New Jersey(s)

It’s September … baseball finally is winding down, college and pro football are getting started. And – something I look forward to, anyway – NHL training camps are opening up, and that means I need to start writing on this again.

There are many new names in new places, but one thing that will highlight this season is the introduction of new uniforms for all teams.

Never mind that there are more pressing issues going on – a real television contract that is not shown on the Rodeo Channel, for one. Another would be the league continuing to repair its image following the lockout.

And while I’m on my soapbox, would it be too much to have every team play every other team each season, home and away?

I live in Chicago, but if I want to my beloved New York Rangers this season, I need to drive six hours northwest to St. Paul, Minn., because Central Division teams will not play Atlantic Division teams this season.

Sure. Makes perfect sense.

This is an issue that rankles a lot of fans, but – as Gurnee-based blogstatician Chris Altruda calls him – the Keebler Elf (read: commissioner Gary Bettman), it’s far more important to have more streamlined uniforms that, hopefully, will generate new revenue streams.

So, now, I will turn into Mr. Blackwell …

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – GRADE: B+: This one is easy to critique. The team may still be awful, but at least they will look better while struggling.

The biggest change was getting rid of the old CBJ logo with a stick planted in the middle of it for what was the logo on their third jerseys. The Ohio state flag makes a graceful ‘C’, and the shoulder patches feature a Civil War hat.

When the Jackets got started up, their logo included a neon green bug. So people were asking, is a Blue Jacket a bug native to central Ohio? Is the team name honoring Civil War soldiers? WTF is it?? Thankfully, that’s gone.

My big problem with Columbus, though, is it still uses a funky font for their names and numbers.

So I have to ask -- why? That may have been a hook with kids when the team first took the ice, but there's no need for it now six years in.

With a more grown-up look on the front of the jersey, they should have gone traditional on the back as well.

BOSTON BRUINS – A+: Simply put, they got it right.

In recent years, one of the league’s respected franchises wore a more modern (ahem ... uglier…ahem) version of the classic logo with a ridiculous yoke that extended down the entire sleeve. And, let’s not forget the gold Winnie the Pooh third jerseys. Bears, last I checked, evoked fear – unless its name was Yogi or Boo-Boo.

Last year, the Bruins scrapped the WTPs for a classic look that harkened back to the days of Bobby Orr and their last Stanley Cup. While the Cup probably isn’t heading to the Hub anytime soon, this set shows that modernization isn’t always better, and with hockey being perhaps the sport that draws upon its history the most, this set does it well.

Again, showing the coolness of retro, the shoulder patches do more than remind me of Bucyk, Park and Cheevers. Think Clapper. Think Shore.

MONTREAL CANADIENS – A: Again, nothing wrong here.

With all the technological advancements and stretchy fabrics that are going into these jerseys, it’s refreshing to see that history, in some cases, is left intact. The Habs logo hasn’t been changed since … let’s see … forever. Even a third jersey introduced several years ago, was a light colored sweater on a dark template.

No funky fonts, No bells and whistles. Clean and solid.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS – A: One thing about technology is that it will cost you. These new jerseys will set you back about $270, and that doesn’t include a name and number on the back.

If I were to order one of these jerseys, this probably would be the one.

On some logo message boards, this set was met with howls of derision. While there is a lot here, I think it all works together. First, the blue-and-green is back: the colors the Canucks wore when they first entered the league 37 years ago. Second, the classic stick-in-rink logo is on the shoulders and also will be on the pants. Third, the Orca logo in the middle even looks better on this set than it did on the dark blues or the ….shudder … gradient thirds they once wore.

The best part: Vancouver, prominently displayed and again, a nod to history. The Canucks of the old Western Hockey League sported that, and the Millionaires some 100 years ago had the city name spelled out in a block “V”.

Since $270+ is a little steep, I have a $24 blue Canucks T-shirt on backorder.

That’s all for now. What do you think? I’d like to know.

