Roz's Rant: Cold Hard Bitch

I blog a lot about my family and hockey and I usually overlap the two on this blog because it amuses me to do so and it generally pisses them off or makes them laugh, and I like a laugh and/or revenge, as the situation warrants.

I am who I am and I don't like yams.

But every now and again I go on a rant, and such was the case last night on Twitter. After a Day From Hell, I read my timeline, got tired of the same old BS and went on a 30 point Twitter rant, only 29 of which were unpleasant.

I know I pissed off a lot of people because there was a fantastic amount of subtweeting going on after I ranted and left (in my defence it was midnight), and really I'm okay with that.

Other than spelling mistakes or to clarify I'm not going to edit these tweets except to say this about number 2, which seems to have generated the most subtweets: go ahead and love the sport and love the player all you want.

Sit in your room and bawl your eyes out for days (by your own admission since it leaked the Habs were trying to deal Gorges) and write him love letters and quit on the team. But the second you throw that shit out onto twitter you've chosen to make it public and willingly opened yourself up for a reaction, be it positive or negative.

I never said you didn't have the right to feel the way you do. But I am going to mock you for the four days of teenage crush angst drama and wailing you've spewed onto my timeline over somebody you've never even met and who doesn't know you exist. I'm a cold hard bitch.

I realize that I left a lot of shit out in the ether, so to speak, and I won't be pretending to retract any of it, so if you're here for an apology you might just want to go watch porn or something instead. I don't care. But you're not getting one.

WARNING: COARSE LANGUAGE, READER'S DISCRETION ADVISED.

30 Hockey and Habs Rage Tweets

1. MB (Marc Bergevin) does not need the fans advice. This includes those who think you know better than him due to advanced stats and popular fan blogs. Get over yourself or get an NHL gig.

2. If you "literally cry" when a player leaves how the fuck do you cope with actual reality? You're not his fucking wife or BFF. Get a grip. It is one thing to be upset. I didn't dig dealing Muller. But fucking crying over it and writing epic letters of undying love? LMFAO PLEASE

3. If you need a particular player on a team to support that team, you are a fan of the player and not the team. So just step off. Actually that last was probably still part 2 but what the fuck ever. I'm raging right now.

4. Gionta and Gorges do not suddenly make the Sabres Stanley Cup contenders. Are you FUCKING SERIOUS?

5. Hockey players are in it for the money. Sure it's nice to love a city & the fans & shit but they want their $. Saying otherwise is a lie.

6. The next lockout would be the last if the fans would actually wield their power & boycott the NHL for even 1 week for this shit. I didn't go to MTL for a year after that last one because it was a protest on my part. Went to Panama instead. Otherwise we're accessories.

7. I'd trade anybody & everybody for a 25th MTL Cup. I'd shave Youppi and kick his ass up and down St. Cat's. This includes PK and Price.

8. There are too many fucking hockey blog websites saying the same thing 10,001 different ways. I'm bored by 10,000 of them.

9. Trevor Timmins does a fine job & this is to that asshat Guy Smith on Habsaddict & his anonymous alter ego. Bitch let's see you do better.

10. Also, Guy/Anonymous unless you can replace a 39 goal scorer willy nilly you can just step right off dissing Max. Get thee to rehab idiot.

11. The next person that wants to define a "true hockey fan" or "true Habs fan" for me can save their tweet, unfollow & block. #fuckoff

12. I still can't stand Lars Eller. Probably never will. Ditto for DD, who at least earned my respect. Still waiting for Lars.

13. I think Pierre McGuire is probably the biggest idiot in hockey TV, rivalled only by Don Cherry. It's a close fucking race.

14. Lost in all of this is the fact that MTL has become attractive to UFAs again, which took a long time, and was part of MB's doing. If you recall (and I do) we were once in Toronto's position where paying anything & everything still couldn't get them to sign with MTL... ESPECIALLY the home grown talent. And who could blame them? But by all means hate on MB for dealing Gorges. Because that's all that counts.

15. MT was not my first choice for the coach, but since I'm not fucking MB guess what? IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I THINK. #perspectivebitches

16. I'd rather be horsewhipped than see another player be signed for his name & language. I realize this may piss off RDS but I risk it. I can't remember the last time something galled me as much as Briere getting signed & handed the torch. He didn't earn it, okay? I'm fucking glad he's gone. Yes I pulled for him because he WAS WEARING THE SWEATER but I never liked the signing. And not because of his name and heritage but because he's overrated, washed up and expensive. So there you go.

17. I've seen it taken for granted that the #Habs will make the playoffs next year & I'd really like to see where that's written. And I don't mean twitter but I mean where it's written in the fucking NHL rule book or something. They are not guaranteed SHIT!

18. Just once, just ONCE, I'd like the TSN panel to say something nice about the Habs and fucking mean it. It's to the point I'd pay $. This goes double for CBC. I'd also sell my entire twitter follower group upriver to never have to suffer HNIC's pro-TO agenda ever again. It's not that I don't love you but with what I've gone through today you're pretty much all I have left any more.

19. Bettman is an affront to the sport & its fans. Is he a great businessman? Sure & the owners love him. But he's a joke that needs to end.

