Kukla's Korner Hockey
Power Failure
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 08:53 PM ET
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Sunday is normally a slow day for posting and for the last 6 hours, it was a day of no posts. 130,000 homes in Metro Detroit were without power due to high winds, and I was one of them. The good thing about it, I didn't have to watch the Lions lose again and power is now back in time for the Wings game.
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Why No Brooks
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 02:38 PM ET
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from North Jersey,
The Hockey Hall of Fame will hold its annual inductions Monday in Toronto and it will again be an empty ceremony with Herb Brooks' contributions to the game still being ignored. This is to take nothing away from former Boston Bruins' star Cam Neely and the late Valeri Kharlamov, who will be entering in the players' category. And it's not that Murray Costello, the former president of Hockey Canada who helped the development of minor hockey in his home country, doesn't deserve recognition as a builder. t would be difficult to find a person who did more for hockey in the United States than Brooks, and the impact that he had on the NHL should not be overlooked either.
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Redefining The Game
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:49 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
The conversation takes place in the corridors and press rooms of arenas across the country, and it takes place over the phone. But it is muted, and in public those whose constructive critics who wonder whether the league's Manhattan power-brokers have gone too far, wear gags, fearful now of being fined by a commissioner who thinks dissent is as harmful to the league as a tie game. We'd be far more patient with the administration and with the evolution of the game if we trusted the motives of the Blue Suits directing the agenda. If the people in charge were attempting to recreate the environment from, say, the late '80s or early '90s, when the NHL featured a blend of skill, speed and toughness that disappeared with the first lockout, we'd gladly hang in with the inevitable bumps of change. But they're not attempting to recreate an era during which hockey's popularity rose to a zenith. Instead, they're determined to invent a new game that will somehow appeal to consumers who have never had much interest at all in the sport. It's as if they're trying to invent a car that will appeal to people who don't have a driver's license.
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It All Makes Sense Now
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:46 AM ET
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from Doug Gilmour, special to the Toronto Sun,
This is a message for Jacques Demers, my former coach and a man who was much like a father figure to me early in my career. I had no idea. Never did I suspect you were illiterate. I never saw any evidence of such a handicap during my stint with the St. Louis Blues, a time when you were my first National Hockey League bench boss. It takes a big man to come out and publicly admit such a thing like you did. You know, as I look back, it all makes sense now.
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Waiting For The CBA
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:43 AM ET
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from the News & Observer,
Promoted to deputy commissioner in the days after the July 22 settlement, Daly has spent the past three months working with the NHL Players' Association to hammer out the final details and interpretations of the new labor agreement. Or, to answer fans' questions about when they might be able to see the new deal: not yet. "There are things that come up from time to time we discuss with the union," Daly said. "At some point, probably in the not-too-distant future, we'll make some minor modifications in writing and probably have the document formally printed.
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Watching The Bruins
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:40 AM ET
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from the Boston Globe,
It's the day after a big 2-1 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Boston Bruins are filtering into the Ristuccia Memorial Arena's parking lot in Wilmington for an 11 a.m. practice. Luxury SUVs are the overwhelming vehicle of choice, and the players stroll toward the entrance of their locker room, many clutching cups of coffee to shake away the fatigue from getting home late the night before. Each player is greeted by a handful of fans, who ask the players to pose for a picture or sign an autograph. Most of the players are eager to oblige, others do so somewhat grudgingly, but not a single player refuses a fan's request. The same scene plays out in the Ristuccia parking lot every time the Bruins practice there, in a give-and-take between athletes and fans that is rarely, if ever, seen in professional sports.
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The Bulin Bust
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:32 AM ET
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from the Arizona Republic,
Former Coyotes goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, whom Phoenix is expected to face tonight in Chicago, has been an expensive bust for the Blackhawks. Chicago signed Khabibulin to a four-year, $27 million contract over the summer and, so far, the "Bulin Wall" has played more like the "Bulin Picket Fence." Khabibulin enters today's game with a 3-9 record, a league-worst 4.11 goals-against average and a league-worst .843 save percentage. He also enters the game fresh off an embarrassing outing vs. Dallas on Friday in which he was pulled after giving up four goals in the first 14:32 of the game.
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NHL Talk
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:31 AM ET
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from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,
-Markus Naslund might be a star in the NHL, but there are no guarantees he's going to be on Team Sweden at the Olympics. -The Penguins wouldn't mind moving RW Ziggy Palffy, D Dick Tarnstrom and G Jocelyn Thibault. The word is Pittsburgh GM Craig Patrick is disappointed in Palffy. -There's talk GM Mike Milbury could finally get fired if the team doesn't turn things around.
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“Le Gross Bill”
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:30 AM ET
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from the Toronto Star,
Jean Beliveau is patiently waiting and the woman assigned to clean his hotel room is nervously moving as quickly as she can. Sensing her anxiousness, Beliveau approaches her gently and says, "Don't worry. There is no rush. Take your time." Then he turns to the others in the room and says, "They work very hard." One of the classiest personalities ever to play the game, Beliveau remains a humble man, not nearly as impressed with his accomplishments as others are. That humility, cultivated in Victoriaville, Que., more than 70 years ago, served Beliveau well as a player, ambassador and spokesman for the game. Beliveau also happily answered all questions when Unplugged recently sat down with him. He was in Toronto promoting the revised version of his autobiography, Jean Beliveau: My Life in Hockey.
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Evolving NHL
by Paul on 11/06/05 at 09:30 AM ET
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from the Philadelphia Inquirer,
These days, Bettman's officials whistle everything, which makes the game choppy sometimes. Zero tolerance may someday be viewed as having saved the National Hockey League, or reinvented the game, depending upon your perspective. "I say this with a smile," said Gretzky, the player-turned-owner-turned-coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. "It's probably been better than they anticipated. The game itself is such a nicer game to watch and be part of. "I truly believe the finesse and smarts and intelligence of hockey players now, both offensively and defensively, is a factor. If you're not a good skater and you can't handle the puck and you're not a smart defenseman, you no longer can play in the NHL. That's the way it should be."
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About Kukla's Korner Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at pk@kuklaskorner.com
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