The Program

This Day In Hockey History (7/20)

2009-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

So what are we up to today? Let's see which moment found its way on here.....now to the actual moment. Hold on let me find it here! This moment is truly a groundbreaker of sorts for the NHL. Probably a did you know somewhere. Just a moment today.

July 20, 1992

San Jose Sharks hired Deborah Wright as a part-time scout, the first female to work as a scout for an NHL team.

Videos Before Bedtime!

2009-07-19T19:23:00.001-07:00

Yes it is time to say goodnight and hope for a more active tomorrow. And now the videos.....

NHL Goal Battles.....

More goal battles....

A Henrik Lundqvist Ad....

Have a good night.....

Suggestions For Upcoming Projects...

2009-07-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick message a bit before showtime. What we want to know is what would you like us to do next. Just name it...who knows we may just be able to pull it off. There are a few ideas that I want to trot out in the dog days but I am not so sure on them.

A few things that potentially could be in the works are some phone interviews that end up on here....maybe email a few questions out to some players and broadcasters and/or bloggers. Right now everything is pretty much in the planning stage. Certainly nothing is being implemented as of now but just making people aware of what is going on.

The best part about a blog is being able to toss ideas around. We will do a little more of this on the podcast tonight as well. Should be a fun one with Alex May and well I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Chris Wassel

Director Of The Program

If Only The Sun Was Not So Hot....

2009-07-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

The sunset as it is meant to be...nowhere near like the blazing hot sun that has hit the West the past week or two.

An awesome sunset....

Now this is more like it for a hockey sunset. The kind of hockey weather I love to play in is 75 and sunny or 30 and snowy. Weird but true. My question to the readers is this. What is your favorite kind of weather to play hockey in? I am curious and to all those hockey weekend warriors out there who play in beer leagues....have a beer on me!

Sincerely,

Chris Wassel

Director Of The Program

Show Outline For Tonight...

2009-07-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

As the heat melts any ice cube to vapor in about 5.5 seconds...the show must go on tonight. Should be a good show tonight....and a special treat of sorts as we have one of the best from Pittsburgh....Sportsbeat and Penguins Buzzcast co-host Alex May....and MORE of course. What we got on tap.....

The Program

-- Intros

-- News O' The Day!!!

-- Good evening Alex May!

-- Maybe another guest or 2 as well?

-- We talk about more New Jersey and Pittsburgh too.

-- A happy early birthday to well....MOM.

-- Congrats Len Barrie..you still can finance the Bolts.

-- Break time and promos

-- Hell If I know.......

-- Rant time (We'll keep it a guess!)

-- Guess that beer I am drinking.

-- Free Agents that still have not found a home

-- More division names.....

-- Rapid Fire (Comments, Questions, and Call Ins)

-- And much much more.....

So listen in to us tonight at 8pm ET on Blog Talk Radio. Its The Program and its on the Fantasy Sports Channel. You can download it on ITunes, podomatic, and well many other ways as well. Hope to see you then.

Sincerely,

Chris Wassel

Director Of The Program

'Ultimate Playoffs': Rd 2, Series 3

2009-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

’01 Avalanche vs. ’98 Red Wings

TEAM BIOS
2001 COLORADO AVALANCHE
#1 Seed, Western Conference
Season record: 52-26-10-4 (118 points)
Head Coach: Bob Hartley
Playoff Roster:
#1 G David Aebischer
#4 D Rob Blake
#7 D Greg de Vries
#11 LW Chris Dingman
#13 RW Dan Hinote
#14 RW Dave Reid
#19 C Joe Sakic (C)
#21 C Peter Forsberg
#23 RW Milan Hejduk
#24 D Jon Klemm
#25 RW Shjon Podein
#26 C Stephane Yelle
#27 RW Scott Parker
#28 C Steven Reinprecht
#29 LW Eric Messier
#33 G Patrick Roy
#37 C Chris Drury
#39 LW Ville Nieminen
#40 LW Alex Tanguay
#41 D Martin Skoula
#44 D Nolan Pratt
#52 D Adam Foote
#77 D Ray Bourque

Playoff Stat Leaders:
Goals-
Joe Sakic, 13
Chris Drury, 11
Milan Hejduk, 7
Assists-
Milan Hejduk, 16
Alex Tanguay, 15
Rob Blake, 13
Alex Tanguay, 13
Points-
Joe Sakic, 26
Milan Hejduk, 23
Alex Tanguay, 21
Goalie Stats-
Patrick Roy (16-7, 1.70 GAA, .934 SV%)

