Jump to content

sw61776

Members
  • Posts

    109
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Contact Methods

  • Website URL
    http://www.flyersphans.com/forums/index.php?s=
  • ICQ
    0

sw61776's Achievements

Prospect

Prospect (2/11)

0

Reputation

  1. ESPNnews is reporting that Scott is out indefinitely due to a scratched cornea.
  2. sw61776

    Keith Primeau

    He may be done for this season but he may try to come back next season. This could give the Flyers some money to get a winger in at the trade deadline. I think it depends who is healthy. Stevenson is also another one who may be done, Flyers might waive him.
  3. My bad, no need for the remark. Philly has always been a hockey town.
  4. This should end the debate:
  5. In a word, it was unreal. Can't wait to go to Game 1 next Friday.
  6. TSN.ca Staff with Forbes, Star-Tribune files 11/12/2004 A report released in the latest issue of Forbes Magazine suggests that the National Hockey League is losing money - but not nearly as much as the owners claim. The article, written by Forbes senior editor Michael Ozanian in the Nov. 29 issue, says that 17 teams lost money, and the average team lost $3.1 million US for total league operating losses of $93 million US (before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) on revenue of $2.2 billion US during the 2003-04 campaign. The NHL has claimed $224 million US in losses for last season. The article also states that the NHL lost $123 million US on revenue of $2.1 billion US for the 2002-2003 season, a stark contrast from the $273 million US in losees reported by financier Arthur Levitt in February. "Forbes is once again pulling numbers out of thin air," NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly told the Minnesota Star-Tribune. "I would suggest that they would have been far better advised to read the Levitt Report, as its author had complete and unfettered access to all 30 of our clubs' financial information." According to Forbes, the difference between what the league is stating as losses and the magazine's own figures has to do with inconsistencies on what's included as revenue. As an example, Forbes cites that the NHL included only half of the $17 million US the New York Islanders got last year for their cable broadcasts. The magazine states that for the team's ownership - who paid $188 million US for the Islanders and their cable deal in 2000 - the economic value of owning the team would include the entire cable deal. In the article, Ozanian said Forbes spoke with bankers, broadcast sources and league sources while studying arena leases, ticket sales and prices. Levitt's study - which endorsed the NHL's central accounting - said that only 11 of the NHL's franchises actually turned a profit for the 2002-2003 season, while the remaining 19 reported losses averaging $18 million US a team. Of those 19 teams, four suffered operating losses of over $30 million US, two were in the $20-29.9 million range, six were between $10-19.9 million, another six suffered losses of $5-9.9 million, and once took losses of less than $5 million. Of the 11 other teams, only two saw profits of over $10 million US, with four in the $5-9.9 million range, and five with just under $5 million in the black. According to Forbes, the Toronto Maple Leafs led the league in operating income with $14.1 million last season, followed by the Minnesota Wild's $11.5 million. Files from Forbes and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune were used for this report. Forbes
  7. Something to do in the midst of no hockey: NHL.com wants to settle it. We've selected 32 teams and seeded them into a bracketed tournament. Check out the brackets and see if you can guess which team will be crowned the best of all-time. The debates have raged for decades and will, as long as there's a Stanley Cup to be won, continue into the distant future. NHL.com is doing its part to fuel the arguments with the Quest for the Best tournament. Were the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers the greatest team of all-time? Were they actually good enough to beat, say, the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens? How would Rocket Richard fare against a modern-era goaltender such as Patrick Roy? In the past, we could only speculate. But now, thanks to the benefits of science and one of NHL.com's fantasy hockey partners -- WhatIfSports -- we're going to try and settle this debate. We've selected 32 great teams. Most of them are Stanley Cup winners -- with the exceptions being the 1929-30 Boston Bruins, 1966-67 Chicago Blackhawks, 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings. The tournament is seeded in a 1-32 format and distributed into regions -- the Prince of Wales and