If you don’t already know it, I make a hobby out of hating the Red Wings. On one hand, I’m happy to see Yzerman go, but as a hockey fan I have to acknowledge the game will miss him tremendously.

Enjoy the retirement, Y.

There have been a few big splashes already!

Check out the details here.  The NHL page is simple and updates the fastest.

The ESPN page includes a few more details, like terms of the deal.

The biggest splashers so far are the Minnesota Wild.  They traded for Pavel Demitra and have signed Mark Parrish, Keith Carney, Kim Johnnson – all solid veterans, with Careny the only one on the downside of his career.

Moves of significance:

Rob Blake goes back to the Kings.  He still holds most King’s D-man records, despite 5 years in Colorado.

Martin Gerber, forgotten G in Raleigh, signs with the Senators.  With Hasek gone, the Sens again have questions in goal.  Now they have 2 young guys with a bit of playoff experience.

Matt Cullen, 49 point man with the ‘Canes, signs with the upstart Rangers.

Oilers resign Pisani and Roloson.  Not unexpected but important.

Maple Leafs get Hal Gill and Pavel Kubina, two veteran Defensive D-men to compliment the offensive Kaberle.  A good move.
The other big winners – maybe – are the Boston Bruins.  They signed Marc Savard, who had 97 points with Atlanta last year.  AND the question mark, signing Zdeno Chara.  Great move on the ice, but 5 years at $7.5 mil per?!  An iffy move by a franchise whose recent history is, well, iffy.

The big one over the weekend was Roberto Luongo, Panthers G, going to Vancouver for Bertuzzi, the power forward nee pugilist. This is a good move for both teams, as Florida also gets Alex Auld, a capable G stuck behind the hard luck case that is Dan Cloutier. Bertuzzi will never be the same, but perhaps a change of scenery will help him as it did for Dany Heatly.

Three other medium-sized trades went down this weekend.

The Flames got Alex Tanguay in exchange for D Jordan Leopold. Pretty close to a wash, based on my opinion that D-men can’t be gauged by numbers alone. Leopold led the Calgary D in the Cup run 2 years ago. It remains to be seen if Tanguay can perform without stars like Sakic and Forsberg feeding him the puck.

Toronto Maple Leafs got goalie Andrew Raycroft from Boston. A good move, as they gave up only a G prospect. He won the Calder in 2004, but was 3rd on the depth chart this season in Boston. The new brass in Toronto pulled off a fast one!

Minnesota Wild got forward Pavol Demitra from Los Angeles, for a minor leaguer and a 1st round pick in Saturday’s draft. Good for the youth movement in LA, and good for the scoring drought in Minnesota. Demitra is only 31, but can he improve on his 62 points in the defensive system there?

The Oilers have NINE unrestricted free agents pending, including stars Pronger and Roloson. It is highly unlikely that they will repeat this year’s run.

Red Wings tidbit:

Pavel Datsyuk won the Lady Byng trophy, for gentlemanly play. What more proof do they need that he is not tough enough for a playoff run?

Lidstrom won the Norris trophy for the 4th time in 5 seasons. He is, in my esteemed opinion, the best defenseman since Bobby Orr. Except for Ray Bourque.

A Successful Penalty Shot.

(What a great hunch by MacTavish to go with Pronger in that situation!)

Shorthanded overtime winner.

(Another great play by Pisani in a Conn Smyth-worthy performance)

Empty net goal in game 7

( I love how Williams skated it all the way down to the crease to make DAMN sure it went in.)

Unlike the Fans in Colorado (you’re STILL nursing that Colorado grudge? Geez. -ed), who got the Cup their first season in Denver, the Fans of Carolina put in their time, suffering through a displaced team while the arena was built, a demoralizing sweep by Detroit in 2002, and a non-playoff let down in 2003.

The Fans were STANDING the ENTIRE GAME! The energy level in that building could have only been topped by that in Edmonton in game 6!!

Check this out: The Conn Smyth winning Cam Ward didn’t even have 16 wins! Gerber got two starts againt Buffalo, winning one before Ward took it back. And that win was a Shutout!

Ward’s play off wins – 15

Ward’s season wins – 14

This was the third straight game 7 in the Finals, and the 4th of the last 5. There have been only 3 others in the past 80 years! If you call yourself a hockey fan, YOU BETTER BE WATCHING.

