Roenick on Cechmanek

[Phillygrump]

That's a good point.

Colorful characters attract viewers. Hockey is exciting enough to keep some of those who are attracted by flamboyant talkers.

Some fans don't like Don Cherry, but he's a real asset to us who want to share our affection for hockey.

I once sent an email to Ralph Mellanby suggesting that Eddie Shack and Esa Tikkanen did color on HNIC broadcasts. I think that would have been a huge hit. Eddie is brash, unhibited and Tikanen is Tikanen.

Its kind of a shame to have guys like Edzo and Pierre McGuire representing the opinions on NBC. They are boring annoying people. These are the people selling the sport to fans in America. I don't get to see Don Cherry. I think he's a clown sometimes, but the guy is a personality. There are plenty of personalities in all the other sports, but hockey seems to either lack them or have them suppressed by the league. Pierre McGuire is enough to make me fall asleep during a game.

Whether you like it or not this sport could use an infusion of personality.

[blocker]

Some of the post game interviews from these players are so dry and boring you wonder if they have any personality

Most interviews are almost exactly the same. Sometimes you wonder if these kids are trained in what to say and not say.

[radoran]

Most interviews are almost exactly the same. Sometimes you wonder if these kids are trained in what to say and not say.

Most of them have been around media for virtually their entire lives and have already learned what to say and what not to say.

Whether junior or (gasp) NCAA, kids who are the most successful are going to have significant contact with press.

And, yes, teams definitely have "communications" organizations to coach them when they need it (Ilya Bryzgalov notwithstanding).

But, let's face it, even those of us who never played the game at a high level "know" what to say and what not to say in the context of a locker room.

And "don't say anything stupid" is a rock solid place for most of these guys to start.

[blocker]

And "don't say anything stupid" is a rock solid place for most of these guys to start.

I dunno Rad.

I'm pushing 80 and I say dumb things almost every day.

[radoran]

I dunno Rad.

I'm pushing 80 and I say dumb things almost every day.

Right, but I'm thinking you haven't had a microphone or notepad shoved in your face on a routine basis since you were 16 or 17.

I'll bet they say dumb things even more frequently than you or I, but they know to Keep It Simple Stupid when there's a mic around.

The younger generation who has grown up with videocameras in their pockets and broadband social media even moreso.

Because they've seen the results of people saying stupid things.

[blocker]

Yeah.......I was making a joke.

I also don't have the well-earned distrust of reporters of these kids.

[Vanflyer]

Whether junior or (gasp) NCAA,

being a half-half (Canadian / American), I have to say that you should not gasp about NCAA hockey or USAHockey for that matter. The advancement of hockey in America over the last 15-20 years has been tremendous. While culturally it is Canadas game, fundamentally it is everyone's game and USA are as skilled at it as the Canadians.

[flyercanuck]

@Vanflyer

Rad isn't actually "gasping" at NCAA...it's an ongoing joke. Guys like me, jammer are always talking juniors up. Rad likes to put his two cents in for college hockey. I think it started, or should I say festered, when JVR refused to play junior up here and chose UNH. I rest my case.

[radoran]

being a half-half (Canadian / American), I have to say that you should not gasp about NCAA hockey or USAHockey for that matter. The advancement of hockey in America over the last 15-20 years has been tremendous. While culturally it is Canadas game, fundamentally it is everyone's game and USA are as skilled at it as the Canadians.

FC pretty much nailed it.

I am a proud UVM Alum, home to such NHLers and Cup winners as John LeClair, Martin St. Louis and Patrick Sharp. :-)

[flyercanuck]

I was proud Peterborough Petes fan before we got our own Junior A club. Home to such NHLers as