Clarence Campbell conferences. Each region has two groups and each matchup represents a seven-game series. The 1955-56 Montreal Canadiens are the top seed in the tournament. Second through fourth are the 1976-77 Canadiens, the '81-82 New York Islanders and the '83-84 Edmonton Oilers. Each of these four teams is the top seed in its respective division and each will be expected to advance to the final four. It's your job to decide if they'll make it! Print out the brackets. Pass them around to your friends, family, co-workers. Start your own pool. NHL.com will play out each series and issue a game report on a series-by-series basis leading all the way to the big finale. Fans can vote in daily polls on NHL.com's homepage. First-round matchups 1955-56 Montreal Canadiens (#1) vs. 1925-26 Montreal Maroons (#32) -- The Maroons lost the fight for control over the city of Montreal and eventually folded. Can they upset the No. 1 seed in the tournament? The 1955-56 Habs went 45-15-10 in a 70-game season. Jean Beliveau scored 88 points, including 57 goals in 70 games to lead the League. Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead finished third and fourth in the scoring race. Boom-Boom Geoffrion notched 29 goals in 59 games. The 1925-26 Maroons won the Cup that year after going 20-11-5 during the regular season. They had the second-best record in the League. Nels Stewart paced the Maroons and the NHL with 34 goals and 42 points in 36 games. 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens (#2) vs. 1926-27 Ottawa Senators (#31) -- Part of a four-year dynasty, this Canadiens team boasted the likes of Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt. Larry Robinson anchored a rock-solid backline. The Habs lost eight games all season, including only one at The Forum. The 1926-27 Senators finished with a 30-10-4 regular season record. They did not place a scorer among the League's Top 10. What they lacked in scoring, they made up for with guts in players like King Clancy, Frank Finnigan and Hooley Smith. They squeaked by Boston in a tightly contested Cup Final. Can they handle the Flying Frenchmen? 1981-82 New York Islanders (#3) vs. 1927-28 New York Rangers (#30) -- The Battle of New York continues with this rather odd chapter. The chances of these teams meeting in real life: Zippo, but that's the beauty of this tournament. The Islanders' dynasty could play it anyway they wanted. You wanted rough? No problem with Clark Gillies and Bobby Nystrom. You wanted firewagon hockey? Better find a way to stop Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy. Oh, and they had a money goalie in Billy Smith and a game-changing defenseman in Denis Potvin, too. The Blueshirts won their first Cup during the 1927-28 campaign. They struggled during the regular season going 19-16-9. Frank Boucher finished third in League scoring with 35 points in 44 games. Bun and Bill Cook gave the Rangers a formidable one-two punch as they captured the Cup in five games against the Maroons. 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers (#4) vs. 1931-32 Toronto Maple Leafs (#29) -- It took Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr to roadblock the Islanders' "Drive for Five". These Oilers capped the Islanders' dynasty and started one of their own. But, the Leafs were tough, featuring "The Kid Line" of Busher Jackson, Joe Primeau and Charlie Conacher. The trio combined for 75 goals and 151 points in 48 games. Nice. But, then you consider that Gretzky scored 208 points and Jari Kurri potted 135 and unless the Leafs turn the net backwards, it's going to be awfully tough for "The Kid Line" to top The Great One. 1951-52 Detroit Red Wings (#5) vs. 1988-89 Calgary Flames (#28) -- Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay led the League in scoring with 86 and 69 points, respectively. The Wings cruised through the regular season with a 44-14-12 record. The Wings had captured the Cup in the 1949-50 season and this was their second Cup in three years. They would go on to win four in six years. In comparison, the 1988-89 Flames were one-Cup wonders, beating the Montreal Canadiens. The Flames might've achieved a greater place in history if not for their Alberta rivals in Edmonton. As it was, this Flames team was a hulking squad that could hit and skate. Joe Mullen led them with 110-points, but Lanny McDonald was the heart and soul of this club. 1971-72 Boston Bruins (#6) vs. 1999-2000 New Jersey Devils (#27) -- The 1971-72 Bruins were a muscular bunch that could beat you in the alley or on the scoreboard. They went 54-13-11 during the season. Phil Esposito and defenseman Bobby Orr topped the scoring charts with 133 and 117 points, respectively. The 1999-2000 version of the New Jersey Devils was arguably the best of all their Cup winners. Backstopped by Martin Brodeur in goal and Scott Stevens on the blue line, the Devils have the physical presence and goaltending to upend the Bruins. But where will the goals come from? New Jersey has never had a 100-point scorer in the club's history. How will that stack up vs. Espo and Orr? Perhaps one of the famous bumper stickers of the era will best describe how this series is likely to go -- "Jesus Saves, But Espo Scores on the Rebound." 