I finally can't take it!

I am at a loss of words.  And I am not what you would call an economic genius.  I don't know the difference between the CBA and the NBA.  But what I am is a hockey fan.  A hockey fan who has spent countless amounts of money, energy, and time into watching my team over the past 25 years.  That's a quarter of a century I devoted to this team and to this league.

This could possibly be the 3rd lockout in my lifetime.  Most sports have had zero in their history.  Hockey went almost 80 years without missing one season except for the 1919 flu epidemic.  Then in 1994 there was the first lockout.  This one lasted a few months and the season was shortened.  Gary Bettman and the NHL executives PROMISED us this would never happen again.  Well, in 2004 it did.  The NHL season was completely cancelled.  This was and still is the only time in North American professional sports that an entire season was cancelled due to a labor dispute.  They finally agreed and the 2005-06 season went off perfectly.  The NHL was is it's prime in my opinion during this time.  The media was all over hockey.  The revenue was growing to surplus numbers and the TV ratings were higher than ever.  The addition of the shootout was a welcoming sight as well.

Now here we are, six years later.  Same spot again.  This is where I say enough is enough!  The fans are what make this sport what it is.  It's not Bettman and his goons!  I say three strikes and you're out Gary!  This is the third time you allowed this to happen during your time as NHL commissioner.  Why does he still have a job?  I know he's in charge but isn't there some sort of majority rule?  If we can try to impeach a president for having an affair we can certainly get rid of this guy for screwing the hockey world over three times!

This is where I say it's time we took action ourselves.  We all have the power to do something about this.  It could be as little as boycotting NHL.com.  Refusing to shop at the NHL store.  Protesting out in front of the NHL store in NYC.  We all have the power to make a change!  I started this blog with the intention of bringing people a look at Devils hockey from a fan's perspective instead of the perspective of someone who gets paid to do it.  I chose to start this blog because of how passionate I am about this game.  It was never about the money!  It was about the love of the game!

Without us there is no hockey! The sooner Gary Bettman and the owners realize that the sooner things will start to run smoother.  If this doesn't get fixed we will right back here again in 6 or 7 years.  Same problems!

In with the old!

I was wondering the other day "who from Devils' past would I love to see back with the team?"  There are players who put in the right role would help the team dramatically.  Now I'm not talking about players who retired like Stevens, Niedermayer, or Daneyko.  I mean players who didn't retire but when to play overseas or players who are currently FAs.

Sergei Brylin- What Devil fan didn't love this guy?  He was one of the prime examples of being a great player without being super huge.  And guess what?  He is a free agent!  Yes, Sergei is on the market.  There was hope of a return to NJ before the 2012 season but he signed with the KHL before Lou could talk to him.  He is the only active player besides Brodeur to play on all three of our Stanley Cup runs.  The downside to signing him?  He's 38.  Age has caught up to him.  He did however get 9 points in 41 KHL games last season.

Jeff Friesen- The man who in my opinion got screwed out of the Conn Smythe in 2003.  He is a free agent.  However he has been one for a couple of seasons now.  He's 36 which might seem old for a hockey player but he could sign a 2 or 3 year deal with us.  This is the man who had a three point night in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, scored the Conference Championship winning goal, and was 4th on the team in scoring behind Elias, Langenbrunner, and Gomez.  The only problem is he hasn't played in over a year which might make him coming back into North American hockey a little but of a daunting task.

Colin White- Before you start sending your hate mail, let me explain.  Who cares if he was an offensive liability?  He's a defenseman, not a scorer!  He would hit like a beast sometimes and was willing to use his own body to protect our star players.  He was a true Devil in the sense that he focused on protecting Marty and focused on a defensive strategy rather that "Hey let's have all five players crash the net!" strategy.  I would love to see #5 back in a Devils jersey again.

Well that's about all I can think of right now.  If any more come into my head I'll add them.

Eastern Conference Predictions

I promised an Eastern Conference prediction was coming.  Well, here it is.  Before I go into it I would like to give my two cents on the lockout situation.  Being someone who was never one for economics I will not embarrass myself by not going into the business aspect of it.  What I do care about is the loss of hockey in a year I was really excited about.  We just came off a huge Conference Championship and now we may have to wait another whole year just to see our favorite team defend that honor.  Carlos of http://www.speakingofthedevils.com said it better than I could and I really think you should read what he said if you haven't already.  The sadness and flat out boredom will soon turn to anger and frustration if this isn't settled sooner rather than later.  But let's just assume for a minute there is no lockout.  No greedy men in suits.  No ca-ching ca-ching dolla dolla.  Just 30 groups of 20 men playing a kids game on ice.  What teams in the East will be unstoppable an which ones will die a miserable March/April death. Or in the Islanders case, a November death.

