Written on 11/30/2010 by Jim Cerny
The debates began in the stands, locker rooms, and press box at Madison Square Garden last night and have raged ever since on the internet, in Twitter-verse, and in the hockey blogosphere.
These debates are ones that have been hotly contested before, and will be for years to come.
Is Sidney Crosby a dirty hockey player? Does Sid do dirty things as a way to protect himself from non-stop abuse from opponents? Does the league and its officials protect Crosby more-so than other star players? Why is it that Crosby evokes so much emotion from fans and players around the league? Quite simply, why is he hated more than fellow superstars Alex Ovehckin and Steven Stamkos, just to name two?
These debates sprung up for a couple of reasons yesterday. First, at his team's morning skate Rangers head coach John Tortorella said he had spoken with league officials about how games against the Penguins were called by the referees. Torts did not single out Crosby by name, but it was clearly inferred when he spoke about Penguins transgressions which were not penalized by the league's referees when the Rangers and Penguins met two weeks ago in Pittsburgh---a game which saw the Penguins receive six power plays and the Rangers zero.
Then last night the Rangers claimed that Crosby delivered a slew foot to Ryan Callahan and another to Sean Avery over the course of Pittsburgh's 3-1 victory over the Blueshirts. New York's Brandon Dubinsky, who has long been vocal regarding his disgust with Crosby, said of Sid's alleged slew foot on Callahan, "Yeah, that's a dirty play. That's the kind of player he is." Callahan added that it was "absolutely" a slew foot---a dirty play where one player kicks out the skates from underneath an opposing player, usually from behind...often believed to be one of the more gutless and dangerous plays in hockey.
When Crosby fired back---"How many penalty minutes do I have this year if I am that dirty? Please. Show me all of those dirty plays. It's a battle and he falls. I think Dubi has done his fair share of things out there that are questionable. I guess he's talking again, but I am not surprised. I'm not a dirty hockey player, c'mon. I think Dubi is smarter than that, c'mon"---the debates took on even more legs.
Is Crosby a dirty hockey player? No, I would not call him a dirty hockey player. I would call him a hockey player prone to doing some dirty and sneaky things out on the ice. He seems very cold and calculated about what he does, not posessing the obvious Ovechkin intensity, but rather an icy assasin's insides. It is part of what makes him a great player. If you are a Penguins fan you say he is just doing whatever it takes to win, and that's why he is a great captain and is already a proven Stanley Cup winner. Plus he is such a target from the opposition, he needs to protect himself out there on the ice. If you are not a Pens or Crosby fan, you'll say that Sid is a dirty little snot who gets away with everything because the league and its officials protect his rear end and he deserves whatever opponents can inflict on him. I say both sides are right to an extent.
Does the league and its officials protect Sid more than other star players? I would say that most star players get away with more illegal things than your average mucker-and-grinder does, no question about it. And I would have to also say, without watching every game by every team every night, that Crosby does seem to get away with a bit more than other elite players. But is that because he is just more sneaky or because it is overlooked? Great question. Not sure of that answer, though I will say that Sid is one sneaky son of a gun. Two weeks ago in Pittsburgh as play headed back the other way Crosby whipped through Henrik Lundqvist's crease as Sid turned to head up ice. As he did, Crosby's skate clipped Lundqvist's sending the Rangers goalie to the ice. Refs skating the other way never saw it. Accident? Or just another case for Sneaky Sid? Hmmm. Also because Sid plays a different game from Ovechkin it is more likely that Ovie will receive more penalty minutes. And Ovie has received suspensions for some of his actions. But the Gordie Howes and Mark Messiers and Ovechkins who play more physically and stand up more for themselves in an aggressive manner are clearly more respected than a Crosby, who does not initiate that aggressiveness, but instead is prone to the subtle paybacks out on the ice.