Ask yourself this ...

I usually don't stray too far from writing about sports, but there is something I need to vent about.

Why does it take something like the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota to bring issues with the nation's infrastructure -- read: real news -- to the forefront.

Remember, it wasn't all that long ago that the lead news story on the networks, print and digital media was poor lil' Paris Hilton's emotional meltdown about going to jail over her driving issues. Then there was her release -- you would've thought she was Nelson Mandela.

Of course, that was replaced recently by Lindsay Lohan's DUI just 11 days after leaving rehab.

Is anyone else outraged or am I making too much of this?

And one more thing ... it would take a reported $1.6 TRILLION (follow along here -- $1,600,000,000,000) to completely repair the U.S. infrastructure.

How much has the war in Afghanistan cost? The war in Iraq?

Now, where's the outrage?

Teardown in Tennessee continues

Think Jim Balsillie isn't serious about gutting the Nashville Predators before moving them to Canada?

Hours before Friday's NHL draft, the Predators dealt starting goaltender Tomas Vokoun to Florida for three draft picks, including a future No. 1 -- in 2008!

The Predators signed Vokoun to a four-year, $22.8 million contract in September 2006, but that was an extension set to take effect this season. This deal came days after veterans Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell were shipped to Philadelphia for what essentially amounted to a bag of pucks.

If the Preds average fewer than 14,000 fans per game this season, Balsillie can invoke a buyout clause that will allow the team to be moved.

Turmoil in Nashville continues

The early favorite for the worst team in 2007-08 is one that has already seen its share of turmoil following the most successful season in its history.

Weeks after the announcement that the team was being sold to former Penguins suitor Jim Balsillie, the breakup of the Nashville Predators is underway.

On Monday, the team dealt stars Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to Philadelphia for a draft pick -- the selection they sent to the Flyers at the trade deadline to acquire Peter Forsberg, who's likely has played his final NHL game.

The Predators set single season bests with 51 wins and 110 points this past season, but lost to San Jose in the Western Conference quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Report: Senators fire general manager Muckler

The Toronto Sun is reporting that the Ottawa Senators have fired general manager John Muckler.

According to Bruce Garrioch, the 73-year-old Muckler apparently was told Friday by owner Eugene Melnyk that his services would no longer be needed.

Muckler's Senators reached their first Stanley Cup finals this season by losing just three of 15 games to Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo to represent the Eastern Conference.

Ottawa was ousted in five games by Anaheim.

Blackhawks acquire Samsonov from Canadiens

Just what Chicago needs: another underachieving Russian.

Chicago acquired former rookie of the year Sergei Samsonov from Montreal for defenseman Jassen Cullimore and forward Tony Salmelainen -- so much for me buying that No. 8 sweater.

This could turn out to be a steal for Chicago. Samsonov was selected eighth overall by Boston in 1997 entry draft, and went on to win the 1998 Calder Trophy after notching 22 goals and 47 points in 81 games with the Bruins.

Samsonov had 11 assists and 15 points with Edmonton during its Stanley Cup run in 2006, and parlayed that into a lucrative free agent contract with the bleu, blanc et rouge. He played in 63 games for the Canadiens last season, recording nine goals and 17 assists.

"We feel he has a lot left in the tank and playing under Denis Savard will bring out the offensive creativity that he has shown in the past," Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon said Saturday.

Samsonov, who scored 29 goals in 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, was a healthy scratch in the Habs' last 13 games after he questioned whether he made the right move in signing a two-year deal with the Canadiens worth just over $7 million.

General manager Bob Gainey said after the season that Samsonov would not be coming back.

A couple years ago, the Hawks signed goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to a four-year deal valued at $27 million. He's 42-52-11 with a 3.08 goals-against average halfway through that deal.

"Iron Mike" invades Calgary

Former Kenosha-based blogstatician Christoper Altruda was right. I was floored.

