Matt Fraser's Disallowed Goal

There's varying opinions on whether this goal should have counted or not. The Refs thought it was incidental contact. You be the ref, do you think the goal should have counted? I think it's should have counted, but I am Boston Bruins fan.

Nevermind - ruled incidental contact. No penalty, but no goal, either. #stlblues #OurBlues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 19, 2014

GIF: The waved off goal from Fraser (multiple angles) http://t.co/mm8HSm8muu
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) November 19, 2014

Darryl Sutter, 'We never really had the lead'

#450724504 / gettyimages.com

I love listening to Darryl Sutter's post-game press conferences. Personally, I love these old school hockey coaches. Sutter kind of reminds me of another head coach. Here's a sample. s/t L.A. Kings Insider.

On how he’d describe the 6-5 shootout loss to Anaheim:
How’d I describe it? Lost in a shootout.

On how “intense” the game was:
It was very little, quite honest. It was just kind of a pond hockey game. It looked like one of our preseason games. [Reporter: Seriously?] Very seriously. You want me to say ‘not seriously?’ [Reporter: Are you talking about just from your team’s end, that you weren’t happy with letting this thing get away, or no?] No, I don’t think we let it ‘get away.’ We never really had the lead. [Reporter: A couple of two-goal leads?] I know you define it by goals having a lead, but we really never had the lead. If it wasn’t for Jonathan, it wasn’t even close. They’re a much better team that we are. They proved it last year and they did again tonight. [Reporter: So what was lacking, do you think tonight? For the most part?] I don’t think we had much energy, much focus, much execution. We used a short bench. Too bad actually we lost the shootout, because then Jonathan feels tough, right? He stood on his head to get us a point

Phil Kessel's Goal Shouldn't Have Counted

This is one of the reasons that the NHL needs a coaches challenge, this should be a tie game, still. Check out this video, Phil Kessel's goal shouldn't have counted. The puck hits a player on the bench and comes back into play. It will be interesting to see if the NHL GM's finally decide to have a coaches challenge. That was only the fourth goal Kessel has scored against the Bruins in 28 games. Make that five in 28. Thoughts?

That is Phil Kessel's fourth goal in 28 regular-season vs. Boston.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 13, 2014

(Video) Dallas Star Punk Antoine Roussel Runs Alex Stalock, Sucker Punches Justin Braun

s/t to Kuklas Korner. I don't know about you, but I am growing tired of Dallas Stars punk Antoine Roussel and  his antics. First I understand going hard to the net, but this is bush league. The goalie has an expectation to not be run over. This is unacceptable. Then the spineless punk sucker punches an unsuspecting player that's not ready to engage him. Roussel has an hearing tomorrow for the sucker punch, I am thinking a five-game suspension for this clown. Feel free to chime in.

Dallas F Antoine Roussel will have a hearing tomorrow for a sucker-punch to San Jose D Justin Braun.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 9, 2014

Related articles

• Player safety hearing set for Stars' Roussel(wdsu.com)

  ---

(Video) John Moore's head shot on Erik Haula

At the 07:12 mark of the second period, New York Rangers forward John Moore was given a match penalty for this dirty, dangerous, inexcusable head shot on Wild forward Erik Haula.

This hit is worthy of a suspension  and should land Moore a game or two vacation. Because this penalty is a match penalty, it will reviewed by the NHL. There is no excuse for this dirty hit.

John Moore's actually going by Haula, slows and extends elbow right into Haula, who leaves the game. Match's are automatic reviews
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) October 28, 2014

NY Rangers determined to make sure Wild have no players left by tomorrow's game in Boston.
— Matt Kalman (@TheBruinsBlog) October 28, 2014

Toronto Star: Junior hockey players deserve to be paid decently: Editorial

This subject has been coming to a head in the Canada. I have been following the story a little and frankly this same argument has come up from time-to-time in college sports.

The NCAA has talked about giving their athletes stipends as well. Obviously, that's not a weekly check, but some college are going to hand out a lot more money than $35.00-120.00 a week.

Toronto Star Editorial -- Still, CHL President David Branch argues the players “are amateur student athletes” who are paid an allowance and are eligible for university and college scholarships for their participation in a hockey program.

