John Jaeckel: Hawk 1st Rd'ers in Canada/Finland Game Today

Thanks for the updates JJ! Appreciate you blogging on the prospects through this whole mess.

Thanks for the updates JJ! Appreciate you blogging on the prospects through this whole mess.
- Ballam

My pleasure, thank you

So now we have it...After 3-1/2 months of utter BS, lies, spin control, and focus groups....a drop dead date. January 15th, where either the NHL commits suicide and banishes itself to the world of Tennis, Professional bowling, and X treme Sports, or these narcassistic jack @sses wise up and settle this....

I honestly could care less. I think they'll settle, not because of idiot Eklund's progression meter, or stating the obvious for those who can't read between the lines, but because in the end...the players will cave and ask to vote on the closest thing that fullfills their asinine "wants". Like the NBA, and NFL before them.

Mery Christmas.

So now we have it...After 3-1/2 months of utter BS, lies, spin control, and focus groups....a drop dead date. January 15th, where either the NHL commits suicide and banishes itself to the world of Tennis, Professional bowling, and X treme Sports, or these narcassistic jack @sses wise up and settle this....

I honestly could care less. I think they'll settle, not because of idiot Eklund's progression meter, or stating the obvious for those who can't read between the lines, but because in the end...the players will cave and ask to vote on the closest thing that fullfills their asinine "wants". Like the NBA, and NFL before them.

Mery Christmas.
- SteveRain

Kind of over it. The last push got me kind of excited or at least I pretended to be but now I just wish they could cancel this BS. Make it easy and 100% ruin the progress the sport has made the last 5 years instead of mostly ruining it.

It is beyond silly. And I'm more irritated that I'm irritated than irritated there is no hockey if that makes any sense.

On the finns third goal by Miro Aaltonen,
he was clearly set up on a nifty pass from #19 -Hawks Teuvo Teräväinen.
(the non-official sites have Ville Järveläinen wearing number 19, but he wore #45...)

I also thought Aaltonen centred the line with Teuvo Teräväinen on left wing.

So far the official boxscore hads the goal unassisted...

The better thing to watch is how Teuvo is in a small space, in traffic, and manages the nifty twist and untelegraphed pass from blue line at the far point to the outside of the other circle to Aaltonen.
Danault played with top pick MacKinnon on Danault's wing and Camara on the wing.
The resaon it looked like Danault was on variuos lines was he is always on the PK

Fat Bob McKenzie mentioned that because Canada spent much of the game on the pk....Danault wasn't noticeable at all.

I despise limp-wristed Euro reffing.

Fat Bob McKenzie mentioned that because Canada spent much of the game on the pk....Danault wasn't noticeable at all.

I despise limp-wristed Euro reffing.
- philco28

Sounds like some straight up Nationalistic crybabying.

They took six bad penalties they deserved and the refs might have been bad ones.

Subban played awful.
As he has done throughout his short career, he can be a world beater, but then be the over committed guessing game goaler a few minutes later...

Sounds like some straight up Nationalistic crybabying.

They took six bad penalties they deserved and the refs might have been bad ones.

Subban played awful.
As he has done throughout his short career, he can be a world beater, but then be the over committed guessing game goaler a few minutes later...
- wiz1901

I haven't Subban play all that much but he reminds of Dion Phaneuf.

He could be an All Star but in many games is very forgetable.

If either one was playing in Carolina, Florida or on the West Coast instead of up North they wouldn't get much ink.

On the finns third goal by Miro Aaltonen,
he was clearly set up on a nifty pass from #19 -Hawks Teuvo Teräväinen.

So far the official boxscore hads the goal unassisted...

The better thing to watch is how Teuvo is in a small space, in traffic, and manages the nifty twist and untelegraphed pass from blue line at the far point to the outside of the other circle to Aaltonen.
- wiz1901

Yep, exactly as reported in the blog.

So now we have it...After 3-1/2 months of utter BS, lies, spin control, and focus groups....a drop dead date. January 15th, where either the NHL commits suicide and banishes itself to the world of Tennis, Professional bowling, and X treme Sports, or these narcassistic jack @sses wise up and settle this....

I honestly could care less. I think they'll settle, not because of idiot Eklund's progression meter, or stating the obvious for those who can't read between the lines, but because in the end...the players will cave and ask to vote on the closest thing that fullfills their asinine "wants". Like the NBA, and NFL before them.

