Hockey Top 5

The top 5 UFA’s well the five that could get the biggest buzz come July 1st.

5. Jaromir Jagr (RW) — New York Rangers

Why?: Well honestly New York New York has been a little cold to him in the past year. His slow start allowed him to basically become a UFA. Now the question is does he actually stay in Rangerland? I believe he more than likely will. But if he tests the market…there will be considerable interest from the not so usual suspects.

Likely Salary: $6.5-7.5 million

Destinations: New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins

4. Ryan Malone (LW) — Pittsburgh Penguins

Why?: He wants to break free of the Pens…as much as it is home. It appears like he just wants to go. Malone will fetch some good “dough” as not too many are as gifted at the two way game as he is. More importantly his grit is a major asset especially come the playoffs. He takes a lickin and comes back kickin’ for more. Expect interest to come from all angles for him. To think not too long ago, he was up the creek at the Igloo.

Likely Salary: $4.5 to 6 mill.

Destinations: Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks

3. Mats Sundin (C) — Toronto Maple Leafs

Why?: Well why not? He can still play and his postseason numbers rank very well with some of the best. If only he could get there more often but alas in Toronto that just doesn’t happen quite so often anymore. Reportedly several teams have received permission to talk to Sundin. Montreal being the only one that had any concrete discussions with him apparently or so the story goes. There are many possibilities here…it may be up to Mats at this point.

Likely Salary: $5 to 6 mill

Destinations: Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, somewhere in NY area, Sweden

2. Brian Campbell (D) — San Jose Sharks

Why?: He is the most sought after free agent next to Hossa really and some say he is the tops. I don’t know about that but he is right up there. I would sure as hell love it if he was on my team. I’ll worry about the defensive end later. That is what guys like Brooks Orpik are for. Reports have come in that San Jose may not be able to sign him but at this point it is looking more likely that he is going to test the market come July 1st. Someone is going to pay “Big Bucks” for him no doubt.

Likely Salary: $7-8 million at least

Destinations: San Jose, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Columbus, Montreal, and several others who have the $$$.

1. Marian Hossa (RW) — Pittsburgh Penguins

Why?: Hmmm….I hear he is good and even shed that postseason hex that seemed to be on him. The amount of teams that will bid on his services will be many and the offer will probably be outrageous. I have seen reports of no less than 8 teams interested in Hossa. With how well he plays with top line talent, there is no question he will get a ton of change with whomever he signs with.

Likely Salary: $7.5 - 9 mill

Destinations: Boston, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, NY Rangers, Vancouver, Detroit, Dallas, No Ottawa However.

As the coming days get closer…expect the rumors to heat up and well get more crazy. You will see some ones that look like they got drawn up from a sandbox. Maybe they did. See ya!

Vacation Time…..

Later today I will be leaving for Long Beach and Anaheim for a few days of relaxation and much deserved.  It has been a long tough hockey season…and the offseason has been filled with its unexpected amount of bumps in the road.

Enjoy the draft everyone…and see you the middle of next week with hopefully some more news to report as the Free Agent Frenzy (July 1st) draws closer.  Thank you and good night!

Sincerely,

Chris

Hockey Around The Horn: Episode 9

Greetings everyone…this is your host, Chris Wassel, with another episode of Hockey Around The Horn: The Stanley Cup Edition.

And now the intros…..

Kindly introduce yourselves please….

I am the Ogre, the strong yet gentle giant of TheNHLArena. And I happen to be the GM of the Penguins.

“Stand back, JoeyHurricane is coming thru! *cues entrance theme*…darn the CD is skipping!”

I am the one..the only….the Princess.

THE ICEBREAKER

Brian Burke has denied the Leafs yet again….is this story really dead or is there still more to the tale?

I know not of this “Brian Burke” of which you speak. Is he the one living down in the forest by the elves? Seems I’ve heard the name before and pain fills the eardrum. — Ogre

“I wouldnt call it dead right now, perhaps life support. I think things will get clearer just after the draft. Since Burke has a year left on his current deal, even if he resigned he would still have to honor that final year so unless he was able to get an out if the owner gets in potential legal trouble, this story is going to be a moot issue until next season with a few more weeks of conjecture from hockey media.” — Joey

LOL…dead. Burke isn’t going anywhere. — Princess

NEWS OF THE WEEK

1. Much has been made of the officiating in the Stanley Cup Finals…what sticks out more…the goaltending interference calls or the obstruction calls?