Why is Crosby hated so much? Jealousy tops the reasons why Sid the Kid is hated so much by opposing fans and players. No question about it. Ever since he was drafted first overall Crosby has had a certain smugness and arrogance about him, which he has backed up with superstar-level play, four 100+ point seasons, two Cup Finals, one Stanley Cup ring, and an Olympic gold medal, all by the age of 23. If you have him on your team, you love him. If you don't have him, well, you don't love him. Quite simple. But beyond his play Crosby has a well-earned reputation for complaining to the officials about every little thing. Pens fans would say that is great leadership and gamesmanship. Everyone else says he is a spoiled whining man-child who gets everything he wants. A bit of both is correct. Fans are more prone to throw their arms around a Steven Stamkos because he is a respectful, good-natured kid, with no outward signs of arrogance with a Lady Byng style on the ice, or an Ovechkin who wears his heart on his sleeve, can play reckless, out of control, and blatently dirty, but is not viewed as being sneaky or a whiner. Crosby comes off as obnoxious and that hurts his image. Fans are OK if the true superstars---and I mean the true elite, like Crosby is now--- are dirty---see Howe and Messier---or not---see Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr. They are not as keen when a player of that elite level is viewed as sneaky and obnoxious, as Crosby is.
It's an image thing really. Crosby is not a dirty hockey player, but he does do dirty things. But it's his overall persona that gets underneath the skin of opposing players---like Dubinsky---and fans so much.
It is what causes him to be at the root of these particular debates.
It will also be what keeps him from being universally loved---a la Gretzky and Lemieux and Yzerman---unless something fundamnetally changes in his personality over the course of his career.
Then again, why should Sidney Crosby change anything? Seems to be working out quite nicely for him, I'd say.
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Written on 10/15/2010 by Jim Cerny
I found it quite interesting that Philadelphia and its fans gave a warmer reception to ex-Flyer Simon Gagne upon his return to The City of Brotherly Love last night with his new team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, than the Dallas organization gave Mike Modano (photo) upon his return with his new club, the Detroit Red Wings, also last night.
Gagne, who was a salary cap casualty this summer being shipped to Tampa after ten seasons with the Flyers, received a long ovation during his first shift and then a sustained standing ovation at the conclusion of a moving video highlighting his career was shown on the scoreboard during a play stoppage.
Modano, the 40 year-old sure-bet Hall of Famer who spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the Stars---both in Minnesota and then in Dallas---decided to continue his career this season after signing with rival Detroit during the summer. Last night the fans treated him with love, but the Stars organization simply chose to put his picture on the scoreboard with a simple "Thank You Mike" message.
Perhaps the Stars organization, including GM Joe Nieuwendyk---a former teammate and good friend of Modano's---felt that proper tributes took place in Modano's final home game in Dallas last April and that both sides have moved on. If so, that was a mistake because the fans turned out to salute Modano last night, and the organization should have done so, as well.
Modano said afterwards that he is relieved to get on with the rest of the season now. With one goal and a -2 plus/minus so far, Modano still is looking to find his footing with the Red Wings.
Same goes for Gagne, the reluctant Bolt, who is pointless and a -4 in three games for Tampa Bay.
Here are two excellent takes on
Modano's return to Dallas and
Gagne's return to Philly.
####
A few other NHL observations:
The Islanders are fun to watch: No Mark Streit...no Kyle Okposo...no John Tavares...no James Wisniewski...No Problem! This hungry and gritty team does not quit and they play an entertaining in-your-face style, plus these kids are growing up and learning to score. There may be a lot of 5-4 games in their future, but who says that's a bad thing? Rally from two down to force overtime against Dallas. Rally from 4-3 down late in third to beat the Rangers 6-4. Lead Washington for a long stretch of the game only to lose 2-1 on the road without four of their best players. It's early, but these guys really may be a pain in the ass to play against this year.
Minnesota Turns Up The Power: The Wild picked up their first win of the season last night, using four man-up goals to power past Edmonton 4-2. I tuned in on Center Ice mainly to get a look at Edmonton's talented kids---Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi---and instead had my eyes fixed on Minnesota's captain Mikko Koivu all night. His play was inspirational, leading his club back from a 2-1 hole to the 4-2 victory, not just scoring the tying and winning goals, but there was a look in his eyes that all great leaders have. The Wild needed someone to be a difference maker, and Koivu made sure that it would be him.
