NOW that it's official, I hate the Sharks.

So, the trade I refused to comment on has now finally come to fruition, minus Los Angeles.

Ottawa Senators trade:
Speed Racer Dany Heatley
Fifth round pick in 2010

to San Jose Sharks for:
Milan Michalek
Jonathan Cheechoo
2nd round pick in 2010

Now, on paper this looks like a win for the Sharks. I think this will end up working better for Ottawa, though. Cheechoo, I believe, will benefit from a change of scenery- and working with Alfie and Spezza won't hurt either. I think that Michalek though will thrive in Ottawa-not that he needs any help, he has three straight 20+ goal seasons and is merely 25. He's a very consistent player, and I think he's going to do well with the players around him like he did in San Jose. I'm a lot more worried to play Ottawa this season now, I'll tell you that much. Though I can only hurl insults at Heatley once this year, which is kind of depressing in a way. Oh well, that's a benefit of NHL Center Ice, and being a Flames fan. I get to yell at him as much as possible! YAY!

The Sabres held their PuckDrop today. I didn't go since I have to make money for North Carolina and was working, but from what I hear TimCo looks pretty good this year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed he stays healthy-while I don't like him, I do like his point production. And I think anyone would agree that points do help you win games, right? Correct.

I actually hope this year that the Habs end up like the early 2000's Rangers, where they sign all these awesome players and suck ridiculously. I'm almost excited thinking of it right now, and game one hasn't been played! Sorry, Steve, I just hate the Canadiens.

Hmmmmmm... I can't think of much else. Six days until my first hockey of the year. I am getting antsy. I'll probably update again Monday after I get up ridiculously early to watch practice. My one day off this week and they have to practice at 7:30 in the AM? Thanks, guys.

DONE.

Failed to mention

I left out the fact before whence speaking of the Sabres that Jeff Cowan- or, as Canuckleheads would call him, "Cowan the Bra-barian", after a young lass flung her bra on the ice after he scored- has signed with the team this offseason. AND that Cody McCormick signed as well! Now Cowan, he's a fighter, scrappy kid. Doesn't score too much, but neither did Petey, and we did just fine without him in the lineup. McCormick has 30 points in 190 NHL games (Petey played ten more games and only has 7 NHL points), so hey, he's like SUPER PETEY (minus three hundred penalty minutes, but he'll learn)! And he likes kicking the crap out of people!

PROOF



Add to that Grier and Montador, and Goose, Ellis, Kaleta, Mair when he gets healthy... ohhhhhhhhh boy, we can hit people again!

Can we just sign Darren McCarty and get it overwith? Seriously?

aaaand done.

Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage

Seven days until I get to see my first hockey of the season... in North Carolina! It's going to be weird opening up the season watching a game down there, since in my 24 years that has never happened, but it should be fun nonetheless. The gameplan-

Thursday 9/17

Sabres practice- 10AM- 12:30PM. Then taking the rail to the Greyhound station. Sitting on a bus for NINETEEN AND A HALF HOURS.

Friday 9/18

Arrive in NC at 9:30 AM. Practice at 10 (that was my idea, don't worry). Sleep for a few hours because the odds of me sleeping on a bus ride of that length are pretty damn bad. Hurricanes/Predators at 7.

I'm pretty pumped. And I get to see the Sabres before I leave, so that serves to be a good time. And I get to see two different practices in two days, so that's... interesting? I don't know how awake I will be for Canes practice, because of the lack of sleep and the fact I have three transfers after midnight, but I'm gonna suck it up.

This season is going to kick some major ass.

Also, Dany Heatley to the Sharks is NOT A TRADE YET. ESPN, NHL.com, the blogosphere, please get your panties and tighty whites out of the bunch they're in because it hasn't happened. And why would you trust ESPN anyway with hockey? I mean, my guess is that if it came out of ESPN, it's a rumor created due to the fact that Barry Melrose and Matthew Barnaby were bored. I dunno. When it happens, I will comment, just like with the Drew Stafford business. But it hasn't. So I won't. End.

Lots of work the next few days before I leave, so I might not be able to do much writing. But I'll let you know how NC is. Later!

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Many things to report, none of which are really all too important.

First, I am very excited about Calgary's chances this season. Adding Bouwmeester to an already solid group of Defensemen led by Robyn Regehr and Dion "That's About Phaneuf Outta You" was great, but coupled with the fact that Olli Jokinen is STILL with the team (and producing!) and I'm pretty thrilled. Yeah, we lost Camo, and that sucks, but at the same time with the team we have (we still have Iginla, Langkow, Glencross, et cetera so I'm not worried) and the players we got in the offseason (McGrattan to beat people's faces in, Nigel Dawes to... sound British and get some goals) and the fact that Brent Sutter is now behind the bench, and you have one solid team. Pretty exciting stuff. I hope that Backlund comes up and plays with the team this year, or Brett Sutter- though, if Brett Sutter plays, the Flames would just have a monopoly on Sutters in the NHL. We just have to find a way to get Brendan now.