Really? A hockey “program”?

This isn’t cub camp. The reality is that these are young people (typically 16 to 20 years old) being taken advantage of by an organization that is the main funnel of talent for the enormously wealthy National Hockey League. (The average NHL team was worth $413 million in 2013, according to Forbes.)

Asking the players to work for $35 to $120 per week is like asking managers to work for free until they make the corner office. Their hard work on the way up earns the NHL its profits down the road — never mind the revenues the CHL earns immediately.

Even the promised scholarships are a point of dispute. The claim suggests the conditions to receive one are so onerous that the CHL pays out scholarships for only four players a year, totalling $30,000. The CHL disputes that. It says the Ontario Hockey League alone paid out $2 million in scholarship funding last year.

Loose Pucks an CHL blog is taking issue with the Toronto Star article.

Fact check cont'd: Between Ryerson & York there are almost 16 players on CHL scholarships. Then there is the rest of CIS.
— Loosepucks.com (@loosepucks) October 26, 2014

Calgary Flames Forward Johnny Gaudreau Scores 1st Goal of the 2014-15 Season

Former Boston College Eagles All-American forward Johnny Gaudreau scored his first goal of the 2014-15 season last night. As you can see, Johnny Hockey's first goal was a thing of beauty. The Calgary Flames rookie has scored (1g-1a--2pts) in six games.

Phil Kessel Humor

Non NHL Fans Try To Guess Phil Kessel's Day Job--> http://t.co/zdFCDlafCq 6). Tow Truck Driver pic.twitter.com/idFir4zxib
— Goalie Humor (@GoalieHumor) October 18, 2014

I thought this tweet was really funny.

Bobby Orr on Speed in the NHL, 'It's Dangerous'

I was reading this article over on the Sports Net site and I found something that caught my eye. According to former Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr, the speed of the NHL makes it dangerous.

Luke Fox, Sportsnet.ca -- Orr on speed: “I played a style that coaches didn’t like. Not many players played like that. When I went to junior, I was 14 (and) owned by the Bruins. But they didn’t ask me to change my style. They continued to let me play my way. They thought I was most effective that way, and it certainly helped me.”

“I think teams are looking at L.A. and teams that are more successful and seeing they need speed. There are a lot more good skaters then there were in the past. Without the centre line, you can wind up, go from one end to the other. Guys are coming through the middle with big speed. I think it’s dangerous. I think with the size of the players and the speed of the players, without the centre line, players are being hurt. Teammates are running into each other, and I think it’s dangerous.

Howell. Pilote. Kelly. Orr. Not a bad top four. pic.twitter.com/SeEVn8l8sK
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) October 2, 2014

Calgary Herald: Knight ready to compete for full-time spot with Flames

#478282597 / gettyimages.com

Going into training camp, former UND forward Corban Knight is ready to fight for a spot on the Calgary Flames roster. It will be interesting to see how Knight does. What ever he does: one thing is for certain, Knight will have a smile on his face.

Laurence Heinen, Calgary Herald -- And the Calgary coaching staff is looking forward to seeing whether the former Okotoks Oiler can live up to his words.

“He’s got all the tools,” noted assistant coach Martin Gelinas. “He’s a good skater. He’s got a good shot. He’s a centreman that can take draws and win draws. Everything is there for him. He’s shown nice progression, so we’re excited to see him at camp.”

With a host of other players also vying to earn a coveted roster spot, Knight knows he’s going to have to be ready to compete once the players hit the ice.

“You look at the guys they’ve brought in and the guys they have returning, it’s going to be really competitive,” said Knight, who turned 24 on Sept. 10. “There’s not many spots open and there’s a lot of guys working for those spots. I think it’s good though. It’s a healthy competition where it’s going to push guys to be better. It’s definitely a good problem to have for training camp.”

Related articles

• Former UND forward Corban Knight to test free agent market.
• Dobber Hockey on Corban Knight

Time for the NHL to Embarass the Divers

#57060815 / gettyimages.com

s/t Pro hockey talk... I really like the idea of exposing and publically humiliating the divers in the NHL. I am all in on that idea. In fact, let's have a wall of shame and expose the frauds weekly that cheapen the game of hockey.


