Official NHL Thread: Vol. I Know Some NTers Care

[theprocessofbelief]

Originally Posted by cquan05

A new league to rival the NHL?

According to the Toronto Star, a Russian tycoon has hired former NHL Players' Association executive Bob Goodenow to help create a new professional European hockey league that would compete for players with the NHL.

Alex Medvedev, deputy executive of Russian energy giant Gazprom, is behind the new league, which also has former NHL star Igor Larionov on a ''working group'' to help start the league.

''There's still a lot of work to be done,'' Larionov told The Canadian Press on Saturday. ''I want to make sure it's on solid footing.''

Larionov said Goodenow visited Russia this week to discuss the league, which could start as soon as September 2008. He also told the Star that sponsors and broadcasters have been contacted by Medvedev's representatives.

''We wish them luck with what appears to be a very ambitious project,'' NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Star.

European teams often lose players under contract to the NHL, receiving US$200,000 per player in exchange. It is unclear whether the prospective league would honour NHL contracts.

With files from the Canadian Press

Read: "If these idiots want to waste their money, who is the NHL to stop them?"

 

[frenchblue23]

Kings suck, they have lost 7 of their last 10 games.

I'm sure Colorado will come in tonight and put a stomping on us.

 

[addictedtofreshkicks]

rangers finally showed some chemistry tonightt

....they put gomez on thefirst line and he scored 2 goals and i think an assist also. i think theyre gunna start turning it up finally.

 

[cquan05]

So Simon received a 30-game suspension for the longest suspension in NHL history. This surpassed his previous record of 25 games

Leafs game last night was wild, SMH at them losing it in OT though, funny to see my buddy score the OT winner

 

[cquan05]

This is for my man DoubleJs lol

The Montreal Canadiens have more than Alex Ovechkin to keep an eye on Thursday night when they visit the Washington Capitals.

Unheralded defenceman Mike Green is blossoming into an offensive force on the back end for the Caps. He was tied with Montreal's Andrei Markov for the NHL lead in goals by defencemen at eight apiece before other games Wednesday night, a surprising piece of trivia even for the most ardent hockey fans.

"My buddies, that's about it," Green said with a laugh when asked who might know the answer to that question.

But the 22-year-old Calgary native is no laughing matter. The 2004 first-round draft pick, 29th overall by Washington, is finding his groove in his second full NHL season.

"Mike Green is not a name that stands out," Caps interim head coach Bruce Boudreau said Wednesday. "It's not (Bryan) McCabe or something like that. Nobody realizes that he can play. He's got eight goals and he should have more.

"It's Game 34 and I think he's just starting to blossom and getting confidence in his game at this point."

After getting his feet wet with 22 NHL games in 2005-06, Green's first full season in the league last year saw him pick up 12 points (2-10) in 70 games in limited ice time. It was a quiet first year as Green learned the ropes.

"The biggest thing was adjusting to the speed," Green said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "Now that I got the hang of it and the feel of it, I can start to wind up and skate and do some of those things that before I was kind of hesitant just because of the speed."

Now he's doing what he was doing in junior with the Western Hockey League's Saskatoon Blades and then with Hershey in the AHL. He returned to Hershey for the 2007 Calder Cup playoffs and led all defencemen with 16 points (7-9) in 19 games. He also had 43 points (9-34) in 56 regular-season games with Hershey in 2005-06.

Boudreau got a first-hand look as Hershey's head coach.

"I got to believe that I know him as well as most people," Boudreau said. "I've been impressed with him since Day 1 and he's going to just get better."

When Boudreau replaced the fired Glen Hanlon behind the Caps bench on Nov. 22, few players benefited more than Green. The two had a prior relationship and Boudreau wanted to let Green strut his stuff.

So the ice time has grown, including a season-high 30:05 in an overtime win against the New York Rangers on Dec. 12 (Green scored the OT winner) and 27:23 in his last game, a shootout loss at Detroit on Monday night.

"I hate this analogy, but the more he plays the stronger he gets," said Boudreau. "When I had him in the AHL playoffs, he'd be playing 30 minutes-plus, in the second overtime he'd be stronger than the first overtime. I don't know what it is about him, but he plays with such a passion.

"The more important the game, the more excited he is."

People are beginning to notice.

"I was real impressed with the Green kid on the back end, I thought he was excellent," Wings head coach Mike Babcock after Monday's game.

Green says his familiarity with Boudreau from their Hershey days has been key.

"I think the main thing is that I know what's expected out of me from him," said Green. "He makes that very clear. He also gives me the confidence to do what I can do.

"He's been great for me, I can't say enough about how much he's helped me. It's been great to get an opportunity to do what I can do."

Boudreau said it's about believing in a player.

"When you have faith in somebody, usually that somebody gives the faith back to you," said Boudreau. "He knows he can go out there, and he's a young guy, and play his game and he's going to make mistakes. But he's going to be thrown right back out there because it's the only way he's going to learn. And he usually learns very quickly."

