Vanflyer

I so completely agree with this.   I truly think it's asinine.

been awhile since I have been here, and while I stand by the essence of my thoughts, boy I was hammered when I wrote that. 

Thanks for agreeing. I still think is just ludicrous. 

Like I said before, I was like who???.

Not sure if he was there, but any news on Bellemare? 

Anybody from here going and can give us the low down?

I have free time on my hands and will go. Do you mind floating me an airline ticket. I will get it back to you - sometime. 

People think lacrosse isn't violent, but man, it's super rough!

Lacrosse is more vicious than ice hockey / american football and with less pads then either sport. 

And now they need cap space when those kick in...

I probably should have clicked "not so simple", but I choose "no". Both players are great, but nobody should be earning more than Crosby (as much as I dislike him). 

They said arthroscopic and he shouldn't even miss camp let alone relevant time so nothing to be upset about. They probably were trying to see if they could avoid surgery.

Far enough. BTW- do you guys have a "town hall" for STH like the Flyers do? It would be interesting this yeas with all the changes. 

Thanks all for your kind words.  It is always fun to try and give you a window into these meetings.  Thanks too to sars for being my wingman and adding on to my recap with the Hexy tapes, I should start recording them myself in the future.

Nobody asked about bellemere? I think he is a "sleeper". Not of the best player not playing in the nhl ilk, but still a sleeper. I think he is going to stun people in camp and I do not see him on the 4th line. 

@sarsippius it was great going with you to the event!  As you recorded the Hexy part of the meeting on your phone please feel free to add on or correct things that I may have messed up!

Phenomenal write up. Is there a way to "sticky" this for the summer (@hf101)? 

I do have to snicker at the lady (nothing sexist as @TropicalFruitGirl26 is smarter than half of us and certainly me). 

So the truth of it is that Sid Crosby needs wrist surgery, and was injured throughout the playoffs. It's arthroscopic so no games are expected to be missed.

I will take my O*B blinders off for second and say WTF? Did he have the surgery or he is going to undergo the surgery. If the later, as a pens fan I would be pissed. 

He was drafted solely because he was 6'6" and could skate. I think most people figured he would be quite a few years away from being NHL ready.

Interesting. Fleury and St Louis say hello (tongue in cheek of course). 

They had their best-ever showing at the draft this year, and it's only a matter of time until the number of Americans drafted surpasses Canadians.

\

by development and population. So does that mean bettmen won? Right now its a 2-1. But many can see a 2-2 happening. 

The down side will be nobody to feed him the puck in the high slot. I think Neal has his own credible talent, as a shooter, but he's not good at carrying the puck. I'd assume he'll skate with Fisher or maybe Smith, but Gaustad? Eric Nystrom? Their options are very limited in playmaking ability.

Hey P922-  as much as I diss Neal, i diss downie worrse. Its the strangest thing I have seen for 3rd tier players. I am ignorant, but I hope the pens got some picks in the pocket when all is said and done. 

is now going to play for him.

5 min a game and then the AHL. 

Over / under on when Neal is riding pine / bus? I give it 20 games. Unless lavy is poile's lap dog. 

this is all predicated on my not thinking signing bonuses are counted in the same way as performance-based bonuses.  i.e., i don't think year end bonus cushions can accept signing bonus overages.  i'm not positive, though.

thanks. 

Loop hole?? 

For me, it seems it might be a deal breaker with moving him. Teams can love both the salary and cap hit, but not want to lump on the 4.5 additional owed. I am guessing it becomes an issue in a trade v. a buyout v a keep him deal. 

Also, not sure who said it, laughton should not be with the big boys this year. Which I think I am on board with. So, that means bite the bullet with VLC this year on whichever line he is going to center. 

I think its a trade dead-line thing. Slot him on the 4th balance the lines on minutes between 3rd and 4th and run with it. While I want the team to always compete, I think in doing that, you give laughton valuable minutes in the AHL and should someone at center get injured, he is the call up. Secondarily, if Vinny is lighting the lamp (assuming he is still get #pp minutes), then its a win win. At the trade deadline if I can move him for a 2nd, I snatch it and run. Then move Laughton up to his spot if he is ready. 

Having said that,I'd buy a solid orange one with a black killer sheep on it.

I am confused. Would you put it on your black killer sheep or is your killer sheep orange and you want to put a black jersey on it in hopes he can still be killer?? 