When I read the Canadian Press report that the Calgary Flames were reportedly going to hire "Iron" Mike Keenan as their new coach, my expression was that of a vicious -- albeit dumb -- German Shepard.

See the kibble in front of you, it's something you've torn into thousands of times. This time, you're not entirely sure what to make it and you kind of cock your head to the side, trying to put two and two together and not get 22.

I suspect history will show Flames general manager Darryl Sutter as that slow dog. The hiring of Keenan, made official on Thursday, sends a very classy franchise on a very uncertain path.

Keenan's shining moment came just over 13 years ago. As a die-hard Rangers fan, I will always link him with that magical time that ended a 54-year championship drought. I think, though, that team's success had more to do with the will of Mark Messier, some well-timed trade deadline deals that brought in grinders like Brian Noonan, and a healthy dose of luck (see: Matteau, Stephane).

Now 57, Keenan inherits a team that went 43-25-10 last season under Jim Playfair (now an assistant after one year behind the bench) but lost in six games to Detroit in the Western Conference quarterfinals.

Keenan was honored as the league's top coach in 1985 after leading Philadelphia to the Stanley Cup finals. He took Chicago to the Cup finals seven years later before getting his ring in New York. Keenan also coached St. Louis, Vancouver, Boston and Florida and has 569 wins in 1,014 games.

His coaching stint with the Panthers lasted just under two years. He returned in May 2004 as GM, and with Jacques Martin - a former Ottawa bench boss who was also his university teammate - swung several deals to acquire veteran forwards Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts and Chris Gratton.

The team failed to make the playoffs for a fifth straight season in 2005-06, prompting Keenan to make more dramatic moves over the summer. He swung a blockbuster deal that saw superstar netminder Roberto Luongo go to Vancouver for a package that featured power forward Todd Bertuzzi, and also signed veteran goalie Ed Belfour.

Bertuzzi was dealt to Detroit earlier this season, and Belfour is 42.

Though he won't be a GM in Calgary, it's not a stretch to think that he won't have Sutter's ear. Keenan gave Sutter his first NHL coaching job when he was the Blackhawks' general manager. Keenan also said the chance to work with Sutter again was a big factor.

"That had everything to do with it, to work with people that you know and share the same vision," Keenan said. "We've been to games in the finals before and we got close to the job that was unfinished. Hopefully, we're in a position now that we can go to that same spot and finish it off."

Good luck, Flames fans. Despite a wealth of talent that includes Miikka Kiprusoff and Jarome Iginla, the closest you may get to having the Cup come back to southern Alberta is the picture above.

Pavano out again?

This just in: Carl Pavano could be headed to the DL -- again. I think I beat the under of about six weeks.

According to ESPN.com, Pavano will make an appointment later this week with noted arm specialist Dr. James Andrews.

The right-hander, maybe best known for briefly being Alyssa Milano's fuck bunny, signed a four-year, $39.95 million deal with the New York Yankees in 2004 after going 18-8 with Florida.

This could go down as one of the all-time worst free-agent signings. Ever. And remember, this is a team that once inked "fat, pussie toad" Hideki Irabu.

Since joining the Bronx Bombers, he's gone 5-6 with a 4.77 ERA in 19 starts. He missed all of last season with strained buttocks -- yes, a pain in the ass, which I am sure is what George Steinbrenner is thinking when he signs those checks. This time, Pavano has had a setback from a strained forearm.

Prized prospect Phil Hughes was throwing a no-hitter into the seventh inning Tuesday before leaving with a hamstring injury. He joined Pavano, Mike Mussina (hamstring) and Jeff Karstens (broken right leg) on the disabled list. Chien-Ming Wang was sidelined early in the season with a hamstring injury. And strength and conditioning coach Marty Miller was fired Wednesday. Big shock.

I make no secret of this: it does may heart good to see the Yankees in turmoil.

Second round prognostication

I'm late with this, so for now ...

Sabres in six.
Devils in seven.
Canucks in seven.
Sharks in seven.

