Kings Avery: Players were Brainwashed.

[fastmiele 59]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=129734

[jrhky36 1]

brett hull for the union boss when he retires. the union should have someone WHO has played the game as the big boss.

[Chadd 916]

brett hull for the union boss when he retires. the union should have someone WHO has played the game as the big boss.

Gartner is likely to get the top job or get the number 2 job. He's already a major player in the NHLPA and is widely respsected. I can't honestly see Hull wanting to do anything that requires work.

[DarkStar50 679]

The top 50 guys ruined it for the other 650 guys. The players were chasing money that wasn't there to start with. I work in a hockey pro shop and this spring was a disaster. No Stanley Cup on TV means no new wanna-be hockey youth saying "hey dad, let me try hockey." The NHL and the players just wrecked a whole future crop of hockey players for the next generation.

the players should have realized the owners take all the risk: it is the owners' money that buys the team and everything that goes with it. The players did screw themselves. The $42 million cap was a no brainer. Half the teams don't even have that much $ to spend on salary anyway.

Now all we can do is wait and see if they can make a better game than the old one. I was watching FoxCollegeAmerica all week-end on cable. The college hockey with Denver, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc., is more exciting than NHL any day of the week. Trash the red-line for passing, no touch icing, tag up off-sides, smaller goalie gear, and hey make the pros use wood sticks to really mess up their heads!!

[Chadd 916]

The top 50 guys ruined it for the other 650 guys. The players were chasing money that wasn't there to start with. I work in a hockey pro shop and this spring was a disaster. No Stanley Cup on TV means no new wanna-be hockey youth saying "hey dad, let me try hockey." The NHL and the players just wrecked a whole future crop of hockey players for the next generation.

the players should have realized the owners take all the risk: it is the owners' money that buys the team and everything that goes with it. The players did screw themselves. The $42 million cap was a no brainer. Half the teams don't even have that much $ to spend on salary anyway.

Now all we can do is wait and see if they can make a better game than the old one. I was watching FoxCollegeAmerica all week-end on cable. The college hockey with Denver, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc., is more exciting than NHL any day of the week. Trash the red-line for passing, no touch icing, tag up off-sides, smaller goalie gear, and hey make the pros use wood sticks to really mess up their heads!!

The $42M offer was not legit, it was a PR move that evidently worked in your case. There were enough other aspects of the offer to make it unpalatable to the NHLPA and there was no way the players would accept the deal.

The only thing that makes college hockey more interesting is the fact the players make a lot more mistakes or by being out of position and creating more odd man rushes against them.

[Chadd 916]

I wish I would have read Spector's comments earlier today. He does an excellent analysis and commentary on Avery.

http://spectorshockey.tripod.com/default.html

[DarkStar50 679]

Needless to say, I don't have half the info these guys do. $42 million or $42, get the game back on the ice, right now.

As for college hockey and players out of position making mistakes leading to odd-man rushes, etc., all sports are based on one team making a mistake. Whether its travel hockey, college hockey, or pro hockey, mistakes equal opportunities which equal goals. Sometimes the NHL way of "playing it safe" leads to mistake free, boring hockey. I remember going to the Forum in the '80's and the Canadiens would play the visiting team as tight as possible from center ice to the end boards. They were the first team to play ultra defensive hockey with extremely low shots on goal as their main objective. I easily recall sitting in the red seats going nuts to think I was watching the vaunted Montreal Canadiens play a game and give up less than 20 shots on goal. Oh by the way, if the Habs took 25 shots it was a barn-burner. I am not trashing the Habs. I respect them since 1968 and a Savardian spinnerama at the blue line started the Blues on the short walk to the visiting locker room. I grew up with the New York Rangers of Emile "Cat" Francis coaching the GAG line, the Bulldog line and the blueline with Brad Park, Jim Neilson, Rod Seiling, and Arnie Brown. I have been watching and playing the game for a long time. Remember the good old days of 4 defencemen and 9 forwards?

Anyway, as crazy as those 9-6 Edmonton Oiler shoot-outs with Winnipeg were in the 80's, right now I would watch one every night. And that Savardian spinnerama was by Serge, although Denis was mighty capable of pulling off the same move, just a thousand times faster. Drop the red line and open up two line passes. Lets see what happens.

[Sniper15 0]

brett hull for the union boss when he retires. the union should have someone WHO has played the game as the big boss.