20. The reffing in the NHL is colossally stupid, in need of some accountability & a major overhaul... Yeah and this goes back to HNIC & the CBC & shit I suffer as a hockey fan. What I want to know is why is there no accountability of the reffing in the NHL? Is there a shortage of wannabe zebras that we can't risk offending the blind or biased ones we've got? And don't tell me they aren't either. I've watched Crosby stand on the ice, whining to the refs - meaning 6 men for Pittsburgh - while the Habs wanted a too many men call. He did it for half a minute. No call. But then you get idiots like McLean who think that French refs favour Montreal. I can tell McLean never watches a Habs game from this single fucking remark because it's usually the opposite. They call the Habs for every goddamned thing so as to not appear biased.

21. Why is there no freedom of speech in the NHL? If a coach says the reffing was shit he gets a fine. Canada & the US are free but not if you're an NHL coach with a pair of eyes and a brain. Then you get fines. Also fines are stupid because these people are RICH AS FUCK. WE ARE THE ONES who make them rich as fuck. Yet we can't hear what they really think and feel like they're humans frustrated by their bosses.

22. Why are there no consistent rules for infractions in the NHL? Why are there no lifetime bans for repeat douche offenders? It's all so fucking arbitrary and as a fan I think a lot of it is who is friends with Bettman and whoever is running the discipline. And that is a fucking joke because there is no discipline in the NHL, just confusion. I don't trust TPTB (The Powers that Be) in the NHL. Do you?

23. There should be no more NTC contracts or clauses. They are POINTLESS. What a fucking joke. Why even bother?

24. I don't GAF who is the next Habs captain. There I've said it. IT DOESN'T MATTER. It's for the fans, and this fan doesn't care. Really. Why does it matter who the next Habs captain is? Is there some goddamned criteria required to stand there & spout clichés at the media? "We gave 110%. Credit to the other team. We came out flat. We need to regroup. We did some good things." *insert eye roll here* And that ties back to my earlier point about how the NHL does not allow its coaches and players to speak freely. It's the fucking Kremlin. Perhaps if the team captains were allowed to HAVE A FUCKING PERSONALITY OR UNCENSORED OPINION I'd care but they don't so I don't.

25. This sport leaves a lot to be desired for its fans. They can have fan night all they want & signings & shit but really they take us for granted and as a fan I get to resenting it. I watch UFA and the $$$ they get handed out like they're curing fucking cancer or something while the rest of us save up & budget to afford a single game (if we're lucky to even get tickets & good luck with that at times) and I really think the NHL as a whole really ought to try stopping with the Kremlin shit & be more engaged with its fans. This particularly includes the NHL social media team accounts and especially the players, who use this shit to endorse their products. I followed Mike Cammalleri for a year & all I saw was fucking Biosteel tweets. So I don't follow players any more. The rest barely tweet or are boring and insanely politically correct. When did twitter become so fucking PC for the NHL? It should be fun.

26. Hockey is too expensive and I don't mean just to go and watch a game. Rogers is going to fuck over the Habs fans out West and all I can say is welcome to my world. In the East unless you pay for a premium package your choices are Toronto. That's it. RDS cost me six bucks a month but I flat out fucking refuse to subscribe to TVA. They can just fuck right off. So I'm left with what? NHL Center Ice? That's not cheap. (Then) there's the actual kids playing the sport. Equipment and lessons and gas and hotels and who can afford it? It has gone from pond hockey to an elite sport. I speak just from watching the kids around my hometown this past winter. Some kids couldn't afford it. What is that shit? When I was a kid we put on some cheap ass figure skates and we didn't wear all this shit and we didn't get hurt & we had fun. Now? I need a second income if I want to help my 5 year old nephew play. So do his parents. It's ridiculous.

27. The concussion protocol room is not being adhered to. I really don't believe it. A player should not get to override medical protocols. I once ended up in the hospital after a car accident (it's on my blog) and I wanted to leave and I got vetoed by the medical staff. They were concerned I might have possible internal bleeding (I didn't) or a concussion (I did). They are trained to assess me better than I can myself, and while I get that the players want to get back out there etc. they should be overruled no matter what. And if a player has to miss a month due to a cheap goddamned hit to the head (intentional I mean) then the offender should miss the same # of games. I mean why does the offender get to continue targeting others? But again that goes back to the arbitrary discipline point earlier.

28. Ice girls are an affront to women, and in particular hockey fan women. And then there's the whole fucking puck bunny thing. #bitchplease Here's the difference between a female hockey fan and a puck bunny - because a lot of people don't seem to grasp this: I like hockey. I watch hockey. I watch all hockey, including women's hockey. Puck bunnies watch the men who play hockey. They watch who is single and try to meet them. They fangirl over their hair and shit. They obsess and "literally cry" and shit. Sure I like MB and I think he's attractive (I have eyes that work, thanks) and I like to chime in and have fun but really... #perspective. I don't actually GAF who he's sleeping with. I won't literally cry when he's gone. I don't watch every interview he's ever given. I won't write epic love letters to him. Right now he's in my orbit because he runs the team I love. I'm a hockey woman fan, not a puck bunny. And while I'm on this subject I once got interviewed on a radio show and was asked such enlightening questions as who my fave player was (Larry Robinson) and other "girly" questions. They didn't GAF what I actually thought about the team or the sport. I left feeling offended. I remember once a couple of puck bunnies got national airtime for being all fangirly and not discussing / contributing anything other than "oh he's so cute" and "he has the best hair" and shit like that. Is that really what hockey guys think of us gals who like this sport? I've got no time for that. That shit is offensive to me as a hockey fan and as a woman. I don't follow puck bunnies, ok? Just FYI.