You asked the right person. The obstruction needs to be stopped and the refs are doing the right thing. Reaching out with the free hand needs to be eliminated. As far as goalie interference, I think the call on Zetterberg in the first OT was a good call and the other was a nice fall by Fleury. I am strongly against diving or embellishing but until they correct it, it’s going to happen, and most goalies are good at it. But players need to stop driving into the crease. If they hit a goalie outside his little blue home, tough, he deserves to be hit. But if he’s where he is supposed to be, you got to stay out. Home invasion should be a crime. Make the blue area a little bigger, get rid of the trapezoid, and if you roam from home, expect to get hit.
– Ogre

“I think it is the interference calls. As much as we fans all clamor for more consistent officiating, let’s face the facts, obstruction calls are hockey’s version of holding in football, you just aren’t gonna get them all and get them all right. Goalie interference calls far too much exploit the wording of the rulebook and can use a revision to make this infraction completely understandable, thus making this call more consistent.” — Joey

Obstruction, but I’m tried of hearing about people being upset about the calls made or not made. No *person* is perfect and no one ref is gonna see every pentaly to be called. And there are calls in every game you can say were bad or not made. I think people should either really try to fix this issue or shut up and just watch the game. Just crying about it doesn’t do anything.
– Princess

2. Former Coyotes GM Mike Barrett has proposed a developmental league in the Spring for prospects. Is this something that could work or is it just too outlandish to be plausible?

To do what? Save a few weeks in the minors? Stupid idea. Use the minors for what it is there for, getting young players time on the ice in game situations. — Ogre

“Chalk me up on the negative. Several reasons for this, first is you would have young players and prospects from a variety of leagues both professional and not that would have to sign off on this and that wont happen. The NHLPA wouldnt and shouldnt agree to something that can injure players that are members of the PA that may potentially be caused by players that are not members. Also give these kids a rest, hockey is enough of a drain on their lives, give them more than 8 weeks of an ‘offseason’. Instead of this have more rookie tournaments thru the league like the Traverse City tourney and the rookie tourney in the Pacific Division, instead. — Joey

Could work, but then again, there’s nothing to say you can’t take one of the many leagues already made and turn it into that. Probably would save money and time. — Princess

3. What is the more intimidating place to play a home game at….Joe Louis or the Mellon?

Well, bowing to the intelligence of my counterpart, Princess, with the lower attendance at the Joe, (I agree with the pricing and economic atmosphere he pointed out to me) and total sellouts at Mellon Arena, I got to go with the hometown crowd. The whiteout and full out mayhem makes it a tough place to play, hence the recent record, which the Red Wings snapped Monday. — Ogre

“I am going with Igloo. I was there scooping up Student Rush tickets, even if I was out of college already, when the team sucked and attendance barely ever got over 13,000 and those crowds were as loud as some sellouts cause those were the passionate fans that were there. I have seem many examples of how Pens teams play and effort resonates with the crowd at the Mellon. On thing I’ll remember the most is the Pens breaking a long winless streak at home with Andy Chiodo slamming his goalie stick on the net and waving his arms to the crowd that is so loud that you think we just won a berth in the Stanley Cup.” — Joey

Haha! I don’t think playing a home game at Joe Louis is intimidating…for the Red Wings
grin.gif — Princess

4. How bad has the Tampa situation spiraled out of control and could it possibly get worse?

Yeah. It could get worse.
Win. Win. Win. Win. Win.
They couldn’t with the good players they had.
The baseball team has finally shown up and could steal people, and dollars, away from the Lightning, too. It’s tough enough to get people to go inside in a place like that when the area has a beautiful landscape and sunshine.
Oh, and making it Melrose Place, won’t be any better either. — Ogre

“Oh it can definately get worse, what is gonna happen if the Miroslav Satan Rays are for real? It can be an ugly situation if new ownership really does go for a coach for promotional purposes instead of the product on the ice. It will be trouble if 2 seasons go by without realistically competing for a playoff spot.” — Joey

Everything can always get worse. I don’t think it’s “spiraled out of control”. Rough times happen for everyone. — Princess

OVER/UNDER

There will be 7 trades made at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft….over or under?

