I'm Sorry, Could You Say That Again?

You know I never thought of Jaromir Jagr as either being particularly tough or particularly funny but last night he was both. In case you missed the game, Jagr mishandled a puck on a breakaway, got in the face by that selfsame puck moments later and then watched as Vincent Lecavalier scored on a penalty shot for the Lightning. After the game, some not particularly kind member of the press asked the Rangers Captain what he was thinking after seeing Leclavier score.

Jagr's reply? "I was still looking for my teeth."

Breaking Ritchie Duncan's Heart

I've written before about my pal, Ritch Duncan. He's a fellow Mighty Squirrel, a top notch hockey blogger, and an all around good guy. And I'm about to shatter his dreams.

For the past couple of days Ritchie has been blogging on American Hockey Fan about the marketing efforts to launch the new NHL store in Manhattan. Ritchie is going up there today to get his first glimpse at that most beloved of hockey icons, the Stanley Cup.

Except, not really. The Cup that is generally brought out to these events is a replica cup created in 1995. Why would the league create a copy of hockey's holy grail? Blame the Rangers.

You see back in 1994 the boys got a little raucous and managed to break Lord Stanley's mug in to three different pieces. After the repair effort the league decided that it might be better not to have so much wear and tear on their beloved trophy so the replica was created.

For the record, I was lucky enough to drink out of the Stanley Cup during that amazing June in 1994 and then see the cup up close again later in that summer (I had friends who worked for the Rangers organization and they had it at their house!). The next summer, another friend of mine who was a die hard Devils fan dragged me to Jimmy Dowd's bar to see the cup. At that point I didn't mind seeing him get all gushy about a fake trophy. After all, he was a Claude Lemieux fan who had dragged me to Brick, NJ.

But Ritchie man. He deserves better.

Because in this new hockey world of hi tech sweaters, hockey themed Starbucks and franchises in Nashville every real hockey fan should be able to see the embodiment of everything we love about the sport.

And it doesn't get any more real than that.

Bachelor of Hockey

With Rangers tickets hard to come by and Devils single game tickets not even on sale yet, folks are probably wondering how they can see some top quality hockey for a reasonable price. Luckily the city's college hockey season kicks off this week. Fordham open up against the Ramapo Saints at the Ice Hutch this Friday at 8:45 pm. meanwhile, back in the city NYU take on the University of Scranton at Sky Rink at 8:30 pm. Columbia open up next Friday with a tilt against St. Thomas at the Palisades Mall. Game time is 9:20 pm. All three matches offer a chance to see some quality hockey at a fraction of NHL prices some make sure to check them out!

Fringe Benefits for the Islanders

Things are going well for Mike Comrie these days. In addition to centering the Islanders top line, the gossip sites tell us he's Hilary Duff's newest boy toy. How long before the Islanders try for a double header with La Duff? She could sing the national anthem, take a break while the game goes on and then use Miroslav Satan, John Sim and the rest of the team as her backup dancers.



If nothing else it gives the lunch bucket Islanders a little celebrity glam off the court. Especially now that Elisha Cuthbert and Sean Avery have supposedly called it quits.

Note to the Devils: This doesn't mean that Patrick Elias should start dating Ashlee Simpson

Hockey Buddies

The folks at the Manhattan Hockey meet Up group are getting together to watch some hockey ...

It's time to get out your jerseys again!

Since the group's organizers are inactive members I'm taking the
initiative and proposing a meetup:

What:
Rangers/ Islanders preseason game

When:
Friday, September 28, 2007, 7:00 PM
I'll be arriving earlier to grab a table

Where:
Tonic East
411 Third Ave. (at 29th St.)
NYC 10016

Please reply to me directly at megan.whitman@gmail.com and not the
whole email list so I may keep track of RSVPs.

Hope to see you Friday!

Megan

Go to their website for more info and to sign up for their mailing list.

From Great to ...?

I was going to write a humorous post on former Ranger and all time greatest hockey player Wayne Gretzky’s vineyard project. I was going to go on about how this might be the start of a new trend in the NHL and the Rangers in particular – Scott Gomez tequila, Jaromir Jagr Jagrmeister, Brendan Shanahan Irish Whiskey – but instead I got to thinking about Gretzky’s post hockey career and his off ice dealings in general.

Gretz is an amazing ambassador for the sport (I’ve met him and he’s just as genial and well mannered as he comes off in his public appearances) but there’s definitely a stranger, more complex guy lurking under the surface. I think part of it is the simple kid from Brantford being thrust in to world’s he knew nothing about. That’s why a lot of his business deals seem to be things that come to him (the vineyard, for example, is in Canada’s Niagara region, close to his boyhood home. Don’t you think a guy who spent so much time in California could have found a Napa Valley partner if he wanted one?) Gretz has also obviously learned loyalty from his parents and he is loyal almost to a fault. What he’s not, is the greatest judge of character. And that’s why he has remained friends with folks like Bruce McNall, Glenn Anderson, Marty McSorley and Rick Tocchet, when other more pragmatic folks might have kept their distance. His actions are admirable but not necessarily advisable.

Which makes me wonder about the Coyotes and Wayne’s current and future track record as a coach. Like the vineyard, this deal was handed to Gretz rather than him seeking it out. Remember, this is a guy who didn’t skate for three years after he retired (Or so he claims. When I was working the 2000 All-Star Game in Toronto there was a rumor that he hosted a private shinny game at Maple Leaf Gardens the evening after the game). Mike Barnett came along with Gretzky as GM and their record over the last couple of years has been one of trying to get the last few flashes of brilliance out of talent that has seen it’s best days (Curtis Joseph, Owen Nolan, Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick). Their lack of success led to Barnett being replaced by former Rangers Assistant GM Don Maloney. Whether Maloney can keep Gretzky from employing his pals around the league is in question (Gretzky is the “Managing Partner” of the team) is one question. The other has to be whether Gretzky’s amazing skill set will ever really translate to coaching.

He certainly can’t be the mean guy like a Mike Keenan or Scotty Bowman. That’s just not his personality. And I don’t think he can be a players’ coach either. His stature has always meant that he had to keep a little distance between himself and the world and he’s not a natural leader like Mark Messier. Can he teach young players to play, “the Gretzky Way”? I don’t know. When I first saw him play with the Rangers I thought he was slightly overrated and had trouble fitting in to the Rangers system. It didn’t make long to realize that the Rangers needed to fit in with Gretzky’s system not vice versa. He was just that good. But that fabled ability of his; “he sees the ice differently” is something that may not be able to be taught. Which leaves you wondering what Wayne actually can bring behind the bench.

It’s a cautionary tale for the Rangers, with Messier making noises about being interested in the GM’s job. It’s also a cautionary tale for Mess, as he watches one of his best friend’s struggle with going from being “Great” to “Fair to Poor”. And it’s a cautionary tale for all us hockey players to make sure that we identify our strengths on and off the ice and tailor our actions accordingly. Even the greatest hockey player who ever lived has his limits.