1st- New York Rangers (1st. Yes, I am putting these guys at the top.  They deserve it, whether we want to believe it or not.  And trust me, I don't want to!)
2nd- Ottawa Senators (8th. Daniel Alfredsson was supposed to retire, but instead decided to come back.  That leadership, skill of Karlsson, and Boston's loss of Thomas help the Sens win their division)
3rd- Washington Capitals (7th.  There is no reason why the Panthers should repeat as division champs.  And now with Oates at the helm the Caps will dominate the SE)
4th- Pittsburgh Penguins (4th. Crosby and Malkin will demand a recount of points and try to get rules changed so they would win the division, but the play of Fleury will still keep them away from the division championship)
5th- New Jersey Devils (6th.  I don't think we will drop from losing Zach.  We will go up.  We have the Flyers number and there is no reason why they should be ahead of us at all.  As long as Teddy and Jacob step up, Clarkson keeps up his garbage goal style, Kovy leads, and Marty continues to be Marty we will be perfectly fine)
6th- Carolina Hurricanes (12th.  Yes, I think the Canes will make it.  Eric and Jordan Staal will step it up more than ever now that they are both on the same squad.
7th- Philadelphia Flyers (5th.  I'll be honest I don't see them dominating the East like they tend to do.  Will they make the playoffs? Yes of course.  Just as long as Laviolette gets his head out of Giroux's behind and coaches his whole team, not just one player.  He doesn't even need coaching, he's the best player in the world remember?)
8th- Tampa Bay Lightning (10th.  They will get in! They are hungry to get to that '04 mountain once more.  And I think although the Rangers will make short work of them, they will make into the playoffs on the finals days of the season)
9th- Buffalo Sabres (9th.  For some reason they can't seem to get in when it matters.  However these guys were very much in the same spot as NJ was in 2011, down and out at the New Year until a late season push scared other teams into thinking a playoff berth was possible.  They came closer than we did.  They missed the playoffs by 3 points.  I think the same will occur in 2013)
10th- Florida Panthers (3rd.  No way can they do it again.  The team just isn't good enough and with Oates coaching the Capitals I don't see any team stopping them.  Certainly not the Panthers at least)
11th- Winnipeg Jets (11th.  They were plagued with injuries last season.  Although they will play "better" than last year I don't think they will make enough of an impact to go up in the standings)
12th- Boston Bruins (2nd.  Yes, I put them down here.  Before you start sending your hate-mail, let me explain.  They lost Thomas and Chara is getting old.  Plain and simple.  Rask may be up to the task (Gotta love my NHL.com style puns) but it doesn't change the fact that they lost a goalie that won them a Cup just 2 years ago)
13th- Toronto Maple Leafs (13th.  It actually makes me laugh when people think the Leafs will make the playoffs.  I can appreciate supporting your team and trust me, they have more support than any other team except maybe Montreal.  But they are terrible.  And there is no reason to think this season would be any better)
14th- Montreal Canadiens (15th.  It's sad because this team a couple of years ago almost snuck in another Cup into their already record number of championships.  The only team in North American professional sport with almost as many championships as the NY Yankees)
15th- New York Islanders (14th.  They have not improved at all.  Tavares will one day be a star but he still has yet to realize his true power and it won't happen yet.  They will struggle early and never catch on.  It's a shame but I really believe hockey is coming to an end for Long Island)

Western Conference Predictions

Everyone is doing these stupid predictions on NHL.com and making their team in the top 3 of their respective conference.  It's actually pretty pathetic because a lot of these predictions are flat out wrong and make no sense whatsoever.  And what's even funnier is where a lot of these people put the Devils.  About 90% of them have NJ in the bottom 3rd of the conference.  That looks familiar.  Just like every OTHER prediction over the last few years.  I figured let's look at this from a reasonable standpoint.  No one in their right frame of mind would ever put the Leafs in 1st place.  Let's take a legit unbiased look into the predictions of the 2012-13 NHL standings.  Next to their name is a short reason why I think they will finish where they will and where they finished last year.