More to follow.

Second round prognostication coming up soon

When Vancouver and Dallas wrap up their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Monday night, I will reveal my long-awaited semifinal predictions.

So far, we know Buffalo and the New York Rangers are one East semifinal with New Jersey and Ottawa in the other.

Should Vancouver win, it gets Anaheim in the second round and Detroit meets San Jose. If Dallas wins, it gets Detroit and Anaheim meets San Jose.

Sedin! Sedin! Henrik Sedin!!

Overtime pools during the NHL playoffs are a tradition dating back to the Ticker days in Jersey City.

It's simple: You put in $2 to start, and you pick one player from each team. The more people who get in, the pot grows. For each overtime, everyone has to "buck up" -- add $1 to the pile.

Over some 11-plus years in this business -- give or take -- I have never (Altruda chimes in "ev-ev-ev-AH") won one of these until 2:34 CST this morning.

I can say this now: For $42, I love Henrik Sedin unabashedly. A 10-goal scorer in the regular season, he scored with 1:54 to play in the fourth -- yes, fourth overtime to beat Dallas 5-4 early Wednesday morning.

From Gurnee-based blogstatician -- bitter over the fact that Markus Naslund failed to show up in 78-plaus extra minutes -- Chris Altruda was bitter, along with fellow betters Ethan Cooperson, Chris Antonacci, Civil War apologist Mike Votta and non-hockey fan Matt Becker.

Because you'll want to know ...

Stanley Cup playoff games that have gone past two overtimes, with date, score, round, time of overtime and game-winning goal:
--March 24, 1936 - Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0, semifinal, 116 minutes, 30 seconds, Mud Bruneteau.
--April 3, 1933 - Toronto 1, Boston 0, semifinal, 104:46, Ken Doraty.
--May 4, 2000 - Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1, conference semifinal, 92:01, Keith Primeau.
--April 24, 2003 - Anaheim 4, Dallas 3, conference semifinal, 80:48, Petr Sykora.
--April 24, 1996 - Pittsburgh 3, Washington 2, conference quarterfinal, 79:15, Petr Nedved.
--April 11, 2007 - Vancouver 5, Dallas 4, conference quarterfinal, 78:06, Henrik Sedin.
--March 23, 1943 - Toronto 3, Detroit 2, semifinal, 70:18, Jack McLean.
--March 28, 1930 - Montreal Canadiens 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, semifinal, 68:52, Gus Rivers.
--April 18, 1987 - N.Y. Islanders 3, Washington 2, division semifinal, 68:47, Pat LaFontaine.
--April 27, 1994 - Buffalo 1, New Jersey 0, conference quarterfinal, 65:43, Dave Hannan.
--March 27, 1951 - Montreal Canadiens 3, Detroit 2, semifinal, 61:09, Maurice Richard.
--March 27, 1938 - N.Y. Americans 3, N.Y. Rangers 2, quarterfinal, 60:40, Lorne Carr.
--March 26, 1932 - N.Y. Rangers 4, Montreal Canadiens 3, semifinal, 59:32, Fred Cook.
--March 21, 1939 - Boston 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, semifinal, 59:25, Mel Hill.
--April 27, 1999 - Dallas 3, Edmonton 2, conference quarterfinal, 57:34, Joe Nieuwendyk.
--May 15, 1990 - Edmonton 3, Boston 2, final, 55:13, Petr Klima.
--x-June 19, 1999 - Dallas 2, Buffalo 1, final, 54:51, Brett Hull.
--June 8, 2002 - Detroit 3, Carolina 2, final, 54:47, Igor Larionov.
--April 16, 2003 - Philadelphia 3, Toronto 2, quarterfinal, 53:54, Mark Recchi.
--April 9, 1931 - Chicago 3, Montreal Canadiens 2, final, 53:50, Cy Wentworth.
--March 26, 1961 - Chicago 2, Montreal Canadiens 1, semifinal, 52:12, Murray Balfour.
--April 1, 1937 - Detroit 2, Montreal Canadiens 1, semifinal, 51:49, Hec Kilrea.
--March 26, 1930 - Montreal Canadiens 3, Chicago 2, quarterfinal, 51:43, Howie Morenz.
--May 2, 2003 - New Jersey 2, Tampa Bay 1, conference semifinal, 51:12, Grant Marshall.
--April 23, 1996 - Chicago 2, Calgary 1, conference quarterfinal, 50:02, Joe Murphy.
--April 2, 1939 - Boston 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, semifinal, 48:00, Mel Hill.
--April 24, 1997 - Montreal Canadiens 4, New Jersey 3, conference quarterfinal, 47:37, Patrice Brisebois.
--June 8, 2000 - Dallas 1, New Jersey 0, final, 46:21, Mike Modano.
--March 20, 1930 - Boston 2, Montreal Maroons 1, 45:35, semifinal, Harry Oliver.
--March 22, 1949 - Detroit 2, Montreal Canadiens 1, semifinal, 44:52, Max McNab.
--x-June 10, 1996 - Colorado 1, Florida 0, Stanley Cup winner, 44:31, Uwe Krupp.
--May 4, 2002 - Toronto 3, Ottawa, 2, conference semifinal, 44:30, Gary Roberts.
--April 20, 2003 - Tampa Bay 2, Washington 1, conference quarterfinal, 44:03, Martin St. Louis.
--April 10, 2003 - Anaheim 2, Detroit 1, conference quarterfinal, 43:18, Paul Kariya.
--March 27, 1960 - Toronto 5, Detroit 4, semifinal, 43:00, Frank Mahovlich.
--April 17, 2004 - Vancouver 5, Calgary 4, conference quarterfinal, 42:28, Brendan Morrison.
--May 10, 2006 - Edmonton 3, San Jose 2, conference semifinal, 42:24, Shawn Horcoff.
--March 29, 1951 - Montreal Canadiens 1, Detroit 0, semifinal, 42:20, Maurice Richard.
--May 4, 1997 - Detroit 3, Anaheim 2, conference semifinal, 41:31, Slava Kozlov.
--April 29, 1971 - N.Y. Rangers 3, Chicago 2, semifinal, 41:29, Pete Stemkowski.

