Mikhail Grabovski does his best Alex Burrows impersonation

What is with these NHL players biting each other? This is ridiculous, last time I checked, aren't NHL players grown men? Do we not punish our children with consequences when they bite their friends and classmates in school. In my humble opinion, Mikhail Grabovski should have to sit for a game or two for his childish shenanigans. Grabovski has a hearing this afternoon with the department of players safety.

NHL.COM --- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski faces a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Sunday afternoon for an incident in Toronto's 6-0 victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

Grabovski received a 10-minute misconduct and a roughing minor for an incident during a scrum at the 11:30 mark of the third period. Grabovski was tangled up with Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty during the incident in question. Pacioretty was also issued a 10-minute misconduct on the play.

It's gut check time for the NHL. This is one of these cases where the NHL needs to make an example out of Grabovski and throw the book at him. Suspend him for a game or two, that would be okay with me. Heck, why not make it hurt and suspend him for three to five games.

This weekend's NCAA Division one television schedule

This hockey season, with this absence of the NHL I have focused on the game of college hockey while the NHL and the NHLPA decided to act like a bunch of children, and hence, the two sided ended up causing the cancelation of 40% of the NHL Hockey season.  Now that the NHL is back up, and running, I would urge fans to continue watching the Division I college hockey.

This season, I have tried keeping up with the ever changing NCAA Division I hockey schedule, and for the most part it’s been difficult because the national college hockey television schedule is very fluid, they continually add games, and obviously delete games. So, I have decided to do it more by a week-to-week basis.

Programing note, for UND hockey fans that are looking for tonight’s game to show up on their DirecTV lineup, there is one change, DirecTV is not picking up Friday’s game between the Wisconsin Badgers. This was announced by the UND Sports Information Director Jayson Hajdu.

If you watch the NHL during the week, you will see numerous former college hockey fans lighting up NHL goalies all over the NHL.

On Wednesday  30, 2013, there was a game between the Minnesota Wild and St Louis Blues and it  looked like all WCHA reunion as there were nine former players from North Dakota (2X), Wisconsin (4X), Minnesota State,  Saint Cloud State, Colorado College. What I didn’t mention is the other schools that were represented in that game as well.

Last night, former Minnesota Gopher Thomas Vanek torched Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask for three goals and lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. Vanek is currently leading the NHL in points with 15. Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Joel Pavelski is sitting in fourth place with 12 points.

In the offseason, The Minnesota Wild signed former Fighting Sioux All-American Zach Parise, the Wild are seeing instance results from Parise, who’s currently leading the Minnesota Wild in scoring with (5g-4a—9pts).

In Toronto last night, former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin scored the game winning goal for the Toronto Maples Leafs as they beat the Washington Capitals 3-2. Frattin is currently third in the NHL with 2 game winning goals.

I think that it’s safe to say, that the future of the NHL is on stage every Friday and Saturday on a television channel near you.

So, if you don’t have the NHL package or you’re one of those fans that have refused to spend the $50.00-$60.00 to get this package, you have options, especially if you have DirecTV.

*NESN = New England Sports Network. FCS= Fox College Sports. NBCSN = NBC Sports Network. DirecTV requires the “Sports Pack” to view the Regional sports Networks.

Fri.	Feb. 1		Michigan State at Michigan	BTN	6:35 p.m.	610 / 439 (C)
Fri.	Feb. 1		UMass Lowell at Merrimack	NESN	7:00 p.m.	628 / 434
Fri.	Feb. 1		Dartmouth at Union	NBC Sports Net.	7:30 p.m.	603 / 159
Sat.	Feb. 2		Michigan vs. Michigan State (JLA)	FS Detroit	3:00 p.m.	663 / 430
Sat.	Feb. 2		University of Wisconsin at UND	FCS/Midco	7:07pm	626

Cross Posted at The Hockey Writers - Combine...

Adam McQuaid pounds Brian Boyle

Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid and New York Rangers forward Brian Boyle are two big boys and this was a pretty good fight in my opinion. This is one thing that I like about the NHL, something happens on the ice and it's settled the players on the ice and not the officials. I score the fight a win by McQuaid. Unfortunately, the Boston Bruins are losing 2-0 after one period of hockey.

Travis Zajac's new deal.

Former Fighting Sioux forward and current New Jersey Devil Travis Zajac is the first player to sign a big contract under the new CBA.

Here is the break down of the deal:
2013-14 $3.5 million (includes $1 million in signing bonus)
2014-15 $5 million (includes $1 million in signing bonus)
2015-16 $6.5 million
2016-17 $6.5 million
2017-18 $6.5 million
2018-19 $6.5 million
2019-20 $5.75 million
2020-21 $5.75 million

Updated National College Hockey Television Schedule

Here is the updated National College Hockey television schedule for the next two weekends.  With the NHL lockout being over – NHL hockey will once again be on the television. Some hockey fans will chose not to watch the NHL; once the games are “finally” back on television again.