Hey! What Is This, the NFL or NBA?: A bit of a rough week publicity-wise for the NHL. Isles d-man James Wisniewski graphically shows Sean Avery what he can do with his, um, stick in full view of fans and TV cameras to become a YouTube sensation. Stars forward Mike Ribiero and his wife are arrested for an incident outside a Dallas bar. Thank goodness news broke that Brett Favre took pictures of his crotch and sent them to a Jets employee a couple of years ago, and that Sports Illustrated's cover story is about an agent decsribing how he illegally paid off college football players, or else people might start confusing the NHL with the NFL or NBA!
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Rink Rap,
Sean Avery,
Simon Gagne,
Tampa Bay Lightning
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Written on 10/12/2010 by Jim Cerny
Listen, probably too much breath and too many words have been wasted already on
the incident yesterday involving Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski and Rangers forward Sean Avery.
Bottom line is two guys, playing hard in an intense game, jawed at each other---with much smack, I'm sure, spewed back and forth---and then Wisniewski unfortunately decided to make an obscene gesture/act, repeatedly I might add.
If the referees had done the right thing---the officials clearly had to see what Wisniewski was doing, as you can tell from the video clip I posted---and penalized the Isles d-man for unsportsmanlike conduct then this would be a minor story---vulgar, but minor.
The issue is that the referees chose to ignore Wisniewski, and his act went unpenalized, leading to the inevitable anger from Avery after the game, from which this story really grew legs to become one of the top stories from around the league today.
I was there when a calm, but clearly irritated, Avery said after the game, "It was pretty obvious what happened...it's interesting that you'd get a warning (from the refs) for something like that...can you imagine if I did that (said with sarcastic laugh)...they sent me to rehab the last time I did something like that...it's crazy."
I am not an Avery apologist, and it's not like I have any kind of personal relationship with Sean, just a professional one. His past transgressions, as well as his rap sheet, is well documented.
But he is right. What the heck would have happened if Sean had made the same obscene gesture to Wisniewski? Would the officials have looked the other way as they did on Monday? Not a chance.
I'm not insinuating that the refs are out to get Avery, though I will say that when he returned from his suspension and counseling two years ago, clearly plays involving Sean were ruled on a different standard. But I don't think that was the case last year, and I don't foresee it to be that way this year.
The refs just blew it with Wisniewski yesterday. And as such it has become a bigger story than it likely would have been had there been a penalty called.
Today Hockey Night in Canada analyst, and former NHL player, coach, and GM, Mike Milbury made himself part of the story by shifting the focus away from Wisniewski's ill-advised actions and instead
focusing on why he believes Avery is a discredit to the league.
Here's a snippet of Milbury's comments: "Here we are we're talking about Avery again, not because he made a great backhanded pass to set up the game-winning goal, but because he's part of another unsavory incident. It's like watching a car wreck. You know it's not going to be pretty but you can't seem to turn away from it until you've had a look."
News Flash to Mr. Milbury: Avery did not make the obscene gesture. It's Wisniewski who disgraced himself.
Is Sean a saint? Hell no. Is he an agitator to the max? Absolutely. But agitating is part of the game, always has been, always will be. C'mon, Milbury was a pretty good agitator with his play and his mouth while manning the Bruins blueline back in the day. And Milbury the GM/Coach would have LOVED having Sean Avery on his side.
So why all the hatred now?
Funny that Milbury mentioned about Sean not making a great pass for a game-winning goal. Great timing, Mike. Avery had two assists on opening night in Buffalo, including a perfect feed from behind the net on Derek Stepan's third goal of the game. Guess he missed that, huh? And maybe Mike missed that Avery has been one of the two or three best players throughout camp, pre-season, and the first two games for the Rangers.
Don't know which is worse, Milbury's misdirected tirade or the referees' blown call.
Follow Me on Twitter at: @jimcerny and @thenyrangers
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Written on 10/10/2010 by Jim Cerny
Last night in the Rangers locker room following their season-opening 6-3 win in Buffalo, I approached goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for his take on Derek Stepan's NHL debut.
Before the question was even completely out of my mouth, Lundqvist was shaking his head in disbelief and laughing heartily. And then he said the only possible thing that could sum up the rookie center's 3-goal first-game as a pro.
"Wow!"