Way over. Eleven or twelve. There are too many young stars and not enough money around to pay them and older players. Some teams, Pittsburgh, may have to deal a youngster or two, and others will strengthen what they have with vets. Last year was a learning curve on what to do with the new era in hockey. Teams will do more this year. — Ogre

“Under, I like 6 more than 7.” — Joey

Over…at least 8 or 9. — Princess

OUT OF BOUNDS

According to some in the media….what is worse…tanking you way to the Stanley Cup Finals or barely being able to sell out your own building?

You’re gonna get me in trouble here. I don’t believe any team “tanked” there way into the finals. (I know what you are hinting at, and you’re not so subtle) Teams do what is best for their team. Now, did the Pens “tank” games to get Mario? They probably didn’t play their best.
Not selling out your building is a damn shame, especially for the Cup Finals. To show off your team pride for the greatest trophy in sports, is what it is all about. But, as I stated earlier, some circumstances can’t be avoided. — Ogre

“Not selling out is the bigger issue to me. Yes the economy is not that good at the moment, yes tickets are expensive, yes people watch their what their disposable income is spent on but there are still enough people in the metropolitan areas that the necessary amounts of people should find their way to purchase those seats. Understandable if you cant afford them all but if you took said people and they all bought a game or two if that is all they can afford, sold out city.” — Joey

“Barely being able to sell out your own building” - I’d rather not be the champions and still have the fans behind me and still bring in some revenue. But a team is more likely to become champions if they can sell tickets. — Princess

THE FINAL SHOWDOWN

1. In the end, who should normally win the Conn Smythe…the best player on the winning team…or the best player in the playoffs period no matter their outcome?

This is tough. Surely players on Cup Final teams will normally have the best numbers; i.e. points, goals, assists, wins, etc. So it comes down to two teams usually. Unless someone has an outstanding, over-the-top performance, for the losing team, someone on the winning team should win. You were not the “best” player if you couldn’t help your team win. If it’s a close, seven game series, I could see it happening. — Ogre

“Normally its the best player on the winning team. Not often will you see a player on the losing team be worthy of the award. The Cup is awarded to the team who wins 4 series, which is a sign of consistency, and the consistently best player on said team will always outshine the best the losing team had to offer.” — Joey

I think it should go to the best player in playoffs no matter what the outcome. That’s only fair.
– Princess

2. At press time….the Chicago Wolves were up 2-0 on the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins…do you think WBS has a snowball’s chance in coming back and why? Also, who has set the scoring record for rookies with 26 points so far?

With the call-ups for the Pens from the WBS team, and yet the great year they’ve had, I wouldn’t bet against them. WBS in seven.
I’m not going to look it up but I do know Alex Gologoski was credited with breaking some record or something, even though he was just called up and not a member of the team anymore. — Ogre

“This is a series that the word ‘chippy’ doesnt do it justice. Game three will define this series for several reasons, Wilkes Barre has always been a great team at home and the Calder Cup has a 2-3-2 format. Problem for Wilkes-Barre is the Pittsburgh Penguins have called up Alex Goligolski for the Stanley Cup Finals on an emergency basis and if the Penguins were to force a game 7 tonight, Alex will miss games 4,5,6 in this series. This is gonna hurt WBS moreso as Alex has a record 26 points by a defenseman in a postseason. Tough row to hoe for the Baby Pens but dont count them out until maybe tonight. ” — Joey

Alex Goligolski set the record and no the Baby Pens will not come back…Chicago is too tough.
– Princess

3. When all is said and done….what does it really take to not only win the Stanley Cup but repeat in this day and age? Really is any team now capable of doing so and why?

Not very possible anymore. Teams are better throughout the NHL now more than ever, and when you win it, teams gun for you even more, making it harder for you to repeat. Also, free agency and players jumping from team to team makes it tough.
But, if you have a real good farm team, and group of guys, signed for a few years, AND they play beyond their expectations, who knows what can happen. (Not so subtle, either, huh?)
– Ogre

“Lets face it, dynasties in the NHL are not anywhere close on the horizon. Back to back champions are only slightly more realistic. I believe that the closest you will find to a ‘dynasty’ is 3 Cup wins in a decade, but don’t expect two of those to be back to back. The collective talent pool in the NHL nowadays as compared to 15-25 years ago makes a 100+ grind to the Grail that much more difficult and unlikely. — Joey

You gotta have talent. A team that doesn’t have a lot of experience and/or talent is not gonna win. I think you also have to have heart and passion; the team has to care to win, because they want it and not because they want a paycheck. — Princess

CW: I wanted to personally thank all three of the participants for being in this month’s edition….and now the fans decide who wins this month’s Hockey Around The Horn.

