Jeffrey | October 31, 2009
As you know, The Gunmakers is closed at weekends. Or, at least, that’s the theory. In reality, we’re booked up most Saturday nights for private parties (click here for details). In the last month alone we’ve been the venue for two wedding receptions, a…
Jeffrey | October 31, 2009
I’ve been told that St Austell Proper Job is a great beer. I say I’ve been told because I’ve never tasted it myself. Ever since I first heard it was a winner (I think it was ATJ who raved about it one time I met him), I’ve been keen to sample a splash,…
Wendy Cooper | October 31, 2009
The first 50 suggestions come from the New York Times 23. If someone likes a wine, steam the label off the bottle and give it to the guest with the bill. It has the year, the vintner, the importer, etc. Wahoo, here is the second 50 suggestions.
Sean Leahy | October 31, 2009
He was the center of the Brian Burke-Kevin Lowe feud two seasons ago. He was the main resident in Craig MacTavish’s doghouse last season. Fans taunted him with "overpaid" chants and were lining up to purchase his ticket out of town.
This season? Dustin Penner(notes) is beginning to prove why he’s worth the high price that Lowe paid for him two summers ago when he signed the 27-year old to an offer sheet, gaving up a first, second and third-round pick in the process.
Through 13 games for the Edmonton Oilers, Penner has scored nine goals and 19 points, including a 5-point night against Columbus last week that included standing ovation from the Rexall Center fans. On Thursday night he put up a 4-point showing against Detroit in a 6-5 victory. The Manitoba native told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that making mistakes under Pat Quinn and Tom Renney don’t equate to one-way tickets to the doghouse like they did when MacTavish was behind the bench:
"I guess it’s just the way Pat and Tom just let me play," Penner said."They don’t get too critical. They just let me play my game. My one year in Portland (in the American Hockey League), I just played hockey and ended up getting 39 goals and 84 points. The coach there, Kevin Dineen, he just let me go play my game."
Penner is currently on pace for a career season and has seemingly had a weight taken off his shoulders now that MacTavish is gone and we’re now two years separated from the highly-publicized offer-sheet. Though a long-shot, Penner is playing himself into Team Canada consideration, but even he knows that more than likely he’ll be watching the Vancouver Olympics from home.
Either way, with the Oilers roster having been hit with the flu recently, if the Edmonton is to find its way back into the playoffs for the first time since their Stanley Cup run in 2006, Penner will have to be leading the way.
Not bad for a guy who was a "yes" from Dany Heatley(notes) away from moving to Ottawa over the summer.
Greg Wyshynski | October 31, 2009
No. 1 Star: Tim Connolly(notes), Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres moved to 8-1-1 on the season with a 3-2 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Connolly had a hand in all three tallies. He picked up an assist on Drew Stafford’s(notes) first-period goal, scored on a breakaway in the second and netted the power-play game-winner at 1:03 of overtime. Ryan Miller(notes) (33 saves) was also outstanding for Buffalo.
No. 2 star: Steven Reinprecht(notes), Florida Panthers
Talk about setting the tone in a road game: Reinprecht scored a natural hat-trick in a 5:11 span of the first period to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead at the Dallas Stars. He later assisted on Jordan Leopold’s(notes) first goal as a Panther. This insanely wild game ended up in a 5-5 tie through three periods and overtime; Rostislav Olesz(notes) had the only shootout conversion — confirmed by video review after some controversy — for the 6-5 Florida victory.
No. 3 star: Mark Streit(notes), New York Islanders
The Islanders were outshot 40-30 on the road, rallied twice for ties and were facing a Washington Capitals team that had won six in a row. Yet the game went to overtime, and that’s where John Tavares(notes) found Mark Streit with a pass in the slot; the defenseman ripped it past Jose Theodore(notes) (26 saves on 30 shots) for the 4-3 victory, just 53 seconds into the extra frame. Streit earlier assisted on Frans Nielsen’s(notes) game-tying goal late in the third, and was a plus-2 for the night. Dwayne Roloson(notes) had 37 saves on 40 shots in the win.