Keeping with the theme, that hockey fans have options, you can see that there are quite a few college hockey games, this week starting on Tuesday night, there are two high profile games.   Check your local cable listing, if you have DirecTV, you will need to have a package that includes the sports package.

On this schedule all time are Central Standard Time.

Tue.	Jan. 8		Bowling Green at Michigan	BTN	6:30 p.m.	610 / 439 (C)
Tue.	Jan. 8		Notre Dame at Minnesota	FS North +	7:00 p.m.	657
Wed.	Jan. 9		Harvard at BU	NBC Sports Net.	6:00 p.m.	220 / 159
Fri.	Jan. 11		Colorado College at UND	FCS/Midco	7:37 p.m.	TBD
Fri.	Jan. 11		New Hampshire at Boston College	NESN	6:00 p.m.	628 / 434
Fri.	Jan. 11		Union at Princeton	NBC Sports Net.	6:00 p.m.	220 / 159
Fri.	Jan. 11		Alaska Anchorage at Minnesota	BTN	7:00 p.m.	610 / 439 (C)
Fri.	Jan. 11		Nebraska-Omaha at Denver	NBC Sports Net.	8:37 p.m.	220 / 159
Sat.	Jan. 12		Army at Air Force	CBS Sports Net.	6:00 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)
Sat.	Jan. 12		Colorado College at UND	FCS/Midco	7:07 p.m.	TBD
Sat.	Jan. 12		Alaska at Michigan	FS Detroit +	6:30 p.m.	664 / TBD
Sat.	Jan. 12		Alaska Anchorage at Minnesota	FS North	7:07 p.m.	668 / 436
Sat.	Jan. 12		Nebraska-Omaha at Denver	ROOT Sports	8:00 p.m.	683 / 414
Fri.	Jan. 18		Northeastern at Boston University	NESN	6:00 p.m.	628 / 434
Fri.	Jan. 18		Miami at Wisconsin	BTN	7:00 p.m.	610/  439
Fri.	Jan. 18		Harvard at Yale	NBC Sports Net.	7:30 p.m.	220 / 159
Fri.	Jan. 18		Ferris State at Michigan State	FS Detroit	6:00 p.m.	663 / 430
Fri.	Jan. 18		North Dakota at Minnesota	FS North	7:00 p.m.	668 / 436
Sat.	Jan. 19		North Dakota at Minnesota	FS North	5:00 p.m.	668 / 436
Sat.	Jan. 19		Alaska at Notre Dame	CBS Sports Net	6:05 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)

Originally posted at the Hockey Writers - Combine. 

So the NHL wants us back... (RW77)

English: NHL Commisioner Gary Bettman in 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So the NHL is back with pretty much a joke of a season...but wait!

They have to get all those players back...  Will they succeed?  I'm not sure everyone will return.  There has to be concern that injuries may take control and there is no room to develop talent and anything that makes a team a team.  It's basically the ultimate scramble tournament format.  Who can get started fastest and play the best the quickest.  That's the test.

What does the NHL need to do to get the fans back?

Barry Melrose talks about how the fans always come back after a work stoppage, but I am hoping that they do come back... next season.  I think the fans should sit back and watch what the teams and the league does to try to earn our support back.  Here's a list of things that should be done:

1.  You know NHL Center Ice?  Yup.  Free for the season, playoffs, and ALL of preseason next year.  If they do anything for the offseason, that's free too.

2.  NHL Network - Free view for the same period of time NHL Center Ice is free (if possible... this might be more on the cable providers than NHL Network itself).

3.  The Players become available more than ever before.  ENDLESS autograph signings, school visits, community outreach programs, volunteer sightings.

4.  Promotion nights fall on EVERY GAME IN THE SEASON.  Teacher in the metro area?  Show us your ID and get $5 tickets!  Military?  FREE tickets to you and $5 tickets for one friend or nonmilitary family member with the display of a Military ID.  Civil Servant Night (see Teacher Night).  Got a hockey team of 12 year olds or younger?  Call ahead for seating and your entire team gets $1 tickets (Coach goes free) when they show up wearing their jerseys!

5.  Radio promotions - Give away ticket packs to the local radio stations

6.  The average ticket prices for NHL games (per Hooked on Hockey Magazine) for the 2011-12 season ranged between just under $30 (Dallas) to just over $123 (Toronto).  Well....  Dallas residents can look forward to $15 tickets.  I can see a Detroit game in Detroit for $25 (regularly $53.28).  Toronto residents still overpay at $61.50 per ticket but still...  Season tickets would be restructured to accommodate for the loss of games either by making this season tickets cost less than 50% of normal cost or discounting next year's season tickets by, say, 40% (I don't know....  either way it should be SIGNIFICANTLY discounted).

