Official NHL Thread

[daigong]

^ hehe that was the 500ths post!

PETER SYKORA TO SIGN WITH THE OILERS ??

Now working out, if he passes the physical. 1 year. 3 milion.

[daigong]

Right price, right time
Deal done with big Czech
By ROBIN BROWNLEE -- Edmonton Sun
   
A player with the offensive skills of Petr Sykora is hard to pass up when the time and price is right.

So, when the Edmonton Oilers saw an opportunity to add the talented Czech forward to their lineup in the wake of a player exodus out of town that included unhappy Chris Pronger and free agents Jaroslav Spacek and Sergei Samsonov this summer, they pursued it.

After weeks of negotiations with agent Ritch Winter, the Oilers got their man yesterday, putting pen to paper on a one-year contract with the 29-year-old Sykora that'll pay him $2.9 million next season.

In Sykora, the Oilers have added more scoring punch to a group of forwards that already boasts plenty of it in Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll, Joffrey Lupul, Raffi Torres and Fernando Pisani.

Just as important, perhaps more so, is the fact Sykora is a power-play specialist in an era of special teams. That will help soften the blow that came when Pronger bolted town for Anaheim after demanding a trade.

Right time. Right price. Enter Sykora.

"I was very happy when I got the offer to play for this team,'' said Sykora, who was introduced to media in the Oilers dressing room yesterday. "I always wanted to play in Canada.''

With the addition of Sykora, who underwent and passed a battery of physical tests at the University of Alberta yesterday morning before the ink on the deal was completed, the Oilers are getting a player who has seven seasons of 20-or-more goals on his resume before his 30th birthday.

EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES

Sykora, who played with Lupul in Anaheim at the start of last season, gives the Oilers an embarrassment of riches on the right side, joining Hemsky, coming off a career year with 77 points, Lupul, who scored 28 goals, and Pisani, who led playoff goal-scorers last spring with 14.

"This team had a lot of success last season. It was a pleasure for me to watch them.'' said Sykora. "Hopefully, I can help them make the extra step.''

The bonus with Sykora is he can play all forward positions. With Hemsky and Lupul emerging as top-tier players and Pisani worthy of better than third-line playing time, the addition of Sykora won't be a problem.

"When I check the roster, it doesn't matter who I play with here or which position,'' said Sykora, who has spent lots of time at centre. "I can play in any position. I can get used to any player. I think I've proved that over the years. I've played the last few years on the right side, so I would probably prefer to play there, but it doesn't really matter.''

If anything, Sykora will provide coach Craig MacTavish with some flexibility in putting together three lines that, from here, look potentially as potent as any group of nine forwards I can think of.

"Petr's a versatile forward who can play any of the three forward positions and he will likely be asked to do so,'' said assistant GM Scott Howson.

"He brings offence to our team ... just as important, he's a proven playoff performer and a Stanley Cup winner. He's been to the final three times. For us, it's an exciting and significant addition to our hockey team.''

POWER PLAY SPECIALIST

As for the power play, Petr Nedved proved before the lockout how effective a creative forward working the half-boards or point can be. With 22 of his 51 points coming on the power play last season, Sykora will be a factor.

Given the circumstances under which Pronger and Nedved left town, it should be mentioned that Sykora is married. That, like Sykora's prowess working the point on the power play, came up yesterday.

"I like the city,'' said Sykora, asked what he knows about life and long winters in this NHL outpost. "When I was 15, 16, 17, I lived here in the summer with a family. I really like the city.

"I don't know who would not like to play here. This is a great organization with an unbelievable history. It's something special and I'm very excited about it.''

And Renata, his bride of one year?

"She has never been to Edmonton,'' smiled Sykora. "She will like Edmonton. She goes wherever I go. She is very supportive.''

Right time. Right price.

...end of quote. here's a story of Edmonton Oilers part owner Todd McFarlane
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=igoe/060809



see him talk about creating the 3rd Jersey

[daigong]

LMAO. They found Evgeni Malkin in So Cal after he disappeared from camp in Finland.

Heard rumors of Simon Gagne for Markus Naslund, that sould be crazy ... if Forsberg stays healthy.