I have a great idea. Let's have an end of the season dishonor award for the frauds that get caught diving and embellishing the most. I would suppose the players union won't let this happen, but if you don't want to get called out and publically humiliated, stop flopping and diving all over the ice. It's really that simple.

Dan Rosen - NHL.com -- The players in the session, including Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John-Michael Liles, led an impassioned discussion on enforcing the diving/embellishment rule (Rule 64.1), [Colin] Campbell told NHL.com. He said the players want to distribute a list of divers around the League so it can be posted in all 30 dressing rooms and be delivered to the on-ice officials.

“They want to get [the list] out there,” Campbell said. “They want the player to be caught, whether it’s on the ice by the referee or by us on video. They are all tired of diving. The object is to make them stop eventually and, by doing that, they can get it out there around the League, embarrass them. The referees will know it, too, so the divers don’t get the benefit of the doubt.”

According to Elliott Freedman of SportsNet.ca the NHL seems to be moving away from exposing the divers and frauds. Again, diving to draw a penalty is cheating and poor sportsmanship.

The first example the NHL showed in its diving video was Tomas Plekanec’s head-snap in the Eastern Conference Final. The league wasn’t so sure about publicly naming those warned or fined, but the players pressed for it. Montreal’s centre is going to be closely watched at the start of the season

Related articles

• Enforcing the NHL's New Diving Rule

Chad Johnson Tweet - Wants to suit up for Habs so he can Fight Chara.

Yeah, let's think about this for a minute. I don't think that the Ocho Cinco has any idea how tough Zdeno Chara really is. Chara was ranked number one of the 10 toughest players in the NHL by the Bleacher Report in 2013.

As NHL training camp approaches I want to suit up for the HABS so I can fight Chara & Lucic...
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) September 15, 2014

NHL Rules: Stricter Penalties for Diving/Embellishment

One of the best things that I have seen all day. The NHL has decided to penalize players who dive to draw a penalty on the ice. Anyone think that the Montreal Canadiens are going see a few of their players receiving extra scrutiny. Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand might be lighter in the wallet. 

Rule 64 – Diving / Embellishment

The supplementary discipline penalties associated with Rule 64.3 (Diving/Embellishment) will be revised to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines will be assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale outlined below.

Incident #	Player Fine(s)			Head Coach Fine(s)
1	Warning			N/A
2	$2,000			N/A
3	$3,000			N/A
4	$4,000			$2,000
5	$5,000			$3,000
6	$5,000			$4,000
7	$5,000			$5,000
8	$5,000			$5,000

Related articles

• NCAA Hockey: Penalize Player Embellishment

Minnesota Wild: Nino Niederreiter signed to a Three-Year Contract

And then there was one RFA left to sign. This is good news for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild didn't want to go into training camp with Nino Niederreiter unsigned. Nino's deal is worth 8 million dollars over 3 years. So the Wild have him signed through the 2016-17 season. That leaves Darcy Kuemper as the only unsigned restricted free agent.

BREAKING: #mnwild agrees to terms with @thelnino25 on a three-year contract. More coming to http://t.co/QO5q0O9vrQ pic.twitter.com/L5ITxslRFq
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) September 11, 2014

Liam Reddox Scores A Sick Goal

Former Edmonton Oilers forward Liam Reddox scored this amazing goal in a Champions Hockey League game. Reddox is now playing for Sweden's Växjö Lakers. Former Denver Pioneer Rhett Rakhshani is also a member of the Lakers.

Liam Reddox scores a beauty in the Champions Hockey League. https://t.co/VFooUpHxII
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) September 6, 2014

Coyotes Devan Dubnyk's Goalie Mask

Devan Dubnyk's new desert-themed #Coyotes mask. pic.twitter.com/4PddIwVdfo
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) September 7, 2014

Another nice looking goalie mask.

Hockey News: Steve Moore/Todd Bertuzzi settlement proves NHL can’t justify culture of revenge

The Steve Moore and Todd Bertuzzi settlement has been reached. I thought this article was worth a read. For those that don't read the Hockey News, they're very anti-fighting and I refer to them as the Anti-Fighting Cabal.  That being said, this was an ugly incident.

