WingNut722

Good report and a good sum-up. And yes there are a lot of questions, but that is exactly what this was for. A whole group of hockey and business execs can sit around a big conference table talking about (and I'm sure they did and will continue to do so), but you have to start somewhere. Have the tournament in whatever arrangement seems best at the time, and let the questions, issues, and problems arise. Then solve them for the next one. If you sit around and talk about problems, you'll never get anything done. As the Mythbusters would say..."Failure is ALWAYS an option." It seems the NHL is set on holding the WCH, which is fine. I like the idea. So now it's time to start addressing the problems so it can be better next time. If nothing else, it's a business investment. Sometimes you need a "loss leader" just to generate interest, so that the overall project generates profit.

Gonna have to go with the Oil on this one. That orange and blue color scheme has always been one of my favorites.

Those ARE pretty bold predictions, but also very plausible. I'll be anxious to see how it pans out!

It's still very chilling to think about what happened that day. Even now, 14 years later, it seems a little taboo (at least for me) to use the September 11 date, even on papers, reports, checks, anything routine. I almost feel I should wait a day or two so I can use a different date. I was in college when that happened. I had an early morning lab which let out around 10:00 or so. So I was already gone when they came around to cancel the rest of classes. We had just moved into our apartment too, and we didn't have the cable hooked up yet. It wasn't until about 3:00 in the afternoon when I went to the grocery store and found a bunch of people crowded around a television.

The concept of "Innocent until proven guilty" actually exists when it comes to superstars in the NHL. The Hawks are going to hope against hope to the bitter end of this. At the same time, look for him to be benched until it all plays out.

That's very possible. However, in trying to think of just such an event, I decided to open it up to all categories, outside of sports as well. I wasn't around for the Miracle on Ice, but did that make the whole country stand still? Since hockey is not America's passion sport, I doubt so many folks were watching that day.

Sometimes I wonder if there is anything in the US that is so unifying as hockey is to Canada. Just the other day I (re)watched that documentary on the '72 Summit Series. How a single (non-tragic) event can bring an entire country to a stand-still is beyond comprehension. I can't think of much in US history that had quite the same effect. Maybe the moon landing?

I had no idea that incident even happened! Great post, and thank you! If the Richard Riot is indeed, an integral part of the Quebecois separatist movement, perhaps it's beginning to dissolving simply as a factor of time, that the next generation of hockey fans can't defend Richard quite so vehemently simply because they hadn't been born yet.

I remember that car crash after the 1997 Cup finals. It was only about a week or so after the parade. It let the air out of the whole city. The Cup wasn't even worth celebrating anymore. Konstantinov was an amazing defensemen - the Kronwall of his day. He laid out plenty of open ice hits. I remember he uplifted Claude Lemieux head over heels. Worth mentioning too that Yzerman, upon receiving the Cup after the 1998 Finals, gave it straight to Konstantinov in his wheelchair.

Great post! When I was younger I wasn't as interested in hockey as I am now. Which is to say that I knew Steve Yzerman played for the Red Wings and Wayne Gretsky also pretty good. That was the extent of my hockey knowledge. Lanny was also one of those names that I associated with the game, and yes, the hairy lip was part of it. He was just an active, force of life and he played with heart and soul.

Outstanding article! I had to sit and just think about it, let it sink in, before trying to figure how to respond. I still don't know how. Life is precious, and beautiful.

@Old School Hockey I see. Understood. Agree with you 100%. DDK is first priority.

@yave1964 I suppose you're eight (and not just about Tootoo ). It's a benefit in disguise though...the less he gets hit, the healthier his back stays, so I won't knock it. Is it hockey season yet? @Old School Hockey I'm not worried about DDK at all. He'll be resigned. There just negotiating the terms now, but he'll get he wants. Considering Quincey got a pay raise, DeKeyser can just about name his own price and be approved. If they let him go, Holland will have that contract extension crammed you-know-where and be run out of town.

@yave1964 It's a sign of respect. Lidstrom never had that happen to him either. Players would skate in for a hit, but never a hard one, and only as part of the game. Nick would usually dodge it anyway. On the other hand, players never get too close to Datsyuk when he's skating it in, do they?