Honorable mention: The Pittsburgh Penguins rallied on goals by Ruslan Fedotenko(notes) and Alex Goligoski(notes) with less than three minutes to go against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and then Sidney Crosby(notes) scored a strange shootout goal to clinch the 4-3 victory on the road. … Minus Marian Gaborik(notes), the New York Rangers fell at the Minnesota Wild, 3-2, as Petr Sykora(notes) and Mikko Koivu(notes) had multi-point nights. For Sykora, the strong effort came after a healthy scratch earlier this week. … Two-point nights for Kris Versteeg(notes) and Patrick Kane(notes), as well as a strong night of defense in front of Cristobal Huet(notes) (20 saves), propelled the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens. … You may more may not feel this Andrew Ladd hit belongs among honorable mentions, but it was a heck of a wallop. … Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan(notes) scored two goals each and the Anaheim Ducks erased a two-goal deficit with seven (!) consecutive goals to rout the Vancouver Canucks, 7-2. … Ryane Clowe(notes) scored his first of the season, Dany Heatley(notes) netted his ninth and the San Jose Sharks peppered Craig Anderson(notes) with 46 shots in their 3-1 win over the red-hot Colorado Avalanche. … Alexander Ovechkin scored his League-leading 14th goal of the season in the Caps’ loss.
Did you know?: George Parros(notes), who scored a rare goal for the Ducks, came into last night’s action "with a ratio of 65 penalty minutes for every goal he had scored in 242 previous NHL games." (AP)
Dishonorable mention: Just a terrible effort from the Canucks, who saw Andrew Raycoft (18 saves on 22 shots) lifted for Cory Schneider(notes). Nucks Misconduct tried to find the silver lining. … The Leafs limp out of Buffalo with a point and a 1-7-3 overall record. … Montreal gave Chicago seven power plays on the night. … Mike Ribeiro(notes), Brenden Morrow(notes) and Jamie Benn(notes) were all a minus-3 in the Dallas loss. … Did we mention that not only did enforcer George Parros score for Anaheim, but fellow ruffian Mike Brown also tallied for the fourth time in his career? And shorthanded, no less?
Sean Leahy | October 31, 2009
Just when you thought the topic of head shots was about go away for a little while, Andrew Ladd(notes) of the Chicago Blackhawks delivered what ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers is calling "the biggest hit delivered in a Hawks game this season" to Montreal’s Matt D’Agostini(notes) early in the first period of tonight’s game. Ladd was given a five-minute major for elbowing, a game misconduct and a minor for roughing when he mixed it up with Kyle Chipchura(notes) during the aftermath.
See the hit and judge for yourself:
D’Agostini has not returned since the hit 3:48 into the game.
Like we saw last week after Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards(notes) hit David Booth(notes) of the Florida Panthers, Ladd did not leave his skates and his shoulder (not elbow) connected with D’Agostini’s head as seen in this screencap:
The head shot debate is now back after a few quiet days and proponent for a head checking penalty, like former NHL’er Keith Primeau, will again make their voices heard. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Thursday that Primeau may receive an invitation to next month’s general manager meetings to discuss a possible head checking penalty.
As far as supplementary discipline for Ladd? If history is about to repeat itself, don’t expect Ladd to be punished anymore than the $200 fine he’ll receive for being ejected from the game. Then again, it is the NHL we’re talking about, so guessing punishment in this situation would be a fool’s game.
Greg Wyshynski | October 30, 2009
Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.
Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. EST. Oh, Bleacher Report: "Jiri Tlusty Set To Tear Up NHL For Leafs on The Way To The Cup." There was some scuttlebutt that Phil Kessel(notes) might lace’em up for the Leafs in this game, but no dice. Ryan Miller(notes) gets to audition for Team USA Coach Ron Wilson and make one last pitch to be October’s player of the month in the NHL. Dude’s 7-0-1 with a 1.60 GAA and a .944 save percentage. Raise your hand if you knew that and don’t own a Mogilny jersey.
Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m. EST. Life without Geno (for the next 2-3 weeks) begins for the Penguins, who are 5-0-0 on the road. Brent Johnson(notes), 9-2-2 with a 2.03 GAA against the Blue Jackets in his career, gets the call to give Marc-Andre Fleury(notes) some rest. Watch The Game Live on Hockey Night on Y!
Preview: Colorado Avalanche at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. EST. Early statement game for both teams, with Colorado already owning a win over the Sharks this season. Craig Anderson(notes) gets start No. 14 in a row for the Avs. Adrian Dater reports that T.J. Galiardi(notes) is out 4-6 weeks with his ankle injury, while defenseman John Liles returns. Ryane Clowe(notes) is expected to play up with Joe Thornton(notes) and Dany Heatley(notes) again in an effort to get his offense going. Hopefully it works, because he’s being outscored by Jed Ortmeyer(notes) right now. Watch The Game Live on Hockey Night on Y!
Check out previews for the other five games tonight on the Scores and Schedules page.
