ConcreteBoard

Quote from: henchmanUK on October 14, 2004, 10:01:54 AM
See, I like hockey and if there's no NHL I'm gonna have to watch the British stuff. And my local team is called the taterskinS! :puke

Quote from: henchmanUK on October 14, 2004, 10:01:54 AM
See, I like hockey and if there's no NHL I'm gonna have to watch the British stuff. And my local team is called the taterskinS! :puke

Quote from: since75 on October 18, 2004, 06:47:44 PM

Quote from: henchmanUK on October 14, 2004, 10:01:54 AM
See, I like hockey and if there's no NHL I'm gonna have to watch the British stuff. And my local team is called the taterskinS! :puke

Just out of curiosity...why would people in England...name their team the taterskins?

Quote
On the NHL | Esche slams NHL chief
By Tim Panaccio
Inquirer Staff Writer

On a day when the NHL player representatives and their alternates met in Toronto to discuss issues, Flyers representative Robert Esche called NHL commissioner Gary Bettman "a madman."

Esche made his comments after the reps' meeting.

"We're talking to a madman," Esche told Toronto television station Sportsnet. "A guy who has no rhyme or reason. Personally, I don't even think he is a fan of the game.

"I think there are a lot of great owners out there, but there is a madman leading them down the wrong path. And unfortunately, we have no control over what is going on right now."

Bob Goodenow, the NHL Players Association's executive director, tried to soften Esche's comments.

"I think characterizations sometimes, by a lot of people, can be a little overstated," he said.

Esche was not available for further comment last night.

The lockout enters its 48th day this morning. Yesterday's meeting was a chance for Goodenow to update the union leaders on their positions.

Nothing has changed on the union's part.

"We talked about the collective-bargaining process; we had an update," Goodenow said. "It had been some time since we got together with the reps. It was time well spent. All the issues were discussed."

Goodenow said he had no plans to contact Bettman and to try to reopen talks, which broke down in September. He also stressed that the union would not amend any of its proposals, the primary focus being a luxury tax.

"There will be no proposal as a result of today's meeting," he said. "We have already made significant proposals and concessions."

Bill Daly, the league's chief legal officer, expressed disappointment. He said he didn't hold high expectations that something new would come from the union meeting, anyway.

"I can't say it surprises me greatly or mildly," Daly said. "I'm disappointed it wasn't something different. We all wish we could make some progress here."

Goodenow said he would welcome Bettman calling him and reopening talks, but as long as the league is insisting on a salary cap as a starter issue, it was pointless to get together.

So why not begin a dialogue on other issues aside from the cap?

"The rationale and thought process is all of those issues flow out of the bigger issue," Goodenow said. "There are issues that are self-contained like a pension issue... . But right now the focus is strictly set where Gary wants it - as a salary cap."

Daly agreed with Goodenow, saying that until there was an economic system in place that both sides agree on, it's impossible to talk about ancillary issues that feed off that system.

Recently, several NHL players have begun to carp. Some say they would accept a salary cap. Others aren't happy that there haven't been any negotiations. Some, such as Ottawa's Rob Ray, say they will line up as replacement players if the league cancels the season, then opens its doors next season by implementing its own contract.

Among the more outspoken players was Montreal's Pierre Dagenais, who originally questioned why the union was so resistant to a salary cap. He also accused the union of pandering to players at the top end of the salary scale at the expense of those at the bottom. Dagenais emerged from the meeting telling reporters he was mistaken in his views and now supports the union.

"Everyone respects Pierre for taking the time to come here and to educate himself and certainly I think he leaves here with a better understanding of what we're doing," Vancouver's Trevor Linden, president of the players' executive committee, told the Canadian Press.

Goodenow insisted that, contrary to media reports, there were no cracks among his 700-plus union members. Between 60 to 85 reps attended the meeting. "There is absolutely no crack or divisiveness," Goodenow said. "We have 700 members and 700 members will have different opinions and might not agree on something. I can tell you unequivocally, the players in that room today understand the position of the players association and the proposals we have made. It is not a problem for us if a player speaks out and says what they think."

Earlier in the week, Bettman told TSN in Canada that the season was in danger of being canceled altogether.

"I'm hopeful there will be [a season] but I have to tell you there's a real chance there won't be," Goodenow said when asked about Bettman's warning.

Goodenow said if the season was canceled, then the "process" would move to the summer or next fall as the next chance for any negotiations.

"If Gary makes history and cancels the season, we'll deal with it," Goodenow said.

Goodenow admitted having concerns about fan apathy toward the NHL not playing, especially in the United States, where hockey is a distant cousin to the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball.

"We're not pleased there's a lockout," he said, then added that it was Bettman's decision to pursue such a strategy, not the union's.

Both the league and union oppose mediation. Goodenow reiterated that position hasn't changed, as both parties believe they are best equipped to draw a resolution without a third party entering the fray.

Goodenow again characterized any attempt by Bettman to unilaterally implement a contract next season by canceling this season as "catastrophic."

The union plans to meet next with player agents on Nov. 17 in Chicago.

QuoteA tough break for Fedoruk

Compiled By The Inquirer Staff

When Todd Fedoruk wavered on signing a deal with the Phantoms, it might have been an omen. The tough winger finally signed with the Phantoms, the Flyers' minor-league affiliate, on Wednesday.

That night, he was hit in the face with a puck while sitting on the bench during the Phantoms' 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks at the Wachovia Spectrum.

After undergoing reconstructive facial surgery yesterday, he will miss at least a month.

Fedoruk's AHL statistics: three shifts, one fight, five penalty minutes, one broken orbital bone, one facial reconstruction.

"We would guess that he'll be out for a month, but the fact that he is out at all is a real setback for him," Phantoms coach John Stevens said after practice yesterday.

Even though Fedoruk had just signed on Wednesday, he had been skating with the team for a few weeks, Stevens said.

"He was certainly physically ready to play," Stevens said. "He was pushing himself to get back into game shape. Unfortunately that injury puts him out."

Quote from: PhillyGirl on November 05, 2004, 07:17:52 AM

QuoteA tough break for Fedoruk

Compiled By The Inquirer Staff

When Todd Fedoruk wavered on signing a deal with the Phantoms, it might have been an omen. The tough winger finally signed with the Phantoms, the Flyers' minor-league affiliate, on Wednesday.

That night, he was hit in the face with a puck while sitting on the bench during the Phantoms' 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks at the Wachovia Spectrum.

After undergoing reconstructive facial surgery yesterday, he will miss at least a month.

Fedoruk's AHL statistics: three shifts, one fight, five penalty minutes, one broken orbital bone, one facial reconstruction.

"We would guess that he'll be out for a month, but the fact that he is out at all is a real setback for him," Phantoms coach John Stevens said after practice yesterday.

Even though Fedoruk had just signed on Wednesday, he had been skating with the team for a few weeks, Stevens said.

"He was certainly physically ready to play," Stevens said. "He was pushing himself to get back into game shape. Unfortunately that injury puts him out."

Geez...like Fridge really needed another facial injury! :o

QuoteClarke asks Esche to apologize
By ED MORAN
morane@phillynews.com

Bob Clarke didn't have a problem with his goalie speaking his mind and sticking up for his union brethren when he publicly ripped NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

But he felt that Robert Esche crossed the line and "got personal," when he called Bettman a "madman," and yesterday said he asked Esche to call Bettman and apologize.

"I just said to [Esche] that it was appropriate for him to support his friends and fellow players but inappropriate to get personal," the Flyers general manager said last night. "He agreed and called up and apologized."

Esche could not be reached last night. He made the comments about Bettman to a Toronto television reporter after attending a meeting for player representatives with the NHLPA leadership Tuesday.

"We realize we are talking with a madman," Esche said when asked after the union meeting, "you know, a guy who has no rhyme or reason. I personally don't even think he is even a fan of the game, so that's just my belief."

Clarke said he believed that Esche was frustrated after attending the meeting, during which it was clear that no progress was being made in the NHL lockout.

"I think they got him after the meeting and he was all fired up and that was all," Clarke said.

Roenick update

Jeremy Roenick was in and out of town yesterday after a barrage of tests by the Flyers' medical staff to determine if he is still suffering the effects of the two concussions he sustained last season.

"It was a long day," Roenick said while waiting to board a flight back to Phoenix. "They did the same things that I went though in Montreal."

By that, he was referring to independent tests he underwent last month with concussion specialist Dr. Karen Johnston.

The Flyers asked Roenick to come back to Philadelphia after receiving Johnston's report. At question is Roenick's $7.5 million salary and if he is entitled to the it if it is determined that he would not have been able to start the season if it had begun.

Roenick said no results were discussed and that nothing will likely be released "for a while. Absolutely nothing has been talked out at all. They're just putting together all the information. [Yesterday] was my day to do in Philadelphia what I did in Montreal."

Labor update

NHL executive vice president Bill Daly yesterday stuck to the league's stance that there is no deadline that will signal the end of this season should the lockout go unresolved but conceded that such a point does exist.

"I think there is a practical cutoff point that if we go beyond, there won't a season," Daly said. "But we won't be establishing that. It's just not going to be good for these negotiations. It's the deal that's going to be important, not the deadline."

The lockout reaches 51 days today and there are still no signs that the sides will begin talking again. "If [the NHLPA] wants to get serious, we'll negotiate," Daly said.

For the record, the cutoff date in the 1994-95 season was Jan. 15, after 103 days with no hockey.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on November 05, 2004, 08:00:42 AM
No, he's not.

Just want to give another mention to Sergei Zholtok's death....way sad....only 31 years old. RIP :(

Quote from: MURP on October 14, 2004, 09:57:30 AM
over 105,000 votes on espn.com about when would you miss the NHL season.  20% said when the playoffs come around.  61% said never.   that says it all.

Quote from: Philly_Crew on November 03, 2004, 09:47:23 AM
It's hard to know who to support.  If the owners are really losing money and can't control their spending, implement a cap.  It works in the NFL.  The ticket cost has really gotten out of hand for the product that they provide.

Quote from: henchmanUK on November 05, 2004, 07:56:46 AM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on November 05, 2004, 07:17:52 AM

QuoteA tough break for Fedoruk

Compiled By The Inquirer Staff

When Todd Fedoruk wavered on signing a deal with the Phantoms, it might have been an omen. The tough winger finally signed with the Phantoms, the Flyers' minor-league affiliate, on Wednesday.

That night, he was hit in the face with a puck while sitting on the bench during the Phantoms' 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks at the Wachovia Spectrum.

After undergoing reconstructive facial surgery yesterday, he will miss at least a month.

Fedoruk's AHL statistics: three shifts, one fight, five penalty minutes, one broken orbital bone, one facial reconstruction.

"We would guess that he'll be out for a month, but the fact that he is out at all is a real setback for him," Phantoms coach John Stevens said after practice yesterday.

Even though Fedoruk had just signed on Wednesday, he had been skating with the team for a few weeks, Stevens said.

"He was certainly physically ready to play," Stevens said. "He was pushing himself to get back into game shape. Unfortunately that injury puts him out."

Geez...like Fridge really needed another facial injury! :o

:'( I like Fridge. Him and Brashear are my favourites. Brashear isn't playing anywhere is he? ???

Quote from: New Green Monster on November 29, 2004, 03:25:23 PM
Me too PG, me too.  :-\

Quote from: MURP on November 29, 2004, 03:31:32 PM
what did I do wrong!  just trying to cheer you guys up with some happy pics!

Quote from: BigEd76 on November 29, 2004, 04:55:14 PM
Yeah...and they lost last night....  :P

PG - did you catch the "Hungry" episode where Keith Jones ripped ass live on the air and Hound Kelly looked at him?  :-D  :-D

Quote from: PhillyGirl on December 02, 2004, 03:32:10 PM
Glimmer of hope for a shortened season? (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1936991)

With Philly's luck, we'll finally win something and it will be with an asterisk.  ::)

Quote from: Wingspan on December 13, 2004, 05:30:56 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on December 13, 2004, 05:01:14 PM
I hate Gary Bettman. He has ruined hockey.

no one side's hands are clean in this. both sides had a equal share in ruining the NHL.

Quote from: MDS on December 13, 2004, 10:09:41 PM
I really dont miss hockey, and agree with the owners that they need a hard cap. Bettman is a douchebag, but kudos to the owners for staying strong. The players will crack sooner or later, they cant go this long without playing.

Quote from: MDS on January 07, 2005, 09:21:13 PM
I've propsed legit and logical contraction plans. Betman is against that, but maybe if they cut down the number of teams, the owners won't have to go to a strict hard cap. There will be less players to play, and revenue shouldnt fall too far off considering I suggested to get rid of teams that barely fill half the building.

Or, move teams. If the owners back off a strict hard cap and go for something a bid lighter, it could work. Move teams from the south to northern areas that like hockey. No, they don't have big arenas there. No, ownership won't be able to generate enough money in those markets to compete with the big ones. But, with a cba favoring the owners (but not a hard cap), those markets could compete. I'm talking about Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Wisconsin, North Dakota and anywhere in Canada. Those places, hockey is a top sport. It barely registers in Florida, where they have two teams.

Hockey is a niche sport. It's mostly a northeastern and northcentral sport. It has spread to places like Colorado, Dallas and LA (where the teams do draw well). Places like that can keep teams. But Atlanta? Tampa? Phoenix? Come on.

QuoteNEW YORK - For the first time in more than a month, a group of officials from the NHL and the players' association will meet Wednesday in what could be a last-ditch effort to save the hockey season.

Quote from: FastFreddie on February 03, 2005, 10:18:33 PM
Ahem.  Not just Bettman's fault.

Quote from: Wingspan on February 04, 2005, 07:53:48 AM
its TO's fault

Quote from: Wingspan on February 14, 2005, 01:55:02 PM
he hasnt been told there was no season.

Quote from: MURP on February 14, 2005, 01:53:39 PM
The Calgary Flames officially win the 2005 stanley cup!

Quote from: Wingspan on February 15, 2005, 11:15:41 PM
why would anyone want to play a season at this point? wouldnt it be about 10 games?

the NoHockeyLeague is a damn joke.

i love the sport of hockey...but the NHL has all but lost me.

i heard something that about 80% of NHL players can't stand Jeremy Roenick...lol...i don't know if it's true, but it's funny.