You cannot change existing TV contracts so unfortunately there is no free TV showings outside of what's mentioned but if it was possible, I'd do it.

I'd love to say Gary Bettman resigns but the smug so and so survives yet again to pull another work stoppage in 8 years.  You can market Sidney Crosby all you want but Gary Bettman is the face of the NHL and NO ONE outside of the ownership likes him.  What a better image saver than to offer Bettman early retirement?  The owners will never fire him, but surely Bettman could take the golden parachute and have roses pave his way back to obscurity if the League really cared about fan opinion (but they don't).

In any case, we'll see how things pan out but...  It's now or never for Columbus' Stanley Cup hopes.  :D

Game winning goal Russia versus Slovakia

With the NHL currently locked out, it's nice to see some hockey finally on television again... I have been watching hockey most of the evening and this was the best game from day one of the the 2013 IIHF WJC. Russia's Albert Yarullin scored at 4:50 of overtime to give team Russia a 3-2 victory against Slovakia. Slovakia actually tied the game with a goal from Slovakia's Richard Mraz with about 14.7 second left to force an overtime period.

NHL CBA negotiations now a game of chicken?

National Hockey League Players' Association (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have sometime's wondered if this is what's really going to happen. I was also wondering if the NHLPA will realize they can no longer get anymore out of the owners and then sign the best agreement, they can get.

It would appear that the owners aren't going to give them much. Me personally, I would advise the players to sign the deal that's on the table soon, if there is no movement by the owners so they can save the season.

Bruce Garrioch,OTTAWA SUN --- The NHL and NHL Players' Association have turned to a dangerous game of chicken with the season on the line.

Who blinks first?

NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr did reach out to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly for a short telephone conversation Tuesday, but no talks are scheduled even though both told QMI Agency Saturday they're prepared to bargain.

Daly said in an email to QMI Agency Tuesday that NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr is trying to bide his time to see if he can get his best deal for the players when the loss of the whole regular season is truly on the line.

But Daly also admitted a meeting wouldn't solve much because the NHL isn't going to go any further than the offer tabled two weeks ago in New York as the massive losses continue to mount for both sides.

"It disappoints me and saddens me because it's just more days lost," wrote Daly. "But, I'm not sure what meeting does from our side. There is nothing left to give and its clear Don is aiming toward a 'deadline' showdown."

This NHL Lockout has been a gong show, there is no reason this should have come to this. I like most are now wondering, when is the 2012-13 season is going to begin. Is there going to be an NHL season, if not, will there be an NHL season next year? We're running out of time for a season this year.

Not 100 percent, but it's likely NHL will cancel more games before end of the week
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) December 18, 2012

During the regular season, I watch 4-6 NHL hockey games every week. I follow the Boston Bruins and the Minnesota Wild and watch whoever is playing when neither team is on TV. This fall, much like the 2004-05 season this fall has been empty. My life has a void again, like the 2004-05 season. I find myself watching movies and bad sitcoms to fill the void. The people that are casual fans might not come back when the lockout is over.

A recent study of 1,000 Canadians found that the found the NHL lockout is so bad for the league's image that it's comparable to BP's Deep Water Horizon's destructive oil spill. Yeah! That's not good. So you have to wonder if this game of chicken the two sides are playing is doing more damage than good.

All that I want for Christmas is a meaningful NHL season.

RT @craigcustance: Hard to argue this from Brisson: "Canceling the season -- there's no words to describe how devastating that would be."
— Steve Zipay (@stevezipay) December 19, 2012

What's really going on?

Boston Bruins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is one of the stories that emerged today... Apparently, one of the alternative governors of the Winnipeg Jets spoke out of turn and Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs put him back in his place.

Joe Haggerty; CSNNE --- Winnipeg Jets representation at a recent NHL Board of Governors meeting piped up to say it was opposed to engaging in a long, bloody lockout sure to stymie their franchise’s momentum and hurt the game of hockey.

It wasn’t Winnipeg owner Mark Chipman, but rather one of the alternate governors representing the Jets.

Bruins Principal Owner and Chairman of the Board of Governors Jeremy Jacobs answered by reprimanding the Winnipeg representative as one of the “new kids on the block” and informed him that he would know when he was allowed to speak in the NHL board room.

That’s the kind of hawkish, dismissive, bully mentality that's driving the bus for the NHL lockout that's now cancelled games through the middle of December.

It’s also the reason why Bruins fans should hold Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs personally responsible.

The Winnipeg Jets have since denied the story but Haggerty is standing by his story that he posted earlier today over on CSNNE.

“I was disappointed to learn today of a report which claimed an exchange took place between an Alternate Governor of the Winnipeg Jets and Jeremy Jacobs of the Boston Bruins at a recent NHL Board of Governors meeting. I was present throughout all BOG proceedings and can categorically state that no such exchange between Mr. Jacobs and either one of our Alternate Governors - Patrick Phillips or Kevin Cheveldayoff - ever took place. Any suggestion otherwise is completely false.”