1947-48 Toronto Maple Leafs (#7) vs. 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings (#26) -- The scoring race was tightly contested during the 1947-48 season. The Leafs picked up Max Bentley in an earth-shattering trade with Chicago. Toronto boasted three scorers among the Top 10 with Bentley, Bud Poile and Syl Apps leading the charge. The modern Red Wings marauded through the regular season with a 62-13-7 record. Sergei Fedorov scored 107 points, but the Wings were stopped cold in the playoffs by their archrivals, the Colorado Avalanche. The Motor City revival was delayed for a season. 1938-39 Boston Bruins (#8) vs. 1998-99 Dallas Stars (#25) -- The first Boston-based Cup winner, this club was an offensive powerhouse for its time, dominating the NHL with a 36-10-2 regular season record. The "Kraut Line" of Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer combined for 42 goals. Bill Cowley led the team with 42 points in 38 games. The Stars were no slouches, either. With a 51-19-12 record, the Stars were a combination of team play, timely goal scoring from Brett Hull and clutch goaltending by Eddie Belfour. They bested Buffalo in a controversial Final. How will they handle these Bruins? 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs (#9) vs. 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins (#24) -- The 1950-51 Leafs broke up a Red Wings dynasty attempt. They finished second this season to the Wings with a 41-16-13 record. In the Finals, they beat the Canadiens to win it all. Max Bentley finished third overall with 62 points in 67 games. Ted Kenney wasn't far behind with 61. But this Maple Leafs team was given a higher ranking than this Pittsburgh team because they won a Cup and Pittsburgh didn't. Consider that these Penguins were upset by the Islanders in the second round of the playoffs after going 56-21-7 during the season. Mario Lemieux scored 160 points in 60 games -- an average of 2.6 points per game. Kevin Stevens, Rick Tocchet and Ron Francis all scored 100 points or more and Jaromir Jagr ended with 94. If you want firepower, this Penguins team stacks up with any in the tournament. It's one of the reasons they were added to the mix despite not winning the Cup. 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens (#10) vs. 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers (#23) -- Dynasties were hard to come by at this point in the NHL's history, but this team was one of Montreal's better entries. They topped out the season with a 38-5-7 record. Elmer Lach poured in 72 points in 48 games, an average of 1.5 points per game. That was big-time production back in those days. But it is highly unlikely that the '43-'44 Canadiens team ever faced a team like the 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers. "The Broad Street Bullies" were renowned for their toughness. They could play goal, they could score and they were the kings of the penalty box. Bobby Clarke was the team's best offensive threat with 87 points in 77 games. Bernie Parent starred in 73 games and allowed 1.89 goals against. He had 12 shutouts as the Flyers became the first expansion team to win the Cup. 1940-41 Boston Bruins (#11) vs. 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens (#22) -- With the Kraut Line still a force, this Bruins club dominated the NHL like no other, going 27-8-13. Bill Cowley led the League with 62 points while Eddie Wiseman, Bobby Bauer, Roy Conacher and Milt Schmidt all finished in the Top 12 in scoring. The 1967-68 Habs had the distinction of winning the first post-expansion Cup. They cruised to a 42-22-10 record without placing a scorer among the Top 10. Jean Beliveau recorded 68 points in 59 games to lead the team in scoring. Gump Worsley and Rogie Vachon split the goaltending chores, however "the Gumper" boasted a 1.96 goals-against and six shutouts. 1929-30 Boston Bruins (#12) vs. 1966-67 Chicago Blackhawks (#21) -- This Bruins club lost the Cup to Montreal, but how can you ignore a team that went 38-5-1 during the season? Cooney Weiland scored 73 points in 44 games and notched 43 goals. We decided to give this team a high ranking and a shot at the glory they missed. The Hawks, however, will be a formidable opponent. They finished atop the final Original Six season in NHL history with a 41-17-12 record. Stan Mikita led all scorers with 97 points in 70 games while Bobby Hull was second with 80 points in 66 games. Phil Esposito's 61 points give the Hawks some extra punch. Will this tournament serve as vindication for a great Hawks team that fell short? 