Kukla's Korner

Max McNab Passes Away

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/04/07 at 06:20 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the NY Post,

Hockey lost one of its great gentlemen when former Devils GM Max McNab passed away Sunday at age 83.
McNab, who lived in Las Vegas with his wife June after retiring from hockey, was the Devils’ second GM, replacing Billy MacMillan Nov. 22, 1983. He was succeeded by Lou Lamoriello on Sept. 10, 1987.

more and McNab also played for the Wins in the late 40’s and early 1950’s.

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Report- Bell Suspended Indefinitely

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/03/07 at 10:46 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Darren Dreger of TSN,

Sources tell TSN Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell has been suspended indefinitely without pay after being placed into stage two of the NHL’s substance abuse program.
In order to be reinstated, Bell will require the recommendation of program doctors along with the approval of both the National Hockey League and the NHLPA.

continued

Update Sept 4, 2007 - 4:06pm ET
From NHL.com,

The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association announced today that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell has been placed in Stage 2 of the Substance Abuse & Behavioral Health program of the NHLPA and the NHL.

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Probert Welcomes Veteran Home

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/03/07 at 06:39 PM ET | Comments (0)

from the Windsor Star,

“All my life, I’ve been watching hockey and Probie. And there he was—in Afghanistan,” Johnson said Sunday at his father’s Emeryville home where family and friends threw a big homecoming party for the local soldier.
Johnson first met Probert when the retired player joined a group of National Hockey League alumni on a tour to visit Canadian soldiers stationed in Afghanistan in late April. Dan Daoust, Mike Pelyk, Dave Hutchison and Dave (Tiger) Williams also made the trip, among others. So did the Stanley Cup.
Probert did not forget Johnson. He attended Sunday’s party to welcome him back to the area and wish him well.
“It’s amazing what (the soldiers) go through,” Probert said. “It was great to go and see that for myself. They just invited me to go back, so I’m looking forward to that.”

read on

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Agent For Tavares Thinking Outside The Box

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/03/07 at 12:30 PM ET | Comments (0)

from the CP via the Globe and Mail,

Tavares’s agent, Bryan Deasley, says he has spoken with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and Players’ Association associate counsels Ian Penny and Stu Grimson about the possible creation of an exceptional player clause that would allow certain players to be drafted a year early.
Deasley said he has sent a memo to each party about the merits of a clause. He says he’s not asking for a blanket change in the draft age.
“We are not looking for anything other than an exceptional status consideration from the league,” he said. “Every once in a while a player comes along that compels us to look at things more clearly and differently — outside the box.”

more

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The Cup Visits Chicago

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/03/07 at 09:58 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Chicago Daily Herald,

It is said that the remedy for thirst is to drink before you crave.
Unfortunately for Chicago hockey fans, that cure is nothing more than a mirage.
But for a few hundred lucky ones this weekend, ex-Blackhawks general manager Bob Murray—now the assistant GM in Anaheim and a star in the Ducks’ front office—delivered the chalice to a land parched by a half-century of drought.
The Stanley Cup was indeed here in Chicago, first at a party at Murray’s suburban home, and then at Ridgemoor Country Club on the Northwest Side, where fans and friends who waited a lifetime to drink from Lord Stanley’s hallowed bowl wet their lips and drenched their shirts.

continued

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Gelinas Trains To Keep Up

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/03/07 at 09:40 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Tennessean,

Only a couple weeks ago, Gelinas and about 10 other NHL players accompanied Florida Panthers strength and conditioning coach Andy O’Brien to Vail, Colo., where they underwent a regimen of three-hour workouts per day — half the time on the ice.
“We did a bunch of different things — you’re just trying to challenge yourself in the summer time and find ways to push yourself,’’ Gelinas said. “Vail is high altitude, so one day we went for a two-hour hike that was a little bit of a challenge. We finished up about 10,000 feet above sea level.’‘
Gelinas believes those kinds of offseason workouts will allow him to battle younger foes once again.
“You know the young guys are only getting bigger and faster and stronger, so you need to do more to keep up,’’ he said. “I do love to work out and stay fit. I love to compete. And to be able to compete against younger players, you have to put in more effort off the ice.’‘

more

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Be Prepared

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/03/07 at 09:32 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Spector at Fox Sports,

