In this week’s episode we’ll take a trip back in time as we celebrate the two year anniversary of the Puck Podcast with a look back at how it all began and some of our favorite moments from the past. We’ll also tell you about the latest news about Mats Sundin and Brendan Shanahan’s future in the NHL, a new deal for the Ducks head coach, breaking news regarding the Winter Classic and how Chicago politicians got involved, we’ll have a special interview with Greg Logan of Newsday to discuss the Islanders decision to fire Ted Nolan and who might replace him, Doug will tell you which NFL legend could be lacing up the skates and, of course, a whole lot more.
MP3 File
Click here to check out Greg Logan’s Islanders blog at Newsday.com.
Click here to get all the information on how you can see Eddie & Doug play for a hockey championship!
Happy Anniversary boys…and try to keep Doug on a 7 second delay for next Sunday’s game. Good luck!
You guys haven’t heard Dawn’s rant laced tirade from the time I snuck in Game 7 of the 2003 Cup Finals into the Dvd player and she could not get the dvd out. Be thankful. Have a good week.
First off:
‘Grats on hitting the 2 year mark with the podcast. You guys work hard in bringing us this little gem each week, and stand as the best hockey podcast out there because of it. Here’s to many more.
I just wanted to let Doug know that the Maple Leafs aren’t actually retiring Clark and Gilmour’s numbers this coming season. “Retiring” being the key word here. Instead, the Leafs are HONOURING their numbers?
Yes, yes, it’s odd I know. Believe it or not, the Maple Leafs organization very rarely ever actually retires a player’s number. Only 5 and 6 are officially taken out of team circulation. The Leafs have a strict number retiring policy where only players that have died (or nearly died) as an active member of the team have their numbers retired.
Eventually, Toronto started to finally acknowledge their legends and began “honouring” their former greats. The honoured players still have a banner raised to the rafters, but their number does in fact stay in full circulation.
Leafs players Ian White (7), Mark Bell (9), and Alex Steen (10) are all currently sporting numbers that are “honoured” in the rafters above their heads.
What do you guys think of the team’s policy on this? Over in Toronto, it’s always seemed to have irked the fans.
Regarding last week… I’m a wings fan and I think Draper is a class act. Unless he’s letting his daughter shit in the Stanley Cup. While I’m sure there have been all manner of bodily fluids in and on the cup, I found this incredibly disgusting and disrespectful. Can you guys find out what they use to disinfect the cup? The keepers must use something….
Eddie & Doug,
In thinking about you guys saying how much you enjoy doing the show and going into the locker room and talking to the “Jerks of the NHL. It got me thinking.
Doug you made a comment in last weeks show about how you felt sorry for the La Kings season ticket holders shelling out cash for a lousy product on the Ice.
At the same time I was debating if I was going to even renew my seats, But your comment alone and this weeks show made my decision for me.
Yes true I have been calling for Dean Lombardi’s head on a pole. It makes me want to puke when he says something then goes out and does the exact opposite of what he said. It upset me that the Kings moved the renew deadline to June 13th this season. Almost a month before free agency. Who would have renewed there tickets after Lubo and Cammy were traded or Blake jumped a Southwest airlines flight north. Or if they knew ahead of time that the Kings front office had booked there vacations for the first week of free agency. Kat Kealey of Hockey Buzz wrote a great article in a recent post on that site. This is the 3rd time in 4 years the Kings have moved the date in to June. And also I have had 5 different season ticket reps in 4 seasons.
But the real reason I am writing this is simple. I was in deep debate if I was going to send my hard earned cash to the Kings this year. I like most other families today are barley scraping by. True I only pay 1400 for 3 seats for the season. The Kings do offer a 8 month payment plan that makes the cost manageable for us. My seats even went down 1 dollar per seat per game. I know that sounds like a little but its still almost a $150 when you add it up.
This season I took in other things as well. I drive almost 50 miles round trip to Staples and back per game. that’s 3 gallons of gas so there is another 14 bucks. Then 6 bucks to park as well. That makes an even $20 per home game. That’s another $860 on top of the $1400. Sure the team offers me parking. But to park my car in the prepaid season ticket holders lot across the street is $2200 a season or $800 more then my total for 3 seats. I would rather walk 3 blocks then pay that. I am not going to bring in food costs I do not eat at the games and sneak in tons of food under my Jersey or in my sons diaper bag,
I did renew for one reason. My 4 year old son. He has be attending Kings games since he was barley a year old. He enjoys them. He loves the cheering when the team scores. He enjoys seeing the colorful uniforms and getting close to the players during warm-ups. He loves the sounds of the blades cutting the ice and the sound of a well struck slap shot. Most of all he loves the Zamboni’s. As soon as I exit the freeway by the arena the first words out of his mouth is “Hockey Daddy Hockeyâ€
He could care less about where the Kings stand in the Western Conference. Who the coach or the GM is. Or how much Kopitar makes or how much so and so wants in his next contract. He could care less if the Kings are up 7-0 or if they just pulled there goaltender and put in the peanut vendor. All he cares about is he gets to watch hockey and he gets his chocolate dipped ice cream cone at the start of the 3rd period.