Quote from: BigEd76 on February 16, 2005, 10:34:07 AM
*tick tick tick tick*  :paranoid

Quote from: geowhizzer on February 16, 2005, 11:13:40 AM
:boom

QuoteALERT: The NHL's 11 a.m. EST deadline to the NHLPA to accept their last proposal has passed, with both sides not talking Wednesday morning. Gary Bettman's press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST in New York while the players have called a news conference for 4 p.m. EST in Toronto.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 01:08:52 PM
Watching Gary Bettman right now, with his "we have the best fans" and "we are sorry because of the fans" bullshtein, I want to kick his teeth in.

Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on February 16, 2005, 01:14:46 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 01:08:52 PM
Watching Gary Bettman right now, with his "we have the best fans" and "we are sorry because of the fans" bullshtein, I want to kick his teeth in.

Goodenow is the one that deserves getting kicked, if you ask me.  He had no hand, yet he played his part marginally at best. 

Both Goodenow and Bettman deserve all the hatred they get, for allowing this thing to go weeks and months with no communication.  This was never about the fans.  It was about stubborness and stupidty on the players' part, with a fair share of greed on the owners' part.

I'm die-hard hockey, and have been a season ticket holder to the Blues for years.  This, to me, is a slap in my face and a total disregard for the thousands of dollars I spend each year to follow this sport.  My tickets have been cancelled, and it will take a while before I pay to support this league again.  I'll still follow and watch TV for free, but my dollars are staying with me.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 01:16:37 PM

Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on February 16, 2005, 01:14:46 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 01:08:52 PM
Watching Gary Bettman right now, with his "we have the best fans" and "we are sorry because of the fans" bullshtein, I want to kick his teeth in.

Goodenow is the one that deserves getting kicked, if you ask me.  He had no hand, yet he played his part marginally at best. 

Both Goodenow and Bettman deserve all the hatred they get, for allowing this thing to go weeks and months with no communication.  This was never about the fans.  It was about stubborness and stupidty on the players' part, with a fair share of greed on the owners' part.

I'm die-hard hockey, and have been a season ticket holder to the Blues for years.  This, to me, is a slap in my face and a total disregard for the thousands of dollars I spend each year to follow this sport.  My tickets have been cancelled, and it will take a while before I pay to support this league again.  I'll still follow and watch TV for free, but my dollars are staying with me.

While they both deserve to be kicked, HOWEVER, the NHL has gone downhill since Bettman took it over. He's done NOTHING to help the league...he should have been replaced years ago. He's a farging joke .

Quote from: BigEd76 on February 16, 2005, 01:21:49 PM
Hey now....Bettman DID come up with the idea of "Eastern Conference" and "Western Conference".....  ::)

Quote from: FastGreggie on February 16, 2005, 02:48:10 PM
The NHL should start over with 20-24 teams.  That would rawk.

Quote from: FastGreggie on February 16, 2005, 02:48:10 PM
The NHL should start over with 20-24 teams.  That would rawk.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 02:57:30 PM

Quote from: FastGreggie on February 16, 2005, 02:48:10 PM
The NHL should start over with 20-24 teams.  That would rawk.

Hockey was never better than it was back then. When the Flyers went to the Finals in the mid-late 80s, there was just enough competition to keep it exciting.

Taking the teams out of places like Winnepeg and Quebec...hockey havens...and getting teams like Carolina, Florida, Tampa, Dallas, Phoenix, Anaheim, Columbus and San Jose....it just killed the sport.

Quote from: Wingspan on February 16, 2005, 03:03:03 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 02:57:30 PM

Quote from: FastGreggie on February 16, 2005, 02:48:10 PM
The NHL should start over with 20-24 teams.  That would rawk.

Hockey was never better than it was back then. When the Flyers went to the Finals in the mid-late 80s, there was just enough competition to keep it exciting.

Taking the teams out of places like Winnepeg and Quebec...hockey havens...and getting teams like Carolina, Florida, Tampa, Dallas, Phoenix, Anaheim, Columbus and San Jose....it just killed the sport.

over the past 10 years, havent about half, if not more, of those teams win a cup? or at least make it to the cup finals that i am sure of.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 03:19:51 PM

Quote from: Wingspan on February 16, 2005, 03:03:03 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 02:57:30 PM

Quote from: FastGreggie on February 16, 2005, 02:48:10 PM
The NHL should start over with 20-24 teams.  That would rawk.

Hockey was never better than it was back then. When the Flyers went to the Finals in the mid-late 80s, there was just enough competition to keep it exciting.

Taking the teams out of places like Winnepeg and Quebec...hockey havens...and getting teams like Carolina, Florida, Tampa, Dallas, Phoenix, Anaheim, Columbus and San Jose....it just killed the sport.

over the past 10 years, havent about half, if not more, of those teams win a cup? or at least make it to the cup finals that i am sure of.

What is your point? Those arenas had thousands of tickets available on gameday for the Finals games. No one gives a shtein about those teams. They don't bring in fans, they dont' bring any excitement. The Devils have won how many Cups and they still can't sell out a friggin playoff/Finals game.

Quote from: rjs246 on February 16, 2005, 04:45:41 PM
The NHL DOES have a fan base, let's not kid ourselves, but the fan base ISN'T in Florida, Texas or Phoenix and that's the point. Sure the players and owners love being there, but the league was stupid to get away from its roots and its true fans? Will their fan base ever be as large as MLB's or even the NBA's? Probably not, but the league made a MASSIVE mistake in moving its teams away from established markets and into the sun belt. Hockey was a novelty in the south that has long since worn off, thanks in large part to the disgusting emergence of NASCAR to distract all of the hicks.

Anyway, its' stupid to claim that hockey has no fan base, but it was stupider for the NHL to think that it could dictate where the fans would be.

Quote from: rjs246 on February 16, 2005, 04:45:41 PM
The NHL DOES have a fan base, let's not kid ourselves, but the fan base ISN'T in Florida, Texas or Phoenix and that's the point. Sure the players and owners love being there, but the league was stupid to get away from its roots and its true fans? Will their fan base ever be as large as MLB's or even the NBA's? Probably not, but the league made a MASSIVE mistake in moving its teams away from established markets and into the sun belt. Hockey was a novelty in the south that has long since worn off, thanks in large part to the disgusting emergence of NASCAR to distract all of the hicks.

Anyway, its' stupid to claim that hockey has no fan base, but it was stupider for the NHL to think that it could dictate where the fans would be.

Quote from: jerome99RIP on February 16, 2005, 07:40:36 PM
I think this thread should be locked out.

:-D

Quote from: geowhizzer on February 16, 2005, 06:27:39 PM

I still don't get that people talk about Florida not having a fan base.  Last season, Tampa Bay placed 12th in attendance, with an average crowd of 17,820.  Florida was 17th at 15,904.  The season before Tampa was 16th, and Florida 20th.  Both seasons, the two Florida teams were ahead of Original Six cities Boston and Chicago, not to mention the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres, not to mention the AHL-level Pittsburgh Penguins.

I will grant that often the crowd is not necessarily going to root for the home team, at least not in the game that I attend (I've been taking the 3-hour drive to see the Flyers play in both cities in the past several years, and there are a ton of Flyers fans), but to say that there is not a hockey crowd in Florida is ridiculous.  There's too many of us darned Yankees down here.  ;D

Besides, I want my live Flyers fix three or four times a year...  :paranoid

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 16, 2005, 11:31:02 PM

Quote from: geowhizzer on February 16, 2005, 06:27:39 PM

I still don't get that people talk about Florida not having a fan base.  Last season, Tampa Bay placed 12th in attendance, with an average crowd of 17,820.  Florida was 17th at 15,904.  The season before Tampa was 16th, and Florida 20th.  Both seasons, the two Florida teams were ahead of Original Six cities Boston and Chicago, not to mention the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres, not to mention the AHL-level Pittsburgh Penguins.

I will grant that often the crowd is not necessarily going to root for the home team, at least not in the game that I attend (I've been taking the 3-hour drive to see the Flyers play in both cities in the past several years, and there are a ton of Flyers fans), but to say that there is not a hockey crowd in Florida is ridiculous.  There's too many of us darned Yankees down here.  ;D

Besides, I want my live Flyers fix three or four times a year...  :paranoid

Tampa had thousands of tickets left on the DAYS OF PLAYOFF GAMES...including the Finals. Please don't try to convince me or anyone else that they have FANS down there. IF hockey left there for good, sure they'd be a few fans that missed it, but not to the same level as "hockey" cities.

And those cities had higher attendance due to the HIGH number of northeast transplants down there. It was the same in LA. They sold out how? Well, whenever I was there for Flyers games, there were 75% Philly fans.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 17, 2005, 08:31:29 AM
geo, you're missing the point. The fans have lost interest. Fans of the Original Six, fans in Philly, fans in all hockey cities.

No one CARES when the Florida Panthers or the Atlanta Thrashers come to town and they sure as hell aren't going to spend 300 bucks to bring a family of 4 to a game to watch it.

20-24 teams...divisional games mean more, conference games mean more. The excitement comes back and the fans want to come back. The draft means more, the talent doesn't get diluted, the games become more exciting. The clutching and grabbing isn't a necessity anymore because there is actual pure TALENT on teams instead of being the 29th pick in an already weak draft and getting nothing.

Quote from: geowhizzer on February 17, 2005, 10:30:58 AM
Now Carolina (as much as I love it when they train in Ft. Myers)- that is a classic contraction case.  They should have never left Hartford.

Quote from: MURP on February 17, 2005, 11:57:32 AM
every seat should have a beer nozzle attached to it.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on February 17, 2005, 08:04:20 PM
The fat lady NOT singing yet? (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1993944)

I know, wishful thinking...also, where in the @^$#&^ were these guys MONTHS ago?   :boom :boom

Quote from: MURP on February 18, 2005, 12:08:07 AM
this thread is for the gays. 

Quote from: MDS on February 18, 2005, 01:21:57 AM

Quote from: MURP on February 18, 2005, 12:08:07 AM
this thread is for the gays. 

Well then it comes to no shock that your posting in it.

Zing.

Quote
NHL, union: A rescue attempt

By Tim Panaccio
Inquirer Staff Writer

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman left the door open and the NHL Players Association walked through it last night, proposing a six-year, $45 million deal that the league is expected to approve today to save the season.

Both sides will meet this morning in New York, the union said.

On Thursday, a league management source told The Inquirer that if the union offered $45 million, the season would be saved.

"The intent here is to un-cancel the season," Pat Morris, a players' agent, said last night. "They want to get all the bad feelings out of the way and immediately repair the damage to the game."

Lou Lamoriello, the New Jersey Devils' general manager, told the Canadian Press last night, "I've said all along that the most important thing is coming to an agreement. Even after the season was canceled, it was just so important to get together as soon as possible, and I commend both of them for agreeing to do it. And now, get it done."

Earlier yesterday, Lamoriello told The Inquirer he felt it was still possible to get a deal done. "I think our commissioner really opened the door a bit," he said. "I look at this like everybody else does right now. It still takes two parties."

And now the parties appear ready to agree.

On Thursday night, the league requested a meeting and, according to management, player and agent sources, a representative group from the union met last night in Manhattan with an offer that included various levels of salary caps and luxury taxes.

The highest salary cap would have been $45.75 million and the lowest $42.5 million, depending upon which model was agreeable to both parties.

The teams would play a 28-game schedule, which is expected to start the first week of March. The union's group, according to player sources, includes executive director Bob Goodenow, outspoken executive committee member Bill Guerin, union president Trevor Linden and senior director Ted Saskin.

Bettman is expected to be joined by his chief legal counsel, Bill Daly, as well as Phoenix owner Wayne Gretzky and Pittsburgh player/owner Mario Lemieux, both of whom represent small- and middle-market clubs.

Players in Europe last night were being advised to be prepared to rejoin their NHL clubs next week.

Multiple sources say the season needs to be rescued to ensure that the league can have a draft this summer and avoid the potential for litigation involving unsigned players whose rights eligibility would expire.

For instance, unsigned Flyers prospects Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, both first-round picks in the 2003 draft, could conceivably be declared free agents by the courts this summer because they were not signed within the two-year period after having been drafted. And one of those years would have been a lockout year.

On Wednesday, Bettman announced he was canceling the season because the union had turned down his final proposal of a hard cap set at $42.5 million. The union countered with $49 million. At the same time, he left open the possibility of saving the season if the union quickly forwarded an acceptable deal.

Behind the scenes, a group of players had been trying to piece together a proposal based on conversations with other players, agents, owners, and general managers that the league would accept.

Flyers chairman Ed Snider, who helped end the 1994 lockout, has been talking to Bettman daily. Yesterday was no exception.

Snider denied he was pressuring Bettman to either make another offer or accept an offer from the union - if it came across the table. He also denied he was working with Gretzky to bring both parties together, although one NHL player said Gretzky was trying to contact Snider this week on his cell phone.

"It's absolutely untrue," Snider said when asked if he was working with Gretzky and also advising Bettman on a new deal. "I don't negotiate on behalf of the league. It is not my style, and I would not go around Bettman.

"I've talked to Bettman, but not about what he should do or shouldn't do. I've talked to him five times a day for the last month. I don't advise Gary. I don't help him make decisions. I am not calling any of the shots. I just give my opinion."

Snider said he hasn't tried to persuade Bettman on what figure might get a deal done.

"He will ask me my opinion in many instances, and also I will give my opinion unsolicited," Snider said. "But that is strictly between me and Gary. I have not favored any specific deal, and I am not negotiating with Gary and certainly not negotiating with players."

Snider acknowledged his frustration that the sides were just $6.5 million apart.

"I hope the gap is bridged," he said. "I'd like to see a deal made. Bettman has all the numbers and knows what has to be done for the health of the league as a whole. I am sure there are some clubs that would like to see a $35 million cap. Bettman has to satisfy 30 owners. He has to do what is best for the entire league. He can't favor Philadelphia, and he can't favor Nashville."

The Flyers and Predators are worlds apart. The Predators have been part of the hard-line-cap teams from the start, while the Flyers are among the top four revenue producers in the league that could play quite comfortably with a luxury tax because their revenues are so steep - more than $100 million last season. Nashville had revenues under $60 million.

"Nashville is a member of the league, and Bettman has to answer to 30 owners," Snider said. "I am not in a position to negotiate on behalf of 30 owners, nor would I be presumptuous to think I was. What Colorado, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York can afford is not the issue. It's what the league can afford."