With NHL training camps soon opening and the start of the 2007-08 season mere weeks away, here’s a look at the players from each team whose names could appear in this season’s trade-rumor mill.
We’ll first look at the Eastern Conference teams and follow up on Wednesday with the Western Conference teams….
Florida Panthers: Olli Jokinen. For some reason Jokinen’s name keeps popping up in trade speculation despite his stated happiness playing for the Panthers and their obvious desire to retain him. The underrated Jokinen is the Panthers’ franchise player and a quiet leader who prefers to let his play do the talking. The Panthers won’t move him, but that’s not likely to silence the rumormongers.

much more

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Fetisov Concedes Russia Must Rebuild Developmental Program

Blog: KK Hockey By George Malik

09/03/07 at 09:20 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Sport-Express (roug translation below),

We cannot understand [until now], where we are, what place we occupy in world hockey. Under salaries the Superleague takes the second place in the world, but the [national] team of Russia in the international ratings takes fifth-sixth [place]. Tretiak [doesn’t have] the most simple economy, in my opinion. In this superseries we objectively concede to Canadians on all parameters - in training, in tactical literacy, in character.  The problem of these matches [should not] be [placed upon] on Nemchinov’s coach’s bridge.

Once again I shall repeat, it is necessary to change completely [our] approach to hockey [throughout our] country; differently big financial investments will be simply ineffective.    It is not necessary to [reinvent the] bicycle. There is a North American approach [examined] by time. Analyze a situation. [Across the] ocean any team with a correctly built strategy of development is capable to take, say, for ten years’ term a place among leaders and to apply for the most prestigious trophies. It is a pure, business deprived of underlying political reasons.
    If I may, I shall now say seditious thing, but our children’s sports schools should be separated from professional clubs. [The creation] of an institute of scouts is necessary, [so that] we shall not leave [anywhere] in such [a] situation from a draft. Only then we can count, that any talent will not be lost, an, [on] children’s teams, coaches will [stop] looking back at [the] children of rich parents, and will be engaged in [their] direct duties. I think, we should come to this sooner or later.

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A Look At Jose Theodore

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/02/07 at 07:15 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Habs World,

...Undoubtedly the Avalanche would love to trade him, but there aren’t many teams interested in paying $6 million dollars this year for a guy, who statistically may be the worst goaltender in the NHL. The Avalanche has thought of buying him out, but for now have decided to hang onto Theodore to avoid a major cap hit.
Needless to say, when his contract is up at the end of this year, it is safe to say that Theodore will not be able to retain his position as the league’s second highest paid goaltender. To say that he will be staring at a substantial pay cut is an understatement. Whether some team is willing to take the gamble on Theodore remains to be seen.
Any team that signs Theodore from here on in is hoping to strike lightning in a bottle again. And while all signs point to Theodore being unable to regain his MVP winning form, it is wise to remember that even Samson regained his former power, but only when his hair eventually grew back.

more

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Believers Now

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

09/02/07 at 04:37 PM ET | Comments (0)

from James Mirtle,

Two years ago, you wouldn’t have found Chris Chelios anywhere near the NHLPA’s leadership hierarchy.
On Friday, he was the face of the union’s rebirth.
Chelios remains a big-time supporter of Bob Goodenow; he is one of the few active NHLers who was playing back when Alan Eagleson resigned in 1991 and his deputy (Goodenow) took over.
As soon as Goodenow was pushed out during the 2004-05 lockout, Chelios became an outsider, a trouble-maker on the fringe, and the only way he was going to get back into the NHLPA’s decision-making fold was if Ted Saskin was forced out.

continued...

thanks to a KK reader for the pointer!

Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

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