The Official NHL Thread

[Romeo Delight]

I just about cried watching Brind'amour holding the cup.

Hedican too...he was a part of the '94 run when the Rangers took our cup and our hyperbaric chamber.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...I've been next to the cup a couple of times...this is the first time I've illegally touched it...lmfao...

I've gotta tell you...the Canes are gonna go through some changes...but because of the retirements...and because of the tier's for their salaries...

The Canes are going to be serious $$$$$$ below the cap....

[POJO_Risin]

When Brind'Amour grabbed that cup...and he ran up while Bettman was still yappin'...I think Bettman asked him to hang on...lmfao...

but he grabbed it...and you could hear him screaming over the crowd...

he was pumped...and he went right over...and it looked like he told the team to follow him up...and yelled over to Glen Wesley...to grab it...next...

[ALinChainz]

Thornton edges Jagr in NHL MVP voting

June 22, 2006

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Joe Thornton edged out Jaromir Jagr again.

Thornton, who beat out Jagr for the scoring title by two points, took the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP on Thursday with Jagr again relegated to runner-up.

"I was a big hockey fan so I would always watch these awards and Wayne (Gretzky) would always take it home and obviously Mario (Lemieux) and Mark (Messier) as well," Thornton said after accepting the award from Messier at the league's annual award ceremony. "It's just very humbling just knowing I'm going to be on the same page as these guys."

San Jose's star center already had the Art Ross Trophy tucked away as the league's top scorer, thanks to a 125-point regular season. Thornton won the MVP in a close vote of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, finishing with 1,058 points to Jagr's 974. Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff was a distant third with 561 votes.

Thornton, acquired by the Sharks from Boston in a trade on Nov. 30, led San Jose into the playoffs with 29 goals and 96 assists. He scored 20 goals and set up 72 others in 58 games with San Jose, lifting his team to the fifth seed in the Western Conference and helping linemate Jonathan Cheechoo win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's leader with 56 goals.

"I just felt real comfortable," said Thornton, who appeared to be over any hard feelings towards Boston for trading him away.

"I'm just in a new place playing the same game I always played. I wish the Bruins all the best.

Jagr, who won the Hart in 1999 with Pittsburgh, did win his third Lester B. Pearson Award as players' choice for most outstanding player.

"With this award you get voted on by the players you play against every night and I think they understand the game better than the media," Jagr said.

With 54 goals and 69 assists -- both Rangers' records -- Jagr carried New York to its first postseason appearance since 1997.

Kiprusoff won his first Vezina Trophy as top NHL goaltender, ending Martin Brodeur's run at two in a row.

Kiprusoff finished runner-up to Brodeur last year and trailed the Devils' goalie by one for the league lead in wins this season, but the Finnish goalie was at or near the top of the NHL in every other statistical category.

Kiprusoff, who skipped the award ceremony to stay in Finland, was tops in goals-against average (2.02) and shutouts (10), and third in save percentage (.923).

Kiprusoff also beat out New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who was the first rookie in more than a decade to be nominated for the Vezina.

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin beat out fellow freshmen scoring sensation Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguin and hard-hitting Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf for the Calder Memorial Trophy as top NHL rookie.

The 20-year-old Ovechkin led all rookies with 106 points -- many of the spectacular variety -- while becoming just the second rookie in NHL history to score 50 goals and 100 points after Teemu Selanne did it in 1992-93. He was third in the league overall in goals and points.

"The NHL is the best league in the world so to win the Calder means a lot," Ovechkin said in his thick Russian accent.

Crosby, 18, wasn't far behind with 39 goals and 102 points, becoming the youngest player to record 100 points in a season. The first overall pick in the 2005 draft, Crosby recorded 22 points in his final 10 games to finish sixth overall in league scoring.

Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom won his fourth Norris Trophy as top defenseman ahead of Anaheim's Scott Neidermayer, who won in 2004, and Dallas' Sergei Zubov.

"It's special, but I'm not going to say any more than the other three," Lidstrom said. "After the season I had before the lockout I wanted to come back and have a strong season."

After losing out to Carolina's Peter Laviolette in the Eastern Conference final in Game 7, Buffalo Sabres' coach Lindy Ruff edged out the Hurricanes bench boss by a single vote for his first Jack Adams award as coach of the year.

"I'd trade him the point for that big silver cup he has over there," Ruff said.

Ruff led the Sabres to a 52-24-6 record and 110 points -- both franchise records -- a 25-point improvement over their performance in 2003-04.

New York Rangers coach Tom Renney finished third.

Three days after accepting the Stanley Cup from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour accepted the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward.

A first-time finalist for the award, Brind'Amour led all NHL forwards in ice time, playing 24:17 a game, and faceoffs taken (2,145), finishing third with a 59.1 win percentage. He beat out Dallas' Jere Lehtinen, a three-time winner, and Ottawa's Mike Fischer.