Gartner is likely to get the top job or get the number 2 job. He's already a major player in the NHLPA and is widely respsected. I can't honestly see Hull wanting to do anything that requires work.

LOL. So true.

[DarkStar50 679]

Back in 97 or 98, the Blues were at the rink I work at for a practice. Awesome team back then: Hull, Turgeon, Courtnall, MacInnis, Pronger, Fuhr, and Twist. After the players finished up practice with skating laps, Hully was the first one off. He kept yelling at all the guys out on the ice shooting pucks, etc. "Let's go!! I don't want to spend all morning in some friggin' rink!" The guy can shoot but now he's shot.

I met Bobby Hull at the trade show in Montreal that year. I asked him "Bobby, if you were playing now and shooting with these graphite composite shafts and blades like Brett, how many goals would you score?" The great Bobby Hull replies "oh, probably about 30!" I said "Bobby, come on!" He says "Well you know, I am 60 years old!!!"l

[hockeydude_49 0]

The college hockey with Denver, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc., is more exciting than NHL any day of the week.

Amen

[Chadd 916]

Sometimes the NHL way of "playing it safe" leads to mistake free, boring hockey

I agree. The Wings making a run at hiring Mike Babcock doesn't bode well for their fans right now. Sometimes you have to take a risk to score a goal but far too many coaches are preaching a no-risk style of game.

[jrhky36 1]

i forgot that brett hull has said on many occasions that the sport he trully loves is golf. he missed the us amuartur(sp) open a couple of years back. he'll most likely get on the pga tour.

i the thing i like about babcock is that he is intense, and hte wings need that. lewis was too laid back and it cost them long playoff runs. as a wings fan i think the change needs to be made.

michigan v michigan st. hockey is awsome, esp at joe louis arena

100th post

[Bane 1]

Sometimes the NHL way of "playing it safe" leads to mistake free, boring hockey

I agree. The Wings making a run at hiring Mike Babcock doesn't bode well for their fans right now. Sometimes you have to take a risk to score a goal but far too many coaches are preaching a no-risk style of game.

Detroit used to be the home of exciting hockey, it won't be any longer if they hire Babcock. If Jaque Lemair (SP?) is king of the trap, babcok is his crown prince.

[chippa13 1844]

Back in 97 or 98, the Blues were at the rink I work at for a practice. Awesome team back then: Hull, Turgeon, Courtnall, MacInnis, Pronger, Fuhr, and Twist. After the players finished up practice with skating laps, Hully was the first one off. He kept yelling at all the guys out on the ice shooting pucks, etc. "Let's go!! I don't want to spend all morning in some friggin' rink!" The guy can shoot but now he's shot.

I met Bobby Hull at the trade show in Montreal that year. I asked him "Bobby, if you were playing now and shooting with these graphite composite shafts and blades like Brett, how many goals would you score?" The great Bobby Hull replies "oh, probably about 30!" I said "Bobby, come on!" He says "Well you know, I am 60 years old!!!"l

Brett Hull paraphrased,"I hate hockey, I just happen to be good at it."

[jrhky36 1]

it was made offical today dave lewis won't be back with the wings next season. ken holland (gm) said he has talked with mike babcok, he also said that he wanted to talk to two other guys also.

[kosydar 0]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=129944&hubName=nhl

I don't really like this. I thought Dave did a great job, except for choosing an appropriate style of facial hair. I really hope that Smith and Kocur don't go as well, I really liked Kocur behind the bench.

[jrhky36 1]

does anyone else think dave lewis looks like charlie chaplin, with that mastuce(sp) and hair style.

dave was offered a position as a scout. he chose not to accepct it.

ken holland said he would talk up barry and joey to the new head coach when he gets hired. i also liked both guys behind hte bench. too bad ken holland didn't hire barry smith as the head coach when scotty left.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

I was talking to Al Iafrate yesterday - according to Al, Lewis is a combination Hitler/Chaplin/catfish. LOL

[Fury of One 6]

I was talking to Al Iafrate yesterday - according to Al, Lewis is a combination Hitler/Chaplin/catfish. LOL

What's Al up to these days? That dude was like my idol back in the day. He's the reason I worked on my slapshot for so long.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?sh...15entry156871

[kosydar 0]

I know he coaches a midget AAA back in Michigan. My buddy tried out for it, but got cut.

[chippa13 1844]

Good ole "Big Al". I remember when he first got traded to Boston. They interviewed him between periods. The announcer asked one question and Big Al spent the entire interview time answering that one question. It was mildly humorous.