Perhaps Lundqvist's laugh and shaking of the head said more than words---or the word "Wow"---could. Because those responses really said, "You've got to be kidding me! A 20 year-old kid, fresh out of college, scores a hat trick in his first NHL game! No freaking way! This game is not that easy."
But Stepan made it look that way. In fact he has made a lot of things seem so easy since turning pro this past summer. He has an easy-going confidence, a terrific knack for being in the right place on the ice most of the time, and is an extremely intelligent kid.
"He has an inner confidence about him, yet he is very respectful and always asking questions, trying to learn," said Rangers head coach John Tortorella. "He loves challenges, and we have challenged him a lot along the way here."
Stepan became only the fourth player in the entire history of the National Hockey League to score three goals in his first game. I was fortunate enough to be up in Buffalo and cover his great accomplishment. Following is a behind-the-scenes look at Stepan's big day and night (and a little more, too).
Saturday
11:15-The zamboni is cleaning the ice following the Sabres morning skate at the HSBC Arena. An eager Stepan, his NHL debut roughly eight hours away, is sitting on the Rangers' bench alongside defenseman Dan Girardi watching the zamboni. No other players are on the bench just yet. Makes you wonder if the kid is super excited, insanely nervous, or always one of the first ones out at the morning skate.
11:30-Stepan and his teammates hit the ice for the quick skate, which is meant to wake the players up, get the blood flowing. Stepan skates with veteran linemates Sean Avery and Ruslan Fedotenko during line rushes, and he will center those two as he did late in the pre-season.
11:45-Tortorella meets with the media outside the Rangers dressing room. When asked if he will have to keep an eye on Stepan, fearing the kid may be a bit nervous on this night, Tortorella sounds almost prophetic when answering, "I don't think that's going to be a problem because I think he embraces his challenges...I think he'll be a good player for us tonight." Little did I know that Torts had just written the lead to what would be my post-game story
on the Rangers web site later on in the evening.
12:00-I chat with Stepan by his corner locker and ask him a few questions about nerves. "Slept well last night", "Think I'll be more excited than nervous", "Not thinking about being nervous...but if you keep asking me about it...!" are just some of his relaxed answers.
12:45-Back at the team hotel Stepan meets with family and friends, including his Mom, who drove to Buffalo from Minnesota. Next it's a little lunch with his teammates and then a nap (later on he told me he had no problems napping!).
First Period-Stepan had joked to me in the morning that on his first shift he might just "take a skate" and let Avery and Fedotenko handle the puck just to get acclimated to his first NHL game. In reality, Stepan steals the puck along the left wall in the offensive zone, and though his centering pass is knocked away, it almost leads to an early scoring chance. Kid seems on top of his game. At 10:53 he is credited with his first NHL goal when Girardi's slap shot is deflected by the rookie, bounces of Buffalo's Tyler Myers, and slips across the goal line. "That's the way everyone's first goal is. They're never pretty," Stepan tells me later.
Second period-With the Rangers 2-1 lead hanging by a thread, thanks to Lundqvist's brilliance in net, and with the visting team being outshot by a wide margin, Stepan kills the home team's momentum by getting free in front and lifting a rebound of Marc Staal's point shot over Ryan Miller's glove. 3-1 Rangers 15:08 into the second. Then with 1:40 left to play Stepan whips a shot from the slot into the back of the cage off a pretty feed from Avery. 4-1 Rangers. Hat Trick in his NHL debut for Stepan. Torts told me today, "What I really liked is that he didn't go all crazy about it. He was excited, but he expects to do good things."
Third Period-As amazing as his NHL debut was, incredibly Stepan's night could have gone even better. He misfired on an odd-man rush up ice and then missed with a long shot at an empty net after Miller was pulled for an extra attacker. Kid could have had four, or five, goals on the night!