x-goal won Stanley Cup.

Postseason punditry

Now the fun really begins ...

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

(1) BUFFALO (53-22-7) VS. (8) N.Y. ISLANDERS (40-30-12)

How the N.Y. Islanders could win -- If Rick DiPietro -- 32-19-9 with a 2.58 goals-against average this season -- can somehow, someway comeback from a concussion that limited him to four games down the stretch ... if new goaltender Wade Dubielewicz can channel Terry Sawchuk, Ken Dryden and Grant Fuhr ... if first-time 40-goal scorer Jason Blake heats up again -- he had only five goals in his last 14 games.

Why Buffalo will win -- Too many weapons on offense and defense ... Sabres were 26-6-2 when Thomas Vanek scored at least one of his team-high 43 goals ... they had an Eastern Conference-leading 28 wins and HSBC Arena and have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. SABRES IN FIVE.


(2) NEW JERSEY (49-24-9) VS. (7) TAMPA BAY (44-33-5)

How Tampa Bay could win -- Brad Richards gets more involved. He had only 45 assists in '06-'07 compared with career-high 68 last season ... league goal-scoring leader Vincent Lecavalier rebounds last postseason in which he a goal and three assists in a first-round loss ... Coach John Tortorella lets his goaltenders play, though neither Johan Holmqvist or Marc Denis is an answer here.

