Blog Title: HockeyDirt

Mental Floss is a neat site that runs all kinds of quizes and trivia games. They are currently featuring 30 Teams 5 Minutes, a simple game to see if you can remember the names of all 30 NHL franchises. Give it a shot.

SI's Jim Kelley has grown weary of the "Todd Bertuzzi is a good guy" stories that crop up in every city Bertuzzi lands in.  Kelley thinks Bertuzzi and the NHL should continue to pay a price until Steve Moore has his day in court.  (Todd Bertuzzi's 'good guy' image is just a charade)

The Huffington Post, one of the most influential political blogs in the US has something to say about Sarah Palin's billing as a "hockey mom." 

This endearing appellation was intended, we suppose, to show Sarah Palin in a favorable light, as someone who would arise at 4 am to make sure her children were able to get ice time at the local rink as they played the national game of nearby Canada.

There is no evidence yet uncovered that the Governor was the kind of hockey mom who sought blood as well as wholesome activity for her children. We have learned, however, just how she campaigns as a hockey mom. Before partisan crowds apparently oblivious to any sense of propriety, Sarah Palin calls out for blood to be visited upon her terrorist opponents, most particularly, upon Senator Barack Obama. She has incited a cadre of miscreants to scream for his head. She has turned the campaign into a hockey brawl.

(Hockey Mom)

I love the NHL, but sometimes they realllly make it tough, like when they bring in Def Leopard to participate in the celebration of the Red Wings' Cup victory. 

In an apparent effort to solidify Sarah Palin's "hockey cred" Flyers owner Ed Snider (a McCain campaign supporter/contributor and fan of the Iraq war) invited America's most famous "hockey mom" to drop the puck at the Flyers vs Rangers game last night. 

Not surprisingly, hockey is also playing a role in the election campaign currently underway in Canada. The leader of the Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, apparently thought it would be good politics to be filmed playing a little ball hockey. Unfortunately Dion's handlers were unaware that their leader would be shooting on some guy who plays like a freakish hybrid of Brodeur & Luongo wearing a pair of Ken Dryden's old Kenesky pads.

Uniwatch thinks the Thrashers have set a "new standard for bad design with their new alternate uniform."

Not really.  As bad as it is, the Thrashers have nothing on the Canucks "flying V" jersey from the late 70's.

The announcement that Roberto Luongo would be the Captain of the Vancouver Canucks for 2008-09 got me thinking about the current slate of NHL captains. In recent days several teams have announced their new captains (view list of teams/captains here), although three of the NHL's favorites in the Tavares Cup - Atlanta, Florida and Toronto - have yet to annoint a captain for the coming season. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the unusual position of having an ambivalent captain who seems unable to decide where or even if he will play this season.  The "C" has yet to be stripped from Mats Sundin, despite his failure to commit to the Leafs (or anyone else) for the coming season. 

Just like most PeeWee hockey teams, the captain is usually the best player on the team (Crosby, Ovechkin, Iginla, Luongo...), or at least someone who was at one time the best player on the team (Koivu, Arnott, Brind 'Amour?).  Patrick Marleau was also the best player on the Sharks when he was named captain, but lost that status when Joe Thorton cam to San Jose.  But the case can be made that a handful of teams have stitched the "C" on someone other than their best player.  On this I would include:

Washington Capitals - Chris Clark
Buffalo Sabres - Craig Rivet
New Jersey Devils - Jamie Langenbrunner
Philadelphia Flyers - Mike Richards (likely will be the best, but not quite yet)
Edmonton Oilers - Ethan Morrow
Los Angeles Kings - Dustin Brown
Carolina Hurricanes - Rod Brind'Amour
Nashville Predators - Jason Arnott

Here's a snapshot of the league's current collection of Captains. 

Nationality:  17 Canadians, 5 Americans, 2 Swedes, 2 Slovaks, 1 Finn

Age:  The league's youngest captain is Jonathan Toews (20), the oldest is Joe Sakic (39).  The average age is 31. 