QuoteSportsnet has learned overseas players Miikka Kiprusoff (Timra) and Aki Berg (Timra) were pulled from their league games Saturday to avoid injury. Fellow NHLer David Aebischer (Lugano) has reportedly packed up his belongings and is awaiting word from the meetings in New York City. Sodertalje, a team which employs numerous pro players, including Scott Thronton, Kyle Calder and Niclas Havelid, have reportedly voted 100 per cent to return to the NHL.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on March 10, 2005, 08:24:35 PM
Not Flyers, but Peter Forsberg's career looks to be over (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/3454848)

QuoteNo sale: ESPN made it official Tuesday. It won't pay to carry NHL games next season.

"We're done negotiating," ESPN executive vice president Mark Shapiro says. "We do not anticipate carrying the NHL next season. ... The only thing we see doing today is a no-fee rights deal."

NBC got an NHL deal last year, including Stanley Cup Finals games, without a rights fee. But ESPN, before a lockout wiped out this season, had paid an average of $120 million for the previous four NHL seasons.

ESPN cobbled together a makeshift lineup that produced ratings comparable to those for the NHL games it had replaced. Now, Shapiro says, ESPN will begin planning replacement programming that includes extra college sports and wants to avoid "last-minute hole-filling" in its scheduling.

It's hard to even guess who would pay to show the NHL, which gets tiny national TV ratings. Shapiro's guess: "I don't think anybody will step up to carry it."

"We appreciate ESPN's continued interest in our product," NHL spokeswoman Bernadette Mansur says. "We have no further interest in devaluing that product" below $60 million.

Quote from: MDS on June 01, 2005, 07:58:27 AM
This league continues to sink further and further into oblivion. If ESPN won't shell out $60 mil for the NHL, who will? When (and if) they come back, their not goin have a national TV network? How sad is that.

Quote
The most likely changes in NHL play for next season are shootouts, smaller goalie equipment and tag-up offsides. Some of the radical stuff being tested is too over the top for many GMs.

Quote
The no-tolerance obstruction scrimmage saw a parade of players to the penalty box after they interfered even in the slightest ways with opponents who didn't have the puck. There were constant whistles throughout the game.

Quotea salary floor and cap will based on a percentage of each NHL team's revenue. The paper adds that in the first year - based on revenue projections by both sides - the salary cap will range from $34 million to $36 million US, with the floor from $22 million to $24 million US.

The Globe also reports that the formula calls for a dollar-for-dollar luxury tax to kick in at the halfway mark between the floor and the cap. If the floor of the lowest team is $22 million US and the cap on the highest team is $36 million US, then the 'tax level' will be $29 million US.

The formula would allow wealthier teams to spend a bit more money, but would also bridge the large gaps in spending between higher payroll teams and lower payroll teams.

Quote
  Detroit Red Wings  $ 77,856,109   
  New York Rangers  $ 76,488,716   
  Dallas Stars  $ 68,578,885   
  Philadelphia Flyers  $ 68,175,247   
  Colorado Avalanche  $ 63,382,458   
  Toronto Maple Leafs  $ 62,458,140   
  St. Louis Blues  $ 61,675,000   
  Los Angeles Kings  $ 53,833,800   
  Anaheim Mighty Ducks  $ 53,296,750   
  Washington Capitals  $ 50,895,750   
  New Jersey Devils  $ 48,931,658   
  Boston Bruins  $ 46,569,000   
  Vancouver Canucks  $ 42,074,500   
  New York Islanders  $ 40,865,500   
  Ottawa Senators  $ 39,590,000   
  Phoenix Coyotes  $ 39,249,750   
  Montreal Canadiens  $ 38,857,000   
  Calgary Flames  $ 36,402,575

QuoteThe Globe and Mail reports that the NHL and NHL Players' Association have agreed on a formula for a salary-cap system based on team-by-team revenue.

Quote"If we would have signed that deal in February, in terms of what we're getting now, we would have looked like heroes," he added.

"Right now we look like a bunch of idiots...The deal in February beats the **** out of the deal we're gonna sign in July."
.
.
.
"It's unfortunate we had to go through a whole year to realize the **** that was going on," said Roenick. "We've hurt our league, we've hurt the reputation of our league and the integrity of our league by sticking up for something that might not have been the right thing to do."

Roenick then made his case for NHL players and what he thought of public opinion up to this point.

"If people are going to sit and chastise pro athletes for being cocky - for being suck***es - they need to look at one thing and that's the deal we're going to be signing in about three weeks. Pro athletes are not cocky. Pro athletes care about the game. Everybody out there who calls us spoiled because we play a game - they can kiss my ***."

Roenick went on to say that the players didn't want those so-called "fans" at the rink.

"I will say personally, personally, to everybody who calls us spoiled - you guys are just jealous... We're trying to get this thing back on the ice and make it better for the fans.  If you don't realize that, then don't come.  We don't want you in the rink, we don't want you in the stadium, we don't want you to watch hockey."

Even if a new NHL collective bargaining agreement is reached, the 15-year NHL veteran may not make a return to the ice.

Roenick told Sporting News Radio on Friday that he has not made up his mind about whether or not he'll lace up his skates again.

"I have to see how my body reacts to some really, really, really hard training regimen here coming up in the latter part of the summer," he said.

"It's very hard to get motivated without a deal. Once that announcement comes, I think the motivational factor will definitely be lifted. I have not 100 percent made my decision to play, but to tell you the truth, I have a lot of drive in me and really, really want to continue."

Quote from: BigEd76 on June 26, 2005, 07:31:36 PM
Flyers might go after the top free agent, Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer (http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/11985737.htm)  :yay  :yay  :yay

Quote from: FFatPatt on June 26, 2005, 09:26:34 PM
Hasn't he been around, like, forever?  Why do we always sign old guys?

Quote from: General_Failure on June 26, 2005, 10:31:51 PM
If there had been a season the Flyers surely would have been eliminated by now. You guys should probably lock this and start an offseason thread. :)

Quote from: BigEd76 on June 26, 2005, 07:31:36 PM
Flyers might go after the top free agent, Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer (http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/11985737.htm)  :yay  :yay  :yay

QuoteNHL | Roenick: There was more to his rant

"The media picked out the negative stuff," the Flyers center groused. He said he complained to ESPN.

By Tim Panaccio

Inquirer Staff Writer

Jeremy Roenick said yesterday that audio/video "snippets" in which he said hockey fans can "kiss my [butt]" were taken out of context.

The Flyers center was quoted over the weekend at Mario Lemieux's charity golf tournament outside Pittsburgh. His remarks about the fans made national headlines.

"Before I went into my rant, I was talking about the game of hockey, about getting it back on the ice, about what we have to do for the fans and telling people it's not about who wins or loses, it's about the game," Roenick said.

"But the media picked out the negative stuff... . Don't show snippets of the interview; show the whole interview, the whole message. My message during the interview was: How do we make the game more appealing to the fans?"

Roenick said his rant began when someone suggested the NHL lockout was the players' fault.

"That got my gall," he said. "We gave more back to the owners in this deal than any other sport has done. Before that question, I was talking about the game, how it was important to make it up to the fans and do something for them, and then that question came."

A partial video clip from TSN.ca shows Roenick talking very calmly about the game of hockey and even apologizing for its absence.

In the clip, Roenick talks about how much "the players have hurt" hockey and "might not have been right" in the lockout, a position that certainly won't please the NHL Players' Association.

Roenick says the new deal has to allow "the owners to make money." He then says that "fans should realize how much the players gave up" before blaming them as being spoiled.

"We're going to make the game better for the fans," he says in the video clip. "If you don't realize that, then don't come."

The next clip jumps to his rant. Roenick said yesterday the question that provoked him was whether fans should blame the players.

In February, Roenick, Robert Esche and Chris Pronger attempted to salvage the season when they asked the union to consider a reasonable salary cap and mustered support for it behind the scenes. The union eventually conceded on the salary cap.

"If the fans think Jeremy Roenick didn't try to get the game back on the ice, as some of us did, that is simply not true," Roenick said. "I'm not spoiled. I was reacting to a question. What I was saying was that if fans don't think that I care about hockey, care about the Flyers, then don't come out to see me. That's what I was talking about."

Roenick said he left several messages with ESPN yesterday demanding to know why the network didn't show the full video clip of what preceded his rant.

As for the proposed collective-bargaining agreement, he said: "It's not a great deal. But it gets the game back on the ice, and that is the most important thing."

Quote from: General_Failure on June 28, 2005, 08:54:51 PM
That wouldn't be a problem if they'd shorten up the league to 16 teams.

Quote from: jerome99RIP on June 28, 2005, 09:48:20 PM
J.R.'s just pissed that the WNBA still has a television contract and the NHL doesn't.

Quote from: MURP on July 05, 2005, 09:52:48 AM
the end of hockey that is. 

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 05, 2005, 10:11:58 AM
MURP still thinks Iginla "has a really nice tan"...

Quote from: rjs246 on July 05, 2005, 10:13:26 AM

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 05, 2005, 10:11:58 AM
MURP still thinks Iginla "has a really nice tan"...

Black canadian hockey players... what will they think of next?

Quote from: jerome99RIP on July 05, 2005, 01:08:15 PM

Quote from: rjs246 on July 05, 2005, 10:13:26 AM

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 05, 2005, 10:11:58 AM
MURP still thinks Iginla "has a really nice tan"...

Black canadian hockey players... what will they think of next?

Heterosexual women golfers?

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 05, 2005, 01:09:58 PM
Japanese football players

Quote from: General_Failure on July 05, 2005, 02:04:18 PM
A decent cable network for sports coverage?

QuoteSettlement is expected to come by Wednesday

By ED MORAN

morane@phillynews.com

Negotiations between the NHL and the players union continued through the weekend in an effort to bring the 298-day lockout to an end and ensure there will be a hockey season beginning in the fall.

According to several reports through last week, the details of a 6-year deal have been agreed upon and attorneys from both the league and NHLPA are going over the document to be sure it is exactly the way they want it. An announcement that an agreement has been reached could come as early as this morning, but it is more likely to happen Wednesday, sources have said.

According to some sources, the league wants to hold off until Wednesday when the baseball All-Star Game is completed and before MLB play resumes.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has called an executive committee meeting for today in New York so league officials have an opportunity to examine the deal.

Some of the details of the deal have been reported. Some of the more important points include:

• A team salary cap next season between $37 million and $39 million, with a minimum of between $21 million and $24 million.

• Player salaries leaguewide must be capped at 54 percent of revenues. The cap will be based on revenue projections, with a projection for next season of between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion, down from the $2.1 billion in 2003-04. In following years, the cap will be set by the previous year's revenues, moving the cap up or down depending on revenue growth.

• All existing player contracts will be rolled back 24 percent, including all qualifying offers this summer for restricted free agents. No player can earn more than 20 percent of his team's salary cap.

• Players will deposit a yet-to-be determined percentage of their salaries into escrow at the start of the season. Either the teams or the players will get money back at the end of the season, when the season's revenue is determined.

The deal appears to contain everything the owners wanted from the start, and the players are beginning to criticize the union leadership. Last week, Los Angeles Kings center Sean Avery said that NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow "brainwashed" the membership.

During the weekend, Detroit goalie Manny Legace said Goodenow should have struck a deal that saved the season.

"We lost a season for no reason,'' Legace told the Associated Press. "We should've crumbled last September when the owners wanted a salary cap.

"It makes no sense what we ended up doing.''

Quote from: rjs246 on July 12, 2005, 02:59:00 PM
It's about goddamned time. Can they play a game or two tonight so I don't have to watch the All-Star game?

Quote from: General_Failure on July 12, 2005, 03:07:26 PM
DAMNIT! We were so close to losing hockey forever. This sucks.

Quote from: Wingspan on July 12, 2005, 03:20:19 PM
are tickets to games going to be affordable now?

Quote from: rjs246 on July 12, 2005, 03:09:37 PM

Quote from: General_Failure on July 12, 2005, 03:07:26 PM
DAMNIT! We were so close to losing hockey forever. This sucks.

Cram it with walnuts, ugly.

Quote from: General_Failure on July 12, 2005, 03:07:26 PM
DAMNIT! We were so close to losing hockey forever. This sucks.

QuoteA prominent player agent told ESPN The Magazine's E.J. Hradek that the draft lottery will be held on July 21, with the entry draft being held in Ottawa on July 30.

Quote from: Phanatic on July 13, 2005, 01:25:49 PM
Looks like there's going to be a 40 million $$$ salary cap. It's going to be fun watching the Rangers get under that number.  :-D

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 13, 2005, 12:59:54 PM(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/SamiB/yahoo.gif)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/SamiB/yahoo.gif)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/SamiB/yahoo.gif)

QuoteThe lottery formula is as follows - each team begins with three balls. For every playoff appearance in the last three years or No. 1 overall pick over the last four years, a team loses one ball. But each team will still be guaranteed to have one ball in the lottery. The first round will go with teams picking 1 through 30, with the 30th team picking 31st and the draft order 'snaking' back and forth in a seven round draft.

QuoteTerm: Six years.

Salary rollback: All remaining contracts will be rolled back 24 percent. The rollback will also impact players who must be given qualifying offers for new deals. Those qualifying offers will be based on a player's salary in his last contracted year, minus the 24 percent rollback.

2004-05 contracts: Those contracts will simply disappear from the ledger. Players, however, will be credited with a "year of service." Years of service can determine a player's free-agent status.

Salary cap: Each team must meet a minimum, but not exceed a maximum payroll number. For the 2005-06 season, the high-end threshold will be approximately $37-$39.5 million. The low-end threshold will be between $21.5-$24.5 million.

The numbers are based on the league's projection of revenue for the 2005-06 season. The projection is approximately $1.7-$1.8 billion. According to the league, total revenues for the last complete season (2003-04) were $2.1 billion.

If revenues increase, the salary cap thresholds will increase on a season-to-season basis. If revenues decrease, the salary cap thresholds will decrease on a season-to-season basis.

Buyouts: Teams will be allowed a window of time to buyout player contracts. A player can be bought out for two-thirds of the total remaining value of his contract, minus the 24 percent rollback. A team will not be allowed to re-sign a player they have bought out for a still to be determined amount of time. The money spent to buyout a player will NOT count against the salary cap.

Escrow: A still to be determined percent of players salaries will be placed in an escrow account. In the new deal, league-wide payroll can't exceed 54 percent of total league-wide revenue. If league-wide payroll is determined to be more than 54 percent of revenues, the escrow account will be passed back to the clubs. If league-wide payroll is determined to be less than 54 percent of revenues, the escrow account will go to the players.