[Mugen]

Meh. Who needs Naslund? I heard he wants to go back to Swedish League after this season. Gagne is  young and deadly

[kuno_thunder]

Gagne for Naslund?  Damn, that would be massive.  Would Simon have the leadership ability or would the Canucks give the big C to another jersey?

And about Malkin - Super Mario is gonna whip that punk bitch into shape.  He and Crosby are gonna the next hot tag team to take a shit team back to the top.

[daigong]

Guess those big deals never really happened....but HEY!! TRAINING CAMP IS HERE!! SOON! Join the Fantasy Hockey League!

JPHiPHL
League ID#:    25461
Password:   rika
http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hockey/

How's this for Live Draft date:
Draft Time:    Tue Oct 3 10:00am EDT
Max Teams:    20

Let's get as many teams possible!! Last year it was 5 and I think I whooped everyone's ass! Masa and ctz! Kuno_Thunder and suki

This is an interesting article:

Memories of Gretzky trade still bothers Jari Kurri
By JOE WARMINGTON



HELSINKI -- It was an August phone call he just didn't see coming.

It's interesting how one ring of a phone can change the direction of your life.

"I was shocked," former NHL star Jari Kurri said this week, reflecting on the 18th anniversary of The Trade.

It was Aug. 9, 1988, and Kurri, now 45, was running a hockey school near here in the Finnish capital. All was right with his world. He'd just won his fourth Stanley Cup, come off a season in which he scored 57 regular season and playoff goals and could see immortality for his Edmonton Oilers.

Then suddenly Wayne Gretzky was on his way to Los Angeles. "I didn't believe it," he said with tears in his eyes. "I told my agent it couldn't be right."

It's still emotional for the Finnish Flash, who has always wondered what could have been? "Who knows how many cups we could have won?" he said. "We were all in our 20s and our best hockey was ahead of us."

In true Finnish style, Kurri, now GM of the Finnish national team, which won silver at this year's Olympics, dropped by to see me at my hotel. He wanted to make sure I was enjoying my visit -- which I will write about in future Sunday Sun travel sections. I also have a neat scoop about a little Finnish-Toronto history for you tomorrow.

How can you not have a good time here? I mean I have never seen such scenery. "The architecture was nice?" asked a friend. Sure. But I was talking about the blondes. Anu, Leena, Ava, Nora, Orna, Tiina, Miina, Aurelia, Johanna are just some of the beauties I met.

And let's not forget Elisa, an example of what a garbageman (garbage woman for the political correctness police) looks like here. Not many sanitation workers look like that in The Smoke, or anywhere for that matter.

I tease Jari that I now know why he came home after his NHL career. After hockey, babe-watching has got to be Finland's national sport.

"It has been a good summer," laughed Kurri of the warm weather, which allows Nordic women a chance to go without winter coats for a while.

He knows about beautiful Finnish women. The Finnish national treasure married a former Miss Finland.

But back to The Trade. "It changed things," said Kurri.

When Gretzky went to the Kings it was the end of an era and a start of a new one.

"Suddenly the players and owners starting thinking about money," he said. "The trade did open up things for players, which was good, but it also made it about money. As players, we never talked about money."

For a few years, at least, he lost out hanging out with Gretzky, one of his best friends and the godfather to his children. "It wasn't hard to play with him," laughed Kurri. "You just got to the open ice."

It seemed to work for both. Gretzky is the league's all-time leader in scoring and Kurri is 18th with 707 regular season and playoff goals and 1,631 points.

"I was lucky to be drafted by Edmonton," he said.

In other words, he's saying he was lucky to play with Gretzky. But Kurri was a heck of a player without No. 99's help. In fact, the legendary right-winger helped lead Edmonton to its fifth Stanley Cup in 1990, without Wayne.

"He was so far ahead of everybody on the ice," Kurri laughed, adding it was the Great One's off-ice conduct that impressed him the most.

"He'd always have 100 people around him and yet he always managed to have time for everybody," he said. "We would leave the dressing room, wave and say 'bye Wayne' and nobody would bother us. He put a lot of energy into that stuff and yet he came to play every game at a top level, which is difficult."

But all of that is in the past now. "It was a long time ago," Kurri said, adding he never forgets those good times and often thinks of Canada. Fondly.

"A lot of people were surprised I did come home," he told me. "But it was always the plan."