29. These "hockey insiders" with the scoops and the trade spec... this shit is so old. Who the fuck do you think you are? Why do you have a single follower you twitter whoring idiot? Do people actually believe you? I'm going to start selling bridges to these people.

30. OK I'm done. If you're still reading  I thank you. I can't get to all my mentions right now. Welcome new followers. I didn't blog this shit because frankly I didn't know it was going to go to 30 points. I had maybe 5 before I got started and then got warmed up and all hell broke loose and came pouring out of me. This happens at time. You guys are warned. Peace out (or not). Your choice.

Disclaimer: not sure why comments aren't showing up. I disabled the spam verification blocker but the comments are set to post upon entry. I'm not screening / moderating. Apologies folks.

Originally published here.

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The NHL Needs To Stop The Violence, Or Expect The Inevitable

By: Tony Padula

Even by UFC standards, the knee to the head by Penguins' forward James Neal on the Bruins' super pest Brad Marchand in the Boston's 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh last Saturday night is considered a viscious and calculated blow. Neal took advantage of Marchand's vulnerability, and it is one of the most cowardly and unmanly cheap shots ever in recent memory. That was followed up by an equally heinous retaliatory slew foot and face pounding by Shawn Thornton on a prone and defenceless Brooks Orpik.

The NHL, and its officials, have allowed this situation to escalate, and has moved one step closer to reporting its first death as a direct result of a violent act since Bill Masterton died in 1968.  Former NHL referee Wally Harris characterized the Masteron hit by saying, "he was checked hard, but I'm sure it wasn't a dirty play." That argument sounds vaguely familiar to some of the asinine explanations we have been provided in recent years by many NHL media outlets and "old school" thinkers.

So long as the discussion of fighting keeps getting bastardized with acts of violence that fall outside a conventional dropping of the gloves, the NHL will never turn the pendulum away from barbarism and towards beautiful skillful artistry.

If violence was a successful strategy to glory, then explain why these acts of violence do not take place in the playoffs? Explain why the Montreal Canadiens have 24 Stanley Cups, and Boston and Philadelphia, teams known for their brutish styles of play, only have a handful?

When five year old children register to play hockey for the first time, do we teach them to skate, stop, and pivot turn, or do we teach them boxing and wrestling moves?

The day is coming when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will have to look the NHL's Chairman of the Board of Govornors, and Bruins' owner Jeremy Jacobs in the eye and tell him that violence needs to be reduced for the sake of the game, and that a cultural shift needs to start happening in cities like Boston and Philadelphia. 

This is exactly what it is...a cultural gap that exists between our two countries. 

In Canada, we see spots of societal devastation that involve mass murder. It hits the nation’s citizens hard, and we reject it as being tolerable. 

In the USA, they hide behind the constitution and learn to accept the almost daily occurrence of such inexplicable destruction of human life, and it is only inevitable, and somewhat expected, that such inner feelings carry over into the field of sports.

Fighting in hockey was nothing more than a policing measure to make up for the pathetically inept and biased officiating that existed in the game today. And now, we find ourselves one step closer to a ferocious beating, an unexpected clubbing or a senseless kneeing of a hockey player when in a defenseless position that will not only knock a player out or end his career, but will no doubt kill him. 

 

Mr. Bettman, I hope you have a R.I.P. message ready, because it will be needed sooner rather than later unless you put an end to this garbage goon mentality pushed by a few, but powerful owners.

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NHL Files Lawsuit, Subban Guarantees Season, Galchenyuk Highlights And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Gary bettman and the NHL have filed a class action suit against
the union and 36 players

 Welcome to the Saturday morning roundup, lawsuit edition! "Decertification" as well as "disclaimer of interest' have been the themes of discussion for quite some time around the NHL recently and so it seems it is time to move on to the next.

With rumblings from the NHPLA side that a disclaimer of interest could be on the way, the NHL fired a pre-emptive legal shot with a 43 page class action lawsuit against the union and 36 players. Now while I may have come to accept this mess that the NHL is in, I am in no way looking forward to all the legal mumbo jumbo that is about to take place.

I understand that hockey is a business and that these steps are necessary given the situation. However it will be hard to enjoy it nearly as much as I have in the past after seeing it take place in a court room rather than on the ice.

For more of an understanding of the NHL's move, here's an article by Elliot Friedman.

With all that's been happening, do you think the latest legal moves will end the season for good or can any of the season be salvaged as was the case for the NBA and NFL, 66 games and a for the former and a full season for the latter?

Habs And Hockey News

- Our Own Fred Poulin (@FredPoulin98) focuses on NHL players that have paid the price over the last two lockouts.

- Here is Andrew Berkshire's Habs Oveseas and Prospects Week 12 report.

- You have to love P.K. Subban's optimism. Still without a contract, Subban guaranteed there will be a season on Friday's Marek vs. Wyshynski podcast.
- As much as these legal proceedings getting in the way of hockey may bring you down, do you know what tends to cheer me up? Alex Galchenyuk highlights. Gally enjoyed a three point night with two goals and a helper in a 4-2 win last night over the Guelph Storm.


(Photo from http://bluetoro.ca/2012/09/26/nhl-lockout-top-5-pictures-of-gary-bettman/)

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NHL Governor Has Solution, Season Vs. Reputation, More...

T.G.I.F. HabsAddicts!!!

The end of another week, and still we have no resolution in sight. Today, it was Federal mediator George Cohen's turn to meet with both sides, however the results remained them same. No progress and another potential meeting on Friday.