The Road to the Cup:
WCQF- 4-0 over #8 Vancouver Canucks
WCSF- 4-3 over #7 Los Angeles Kings
WCF- 4-1 over #4 St. Louis Blues
SCF- 4-3 over #1 New Jersey Devils
Conn Smythe winner: Patrick Roy

Turning point of the playoffs:
Game 6 vs. New Jersey… With the Stanley Cup in the house after losing 2 straight, Colorado found an extra gear on the road to force the decisive Game 7. The Avs killed off penalty after penalty in the opening moments of the game, then cruised to a 4-0 victory. Foote collected 3 points, including the game’s opening goal. Roy was stout in net, stopping all 24 shots that came his way. This win left the Devils stunned, and it carried over into Game 7 as the Avalanche won, 3-1.
---

1998 DETROIT RED WINGS
#3 Seed, Western Conference
Season record: 44-23-15 (103 points)
Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Playoff Roster:
#2 D Slava Fetisov
#3 D Bob Rouse
#5 D Nicklas Lidstrom
#8 C Igor Larionov
#11 F/D Mathieu Dandenault
#13 LW Slava Kozlov
#14 LW Brendan Shanahan
#15 D Boris Mironov
#16 D Vladimir Konstantinov
#17 RW Doug Brown
#18 RW Kirk Maltby
#19 C Steve Yzerman (C)
#20 RW Martin Lapointe
#22 F Mike Knuble
#25 RW Darren McCarty
#26 RW Joey Kocur
#27 D Aaron Ward
#30 G Chris Osgood
#31 G Kevin Hodson
#33 C Kris Draper
#34 D Jamie Macoun
#41 C Brent Gilchrist
#44 D Anders Eriksson
#55 D Larry Murphy
#91 C Sergei Fedorov
#96 LW Tomas Holmstrom

Playoff Stat Leaders:
Goals-
Sergei Fedorov, 10
Martin Lapointe, 9
Tomas Holmstrom, 7
Assists-
Steve Yzerman, 18
Nicklas Lidstrom, 13
Tomas Holmstrom, 12
Larry Murphy, 12
Points-
Steve Yzerman, 24
Sergei Fedorov, 20
Tomas Holmstrom, 19
Nicklas Lidstrom, 19
Goalie Stats-
Chris Osgood (16-6, 2.12 GAA, .918 SV%)

The Road to the Cup:
WCQF- 4-2 over #6 Phoenix Coyotes
WCSF- 4-2 over #4 St. Louis Blues
WCF- 4-2 over #1 Dallas Stars
SCF- 4-0 over #4 Washington Capitals
Conn Smythe winner: Steve Yzerman

Turning point of the playoffs:
Game 4 vs. Phoenix… Detroit was in a bit of trouble after trailing 2-1 in their series against the Coyotes… but the Wings were able to pick up a 4-2 win on the road. Scotty Bowman’s club ended up taking the series in six, and beat the Blues, Stars, and Capitals on their way to the Cup.
---

SERIES SUMMARY:
Avs/Wings… hockey’s hottest rivalry was so pre-lockout! And here you’ve got ‘Ray’s Cup’ against ‘The one for Konstantinov’. Up front, the Wings have the upper hand even with Peter Forsberg still around for Round 2 before his ruptured spleen. But on the back end, the Avs get the advantage with Roy manning the crease and Blake & Bourque in front of him.

Colorado would have the home-ice in this series, and were the most dominant team in the 00/01 season. Even though the ’98 Wings were a great team and story, the Avs advance in six as Sakic & company are too much.

Avalanche win in 6 games… will face winner of ’07 Ducks & ’02 Red Wings

This Day In History (7/19)

2009-07-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

I heard a rumor that it may get cooler this week. Hopefully that happens. In the meantime, here is today's video and moment from July 19th of yesteryear.

What Worrell does best...

July 19, 2003

Colorado Avalanche acquired tough Peter Worrell and a second-round pick in 2004 on from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Vaclav Nedorost and Eric Messier.

Videos Before Bedtime!

2009-07-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

I will need some help tomorrow with the blog....blasted heat and internet problems. But onward with videos in the blazing hot sun!!!!

EHL Finals Period 1

EHL Finals Period 2

EHL Finals Period 3

Have a great night!