1954-55 Detroit Red Wings (#13) vs. 1993-94 New York Rangers (#20) -- Gordie Howe is arguably the greatest player in NHL history. Some say Mark Messier is the second coming of Howe. Each of them could score, skate, hit and, most important, lead. Howe helped the Wings to their second straight Cup with 62 points in 64 games. The unheralded Dutch Reibel led the Wings with 66 points in 70 games. But how will these Wings match up with Messier, Glenn Anderson and Adam Graves? Consider that the Rangers' top scorer that year was defenseman Sergei Zubov with 89 points in 78 games. The Rangers survived a pair of Game 7's against New Jersey in the Eastern Conference Finals and again in the Cup Final vs. Vancouver. 1957-58 Montreal Canadiens (#14) vs. 1995-96 Colorado Avalanche (#19) -- The Avalanche, a year removed from Quebec City, moved to Denver and captured the franchise's first Cup. In doing so, they had to defeat a Detroit team that had won 62 games during the regular season. The 1957-58 Canadiens went 43-17-10. Dickie Moore scored 84 points to lead the League while Henri Richard was second with 80 points. This was the second Cup win in a five-year dynasty run for the Habs. Too close to call? We'll see if Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg have any of their patented magic reserved for this tourney. 1959-60 Montreal Canadiens (#15) vs. 2000-2001 Colorado Avalanche (#18) -- Will Patrick Roy comeback to haunt the Canadiens yet again? Colorado rallied back from a 3-2 deficit in the 2001 Cup Finals to beat New Jersey in seven games. It was Roy's last Cup, but Joe Sakic was still at his best, scoring 118 points that season. The Canadiens, meanwhile, were no slouches either. They went 40-18-12 that season to finish first overall. Jean Beliveau was third overall in scoring with 74 points in 60 games while Henri Richard and Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion also managed better than 70 points in 70 games. 1962-63 Toronto Maple Leafs (#16) vs. 2001-2002 Detroit Red Wings (#15) -- The 1962-63 Leafs beat the Blackhawks by one point in the regular season standings and went on to beat the Wings in the Cup Final. Frank Mahovlich scored 73 points in 67 games. Dave Keon and Red Kelly each scored better than 20 goals. But this Leafs team was by no means an offensive powerhouse. It was balanced. The 2001-2002 Red Wings, with Dominik Hasek in net, will try to exact revenge for Red Wing alumni. Igor Larionov is an aging veteran prone to scoring key goals. Brett Hull, Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman and the young, energetic Pavel Datsyuk will give the Leafs all they can handle. Brackets for quest for the best in ADOBE. NHL.com
  8. Gretzky won't get involved in labour mess Canadian Press 11/9/2004 TORONTO (CP) - Wayne Gretzky says it isn't his place to step in and help solve the NHL's labour mess. The former NHL star realizes there may not be hockey this year but says it's up to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow to end the lockout. ``No,'' Gretzky replied Tuesday when asked if he would get more involved. ``The reality is, I understand what the players are saying because I was a player. And I understand what management and ownership is saying, I am an owner of a team. But this is a complex, complicated situation. There are a lot of issues at stake here, and not just the quote, unquote salary cap.'' Gretzky said he hasn't been involved in the negotiations. ``I don't really know all the insides of that,'' he said. ``That's up to Bob and Gary to hammer out. That's why Gary's our leader and Bob is the leader of the union. It's really up to those two to sit down and figure it out. It's not something that I could go in and fix.'' Gretzky was speaking at a news conference at his downtown Toronto restaurant announcing a charity contest in conjunction with the Wayne Gretzky Foundation and the Canadian Hockey Foundation. Minor hockey teams with financial difficulties are being asked to submit an essay to Hockey Canada and explain what makes their team special. The two foundations will choose 13 minor hockey teams from the entries and donate Team Canada jerseys, gloves, sticks and $1,000 in cash to help for team development.
  9. Well, lucky for us, we can take all three.
