The NHL Thread

The St. Paul Pioneer Press has an interview with new Minnesota Wildwinger Zach Parise, run solely as a series of answers. Interesting format. He talks about Twitter, privacy, the hockey life, his Olympic silver medal, how he'd trade places for a day with Jay-Z and more.Here's a taste... My dad told me to shoot where the goalie isn't. He also told me to be a better person than I was a hockey player. I think I was raised well, and I think I get along with people. If I meet you, the last thing I want to bring up is I play hockey. I don't go out and celebrate that fact. I want people I meet to get to know me.
I don't do Twitter. I don't do Facebook. In New Jersey, we weren't allowed to have Twitter even if we wanted it.
For people who know me, they know I'm a pretty private person. I'm not saying I don't like interacting with fans. I do. But I like to have a personal life, and I hope people respect that.
I'm pretty grumpy after a loss. I think I've gotten better. I was pretty miserable to be around after a loss. I don't even think my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, wanted to be around me.
If I had a time machine, I'd go back in time. I'd like to go where there's no cellphones and technology is a lot less advanced. The 1980s seem like a really good time. I was born then (in 1984), but I don't remember what was going on in the 1980s. I know there was great music.
I wasn't much of a "Simpsons" guy as a kid.
If I could have any superpower, I'd want to be able to fly. That would be a lot more convenient.
My parents had the biggest influence in my life. My father was a mentor for both my brother and I. He taught us both about hockey, and he taught us about more than just hockey. The older you get, you understand what he said and it makes sense.
From a young age, every kid wants to be like their dad. My dad played in the NHL. That's what my brother and I wanted to do.
I'm here to win a Stanley Cup. A hundred percent. We (he and Suter) both knew coming in the Wild have good goaltending. The players are there. We feel (new) players are coming, as well. That's why you play -- to win. For me, getting so close to it this year (losing in the Stanley Cup Finals), you get a lot more excited about it.
The travel in the NHL is hard. And I would say the constant need to perform on a nightly basis is hard. It's mentally draining. It's hard to do on a consistent basis. You're going to have to perform every night. That's the way it is. Everyone has played in pressure situations before. I'll go and play my hardest.
Loyal with a dry sense of humor. That's what I'd assume my friends would say about me.
If my house was on fire and my family was safe, I'd probably try and find my silver medal. You just don't know if you'll have a chance to play in the Olympics again. I have some things my wife has given me I'd try to get out. I have some cool pictures I'd try to get, and I have some nice pictures of my dad when he was playing.
I'm a big Tiger Woods fan. I like Tiger.
I used to play a lot more video games. I kind of grew out of it. I was a big "Halo" guy.
I've gotten a lot of bad hockey advice. And some bad financial advice that, luckily, I didn't take.
If I could trade places for a day with anyone, maybe it'd be Jay-Z. He's got a lot going on. He's got that empire. It'd be interesting to see.
Describe myself in three words: Loyal. Competitive. Hard-working.
I want my epitaph to say, "Here lies Zach Parise, who was a good family man and good family member a good brother, a good son and a good husband." All that. That's what is most important to me.

I agree with Parise saying he is competitive and hard working but loyal??? I can probably find thousands of people that disagree with him.

Parise wants to win and wants his privacy so he goes to Minnesota?? Those fans eat, sleep and breathe hockey and the their team sucks. Sounds like the perfect place for Zach was NJ.

Devils UFAs next year are Clarkson, Zajac, Elias, and Zubrus. If all those guys aren't signed by September I think they should trade all of them so they at least get something. Look at me, I'm simple minded!!!!

Will be interesting to see what happens with Malkin in 2 years when he becomes UFA. If he walks, will the Pens be to blame for not "locking him up" when his rookie contract expired?

2 years? The Pens should be talking contract with him right now!!!!!!!!!!!!! If they don't have him "locked up" to a 25 year deal by tomorrow they should try to trade him!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pens really dropped the ball by letting Malkin get to "2 years from UFA status". Bad job by Pitt.

Paulina is the culo on the right.
mg]

That is your opinion, but I disagree with you. If you can't admit the Devils signing Parise to a one year deal as a RFA was the kiss of death for him then we are obviously not on the same page.

I would think the Pens will want to lock up a Stanley Cup MVP. I would be surprised if they didn't. If they don't they could trade him. I just don't think the Pens would let him get away unless they see something we don't. I hope Malkin does not become friends with Suter of the Pens could be in trouble. lol


In all seriousness you wanted to drop this discussion, but if you really want to continue keep going.

I know most of us are for the players in this possible lockout, but one interesting commentary I did hear from Boomer Esiason. He said that the NHL players get more of a cut than the other 3 sports and yet hockey is the least popular of the the 4. Do you guys think that the players could be asking for too much?