Position:  10 captains play centre, 7 play right wing, 4 play left wing and 5 play defence and 1 is a goalie

Drafted:  It helps to be a high draft pick if you want to become an NHL captain.  Three current captains were drafted first overall (Crosby, Lecavalier, Nash) 10 more were drafted in the top 10 and another 7 were first rounders.  The lowest draft pick to make it as a captain is Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, selected 133rd overall.  Is Alfie the lowest drafted player to ever captain a team?

Games/Points:  Joe Sakic leads all captains in games played (1,363) and points (1,629), a long way ahead of Toews (64 games, 54 points). 

To see a simple spreadsheet of the league's captains and some related data, click here.

If the Ottawa Senators are going to return to the form that had pundits labelling them bona fide Cup contenders they are going to need more from Mike Fisher. 

Now, before the legions of Fisher fans out there jump down my throat screaming that Fisher is the heart and soul of the Senators and the team's captain-in-waiting, take a breath.  Mike Fisher is a good hockey player and by all reports a real stand-up guy who does a ton of great work in the community. But...

Fisher is entering the first year of a 5 year contract extension that will pay him $21 million.  Under this new deal Fisher will earn $6 million, an eye-popping raise over the $1.5m he earned in 2007-08.  This means he will be making more than Daniel Alfredsson ($5.4m) and any other Senator except Dany Heatley ($10m) and Jason Spezza ($8m).  Three things have to happen for Fisher to fulfil the $6m in expectations he has set for himself: 

• clearly establish himself as Ottawa's second line centre
• hit the 25 goal/60 point marks
• avoid prolonged scoring droughts

Early reports indicate that new Senator boss Craig Hartsburg will follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and separate the Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley trio.  This will likely mean that Fisher will be paired with Alfredsson.  Alfredsson is an exceptionally smart, hard working and creative player with whom Fisher should do well, but this is not the first time for the this experiment and in the past it has failed to produce the desired result. 

If Fisher and Alfredsson do succeed in developing some chemistry, Fisher should have little trouble improving over his 2007-08 production of 23 goals/24 assists.  The defensively responsible Alfredsson should also help Fisher rebound from his 2008 team worst -10 plus/minus rating. 

Consistency, at least in terms of scoring, has always been one of Fisher's biggest problems.  Last season he went on 7, 14 and 18 game scoreless streaks that are simply unacceptable for a player averaging close to 20 minutes a game playing time. 

Mike Fisher's work ethic, combined with occasional burst of brilliance, mean that Fisher has few detractors.  Nonetheless, there are some who are whispering that Fisher is the league's best third line centre and wondering if he will ever develop into the solid number two centre the Sens have been lacking for years. 

It would be unfair to say that Ottawa's 2008-09 fate rests on the shoulders of Mike Fisher.  Nonetheless, now that Fisher's a $6 million dollar man he has to step up and make a consistent and significant offensive contribution if the Senators are going to be a factor in the Eastern Conference.

To avoid the wrath of Fisher fans, I've posted some links to Fisher-related videos, below.

Mike Fisher - Indescribable

Mike Fisher & his cool cottage on MTV

Mike Fisher on hockey and his faith

Mike Fisher Foundation

I received the following from several people - but no one seems to know the original source.  Hockeydirt would love to give the author of this the credit he/she is due, so if anybody knows the author of this piece please let us know.

Update: the source of this has been found. This article originally appeared on August 31 in the Vancouver Province under the title Kurtenblog helps draft that beer-league team. Thanks to Alan for the tip.

It's a well-known fact that there are only two seasons in Canada: summer and hockey. According to long-standing tradition, the former starts with the hoisting of the Stanley Cup, as fans in an American city celebrate. The latter officially kicks off after Labour Day weekend.

In fact, there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of managers across Canada who will spend the long weekend making personnel decisions in time for the September dawn of a new season.  Granted, the majority of these managers are in charge of teams with names like "Old Puckers", "Rusty Blades", "Just the Tips" and "Nine-Inch Males," but don't be fooled; beer-league hockey squads can be downright tricky to put together.  As with any successful organization, you need the right mix, and that means drafting from the following beer-league player categories:

Which one are you???