The Lifting of the Cup. Did you see Brin’damour? He was like a little kid. He couldn’t wait for Bettman to hand it to him – he just grabbed it from the table himself. I swear I heard Bettman say “Not yet” while he was finishing his speech!

I always make it a point to watch the Cup after the winning game. It is so meaningful in the scope of sports. Unfortunately, unless you KNOW hockey, you don’t GET the Cup – you don’t GET what it takes to win the Cup. Superlatives would be, well, superfluous to this readership. I have distinct memories of each Cup Lift since 1990, when the Oilers swept the Bruins in 5 games. (remember the power outage?!) Glen Wesley was on that Bruins team by the way!

The Handshake seems to get less respect every year – or at least less coverage. Sure, the announcers mention it, but they don’t SHOW it enough. I love to see those warriors shake hands and hug each other after literally trying to DISABLE each other for 2 weeks.

I heartily agree with the issue of all the detritus on the ice! It looked like they were trying to have a little control, though – they roped off part of it, for media it seemed, and made the families stand behind the red carpet. Let the men SKATE. THEY are the ones that earned it.

NBC’s coverage was a mixed bag. Whenever there was a scrum, they kept the camera on the goalie that just made a save. THAT was annoying. Mike Emerick was so intense the entire series. Jon Davidson, as I have said, is knowledgeable but indefinably annoying. And their on-ice interviews were too intrusive. They had to shout in the ear of the interviewee to be heard! Still, I liked having the guy down there between the benches, privy to what was being said between the teams. It’s a shame OLN got such low ratings. I hope they get into more homes next year, because they did a darn good job. Plus, their digital picture is AMAZING!

I couldn’t watch CBC this year because the image was so fuzzy. I could hardly see the puck! I did go over to CBC when NBC’s coverage ended at 11:00 – long before the ‘Canes finished skating the Cup around the ice. The somber voices on CBC belied their love of the game and their shared joy for the Canadian players on the ‘Canes club.

I wondered what is the longest period between Stanley Cup Wins. They mentioned that Rechhi won 15 years ago in Pittsburgh. Of course I checked…..Chris Chelios! Montreal 1986 – Detroit 2002. 16 years! Well, Rechhi holds the record for Finals APPEARANCE gap. Chelios LOST in the Finals in 1989 with the Canadians and in 1992 with the Blackhawks.

Damn – I went almost an entire piece without mentioning the Red Wings….

Every year I watch them bring that Cup out to center ice, and it looks more beautiful every time I see it. It’s a secular relic; sacred and hallowed. And those that get to hoist it at center ice have earned the right with their blood and sweat. What a glorious thing to watch.

Which brings me to the one complaint I have each and every year. The NHL has a great tradition of skating the Cup around the rink, giving each team member a few moments to hold it and parade around. Yet each year that ice seems to be more crowded with camera cables, media, spouses, familes and so on. The players can barely move around.

I’d like to see a new tradition. If you haven’t personally earned the right to stand on that rink and accept the Cup, you shouldn’t be there. This is a moment for the players and the players only. Let the two or three NHL officials come out, hand it over, and then clear out. As for the media: they make long focal length lenses. Let the players have the ice. Give them the space and time without interviews or photo-ops.

It is a life dream for most. Get out of their way.

Yo John,
What’s Stevie Y gonna do?

Clay
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Whatever Stevie Y wants to do. Stevie Y does not sleep. He waits.
Stevie Y can win a game of Monopoly without owning any property.

In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records, it notes that all world records are held by Stevie Y, and those listed in the book are simply those who have come closest to him.

When Stevie Y goes to donate blood, he declines the syringe, and instead requests a hand gun and a bucket. Stevie Y can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass — at night.

When Stevie Y runs with scissors, other people get hurt.

Yzerman doesn’t need the money. He wouldn’t play for the money. He made $1.25 million last season and he likely would make about a million next year. He had 14 goals in 61 games. I find his grit and will incredible and exemplary, and those kinds of efforts actually make me emotional. To put his humanity on the line out there is beautiful. He did not embarrass himself. The NHL is better with people like Steve Yzerman in it.

The league is losing legends so quickly, perhaps too quickly, that I’d love to see No. 19 give it one more lap. And it would be cool to retire with 700 career goals. He’s eight away. He would pass Mark Messier, who retired with 694, and be one of just seven players to score 700. He’s also 17 assists away from passing Adam Oates for that much anticipated “most assists by a right-handed shot” in NHL history. ESPN will break into regular scheduled poker matches as Stevie Y approaches this milestone.

