The NHL Discussion Thread

[Top Thrill Dragster]

This year Boston completes the sweep of the Flyers.

 

 

 

 

Boston vs Tampa eastern conference final

[beatle11]

^They didn't even put up a fight either. I think Holmgren may be on the line here. He never addressed the goal-tending situation and although that wasn't the only issue, it was their biggest hole. Guys like Vokoun and Bryzgalov should be their target now. Expect to see some changes in the off season.

[Philrad71]

^ Must be the Sabres wore them out in the seven game series!

 

I'll admit that their goaltending carousel didn't give me much confidence that they would go deep into the post-season - same with the Caps. Now they're both done.

[Top Thrill Dragster]

 

 

I hope Jumbo Joke is okay!

[djbrcace1234]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

 

 

That now top's Avery's dive.

 

 

Seriously, how stupid are the Refs getting?

[DiSab]

Wow, the NBA art of flopping is invading other sports. When will the madness end?!?

[beatle11]

So Vancouver has made it through without a major scare this time. Just waiting on Detroit and San Jose, which has become much more interesting.

 

Boston and Tampa are scheduled to begin their series on Saturday. Both got through with surprising results, especially Tampa, and both have goaltenders that were on top of their game in the second round. On paper, Boston should have this series without much problem, but it will be close. Bruins in 7.

[extremecoasters37]

Who do you think will win? Tamba Bay or Boston

[imawesome1124]

^ I really can't say right now. I want Boston to win because I don't like Tampa, but anything can happen in the playoffs.

[beatle11]

And we have game 7 in San Jose! What be the fate of the series, and of the Sharks if they lose.

[BaMiTsPaT]

Just thought I'd say that those Green Men of Vancouver have kept me occupied on Youtube for the last half hour. I think they're hysterical and awesome!!!

[beatle11]

^Now San Jose is gonna have to deal with them. That series is scheduled to start Sunday in Vancouver.

 

The Sharks survived a coronary and knocked out probably the best team in the last 15 years. The Canucks have their best team in the last 15 years and will be quite the challenge. The Sedin's will have to get going if they are going to have a shot. But me believing that they will, combined with Vancouver's home ice advantage lead me to say Canucks in 7

 

Whoever comes out of this series wins the cup.

 

Edit:

This doesn't come from the NHL, but rather the World Championships. Nonetheless.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwaNPittCvc

 

Oh no you di'nt!!

[Top Thrill Dragster]

The Boogie Man dies.

 

The New York Rangers are very saddened to announce the passing of Derek Boogaard.

 

"Derek was an extremely kind and caring individual," said New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather. "He was a very thoughtful person, who will be dearly missed by all those who knew him. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time."

 

Boogaard began his NHL career with Minnesota and appeared in 255 career games with the Wild from 2005-06 – 2009-10. He joined the New York Rangers on July 1, 2010, appearing in 22 games in the 2010-11 season.

 

Throughout his career, Boogaard sought to make a difference in the communities he played in, taking part in numerous charitable endeavors. Boogaard was a supporter of the Defending the Blue Line Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation whose mission is to ensure that children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the great sport of hockey. While with the Rangers, he created "Boogaard's Booguardians," hosting military members and their families at all New York Ranger home games. In addition, he made multiple appearances with partner organizations of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden, including the New York Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Media, MSG Entertainment and Fuse "to make dreams come true for kids facing obstacles."

 

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native was originally Minnesota's seventh round choice, 202nd overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

 

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=562783&navid=mod-rr-headlines

[imawesome1124]

 

How sad. It is very saddening when athletes pass. My thoughts and prayers go out to him.

[beatle11]

^^I was shocked to hear about that. All the best to his friends and family.

 

[tdub96]

How did he die? I read the article and it doesnt really disclose any info.

[imawesome1124]

How did he die? I read the article and it doesnt really disclose any info.

