2 Minutes for Looking Faaaaantastic
3 Comments Published by Sherry on Thursday, November 30, 2006 at 12:12 PM.
Your Thursday morning hilarity, courtesy of Kerry Fraser and James Duthie from TSN:
Where is Kerry Fraser?
I won't lie, that's some rockin' hair.
Sometimes I think Duthie should have his own sitcom.
In Other News:
- Hemsky to Have Shoulder X-Rayed. The Oil have called up Marc-Antoine Pouliot from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton [Can they just not decide if they're Wilkes-Barre or Scranton, or is that just what they're called?]
- Sharks Continuing to Chomp. Wish I had more Shark action in the East.
- Wardo Twiddling Thumbs and Chewing Gum On Bench For Three Games Straight. Because John Grahaeme has proven himself superior. Clearly.
- Esche Has Surgery, and all questions about why he's been so crappy are answered.
- Michael Serba's Parents Donates his Organs. Serba was the captain of the University of Norwich hockey team who died of injuries after a vicious attack outside of a Toronto Bar.
Rock You Like an Ex-Hurricane: Senators 4, Hurricanes 1
10 Comments Published by Sherry on Wednesday, November 29, 2006 at 2:40 AM.
The Ottawa Senators do me a favour and end a crappy day I've been having by pulling out a win for me.
One good game for Martin Gerber doesn't necessarily mean he's back to form, but perhaps those games off he had gave him time to get back to some basics and work on his game a little more. He was stellar tonight as he stopped 29 of 30 shots from the Hurricanes tonight. On the other end, John Grahaeme continues to be haunted by the Senators as he let in four goals out of 36 shots. To be fair to him, the Senators did keep the pressure on.
It's nice to see a solid 60 minute effort from these guys. The second period that was so contentious for them before was actually their strongest tonight, as they netted two of their goals tonight in the middle frame.
Christoph Schubert continues to endear himself to me as he potted a goal from a drop pass by Jason Spezza. That could have turned out dangerous, but luckily enough Schubert was there and made it a gorgeous play. The Powerplay doesn't seem to be in critical condition as Chris Neil scored on a powerplay in the third.
It seems like the Senators win much better and play much better as a whole if they don't open the scoring. Carolina opened the game with a goal from Andrew Ladd but the Senators got a bit on their heels and came back with a strong effort. The loss to Tampa was a bump in the road but it's nice to see the boys get a little bit of their strut back.
News and Amuse:
- Bye Bye Tellqvist. I don't know much about Tyson Nash except that he's a pest. Because Toronto needs more of those.
- Edmonton falls to Anaheim 2-3 in Overtime. The revenge that could have been was not to be. Too bad, they were playing a good game for 40 minutes too.
I Know Something You Don't Know
5 Comments Published by Sherry on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 8:06 PM.
NHL.com has a Spotlight on Brian Pothier.
Look guys, I wanted to keep Pothier, okay? I thought he had a great season and our defense already had a huge hole to fill in the Tree leaving. I don't know what went on but the Senators could have easily kept him for $2 million.
Still, I suppose one of the reasons that he's succeeding so much in Washington is because they don't have the depth that Ottawa does on the blue line. He lives on in Team Scarlett though. Maybe because he's American he preferred to be in the capital of America instead. Just speculating.
News About People Who May or May Not be Famous:
- Pronger, Edmonton, Etc.
- Avril Lavigne and that other Simpson girl playing hockey. Being a music snob, I think I have very legitimate complaints about these two. But people seem to like them although I'm undecided on whether or not this actually helps or hurts hockey. That Simpson girl needs to work on her skating...after she works on her singing.
Why am I Not Surprised?: Senators 1, Lightning 3
10 Comments Published by Sherry on Monday, November 27, 2006 at 12:57 AM.
Insert any metaphor about the Senators being struck by Lightning here.
For some reason a 5-game winning streak was just too much to hope for. Just when it seemed like we would be able to play above .500, the Senators turn out a poor performance against a team that they've been so successful against before. It's hard to win on the road, but considering the hole that the Senators have dug themselves into, they needed to have a good road trip.
The team started out strong with Jason Spezza opening the scoring in the first three minutes. After that, it seemed like the Senators just didn't bother playing anymore. Their first period was well done; they kept the pressure on, kept the defensive coverage tight and was strong with their forecheck. The second period, it just seemed like they failed to show. Second periods have always been a sticking point for these guys and often failing to show up for the full 60 minutes. They were allowing the Lightning players too much room and were just off in general. By the end it was just too late and Ray Emery was hung out to dry.
Poor Emery, his wrist is still apparently not 100% yet and he knows that his team is in a sticky situation and extremely reliant on him to be a force back there. I mentioned before that I think they need to give Emery a break. The other teams know this and they're certainly going to be taking liberties with how much action he's going to see.
There's no need to be in all-out panic mode quite yet, although this game did highlight some bad habits the Senators have had issues with previously. This team cannot be in the mindset that just because they have a lead that they can just coast from there. Even though Tampa had been struggling for awhile, this team cannot underestimate teams when they're fighting for a playoff spot.
The Panic Meter as of Today:
The boys went on a nice winning streak and the loss tonight was just a little bump in the road. However, this team still has alot of holes it needs to fill.
In Other News...
Ringing in the winter season with my Sens coloured scarf my friend knitted me. I requested those colours as an homage to the original Senators franchise:
My face is in fact a big mass of water coloured blur.
Better Know an Owner: Columbus Blue Jackets - Part 2 of 30
2 Comments Published by Sherry on Sunday, November 26, 2006 at 7:36 PM.
I apologize for the tardiness of the post and for the absolute lack of information there is in this edition. I didn't have any access to our business databases this weekend and I actually had a social life this weekend. Now that's a rarity.
The Basics
Name: John H. McConnell
DOB: I’m not quite sure. Somewhere in the range of ‘old’. Pughtown, West Virginia.
Estimated Net Worth: Worthington Industries has annual revenues of around $3 billion US.
Owner Since: 2000
Claim to Fame: Founder and chairman of Worthington Industries a company that manufactures processed steel products, pressure cylinders, and metal framing. Served three years with the U.S. Navy in World War Two. ‘Revolutionized’ human resources management as his “Golden Rule” is studied in business programs at Harvard:
Philanthropic Work: Chairman of the Board of the Ohio Health Corporation and Founder of the McConnell Heart Health Center; contributed $7.5 million to develop the Heart Hospital at Riverside, part of the OhioHealth Corporation. Continues to support a number of educational, health and research projects.
Claim to Infamy:
- Worthington Industries was the backdrop of “Blacks Need Not Apply” a book by Collie Brown about a lawsuit he filed against Worthington over racial discrimination in their hiring practices. During the lawsuit, Worthington Industries admitted they weren’t sure if they had hired an African-American manager in their whole corporation.
- Worthington keeps its cost down by relying on cheap foreign steel and processing it for resale. This has lead to many domestic plants being shut down and thousands of jobs lost.
- Had been named in a lawsuit back in 1993 over accidental deaths involving propane barbecues
- Has been on record to say that he doesn’t like how campaigns influence the government but has previously contributed $350,000 to the Republican party.
- May be the reason why the Blue Jackets’ logo is so unfortunate: “At the time the name was first announced, some media reports speculated that because team owner John H. McConnell's favorite color is blue, he had directed that any name selected for the team must contain the word blue.” (Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Blue_Jackets)
The Oldsmobile Story: In 1955, he used his '52 Oldsmobile as collateral to borrow morning and used the money to purchase his first load of steel for custom processing.
Other Sports Teams:
- Columbus Destroyers of the AFL
Boat Load of Awards:
Asides from the couple of contentious points in the Claim to Infamy section, he appears to be a choir boy otherwise (All from the Columbus Blue Jackets website):
- 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason
- Horatio Alger Award
- Ohio Governor’s Award
- Mr. Ohio Gold Award
- National Football Foundation Gold Medal Award
- Michigan State University Outstanding Alumni
- Entrepreneur of the Year from Southern Illinois University
- Financial World Magazine Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year
- Industry Week Award for Excellence in Management
- Junior Achievement National Hall of Fame
- Columbus Hall of Fame Member
- American Heart Association Heart Health Award
- Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award
- Boy Scouts Eagle Scout Honoree
- Prevent Blindness People of Vision Award
- Ohio Cancer Research Honor & Saute’ Award
Currently…: Married to high school sweetheart Peggy since after the second World War. Grandson attends Olentangy Liberty High School.