  10. Report: NHLPA scoring system revealed TSN.ca Staff with Star-Tribune Files 11/8/2004 Hockey fans love keeping statistics during the NHL season, but it appears that the NHL Players' Association likes keeping numbers of a different sort. The Minnesota Star-Tribune has uncovered a computer system called NHLPA SCORE, a program designed for player agents to streamline data, exploit its legal rights and outduel the league and its team in salary negotiations. The Tribune, with help from an anonymous player agent, was given a detailed tour of the program. The main feature of the SCORE system is an E-File. According to the Star-Tribune, any agent can click on the E-File go to a home page for each of the players he represents. The home page features nine options, which include Player Profile, Marketplace Cluster and Searches. Player Profile is a form that each agent must fill out for each of his clients during the season. The paper says the agent must explain his client's free agent status, the player's potential arguments in upcoming contract negotiations, his team's potential arguments; an analysis of his previous contract; his stats; an analysis of his place in the marketplace; and a recommendation of how much the player should make. The NHLPA would then use this information to group players in a pool known as the Marketplace Cluster. Any qualifying offers made to players by general managers are posted here, as well as any additional club offers. That way, each agent would know where the market stands as he negotiates for his client. The Searches aspect of the program lets an agent compare his client's statistics to those of comparable players and their salaries. When a deal is completed for a player between the agent and the team, it becomes available on the SCORE system for any other agent to read. The paper also added that the program allows the NHLPA to watch its agents. The program allots two full hours of viewing time for an agent, and the agent must ask for more time from the Players' Association when it runs out. NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly told the paper that the league has used the same sort technology for a decade, but general managers are under no obligation to share information. "It's an information-sharing network on restricted free agents," Daly told the Star Tribune. "We give tools and ultimately the clubs all act independently." Daly added that the NHL does not "group players on the contract tracking database....posting similar players, we don't do that." The union is "faster than us," said Minnesota Will assistant GM Tom Lynn. "They're better at it. Teams are competing. They're less likely to share offers." Daly also told the paper that the NHLPA groups free agents with arbitration rights into "three buckets: guys they want in salary arbitration, guys who are better to negotiate and guys in a third bucket in terms of withholding (services)," meaning the NHLPA chooses who goes to arbitration, who doesn't and who holds out. Any hint of teams sharing such information could spark accusations of collusion, but not in the legal sense. "A league management can exchange information about players," Minneapolis attorney Clark Griffith told the Star-Tribune. "It doesn't rise to the level of a crime until two or more teams agree" to act together to not sign someone or to price set. Nevertheless, it did not stop the Players' Association from filing a grievance six years ago saying that the NHL could not share data and offers. "We had one hearing before an arbitrator," Daly explained to the paper. "They couldn't articulate how it violated the CBA. They essentially withdrew the grievance. It went away." NHLPA Exceutive Director Bob Goodenow was refused an interview request with the Star-Tribune, and public relations chief Jonathan Weatherdon accused the newspaper of "hacking" into the union's system. Files from the Minnesota Star-Tribune were used for this report.
  11. Zach Parise is a rookie with the Albany River Rats who turned pro after just a couple of seasons at the University of North Dakota. The 2003 first-round pick (17th overall) by the New Jersey Devils is a team-orientated player who is making an immediate impact in the AHL. FOXSports.com caught up with the future NHLer recently. FOXSports.com: Coming from Minnesota how did you pick the University of North Dakota and not UMD or another school in your home state? Zach Parise: When I went on a visit it just seemed like the place that I wanted to go. I liked the coaching staff and the players that were there, and they have a winning tradition. FOXSports.com: Your first game in the NCAA you scored four points. What do you remember from that game? ZP: Everything just fell into place; the goals came off rebounds that came right to me. Things were just falling into place for me. FOXSports.com: You decided to turn professional after just two years of college, how did you come to that decision? ZP: It seemed like the best thing to do in