American Idol: Modano Breaks NHL American Scoring Record: Mike Modano needed less than five minutes to break Phil Housley's NHL record for the most points by a U.S.-born player with two goals in the Stars 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Congrats to this Michigan Born Native.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 11:46 AM - 6 comments

New Hockeytown USA: If Detroit isn't Hockeytown USA anymore, then what city is? From Hockeytown to Ghost Town. Holy Octopi, what the heck is happening to this tradition-rich Original 6 city? Who has displaced them as an American Hockey Mecca? Columnist Ross McKeon weighs in.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 06:44 AM - 20 comments

Hockey Sweater Showdown! #1 Montreal Canadians vs. #2 Chicago Blackhawks: The voting ends November 1st. In true Chicago tradition I urge you to vote early and vote often as these Finalist Square for NHL Bragging Rights. See how your squad's threads did in comparison to these Timeless Classics.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 08:32 PM - 24 comments

It's TV Time for the Chicago Blackhawks.: Chicago Blackhawks to Televise Home Games as they negotiate with Comcast SportsNet to add home games for this season. The Chicago Blackhawks finally move to join the 21st Century. Can phenom rookies Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane ignite new interest in the fading Fan Base?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 09:26 AM - 10 comments

Madison Square Garden Sues NHL over Promotions....: MSG which owns the Rangers. The lawsuit said the NHL insisted last week that MSG transfer control over the Rangers independently produced Web site, including the "nyrangers.com" address so that the league could convert it into one of 30 "cookie-cutter" club Web sites at "nhl.com." After spending way to much time on the Cookie Cutter NHL Controlled Team Websites I'm on the side of MSG in this fight.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 12:37 PM - 5 comments

Chicago Blackhawks Owner Bill Wirtz Passed Away......: Wirtz had been ill for a long time with cancer and finally succumbed this morning. Wirtz was considered the power of the NHL amongst the owners and he was the chairman of the board of the NHL for 18 seasons. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 06:45 AM - 11 comments

Stealing good ideas- (Video): even from the NHL. Now the NFL rips off the NHL Preseason Marketing Campaign. I guess copying is the greatest form of flattery although I think the NHL Productions are better. Especially the Ovechkin vs. Crosby Spot. It blows away this Bush vs Manning version. What say you?

posted by skydivedad to culture at 09:19 AM - 6 comments

Owning a hockey team : is not good business -- or is it? With the recent change of ownership in Nashville and Tampa Bay one has to scratch his head over the amount of money those franchises commanded (Bill Davis doubled his investment by selling the Lighting). Here's an excellent analysis by Wes Goldstein of CBS Sportsline explaining why even with most teams bleeding money buyers are lining up for a chance to own a NHL Franchise.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 07:37 AM - 9 comments

Legendary coach and general manager Scotty Bowman : is strongly considering joining the Maple Leafs in an advisory role. The question is as a mentor to GM John Ferguson Jr. and Head Coach Paul Maurice or does this portend a major shake-up in the Leafs organization?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 09:43 AM - 17 comments

Diversifying a Colorless Game: Jeff DiNunzio writing in Sportscentral has penned an outstanding piece. "Hockey is dichotomous: while experiencing a period of great popularity in the number of new players registering with USA Hockey, its official governing body,(in the United States) the sport continues to suffer waning popularity on a large scale, especially in predominantly non-white regions." Referencing Scott Burnsides piece for ESPN this is a comprehensive and compelling read.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 07:59 AM - 42 comments

Lovie Smith becomes the first black head coach ......: to make it to the title game in its 41 years. One of the most maligned 13-3 teams ever romps past the Saints 39-14 in the NFC championship game.

posted by skydivedad to football at 06:08 PM - 88 comments

How Sweet It Is, The #9: Book Introduces Past Hero to Present Generation..... and a Present Star shows respect for the past. A Holiday Reading list for the young Hockey Player in all of us.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 12:00 PM - 8 comments

NHL 2006-07 Power Ranking Madness Dec. 2006: Skydivedad's December 12th, 2006 Power Rankings......