It seems every week repast itself. Meet Tuesday and Wednesday,then blow it up on Thursday. While everyone believes that both sides are so close they can taste it, the NHL and NHLPA don't see it that way.

Well, maybe not everyone on the NHL side does. Scott Burnside of ESPN.com shares a potential solution given to him by an NHL governor, that he believes both sides can live with.

Habs and Hockey News and Notes:

- A funny, but perhaps possible, piece showed up on SI.com's FanNation that suggest that Donald Fehr may be willing to sacrifice the season to keep his reputation as the baddest man in labour negotiations. Some of the comments are pure gold!

- Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada explains why Bettman and the NHL have already won the lockout negotiations.

- Are both sides willing to let the season dies? Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province examines the possibility.

- And to end the week, Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy ask the question, "Should the NHL contract to 20 teams?"


Enjoy your weekend everyone!

(Cartoon: Nate Beeler / Columbus Dispatch)

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NHL Labour Talks Implode, Player Reactions, More...

T.G.I.F. HabsAddicts!!!

After the last 2 1/2 days of negotiations, between the NHL and Players' Association, most people were under the impression that a deal might be eminent. While details were hard to come by, it seemed that, up until Wednesday night, the amicable nature of the talks might lead to a resolution.

Enter Thursday, when NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr submitted a proposal to a diminished NHL contingent, made up of only Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHL Legal Council Bob Batterman. That was the first sign of things to come.

At 6:30 PM, Fehr, with his group of players in tow, addressed the media and gave the impression that the two sides were closer than ever to a deal. He neglected to tell those in attendance and those watching at home that he made modifications to parts of the NHL's last offer that the league wasn't willing to move on. He answered a few questions, and that when the real fun began...

Katie Strang explains what happened last night in excruciating details. 

Habs And Hockey News and Notes:

- While going over every Twitter feed to show how frustrated people are is near impossible, Jordan Shifman of CBC Sports give us a glimpse at the online reaction of some NHL players.

- Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, who has been the eternal optimist during these labour negotiations, vents his frustration at the lack of progress in what he feels was a mathematically fixable situation.

- With all the negativity in the air after yesterday's turn of events, the Canadian Press reports on Habs' prospect Alex Galchenyuk, who was stellar in a Sarnia Sting 3-0 win over the Saginaw Spirit.

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Owners & Players To Meet Tuesday, Winterhawks Wings Clipped, More...

Good Morning HabsAddicts!!!

It took the whole weekend, but the NHLPA decided to take Gary Bettman up on his offer to get the owners and players to meet without Bettman or Donald Fehr present.

Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times examines who might be involved in the meeting from the owners' side, and why removing the "egos" from the equation may just allow for some real progress.

Can a resolution really be found without the main players in the negotiations? We won't know for sure until late Tuesday, but the fact that Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of the Boston Bruins, will be involved isn't exactly filling my heart with that much confidence.

Habs and Hockey News and Notes:

- Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports looks at how the Portland Winterhawks were given severe sanctions for alleged illegal payment violations. Was that the truth, or was it because of shear jealousy from other WHL owners?

- The Calgary Herald's Amanda Stephenson examines the gauntlet of emotions NHL fans have had to deal with during the lockout.

- While most NHL players have contemplated going to play in Europe, Scott Burnside of ESPN.com looks at how Ryane Clowe of the San Jose Sharks has used his free time to give back at the grass roots level.

(Cartoon: Mike Spicer)

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Rangers Owner Wants In On Negotiations, Alex Galchenyuk Tearing Up OHL And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Rangers Owner James Dolan would like to sit in on labor talks

With labor negotiations going nowhere and mediation failing, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman offered the players a chance to meet with the owners without any league or union officials present.

I have to say it is a creative idea but I'm not too sure the players will go for it. While some may see it as a chance to end the lockout I can't see too many players being comfortable sitting at the bargaining table. On Saturday David Perron of the St. Louis Blues tweeted "Isn't sending players to negociate w. owners without Fehr like us saying to owners let's negotiate this on the ice?". You can't help but think there are plenty of other players worried that they would not get the deal they're hoping for without their union leader Donald Fehr at the table.

Someone who ould like to be at the table with the players, however is Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan. Larry Brooks of the NY Post reported that Dolan.  It's not yet determined yet if Dolan has expressed his interest  to Bettman and it's hard to tell whether or not Bettman will give the MSG owner the green light.

On one hand Dolan urged that Bettman be relieved of his duties in 2007 in conjunction with filing suit against the league in a conflict regarding website, digital rights, licensing and team merchandise control. On the other however, Dolan played a huge role on the NBA owners side last year in helping their lockout come to an end on time for a 66 game season which started on Christmas day.

As the owner of the New York Rangers and CEO of MSG he is losing money with every passing day and with his experience at the NBA bargaining table he's been through this before. Considering these two points, shouldn't Dolan be allowed to sit in and see if he can help bring this lockout to an end?

Habs And Hockey News

-  Alex Galchenyuk just continues to roll as he put up seven points in two night over the weekend. In a 7-4 win Saturday night over the Saginaw Spirit the Sarnia captain tallied a goal and two assists. The next night, Gally added an assist to a three goal performance in a 5-2 win over the Peterbrough Petes putting him third overall in OHL scoring.

- Cedrick Desjardins earned his first shutout of the year in Hamilton in his fourth start as the Bulldogs blanked the Abbotsford Heat 3-0 in only their third win out of their last ten contests.

- Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) continues his coverage of Habs players during the lockout in week 10 of his Overseas Habs and Prospects report.