Individual team-by-team player cap: No single player can earn more than 20 percent of his team's total payroll. For example, a team with a total team payroll of $37.5 million couldn't pay a single player more than $7.5 million.

Revenue-sharing: The top 10 revenue clubs will contribute to a pool that will be redistributed to the bottom 10 revenue clubs. The NHLPA proposed a similar revenue sharing component in 1994 during the league's first lockout.

Unrestricted free agency: It will remain frozen at age 31 for the first year of the new CBA. It will gradually decrease to age 28 during the life of the deal.

Salary arbitration: The club and the player will both have ability to elect to go to arbitration. Although not confirmed, I believe NHL will go to a baseball-style arbitration system that calls for both sides to submit a salary figure and an arbitrator to decide on one number or the other. There will be a limit on the number of times a team or player can go to arbitration. And, the clubs will have a limited number of times they can walk away from an arbitrator's decision. Under the old system, the clubs could not take players to arbitration.

Qualifying offers: Players making less than $660,000 must be tendered qualifying offers of 110 percent of their final contracted season's salary. Players making between $660,000.01 and $1 million must be tendered qualifying offers of 105 percent of their final contracted season's salary. Players making over $1 million must be tendered qualifying offers of 100 percent of their final contracted season's salary.

Entry level contracts: Entry level contracts will be capped $850,000 per season, with a maximum signing bonus at 10 percent of salary per season. The contracts will be three years in length.

Minimum salary: The minimum salary will be $400,000. Under the old agreement, the league minimum was $175,000.

2006 Winter Olympics: The NHL will shut down operations in February 2006 to allow players to participate in the Winter Olympics. To accommodate the scheduling issues, the league will cancel its 2005-06 All-Star Weekend (scheduled for Phoenix).

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 13, 2005, 02:17:51 PM
NHL Draft Lottery:

QuoteThe lottery formula is as follows - each team begins with three balls. For every playoff appearance in the last three years or No. 1 overall pick over the last four years, a team loses one ball. But each team will still be guaranteed to have one ball in the lottery. The first round will go with teams picking 1 through 30, with the 30th team picking 31st and the draft order 'snaking' back and forth in a seven round draft.

There's some confusion over the #1 pick thing (is it the actual pick or who won it originally?  ??? ), but from what I can tell, it's the following:

3 balls = Buffalo, Florida, NY Rangers (who I think will get Crosby  ::) )
2 balls = Anaheim, Atlanta, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, Phoenix, Pittsburgh
1 ball = Boston, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Montreal, New Jersey, NY Islanders, Ottawa, Philly, St. Louis, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 13, 2005, 03:01:34 PM
Expected terms as per ESPN.com:

QuoteTerm: Six years.Revenue-sharing: The top 10 revenue clubs will contribute to a pool that will be redistributed to the bottom 10 revenue clubs.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 13, 2005, 01:17:36 PM
(http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20041024/nhl_deal_bg_64035.jpg)

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on July 13, 2005, 03:37:47 PM

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 13, 2005, 02:17:51 PM
NHL Draft Lottery:

QuoteThe lottery formula is as follows - each team begins with three balls. For every playoff appearance in the last three years or No. 1 overall pick over the last four years, a team loses one ball. But each team will still be guaranteed to have one ball in the lottery. The first round will go with teams picking 1 through 30, with the 30th team picking 31st and the draft order 'snaking' back and forth in a seven round draft.

There's some confusion over the #1 pick thing (is it the actual pick or who won it originally?  ??? ), but from what I can tell, it's the following:

3 balls = Buffalo, Florida, NY Rangers (who I think will get Crosby  ::) )
2 balls = Anaheim, Atlanta, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, Phoenix, Pittsburgh
1 ball = Boston, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Montreal, New Jersey, NY Islanders, Ottawa, Philly, St. Louis, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington

:evil :evil :evil= Karma....need Karma  :evil :evil :evil

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 13, 2005, 08:05:52 PM
I married into this? :-[  :P

Quote from: MURP on July 13, 2005, 08:03:36 PM
I made a little song for the Flyers this year:





fly flyers fly
on the road to making the fans cry

fly flyers fly
if lindros says one more thing we will make him die

shoot the puck low, shoot the puck wide
just make sure Bob Probert is on your side...

fly flyers fly
on the road to Nine and Seventy Three.


F L Y E R S

Quote from: Geowhizzer on July 13, 2005, 08:00:39 PM
:-D I can't wait to see JR give GF a hug.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 13, 2005, 11:10:22 PM
Draft simulator...lol (http://members.shaw.ca/vorpalbunnies/draftsim/official.html)

Quote from: Eagles76ersFan on July 13, 2005, 11:31:01 PM
It'll be nice to have hockey back, only because we have now seen the alternative..."TeamMates" with Stuart Scott.

Quote from: MURP on July 13, 2005, 11:46:54 PM
how much does the hockey draft really matter? just wondering.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 13, 2005, 11:10:22 PM
Draft simulator...lol (http://members.shaw.ca/vorpalbunnies/draftsim/official.html)

Quote30. Phi (100.0%)

Quote from: MURP on July 13, 2005, 08:15:06 PM
here is a laugh.

do a yahoo image search for "Mutombo"

Quote from: MURP on July 13, 2005, 08:15:06 PM
here is a laugh.

do a yahoo image search for "Mutombo"

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 13, 2005, 08:05:52 PM
I married into this? :-[  :P

QuotePosted on Thu, Jul. 14, 2005


WHAT IF Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh had not died?

By LES BOWEN


SATURDAY, Nov. 9, 1985, the Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins, 5-3. The team that had lost to Edmonton in the previous spring's Stanley Cup finals was 12-2 in the new season, riding a streak of 10 victories in a row.

"This is the best team we've ever had," team chairman Ed Snider said as he left the Spectrum that night, according to "Full Spectrum," the Flyers' history written by former Daily News reporter Jay Greenberg.

The next morning, Snider was awakened early by a phone call telling him that Pelle Lindbergh, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie, had been horribly injured in a car accident. Lindbergh, who had spent the night after the game celebrating a rare, impending 5-day break in the NHL schedule with teammates, was declared brain-dead after driving his specially modified Porsche 930 Turbo into a wall on a curve along Somerdale Road in Somerdale, N.J., around daybreak. Lindbergh's two passengers, Ed Parvin and Kathy McNeal, were seriously injured, but recovered. Lindbergh died 2 days later, after his parents made the difficult decision to allow his organs to be harvested for transplant.

Obviously, many things would have been different for many people had Lindbergh not chosen to drive that morning, with a blood-alcohol level that was tested first at .24, then at .17, far above the legal limit of .10. Pelle's parents, Sigge and Anna-Lisa, and his fiancee, Kerstin Pietzsch, would have been spared an awful, unimaginable tragedy. Lindbergh would be 46 now, perhaps with hockey-playing children to dote upon and many years of life remaining.

John Keeler, of Northfield, N.J., would not have gotten Lindbergh's heart, which allowed Keeler nearly 5 more years of life. Other recipients would not have benefited from Lindbergh's corneas or his kidneys.

Sports considerations are trivial in comparison, but Flyers fans can't help but wonder if their team might have won the 1986 Stanley Cup, with Lindbergh minding the net. Even after his death, his teammates rallied behind backup Bob Froese for a 110-point, 53-win season. But Froese faltered and the Flyers, perhaps emotionally weary, were upset by the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, which saw Montreal win the Cup, defeating Calgary in the final. It was to be Froese's only season as the team's starter.

The Flyers made it back to the finals in '87, behind another Vezina Trophy-winning goalie, rookie Ron Hextall, but the Oilers, their '85 conquerers, were at their peak that year, winning the third of their five Cups in 7 years. Had the Flyers gotten to the finals in '86, they wouldn't have had to face Edmonton, perhaps the most talented team ever assembled.

"I kind of assume Pelle's career would have blossomed like Martin Brodeur's," Lindbergh's former Flyers teammate Brian Propp said recently. Brodeur, the Devils' goalie, has three Stanley Cup rings. "You could tell he was going to be one of the best goalies in the league. He had just gotten into his groove. Everybody on our team would have run through a brick wall for him... You keep that team together and who knows?"

Even by '87, the Flyers' edges were beginning to fray a bit. "Tim Kerr's shoulder started going," Propp recalled. "Dave Poulin hurt his ribs." The Flyers would fail to make the playoffs 5 successive years, starting in 1990. Hextall, now the team's pro personnel director, would be traded away, then brought back; he finished his career as the franchise wins leader, with 240, but who can say if he was really a better goalie than Lindbergh would have been over the long term?

In retrospect, the '86 season, with Lindbergh alive and well, could have been the Flyers' best chance to win a championship since their last triumph, in 1975.

"I just remember his demeanor," said Propp, who keeps a photo of Lindbergh on his desk. "He was so pleasant, so nice. And his competitiveness on the ice. He hated to be beaten, even in practice." *

Question and Answer with Ron Hextall

Ron Hextall, now the Flyers' director of pro hockey personnel, won 240 games in a Flyers uniform, more than any other goalie in franchise history. But Hextall might never have become a starter for the Flyers if Pelle Lindbergh hadn't passed away following an auto accident that occurred early on the morning of Nov. 10, 1985.

Q: Have you ever thought about how your life and career might have been different, had Pelle Lindbergh's accident not occurred?

A: "I've never really thought about it in those terms. I always thought I was good enough to play in the NHL, and would have played somewhere, somehow, here or somewhere else. If a team has two No. 1 goalies, it eventually makes a decision on which of them to keep. But that was way down the road, at the time; it's not even like we were battling it out or anything."

Q: What do you remember about that time, when Lindbergh died? Did you know him well?

A: "I was with Hershey, we were in Rochester. Our team was pretty much rocked by it. I had been called up for, I think it was 11 games, in 1984-85, when [veteran goalie] Bob Froese was injured. I remember Pelle taking me out to lunch, giving me advice. Sometimes guys don't treat young guys that well, they see them as threats, but he wasn't like that at all. I remember thinking how lucky I was, what a special guy [Lindbergh] must be. He was a happy-go-lucky guy, he had a great mentality for a goaltender - he competed, but he didn't let things weigh on him."

Q: What did you think of him as a goalie? It was a bit of a different era - goaltending has changed a lot in the last decade or so - but who would you compare him to?

A: "It is very different now. He was kind of a 'standup' guy; you don't see that style now. I remember he kind of jumped across [the crease] on his skates. Most guys slide, especially now. I know he was close to Bernie Parent, and stylewise, I think they were the same, the same size and everything."

Q: You were close to Darren Jensen, the other goalie at Hershey that year. He ended up playing for the Flyers in the first game after Lindbergh died [a 5-3 victory over Edmonton], after Froese was injured in practice. It was a hugely emotional night, with a 22-minute pregame tribute. Did he ever talk to you about that?

A: "He said it was the most nervous he'd ever been. I can't even imagine what that would have been like."

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 14, 2005, 08:30:51 AM
RIP Pelle.  :'(

Quote from: MURP on July 13, 2005, 08:15:06 PM
here is a laugh.

do a yahoo image search for "Mutombo"

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 14, 2005, 08:58:59 AM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 14, 2005, 08:30:51 AM
RIP Pelle.  :'(

I don't think people who drive with a BAL of over .2 deserve to rest in "peace."  That's just stupid beyond all comprehension, and at least he didn't shuffle anyone else off the mortal coil with him.

Quote from: MDS on July 14, 2005, 04:42:49 PM
At morning lineup, they announced that hockey was back and about 75% of the people starting booing. Including me.

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 15, 2005, 12:00:07 AM
:-\

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 15, 2005, 10:40:34 AM
Amonte and LeClair are givens to be gone. Unless Desjardins declines his option and signs for a smaller contract, so is he.

JR isn't going anywhere.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 15, 2005, 10:40:34 AM
JR isn't going anywhere.

Quote from: NGM on July 15, 2005, 11:18:36 AM
Any news on Niedermeyer?  It seems unlikely they could afford him under the new cap but he is someone I would love to have on the squad.

QuoteFlyers likely to keep Roenick

Friday, July 15, 2005

Salary should fit into team's budget
By CHUCK GORMLEY
Courier-Post Staff



Flyers general manager Bob Clarke has two words for Jeremy Roenick, and you might be surprised what they are:

Welcome back.

After reviewing every possible salary cap formula and each of his players' salaries for the 2005-06 season, Clarke has come to the determination that Roenick's $4.94 million contract will fit under what is expected to be a hard cap between $37 million and $39 million.

"We've gone through all of the numbers several times and if the cap is at the numbers we expect them to be, we'll be able to afford J.R.," Clarke said Thursday, one day after the NHL and its players agreed in principle to a six-year CBA.

Roenick, 35, spent most of the past year resting his mind and body after a grueling 2003-04 season left him with a surgically repaired jaw and a lingering concussion.

His mouth, however, did not take a vacation.

Roenick made national headlines earlier this month when he told fans who consider NHL players spoiled and selfish they could "kiss my (behind)" and not bother coming back when the league resumed play. He also angered fellow union members when he advocated a salary cap long before the players agreed to one.

His recent relationship with the Flyers has been strained as well. Last October, he fought for injury pay while he recovered from his concussion, saying the Flyers needed to recognize all he gave them during the 2004 playoffs. That prompted Clarke to say Roenick lacked a speed bump between his brain and his mouth.

In several television interviews since then Roenick has openly questioned whether the Flyers wanted him back for the 2005-06 season, the final year on his five-year contract. No one, including Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock, seemed to know where or how Roenick fit into the Flyers' plans.

Now, we know.

"My attitude with J.R. is that I don't care what he says, I just care about how he plays," Hitchcock said Thursday. "Our players know who he is and how hard he competes.

"Sometimes I'd like to be forewarned about what he says, but the one thing about Jeremy is this: the guy competes like heck. I know one thing, it won't be dull."

When he last played for the Flyers, Roenick notched a career-low 19 goals and 28 assists in 62 games, missing 20 of the final 23 games of the regular season after being struck in the face by a shot.

While Roenick appears to be staying in Philadelphia, one of his closest friends appears to be leaving. Clarke said that with the new restrictions on salaries, teams will need to be wary of being top heavy with two or three star players and 18 muckers and grinders.

To alleviate that scenario, the Flyers are expected to buy out the contracts of forwards John LeClair (6.84 million) and Tony Amonte ($4.484 million). Amonte and Roenick attended high school together in Boston and were Chicago linemates.

The buyout figures for LeClair and Amonte would be two-thirds of their salaries, totaling $7,473,440.

