Best and Worst Of The Wekend

Best: Toronto Raptors guard Jarrett Jack’s brought the ball up the court when he noticed that his shoelace was undone. At that point he tucked the rock under his arm while the clock continued to run, bent over and tied it back up... not a single Bulls player tried to steal or knock the ball away. No Bulls player even made an effort to approach him. The Bull wound up losing the game by 32 points. I guess they were lacking a little bit of hustle.

Worst: Colt McCoy of the Texas Longhorns who not only probably cost himself a Heisman Trophy after a very average game but almost cost his team a shot at a National Championship opportunity. At the end of the game Saturday night versus Nebraska, Colt lost track of time or something and ran an ill-advised play before throwing the ball out of bounds. He, by the slimmest of margins, managed to stop the clock with at best 1 second on the clock. They did get the chance to win the game with a field goal but had he held it for a fraction of a second longer the huge underdog Cincinnati would be in the BCS Championship game.

Best: Although it happened on Friday, the 100th anniversary for the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre was what it was expected to be...Well done, moving and a great tribute. The Ceremony was about 90 minute but did not seem overblown or drawn out at all. It was great to see all of the Old Time Greats that have played on that historic teams over the years. In addition to the celebration they also retired 2 numbers to two of the most elder members of the Canadians hockey family. Elmer Lach’s No. 16 and Emile (Butch) Bouchard’s No. 3. (In a class move Ryan O’Byrne pulled off his #3 jersey and gave it to Bouchard as he changed his number to #20). Having Mr.. Hockey Gordie Howe come out with a "Rocket" Richard jersey was great. It was interesting that only 3 got a special intro. Jean Beliveau I get, even maybe Guy Lafleur but Patrick Roy? He got his own and received one of the biggest ovations. I agree that maybe he deserves it as I was and still am a huge Roy fan but it just seemed interesting that he would get special attention.

Worst: Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his left patella. First off are there many injuries that sound more painful then a fractured patella? Secondly this looks like it is going to be an ongoing issue as he has already had some major issues with his legs. Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, missed the entire 2007-08 season due to a micro fracture surgery on his right knee. He then missed time last season with foot and knee injuries. I though going into his draft year that he was a risky pick, especially so high just based on his play and his perceived potential. I thought the was going to be brittle at the NBA level but that isn’t even the case, it was just doing average moves. You never will expect to jump and break your leg.

Best: Blue Jays Pitcher Roy Halladay, who only has one year left on his contract and doesn’t seem to want to re-sign with the club. He has a no trade clause. He has said that he only wants to go to a team that trains in Florida so he can be close to home. He wants to be moved to a winner/contender. If there isn’t a deal done by spring no deal. Those aren’t very restrictive demands now are they?? By my math that pretty much just leaves Boston New York, New York Mets and maybe Philadelphia. Granted he may be more up-front with his reasons to want to move but is what he is doing really that much more different then what Dany Heatley did in Ottawa? Sure the optics are a little better for Doc but in the grand scheme of things the two are very similar. It happens is all pro sports, it is the nature of the beast. Heatley was a lot more secretive and that was the main difference but all things considered it is all very similar. I say Dany is now vindicated in his move.

Worst: Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. In his first game behind the bench the Flyers managed to rise to the occasion and lose 8-2. Granted that was aided by Dan Carcillo who was just suspended four games for his role in a fight that earned him 19 penalty minutes and a game misconduct. The 9 min. power play given to the Capitals may have helped seal the fate of the Flyers. Something tells me that Carcillo may already be in Laviolette’s dog house and may not be on the roster for much longer, especially if he pulls a stunt like that.

With The First Overall Selection, I will Select....

So upon further review and after numerous self imposed deadlines have passed it looks like we may now have a winner for my affection in the NHL’s Western Conference going forward. As I had listed previously there were a few teams in the running. The Blues, The Coyotes, The Kings and The Blue Jackets.

The league essentially is in control of the Phoenix Coyotes as a caretaker and not an owner, at least as it stands now. The future still in doubt both as a franchise and the location of the city. There is also question marks regarding the how the team may be structured in the near future because of this move I am just not confident hitching my wagon to this horse. The coaching staff is now as solid as it can be but that just isn’t enough. The Blue Jackets were a surprise dark horse and managed to prove that they are on the right path, but the management still doesn’t re-assure me and that took them out of the running. the endorsement of Antoine Vermette didn’t help their position.