- Only 24 days are left until the World Junior Championships, and with the NHL locked out Team Canada will be stacked with talent.

- If Commissioner Jeremy Roenick ran the NHL rather than Commissioner Bettman, the league would have fewer teams as soon as the lockout ended.


(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America)

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Owners & Players Only, Brodeur Sound Off, More...

Happy December HabsAddicts!!!

After the end of Thursday's negotiating session, Gary Bettman suggested that executives of the NHL and NHLPA recluse themselves from the next bargains session. This would allow players and owners to meet face to face for the first time in these negotiations.

While it remains to be seen who will participate from both parties, ESPN.com's Scott Burnside and Craig Custance debate the pros and cons of such a meeting.

But it begs the question, "Is this idea presented in good conscience, or is it an attempt by the owners to throw Gary Bettman under the bus?"

Habs and Hockey Notes:

- New Jersey Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur sounds of to the Gazette's Dave Stubbs about what it's like to have to trudge on after a fourth work stoppage.

- Ryan Dadoun of NBC Sports discusses how the longer the NHL Lockout drags on, the more likely Tampa Bay superstar Steven Stamkos may be pushed to play in Europe.

- After Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune explains how Harding turned such bad news into an inspiration for others.

(Photo: Mayes/Edmonton Journal)

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Jacobs Should Be Blamed, Meeting With Mediators, More

Good Morning Addicts !!!

Another week, another accusation...

Last week, Philadelphia Flyers' owner, Ed Snider, was accused of making disparaging remarks about Gary Bettman. This week, the focus shifted from the NHL Commissioner to some of the most powerful  owners in the league.

Joe Haggerty of Comcast Sportsnet New England reports how Gary Bettman is simply a puppet, with Jacobs and his gang pulling the strings. Is that really news to anyone?

Habs and Hockey Notes:

- On Wednesday, the NHL and NHLPA had their first meeting with Federal mediators. Katie Strang of ESPN New York give us the details.

- The Montreal Gazette's Dave Stubbs spoke to P.K. Subban about how his failure to sign with the Habs might actually work in his favour.

- ESPN and TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun reports on the Glendale City Council meeting and the approval of the deal to help save the Phoenix Coyotes.

- With the NHL Lockout well into its third month, Katie Carrera of the Washington Post give us her take on why fans and some NHL business partners may not return.

- Finally, getting away from all things NHL, TSN's Bob McKenzie assesses the firepower that will be available for Team Canada for the coming World Junior Hockey Championships.

(Photo: Associated Press)

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Phoenix In Jeopardy Again, Thoughts on Mediation, More

Good Morning HabsAddicts !!!

As if the drama of the NHL lockout isn't enough to drive deprived fans batty, the Phoenix Coyotes' saga came to the forefront again.

Although Glendale's new mayor, Elaine Scruggs, was against the proposed lease agreement and attached payment to Greg Jamison, Glendale city council voted 4-2 in favour of the deal.

While the sale is still pending approval from the NHL Board of Governors, will this deal guarantee that the Coyotes will remain long-term residents of Jobing.com Arena, or is relocation of the franchise still in the cards?

Habs and Hockey News and Notes:

- ESPN's Lester Munson tells us why he thinks having mediators between the two sides of the NHL labour dispute is a positive.

- And to look at the other side of the mediation coin, Jesse Spector of the Sporting New takes the pessimist's perspective.

- Montreal Gazette sports editor Stu Cowan explains why Gary Bettman has become hockey's biggest nemesis.

- Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshinski takes a look across the Atlantic at the success of Boston Bruins' forward Tyler Seguin, who is spending the lockout dominating in Switzerland.

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Does the NHL Lockout Affect the Habs and Scott Gomez?

Greetings puck addicts!

I know posts from me has been few and far between for the last few months, and for that I apologize.

But considering what's going on, or rather what isn't going on with the NHL, what is there to really talk about?

As the NHL lockout enters Day 69, this U.S. Thanksgiving Thursday morning, it's more of the same.

Few proposals, a sentiment of frustration from both sides, petulance, at least from Gary Bettman, and a feeling that maybe, just maybe, the players are starting to get a little desperate.

If the NHLPA constituents are not yet desperate, they are at a minimum starting to break ranks.

Just this morning there was a piece on Roman Hamrlik saying he is concerned with the amount of money the players are losing. Habs' forward Erik Cole responded by saying he feels Hamrlik's comments are selfish.

That may well be the case, but what is certain is that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the 700-plus members of the PA to stay in lock-step.

The Gomez Question

If you haven't heard last week's Montreal Hockey Talk lockout show, listen to it now!

We had a star-studded panel with TSN 690's Ted Bird and Nick Murdocco, TSN 690's legal insider, David Kellerman, and the inimitable Dave Stubbs, Habs beat writer for the Montreal Gazette.

Some excellent hockey talk in there, to be sure...well worth a listen.

What's interesting is that after the show we started talking about the logistics of starting things up again, if a new season was announced tomorrow. And that got me thinking about the Habs situation from last year, and some of their lingering problems, like what to do with Scott Gomez.

With the massive distraction that is the current NHL lockout, perhaps Habs GM Marc Bergevin has more options now than he did when he first became GM.

At that point, the hideous failures of the previous regime were fresh in everyone's minds. Moreover, Albatross contracts to floundering players like Scott Gomez, were front and center in the fans' minds.

But what about now?