That's a hefty price to pay, but Clarke said the Flyers are willing to eat those salaries so they can free up enough money to be active in the free agent market, which is expected to open some time in August.

High on the Flyers' list of needs are a pair of big, strong defensemen. Clarke said Marcus Ragnarsson and Mattias Timander will not be returning to the Flyers next season, but there is a chance Vladimir Malakhov, 36, will return if he decides to resume his career.

"Once the CBA is ratified, we'll see if he wants to come back," Clarke said. "We'll need some big bodies back there."

Clarke said that since the Flyers already will have mobile defensemen Eric Desjardins, Kim Johnsson, Joni Pitkanen and Dennis Seidenberg, they'll need a few bangers to complement the hard-hitting Danny Markov, whom they intend to resign.

That, Clarke said, means the Flyers will not be interested in signing unrestricted defenseman Scott Niedermayer away from the Devils. Instead, Clarke will try to lure Malakhov back to the Flyers and sign at least one other big defenseman.

QuoteThat, Clarke said, means the Flyers will not be interested in signing unrestricted defenseman Scott Niedermayer away from the Devils. Instead, Clarke will try to lure Malakhov back to the Flyers and sign at least one other big defenseman.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 19, 2005, 04:08:08 PM
Flyers opening game is tentatively set for October 5th at home vs. the RANGERS  :evil

Quote from: Geowhizzer on July 19, 2005, 04:11:41 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 19, 2005, 04:08:08 PM
Flyers opening game is tentatively set for October 5th at home vs. the RANGERS  :evil

Will the Rangers even be able to field a team after having to cut all that salary?

QuoteFlyers ask Birds for cap help

Their new "capologist" consulted Joe Banner on how to manage payroll and keep on winning.

By Tim Panaccio

Inquirer Staff Writer


The NHL is going to a $39 million salary cap. And, as they have in the NFL, teams are designating personnel to fill the role of capologist.

Barry Hanrahan, assistant to general manager Bob Clarke, has been given that task for the Flyers.

Hanrahan met with Eagles president Joe Banner late in the 2003-04 NHL season, getting a four-hour crash course in managing a salary cap.

Banner has been the Eagles' cap wizard for a decade and is considered one of the sharpest cap managers in pro football.

"Barry was down there with the Eagles, and they were good enough to take us in and show us how they run their program, and Barry's stayed in touch with them since," Clarke said yesterday.

"Joe Banner and his crew were very helpful. They even had some of the guys who work under Banner on the cap at the meetings, too, helping us out. The NFL cap may be a lot bigger than ours, but the system is not necessarily any different."

Banner, who is vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, said yesterday he found it interesting that the Flyers were planning a year in advance of implementation of a salary cap, even though there were no assurances it would happen.

"They seemed appreciative of our input and we were happy to help," Banner said.

"They were trying to find out things about the NFL cap that they thought might be incorporated into an NHL cap - how we related our salary cap to making personnel decisions."

Also at that meeting was Howie Roseman, director of football administration, who works with Banner on cap matters.

"Knowing that a new collective-bargaining agreement was in the works, we weren't sure what was coming, but we figured some form of a cap," said Hanrahan, who joined the Flyers in 1997 as director of team services. "It was a chance to familiarize ourselves with what to expect in a cap environment."

The Flyers plan to stay in touch with Banner during the hockey season to discuss cap matters.

"They've got training camp coming up, we've got all these CBA matters, and with things going on, we haven't had a chance to meet up lately," Hanrahan said. "They have been very helpful, especially in discussing the philosophies of a salary-cap environment.

"The biggest thing we learned was preparation and planning. Everything you do from here on out not only secures a player for this year, but sets the table for what you will or won't be able to do in future years, as well as in terms of putting a team together."

QuoteJuly 23: Buyout period begins; also begins the period to negotiate with 2003 draft picks and teams' own free agents.
-July 28: 5 p.m. EDT deadline for signing 2003 draft picks (otherwise they re-enter 2005 draft); deadline for exercising club/player options for 2005-06 season.
-July 29: 5 p.m. EDT deadline for player buyouts.
-July 30: NHL entry draft in Ottawa. Modified version with only top prospects invited and cut down from nine to seven rounds.
-July 31: 5 p.m. EDT deadline to extend qualifying offers to clubs' own free agents. Qualifying offers are needed to retain rights of restricted free agents.
-Aug. 1: Official free-agent signing season begins.
-Aug. 10: Players notify teams whether they've elected salary arbitration.
-Aug. 11: Clubs notify players whether they've elected to bring them to salary arbitration
-Aug. 12: NHL and NHLPA schedule arbitration cases.
-Aug. 15: Qualifying offers expire automatically.
-Aug. 22-Sept. 1: Salary arbitration hearings

QuoteNew Beginning for NHL
TSN.ca Staff
7/22/2005 2:53:26 PM

National Hockey League owners unanimously ratified the new collective bargaining agreement, bringing an official end to the lockout which wiped out an entire season and saw the Stanley Cup not awarded for the first time since 1919.

To no one's surprise, the vote was 30-0 in favour of the new agreement.

NHL players formally accepted the new deal on Thursday with 87 percent of the membership voting in favour of the deal.

"Well folks, it's over," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman

The deal will see NHL hockey return this fall under a drastically new financial landscape which includes hard salary cap of around $39 million per team with teams required to spend at least $21.5 million on player salaries. Players will receive 54 percent of league revenues, which are projected to be about $1.7 billion for the 2005-06 season.

"With the ratification of the CBA, let me be the first to welcome you to our new season," said Bettman who confirmed that the 2005-06 season will begin October 5th with all 30 clubs in action.

With the league's redesigned silver and black logo serving as a backdrop, Bettman also unveiled the new rule changes which will take effect this fall, aimed at opening up the game and increasing scoring, part of a plan to lure back disenchanted fans.

Among the changes fans will see this season is the implementation of the shootout to decide a winner in every game, the removal of the center ice red line, a return to the tag-up offside rule, moving the nets two feet closer to the end boards while limiting the goaltenders ability to play the puck around the net and a reduction in goaltender's equipment.

Bettman says the new rules will put an emphasis on offense and flow. A new joint player-league competition committee has also been created to oversee the new rule changes.

"We will do everything in our power to be the best we can be and to earn your continued devotion," Bettman said in addressing hockey fans everywhere.

"We pledge to our fans we will do everything we can to make it up to you."

Bettman confirmed that NHL players will take part in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy as well as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In those Olympic years, the NHL All-Star Game will not be played.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 22, 2005, 03:56:44 PM
No f'ing way. enough of this "hockey purist" bullshtein. The shootouts are going to be fantastic.

Quote from: MURP on July 22, 2005, 03:59:41 PM
I would watch if they just had a shootout.  Who needs the first 3 hours of scoreless nonsense anyway!

Quote1.  Pittsburgh Penguins
2.  Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
3.  Carolina Hurricanes
4.  Minnesota Wild
5.  Montreal Canadiens
6.  Columbus Blue Jackets
7.  Chicago Blackhawks
8.  Atlanta Thrashers
9.  Ottawa Senators
10.  Vancouver Canucks
11.  Los Angeles Kings
12.  San Jose Sharks
13.  Buffalo Sabres
14.  Washington Capitals
15.  New York Islanders
16.  New York Rangers
17.  Phoenix Coyotes
18.  Nashville Predators
19.  Detroit Red Wings
20.  Philadelphia Flyers
21.  Toronto Maple Leafs
22.  Boston Bruins
23.  New Jersey Devils
24.  St. Louis Blues
25.  Edmonton Oilers
26.  Calgary Flames
27.  Colorado Avalanche
28.  Dallas Stars
29.  Florida Panthers
30.  Tampa Bay Lightning

Quote from: QB Eagles on July 22, 2005, 06:32:29 PM
Did they keep infinite overtime for the playoffs?

Quote from: MURP on July 22, 2005, 07:19:53 PM
lol @ new logo.

the EXTREME NHL!

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 25, 2005, 03:09:00 PM
-- If Mike Modano doesn't re-sign with Dallas, he might be headed to Phoenix to team up with Brett Hull  :o

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 25, 2005, 03:34:25 PM
Ask the Flyers

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 25, 2005, 03:34:25 PM
Ask the Flyers

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 25, 2005, 04:24:50 PM
They still JR!  ;)

Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on July 27, 2005, 10:55:09 AM
Rumors from Eklund:

Pronger- It is looking less and less like he will return to St. Louis. Teams interested are basically everyone, however only a few teams really want to make a run. Atlanta, Anaheim, Ottawa, and Philadelphia.

Neidermayer- I still believe when push comes to shove that the Devils will get him back, however not before he tests the market. In the end he will be very close to the max and if Jersey is willing to pay the max I believe he would stay. He will talk to Toronto and Vancouver for sure, and possibly Philadelphia.

I'm really, really pissed about Pronger leaving St. Louis.  Stupid farging GM doesn't buy out Tkachuk, and has publicly stated that they will be at about $30M in payroll.  Tkachuk and Weight together will earn almost 20 of that.  With the team for sale, they are taking the spend-as-little-as-possible route until it's sold.  I'm so goddamned happy I cancelled my season tickets during the lockout. 

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 27, 2005, 10:56:30 AM
WHY WHY WHY do you people insist on posting this clown's idiotic ramblings? Do NOT listen to this guy or that Illka guy. All it will do is cause either hopes to get up and be crushed....or piss you off.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 27, 2005, 11:08:53 AM
The "sources" of just about every sports writer in the country should never ever be listened to. Please never believe a word any of them say. So sayeth the all knowing lord and master of the professional-sports-rumor-mill universe!

Quote from: rjs246 on July 27, 2005, 11:10:12 AM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 27, 2005, 11:08:53 AM
The "sources" of just about every sports writer in the country should never ever be listened to. Please never believe a word any of them say. So sayeth the all knowing lord and master of the professional-sports-rumor-mill universe!

Fixed.

Quote from: rjs246 on July 27, 2005, 11:16:19 AM
Yeesh touchy touchy. Of course none of their stuff is bullet proof and of course charging for their brain dumps is ridiculous. But sports fans need these rumor mill writers as much as the writers need us. The truth is we don't care if its accurate or not, we just want information before stuff happens. It's part of being a fan of sports. shtein, that why we keep BigEd around, isn't it?

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 27, 2005, 11:18:17 AM

The problem is, they report rumors as FACT and one charges for it. Its a disgusting practice

Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on July 27, 2005, 11:36:45 AM
Not to derail this love-fest, but would you take Pronger at the max salary?  Could Philly afford him?

Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on July 27, 2005, 11:36:45 AM
Not to derail this love-fest, but would you take Pronger at the max salary?  Could Philly afford him?

Quote from: rjs246 on July 27, 2005, 11:42:45 AM

Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on July 27, 2005, 11:36:45 AM
Not to derail this love-fest, but would you take Pronger at the max salary?  Could Philly afford him?

Of course I'd take him if the team could afford him. Who wouldn't want a Pronger on their team?

Quotethe two contracts are exactly the same, right down to the incentive clauses.

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 27, 2005, 01:43:03 PM
Schedule (http://www.nhl.com/teams/phi/schedule.html)

11-game road trip during Xmas/New Year's break  :o

Only 3 games out of 82 outside the Eastern timezone....and those 3 are in the Central  :-D :yay

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 27, 2005, 03:16:53 PM
They're going to immediately plug a "rookie" into the Center spot on the first line?  Yikes!

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 27, 2005, 03:16:53 PM
They're going to immediately plug a "rookie" into the Center spot on the first line?  Yikes!

Quote from: rjs246 on July 27, 2005, 03:19:56 PM

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 27, 2005, 03:16:53 PM
They're going to immediately plug a "rookie" into the Center spot on the first line?  Yikes!

You mean you don't like the idea of rookies taking over for JR and Kieth Primeau? I mean who are they? What have they done? Rookies can do the exact same thing as our captain and leading scorer, right? Right?!

Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 27, 2005, 03:20:51 PM

JR isn't playing center this year. He's playing on the wing.

Quote from: rjs246 on July 27, 2005, 03:27:03 PM
Agreed on all points, but my point is still the same. Replacing our top two centers with rookies doesn't make me feel all warm and snuggly inside.

QuoteFuture Flyers
Flyer fans, you can breath a little easier. A league exec told me the Flyers completed deals with 2003 first-round picks Jeff Carter and Mike Richards on Tuesday. The official announcement should come Wednesday.

If Philly hadn't signed the two centers by Thursday, they would have gone back into the draft pool on Saturday. And, in that scenario, they likely would have been selected second and third behind Sidney Crosby.

Carter and Richards showed their stuff in Philadelphia during the AHL playoffs, helping the Phantoms win the Calder Cup.

Carter, who joined the Phantoms for the postseason after his OHL season ended, led the AHL in playoff goals (12) and points (23). He also fired a league-best 87 shots and finished a plus-10 during his 21 postseason games. Carter probably would have been the league's playoff MVP had it not been for the stellar performance of Phantoms goalie Antero Niittymaki (1.75 GAA; .943 save percentage).

Richards didn't get to Philly until the second round of the playoffs, but he quickly gained the trust of head coach John Stevens. The Phantoms' bench boss sent Richards onto the ice in just about every situation, including key defensive-zone draws. Richards responded with seven goals and 15 points in 14 playoff games. He had three power-play goals, two short-handed goals and three game-winners while posting a plus-8 rating.

Fans can expect to see both 20-year-olds in Flyers uniforms on opening night. Both players were drafted in 2003. Carter was selected with the 11th pick, while Richards went 24th

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 27, 2005, 11:03:24 AM

Niedermayer will test the market but wants over $7M a year (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=131483&hubName=nhl)  :boom

QuoteRobert W. Goodenow today advised the NHLPA that he would step down as its Executive Director and General Counsel. The NHLPA named Ted Saskin, its Senior Director of Business Affairs and Licensing, to succeed Mr. Goodenow.

"With the conclusion of the negotiations and the ratification of the new agreement, the parties concur that this is an appropriate action for the future. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve the Players over the past 15 years and to have had the support of a tremendous staff at the NHLPA. I wish the Players every success under the new CBA." - Bob Goodenow

QuoteA Fool's Bet
by Jerry Del Colliano

I was talking with the enigmatic blogger "Eklund" recently about the state of the game and how the proposed (now real) CBA would affect our beloved Philadelphia Flyers and how great it would be for Crosby to wear an orange and black jersey. Eklund, who is NOT Inside Hockey's publisher Kevin Greenstein, offered me an interesting friendly wager I simply couldn't agree to. He wanted me to bet that super-prospect Sidney Crosby will have a better 2005-2006 NHL season than Flyers' young gun, Jeff Carter.


