Will Savard own up?

Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.COM wrote this article about the Bruins star Marc Savard needing to own up for his costly mistake that led to the historic game winning goal and epic collapse. I don't think Savard's mistake is the sole reason the Bruins lost that game, while some of the onus should be on Savard there are other reasons (mulitple) the Bruins lost the game and series. I honestly don't see Savard owning up for his mistake.

BOSTON – There's a golden opportunity approaching for one of the Bruins to step and do the right thing when the players pack up their lockers, sit in for exit interviews and shut it down for the summer after crumbling against the Flyers.

The B's will meet Tuesday morning and go their separate ways, and it will provide the stage for Marc Savard to speak up and prove he learned something amid one of the worst playoff collapses in sports history.

The B's center will have the chance to own up to the critical mistake he made in the third period of Game Seven when he waved his stick for a line change, looked away from the bench after his replacement, Vladimir Sobotka, didn't immediately come over the boards and then skated deep into the play while Sobotka hopped onto the ice to replace him.

Bruins coach Claude Julien admitted as much amid the rubble of Game Seven when he said that "a player waved for a change then changed his mind." That "player" was Savard, who requesting a line change and then experienced a sudden change of heart in the middle of a change.
In terms of Ice Hockey 101, that mistake was on Savard for not immediately getting off the ice.

Forget about the timing of the play, and whether the call was appropriate or not in the throes of a tied Game Seven during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Forget also about the four hooking calls against Savard in the series and how far his game dropped after Game 3 -- the player came back from a Grade 2 concussion after two months and shouldn't have been expected to be in peak form. Those are side issues, of course, but it was the correct call with six Bruins skaters on the ice and referees under a directive to call "too many men on the ice" much more stringently than in years past.

There were 33 "too many men" penalties called after two rounds of playoffs this season, compared to only 17 through all four rounds last year.

The penalty led to a Simon Gagne third-period goal that gave the Flyers their winning margin. [CSNNE.com]

Lindsay Lohan's latest club tantrum

I saw this on another blog and I thought I would share it with you. Why does it seem like trouble always follows Sean Avery around?

Lindsay Lohan started another fight in a club -- this time with New York Ranger skaters Aaron Voros and Sean Avery at 1Oak. The troubled starlet threw a drink over Voros' model girlfriend, Jessica Stam, and then tried to get all three thrown out of the Wildfox fall-collection party the other night. A spy relates, "Lindsay threw a fit because she wanted to be at their table near the DJ. But she claimed she didn't want to sit with Aaron and said, 'He's my ex-boyfriend. I don't want him anywhere near me.' Voros denied knowing her. A drink then flew in Jessica's face, and Lindsay demanded their table be moved out. Club bosses refused and tried to calm her down. Stam, Voros and Avery were shocked but didn't retaliate, and Lindsay left shortly afterward." We await Lohan's inevitable denial, but we have multiple witnesses. A different source said "Lindsay threw a fit. There was total drama for absolutely no reason." [Link to the story]

Second round highlights (or painful memories)

I suppose it's a matter of perspective, if your team lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoff it wouldn't be a highlight video. For me there are way too many clips of Flyers forwards scoring goals, also there are way too many clips where the Flyers are blowing by the Bruins defense like they were pylons and scoring. I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching the second round of the playoffs, because it has been one of the better playoff round in some time.

Hockey Night in Canada; Scott Oake with Gary Bettman (2010-05-11)

This is why a lot of people don't like Gary Bettman, and neither do I. Bettman is one of the most pompous, smug and arrogant people and he is not good for the NHL. The NHL has been doing this dance with the Phoenix Coyotes for a long time and blowing 30 million dollars a year in losses. It's almost like Bettman is going to go down with the Phoenix Coyotes just to prove a point. The guy should run for congress because he fails to ever answer a question directly.

Hacks, agitators and goons; men of dishonor...

There has been a discussion over on Sioux Sports and Hockey Wilderness about players that you hate to play against because they play on the edge, are seen as agitators or even players that are cheap and commit disgusting acts. I have also seen the argument where you’d love to have these players on your team but don’t like them when they play against your team. That’s up for debate and usually seems to be a never ending discussion that takes place from year to year.