Why New Jersey will win -- Martin Brodeur. Coming off the best season of his career -- 48-23-7 with 12 shutouts -- he gets my vote for the Hart and Vezina trophies He's also 4-1-0 with a 1.36 GAA in the playoffs versus the Bolts ... Interim bossman Lou Lamoriello will have these guys ready to play, but three trained monkeys could do the same ... When Zach Parise (31 goals in 82 game) scored at least two points this season, New Jersey was 8-3-0. DEVILS IN FOUR.


(3) ATLANTA (43-28-11) VS. (6) N.Y. RANGERS (42-30-10)

How Atlanta could win -- No playoff jitters from goaltender Kari Lehtonen (2-3-1, 2.63 GAA in final six games) or sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, on a four-game goal scoring streak heading into postseason ... Trading-deadline pickups Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik and coach Bob Hartley all have extensive playoff experience ... 100-point scorer Marian Hossa had three goals in three wins over New York this season.

Why the N.Y. Rangers will win -- Last season's first-round sweep by New Jersey still fresh in the minds of the Blueshirts ... Henrik Lundqvist was 16-4-5 with a 1.72 GAA and four shutouts since Feb. 9 -- he allowed 13 goals in three playoff losses last season ... a healthy Jaromir Jagr should have more than the one assist he posted last season. RANGERS IN SIX.


(4) OTTAWA (48-25-9) VS. (5) PITTSBURGH (47-24-11)

How Ottawa could win -- Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza continue to carry this team ... one of every five goals scored by Heatley was a game-winner ... Ray Emery (33-16-6, 2.47 GAA, five shutouts) could set up a run as this postseason's version of Jean-Sebastien Giguere or Cam Ward if he can get past this series.

Why Pittsburgh will win -- Yes, this is Sidney Crosby's first go-round in the postseason, but does anyone out there think he cannot handle the pressure? He's got Gretzky-ish skills and can pick owner Mario Lemieux's brain ... nuts-and-bolts experience from veterans Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi will be invaluable ... Evgeni Malkin scored 33 goals as a rookie, 16 on the power play, six game-winners. Tough to stop that filthiness. PENGUINS IN SEVEN.


WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

(1) DETROIT (50-19-13) VS. (8) CALGARY (43-29-10)

How Detroit could win -- Forget their recent postseason history. In two of their last three playoff appearances, the Red Wings were first-round losers ... six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek doesn't remember he turns 42 later this month ... Henrik Zetterberg (33 goals) and his balky back are friends once again.

Why Calgary will win -- Win or lose, does reigning Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff (40-24-9, 2.46 GAA, seven shutouts) ever get rattled? This is just another series of games for him ... Key on offense won't be Jarome Iginla or Alex Tanguay -- watch for Kristian Huselius (career-high 34 goals) ... Jim Playfair outcoaches Mike Babcock -- yes, it can happen. FLAMES IN SIX.


(2) ANAHEIM (48-20-14) VS. (7) MINNESOTA (48-26-8)

How Anaheim could win -- Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer score early and often from the blue line. Teemu Selanne scores early and often from anywhere ... Jean-Sebastien Giguere (36-10-8, 2.26 GAA, four shutouts) keeps his mind on the game instead of family issues surrounding the birth of his son ... Dustin Penner (29 goals) builds off the three he had last postseason.

Why Minnesota will win -- Meet Nicklas Backstrom. Was 10-0-1 with a 1.24 GAA and three shutouts over the final month of the season, and has gone from backup to a league-low 1.97 GAA heading into postseason ... Marian Gaborik stays healthy. Had a point in 13 of his final 14 games of '06-'07 ... Five players with at least 50 points mean balance in Jacques Lemaire's system. WILD IN SEVEN.


(3) VANCOUVER (49-26-7) VS. (6) DALLAS (49-25-7)

How Dallas could win --Marty Turco improves overnight on his 8-14 record and 3.35 GAA in the playoffs. If he struggles again, coach Dave Tippett could put rookie Mike Smith (12-5-2, 2.23 GAA, three shutouts) in net... Scoring comes primarily from the forwards Mike Modano, Mike Ribeiro and others despite having two of the higher scoring defensemen in Sergei Zubov (54 points) and Philippe Boucher (51 points) ... trying to avoid third straight opening-round elimination for the first time.