@yave1964 @jammer2 I think it's better than 50/50. I vote 75% he comes back. I'm sure he's been seeing doctor's and getting treatment for his back all summer, but hockey is a tough sport so the proof is in the pudding. While Holland is loyal to all his players, I think that's one of the hallmarks of his leadership. It's not just about money or hardware. Ask any of the Red Wings team, staff, or management...they all feel like they're part of a family, which is important in this business..hell, ANY business. Granted, he may take it too far in certain cases, but at the end of the day, you'll never be able to say that he sold out. As far as Alfie's salary, I don't think he'll have a problem with it. Lidstrom took a pay cut the last couple years in his career, and he played every game of the season.

@yave1964 In a more bizarre imagination, I wonder if Mike Illitch is getting involved in this little tiff of Babcock versus Holland. I wonder if the gauntlet has yet been thrown down -- "If he stays, I go!" For the benefit if the Detroit Red Wings organization...who would you pick?

Agreed. You need to invest in order to receive. I'm not informed enough to weigh in on cuts to public services, etc., but the investment in the arena is a step forward to get some business in there to revitalize at least one portion of the city. Bars, restaurants, hotels, shops...anything will generate more tax revenue than abandoned houses. There has been a lot of talk about options on how to use the now-abandoned and open space within the city limits. There is even talk about going back to farms. That's right...FARMS! The City of Detroit could be rewinding back 200 years without that bothersome natural disaster! @sarsippius Detroit indeed is in desperate times. It's real tough over there. The city limits are so widespread that the limited resources can't control them all. Whole sections, whole neighborhoods are now in the dark because the city can't afford to keep the streetlights on at night. Not a whole lot of security for the very few families who still maintain a residence there, but then these neighborhoods are only about 3-5% occupied. The City hasn't decided to buy out these folks' houses, but then these folks may not want to move.

@sarsippius I saw a few design drawings in a recent Detroit paper. The arena will be fantastic, and is expected to set a new standard in arena architecture. Although the the entire arena will be one giant complex, offices, training facilities, concessions, and the like will be housed in separate "buildings" which will be connected to the main playing venue by enclosed, glass-covered streetscapes, complete with trees. The actual playing surface will be several feet below grade, which will give the arena a lower profile, so it doesn't look like a monstrosity in amongst the two- and four-story buildings already there. @yave1964 @jammer2 I understand that only about half of the development costs are going directly to the taxpayers. The rest is coming from Illitch Holdings and the Michigan/Detroit economic development authorities. This will be a huge step to help revitalize the area. Detroit is truly undergoing a full-scale renaissance. With some entire neighborhoods being bulldozed and cleared, the old joke of "Operation Etch-A-Sketch" is actually a reality. All the rules have gone out the window. I truly hope it works though. The rest of the country is watching Detroit to see what happens. If it works, Detroit could be one of the most important cities in the country, as it was back in the 50s. The Illitches have always been a Detroit-based family and will always remain loyal, and they're not afraid to spend their net-worth of $3.6 Billion to help the city regain it's former glory. Not bad for a few folks selling $5 Hot 'N' Ready's

I wouldn't judge his free agent eye too harshly. He made pitches to every hot defensemen this year which were equal or better than the offers those players eventually accepted elsewhere. He made offers to both Suter and Parise as well (offhand I can't remember how those offers stacked up) but they still selected Minnesota. The speculation tends to indicate that players are selecting teams based on more than just the quality of hockey. They're looking to be close to family, their old hometowns, former teammates (NHL, college, otherwise)...all these intangibles. It's one thing to try to replace Lidstrom and Rafalski, but in order to supersede those intangibles, Holland may very well have to significantly overpay, which is something he's too sensible to do. Detroit used to be "THE" place to play hockey, and in those days, you could tell your wife/kids/mom/dad/dog/teammates/goldfish: "Yeah I'll be a thousand miles away, but I'll be playing for the Red Wings!" Those days are no more...