I would not cheer for the Boston Bruins or the Minnesota Wild if they signed a hack like Matt Cooke, Todd Bertuzzi or Daniel Carcillo, they would no longer be my favorite teams. There is no way. I would also hope that my favorite team would not challenge my loyalties by signing a questionable player like this. There is too many good players out there to even entertain signing one of these morons.

here are some phrases that get tossed around in sports debate so often that we come to simply over look them. It goes beyond cliche to simply being a part of the vernacular, to being generally accepted as fact. These phrases are sometimes over simplified reaction to a complicated topic, or they are used to simply brush off the opinion of someone you really don't have an argument against.

One of those phrases is, "You would love him if he were on your team." this is almost always in response to the outcry over a player such as Derek Boogaard, Patrik Kaleta, Todd Bertuzzi, Jarkko Ruttu, or in the case of this post, Matt Cooke.

Make the jump and let's discuss, shall we. You really don't have anything better to do, right?

All of this stems from a link that came across Twitter via @Tepherguy. In the upcoming Hockey News issue is a cover story about the top 12 free agents, and Matt Cooke appears to be at the top of that list. The cover of the issue even reads "Matt Cooke is Hockey's Biggest $*&#!... and You'd Love Him if he Played for Your Team."

This phrase is pervasive. It is said about every pest in the NHL, and it is said about every guy who has ever been suspended. Even friend of the blog Greg Wyshynski has said it about Daniel Carcillo.[Read the whole article here]

The players name changes but their brutal gutless cheap acts remain the same. I am sure you can come up with a list of your own, my list includes thugs, players/hacks like Daniel Carcillo, Todd Bertuzzi, Scott Hartnell, Alex Burroughs, Matt Cooke, just to name a few. They're thugs players that are all cut from the same thread. These players lack honor ussualy hide behind a half shield and is no limit to the cheap acts they will commit.

Also, I would include players from the past like Uber Hacks Ulfie "the Turtle" Samuelsson and Claude "the Fraud" Lemieux. Eventually these players get what is coming to them, the hockey code demands it, live by the sword die by the sword. You might even cheer when you see it happen. Matt Cooke got what was coming to him in these three incidents [Kane becomes an instant hero] and [Duncan Keith gives it back to Cooke] and finally [Dustin Brown smokes Matt Cooke]. Lastly, how many people in Boston wanted to give Tie Domi a medal after he smoked Ulfie Samelsson.

Sabres Prospects on Corey Fienhage

Here is what the Sabres Prospect had to say on Cory Fienhage's status at UND. Not really anything new but reinforces that Fienhage will probably not be back next season. I always wondered why Corey doesn't do what Quinn Fylling take a year off from college and go play a year of hockey USHL and then come back to UND after this class of Senior Defensemen graduate. There is probably also a good chance that UND would probably lose Ben Blood as well.

when the University of North Dakota began stockpiling defensive recruits like Derek Forbort and Dillon Simpson, we began to think long and hard about the impact it would all have on Sabres 2008 third-rounder, Corey Fienhage. When Fienhage was sat late in the year in favor of forward-turned-defenseman Matt Davidson, those thoughts intensified.

When we reported that Fienhage was placed on the protected list by the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, the writing was seemingly being scribbled on the proverbial wall.

But when Fighting Sioux junior Chay Genoway announced that he would be returning to the team in 2010-11, the message on the wall stated that Fienhage was outsy.

Nothing is official, but whispers around Grand Forks are suggesting that Fienhage is as good as gone (along with Isles prospect David Toews). Fienhage needs to play, and since he didn't get in the lineup last season until Genoway suffered a concussion, it isn't too difficult to connect the dots.

My question is where does Fienhage go? If he opts for the WHL, his window to earn a deal is cut down to one season. Another option sees him seek a scholarship elsewhere, thus sending him to the USHL for a season of Jr. A to retain his NCAA eligibility, and in turn allow the Sabres to keep his rights for a longer term.

Fienhage is rugged and tough, and I would be eager to watch his game translate to the WHL. However, Fienhage is just 20 and needs consistent reps after playing a scant 39 games over two seasons with the Sioux. Couple that with the fact that the Sabres blueline prospect cupboard is already crowded, and I fully expect the Sabres to advise him to somehow stay in school.

