OK. Not a ton of hockey news this week and still, I've been delinquent:
Harry Sinden resigned as president of the Bruins, leaving a legacy of being a cost-conscious manager (login info.). Right. Which is why he gave then-rookie Joe Thornton an easy-to-hit-incentive-laden contract that boosted his "standard rookie contract" from $925,000 to about $2.5 million. And this workaround contributed to rising NHL salaries.
It's important to remember that Sinden wasn't the NHL's voice of reason. He was just a guy who short-changed his players and his fellow NHL managers. He wasn't in favor of cost-certainty. He was just in favor of the Bruins. And even with all that, he didn't do a great job of helping the Bruins out.
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How do you know you're a player with juice? When the team sends a trainer to your country to help with your rehab. The Flyers let trainer Jim McCrossin go to Sweden to work with Peter Forsberg and his healing foot and ankle. Forsberg is picking up the tab for McCrossin, his wife, and their kid. I'm guessing this option isn't available to all of the Flyers.
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Today's Dallas Morning News has a nice look at the awkwardness of buying out players (login info.). It features commentary from Bill Guerin, who was bought out by the Stars:
"When I signed the contract, I pictured myself going down there and winning the Stanley Cup...When you compare that feeling to this one [being bought out], you feel horrible."
Well at least he doesn't have to talk about it.
I got tagged (finally) with the "Five Weird Things About You/Me Meme", so here are five weird things about me:
- I love the Food Network. I pretty much watch it on a loop
- Cars freak me out big time (but I know how to drive and all that). I just don't like them
- Eric Lindros fascinates me. So much unfulfilled talent. So many unmet expectations. It's a psychology experiment that unfolded before our eyes
- Back in the day, I wrote trivia (among other things) for Uproar.com. This was during Bubble 1.0. There were also some other online game sites in there. But Uproar was the big one
- I enjoy watching radio on TV. SEE: Mike and Mike on ESPN2 and Mike and the Mad Dog on YES.
I don't even know who's left to tag. Andrew? Dubi? Mike? Blogless Matt?
I know the Flyers are crazy deep with centers, and I know Kyle Calder is supposed to have a ton of upside, but I'm still shocked the Flyers traded away Michal Handzus knowing Keith Primeau seems a long way off from coming back from his concussion (login info.).
Without Handzus or Primeau, the Flyers look downright cuddly.
Also, do you know the new hotbed of hockey talent?
California, baby (login info.).
Be careful of the odd adoption storyline that sort of springs up out of nowhere at the end.