The People Think: Rich Uncle Skeleton. Definitely Rich Uncle Skeleton. People in Ohio seem to love him although Blue Jackets fans are a little bit frustrated with how a team with so much talent always seems to underachieve. Ken Hitchcock will save the day though. Seriously!
The Basics
Name: John H. McConnell
DOB: I’m not quite sure. Somewhere in the range of ‘old’. Pughtown, West Virginia.
Estimated Net Worth: Worthington Industries has annual revenues of around $3 billion US.
Owner Since: 2000
Claim to Fame: Founder and chairman of Worthington Industries a company that manufactures processed steel products, pressure cylinders, and metal framing. Served three years with the U.S. Navy in World War Two. ‘Revolutionized’ human resources management as his “Golden Rule” is studied in business programs at Harvard:
"We treat our customers, employees, investors, and suppliers as we would like to be treated." The company's main campus, located just north of Columbus, includes an onsite health and wellness center with three full-time physicians, a pharmacy, a barbershop, and other innovative employee benefits. -- Worthington Industries
Philanthropic Work: Chairman of the Board of the Ohio Health Corporation and Founder of the McConnell Heart Health Center; contributed $7.5 million to develop the Heart Hospital at Riverside, part of the OhioHealth Corporation. Continues to support a number of educational, health and research projects.
Claim to Infamy:
- Worthington Industries was the backdrop of “Blacks Need Not Apply” a book by Collie Brown about a lawsuit he filed against Worthington over racial discrimination in their hiring practices. During the lawsuit, Worthington Industries admitted they weren’t sure if they had hired an African-American manager in their whole corporation.
- Worthington keeps its cost down by relying on cheap foreign steel and processing it for resale. This has lead to many domestic plants being shut down and thousands of jobs lost.
- Had been named in a lawsuit back in 1993 over accidental deaths involving propane barbecues
- Has been on record to say that he doesn’t like how campaigns influence the government but has previously contributed $350,000 to the Republican party.
- May be the reason why the Blue Jackets’ logo is so unfortunate: “At the time the name was first announced, some media reports speculated that because team owner John H. McConnell's favorite color is blue, he had directed that any name selected for the team must contain the word blue.” (Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Blue_Jackets)
The Oldsmobile Story: In 1955, he used his '52 Oldsmobile as collateral to borrow morning and used the money to purchase his first load of steel for custom processing.
Other Sports Teams:
- Columbus Destroyers of the AFL
Boat Load of Awards:
Asides from the couple of contentious points in the Claim to Infamy section, he appears to be a choir boy otherwise (All from the Columbus Blue Jackets website):
- 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason
- Horatio Alger Award
- Ohio Governor’s Award
- Mr. Ohio Gold Award
- National Football Foundation Gold Medal Award
- Michigan State University Outstanding Alumni
- Entrepreneur of the Year from Southern Illinois University
- Financial World Magazine Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year
- Industry Week Award for Excellence in Management
- Junior Achievement National Hall of Fame
- Columbus Hall of Fame Member
- American Heart Association Heart Health Award
- Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award
- Boy Scouts Eagle Scout Honoree
- Prevent Blindness People of Vision Award
- Ohio Cancer Research Honor & Saute’ Award
Currently…: Married to high school sweetheart Peggy since after the second World War. Grandson attends Olentangy Liberty High School.
The People Think: Rich Uncle Skeleton. Definitely Rich Uncle Skeleton. People in Ohio seem to love him although Blue Jackets fans are a little bit frustrated with how a team with so much talent always seems to underachieve. Ken Hitchcock will save the day though. Seriously!
How to Start a Fire: Senators 6, Panthers 4
3 Comments Published by Sherry on Saturday, November 25, 2006 at 2:31 AM.
There's the man of the hour. Tip of the hat to Dany Heatley for his 5th career hat trick.
Sweet, sweet .500. I was worried that I wouldn't see you for awhile.
The Senators started this game off strong. Despite giving up the first goal, they went on to score three in a row. Unfortunately, in true Senators fashion when scoring a two-goal lead, they left things on cruise control and allowed the Panthers to take the lead thanks to a spirited effort by Gary Roberts. Roberts has had excellent numbers against Ottawa, including his tenure with Toronto, so the amount of space that he was given in front of the net at times was really a mistake that could have cost the Senators. Seriously guys, I know he's old but apparently he can still score.
Mount Saint Emery looked ready to erupt today as he was constantly ran over with no call. When Emery's mad, you can tell because his eyebrows go all cartoony-arched. This was something that was probably building from the last game against Philly as he was steamrolled a couple of times in that game that also went uncalled. That was only the start of the rough stuff as Chris Neil returned the favour by getting in Ed Belfour's face a couple of times. Chris Gratton and Christoph Schubert got into it in front of the Ottawa net. Poor Schubie didn't even know he was in a fight until Gratton pushed him into the corner. Peter Schaeffer got face planted and Jason Spezza took a stick square to the face, both of which went uncalled but thankfully neither resulted in serious injury.
The Senators finally woke up from their coma after the Panthers went ahead 4-3 in the third period. They were in danger of squandering another lead but thankfully battled back thanks to hard work from their usual grinders. As thrilled as I am that we've reached .500, we've still got a ways to go yet. The boys have another two games left on the road against Tampa and Carolina before playing the Panthers again at home to end off the month. I'm also hoping that we don't run Emery to the ground. I love that he's playing well but the poor man is going to be exhausted come the new year. This team has enough fight left in them to claw their way back up in the standings and they're playing with alot of confidence right now. The key is not to fall back into old habits of thinking the game's in the bag when they've secured a lead and there's still plenty of hockey to be played. There are no easy games or easy opponents. As their slogan this season says: "Every Game".
News and Amuse
- Anton "A-Train" Volchenkov left the game with a 'lower body injury'. He was just starting to get back in my good books too!
- The Senators had managed to stay out of the penalty box since last game and went almost 97 minutes without taking a penalty until 16:48 in the second courtesy of Schubert.
- Denis Hamel hasn't been lighting it up or anything but he hasn't hurt the team either. Better than Alexei Kaigorodov could have been? Guess we'll never know.
- Watched this game on Sportsnet thanks to innovations in technology. I saw the Senators commercials and they're actually quite good. I know, such a homer.
- People in the States who are enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend had a whole day of hockey to look forward to while I had a midterm tonight to look forward to. Bastards.
- Hockeygirl has a very concise post up about Fangirls vs. Puckbunnies over at Double D(ion) with contributions from the rest of the ladies from HLOG. It's the most important thing you will ever read in your life. Or not.
- "Better Know an Owner" with the Columbus Blue Jackets will be up tomorrow night.
"Celebrities" Love the Senators
7 Comments Published by Sherry on Friday, November 24, 2006 at 1:45 AM.
Dilana and Magni from "Rockstar: Supernova" at the Ottawa vs. Montreal game on November 13th, 2006.
I never watched Rockstar so they don't particularly impress me, but my housemates loved that show so I watched the finale with them. The guy who won was Canadian and wears more makeup than most girls I know.
Matthew Perry [Chandler] is also a fan of the Sens being from Ottawa and all.
You can tell they're hardcore because they've got the devil horns going on.
We're Going Streaking!: Senators 3, Flyers 2 (OT)
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 1:45 AM.
G: Sherry! Sherry, they won!
S: Really? HOURRAY!
G: Yeah, and guess who scored?
S: Who?
G: Your loverboy!
For the record, I never officially reinstated him that title, but I suppose he's heading in the right direction. Although maybe I should, he was hurting after all.
My boys managed to miraculously squeak out a win tonight. Despite a win, this was more or less a lacklustre performance from both teams. On paper, the Senators shouldn't have had that much trouble handling the Flyers. Either the Flyers have really managed to turn things around or the Senators just decided to skate in slow motion tonight. Who knows, maybe they're tired from the traveling or that salad dressing just didn't work out after all.
The Senators were down 2 goals early despite only a couple of shots-on-goal from the Flyers' team. Ray Emery managed to stop everything after that. Antero Nittymaki was in net for the Flyers and was solid, stopping 32 of 35 shots.
It was both a low-scoring and low-infractioned affair. The Senators managed to stay out of the box the whole night while Philly only had three penalties, one of which the Sens managed to convert on. Peter Nedved had two out of the three penalties but also managed to score a goal.