Green also has six assists to go with his eight goals. He's a fast skater and his end-to-end rushes will soon become a staple on TV highlight shows.

Consider his idols growing up - both major offensive star defencemen.

"When I was really young it was Al MacInnis when he was in Calgary," said Green. "As I got older and watched more hockey it became Scott Niedermayer."

But he's not all about finesse. He lists former UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell as his favourite athlete.

"I love the UFC, watching what those guys go through as far as training. It blows my mind," said Green, a trim 6-1 and 208 pounds. "I just think those guys are top athletes. And Liddell is one of the best in UFC."

Maybe it's that UFC vibe in him, but Green wore a Mohawk in the AHL. Not anymore.

"That was my two years in the minors when we went to the playoffs and I grew one for the playoffs," laughed Green. "But I guess you got to be a little more professional in this league."

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=347186&page=NewsPage&service=page

 

[cquan05]

Marian Gaborik anyone?

 

[doublejs07]

and you know thissssssssssss cquan!

Gang Green was in the building tonight...too bad they could get the win...caps outplayed the habs also...

Boudreau played Ovechkin on defense (pothier broke his thumb) for a couple shifts in the 3rd period

*off subject, I heard that Sidney Crosby got the gordie howe hat trick tonight.....he fought Phil Kessel...I'll have to check youtube for the vid of thisone...also, BGL and Chara squared off twice....

 

[atljunkie]

Thrashers beating the Senators tonight 3-2.

thats 2 in a row!

 

[chewtoy112]

lol @ "hatting" at a 2 game win streak =P

 

[ziostilon]

cquan05, i didn't watch the game. were Gabby's goals nice? but still, its been 11 years since a player has done this

 

[addictedtofreshkicks]

marian gaborik scored 5 goals against my rangers

...the goals were allinsane...i was in awe...one of the best games ive seen a single player play in long time

 

[addictedtofreshkicks]

here is the link to Sidney Crosby's first NHL fight. Decemeber 20th, 2007. Not that good of a fight and Sid didnt even take his helmet off and he has avisor.

 

[mrmossyman84]

Briere is back in Buffalo on Friday...can't wait to boo him

I am also going to the NHL all-star game in Atlanta

...was on the waiting list and got an e-mail a couple of days ago, got 6 tickets for box officeprice...I might buy more to sell myself on stubhub

 

[atljunkie]

lol @ "hatting" at a 2 game win streak =P


i had to.

they are my team and to beat the senators tonight was a good win.
now they have some divisional teams to face....

 

[theprocessofbelief]

Chris Simon getting 30 games.... Colin Cambell coming down on him....finally. And

if you believe Simon thinks he actually needs counselling. Dude is just doing anything he can to be able to play after the suspension is up/

 

[cquan05]

Chara/Laraque's first fight they both went down with no shots thrown......They got a delay of game penalty forthat

, they came out of the box and decided to go again, but they both went down withno punches really thrown.
Crosby didn't take his helmet off because it was all in the heat of the moment, usually it's the tough guys that will take their helmets off likeChara/Laraque did.

 

[atljunkie]

I am also going to the NHL all-star game in Atlanta



sweeet... take pics and bring them back into this thread yea?

 

[dmxfury]

Sid isn't going to get really into it, but I respect him for even attempting the fight. Lemiuex was one not to mess with, seriously

 

[addictedtofreshkicks]

hey i was just wondering if Danny Briere got booed or cheered in Buffalo tonight during his first game back at HSBC Arena. Anyone watch the game?

 

[doublejs07]

Lemiuex was one not to mess with, seriously


that's the truth....he had a mean streak, and could play dirty if need be.

 

[cquan05]

Crosby has the strongest core that it would be so hard to fight him and get him down, but as he said in the last couple of days don't expect him to dropthe mitts any more

I didn't catch the entire Buff/Phi game but when Briere had the puck they didn't boo him....I can't speak on the player introductions or warm up asI didn't see it. The game was

btw.........couple of scraps and ended in a shootout, doesn't get much better

 

[atljunkie]

Thrashers with 3 in a row looking for 4 against the blues tonight!

 

[thehbkid]

Originally Posted by cquan05

Crosby has the strongest core that it would be so hard to fight him and get him down, but as he said in the last couple of days don't expect him to drop the mitts any more

I didn't catch the entire Buff/Phi game but when Briere had the puck they didn't boo him....I can't speak on the player introductions or warm up as I didn't see it. The game was

btw.........couple of scraps and ended in a shootout, doesn't get much better

Well, its because the fans know why he left...they should be booing Drury.
Story is that Briere wanted to be a Sabres but the BUF management had their eyes on Drury the whole time and tried to sign him, leaving Briere in the dark. Itwas until they found out Drury will be leaving for NY that they started to offer Briere so he wasnt having any of it.

 

[cquan05]

I love when Laraque scores like he did tonight, his celebration of jumping into the glass at the closest corner is

 

[atljunkie]

4 in a row!!!!