Anyone who has read me in this space before knows that I feel the Habs cannot be taken seriously with Gomez on their opening day roster. But now, a few months into an ugly lockout that has fans as jaded and disinterested in the sport as they've ever been, perhaps the previous statement no longer holds true.

I mean ask yourself, as a Habs fan (if you are one), when the last time was that you thought about Gomez?

With the lockout at the forefront and actual on-ice product a distant memory, I don't think anyone is thinking about how bad Gomez has been for Montreal. As such, perhaps Bergevin can start the season with Gomez on his roster, while having him on a very short leash.

And that's exactly what will happen playing under Michel Therrien.

He'll try out the roster he's given on opening day but, unlike his predecessor, will not tolerate non-performance...especially not from a veteran.

Couple this with the PA's latest proposal offering a provision to count AHL salaries against the cap, if they are $1 million or over, and the Habs might not have a choice but to start the year with Gomez.

And would that be such a bad thing right now?

Whenever hockey comes back it will be carte blanche for everyone. No one is really going to remember much of the previous season...at least not very vividly. Also, let's face it, the Habs are not a contending team.

Not yet.

And given that Bergevin has bad contracts in Gomez and Tomas Kaberle to contend with, standing pat and taking his time to see if the new coach can pull a turn around—from where I'm sitting, he can't—might just be the best approach.

Afterall, what's the worst that can happen...Gomez's value will go down?

A bit of levity

The technical geniuses at MontrealHockeyTalk.com have made it a point of creating gag ads that they throw on during commercial breaks.

They just finished putting the latest ad to video and I thought you'd all get a kick out of it.

Enjoy!



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Kamal is Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com. Kamal is also an on-air contributor on TSN 990, CJAD, and LiveSport New Zealand.

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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NHL Requests NHLPA Offer, P.K Subban Still Unsigned, Brian Gionta, More

Good AM hockey fans.

In a rather interesting development yesterday, the NHL outright requested that the NHLPA submit a new CBA offer.

In fact, the league asked that NHLPA dictate, in writing, its position on all of the major negotiating issues. Over in the world of eternal optimism, Hockeybuzz's Eklund feels that this will be an opportunity for the players to step up with season saving offer.

Of course, should a the season be saved, it will be quite a scramble for the Montreal Canadiens to get the still unsigned P.K Subban under contract.

If the season were to be salvaged, how would you handle the sticky Subban situation?

Habs and Hockey News

- RDS has a piece on how Brian Gionta is filling his captain's role in spite of the lockout.

- There are whispers of a crack in the owner's ranks. Stu Hackel has more on that.

- A few days after Ian White outright called Gary Bettman an idiot, Kris Versteeg has also voiced his displeasure with the upper echelons of the NHL. If you are the players, you can't have it both ways. You can't point to how well the league is doing financially and then claim it's run by idiots.

- The Hockey News' Ken Campbell supports the recently floated idea of taking a break in CBA negotiations.

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Hamilton Bulldogs Weekend, CBA Discussions Resume, Impeaching Bettman, More

Good AM hockey fans.

As I've mentioned before, I enjoy writing this little column on Monday mornings. After all, there are actual scores to talk about.

The Hamilton Bulldogs played a high-scoring two game set against the rival Toronto Marlies, winning 6-3 and then losing 6-1.

The much maligned Alexander Avtsin scored in the win for his team. It was his first game this year.
Down a notch below, the Wheeling Nailers got hammered 6-1 (a lot of sixes, eh?) by the Toledo Walleye.

Interestingly — and also discouragingly — both farm teams sit at 14th in their respective conferences.

Habs and Hockey News

- HabsWorld provides an always excellent recap of the activity down in Hamitlon and Wheeling.

- As the NHL and NHLPA are set to return to the table today, Grantland's Bill Simmons contemplates impeaching Gary Bettman.

- Stu Hackel writes about the 'illusion' that team's are losing money.

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Sabres University, Bettman Needs to Go, Habs Prospects Report And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Sabres, seems to have found a way to keep his staff busy during this prolonged lockout. On Tuesdays and Thursdays in November, team staffers will be attending "Sabres University".

Sabres staff will be taking courses such as "Salary Cap and Player Transactions", "Media Buying" and  "Fitness and Nutrition" among others. The courses are all taught by Sabres employees and even Pegula's wife, Kim teaches "What Ownership Means" a course that is aimed to "reinforce the Sabres' orgazational philosophy, and the mission of the company and our ownership as a whole".

Classes are worth three credits and thirty credits are needed in order to pass the November semester.

I have to say that this is probably the most interesting article I've read during the lockout. While it sounds like something you would see in a movie, I'm curious to see whether or not it makes an impact when the game returns.

It's hard to see it doing any damage so it's definately worth a shot. Not only do employees not lose their jobs during the labor negotiations but they also get the oppurtunity to learn from each other to become better at what they do. An interesting approach.

I am for this little project and honestly think it wouldn't hurt more teams to follow suit. Do you think this will make a noticable difference on the organization or is it more of a movie storyline where a non playoff team betters themself in an unheard of fashion during a lockout only to return and become champions?

Habs And Hockey News

- It's no secret that Bettman needs to go for the good of the NHL, but here is a great read on why.

- The NHL and the NHLPA have tentatively agreed to meet tomorrow to resume talks just five days after Commissioner Bettman suggested the two sides take a two week break.

- With the assumption that these talks will go nowhere, is it time for a new voice in the labor talks?

- It was an eventful week for Habs prospects as you can see in Andrew Berkshire's Overseas Habs and Prospect Report 8.