Yeah, I've seen the women here -- even though he always loved Edmonton, where he played for 10 of his 18 years. "Edmonton was perfect. It was the same size as Helsinki and I loved it there."

He often wonders what might have happed had he not received that call on Aug. 9, 1988. Maybe he'd still be there.

Yeah, sure! And miss out on being married to Miss Finland!

Source: http://torontosun.com/News/World/2006/08/28/1781023-sun.html

[Mugen]

Mike Keenan hits the can. Canucks should hire him as GM and fire Noner.

[kuno_thunder]

I thought he resigned from Gm of Florida, not got fired.  Wouldn't that suggest that he's not interested in doing it at all?  And man, I seriously can't wait for the new season to start.

[Mugen]

at first the news said he got fired. then they said he walked away

[daigong]

FINALLY training camps are open!! Who's your picks for the Stanley Cup?

I wanna see the Oilers' Mikhanov and Malkin go at it.

[kuno_thunder]

As usual I'm gonna predict a run for the President's Cup by the Sens only for them to collapse in the playoffs.  Then after an average season, the Maple Leafs will make it to the conference finals behind the leadership of Sundin and now Peca, as their style will go from a gritty style to more of a finesse based style.  The surprise Canadian team to excel this year?  Gotta be Toronto, as much as I hate to say it.  Oilers will be out by the 2nd playoff round, Flames will be out in the 1st.  Canucks will miss the playoffs entirely by a whisker, and Montreal will be laden with injuries.  Sidney Crosby will have an average season, but will stay healthy all year long.  He and Malkin will make some insanely beautiful plays together, if Malkin decides to grow up a bit.  Alex Ovechkin just might get the Art Ross.

Just my guesses, I'm full of em.

[ctz]

Too early for me to predict the Stanley cup winner. My love for Tampa Bay has slowly withered away, so I don't really have a favorite team anymore.

[taiyou]

Man it's been ages since I posted at this forum...Been reallly busy the last month, and I'm back for a short time before the NHL Season start

So there's JPHIP NHL Fantasy league eh? Gonna join u guys then. See u in the league Daigong, Kuno!!

[daigong]

Good stuff taiyou! Masa's talking shit about a Sporting News Fantasy League too so hurry back!

Hope Lupul signs by today. Oiler Rookies vs the local university team!! FINALLY!!! It's not the real thing but I wanna hear Rod Phillips do his play by play again

And how about Rick DiPietro getting that 15 YEAR 62 MILLION DOLLAR contact WTF! That's what you get for hiring ur backup goalie as a GM ROFL!

[Masa]

Islanders sign DiPietro to long-term deal

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -Rick DiPietro re-signed with the New York Islanders on Tuesday, agreeing to a record 15-year deal that will pay the No. 1 goalie $67.5 million.

The Islanders scheduled an afternoon news conference to officially announce the contract that would keep DiPietro in the fold until 2022, when he would be 40.

"We've been working at it all summer," DiPietro's agent Paul Krepelka told The Associated Press.

The deal, first reported by Newsday, is the longest in NHL history, topping the 10-year, $87.5 million contract the Islanders gave enigmatic center Alexei Yashin in 2001.

That was one of the contracts that sent NHL salaries soaring and led to the salary cap in the collective bargaining agreement that ended the lockout last year. It also saddled New York with a player who is nearly impossible to move and who takes up a big chunk of the team's $44 million maximum payroll.

DiPietro's deal is believed to be second only in length in North American sports to the 25-year pact Magic Johnson signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981.

"Clubs are free to make their own decisions within the confines laid out in the collective bargaining agreement and other applicable league rules," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. "Some decisions turn out well, others not so well.

"Time will tell whether this will be a good decision or a bad one for the Islanders."

The contract is guaranteed and DiPietro will be paid in full should he retire because of injury. If he ends his career otherwise before the deal expires, he would forfeit the remaining dollars, Krepelka said.

Islanders owner Charles Wang and new general manager Garth Snow, DiPietro's backup last season, were both involved in the negotiations. Deals from one year to five to 12 were discussed.

Once the Islanders set forth the type of cap structure they wanted for DiPietro, the staggering 15-year-deal DiPietro's side offered was agreed to.

DiPietro was a restricted free agent this summer and couldn't be unrestricted for another two years. The deal will pay him $4.5 million per season, placing him eighth among goalies.

