Ruffian

Parise was benched for last night's game against the Flyers. Hammer is such a great hockey name. I have season tickets to the Seals and the guy I go with won his Veteran's Day game-worn jersey in a silent auction.

If it's any consolation to you, in the early 70's the Flyers had a goalie, Doug Favell, who severed his achilles tendon. He stepped back on a skate in the locker room. In that it was a clean slice instead of torn he did return to play and sooner than expected. I would hope that with advancements in surgery Trotter can return in time.

Vanek's diving was pathetic. He was tapped. Fine, call the cross check penalty but it didn't warrant his drama. Haven't seen much on OLN. Give them time. Thankfully I have CenterIce. TSN broadcasts alone are worth the money.

Congratulations to the new parents. Interesting note, to me at least: My daughter's name is Erinn. It's unusual to see it spelled that way.

Haven't had a chance to see a complete game on CenterIce, that will happen tonight. CenterIce is good for watching your favorite team and being able to click over to other games of interest during commercials and intermission. I've been to three regular season NHL games. Most of the new rules are good and, as others have noted, helped the flow of the game. It's more enjoyable than recent years have been. Often those games were snorefests. It appears sometimes teams forget they can make the two line passes but I'm sure they'll adjust. I don't have a problem limiting the goalie's handling of the puck. While they can be exciting, I don't like shootouts. Hockey is a team sport that should be decided as a team. In the regular season I see nothing wrong with a tie after OT. I also think no allowing the team icing the puck to change lines is a good idea. Again, it helps the flow of the game by making them skate. My biggest issue is with the officiating. No surprise, eh? They appear to be so focused on calling interference, rightfully so, they overlook other obvious infractions right in front of them. I'm not complaining about having too many penalties called. Keep calling them and the players will adjust and we'll eventually, hopefully, see fewer interference calls.

In the third they created ways to win when it mattered.

You're right to be scared. Not everything NJ would be on the Devils website. A lot of smart people in NJ are Flyers fans. Of course I'm biased. I come from the other side of the river. I'm sure you guys know all about that. I'm heading to Philly Friday to see the Devils v Flyers. Hope to see Parise in person for the first time. Always liked him.

Grand Forks Herald Unfortunately in many instances like this we find the world is just not right. I hope this time it is.

Sorry about the wrong forum. When this topic first came up there was a lot of discussion on this forum which is the only one I visit.

Sorry if this has been posted already. A quick glance at the topics didn't show anything. I don't have a link to offer. This was posted on another message board. Hopefully the NCAA will follow by removing other team names and logos from the list. Maybe because I'm not a native American I'm missing something, but I don't find most current versions offensive. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The NCAA will allow Florida State to use its Seminoles nickname in postseason play, removing the school from a list of colleges with American Indian nicknames that were restricted by an NCAA decision earlier this month. The NCAA said it was recognizing the relationship Florida State has long enjoyed with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which assists the university with its pageantry and celebration of its culture and supports the school's use of its name. "The staff review committee noted the unique relationship between the university and the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a significant factor," NCAA senior vice president Bernard Franklin said in a statement released Tuesday. "The decision of a namesake sovereign tribe, regarding when and how its name and imagery can be used, must be respected even when others may not agree." Florida State president T.K. Wetherell had threatened to sue the NCAA immediately after its Aug. 5 announcement that the school's highly visible nickname, "Seminoles," was defined as "hostile and abusive" by a committee. "The two things we requested in our appeal were granted," Wetherell said. "I'm ready to play football, start school and have classes begin and all that kind of stuff." Lee Hinkle, vice president for university relations, said the school e-mailed 250,000 alumni and friends of the NCAA decision. "I don't think anything has brought them together quite as much as this," said Wetherell. "Whether you're a Gator, Hurricane or Bulldog, those entities believe it's a Florida decision." Gov. Jeb Bush also applauded the NCAA's reversal. "When you make a mistake it's important to realize it and move on," Bush said. "They came to the right conclusion ... the Seminole mascot and the tradition at Florida State, is not offensive to anyone." The NCAA said it would handle reviews from other schools on a case-by-case basis. The Illinois Fighting Illini, Utah Utes and North Dakota Fighting Sioux are among other prominent school nicknames that remain affected by the edict. Under the NCAA restrictions, teams with American Indian nicknames would not be able to display them on uniforms or have their mascots perform in postseason tournaments. "The NCAA remains committed to ensuring an atmosphere of respect and sensitivity for all who participate in and attend our championships," Franklin said in the statement. Wetherell said he has had some contact with the other schools. "I think they [NCAA] understand, there will be other requests," Wetherell said.

