July 27, 2005
Rink Notes
The NHL has just released the 2005-06 schedule. Get yours here. And boy, is there a lot to get excited about:
The NHL will return to the ice with the busiest night in the league's 88-year history.
Not wanting fans to have to wait one extra day to see their teams, the NHL has scheduled 15 games -- including all 30 clubs -- on opening night Oct. 5. Before the lockout that wiped out all of last season, the record for games in a day was 14, done nine times but not since 2003.
The schedule, released Wednesday, features more divisional games as teams will play their biggest rivals eight times instead of six.
In Denver, this means two more games with Vancouver. On Long Island, that means two more games with the hated Rangers.
Here in Washington, it means six more games with Carolina, Atlanta and Florida. I've died and gone to heaven! And John Fontana is cruising on the same meme.
For happier breakdowns, visit On The Wings, Ben Wright and Heather Creegan.
Jaromir Jagr might want to play in Russia next year, but the terms of the new IIHF transfer agreement say otherwise. What a shame, or as they say in espanol, que lastima. However, the Rodent has found a loophole. For more, check out Hockeybird.
In the OC, Brian Burke is dangling the number 2 pick, while courting Randy Carlyle. And it looks like Anna Kournikova's ex-boyfriend will get to stay too.
Dominik Hasek returns to Ottawa. Or perhaps just arrives, as he hasn't actually played a solitary second in a Senators sweater as of yet.
Ex-NHL goalie Gerry Desjardins is shedding no tears for his bretheren of today when it comes to new equipment restrictions:
"Everything got so big, the jersey, the pants, the glove," the 10-year NHL veteran said. "Heck, with that basket on your hand, you don't have to catch a puck any more."
Elsewhere in the London Free Press, Al Strachan has some unkind words for the league's new substance abuse policy. And check out SI.com's Truth and Rumors.
For those of you who missed it (including me), Comcast is mulling over a decision to challenge ESPN head on by revamping the Outdoor Life Network into a broader sports property, and bidding on the NHL and NFL to stock itself with programming.
Reminder: Carnival of the NHL #3 is at Puck Update this week. Get in your submissions by 7:00 p.m. U.S. EDT tomorrow. And if I somehow missed you on a personal e-mail, please don't be offended, and feel free to send your stuff in regardless.
Tom Benjamin is getting in touch with his inner Bill Belichick. PJ returns with an exhaustive look at the Sharks. Joe Tasca is busting on Tom Golisano. Jes Golbez pens a love letter to Markus Naslund.
Please remember not to go shopping without Jim Mirtle's list of unrestricted free agents, as well as Matt's list of the recently bought-out.
And speaking of buy-outs, Dallas is saying goodbye to Pierre Turgeon.
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I went a little further into how much I detest the new Divisional rivalry stuff a few days ago. I addressed the opening night "rumor" of Carolina:
http://www.boltsmag.com/archives/2005/07/23/october-5-2005/
What a team to raise the banner against.... :(
Posted by:
at July 27, 2005 02:26 PM
I can't tell you how thrilled I am that I won't get to see the Wings play the Canadiens, the Bruins or the Leafs (a mere four hour drive away in Toronto), but that I will get to see them play roughly 37 games against Columbus and Nashville.
Sweet.
Posted by:
at July 27, 2005 03:14 PM
Rob -
Not trying to defend Columbus too much but I do feel bad for the market -- it's a hockey town and they have an absolutely terrible team. They support it to no end but I wouldn't be excited about the Wings playing the Blue Jackets much either.... Unless the BJ's have a huge breakout season (a la the Ottawa Senators in the 1990's).
I really think they ought to re-align again but scrap the entire regional conference alignment... I hate East vs. West (which dictates these regional alignments and lack-of rivalries for new teams) and much prefer the Conference A / Conference B split East, Central, West like Baseball or the NFL before they further re-aligned.
Detroit in the West? Chicago? Columbus? Nashville? Come on now...
Posted by:
at July 27, 2005 05:04 PM
I don't expect anyone to get excited about Columbus but I'd rather watch Nash and Ovechkin than plenty of other players. The Jackets will be competitive this year- just you wait and see.
Posted by:
at July 27, 2005 05:31 PM
Hey, stop complaining. At least Tampa Bay will squeeze out a lot more wins out of the Hurricanes than the Sens will out of the Leafs or Habs or Bruins. Same goes for you, Detroit.
Posted by:
at July 27, 2005 05:50 PM
Wouldn't it be better for the NHL if it went to a network that was more devoted to it, like Comcast? It's clear to me that ESPN only cares about baseball and football (and college basketball, of coursed). The NBA went to TNT--a network that really wanted it--and it ended up being the best sports show on television. If Comcast goes to the NHL, it could end up being really good for the league, in my opinion. Better than a half hour of John Saunders talking to Barry Melrose once a night at 1:30 in the morning.
Posted by:
at July 27, 2005 11:29 PM
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