So then it went right down to the wire between the Kings and the Blues...The Blues and the Kings. Where to go? What to believe? Is one better off in the next few years, is one poised to be better in the long run? St. Louis is looking strong up front but LA looks deep on the back end. Should I just go with the prettiest colours and nicest logo? Can I allow Chris Mason’s former beard sway my decision? Does the speculation about Jack Johnson’s attitude play a factor? All these things factored into the agonizing decision. Both have great Pros and even the Cons aren’t that bad. The Blues made the playoffs so that gives them a head start, good young offence and a promising defence. The Kings have some cap space, prospects and a nice first rounder from last year in Brayden Schenn in their back pocket. This makes them comparable or equally appealing.
Well since right now not much can really happen either way for either of these teams until likely the trade deadline or a major injury, I may as well just go ahead, take the plunge and make a decision. The decision has been made...no delays....I am going to tell you....i’ll do it right now...

The team is...

THE LOS LOUIS BLUE KINGS, and I suppose that is going to have to be my final answer. Cheap call? Perhaps. I don’t consider it sitting on the fence. It is just like a goaltending situation in hockey or a running back situation in football. It is a 1A/1B deal or like they call it a two headed monster. I went back and forth so many times that I decided if it was such a close race what is the harm in a tie. It also occurs to be that both have good solid Gretzky ties and that is not a bad thing, Share the wealth.

So now with this selection I now have an Eastern Conference team to root for in the Ottawa Senators and a pair Western Conference teams in the LA Kings and the St. Louis Blues. I guess now I may have to go in search for my favorite player on all my teams. In Ottawa it was Dany Heatley without a doubt. Dany is still number 1 overall but as for the team that is questionable. I will also have to think about an LA and St. Louis player as well. That will be the next tall task, hopefully it will be easier then picking the teams were.

The beauty of LA is that they have 3 distinct looks and that gives one options when it comes to merchandising. I can go new with the Purple/White Crown (Drew Doughty style), retro with the less desirable Yellow and Purple Crown (maybe Brian Kilrea Style) or the Straight outta Compton - Grey and Black look (old school Gretzky style). St. Louis pretty much just has the 1 true look so that limits any possible decisions.
Yes, I think this sound may play well here. I think the correct decision has been made and I have come to peace with it.

Who's Shooting & Who's Scoring

In an ode to the immortal Elvis Presley last night it was- One for the money, Two for the show, Three to get ready, Now Go, Dany, Go. Only difference is that Dany’s shoes are now Teal or perhaps a Sea foam Green and not Blue Suede. In the San Jose Sharks home opener the newly acquired winger Dany Heatley hit the ice with his stick afire. He gave the home fans just what they wanted to see...a goal and then followed that up thricely netting himself a Hat Trick. Not a bad way to welcome yourself to a new team, new city and new fan base.

After a summer of turmoil, speculation, questions and complaints nothing could have been better for not only Heater but for the Sharks. Joe Thornton ended the night with 4 assists and the line of Heatley, Thornton and Setoguchi looks to have clicked so far.

This was almost just as bad as it could be for his old club, the Ottawa Senators. Seeing what they are missing and what could have been can be nothing but a kick in the "pads". Sure they managed to squeak out a victory over the NY Islanders 3-2 in overtime but when you not only look at the difficulty that they had with a lesser opponent but also the struggle to score.
Granted that it is still VERY early in the season but not too early to tell that this team is going to have major difficulties scoring. The top looking lines have been the "energy lines" or "3rd and 4th lines". They are outplaying the others enough that the coach even rewarded them with power play time. The top lines don’t look like they are great at creating a lot of offence and nor does the rest of the team. Just take a snap shot of the 2 regular time goals that were scored. The Peter Regan goal was a lucky jam play after the puck left the ice surface, hit the mesh and came back in...the players all stopped, the reffs didn’t see it and then the puck was in the net...Fluke. The second by Matt Carkner was a bank shot from behind the goal line that banked off the goaltenders stick and trickled over the line. Sure a goal is a goal but these type of goals are not something that can be counted on in a game by game basis . Then look at the goals Dany scored, wrap around top shelf, snap shot while storming in down the wing and finally a penalty shot for the Hat Trick. Not only were they goals but they were pretty goals, goals that seemed not effortless but easier.