Interestingly enough, the supposed 'big guns' for both teams were kept off the scoresheet. Simon Gagne had a couple of scoring chances but failed to convert while Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley's point streaks ended tonight. Daniel Alfredsson however is making a case for himself that he doesn't deserve to have his butt shipped out of town just quite yet as he scored the second goal for the Sens. Also of note, the Senators have had to play catchup in 4 of their last 5 games and only came up short in their game against New Jersey last Friday.
When the Senators were mired in their slump earlier this month I sort of couldn't wait until they played Philly because it was just what their confidence needed. However, while it was nice for them to get their confidence back by defeating both Minnesota and Buffalo last week, they seemed to have had a propensity of losing against teams that they should be dominating. That was in danger of happening again tonight as it seemed like they really allowed Philly to take it to them for most of the game. This road trip could really help them gain some ground and now they're only one game away from playing at .500.
Fortunately I won't have to move the Panic Meter any higher tonight. However, as I said before until we're at .500 or at least 8th place in the East, it'll have to stay where it is in between orange and yellow.
Miscellaneous Goodies Bag:
- I'm surprised no Leafs fans were rejoicing at the fact that JFJ's Option Has Been Picked Up. Well, maybe not surprised.
- Team Scarlett takes another hit as Earl is placed on the IR. Poor Earl. I want to bake him cookies.
- Hitchcock Dons a Blue Jacket. In a perfect revenge fantasy, he could make his debut behind the bench when Columbus takes on Philly on Friday.
- I really don't know how I'd feel about having one of these on my lawn. Mostly because I live in Leafs nation and it'll probably get vandalized. But that wouldn't be the only reason:
Other NHL Teams Available! I'd have a heck of a time explaining to my mother what the heck it is. She's all for decorating the house for Christmas but she's more about the fake reindeer and the icicle lights.
- Divealanche Continues to Make me Laugh. I especially enjoy their insight into the mind of Terry Frei.
A short miscellaneous notice to tell you guys that I am featured on Behind the Blog this week over at Behind the Jersey. Just what I've always wanted, internet attention without the use of nudity! Man, I'm so wordy. I will forgive you if you decide not to read the whole thing since I tend to ramble and am probably extremely incoherent.
In all seriousness, thanks alot to Christy for letting me take part in something like that. She runs a well-oiled machine over there and I highly encourage you to check out her blog.
In Other News...
-Jordi's back!
- Sportsnet Doesn't Think Hockey's Suitable for all Viewers. Well, it is Chelios.
- Tonight Senators are at Philly. The Sens were 1-3-0 last year against Philly but with the Flyers struggling as of late and the Senators making a real push in the last couple of games, it could give them a good chance to climb back up in the standings. They are 8-15-2 overall at Wachovia but have been a pretty effective road team so far. See you after the game if I'm not studying.
In all seriousness, thanks alot to Christy for letting me take part in something like that. She runs a well-oiled machine over there and I highly encourage you to check out her blog.
In Other News...
-Jordi's back!
- Sportsnet Doesn't Think Hockey's Suitable for all Viewers. Well, it is Chelios.
- Tonight Senators are at Philly. The Sens were 1-3-0 last year against Philly but with the Flyers struggling as of late and the Senators making a real push in the last couple of games, it could give them a good chance to climb back up in the standings. They are 8-15-2 overall at Wachovia but have been a pretty effective road team so far. See you after the game if I'm not studying.
You Make My Heart Sing!: Wild 3, Senators 5
3 Comments Published by Sherry on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 7:59 PM.
Two wins in a row! It's been too long since that has happened for this team.
The Senators played a good game last night, although they did allow the Wild to come close and pepper Ray Emery, who stopped 42 of 45 shots last night at Scotiabank Place. The Senators' secondary scoring has really helped them lately, with second and third-liners contributing to the effort. The big guns of Alfie, Spezza and Heatley also played well and contributed to the effort. This is what you need in a win, to have everybody clicking and contributing.
The Wild's second goal game on a penalty shot when Mike Fisher put his hand over the puck in the crease when he managed to save the puck from going in. Emery also benefitted from the help from the goalposts while Heatley also got acquainted with them as he was tripped on a breakaway and knocked his head against the cross-bar. We're happy to report that no additional teeth went missing.
So winning two games in a row is sweet, but they still have a pretty big hill to climb. Next up is Philadelphia and given the Senators' tendency to leave points on the table against teams they should win against, they can't be in the mentality that this will just be a cake walk. They're getting solid goaltending in Emery now and that should help them play with more confidence. Hope the boys took a nice long nap because they won't be back home until the end of this month.
GO SENS GO!
In This Edition of Who The Sens are Alienating Now:...
- Former Sens GM Marshall Johnston Wants some Money: The lawsuit is only asking for $275,000 but management would still understandably want to try to settle this out of court. Roy Mlakar is calling this a "personal" matter. Personal business matter, sure. On a scale of 1 to Alexei Yashin in terms of alientation, I'd give this a 2.
- Salary Cap Screws with the Senators. Who knew? This could mean that a trade is imminent. As long as it isn't Foppa. Well, maybe him and Alfie could get some Swedish magic going. I don't know anything about Sweden so in my mind, Swedish magic involves meatballs and Ikea.
Just When I Thought I was Out, They Pull Me Back In: Sabres 1, Senators 4
0 Comments Published by Sherry on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 11:23 PM.
You know, I was all set to type up a long-winded drunken rambling about who I think should be fired, who I think should be traded or what needs to be blown up, but it looks like that'll have to wait for at least one more game.
The last couple of minutes on this game was broadcasted on CBC after the Jersey vs. Toronto game was over. I was hesitant about whether or not to watch since at that point it was only 2-1 with 7 minutes left and I feared that PPP's theory that I was bad luck to the team proved to be true.
The Senators did what they didn't do last night in Jersey and in previous games; come out with a spirited effort and an actual complete 60-minute game. They kept the pedal to the medal at all times, and with a team like Buffalo, you can't afford to be lazy. The Sabres got excellent goaltending from Ryan Miller, who was back after missing five games with a muscle strain. The Senators played simple hockey and just kept on trying to put pucks to the net, outshooting the Sabres 41-24.
There was no shortage of rough stuff from either side as Brian McGrattan and Andrew Peters both got fighting majors in the first three minutes of the game. Jason Spezza was called for roughing. Jason Spezza. I know, I'm just as surprised as you. Buffalo had 12 penalties on the night and Ottawa had 9, two of which was for a 'Delay of Game' for shooting the puck over the glass. The PowerPlay was not in the same critical state as it used to be as the Sens managed to score 2 with the man advantage and also managed to kill off all 9 penalties.
True, the Sabres are a depleted team, but given the Senators' inconsistent effort the past little while, it was nice to see the Senators actually be able to play a complete game. Even without some of their big guns, the Sabres have proven that they have alot of depth and can still be deadly, so it was nice to see the Senators be able to come out with a win. You've got to be good to be lucky, and the Senators' did a great job in creating chances for themselves and playing solid hockey.
Now the question is whether or not they can keep this momentum going. The Senators' haven't been able to put together a convincing winning streak yet this season. They've left points on the table in games they should have won, and they need to bring the effort every night if they want to climb back up in the standings. Meaning, the Panic Meter shall stay where it is until we are playing at least .500 hockey.
News and Amuse
- The first goal came in the dying seconds of the first period as Antoine Vermette won the face-off...but put it directly on the stick of Maxim Afinogenov who blasted it past Emery. The clock had literally just turned 0:00 when the goal was scored.
- Apparently having a stick to your neck and trying to remove it is interference because that's what happened to Joe Corvo in the third.
- Buffalo's speed is a dangerous asset, but perhaps they need to get a better handle on it as they were frequently off-side. Luckily for them, they were barely called for most of them tonight.
- The Sabres called up somebody named Michael Funk tonight from Rochester. The alternate title for this post was going to be 'Renegades of Funk', but I'll save that for when he either 1) is more of a factor in games or 2) gets beaten up. Both could be applicable.
- In other good news: I probably didn't fail my Finance mid-term, woo-hoo! I've got two more in the next two weeks and major projects due soon so that means posting will also be limited. Somebody explain the logic of scheduling mid-terms right up until my finals start? Please, I'd really like to know.
I have a finance midterm tomorrow morning, so I think I'll let the Panic Metre do the talking:
Better Know an Owner: Ottawa Senators - Part 1 of 30
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 5:44 PM.