Mery Christmas.
- SteveRain

As it is a 48 game schedule isn't anything to get too excited about if nothing meaningful was accomplished by the PA if they were to settle real soon.

Anything less than 48 games is kind of a farce.

So now we have it...After 3-1/2 months of utter BS, lies, spin control, and focus groups....a drop dead date. January 15th, where either the NHL commits suicide and banishes itself to the world of Tennis, Professional bowling, and X treme Sports, or these narcassistic jack @sses wise up and settle this....

I honestly could care less. I think they'll settle, not because of idiot Eklund's progression meter, or stating the obvious for those who can't read between the lines, but because in the end...the players will cave and ask to vote on the closest thing that fullfills their asinine "wants". Like the NBA, and NFL before them.

Mery Christmas.
- SteveRain

Pretty much the same people who said this would all be over by Dec.1 are still saying there will be a season.

Sooner, or much later they will be correct.

On Twitter@AlCimaglia

As it is a 48 game schedule isn't anything to get too excited about if nothing meaningful was accomplished by the PA if they were to settle real soon.

Anything less than 48 games is kind of a farce.
- Al

Neither side will have accomplished anything meanfully positive for the game regardless of when this ends. However, if it means the end of Gary Bettman's reign at least that will be an outcome that I will be thrilled with. There is no way the NHL can rebuild its image with that little weasel as head honcho.

Neither side will have accomplished anything meanfully positive for the game regardless of when this ends. However, if it means the end of Gary Bettman's reign at least that will be an outcome that I will be thrilled with. There is no way the NHL can rebuild its image with that little weasel as head honcho.
- RickJ

He is a weasel, no doubt.

But the owners (and the players) get the leaders they deserve.

The owners need to figure out what kind of league they want, married to the kind of league they actually can be. Give up trying to be the NBA on ice - what kind of a league can North American hockey really be? Realistic TV coverage, strong hockey cities - time for some real strategic planning.

He is a weasel, no doubt.

But the owners (and the players) get the leaders they deserve.

The owners need to figure out what kind of league they want, married to the kind of league they actually can be. Give up trying to be the NBA on ice - what kind of a league can North American hockey really be? Realistic TV coverage, strong hockey cities - time for some real strategic planning.
- StLBravesFan

Well said and valid, however, the contraction that is needed to make the game more financially responsible would hurt the players far more. You can't do one without hurting the other...

Well said and valid, however, the contraction that is needed to make the game more financially responsible would hurt the players far more. You can't do one without hurting the other...
- TrueGrit

I don't know that some realistic strategic planning by the league would necessarily result in contraction - maybe the answer would be moving toward (tho maybe not to) the NFL revenue sharing model, or moving another team or two into the Toronto /Hamilton area (convincing Maple Leaf owners that what's good for the league is good for them.

But even if contraction costs the PA 40 - 80 jobs, a stronger, more stable league is ultimately good for the players. They also need to do some realistic soul - searching: $100MM contracts - NBA / MLB - NFL type contracts - Parise / Suter type contracts - are not part of hockey's future - the finances aren't there.

He is a weasel, no doubt.

But the owners (and the players) get the leaders they deserve.

The owners need to figure out what kind of league they want, married to the kind of league they actually can be. Give up trying to be the NBA on ice - what kind of a league can North American hockey really be? Realistic TV coverage, strong hockey cities - time for some real strategic planning.
- StLBravesFan

Forget strategic engineering with this group of owners, just not going to happen.

My prediction - the owners will quickly conclude they need a name and face that can (re)sell the NHL brand and fast and mainly in the USA. That name and face is absolutely not Gary Bettman's whose image with most observers is equivalent to looking into an unflushed Porta-Potty. Nobody buyin what Gary's selling no more.First and only SOS call goes out to, you guessed it, Wayne Gretzky. "Wayne, we know you got tuned up by us for about $10 million in the Phoenix deal. Guess what, we're going to make you whole on that and we need you like never before to re-sell our NHL game. Everybody knows your name Wayne, please won't you help us? Tell you what, you will be the commissioner at the same salary as that chump Gary that we just fired. All you have to do is move around selling the game in all of our cities. You don't ever have to deal with the lawyers and bean counters, they will be locked away behind closed doors. We"ll deal with them, you don't have to waste your time. You and COO John Collins can make this happen for us. Please Wayne, help us with this. we love you Wayne."