Here is Brooks' column from todays NY Post


In the matter of false equivalencies, there is Gary Bettman’s reference to NFL and NBA players accepting reduced percentages of revenue following lockouts imposed by their respective leagues.
It is true pro basketball and pro football players ultimately agreed to take a smaller piece of their pies, yet the cap remained unchanged in the NBA following that league’s lockout while the cap in the NFL was initially reduced by less than six percent.
Neither the NBA nor NFL demanded its athletes submit to rollbacks of existing contracts, a tactic embraced by NHL owners who apparently regard currency in long-term contracts as equivalent to confederate money.
Moreover, neither the NBA nor NFL gained concessions on systemic issues such as free agency out of their lockouts. NBA players won on the issue of escrow. NFL players gained $1 billion of additional benefits for retired players while also bargaining for increased takes of future national media revenue.
The football and basketball negotiations have as much or as little relevancy to hockey’s bargaining as does Major League Baseball’s current CBA.
But if Bettman insists on citing the NFL and NBA in an attempt to bolster his own league’s position, he might at least want to do so in a more comprehensive, and I dare say, more honest manner.
***
The gulf between the Rangers and unsigned Group II free agent Michael Del Zotto may not be quite as wide as the one separating the NHL and the NHLPA, but we’re told the parties are not close to striking a deal.
Negotiations are expected to intensify over the next couple of weeks between management and the 22-year-old defenseman, who is coming off an entry level deal under which he earned a base of $962,500 per season with an additional $125,000 available in bonuses.
The Blueshirts are believed to be offering a multi-year deal in the neighborhood of $2.2 million to $2.5 million per season to Del Zotto, who faces some urgency given the looming Sept. 15 shutdown of business and the possibility that less will be available under the cap under the next CBA.
***
Lubomir Visnovsky, who filed a grievance to stop his trade from the Ducks to the Islanders, will get his day in his NHL arbitration court on Sept. 4, Slap Shots has learned.
The 36-year-old defenseman, dealt on June 23 for a 2013 second-round draft pick, did not consent to waive his no-trade clause he and the NHLPA contend should still be in force, even after he agreed to a previous trade from the Oilers to the Ducks in 2009-10.
Visnovsky is due $3 million for the final season of a five-year deal that carries a cap hit of $5.6 million, thus making him the quintessential Islander of the Charles Wang/Garth Snow Floor Regime.
***
There is scant optimism within the Rangers’ camp that Michael Sauer, sidelined for the duration after being concussed last Dec. 5 on a hit delivered by Dion Phaneuf, will be cleared for a return to duty, even if this season’s opener is delayed by months.
If Sauer, said to be feeling better than he was before returning home to Minnesota for the summer but is not believed symptom-free, cannot play, he would be placed on the long-term injury list.
The 25-year-old defenseman’s older brother, Craig, has suffered from depression after sustaining multiple concussions while playing six years in the NFL for the Falcons and Vikings.
***
Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Carl Hagelin and Del Zotto (if signed) all would require waivers in order to be assigned to the AHL Whale in the event of a lockout, if the NHL and NHLPA operate under the guidelines that were in place in 2004-05 .
The NHLPA makes a valid point that non-player spending, which fluctuates wildly within the league, can be as determinative in performance as payroll, and thus the proposal to cap those expenses as well.
But it is certainly not in the union’s best interests to limit those expenditures that would include travel, as well as salaries for coaches and general managers.
Does the PA want teams to return to flying commercial airlines rather than charter? In that case, the “no middle seat” clause could become more valuable than the no-trade clause.
***
Of course John Tortorella loves dogs. Canines do not ask questions.
Seriously, though, the Rangers coach’s cause in support of rescue, humane treatment and adoption of dogs via the John and Christine Tortorella Family Foundation is a righteous one.
The Rangers and the Foundation are co-hosting a dog walk at Riverside Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on the morning of Sept. 9, in which the coach, Ryan Callahan and Brad Richards will participate. Proceeds will be donated to the Westchester Humane Society and other organizations dedicated to the humane treatment of animals.
Information regarding registration for the event is available at both the Rangers’ website and the Tortorella Foundation’s website
***
Slap Shots enters its annual late summer hiatus. See you (even if not the players) next month


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/can_bett_on_honesty_yaa66RE2fS7XMofEFXE2NO#ixzz242MHwMAc

Malkin has won a Hart, a Ross, and won the Smythe in 2009. Yet he continues to play second fiddle to Crosby and Pittsburgh seems determined to have Crosby's salary (a number arbitrarily determined because it's the Narcissistic One's b-day and most favoritest number) set in stone as the team max. I hope he tells them to fuck off like Staal did.