Post-Game-I am the first reporter to get to Stepan, who is more than willing to chat---he always is, great kid---though he undresses quickly at the same time because you can tell that he has the rookie fear that he might miss the team bus to the airport. I feel like saying, "Relax. Tonight, they're not going anywhere without you!". Typically, Stepan is gracious in his praise of his linemates and downplays his huge night, though he does confess, "This was exciting...the hockey gods must have been looking down on me." As I leave Stepan he is besieged by a media horde, so I seek out others for opinions on what Stepan accomplished. Lundqvist offers, "What can you say about a first game like that? We'll let him enjoy it tonight, but tomorrow it's back to work and it's forgotten. It's going to be our job to help guide him through his first year. But he is very mature kid and I think he'll handle it well." Brandon Dubinsky said, "It's awesome! He's such a great talent and is going to be a really big part of the team. Best thing about him is he's confident, but pretty mellow, stays with that even keel." Staal added, "He was smart, in the right place, didn't get caught running around, and it transferred into three goals because he was in the right position. It's impressive."
10:30-Stepan heads to the bus after saying goodbye to Mom. Then on to airport where the charter takes him and his teammates back to New York.
Sunday:
12:00 Noon-Just as Lundqvist said 14 hours earlier, it's back to work. Stepan is on ice with his teammates practicing for Monday afternoon's showdown against the Islanders. Three goals in your first game, kid? No problem. Now let's see what you can really do!
Follow Me on Twitter at: @jimcerny and @thenyrangers
Posted in
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Ryan Miller,
Sean Avery
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Written on 10/08/2009 by Jim Cerny
Already flush with the early successes of rookie defensemen Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy, the Rangers might be able to see another of their talented top prospects make his NHL debut this evening in Washington D.C.
19 year-old winger Evgeny Grachev has been recalled from the club's AHL affiliate in Hartford due to the fact that Ryan Callahan suffered what the team is calling a "minor upper body" injury at this morning's skate at the Verizon Center. No media members saw the injury occur since all were speaking with coach John Tortorella at the time, so by "upper body", I mean exactly that.
It is not known whether or not Callahan will be able to play this evening, so clearly Grachev's recall is a precautionary move. It also means that Sean Avery is not yet ready to return to the Rangers lineup, since he was already in Washington skating with the team. Had he been deemed healthy enough to play---he has missed the first three games of the season with a sprained knee---there would not have been a need to call up Grachev from Hartford.
Avery told me at practice yesterday, "Not to say that I'm not effective at 85 or 90 percent, but I think it's not fair to the team, and I don't think it's fair to myself, when you do it this early (in the season). It's not Game 80 and we're in a playoff race."
When he does return to the lineup---and Avery is now targeting Sunday at home against Anaheim---he does not expect to hold back at all.
"When I am ready to play, I just play," said Avery. "I don't think I am going to favor anything. I certainly don't think that's in my mentality."
But obviously both Avery and Tortorella feel that he is not quite ready to re-enter the lineup, otherwise Grachev would not be in DC right now.
As for Grachev, he had a solid pre-season and impressed Tortorella with his battle level and with how strong he was on the puck. Interestingly, the one area that Grachev did not excel during the pre-season was in putting the puck in the net, which is his forte, evidenced by his 40-goal output with Brampton in the OHL a year ago.
Defenseman Alexei Semenov, who was in camp with the Rangers before signing in the KHL back in Russia, shared some interesting observations with me about the 6'4", 220 pound man-child that is Grachev. He said right now the only thing holding Grachev back from playing in the NHL is confidence to bury the puck, again intriguing considering that is the main talent he brings to the table. Semenov said he noticed a hesitation in that area by Grachev, and believed that some time---maybe not even a whole season---in the AHL would solve the problem.
Follow me on Twitter tonight to see if Grachev makes his NHL debut, and, if so, how he fares. Also, check in for the latest on Callahan's injury.
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Written on 9/14/2009 by Jim Cerny
Many topics on the hockey front, what with training camps now in full swing, and I've got a few thoughts to share. If there are topics/questions you want addressed in the days and weeks and months to come, leave them in the Comments section and I promise to blog about them.
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Katie Strang of Newsday is the only reporter from New York covering the Islanders training camp out in the metropolis of Saskatoon, and she is doing an excellent job already. It's a shame for the Islanders organization---as well as it's fan base---that the excitement of John Tavares' first pro camp is an afterthought in the local media since camp is being held thousands of miles away from the team's base on Long Island.
Nonetheless, Katie chatted with veteran Doug Weight today about him possibly being named captain. Not surprisingly, Weight---a former captain of the Edmonton Oilers, and a well-respected man, both on and off the ice---would love that opportunity.