Today on Scarlett Ice, we start a new special series entitled “Better Know an Owner”. Each week, we will introduce you to the man, woman, or child that signs the paycheques for each of the 30 teams in the National Hockey League. The owners will alternate between an Eastern team and a Western team each week, because unlike the league, we here know how to keep a balanced schedule. [Zing!]
For our first instalment, we start at home [well at least close to home], and meet Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Ottawa Senators.
The Basics
Name: Eugene Melnyk
DOB: May 27, 1959 in Toronto, Ontario
Estimated Net Worth: $1.4 billion
Owner Since: 2003
Claim to Fame: Owner and founder of Biovail Corp, the largest Canadian pharmaceutical company in the country. Known for manufacturing drugs with funny names like Wellbutrin and Zyban
Philanthropic Work: Honorary Director of "Help Us Help the Children" and a benefactor of The Tourette Syndrome Association of Canada. Donated $1 million to the Belmont Child Care Association in 2002 for the construction of a new Child Care centre. Rescued the Ottawa Senators from franchise oblivion.
Claim to Infamy:
- Accused this summer of Securities fraud by the Ontario Securities Commission. The OSC claims that he was controlling Biovail shares that he placed in four separate trusts in the Cayman Islands and was directly benefiting from the trusts.
- Biovail has filed several racketeering lawsuits against major hedge funds in the States, claiming that they colluded with independent research firms and analysts at big banks in order to release misleading research about the company in order to drive down their stock price.
- Biovail has been accused of aggressive accounting in the past, none of which that I’ll get into because it’ll probably bore you to death…and frankly I don’t understand half of them.
- Like every other pharmaceutical company, has been sued over the fact that their medication has done more damage than good.
- Bought the Mississauga IceDogs in the summer of 2006 and has stated his intention to sell it so that his original OHL team, the St. Michael’s Majors can take over the IceDogs arena, the sparkling Hershey Centre in Mississauga. This caused major upset from all 5 of the IceDogs’ fans.
Collects Sports Teams Like Monopoly Estates:
Mr. Melnyk is also the owner of:
- St. Michael’s Majors (OHL)
- Mississauga IceDogs (OHL, purchased in the summer of 2006)
The Horse Whisperer: He is an avid horse-breeder, with his own stable in Florida called Winding Oaks Farm. His stable has more than 200 thoroughbreds. His colt, Archers Bay won the Queen’s Plate in 1998 and his other horse, Flower Alley won the 2005 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. He also had a horse in this year’s Breeder’s Cup who came in 10th place.
Currently…: Married with 2 children, living it up in Barbados where he also owns a sports bar named Bert’s. Fending off rumours that he’s about to lay the smackdown on his personnel in Ottawa.
The People Think: On the one hand, he did save the Ottawa Senators. On the other, he's from Toronto. He has also stated before that he sees the Senators as a money making venture and has been sort of tight with the purse strings until this season, when he finally allowed the GM to spend to the cap. Like all owners, he gives off a "Rich Uncle Skeleton" vibe. A puffy skeleton.
The Philadelphia Phantoms, AHL affiliate of the Flyers debuted Light-Up Nets yesterday when they hosted Syracuse. The nets come from Litnets Inc., a company based in Ottawa. I'm assuming these things are motion activated, because being the goal-light guy is already hard and irrelevant enough. According to the webiste:
The goal net also provides an opportunity for illuminated advertising.
There's nothing America loves more than corporate sponsorship. Just think, everytime the Phantoms score, you'll be reminded to buy a Nissan.
These special nets have been used in a couple of games in the CHL previously. Here is a video of the net in action featuring Sidney Crosby when he was with Rimouski, reminding you to shop at Rona. They will be a mainstay for home games for the Phantoms in an effort to bring more excitement to the game. Because in order for people to care about minor hockey in the States, they have to make it look more like basketball.
KISS Me Deadly: Senators 4, Sabres 2
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 1:05 AM.
Alternate Title: Dear Ray Emery, I Love You
It's...beautiful.
The Ottawa Senators manage to give me a nice little surprise after a dreadful evening of studying and manage to pull off a win. Again, I chose to forgo this game because I sort of don't want to fail my midterm, but from what I gathered, the Senators employed the KISS rule that we all know and love: Keep It Simple Stupid. Everybody seems to be in agreeance that the Senators like to be too cute with their play sometimes; making that extra pass and taking that extra step. Today, it seems like they went back to playing hockey by winning battles and setting up shop in front of the net. One thing you didn't see alot of last year from these guys were ugly goals, but those are some of the most important ones you can get.
Ray Emery proves that he deserves to have more than one song written about him ash e posted 27 saves tonight, despite still not being 100% from his wrist injury. At this point, Bryan Murray really has no choice but to let Emery run with it, although I'd be cautious about overplaying him if he isn't fully recovered yet.
Let's be realistic though, Buffalo didn't play their best game tonight and one win doesn't automatically mean they've turned it around. Having this team go through adversity and struggling may be just what they need to smack some of the arrogance out of them and develop a better work ethic. It's about being there for every shift not underestimating any of your opponents. Luckily, there's still enough time for the boys to turn things around.
News and Amuse
- Roy Mlakar was on "Off the Record" today and said, somewhat haughtily, that Ottawa has been an elite team for awhile and that the fans have been spoiled and seemed somewhat shocked that they were complaining now. I agree, the fans have been spoiled and Ottawa has been an elite team but you can't blame the fans for being upset when they've been losing games left, right and centre.
- Malkin Allowed to Continue to Dazzle Us. Which means that if you're a Russian hockey player that has ever wanted to pretend you're James Bond [Maybe not James Bond. He hasn't been kind to Russians], you can get away with it.
- Ovechkin Thinks He Can Do Better. Not listed in Don Meehan's list of clientele is also Wade Redden. Just thought I'd throw that in. I don't know how I feel about family members getting involved with representing their children. I mean look at what happened to "Destiny's Child".
- The Flyers are up 7-4 against the Ducks now. Yes, the league leading Anaheim Ducks and not the kids from those Disney Movies. Is today Opposite Day?
Quick Hits for a Wednesday Morning
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 3:09 PM.
NHL and YouTube Team Up to Take Over the World
Well, maybe not take over the world but it's better than nothing. It's nice to see that the NHL Marketing Squad is trying harder to get their product out there and make it more accessible to their fans. The question then becomes how many people who aren't hockey fans will be interested in clicking on the NHL highlights in their daily YouTube Stroll.
The Ottawa vs. Buffalo game tonight will actually be on TSN but in order to save myself from wanting to carve out my eyes, I think I'll opt to study for my Finance midterm instead. Which may also cause me to carve out my eyes, but at least it'll be for an academically-related reason. Maybe if I'm lucky Buffalo will be like "Aww, lookit them, so cute and struggling. We already embarrassed them last year and we know we're going to win the Cup anyways because of our unstoppable hotness. Maybe we'll just let them win."
But not likely. But maybe.
See you after the slaughter. If I'm still conscious.
Somebody Stop the Bleeding: Habs 6, Senators 3
3 Comments Published by Sherry on Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 2:23 AM.
Who has 4 midterms in the next two weeks? Apparently not me considering how much I'm posting.
There's really no way to sugar-coat this and I know it will shock many of you, but I feel that it is my duty to inform you guys that...The Sens suck right now.
I know, I know, it's a shock to the system, I'll wait while you have a seat and digest the news. I mean this isn't just 'a couple of games lost' suck, this is like, 'inaugural year' type of suck. The Hat is trying to keep me from drowning my sorrows. I love you Hat. A big, One World Conspiracy is exactly something I would have thought of.
I didn't watch the game tonight although I caught the highlights on Sportscentre. It's really getting tiring when everybody assures you that Gerber was amazing and then see him let in a softie from Mike Johnson of all people. Bryan Murray in the post-game interview seems to be very staunch in defending him and I'm all for it if that's what Baby Food needs to get his confidence back up but honestly, he was letting in goals he should have stopped. Please don't be afraid of pulling him.
Next up is Buffalo, which is exactly what the pancaked confidence of this team needs. It's like the lambs to the slaughter. So if the writing's already on the wall, why not just start Kelly Guard? He might surprise us all and be the next coming of Patrick Roy. Speaking of which, even Guillaume Latendresse's hair looks annoying.
I'll let Alfie give us in the Sens Nation some hope:
Oh Alfie, it's nice to hear you actually sounding like a captain to the rest of the world. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some wallowing to do.
