In this episode we recap the NHL Awards Show including some stories and sound from behind the scenes. We have interviews to discuss the Coyotes future in Phoenix, a preview of the NHL Draft and the Senators attempts to trade Dany Heatley. We also talk about the Stanley Cup Finals handshake controversy, the celebration in Pittsburgh, a new head coach in Minnesota, a “major announcement” from the Florida Panthers and why Jim Balsillie is disrespecting American hockey fans. All that plus your feedback and a whole lot more.
MP3 File
Check out Doug’s Page for exclusive audio from the 2009 NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas.
To get the latest NHL news and headlines check out Eddie’s Hockey Minute every Monday through Saturday on Eddie’s page.
Great podcast! Good job, Doug! It does sound like a fun trip to Vegas. It is very tempting to do next year. Unfortunately for me it is too soon after my girl’s birthday which we celebrate in Las Vegas for another Vegas trip.
Yeah, it could be cool with schmooze with NHL players…talk, drink or gamble with them.
Nothing on the charity NHL poker tournament? No scores or highlights. I saw a pic which the feature table had a ice rink looking felt. Cant wait to see that on ESPN(for the World Series of Poker).
Did anyone notice if Oldios made it to the handshake line after the Red Wings’ loss in game seven? There wasn’t much coverage of the line on NBC what with the cameras pointed at Sid in the corners scanning the crowd and getting glad handled by the media. Just wondering how hard his fragile psyche took this year’s loss.
Congrats to alumni Steve Konowalchuk and Adam Deadmarsh being named to coaching posistions with the Avs this past week. Guess we know where Stephen Yelle and Greg De Vries are going if they need a job soon!
I Tivo’d the NHL Awards show and am watching it now, a few days later. It is almost midnight and I can’t sleep, so I thought I’d check this out.
This is a cure for insomnia!
Doug, you sat through this?!? While there was booze, gambling and flying water exploding shows within distance?!?
This is horrible. First off, this set looks like the carbonite freezing room on Cloud City. What, florescent lights are too expensive? And the presenters? Good God. No more former players that have ZERO camera experience. I mean, Roenick and Messier have alot of experience talking on camera and in front of the media and can hold their own- even if Roe sucked- but some of these other players are horrible. It should ONLY be announcers- people PAID to face a camera and speak and actors or others who can read! Can they not get Denis Leary, Kiefer Sutherland, Mike Myers or the guy from “Bones” whose name I can’t remember how to spell?? I go to games in LA. There has to be enough talent there willing to take a trip to Vegas to get someone interesting or, God forbid, ACTUALLY FUNNY, on stage to handle every award to Alex The Great! They can’t get Carrie Millbank to host? To at least get some flow to this, come on!
SHAKA KHAN?!? That’s your musical performer? No one else that plays, oh, I don’t know, GOOD MUSIC was available? There isn’t a band in Las Vegas that some talent scout could find to play the rock music heard in thirty arenas across North America? Not one? Isn’t Five For Fighting REQUIRED to play at all NHL events? And, seriously, did they pay Shaka in Palms Buffett passes? Girl looked like she was going to eat Steve Mason.
Bettman, hire a live interpretor! I’m glad Ovechkin and Malkin can talk to ten reporters in English, but don’t make them stand in front of a couple of hundred people and thousands on tv and let them stumble through their thank yous. Let them show their excitement in their own language and make them more comfortable.
Oh, and get some of these winners DRUNK before they get to the stage! I’ve seen dead people less stiff!
Oh, this is so bad… Except for Tricia Helfer’s legs and Timmy Thomas’ speech…
*zzzzzzzzz…*
I’ve not watched the Awards show before but I thought, “hey, I already miss hockey, might as well check it out.” Good lord it was horrible. I can understand maybe a lack of experience or nervousness, but Roenick was embarrassing as host. I fast forward though the music crap and agree with Doug. Of all the entertainers hanging out in Las Vegas, they NHL had to get Shaka Khan? Thanks but no thanks.
The comment about Bill Gates buying a Canadian team and moving it to Seattle sounds familiar, where ever did you get the idea Doug?