Western Conference:
1st- Nashville Predators (4th.  Pekka Rinne will have a perfect year)
2nd- Vancouver Canucks (1st.  They will drop but not much as Schnieder and the Sedins puts up amazing numbers)
3rd- Dallas Stars (10th. It's their time to get back in.  Jagr will have a mediocre year but his veteran leadership will push the team)
4th- Chicago Blackhawks (6th. Getting eliminated in the first round last year sparks the team to play better than ever)
5th- Los Angeles Kings (8th. Their Twitter account will cry foul until they were just given a playoff spot)
6th- Colorado Avalanche (11th. Remember when the Avs were amazing? They will rise again!)
7th- Detroit Red Wings (5th. Losing their captain will almost spell doom for the playoff streak until the final week of the season)
8th- San Jose Sharks (7th. They will just barely swim into the playoffs.  I should write for NHL.com.  My puns are better than theirs!)
9th- St Louis Blues (2nd. I really don't see this team repeating it's miracle run from last year.  Their division is just too tough)
10th- Minnesota Wild (12th.  Zach will be too occupied with his Mom's nuggets and his Shrek coloring book to make enough of an impact to help this team.  Don't know what I'm talking about, go through my older posts)
11th- Calgary Flames (9th.  I feel bad for Iginla.  He is on a team of misfits who will never the 1989 mountain ever again)
12th- Anaheim Ducks (Goldberg just isn't the goalie he used to be and Fulton shot only hits the net 1 out of 5!)
13th Phoenix Coyotes (3rd. Shane Doan will retire or move on to another team.  They will be nothing without their captain.  Not to mention losing "The Wizard" Ray Whitney)
14th Edmonton Oilers (14th. Edmonton needs to wake up and realize scoring isn't their issue, it's defense! They keep using 1st picks on great scorers without building any real depth on the back end. Until they do that they will forever be in the cellar!)
15th Columbus Blue Jackets (15th. They lost Rick Nash.  They may actually be the first NHL team to be so horrible they end up in 31st place in the NHL just because the NHL feels 30th is too nice of a number)

Tune in next time as we looks at the East!

THERE'S NO END TO THE POSSIBILITIES!!!

Since there's really nothing happening in the world of hockey I decided a post of some kind was needed.  So I thought of what city might make a good locale for an expansion team.  Here's a list of cities I feel deserve a hockey team.

Seattle- This in my opinion more than any other city needs one.  It would be a great hockey market with the Canucks just a hop, skip, and jump north.  The teams there now are a joke.  The Mariners and Seahawks are without a championship in either of their sports.  They have a soccer team but the MLS is about as exciting as the WNBA.
Team name- Seattle Generals

Quebec City- They have been dying for a team.  The supporters of the Nordiques have made their presence felt by showing up to other teams games and selling out full sections.  They did this to the Rock in 2011.  Luckily they also cheer for that arena's home team during the game.  Kinda weird to think that people donning blue jerseys were cheering for the Devils at the Prudential Center.
Team name- Quebec Nordiques

Las Vegas- Hell, we have one team in the desert.  Why not another?  They would even have a star player playing for them.  The moment Jaromir Jagr realizes Vegas has a team he would demand a trade that day.
Team name- Las Vegas Jackpot

Kansas City- This city would work because they already have the arena.  Yes it's old.  Yes it's known to be haunted by Owen Hart.  But they at least have an arena.  The Islanders can't even say that.  Just don't make the mistake of calling your team the Scouts.  2 years with that ridiculous logo and color scheme are enough.  And besides, who wants to associate yourself with a team who won 27 games in their history?  I sure as hell don't.
Team name- Kansas City Cougars

Wild Card-
Anchorage- I think it's time.  Alaska needs a sports team.  No sport would do well in Alaska other than ice hockey.  Scott Gomez and Brandon Dubinsky would beg to be traded to these teams.  The GM of Anchorage would look at Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and laugh for even the thought that Anchorage would want Gomer.  Dubi would be hailed as a hometown hero, scoring 40 goals in his first year then magically get reduced to 3 the following.

Was signing Bobby Butler a good move?

The answer? Yes, it was.  Adding a bit of depth to our youth is important in keeping the tradition of the Devils alive.  The tradition of defying the odds and winning.  "In Lou We Trust" is not just a little slogan for us to rally behind.  It's the honest truth.  We would trust this guy with our lives if needed.  So you know there is a huge reason why he does the things he does.  People sneered when he picked up Steve Bernier and Ryan Carter.  Just asking, "Why?  Why waste the money?  These guys were put on waivers for a reason!"  Well the 4th line that consisted of Carter, Bernier, and Gionta tore apart the playoffs.

So if Lou's random pickups are any indication it's that he still knows what he's doing.  Bobby Butler was once an AHL All-Star Game MVP.  He then played 36 games in Ottawa before getting sent back to Binghamton  where he led his team to a Calder Cup victory.  22 goals in 47 games in the AHL is a hell of a season.  10 in 36 in the NHL is just as good if not better.  However this past season he spent entirely in Ottawa he fell into a sophomore slump, scoring only 6 goals in 56 games.  On July 27th he was put on waivers by the Sens and his contract was bought out.  Then Lou stepped in and did what he does best.