Ultimate Playoffs: Round 2, Series 2

2009-07-18T14:40:00.001-07:00

’94 Rangers vs. ’09 Penguins

TEAM BIOS
1994 NEW YORK RANGERS
#1 Seed, Eastern Conference
Season record: 52-24-8 (112 points)
Head Coach: Mike Keenan
Playoff Roster:
#2 D Brian Leetch
#4 D Kevin Lowe
#6 D Doug Lister
#9 LW Adam Graves
#10 RW Esa Tikkanen
#11 C Mark Messier (C)
#12 C Ed Olczyk
#13 LW Sergei Nemchinov
#14 C Craig MacTavish
#15 C Mike Hudson
#16 RW Brian Noonan
#17 LW Greg Gilbert
#18 F Mike Hartman
#19 F Nick Kypreos
#21 D Sergei Zubov
#23 D Jeff Beukeboom
#24 D Jay Wells
#25 D Alexander Karpovtsev
#26 RW Joey Kocur
#27 F Alexei Kovalev
#28 RW Steve Larmar
#30 G Glenn Healy
#32 LW Stephane Matteau
#35 G Mike Richter
#36 RW Glenn Anderson

Playoff Stat Leaders:
Goals-
Mark Messier, 12
Brian Leetch, 11
Adam Graves, 10
Assists-
Brian Leetch, 23
Mark Messier, 18
Sergei Zubov, 14
Points-
Brian Leetch, 34
Mark Messier, 30
Sergei Zubov, 19
Goalie Stats-
Mike Richter (16-7, 2.07 GAA, .921 SV%)

The Road to the Cup:
ECQF- 4-0 over #8 New York Islanders
ECSF- 4-1 over #7 Washington Capitals
ECF- 4-3 over #3 New Jersey Devils
SCF- 4-3 over #7 Vancouver Canucks
Conn Smythe winner: Brian Leetch

Turning point of the playoffs:
Game 6 vs. New Jersey… Facing elimination for the first time in the playoffs, Mark Messier made a prediction… the Rangers’ captain guaranteed a victory. Down 2-0 late in the 2nd, they had to rally to win the game. Not only did the Blueshirts win, but Messier backed it up with a natural hat trick in the 3rd period. That win forced a Game 7, in which the Rangers won 2-1 in double overtime behind Matteu’s winner. Game 6 in the Meadowlands ultimately propelled this team to a Cup victory over the Vancouver Canucks in 7 games.
---

2009 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
#4 Seed, Eastern Conference
Season record: 45-28-9 (99 points)
Head Coach: Dan Bylsma
Playoff Roster:
#2 D Hal Gill
#3 D Alex Goligoski
#4 D Rob Scuderi
#7 D Mark Eaton
#9 LW Pascal Dupuis
#11 C Jordan Staal
#13 RW Bill Guerin
#14 LW Chris Kunitz
#15 C Mike Zigomanis
#17 RW Petr Sykora
#24 LW Matt Cooke
#25 C Max Talbot
#26 LW Ruslan Fedotenko
#27 C Craig Adams
#28 RW Eric Godard
#29 G Marc-Andre Fleury
#32 G Mathieu Garon
#43 D Philippe Boucher
#44 D Brooks Orpik
#48 C Tyler Kennedy
#55 D Sergei Gonchar
#58 D Kris Letang
#71 C Evgeni Malkin
#81 RW Miroslav Satan
#87 C Sidney Crosby (C)

Playoff Stat Leaders:
Goals-
Sidney Crosby, 15
Evgeni Malkin, 14
Max Talbot, 8
Assists-
Evgeni Malkin, 22
Sidney Crosby, 16
Chris Kunitz, 13
Points-
Evgeni Malkin, 36
Sidney Crosby, 31
Bill Guerin, 15
Goalie Stats-
Marc-Andre Fleury (16-8, 2.61 GAA, .908 SV%)

The Road to the Cup:
ECQF- 4-2 over #5 Philadelphia Flyers
ECSF- 4-3 over #2 Washington Capitals
ECF- 4-0 over #6 Carolina Hurricanes
SCF- 4-3 over #2 Detroit Red Wings
Conn Smythe winner: Evgeni Malkin

Turning point of the playoffs:
Game 3 vs. Washington… Down 2-0 in the series, Pittsburgh was basically facing elimination as the game went into overtime tied at 2. The Caps had the Pens’ number through the first 180 minutes of the series until Kris Letang’s slap shot from the point eluded goalie Simeon Varlamov to give the Pens a 3-2 win. That goal left the Pens down 2-1 in the series instead of 3-0. From this point on, they went 7-1 on their way to the finals in near dominating fashion. But it never happens without this goal from Letang!
---

SERIES SUMMARY:
Both of these teams endured a special run to the Cup, and also won Game 7’s in the finals. Comparing personnel… the Pens’ strength down the middle gives them the edge with the forwards. I like the Pens’ depth on defense, but Brian Leetch’s presence with the Rangers makes that even. And in net, I love Fleury, but Mike Richter was extremely consistent and was a brick wall for the Blueshirts.