I like the logo just the way it is.

me too. I will reiterate: why the eff does any team need a THIRD jersey??? Change the home and away all you want and will all bitch and moan about this and that on the changes. But why a third jersey? Its a effing money grab and nothing more. 

@doom88 sorry not directed at you. Just who gives a eff about a third jersey?? 

This should make me want to quit smoking.

Is it factual that his cancer is due to smoking?? I am pleading ignorance on this and without malice or insult (despite me hating the way he calls a hockey game)? 

If so, then perhaps you should. But how do we know who the higher power taps for this / that / or the other ailment? Certainly we can all take preventive measures. But I say eff it, when its your time, its your time (I say that with both of my parents dying from cancer, one smoking and the other not). 

Case in point Jim Fixx. 

I think the best thing is if you have a family, be the best you can to them- even if some of them you don't get along with, but mostly children. There is something uplifting about kids - especially if  they are your own, that all things will wash away and boil down to the moments of time we have to spend with those we love. 

That said, to Mr. Jeanerrette- God speed. 

@Vanflyer   Don't worry.....be happy!! 

The funny thing or sad thing is that we are both dating our selves: bobby mcfarlan (sp). My mom loved that song in the 80's- I tried to teach that Marley was 100x better, but to no avail. 

. The Spits traditionally have their home game on Thursday nights, which must get in the way a bit, but at least it's towards the end of the week, with only one day of school left the following day.

Thats good to know. 

 He is certainly a Flyer type of player. He was my fav out of the top 10 this year.....the Ducks committed highway robbery getting him 10th overall. What a friggin steal. I think Carolina and the Leafs will be looking back at what could have been for a decade or more!

Well, they would have been looking even more if the Flyers moved up and picked him. At least he is in the WC. I don't think he is NHL ready (though I could have had a pipe dream he was if the Flyers nabbed him). I think he is 2 years off. 

That makes Getzlaf and Perry both 32. Still formidable, but not like playing with Claude and Jake at 27. He looks like leclaire v.2.0 but better skating and more shot options and certainly tougher (and that is not a slight to "gentle john" as he was as tough as nails- just never fought back- ala Tim Kerr). 

All CHL teams offer a full scholarship as well, just the schools are generally not close to their NCAA counterparts. You would much rather have a degree from a Big 10 school than the University of Windsor....but at least the CHL does their part and realizes only a select few make careers out of hockey.

I did not know that. So, how does that work with all the games they play- I mean do they really attend classes or is it commensurate type of enticement?  I mean zero insult, I just know that the reason the NCAA schedule is so light in games is because they really (sort of) want the players to get an education (but there are strict guidelines on players grades and such: see NCAA basketball and NCAA football). 

We just wanna win, does not matter if they come from Jamaica.....lol.

Either you are a bobsled underdog fan or you mis-read the topic at hand an intended this post for the Green Stuff post / thread. :-P

The US National program is stealing all the stars though, they are just as big of a threat as the CHL is now....stealing players from major programs left and right.

Agreed. Its interesting to see the origin of programs players are getting drafted these days. In my hey day (dating myself), maybe 2 or 30 made the first round. Not so now. 

That said, (not directed at you), hockey development in the US has taken ahold (I am not sure its by bettemans doing as much as the Sniders of the world), but the US is 10 x the size in population as the us (guessing- but I know its somewhere near that). And while hockey is "candadas game", not all kids want to play it or can afford it. 

You see a player like Ghost emerge that plays for a SMALL collegiate hockey program and demonstrate that level of skill and you know that the tables are getting leveled out (as a side note, I think his teammate got signed by an NHL team as well). 

My biggest dis and its a double edge sword is games played. In major juniors, they play 2x the games as NCAA. Yet, at the same time, the NCAA is educating the players. Its kind of important. Lets say that 10% of each program make to some pro level to sustain a living. That leaves 90% holding a bag with nothing to do. In the NCAA, the player holds a degree (for whatever its worth). 

For me, while my degree was not my calling, it meant a ton as it opened a door. 

keeper league?? 

Both are vezina candidates. I think bobs had a bit of a down year compared to his vezina year, but injuries plagued him. I really like both. Your real name is not Bobby C. is it? Playing out your alter-ego and having to ruskies as your goalies on your fantasy team?? LOL 

@hf101- 

"The Flyers tried trading up in the draft but were unable to, "

Wonder if it was Ritchie- whom I have a man crush on?