Evening Reading
• Allan Muir on the Detroit Red Wings: "Can the Red Wings get it together? Sure…but this feels like more than just an early hiccup. They’re carrying nine bodies that weren’t wearing the winged wheel when last season started, so there’s no denying this is a different team. And while chemistry is an issue, it’s not the biggest one." [SI]
• Good stuff from Biz of Hockey on something we blogged about earlier this month: Whether the mega-merger between Comcast and NBC could produce a suitable rival for ESPN. [Biz of Hockey]
• Christopher Botta writes 713 words about why no one cares about the NHLPA fiasco. [FanHouse]
• We noticed this two last night: After the Rob Scuderi(notes) fine, Drew Doughty(notes) had a couple of beautiful hip checks for the Los Angeles Kings against the Canucks. Rich Hammond investigates. [LA Kings Insider]
• Mirtle blogs about the contenders for the Canadian Olympic team, and who is making the strongest cases. [From The Rink]
• No Jason Spezza(notes) for the Ottawa Senators this Saturday. [Sun Media]
• Wonderful stuff from Stu Hackel on Jacques Plante and the 50th anniversary of the goalie mask. [New York Times]
• Marty Turco(notes): Flu-like symptoms, as Alex Auld(notes) gets the call against the Florida Panthers. Officials wait for appearance of curly tail, snout. [Y! Sports]
Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: From Anna, on the female hockey jerseys story from this morning, when asked why she needs a female-cut jersey:
Because I have boobs and a smaller men’s jersey just didn’t fit right for me
Well, no argument there.
Bold Prediction: The New York Islanders skate out of Washington with a win.
Ryan Lambert | October 30, 2009
Hockey 101 is a weekly feature on U.S. Division I college hockey. Stick around and you just might learn a thing or two.
College hockey, like college football or basketball I guess, is usually about traditionally strong schools winning a lot, and schools that are traditionally weak, or even middle-of-the-road pretty much winning nothing.
Of the 58 teams in college hockey, only 18 have won national titles since the NCAA tournament began in 1948, and only 10 have won three or more. Michigan has nine, Denver and North Dakota have won seven each, Wisconsin has won six, and BU and Minnesota have each won five.
But things just feel different so far this year.
Merrimack, which has to have one of the worst records in college hockey over the last 10 years, went out to North Dakota and didn’t look out of its depth, then came back home and won four straight, including demolishing No. 7 Vermont 5-2 last week. Lake Superior, a doormat the last two years with 21 combined wins, already has four wins in six games. Quinnipiac, which finished a mediocre 18-18-3, is off to a 3-0-0 start including a sweep of Ohio State in Columbus.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has 20 players on its roster that have been drafted by NHL teams, including 11 from the first three rounds and four first-round picks. Those Golden Gophers are 0-3-1. Boston University, the reigning national champion, has 14 players drafted with one first-rounder. They’re 1-2-0. Last week I mentioned that Notre Dame was struggling to start the season, and they lost their only game of the weekend to drop to 3-3-0. The team that beat them was also the team that beat them in the 2008 national title game, Boston College, which is sitting on a weak 1-1-0 record. UNH, too, is just 2-2-1 with some ugly losses and soft wins.
These are obviously not normal results.
Last year, BU was just smashing its opponents, scoring 33 goals in seven games Minnesota didn’t lose a game until Nov. 22, when they were already 7-0-4.
So what’s the problem? It seems as though this year has been more about defense than offense, and slick, talented teams getting outworked by teams that are more willing to take a game to street level along the boards and in the corners. Minnesota has been shutout in all three of its losses, two of which came at home to a big, physical and mean Denver team. BU has five goals to show from three games, including a loss to UMass and what was by all accounts a very uninspired win against Michigan (that only ended as a win, and not something worse, because of a puck-handling miscue by the Wolverine goalie).
Perhaps powerhouse teams think they’ll have it as easy as they did last year, when they skipped through games with a carefree ease and were hardly ever under any threat to lose to teams they "should beat." But college hockey isn’t like college football, where Florida can beat West Virginia State Technical College or something 178-0 and finish with a one-loss season for the 46th year in a row.
Hockey is the sport where large talent gaps between teams are most easily closed by hard work. Maybe it’s just taking some teams awhile to figure that out.
Homework: Attention college hockey bloggers
What I’d like to do this week is see if I can get everyone with a college hockey blog to email me with a link to their blog.
I’m sure there have to be a ton of college hockey blogs out there (I know mostly Hockey East ones due to my background), and I’d like to get a bit of a blogroll going so I can start a college version of Puck Headlines in this space beginning next week.