Why Vancouver will win -- Roberto Luongo (47-22-6, 2.29 GAA, five shutouts) won't fall flat on his face ... After emerging this season as the faces of the franchise, the Sedin twins (36 goals for Daniel, 71 assists for Henrik) show the world their playmaking skills ... another team that has to forget their history. The Canucks have gone past the first round just twice since 1994. CANUCKS IN SIX.


(4) NASHVILLE (51-23-8) VS. (5) SAN JOSE (51-26-5)


How Nashville could win -- Peter Forsberg starts playing like he did, say, five years ago ... Tomas Vokoun bounces back after missing al of last season with a blood clotting condition ... try not to let losing four straight to the Sharks in last season's playoff get to them ... get past a late season stumble that saw Predators lose seven of 10.

Why San Jose will win -- Joe Thornton. Evegni Nabokov. Jonathan Cheechoo. Bill Guerin. Patrick Marleau. Sharks can match veteran for veteran with Preds' Kariya, Sullivan, Forsberg and so on ... young defensemen Matt Carle, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Christian Ehrhoff will be keys. SHARKS IN SIX.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Playoff predictions coming soon ...

Staying in Steel City

I didn't think it would get done but when push comes to shove, an agreement for almost anything can be hammered out.

Recently, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they would be staying in Steel City after it was revealed an agreement on a new $290 million arena to replace Mellon Arena was reached.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pens will pay $3.8 million per year toward construction and will add another $400,000 per year for capital improvements. The team will remain in town under a 30-year lease.

Admittedly, I would have liked to have seen the Penguins move, and if you have been reading my blog or know me, I lobbied for Winnipeg, Kansas City and Quebec in that order. Does that mean this is a bad deal? Of course not.

What Gary Bettman should do is let teams explore relocation. In some cases, it's probably needed -- Florida and Phoenix are two teams that need to have the moving vans hit the loading docks. E.J. Hradek of ESPN.com recently wrote that he believes the NHL will expand by two teams to 32 in the next five years.

He believes Las Vegas will get one franchise and a "major Western city" -- Seattle, most likely -- will get the other. I cannot see that work in either place. Las Vegas is currently home to the ECHL's Wranglers, but the idea that the city can support a pro team is like baseball saying that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or Omaha can do the same.

As for Seattle, I would think that a team would play initially in KeyArena -- the same building the NBA's SuperSonics are likely vacating for Oklahoma City. Again, not a good fit at this time.

Bettman should look north again instead of making more inroads to the Sun Belt. Somehow, I don't think New Mexico-Mississippi has the same cachet as Montreal-Toronto.

STAYING CLOSE TO HOME: When the Chicago Blackhawks want to raid their farm system next season, all they need do is get on the Tollway.

The inactive Cincinnati franchise -- which was to be known as, of all things, the RailRaiders -- has been sold and will be relocated to the Rockford, Ill.

The Rockford IceHogs also will be the Blackhawks' top farm team for the next 10 seasons.

Rockford will be one of two new teams in the AHL next season, joining the Lake Erie Monsters. That team, which will play in Cleveland, will the top affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.

With the Blackhawks leaving their top farm team in Norfolk, Va. behind, that could end up being the new home for Tampa Bay's top minor leaguers. The Lightning announced Monday that they were ending their affiliation with Springfield, Mass. after this season.

AND THE PAYOFF ...: Future Tank Johnson apologist Chris Altruda has been paid off. A week ago Sunday, dinner was served at the Chicago Chophouse. Dinner, with tip, $120. Thanks, Lasse Kukkonen. Hope you choke on a funnel cake.

Slam the hammer down

On Saturday, Chris Simon explained to NHL officials why he went all First Nations on Ryan Hollweg.