The Ringer

Some teams wait until the playoffs to unveil this option. Others go with it right from the opening face-off.  Either way, without a ringer, your team is done. The challenge for managers is convincing a good player to suit up for a bad side. This can be accomplished a number of ways, including promises of goal-scoring glory and awe-inspired teammates. Most effective, however, is let him play for free. It's simple math, really. Everyone else pays an extra $50 and everyone else gets a shot at the "DD" Division title.

The Young Guy

At first glance, he can easily be mistaken for a ringer, since the young guy still wears the shorts and socks of his junior or college team. But it's time for the next phase of life now, and that means an office job. The young guy stays in shape for the first half of the year. Sadly, an increasingly sedentary existence and late night partying catches up to him by Christmas. 15 to 20 pounds later, he's just another player, huffing and puffing with the rest. Welcome aboard, kid.

The Old Guy

Forget the 50-and-over league; that's not for him...even though his gloves reach up to his armpits, and he still uses a wood stick. To be fair, the old guy can be an effective player, especially if he's a wily old guy -- a hook here and a chop there, because that's how they did it when professional athletes were real men. "Eddie Shore -- now there was a hockey player! Lost an ear against the Maroons. Sewed it back on himself. Never missed a shift."

The Tardy Goalie

Hey, thanks for showing up. Only five minutes gone in the first. Not like you play a crucial position or anything. Take your time, dickhead.

The Beginner

Required only for cheap laughs. On the one hand, you have to admire the beginner. It takes a lot of courage to buy all brand new equipment, and
take up hockey in your 40's. On the other hand, learn to take a pass,man. It's right on your stick, for Christ's sake. How does that knock you
over?  And now you're friggin offside! Not to mention the Beginner shows up at every game, no matter what time or what day.  Sunday night playoff game
at 11PM - no worries, Mr Beginner will be there.

The Complete Psycho

Also good for a few giggles . . . from afar. Most likely a cop or fireman. The complete psycho is capable of anything: running the goalie, challenging an entire bench, a tomahawk chop -- all in the repertoire. Do not feed the complete psycho. He doesn't want to be fed. He wants to hunt.  And, look to him to carry on his act in the bar after the game.

The Naked Guy

Bane of the dressing room. Most players have the courtesy to stretch their hamstrings while sporting, at the very least, a bit of underwear. Not the naked guy. He'll carry on full conversations, and you had better maintain eye contact like your life depended on it....or come face to face with the swinging sausage.

The Guy with the New Girlfriend

An excellent way to lower everyone else's fees is to load up on a few of these. The guy with the new girlfriend will show up to three games, tops, so his payment will contribute to everyone else's and it's not like you'll lose ice time by putting him on the roster. That said, beware that the guy with the new girlfriend might very well turn into the guy with the new wife...at which point he'll never miss another game.

The Organizer

This guy is absolutely brutal but since nobody else could be bothered to do all the paperwork and collect the money he gets to play.  Is frustrating to play with because they can barely skate let alone take a pass but nobody gets mad at him cuz he's a really nice guy.  Is often heard in the dressing room saying 'Sorry guys, that one was my fault' and if he's lucky somebody will chip in something like 'No worries Donny, it's a team effort.' What everybody is really thinking is 'Hey Donny, my grandmother is a better player than you and yes you are right, that was your fault.'  If you are lucky the Organizer is usually smart enough to take himself off the ice in critical situations.

The Minor Hockey Allstar

Looks promising at a glance as they fool you with reasonably good skills but after you get zero passes you'll get the picture.  This guy topped out at 'AA' Midget and can be spotted by the huge blinders attached to his helmet.  Play is characterized by energetic rushes down the wing, (no passing), then into the corner (still no pass), behind the net (hey dickhead I've been open for the past 5 minutes),then into the next corner (everybody has gone back to the bench to watch) followed by a blind give away pass to the high slot / break out pass for the other team.  Cut this guy.