“Cap” The Night.

Some hard hitters from the last 24 hours.

– Alex Ovechkin wins the Pearson, Richard, and Hart…anything he didn’t win?

– Pavel Datsyuk takes home the Lady Byng and Selke.  Nick Lidstrom takes his 6th Norris.

– Martin Brodeur takes home his 4th Vezina in 5 years in one of the closest votes ever (7)

– Gordie Howe is the recipient of the first ever Hockey Lifetime Achievement Award.

Peter DeBoer is expected to be named the next Ottawa head coach later today.  This is according to a report from Spectors which states something will happen likely tomorrow…if not tomorrow but soon.  I did a little reading on DeBoer (the Kitchener Coach) and I have to say he will be a departure from Murray that is for sure.  That is a good thing.  What Ottawa really needs right now is someone who can coach and coach youngsters and vets alike well.  That youthful energy could be what Ottawa really needs…that and a buyout of Ray Emery but hey…one thing at a time.

Expect the Kings to go within and possibly name Mike Johnston their new head coach…timetable on this one…who really knows.  The Kings do not do anything like clockwork and their late firing of Crawford when everyone thought it would come much sooner not only makes me scratch my head but befuddles many NHL experts everywhere.  No wonder why the Kings fan feels such an ambivalence to their own organization.  How long will it be before Dean Lombardi is fired or they sell the team?  It makes you wonder.

With only a week till the draft..the draft talk will heat up some.  I am not the world’s greatest expert on the draft but I know a thing or two…so expect a little on the draft as I gear up for a much deserved vacation next weekend.  Till then….hope everyone enjoyed the Awards Show and good night!

The Wrath Of Krog!

Jason Krog capped off the 2007-08 season much the same way he started it….with a hot finish…a four point night including a hat trick in Chicago’s 5-2 win over Pittsburgh last night. The win gave the Calder Cup to Chicago for the second time in seven seasons. The scoring frenzy gave Krog an AHL high of 38 points in the playoffs (12 goals, 26 assists) in 24 games.

With that effort, it was a no-brainer that Krog would win the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for being the most valuable player of the Calder Cup playoffs. Krog had already captured the AHL MVP award with an astonishing 112 points (39 goals, 73 assists) in just 80 games during the regular season. Here is the game winner….right here.

81502481JD023_Calder_Cup_Wi

(empty_netters/flickr.com)

Krog has been an amazing mentor on this team.  Now granted it may seem weird that this success never quite translated on the NHL level but Krog is surrounded with talent that could be considered NHL caliber or damn close to it.  Ondrej Pavelec, the goalie, is only a rookie but there is talk that he may get a chance with the Atlanta Thrashers next season.  He is that talented!   Add in contributions from guys like Dennis Haydar and Joel Kwiatkowski (27 and 25 points respectively) and you have the recipe for a title.

Krog has guided the youngsters well…working with guys like Brett Sterling and Nathan Oystrick.  That really was his purpose in staying with Chicago….I am sure he could have gone up to Atlanta but I don’t think he really wanted to.  He is happy in the AHL but Atlanta top brass would be foolish not to try and coax him into playing for the big club next season.  Krog still has some talent left even at the tender age of 32 (he will be 33 at the start of next season).  Don’t be shocked if this is a springboard for several of these Wolves to show what they can do on the big club.

This former Hobey Baker award winner (98-99) from New Hampshire clearly has a considerable amount left in the tank and would be a great asset to the youngsters in Atlanta.  Question is…does Krog really want to try the NHL again as he seems to be very happy and content in Chicago?  Only time will tell on that one.

Coming Soon….

Every Wednesday during the offseason…Greg Wyshynski (The Fourth Period and Puck Daddy), Lyle Richardson (Spectors and Fox Sports), and David Pagnotta will be doing a weekly live chat for readers and bloggers alike to ask questions, comment, and more.