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 05:49 PM - 0 comments

NHL 1st! TSN to Broadcast Rinkside Sabres vs Rangers......: If you have the Canadian sports channel TSN, tune in tonight to watch the first NHL hockey game broadcast with the commentators at rink side. The game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers is believed to be the first NHL hockey game that will be broadcast like this. For those fans who have had the good fortune to watch a hockey game close to the ice, it is a vastly different game, primarily due to the speed. The announcers will work between the benches at center ice. It will be interesting to see how this experiment works out. Should be a fantastic contest between 2 of the Top Teams in the East........

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 09:33 AM - 31 comments

Blackhawks Fire Trent Yawney!: The lowest scoring squad in the NHL this season fire Head Coach Trent Yawney and name Denis Savard as the 36th Head Coach in Team History. I called it here in the Hitchcock Thread a few weeks ago but is it enough to grab a playoff birth in the 2006-07 season?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 11:10 AM - 10 comments

Patrick Roy to HOF!: Roy reveals Leafs, Wings and Hawks also in the mix before trade to Colorado as he takes his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Finest Goalie of the Modern Era but is he the greatest of all time?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 08:18 AM - 35 comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets .....: elevate Agnew (Interim) to replace the fired Gallant as Head Coach. Who's a good long term solution for the struggling Ohio squad? The team fell to 5-9-1-0 to start this season and find themselves in last place in the Central Division. With the signing of Anson Carter and the addition of Frederick Modin in a trade, expectations were high for a 1st ever playoff appearance. What happened and who's the next Coach out in the NHL?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 11:11 AM - 13 comments

The Curse of Muldoon! : Despite boasting great talents over the years, the Blackhawks now have the longest streak of not winning the Stanley Cup of any team in the NHL and things aren't looking promising this year either. A short primer on another Mythical Chicago Sports Curse. Does a Boxer make a great Hockey Coach.?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 04:48 PM - 3 comments

NHL 2006-2007 Power Ranking Madness Oct. 2006: Skydivedad's Early Season Power Rankings.....

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 06:09 PM - 0 comments

Detroit Red Wings (Anatomy of an NHL Training Camp): Team Report: 2006 Red Wings

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 12:13 AM - 0 comments

Double whammy in transfer flurry: The most frantic day in Premiership transfer history saw West Ham pull off an incredible coup by signing two of Argentina's World Cup superstars and ended with Ashley Cole joining Chelsea in exchange for William Gallas with minutes to spare.

posted by skydivedad to soccer at 06:58 AM - 13 comments

"I don't know if anyone will ever break our record of five straight Stanley Cup championships: This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the start of the Montreal Canadians fabulous run of 5 straight cups. Jean Beliveau figures one of his records is going to stay in the book for a very long time. "I don't know if anyone will ever break our record of five straight Stanley Cup championships. I know it has been said that records are made to be broken, but with the NHL, the way it is set up today with free agency and all, it will be hard for one team to have a run at five straight Stanley Cups." Is this the hardest record in Major Professional North American Sports to break? Could be.......

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 06:16 PM - 22 comments

What a Day for Hawks and Havs!: Redline Report. After dissecting the 2006 NHL Draft, Chicago comes out on top while Montreal is the only Canadian Team to crack Redline's Top 10. Where is your squad? With results 3-4 years out do these draft ratings have any merit? Feel free to rant or produce your own ratings.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 10:16 AM - 8 comments

New York Rangers add Adam Hall : Dominic Moore is now a Pittsburgh Penguin while Adam Hall is a New York Ranger after a three-team trade Wednesday saw the Nashville Predators pick up a draft choice and send Moore to Pittsburgh. The Blueshirts sure are having an active off season but is it enough to keep up with the Best of the East?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 06:18 PM - 8 comments

A Real Knockout Artist: 2 Time World champion Luis Ramon Campas has more KO's then any other active Boxer on the Planet!

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 01:15 PM - 0 comments