Hey, I had the idea about no new money being spent in Hamilton as opposed to KC or LV, too!
=•}
See the new cover athlete has been announced for NHL10. Hopefully the game will get even better than 09 version (which is fantastic)
Patrick Kane.
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/cover-athlete-nhl-10/51823
I had a hard time watching the NHL awards. I had to forward through most of the speeches. Hockey players unlike most other athletes in other sports don’t seem to show their personality as much. They’re not as media savvy. Did I spell that right Eddie? lol. However, I did think it was funny when Ovechkin said something about Gino’s (Malkin) English being like Datsyuk’s.
I think it was a bit ridiculous of Draper/Lidstrom to be complaining about the handshake, or lack thereof. Why would Crosby intentionally snub Lidstrom and the other Wings? The Wings had never experienced the feeling they felt that night and probably wanted off the ice more than anything. Crosby is a young captain who is supposed to set the standard for his teammates. However, he is a young hockey player who was caught up in the celebration of reaching the goal of every player who laces up their skates. Cut the guy some slack. I think Draper deserves the “Douchebag” of the week, or at least thrown into the penalty box. Maybe he’s just pissed because his kid can’t crap in the cup again this year!
Cyndy Crysby is a punk.
There is no excuse, whatever, to dismiss the tradition of the handshake after winning, or losing the cup. Don’t waste time debating the Chelios thing, it’s different, no Cup involved. Justifying Crysby someway like he just reached the pinnacle of his profession is pathetic because there is no justification, he made a mistake. Can’t remember another ambassador of the game putting himself first after winning the Cup.
If memory serves me, they got Guerin in there to teach Crysby how to act like a pro…I think Cyndy skipped class the first day where the subject was “Respecting Tradition”, maybe Guerin should have taken attendance.
Draper is right, you can’t make too much of this. Cyndy blew it, knows he blew it and is trying to deflect. It’s indefensible.
Guerin or Crysby’s other handlers should of said, “hey kid, get your ass over there in that line and shake the hands of the opponents, you have all summer to play with the cup!”
The NHL and Bettmann got what they wanted. Now, we can watch highlights of Pitt’s goals all summer long, oh wait, they can simply use the same commercials as last year when the Wings won.
Fun listen as always guys…
Doug & Eddie – Have either of you read a book called “Future Greats and Heartbreaks” by Gare Joyce? I think you guys would really like it.. I did.
We need EA sports to suppport the Wii! Please!
Could the situation with the Lightning get any more embarrassing? Holy crap these owners are “Douchebags”. Now they’re fighting amongst each other over who’s making the decisions. They had to meet with the principal…I mean commissioner to have him decide. This is ridiculous. Oren Koules wants Brian Lawton to go and to most likely trade Lecavalier and Len Barrie wants the opposite. What a joke. I don’t like Lawton much, but I agree that they should honor Vinny’s contract and build around him and take Hedman in the draft this week. Especially after they flat out lied about the Dan Boyle deal. What a wasted trade that was. Top 5 defenseman in the league and we got squat in the deal.
With everything that’s happened over the last year with this team, I wouldn’t be surprised if they said they were moving the team to Quebec and change their name to the Nordiques! Lecavalier would be home then.
Scott – regarding, “Hockey players, unlike most other athletes in other sports, don’t seem to show their personality as much” – how do we know that? I am guessing many of those guys really don’t have any personality. I realize many of them don’t get much face-time and many have a language barrier but, too many times, when they do get some air time after a game they have nothing to say other than repeat the statements of the interviewer… yawn.
Regarding the winning team captain’s ‘forgetting’ one of the best traditions in hockey – I don’t buy it. It shows his level of leadership… oh, and also reflects his personality even better than his interviews do.
I’m ordering my Colorado Avalanche Matt Duchene jersey Fri…
And if Garth Snow &$@*s it up, I’m gonna sock him in his Charles Wong!
Give it up on the Coyotes already. Asking a hockey-fan transplant about keeping the team in his home market is as useless as asking some Canuck hoser from Hamilton what they should do. He talks about Phoenix having some good years that they drew fans…but the Coyote’s attendence peaked in its first season there and has never matched those numbers again. The team is losing millions per season. There is no reason to keep them there.