My mom heard about it and found an article saying that the cause of death was unknown. The article just said he was found dead in his house and that he missed the last 52 games with a concussion. I think it was something worse than that. This really is shocking.

[Homer]

If anything, its probably a complication resulting from the concussion. Sad to hear and I wish his friends and family the best.

 

Now, whose up for the Bolts winning the Stanley Cup again?

[imawesome1124]

^ Not me. We Caps fans have never been too keen on the Lightning. I think it will either be the Canucks or Sharks winning the Cup.

[tdub96]

Agreed. Winner outta the West wins the cup.

[beatle11]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/121826023.html

 

So long to the Boogey Man

 

I don't know where I'm going to go with this blog to be honest. In fact, my cursor has been flickering in this spot for about three hours, it's 3 a.m. and I'm still sickened.

 

Even as I start typing now, my eyes are watering. So maybe that's my answer.

 

I'm supposed to be a professional, but I'm also human. In my role, you cover players professionally, but you get to know them personally.

 

Like many of you, I was floored and saddened by tonight's tragic news. But I've thought about this a lot the last few hours, and I want to do my best to not make this a tear jerker.

 

I want to give you a different perspective to Derek Boogaard from someone who covered him.

 

For those of you who have been reading this space for years, you know Derek was a big contributor to this blog just by his pure humor. Many of my mornings were spent just going over to his locker-room stall, leaning against the wall and shooting the breeze.

 

Inevitably, something would happen hilarious enough to cause me to pull the notepad out of my back pocket and begin to write funny quips down, usually barbs between Boogey and Niklas Backstrom or Boogey and Cal Clutterbuck.

 

"He clicks when he sleeps," Boogaard said. "He's got something in his throat that, like, clicks. It's timed. It's like one of those big clocks."

 

"Please," said Clutterbuck, "look who's talking. Mr. Snore-o-matic 3000 over there."

 

The back and forths with Backstrom were gold, and my favorite Boogaard story is when Brent Burns was all over Boogaard for snoring. I wrote about it, and the next week, Boogaard ran up to me all excitedly. Local-based company Breathe Right sent him a box of nasal strips! Another great one was that Boogaard/Bouchard commercial they shot a few years back where Boogaard wakes up and tells Bouchard to quiet down so he doesn't wake up the sleeping fans in their hotel room.

 

I can still hear Boogaard's laugh or his baritone, "What's up?"

 

He had a sense of humor about himself, too. He was realistic about what kind of player he was. He never got offended when we asked questions about his lack of goal scoring. I used to give him grief about how he couldn't stop once he got a bit of steam with his skating, telling him, "Good thing the boards are there, or you'd wind up in the Mississippi River."

 

I still remember how excited I was when he scored that momentous goal Nov. 9. My brother's fiancee, Jaime, learned quickly what type of guy I was. As my brother and Jaime sat me down to ask me to be Best Man at their wedding, I was blogging about Boogaard.

 

One of the memories I'll cherish was walking around Manhattan all afternoon with him when the Wild was in New York in March. Boogaard was still out with a concussion he suffered last December, and he was at the point where all he'd do daily is walk around the city.

 

It was a great afternoon. We talked hockey, Minnesota Wild, Trevor Gillies' hit on Clutter, what he had been going through in a tough first year in NY and especially his family.

 

It's Boogaard's close family that I'm thinking about tonight. That's who I'm heartbroken for.

 

I think about his mother, Joanne, and sister, Krysten, who each smiled and snapped pictures when Derek sparred with his brother, Aaron, at a local boxing gym in Regina when I went up there a few years ago with photog Carlos Gonzalez for the fight-camp profile.

 

I think about his father, Len, who I still remember walking around Universal Studios and getting on rides with Derek during the Wild's father-son trip four years ago. I think about middle brother, Ryan, one of the great people you'd ever meet. Like his father, Ryan's an RCMP officer in Canada by day, Derek's publicist by night.