The Rangers would have the home-ice advantage in this series, but Pittsburgh was stellar on the road in the playoffs. This would be an outstanding matchup to say the least. Messier & company was a group that Rangers fans will always remember, but I think I’m advancing the Pens in 7 hard-fought games.

Penguins win in 7 games… will face the 2000 Devils in Round 3

Today's Question Of The Day.....

2009-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Something we want to do every Saturday is to take one hot button topic and simply ask the question that needs to be asked. What we want is you to come up with the answers. Without further fanfare, here is our question for this week.....

How long will Len Barrie be able to fund the Tampa Bay Lightning?

A. A few months.

B. For next season

C. 2-4 seasons

D. 5-10 seasons

E. None Of The Above

Have at it folks!!!!!

Teams Improved and Not So Much

2009-07-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

The summer is a period of time that no hockey fan truly enjoys. Time seems to stand still and even the glorious weekend seems longer without a hockey game to watch over a cold beer and a plate full of hot, crispy, wings. The summer, the off season, is however the most important part of the hockey season if you really think about it. Starting with the entry draft and moving through the free agent period, to making trades, the summer determines what kind of team any given city will have come the fall. No matter if the moves are for the immediate or the future, the summer is where the ground work is laid for any success a team may have down the road. This summer has is no different and I think a few teams have done well while others, of course, not so much. Let me touch on a few winners in my mind this summer so far.

The Philadelphia Flyers:

This club had maybe the most offensive depth in the NHL. The scary part is that some of the big guns in Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are just 24 years old so the room for improvement is still there. The downfall of the Flyers seemed to be two fold. In net, and connected at the hip, the ability to control the puck in their own zone. No one knows for certain if Emery is in fact the answer in between the pipes, but I assure you he very well could be. If you put the office issues aside, Emery can play and play well. The largest impact on the Flyers lineup is Chris Pronger. Did the Flyers pay a massive price to get the hulking defensemen? Yes, they paid to much unless one thing happens, that being the Flyers winning a Stanley Cup in the next 2 or 3 seasons. With Pronger in that lineup I think the Flyers are now one of the favorites to do just that.

The Calgary Flames:

As far as free agents went I considered Jay Bouwmeester the big fish this off season. When the Flames acquired the blueliner from the Florida Panthers prior to July first the Oiler fan in me hoped that the move by the Flames would fail, but the hockey fan in me was forced to congratulate Darryl Sutter in taking a well played chance. A chance that paid off of course with Bouwmeester signing with the Calgary Flames for the long term. The Flames are better with Bouwmeester in the lineup. I also think the key is the fact Kiprusoff could be much better with such an unreal group of defensemen playing in front of him. I do wonder however, if the Flames focused so much on the blueline they have left themselves short up front. Mind you, with the team still stocking up on blueliners in the past week, I can't help but think a trade still might be in the works yet this summer.

The Washington Capitals:

If last year showed us anything the Capitals have a wealth of young budding talent. They also may have found an in house solution to their goaltending question in Simeon Varlamov and no matter how much I like the efforts so far of the off season a large part of this teams success or failure next season will fall on this goalies shoulders. None the less I do like the choices of players picked up by the Capitals since July 1. Mike Knuble is almost the perfect depth forward this team needed. An older, wiser, player that is still putting up good numbers is exactly what the young chaps needed to have both on the ice and in the locker room. The sleeper however is Brendan Morrison. Ask around and you will find out that most hockey fans don't think this guy can play anymore, I don't believe that to be true. If Morrison does in fact earn the 2nd line center spot, he will prove his worth and then some. The Caps have taken another step forward.

The Chicago Blackhawks:

Man, talk about making a splash for the right reasons and then making one for all the wrong reasons with those qualifying offers and the Tallon fallout thereafter. Did anyone see the Hawks being a player for Hossa let alone being the team that signed him? I think not if we are all being honest. The question that has to be asked is simple enough, are the Hawks better with Hossa rather then Havlat. I think the answer is yes, not by much I suppose, but Hossa's durability alone puts him ahead of Havlat in my mind. As per the first three teams the real point of success for the Hawks comes in net, will Huet be able to carry the load? Last year didn't go well for him, but the year before that, during his time with the Caps, did. I think he can play, but admit the jury is still out.

In the end, no matter how juicy the stories are during the summer, they only add fuel to the fire however. I want to see how these teams will do so bad it hurts and I don't think I'm alone.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

Coachspeak!