There's really no way to sugar-coat this and I know it will shock many of you, but I feel that it is my duty to inform you guys that...The Sens suck right now.
I know, I know, it's a shock to the system, I'll wait while you have a seat and digest the news. I mean this isn't just 'a couple of games lost' suck, this is like, 'inaugural year' type of suck. The Hat is trying to keep me from drowning my sorrows. I love you Hat. A big, One World Conspiracy is exactly something I would have thought of.
I didn't watch the game tonight although I caught the highlights on Sportscentre. It's really getting tiring when everybody assures you that Gerber was amazing and then see him let in a softie from Mike Johnson of all people. Bryan Murray in the post-game interview seems to be very staunch in defending him and I'm all for it if that's what Baby Food needs to get his confidence back up but honestly, he was letting in goals he should have stopped. Please don't be afraid of pulling him.
Next up is Buffalo, which is exactly what the pancaked confidence of this team needs. It's like the lambs to the slaughter. So if the writing's already on the wall, why not just start Kelly Guard? He might surprise us all and be the next coming of Patrick Roy. Speaking of which, even Guillaume Latendresse's hair looks annoying.
I'll let Alfie give us in the Sens Nation some hope:
"We can't give up," said captain Daniel Alfredsson. "We've got to keep pushing and get ready for the next practice, the next game. We're not going to quit." -- TSN
Oh Alfie, it's nice to hear you actually sounding like a captain to the rest of the world. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some wallowing to do.
The Weekender: Sherry: 9, 9 Year-Old Kid: 24
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Monday, November 13, 2006 at 10:31 AM.
You'll be happy to know that my trip to Owen Sound was a resounding success and that I was not eaten by any cows. I was however, pwned in air hockey by my friend's 9-year-old little brother. I say he had home ice advantage.
I managed to survive the weekend without paying any attention to hockey at all, although I did make the mistake of checking the scores for the Senators vs. Bruins game on Saturday during my friend's birthday party. Really ruined my night actually. I don't even have to watch the game to know that Gerber really needs to see a shrink or something because when Glen Murray scores on you more than once, something is clearly wrong.
The good news is that the Senators managed to snap their losing streak against Pittsburgh on Friday. On the other hand it's Pittsburgh. Really, the Bruins are not as strong of a team as the Senators are making them look, although Tim Thomas has been giving them trouble since last season. Unfortunately that winning record I was hoping for on this road trip is not to be.
Tonight they go up against a Montreal team who is coming off a shellacking by the Leafs. I'm hoping they'll have some sort of Scoreboard Payback after their abysmal performance on Halloween. The good news for them is that Chris Higgins won't be there to haunt them with short-handed goals. They can also prove Craig Rivet wrong, who appears to have his Ph.D in Senators-ology:
"Chara was the Ottawa Senators," said Rivet. "When we were preparing to play them, we were not thinking about (Jason) Spezza, (Dany) Heatley or (Daniel) Alfredsson. I know they're 100-point players, but Chara was that team. We were preparing to face Zdeno Chara."
I'm not going to pretend that losing Chara wasn't a big loss but come on. Anybody will tell you that even though Chara's a horse and an extremely hard worker, when it came down to the playoffs he was one of the usual suspects that disappeared. On paper, Wade Redden was the smarter signing because he is more mobile and suited for a faster paced game. I don't know what sort of soap opera unfolded behind the scenes during the off-season. As far as I know both Redden and Chara were offered the same deal of $6 million dollars to which the Chara camp said no and never got back to management about what they were looking for. I'm hazarding a guess that it had more to do with bruised egos since it was no secret that the Sens were talking to Redden first. However, nobody in the Senators dressing room is missing Chara whether it be for his 'leadership' qualities or the fact that the average height in the room just decreased. Of course it seems like a mistake now that they didn't try to keep him because he does have alot of upside, but this team is not helpless without him.
On the plus side the win and the loss this weekend managed to balance one another out and the Panic Meter is staying where it is on yellow:
I want to thank Battle of Ontario for their nice shoutout to the Panic Meter and if you found your way over here through there, please, help yourself to a beverage although I apologize if I ended up drinking all of it.
For something completely different, here's a picture of me from over the weekend on a trampoline. I'm the one with the funny socks whose face is strategically hidden.
GO SENS GO!
The Saddest Part of a Broken Heart: Senators 4, Thrashers 5
6 Comments Published by Sherry on Thursday, November 09, 2006 at 5:50 PM.
I hope you guys don't hate hyperbole and metaphors because those are two things I don't shy away from and this post is chock full of them.
I'll be turning 20 at the end of next month and I have to confess that in my almost 20 years of existence I've never had my heart broken by another man before. Well, the universe, wanting to correct this grave imbalance has decided to send 20-some guys to do the deed instead. Interestingly enough this group of guys includes a giggly 23-year-old and another with a name akin to baby food. Thanks alot, universe.
The good news is that scoring doesn't seem to be an issue anymore. Keeping the other team from scoring is the problem. You'd think that securing a three goal lead and chasing the oppositions' starter out of the net would be enough for a win. But for two nights in a row the Senators have accomplished just that and somehow still found a way to get the short end of the stick. In Washington, Martin Gerber was actually pretty solid for most of the game until his teammates took their foot off the gas and hung him out to dry. Last night in Atlanta, it was Gerber who had the meltdown. Maybe two soft goals isn't enough to pull the goalie, but what I don't understand is why Bryan Murray didn't put Gerber out of his misery and just put Kelly Guard in when it was apparent that Gerber was going to be a liability.
I'm usually a defender of Gerber and it was a difficult task to begin with, but lately it's just been utterly futile. He's a very mobile goalie but undersized as he already is, still stays way too deep in the net. The few times that he does come out to handle the puck, he ends up misplaying it. On any given night it just seems like either the top line is struggling or the defense is struggling. Alfie seems to be back to form but it's all for naught if the team doesn't get those two points at the end of the night. One theory is that the guys play much better in front of Ray Emery simply because he's not as experienced. If that's the case, than this failed experiment needs to be shelved and the team needs to get their butt into gear, post-haste since Emery will be out of commission for awhile.
Now, I come from the pessimist's school of thought so I've already made my peace with the fact that maybe the Senators won't make it to the big dance this year. Keep your expectations low, it'll cushion the blow of disappointment. I feel like I'm watching this team struggling through its pimply teenage years and the growing pains aren't a fun thing to witness. However, like any good teen movie, he's going to graduate into a total stud and end up being the coolest guy on the college campus. Or something. When that happens, we can say we loved him when.
I'm not completely adverse to the idea of moving Murray up to the GM's chair and giving John Muckler a handshake and a friendly reminder that most people have been retired for a couple of years at his age. Politely of course, he's got 5 Stanley Cup Rings and those things look like they could hurt if you were on the receiving end of a sucker punch.
In the meantime, I think your worst losing streak in over a decade is enough to warrant a step up in the good ol' Panic Meter:
As a side-note I won't be back until Sunday evening as I'll be in Owen Sound for the weekend. Plus, I've still got midterms holding me hostage. Hope you don't miss me too much.
GO SENS GO!
- Patrick Roy Hurts Guillaum Latendresse's Feelings. I don't think he meant anything against Latendresse personally but perhaps Montreal's tendency to be filled with Francophone Love. You guys had better hope he doesn't turn into another Mike Ribeiro.
Maybe They're Doing it on Purpose?
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Tuesday, November 07, 2006 at 6:21 PM.
Good times...good times
Contrary to popular belief, I'm not burrying my head in the sand because of witnessing The Great Sens Collapse. I actually did pass out last night, but it was more due to study exhaustion rather than alcohol-fuelled exhaustion.
When Team Canada was shut out twice during the Torino Olympics my mother suggested that maybe they were doing it on purpose so that they would play easier opponents. Comforting as that was, it kind of defeats the purpose if you don't even make it to the championship round.
That being said, the night before they were eliminated by Russia, I wrote a lengthy break-up letter to hockey in my original, non-hockey blog in hopes that it would somehow trigger some sort of cosmic chain of guilt. It didn't work, obviously but after seeing the Sens blow another lead last night, I was tempted to do it again. Luckily I fell asleep before then. Merlot and e-mail don't mix, after all.
Like AQuietGirl, I too would have alot less trouble accepting these losses if it was simply a case of being outplayed by a better team and they tried their darndest. But blowing a three-goal lead against the Washington Capitals just means that you gave up.