That is why I renewed my seats as a Kings fan. I will always be a Kings fan first but I am also a member of a club that we all belong to. I am a HOCKEY FAN. So Doug do not feel sorry for us we get to watch hockey.
Draft Mike
Draft Mike:
Good decision on the season tickets. Maybe I will pitch in a few bucks for ya… hey – at least you live in an NHL market. I am in Wichita, KS. Dallas, Denver, or St. Louis are my closest shots at seeing NHL games… 6-7 hours minimum drive… And pretty ironic choices since I am from Detroit (although it makes it easy to pick which games are most worth the drive). So it’s a fairly big deal when I make it to a game.
We do have a decent CHL team here, the Wichita Thunder, and the games are a lot of fun to see once-in-while. But it is just not the same – not even close – as an NHL game at American Airlines Center or The Joe.
So, I feel for ya, sort of… but I know your boy will thank you for it.
And I will just be happy and thankful for the fact that I am only a 6-hour drive from a good NHL game… at least Wichita is in Kansas, and not in Tibet.
Congrats on the milestone, guys!
Dave,
I hope just for your sake th league gets that team in Kc for ya
If you come to La I will let you use my seats sometime
Great job as always guys and congrats on the anniversary.
I really liked your interview with Isle’s beat writer Greg Logan (was that his name?). Your questions and his answers provided wonderful insight into that club’s situation and how hockey operations can work. Great stuff!
Draft Mike,
Thanks – I have in-laws in Torrance… now I will visit them more.
Doug and Eddie,
On the Cup Rules topic, and your comments that the Keeper of the Cup could enforce them… well, isn’t that why he’s already there??? Or does he currently sit idly by since he has no rules to enforce, and then just clean up the mess afterwards??
Great anniversary show.
Hello,
Doug and Eddie,
I am one of those people that just by chance caught your first show and have been listening since. One of the things that you explained when you started was that it was going to be a show with adult language and the like but that has since changed. I am just wondering why you decided to change on that concept? I would like your shows either way I am just curious.
Keep up the good work.
Hey guys, I hope you guys are alright down there after that 5.4 quake. Hopefully nothing got damaged.
Paul,
A little shaking here…and little shaking there but we are good. As you know, earthquakes are very weird. Once they happen, you kinda just sit there and think….is that it? Of is there going to be more? And you just kinda have to go on with your day and hope that was it. Weird. Not like a tornado or hurricane that you pretty much know is coming. Then again, tornados and hurricanes don’t like 25 seconds.
Eddie & Doug
Eddie & Doug thanks for a couple of great years of NHL news and opinions. I’ve been a listener since Dec.06. I thought it might interest you to know that I started listening for the same reasons you began the podcast. The SF Chronicle,SF Examiner and the Oakland Tribune all announced that they were no longer going to cover the Sharks and would rely on AP recaps. To top it all off the San Jose Mercury in a cost cutting move fired long time Sharks beat writer Vic Chi and replaced him with a cheaper writer who would report on home games but,they too would go with AP reports for road games.I found myself turning to websites and podcast for any hockey news and stumbled on to this one. I’m not just stroking you when I say,you have the best hockey podcast out there. Belive me there is alot of crap out there. I now subscribe to 6 hockey podcast,3 Sharks casts and 3 NHL casts. I find myself most eagerly awaiting the Puckpodcast to download on Saturday afternoon to listen to at work that night. Thanks for all the time and effort, it’s greatly appreciated.
Hey guys,
Congrats on the milestone. With summer vacations and a busted iPod, I’m a couple episodes behind, but wanted to give you guys the kudos you deserve. Great job!
Oh, and Mathew from the state of hockey was right on with his assessment last week on the Pens’ offseason. Aside from Staal — who is a wildcard as far where exactly he fits in on a team with Crosby & Malkin on the depth chart — Ray Shero has locked up the core of this team long term while adopting a strategy of offering only smart two-year contracts (or shorter) to the supporting cast.
Also, he has put the Pens in good position for next offseason, when a LOT of skilled wingers are set to become free agents. Shero then will be in a position to either stick with that payroll strategy or shift gears and land a couple of $5/6M-a-year talented wingers (and I don’t mean Ryan Malone-like talent) for the next three years, when this team is presumed to be poised for playoff success with Sid and Geno beginning to enter their prime.
I suspect a lot of fans would like to have a scenario where five important players (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Orpik, Whitney) are locked up and their team still has money to throw at a couple of impact UFAs. Add in Staal (or the whatever return he yields on the trade market), and you’ll see Shero has navigated the salary cap era nicely.