It could be a long season if they aren’t going to be able to manufacture goals 5 on 5. Again, it is only 2 games in and there is a lot of time for the guys to get thier feet wet and have the new guys get used to playing with one another. I am just saying that matching the number of goals is one thing matching the threat is quite another. I will presume that a goalie is going to be a lot more intimidated with Dany Heatley coming at him then Jonathan Cheechoo.

Hockey Starts Here

So tonight is the night when it all gets started. The NHL will drop the puck with 4 games on the schedule, (Washington at Boston 7:00 PM, Montreal at Toronto 7:00 PM, San Jose at Colorado 10:00 PM , Vancouver at Calgary 10pm), and it is about time. After a very long off season, especially in Ottawa without making the playoffs some real games on the ice will be a welcome change. A very difficult off season brought on by the Dany Heatley saga, the turmoil within the ranks of the NHLPA and worst of all the situation in Phoenix a real distraction of actual games will be welcome.

After yesterdays court decision to deny both bids by Jim Balsillie and the NHL to own the club it looks like, at least for the time being that the NHL will operate the club and help look for a "suitable owner" and figure out a plan to get out of the quagmire that is the Coyotes. It appears that Mr. Balsillie has decided not to appeal and is resigned to the fact that he will not be able to get control of this team. Will he try another team and go about it in a more up front way... probably at some point, but at least for now it should be over. With some of that mess gone maybe the NHL can keep the dealings on the team out of the media for a while and we can only hope that the next major public announcement on this matter is they have a new owner ready to step in and take control.

A good line up of games to get things started will be very welcomed. It should be interesting to see 2 original 6 teams and rivals go head to head, both with vastly different teams with that of what they ended with last year. New Looks and new attitudes will be on both benches tonight and should be interesting. Along with that the Sharks will be in action after an interesting and eventful off season. They too have had a lot of turnover, not only in player personnel but also in leadership. Heatley is in, Christian Ehrhoff Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo are out. Patrick Marlow had the "C" taken from him and that was given to Rob Blake and an "A" was given to Dan Boyle and back to Joe Thornton.. That will surely also be an experiment worth watching throughout the season.

Tomorrow there will be 2 mid-day games from overseas involving the Blues, Wings, Blackawks and Panthers in the NHL’s attempts to grow the game and the NHL brand in Europe. This will be a good chance to see what the Blues look like with back to back games. They are still in the running for my affection and are just jostling for the position of 1A and 1B with themselves and the LA Kings (I figured that if I am this torn between them, perhaps it isn’t fair to just cast one of them away... sometimes it is good to play the field a little). I am sure to have something more to say on that front soon enough.

Done Deal Heatley To San Jose!

So there you have it, the game is over, the dance is done and the fat lady has sung. After months of uncertainty, speculation, and wonder the Ottawa Senators have completed a trade that has sent Dany Heatley and a 5th round pick to the San Jose Sharks. In return the Senators get Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick.


I can say that I have no idea at this point if I like this deal or not as far as the Senators go.Looks like in the end Bryan Murray was forced to cave and just give in. This may be the best deal that was available to avoid a distraction at camp but it looks like they didn’t win in this deal. They didn’t save any real money as Michalek earns $4,333,333 an Cheechoo $3,000,000. Just a 2 for 1 with a better pick next year.


Is this a better deal then Edmonton offered? (Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Ladislav Smid.) Probably not, even though i didn’t much care for that one either but beggers can’t be choosers in a case like this I suppose. Maybe this frees Murray up to make some more deals as the season goes on, who knows, guess we will wait and see.

I still value Heatley very highly and he will remain my favorite player, regardless of the shennaniganz of the last 4 months. His presence in the San Jose lineup with the likes of Marleau, and Thornton amongst others will only help out the Sharks. They needed a shake up as they try to get over the hump and that is just what they get with Heater. For Ottawa, Cheechoo, who will likely play with Spezza does have a season where he managed to light up the net but that was 2005-2006 and is coming of of a jut dreadful season where he managed just 12 goals. Hopefully having a skilled center like Spezza setting him up he can get his trigger finger ready to fire. Milan Michalek is an interesting player and one with an upside. He had 23 goals 34 assists for 57 points. I have no idea where he will play, maybe along side Kovalev.