(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images North America)

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CHLPA Vs. Mooseheads, Sunday Shinny Podcast, Bettman Underrated Fehr? And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

I'm going to step away from the NHL labor negotiations for the moment. We are all aware that there have been no recent developments and with no talks scheduled there is very little reason to believe there will be any significant progress in the near future.

And with that, let's talk the CHLPA. It seems there isn't enough drama in hockey right now and so the newly formed CHLPA has decided to make itself known.

With the intentions of  assuring better education programs and fair pay wages to the players, the CHLPA lead by executive director Georges Laraque has taken action against the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads.

The Mooseheads are under fire from the CHLPA due to "violations of labor, pension and employment rules". Mooseheads majority owner Bobby Smith expressed his concern over his players' own concerns but maintained that " I feel we treat our players extremely well...".

The CHLPA has stated that they prefer not to litigate and would like to bring the CHL to the bargaining table.

Habs And Hockey News

- Here's a link to this morning's Sunday Shinny with Gary Whittaker, Nick Murdocco, Amand Stein and myself where we discussed the CHLPA, Andre Harvey's 10 year suspension from coaching after assaulting a 16 year old player, Pat Hickey's fantasy league and more.

- Is it possible Gary Bettman and co. have underestimated Donald Fehr?

- Many players feel the cancellation of the November schedule is simply a scare tactic.

- Habs Eyes On The Prize continues their coverage of the Habs prospects and players overseas.

- Ryan Suter has followed new teammate Zach Parise's lead in sharing his frustration after signing a 13 year $98 million contract.

(Photo by None/Getty Images North America)

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St.Louis Angry, Coach K's "What If?", Gionta On The Lockout And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

Alas, there will be no NHL hockey in November. Just two weeks ago there was a wave of optimism after the NHL made their 50/50 offer with the potential of the season starting on November second, a full 82 game season at that.

Fast forward two weeks and yet another 191 games have been erased from the 2012-13 campaign. With the NHL all-star game and winter classic most likely to be the next games to be stricken from the season it's beginning to look like the entire season will be lost.

Hopefully I'm getting ahead of myself. I have been trying to stay as positive as possible through this whole ordeal, but there is only so long I can follow this mess with an with a hopeful attitude.

The longer this mess continues the more you have to wonder what will become of some of the players. There are some who may actually follow through with Ovechkin's threats and stay overseas when the two sides reach an agreement.

What bothers me more however is what might happen with players like Martin Brodeur, Jaromir Jagr, Teemu Selanne, Daniel Alfredsson and Martin St. Louis.

After the amazing careers the mentioned players have had over the years it would be quite a shame to see them retire due to an egotistical standoff between the two sides.

Puck Daddy had a piece focusing on St. Louis that clearly shows how frustrated and angry the older players must be feeling. St. Louis stated that with each passing day he is coming closer to finding somewhere else to play.

With a trophy case that includes an Art Ross Trophy, A Hart Trophy and a Lester B. Pearson Trophy all from the 2003-04 season, two back to back Lady Byng Trophies  (2009-10, 10-11) and a Stanley Cup win in 2004, it would be quite a shame to see him finish his career somewhere other than the NHL.

You can argue that at 37 he still has a few years in him, heck Selanne still plays at a high level and he's 109, but you have to wonder how many of these veterans will even bother coming back after being through so many labor disputes. People do tend to get bitter and cranky as they age.

Habs And Hockey News

- Coach K returns with another "What If?" this time asking, what if the NHL strikes back?

-  Dave Stubbs speaks to Habs Captain Brian Gionta about, among other things, the lockout. But not before reassuring us that the injury Andrei Markov sustained in Russia is not another knee injury. (Insert collective sigh of relief here).

- Donald Fehr released a statement regarding the cancellation of games throught December 1st.

- Kevin Allen highlights the November schedule that will not be played.

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)

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Habs Overseas, Labor Conflicts In Sports, Fehr Dedicated To Players And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

It is only a matter of time before these morning updates become strictly lockout related. As the stoppage in hockey continues it gets tougher to find stories that don't include the labor negotiations.

It is for this reason that I will focus the main part of this mornings news on the Habs overseas and their prospects. Andrew berkshire of Habs Eyes On The Prize has been following the play of Canadiens players overseas as well as their rising talents and has been keeping track of their progress.

With no Habs hockey to watch so far this season and their players and prospects spread out around the world and it's many leagues it's tough to keep an eye on them.

Berkshire has made that quite easy with his weekly updates by documenting their week's stats and keeping track of their season totals. While the piece makes it easy to keep up with what's going on in Habs world, it would be much simpler if they were playing together on the Habs roster.

Habs And Hockey News

- Deepak Malhotra teaches negotiation at Harvard Business School and writes an interesting piece on the labor negotiations. In his article he explains why there are so many conflicts in pro sports.

- Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period seems optimistic that we will see NHL hockey sooner rather than later.

- The New York Post's Larry Brooks is less optimistic as he claims all Bettman is interested in is shutting down the NHL.

- Here is an interesting and informative look at they type of man Donald Fehr is, and why he is the right man to be backing the players.

- Ben Eager of the Edmonton Oilers seems to be taking is frustration out on bouncers, way to go Ben. Please note the sarcasm in my typing.