The Johnny Try Hard

Great to have on your team but they suck to play against because they have somehow managed to keep themselves in ridiculously good shape. They were probably the star on their high school hockey team and won athlete of the year because they played hockey, volleyball and track all in the same year.  Guaranteed they have a membership at the 'Running Room'.  Play is characterized by constant hustle which if caught off guard can embarrass the more talented yet fatter player.

The Stanley Cup Champion

This player will raise their hands and cheer when they score.  If this is an opposing player you must nip this behaviour in the bud by catching him off guard with a sickening open ice hit that causes him to blow snot bubbles. If this player is on your team quickly chastise him in front of the other team to let them know that this is not how the rest of your team rolls. Remind him how much of a loser he is by retrieving the puck from the net the next time he scores and presenting it to him in front of the other team.

The Tough Guy

This guy maxed out at the house-league level, has never been in a fight and is characterized by antagonizing behaviour on the ice.  In extreme cases he will 'cheap shot' another player. The fact that your beer league does not allow fighting has given this guy a false sense of courage.  What this guy does not realize is that this will not prevent someone from knocking his teeth out if he cheap shots the wrong guy. There is a number of fun ways to handle this player which all end with him lying on the ice bleeding, looking for his teeth and crying.

The Wrong Guy

Not to be confused with 'The Complete Psycho'.  This guy shows up, doesn't say much and pretty much flies under the radar screen.  The kid that gave him the cheap shot him will eventually look his name up on Hockey DB after his facial surgery and realize he had 355 pims in the East Cost 3 years ago.

The Gary Roberts

Can be described as being way too intense.  This guy is one of your better players but is unable to adjust to the lower level of play.  At the best of times he will try to coach players on the fly and at the worst of times he will snap and call his entire team a bunch of house-leaguers.  He believes the game should be played a certain way and despises 'pond hockey' style play with no back checking or positional assignments.   Most likely is suffering from a complex of 'unfinished business' from his previous hockey career and is looking to capture some shred of glory via the rec-league championship.  This guy is probably better off playing with his own kind in a senior-A league.

The Gear Guy

More money than brains.  This guy is a mediocre player who compensates for poor skating and a crappy slapshot by always having the latest, hottest gear.  Watching him suit up is like flipping through the Hockey News equipment reviews issue.  He starts by stuffing his chubby frame into skin tight UnderArmour, followed by massive, ultralight pads.  He shows up with shiny new blades every year, claiming that the last pair "just never felt right" and boasting that he feels faster because his new skates only weigh 17 nanograms.  A couple of weeks after Ovechkin sports a yellor visor, the dude shows up with one.  Best of all are the sticks.  While everybody else does just fine with bargain rack specials this guy hauls out a Warrior Kronik before anyone has even heard of it.  He sucks, but he's handy to have around because he carries an extra elbow pad and a spare pair of gloves in his bag. 

by Tim O'Connor

Like most Canadians, the news that Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin is, of all things, a hockey mom caught me off guard.

At first blush it seems a little odd that Palin is being branded by her own party as a "hockey mom" when the Republicans are trying to create a broad appeal for her with the electorate. I mean, in the US, being branded a "hockey mom" has about as much broad appeal as being branded "muslim preacher." So, why have the Republicans chosen to do it?

Well, I surmise, it's because of the general attitude toward hockey south of the border.....tough, fighting, take no prisoners. All this to say, there's a different view toward the term "hockey mom" here in Canada (ass-warming cushion, Tim Horton's in hand, buttons with photos of hockey playing kids proudly pinned to an overstuffed winter coat) and in the U.S. where the term "hockey mom" is being used to brand Palin as a fighter, someone ready to "put on the foil" for McCain. Sure, she's a woman running for Vice-President, but she's tough, she's scrappy, she doesn't take hit from no one.