In a quote on his way out of town he said: ''I'm excited obviously, I'm excited to be a Shark,'' Heatley said. ''I want to thank everyone in Ottawa, the organization the fans, and the city. I had a great four years here (and) I'm happy to move on.'' Also Dany said ''I don't think I did anything wrong asking for a trade,'' - ''I have my reasons for it. If people think differently of me that's fine but I believe I did nothing wrong and I'm happy to move on.'' I know I am in the minority in Ottawa but I am going to wish him well, up until May he was a model citizen. He was great with fans, great in the community. He did take time to sign autographs and talk to people when approached. Like I said I never had a problem with him and he gave the team and the fans a hell of a 4 years and a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sports may be a game of what have you done for me lately but lets not forget too fast what good he did while he was here.

I will undoubtedly have more to say on the Heatley and Senators in the near future so feel free to drop by and have a read later.

Why Dany Heatley to the LA Kings is a good idea.

Even with all the bad feelings in Ottawa in regards to Dany as well as the situation in general one thing is for sure, he is still a good player with a proven track record and can help just about any team. All parties involved are sure to be just about ready for the circus to fold up a go so hopefully a quality resolution is going to come soon.

Personally I am still on the fence about which team to throw my support behind and am pretty much just waiting the Heatley shoe to drop. If he goes to LA then that will probably seal the deal and slide them ahead of St. Louis. As it stands now it is 1 and 1A and both may get a bit of love from me going forward, I think that may be the only fair alternative.

- As far as Ottawa is concerned it may be in their best interest to pull off a deal before camp if nothing more then to just put the whole ordeal behind them. After a long summer of speculation getting a fresh start would not be a bad thing
- Getting a decent current player and maybe a defensive prospect or and a draft pick or another young body could be just what the doctor ordered for Ottawa
- If Heatley goes to LA they would get a true scorer which they really need. There is some good talent coming down the pipeline but they a still a bit away.
- The Kings are in a position financially to fit Heatley into the mix and still leave them with some flexibility as well.
- LA has some very attractive pieces that I think could be potentially be moved that Ottawa could be or even should be interested in.
- Heatley would fit well in that market if in fact he wants a bigger role, this is a young team that struggles to score so he could go in and be a leader on the ice in regards to scoring, ice time and power-play time.
- The market may be good too, LA is LA, nice weather and not a lot of media attention. There is so many other famous people around that he would be able to blend into it all. A move there would be big but by no means is he going to overshadow Kobe.

A lineup that would have a look like this could make them into a team that could fight for a playoff position in the coming year, Just think, wouldn’t this lineup look good for the Purple and Silver? This is just a hypothetically if the trade were to take place and say a Frolov-Moller-Hickey deal. Sure the back end is a little thin but that can leave room for a young kid to step up and earn a spot and maybe surprise some people.

C-Anze Kopitar F-Dustin Brown F-Dany Heatley
C-Michal Handzus F-Justin Williams F-Ryan Smyth
C-Jarret Stoll F-Wayne Simmonds F-Ted Purcell
C-Brian Boyle F-Trevor Lewis F-Brad Richardson

D- Drew Doughty Rob Scuderi
D- Jack Johnson Matt Greene
D- Sean O’Donnell Colten Teubert

G-Jonathan Quick G-Erik Ersberg G-Jonathan Bernier

Vick and Heatley - Who Will Be More Welcome?

Is there that much of a difference between the Michael Vick situation and the Dany Heatley situation? Both are players that are looking to come back the their respective leagues and resume playing their sport. The difference is Vick is trying to come back to a league that needs to embrace him where Heatley may need to come back to a team and a fan base (baring an unlikely trade) that will have to forgive and, well, maybe not forget, but not hold a grudge.