So everybody around seems to be trying their best to disect what sort of big shakeup needs to happen so this team will finally turn it around. I'm just going to be up front and tell everybody that I'm not smart enough to figure out what that is. The players know better than anybody that something is wrong. The team has undisputable talent that just won't mesh together to form a team. Maybe they're relying too much on talent alone and forgetting that it takes many parts to form a winning team.
But before we all collectively freak out and drink ourselves into a stupor, let's remember one thing. It's only the beginning of November and championships aren't decided in November. The Sens had an absolutely dazzling record last season and where did it get them exactly? It's good that the problems this team seems to be having are apparent now instead of when playoffs are starting. That being said, if the problems are identifiable now, do something about it now because by the time the trade deadline rolls around it may be too late.
Obviously a change does need to happen, but don't pull the trigger on anything for the sake of sending a message, do it for the sake of improving the team.
In Other News:
- I love Spartacat, but not this much
- Rapid Fire with Joffrey Lupul. Asking Ray Ferraro questions. About time, I've been dying to find out whether or not Ferraro prefers bubble hockey or video game hockey.
Anyways, midterms are calling and they're very, very angry.
Will You Still Love Me in December?: Senators 3, Capitals 4 (OT)
5 Comments Published by Sherry on at 12:58 AM.
Gold star for song reference again.
This picture is from last season but I'm a little ahead of everybody else right now.
I've also got mid-terms coming out the wazoo so I'm just going to keep this short and sweet. Well not sweet, more like bitter.
The Good News: One Point. And welcome back, Alfie [One goal and one assist]
The Bad News: Sens scored 3 in the first and then somehow forgot there was a hockey game going on.
WHAT THE DICKENS, GUYS?!
I need some coffee. I would not object if it's Irish.
Will update/edit this post later on tonight if I'm not passed out
This picture is from last season but I'm a little ahead of everybody else right now.
I've also got mid-terms coming out the wazoo so I'm just going to keep this short and sweet. Well not sweet, more like bitter.
The Good News: One Point. And welcome back, Alfie [One goal and one assist]
The Bad News: Sens scored 3 in the first and then somehow forgot there was a hockey game going on.
WHAT THE DICKENS, GUYS?!
I need some coffee. I would not object if it's Irish.
Will update/edit this post later on tonight if I'm not passed out
Coming Up From Behind: 'Canes 3, Senators 2
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Sunday, November 05, 2006 at 3:28 PM.
Gold star to whoever can tell me the '90s band that sang the song in the title.
Daniel Alfredsson says it best:
I wasn't lying when I said that the Senators liked to play with my emotions [I know, I am so melodramatic]. After a strong start, the Senators once again, decided to disappear after securing a two goal lead and allowed the Hurricanes to stick it to them. Things were looking good when Daniel Alfredsson opened the scoring early in the first which was a very public "UP YOURS" to his critics, and also gave his team a much needed boost of confidence.
However, after Denis Hamel scored in the second, the Senators decided that the DEFENDING STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS wouldn't want to come back and try to steal this one away. In the third period, the Senators got into bucket-loads of penalty trouble with Chris Phillips showing a rare show of emotion as he disputed a call on him for interference while the Senators were already on the PK, which also earned him an unsportsmanlike penalty.
Once again, the Powerplay is begging for dear life, if it even exists anymore. They had two 5-on-3 chances, neither of which they were able to capitalize on. On the plus side, Martin Gerber looked really solid, stopping 37 shots from his former team.
November was supposed to be a fresh start for the Senators but since it's a weekend, I'm just going to say that the month hasn't officially started for them yet. It's not going to get any easier for them though as they play 15 games this month, the next 4 which are on the road against Washington, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Boston. Luckily, the Senators have been a pretty good road team so far this season and not to say they're going to be easy opponents [Atlanta's looking a bit scary actually], but they should be able to come home with a winning record.
HoYay of the Night
Courtesy once again of the colour commentator on the Team 1200 [I really should learn their names] - Gerber received his Stanley Cup Ring from Canes GM Jim Rutherford this afternoon before the game. The Hurricanes not only had rings made for the players but also their wives and girlfriends. To which the colour guy for the Team pointed out that it was the year 2006 and nobody could know for sure if all of the players had wives or girlfriends. Does he know something about these guys that we don't?
Oh, and because I'm sure many of you ladies were dying to know, Gerber does indeed, sadly, have a girlfriend.
- Rod Brind'Amour assisted on one of the 'Canes goals and earned his 1000th career point tonight.
- Mike Fisher wore the 'A' in place of Wade Redden who's still out with a groin injury. I blame Hasek
- Those filthy Leafs injured Maxim Afinogenov in their win over Buffalo today. I don't mind someone stopping the scary Sabres' Rampage, even if it's the Leafs, but Afinogenov's in my pool, you bastards!
Daniel Alfredsson says it best:
"It seems like we're a team that gets a little shy when we get up in a game," said Alfredsson. "We stopped kind of playing and we let them take the game to us. We've got to be more confident with the puck."
I wasn't lying when I said that the Senators liked to play with my emotions [I know, I am so melodramatic]. After a strong start, the Senators once again, decided to disappear after securing a two goal lead and allowed the Hurricanes to stick it to them. Things were looking good when Daniel Alfredsson opened the scoring early in the first which was a very public "UP YOURS" to his critics, and also gave his team a much needed boost of confidence.
However, after Denis Hamel scored in the second, the Senators decided that the DEFENDING STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS wouldn't want to come back and try to steal this one away. In the third period, the Senators got into bucket-loads of penalty trouble with Chris Phillips showing a rare show of emotion as he disputed a call on him for interference while the Senators were already on the PK, which also earned him an unsportsmanlike penalty.
Once again, the Powerplay is begging for dear life, if it even exists anymore. They had two 5-on-3 chances, neither of which they were able to capitalize on. On the plus side, Martin Gerber looked really solid, stopping 37 shots from his former team.
November was supposed to be a fresh start for the Senators but since it's a weekend, I'm just going to say that the month hasn't officially started for them yet. It's not going to get any easier for them though as they play 15 games this month, the next 4 which are on the road against Washington, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Boston. Luckily, the Senators have been a pretty good road team so far this season and not to say they're going to be easy opponents [Atlanta's looking a bit scary actually], but they should be able to come home with a winning record.
HoYay of the Night
Courtesy once again of the colour commentator on the Team 1200 [I really should learn their names] - Gerber received his Stanley Cup Ring from Canes GM Jim Rutherford this afternoon before the game. The Hurricanes not only had rings made for the players but also their wives and girlfriends. To which the colour guy for the Team pointed out that it was the year 2006 and nobody could know for sure if all of the players had wives or girlfriends. Does he know something about these guys that we don't?
Oh, and because I'm sure many of you ladies were dying to know, Gerber does indeed, sadly, have a girlfriend.
- Rod Brind'Amour assisted on one of the 'Canes goals and earned his 1000th career point tonight.
- Mike Fisher wore the 'A' in place of Wade Redden who's still out with a groin injury. I blame Hasek
- Those filthy Leafs injured Maxim Afinogenov in their win over Buffalo today. I don't mind someone stopping the scary Sabres' Rampage, even if it's the Leafs, but Afinogenov's in my pool, you bastards!
Well, Sucks to your Ass-Mar
4 Comments Published by Sherry on Saturday, November 04, 2006 at 7:32 PM.
The Ottawa Senators' bad luck with people named "Alex" continues as Alexei Kaigorodov refuses to report to Binghamton (AHL):
The Ottawa Senators today suspended centre Alexei Kaigorodov for refusing to accept his assignment to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. Kaigorodov plans to return to Russia.
It's like that whole Malkin drama except...the other way around. And completely different.
So what happens now then? Kaigorodov signed an entry-level contract worth $900,600 this off-season that was supposed to be for two years. He has announced that he plans on returning to Russia, presumably to play for Magnitogorsk again. Does this mean that the Sens will get compensation for his salary? Or will the contract just be cancelled and just have him taken off the payroll?
If you ask me, the expectations on Kaigorodov were far too high to begin with. It's silly to assume that he would break into the big club right away without getting accustomed to NHL hockey. His preseason was very unimpressive, which didn't surprise me considering he was expected to produce right away and was never given a chance to develop any chemistry with his teammates quite yet.
