The Tweet that was Heard around the Hockey World

It came as no surprise to anyone when Sean Avery came out in support for gay marriage. For a guy that for so long was interested in fashion and offered to stand by any kid coming out to his team, this was inevitable.



And, obviously, there was going to be fallout. Fallout in the shape of a few tweets from Uptown Sports:



Despite the fact that using your personal twitter to spread your own views is a big no-no, these tweets are inadvisable for a number of reasons. One, they make you look like a douche. Two, it really must suck when you're more of a douche than SEAN AVERY.

However, these tweets did have some good come from them. Paul Bissonnette (otherwise known as BizNasty2pont0) came out in support of Sean Avery's comments, and gay marriage:

"I agree with Sean Avery and his comments on the same-sex marriage issue @ Norton Sports. If 2 people are happy together, let them be happy."

He added a follow up in true, BizNastian fashion:

"For all the gay couples inviting me to their weddings, I'll only consider if there is an open bar at the reception."

These tweets instantly exploded the Twitter verse and the conversation is still ongoing as I type. Much anger was head when the president of uptown sports said he "stood by" these comments. 

There is now a petition brought on by several sports agents, including Norton sports, to condemn these comments. 

Now the Rangers franchise came out in full support behind Avery, making it the first sports franchise to stand behind gay marriage.

More news will be added as the story evolves, but for now, all I have to say is that it might really suck to be a bigger dick than Sean Avery.

Round 1 Wrap-up

Well, Round 1 is over, so here is a few thoughts I had:

Apparently Oprah gave a special and handed out overtimes to everyone! Caps, you get an overtime! Sabres, you get an overtime! Even Montreal, overtimes for you! Every body gets an overtime!

I lost count, but last time I added them up, I believe it was around thirteen games went into overtime. Wow.

Also, game 7s. Lots of game 7s. And blowing 3-0 leads (way to go, Canucks. Way to go). So lots of nail-biting, stressful hockey. Thus playoff hockey affirms why I drink.

Only the Red Wings got an easy sweep, and by the looks of their current Round 2 standings, they got off way too easy. Or they're choking again, but with my team, who the hell knows.

Wasn't terribly surprised by the outcomes--Canucks avoided another choke, and advanced past the Blackhawks, to the sadness of many in Chicago. I'm sure the boys were eager to begin their summer vacation right afterward, as I hear there was a common tipsy Kaner sighting at a bar in Chicago the next night. Toews was supposedly his derp-faced DD, but these reports are unconfirmed.

As for the Canucks, this victory shows that with the power of friendship, hope, love, and that freaky twin thing, perhaps they can beat the President's Trophy curse after all. Or they'll fail in Round 2 like many expect them to. There will be drunken crowds flooding the streets of Vancouver either way.

Out east, many hearts were broken when Montreal fell to the Bruins. Many more hearts were broken when the Penguins fell to the Lightning. While the Montreal fall was depressing, this faithful blogger tried to contain her glee when the Pens were knocked out, though I do feel a bit sorry for Crosby. Poor guy just wanted to play one more game of hockey before the end.

As for Caps/Rangers and Flyers/Sabres...it's no surprise how it ended, though for a while, the Sabres made me believe. I guess that is the alluring power of American hero Ryan Miller in that he can make you hope beyond hope even when you know the D can be quite dreadful at times.

So now I will go back to watching Round 2, biting my nails and downing shots of vodka and praying through tears that my team doesn't disgrace themselves once again.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Way to keep with the updates, self.

Anyway, as it's playoff time, and Round 1 is just about to start (I have my beer cooled and my jersey on. Bring it.) I thought I'd take a moment to make some analysis/predictions.

Basically I'm going to do what those at NHL.com are paid to do--say what I want without any research whatsoever.

On the matchups:

Caps vs. Rangers - This is one of those series that looks like it's clean-cut, with the first seed up against the eighth seed. Then your remember that the Rangers have a reputation for trolling and the Caps a reputation for choking. It could go either way, the turning point probably depending on how many people Avery manages to make mad and how many 'fucks' Bruce Boudreau manages to drop before the series is over.

Flyers vs. Sabres - (lets see if my browser autocorrect turns "Sabres" to "Sabers" again) This is one of those series where everyone, even the contending team, thinks they know what will happen. Though the Sabres do have their heart set on it and undoubtedly had a great season this year, they do not have the epic trolling power that the Rangers do in a pinch. The Flyers are still hurting from last year and looking to set things right, though Ryan Miller, American hero that he is, will hopefully prove a bit of a challenge for them.

Bruins vs. Canadiens - HANG ON TO YOUR BUTTS. That's all I'm going to say about this one.

Penguins vs. Lightning - The general consensus is that it could "go either way" when the 4th seed is matched up against the 5th seed, though this is a special case where the Pens would have been higher in the standings if the first three teams weren't seeded by conference champions. Though the Lightning are a young team and coached by legend and holy prophet Steve Yzerman, and though as a Wings fan it hurts to say it, I think the Pens will come out on top on this one.

