Here's a hearty tip of the Butch Goring Lid to all you Hockey dads in North America.
I'll be spending most of the Father's Day at my home away from home-- the rink. No golf courses, car cruises or patio brunches for this Hockey Dad. Been there. Done that. Bought the bumpersticker and t-shirt to prove it. No,today, I'll be positioned atop my perch as I coach my son's U14 Bantam game.
If you cannot spend this Father's Day with your Dad, phone him and tell him you love him. If he's no longer with us, go to mass and say a prayer for him. either way, be sure to thank your Dad for supporting your shared love of the greatest game on Earth, and tell him that you'll do your best to share this great game with your kids and your grand kids.
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Rumours persist in and around Portland, Maine that NJ GM, Lou Lamoriello will be adding Pirates coach Kevin Dineen to his coaching prospect list. Now that Sutter has flown the coop back to Red Deer, there is a progious vacancy behind the Dev's bench. My sources tell me that Sweet Lou has an admiration for Dineeen and his body Scott Arniel's name always arises at times like these. He's presently looking for a re-up from the Vancouver parent club. Couver would be wise to ink arniel before he skates away. Arniel has guided his Mosse deep in the Playoffs the past few seasons and they just appeared in the Calder Cup Finals vs. Hershey.
More on Dineen as it develops.
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Those of us who know Rick Dudley, know him to be an intensely loyal man. It was Duds who gave ATL GM Don Waddell his start as a player coach in Flint of the IHL. Thats why it came as no surprise to me this past Monday when Duds tendered his resignation from the AGM gig with the Chicago Blackhawks to join Waddell in Atlanta.
Love him or not, Dudley is a master architecht who knows how to build winners. Duds' DNA was platered all over the Tampa Lightning Stanley Cup. He was fully involved in the process of building the Ottawa Senators as well. Look up and down the present day Hawks lineup. sDuds had a major say in who was drafted and which free agents were added to the roster. were it not for Duds, The Bulin Wall would not have signed to play in ChiTown.
I see Duds on the road all the time. On most nights, he's the first scout in the building in Buffalo. He's one of the last to leave. When he's not watching NHL games, he's attendding college games up and down the QEW; he's no stranger to the barns in OHL towns from St. Catherines to the Sioux, to London, to Sarnia.
The Hawks were a mess four seasons ago. They were a nameless, faceless franchise with a litany of draft day mistakes in their system. That all changed when recommended the drafting of studs like Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Keith, Barker, Hjarmalsson, Byflugien, Boland, and Burish. Duds mined these diamonds and his former team will be stocked for years to come.
Waddell will hand over the drafting duties to Duds. Watch Les Thrash rise like the phoenix in no time at all.
I'm looking forward to sitting down with duds at Niagara University 7/6-7/11 when the Sabres porospects will be in town for developmental camp.
He's a hockey man through and through and he's always watching watching the other teams are doing. Thats why he's a respected NHL manager.
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Still haven't bought Dad a gift yet? Hit the music store and get him the debut effort from CHICKENFOOT. Not down?
Sammy Hagar and Mike anthony of Van Halen join guitar wizard Joe Satriani, and Chad smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Badass Jams! Check out, "Oh yeah":
Or, you may want to give him the gift of the Tragically Hip.
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