Another episode of the Redwing77 Good, Bad, and Ugly

Hello again, everyone. It's time for a second round playoff series of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

THE GOOD

Jaroslav Halak - Uh... Hey Crosby, whatcha think of me now? I know they typically give the playoff MVP to a player who plays in the Stanley Cup Finals, but I'm not sure if it won't be the true this year should the Habs lose to the Flyers. This guy has been THE goaltender of the post season. PERIOD. He's simply outstanding. He's also laid to rest the debate about Carey Price, who is just a different version of current (perhaps now ex-) Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj. Big hype, no game. In any case, I may not be the biggest fan of the Habs, but I am a big fan of a goaltender who is dominant. Hello Halak. Please bolt Montreal and come to Detroit. Not likely nor would Detroit (I think)...but...

The Flyers - You have to be good to win 4 straight in the playoffs. Especially when you have 2 career disappointments as your starting goaltender and 1 career disappointment (and probable nutcase) either injured or in reserve (Ray Emery). Now, I'm not down on Michael Leighton. I think he's a quality guy, but I never thought he'd be #1 material. Ok, he still isn't. However, he and Brian Boucher get the Ty Conklin Award for the postseason (most unlikely career backups to win a series with a team). Simon Gagne was fantastic. Michael Richards again proves he's a good leader. Danny Carcillo is still a worthless hack that should be banned from the game.

San Jose - Detroit wasn't really in this series, but they were playing awfully well coming into it. And the Sharks simply blew them out of the (frozen) water. Nabakov has always (to me) been a good goaltender with some unfortunate streaky tendencies and bad luck but he managed to hold things together for another round.

Chicago - Don't know if they belong here or in the bad category, but I put them here for two reasons. Reason #1: They advanced. It doesn't have to be pretty (and it wasn't, I assure you) but it just has to happen and it did. Reason #2: Jonathon Toews. Patrick Kane always gets top billing and Toews always gets the last laugh. Captain Serious has been SERIOUSLY good this post season, even out point scoring Bettman's Golden Godchild Sidney Crosby. He's surely a contender with Halak for playoff MVP. They face a test against the Sharks. Chicago won the regular season matchup against the Sharks winning 3 of 4, but required OT to win 2 of those 3 wins.

Jonathon Toews - See "Chicago" but yeah. He deserves his own record. Halak may be the goaltender of the playoffs thus far, but Toews is the skater of the playoffs thus far. He's outscored Crosby and all others. He may not have the playoff lead in goals, but he's done very well all things considered. I guess what I like about him the most is that, though he can score highlight reel goals, most of his playoff goals seem to be of the "hard work bang to the net" variety. Detroit has a huge problem with players who can't seem to get it through their heads that a garbage goal and a Sportscenter #1 play of the day goal is still worth the same amount of points.

THE BAD

Detroit Red Wings - You gotta play for EVERY playoff round in the books, not just the opening round. We squeaked past the Coyotes and got gobbled by the Sharks. Oh well.

Vancouver - Supposedly dominant, surprisingly undisciplined. Luongo was ok. Team D was meh. Season is over.

Pittsburgh Penguins - What can I say? Luck isn't everything, but apparently that's the only way the Pens fans can term their series loss to the Habs. Oh yeah, giving up 4 goals in 2 periods and really not even showing up to Game 7 might be something to look at. By the way, if you want to know why Fleury made my list of Top overrated goaltenders, you can look to Game 7 as a great example. Getting beat is one thing, but not even playing your best in Game 7? SIEVE!

THE UGLY

Boston Bruins - HEY! We've got a 3-0 game lead in this series. The Flyers will roll over, right? RIGHT? Anyone? Blake Wheeler was awful. The Bruins offense was pathetic. Tukka Rask was human. Boston Bruins choked so bad that Buckner (thanks for the analogy Goon) said "WHEW! I only screwed up once! I'm off the hook now!"

Danny Carcillo - At least Matt Cooke is out of the playoffs. This utter disgrace to the game still gets to go on to play the Habs. Well, maybe he'll go pick on Scotty Gomez or Plekanec and then fall down holding his face the next time Hal Gill hip checks him? Or maybe he'll hold his finger and cry the next time he two hand slashes a Hab player and the player takes exception? Who knows, but if Cooke is a lowlife bully, Carcillo is a cowardly nancyboy hack artist. I loved the fact that he dressed up for halloween as the GEICO caveman. It's a perfect match for his intelligence.

KPD gets it right, Awful (Boston Bruins)

I am not usually a fan of Kevin Paul Dupont's work but this article seems to set the tone on how I am sure most Boston Bruins fans are feeling today. Worse than awful, framed in shame; this is how I would describe last night's effort. Epic fail and brutal also comes to mind.

