“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that is posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

_________________________________________

I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- Word from hockey insiders (read: Darren Dreger) is that Jeff Carter is available for any team willing to trade for him. What an absolute PR nightmare for the Blue Jackets—if they trade him for a package less than Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier, he’ll get hammered. If they hold on to him, the small market club that has been losing money (and the second half this season won’t help), will have pay $33.5 million to a guy that has made it publically known that he doesn’t want to be there. I’m not sure how they win in this situation.

- Mike Yeo has done a great job with the Minnesota Wild this season. Remember that if/when the team takes a nosedive with Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Guillaume Latendresse all out of the lineup. Where’s Colton Gillies when you need him?

- Major props to Dallas management for signing Alex Goligoski to a four-year deal this week. The man has the potential to be the backbone of their blueline for the foreseeable future and knows how to run a power play. Mix in his age and every team could use a guy like that.

- Barry Trotz has done some impressive things in Nashville, but his nickname for Pekka Rinne might be the best thing he’s come up with for the Predators in his 14- year tenure. The nickname? The Eraser.

- Sticking with Pekka Rinne, how the hell the All-Star game feature six netminders and not include the best goaltender in the world? Want proof? He makes $7 million for a budget-constrained team and you don’t hear anybody complaining about his salary.

- Here was the word last week from Pens’ GM Ray Shero as Sidney Crosby was set to go see his specialist in Atlanta, “Sidney has made a lot of progress but he is still having some symptoms, so this is the next step in his recovery. Obviously he won’t be back in the lineup until he is symptom-free.” Remember, this is a guy that is still having motion and balance problems—and now he’s in L.A. visiting yet another specialist. So I’ll say it: have we seen the last of Crosby this season? More importantly, should we have seen the last of Crosby this season?

- So Ed Jovanovski gets hit by Daniel Paille, gets into a fight with Paille to defend his honor, breaks his hand on Paille’s face, and now has two-months of rehab before he can get back onto the ice for the Panthers’ stretch run. On in hockey is that the “smart” thing to do. (For the record: he did exactly what the Panthers organization and their fans expected him to do)

- ‘Tis the season for hockey fans to start wildly throwing names in hopes of making that deadline deal that will send them to the Promised Land. But for those in LA thinking that Jonathan Bernier would be the perfect trade bait, just remember—Pekka Rinne got paid $7 million per season and Jonathan Quick is going to be an unrestricted free agent after next season. Just a hunch, but he’ll probably command a raise over his current $1.8 million cap hit.

- On the flipside, is there any way the Canucks can afford the luxury of having Cory Schneider sitting on the bench during the playoff run; when they know they could have cashed him in for help on the ice? These are the moves you have to make when the Stanley Cup window is open.

- Everyone has been talking about Tim Thomas this week. It’s time they stopped—enough is enough.

- Speaking of goaltending, at what point do the Buffalo Sabres admit that Ryan Miller is a huge problem? He’s had an awful start to the season, but he wasn’t all that great down the stretch last season either. The entire team has struggled, but even if the rest of the team pulls it together, they aren’t going anywhere unless Miller starts looking like the Miller of old. Here’s the thing: I’m not sure he’ll ever look that way again.

- Here’s the thing that the Calgary media needs to understand: Darryl Sutter isn’t the warm and feely guy in front of the media. That’s just not how he rolls—it’s time to get over it.

- It’s January and there are a plethora of articles flowing from Edmonton talking about the rebuild, drafting, and if the Oilers are doing it the right way. I know they got off to a good start, but it sounds like the majority of the Oilogosphere is turning their attention to the future. Again.

- When you hear a coach saying stuff like, “it’s an opportunity for other guys to step up,” what he’s really saying is, “I really hope these guys can help us tread water until we get our big guns back into the lineup.”

- If Tomas Vokoun can continue to round into the goaltender the Caps thought they were getting when they signed him in the offseason, watch out. Just imagine what a Tomas Vokoun from last season could do with that kind of talent in front of him.

- When Kevin Poulin played against the Predators earlier this year, it was the Islanders fifth starting goaltender this year. You know what they always say: “if you have five starting goaltenders, you don’t have one.”