 

There hasn't been a word written on the web or a fight tape involving Boogaard that proud Ryan hadn't unearthed and told Derek about.

 

I feel horrible for Ryan and Aaron, who discovered Derek tonight.

 

This blew a lot of people away tonight. I got heartwarming emails from fans and text messages from numerous players.

 

I spoke to Brian Rolston, who said, "We’re devastated by it. Disbelief, really. It’s just crazy. He was a great teammate, a great friend. He always treated my family and my kids with great respect. He was just a great kid."

Boogaard was one of a kind. He may have been a 6-8 giant, but he was as gentle as they got. Quiet, funny and a whole lot smarter than people gave him credit for when it came to league happenings, drafting and anything to do with the sport of hockey.

 

Like most enforcers, he wasn't some street thug. He was a good guy who realized what he had to do to play professionally in the NHL. And he loved that the fans took to him. He loved the prestige that came with being the BoogeyMan. It's why he pronounced his name Booooogaard when his last name is really pronounced B-OH-GUARD.

 

He loved kids, he loved doing charity work, from Defending the Blue Line, to the Police Athletic League, to Second Harvest.

 

Derek and I texted a lot about all sorts of things. I've talked to him a lot lately, a lot this past week via text. In fact, I nearly texted him this afternoon when I was walking down by his new apartment in the Warehouse District. But I knew he had just gotten back from LA with Aaron and I knew Ryan was coming in this afternoon.

 

He was so looking forward to the "3 Boogaards" hanging.

 

Derek texted me Thursday asking me what followers and following meant on Twitter. I told him, asked why he wanted to know, and he told me he met with a PR firm while in LA and planned to join Twitter. I told him to let me know when he launches, and I'd pump it up. He wrote back, "Perfect!"

 

That will be the last I'll ever hear from Derek, and that's killing me right now.

 

I've spent the night reading old Boogaard articles and texts.

 

Unfortunately, we'll never get to read his tweets. That would have been entertaining. He would have been a downright hit.

 

He was a unique person. He was a unique personality. And he was a unique player.

 

Sadly, Boogaard indeed became a topic on Twitter tonight in an outpouring of tweets from the hockey community. To me, that says it all.

 

Here's a sample:

 

BizNasty2point0 Paul Bissonnette

Had to call my folks after hearing that awful news. Derek Boogard you were pure nails on the ice, and an even better person off. R.I.P

 

BrandonPrust8 Brandon Prust

At a loss for words. I'll miss my roomy Derek Boogaard.. You will be missed by everyone. Great friend and teammate

 

MichaelDelZotto Michael Del Zotto

Boogy, you will be missed! Condolensces to the Boogard family. The world lost an amazing friend and teammate!

 

Jeremy_Roenick Jeremy Roenick

I'm so sad to hear about Derek boogard!! He was tough as nails and even though I didn't know him I heard he was a great guy! U will b missed

 

b_ryan9 Bobby Ryan

Absolute tragedy, RIP Derek Boogaard.

 

GeorgesLaraque Georges Laraque

my condolences to the Boogaard family,Derek past away this morning,it was the thoughest guy in the NHL my friend and biggest rival

 

There were many others. Feel free to use the comment section to talk anything Derek Boogaard.

 

Rest In Peace Boogey

 

[CoasterBeagle]

So sad he died at such a young age.

[beatle11]

Wow, San Jose needs some home cooking. 7-3 loss tonight means a tough uphill climb now.

[chemical_echo]

Can it be? Winnipeg Jets to return

Winnipeg could have a National Hockey League team next season after all.

 

A Toronto newspaper is reporting that an agreement to sell the Atlanta Thrashers to True North Sports and Entertainment has been completed.

 

The Winnipeg group plans to relocate the franchise to the Manitoba capital in time for the 2011-12 season.

 

According to the Globe and Mail, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will travel to Winnipeg on Tuesday to make the official announcement.

 

ESPN.com and USA Today both reported Thursday night that no deal was in place.

