Puck Podcast – November 10, 2007

In this weeks episode we talk about the retirement of Eric Lindros and whether or not he is Hall of Fame bound. We also discuss the possible retirement of Peter Forsberg and the likelihood that Scott Niedermayer will return to the Ducks. We’re also joined by Blues play-by-play voice John Kelly to discuss St. Louis’ season and Al MacInnis’ induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. We recap the week that was in the NHL including Al Arbour’s historic win with the Islanders, Mike Modano’s historic goal, Todd Bertuzzi’s offer to Steve Moore, Barry Melrose’s comments that angered the city of Newark, an NHL player that is linked to a Hollywood starlet, we’ll answer your e-mails, announce an exciting giveaway and a whole lot more.

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.

6 Comments

  1. Great job with the cast, as always.

    Thoughts:

    1. Q: Is Lindros Hall of Fame bound? A: I believe he will be in the HHOF. He was the most dominant player in the NHL, albeit for a short time. Lack of longevity is sometimes a reason someone won’t be inducted, but I believe the voters will give him a pass. Hart, Pearson, Clarke, Olympic medals, he did a lot during his truncated career. If the Flyers had won the championship while he was there, perhaps the question wouldn’t be so difficult. He may have not reached his full potential, but he’s no Brian Lawton or Alexandre Daigle.

    2. Q: Should Cam Neely be in the HHOF? A: Another question of longevity it seems. During his short playing career, he was, in my opinion, the best power forward in the league. The year he scored 50 goals in 44 games still amazes me. I hope the NHL network shows some of his games. Sea Bass definitely goes in my HHOF. He would have easily scored 500-600 goals if he could have just stayed healthy. A curse on Ulf Samuelsson for ruining Cam’s career.

    3. Q: Is Mike Modano the greatest US born forward? A: For my money, I would take Pat LaFontaine over Modano. Unfortunately, LaFontaine, just like Lindros and Neely, was plagued by injuries that ended his career early. During the late 80s until 92-93 (when he scored 148 points!), I would have ranked LaFontaine with the best centers in the league. No disrespect to Modano, but I never thought of him in the same class as Gretzky, Lemieux, Yzerman, Messier, etc.

    Modano: GP: 1254 G: 511 A: 722 P: 1233 Points per game: .98
    LaFontaine: GP: 865 G: 468 A: 545 P: 1013 Points per game: 1.17

    4. Q: I do not question the HHOF selections this year, but couldn’t a fifth player, namely Igor Larionov, have been added? A: The professor should have been an automatic. Even if he had never played in the NHL, his international / Olympic achievements alone should have gotten him consideration for the Hall of Fame. Lest we forget, it is the Hockey Hall of Fame, not the NHL Hall of Fame. Don’t forget that he started playing in the NHL when he was almost 30. Add three Stanley Cups to his Olympic resume, he’s definitely in my HHOF.

    5. Q: Are Scott Neidermayer and Teemu Selanne waiting until the playoffs to come back? A: Those two had better realize that the Ducks are so inconsistant right now the Ducks might not be in the playoffs. Ask the Canes…

    6. Q: Do you think the Ducks regret trading Shane O’Brien? A: With Scott Neidermayer skating at Westminster Ice Palace, Kondratiev gone back to Siberia, and Huskins, DiPenta and Hnidy running around in the Ducks defensive zone… I think the Ducks regret the trade.

    7. Q: What is the deal with all the Anaheim broadcast clowns calling the players by their nicknames? A: Call them by their real names. Getzy, Kuny, Neids, Prongs, Odie, PLEASE.. Give me a break. You aren’t one of the ‘guys’ in the locker room.

    8. My fondest memory of Sean Avery as a King… My son’s peewee team (11 and 12 year olds), the California Wave, was playing the Jr. Kings in Lakewood, CA a few years ago. Part way through the game some jack-ass started banging on the glass yelling profanities at the referee over a call. It was so bad that the jerk was tossed out of the building by the referee. It turned out it was Sean Avery. He was at the game rooting for Liam Stewart (Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter’s son) who played for the Jr. Kings. Apparently, Avery was dating Rachel Hunter at the time.

  2. (Thoughts on the Prudential Center from a Newark resident)

    Hey guys I’d just like to say I love your show, I usually listen to it during my college courses. Keep up the great work! I just wanted to comment on the new Prudential Center in Newark, and let me just say it’s a very beautiful building for hockey unlike their old arena. When I heard the news that the Devils were moving in I was excited. I think it’s great for the Devils to actually be in a city than be in between a series of highways. For all of those who say Newark is a God-awful place, I’ll admit there are some areas that are pretty bad, but ever since the we elected our new mayor Cory Booker, we’ve had a huge turn around. The Newark everyone remembers is starting to change into a pretty nice city. We like to think of it as a diamond-in-the-rough or a rising pheonix. The changes they made are unbelievable and seeing it first hand, it’s just amamzing how some areas are becoming safer and pleasant. As for the Barry Melrose comment, I knew it was a joke from the start, I mean I think Newark has had it’s fair share of being the joke of the country, but this city is making a turn for the better. I’ve been going to alot of the games (like always) and I feel incredibly safe. Police were in every block and security for parked cars is very high. Though I mostly walk to the arena, it amazes me how much they cleaned up, and though I can tell that they still need to revitalize many other things, they are well on their way of transforming into making this a great area for people to stay at. I think alot of the people who complain about Newark here in Jersey just don’t want to give Newark a chance ever since the 67 riots. Some refuse to believe that the revitalization is commencing.