Detroit's Pavel Datysuk won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship, beating out San Jose's Patrick Marleau and Tampa Bay's Brad Richards after receiving just 22 penalty minutes while leading the Red Wings in scoring with a career-high 87 points.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-nhlawards&prov=ap&type=lgns

[POJO_Risin]

No way Ruff should have won that award over Laviolette...no way...

althought they should have been 1 and 2 for sure...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin beat out fellow freshmen scoring sensation Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguin and hard-hitting Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf for the Calder Memorial Trophy as top NHL rookie.

The 20-year-old Ovechkin led all rookies with 106 points -- many of the spectacular variety -- while becoming just the second rookie in NHL history to score 50 goals and 100 points after Teemu Selanne did it in 1992-93. He was third in the league overall in goals and points.

"The NHL is the best league in the world so to win the Calder means a lot," Ovechkin said in his thick Russian accent.

Crosby, 18, wasn't far behind with 39 goals and 102 points, becoming the youngest player to record 100 points in a season. The first overall pick in the 2005 draft, Crosby recorded 22 points in his final 10 games to finish sixth overall in league scoring.

Yeah, I can't argue with the Calder voting, I don't have a problem with Ovechkin winning it....

But ask me if I'd trade Crosby for Ovechkin....

Fuck no....

[Romeo Delight]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
Yeah, I can't argue with the Calder voting, I don't have a problem with Ovechkin winning it....

But ask me if I'd trade Crosby for Ovechkin....

Fuck no....

I agree!

Who's going to get Luongo?

Canucks want him and Keenan likes Bert, but I think he's going to LA.

Crawford suffered here from a lack of a money goalie and I bet you he had assurances from ownership that that issue would be addressed.

Plus, LA ownership wants to make a splash, with new coach and marquee goalie.

I still have my fingers crossed...

[Romeo Delight]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
No way Ruff should have won that award over Laviolette...no way...

althought they should have been 1 and 2 for sure...

No...Ruff took a team with guys that no one predicted would come even close to what they accomplished.

Carolina was expected to contend in the East.

Pojo...there was a story written by an ESPN guy I think. Anyways it talked about how hard it was to find a Canes game in a bar in Carolina. It went on toi say that if you did find one, you probably wouldn't be safe there.

Our best sports talk radio station Team 1040, had the writer of that article on and because of that, Rutherford (Canes GM) refused an interview on that basis.

Can you fix this for the city of Vancouver? We need to know all that is hockey.

[POJO_Risin]

The guy was full of shit...

I remember going to a few bars pissed off that the game was on INSTEAD of something else that's going on...

lmfao...

you know Flamma...a couple of years ago...

I coulda talked to Rutherford myself...

[POJO_Risin]

Carolina was picked last in Sports Illustrated...

and last or second to last in nearly ever article I ever read...

now I'm sure they were teetering with Buffalo...

but no way did ANYONE pick them to contend anywhere...

don't forget...

Recchi and Weight didn't come to the team until the deadline...

and past Brind'Amour...and maybe Staal (who certainly was no guarantee)...there was nobody on this team...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by DavidFlamma
I agree!

Who's going to get Luongo?

Canucks want him and Keenan likes Bert, but I think he's going to LA.

Crawford suffered here from a lack of a money goalie and I bet you he had assurances from ownership that that issue would be addressed.

Plus, LA ownership wants to make a splash, with new coach and marquee goalie.

I still have my fingers crossed...

Ask and ye shall receive !!!!!

And heeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go !!!!!

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169536&hubname=nhl

Luongo going to Canucks for Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi and Luongo

TSN.ca Staff

6/23/2006 10:15:12 PM

The Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have completed a multi-player trade involving some big names on the eve of the NHL Draft.

The Panthers have confirmed that they acquired Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alexander Auld from the Canucks in exchange for Roberto Luongo and Lukas Krajicek.

Luongo is a restricted free agent, and the Panthers have been unable to work out a long-term deal. The Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that Panthers general manager Mike Keenan said that the team would explore all options when it came to Luongo.

"This is a trade that addresses a number of needs for our hockey club," Keenan said. "We’ve added an experienced and talented forward, a skilled goaltender and a strong defenceman that we expect to help our team immediately."

Bertuzzi had 25 goals and 71 points last season, following his suspension for attacking Colorado's Steve Moore near the end of the 2004 regular season.

Berfore news of the impending deal broke, Nonis made no bones about the fact that he was shopping.

"He's in the same spot as everyone else, but the media loves to focus on one player," said Nonis of Bertuzzi. "We have a group of players that as a group underachieved which means the majority of those players are available."

Bertuzzi's best season was 2002-2003, when he scored 46 goals and 51 assists.

[POJO_Risin]

Wow...not that's an interesting deal...

you're right...the game's afoot...

[Romeo Delight]

You have got to be fucking kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fucking rights!!!!!!

Bert will do well with a change of scenery.

Fucking yeAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I'm assuming you meant to say "now that's"....

Gonna be a shitload of trades before tomorrow night's draft...

BTW, 6PM EST on OLN.....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by DavidFlamma
You have got to be fucking kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fucking rights!!!!!!

Bert will do well with a change of scenery.

Fucking yeAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I'm here to serve bro...