Awful? Worse than awful. The Bruins tomorrow night should be playing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but instead they are framed in shame after last night’s diabolical 4-3 loss to the Flyers.

“We had a 3-0 lead in the series. We had a 3-0 lead tonight. And we blew both,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “There are no excuses.’’

In a season-ender that will live with them forever and a day, like the ball that rolled between Bill Buckner’s legs in the 1986 World Series, the Bruins essentially dismissed themselves from the 2010 postseason — and they underscored their own undoing by getting caught for having too many men on the ice with 11:10 gone in the third period.

Too many men. Haunting. Almost sadistic. A ghost from more than three decades ago, dating to an identical call at the Montreal Forum in 1979, revisited the Boston bench on Causeway Street, and had Vladimir Sobotka jumping on the ice as a sixth, and most unwanted, Boston skater. Only 1:42 later, Simon Gagne used the power-play advantage to pot the winner, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in Stanley Cup history for the Flyers, and driving a stake into the heart of Bruins fandom.
[Boston Globe]

Lucic (X2)

Milan Lucic missed a slough of games this season with various injuries and started to re-emerge as the go to power forward in the Bruins line up. Last night in a losing effort Lucic scored two goals. [Click to view second goal]

Bruins post game press conference

This one doesn't require a lot of analysis, it is what it is.

Future Bruin Taylor Hall?

There is a good chance that with the Bruins having Toronto's first round pick via the Phil Kessel trade that Bruins fans could be watching Taylor Hall play for the Bruins next season.

Choke job complete in Boston

Well that was a lot of fun to watch. Yeah not! Nothing like watching your favorite team implode right before your very eyes. It was very painful to watch. I think I saw someone refer to these types of epic losses as a arena explosion over on Twitter.

Here is the break down of the numbers - six (6) men on the ice, one (1) too many. Four (4) losses in a row, not impressive. Having the opposition score four (4) unanswered goals, words can't explain. Losing a three (3) game to zero (0) series lead - epic failure. Finally choking away a three (3) goal lead priceless. In conclusion only three (3) teams have lost after being up 3-0, the Bruins are now part of history. I had a bad feeling this game and an upset stomach all day waiting for the game.

Personally, I don't think the Bruins took advantage of their opportunities when they had a chance and in retrospect the first nail in the coffin was not winning game four Philly when they had their chance to end the series. They had a power play in overtime and failed to cash in. I think it's time for the Bruin's owner to conduct a house cleaning and get ride of the head coach and the General Manager.

SHAUN THORNTON:
On the too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty: "Well, I want to play a couple more years in this league so I don't want to bad mouth them too much, but I do think . . . I had a pretty good seat for the third period, and I was close to where the guy was changing and I think it was very, very, very gutsy call with seven minutes left with all of the other [expletive] that's going on out there.

On trying to put the season in perspective after a devastating loss: "I know everyone wrote us off after that last Pittsburgh game [in which the team was criticized for sluggish play and for not standing up to Matt Cooke, who had previously given Marc Savard a concussion on a questionable hit] and I know everyone did a great job of coming together and jelling and turning the season around. As far as the 3-0 thing goes . . . it'll be made out to be a little more because of the 3-0 lead, but if we we're down 3-2 it would be regarded with a different mentality. We let Game 6 get away and Game 7 with a one-goal edge, so it's one of those things you have to live with."

Players in the half shield?

Recently the American Hockey Coaches Association had their annual convention in Florida last month and one of the items that caught my attention is that the American Hockey Coaches Association are in favor of allowing their players to wear the half shield/visor instead of the bird cage or full shield. Personally I think this is a great idea and it would clean the game up a bit because I believe players feel like they are invincible when they wear the full mask/bird cage.

I never understood why the players in the USHL, NAHL are allowed to wear the half shield if they wanted to but the NCAA Division 1 hockey players were not? This decision defies logic because the college kids who are usually older aren’t able to make that personnel decision for themselves? The minute these players leave college hockey they switch over to the visor/half shield. Seriously! These aren’t minor youth hockey players in bantams, and squirts these are adult males. I also don’t buy the argument that the ever so all powerful dictatorship known as the NCAA some how knows better than the experienced coaches and players.

Behind that is a debate that ties into the current emphasis on concussion prevention. Half shield proponents say players show more respect for others when they know they’re wearing less facial protection, and point out that they’re the norm in junior hockey and in the competing Canadian major junior system. Opponents cite the risks of taking off the lower-face protection.