    On a side note I think the reason why Newark residents were up at arms on the Melrose joke is because Newark is trying to get rid of that reputation of being a bad crime-filled city. What people don’t realize is that even though you hear bad things in Newark you never hear about the great things that happens here. Newark’s Portuguese Ironbound district (just a couple blocks away from the arena) has the best Portuguese/Brazilian food in the country. The main street of the Ironbound (Ferry Street) is a small charming area where there are lots of bars,lounges,resturaunts, and stores that has a nice European and South American touch. Many people after the game tend to go to local bars, and in a way it’s exposing people to the game. I know the area would have loved a basketball team to come to Newark, but just the fact that the Devils are in Newark, the locals give their full support. Some of the tickets that are held for the Newark residents are always sold out, unfortunitly they are nose-bleed seats, but nevertheless they are always sold out. The executives and “out of towners” from much richer parts of NJ tend to not come to every game. In my point of view many of the die-hard devils fans that go to the game come from the Newark area or somewhere in their family history derived from Newark. Overall, I think this is a good move and sorry for the really long message.

    Keep up the good work guys!

  3. Hi I am a big fan of your show! I always listen to you guys on the train to college. I was wondering what s your opinion on the penalties given out in the nhl like the roughing calls. I am a Rangers fan and I saw many calls that could have easily went against the other team but didn’t. When Jagr does his puck handling around the boards, he gets slashed and hooked but his strength and balance keeps him on his skates,so he doesnt get any calls. Maybe you could bring this issue up on your next show. Great show, keep up the good work!

  4. I’m a big fan of your show. Two hours of hockey talk is music to the ears of folks like us. However, Doug, as a long-time Islander fan, I don’t agree with the Arbour “win” being manufactured. I believe you are looking at it from the wrong perspective. Yes, it was an unusual scenario with the 1-game contract and such, but it’s about giving the most important person in the history of the team a final commendation that really means something. They’ve had more than one “Al Arbour Night” (something you mentioned they should’ve done instead) and, while those ceremoneis are great, they are common. Al Arbour is not a common figure in Islanders history.

    You should look at this on it’s own merits. Your example of the girl being allowed to score to get a record is a bit different, since student athletes (especially in less-visible sports) only have a limited number of years to make their mark. Some do, of course, and deserve all the honors they get. However, Al Arbour’s long history and accomplishments are the reason the Isles have roots on Long Island and the reason there are two-plus generations of fans. Someone in the Isles saw the number “1,499” next to his name and thought, “Here’s a way to give him an honor that other teams can’t and not just another ceremony.”

    You may feel that this “taints” the record books. Well, again, you have to look at it relatively. When people read about Arbour, they will undoubelty agree he deserved such a gesture for his final game and win. To me, it’s more relatable to compare it to a player signing a one-game contract with his first team so he can retire as a player for that team, even though he won’t play any games for them. If Paul Kariya signed a 1-game contract with the Ducks to retire a Duck, would you think it was fake and give it a thumbs-down? Probably not, because he deserves that choice.

    Anyway, great show! I look forward to it every week.

  5. Is this show a joke? First time listening….These Guys are west coast they should stick to surfing. They said What did Lindros do after Legion of doom line? R U Kidding? First. Fedyk was first out of the league once he was off the line. 2nd Renberg once off the line he never had an NHL career especially once he left for toronto EtC. When Lindros was hurt LeClair never did anything. Lindros had 2 guys hanging off him and LeClair was always open. Recchi played with Big E alot he was legit. Lindros was a point a game guy his first year in NY. Suffered another concussion there. Started off on a tear in Toronto had an unfortunate wrist inj. We had a strike year and he was playing in Dallas last year on the Right Wing out of postition due to his head of course. Still a presence though. He wasn’t fighting he was bear hugging, and clearly lost the passion I think he wanted to have another 50 years of life vs another couple of seasons of headhunting. The big thing is Lindros never had a goalie in Philly or NYR. Lundquist came after him. Lindros had Dunham that’s a joke. IF Forsberg was in Philly with Hextall Garth Snow and the rest of goalies and coaches Clarke brought in and Lindros had Patrick Roy he may have 5 Cups.

    The other thing is look at the penalty minutes. Gretzky wasn’t allowed to be touched by the NHL, Lemieux was clutched and Grasped and Lindros was head headhunted. He had over 1400 minutes in the box. If he came out and didn’t hit anyone and no one hit him and tried to play like gretzky what is that? He was the best player in the 90’s period. Look how deep the Wings Stars Avalanche and Devils were and I wont mention their goalies!!!

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