patented Skate Fender design which limits the amount of strap on the outside of the boot. The inventor of the Skate Fenders, Frank McClelland, is aware of the counterfeit models, and is working to have this patent infringement corrected. Secondly, the guards are used to prevent foot injuries while blocking shots. If Gorges wants to risk a foot injury, that's his choice. I, however, will continue to wear my pair, and I will endorse them for all the good they do despite Gorges' bad press for his counterfeit pair.
• Lastly, I'll close this day's musings with a great article from The Onion where they try to decipher why the shark in the logo of the San Jose Sharks is eating a hockey stick. Good satire, and a nice chuckle to finish off your Monday.

Happy Victoria Day, Canadians! Enjoy your day off! I'm going to get back to the Montreal-Philadelphia game, so take it easy and enjoy the game!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!