I agree that Malkin does not get the praise that Sid does. Unfortunately the Europeans will never get as much respect as the North Americans. That is one of the reasons why the NHL does not do a good job at marketing hockey. They believe the Canadians and Americans need to get most of the publicity where they think the average fan can't related to the Europeans, which is crap.

I would not get so giddy over Staal leaving Pittsburgh as he will be competing with your Caps for a very long time.

Other teams will inevitably get better. The Caps did nothing to improve themselves in the offseason, so if they fail it's on them.

The NHL regular season is a grind. Still plenty of time for trades too. These negotiations don't seem positive, so I don't expect the season to start on time. A bad job by both parties on this one.

Mark my words Malkin is going no where. He will sign a very similar deal as Crosby maybe not in length but in cap hit. Plus I really don't believe Crosby will care if Malkin makes more anyway. I am sure this was discussed during his negotiations.

Malkin has more hardwhare but Sid sells tickets. From an ownership standpoint it is more important for the Penguins organization to keep him for that sole purpose. Lock Sid up long term sell your building out long term. I don't remember everyone buying up Pens season tickets when Malkin was drafted. Plus I have a hard time selling my tickets if I can not go at the going rate when Sid is out which proves my point.

You can even see it when Sid is out and comes back it is a much bigger deal than when Malkin was out, and Geno comes back. I really do think Malkin is overlooked with Sid and has just as much talent as Crosby. Once again it really proves my point that the NHL does not market the Europeans as well as the North Americans. If that were the case Malkin should be one of the most popular players in the league and he isn't the most popular on his own team.

Both these guys need to be better in the playoffs, especially now that Staal is gone.

I don't wanna be on the same page as you because your opinions are mostly uneducated. I find it amusing that you're telling a life long Devils fan that knows everything about the organization, that he's wrong and you know better about the situation. You're basically telling 5 other people here, all of whom probably know more than you, that they are wrong too.

Not trying to be dick but you really should be more open minded to people that know more than you and you would know that Parise's 1 year deal last summer was not the kiss of the death. That's actually so wrong it's laughable.

I think you probably know how stupid you sound at this point but since it's been slow in here you're trying to breathe some life into this thread by being contrary to what is basically known to all REAL hockey fans. You sound really dumb.

sometimes it is beyond what a team "wants" to do. there is informal discussion with players through agents and family, even though it is tampering. Imagine how much money our good friend Brian Burke (a convicted tamperer) would throw at Malkin?? Malkin always thrives when he is the top dog and fades somewhat under Sid's shadow. Shero should consider dealing Malkin, while he can still get something for him. Pens drop the ball on this one, they will put their franchise back 5 years.

The New York Islanders confirmed on Saturday that Lubomir Visnovsky is all right after the defenceman was involved in an automobile accident in his native Slovakia.
"I have spoken directly with Lubomir, and am pleased to report that he did not suffer any serious injuries," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow in a statement.
Visnovsky, 35, hails from Topolcany, Slovakia. He played last season for the Anaheim Ducks and was traded to the Islanders on June 22 at the NHL Draft.

Looks like the Isles chance of getting to the Cap floor is still there as long as the NHL upholds the decision on his no-trade appeal

Everyone has an opinion and I posted mine. Stop being so sensitive that we disagree on this issue. I have disagreed with just about everyone in this thread. This thread would be boring if we all agreed on everything. I still don't think the Devils did what it took to keep Parise.

You make it like I never admit I am wrong, which I often do, but once again I stand by my opinion whether you like it or not. I think you are more upset with yourself because you thought the Devils signed him for a 1 year deal that he would stay a Devil because of the Devils financial issues at the time. In addition, that Parise's girlfriend is a teacher in NJ that he would stay a Devil.

No I have an opinion, so I don't feel stupid in what I posted. I don't care if this thread has 5 posts in a day or 50 posts in a day, so I could give a shit to need to stir up this thread by giving my view on a subject. I never have done that and never will.

Anyway, once again we disagree on this. We can keep going at this on this and you are not changing my opinion. Ready to end this?

I do agree that teams don't always have full control if a player wants to stay there, but they have to give a sweet deal if they want that player to stay. Burke has not made too many good signing in Toronto. Most are well past their prime or just not that great. That is why the Leafs have been where they have. They have stunk for a while and waste their draft picks on Kessel.

Malkin is one of the best players in the NHL, so for the Pens to even consider trading him they would have to get a lot for him. I don't think the Leafs have anyone that is desireable for the Pens except for draft picks. The Leafs would have to offer more than that to get Malkin. I do agree that Malkin does play better when Sid is not there and really puts the Pens on his back during that time.


The Flyers extended a contract before this player hits free agency.

TSN.ca


The Philadelphia Flyers signed left-winger Scott Hartnell to a six-year contract extension worth US$28.5 million on Monday.
The deal with the six-foot-two, 210-pound Hartnell kicks in after the 2012-13 season, when he is scheduled to make $3.2 million in the final year of his previous contract.