Eklund poses an interesting question about reality versus hype in the new NHL. Carter will be guaranteed to play on a good team that will still have veteran talent like Jeremy Roenick and Keith Primeau to show him around the league. It will take until July 30th to figure out where Crosby is playing and with whom he will be playing. With a weighted NHL draft, the odds of Crosby heading to one of the worst teams in the league are much higher than if the league agreed to an equally weighted draft. Considering how much the ten most successful teams suffered by not playing the 2004-2005 season, I am still shocked to see a weighted draft for the league. Other than landing Crosby in New York, some of the best cities the young phenom could land in are teams that make the playoffs each year. This includes my Flyers.


The best that Eklund offered me really sums up what we as fans should be most excited about. The new young talent currently in the league (LeCavalier, Pitkanen, Datsyuk, Chara, Luongo, Nash) paired with the young studs coming out this year (Crosby, Carter, Richards, Phaneuf, Ovechkin, Brule, Smid) paired with sweeping rules changes geared towards higher scoring and more meaningful hockey games is going to help fix the problem with the NHL product. The kids might not make what the last batch of players did in salary but they are likely to be more enthusiastic, higher scoring and most importantly more entertaining to watch in person and on HDTV.

Quote from: rjs246 on July 28, 2005, 03:27:56 PM
If and when Bettman steps down I'll officially be excited about hockey again.

QuoteThe NHL is providing you the opportunity to take part in a
hockey survey being conducted by Research Results, Inc. on
behalf of NHL.com. The purpose of this short online questionnaire
is to gather anonymous information regarding your interest in
the game. It should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete
the survey, and this opportunity expires Friday, August 5, 2005.

If you would like to participate, click on this link, which will
direct you to the survey, located on Research Results' website.
All information and results will be kept strictly confidential and
will be used only on an aggregate basis for research purposes only.

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 29, 2005, 05:23:54 PM
It'd basically be Fedoruk and #20 for the #2 pick?

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 30, 2005, 12:14:39 PM
Anaheim is taking Ryan #2 according to TSN  :-\

QuoteSteve Downie
Right Wing

Birthdate: 4/3/87
Birthplace: Newmarket, Ontario
Height: 5-10
Weight: 192
Shoots: Right
2003-04 Team: Windsor (Ontario Hockey League)
   
 
Personal Profile: Recorded 21 goals and 52 assists for 73 points and 179 penalty minutes in 61 regular season games for Windsor.
 
Central Scouting Report: "A good skater...possesses an accurate shot which he gets away quickly, often while on the move...very capableo of going to the net with determination of a 'power forward' despite his size...a creative playmaker adept at setting up his teammates for scoring opportunities...very good hockey sense...used regularly on the power play and penalty kill...plays bigger than his size and battles hard in the corners and along th boards...does not show any fear and won't back down from any opponent."
 

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 30, 2005, 05:46:45 PM
The kid was born in friggin' 1987?!?!?!?!?

It's that time, I guess.  Time for me to start feeling old.  WTF!!

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 30, 2005, 05:46:45 PM
The kid was born in friggin' 1987?!?!?!?!?

It's that time, I guess.  Time for me to start feeling old.  WTF!!

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 30, 2005, 07:56:13 PM
Apparently they traded the 2nd-round pick from the Fedoruk trade to Phoenix for a later pick and a #2 next year.  The Flyers now have 3 2nd-round picks next year...  :D

Quote from: SD_Eagle on July 30, 2005, 08:46:56 PM

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 30, 2005, 07:56:13 PM
Apparently they traded the 2nd-round pick from the Fedoruk trade to Phoenix for a later pick and a #2 next year.  The Flyers now have 3 2nd-round picks next year...  :D

How is next years draft looking? I think Clarke took a little more than cap advice from the Eagles F/O  :D

QuotePosted on Sun, Jul. 31, 2005
 
Sabres scoring leader becomes free agent

JOHN WAWROW

Associated Press


Miroslav Satan became an unrestricted free agent Sunday after the Buffalo Sabres declined to make a qualifying offer to the team's six-time scoring leader.

By not qualifying Satan's $4 million contract for next season, general manager Darcy Regier said the Sabres can now use that money to address other needs, particularly on defense.

Regier also noted that the team has depth at forward, including some up-and-coming prospects that could be ready to play in the NHL this season. That made it easier to part ways with Satan.

The NHL's free agency period opens Monday.

The Sabres also declined to make a qualifying offer to tough-guy forward Eric Boulton, a four-year veteran.

Satan, who represents himself in negotiations, was not available for comment.  :-D

Satan, a nine-year NHL veteran, was acquired by the Sabres from Edmonton late in the 1996-97 season.

In 2003-04, Satan led Buffalo with 29 goals and finished second with 57 points - the only season he didn't lead the Sabres in that category.

A three-time 30-goal scorer, Satan had 224 goals and 232 assists for 456 points during his tenure in Buffalo. His ranks seventh on the team's career goals list and 10th in points.

Quote from: BigEd76 on July 31, 2005, 10:21:34 PM
Unconfirmed rumor on another board that Derian Hatcher was spotted in the area...  :paranoid

QuoteFlyers looking to Foote to strengthen defense

By ED BARKOWITZ
barkowe@phillynews.com

Way back in the old days of the NHL, circa 2003-04, when the Flyers needed to fill a hole, they simply marked a guy and opened the checkbook.

But just like grandpop's stories of walking to school uphill in the snow (both ways), those days are long gone. The ability to spend freely and ask questions afterward has given way to the $39 million salary cap constraints of the present.

That's why, when the NHL free-agent market opened yesterday, the Flyers could not simply sign the premier available defenseman - New Jersey's Scott Niedermayer. Instead, like the 29 other teams, they went fishing.

Flyers general manager Bob Clarke has said he would like to add a quality defenseman, but with about $8.4 million of cap room, he just can't simply ink Niedermayer, who could command somewhere in the $7 million range. The most a player can earn is 20 percent of the cap or $7.8 million.

"Well, we've got a lot of lines in the water and we'll just have to see how it goes," said Clarke, who refused to specify which players the Flyers are targeting.

But one guy the Flyers have contacted is Adam Foote, the 34-year-old linchpin to two Stanley Cup championships in Colorado. Foote, 6-2, 215 pounds, is among the more physical defensemen in the league and his ability to clear traffic in front of the net has helped Avalanche goal-tenders stop many a shot. But that physical style also has led to numerous injuries.

It's unclear what kind of salary Foote is looking for, but the Rangers recently re-signed Darius Kasparaitis for $3.334 million per year.

"Well," Clarke said, "the market is really how much money [teams] have."

It sure ain't like the good ol' days.

There was a little activity yesterday, but nothing resembling a flurry; notably veteran forwards Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts left Toronto and signed 2-year deals with Florida for $4.5 million each. Mostly, the league's general managers burned up the phone lines and tried to figure out life in the new salary-cap era. The Flyers are going to do something, but nobody really knows when.

"It was much busier than usual," Clarke said. "This is the first time any of us have gone through anything like this. I wish there were a time frame."

Quote from: rjs246 on August 02, 2005, 09:12:41 AM
I have always really liked Therien. He's big and slow and was almost always +10 or more. Defensive defensemen aren't sexy, but they're damn necessary. He and Hatcher should be able to knock some skulls.

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 02, 2005, 09:15:01 AM
I did also read a while back that the flyers werent that pleased with Joni's progression so far.

Quote from: mikey418 on August 02, 2005, 11:13:15 AM
WIP is reporting that the Flyers are having a 1pm PC to announce the signing of Hatcher

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 01, 2005, 07:10:52 AM
I don't want Hatcher and that rumor sounds highly UN-reliable.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 02, 2005, 09:08:40 AM
PS...I LOVE getting both Hatcher and Rathje.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 02, 2005, 11:20:56 AM
Now, please tell me how Therien falls

Quote from: Geowhizzer on August 02, 2005, 11:59:56 AM
What I get for going back to work...

We signed Hatcher AND Rathje?  Excellent.   :yay

But Terry-Ann?  Hoo-boy, pylons tonight.  >:D

QuoteKevin Epp, the agent for free agent defenseman Scott Niedermayer, says he's disappointed the Flyers have not called. It's believed Niedermayer's reported $7-million asking price was just too high for Clarke.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.as...177&hubName=nhl

QuoteFlyers move to shore up defense
Team signs free agents Hatcher, Rathje ad Therien
By Tim Panaccio
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

In one mighty swoop the Flyers have leveled the ice surface along their blue line by signing two, big, bruising defenseman, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje, while also bringing back Chris Therien.

The Flyers also re-signed Phantoms forward Jon Sim to a a one-way NHL contract. Sim played with Hatcher in Dallas.

To make cap room for all four players, the Flyers traded defenseman Danny Markov to the Nashville Predators, according to league sources. That trade will be announced later today.

What haunted the Flyers heading into free agency was the possibly of yet another season in which Ottawa Senators forwards Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson, Martin Havlat would come across the blue line and smile, knowing no one was there to intimidate them.

Those smiles have been wiped off the collective faces of the Senators this morning.

A long-time Dallas Star before moving to Detroit two seasons ago, Hatcher stands 6-feet-5 and weighs 235 pounds. If the 14-year veteran is fully recovered from the torn knee ligaments in his right knee that caused him to miss 64 games as a Red Wing, he can again become one of the game's dominating presences.

Hatcher was a favorite of Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock in Dallas where he averaged 26 minutes of ice time a game and never played a lick on the power play. If healthy, he is durable and he puts up decent offensive numbers. Three years ago, he was plus-37 with 22 assists.

The 6-5, 235-pound Rathje was a draft choice and developed product of the San Jose Sharks and their former general manager Dean Lombardi, who is now a pro scout for the Flyers and pushed heavily for Flyers GM Bob Clarke to sign him. He has 12 years of NHL experience. Rathje averaged 24 minutes of playing time for the Sharks. Three years ago, he led the defense in goals (7), assists (22) and points (29).

The 6-5, 235-pound Therien is no stranger to Flyers fans, having been drafted and developed by the organization and playing here for 10 years. He was moved at the trading deadline to Dallas in 2003-04.

The signings figure to leave the Flyers with a payroll of between $36.5 and $37 million. The NHL salary cap is $39 million this season.

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 02, 2005, 12:11:02 PM
I liked Markov, but I kind of always felt he was underachieving.  Plus, he is injured a lot and gets the team a lot more in trade value than would Seidenberg.  They probably got a couple more 2nd rounders or maybe even a 1st.

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 02, 2005, 12:16:01 PM
Isn't he a bigger guy?  I just never felt he "played big", if you know what I mean.

Hell, I liked him too.  Just trying to figure out a reason.  It's probably as simple as the Flyers felt dumping his salary and getting something like a pick in return added more value overall.  It would appear they're getting close to the cap limit already, and dumping Johnnson would be unthinkable.

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 02, 2005, 12:39:44 PM
I loved when Markov was being interviewed during the 2003-2004 playoffs and he was smoking a cigarette 15 minutes after playing in OT against the Lightning...hopefully we got some good draft picks for him

Quote from: The Waco Kid on August 02, 2005, 12:53:43 PM
So Therien is officially signed then?

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 02, 2005, 12:57:40 PM

yes. But I am wondering what else clarke has up his sleeve. He's collecting Draft picks like they are going out of style. I am thinking that SOMEONE here is going to be part of a deal. Hitch hated Therien's play, so who knows. I'm going to reserve any more judgement until the pieces start to fall together.

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 02, 2005, 01:31:12 PM
I like the team they'll put on the ice, though.  It could be that Markov's contract was very rich, so trading him was basically a salary dump.

Quote from: MURP on August 02, 2005, 01:36:47 PMI guess Ill have to go back and root for the gay Flames!

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on August 02, 2005, 02:55:42 PM
I just heard a clip of Hitchcock talking about some issues between someone and Hatcher? Maybe he said Roenick? I didn't hear the entire thing. Someone fill me in, please.

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on August 02, 2005, 02:57:43 PM
Ok, that makes sense. Plus Clarkie said that both JR and Primeau called him and asked him to sign Hatcher...

Quote from: Geowhizzer on August 02, 2005, 02:58:12 PM
Was Hatcher the one that broke JR's jaw when Roenick was with the Coyotes?

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 02, 2005, 03:03:36 PM
www.theslot.com.br/2004/085/
colconstantino.html (http://www.theslot.com.br/2004/085/%3Cbr%20/%3Ecolconstantino.html)

Quote from: TO is GOD on August 02, 2005, 03:27:00 PM
I've been completely out of touch with the NFL lately. Anyone know why we didn't go after Niedermayer?

Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on August 03, 2005, 06:33:23 PM
CSN reports that the Flyers have signed Peter Forsberg...

QuoteFlyers land Forsberg

Peter Forsberg

TSN.ca Staff

8/3/2005 6:47:51 PM

Peter Forsberg is going back where he started.  TSN has learned that the Philadelphia Flyers have signed Forsberg to a two-year deal worth $10.7 million.

Forsberg will get $5.7 million in the first year of the deal and $5.0 in the second year.

The aquisition of Forsberg puts the Flyers over the NHL's salary cap, but GM Bob Clarke expects to make a trade within the next two days to get back under the league's financial limit.

The player most likely to go is veteran Jeremy Roenick, with NHL sources suggesting he is about to be moved to the L.A. Kings.

Forsberg was orginally drafted by the Flyers, 6th overall, in 1991.  He was then traded to the Quebec Nordiques in the Eric Lindros deal in 1992 before ever playing a game with Philadelphia.

Forsberg has 741 points in 580 NHL games.  He was considered the top forward available in this off-season's free agent crop.

Quote from: jerome99RIP on August 03, 2005, 07:31:05 PM
If it's Gagne, I'm gonna be really farging pissed off.