Interestingly, I heard Palin herself during a rally asking, "They say, 'What's the difference between a mountain lion and a hockey mom? Well, hockey moms wear lipstick." So, while we north of the border may take a little foreign pride in the Vice-Presidential candidate being branded as a hockey mom, in reality, the term is being used in a near negative manner with Palin. In labelling her a hockey mom the Republicans are trying to create a picture of Palin in the minds of Americans as a Broad Street Bully with an updo and lip gloss. Better that than for the press to focus on her history as a beauty queen, especially after the damage done to the image of beauty queens by Miss Teen South Carolina.  Portraying Palin as a beauty queen would only reinforce all the wrong stereotypes and fuel the fires of arguments some make about women not being fit for higher office.

Sure, Palin didn't spend five years drinking her own piss in a Viet Cong POW camp, but she's a hockey mom, so she may as well have.

Oxonomics is a terrific blog written by a group of Oxford graduate students.  A recent posting, Why do footballers dive?, discusses the tendency of soccer players to dive in an effort to draw fouls.  The author asks "Why do footballers dive more than other sportsmen?"

The author's answer is that the risks associated with diving in soccer are far outweighed by the potential rewards.  The risk - a yellow card and "opprobrium from neutrals and the media" are modest.  The reward - a free kick or a penalty shot if the "foul" occurs in the 18-yard box - are magnified by soccer's low scores.  Faced with this risk-reward ratio, many soccer players opt to take the fall. 

The NHL attempted to deal with the diving problem in hockey in 2006 by making it a penalty.  In addition to a two-minute minor, players caught diving receive a letter from the league (Oooh Scary!).  Second offenders receive the penalty and a $1,000 fine while three-timers are hit with a whopping $2,000 fine.  With an average salary is $1.9 million, does the league really expect such piddling fines to alter behaviour?  Player can also receive supplementary discipline.

NHL referees have undermined the introduction of the diving penalty.  According to Hockey Numbers, 77% of the 109 diving calls made in 2007 were accompanied by an offsetting minor to the opposing player "involved" in the diving incident.  In 2006, 82% of diving calls came with an offsetting minor penalty.  (Does anyone have the data on diving for 2007-2008?) 

Faced with the likelihood that a dive will rarely result in a power play for the opposing team, players like Sean Avery, Mike Ribeiro, Jarkko & Tuomu Ruutu and Kristian Huselius continue to fall down. 

Oxonomics argues that the reward for a successful dive is very high - particularly when the dive occurs in the 18-yard box and results in a penalty kick.  With close to three-quarters of all penalty kicks resulting in goals, the incentive to dive is huge.  NHL hockey is also a relatively low-scoring game and power plays result in goals 17.7% of the time, it is not not surprising that players continue to embellish. 

While diving may not be as prevalent in hockey as it is in soccer, it is problem the league can and should fix.  When players take dives referees shouldn't neutralize their own calls by assessing offsetting minors. 

Check out the Hockey Organ. (Thanks Boing Boing & Matrixsynth.)

Funny

NHL Star Called Up To Big Leagues To Play For NFL Team

(Apologies for the hiatus -- new job, family stuff...)

Due to a variety of travel commitments five buddies and I had no option but to do our 2008 NHL playoff pool last night.  This added an element of risk to the selections since several playoff spots are still up for grabs and the round 1 matchups are far from clear.  Nonetheless, we made our picks. 

Joe Thornton went first overall & one brave prognosticator took Ovechkin with his first pick.  In the East, anyone wearing a Ranger jersey was much sought after.  Several Habs and Pens were also selected.  The competition for players from the Western conference was much hotter.  The picks went deep into the Red Wing, Shark, Duck and Avalanche rosters.  No Dallas Stars were selected, and Jerome Iginla was treated like the chubby kid in the schoolyard, selected at the end of the draft. 

Jason Spezza was about the 30th player selected.  Prompting some of the participants to launch into the sort of Spezza-bashing routinely heard here in Ottawa.  Being somewhat offended and perplexed by the lack of love for Spezza I took a closer look at his season and his career.  Turns out Spezza's a pretty fair young player.  Here are 10 facts supporting the argument that Spezza is among the league's elite young players.