The top pick in the 2000 draft was 30-24-5 with a 3.02 goals-against average in 63 games last season with the Islanders, who missed the playoffs after three straight appearances. In four NHL seasons, DiPietro is 58-62-13 with a 2.85 GAA in 143 games.

It is the second big contract handed out to a goalie in two days as Nashville re-signed Tomas Vokoun to a four-year extension on Monday that will pay him $22.8 million.

Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin will be the league's highest-paid goalie this season at $6.75 million.

DiPietro and Wang talked about a 15-year deal last summer after the NHL lockout when DiPietro expressed that he wanted to spend his entire career on Long Island.

But hurdles regarding insurance over the course of the contract killed those plans, and DiPietro agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.

Those were worked out this time around.

"Rick's made no secret for a long time that he wanted to be an Islander his whole career," Krepelka said.

Both sides were pressed to come to a new agreement quickly as the Islanders open training camp at the end of the week in Nova Scotia. Wang has a policy that players who aren't signed in time for camp won't play during the season.

"That was a concern," Krepelka said. "The timing did factor into the equation from both sides. Things picked up the last week and a half."

DiPietro, exactly a week away from his 25th birthday, became the first goalie ever chosen with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft five years ago, after spending just one year at Boston University.

Wang's direct involvement in these negotiations fell into line with the owner's new front office by committee.

It was this type of management structure that led to the firing of Neil Smith, who was let go just weeks after he took the job in the offseason and months before the Islanders were to play a game under him.

Smith balked at the delegation of authority and the system initiated by Wang, and was replaced by Snow - who retired from his playing career with the Islanders - on July 18.

http://www.nhl.com/news/2006/09/281882.html

Crackheads shouldn't be allowed to run NHL teams

[daigong]

Crackheads shouldn't run hockey teams, they should run jpop forums

[JFC]

Finally remembered to pick up the tickets I bought for the Oilers/Coyotes exhibition game this coming Sunday (Sept. 17th/06).  Today's newspaper reported that the near sellout (only 600 tix left, and they're still going pretty well) that's expected for the game is proof that Peg Sheety has interest and is able to sustain a healthy NHL franchise.  To THAT assertion I had but only ONE possible reaction.

*Click here to see my reaction*

Of COURSE this should be interpreted that an NHL franchise can survive in our weak-ass economy. The fact that the greatest hockey player of all time is coming has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do it the sellout. [/sarcasm]

People here really need a cold dose of reality and see that desire is not enough to get an NHL franchise. What you need is money, and Winnipeggers, regardless of how big hockey fans they are, will never be willing to pay the going rates for NHL tickets over the long term. A year or two? Yah, maybe. But unless the team wins the Cup and becomces the ultimate dominant force in the NHL, it just ain't gonna happen. Unfortunately, that's the stone cold truth and the cold, cruel harshness of reality.

[daigong]

Even if Winnipeg gets a franchise, it needs a winner. The market is right but patience is needed. Years and years we heard from Oilers brass "We just don't have enough money" and 10 years of medicocity has things looking up.

Training camp is lookng great! Everyone's signed. Who's going on Sunday? I wonder if Georges Laraque and Co. will sport the Jets jerseys?

Keith Primeau Dude was a hella power forward. Forsberg takes over as Captain. The team that shocked me the most is the NYR themed St. Louis Blues. Checketts and Davidson running shop. Doug Weight and Bill Guerin together again, along with RADEK FREAKIN DVORAK!

NHL Pre-season games can't come soon enough.

[JFC]

Even if Winnipeg gets a franchise, it needs a winner. The market is right but patience is needed. Years and years we heard from Oilers brass "We just don't have enough money" and 10 years of medicocity has things looking up.

Exactly, unfortunately, Peggers won't be that patient. Like I said before, they'd be willing to put up with a year or two at the most, then they'll just stop buying tickets.  If the team isn't an IMMEDIATE winner, it ain't gonna work.

Who's going on Sunday? I wonder if Georges Laraque and Co. will sport the Jets jerseys?

I'm hoping they do, but somehow I doubt they will.

[kuno_thunder]

I think they'd get mixed reactions if they wore the Jets jerseys, to be honest.  It'd be cool, but I'm certainly not counting on it.