MonkeyC,
We’ve all heard a LOT of opinion on the Coyotes from people in Hamilton so we thought we’d get the opinion of someone in Phoenix to even it out a bit.
Thanks for listening to the show and for your feedback.
Doug
To all fans of the show
As my excitment builds as I depart for my 12 NHL entry draft. I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Eddie and Doug for first off giving me a chance to do this and most of all for all the hard work you put into the podcast.
Not many people know how much time and work you 2 put into each episode. I know my wife knows I go into draft mode every year starting around mid May and my free time is spent on the computer or watching tapes of players. You guys do this on a weekly basis.
If anyone has a draft question about there team or team needs or wants or anything please email me.
I just loved the question that a listener sent in for me. Made me feel real real special.
Last to all podcast listeners Thank You as well. You guys truly show why the NHL is the best sport on the planet
Draft Mike
Diamond Bar California
PS
If I tell Customs that I know Doug will they let me into Canada?
Not shaking someone’s hand in the line is almost as classless as being a poor sport about not having a person shake your hand.
Monkey C- Again, the Coyotes situation is not simply about money. There are a number if factors involved in the debate as to the future of the club. It isn’t simply “no one goes, get’em outta there!” WHY doesn’t anyone go? Is it simply that the team is bad? The lack of “tradition?” The location of the arena? The mental horror of the Picasso unis? All of the above? These are all issues that the league, the organization and potential buyers must explore.
And moving the franchise isn’t that simple. Moving the club into an area already laden with a rabid fan base simply moves the same dollars already being spent on NHL product. Putting a team in Toronto or Montreal or the surrounding areas doesn’t grow the league revenues.
Or it’s fan base. The Northeast cannot be the only fan base in existence. As regional fans go from being dominant to exclusive, the sport becomes a “niche.” See AVP Volleyball and the rapid decline of Nascar.
Also there is the impact to the structural organization of the league. Are we really ready to put Atlanta into the Western Conference? Remove Vancouver from the Northwest and throw Detroit in there? Western Conference travel is ridiculous as it is, with the Wings, Jackets and Predators really deserving to be in the East.
And, first and foremost, the Phoenix Coyotes fans. We mock their attendence figures, but let’s not forget THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE. People who are passionate about hockey and their team. Are we saying that any fan in Hamilton is BETTER than anyone sitting in the stands of a Yotes game? These fans do not DESERVE to have their team ripped from them as so many Canadian fans and Minnesota and Hartford fans have suffered. EVERY possible notion of keeping the team in Phoenix and making it a success should be explored first.
Not just “Hey, Mr. Blackberry wants to spend some cash…”
I could go on for hours about Hamilton and the NHL, but I’ll reserve most of my words. Even though I have a LOT to refute from Doug’s PowerPlay, I’m in the middle of a very busy week, and am not sure I’ll be able to dedicate the time to make a real response.
I DO just want to take a minute to point one thing out though. The Make It Seven rally in Hamilton was beyond just “Hundreds”. Those headlines (I think Doug was referring to the Globe and Mail’s) were from the preliminary turn-out. In the end, the attendance was estimated to be about 3,500 people. I also want to make a point that this rally occurred just days after the hockey world was essentially told “Hamilton, forget it”, with the rejection of the bid itself. Completely demoralized, 3,500 fans still came out to support a team that not only doesn’t exist, but is nothing more than a faint hope. This, of course, is in comparison to the Phoenix rally which truthfully attracted only hundreds. Also, it was in support of an EXISTING team in a marketplace of a much larger population. If it was Hamilton’s team to lose, I swear there would be many more than 3,500 showing their support.
I just wanted to clarify the situation from what was heard on the show. I’d LIKE Doug to make a correction for the next show, but I don’t blame you guys if you completely skip the Phoenix/Hamilton topic at your next recording (I’m sure most people are sick of it).
My Avalanche Fan Reaction:
DOOOOOOOO-SSHAAAAAANNE!!!
I second that!!!! Go AVS