2009-07-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on Matt Shaw becoming assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks. However, something weird happened when we went to speak to him. We apologize for the following but someone was having flashbacks in relation to the Sharks.

The crying...the horror.....

An actual coach video.....

And then all was good.....

This Day In Hockey History (7/18)

2009-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

These moments seem to get better and better. But on today's TDIHH...we think we have a pretty darn good one.

Mr. Nolan!

July 18, 1995

Buffalo Sabres named Ted Nolan as their new head coach, replacing John Muckler who remained as General Manager.

Videos Before Bedtime!!

2009-07-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Friday Night...new videos...check them out! Some pretty interesting things that came into my inbox this evening.

NHL 10 Be A GM!

Milan Lucic has a new ragdoll!

Just a true classic...#66.

Have a great night everyone!!!!

1997 Red Wings Vs. 2000 Devils

2009-07-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Setting up Round 2

MATCHUPS
BRACKET 1
1997 Detroit Red Wings vs. 2000 New Jersey Devils
1994 New York Rangers vs. 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins
BRACKET 2
2001 Colorado Avalanche vs. 1998 Detroit Red Wings
2007 Anaheim Ducks vs. 2002 Detroit Red Wings

Round 2 runs from today through Monday!
---

’97 Red Wings vs. ’00 Devils

TEAM BIOS
1997 DETROIT RED WINGS
#3 Seed, Western Conference
Season record: 38-26-18 (94 points)
Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Playoff Roster:
#2 D Slava Fetisov
#3 D Bob Rouse
#4 D Jamie Pushor
#5 D Nicklas Lidstrom
#8 C Igor Larionov
#11 F/D Mathieu Dandenault
#13 LW Slava Kozlov
#14 LW Brendan Shanahan
#15 LW Tomas Holmstrom
#16 D Vladimir Konstantinov
#17 RW Doug Brown
#18 RW Kirk Maltby
#19 C Steve Yzerman (C)
#20 RW Martin Lapointe
#25 RW Darren McCarty
#26 RW Joey Kocur
#27 D Aaron Ward
#28 F Tomas Sandstrom#29 G Mike Vernon
#30 G Chris Osgood
#33 C Kris Draper
#37 C Tim Taylor
#55 D Larry Murphy
#91 C Sergei Fedorov

Playoff Stat Leaders:
Goals-
Brendan Shanahan, 9
Sergei Fedorov, 8
Slava Kozlov, 8
Assists-
Sergei Fedorov, 12
Larry Murphy, 9
3 tied with 8
Points-
Sergei Fedorov, 20
Brendan Shanahan, 17
Slava Kozlov, 13
Steve Yzerman, 13
Goalie Stats-
Mike Vernon (16-4, 1.76 GAA, .927 SV%)

The Road to the Cup:
WCQF- 4-2 over #6 St. Louis Blues
WCSF- 4-0 over #4 Anaheim Mighty Ducks
WCF- 4-2 over #1 Colorado Avalanche
SCF- 4-0 over #3 Philadelphia Flyers
Conn Smythe winner: Mike Vernon

Turning point of the playoffs:
Game 2 vs. Colorado… The Avalanche took Game 1 of the series, 2-1, behind the great play of Patrick Roy. And down 2-0 in Game 2, it looked like the defending champion Avs were bound to take a 2-0 series lead. But the Red Wings stormed back to win the game, 4-2. With the comeback win, the Wings were able to earn a split on the road, and followed that up with 2 straight wins at home to take a 3-1 series lead. They went on to eliminate Colorado, and then sweep Philadelphia for their first Cup since 1955.
---

2000 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
#4 Seed, Eastern Conference
Season record: 45-24-8-5 (103 points)
Head Coach: Larry Robinson
Playoff Roster:
#3 D Ken Daneyko
#4 D Scott Stevens (C)
#5 D Colin White
#6 D Brad Bombardir
#7 D Vladimir Malakhov
#11 C John Madden
#12 C Sergei Nemchinov
#16 C Bobby Holik
#17 RW Petr Sykora
#18 LW Sergei Brylin
#20 LW Jay Pandolfo
#21 RW Randy McKay
#22 RW Claude Lemieux
#23 C Scott Gomez
#25 C Jason Arnott
#26 LW Patrik Elias
#27 D Scott Niedermayer
#28 D Brian Rafalski
#29 F Krzysztof Oliwa
#30 G Martin Brodeur
#31 G Chris Terreri
#89 RW Alexander Mogilny