- It was interesting to see Ken Campbell of The Hockey News say that the Lightning’s struggles this season were somehow karmic payback for Tampa playing a trapping, defensive style of hockey with all of their offensive talent. Actually, it has far less to do the karmic stars and much more to do with their goaltenders watching pucks fly into the net faster than a Shea Weber slap shot.

- Check out what Stars coach Glen Gulutzan had to say about his team after a poor effort against Tampa Bay. “The only reason you prepare against Detroit, Boston, St. Louis is because you’ve got a little fear in your belly that you might get embarrassed. So you work and do the little things. It’s a sign of weakness if you can’t bring that little fear and that adrenaline in your game every night. You just think you’re too good.” You have to love the honesty of a rookie coach.

- A quick note to all the fans that think the refs hate your team: Stop it. Everyone knows that referees hate all 30 teams equally and when you complain that you’re getting screwed, you make the rest of your fanbase look stupid.

- It’s hard to put the Red Wings 17-game home winning streak in the proper context. It’s the best home streak in 36 years and they haven’t at Joe Louis Arena since people were eating Halloween candy. For historical purposes, they’re only three away from tying the NHL’s all-time record that was set in Bruins back in 1930 and tied by the Broad Street Bullies in 1976. Yeah, this is a pretty good run the Wings are on right now.

- On behalf of all fans around the world, can we please do everything possible to avoid another lockout?

_________________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that used to be posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

_____________________________________

I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- When you saw Kaberle was traded for XXXXX, you knew the Canes won the trade. It could have been Jaroslav Spacek, a draft pick, a bag of pucks, or a $ 5 gift certificate for poutine, and Carolina still would have won the trade.

- Gary Bettman gets his fair amount of crap (and much of it is deserved), but at least he’s never rescinded a trade due to “hockey reasons.”

- Brandon Purst. Talk about a guy that is embodies everything that his coach wants out of his team. Whenever John Tortorella wants more grit or heart from one of his players (something he’s big on), all he has to do is point in the general direction of Prust.

- Perception is an interesting concept. The Caps have 31 points and most people agree that they’ve been one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season. Meanwhile, the Senators have 30 points and people are shocked at what they’ve accomplished this season. Everything is relative—especially expectations.

- Let’s get this straight. Chris Pronger had a mysterious virus, then had to have knee surgery, and now has a concussion. Just imagine the danger he’d be in if he was actually on the ice. He may come down with West Nile…

- How long before the combination of Dale Hunter, Bruce Boudreau, and Kirk Muller catch Ken Hitchcock in the wins department? I’m going with Christmas, but I could be persuaded to take the over.

- How long before Ray Emery seriously contends for the #1 spot in Chicago? He’s starting to regain the form that raised so many eyebrows last season with the Ducks and Crawford has been shaky to say the least. It may not be time yet, but something that’s on the radar.

- Take an objective look at the Canadiens’ roster—it’s mediocre at best. Put that team in Carolina and no one gives them a second look.

- The realignment plan is as good as anything I’ve seen. If they assign the Smythe, Norris, Adams, and Patrick monikers to the “conferences,” it’ll be perfect. But when there’s a team that misses the playoffs next year, while an inferior team makes earns a spot because they’re in an inferior conference, there will be a lot of complaining from the masses.

- Just give Ryan Nugent-Hopkins the Calder Trophy right now. If he keeps this up, he might be reaching for the Art Ross as well.

- It absolutely ridiculous that the league isn’t acknowledging that there may be a link between CTE and fighting in hockey. As our own Amanda Fortier asked, “how many more young men have to die after living with CTE for possibly ‘decades and decades and decades,’ suffering through their own slow decline, before the NHL acknowledges that more needs to be done and supports both the research into CTE and investigations into the health of its own players?”

- Just about anyone can play goaltender for the Minnesota Wild and they’ll have a great save percentage and a microscopic goals against average. It’s science.

- It’ll be interesting to see if James Neal can keep up his goal scoring pace that he’s set in the first 30 games of the season. He’s traditionally been a player that is quick out of the gate, but fades in the second half. The Pens could use a full 82 from him this season.

- Let’s put Albert Pujols’ contract in its proper perspective. Next season, he’ll make about the same amount of money as Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Steven Stamkos combined. All hail the salary cap.