Speaking of Carolina, I'm fairly excited to get down there for my first game at the RBC Center. I have heard many wonderful things about it, but at the same time, it will be nothing comparable to seeing it for myself. Even though it is preseason, I am very pumped- I don't think I've been this excited for preseason in a few years. I'll be sure to blog all about it since that's what the youth of America is doing nowadays, you know!

And speaking of blogs, it is best not to take the word on a contract signing from merely a blog. The Drew Stafford signing news that appeared on numerous blogs the past month was mere bullocks, starting with a post to a Sabres board from a San Jose Mercury-News article... from three years ago. Guys, Drew is not signed. Let us refrain from the chatter until a deal gets done (hopefully with another team, I hate that guy- but that's for another day).

Speaking of the Sabres, Sabres fans, how frickin' pumped are you for next season? Now granted, we didn't get any high scoring offense this year. Also Lalime is still our backup, so should Miller get a Scott Gomez ankle beatdown this year, we are still screwed. But we have guys that can hit, Tim Connolly looks like he's going to be healthy from what I've heard from those at the Pepsi Center, and our D actually looks good and gritty! Can you believe it? Sabres and gritty in the same sentence? It's been a few. I'd like to see us trade a D-man (Henrik Tallinder, I'm looking in YOUR direction) and maybe sign a scoring veteran like Petr Sykora, who is SOMEHOW still available at the time of this posting. I think if we did that, we would be heading into the right direction. Not only is Sykora a solid winger, but he's a proven goal scorer (25 goals last season- again, how is this guy NOT signed?!) on a consistent basis, gives his all on a consistent basis, and has been to the Stanley Cup Finals five times in his thirteen NHL seasons, winning twice- once with New Jersey, once last season with Pittsburgh. I don't really think this would happen, but if by some chance in hell Darcy Regier randomly peeks at my blog (I'm pretty sure he doesn't, but let's dare to dream) I think he should make this happen.

Man, I can write up a storm when I feel like it! I'll be sure to do more updating when I'm able- more than likely, from North Carolina. Wow, hard to believe I will be seeing hockey in just a week and a half.

It's a beautiful world.

Take care, all! Cheers!

BRAND SPANKING NEW!

Oh hey, boys and girls. This is my new blog now, since NHL Connect turned into some sort of NHL Facebook now (without the Hockey Tycoon application- go figure) and it bugs me to even look at it. So, I guess this is the time I should tell you stuff about me.

Nope.

All you need to know is I like hockey. Specifically, three teams- Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and... oh, get ready for this one, folks...


...The Carolina Hurricanes.

Now most of you by now are like, "Hey, buddy. How in Gord's name could you ever like the Sabres AND the Canes?" Which is why I'm going to tell you right now, obviously. Back when I was a young man of... well, it was February really, but I was but 23 then... I made friends on NHL Connect with two young ladies, Kate and Rachel. And we went back and forth since Canes fans and Sabres fans can sometimes do that from time to time, but Rachel told me about a young lad named Chad LaRose, who she dubbed "The Chuck Norris of Hockey". Why he got that nickname, I can't understand- I'm blaming facebook- but I was intrigued. And since Time Warner Cable was VERY kind to me this past year, I had NHL Center Ice for FREE until the beginning of March (yeah, almost all season), so I decided I'd check this guy out. The first game I watched, I don't even remember who they played. No, the only thing I remember is number 59 in red chugging down the ice, finishing checks (all 5'8" of him) and completing passes and playing every shift like he was in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. Much like my favorite Sabre, Paul Gaustad, he showed heart, grit, and determination- well, except Goose is like, 6'3"- and the rest they say is history. I do take a lot of heat for this, don't get me wrong. I've gotten used to my friends not understanding, and calling me a traitor, but I still love the hell out of my Sabres and could never EVER turn my back on them. I think the playoff run of the Canes this past season pretty much sealed the deal, since they had a crazy series against the Devils which included a Game Seven to remember (down 3-2 with less than ninety seconds to play, the Canes scored twice in less than a minute to win 4-3 and take the series- it is now called "Shock At The Rock") and an equally mind-blowing series against top-seed Boston (that game seven is known as "That time Scotty Walker punched the Bruins in the soul") before bowing out to the eventual Cup Champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Anyway, I'm rambling. So, I like the Canes, and the Sabres, and the Flames. But I love hockey. I pay attention at least to every team, and when none of mine are on, I will watch any and every game I can. Other than hockey, I love baseball (the Cardinals and Red Sox, specifically), basketball (Boston Celtics! WOO!), and Buffalo Bills football, as much as they piss me off every damn year. I work in retail, but oddly enough I really love my job. Not because my boss might eventually see this, or because it funds my insane hockey trip adventures, but because I like helping people look damn snazzy. Obviously. And... other than that, I got nothing.

I dunno. If you have any questions, feel free to comment! I appreciate you reading this long ramble of nonsense, and hope you get a chance to check me out ALL SEASON LONG. BWAH NA NA!

Later. -MH