Playoff Stat Leaders:
Goals-
Petr Sykora, 9
Jason Arnott, 8
Patrik Elias, 7
Assists-
Patrik Elias, 13
Jason Arnott, 12
Scott Stevens, 8
Petr Sykora, 8
Points-
Jason Arnott, 20
Patrik Elias, 20
Petr Sykora, 17
Goalie Stats-
Martin Brodeur (16-7, 1.61 GAA, .927 SV%)

The Road to the Cup:
ECQF- 4-0 over #5 Florida Panthers
ECSF- 4-2 over #3 Toronto Maple Leafs
ECF- 4-3 over #1 Philadelphia Flyers
SCF- 4-2 over #2 Dallas Stars
Conn Smythe winner: Scott Stevens

Turning point of the playoffs:
Game 5 vs. Philadelphia… Down 3-1 in the series, New Jersey faced a tough task going into Philly for Game 5. Nothing fazed them, though, cruising to a huge 4-1 win over the Flyers to stay alive. The Devils went on to win Game 6 at home, then beat the Flyers again on the road in Game 7. Martin Brodeur was as dominant as ever in those final 3 games. They were able to carry that momentum over into the finals against Dallas to win the Cup in six!
---

SERIES SUMMARY:
This would qualify as a heavyweight matchup! Both teams possessed great depth up front and on the back end. The Wings had the likes of Shanahan, Yzerman, and Fedorov on offense… New Jersey had Elias, Sykora, and Arnott. The blue lines had HOF’ers throughout… Lidstrom & Murphy for Detroit; Stevens & Niedermayer for the Devils. To me, the series-breaker is the goaltending matchup. Mike Vernon was great and all, but Brodeur was on another planet in 2000. If you combine that with home-ice advantage for the Devils, I think they prevail in seven!

Devils win in 7 games… will face winner of ’94 Rangers & ’09 Penguins

Phoenix TV Contract Alert....

2009-07-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank Heather (The Yotes Diva) for passing on the following via Save The Coyotes. Here is the latest.......

Greetings Coyotes Fans,

As we draw nearer to the August 5th auction date, its time to step our efforts in showing our support of our team. If you've not signed our letter to Judge Baum as of yet, please do so and forward it to your friends so they can sign as well.

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/phxcoyotes

I'd also like to share with you a message for our Vice President recently posted on www.SaveTheCoyotes.com:

"Panger just said good bye. Man that hurts. Especially when you consider the reason. There was no TV contract. Thats right another casualty of all the court room drama was the negotiation for the next round of TV coverage. Which meant Panger had to go elsewhere to make a living. We’ll miss that lil homer. Oh sure he could be insanely hyper but it was always with love of the game and of the Yotes. Can’t fault the guy for that. And if the Holy Jumpin! got to some of you, well I dare you to not admit to using that godawful lil phrase at least once over the last year. (I know I’ve been guilty of it) We’ll miss you Mr. Holy Jumpin, Darren Pang, one of the Coyotes biggest supporters and one of hockey’s greatest fans. Good luck in St. Louis buddy.

Now onto the other reason for this post… NO TV CONTRACT???!!! WTH……? For the love of Gordie get this done! Before someone comes up with the idea to put together a pay per view package and destroys my household budget.

I’ve heard from one or two sources that a negotiation is in the works. But one of those folks also intimated that there would be fewer games shown this season. OUCH! I guess it makes sense for a couple of reasons. 1. if you can’t watch the home games on yer telly, maybe you’ll drag yer arses out to Glendale and catch ‘em live… not a bad reason but I’m thinkin its not the main reason. Its probably 2. FSN doesn’t believe any more. They probably don’t hear from the TV audience that the games are important to them so why keep using up valuable space that could be used to show some more reality TV crap. At least they can sell advertising for that muck.

So my suggestion to all of you who can’t afford to hit Glendale (you do know the ticket prices start at around 9 bucks right?) or who live too far away (waves at our friends in Tucson and Giannaros way out in Greece *yes Greece! the country not a weird town in the backwoods past Benson or something*) to attend every game *especially during the week* and to those super die hards like myself who not only attend the game but also tape them to watch afters… write FSN and let them know how much you love their coverage, how desperately you will miss their coverage if they scale it back. Better do it now though… I hear the negotiations are getting down to the wire.

-Mo"

FOX Sports Arizona Contact Information:
Arizona Contact Number: 602-257-9500
1440 South Sepulveda Drive
Los Angeles, California 90025
(310) 369-7761
http://www.foxsports.com/arizona

Dusting Off!

2009-07-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember this fine game at all?

NHL 2K for Sega Dreamcast!

