Puck Podcast – July 11th, 2009

This week on the Puck Podcast we talk with Chicago Tribune reporter Chris Kuc about the Blackhawks signing Marian Hossa, the fiasco with re-signing their RFA's and the decision to let Nikolai Khabibulin go. We also discuss the retirement of Joe Sakic as well as new teams for Alexei Kovalev, Ryan Smyth and Saku Koiu and how we would solve the Dany Heatley situation. All that and a whole lot more.

MP3 File

About Doug Stolhand 27106 Articles
Doug Stolhand is one of the co-founders and co-hosts of the Puck Podcast and has been a member of the NHL media since the show's inception in 2006.

19 Comments

  1. Hey All.

    For all you local fans here in the greater Los Angeles area, Today I went to the LA Kings rookie camp. Most of the draft picks of the team over the last few years took part. Including This years top pick Brayden Schenn. Top pick from the 07 draft Thomas Hickey and several others. Brandon Kozun a 6th round pick this year was amazing. He is only 5-8 and 170 and put up 102 points with the Calgary Hitmen in The WHL.

    What was cool about it. The Kings made it free to the public. There were close to a 1000 people there and all the coaching staff and front office staff. Justin Azevedo was the star along with free agent signee Patrick Mullen.

    The other player that really stood out was 2006 first rounder goaltender Jonathan Bernier. He made 4 great saves including 2 point blank shots. He is clearly NHL ready and will force the Kings into a tough decision come the end of training camp

    If anyone wants to go tomorrow (Sunday) the scrimmage starts at 1130 am and is free to the public.

    Just look up Toyota Sports Center on Nash street off the 105 freeway. in El Sungundo to find the location. It’s a stone’s throw from LAX

    It is a wonderful thing the Kings do for there fans. The fact that it was free was just as cool. I would even give them $5 or $10 if the money went to a charity. Pitty the team to the south would do somthing like this Quack on Doug

    Draft Mike
    Diamond Bar California

  2. Can’t wait for Doug’s upcoming cutting-edge exposé on the Sharks’ Summer Of (in)Action. Nobody has ever accused Doug Wilson of being a free agent magnet, but the holes he needs to fill on a cap-maxed roster are now even bigger without the reasonably-priced 2nd and 3rd tier UFAs who have already signed elsewhere.

    Also glad to hear you’re both Carolla fans. He’s a great “tell me your story” interviewer, but his best materiel happens with David Alan Grier, Chris Titus, or Dana Gould. Carolla and Gould do a great tag-team routine on Huell Howser – check Carolla’s podcast archives from February 2009, or his ACS radio show from March and June of 2008.

  3. I thought Brandon Kozun was one of the major steals of this year’s draft, but it looks like the Kings may have done it last year as well with Justin Azevedo. I just don’t understand how a guy like Kane can be taken 1st overall, and guys (while not exactly as good, but still show huge potential) like those two can slip all the way to the 6th round.

    Good on the Kings though, for giving these guys a chance, and for holding an event like that for their fans.

  4. Doug, I cracked up laughing when you thought I might have something to do with the Hawks’ mailing woes. I wonder what mailing address most players use. During season home and off season home? Because if they were mailing them to the Chicago area on 06/29, the would be there 06/30. Now if it was into Canada, as you guys stated it was a holiday week.

    I mentioned on Facebook to Eddie that up until a few years ago, our Priority Mail service was contracted out to…drumroll…DHL! Needless to say the service scores were not good. Also, in some cities and states, mail does have to travel further than it should because of the consolidation of Postal facilities and/or operations. If I mailed a letter to my next door neighbor in Largo, FL (.01 miles) it would have to travel at least 55 miles to Tampa for processing, just to be sent back to St. Petersburg for more processing, then back to Largo for delivery. Some locations around the country that distance could easily be doubled or tripled before delivery to a neighbor.

    One note on Free Agent signings. You mentioned that the Leafs signed “The Monster”, but I wasn’t sure if you were aware that Brian Burke had traded for Olaf Kolzig from Tampa. On a side note, why aren’t they the Toronto Maple LEAVES? That is the plural of Leaf. Just wondering, lol!

  5. Draft Mike,
    The Ducks have held a Prospects Camp like that many times in the past. I have no idea why they didn’t have one this year but it was a disappointment.

    I have attended both the Kings and Ducks prospects camps in the past and they are well worth the time. It’s a great opportunity for hockey fans in SoCal to see the players they’ve only read about in person. I’m glad you were able to attend and thanks for the report.

  6. Hey guys, just thought I’d stay on the present topic and mention that the Avs have had a similar camp the last several years that have been free to the public as well. Unfortunately I live 200 miles away so can’t attend but get some pretty good insight from fans on the Avs forums.

    If you’re interested theres even a few videos that have made there way to the internet from it, most feature Matt Duchene. Just do a google video search for Avalanche Development Camp.

    Taking into account what fans have said it sounds like there are some good pieces of the Avs future there this year. We’ll definitely have a rough time for a while during the rebuild but I think that we’re on our way. In fact many say Duchene looks ready (given this is the development camp and not the camp with veterans), Shattenkirk could play this year if we didn’t have a logjam at D and had he not wanted to finish school, Stoa appears to be ready and one of the best there … heck, even this highschooler Maxwell sounds like he could be our best goaltending prospect in a couple years…

    Anyway, great work on the show and thanks for adding me as friends on facebook…

    -Steve

  7. They’ve done studies of Ovechkin’s shot, you know. 10% of the time it works, every time.

  8. Just a comment about “the Monster”. His stats in the Swedish league playoffs matched Henrik Lundqvist’s record setting numbers, and King Henrik has done OK in the NHL. That said however, to go straight from the Swedish Elite League to the center of NHL and the pressure of Leafs fans, will be a huge step for Gustavsson, and his success will depend largely how he handles that. As I mentioned before, I knew Brunnström wasn’t going to live up the hype last season, but Gustavsson has a chance to make a much bigger impact.

  9. But, doesn’t Hamilton deserve to have as many AHL, NHL, IHL, USHL, CHL and CFL teams as possible?

  10. And I can’t believe you guys said Claude Lemieux had class. You won’t find anyone in Detroit agreeing with that.

  11. Eddid and everyone

    Due to my battle with the flu this week my draft grades will be delayed one week.

    All I am going to say is having the flu in 100 degree weather sucks

    Draft Mike
    Diamond Bar Ca

  12. There is a movie: “Honor and Courage: Tough Guys of the NHL” People like Darren McCarty, Eric Cairns; Jim McKenzie and Ian Laperierre talk about the code of the enforcer both on and off the ice. Claude Lemieux followed that code as well as anyone I suppose.

    My favorite part of the film is where they talked about their families and how they explained to their children why daddy was punching a man.

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