NHL is back

[mkreku]

If I had to predict a winner, I'd have to say that the Philadelphia Flyers are looking mighty good this year.. on paper.

[alanschu]

If Calgary can secure Mikka it sounds like they have great potential too.

 

Northwest should be a crazy strong division.

[Kor Qel Droma]

The entire Western conference looks like a tough place to earn two points in. I can't/won't pick a winner until the puck drops on October the fifth, and even then I reserve the right to change my mind.

 

And to me, Gretzky going behind the bench is nothing more than an attempt to sell season tickets. Lets face it, hockey is in rough shape in Arizona. I can't remember the last time a game was sold out in Phoenix, can anyone else?

[alanschu]

The Coyotes do seem to be struggling. And they're now playing in a new arena to boot

 

 

I just read the Edmonton Sun today, and it definitely seems like the Oilers are done from a signing UFAs perspective. I didn't see anything that indicated that Messier was calling it quits, but I did see a lot of excitement about both Horcoff and Hemsky given their performances during the lockout.

 

Anyone know where I can find a league leader board for the Swedish league. I've heard the 46 points Horcoff got ranked quite high.

[mkreku]

Anyone know where I can find a league leader board for the Swedish league.  I've heard the 46 points Horcoff got ranked quite high.

 

(Rank, Games Played, Goals, Assists, Points, +/-, Name, Team)

1 50 19 31 50 15 Henrik Zetterberg Timr

[PrincessSarah]

I may still be bitter about Tampa Bay winning the Cup, but IMHO, I think if a city doesn't get SNOW, they shouldn't have hockey.

[mkreku]

So what do you guys think about the NHL reinstating Bertuzzi already?

 

Personally I think it sucks. Bertuzzi broke a guys neck on purpose, missed 13 regular season games, 7 play-off games and now is back as if nothing happened? It's uncertain whether Steve Moore will be able to play again.

 

"With the Avalanche ahead 8-2 in the game at Vancouver, Bertuzzi grabbed Moore from behind, punched him on the side of his head and then landed on top of Moore, driving his head into the ice. The bloodied Colorado player was removed on a stretcher."

 

I still vividly remember that incident. Now that's a 'roid rage moment if there ever was one!

[Kor Qel Droma]

I can see how people could still be pissed at Big Bert for his actions against Colorado. Me myself, I think he has paid his penance. But then again I cheer for the Canucks quite a bit ( unless they play the Oilers , of course), so I am probabaly a little biased. I'm hoping all parties involved can move forward and let this be a reminder that hockey, while a professional sport, is still a game.

Enough players are hurt during the course of a season without people injuring others intentionally.

 

And the bit about Messier retiring was in the Sunday Sun if you can grab a hold of one, Alanschu. It said that the Moose is telling people he is retired and just hasn't made an official announcement.

 

I would still prefer to see Peca as the top line center. Horcoff is good, and getting better, but I don't see him as a no.1 line kind of guy just yet. And if Hemsky scores more than five goals in the preseason, he should get top line status, but otherwise he should be a second line kind of guy. I would put Dvorak in place of Hemsky.

 

And I read that NHL 2006 should be shipping sept.13 in North America. And the product review says it features the return of the create a player, which is cool, because I like to lead the league in goal scoring even though I am a defenceman...

[Volourn]

People should get over the Bertuzzi incident. Things that pretty much happen every game. Players are always intentionally trying to hurt each other, and THE LEAGUE ALLOWS IT. It's called fighting. Outside of boxing (duh!) no other sport encourages such goon behaviour - in fact, guys in the NHL make a good living being nothing but thugs. I mean, sorry, penalty minutes don';t count as 'punishment enough' in this case.

 

I say as long as the NHL allows fighting to be acceptable then they and the fans (bloodthirsty Kanadians who thinking aiming your first at another's head is a-ok, for example); they shouldn't whine when an NHLer basically does the same thing.

 

And, don't harp about the stupid prehistoric 'macho' aspect of fighting.

 

 

 

And, if Messier ends up retiring, that just plain sucks. Bah. Another reason to hate the New NHL. Bring on more!

[alanschu]

I think Bertuzzi has served his punishment.

 

The only reason it was severe as it was is because of the injury to Moore. If Moore hadn't been hurt at all, I doubt Bertuzzi would have even been suspended.

[Kor Qel Droma]

I hate to disagree with you, Alanschu, but as much as I am a Bertuzzi supporter I still think he should have suspended for what he did, irreguardless of whether or not Moore was injured. I someone turns away from you and doesn't want to fight, just call him a **** and slash him on the back of his knee. He shouldn't have clubbed him from behind like that. Of course I also still think the dogpile afterwards is what broke his neck...

[EnderAndrew]

He didn't just hit a guy, or hit him from behind. He threw his whole body into it, and laid out a vicious blow to the guy's neck. I know the above paragraph says head, but I've seen the tape serveral times, and I think he actually struck him in the back of the next.

 

Headshots are illegal in any sports league. In baseball a player got a 20 game suspension for pushing a cameraman who was repeatedly harassing him. Moore did nothing wrong and was an innocent victim.

 

The suspension was initially going to be a season-long suspension. I think it could be reduced to half a season, starting from the first 13 games he already missed.