• Keith Acton
  
• Brad Aitken
  
• Jeff Allan
  
• Bob Attwell
  
• Scott Barney
  
• Bob Berry
  
• Zac Bierk
  
• Zach Bogosian
  
• Gerry Brisson
  
• Jeff Brubaker
  
• Randy Burridge
  
• Don Caley
  
• Colin Campbell
  
• Terry Carkner
  
• Matt Carkner
  
• Jacques Caron
  
• Tony Cassolato
  
• Murray Hooper
  
• Wayne Connelly
  
• Keith Crowder
  
• Jassen Cullimore
  
• Paul Curtis
  
• Jason Dawe
  
• Denis DeJordy
  
• Tie Domi
  
• Steve Downie
  
• John Druce
  
• Dave Duerden
  
• Dallas Eakins
  
• Ken Ellacott
  
• Bob Errey
  
• Doug Evans
  
• Kevin Evans
  
• Paul Evans
  
• Shawn Evans
  
• Tony Featherstone
  
• David Fenyves
  
• Tom Fergus
  
• Mark Flood
  
• Larry Floyd
  
• Corey Foster
  
• Kurtis Foster
  
• Mark Freer
  
• Bob Gainey
  
• Bill Gardner
  
• Scott Garland
  
• John Garrett
  
• Doug Gibson
  
• Dan Gloor
  
• Danny Grant
  
• Wayne Gretzky
  
• Doug Halward
  
• Chuck Hamilton
  
• Billy Harris
  
• Shawn Heins
  
• Andre Hidi
  
• Bill Huard
  
• Jody Hull
  
• Doug Jarvis
  
• Matt Johnson
  
• Joey Johnston
  
• Randy Johnston
  
• Stan Jonathan
  
• Jim Jones
  
• Jimmy Jones
  
• Patrick Kaleta
  
• Pat Kavanagh
  
• Kris King
  
• Geordie Kinnear
  
• Mark Kirton
  
• Evgeny Korolev
  
• Lukas Krajicek
  
• Andre Lacroix
  
• Rick LaFerriere
  
• Ron Lalonde
  
• Jamie Langenbrunner
  
• Steve Larmer
  
• Claude Larose
  
• Don Laurence
  
• Henri Lehvonen
  
• Steve Lyon
  
• Joey MacDonald
  
• Kevin MacDonald
  
• Calum MacKay
  
• Paul MacKinnon
  
• Rick MacLeish
  
• Cameron Mann
  
• Keith McCreary
  
• Paul McIntosh
  
• Scott McLellan
  
• Dale McTavish
  
• Mike Meeker
  
• Anssi Melametsa
  
• Jim Mikol
  
• Greg Millen
  
• Garry Monahan
  
• Steve Montador
  
• Dave Morrison
  
• Larry Murphy
  
• Bob Murray
  
• Rob Murray
  
• Bob Neely
  
• Frank *****
  
• Danny O'Shea
  
• Dennis Patterson
  
• Jim Pavese
  
• Steve Peters
  
• Barclay Plager
  
• Bill Plager
  
• Ron Plumb
  
• Mike Posavad
  
• Chris Pronger
  
• Craig Ramsay
  
• Jake Rathwell
  
• Liam Reddox
  
• **** Redmond
  
• Mickey Redmond
  
• Mark Reeds
  
• Dave Reid
  
• Mike Ricci
  
• Ken Richardson
  
• Luke Richardson
  
• Fern Rivard
  
• Jimmy Roberts
  
• Dave Roche
  
• Peter Scamurra
  
• John Schella
  
• Andy Schliebener
  
• Glen Seabrooke
  
• Steve Seguin
  
• David Shand
  
• Bruce Shoebottom
  
• Derrick Smith
  
• Steve Smith
  
• Stu Smith
  
• Irv Spencer
  
• Eric Staal
  
• Jordan Staal
  
• Ron Stackhouse
  
• Greg Stewart
  
• Cory Stillman
  
• Ken Strong
  
• Peter Sullivan
  
• John Tanner
  
• Greg Theberge
  
• Leo Thiffault
  
• Shawn Thornton
  
• Tom Thurlby
  
• Tim Trimper
  
• Ron Tugnutt
  
• Rick Vasko
  
• Mike Veisor
  
• Bryan Watson
  
• Steve Webb
  
• Kay Whitmore
  
• Jim Wiemer
  
• Jason Williams
  
• Dunc Wilson
  
• Keith Wright
  
• Bryan Young
  
• Steve Yzerman
  
• James Willmore
  

VF - see what I mean?

• 
  

[radoran]

Well, I mean, Bruce Shoebottom? Who could forget the immortal Bruce Shoebottom? The sole of many of locker room...

I, of course, neglected to mention Tim Thomas (another Cup winner), Eric Perron (also on the Cup)...

Quality, you know - not quantity ;-)

[flyercanuck]

True enough rad. I mean how could I possibly put names like Yzerman, Pronger, Staal (plural) Murphy, Larmer, MacLeish, Gainey Gretzky,and Schliebener up against those guys.

Oh, we forgot to do coaches...I'll start Bowman, Neilson, Keenan

[radoran]

True enough rad. I mean how could I possibly put names like Yzerman, Pronger, Staal (plural) Murphy, Larmer, MacLeish, Gainey Gretzky,and Schliebener up against those guys.

Oh, we forgot to do coaches...I'll start Bowman, Neilson, Keenan :P/>

Yes, well, being one of the premier junior teams does have its perks, doesn't it?

UVM isn't even a perrennial threat, much less a Frozen Four competitor.

Five Cup winners, multiple Vezinas and an MVP? In the past 20 years? I'll take that :-)

[Vanflyer]

I think it started, or should I say festered, when JVR refused to play junior up here and chose UNH. I rest my case.

Okay. Its easy for me to play both sides. For me, I root for the underdog anytime and not the favourite. I am a halfie (note, not a newfie)- meaning half canadian and half american. I will look for the world juniors thread, but that 5-1 trouncing by USA against Canada says allot about the program in USA hockey right now. People say that USA is cocky etc.- particularly on TSN, but they completely diminish the development of USA hockey. Four years running now- not a gold for Canada (and a good shot that USA takes the gold home). For me, sometimes it is the Canadians that are cocky. I chuckle at times that most do not even know that Lacrosse is Canada's national sport.

[Vanflyer]

FC pretty much nailed it.

I am a proud UVM Alum, home to such NHLers and Cup winners as John LeClair, Martin St. Louis and Patrick Sharp. :-)

sorry- my bad. I did not know that. See my response to FC. Cheers and go gold USA!!

[radoran]

For me, sometimes it is the Canadians that are cocky. I chuckle at times that most do not even know that Lacrosse is Canada's national sport.

That and "Canada has a Queen" were two of my favorite tropes dealing with Leaf Fans. That and continually referring to the Maple Leaes winning a Cup.

You know how we do.

[Vanflyer]

tropes

I had to look that up. I learned something new today. Well two things actually. While looking up the definition for tropes, I also learned a word that in its plural tense does not contain any of the letters of its singular tense (kine).