Carolina’s got the BEST playoff beards in recent memory! Nearly all of the players have full facial hair, making them look that much more rugged and determined.

Unfortunate for Roloson and Edmonton. And Conklin! I don’t think he knew his man was there! Reminiscent of Steve Smith! Considering the success of the franchise, I don’t feel all that sorry for them, though. They’ll be there again, I think. Roloson has a few more years in him, and the Oilers have youth that will be veterans over the next 5 years or so.

The Hurricane’s success is redressing, in a way. The poor attendance for the first few years, the collapse in the finals against the Wings 3 years ago, the apparently unwanted veterans signed or traded for, the reviled GM, the two Ex-Wings. It’s a success story in so many ways.

Cam Ward has been amazing. He had at least 3 sprawling glove saves in game 1 to keep his team in the SERIES. Ward has been steady when not spectacular. He has not gotten rattled. He even sat a couple games against Buffalo, when Gerber got the hot hand again. Still, Ward came through in Game 7.

During game 2, OLN showed clips of past rookie puckeaters who had shutouts in the Finals. The first was from the 50’s, I think – don’t remember who. The 2nd was Pat Roy. THAT video was amazing itself – totally white boards, brown leg pads, and SMALL – freakishly small players!

It’s been a treat to watch Pronger play. His over-long legs and still-childish face make him LOOK awkward, but he has played many effective minutes this playoff. To top it all, he became the ONLY player to SCORE on a penalty shot in the Finals.

Rod BrinDamour has been equally enjoyable to watch. He’s on the ice in every situation, wins key faceoffs, and scores goals. A Veteran Warrior in the truest sense.

Carolina took a page from Edmonton’s book in game 2 – blocking shot. They had some 17 blocked shots in the first period, according to Jon Davidson.

OLN’s coverage has been great. Mike Emrick is excitable and quick and hockey smart. Davidson, though annoying in some indefinable way, is very knowledgeable about the game. His comments are never inane or hesitant. The picture quality is GREAT. CBC still has great announcers, and I ALWAYS flip over for Coach’s Corner, but the PICTURE is TERRIBLE. Most of the time you can’t even see the puck!

Segue: George LaRaque. Early in the game, Davidson had commented on LaRaque, wondering why he wasn’t taking regular shifts and contributing with his size. I countered loudly, telling my wife of the ROCKS in his gloves and his helmet.

I really see a change in the officiating, from the first round to now. It has vastly improved. It has been consistent, and the announcers on OLN have been able to point out what makes a certain play a penalty. The referees were not afraid to remove the goon-factor in game 2. LaRaque was in the game late and he rammed a guy from behind, about 4 ft from the boards, at the level of his neck. He was immediately tossed, and spent about 2.5 more seconds on the ice, as the exit was there at that end. That virtually arrested the goonery that may have exploded from the trailing team trying to ‘send a message’. Well done, McCreary.

I stopped watching for about a week after the Wings were eliminated. It was disappointing. But I found myself rooting for Edmonton in the next round, especially after they were down 0-2 to San Jose. Carolina faced an 0-2 hole to Montreal, also. Carolina next clobbered the Devils, though I didn’t see much of it. For some reason, it’s OK to see Ottawa flounder. I guess I still think of them as Yashin’s HotDogs, despite a FEW years removed from trading him away. Or it could be the image of former Wing Murray behind the bench, lisssping in pseudo-frensch babble! The Buffalo –Carolina series was a blast! I watched the last 4 games of that series and it was SOOO tight! Buffalo is another amazing young team. They lost 4 of their top D-men to injury, yet took Carolina to a titanic 7th game. The surprising Ducks, led by a rejuvenated Teemu Selanne, were quite a surprise. Their sweep of Colorado cost them, however ironically, as they sat and waited for a week. They never recovered from that layoff. It was a Wild West, to be sure.

This Just In:
Ted Nolan returns! Undercut by the Sabers in 1997 after being named Coach of the Year, Nolan walked away. He never imagined being blackballed for nearly 10 years!
The Islanders, like the Bruins and Blackhawks, are a storied franchise misled by incompetent GM-nee-players. It would be nice to see any of these teams turn things around.