It might help you and it will certainly help me. Let’s get on that.
Extra credit
• You don’t see it so much in the pros, but college hockey has more than a few goaltender rotations every year. It’s been very successful for a number of teams. But it’s not too often that you see a three-goalie rotation. Quinnipiac, though, has used each of its goalies in one game this year and to great effect. Dan Clarke’s rocking a 1.00 GAA and a .978 save percentage, Mathieu Cadieux has a 1.94 GAA and a .926 save percentage, and Eric Hartzall’s got a GAA of 2.01 and a save percentage of .938. All three are 1-0. Clarke is the most experienced of the group as a sophomore. The other two are just freshmen.
• BU will be without star forward Nick Bonino for the next month or so after he separated his shoulder against Michigan last week. That loss could hurt even more when BU and No. 9 Lowell play a home-and-home this weekend in a rematch of last year’s controversial Hockey East title game.
• You know it’s finally, officially college hockey season when even the ECAC — which traditionally starts about a month after everyone else for Ivy League-related reasons I don’t fully understand — gets its league schedule underway. The best matchup between two ECAC teams, though, is non-league as No. 7 Yale visits No. 11 Princeton in the Ivy Showdown. Harvard vs. Darthmouth is the only in-league game of the weekend.
• Two Hockey East players lead the nation in points per game right now. UMass forward James Marcou has a goal and seven assists in three games so far, and UNH defenseman Blake Kessel (yes, Phil’s little brother, and I know it’s weird seeing "Kessel" and "defense" in the same sentence) has 10 points in four games. The two are tied for the national lead in assists with Colorado College’s Bill Sweatt.
• Marc Cheverie has had one bad game and three really good ones. The Denver goaltender has three shutouts in four games this year, but still has a GAA of 1.00.
Ryan Lambert and writes about college hockey weekly here at Puck Daddy. You can e-mail him here or follow him on Twitter.
Greg Wyshynski | October 30, 2009
Around 1 p.m. EST this afternoon, the following email blast was sent out from FAN 590 in Toronto:
According to Hockeycentral at Noon’s Nick Kypreos, The NHLPA has shut down its operations, including the suspension of responsibilities for interim Executive Director, Ian Penny.
Uh, wow. For clarification’s sake, what Kypreos actually said on the air:
"I think the last committee that they put together … they’ve essentially suspended all operations, including the interim executive director. Ian Penny’s been shut down. They shut down the NHLPA."
(Q. So, if you went to the NHLPA today, the door’s closed?)
"I don’t think it would be closed, but they’re not in a position to function on a daily basis. The ombudsman [Buzz Hargrove] has been suspended. The regional guys that represent their divisions have all been shut down as well. I hope this thing comes to a head. You’ll probably hear from Ian Penny in some way and form, possibly resigning. … Effectively, the last few days, it’s been clear that he’s been constructively dismissed."
Curious phrase, that last one. It was repeated in the NHLPA press release today that refuted Kypreos’s claim that the players’ association had suspended operations, but confirmed that interim boss Ian Penny is done with the NHLPA.
From the NHLPA:
"Interim Executive Director Ian Penny informed the NHLPA staff and the NHLPA Executive Board earlier today that it is his position he has been constructively dismissed as Interim Executive Director of the NHLPA and can no longer work in the present circumstances. Effective today, Ian Penny is no longer employed by the NHLPA.
"There have been inaccurate media reports circulating today that the NHLPA has suspended operations. The NHLPA staff continues to work very hard on behalf of the players in all areas of the Association’s business and will continue to do so going forward.
"The NHLPA will make no further comment today on this internal matter."
TSN adds some additional background, reporting that "Steve Larmer, Dan O’Neill and Ron Lloyd of the NHLPA’s Advisory Board resigned Thursday night and legal counsel Paul Cavalluzzo resigned on Friday morning." From TSN:
Last week, the NHLPA executive board voted 25-5 in favour of forming a committee to review union operations. NHL veterans Rob Blake(notes), Nicklas Lidstrom(notes) and Mark Recchi(notes) along with former Detroit Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios(notes) were named to the committee. Earlier this week, the committee sent out an e-mail to its members outlining their strategic plan.
”We have come through a period of considerable turmoil and dysfunction within the NHLPA,” stated the e-mail obtained by TSN. ”It is our goal that everything we do now be focused on strengthening and unifying the Association as we move forward to ensure we are in a strong position to enter collective bargaining and conduct our day to day business with the NHL. This review will be conducted independently of those who have worked at the NHLPA during this embarrassing time for the Association.”