Not so crazy when you consider the NHL might just be rewarding Mario. It was a less obvious fix then letting the Rangers have him. He will play in prime time in the East(if they can find someone to televise games nationally) against big attraction teams like the Rags and Flyers.

I don't have a problem with deflections counting as goals. The odds aren't great enough to make this a preferred way to score. All it does is have the puck bounce around and occasionally you'll get the lucky bounce go in. I do think that a discernable kicking action leading to a goal should not be allowed. It's dangerous and this is hockey, not soccer.

If they were smarter they could have settled months ago for more $$$. One good thing about the lockout is I watched lots more college hockey and was able to attend the World Juniors. I prefer the attitude of the young players over the older, over-paid spoiled brats.

A couple of things came to mind as I read this thread... Injuries may have been as much a factor in Brady's decision as the money was. I guess he figured he should take it while it was there. In the long run I think it would be better to stay in school, develop not only his game but maturity while getting his degree. I understand the money being tempting but one would think it would be a bit easier to turn down seeing as how he has to go to Europe to earn it. Not all the stories of NHLers playing over there have been good ones. I imagine Switzerland isn't as bad as Russia but they are still playing away from home, family and friends. Isn't it the dream of these guys to play in the NHL? Why not stay in school, develop in one of, if not the best college leagues in the country and hope for a settlement of the NHL problems? For those NHL players who didn't to Europe, those who suffer career ending injuries or who just aren't good enough, wouldn't they be in better shape for a non-hockey future if they had a degree to fall back on? I'd like to think loyalty would play a part in the decision as well but I'm not that naive.

Congratulations on a great season. They turned it on when it mattered most making the last couple of months a fun ride.

Not sure if this helps to enlighten you... The situation is less clear with undrafted players who are eligible this year, such as the new "Next One," Sidney Crosby. There is speculation that if there is no draft, they would be free agents. NHL executive vice president Bill Daly quelched the speculation. "Clubs will retain the rights to all players as to who had rights at the time of the lockout," Daly said. "As it relates to NHL clubs, their rights to players are totally as defined by the collective bargaining process. No club is in danger of losing rights to a player due to the passage of time. The same is true with players eligible for the draft this year." There are sure to be challenges from league general managers when it comes to the draft order and which clubs will get the rights to the top prospects. AS NDFlyer stated, teams like the Flyers can sign their prospects to amateur tryout contracts when they are finished with their currant obligations. By signing players to tryout contracts, teams don't have to worry about the lack of an agreement with the National Hockey League Players Association and can continue to oversee the develop of their best players. This information comes from a Philadelphia Daily News article posted on Flyersphans.com. No link to the newspaper because you have to register to read it . If you want the full article as it was posted go here: No stoppage for prospects

It appears to be similar to a goal scored in the NHL playoffs last year. I think it was a San Jose player, maybe Cheechoo?

Thanks for the info.

I'll join you in hopes that Bettman and Goodenow are both fired. I want people in charge who care about the game as much as the fans do. If it takes sacrificing this season, which is just about what's happening, to make the game right again I'll take it. I don't want shootouts. I want better/consistant officiating. I don't want a playoff schedule that includes every team. I love hockey. I miss pre-Bettman hockey more than I miss the NHL this season.

Isn't it more difficult to establish an offense when you get worn down killing stupid penalties? Seems to me becoming more disciplined might help more than you think.

Sounds like you had a great trip. I didn't see quite as much as you in the 3 days I was there but it was a nice experience for this FL girl. I absolutely loved seeing the snow covered prairie and hearing the crunch of the snow beneath my boots. The Ralph is a fantastic arena. You are fortunate to have it. For those who live in the area yet didn't take in the games, especially on the Monday when tickets were $5, well, shame on you. You missed out on some good hockey.

You can stand up for your players without taking stupid penalties. I don't see why it's wrong of Shep to point that out. You can still be a fan while acknowleging the faults or weaknesses of a player or team.

I heartily agree with your sentiments, Shep but for much different reasons. Does the NHL really need any more stupid players though?