It is a very interesting format….and here is today’s excerpt.  Just hit replay if need be.

http://www.spectorshockey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=639&Itemid=22

What I enjoyed most was the straight shooting that you don’t always get from most podcasts and such.  It seems everyone is convinced Cristobal Huet is resigning with Washington…they were not quite as sure about Brian Campbell.  Both Greg and Lyle thought it would take Chara money plus to resign him.  At least it seems that is what Campbell’s agent wants.  At the end of the day, someone may just overpay for him….that is what Boston did for Chara in my humble opinion.

I can’t wait to see what these guys have offered for next week….by then the draft will be days away.

January To June In 60 Minutes

A rare and special simulcast from The NHL Arena Program…enjoy everyone…

Time to go from January to June in our unique way….via the blog of course.

We opened up the New Year with The Winter Classic. Crosby scored the GWG in the shootout and no one was really surprised. The LS Insider was on fire talking about Ribeiro and Savard among other things. We did some Mid-Year Reports on the tri-state area teams (Devils, Isles, Rangers). I even remembered to wish the wife a Happy Birthday. The blog turned one and we celebrated with The Blog Of The Year. There was some Arena Gathering in Phoenix…and an All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Then we counted down to the Trade Deadline with yours truly…with parts 1,2, 3, and more. There was a new column called Ask A Panelist where we let people ask us all sorts of questions. Thankfully Zednik was okay. Before the deadline, Pogo did a special for Injury Ninja Awareness Month (believe me its true…really). We all got antsy before the deadline…and then it came and went….then there was recapping.

March came in like a lion with some fantasy impact. The funny thing there was something about a six man tag in Hockey Around The Horn. Rick won the overall in professor-like fashion. The LSHL and Stevens’ leagues were going down to the wire. The Hockey Top 5 was indirectly introduced. Hockey Around The Horn went at it for a sixth time proving it never gets old. We paid a salute to my favorite drinks and went into more fantasy updates. Also, I wished a Happy Birthday to Mr. Hockey.

April came along with teams clinching already. There was an argument about snack foods. We saluted fantasy champs as the playoffs started with signs. The ladies went at it for the HATH and it was quite the experience. Round 1 rolled on by as the Devils and Senators were sent packing. We previewed Round 2 and introduced a Phanatic. The strangeness of the Habs-Flyers series took a backseat to the tale of Sean Avery. April was something else to say the least.

May showed us even more if that was possible. There was a pilot to bombadeer…and a beloved owner died. All hell broke lose with Versus, LS Insider, the Reaper, the final 4 was finally set after many hours, and Danada and Stevens fought over the Eastern Conference Final Preview. Toronto made a crash landing of sorts. I learned quite a lot in these playoffs and well the US felt cheated and I was humbled by Wings. The playoffs did start to bore us some admittedly but the Worlds saved us. The HATH part 8 snuck in with a new format. Russia struck gold and Danada felt bad for Canada.

Oh wait there was more playoffs to come. Then there was just waiting. But there were special interviews from the Wings and Pens’ sides of it in between a little Tamby face time. I made a prediction and angered an Ogre…sorta. Finally there was a Finals and Detroit made an initial whitewashing. Rick came in with The Cold War. I began to wonder when the finals were going to start…then things got interesting. Ogre took on Hockeytown and the Wings humbled me again.

Finally there was June. We were told to respect our elders, and that the Wings should win it in five. Unexpectedly the game kept going and going until Petr Sykora called his shot. I took a stand on diving and flopping then realized we needed more cider and a prediction. There was some relatively breaking news, and the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. The offseason started with a Brady-like bang! Then there was all sorts of offseason bizarre activity. We said goodbye to a legend, were amazed by Euro Power, and lastly the LWL took on all 30 NHL teams.

It has truly been an amazing run to the offseason. The funny thing about hockey is the hardest part is to say goodbye even for a few months. Off the ice so far, it has been as hot as it was on the ice…go figure! With the Awards, Draft, and Frenzy all coming up….there will still be plenty to talk about at The NHL Arena and here of course.

Into The Offseason…..

Well with our so mightily impressive 3-3 record for the Finals…..the Predictor finished a respectable 19 over .500 for the playoffs….not too shabby but hey it could have been better.  For the record the Wings won 4 games to 2 so obviously I picked the Pens at least once and it didn’t go well.

