2008/2009 Hockey Thread v2.0

[Mike Ockizitchy]

Hollweg plays with a lot of passion and grit, which is all well and good, but its like most nights he forgets you have to play with a head too. He lets his intensity get the best of him and takes costly penalties at costly times, most namely after coming back to tie up Pittsburgh in one of the first two games. Pittsburgh scored, totally shifted ALL the momentum we just took back, back in their direction. The rest as we say, is history.

Just hope he gets comftorable in Toronto. He's a great personality though. Off the ice he's a stand up guy, it sucks seeing him go, but you could say his time has run up here. He'll be a good addition to a rebuilding team like Toronto though, enjoy guys.

Oh yea, keep him away from Chris Simon, he always seems to get hurt.

[Toe]

Thats easy - Chris Simon signed to play in Russia.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Montreal locks up the last of their RFA's as they signed Ryan O'Byrne to a 3 year deal.

Now we wait...

For Mats...

We Hope...

Mostly to stick it to Toronto since we're already one of the best teams in the league.

[Clawson]

Leafs add a bonus exhibition game that will be given to the fans for free. Should be funny watching the best crowd at the ACC be during an exhibition game without all the corporate cunts there.

Edited July 16, 2008 by Clawson

[Evil Chase K]

The Penguins re-signed Kris Beech.

You know what that means...THE CUP IS COMING TO PITTSBURGH!

I just hope he doesn't have to see significant time.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Montreal signs Pac-Man. He was incredibly impressive during some of the rookie camps. He gets a 3 year deal and will start the year in Hamilton. Good for him.

[Toe]

The Leafs are going to honour the numbers of Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour this season.

And here is where you can learn when they will doing that....

[The Sultan of Swank]

Classy move by the Leafs. Clark was THE Leafs for how many years? Amazing player. Gilmour, also another amazing player... I'm a little split on retiring Gilmour... Obviously I never lived in Toronto, I suppose it'd be like if the Habs decide to retire Koivu after he's done with hockey. I know he was an amazing two way player and put up great numbers, but am I wrong in thinking that he was just the face of the franchise for so long as well?

I feel kind of ignorant about it, but I only started following hockey real seriously maybe in 2000 or so.

[Clawson]

We didn't retire numbers Basha. We honour the players and keep using their numbers to increase the prestige of the number if another great player comes along to wear it.

But really I think 17 and 93 are as good as retired for the next little while.

And in other news Sundin is apparently down to Toronto and Mon....nah just kidding, Vancouver for his two choices if he decides to play next year.

Edited July 21, 2008 by Clawson

[Enter Blue Guy]

Interesting, I never thought about how well Koivu would be remember as a Hab a decade from now. He's been the leader and face for what seems like so long, but I think they whole comeback and the heart he showed really cements him in franchise history more than anything. As it should, unless he captains a Cup team.

In Toronto, Wendel and Doug are God. They played hockey nasty, old school hockey. By the time I was growing up a Leaf fan, Wendel had already been here for years, but Dougie was pretty new, so I grew into a fan while watching him. Wendel got the love for being a ferocious, grinder type, but asserted the love by being a damn good skilled player too. Dougie, I think he started getting the love during the first big run to the conference finals when the whole city was living and dying on every single shift of the Cinderella story. He was right in the center of it. And then they went on another run to conference finals the next year. So Dougie was the right type of hockey player for a city that was dying for a playoff hero. He didn't bring the silver home, but still, people loved him.

I can only imagine the size of the golden statue he would have got if the Leafs had won the Cup in that era.

EDIT: Golden statue? I'm thinking a platinum statue that pees oil if the Leafs would have gone to the finals in 93 and beaten the Habs.

Edited July 21, 2008 by Enter Blue Guy

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Gilmour is the Sittler of his era.

[Clawson]

And Clark is Jesus.

I'm gonna record both ceremonies then probably watch them after every loss this year to feel better.

[jrtdot]

And Clark is Jesus.

I'm gonna record both ceremonies then probably watch them after every loss this year to feel better.

haha, now that you brought that to my attention, I might do the same

[Toe]

Gilmour's goal from behind the net against St. Louis was amazing.

Just fast forward to about 6:40 if you just want to see the goal. That goal and Sundin's 500th goal are the two hockey moments that I will remember for a long, long time. Edited July 22, 2008 by Toe

[Clawson]

Sundin's 500th was not only epic because of the circumstances behind it but also because 10 of us were jammed in a single room at school, a couple were Flames fans, and that goal ended up with me spilling a shot of JD on my friend's keyboard in celebration then the guy from Calgary slamming his fist on the desk knocking another shot of JD onto the keyboard.

Twas fucking hilarious.

[Mike Ockizitchy]

That goal was fucking FILTH.

[Enter Blue Guy]

We might as well open a Leafs thread.

One of my most memorable Leaf games. Game 4 of Ottawa/Toronto 2001. Leafs on the verge of the sweep, the ACC was the most electric I've ever heard it.

And game 3 just the hell of it. Skip to around the 1 minute mark to witness the greatness of Darcy Tucker.

I miss him already.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

One of the 1996 Leafs/Blues playoff games is coming up on ESPN Classic Canada in a few minutes, followed by a regular season game between Toronto and Tampa from 2002. Anyone want to remind me why that 2002 game might have been important?

[Enter Blue Guy]

Probably the one they were losing like 5-0 going into the third and ended up winning 6-5 in OT. I think it was a 6-5 win (may have been 5-4) and I'm positive it was against Tampa either in 02 or 03.

Edited July 22, 2008 by Enter Blue Guy

[The Sultan of Swank]

I wonder who Montreal is going to retire this season. The only notable name I can think of is Roy.

And is this entire season going to be you Leafers thinking about the "good times"? That 5 year or so span in the mid to late 90's where you guys didn't suck? I know this year is going to be hard for you. But make your own thread. Make a Leafs Nation Appreciation Thread or maybe a failure of a franchise AA thread, whatever you need.