Michael Vick has paid his debt to society, is that enough? Probably it is for fans, it is just the extreme protesters that will be the big hurdle now. Dany will have to pay a debt to merely a city and a fan base. A tough task but a sincere apology or simple admittance that an error was made can go a long way toward the healing process. In all truth what has he done so far that is so bad that we can’t forgive and forget? He is not the first and surely not the last to make a request (we still don’t know if it was a request or a demand to be moved). Fans of teams are, by nature, a very forgiving bunch. Many a flaw can be covered by team colours a helmet and a number. A what have you done for me lately mentality is usually out there.

In both instances it is a player having to go into a locker room that may strongly disagree with the situation and guys that are indifferent to the whole thing. In probably every locker room there are players that don’t like each other, just like any other job place, but that doesn’t mean you can’t co-exist. Players may be dog owners or lovers but when you get right down to it winning football games and getting paid probably are more important than principals or position on the subject. One only has to look as far as the amount of players using performance enhancing drugs. They all know it is wrong but that is a little deterrent.

In Heatley’s case everyone associated with the team of late that has said anything says that he is a great teammate and a good guy and that is why it was so shocking. All would want an explanation but seem willing to take him back. Vick also may be a good guy a good teammate, but a guy that made a major mistake. Most would say he already done enough to be allowed to move on and try to get not only his career but his life turned around.

Vick looks poised to sign on with a team soon and Team Canada will be having its summer camp soon so both, one would think/hope they will have something to say and prove to help start up the healing process among Teams, players and fans alike.

Still Very Quiet On The Western Front - What Is The Endgame?

The first day of free agency has come and gone and Ottawa looks about the exact same as they did the day before. I was hoping that Dany Heatley would help out Bryan Murray in handcuffing him enough that he wouldn’t be in a position to make any bad moves or be trigger happy and overpay on anyone. Sadly that was not possible, he tried and he tried but in the end Murray did manage to find the time to make 1 bad decision and over pay on money as well as term on Chris Neil. 4 years and $8 million. I would much rather have a sub $1mil on a Cody Bass or someone of that nature. I fear that this was a knee jerk reaction to Bryan Burke and his moves to get bigger and a little tougher on defence with his moves as well as trying to keep him away from Burke getting him in a Leafs jersey as well. After seeing how the Kadri situation on draft day went between the two teams, I just hope the deal wasn’t made out of spite even if it was just a little.

As far as the Heatley situation goes I am not in the majority of calling him out as much as everyone else. Sure I am a little disappointed that nothing came from all the talk and speculation about going to Edmonton but only a little. After looking further into the deal it began to look less and less great from an Ottawa perspective. I was never a Penner fan, and questioned the offer sheet that he was signed to by Kevin Lowe, Smid is a decent young player and a nice piece coming back and Andrew Cogliano is a decent player but I have been looking at him with Maze and Gold coloured glasses from his Michigan days and thinking that he is a better player then what he is.

The $4 million bonus that has had to be paid to Heatley sucks from an Ottawa perspective but maybe it allows the Sens to get a bit better of a deal and be able to either get a better player or pick or maybe move out a little more money by throwing in a Jason Smith, Chris Kelly or Christoph Schubert contract into the mix and freeing up and recouping some of the $4 mil. If that doesn’t happen then either another team needs to step up or there will have to be some major Reconstruction to the bridge that was burned to have him back in Ottawa at the start of camp.

In an update on the 2 team showdown of my Western Conference favorite between the St. Louis Blues and the LA Kings there is little to report just yet. Both teams were very quiet yesterday with the Blues only adding Ty Conklin in net. LA still has a lot of space left which is important going forward but showed good restraint in not spending money recklessly and overpaying on either risky guys or over hyped players. Having a plan and sticking to it is impressive. Sometimes the move not made is the best move. I will give it a little longer as there are still lots of mid level free agents left out there that may sign but also may come at more of a reasonable price.

Dany To Edmonton?

It looks like Dany Heatley is soon to be an Oiler. It seems like we are just waiting on him to officially waive his no-trade. Proposed to come to Ottawa is Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid.

We will see how this plays out and the effect that it has on tomorrow's Free Agent Frenzy

Sens Get Big On Defence

The Ottawa Senators seemed to do pretty well at this years NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. Where they did not do well was on the trade front in any attempt to move Dany Heatley. As far as the draft itself goes it looks like the Sens looked ok and managed to get some good players as well as fill some organizational needs. I was fairly pleased with the selection of big defenceman Jared Cowen with the 9th pick. Cowen was ranked 9th By Central Scouting. It was well publicized that they were looking at Nazem Kadri but he was plucked by the Leafs, that was the one benefit of having Leafs GM mic’d up.

