On The Eve of the New Season: North of the Border Editio

HoF announcements in a few minutes. Lidstrom a lock, probably Federov and Pronger (who isn't even technically retired and continues to get paid as a player on LTIR). The NHL basically just makes rules up in the moment as it regards Pronger. Fuck that dangerous loon.

Edit: It'll be the above-mentioned three plus Phil Housley.

Julian, wrote:
?The Los Angeles Kings today have exercised the team's right to terminate the contract of Mike Richards for a material breach of the requirements of his Standard Player's Contract. We are not prepared to provide any more detail or to discuss the underlying grounds for the contract termination at this time.?

I'm on it.  Will get back to you….

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:
?The Los Angeles Kings today have exercised the team's right to terminate the contract of Mike Richards for a material breach of the requirements of his Standard Player's Contract. We are not prepared to provide any more detail or to discuss the underlying grounds for the contract termination at this time.?

I'm on it.  Will get back to you….

Lots of hockey insiders twitter accounts implying Richards messed up with some criminal violation (possibly drugs from the way its getting worded.)

Better be air-tight or the NHLPA is going to have a field day with the obvious fact that no team in the NHL wants anything as badly as the Kings want to dump Richard's salary.

"He's a drunk."

That's all I got in return.

Julian, wrote:
The Kesler trade was a stone-cold steal

The Ducks have signed center Ryan Kesler to a six-year contract extension: http://bit.ly/Kesler_071515

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:
The Kesler trade was a stone-cold steal

The Ducks have signed center Ryan Kesler to a six-year contract extension: http://bit.ly/Kesler_071515

I held out on commenting on this until terms were released. 6.875million annual cap hit until age 36 for a guy who's basically down to a 45-50 point player already at this point? Not loving that. Maybe at half that length. This seems like an overpay to me.

Enjoyed the Wings first pre-season game last night. Went with Hockeystreams instead of Game Center/Center Ice for the first time. Liking it so far, good connection.

how much does a Hockeystreams subscription cost?

sweetcell wrote:
how much does a Hockeystreams subscription cost?

109/year. And it's an actual year,  not  an NHL season.  The major Junior, AHL, and international hockey coverage it provides definitely puts that far ahead of anything else.

Julian, wrote:

sweetcell wrote:
how much does a Hockeystreams subscription cost?

109/year. And it's an actual year,  not  an NHL season.  The major Junior, AHL, and international hockey coverage it provides definitely puts that far ahead of anything else.

That's pretty sweet that they have AHL. The 3 on 3 OT makes me super nervous. Caps first pre season game had 56 seconds of OT. Over shot the net, went zooming around the boards, 3 on 1 broke out and boom it was over. Exciting and can't imagine how insanely stressful that will get in the season.

Wings/Hawks had 3 on 3 as well. Faceoffs are at an all time premium because it's very hard to get the puck back with that little much ice. Definitely favors the higher skill team.

Sadly the Wings played their "B" lineup vs the Hawks "A" lineup so they lost. AHL guys vs Toews and Hossa 3 on 3 is a disaster. Wings are playing their A-lineup vs Chicago's B-lineup tonite in Detroit and its one of those earmarked pre-season games where regardless of score they will play a 5 minute 3on3 overtime (even if a team scores) so hopefully we get a better look at it.

This was an amazingly difficult read:

PATRICK O'SULLIVAN
RETIRED / NHL
My father used to beat the shit out of me.

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/patrick-osullivan-nhl-abuse/

wow.

Julian, wrote:
The hockey thread is pretty buried and I don't feel like resuscitating it for this but I echo the sentiment: I don't like this strange new world where the Maple Leafs know what they're doing!

To make it Smackie related: hey Smacks, what would it take for the Wings to get Sami Vatanen from your Ducks before the trade deadline (or at the draft)?

I really thought the Ducks were tanking to get Bruce fired before the break, then they were going to turn it on.

Now I think you can have anyone you want.

Poor Bruce. Or something.

vansmack wrote:
Now I think you can have anyone you want.

But seriously, a top-9 forward and a prospect/pick?

DeathFromAbove1979 wrote:
Poor Bruce. Or something.

Poor Bruce? He has been paid tens of millions of dollars to never win anything and perennially underachieve and he seems to have the most amazing job security I've ever seen. How about "Poor Everyone-who-gets-saddled-with-this-guy"?

Julian, wrote:
Poor Bruce? He has been paid tens of millions of dollars to never win anything and perennially underachieve and he seems to have the most amazing job security I've ever seen. How about "Poor Everyone-who-gets-saddled-with-this-guy"?

Somehow, that team that got waxed by the Pens last night are still the 8 seed.  And so his job is still safe…