(Photo by Source: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images North America)

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More Games Cancelled, Fehr's Latest Letter, Coach K's "What If?" And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

Here's a quick recap of the labor negotiations over the past week. On Tuesday, Bettman and the owners made what seemed like a groundbreaking offer at first glance to the players. A 50/50 split of revenue, no rollback, players would get paid for lost time and a November second start would salvage a full 82 game schedule.

Beautiful.

With more details emerging it became clear that the deal wasn't as great as it sounded. Perhaps just the idea of hockey returning made it sound so sweet. While there was no rollback, the players still would have to make concessions in salary and benefits. fehr was not willing to accept the deal and sent a letter to players and agents explaining why.

On Thursday the two sides met again. When the players rejected the offer they brought three of their own to the table. The first two had players accepting a gradual decrease in their share of HRR eventually meeting the 50/50 split the owners are seeking. The third proposal included an immediate 50/50 split as long as the owners were willing to honor all existing contracts.  According to Donald Fehr, the owners took 12-15 minutes before shooting down all three proposals.

This outcome had many fans begin to aim their anger and blame at the players rather than Bettman. You can't help but wonder if this was Bettman's plan when the proposal was made.

With no deal made by Friday, more games were wiped off the schedule. The league announced that all games up to November 1st have been cancelled. An optimist can take solace in the fact that less than two weeks worth of games were cancelled, but if there is no headway made by next Thursday there will more games lost.

Habs And Hockey News

- Here is Donald Fehr's latest letter to the players.

- The Bulldog's defeated the Toronto Marlies 4-1 in their home opener.

- Coach K is back with another "What If?" this time focusing on life after Bettman.

- Mark Spector of Sportsnet believes that the pressure is mounting on NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

- Shawn Horcoff of the Edmonton Oilers is not surprisingly unhappy with the whole situation.And after signing a huge 13 year $98 million dollar contract in the weeks leading up to the lockout, it's even less of a surprise that the Minnesota Wild's Zach Parise is less than impressed.

(Photo by Source: Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images North America)

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Gary Bettman and the NHL's New Offer: Resolution or Ruse?

NHL Makes Major Offer To NHLPA

Thank you Mr. Bettman, you've given me a reason to write again.

I have been trying to encourage myself to write for some time now, but never ending talk of the lockout was enough to keep me away.

The player profiles kept me going at first, but the longer the lockout lasted, the tougher it became for me to write about any player's fit on a team that may not play.

After a while the idea seemed almost as silly to me as EA simulating the season and people following it as if it were real.

I don't mean to get ahead of myself, I'm writing as if the lockout has come to an end, which it hasn't. The fact that Gary Bettman and company have offered a deal that seems almost perfect doesn't necessarily guarantee anything. Because the only reason it seems so perfect is because everybody just wants NHL hockey to return.

The Offer

While I don't have all of the details of the offer, the gist of it is a 50/50 split of hockey related revenues, four year entry level contracts, free agent eligibility at 28 years old or eight years of service and a contract limit of five years. The offer also had no rollback and was aimed at a November 2nd start.

According to Bob McKenzie (via twitter), if a deal is reached, training camp would start October 26th. McKenzie also tweeted that a new deal would need to be reached by October 25th in order to salvage an 82 game schedule.

If the cards play out this way, the NHL schedule would go on as planned starting from the November second start date with minor alterations being made throughout the year. The end date would not be April 13th as planned and the Stanley cup finals would go as late as the final week of June.

Best/Worst Case Scenario

The best case scenario is quite obvious. Fehr and the players accept the offer, the 2012-13 season is put into motion and everything is back the way it should be. Unfortunately, best case scenarios are rarely the ones that unfold.

The worst case scenario would be that Gary Bettman is simply making this offer knowing the NHLPA will reject it in order to escape his position as the villain in this mess.

The main reason why it is safe to assume that this offer will be rejected is the HRR. While a 50/50 split of the revenue looks and sounds fair, the fact that there is no change in the definition of hockey related revenue will be a problem to the PA.

The 50/50 split itself shouldn't bother the players but with things such as relocation fees and expansion fees not falling under the category of hockey related revenue, the players are missing out on a lot of money.

And expansion is certainly not a farfetched concept, especially with The Hockey News recently reporting that the NHL was looking at adding two new teams.

Is The Whole Thing A Ruse?

Regardless of whether or not the NHLPA goes for this proposal, the fact that the NHL has shown a willingness to compromise on issues such as entry level contracts and free agency eligibility is a huge step in the right direction.

That at least, is the optimist's view. I try to place myself in that category but it's hard to remain fully optimistic about a league that has become known for it's lockouts.

What truly worries me is that this whole deal truly is a way for Bettman to escape the role as the villain.

Bettman created this lockout. Bettman chose not to attempt to avoid the impending lockout until it was just around the corner. Bettman erased the start of an NHL season for the third time in his tenure as league commissioner.

This does not make for a very popular man in the eyes of hockey crazed markets.

However, if/when the NHLPA rejects this offer, how can Bettman continue to be the villain in the eyes of hockey starved fans? The twitterverse is already full of comments stating that if the players don't accept this offer then they are a bunch of greedy, overpaid crybabies.

All the negative focus will shift to Donald Fehr and the players. The pressure will be off of Gary Bettman and the owners.

Part of me believes that Bettman is up to something here. However, the other part of me is willing to accept that this lack of hockey has turned me into a crazy conspiracy theorist.

How about your thoughts? Should and will the players accept the deal? If not, how far do you think the two sides remain? Is Hockey in November a true possibility?

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Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to HabsAddict.com. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at MontrealHockeyTalk.com You can follow Sean on Twitter

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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