@Commander Clueless It's pretty apparent that Cleary's raise was to make up for the paycut he took last year to remain with the team. He's a favorite of Mike Babcock and I'm sure Babs put in several good words for him. In an article in the Detroit Free Press this morning, Holland heaped praise and optimism on Cleary but did say that Cleary would have to earn his spot ion the lineup. Holland is known for his loyalty and this signing is no different. Kudos to him for sticking to his principles. Based on Hollands comments, it seems that everybody knows where Cleary stands within the organization. The favor has been repayed. Nobody owes anybody anything anymore.

@yave1964 @J0e Th0rnton @jammer2 To add further fuel to this bonfire...Ken Holland just re-signed Dan Cleary to a one-year contract. No details yet as to the terms, but it seems as if he's keeping his word to ol' number 11, I mean number 71, I mean.... This is a total disaster. I can't imagine how much effort and negotiation has gone to securing the mediocre services of a broken down winger. A few years ago, I would have been in favor of this deal. Cleary was a grinder. His numbers weren't always impressive but he always pushed the limits, gave 110%, was particularly capable in board battles for the puck and provided grit and leadership in the locker room. This looks to me like Ken Holland is only keeping his promise from last season, allowing Cleary to come back one more year, and likely reimbursing him for the salary reduction. With any luck though, Holland demanded a two-way contract and made it crystal clear that he has a standing reservation on the bus to Grand Rapids if Cleary doesn't come through big time.

@jammer2 Sproul can absolutely be in Holland's back pocket, especially if the injury bug hits, but I think there are a number of capable defensemen with several years of NHL experience which we should try to get a hold of before we bring on a new rookie.

@yave1964 Signing those types of players would be wise. They can't really get any worse than depending on Kindl and Quincey. Neither of them should be in Detroit. Kindl has been around for several years now and has yet to offer any kind of solid, dependable, or even noticeable performance. There's no reason to hang onto him. Quincey is just a joke. In general though, if we can't improve on defense, then we must improve on the offense. The object has and always will be to score more points than the other team. If we let in 5 per game, we need to be scoring six. Kindl and Quincy produced a total of only 6 goals and were a combined -9 for the season.

@Old School Hockey @yave1964 @jammer2 I do recall Helene St. James mentioning that fact in one of her articles. Seems Detroit is no longer the gold standard as a hockey franchise...it appears Pittsburgh is now. It's one thing if they missed out on the hot defense commodities in Boyle and Ehrhoff, etc. But I would have rather seen Holland scoop up a younger, fresher defenseman with promise than to re-sign Quincey. That's just silly. Having Quincey around again is a gamble, and since no one else signed him, there's no way Holland will be able to trade him. Nobody wants him. This season is going to depend on health...not just Alfie (and by the way, I would offer him the time he needs to make a decision). Just pretend for a minute that things go right this season. 1) Alfie comes back strong (see what I did there?..."back strong"? Get it?) 2) Everyone stays healthy 3) Weiss has a good season, like they expected him to last year 4) The kids avoid the sophomore slump 5) Howard improves to where he should be (note - I'm not asking for stellar goaltending; just where he should be) If 4 out of 5 of the above items happen (which is very possible, I'm not asking for much), the Red Wings can easily stick themselves firmly in second place in the Atlantic Division. There is enough talent on that team to make that happen. Add to that the notion that Franzen actually "plays!" this year (which in my opinion is a much more lofty goal than anything else), then come the trade deadline, there is the opportunity to take a hot defenseman who is looking for hardware....then the price goes down. Detroit was the place to be because there was serious possibility of winning a Stanley Cup year after year. That's not the case anymore. Yes they're in the playoffs every year, but that doesn't mean anything for players who have to pick up and move their families. It's time to hunker down and develop the team you have and *prove* you have a shot, and those trades will be there in February. I've been saying it all along...give Weiss a chance. He did not have a bad season last year. He had NO season last year, so it's unfair to pass judgement on how good or bad his acquisition was.

@jammer2 Pittsburgh is the team to play for these days. Loaded with talent and always a competitor, like Detroit in the early 2000's. Ehrhoff should enjoy his stay there. He's looking for hardware, and my guess is that Pittsburgh management limited the contract to one year, given the front office and head coaching changes. There's a lot of variability right now.