The topic came up at the recent American Hockey Coaches Association convention in Florida, and Karr said he believes that nearly 100 percent of the coaching body is in favor of a move to half shields.

Even if the rules committee went along with it, any decision still would have to get through the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.[Read the whole article here]

Bruins in need of a Heimlich Maneuver

I hope the Bruins find some intestinal fortitude and find a way to win tonight’s game so they don’t go down as a bunch of chokers. Only two other teams have lost a series after going up 3-0 so this would go down as being a epic failure/choke job.

In three straight games, the Bruins have blown tires in their attempts to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. Tonight, they are down to their last spare.

With one more loss to the Flyers, the Bruins not only will have their season come to a close, they will also enter the NHL record book as only the third team to gag up a 3-0 lead and lose a playoff series. It is company they have no desire to join.

“It’s going to be a big game, probably for most of us, the biggest game of our careers,’’ said Zdeno Chara. “We just have to enjoy it.
[Read the rest of the article]

Certification of Standing Rock petition will take time

There seems to be a new twist with each issue that arises down on the Standing Rock Reservation. From my perspective it almost appears that the full press/stall is on and that there are members of the tribal council that do not want to allow a vote/referendum on University of North Dakota’s use of the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Fighting Sioux nickname supporters on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation met with tribal officials this week, hoping to expedite a membership vote on the name and logo. But they’ve run into significant procedural hurdles.

“We’re not even talking about the petition yet,” Tribal Chairman Charles Murphy said Thursday.

“We have a petition with 1,004 signatures, but we have to go through a process of getting it certified,” he said.

Nickname supporters submitted the petition bearing 1,004 names of tribal members who want to vote on whether Standing Rock should endorse UND’s continued use of the Sioux name.

But the tribal council won’t consider the petition until its signatures have been certified, and Tribal Secretary Adele White said Thursday that she can’t begin to certify the names until the council provides her with a certification process.

The tribe has no formal guidelines in place to deal with such an issue, White said.

“We need to draft a policy for certification,” she said. “They have to give me a process to set the criteria for a vote like this — when to hold the vote, whether it would be advisory or not.”
[Read the rest of the story]

Choice for Devils: It's Parise or Kovalchuk

I would put money on the Devils resigning former Fighting Sioux star Zach Parise and not resigning Ilya Kovalchuk. I think on it’s face this pair of transactions would be a no brainier. Duh! Zach Parise is a team players and a loyal Devil, Ilya Kovalchuk (a rent a player at the trade deadline) is a self centered me type player that turned down 70 million over ten seasons  with his former team. Almost Latrell Sprewell like and how the moron once made the ridiculous comment that he couldn’t feed his family on 7 million a year. If the Devils decided to Trade Parise they could get a lot of value back in a trade, but I couldn't see the Devils trading one of the faces of their organization. It's been nice knowing you Ilya.

Besides picking a coach again, the Devils have another major decision on their hands, which left wing to shower millions upon. They can't afford both Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk after next season, not without shortchanging other more-needed positions, and they need to choose now.

Underscoring the imminent nature of that choice, The Post has learned that Parise is dropping his current agent and is seeking a new adviser to guide him through this vital summer.

In the next six weeks, the Devils had better find out which they can best do: extend Parise's walk-year contract (officially after July 1, but they're free to do everything but file the deal before then), or sign Kovalchuk before he reaches unrestricted free agency on July 1.


PICK ONE: The Devils must decide whether they want to extend the contract of Zach Parise (pictured) or re-sign Ilya Kovalchuk before he reaches unrestricted free agency on July 1. It's a crossroads decision as important to the future of the franchise as the selection of another coach, and it would be an upset if the choice is Kovalchuk over Parise.

Kovalchuk did turn down $70 million over seven years from Atlanta, yet it's clear that money doesn't trump everything with him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be playing for peanuts as Russia's captain at the World Championships in Germany, risking injury and his summertime fortune.

Still, to expect him to take a pay cut from last year's $7.5 million is unrealistic. If he walks, general manager Lou Lamoriello's impulse buy with Anssi Salmela, costing Jersey Johnny Oduya, Niklas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-rounder, will prove to have been in vain.

Parise, widely regarded as a future Devils captain, becomes unrestricted after he earns $5 million next season. Failure to extend Parise, which would likely be the case if they sign Kovalchuk, would open the issue of trading Parise as the most-desirable-ever rental at the deadline, regaining the future that was lost Feb. 4.