I must say I was glad that Brian Burke decided to go that way and take Kadri from London who was listed 15th by Central Scouting. Kadri is a good offensive player but I just don’t have much interest in him and not sure if he is a true sure thing at the 9 spot let alone the 7th, only time will tell though . I think having a big strong D-man is harder to find. After seeing how the Zedeno Chara/Wade Redden decision went having the big guy seems a little more valuable... especially if you factor in Erik Karlsson who is penciled in to be the more offensive puck mover within the next few years. Cowen suffered a knee injury this year but hopefully he makes a full recovery. If he is able to do so he should be a force for Team Canada at this years World Junior Tournament in Saskatoon.

In the second round they filled an organizational need picking a goaltender Robin Lehner. There isn't too much left on the farm and this guys is thought to be the best goaltender in the draft and comes from a good pedigree (his father was the goaltending coach for Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist). The other player picked up was another Swede, a forward, Jakob Silfverberg. Hopefully with the 2 picks in the second round being so high that they can develop into some quality players in the near future.

Beyond the 2nd round it is a much longer shot to make the team but maybe one of Chris Wideman, Mike Hoffman, Jeff Costello, Corey Cowick, Brad Peltz, Michael Sdao can be one of those diamonds in the rough

Draft Day 2009

The Ottawa Senators are poised and ready to go with the number 9 pick overall in tonight's draft in Montreal. I don't know if a Dany Heatley trade is going to happen or not. There is a lot of speculation from - There is a team to beat and there is nothing out there. If there is a trade it will probably involve the 9th pick in some way, and I hope that it does. I don't care if they only move to 8 or move back to 10...just not 9.

My prediction is if they end up with the 9th pick they will probably end up with Nazem Kadri. One of the players that I don't realy was to see in Ottawa. The last time the Sens had the 9th pick was in 2005 in the Sidney Crosby draft and they selected Brian Lee. Who should they have picked? Anze Kopitar or Marc Staal, but probably Staal and I even said that when it happened. I think Kadri to the Sens would be a mistake even with an impending loss of Dany Heatley. In that area of the draft there is the possibility of Magnus Svensson Paajarvi , Oliver Ekman-Larsson or perhaps a Dmitri Kulikov or Jared Cowen (D). Any of whom I would rather see in the red, white and black.

The time is ticking down, what will happen, what big deals will be made? Have to tune in and watch, should be some good theatre at least. I hope that GM Brian Murray knows what he is doing and is able to get this team in the the right direction going forward.

The Heat Is On Everyone Involved

So with the impending move of All Star, Superstar and Team Canada Rep. Dany Heatley from the Ottawa Senators there have been many things that have been put on hold. He has somewhat handcuffed the Sens and have forced them to shop his services and his contract to teams in the league. There are obviously teams that would be interested but it is a matter of either having enough room to make a deal, be creative enough to manage his salary into your own system and/or having enough to offer Bryan Murray in terms of an interesting package of players-prospects and picks.

Not only have they done this to Murray he has done this to me as well. Being a big Heatley fan I am probably am in the minority in the Ottawa area who still like the guy but he gave us 4 years, plenty of goals and plenty to cheer about. I have written him for an autograph and he came through and that was awesome! I met him at his book signing and got a copy of his book signed, also awesome and got a pic with him which was nice. I have also had the fortune of getting a autographed jersey of his as well so I consider that the tri-fecta. I am not going to bail on the guy for doing something that happen in all sports all the time. Where he is holding me back is until he is dealt I am concerned to name my official 1A favorite Western Team until his move goes through. I am not saying I am going to automatically start rooting for that team but I had narrowed it down to the final 2 and have previously made it clear that it was down to the LA Kings and the St Louis Blues. If in some way he goes to one of these 2 teams it may make a difference in my final decision. Until that goes down I may need to hold off before making a final call.

Pro scouting is hard! I just hope that by the draft that I can gain some direction but that is only a couple weeks away so we are on the clock. Work some magic Mr. Murray.