Canucks vs. Blackhawks - This is another one of those that looks cut and dried, but then you remember how playing the Blackhawks worked out for the Canucks last year. This year, though, the Canucks have had the best season out of all the teams, and the best season of their franchise history, so it'll take quite a lot for the Hawks to make it past this round, I'm afraid.

Sharks vs. Kings - Two out of three of our California teams in the playoffs this year, oh boy. I'm more neutral on this matchup, and though I realize it could go either way with these two, I'm more inclined to believe the Sharks will come out simply because they've had solid seasons this year and last year, and certainly want to make it past the first round to get a chance of what they almost had last year.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes - UNIMPARTIALITY ALERT. Though I might have stake in this matchup, I will try to remain unbiased here as I say that while the Wings have a good team, with great players, they are also prone to choking. Badly. A certain game last month that ended with 10-3 not in their favor comes to mind. Since this is the second year for this matchup, it is sure to be a rough one, since the Coyotes will claw tooth and nail to have a better outcome and the Wings will try desperately not to lose in the first round and come out embarrassed. Though most are calling it for the Wings, I will refrain from making a firm judgement, as I don't want to jinx it.

Ducks vs. Predators - Again, as a 4th vs. 5th seed matchup, it really could go either way. Though personally I'd like to see the Preds eliminated, I have to say that they are a good team that can dash anyones hopes as well as they've dashed ours several times over this antagonizing season. I'm gonna call it for the Preds, though I know it will only hurt me in the end if it turns out that way.

Well, Puck drop for the first playoff game is in one hour, so here's to a great post-season!

A Great Moment in Hockey History

Forgot to post this yesterday.

February 22, 1980, a miracle happened:


"Do you believe in miracles? YES!"


"This, is YOUR time!"


(Because its cute)

USA! USA! USA!

Trade Rumor Generator

This thing is so much fun: http://hockeybuzzhogwash.com/rumourgen.htm

Here are some rumors that I got:

Toews to Thrashers? (e4)
According to my sources within the Chicago Blackhawks organization, the Atlanta Thrashers are willing to part with C Nik Antropov and an 8th round pick to obtain the services of C Jonathan Toews. Remember, you heard it here first!

Niedermayer to Sharks? (e5)
According to my sources within the Anaheim Ducks organization, the San Jose Sharks are willing to part with LW Danny Heatley, D Dan Boyle to obtain the services of D Scott Niedermayer. Remember, you heard it here first!

Brodeur to Hurricanes? (e1)
According to my sources within the New Jersey Devils organization, the Carolina Hurricanes are willing to part with D Joni Pitkanen, LW Ray Whitney to obtain the services of G Martin Brodeur. Remember, you heard it here first!


Getzlaf to Flyers? (e2)
According to my sources within the Anaheim Ducks organization, the Philadelphia Flyers are willing to part with RW Simon Giroux, a 2nd round pick, C Jeff Carter and C Mike Richards to obtain the services of C Ryan Getzlaf. Remember, you heard it here first!

Zetterberg to Stars? (e3)
According to my sources within the Detroit Red Wings organization, the Dallas Stars are willing to part with LW Brenden Morrow and LW Loui Eriksson to obtain the services of C Henrik Zetterberg. Remember, you heard it here first!


Kiprusoff to Lightning? (e2)
According to my sources within the Calgary Flames organization, the Tampa Bay Lightning are willing to part with C Steven Stamkos, a bucket of fried chicken and a bag of pucks to obtain the services of G Mikka Kiprusoff. Remember, you heard it here first!

Jokinen to Wings? (e2)
According to my sources within the Calgary Flames organization, the Detroit Red Wings are willing to part with C Henrik Zetterberg, a rusty zamboni and a 7th round pick to obtain the services of C Oli Jokinen. Remember, you heard it here first!

Visnovsky to Penguins? (e2)
According to my sources within the Edmonton Oilers organization, the Pittsburgh Penguins are willing to part with C Evgeni Malkin, G Marc-Andre Fleury and C Sidney Crosby to obtain the services of D Lubomir Visnovsky. Remember, you heard it here first!

Lidstrom to Leafs? (e5)
According to my sources within the Detroit Red Wings organization, the Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to part with G Vesa Toskala, LW Alexei Ponikarovsky, D Tomas Kaberle and a Gary Bettman bobblehead to obtain the services of D Nicklas Lidstrom. Remember, you heard it here first!


Make a game out of it to see how long it takes to get the Bettman bobblehead!

More Heritage Classic

According to CBC, the cameras out there today are "sexy". It makes me wonder why they're not always focused on Carey Price, then.

~THE WIND IS AT THE HABS BACKS~

Also:

GO GO GRYFFINDOR!

Words of Wisdom from Don Cherry

"Quebec's gonna get a franchise, but I guarantee that Winnipeg will get a team. Trust me, I'm never wrong!"