"I put Parise in the same sentence with [Alex] Ovechkin and [Sidney] Crosby," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren told The Post before the start of the playoffs, talking about him as a postseason opponent, but giving a clear indication of Parise's value.

It seems unlikely that Kovalchuk would sign for much less than $8 million a year, or Parise under $7 million per. If those conservative figures prove valid, the Devils would be devoting $29 million in cap space to left wings Kovalchuk, Parise, Patrik Elias ($6 million hit), Brian Rolston ($5 million) and shifted-out Dainius Zubrus ($3.4 million), half the foreseeable limit, just at one position.
[Read the whole article here]

This should get you in the mood for game 7

This is the band that played at the Winter Classic back on New Years Day. This should get you in the mood for tomorrow night's game. Dirty Water by the Standells is the song the Bruins will play tomorrow night after they win game seven.

Ok I am confused...

All right it wasn't that long ago that Barry Melrose said that the Bruins were the best team left in the Stanley Cup playoffs and now a few short days later mullet man says he likes the Flyers to take this series.

Bruins have a 50-50 chance...

I give the Boston Bruins have a 50/50 chance of winning the hockey game tomorrow night against the Broad Street Bulleys. Looking at the numbers the Bruins are 9-9 in game sevens.

WILMINGTON — The Bruins are about to play in their 19th Game 7 in team history on Friday night against the Flyers. It will be the 15th Game 7 on home ice and the second time they have been taken to a Game 7 after leading a series three games to none (1939 against the Rangers was the last time). It is the fourth time they have been taken to a Game 7 after holding a three games to one advantage (1939 Rangers, 1992 Sabres, 2004 Canadiens).

The Bruins hold a 9-9 record overall in Game 7s and are 9-5 at home. They are 2-2 when the game is decided in overtime, such as last season in the semifinals against Carolina. The Bruins have lost three straight Game 7s after winning their previous six and this will be the first time they face the Flyers in an ultimate game.

Coach Claude Julien is 1-2 lifetime in Game 7s while Flyers coach Peter Laviolette is 2-1. Julien’s lone win came over the Bruins when he was the coach of Montreal in 2004. Steve Begin (2-0), Mark Recchi (4-3) and Dennis Seidenberg (2-1) are the only Bruins players to have winning records in Game 7s while captain Zdeno Chara is 0-4

Winnipeg still 'ready, willing and able' (links)

Here is a really nice story that I found in today's Face off. I still think the NHL will end up in Winnipeg and ground work is being laid right now as we speak. There are too many NHL teams in places that aren't hockey markets bleeding money.

Still, few were willing to concede defeat following Glendale city council's decision to pay up to US$25- million to the NHL to run the team out of Jobing.comArena for another season, if a buyer for the struggling franchise is not secured by then. Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz said there was still a good chance the city would have a team in the next three years.

"There are still several markets in the NHL in the United States that are bleeding and I don't think they'll be able to stop the bleeding," he told reporters in Winnipeg yesterday. "It's important for us to be ready, willing and able when the time comes."

Rumours that the time has come have washed over the prairies in ebbs and flows ever since the Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996. This week, it was reported the NHL had a contingency schedule for next season that included Winnipeg.

Darren Ford, who runs JetsOwner.com,a website championing the Jets' return, said this week's smoke was as close as he has seen to fire. "I think we are very close. I still remain having a very good vibe," Ford said. "I know the moods remains positive and whether that means [a team will move to Winnipeg] for next season or not, I don't know. But there are so many other teams bleeding red ink, this could be the domino effect we've all been waiting for."

A source close to NHL officials told the National Post that the Coyotes would be moving to Winnipeg if an arena lease was not successfully negotiated with the city of Glendale.

Commissioner Gary Bettman, appearing on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada on Monday night to dispel some of the rumours surrounding the Coyotes soap opera, said the league has been in discussion with Winnipeg for some time
[Faceoff.com]

Links

The case for Winnipeg; [the Globe and Mail]

Watchdog on trail of money transfer to NHL; [the Globe and Mail]

Glendale follows one bad decision with another; [the Globe and Mail]

There's still a fighting chance Coyotes may yet wind up in 'Peg; [Winnipeg Free Press]

Clock's ticking on Coyotes; [Winnipeg Free Press]

Gary Bettman: Smarmy little toad [Click to listen to podcast]