Quick Hits

Buffalo Sabers owner Tom Golisano (67) is on my list as one cool guy. No it isn’t for his political dealings or his billions of dollars, or the fact that he owns a hockey team (though the money doesn’t hurt). No, it is the fact that he is reportedly with former tennis star Monica Seles (35). Asked if they were a pair, he wondered why reporters wanted to know but finally responded, "Monica and I see each other." ... She is looking great lately and seems to have a grip on the eating disorder she has struggled with in the past and that, that is just great.

Mike Tyson has been married for the third time. Tyson’s wedding comes less than two weeks after Tyson’s four-year-old daughter Exodus died tragically after accidentally hanging herself on a treadmill at her mother’s home.
I find this as an interesting time for these nuptials so soon after the tragedy with his young daughter. This may be a way to get some comfort and support from the situation or help in the healing and the grief but the timing seems quick. In any event best of luck to both him and his new bride.

The Blue Jays drafted a Canadian pitcher in the second round of the baseball draft. This could be a very good thing in terms of not only the ability of the player but the fact that they choose to grab a Canadian with a legitimate chance of becoming an above average player. This is both good for the team on the field as well as the team from a front office point of view. The Jays have had some Canadians in the lineup before but never a true star. Rob Ducey, Corey Koskie and Rob Butler are not headliners and truth be told Matt Stairs, though good is more of a journeyman. This pick could go a long way towards the Jays in fact becoming Canada’s Team by the fans and not just themselves.

Manchester United has accepted a transfer offer for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. on Thursday, This allows him to negotiate personal terms with the Spanish club. The Premier League champions received an unconditional offer of 80 million pounds (C$145.2 million) for Ronaldo. Kind of puts the Dany Heatley potential move seem a little less off putting from a numbers perspective. Then again it is Footy and who really cares.

Oh Dany Boy

So for a day that was supposed to be full of excitement and the potential to crown a champion it could not have fallen any shorter then what it did. There was bad news sprinkled in with worse news with a dash of terrible news. Just like they say, it came in 3’s.

First off the Pittsburgh Penguins decided not to roll over as they should have and won game 6 at home. Sure in a small way it is good to see a game 7 but now it looks like Pittsburgh is going to complete the comeback and take game 7 on the road in Detroit and become the Stanley Cup Champions. Not that I am cheering for one side over the other but more I didn’t want Pittsburgh to win. No real reason one way or another...just because.

2nd in the line of disappointments was the Magic-Lakers game. Again I was looking for LA to take a strangle hold on the series and basically put it out of reach with a win and go up 3-0. That didn’t happen and the Magic got right back into the mix as they held serve at home with a 4 point victory 108-104. The magic shot the ball with an unbelievable percentage throughout the game but it was also tight the whole way. If the Lakers can continue to play the team game they have been and Kobe manages to get out of the shooting slump he hit from the 2nd quarter through the end of the game.

Last and maybe the most difficult to swallow was the News that Dany Heatley has requested to be moved by the Ottawa Senators. It was like getting hit by a sledge hammer, running into a brick wall. Professional athletes often ask to be moved or request trades but this one is a little too close to home. If it was just about any other player I would not have an issue with it but we’re talking about Dany here. He is my favorite player on my favorite team and so I am doubly affected. My team takes a hit and now I am without a favorite player on the team. I will remain a Heatley fan, I was not just a fan because of the team but it sure made things a l lot easier. On the bright side I should be able to get a Heatley jersey on sale now. It is now up to Bryan Murray to work out a deal to bring in someone I can throw my weight behind and support, maybe I should be consulted on possible deal proposals.

To try and put a positive spin on this is that there is the potential for the team to get a new look and build in another direction and open up some space to be able to make some moves, whether it be through draft picks, prospects and/or an established player/players. If Murray can get a decent return then this could be a good thing for the TEAM going forward....but on a personal level, this sucks and I am now torn.

Senators-Oilers Game At The Bank

The final ticket from my World Juniors package came up last night when the Senators played the Edmonton Oilers. The "experiment" of going to games solo has been done and on the whole it wasn’t as bad as I would have thought. The first 2 Sens games were not the greatest games as far as the product on the ice, but the Junior games were awesome and an experience that was great both as a hockey fan and a Canadian. This game held It's own too and seemed to make up for the first 2 dud games. The fact that Dany Heatley scored and had a good game may play a large part in it but that is fine by me. I have come to the conclusion that going to a sporting even solo is ok but am still pretty sure that is still isn’t right to go to the movies alone, maybe I will tackle that sometime down the road.