What I learned this season?

Anyone who doubts Martin Brodeur’s ability needs to seriously sit down and shut up.  The defense around him was in a dreadful state for vast parts of the season and yet he stood his ground.  Sure, he could play less games next season but when your D resembles “B.O.”….I can understand.  Congrats in advance for your fourth Vezina Marty….you truly earned it this year and probably should have gotten some MVP votes but I digress.

Bruce Boudreau is a great coach because he keeps it simple and preaches hard work and good ethics.  His X’s and O’s are getting up there with the top coaches and quick.  Look out NHL….the Washington Capitals are a team on the rise mostly thanks to Boudreau and I expect them to considerably improve on their first round exit from this year.

The rise of young teams like Pittsburgh and Washington makes me look to Edmonton as the next team that could quickly go on the rise especially if a young goalie can enter into the mix there….even a Chicago…so look out…the trend is getting younger so older teams…your window is closing up quick.

Coaching Carousel

The coaching carousel is heating up.  Ron Wilson is thinking about the Leafs.  Torts may talk to San Jose very soon.  Bob Hartley could land in Ottawa.  The Kings are looking for anyone’s guess or a clue.  Yet, the Devils have not fired Sutter…thankfully that is a very good thing.  Even Barry Melrose may end up in Tampa eventually.  At the very least, it is making the offseason a little easier to bare on my stomach which does feel better that the Wings won over the Penguins.

Who’s next to hop on?  Tony Granato the redux indeed…as he was named last week to coach the Avs after Joey Q was canned.  That situation seems a bit strange but that is Colorado for you.  Florida is still looking for a coach too so look out NHL…you will see some new and old faces in new places next season.  Will they be able to turn their teams’ fortunes around?  Who really knows at this point.

A Parting Shot

Thank you to the fine folks at Fanboom who have put up with me all season…Tom, Jake. and all the gang.  Check out the entire site…take awhile to browse around and enjoy.  This is a whale of a site and I don’t mean the size of Garth Snow’s old hockey pads.  Don’t worry I will be around spouting off some more about the offseason….just going to enjoy a bit of a vacation from time to time.  See you on the other side.

Osgood As It Gets!!!!

START SPRAING THE SHAME PAIN BOYS AND LETS DRINK FROM THE LORDS CUP!!!!!

Wow, well the Red Wings are Stanley Cup Champions again.

What a series it was, both teams played their hearts out and it the end we all know who is the best team this season in Hockey.

The Red Wings dominated the Playoffs and Osgood got the MVP.

Although the Penguins tried to force a game 7, the Wings were just to big to stop.

If the Penguins did force a game 7, then it would be really tough to win it in Hockeytown.

The Pens came into the Stanley Cup Finals overconfident and not willing to admit that there was another team better than them and more hungry for Lord Stanleys Cup.

That’s the real reason the Penguins lost the series and their dreams of hoisting the Cup.

All that’s left to do until the offseason comes is the 2008 NHL Draft which will be an exciting one and with Melrose becoming the new lighting head coach and the Wings winning the Cup this will be an interesting Draft year for the NHL.

Melrose Gets Jolt Of Lightning

Well it’s official Barry Melrose is the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Torterella will be getting fired this week sometime and now I hope the lightning will be able to regain their glory and head back to the Stanley Cup in a few years.

As many of you are aware Melrose has served as an NHL Analyst for ESPN, but now this comes out that he will be the new head coach of the Lightning.

I never expected Barry to be interested in coaching, WOW what a surprise that was.

Since Four Years ago we all remember what a Stanley Cup series it was when the lightning went up against the Might Flames of Calgary, but four years later the Lightning are back in the same boat that have been for so long.

The Lightning haven’t had a great season since 04 and the big question that I had when I found out that Richards was going to be traded was… their goes one of lightnings most dominant players.

Now I know that there are still a lot of remaining players that were with Tampa Bay when they won the cup, but it just dose not make sense to me.

Why did you trade Brad Richards in the first place?

But know we will see how Barry handles the Lightning and the Thunder down in Tampa, but I think Barry is a great choice for being the head coach of the Lightning.

Oh and who will Barry in this years NHL Draft that’s  coming up?

That’s one thing I will be dying to see.

keep looking »