"I got hit right between the eyes once. They were picking up pieces of flesh off the ice." - explains a lot.

"Kipper couldn't stop a beach ball in the first half!"

"I stuck with the Colorado Rockies, but that's neither here nor there."

2011 Heritage Classic Update

I know I was ragging on the Pens for getting two Winter Classics, and I forgot to mention that this is the Canadien's second Heritage Classic as well. I'm of the camp that you should let every team have a classic before seconds are allowed, but nothing I can do about it now, so I might as well watch.

Quick notes, is apparently while the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh was too warm, the Classic here is too cold. They can't even use a zamboni on the ice because its too cold here. Not sure which is worse, but at least the ice surface isn't incredibly dangerous like this. Feel sorry for the players though, they look cold and tired.

The pregame show had a mash up to Requiem for a Dream. Because hockey is just that awesome.

The Habs's uniforms are about the same as their visiting uniforms, but as for the flames...

Ehhh...wondering how much McDonalds paid 'em.

But speaking of bad uniform choices:

A Jaques Plante tribute is nice, Pricey, but that still's terrifying.

Flames lead 1-0 after the first. More later. Here comes Don Cherry!

Sounds Familiar...

So today the NHL and NBC are teaming up to bring "Hockey Day in America". I'm not sure about you, but for some reason, that name rings a bell...must be my imagination.

It is a noble effort by NBC to try and give some airtime to hockey, by airing several hockey games over the course of the day. And by "several games" we mean "whatever is in your regional area or you're screwed".

Must NBC taunt me with the prospect of finally, finally seeing my Wings on my television--only to take it away when I remember there is a Caps game happening at the same time.

There's also the bias against the Heritage Classic. There is a huge hype surrounding the Winter Classic every year--and didn't we see it this year with Bettman fapping to Crosby vs. Ovechkin. (Never mind this is the Pens second time with the Classic despite the fact that other teams have yet to be awarded this honor). It was hype beyond hype--only to fall flat on his face.

How could we forget this commerical, that now seems like a prediction:

Crosby! And Ovie! With dramatic music! And Rain...lots of rain.

I did watch the Winter Classic this year, and I was left wondering why the Hell they didn't just reschedule. We're lucky more players didn't get a concussion that day.

As I was saying, even for a joke of a Winter Classic like that, NBC ignores the Heritage Classic, which started the whole outdoor game phenomenon.


There are several problems with the NBC deal, but one of them is that it leaves us American fans out in the cold when it comes to viewing games. I can't even enjoy this "Hockey Day in America" because of the regional availably issue. So I will be watching the Heritage Classic instead, praying that TSN or CBC has an online stream like they did for the All Star Game.

This Comcast deal better result in more hockey on my TV, I swear to God...

The Word on Everyone's Lips...

Trades.

Duck and cover.

With the trade deadline approaching on Feb. 28th, the NHL--and other hockey news sites--are peeing themselves with anticipation and making sure they have "the hottest news".

And since I am a bandwagoner (look at my favorite sports team) therefore, I must follow suit.

Since I am not eloquent in 50 ways to analyze trades, I'll give a quick breakdown of the trades so far. If you just want barebones facts and don't care what I have to say, then the NHL.com Trade Tracker will suffice, I'm sure.

On the trading news, bottom of the league teams seem to be taking advantage of trading away their best players for the promise of early draft picks--because obviously a clone of Wayne Gretzky is ripe for the picking. The teams with the most trades are Maple Leafs (no surprise there), Ottawa Senators (also no surprise) and the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes and Sharks also seem fond of doing business with each other, or maybe their trade coordinators just wish they could quit each other.

Some thoughts I had, in no particular order:

The Islanders were keen on getting goalie Al Montoya (and all 'You killed my Father' jokes aside) to fill the gap Nabokov left when he decided to give them the finger and troll the trolls. No word on how this will affect the "Free Nabby" movement, though there are talks of snaking into the Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in the dead of night and releasing Nabokov into the wild.

Much anguish was had by Leafs Nation when right wing Kris Versteeg was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for draft picks. According to Versteeg, the Flyers were warm and welcoming to him, but he does wonder what happened to his 2010 cup ring after he showed it to Carcillio.

Late last night, there was an uproar on the hockey boards around 1 AM Eastern Time, as it had been announced that the St. Louis Blues traded Johnson and McClement to the Colorado Avalanche for Stewart and Shattenkirk. Presumably the trade was made so late on a Friday night in hopes that no one would notice, though they seem to have forgotten that a true hockey fan is still awake on Friday nights, crying and clutching a bottle of liquor and wondering why their team can't have nice things. Thus it was big news for Blues and Avalanche fans, and somewhere between *Kanye shrug* and Duncurr for everyone else.

I might have more thoughts on the trades later, but this is all for right now as I have to nervously bite my fingernails and shake back and forth wondering what the Wings general manager meant when he said "we'll see" about the trade deadline.