It remains to be seen whether Butler will spend the 2012-13 season in Jersey or in Albany.  He signed a tow-way contract so most likely he will be in upstate NY for a while and if any injuries come about he will be the guy who fills their skates.  With Mattias Tedenby most likely making opening night's lineup, I see this as the most probably outcome.

Here are a few of his highlights:

I do not own this video.  It was taken from YouTube.  Credit for this video goes to dmarc023

Scott Stevens Top 10 Moments!

In light of Scott Stevens getting his position as the Assistant Coach of the Devils I decided to take a look at the top 10 greatest Scott Stevens moments.  So let's get started!

10. Getting sent to NJ
It's tough for any Devil fan to believe it but there was a time when Scott Stevens didn't want to be a Devil.  And for those of you who don't know the whole story it is more dramatic than you think.  After a huge court battle the Devils were able to secure him.  The Blues originally signed Brendan Shanahan who was an restricted free agent.  This required St Louis to compensate NJ.  The Blues were offering 2 draft picks, Curtis Joseph, and Rod Brind'amour.  But Lou demanded Scotty.  And he got him!

9 Off the floor, on the board Paul Kariya

Now this one I put low not because of the hit.  If it was just the hit it probably would've been #3.  It's because of what happened AFTER the hit.  Now looking back on it it's over, the Devils won in game 7 at home so everything turned out ok in the end.  But at the time, it was one of the most surreal moments I've ever experienced as a hockey fan.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Take a look.

8 Being named Captain of the Devils
Scott Stevens has become synonymous with leadership.  In just his second season with the team he was named captain after serving the previous season as alternate captain.  This I feel was the moment where we knew as Devil fans that he was a main stay for our organization.  He was and will always be the greatest captain in New Jersey Devil history.

7 The 3rd Cup

I put this sort of low on the list.  But it was one of the greatest moments of my entire life for obvious reasons. I was 14 years old at the time, and I just remember seeing Stevens raise his arms up as the clock was about to wind down.  He and Daneyko were the two defensemen on the ice for that final buzzer and that really meant a lot to both of them.

6 The hit on Ron Francis

Ron Francis is a legend.  But I'm not sure if he even remembers half of his career all because of one hit by Stevens that sent him to the bench but not before falling to the ice a total of three times.  Just a good, clean, hard check.

5 "You're Next!"

This is where we get to the nitty gritty in that I could not think of what to put in what order.  The hit on Kozlov during game 2 of the 1995 Finals fills the 5 spot.  Or the "5 hole" if you will.  What made this awesome was that it sparked a fear into the Wings that carried over at home in games 3 and 4.  It not only sent Kozlov to the ice, but Niedermayer as well.  This in many Devil fans minds, coupled with the Niedermayer coast-to-coast goal, was the moment that we knew that Cup was ours.  Dino Ciccarelli started chirping at Scotty on the bench.  To which Scott Stevens replied: "You're next!"

4 ever

It just so happens that this one comes in at #4 on my list.  Nooooo not intentional at all.  Scott Stevens received a huge honor and got his number retired by the Devils becoming the first ever player to do so.  He was followed by Daneyko a month later and Niedermayer last season.  I still get teary eyed whenever I hear that chant: "Thank you Scotty!" coming from the packed Continental Airlines Arena.  I think Scotty said it best: "I think this is the first time I've ever felt intimidated on this ice."

3 The hit on Eric Lindros

This one goes without saying.  It is regarded by many to be the greatest body check in NHL history.  Rightfully so.  Lindros was never the same after this hit.  He suffered from concussion after concussion and never ever got back his scoring touch.  After going down 3-1 to Philly in the 2000 ECF, the Devils rallied back to tie the series at 7.  During that game 7 Stevens stunned the First Union Center by leveling their captain.  Bobby Holik immediately turned to his teammates sitting next to him and said "Boys, we're gonna win this one!"  That's exactly what they did.

2 1st Cup

The upset that no one saw coming.  The red hot Red Wings against the kids from the Garden State.  This was the moment that started a chain of events that led us to becoming the best team in the East over the past two decades.

1 The 2000 Stanley Cup/Conne Smythe

No doubt the best moment for Scott Stevens was the 2000 Stanley Cup.  Just the effort he put out during the whole playoffs was unbelievable.  I already talked about the Lindros hit, but it goes way beyond that.  He shut down Pavel Bure and Mark Recchi as well.  He got an assist on the Cup winning OT goal.  Stevens was rewarded for his efforts with the Conne Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoff MVP.