chippa13

The overwhelming consensus on this board by folks who know will tell you that Graf quality over the last 15 years has been extremely suspect.

On occasion had QC issues? That is like saying back in the day Nikki Sixx used heroin "on occasion".

I think players getting pulled for "any little thing" is more a function of their organizations' trying to protect their asset and not the tournament not being important. to the players.

I have enough of the undergarments (shirts, pants, socks) to wash after each skate.

To steal a Herbieism, Graf didn't have enough skate to win by skate alone. Had they put some effort in, in the form or LHS signage and store demo days, then they might have received two very important things, exposure and consumer feedback.

Older guys loved them because Graf stuck with a traditional feeling skate. The problem was that they maintained that with traditional construction for too long and fell behind in the weight game. If I could find a skate that felt like the 703s I wore 20 years ago that even came close in today's weight department then I would be all in. The closest I think I ever came was a pair of pro return Vector Pros made for Michal Grosek that I swapped the holders to Custom +.

I would have had to include the unethical management.

If by a solid name you mean known for slipshod workmanship and sketchy customer service, then sure, the Graf name is pretty solid and well regarded.

Lots of folks loved the brand, 20-30 years ago when there was quality product to be had.

The Cup win was during Seguin's rookie season. He was dealt after being a complete non-factor in the 2013 run to the Cup finals.

Being an opposing forward, I've had too many of those square in the chest or near the head by guys who think they can, but really they cannot.

I can't stand when guys attempt this play.

Tangent: Had Sweeney not clung to Eriksson for dear life at the deadline then that trade would have been more palatable.

I'm really interested to see how this one pans out. Yes, PK is younger and flashier than Weber, but with that comes more mistakes and errors in judgement. It will be curious to see what this deal looks like in 5 years.

Hall for Larsson may just be Chiarelli's "Thornton trade".

His mother must be a phenomenal person.

If these are people you never go out with then that sucks but if it is someone you go out with regularly then it will all come out in the wash.

So Nashville has accepted the inevitable and acquired a pick from Buffalo for his rights. Vesey's agent says he still plans to be a free agent come August 15th so apparently his agent doesn't believe he will settle on the Sabres. With Vesey and Eichel having the same representation and once again playing summer hockey together there is a possibility that could change.

Nobody was saying it was Bickell's fault. Bad contracts are usually hung on the team and certain agents who for some reason GMs always cave to.

You can always start off with the, "Man, is that your gear that stinks?"

Check around to see if there are any girls programs in your area or the like who might run annual skate swaps.

Refs with an itchy trigger finger are just as bad for a league as refs who swallow their whistles. Both create frustration in players which can lead to very problematic situations.

Now that is how one Sweet Spots.

It almost feels disrespectful to put Ali and Howe in this thread.

One source of that low AR number is a low sales number. AR alone doesn't tell quite the same story as Days in AR.