I don't know that some realistic strategic planning by the league would necessarily result in contraction - maybe the answer would be moving toward (tho maybe not to) the NFL revenue sharing model, or moving another team or two into the Toronto /Hamilton area (convincing Maple Leaf owners that what's good for the league is good for them.

But even if contraction costs the PA 40 - 80 jobs, a stronger, more stable league is ultimately good for the players. They also need to do some realistic soul - searching: $100MM contracts - NBA / MLB - NFL type contracts - Parise / Suter type contracts - are not part of hockey's future - the finances aren't there.
- StLBravesFan

For meaningful progress total change is required on both ends and I can't see that happening within 2 weeks...

The NFL works as every team has been convinced because their pockets are overflowing that pure socialism works with a sports league.

NHL owners havn't bought into the same concept.

Forget strategic engineering with this group of owners, just not going to happen.

My prediction - the owners will quickly conclude they need a name and face that can (re)sell the NHL brand and fast and mainly in the USA. That name and face is absolutely not Gary Bettman's whose image with most observers is equivalent to looking into an unflushed Porta-Potty. Nobody buyin what Gary's selling no more.First and only SOS call goes out to, you guessed it, Wayne Gretzky. "Wayne, we know you got tuned up by us for about $10 million in the Phoenix deal. Guess what, we're going to make you whole on that and we need you like never before to re-sell our NHL game. Everybody knows your name Wayne, please won't you help us? Tell you what, you will be the commissioner at the same salary as that chump Gary that we just fired. All you have to do is move around selling the game in all of our cities. You don't ever have to deal with the lawyers and bean counters, they will be locked away behind closed doors. We"ll deal with them, you don't have to waste your time. You and COO John Collins can make this happen for us. Please Wayne, help us with this. we love you Wayne."
- RickJ

You hit the nail on the head with Gretzky but not sure he would do it. Also the owners would have to swallow a big chunk of Bettman's contract as he just re-upped with a raise I believe.

I have a feeling Bettman lasts longer then Fehr.

You hit the nail on the head with Gretzky but not sure he would do it. Also the owners would have to swallow a big chunk of Bettman's contract as he just re-upped with a raise I believe.

I have a feeling Bettman lasts longer then Fehr.
- Al

If Walter tells his boy Wayne to do it, the obedient son will do it. He still loves the NHL and he is hurt not being part of it. And there is nobody that wouldn't support him, even if it would largely be as a figure head. There is no greater name synonomous with hockey in North America or Europe than Gretzky.

Bettman will need to be forced out kicking and screaming but he has to go.

For meaningful progress total change is required on both ends and I can't see that happening within 2 weeks...

The NFL works as every team has been convinced because their pockets are overflowing that pure socialism works with a sports league.

NHL owners havn't bought into the same concept.
- Al

No, but with some leadership on both sides, and some work between now (starting now) and the next CBA, some progress could be made.

Problem is, the seems to be no leadership available - at the Bettman/Fehr level or the owner/player level.

If the owners ran their main businesses the way they run the NHL, they couldn't afford to own hockey teams.

You hit the nail on the head with Gretzky but not sure he would do it. Also the owners would have to swallow a big chunk of Bettman's contract as he just re-upped with a raise I believe.

I have a feeling Bettman lasts longer then Fehr.
- Al

Why?

They seem to be OK with not fully honoring players' contracts.

Sounds like some straight up Nationalistic crybabying.

They took six bad penalties they deserved and the refs might have been bad ones.

Subban played awful.
As he has done throughout his short career, he can be a world beater, but then be the over committed guessing game goaler a few minutes later...
- wiz1901

Whatever Wiz


I wouldn't cry over a pre-tourney game.

There were definitely some legit calls on Canada and Subban was poor,
but the tripping call on Scheifle was a PHUCKING JOKE. Bet you're crying a different tune when the Wanks get shafted by some zebra named Igor.

If Walter tells his boy Wayne to do it, the obedient son will do it. He still loves the NHL and he is hurt not being part of it. And there is nobody that wouldn't support him, even if it would largely be as a figure head. There is no greater name synonomous with hockey in North America or Europe than Gretzky.

Bettman will need to be forced out kicking and screaming but he has to go.
- RickJ

At $8 mill per it would be a costly buyout.

The problem is that a figure head alone won't work.... but Gretzky along with someone else could do the trick.

Why?

They seem to be OK with not fully honoring players' contracts.
- StLBravesFan

He is not part of an expired CBA....plus a lawyer so I'm sure the owners would be hooked.

But I see your logic.