1. Spezza was born on June 13 1983.  Please absorb that fact.  He is not a 15 year veteran, not a 10 year veteran.  He's not yet 25 years old.  He's 24.  Is it reasonable to expect him to be a fully developed, mature hockey player?  Please. 
2. He's in his 4th season in the league.  He's over the 90 point mark for the 2nd time in his career and would have easily hit 90 last year when he recorded 87 points in only 67 games. 
3. Since entering the league he's averaged over a point a game.
4. Even Spezza's harshest critics give him at least a little credit as a playmaking and the fact that Dany Heatley has had 2 50-goal season in a row, and would have had a third if not for injuries. 
5. Spezza gets criticized for his turnovers.  Does he lead the league in giveaways?  Nope.  Joe Thornton does.  He sucks.  Spezza is second.  Followed very closely by a guy named Ovechkin - he sucks too, and then Markov, also a sucker. 
6. Some point to his faceoff percentage as another weakness in his game.  He's at 50.2 percent.  Better than:  Modano, Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Arnott, Eric Stall, Evgeni Malkin (38.9%!). 
7. He's a defensive liability.  Hmmmm.  At +26 he's 10th in the league in plus/minus, which would seem to indicate otherwise.
8. Clutch goals?  Spezza has 6 game winners - the 27th highest total in the league.  Ovechkin leads the league with 11.  Roenick has 10 (huh?).  Datsyuk, Nash & Mike Richards have 6. Kovalev & Thornton have 5. 
9. Prior to entering the NHL he was the AHL's leading scorer and the league MVP.  He was selected for Team Canada in 2006.  He has played in the NHL all star game.
10. He was traded as a junior - an indication, to some, that he's "problem" player with a bad attitude.  Not so much.  According to the Wikipedia, "He was able to play for the OHL's Brampton Battalion as an underaged player for the 1998-99 season because it was his hometown team; he averaged over a point per game. He was then required to enter the OHL Priority Draft and was selected by the Mississauga Ice Dogs in the team's opening season (1999–00). Spezza became the third player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship as a 16-year-old, after Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros.

I recently uncorked a bottle of Wayne Gretzky Estates 2006 Merlot. 

This is not the Wayne Gretzky of wine.  Its more like a useful 3rd line winger - the oenophilic equivalent of the journeyman winger - well prepared, professional, responsible but not flashy, and at $15.95 a reasonable Cap hit. 

In addition to the Merlot, Wayne Gretzky Chardonnay is also available. 

In typical Gretzky fashion Wayne is funneling a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the wines to the Wayne Gretzky Foundation that provides underprivileged youth with an opportunity to play hockey. 

Too bad Wayner didn't get a little more creative when naming his wines.  Whacky wine names like Fat Bastard, Goats do Roam or Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush are all the rage.  How about "215" in honour of his ridiculous 1985-86 point total, or "50 in 39" to commemorate his record for scoring 50 goals, "WWW" (Wayne's World Wine), or "Janet Juice" in honour of his wife's gambling habit.....suggestions welcome.

Hockey News Columnist Ken Campbell has proposed that the Ottawa Senators trade Mike Fisher for Mats Sundin from the team down the highway. 

Campbell argues that with reports that Peter Forsberg's comeback has suffered a setback, Ottawa GM Brian Murray needs to make a "bold" move to get the Senators over the hump.  He thinks Sundin is the answer.  Setting aside the fact that Sundin (unlike Forsberg) has never won a Cup - the fact is that Fisher is way to high a price to pay in exchange for player soon to turn 37.  Sundin is a future Hall of Famer (500 goals, most of them scored in a Leaf jersey will secure those HoF votes) but Fisher is 10 years Sundin's junior and the Senator's captain-in-waiting. 