As I have done before I have a list of what went down and what I have learned during this season long exercise.

1. Jason Spezza’s goal 12 seconds in (a new Senators record for fastest goal to start a game) started the game in the right direction. It looked like he used the Mighty Ducks style "Triple Deek" to score the goal. It was then that I had to check the Sens bench to make sure that it was Cory Clouston back there and not Emilio Estevez aka. Gordon Bombay.
2. As usual I was seated beside a young child, but this one was very well behaved and sat on her moms lap most of the game so that free up even more space on the side which was nice. Yet again I was next to a couple. It is without fail that that would happen so it didn’t catch me off guard, but that doesn’t make it right. She was pretty tiny and not-not attractive so that was good and there was decent room for legs and arms. I managed to get over that whole deal fairly early on and despite that still managed to enjoy the game.

3. To the dude in front: the term sitting on the edge of your seat is just an expression, don’t take it literally. If you have a big head sitting that far forward just impedes the vision of those behind you.

4. As it turns out I like free swag, even if it is a Sens Army streamer thingy. Unfortunately there was none last night which may have put things over the top but it is what it is.

5. Oiler fans have to come to grips with the fact that it has been 6 years since Mike Comrie was there and it is probably about time to stop the need to boo him every time he touches the puck. Maybe at this point it is more Lindsay Lohan fans that are booing him now because of Hillary Duff and not Edmonton fans, who knows. 6. Even with only 17,000+ in attendance still the usual 20min wait in the parking lot, I have come to grips with that and am not too bothered anymore, just more time to listen to the post game show...what I do hate is the people who weasel and aggressively maneuver their way into line and then not give a courtesy wave...common courtesy it isn’t too much for a quick wave.

In conclusion the World Juniors Ticket Package purchase looks to be a success both as a sociological experiment as well as from an entertainment standpoint. Getting to watch Team Canada play and getting out to watch a few Sens games....not too shabby.

Bringing the Heat- Dany Heatley Book Signing

It is fairly well known that my favorite hockey player is Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators. Ever since he was acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers for Marian Hossa and Greg de Vries. I admired his play before that as a 2nd overall pick in the June 2000 Entry Draft and his winning the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the year in 2001-2002 with Atlanta but it wasn’t until he came to Ottawa that I truly became a big fan.I have tried in the past at other events to meet Dany in person but come up short. I managed to get a co-worker to get a jersey signed by him at a closed door event in Kanata the first year he was with the team and that still is the highlight of my collection. I would have loved to have met him but acquiring the jersey was the next best thing.

Last weekend I got the opportunity to finally meet Dany in person at his book signing. I knew that he was involved in producing a book authorized by him and written in the first person. I found out when he was having his official book signing at 2 local Chapter’s in the Ottawa area. So Sunday I got up and made my way to the east end and went to the Chapter’s in Gloucester. I got there about 1:30 for the 2pm event. I was given a copy of the book at the door and was told to get in the line and pay for the book, next I was moved to another line where I filled out a ballot for a jersey and a post-it note for how I wanted the book to be inscribed and got a wristband to ensure that I was “entitled” to get the book signed. I was then directed to a third line where i would wait and eventually move through the store serpentining through what felt like 70% of the store, isles and velvet ropes. Then I reached the pinnacle and the promised land. Since i was again by myself I was forced to convince an employee to take my picture with Dany and he did a half ass job and managed to get a great shot with Heater’s head down, but I digress. I got the picture, I got the book signed and personalized and even managed to shake his hand which made the entire endevour worth while. So after all that it was 3pm and 1 1/2hours later i came away a very happy hockey fan.

As for the book itself it is an 80 page autobiography that is aimed at young readers and is more light then perhaps it could have been. The book only briefly touches on the accident that he was involved in that took the life of friend and teammate Dan Snyder but that is to be expected in a book style like this. Hopefully sometime down the road or after his playing days he will write a more comprehensive autobiography that will encompass his entire life and career that may include how one can cope with such tragedy and be able to move on.