On Sunday, the NHL answered by handing the Islanders forward the longest suspension in league history -- 25 games -- for his two-handed chop on Hollweg during a home loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Simon will sit for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs, should the Islanders advance. If the Isles play fewer than 10 playoff games, the suspension will carry over next season.

Simon has been suspended six times in his career -- three for stick-swinging incidents.

Justified? Absolutely. Fighting was, and always will be, part of the game but what Simon did would earn him a criminal record. While what Simon did was horrific, I may in the minority when I say it wasn't nearly as bad as Marty McSorley's chop to Donald Brashear's head in 2000.

Simon's slash also came on the three-year anniversary of Todd Bertuzzi's on-ice mugging of Steve Moore that broke his neck and ended his career.

Anyone who thinks this kind of play will go away, especially in the post-lockout NHL in which more emphasis is placed on skill, take a look at the boxscore from the Blackhawks' 7-5 win over Phoenix on Saturday night.

David Koci, a 6-foot-6 bruiser from the Czech Republic, played less than three minutes in his NHL debut. Three fights, a charging major and a double game misconduct adds up to 42 penalty minutes.

It's been a while, yes ...

No problems. No issues. Just been busy with work and lazy with this.

So, the trade deadline came and went last ... not so you would have noticed. Just a slew of deals -- 31 of them -- over the final 48 hours and before the final bell at 3 p.m. ET this past Tuesday.

Almost every team did well, all but one.

WHO DID WELL...

N.Y. ISLANDERS -- Getting Edmonton's leading scorer Ryan Smyth for a pair of former middle-of-the-first-round picks and a future No. 1 will almost assuredly land the Isles in the postseason.

Getting a player with recent finals experience is also a bonus. Smyth helped lead the Oilers on an improbable run from eighth seed to Western Conference champion to fall one win short of the Stanley Cup.


ST. LOUIS BLUES -- Yes, they gave up a lot and don't have much immediately to show for it.

Leading scorer Bill Guerin was sent to San Jose after second-leading scorer Keith Tkachuk was shipped to Atlanta. What they got in return was a pair of No. 1 picks this (to go with their own lottery pick) and No. 1 in 2008.

This is where president John Davidson's hockey intelligence comes into play, though. The Blues will not make the postseason for a second straight year, but the rebuilding isn't going to take long either.


PHILADELPHIA FLYERS -- I would've put this down below based at first glance on deal that sent Peter Forsberg to Nashville. Scottie Upshall never has lived up to his billing as a top six draft pick while with the Predators -- 11 goals in 77 games over three-plus seasons.

So far with Philadelphia, he's had three goals including a game-winner to beat the Bruins in overtime. If Braydon Coburn, the eighth overall pick in 2003 by Atlanta and picked up for Alexei Zhitnik, pans out then the Flyers make out real well.

Oh, and getting Martin Biron from Buffalo gives them a reliable starting goaltender for years to come. Just an added bonus.


AND WHO DIDN'T...

EDMONTON OILERS -- Actually, despite their unexpected success last season, that was when the trouble started: they gave up a No. 1 pick to get goaltender Dwayne Roloson from Minnesota.

After he led them within a win of the Stanley Cup, Edmonton signed Roloson for three years and $11.25 million. They should have focused on keeping Smyth, who was in the final year of a two-year deal. The face of the franchise since being picked sixth in 1994, Smyth was the heart and soul of the Oilers in the post-Messier-Gretzky-Kurri glory years era up north.

Reports said both sides were just a couple hundred thousand dollars apart on a deal that would have paid No. 94 more than $5 million a season. I find it hard to think that both sides couldn't have hammered out a deal when they're that close supposedly.

Smyth gave a tearful press conference before leaving Edmonton in which he said he will try to help the Isles win the Stanley Cup so he can bring it back to the city. He's an unrestricted free agent come July 1, but I think the sting of being dealt will still be too fresh.

How messed up would it be if the boy from Banff signed with Calgary?