 

True North Sports and Entertainment owns the MTS Centre arena in Winnipeg, which would become the NHL team's new home.

 

An announcement would bring to a close months of speculation and innuendo that Winnipeg — without an NHL team since 1996 — would land one of the troubled Southern U.S. teams.

 

Much of that speculation surrounded the financially troubled Phoenix Coyotes, but after the City of Glendale stepped in and covered $25-million U.S. of the Coyotes losses for the 2011-2012 season, the NHL decided to give the franchise another season in Arizona.

 

Earlier on Thursday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was reporting that the hunt for a buyer to purchase the Thrashers and keep them in Atlanta had narrowed down to one. The newspaper also reported that True North was still in the picture but neither group had entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Atlanta Spirit — owners of the Thrashers.

 

Read more: http://www.canada.com/Report+Thrashers+Winnipeg+done+deal/4813104/story.html#ixzz1Mqy8HFTi

[beatle11]

The M.E. report for Derek Boogaard. Really too bad. Please everyone, if you are on strong prescription drugs, please be careful with the alcohol.

 

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=366360

 

BOOGAARD'S DEATH RULED ACCIDENT, FROM MIXING ALCOHOL, OXYCODONE

 

MINNEAPOLIS -- A medical examiner in Minnesota ruled the death of New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard was an accident, due to mixing alcohol and oxycodone.

 

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner released Boogaard's cause of death on Friday. The medical examiner said no other data will be released.

 

The 28-year-old Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment last Friday, five months after he sustained a season-ending concussion with the Rangers.

 

The six-foot-seven, 265-pound Saskatoon enforcer became a fan favourite in his years with the Minnesota Wild. He played in 255 games with the Wild from 2005-10.

 

Oxycodone is a powerful painkiller that can be addictive and has been blamed in some overdose deaths.

 

Boogaard's agent and a spokeswoman for the Boston University School of Medicine said earlier this week that Boogaard's brain will be examined for signs of a degenerative disease often found in athletes who sustain repeated hits to the head.

 

Boogaard was known as "The Boogeyman" -- one of the league's most feared fighters. He agreed to a US$6.5-million, four-year deal with the Rangers in July and appeared in 22 games last season, finishing with a goal, an assist and 45 penalty minutes.

 

His final game was Dec. 9 at Ottawa when he fought Matt Carkner and sustained a concussion and shoulder injury. That was the 70th fight of his NHL career.

 

He was out for the last 52 games of the regular season because of his injuries and did not play in the playoffs. He didn't skate again until about three months after the concussion. He was sent home to Minnesota late in the season to work on conditioning.

 

Boogaard was drafted by Minnesota in 2001 in the seventh round, the 202nd choice. He drew notice in 2007 when he and brother Aaron ran a hockey-fighting class in Saskatchewan. Some voiced concern about such a camp. Boogaard insisted he wasn't teaching kids how to hurt each other, but rather how to protect themselves so they don't get hurt on the ice.

 

This is the second death of a player in the Rangers organization in the past three years. Alexei Cherepanov, drafted in 2007 but never signed by New York, died at 19 in Chekhov, Russia, in 2008, after collapsing on the bench during a game.

 

Roman Lyashenko, who briefly played with the Rangers several years ago, was found dead in a hotel in Turkey in 2003. His death was believed to be a suicide.

 

Earlier this year, Boston University revealed that former enforcer Bob Probert suffered from the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Probert died of a heart attack last July at age 45. Reggie Fleming, a 1960s enforcer who played before helmets became mandatory, also had CTE.

 

Wild fans held a memorial service for Boogaard last Sunday at the Xcel Energy Center. Family, friends and former teammates turned out, and remembered Boogaard as a rough-and-tumble guy on the rink, but a gentle giant when he wasn't on the ice.

 

"He exuded this aura about him that made people want to be around him," Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said Sunday. "He just brought smiles to everyone's faces all the time."