NHL 2008-2009 Season

By gregb0b
in The Sporting Arena

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Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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Leafs blue line getting a bit crowded

...

The scenario no one speaks about any more is sending Luke Schenn back to junior.

The 18-year-old rookie has done nothing to rattle management's confidence or to make it obvious that it would be best for him to be playing with teenagers. Instead, he's consistently among the top Leafs on the ice and there is nothing to suggest he'll be going back to his junior team in Kelowna after nine games.

...

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/519046

I don't care if he is the best player on the ice. We aren't going anywhere this year and we'll (hopefully) need him more in 7 years than we do today. If we play him in more than 9 games then we lose a year of restricted free agency control over this guy. Send him back to Juniors so that we can comfortably end up last in the east and get a decent lottery pick. Stop with the foolish "win while rebuilding" approach. Either rebuild or don't but stick to one plan and see it through.

Colaiacovo a healthy scratch

...

Wilson insisted Colaiacovo did nothing to warrant a benching, that the decision was strictly due to the numbers.

"I told him it's nothing that he's done wrong," said Wilson. "We want to keep everybody active. I don't want to have guys sitting out for any length of time.

"It's just trying to keep everybody active. Instead of having one guy really mad, we'll have six or seven guys a little bit upset. Probably less chance of me being shot in those situations."

...

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/519416

I posted the only entertaining part.

Edited by Fred Derf
Veteran

ambiance

Posted
Posted
habs win again :) too bad about andrei... and it looks like higgins is getting traded for gaborik

They would need to trade more than just Higgins for Gaborik. The price would be too steep and there's the chance he wouldn't sign in the off season. I doubt Gainey would mortgage the future on a risky deal like that.

Experienced

KZWings

Posted
Posted
TORONTO ? NHL governors are talking informally about placing a second hockey team in Toronto alongside the Maple Leafs, The Globe and Mail has learned.

?Why shouldn't we put another team in the best and biggest market in the world?? one of several NHL governors who spoke with The Globe anonymously said of the Greater Toronto Area.

According to this governor, one idea floated is for prospective owner Jim Balsillie to be rewarded with an expansion team in Toronto after helping to restore financial ballast to the Nashville Predators.

?I've heard this exact scenario,? a second governor said.

Calgary Flames co-owner Harley Hotchkiss, a former chairman of the NHL board of governors, is also aware of the Balsillie movement.

?I've heard bits and pieces of this scenario, although not in that kind of detail,? he said. ?Our priority is to have the existing franchises solid.?

?[it is] an interesting scenario,? Mr. Hotchkiss added, ? but I can only speak generally.?

Richard Peddie, president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said the organization would not automatically reject the idea of a second team in Toronto.

?When and if the league brings expansion to the table, we'll listen and decide what is best [for hockey],? he said.

As to the potential impact on the Maple Leafs, the first governor dismissively waved his hand. ?The Maple Leafs would not be hurt one bit. In fact, it would help them. They could make all kinds of money renting the Air Canada Centre to the other team.?

Richard Rodier, a Toronto lawyer who acts as spokesman for Mr. Balsillie on hockey matters, declined to comment. Bill Daly, the deputy commissioner of the NHL, did not respond to a request for comment.

Two more NHL governors said the league should put a second team in Toronto, although one of them said it should be by relocating an existing franchise rather than expanding.

?I don't think it can be an expansion team,? a governor said. ?We can't expand because we would be the laughingstock of professional sports.

?We've got too many troubled franchises. We've got to look at relocating a couple of them. These franchises were troubled long before the economic downturn and next year is going to be worse on them.?

Mr. Balsillie, the co-CEO of Research in Motion Ltd., angered league executives by attempting to buy the Nashville Predators with the intent of moving the franchise to Hamilton.

The league will never allow Mr. Balsillie to put a team in Hamilton for two reasons, according to one governor. One is that the city would be a tough sell for U.S.-based teams, and the other, more significant reason, is the belief it would ruin the Buffalo Sabres.

?It's a minor-league town,? the governor said of Hamilton. ?How could we sell a team from Hamilton? Do you think the New York Rangers want to put the Hamilton Steelers on their marquee at Madison Square Garden? Do you think anyone in Manhattan would buy tickets to see them??

He also said a team in Hamilton would mean thousands of fans in the Niagara Peninsula who attend Sabres games would simply drive to Hamilton to avoid border lineups.

?We do not want to kill the Sabres,? the governor said. ?But if there was a second team in Toronto, that would not hurt Buffalo.?

A comparable situation exists in Los Angeles, where the Staples Center houses three professional teams ? the Kings of the NHL, plus the Lakers and Clippers of the NBA.

A third governor thinks the Buffalo Sabres might accept a second team in Southern Ontario as well if it made business sense. He said that means charging Mr. Balsillie as much as $700-million (U.S.) for an expansion franchise.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Reports of second NHL team in Toronto 'nonsense'

NHL executive says idea has never been considered

Oct 21, 2008 12:14 PM

KEVIN MCGRAN

SPORTS REPORTER

It sounds as if reports that the NHL is considering placing a second team in Toronto are more fantasy than reality.

"The story is nonsense," one highly placed NHL source told the Star. "Perhaps the musings of one team representative. Expansion to Toronto has never been discussed with the board, the executive committee or any other league committee.

"And its never been considered internally."

...

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/521152

Grand Master

Andrew Lyle Global Moderator

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Posted
Holy crap, the Ducks barely beat Toronto last night, a far cry from two years ago. 4 shots in the second and 0 shots in the third?

I guess you are suffering like the rest of the maple leaf fans. On a good note, they aren't the worst team in the league.. that is occupied right now my the flyers.

Leafs aren't too far ahead either, sitting at #24.

I gave up on watching hockey until leafs get better

Grand Master

Boffa Jones Veteran

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I guess you are suffering like the rest of the maple leaf fans. On a good note, they aren't the worst team in the league.. that is occupied right now my the flyers.

Leafs aren't too far ahead either, sitting at #24.

I gave up on watching hockey until leafs get better

Actually, as a Hab's fan it kind of makes me smile inside... :D The thing is, it is ridiculous that the leafs held the ducks to 4 shots in the last 2 periods. So even though they lost, at least they are performing somewhat decently.

Grand Master

rajputwarrior

Posted
Posted
Holy crap, the Ducks barely beat Toronto last night, a far cry from two years ago. 4 shots in the second and 0 shots in the third?

yeah man, ducks are going to get hammered by the habs on saturday (i love the ducks too, so it makes me a little sad inside)

Actually, as a Hab's fan it kind of makes me smile inside... :D The thing is, it is ridiculous that the leafs held the ducks to 4 shots in the last 2 periods. So even though they lost, at least they are performing somewhat decently.

shhhhh, never give that team any credit.

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