- That Dany Heatley trade has worked out just fine for the Ottawa Senators. Heatley has already been jettisoned from the Bay Area while Milan Michalek is tied for the league’s lead in goals. Yes, really.

- Remember when the Avalanche started the season with such a hot start on the road, but couldn’t win at home? There’s a more discouraging trend that has taken over the team—divisional games. The Avs are 1-9 against Northwest opponents, while they’re 6-1 against the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately for Colorado, they still have 14 more games against their own division.

- If you haven’t heard, the University of North Dakota is finally getting rid of the Fighting Sioux mascot. In related news, I’m looking to buy a hat and/or a jersey because that Fighting Sioux logo is awesome.

- From a purely dramatic standpoint, can the Canucks just name Cory Schneider their #1 goaltender? Imagine the chaos! (insert riot joke here)

- We’re almost 30 games into the season, and the Flyers, Bruins, and Blackhawks are leading their respective divisions. Not exactly surprising. But the Wild, Panthers, and Coyotes leading their divisions? Who saw those coming?

- Gary Bettman is a pompous little person that needs to be fired for the good of the game.

_____________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that is posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

________________________________

I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- Here’s the dilemma surrounding a Winter Classic at Target Field in Minnesota. Gary Bettman says that the NHL would be “crazy” to not consider putting the showcase in Minnesota; but also says it’s important to have two teams that are “marketable” to a national audience. Has he seen the Wild play recently?

- Dude, Kyle Turris. C’mon man.

- It’s absolutely insane how much Devils’ head coach Peter DeBoer is leaning on Ilya Kovalchuk this season. The guy is playing 25:40 per game—a ridiculous number for a forward. His total ice-time puts him at 8th in the league, but tops among forwards by a huge margin. The next busiest forward is Ryan Getzlaf, who is playing three fewer minutes PER GAME and is 48th among NHL players in ice-time. My bet? Kovalchuk’s arms will fall off by January.

- Remember when Jason Blake sliced a tendon in his arm when he caught Brent Burns’ skate blade during a game against the San Jose Sharks? It came out last week that Burns immediately made the effort to check-up on Blake after the horrific incident. Just another instance of Brent Burns being one of the best (and most interesting) guys in the NHL.

- Sooner or later people are going to realize this: NHL teams need to have two goaltenders who are capable of winning games these days. The days of “if you have two #1 goalies, then you don’t have one” are gone. Asking a starting goaltender to play 70 regular season games and then navigate the Stanley Cup playoffs might be asking a little too much.

- Shocker: Sean Couturier is staying with the big club this season. Do you want to know what the Flyers’ coaching staff thinks of the 18-year-old forward? Couturier is second in the league (among forwards) by playing almost 4 minutes per game on the penalty kill. Not among rookies—among all NHL forwards. Welcome to the league kid.

- Another guy who will be sticking around past the nine game threshold is Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brett Connolly. When he was drafted with the 6th pick in the 2010 Draft, he was considered by some to be the most skilled player in the entire draft. If those hip injuries that sidelined him in juniors are permanently in his rearview mirror, he’s the smart bet to be the next great forward in Tampa.

- Note to media types: it’s OK to say that Dion Phaneuf has played well in the early season without jumping straight to “he’s the best defenseman in the NHL.” Good start, yes. But there are other defensemen I’d take in a heartbeat before Phaneuf.

- Pet Peeve: When Eastern Conference announcers/talking heads talk about Western Conference teams, would it kill them to brush up on their facts before speaking? The idea of East Coast bias isn’t anything new, but if fans on the West Coast made as many errors about Eastern Conference teams, we’d never hear the end of it.

- Fun fact: The Vancouver Canucks are perfect when scoring first, but they’re among the league’s worst teams in the entire league when they give up the first goal of the game. Not a good combo when you have a goaltender who’s been giving up goals in the first period.

- Dustin Penner came into the season in the best shape of his life (his words, not mine). Ten games into the season, he only has a single assist in nine games played and has been called out publically by his coach—even though he’s been paired up with Mike Richards and Dustin Brown for most of the early going. If he’s struggling, has all the talent in the world, and he’s in great shape, then what is the problem? The next step is that people will question his heart. The only way he’ll be able to silence the naysayers is put a few goals into the net. The right net.