my development. I could go on and play more games against stronger competition. I talked with my dad and it just seemed like the right thing to do. FOXSports.com: Do you want to finish your education? ZP: I want to go back, and it's important to me. I want to go to summer school and get my degree. That's important to me. FOXSports.com: You have played on several different USA teams. When you were with the USA developmental program, how hard was it playing, going to high school, and traveling all year? ZP: I got the best of both worlds when I was in high school. I played with my prep school and we went on a European trip, but it was difficult. I missed three weeks at a time, but the teachers were good about it. I learned to manage my time pretty well. FOXSports.com: With both the under-18 team and the under-20 team you won gold medals. What was that like? ZP: The under-18 team gold medal was awesome, especially because we were the first team to do that. I thought that was going to be the best thing ever, and then all of the sudden two years later we get all the guys back and we go and win the World Junior Championship. Both of them were pretty awesome. FOXSports.com: What was the feeling when you were named the tournament MVP for the World Junior Championships last year? ZP: It was great, but most important, we won the tournament. That was my goal. We came home with the gold medal, and that's what we went to do. That was the best part about it. FOXSports.com: Your dad (J.P.) had a successful career both playing and coaching in the NHL. How big of an influence was he on you? ZP: Huge! My brother and I grew up in a hockey household. My dad helped us both through out our careers. We have been very fortunate. FOXSports.com: How do you compare your style of play to your fathers? ZP: A lot different, a lot different. He is more of grinder/corner guy. It was a different game back than and he would be one of the first to tell you he wasn't the most talented player. We just have different styles. FOXSports.com: What was the feeling when you heard your name at the draft? ZP: To be honest I didn't hear it. All I heard was the University of North Dakota and the fans started cheering. I didn't know it was me, it could have been someone else from the University of North Dakota, but it was awesome. FOXSports.com: After going up on the stage, what was the rest of the day like for you? ZP: You go around and take what seems to be about two hours worth of pictures, but it was pretty fun. Then you just go out and enjoy the rest of the time that you are there. FOXSports.com: You are averaging just over a point per game in the AHL. What do you think your success has been to? ZP: Just hard work, I am just trying to help this team out the best that I can. I think things are falling into place so far, but it's still early in the season. FOXSports.com: Halloween just passed. Growing up what was your favorite costume? ZP: Rambo! FOXSports.com: Finish this sentence: Land of the ... ZP: Fighting Sioux Fox Sports
  12. Still not used to having him as a Flyer... Stevenson: No hockey this year TSN.ca Staff 11/3/2004 Philadelphia Flyers forward Turner Stevenson says fans should not expect to see any NHL hockey played this season. "I've said for a year now, it's going to be at least a year, and I still think that's the case," he tells the Prince George Citizen. "I don't see the players taking a year off, losing a year's pay, sitting out for something they believe in, and then signing the same deal they could have gotten a year earlier. "Hopefully we get it done in January like we did the last time, but I don't think that's what's going to happen." "No Stanley Cup handed out this year." Stevenson believes it is the owners goal to make the players suffer financially and that if they attempted to start again using replacement players, there would be trouble. "I don't know what the owners plan on doing, if it's using (replacement) players, or what," he tells the newspaper. "But players have contracts, and that would end up in so much litigation. . . there would be so many lawyers involved it wouldn't be funny. "I don't think people will pay $100 to watch minor-league players, when they can watch a minor-league game for $15." Stevenson, who signed a three year, $4.9-million deal with the Flyers this past summer, adds he's not impressed by comments from some of the younger players who would consider playing under a salary cap if it meant an end to the lockout. "It's easy for them to say that. When I signed, I got a $120,000 signing bonus, everyone now is getting $750,000 or more. . . If some of these guys left the game tomorrow, no one would miss them, so their opinion is an uneducated one."
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.