In addition to investigating why former executive director Paul Kelly was let go in August, the new four-man group is expected to look into how Penny was able to negotiate a five-year, $3.5 million contract in June.
TSN reports that Penny sent out an email last week saying he had been — wait for it — "constructively dismissed" by the NHLPA; it also wrote that, essentially, the association is in a holding pattern while the committee does its internal affairs work.
Well this is a mess. But it needed to be. If this player committee was serious about changing the course of the association, a Great Purge was a good starting point. The real question is whether the players can remove heads from posteriors fast enough to organize before the next CBA negotiation — a negotiation that a few agents told us during the summer would be a bloody massacre by the well-prepared NHL against the chaotic NHLPA.
Greg Wyshynski | October 30, 2009
R.J. Umberger(notes) had the best goal-scoring season of his career (26) in what was the most memorable season in Columbus Blue Jackets franchise history: Their 2008-09 maiden voyage to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It was his first season with the Blue Jackets, though not his first season in Columbus; Umberger played hockey for The Ohio State University, making the Pittsburgh native as close to a homegrown product as the BJs have on their roster.
This season, Umberger has 2 goals and 4 assists in 11 games for Columbus, who hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. Like his team (12 points in 11 games), Umberger’s still finding his way this season; but the former Philadelphia Flyers‘ versatility at forward enables him to see time in plenty of different roles. He’s played up with star winger Rick Nash(notes) recently; against Pittsburgh, he expected to skate with Derick Brassard(notes) and Jakub Voracek(notes).
"Anywhere in the top six forwards is a lot of fun," he said. "It’s demanding. It’s a huge responsibility to play on both ends. It’s somewhere I always wanted me game to be — to be a guy that’s counted on in key situations."
We spoke with Umberger about Columbus’s maturation as a team and a hockey city; the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry, the best sports city between Columbus, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh; his thoughts on controversial hits on teammate Jason Chimera(notes) and by former teammate Mike Richards(notes); and a rather infamous Jersey Foul in his honor we published here on Puck Daddy this week. Plus the rest of the usual nonsense. Enjoy!
Q. So how much does life change in Columbus when you’re coming off a playoff season?
UMBERGER: There’s a bigger buzz in the city. The following is a lot bigger. Everyone was excited for the season to start, and opening night we had a big crowd. We’ve had a rough stretch in the last week or so, but I think there’s a lot of excitement in the city because they’ve seen what can happen when we play well.
That rough stretch comes as the conference has gotten a little topsy-turvy. Did you guys come into the season assuming certain teams would be in the mix while others wouldn’t? Is there extra pressure on you with the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings grabbing points left and right?
Every year is a new start for teams, but you do have your teams you think are the favorites and the teams you think you really have to contend with. There’s always a surprise team like St. Louis last year, coming back from being last and out of it. I’m sure we surprised a lot of teams last year. And here it is again with Colorado off to a good start, and they were a team you’d think wasn’t going to make the playoffs.
It happened to us in Philly. One year we were terrible, the next year we went to the conference finals. It happens.
We spoke to Rick Nash before the season about the playoff appearance against the Detroit Red Wings being a bit briefer than you guys wanted. How hungry does that make you to get back after a series like that?
Once you get a taste of it, you want to get back there. For us, we played Detroit, who went to the finals. It was a good experience for us to play the best, and to be part of a playoff atmosphere. A lot of the guys on the team were new to it.
Is there ever a situation where Nash does not pick up the check you guys go out? He’s the got the contract now; he should be funding your lives away from the rink.
[Laughs] No, you know, he’s pretty good. Most guys in hockey are pretty good with splitting the checks or playing the credit card game or whatever. He brought the team dinner already. He’s off the hook.
As an Ohio State guy, does that connection change the dynamic between you and the fans in Columbus in way that’s different than, say, the dynamic between the fans and a European player?
Yeah. Some people will know me because of that — the guy around town that was a State hockey player. People remember that. You’ll hear "O-H!"/"I-O!" somewhere, and you know people are talking to you. It’s an easy thing for them to remember you by.
It’s special to me. I was a big Ohio State fan. I love the university, I’m still part of it and it’s special to play here.
Do you have a higher level of hate for guys like Brendan Morrison(notes) and Mike Knuble(notes) of the Washington Capitals, who came from Michigan?
[Laughs] Ah, not those players personally. For the school, yeah.