 

Moore likely will never play again and what happened was not something that happens in any given game.

[alanschu]

I'm not saying that Bertuzzi should not have been suspended. I'm just commenting on the reactionary nature of punishment in the NHL (and arguably society).

[alanschu]

TSN is commenting on a bid by Comcast to televise NHL games and it's said to be in excess of $100 million US for two years.

 

For reference, ESPN opted out of its $70 million option for the next two seasons.

 

I'm not sure if it's $100 million per year or over the next two years.

[Kor Qel Droma]

The Outdoor Life channel? That doesn't make a lot of sense. There's always pond hockey, I guess. But if it means more TV exposure , the NHL should go for it. The deal with NBC is pretty lame anyhow. Maybe Gary is onto something?

 

I see Bob Clarke is still keeping busy. It's great that the Flyers have a giant defence, but Robert Esche might be the weak link in goal.

[mkreku]

Of course I also still think the dogpile afterwards is what broke his neck...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it was when Bertuzzi grabbed the unconscious Moore and slammed him headfirst into the ice that he broke his neck. I downloaded the incident today and watched it several times. The sucker punch made Moore's knees buckle, but it was the headslam that really hurt him.

[alanschu]

Flyers just signed Gagne, which isn't too surprising.

[Cantousent]

One of the side effects of reading all the threads in WoT is that I get to know a bunch of weird trivia. This Bertuzzi/Moore incident isn't trivial, I know, but I'm curious if Moore is permanently disabled now or can he at least lead a normal life? ...And I agree with both sides, Hockey is a rough sport where folks expect fights in every game. ...But I also agree that punishing Bertuzzi looks like as good a place to start smacking down the offenders. There's a difference between fighting on the ice and trying to kill the other players. Just my thoughts.

[Volourn]

He wans't trying to kill him. He was trying to pay back Moore for Moore injuring one of Bertuzzi's teammates from an earlier game.

 

It's hockey culture (well.. many sports do the same). The sad fact, people encouraged and expect the type of behaviour that Bertuzzi illustrated. In fact, they cheer it on. The only reason why Bertuzzi got 'hung' in this incident is because of the serious injury that Moore suffered.

 

Bertuzzi deserved to be punished; but I say if you are gonna punish him you should punish anyone who does 'pay back', or throws a punch since punches by default are intent to injure.

[Kor Qel Droma]

This Bertuzzi/Moore incident isn't trivial, I know, but I'm curious if Moore is permanently disabled now or can he at least lead a normal life?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

From what I understand, Eldar, is that Steve Moore is still in the recovery phase. His broken vertebrae are healed, but he still is not able to work out to the level he used to. And he still suffers the effects of his concussion, with the headaches and such.

 

And the Oilers resigned Marty Reasoner. I guess that shores up the centre position for the team. And Philly keeps signing people, amazing...

[alanschu]

Was hoping for more news today, but the paper was pretty blah...not that there was much to report aside from Gretzky and Bertuzzi.

 

I wonder if this means Reasoner for Handzus is out of the question

 

The signing of Dan Smith is a little more curious. Not that he's expensive...but he hasn't played in the NHL since 2000. He is the captain of the roadrunners though. Perhaps they keep him down there to help the younger players?

[Oerwinde]

Of course I also still think the dogpile afterwards is what broke his neck...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it was when Bertuzzi grabbed the unconscious Moore and slammed him headfirst into the ice that he broke his neck. I downloaded the incident today and watched it several times. The sucker punch made Moore's knees buckle, but it was the headslam that really hurt him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

He never slammed his head into the ice. Moore fell, and Bertuzzi went down with him. His hands were on the guy's back, nowhere near his head when he fell. One thing that also bothers me is when people talk about him hitting him repeatedly. He hit him once. He was about to hit him again but 3 Avalanche players jumped on top of moore's head before he could.

 

And I'm not saying he shouldn't be punished for the sucker punch, but there are more to blame than just him. There's moore for the cheap shot on Naslund that started the whole thing, And there was the Colorado coach for playing him in the last 2 minutes of a 10-2 game after the whole team said Moore was going to pay. They knew Vancouver's big players were after him, so they should have benched him once things started getting bad. Again though, theres no excusing what Bertuzzi did, but Moore should have just fought him and got it over with. Its not like taking a fighting penalty when you're up 10-2 with 2 minutes left was going to hurt the team.

 

They should just get rid of the instigator rule. It would have solved the whole thing. Players don't get hurt in fights, they get hurt in cheap shots. Removing the instigator rule means the teams enforcers beat the crap out of players who do cheap shots. If theres the threat of getting beat, that means less cheap shots. If there had been no instigator rule Brookbank or Bertuzzi would have fought Moore in the same game Naslund got elbowed in the face, and that would have been the end of it. You never saw anyone pounding on Gretzky back in the day because if you touched him, you got beat.

[alanschu]

Is there any place where I could see Bertuzzi's attack? It's been so long I don't remember the details.

[EnderAndrew]

I'm with mkreku, he does down with Moore, and you see his head get slammed into the ice again.

[alanschu]

Gah, I need to see it before I can comment!!>!?#$1111