That being said, refusing to report to Binghamton is a poor reflection on him. A stint in the AHL never hurt anybody, just ask Jason Spezza. There was talk in the summer when Metallurg released him from his Russian contract that if he didn't make the Senators right away he would go back to Russia, although both sides have denied that story. It'll be interesting to see whether or not the Senators would still be interested in taking another crack at signing him next time.
In Other News
I'm hoping the headaches with blogger I've been having are fixed now. I reposted my entry about the Mississauga IceDogs from last night and if you get a chance I encourage you to take a read. It is kind of long though...but there are pictures!
- Mick McGeough's unfortunate last name incurs the wrath of Oil Country. It's like playing 'Where's Waldo'...with hand passes. And that Waldo doesn't actually exist. MacT and Bob Hartley are fined for being rude and politically incorrect.
- The Stanley Cup is Bigger than the World Cup. Tip of the Hat to Kuklas Korner for the link.
Don't Blame us Cause our Arena is Better: Meet Your Mississauga IceDogs
2 Comments Published by Sherry on at 2:49 AM.
Given how this is about my 6th time reposting this entry, I'm keeping my fingers crossed Blogger doesn't choose to blow up on me again...
Mississauga Ice Dogs 6, Guelph Storm 5
Alternate Title: The Mississauga IceDogs and Why you Should Care.
Because judging by their attendance at the Hershey Centre today, if you don't care about them, nobody else will.
I always wonder why, even in Canadian cities, junior hockey isn't alot more popular. Sure, the calibre is only a fraction of that you'll find in the NHL, but this is where the stars develop their skills and get a taste of what it's like to play on a semi-professional basis. I don't agree with a 68 game schedule in the Ontario Hockey League because it does affect the players' academically and I'm one of those "School is Cool" kids [even if I do complain about it ad nauseum] but that's a whole other debate James Mirtle has taken up over at his blog so I won't bother.
My point is, the hockey played in junior is far from terrible and it's a good chance to get a first glance at future draft prospects and superstars before they end up being too popular and are forced to do commercials where they show up randomly in strangers' showers. Not to mention that premium seats for these games don't put you back anymore than 20 bucks for single games, which is certainly a nice alternative to selling your organs just to get into the ACC. Also, somewhat creepily, these players seem to be quite popular gossip fodder for puck bunny forums. Are all of these guys even legal yet?
I didn't actually attend the Ice Dogs' game against the Guelph Storm tonight but our local community channel was broadcasting it and because the Senators like to play with my emotions and leave me to stew for four days, it certainly did feed my need for hockey. Despite my tendency to liken my hometown to, say, a hole in the ground, I still do cheer for the Ice Dogs. I remember the year they were introduced they held a contest in the local paper for people to submit a logo design. The winner was something akin to a canine Darth Vader but that logo was retired [smartly] after the team was taken over by new ownership. The Franchise has only been in existence since '97 and doesn't boast as an impressive alumni such as the Peterborough Petes or the Oshawa Generals. However, with Don Cherry has an owner, you would think their attendance would be more impressive. In fact, the year that Cherry was behind the bench for the team, they were the most impressive road team with people attending games just to meet him. I'm not too sure of the details with the ownership, only that Cherry is an owner and that in the summer the team was sold to Eugene Melnyk [yes, the same Melnyk who owns the Senators. Pure coincidence, I swear]
After watching the game tonight I was quite impressed with their play in the first half of the game. They managed to score 5 goals in the first period while managing to be very responsible with their defensive zone coverage. The players weren't afraid to get into the rough stuff and was very agressive with their forechecking. However, much like my beloved Senators, after securing a very cushy lead, they decided to leave things on cruise control and allowed the Storm to come within one. Unlike the Senators however, they actually did manage to squeak out a one-goal win.
Excluding this season, the Ice Dogs' record was 141-328-78, having only made the playoffs three seasons out of the eight they've been in the league. Melnyk has made no bones since he bought the team, about the fact that he would probably end up selling the team. He wants to move his current junior team, The St. Michael's Majors to the Ice Dogs' arena, The Hershey Centre because the Majors play in somewhat of a craphole. Currently, the Ice Dogs are 10-4-1 and are 2nd in the Central Division behind the Barrie Colts. I doubt the players care much about being transplanted to another city since none of them are from Mississauga anyways, but I'm sure they're making a strong case for themselves and the fans since it's the Majors that'll be taking over the Hershey Centre. To put it into perspective, it's like the Toronto versus Ottawa rivalry except everyone is um, younger and have worse haircuts. Seriously, some of these players need to revisit their bleaching choices.
I've actually been to the Hershey centre, it was built in '98 and is actually quite a nice arena. I would say that it's probably good enough for an AHL team...better than Copps Coliseum at least although that may not be setting the bar very high.
Another reason why you should care about the Ice Dogs? Robbie Schremp, the saviour-in-training of the Oilers was their first overall draft pick in 2002 and won Rookie of the Year with the team. Also, they have a goalie on their team called Loverock. Looking at some of these players' birthdays makes me feel old. 1990? I remember 1990!
Other Notable Ice Dogs Alumni:
- Sean McMorrow: Rochester Americans, 258th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
- Kyle Quincey: Grand Rapids Griffins, 132nd overall by the Red Wings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
- Chad Wiseman: Washington Capitals, 246th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
- Igor Radulov: Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 74th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Better known as brother of Alexander.
- Patrick O'Sullivan: Los Angeles Kings, 56th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
- Jason Spezza: Oh come on, do I really have to?
- Brian McGrattan: Ottawa Senators, 104th Overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
McGrattan played for six teams in 5 years in the OHL, but here's proof of his Ice Dogs days:
See? Terrible bleaching jobs.
Hodge-Podgery and Other Tomfoolery
- Because everybody else is doing it, if you guys have a blog you'd like to add feel free to drop me an e-mail at any time. I usually do rolling blog updates whenever I'm feeling unlazy. Or if you just feel like e-mailing for whatever reason. Except for spam or viruses. Yeah those you can keep to yourself
- For the most part I cannot stand children with their loudness and sticky hands. However, during intermissions the Ice Dogs lets the local pee-wee and midget kids play on the ice and take shots against Blue, their mascot. It it absolutely...adorable.
- FOUR DAYS? Who thought up this genius schedule?
- Check out HLOG as usual. It's growing and I feel all fuzzy inside.
- I've been playing with the idea of applying for an intership with the Hamilton Bulldogs for either marketing or Media Relations to help me with a possible hockey-related career in the future. However, I worry about the time committment as I am still at school full-time. Plus, I would probably need to stop making fun of their arena post-haste.
- I've been thinking of going to the University of Alberta for post-grad to get an MBA in Leisure and Sports Management. Anybody in Edmonton or U of A want to give me some ideas or advice? Asides from "If you know what's good for you, don't get an MBA". I tell myself that everyday yet, somehow, here we are.
Mississauga Ice Dogs 6, Guelph Storm 5
Alternate Title: The Mississauga IceDogs and Why you Should Care.
Because judging by their attendance at the Hershey Centre today, if you don't care about them, nobody else will.
I always wonder why, even in Canadian cities, junior hockey isn't alot more popular. Sure, the calibre is only a fraction of that you'll find in the NHL, but this is where the stars develop their skills and get a taste of what it's like to play on a semi-professional basis. I don't agree with a 68 game schedule in the Ontario Hockey League because it does affect the players' academically and I'm one of those "School is Cool" kids [even if I do complain about it ad nauseum] but that's a whole other debate James Mirtle has taken up over at his blog so I won't bother.
My point is, the hockey played in junior is far from terrible and it's a good chance to get a first glance at future draft prospects and superstars before they end up being too popular and are forced to do commercials where they show up randomly in strangers' showers. Not to mention that premium seats for these games don't put you back anymore than 20 bucks for single games, which is certainly a nice alternative to selling your organs just to get into the ACC. Also, somewhat creepily, these players seem to be quite popular gossip fodder for puck bunny forums. Are all of these guys even legal yet?I didn't actually attend the Ice Dogs' game against the Guelph Storm tonight but our local community channel was broadcasting it and because the Senators like to play with my emotions and leave me to stew for four days, it certainly did feed my need for hockey. Despite my tendency to liken my hometown to, say, a hole in the ground, I still do cheer for the Ice Dogs. I remember the year they were introduced they held a contest in the local paper for people to submit a logo design. The winner was something akin to a canine Darth Vader but that logo was retired [smartly] after the team was taken over by new ownership. The Franchise has only been in existence since '97 and doesn't boast as an impressive alumni such as the Peterborough Petes or the Oshawa Generals. However, with Don Cherry has an owner, you would think their attendance would be more impressive. In fact, the year that Cherry was behind the bench for the team, they were the most impressive road team with people attending games just to meet him. I'm not too sure of the details with the ownership, only that Cherry is an owner and that in the summer the team was sold to Eugene Melnyk [yes, the same Melnyk who owns the Senators. Pure coincidence, I swear]
After watching the game tonight I was quite impressed with their play in the first half of the game. They managed to score 5 goals in the first period while managing to be very responsible with their defensive zone coverage. The players weren't afraid to get into the rough stuff and was very agressive with their forechecking. However, much like my beloved Senators, after securing a very cushy lead, they decided to leave things on cruise control and allowed the Storm to come within one. Unlike the Senators however, they actually did manage to squeak out a one-goal win.