- Fans need to start making an important distinction. Even though he’s grossly overpaid, Brian Campbell is still a very good offensive defenseman. There’s a difference between saying he sucks and saying he’s overpaid.

- One of my favorite things of the early season is to watch the Florida Panthers and how all of the new faces are coming together as a team. They might not be the best team in the NHL, but it’s amazing how many new faces are already playing like a team. Just think—some teams can’t get a single newcomer to find chemistry on a single line—the Panthers have an entire roster of newcomers trying to create chemistry with one another.

- I wonder how many GMs are going to send their struggling goaltenders to Tent City next summer.

- The irony was palpable when Joe Thornton said the New York Rangers were the “softest team” they played on their recent road trip. Ironic because the Rangers won. Ironic because the Rangers were the only team to beat the Sharks. And ironic because it wasn’t long ago that Thornton was the man who was called one of the softest players in the league. Talk about an absolutely pointless comment.

- We’re all guilty of it—but every single season it seems like a team starts off slow, gets buried by the media, then inexplicably turns things around and makes everyone look stupid. Every year I try to remind myself to not make judgments until the 20-game mark and every year I break my own rule. Like I said, we look stupid.

- The Columbus Blue Jackets have won a pair of games since James Wisniewski returned to the lineup, causing some people to praise his leadership qualities for his new team. It’s an interesting concept because Wiz always thought of himself as a #1 guy and wanted to be treated accordingly (even if he wasn’t). Now that he has the contract to prove that he’s a #1, we’ll see if he can play like it for an entire season. More than just numbers, it’ll be interesting to see how his team performs around him—because at 6-years and $33 million, it’s important that he makes the players around him better.

- Personal note: Can’t wait to see Sidney Crosby play in Los Angeles in a couple of years when the Penguins return. I hear he’s quite good in person.

- Never underestimate how small this world can be. Did you know that Shane Doan is business partners with the new potential owner of the Dallas Stars (Tom Gaglardi)? My only question: can he teach Doan how to navigate the tricky waters of NHL ownership to keep the Coyotes in Arizona?

- Ryan Callahan is everything I’d want in a young captain. He plays with heart, does anything he can to help his team win, can score, and leads by example. Thankfully, I don’t think it’ll be a problem for him to get any media attention.

- It’s absolutely baffling that the Nashville Predators are the worst team in shots allowed per game. Just think: they’re over .500 and the most basic tenant of their system has been a disaster. When (not if) they get that figured out, watch out.

- Gary Bettman is a pompous little person that needs to be fired for the good of the game.
________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that will be posted every Saturday during the hockey season here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

__________________________________________

I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- Going into Friday night’s games, the Kings and Ducks head each only lost a single game in regulation. The common thread: Buffalo destroyed both in Europe. So in retrospect, just how good are the Sabres going to be this year?

- To a man, the Dallas Stars players said that the difference in the locker room is night and day from last season. Players are excited to come to the rink, they believe in the organization, and trust their coach’s system. Through eight games, they look like a completely different team.

- Fans always want their players to care about the team as much as they do. We see players leave via free agency because it’s a business—and it is a business. But for people who are desperate to see a guy who cared about his team, check out David Booth’s reaction when he was traded from the Panthers to the Stanley Cup contending Vancouver Canucks. Tears.

- Don’t tell me that Columbus doesn’t have some really passionate hockey fans. You know people care when very good bloggers are going to the “flu shot” card.

- Ian White might be the most important, under-the-radar player in the Western Conference this season. If he can handle the 20+ minute workload that comes with being Nicklas Lidstrom’s partner for 82-games, the Red Wings will compete for the Cup again. If he can’t hang for the long haul, the Wings are going to have a huge void in their lineup.

- I wonder what Peter Mueller would be capable of at the NHL level if he could manage to stay healthy. Here’s to hoping that once he recovers from his latest concussion, he’ll never have to do it again.

- It’s always interesting to see what good teams will do with their 3rd line. In Chicago, the Bolland/Bickell/Frolik line is as intriguing as any in the league. Let’s be honest: who thought Frolik would be on a shutdown/energy line after seeing him play in Florida?

