Well it is for the NHL teams as Free Agency starts for the Unrestricted Free Agents. With names like Ed Jovanoski, Zdeno Chara, Teppo Numminen and Jaroslav Spacek among other blueliners the crop of free agents is quite plentiful. The level of talent for the forwards while not as high still some big names including Doug Weight, Patrik Elias, Bill Guerin, Jeff Freisen, Marc Savard are just some of the names that are available for teams in the market.

While my team Calgary has already traded for Alex Tanguay they still need some more scoring help. I do not think they will dig too deep into the free agent market as they have most of what it takes to go a long way in next playoffs as long as they get some scoring from the current crop as well as a couple of additions. It would be nice if Calgary could pickup another scorer without having to break the bank. Although I think he is an ass, Jeremy Roenick has indicated he wants to play for a Canadian team and if he has his head screwed on right he might be helpful on the scoring front. Should be an interesting couple of days as the teams make their moves.

No I do not believe that but that is the statement that has been said on 2 separate Vancouver based sportscasts in the last few days. While I believe Roberto Luongo is one of the better goalies in the league he has yet to make the post season and has yet to lead the league and the game such as a Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur or Mikka Kiprusoff. Joining Vancouver which is a more talented team than Florida will impact his numbers but the Northwest division is if not the toughest close to the toughest division in the league. I do beleive that in the right environment Luongo will shine and will be the elite goaltender he has been touted as since his draft in 1997. I see Luongo as the future Olympic #1 goalie.

To hear that Luongo is the best goalie in the world (yes I am not exaggerating that was what was said) is a complete misnomer until he leads his team to the playoffs and continues to carry his team on nights when they do not show up. Time will tell whether he can be described as the world’s best goalie but at this point he needs to prove he is the best by carrying the Canucks far into the playoffs and be the backstop that everyone is talking about. Just saying that he is the best is not good enough, he needs to put up or everyone needs to shut up.

Andrew Coyne wrote an excellent article on Hockey and why hockey is the best sport amongst all the professional sports. And before you want to complain just read the article and enjoy.

Check out Andrew Coyne’s excellent Hockey Article.

The season is just beginning or at least the real season. The Stanley Cup playoffs start tomorrow and the great quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. While I am happy my team, the Calgary Flames are again in the playoffs I am a bit sad that the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs are not in the playoffs. It would have been very cool for all six Canadian teams to have made it to the playoffs. Oh well on to the show.

The Flames have the best goaltending in the league and one of the best defensive systems in the league. While they do not score a lot of goals, the playoffs is a different type of game and a team with goaltending and good defense have an excellent chance to go far. The different sports analysts are picking Calgary to go far into the playoffs. I have yet to hear one say Calgary will win it all but they have a better chance than all the others with the type of game they have played during the regular season.

So all I can say is bring it on and

Go Flames Go

The Flames made 2 deals before the trading deadline getting Jamie Lundmark from Phoenix and sending Jason Wiemer to New Jersey. This is pretty much what Darryl Sutter said he would do which is stand pat and go forward with the players already in place. As all FLames fans know the team struggles at times to score goals which forces them to play a very defensive game. One reason this team continues to be successful is they play a total team game and have stellar goaltending from Miikka Kiprusoff on most nights. They have shown they can beat any team on any night and also have shown that due to lack of goal scoring they are vulnerable to a loss. While I know they are challenged to score they are exciting to watch and have a skilled and well rounded team from the goaltending out.

So the question is will we see another Stanley Cup run from Calgary and the answer is Yes they have the goaltending and defense and can keep teams from scoring too many goals against which as we know in the playoffs is key. All teams tighten up and the playoffs are a different game.
The teams with the solid goaltending and established defense have the best chance. Carolina, Ottawa (with Hasek healthy), Detroit, Calgary, Philadelphia, Nashville, and the NY Rangers. You may think other teams should be on this list but I think that the other potential teams lack chemistry or either goaltending or defense. Having sadi that once a team gets through the first round a team can get hot and push through to the finals. Just look at Calgary.

I received a call to participate in a telephone poll. The first part of the poll asked me about Lip Balms and lip care products. After asking me the questions about different lip products the interviewer asked me what I thought about Wayne Gretzky. She then proceeded to ask me if I had heard about the recent news of the gambling “scandel” which I of course have heard about it. She then asked me if my opinion had changed of Wayne and whether I felt it had affected his reputation. I said I still hold Wayne in high regard and will continue to hold him in high regard. Finally the interviewer asked me if the “Scandel” would impact Wayne as a spokeman and I of course said no. Then the final question concerned whether the “scandel” would impact Wayne as spokesman for Ford and of course I said it would not. Obviously someone at Ford likes to read the bullshit that the media puts out and has some sort of concern about public confidence. Well whoever at Ford or their advertising company decided to commission this poll needs to get their head out of their ass and realize this man is the most honest upstanding person you could hope to have endorse your product.

As for the media it is obvious that most of the media are pond scum (actually lower but I don’t what to call it) for putting someone, anyone through the bullshit that you put Wayne Gretzky through because you smelled a possible story with no detail or collaboration. Isn’t it strange that the lead up to the Olympics and the first day or so of the Olympics this was the lead story and then all of sudden it disappeared. Hmmm makes one wonder maybe the press was wrong, maybe the press are scum and do not care if they get their facts straight, maybe the press consider everyone guilty until the facts prove otherwise. There is no maybe about it, the press are bloodsuckers and do not care that they could ruin a person wih false accusations all to sell a newspaper, get some rating on TV or for a broadcaster to be the one to “Break the Big Story”. Too many times it happens where the press is wrong and all they do is shut up about it because the story is not worth reporting.

Ever notice when a retraction is printed it is normally buried in some corner and not front and center where the original story was broadcast.