Your Slot Here

2009-07-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

The time is coming soon at hand....FanHuddle is coming this Fall! With attitude and substance...everything is ready to roll. A site that will truly blow your mind with some of the top up and coming writers out there. For those keeping track, here is more on the facebook page as well.

Literally with over 150 writers on board....expect over 100 articles a day from all avenues of sports. Honestly there will probably be even more than that. We even pulled out the press release thanks to Brad....an awesome job I must say. I almost forgot. Besides the coverage of the major sports will be a special section for those fantasy sports. People love fantasy sports and for the newest and best information out there....FanHuddle is where it is at.

Though the readership of many traditional media sources is shrinking, sports fandom is not

Yes sports fandom is increasing if anything. Talk to anyone nowadays and my god the first thing you hear out of their mouth is usually about their favorite sports team playing at the moment. Front Office Sports Enterprise believes that the key to unlocking the future of the media industry is finding the balance between interactivity and reliability. Therefore, when the company was looking to expand, they set forth two goals: (1) expand the company's offerings into all sports markets and (2) combine reliability with greater user interaction and a smoother interface. Their solution was Fan Huddle.

So come the Fall....get ready for something that will blow your mind. FanHuddle is ready to hit the internet. Question is will you catch the wave and ride it with us?

Sincerely,

Chris Wassel

This Day In Hockey History (7/17)

2009-07-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

What is up for today? Here comes the moment straight from the email vault everyone.

Mr. Page in earlier days....

July 17, 1995

Calgary Flames named Pierre Page as their new head coach, the ninth in the team's 23 year history. Page replaced Dave King as coach of the Flames.

Videos Before Bedtime!!

2009-07-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Calling it early tonight but here are some more videos to fill your hockey appetite. This time we brought the heat.

Hello Mr. Jozefson!

Top 20 goals from last year....

Something from the Grant Fuhr days....

Good night everyone!!!!!

Five Games I Look Forward To (2009-10 Season)

2009-07-16T13:40:00.001-07:00

Eh that was last year!!!!!

Let me be the first to say coming up with ten great games is hard enough....BUT using a little creative ingenuity and an open mind...we may have come close to achieving the desired goal. With a little technicality thrown in. Here are our five best for the 2009-2010 season.

Oct. 3, Pittsburgh at NY Islanders
One of the most eagerly awaited debuts in recent memory takes place when John Tavares, who will be 19 years old, is expected to play his first NHL contest as the new face of the Islanders franchise. The No. 1 pick of the 2009 Entry Draft enjoyed a junior career studded with numerous awards and New York hopes Tavares can do for the team what Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have accomplished in Pittsburgh and Washington, respectively.

I mean come on people...I know its the Islanders but this game has to be on the list simply for the Tavares home debut. It may get lost a bit in the 15 games being played on Saturday but throw a bone to this one....it will be worth watching.

Oct. 3, Philadelphia at New Jersey
The amazing career of Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur takes another turn as he is expected to appear in his 1,000th career regular-season game on opening night. He would become only the second goaltender to reach the mark, joining Patrick Roy (1,029).

Sorry everyone but this is more for sentimental reasons. Mr. Brodeur would have reached this last year if Slava Kozlov..... (oh I am just kidding). Seriously, a feat that will be seen by many and only the second goaltender ever to appear in 1000 regular season games. Truly a night to watch and oh yeah the return of Jacques Lemaire to New Jersey for those that are indeed interested.

Oct. 8, Chicago at Detroit
His one season in Detroit was a statistical success, but Marian Hossa didn't secure his first Stanley Cup title, falling tantalizingly close. He'll return to Joe Louis Arena for the first time since joining division rival Chicago as a marquee free-agent signee.

Awww come on its Hossa. The Chicago Blackhawks according to predestined theory will lose the Stanley Cup Finals in 7 games before it is ever written or if it actually happens for that matter. This will be an interesting season series all year long for a variety of subplots. Who knows maybe Mike Babcock can get into the heads of the Blackhawks once again.

Jan. 1, Philadelphia at Boston

2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic
For the third-consecutive season, the NHL goes old school with an outdoor game, and it doesn't get any older than Fenway Park, the fabled and quirky ballpark built in 1912. This will arguably be the biggest meeting between the franchises since the 1974 Stanley Cup Final, won by the Flyers. In 165 regular-season meetings, the Bruins hold an 85-55-21-4 advantage.