Mike was a good friend of mine [with the Philadelphia Flyers], and we always had our wagers when the football teams played each other.
Will you, as a Buckeye, admit that Michigan has the best-looking hockey helmet in the NCAA?
Maybe the most recognizable. I don’t know about "best looking."
We talk about rivalries with Ohio State and Michigan, but as a guy coming from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference, it must have been jarring to go from the nightly geographic blood feuds for the Flyers to the much different vibe in the West.
The whole west thing … I’m still trying to get used to it, even though I played the full year here. The travel is different, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it with us being so far away [from other conference teams]. All the teams are different. Being in Philly, there were just so many more personal rivalries for the team. It just felt like there were big, huge battle every night and you knew what you were getting from every team.
It’s funny: I still get really excited when we play Eastern Conference teams.
Do you think that’s one of the reasons it’s been a slow maturation process for Columbus as an NHL city: The lack of those intense rivalry games?
I think the time zone changes make it harder for our fans to stay up and watch those 10 o’clock games. National televised hockey isn’t focused on the West. People don’t know much about the Western teams. I talked to a local radio station in Pittsburgh [this week]; here we are three hours from them, and they didn’t know anything about our season because we’re in the Western Conference.
You’ve got some star power in the East with Crosby, Malkin and Ovechkin. That’s the face of the NHL right now.
Speaking of Pittsburgh, your place of birth: Number of Primanti Bros. sandwiches you could put down in one sitting?
You know, probably one. I like Primanti’s, but I was never a huge fan.
I might get abuse for this, but I like the Philly cheese steak better.
I don’t know if I should admit that.
This question might also be a bit of a hot water situation for you: Best sports town, between Pittsburgh, Philly and Columbus?
Ah, it’s tough. I’m naturally going to say Pittsburgh because they’re more loyal to their players. Philly … the teams right now are really good teams, and it’s such a competitive sports town. I think they’re tough on their players; they judge them too fast. In Pittsburgh, [sports] mean way more.
Speaking of Philly fandom, on our blog we do a series called Jersey Fouls that featured a mash-up between a Cole Hamels Phillies jersey and an R.J. Umberger Flyers jersey, creating a new shirt that read "Hamberger" on the back.
Oh, nice.
Do you find that to be a tribute, sir?
That’s fun. When I was in Philly, there was a guy who would run around the rink that was called "The Hamberger." It’s good stuff. I guess it was supposed to be in honor of me.
Let’s shift gears and talk about the story of last weekend in the NHL: Controversial hits. You watched Jason Chimera flipped by Rob Scuderi(notes), who was fined for it. What was your take on that hit?
I don’t know if it was a necessary hit. You can easily eliminate the guy; you don’t need to take his knees out. I think it needed a suspension, and that’s just me personally. I just think the danger in how he went up in the air and landed, he’s lucky his neck didn’t get hurt.
I’ve seen good hip checks, and they’re part of the game. But a hip check is when you hit’em with your hip; you don’t go after a guy’s knees.
I’ve been a part of some bad hits in my career. (Ed. Note: No kidding.) It’s scary. What we’re seeing, nothing’s happening with any retribution.
On that same line of thinking, the Mike Richards hit on David Booth(notes) was something we considered a hockey play. Do you see it the same way, or should there be an extra bit of punishment for guys who make contact with the head in any fashion?
I thought it was a clean hit by definition and a hockey play. It happened so fast. I know Mike personally, and he’s not the type of guy to do stuff like that. I just think that there’s such a fine line today with how fast the game is and how big the players are; how can we eliminate the hits to the head?
Even though it’s clean, it’s still a hit to the head and it can end that guy’s career. You watch a play [and wonder] if a big hit there is really necessary; he didn’t have the puck anymore. If Richards just picks him up and stays with him, he’s eliminated from the play. There’s really no reason to drill the guy.
It’s a fine line. It’s a clean hit, but with the game evolving so much, it’s still dangerous now.
Alright, nearing the finish line: So what’s on your iPod these days?
Got a lot of stuff. A lot of country music on there. The new Jay-Z rap’s on there. A lot of old school rap with Tupac and Eminem. I got everything. I don’t eliminate any music.
Best movie you’ve seen lately?
"The Hangover." It’s a no-brainer.
The one fast food item you can’t do without?
Probably just the Chipotle burritos here in Columbus.
You adult beverage of choice, sir?
Amstel Light.
And finally, what do you love best about hockey?
The chance to play a game with that much speed. You have to read and react. It’s something new every game.
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