Hum, it seems like both sides are starting to sound like a bunch of squabbling kids -- I just want this thing to be over.

I also don't like the fact that every 5-7 years we're going to have to lose parts if not a whole season because the two sides can't come to an agreement on the collective barginning agreement.  From everything that I have read lately, it does appear that some of the blame for the lockout lies at the feet of Jeremy Jacobs, which makes no sense to me because he is one of the haves.

Related articles

• Told to shut up or not, Jets have little say in lockout (lfpress.com)
• NHL lockout 2012: No, all 29 owners are not on the same side (sbnation.com)
• Bruins owner to blame for lockout? (csnne.com)
• Winnipeg Jets Prospect Jacob Trouba Delivers Devastating Open Ice Hit for Michigan Wolverines (Video) (nesn.com)

The only game in town?

Original NHL logo, used until 2005. A version of the logo features it in the shape of a hockey puck. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The NHL lockout has been a buzzkill so far this fall and it appears that there is no end in sight to the second NHL lock out in eight seasons.

The two sides are literally squabbling over millions of dollars, but have no idea how to come to an agreement on how they’re going to split up their hockey related revenues. While these two sides bicker, college hockey seems to be taking the center stage.

Hockey fans need options and are looking to college hockey to fill their NHL Hockey void.

I have compiled a National Collete Hockey Television Schedule that you can use a guide. I update it, when more games are added to the schedule. In the US, college Hockey might be the only viable option we have this winter, if they two sides don’t come to an agreement soon.

The NHL will cancel the first two weeks of December very soon, if not in days,  if an agreement between the two sides isn’t reached. This is a true fact, that cancellation will probably come after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Dan Tencer@dantencer

Heard from @JSportsnet tonight that the next cancellation from the NHL is December 1-15 + All Star Game. Could be as early as tomorrow.

19 Nov 12

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So how big has college hockey been in absence of NHL Hockey, one team in Grand Forks, North Dakota is the most watched hockey team in North America.

UND hockey is king with the NHL hockey locked out.

If you don’t believe me, check out the article that Brad Schlossman wrote in today’s Grand Forks Herald, which says that UND Hockey is the most followed hockey team in North America.

I don’t think it’s a shock to any of us who have followed UND hockey, which has had a very big following since the team moved the Ralph Englestad Arena for the start of the 2001-02 season.

This season, UND hockey drew it’s 5 millionth fan. That’s pretty good for college hockey, which UND is historically in the top three nationally for attendance every season.

Those fans that come through the turnstiles of the Ralph Englestad Arena  to watch UND hockey are enthusiastic and fired up about watching their favorite team and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by UND head coach Dave Hakstol.

“I don’t know about the attendance marks, but I know about the energy our fans bring,” UND coach Dave Hakstol said. “It’s the best student section in the country. When we leave for pregame meal, there’s 1,000 students already lined up at 2:30 or 3 in the afternoon. When we come back for the game, that student lineup out in the cold wraps halfway around the back of the arena. That, in itself, brings some excitement when you get to the rink.

“Inside the arena, the passion all our fans bring is second to none. I can compare that to almost any sporting event I’ve been at. What continually strikes me is the new people that come into the building — NHL people and hockey people from all over different parts of North America. No matter what they’ve heard about the building, no matter how many positives they’ve heard, by the end of the hockey game they are still in disbelief about what they just witnessed. That’s due to the passion and excitement of our fans. Their loyalty is second to none.”

So while the NHL is locked out, you do have options. Here is the television is the National College HockeyTelevision Schedule for the next two weeks. If you have DiecTV and don’t have the sports pack, get it. Check your local cable television listings for the games and channels listed below.

Fri.	Nov. 23		Minnesota at Vermont	FS North +	7 p.m.	TBD
Fri.	Nov. 23		Colgate at Merrimack	FOX College	7:30 p.m.	TBD
Sat.	Nov. 24		Minnesota at Vermont	FS North	7 p.m.	668 / 436
Fri.	Nov. 30		Boston College at Boston University	NBC Sports Net.	7:30 pm	603 / 159
Fri.	Nov. 30		Ohio State at Michigan State	BTN	8 p.m.	610 / 439 (C)
Fri.	Nov. 30		Vermont at Maine	CBS Sports Net.	8 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)
Fri.	Nov. 30		Nebraska-Omaha at Minnesota	FS North +	8 p.m.	TBD
Sat.	Dec. 1		Boston University at Boston College	NBC Sports Net.	7:30 p.m.	603 / 159
Sat.	Dec. 1		Nebraska-Omaha at Minnesota	FS North +	8 p.m.	TBD