CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence
Many ‘nucks fans are traumatized about the possibility of losing Daniel and Henrik.
But there’s another way of looking at the situation.
If they are re-signed at $6 million a year each, that’s $12 million tied up in two players – and if you add in Alex Burrow’s $2 million, that’s three players for $14 [...]

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by Ron Spence
Anson Carter and J.P. Dumont were somewhat nervous. It was early in August, 2006, and neither had contracts – or teams – for the following winter. And both had wives with new babies that summer.
Dumont had scored 20 goals – along with 20 assists – for the Sabres in 54 games (He had missed [...]

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by Ron Spence
“We’re just going about business,” Neil Smith said, “trying to help our team.”
The New York GM said this in 1997, after he had just offered Colorado’s – Restricted Free Agent – Joe Sakic $17 million for the 1997-98 season (This was structured as a $15 million signing bonus, along with a $2 [...]

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by Ron Spence
The Blackhawks went on a rampage late in 2003 and early 2004. They were unloading salaries and veteran players and acquiring a bunch of draft picks. 
The 17 picks that they exercised appears to be a record for one team in one Entry Draft. 
The Blackhawks’ alloted picks are in solid red.

courtesy of hockeydb.com
I was [...]

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by Ron Spence
NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly was spouting the party line, but then toned it down:
“Glenn [Healey] just wanted Ryan to understand that sometimes we make public comments that might get misinterpreted to the extent he was encouraging other players to take pay cuts. That’s not a message that he wants to present. I think [...]

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by Ron Spence
The first Stanley Cup ring was a band of gold with a simple design – it was a Model T of sorts.
The Montreal Hockey Club’s George Lowe was given this ring, which was recently found in a Vancouver attic.
The Montreal Hockey Club – Stanley Cup Champions – 1892-93 

Montreal Canadiens – Stanley Cup Champions [...]

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by Ron Spence
Not to be negative, but the Moose were playing  in the AHL’s Calder Cup Finals on tuesday night. 
It was game two, the Moose had lost a squeaker against Hershey over the weekend, and there 15.003 seats for sale. 
How many attended the game – maybe the last Calder Cup contest to be played in [...]

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by Ron Spence 
Vancouver’s fan base is as multi-racial as you can get. And it’s been that way for some time.
The presence of minority media outlets at games is but one example of this.
With the ascent of the Blackhawks, they are also finding a new racial diversity amongst Chicago’s hockey fans. 
The Chicago Tribune reports: 
“Nothing brings sports [...]

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by Ron Spence
Trading deadlines ain’t what they used to be.
Before the NHL’s salary cap, wealthy teams just opened their wallets – as the Yankees do in baseball today.
The logic was that the higher salaries would get paid as you went further into the playoffs – and took in the big gates. 
Thus, teams that thought that [...]

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Steve Francis traded to Memphis
December 25, 2008

What a Christmas present!

This isn’t hockey, but it’s Vancouver.
Steve Francis, who shunned Vancouver will be stuck in Memphis with Michael Heisley, and if there were ever a two in Vancouver’s sports history who deserve each other, it’s Francis and Heisley.
The billionaire bought the team in 2000 – with a promise [...]

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