Adam Proteau, The Hockey News -- Perhaps they’ll be able to shovel enough money toward future plaintiffs to convince all of them to settle prior to a trial as Moore has. But what keeps owners and league brass awake at night is the lingering fear lucrative payouts won’t protect them forever; that they’ll be called to account in public and under oath; and once that happens, all their empty chatter about “tradition”, “our game” and “the code” will be exposed for what it is: insular, anachronistic, indefensible bunk.

The biggest tragedy/irony of the Bertuzzi/Moore narrative is that both of its main actors were broken by it – Bertuzzi never was the same player – yet hockey and the NHL carried on unscathed despite creating and cultivating the conditions that led to it. The truth is, the game was broken long ago, and in a way that led directly to the events that took place when the Canucks and Avs squared off on March 8, 2004.

The money that’s been paid to Moore does nothing to fix that fissure. Sadly, all it does is leave open the possibility there will be more Todd Bertuzzis, Steve Moores and legal showdowns to come.

The Steve Moore/Todd Bertuzzi lawsuit is over, & @Proteautype says it shows the NHL can't defend its revenge culture: http://t.co/XwkPHG4TBt
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) September 5, 2014

CBC: Gary Bettman shoots down NHL expansion talk

#451339220 / gettyimages.com

Of course he did... The NHL doesn't like others to break their news for them. I just don't believe it, the NHL stands to make a lot of money off of adding more teams to the league... I guess we will find out soon, right? Personally, for me, the more the merrier.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman shoots down expansion talk: Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday a repo... http://t.co/tZzhWwRh1F #NHL
— NHL (@NHLLinks) September 3, 2014

The Canadian Press -- Gary Bettman has vehemently denied the NHL is considering expansion.

But the commissioner said if it ever does, prospective owners may have to pay up big time.

Sports Business News reported via Twitter last week the NHL will expand into Las Vegas, Seattle, and Quebec City while adding a second franchise in Toronto by 2017.

On Wednesday, Bettman called the report a "complete fabrication," and took issue with the franchise fees cited in the story — $1.4 billion US, or $350 million per team.

'Nobody's moving. And speculation to the contrary not only is wrong, it's unfair to the team and their fans who are being speculated about.'

Boston Bruins: David Krejci re-signed by the Bruins

#Czech media reports David Krejci has signed a 6 year, $43M extension with the #Bruins.
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) September 3, 2014

Whew, the Boston Bruins have inked one of the key players to a nice long-term deal. Krejci signed a six-year, 43 million dollar deal. The Bruins still have to get their RFA Torey Krug re-signed.

D.J. Bean, WEEI --- According to a league source, the Bruins and David Krejci have agreed to a six-year, $43.5 million contract.

Krejci, 28, will carry a $7.25 million cap hit throughout the duration of the deal, which begins in the 2015-16 season. His salary breakdown will be $7.25 million for the first two years of the deal, $7.5 million for the next two and $7 million for the final two.

NHL expanding to Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas! According to the Providence, the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas, Nevada. Place your bets. I picture an arena with one armed bandits and black jack tables in it. All jokes aside, I think it's a great move. Now, I wonder if we can get a Frozen Four there?

Tony Gallagher, The Providence -- Sources close to the situation have indicated Las Vegas is a done deal, the only thing to be determined being which owner will be entitled to proclaim that he brought the first major league sports franchise to Sin City.

And given how dead set against a team in the gambling haven the commissioner was 10 years ago, this move into another player friendly state-tax-free zone represents a considerable about-face indeed.

But people have been betting on hockey games for years and to pretend games couldn’t be fixed just as easily anywhere as in Vegas is pretty ridiculous, so that posturing has fallen by the wayside.

A new team close to the newly renamed Arizona squad and California’s big three is all but assured, the only question being when and with which other city. Or should that be plural?

With all the activity going on in the Seattle area in the last little bit it would be quite a stretch to imagine that much time and effort being spent by so many wealthy men being frittered away for nothing.

Report: #NHL expansion to Las Vegas ‘a done deal’ http://t.co/r8p1ZNDNkv pic.twitter.com/TP3zPmXwFE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 27, 2014