The 30-year-old had 37 goals and 30 assists in 82 games with the Flyers in 2011-12. He also added three goals and five assists in 11 playoff games.

In 843 career NHL games with the Flyers and Nashville Predators, Hartnell has 222 goals, 252 assists and 1,279 penalty minutes. He also has 19 goals and 24 assists in 84 playoff games.

The Regina native was Nashville's first pick, sixth overall at the 2000 draft.

This seems like a theme every year a player that does not want to play for the Isles. First it was Nabokov and not Visnovsky. I really feel bad for the Isles and will feel even worse if they leave Long Island. They really have dropped the ball in not getting a new arena. Part of it was the idiots in the Town Of Hempstead, but Wang has to take a little of the hit for not working hard enough to look at other options in the NY area.


Good job by the Preds keeping their players after Suter bolted.


TSN.ca


The Nashville Predators nailed down another one of their core players Monday, signing Mike Fisher to a two-year contract extension worth US$8.4 million.
One month after making a monster $110-million payout to keep captain Shea Weber in town, the Predators made sure the 32-year-old Fisher -- the team's second-leading goal scorer last season -- would be also be sticking around.

The new deal, which kicks in for the 2013-14 season, pays the six-foot-one, 208-pound centre $4.2 million per season.

Last season, the Peterborough, Ont., native posted 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points while coming 11th in the NHL in game-winning goals.

Since joining Nashville from the Ottawa Senators halfway through the 2010-11 season, he's scored 63 points in 99 games while adding 11 more points in 22 playoff games.

Fisher is married to country music superstar Carrie Underwood, and the couple's primary home is in the Nashville area.

Fisher joined the league when Ottawa drafted him 44th overall in 1998, and has amassed 411 points in 774 games since then. In 97 career playoff games, he has 39 points.

Hahaha I'm not upset with myself that I thought Parise would stay back then. Did anyone, besides those close to Zach, know he wanted to play in Minnesota with his BFF?? That rumor only popped up in April or May and it was that Parise and Suter wanted a package deal to Detroit. But now that it's out there I think it's pretty clear what went down and it was planned a long time ago so I'm not sure why you're being so naive. The Devils did everything they could to keep Parise but they really didn't have a say in keeping him...wake up and read something.

I'm not looking to have a love-in on SFN and I like the arguing but when your opinions are just so wrong I can't take it seriously. Read more, then when you actually have some facts about what happened form an a sensible opinion or at least ask questions to people who may know the situation.

You're just lost on this one.

funny how the owners are pushing hard for a 5-year contract limit and the Flyers sign Hartnell to a 6 year deal right in the middle of negotiations.

funny how the owners are pushing hard for a 5-year contract limit and the Flyers sign Hartnell to a 6 year deal right in the middle of negotiations.

Isn't Snider a big proponent of the 5 year contract limit that the owners want in the new CBA?? Funny since the guy is handing out 6 year deals like they are going out of style. Simmonds now Hartnell.

Simmonds and Hartnell get 6 years. Briere got 8. Pronger got 7. Bryz got 9. Didn't they offer Suter and Parise 10+ years a piece??

Flyers hockey baby!!!!!!!!!!!!...I bet WRU loves them since they "lock up" all their players for years and years. Hey WRU, how many Cups have the Flyers won in the last 35 years??

Once again you are missing my point. I thought I made myself clear, but apparently it has not sunk it with you. I am not talking about how the Devils negotiated this year. Yes, they made an effort to sign him. However, they made the mistake in only giving him the one year deal during RFA. That was a mistake as it was easy for Parise to walk after that.

Obviously you are taking my opinion seriously as I never seen you so sensitive about an issue like this. Let it go. You are not changing my opinion on this.


Oilers looking serious with their kids.


TSN.ca

The Edmonton Oilers are talking to forwards Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle about new contract extensions.
According to TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug, the Oilers and Hall are very close to an agreement, while negotiations with Eberle's camp are ongoing.
Both players are entering the final seasons of their three-year, entry-level contracts. Should they not sign contract extensions, both would become restricted free agents at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Eberle, 22, led the Oilers in scoring last season with 34 goals and 42 assists in 78 games. He was Edmonton's first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2008 Draft.
Hall was the first-overall pick in the 2010 Draft. The 20-year-old had 27 goals and 26 assists in 61 games last year in his sophomore season.

I guess the owners are trying to get these long term deals while they can. They might as well while they have the chance. Not sure they are going to budge on this issue.

Just because team signs their players does not mean they have chemistry or are good players. Now you know better than to ask that question.

Dean Wormer can answer the question on how many cups the Flyers have won in the last 35 years.