:boom

QuotePeter Forsberg UFA (Colorado) $5.7 million
Jeremy Roenick   $4.94 million
Mike Rathje UFA (San Jose) $3.5 million
Derian Hatcher UFA (Detroit) $3.5 million
Keith Primeau   $3.42 million
Eric Desjardins   $2.28 million
Michal Handzus   $2.128 million
Donald Brashear   $1.748 million
Mike Knuble   $1.52 million
Sami Kapanen   $1.52 million
Turner Stevenson   $1.254 million
Joni Pitkanen   $900,600
Mattias Timander   $608,000
Chris Therien UFA (Dallas) $500,000
Jon Sim UFA (Pittsburgh) $450,000
Jeff Carter Signed rookie deal Undisclosed
Mike Richards Signed rookie deal Undisclosed
15 Players 2 Salaries Undisclosed $33,968,600


Restricted Free Agents: Robert Esche, Simon Gagne, Kim Johnsson, Randy Jones, Freddy Meyer, David Printz, Branko Radivojevic, Dennis Seidenberg, Patrick Sharp, Wade Skolney.

Unrestricted Free Agents: John LeClair (Bought Out), Tony Amonte (Bought Out), Sean Burke, Jeff Hackett, Claude Lapointe, Vladimir Malakhov, Marcus Ragnarsson, Alexei Zhamnov, John Slaney, Boyd Kane, Neil Little, Ryan Ready, Nick Deschenes, Jeff Smith, Radovan Somik, Peter White.

Quote from: Geowhizzer on August 03, 2005, 09:08:15 PM
Come February, we could have the best team on the injured list!  :paranoid

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 03, 2005, 09:10:05 PM

Quote from: Geowhizzer on August 03, 2005, 09:08:15 PM
Come February, we could have the best team on the injured list!  :paranoid

stfu :sly

Quote from: rjs246 on August 03, 2005, 09:13:55 PM
If we could keep JR, Gagne and Forsberg I would probably have to stay home from work for a few days until my Hockey boner died down.

Quote from: SD_Eagle on August 03, 2005, 09:25:07 PM
HOLY shtein on Forsberg!  :o

Quote from: SD_Eagle on August 03, 2005, 09:25:07 PM
HOLY shtein on Forsberg!  :o

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 03, 2005, 10:04:27 PM
Bases loaded, 1 out for Burrell and Howard  :paranoid

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 03, 2005, 10:11:17 PM
You just missed the weirdest ending ever  :o

Quote from: rjs246 on August 03, 2005, 10:30:39 PM
Well I might as well call out for the rest of the week. How the hell am I gonna tame this rager?

Quote from: rjs246 on August 03, 2005, 10:32:51 PM
Dammit, I wanted a four-day weekend. Way to ruin everything, PG.

QuoteTo make room for Forsberg's salary under the cap, the Flyers were reportedly set to trade center Jeremy Roenick to the Los Angeles Kings. Roenick told Philadelphia sports radio station WIP he was expecting to be traded, though a Flyers spokesman said there was no deal to announce.

``The Flyers have a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup with Peter Forsberg than with Jeremy Roenick,'' Roenick told WIP.

Quote from: Geowhizzer on August 03, 2005, 10:35:40 PM
Flyers sign Forsberg to two-year deal  - AP Article (http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-flyers-forsberg&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Quote from: Geowhizzer on August 03, 2005, 10:35:40 PM
Flyers sign Forsberg to two-year deal  - AP Article (http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-flyers-forsberg&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 03, 2005, 10:36:26 PM

Quote from: Geowhizzer on August 03, 2005, 10:35:40 PM
Flyers sign Forsberg to two-year deal  - AP Article (http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-flyers-forsberg&prov=ap&type=lgns)

lol, I think I posted the AP story a few pages ago?

Quote from: phillywestbrook36 on August 03, 2005, 11:46:22 PM
Wasn't Forsberg retiring because of concussion problems???

Quote from: phillywestbrook36 on August 04, 2005, 01:04:16 AM
Nah, I'm positive, his dad said he was retiring after he suffered a concussion this year.. it was reported in the Denver post or whatever their paper is.

QuoteForsberg suffers concussion playing in Sweden
Associated Press

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Peter Forsberg sustained a concussion Thursday night in his first Swedish Elite League game since breaking his hand six weeks ago -- an injury that could end his career, according to his father.

Forsberg, who plays for the MoDo team coached by his father, was cross-checked into the boards by Farjestad's Peter Nordstrom during the second period of a playoff game. Nordstrom was ejected for the hit.

"He's had his share of concussions, I think it is enough now [to cause him to retire]," coach Kent Forsberg said.

MoDo's team doctor had Forsberg under observation at the team hotel.

"The first thing (Nordstrom) did in the game was to hit Peter right on his arms," Forsberg's father said. "You do such a thing for only one reason."

Farjestad won 5-4 to take a 3-1 lead in the quarterfinal series.

The head injury was the latest to plague Forsberg's otherwise brilliant hockey career.

He had a handful of concussions while playing in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche.

Forsberg had an ankle injury that kept him out for the entire 2001-02 regular season, and he missed the final two rounds of the 2001 playoffs because of a ruptured spleen. Forsberg has also had surgery on his shoulders, groin area and thigh.

It's unclear if Forsberg planned to stay in Sweden or return to North America after playing in his home country during the lockout that canceled the entire NHL season.

QuoteTo make room for Forsberg's salary under the cap, the Flyers were reportedly set to trade center Jeremy Roenick to the Los Angeles Kings. Roenick told Philadelphia sports radio station WIP he was expecting to be traded, though a Flyers spokesman said there was no deal to announce.

"The Flyers have a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup with Peter Forsberg than with Jeremy Roenick," Roenick told WIP.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 04, 2005, 12:38:48 PM
JR traded to the Kings for a 3rd round pick and future considerations, as per WIP update.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 04, 2005, 12:41:10 PM
Future considerations can become something decent. If anything, its a salary dump. It had to happen...there was no other way around it.

Quote from: rjs246 on August 04, 2005, 12:40:32 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 04, 2005, 12:38:48 PM
JR traded to the Kings for a 3rd round pick and future considerations, as per WIP update.

That is the least hetero trade ever. A third rounder? Jesus.

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 04, 2005, 12:45:41 PM
It stinks losing JR but We HAVE FORSBERG  :crazy  Had it been JR for Future considerations only i would think it was junk but us throwing in a 3rd makes that consideration much more valuable. 

Quote from: rjs246 on August 04, 2005, 12:54:11 PM
Future considerations could be a pile of dirty jock straps for all we know. I think we got hosed for the moment, but everyone knew that we were going to be more or less desperate to dump salary so I guess its to be expected.

Quote from: rjs246 on August 04, 2005, 01:07:25 PM
Forsberg and his spleen are awesome, no doubt, but I think it goes without saying that Forsberg plus JR would be a helluva lot nicer than just Forsberg. But hey, we've got arguably the best player in the league. Who am I to complain.

QuoteThe Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have traded center Jeremy Roenick and the Nashville Predators' third round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for future considerations, according to club General Manager Bob Clarke.

Roenick, 35, did not play during the 2004-05 season. During the 2003-04 season, he recorded 19 goals and 28 assists for 47 points and 62 penalty minutes in 62 regular season games for the Flyers. Roenick missed 19 games from February 14 through March 23 due to a broken left jaw and concussion sustained in a game against the Rangers in New York on February 12, 2004.

In three seasons with the Flyers (2001-02 through 2003-04), Roenick registered 67 goals and 106 assists for 173 points and 211 penalty minutes in 216 games. He was signed by the Flyers as a free agent on July 2, 2001.

In 1,124 career regular season NHL games over 16 seasons (1988-89 through 2003-04) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes and the Flyers, Roenick has registered 475 goals and 645 assists for 1,120 points and 1,345 penalty minutes.

The Flyers acquired Nashville's third round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for defenseman Danny Markov on August 2, 2005.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 04, 2005, 12:48:43 PM
AND....if you think about it, it actually becomes JR and Markov for Forsberg and future considerations.

QuoteBasically bought out Markov and Roenick without spending a cent, then used the cash to pay Forsberg.

QuoteForsberg said several teams, including Colorado, pursued him, and he declined a better offer from another club he wouldn't name.

Quote``We've improved on defense immensely and we've improved our center ice immensely,'' Clarke said. ``What that translates to, I don't know.''

Quote from: PhillyandBCEagles on August 04, 2005, 03:14:59 PM
I still don't like it.  WTF would've been wrong with dealing Handzus and Brashear???  And why the hell did we have to give up a 3rd-round pick in the process as well??

Quote from: PhillyandBCEagles on August 04, 2005, 03:14:59 PM
I still don't like it.  WTF would've been wrong with dealing Handzus and Brashear???  And why the hell did we have to give up a 3rd-round pick in the process as well??

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 04, 2005, 01:42:31 PM
JR & Markov << Forsberg & Hatcher << Ditka

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 04, 2005, 02:44:12 PM

QuoteForsberg said several teams, including Colorado, pursued him, and he declined a better offer from another club he wouldn't name.

Sweet.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 04, 2005, 09:28:27 PM
Flyers picks (as of now) for next season (MUCH deeper draft):

1st
2nd
2nd (from TB)
2nd (From PHO)
2nd (from FLA)
3rd
4th
4th - (from CBJ)
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 04, 2005, 06:36:54 PM
Rumor is that it was either Toronto or the Rangers...

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 05, 2005, 12:49:56 AM
Unconfirmed rumor:  Handzus to Edmonton for restricted FA center Marty Reasoner...  ???

Quote from: SD_Eagle on August 05, 2005, 01:50:19 AM

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 05, 2005, 12:49:56 AM
Unconfirmed rumor:  Handzus to Edmonton for restricted FA center Marty Reasoner...  ???

We shouldn't be trying to dump salary after the JR trade, right? That trade would make no sense.  :-\

QuoteActive Flyers pushing the envelope
Story Tools:    Print   Email  XML   
Shawn P. Roarke / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 15 hours ago     



So, the Philadelphia Flyers are the first team to go over the salary cap.

No great shock there, right? All along, it figured to be a three-team race between the Flyers, the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings — teams that have shown a propensity to spend no matter the sport's economic landscape.
The current incarnation of the Philadelphia Flyers have always used boatloads of cash in the same manner past editions used flurries of fists to develop a swagger and snarl that defined the team's identity as a legitimate contender. Bobby Clarke, a key component of the those championship Broad Street Bullies of the 1970s, has never been shy as the team's current general manager to use the power of the checkbook in an attempt to bludgeon opponents into submission.

What is surprising, however, is the speed with which the Flyers surpassed the salary cap figure of $39 million. After waiting for a whole day of free agency to pass without making a move, Clarke decided to jump into the free-agent pool feet first, not even bothering to take a temperature reading.

Forty-eight hours later, the ultra-aggressive Clarke had completely remade his team, bringing in a trio of rugged defenseman — Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje and Chris Therien — who should feel right at home in the hard-hitting Eastern Conference. Then, as if that were not enough, he topped that bold stroke with Wednesday evening's acquisition of Peter Forsberg — merely the best center to lace up a pair of skates in the past decade.

Quite the cast of talent he plucked in that tidy little shopping sprees, but the price tag was steep. Those four players cost a cool $13 million against the cap and put the Flyers more than $2 million over the $39 million limit mandated by the CBA.

Not to worry, says Clarke, who had no qualms about shattering the illusion of fiscal conservatism created by the recent ratification of the new owner-friendly CBA.

"We signed (Forsberg) knowing that he puts us over the cap and we will have to trade some guys now," Clarke said in release issued Wednesday night.

And trade he did, sending veteran center Jeremy Roenick and his $4.94 million salary out West to the Los Angeles Kings.

While shipping out the always-controversial JR seems easy enough — especially in conjunction with bringing in Forsberg — it comes with some drawbacks. Roenick has won over a good many of Philadelphia's demanding fans during his three-year run on Broad Street and he is the ultimate competitor. During last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Roenick was one of the team's best players and set a much-needed example by not only playing hurt for much of the postseason, but delivering clutch performances at every turn.

His leadership and personality will be sorely missed by a team that can often take itself too seriously, especially when the stakes rise in the postseason. He is one of those rare athletes that willingly embraces the spotlight and shoulders its responsibilities in an effort to allow teammates the freedom needed to perform at peak levels.

Clarke will most likely have to unload a few other players currently under contract — look for Donald Brashear to be a possible cap casualty, possibly joined by Michal Handzus —as he goes about finding bargain-basement players to surround his superstar core of Forsberg, Simon Gagne, Keith Primeau, Hatcher, Rathje, Eric Desjardins and goalie Robert Esche.

Sure, Clarke is helped by the influx of young, and more importantly, cheap talent he can pluck from his farm team — the American Hockey League champion Philadelphia Phantoms. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, the unquestioned stars of the Phantoms' success, have already signed entry-level deals to join the parent club. He was also aided by ownerships willingness to torch the cap-heavy contracts of players like Tony Amonte and John LeClair, who had their pockets lined with cash to walk away quietly.

And, like the other teams that have chosen to gorge themselves at this unprecedented buffet of big-name free agents, the euphoria in Philadelphia could be short-lived.

Because of the inherent inflexibility associated with flirting with the upper-limit of the cap, the Flyers could find serious trouble down the road if injuries start chipping away at the team's core.

Because, let's not forget, while Forsberg might be the best center to play the game in the past decade, he is also increasingly susceptible to injury because of the no-quarter-given approach he has toward the game. Four years ago, Forsberg missed an entire season while recovering from spleen and ankle injuries. He has played 75 games or more just three times in his 10-year NHL career.

Last year, he played in just 39 regular-season games while battling a litany of injuries. Often, he has contemplated retirement because of the physical price the sport is exacting on his body. That price will surely be inflated this year, as the Flyers play even more games in the rugged, tight-checking Eastern Conference.

Primeau, meanwhile, missed 28 games last year with one injury after another, including a troublesome head injury late in the year. Desjardins missed the playoffs with a broken arm two years ago, and was also sidelined by back spasms. Hatcher, meanwhile, missed the majority of the 2003-04 after tearing his ACL just weeks into his career as Detroit's big free-agent ticket.

So, it is no stretch to say that Philadelphia's impressive core is showing some cracks. If those fissures remain manageable, the Flyers will no doubt be odds-on favorites to win the Stanley Cup that has somehow eluded their grasp for the past few years. However, if the cracks expand and threaten the foundation of this team, things could get ugly rather quickly — especially without the safety net of available funds to conduct late-season repairs.

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 05, 2005, 12:02:14 PM
So, Bobby obviously isn't taking Joe Banner's advice.  Oh well.  The Flyers are more fun this way.

Quote from: TO is GOD on August 09, 2005, 01:29:31 AM
Why only one year deals?

Quote from: TO is GOD on August 09, 2005, 01:29:31 AM
Why only one year deals?

Quote from: Philly_Crew on August 09, 2005, 07:45:28 AM
I really hope they find a way to keep Handzuz.