Forsberg's appeal is (was?) that teams figured on getting him without giving up a roster player, and possibly without giving him a long-term contract.  At a minimum, any Forsberg contract will be written with gaping escape clauses in the event of (another) career ending injury.  Sundin has hinted that he'd only waive his no-trade clause with the Leafs in exchange for a multi-year deal. 

In the past the knock on the Senators has been a lack of grit and players willing and capable of playing "playoff" hockey.  Fisher is just such a player - it doesn't make much sense for Murray to start trading awy the pieces that were lacking for so many of the seasons that ended in post-season disappointment. 

While Murray is undoubtedly be looking to tweak the Senator's lineup in the hopes of landing a skilled veteran to serve as an inspirational rallying point (à la Teemu, Bourque, Andreychuk...), giving up Fisher smacks of the short-term lunacy that has ruled the Leafs for decades.  The Senators have a record of avoiding just this sort of short-term move. 

While the NHL badly trails the NFL, NBA and MLB when it comes to producing and harboring disreputable characters, the passing of Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz is a reminder that the NHL has had and its share of crooks.   Anyone unfamiliar with the Wirtz story might want to get their hands on Mark Weinberg's biography:  Career Misconduct. 

Wirtz, like fellow felon Harold Ballard, is among the (dis-)Honoured Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.  Another of hockey's most disreputable figures, Alan Eagleson, has thankfully been expelled from the Hall.

Hockeydirt proposes that Wirtz, Ballard and Eagleson be nominated as the founding members of the NHL Hall of Shame. 

Who else "deserves" to be recognized as hockey's most infamous characters?  We're looking for idea.  Here are a few possibilities:

Todd Bertuzzi

Dino Ciccarelli

Mike Danton

Dany Heatley

Wayne Maki

Marty McSorley

Dan Quinn

Who else deserves consideration?

Ken Danby, the artist who created "At The Crease" - arguably the worl'd greatest piece of hockey-related art - has died.  Danby suffered a heart attack while canoeing in Algonquin Park, north of Toronto.

The Senators unveiled their new Reebok jerseys before 6,500 fans last night.

Uniwatch likes them.

Apart from removing the swooping stripe from the middle of the jersey, the Centurion that forms the logo has been updated.  The old guy had a soft, paint-by-numbers frown whereas the new one has a younger, more angular look.  They've also wiped away the tear that appeared to be welling up in the old Centurion's right eye.

Reading this got me thinking about the active NHL players skating toward a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Here's Hockeydirt's list of the player's destined for a place beside Howe, Gretzky & Orr in the Hall.  This is followed by a list of those who could earn a spot if they finish their careers with a flourish along the lines of hitting the 500-goal mark or leading their team to a Cup victory. 

Headed for the Hall

• Peter Bondra
• Rod Brind'Amour
• Martin Brodeur
• Chris Chelios
• Dominik Hasek
• Jaromir Jagr
• Nicklas Lidstrom
• Scott Niedermayer
• Mark Recchi
• Jeremy Roenick
• Joe Sakic
• Teemu Selanne
• Brendan Shanahan
• Mats Sundin

On the Bubble

• Tony Amonte
• Ed Belfour
• Sergei Federov
• Peter Forsberg
• Trevor Linden
• Eric Lindros
• Scott Mellanby
• Mike Modano
• Alexander Mogilny
• Gary Roberts
• Keith Tkachuk
• Pierre Turgeon
• Doug Weight
• Sergei Zubov

Ok - let the games begin - tell HockeyDirt who we've missed, overrated & underrated.

The Lightning have been sold to a group that includes former Columbus GM Doug McLean, Florida real estate developer Jeff Sherrin and a guy named Oren Koules. 

Oren Koules who played some minor pro hockey in the early 80s & the co-founder of Evolution Entertainment - the production company that brought us the Saw movies. 

This is not Koules' first venture into the hockey business - he is also identified as the owner of the Helena Bighorns of the NAHL.  The team, and the Saw movie franchise, were at the centre of Koules' messy divorce from Risa Shapiro.