http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2009/11/ ... 257428231/

Calgary Flames jump queue for flu vaccine

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Allowing the NHL's Calgary Flames players and families to get H1N1 flu shots early has cost an Alberta Health Services manager his job, officials said.

The provincial agency announced Wednesday it had fired the unidentified mid-level manager for allowing the vaccinations for the hockey players and their families last week, the Calgary Sun reported Thursday. Further disciplinary action for other AHS employees was also possible, officials said.

[snip]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/n ... 8678_x.htm

Sale of Coyotes to NHL closes

PHOENIX (AP) — Final papers have been signed closing the sale of the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes to the NHL.

Notification of the closure was filed on Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Attorneys signed final papers on Monday and $13.3 million was transferred into an account that will hold the money until dispersal is determined.

In all, the NHL paid about $140 million for the team.

[snip]


Unbelievable. I can't imagine being forced to sell an asset at a 34% discount. I don't know the ins and outs of the situation, but it seems to me that the team should go to the party willing to pay the most, in order to best pay back the ownership group's creditors.

You don't understand Obamanomics.

That's been a giant clusterf*ck. The NHL is demanding that the team stays where it is, and that's the big holdup.

Someone wanted to buy the team for 212 million. There was an agreement. The NHL shot it down. Part of that was the team going to Hamilton, Ontario. Bettman went apeshit because he did not want another team in Canada.

Gary Bettman's aka Buttman's tenure as NHL commissioner is on par of that with Matt Millen, Jennifer Granholm, and Barack Obama. Utterly inept fools. Bettman needs to go back to basketball.

He's not well liked in these parts, that's for sure.

If you missed the first 55 minutes of the Winter Classic, no big deal.

If you missed the last 5 minutes of regulation and the overtime, you missed the best action of the year.

Current standings:


Atlantic GP W L OT Pts
New Jersey Devils 54 35 17 2 72
Pittsburgh Penguins 57 35 21 1 71
Philadelphia Flyers 54 28 23 3 59
New York Rangers 56 25 24 7 57
New York Islanders 56 23 25 8 54

Northeast GP W L OT Pts
Buffalo Sabres 54 32 15 7 71
Ottawa Senators 56 31 21 4 66
Montréal Canadiens 56 25 25 6 56
Boston Bruins 53 23 21 9 55
Toronto Maple Leafs 56 17 28 11 45

Southeast GP W L OT Pts
Washington Capitals 55 37 12 6 80
Florida Panthers 56 24 23 9 57
Atlanta Thrashers 54 24 22 8 56
Tampa Bay Lightning 54 22 21 11 55
Carolina Hurricanes 55 19 29 7 45

Central GP W L OT Pts
Chicago Blackhawks 55 37 14 4 78
Nashville Predators 54 30 21 3 63
Detroit Red Wings 55 26 19 10 62
St Louis Blues 55 24 22 9 57
Columbus Blue Jackets 57 22 26 9 53

Northwest GP W L OT Pts
Vancouver Canucks 54 34 18 2 70
Colorado Avalanche 54 30 18 6 66
Calgary Flames 56 27 21 8 62
Minnesota Wild 55 27 24 4 58
Edmonton Oilers 54 17 31 6 40

Pacific GP W L OT Pts
San Jose Sharks 55 36 10 9 81
Phoenix Coyotes 56 33 18 5 71
Los Angeles Kings 55 33 19 3 69
Dallas Stars 55 24 20 11 59
Anaheim Ducks 56 26 23 7 59


Pittsburgh is hanging right around the top of the division. Looks like Colorado is having a better year.

Greatness!!! That site could get a lot better footage from the CHL games if the refs weren't so quick to break them up. Allen Americans have developed a rival with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays. In a meeting in January, the fights started during the warm ups. Once the game was called to start, there were 5 more before the face off. Fun stuff!!!

BTW, the Americans (28-10-3, 59 pts) are in 2nd place in the Southern Conference behind league leading Odessa Jackalopes (34-6-4, 72 pts). Rapid City (28-10-3, 59 pts) leads the Northern Conference with Colorado (27-9-4, 58 pts) in a close 2nd.

Here are a few fights from my Americans.

Kovalchuk to the Devils ...

It was an okay return for a pending UFA, but indicative of the fact that the Thrashers ownership is perfectly content with mediocrity.

The league has a pretty tight salary cap, they can afford it. A couple years ago when they were winning they had massive attendance.

The ownership group has been locked up in court in a control battle. It doesn't prevent them from building a good team, but there's an obvious lack of motivation.

They own the Hawks as well. One of the owners had a higher level voting power and vetoed a Hawks trade a couple years ago, then the rest went to court to force him out. They've been tied up in court since then.

LOL. I'm "Walt" over there. Since 2001 I'm guessing!

The Thrashers are back in the 8th spot. March to the playoffs baby

Since the big New Jersey trade, both teams have played 7 games. Atlanta is 4-1-2, New Jersey is 3-3-1.

Breaking down the stats of the NHLers in the deal:

NJ:

Kovalchuk: 2 goals, 5 assists, +1
Salmela: 1 goal, 2 assist, -1

ATL:

Bergfors: 4 goals, 2 assists, +4
Oduya: 0 goals, 3 assists, +4

We are already on the upside of that deal, plus Atlanta got a 1st round pick and a prospect out of the deal, AND Bergfors and Oduya are locked into the team for years to come, while Kovy is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year (and will probably go home to play in Russia). What a deal!

We also made minor trades for Evgeny Artyukhin and Clarke McArthur, who both played their first games as Thrashers last night and both scored goals. R2's was an unbelievable end-to-end run where he just blew by all of the Islanders' defenders and shoved the puck past the goalie. You can see it here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_d ... ng-content

We're having a tough season with injuries, etc, but are back in 8th.

What's killing us is 12 overtime losses. Most in the NHL.

I hate shootouts.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100329/ap_ ... sad_sequel

Pa. city losing hockey team, just like 'Slap Shot'

By JOE MANDAK, Associated Press Writer

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – In the 1977 cult hit movie "Slap Shot," when player/coach Reggie Dunlop learns his minor-league hockey team will fold, he boosts player morale by planting a phony story in the local paper: The Charlestown Chiefs are moving south.

And now, 22 years after they were founded in a moment of inspiration from the film, the real-life Johnstown Chiefs really are moving to Greenville, S.C.

[snip]

South Carolina? Why didn't they move to F-L-A?

Better than folding the team as a tax writeoff. Then we can hear the real life version of my favorite quote from Slap Shot. The "Jack Robinson" quote.