Weight told Katie, "I'd take it in a heartbeat and run with it," if given the chance.
While it makes almost too much sense not to name Weight as Bill Guerin's successor as Isles captain---especially with him already forging a strong relationship with Tavares---I'd reason that a better long-term choice for captain is defenseman Mark Streit.
Weight may only be on the Island for another season---if he doesn't get dealt at the trading deadline---while Streit is going to be a vital cog on this team for years to come. Streit also is coming off an All Star season, is well respected in his own dressing room, and has a strong relationship with the media, all pre-requisites for the position.
This is coming from the outside looking in, but why not name Streit captain, hand an "A" to Weight so that he could help mentor the talented Swiss defenseman, and finally stabilize the captaincy?
By the way---and totally off topic---Isles and Canucks in Hockeyville Game tonight on NHL Network. Let the games begin!
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In a posting here on Rink Rap a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the difficult position Don Maloney is in as GM of the Phoenix Coyotes. Of course, things only got worse on the hockey front when training camp started and head coach Wayne Gretzky was a no-show.
I saw Don's brother Dave---the Rangers former captain and current radio analyst---at Rangers camp the other day and asked him how his younger brother is holding up. Dave told me that that Don is doing his best, but that the situation "is just brutal".
And that is just on the hockey operations side of the business. As for selling tickets, forget about it. Not shockingly, it has been nearly impossible to sell any form of season tickets this season in Phoenix, since the fans have no confidence in the future viability of their team.
No matter the outcome of the bankruptcy court ruling, the business is dead in Phoenix. It was dying already---hence the bankruptcy in the first place. But this whole dance between the league and Jim Balsillie, and perhaps the club moving to Hamilton during the season, or being sold and moved next year, has driven a final stake into the Coyotes' surivival in Phoenix---er, Glendale.
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Am up at the Rangers practice facility for training camp, and have just about Tweeted my thumbs off the first three days for all of you hard-core Blueshirt fanatics out there! But here are a few more tidbits following today's first two scrimmages of camp.
- 25 year-old defenseman Matt Gilroy might be a self-professed "late bloomer", but the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner is in peak physical condition, and he really impressed me in the morning scrimmage. Clearly heeding John Tortorella's call for defensemen to jump into the play, Gilroy confidently led the rush over and over again. Though he didn't score a goal---he did ring a shot off of the crossbar---Gilroy created several good scoring opportunities for his team. Good start for the rookie. John Tortorella agreed, saying after practice today, "He's one of the better fit athletes out here...he did some things we wanted him to do...he was up the ice...we'll see as the grind of camp goes on where he sits."
- Marian Gaborik, bothered by a sore groin, not related to his surgically-repaired hip, did not take part in either scrimmage, but he did skate in the afternoon practice. Afterwards he said, "The first few days, I did not want to overdo things, so (today) I went out there to do some skating and felt pretty good." Tortorella, who called Gaborik a "helluva player", said, "He's out practicing, which is good news....we just need to get him healthy, and this is just a little bump."
- Say what you want about Sean Avery, but this guy is a physical speciman. He is in outstanding shape, and really stood out to me during the team's conditioning testing the first two days. Avery showed a lot of jump and spark in the scrimmage, as well. Crazy thought maybe, but does Tortorella consider giving Avery a letter this season? Just a thought...
- Among the newcomers, Vinny Prospal and Donald Brashear had strong scrimmages in the afternoon session. Torts has said that Brash is here instead of Colton Orr because he is a better skater and could play off of the fourth line at times this year, too. Brashear showed that in the scrimmage, for sure.
- Defenseman Nigel Williams, who was picked up in a summer trade with Colorado, threw some big hits during the afternoon scrimmage. A long-shot to make the varsity, the 21 year-old at least tried to make a solid first impression.
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Finally, I will be the guest on the Blueshirt Banter talk show tonight, beginning at 7:30 pm, on BlogTalk Radio.
Here is the link to listen. I will also take phone calls from the fans. The phone in number to participate is 646-479-4692.
Hope to chat with you tonight!
Posted in
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Matt Gilroy,
New York Islanders,
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Rink Rap,
Sean Avery,
Wayne Gretzky
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