- In case you missed it, the Vancouver Province ran an editorial this week that called for the Canucks to trade Roberto Luongo (and his contract) to the Lightning for Vinny Lecavalier (and his contract). Vancouver GM Mike Gillis responded by calling up a local sports radio station and complaining about the article. Gillis should do what we all do when we hear an HF Boards trade suggestion get publicity: snicker at the stupidity and move on with his day.

- As of writing this, Jonathan Quick hasn’t given up a goal in over a week. If Terry Murray continues to “ride the hot hand” like he planned to at the beginning of the season, Jonathan Bernier should get into a game around January.

- Some people may be counting down towards the trade deadline or the playoffs. Me? I’m counting down to the first episode of 24/7 when the causal sports fan learns about John Tortorella. http://www.msg.com/videos/tortorella-postgame-loss-to-oilers-1022

- Want to know a team that has some issues? The Calgary Flames. Not only are they near the basement in the Western Conference, but the way the team is constructed, these are supposed to be the good seasons. The team is struggling today, and the lack of high-end prospects make tomorrow look just as bleak. GM Jay Feaster is going to have to do something to shake up that team or it could be a dark few seasons.

- Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Ales Hemsky is hurt. Not only does it hurt the Oilers to lose one of their better forwards, but it hurts his trade value if Edmonton wants to trade the pending unrestricted free agent at the deadline.

- Don’t look now, but James Neal already has eight goals in ten games on the young season. Hopefully that Sidney Crosby guy doesn’t screw up his game.

- Whether it was the growing pains of changing systems last season or getting Tomas Vokoun in the offseason, the Capitals look like they’ve navigated some rough patches and are finally reaping the benefits of their efforts. Hopefully fans enjoy the ride—teams like this don’t come along very often.

- Long road trips at the beginning of the season can be tough on a team in the standings. Hell, road trips at any time during the season can be tough. But don’t underestimate the importance of a team getting the chance to bond on the road early in the season. There are 30 coaches in the league that understand how important it is for their team—a few tough games early in the year can pay dividends later in the season.

- John Tavares: maybe the Islanders knew what they were doing when they picked him first overall.

- Good to see the Winnipeg Jets do the right thing and send Mark Scheifele back to the OHL. The Jets look like they’re going to struggle this season and Scheifele was a late bloomer with the Barrie Colts last season. Let him have a season of growth while being “the man” in juniors and at the World Juniors while the organization preserves a year on his entry-level contract.

- One of the reasons that the Red Wings have been good for the last 15 years is the fact that they put the right players in the right situations. Justin Abdelkader, Todd Bertuzzi, and Darren Helm may not be superstars (or even 2nd liners), but together they are forming a strong third line. It’s all about expectations and putting players in the position to succeed. Just ask Kirk Maltby or Kris Draper. Better yet, ask Martin Lapointe.

- The Senators are off to a rough start, but don’t blame the Dany Heatley trade. Milan Michalek is among the league leaders in goals, points, and power play goals while forming some good chemistry with Jason Spezza. Meanwhile, Heatley has already come and gone from the Sharks organization.

- Gary Bettman is a pompous little person that needs to be fired for the good of the game.

__________________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that will be posted every Saturday during the hockey season here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

_________________________________________

I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- How long before Columbus Blue Jackets’ GM Scott Howson starts looking at goaltenders for his team? The organization dropped a ton of money in the offseason in an effort to win-now, but Steve Mason doesn’t look like’s going to regain the form he had when he won the Calder Trophy in 2009. I hear the Blackhawks and Islanders have plenty of goaltending to go around.

- Quick note to the Texas Rangers: Stop making it to the ALCS. You’re really screwing up the Dallas Stars attendance numbers.

- Darren Pang brought up a great point during a Blues game this week that deserves repeating. Jaroslav Halak was a very good goaltender when he was facing a ton of shots in Montreal, but it’s a different mental game when a netminder faces fewer shots per game. He’ll need to make the mental adjustment if the Blues are going to succeed this season.