This is something I will try and be there for. However, as good of a game that this has the potential to be. I have the feeling that an alumni game from the late 1970's between these two teams would have a ferocity that surpasses the actual game. They could televise both for the fans to compare. Ah I can see the potential right now and man I am going to get in trouble if I do not mention this was HTM's own Shawn Lavigne's idea. Please Mr. Linesman let these old players and new ones fight on this day!

April 8, NY Islanders at Pittsburgh
The Penguins will play their final regular-season home game at Mellon Arena, built in 1961 and the oldest building in the NHL. They will move into the Consol Energy Center, currently under construction, in 2010-11.

This will be a game filled by memories where obviously the memories will overshadow the game itself but nonetheless expect a special time of it if you get to go. This I am sure will be one hell of a treat that Penguin fans will be able to tell their family for generations to come.

Honorable Mentions:

Dec. 4, Boston at Montreal -- official 100th anniversary of MTL.

Jan. 23, Hockey Day Minnesota -- Hockey and more hockey in Minny.

Jan. 26, Los Angeles at Toronto -- The Schenn brothers meet.

March 5, New Jersey at Calgary -- Homesick my butt!

April 11, Edmonton at Anaheim -- Goodbye Teemu!

I do understand that Mark Recchi will play his last game on the same day but Selanne just takes more precedence by a nose. It shapes up to be one interesting season of twists and turns. Any games you feel could be on here that should? Just fire away in the comments!!!!

The Avs And Lacroix

2009-07-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Matt Jordan everyone......

Last week, The Denver Post’s Woody Paige sat down with former Avalanche GM, now team President, Pierre Lacroix. In it, Lacroix, basically says he made the biggest mistake in the world by hiring Francois Giguere. Pierre pretty much cited burnout from his duties as the reason for giving Giguere, who had NO HOCKEY EXPERIENCE, all the power he did. Lacroix has admired that it was the biggest mistake in the world.

In the end, Pierre has over-simplified his formula for success. By the time he took over as general manager of the Quebec Nordiques in 1994, he was already handed players like Peter Forsberg, Adam Foote, Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin (whom he traded as one of his first acts as GM), Owen Nolan, and other key cogs.

Yet, when you look at the Nords at the time, in a complete rebuilding process, it’s not who you have, but what you do with that roster. That, in and of itself, is the TRUE genius of Pierre. He comes into the Nords, fires coach Pierre Page, and brings in the young upstart Marc Crawford.

His formula, he claims, is (from the article) “Two great young centers and a great goalie, surrounded by a mix of young and experienced complementary players (with speed on offense and toughness on defense); a young, smart, rising head coach, balanced by excellent, specialized assistants; a solid scouting staff; and a hard-hat executive corps harmonizing.”

Things are going back to that, in Avs-land. Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny are his two young centers, he is hoping that Craig Anderson will be his talented goalie, and from the looks of the Ryan Smith deal, the “blue collar” players are coming this way.

He did reply to the coldness in which everyone was fired. While I do understand all of what he was saying, I have to ask here, if all moves were internal, then why not wait until you have fully healed, before making all these moves?

Things are definitely going to be interesting around Avs-Land. Pierre is back in change, at least in some capacity. The ship is being righted, and he is right, it’s time to be patient Avs fans. Things will get better, everyone. Just have the faith and the patience. The corner is always closer than you think.

Slow News Day Everyone...

2009-07-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Wow it is a slow one today. Sure the Vancouver Canucks ownership situation is settled after 5+ years, and there were some minor signings...but really not much has gone on. Also, everyone is tired of Dany Heatley already so you will not see it on this post. Here is an article on the report that Mike Sullivan will be joining the Rangers staff as an assistant.

Now everyone ask the obvious question....okay Chris what do you do on this slow of a news day? Think about there will be many more of these throughout the summer. People know the reality of the "dog days" and we are entering into them now. One thing is certain I will not dignify the Joe Sakic retirement ceremony on any top games list for next season because of the Avalanche's continued lack of respect toward any shred of tradition whatsoever. Sorry everyone. I still firmly believe that Pierre Lacroix is closer to the insane asylum than to a playoff spot.

However do not fret.....we have something on the horizon coming real soon. Hang in there.

Video Time: Caption This!

2009-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need an old fashioned classic.....here is one of those times....by all means insert the caption at the bottom after seeing this. Thanks.

This Day In Hockey History (7/16)

2009-07-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Oh my! Another day....another moment. Today we celebrate a birthday of a dear old friend to The Program of sorts.

The moment I will forever be grateful for Claude.

July 16, 1965

Former NHL right winger Claude Lemieux born in Buckingham, Que. Lemieux played in the NHL 1983-84 through 2002-03 with the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey, the Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix and Dallas.