Excluding this season, the Ice Dogs' record was 141-328-78, having only made the playoffs three seasons out of the eight they've been in the league. Melnyk has made no bones since he bought the team, about the fact that he would probably end up selling the team. He wants to move his current junior team, The St. Michael's Majors to the Ice Dogs' arena, The Hershey Centre because the Majors play in somewhat of a craphole. Currently, the Ice Dogs are 10-4-1 and are 2nd in the Central Division behind the Barrie Colts. I doubt the players care much about being transplanted to another city since none of them are from Mississauga anyways, but I'm sure they're making a strong case for themselves and the fans since it's the Majors that'll be taking over the Hershey Centre. To put it into perspective, it's like the Toronto versus Ottawa rivalry except everyone is um, younger and have worse haircuts. Seriously, some of these players need to revisit their bleaching choices.I've actually been to the Hershey centre, it was built in '98 and is actually quite a nice arena. I would say that it's probably good enough for an AHL team...better than Copps Coliseum at least although that may not be setting the bar very high.
Another reason why you should care about the Ice Dogs? Robbie Schremp, the saviour-in-training of the Oilers was their first overall draft pick in 2002 and won Rookie of the Year with the team. Also, they have a goalie on their team called Loverock. Looking at some of these players' birthdays makes me feel old. 1990? I remember 1990!
Other Notable Ice Dogs Alumni:
- Sean McMorrow: Rochester Americans, 258th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
- Kyle Quincey: Grand Rapids Griffins, 132nd overall by the Red Wings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
- Chad Wiseman: Washington Capitals, 246th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
- Igor Radulov: Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 74th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Better known as brother of Alexander.
- Patrick O'Sullivan: Los Angeles Kings, 56th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
- Jason Spezza: Oh come on, do I really have to?
- Brian McGrattan: Ottawa Senators, 104th Overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
McGrattan played for six teams in 5 years in the OHL, but here's proof of his Ice Dogs days:
See? Terrible bleaching jobs.
Hodge-Podgery and Other Tomfoolery
- Because everybody else is doing it, if you guys have a blog you'd like to add feel free to drop me an e-mail at any time. I usually do rolling blog updates whenever I'm feeling unlazy. Or if you just feel like e-mailing for whatever reason. Except for spam or viruses. Yeah those you can keep to yourself
- For the most part I cannot stand children with their loudness and sticky hands. However, during intermissions the Ice Dogs lets the local pee-wee and midget kids play on the ice and take shots against Blue, their mascot. It it absolutely...adorable.
- FOUR DAYS? Who thought up this genius schedule?
- Check out HLOG as usual. It's growing and I feel all fuzzy inside.
- I've been playing with the idea of applying for an intership with the Hamilton Bulldogs for either marketing or Media Relations to help me with a possible hockey-related career in the future. However, I worry about the time committment as I am still at school full-time. Plus, I would probably need to stop making fun of their arena post-haste.
- I've been thinking of going to the University of Alberta for post-grad to get an MBA in Leisure and Sports Management. Anybody in Edmonton or U of A want to give me some ideas or advice? Asides from "If you know what's good for you, don't get an MBA". I tell myself that everyday yet, somehow, here we are.
Some awesome things to pass your time.
- I stopped watching Prison Break after it went on its hiatus awhile back. Not even Wentworth Miller's hotness could keep me interested. They're out of prison now, what's the point?--Anyways, Gustafsson from On Frozen Blog was very attentive and noticed some NHL shoutouts. Maybe I will start watching again.
- NHL and Google Video partner up to provide you with full-length downloadable games of your favourite teams. Maybe the guys in the NHL Marketing Team aren't all chumps after all.
- Stuff You Didn't Know: About Darcy Tucker and Daniel Briere. I'd say Briere looking 16 is generous. I was thinking more along the lines of 13. And he hates going up against Zdeno Chara. I wonder why?
- LA Scouts were Checkin' Out Alfie yesterday. The rumours I've been hearing are Alfie and Volchenkov for Alexander Frolov and some draft picks...which seems kind of uneven to me. If yesterday was the game the scouts were deciding on, they probably don't want him anymore. Remember when you used to do stuff like this, Alfie? Weren't those good times? Although those meaningful looks into the camera would use some work.
I think it's too early to start panicking on our beloved Captain. Hearing about this just gives me visions of Joe Thornton. How's he doing in San Jose by the way?
It's not the first time trade rumours about him have been bandied about and for sentimental reasons, I really hope they aren't true. Yeah, Alfie has had a slow start but I don't think he's incapable of bouncing back. It's possible that years of not meeting expectations have been getting to him, but heck, I don't know what's going on inside of his head. I say to hold off for awhile and see. With Martin Havlat and Smolinski gone, losing Alfie would put the Sens in more of a predicament about where secondary scoring would come from. I try not to give rumours and hearsay any credence so I'll hold off on any bitter and actually useful analysis until something actually happens.
- What does Dolly Parton and Senators mascot Spartacat have in common? A Large Set of Teeth. John Muckler is also incapable of looking surprised convincingly.
Addendum at 4:00 p.m. ET: Muckler was just on a radio station and shot down any Alfie-related trade rumours. Don't know if this also clears Volchenkov though.
To: Mucks and Murray,
It has come to my attention that you guys decided to leave your team back in Ottawa for your game against the Canadiens today. Listen, I know you guys are getting up there in age and really want to look cool in front of these young, hip and mostly good-looking guys, but telling them they can have the night off to party with girls who use this day as an excuse to dress slutty when they have a game to play is just unacceptable. The games finish at 10, they could have gone out afterwards.
Anyways, normally a stunt like this would result in something severe like a fine or a time-out in the corner, but Colin and I are a little bit too busy ignoring Ilya Kovalchuck's stick infractions to think of a punishment for you guys, so I'll just let this one slide this one time.
Anyways, have fun with what's left of Halloween. Colin and I are going to go TP Dave Nonis' house now.
Love always,
The Comish.
I'm not drunk enough to talk about this game.
Halloween night you:
a) Go on a wild, drunken Halloween bar-hop like normal college kids.
b) Stay at home and listen to your team get their butts handed to them in a game they should have won.
The answer is a)! It should always be a)!
All of the goals came on brutal giveaways and mistakes the Sens should not be making at this point. Daniel Alfresson continues to struggle while it seemed like the rest of the team's timing was way off. They were overskating, overstepping, and waiting too long on just about everything. These guys need to remember that they're being paid to play hockey, not to put on a cute, flashy show like the ice capades. I think the writing was more or less on the wall in the first period when they managed to get two penalties within a span of 3 minutes. It was more or less downhill from there. The Senators' powerplay continues to struggle for dear life as they failed to capitalize on a lengthy 5-on-3. David Aebischer was getting the pointy end of my wrath tonight but he was stellar in net as well and is certainly giving Huet a run for the number one position.
Ray Emery was amazing, keeping his team in it. Frankly, the score could have been much worse were it not for him. My housemate Gesiena and I blasted his song during commercials in hopes of turning things around. It didn't work but I did manage to get most of the lyrics down. It'll be up soon. We also blasted "Mr. Brightside" in hopes that it'll help Dany Heatley get another hat trick. I think Mr. Brightside died.
Wade Redden, please fix your groin. I'm sorry if I was too hasty with the break-up...but I am sort of dying in my pool right now. Had I known that it was due to such a sensitive injury I would have been more patient. We'll talk about it after you get back.
There's a pile of leftover Halloween candy with my name on it. G suggested a Weird Al video fest to lighten the mood. I think I might oblige.
