Today it has been one year since the passing of Luc Bourdon. Take a moment to appreciate life before the SCFinals get underway.
The NHL has finally come to their senses with regards to moving up the schedule. Here is the schedule which starts this Saturday:
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Saturday, May 30 @ Detroit, 5pm PT NBC, CBC, RDS
Sunday, May 31 @ Detroit, TBD-Night NBC, CBC, RDS
Tuesday June 2 @ Pittsburgh, 5pm PT VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Thursday, June 4 @ Pittsburgh, 5pm PT VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, June 6 @ Detroit, 5pm PT NBC, CBC, RDS
*Tuesday, June 9 @ Pittsburgh, 5pm PT NBC, CBC, RDS
*Friday, June 12 @ Detroit, 5pm PT NBC, CBC, RDS
The Canucks have given Rypien a two-year extension with the club through the 2010-2011 season. This keeps the 4th line of the Canucks intact as both Johnson and Hordichuk are under contract for next season. It’s hard not to love Rypien when he’s healthy, especially for fights like these:
Just for today though, just for today. For the first time EVER, I am cheering for the Wings tonight. Why, you may ask? Well that’s because the NHL might do something smart for once. As I have previously written about the NHL bowing down to NBC, and not starting the SCF till June 5th… ESPN reports that the NHL might move up the start date to this Saturday if the Pens and Wings can finish up their series’ by Wednesday. Since the Pens swept their series last night…the Wings just have to win tonight…so Go Wings!
While I will be none to please to be sitting inside a watching hockey on Sunday for Game 2, which I assume, since NBC is airing it, will be at some ridiculous time in the afternoon, like noon PT…. Can we just start already? I’m freaking warm outside.
So much news around the NHL these days…
So yesterday the NHL announced two possible start dates for the Stanley Cup Final Game One: Thursday May 28th or Friday June 5th.
Now May 28th would have only been possible if both the Penguins and the Wings sweep the series, with Chicago’s OT win last night, the sweeps didn’t happen. So, regardless of when the conference Finals end, the Stanley Cup game one won’t start will June 5th. Let’s say the Penguins sweep their series, and the Wings win the next two, this series will end on Weds May 27th, leaving 9 freaking days of NO HOCKEY!
Thank you Gary Bettman.
Now I know that the NHL is most likely just bending to the networks request, ahem, NBC because they have nothing else to broadcast on Friday or Saturday night on June 5th, and will broadcast game 1 and 2 if Bettman succumbs to their demands. But if you are trying to keep the casual fan who has just jumped on the playoff bandwagon watching, you do not throw in a 9 day break. Casual American fans will start watching baseball, or go on vacations or watch So You Think You Can Dance.
Cam Cole of the Vancouver Sun estimates that if finals goes seven games, the final game could be on June 16th. If the NHL wants to stay within the June 15th written-in-stone pledge, they would have to play back to back games.
Not only is this bad for fans who are watching the game, I think this is just becoming too long for the players. The physical toll on the players for playing this late in the year and emotional toll from being away from their families even long will not bode well.
The only way this may help grow hockey is the possible avoidance of the NBA finals, which will not subject the viewers from having to choosing one over the other.
So Bettman, will having games 1 and 2 on NBC really grow the sport that much? Or perhaps the loss of fans who are already watching the playoffs and bail for the final series do to the absence hurt it? Couldn’t you have got a deal with NBC that plays perhaps games 3 and 4?
As tPB said today, Game One [of the pens/canes game] was four years ago. Stupid breaks in the playoffs. Was that for the Springsteen concert in Pittsburgh or for the TV? Neverless, we’re back at it again tonight.
Chuck Fletcher will be announced as the new Wild GM tomorrow. I guess that means Pierre McGuire and his monsters will still be on TSN/NBC next year. He must not have impressed with his interview, for the “transcript” click here.
The KB would like YOU to rate the Mats Sundin Canucks Era or at least the 4 months he played in a uniform.
Another post by the KB about NHL Attendance with some (still) shocking photos of empty seats in Phoenix during games.
So Kyle Beach, the #11 draft pick, that many Canuck fans thought that Vancouver should have picked him in the draft (at the time) signed a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Wrap Around Curl has a contest to mark this contract signing. She is giving away a Tokarski Saves t-shirt if you can guess how long Beach will last as a Blackhawk (until he is kicked out, demoted, suspended etc). Why is she doing this? Well when he was called up to the Hawks’ AHL affiliate this season, he was kicked out after 3 games. Aren’t you glad we picked Hodgson? Yes, yes you are.
It is a long weekend in Vancouver and there’s no hockey. I feel like I’m going crazy. It is Saturday, at 4pm PT, and no HNIC. I feel like I’m in withdrawl.
-If you haven’t seen it yet, the Puck Huffers have the Staal v. Staal drinking game. Game 3 for that series is on a Saturday, it’s too bad I don’t get the Versus feed.
-Schedule-wise there will also be no hockey this weds, looks like I can catch up on life that day
-the Manitoba Moose won last night (Cody Hodgson got an assist and was the 3rd star, Schneider was the 1st star)
During a day that is normally an uneventful media address by the GM and coach, the Canucks announce that they have signed Bernier to a new deal. Bernier who was set to become an RFA on July 1st was signed to a two year 2 million dollars per year deal.
Bernier was originally acquired from Buffalo on a trade last summer for a second (2010) and third (2009) round draft pick. This year he made 2.5 million dollars (higher than originally offered due to offer sheet from the Blues). “It put a smile back on my face,” Bernier said of the new contract, which comes just three days after the Canucks were eliminated from the NHL playoffs. – Globe and Mail
The Canucks will provide Bernier with a nutritionist and specialized coach that will help him work on his skating stride.
GM Mike Gillis and Coach AV had their media address today. They went over the normal stuff, the dissapointment of not being in the playoffs anymore and such. Top of Gillis’ list is to resign the Sedins before July 1st, before Burke sends them a fruit basket to wish them Happy Canada Day. After July 1st he will begin to speak with Luongo and Kesler about their contracts that are entering the final year.
A number of players are heading into surgery:
-Pavol Demitra needs shoulder sugery
-Taylo Pyatt need knee surgery
-Alex Burrows will have bone chips removed from his wrist
-Ryan Johnson will have another surgery on his finger that he broker earlier this year
And a happy 48th birthday to Vigneault!
Not to be overlooked with all of this “Trade Luongo” fever, but there are two epic posts that were done by two Penguins sites this week. Just EPIC.
The Puck Huffers have some hard life truths with the pens.
One of the best lines of the post:
“When we lost the game tonight, it was the worst moment of your life. For a good five minutes, you were so fucking upset with the world that you would have thought you were just told you have a week to live, starting six days ago.”
The Pensblog also had an epic post before their game seven. It’s a great read. It may refer to Boudreau as an oompa loompa. It may.
Vancity Canuck 