Quote from: Philly_Crew on August 09, 2005, 08:52:05 AM
I mean that they don't trade him.  I guess it would depend on the trade but I think the sky is the limit for him.  Find another way to free up cap space for Forsberg.  Would Brashear alone do it?

Quote from: General_Failure on August 09, 2005, 03:43:37 PM
William Shatner's seen better days.

QuotePosted on Wed, Aug. 10, 2005 



No agreement for Esche; Clarke says fallback is Niittymaki

By STEVE KING
kings@phillynews.com

On a day four Flyers - left winger Simon Gagne, defenseman Kim Johnsson, right winger Branko Radivojevic and center Patrick Sharp - agreed to qualifying offers for the 2005-06 season, the team still had no agreement with goaltender Robert Esche.

Had the NHL had no lockout last season, Esche would have made $778,000, a rather low salary for a starter. Now, with the new collective bargaining agreement and its 24 percent salary rollback, Esche could see his salary drop.

Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said Esche has not signed, because he is looking for a raise. Clarke said he was "confident that a deal will get done soon," but also made it clear he would have no problem going with 25-year-old Antero Niittymaki as his starting goaltender if the season were to start today.

"I think a club can win without anybody. I don't think one person makes a club," Clarke said. "We want Esche and we're trying to sign him, but we don't have any control over how a player thinks."

Esche's agent, Patrick Ducharme, would not elaborate on the progress of negotiations, saying he has "no time frame in mind," but hopes to have a deal "very soon."

The only other Flyer without an agreement is defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. Clarke said he expects to wrap up a deal with Seidenberg and his agent within the next few days.

Gagne, 25, who signed a 1-year, $2 million deal, can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2006-07 season, according to terms of the new CBA. Under the previous agreement, Gagne could not become an unrestricted free agent until he was 31.

"We tried briefly to get a long-term deal in place, but it didn't work out," said Bob Sauve, Gagne's agent. "Right now, we're just happy that Simon is under contract and that hockey is back on ice."

Johnsson, who led all team defensemen with 42 points in 2003-04, will make $2.2 million, while Radivojevic will earn $551,760 and Sharp $450,000.

Preseason schedule

Of course, it will be nice when all these players the Flyers have signed in the last few weeks actually play in a game.

The Flyers, who released their preseason schedule yesterday, will play six exhibition games, including three straight home games at the Wachovia Center, beginning Sept. 24 against Washington.

The Flyers will open their exhibition season at Trenton's Sovereign Bank Areana on Sept. 21 against the New York Islanders.

PRESEASON SCHEDULE

Home games in CAPS

Sept. 21: at New York Islanders, 7:30

Sept. 24: WASHINGTON CAPITALS, 7

Sept. 27: NEW YORK ISLANDERS, 7

Sept. 29: NEW JERSEY DEVILS, 7

Sept. 30: at New Jersey Devils, 7:30

Oct. 1: at Washington Capitals, 7

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 10, 2005, 10:25:50 AM
Anyone else notice that the NHL shield is on the collar like the NFL jerseys?  New....  :paranoid

Quote from: Phanatic on August 10, 2005, 10:48:46 AM
I'm actually hoping that Nitty gets the start. He's young and a potential superstar.

Quote from: Phanatic on August 10, 2005, 11:08:16 AM
Everyone has to get the experiance somehow. What better way to get on a team lead by Forseberg!

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 10, 2005, 10:32:46 AM
im getting me a Richards jersey  :P

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 10, 2005, 11:37:09 AM

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 10, 2005, 10:32:46 AM
im getting me a Richards jersey  :P

#18  8)

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 10, 2005, 01:46:33 PM
P.S. -- the Flyers lost Sean Burke to Tampa Bay.  DAMN!  :win

:paranoid

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 10, 2005, 01:55:30 PM

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 10, 2005, 01:46:33 PM
P.S. -- the Flyers lost Sean Burke to Tampa Bay.  DAMN!  :win

:paranoid

:-D And TB lost the Bulin Wall....so is Burke their starter now?  :-D

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 10, 2005, 02:08:59 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 10, 2005, 01:55:30 PM

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 10, 2005, 01:46:33 PM
P.S. -- the Flyers lost Sean Burke to Tampa Bay.  DAMN!  :win

:paranoid

:-D And TB lost the Bulin Wall....so is Burke their starter now?  :-D

That made my Day!  :-D

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 10, 2005, 02:13:18 PM

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 10, 2005, 02:08:59 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 10, 2005, 01:55:30 PM

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 10, 2005, 01:46:33 PM
P.S. -- the Flyers lost Sean Burke to Tampa Bay.  DAMN!  :win

:paranoid

:-D And TB lost the Bulin Wall....so is Burke their starter now?  :-D

That made my Day!  :-D

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/SamiB/tortfonz.jpg)

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 10, 2005, 02:22:30 PM
Speaking of Forsberg he's going to be on wmmr this week but they havent said when

QuoteHatcher was suspended by the NHL for three games after elbowing forward Matt Lombardi in the head during Game 6 of Detroit's Stanley Cup playoff series against Calgary in May 2004. Because the loss eliminated the Red Wings, Hatcher was to serve his suspension at the beginning of the 2004-05 season, which was wiped out.

The Flyers yesterday called the NHL office for a clarification, and are awaiting an answer. Hatcher is under the impression from the players' association that he will not have to serve it, because the season was canceled.

"I really don't even remember what happened, but I just know that they said if the season was canceled, my suspension would be wiped away,'' Hatcher said.

Quote from: NGM on August 10, 2005, 02:25:48 PM

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 10, 2005, 02:22:30 PM
Speaking of Forsberg he's going to be on wmmr this week but they havent said when

I hate not being able to listen to AM radio at work.  :boom

Quote from: NGM on August 10, 2005, 02:25:48 PM

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 10, 2005, 02:22:30 PM
Speaking of Forsberg he's going to be on wmmr this week but they havent said when

I hate not being able to listen to AM radio at work. :boom

Quote from: NGM on August 10, 2005, 02:34:08 PM
Either way I don't get it in Lancaster. Thanks anywa.  :yay

QuotePosted on Wed, Aug. 10, 2005 



Two big new defensemen add to Flyers' reputation

By Ray Parrillo
Inquirer Staff Writer

Standing between Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje while posing for photographers at the Skate Zone in Voorhees yesterday, Flyers general manager Bob Clarke looked like a pedestrian flanked by a pair of high-rises.

Clarke has long held the belief that size counts, especially along the blue line, which is why he was beaming as he introduced Hatcher and Rathje, a pair of veteran 6-foot-5, 235-pound defensemen he signed last week.

"First and foremost, they give us really solid defensive play with some size," Clarke said.

Hatcher, 33, is a 13-year veteran with a nasty edge and a Stanley Cup ring he earned while playing for Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock in Dallas in 1999, serving as the captain. At first, he joked that the demanding Hitchcock, who has a reputation for grating on players, was not the reason he chose the Flyers.

Did he ever imagine playing for Hitchcock again? "Probably not," he said, laughing. "But to be honest, I'm not surprised I'm playing for him again. It wasn't a deterrent in any way in coming back. I didn't feel like a fresh start with a new coach I don't know, so if anything it helped me in coming.

"I was five years with Hitch and I guess a lot of players have problems with him, and I had a few problems with him, but we always seemed to hammer them out. Everywhere Hitch goes he has a tendency to win. Like it or not, the guy knows what he's talking about, and to me that's the bottom line."

Hatcher, who has agreed to a four-year contract worth $14 million, has an aggressive style that should delight Flyers fans who enjoy watching their heroes exact a pound of flesh from opponents. He once found a way to quiet chatty Jeremy Roenick, breaking his jaw with an elbow that got him suspended. In his last game before the NHL lockout - Game 6 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals against Calgary - he drew a three-game suspension for elbowing the Flames' Matthew Lombardi. Hatcher said he has been told he won't have to serve the suspension because the season was canceled.
The Flyers' reputation as a physical team was a reason Hatcher chose them.

"I actually had someone tell me that I should have been here my whole career... because of the style of player in Philadelphia, maybe, or something like that, I would fit in to the Philadelphia Flyer role," he said. "It's just the way I've kind of always played and I feel when I'm playing that way I'm playing my best. It gets you in the game. That's my game and I don't plan on getting away from it."

Rathje, 31, who was signed to a five-year, $17.5 million deal, has earned a reputation as a sturdy defender capable of knocking attackers out of harm's way. San Jose made him the No. 3 overall choice in the 1992 draft.

"I pictured myself in a Flyers uniform and it looked pretty good," he said. "It's a team that's doing everything they can to win and every player wants to go to a club that gives you every element to win. The ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, which I haven't done, they have the elements here to do it and that's really exciting for me."

Both Hatcher and Rathje had spent their careers in the Western Conference, so they are quite familiar with Peter Forsberg, the brilliant center the Flyers signed last week.

"Going into the playoffs, if you asked me to pick a forward, I'd pick him," Hatcher said. "Maybe not everyone would, but I think he'd be in everyone's top three. I think he's the best forward in the game, if not the best player. Not only can he do things with the puck that most players in the league can't, you've got to know where he is on the ice because he'll hit you and make you pay a price. I'm looking forward to play with him."

Said Rathje: "When they signed him, I couldn't believe it. Everybody dreams about playing with a player like that."

Four more sign. Clarke yesterday announced the signings of four players to qualifying offers, including forward Simon Gagne ($2 million). The Flyers also signed defenseman Kim Johnsson ($2.2 million) and forwards Branko Radivojevic ($551,760) and Patrick Sharp ($450,000).

Goalie Robert Esche and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg remain unsigned.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 10, 2005, 02:28:47 PM

QuoteHatcher was suspended by the NHL for three games after elbowing forward Matt Lombardi in the head during Game 6 of Detroit's Stanley Cup playoff series against Calgary in May 2004. Because the loss eliminated the Red Wings, Hatcher was to serve his suspension at the beginning of the 2004-05 season, which was wiped out.

The Flyers yesterday called the NHL office for a clarification, and are awaiting an answer. Hatcher is under the impression from the players' association that he will not have to serve it, because the season was canceled.

"I really don't even remember what happened, but I just know that they said if the season was canceled, my suspension would be wiped away,'' Hatcher said.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/12345325.htm

Well, now...that would be damn nice to see. Like I said before, I want to see skulls cracked on the Rangers....preferably by Mr. Hatcher. :evil

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 10, 2005, 07:37:15 PM
Esche signed a 2-year deal, and Seidenberg accepted the qualifying offer...  :yay

Quote from: NGM on August 10, 2005, 02:34:08 PM
Either way I don't get it in Lancaster. Thanks anywa. :yay

QuoteIf that is Lindros' value, what then of other Leftover forwards like Alexander Mogilny, Teemu Selanne, Mark Messier[/b], Scott Young (who once scored 40 goals), Vincent Damphousse, Peter Bondra, John LeClair (Lindros' former linemate on the Legion of Doom) and faceoff expert Yanic Perreault?

QuoteRegarding the trade of Jeremy Roenick, the "future considerations" likely will be based on his performance in Los Angeles and become a draft pick. However, don't be surprised if the Kings are out of the playoff picture come March, and the Flyers need a center because of an injury, to see Roenick come back as those same "future considerations." By March, J.R.'s salary would be down to about $1.8 million. It's a wild theory, but plausible.

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 15, 2005, 11:18:34 AM
Panaccio (http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/12376818.htm)

QuoteRegarding the trade of Jeremy Roenick, the "future considerations" likely will be based on his performance in Los Angeles and become a draft pick. However, don't be surprised if the Kings are out of the playoff picture come March, and the Flyers need a center because of an injury, to see Roenick come back as those same "future considerations." By March, J.R.'s salary would be down to about $1.8 million. It's a wild theory, but plausible.

:P

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 15, 2005, 11:33:09 AM
isn't she what guys call "Butter face"? LOL

Hot body, butter face?

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 15, 2005, 11:33:09 AM
isn't she what guys call "Butter face"? LOL

Hot body, butter face?

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 15, 2005, 11:41:17 AM
She has a face  :P   and you mean everything looks good....Butther Face  >:D

QuoteI was making sure this time I got a no trade clause in the deal (laughs). So they can't get rid of me.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 23, 2005, 02:56:16 PM
Storr was signed to be a Phantom.

Quote from: dis12 on August 23, 2005, 03:01:04 PM
Storr will be Neil Little's back-up.  Nitty will be the future goalie for the Flyers.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 23, 2005, 02:56:16 PM
Storr was signed to be a Phantom.

Quote from: NGM on August 23, 2005, 03:06:16 PM
Is Frank that much better than Esche? 

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 23, 2005, 03:07:22 PM

Quote from: NGM on August 23, 2005, 03:06:16 PM
Is Frank that much better than Esche? 

Frank isn't 100% ready to be a starter. He's backing up Esche this year. But I think they'll split time like Esche and Chemo did a few years ago. Great combo...only Frank's not the headcase that Chemo was.

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 23, 2005, 03:25:52 PM
I need a Nittymaki jersey to go with my Boucher one.

Quote from: SD_Eagle on August 23, 2005, 03:50:25 PM

Quote from: FFatPatt on August 23, 2005, 03:25:52 PM
I need a Nittymaki jersey to go with my Boucher one.

Do have a Bruce Hoffert jersey?

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 23, 2005, 06:58:58 PM
I dont want to sound greedy but I would love to have Heatley on the Flyers.  I would give up Gagne for him

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 23, 2005, 06:58:58 PM
I dont want to sound greedy but I would love to have Heatley on the Flyers.  I would give up Gagne for him

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 23, 2005, 10:26:24 PM

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on August 23, 2005, 06:58:58 PM
I dont want to sound greedy but I would love to have Heatley on the Flyers.  I would give up Gagne for him

No way. Sorry.

And the Sens might have gotten the better of the deal, but Heatley doesn't have a history of KILLING the Flyers every time he plays them.

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 23, 2005, 10:26:24 PM
And the Sens might have gotten the better of the deal, but Heatley doesn't have a history of KILLING the Flyers every time he plays them.

Quote from: rjs246 on August 23, 2005, 10:49:14 PM

Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 23, 2005, 10:26:24 PM
And the Sens might have gotten the better of the deal, but Heatley doesn't have a history of KILLING the Flyers every time he plays them.

No, but he does have a history of killing his friends.

Quote from: rjs246 on August 23, 2005, 10:49:14 PM


No, but he does have a history of killing his friends.