- Al Montoya got the first three starts of the season over Rick DiPietro and Evgeni Nabokov. Let that sink in for a second: the guy who was claimed on waivers from the Phoenix Coyotes is getting the nod over the guy who is signed for the next decade (literally) and another who was in the middle of a very public controversy about coming to the Island last year. As if that’s not good enough—you could make the argument that Montoya has been the best player on the Isles through three games. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Garth Snow’s office at the trade deadline.

- Mike Ribiero might come off as a complete punk and “faker,” but I’d totally shell money out to watch that guy practice his shootout moves.

- The Ottawa Senators are awful. We’re only a week into the season and I can confidently say that I’ll be shocked if they don’t end up with the worst record in the league.

- Jonathan Huberdeau signing in Florida is great for the team—but completely expected. He’s going to be a very good/great player for the Panthers when he eventually makes it to the big club. But this isn’t the year. He’s listed at 173 lbs and the Panthers are likely to struggle this season. With all of the buzz of the offseason acquisitions, there’s no need to bring him in to try to sell tickets. The Panthers are doing the right thing to let him marinate for another season in the Q while he puts on some weight. Oh, and preserving another year of his entry level contract isn’t such a bad side effect either.

- Is there any goaltender in the league who has to work harder for his wins than Kari Lehtonen. We said it last year and it’s only be reinforced this year: simple stats don’t fully explain what Lehtonen means to the Stars. He’s asked to make extremely difficult saves all game to bail out his team—just like last year.

- It caught a lot of people’s attention when former Sabres’ captain signed an ECHL contract earlier this week. You know… if the man is willing to play in the ECHL for the chance to play in the AHL, there’s no other reason for the love of the game. More power to him; here’s to hoping he catches on somewhere for one last shot in the NHL.

- Lightning GM Guy Boucher had an interesting take on his team’s early season struggles this season. What seems like a playoff hangover, he called suffering from “sophomore psychology.” Basically, the team forgot about all of the work and desire it took to make the team successful last season. I’ve heard the concept applied repeatedly to individual players, but never heard it in these exact terms for an entire team. And you know what, his observations are right on point.

- Fans are quick to jump all over Gary Bettman at every opportunity—especially north of the 49th parallel. But people should take note of the work he’s doing surrounding the arena deal in Edmonton. This week, he brought the mayor of Edmonton and the Oilers’ owner together in New York to help the two sides come together on a new arena. Not bad for a guy who clearly hates all things Canadian.

- Want a feel good story? How about taking a look at Matthew Lombardi scoring a goal in his first game back after missing almost an entire calendar year with post-concussion syndrome. Even Predators fans are happy for the guy and they traded him away for nothing because they weren’t sure if he’d be able to come back.

- Every time I catch a St. Louis Blues game, I’m inevitably hit over the head with the same thought every single time: Alex Pietrangelo is going to be great. Not good. Great.

- You know how Dan Ellis NHL players hate the escrow system? How do you think they feel now that the escrow checks they’re supposed to get back are being delayed because the league and the Players Association can’t agree on the numbers? Yeah, like that won’t be on the top of the list for the players in the upcoming CBA negotiations.

- Sergei Gonchar: Please just retire. You’re embarrassing yourself with your lazy effort and pissing off fans in Ottawa who already have plenty of reasons to be pissed off.

- The Canucks have already had to play the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Detroit Red Wings this season? They aren’t suffering from a Cup Final hangover, they’re suffering from a nightmare October schedule.

- Much respect goes out to Wayne Simmonds. In the offseason deal that centered around Mike Richards and Brayden Schenn, Simmonds has gone to Philly and been one of their most impressive players of the early season. It’s not always easy to thrive in a new situation– but Simmonds is making the most of his early days with the Flyers.

- How is this for interesting? The Dallas Stars had to deal with some salary cap problems this week when Adam Pardy came off of IR and forced the team to remove someone from the roster. By sending the player down; they’d be UNDER the salary cap floor. I guess those fans who thought the Islanders could have problems making it to the cap floor weren’t so crazy after all. They just had the wrong team.

- Can Terry Pegula do anything wrong? Even the new locker room is kick-ass.

- Don Cherry is going after some ex-fighters now? He’s a dog person–he should know better than to bite the hand that feeds him.

- Earlier this week, Caps coach Bruce Boudreau called out captain Alexander Ovechkin in the media and said he could be better in the early going. Ovechkin replied in the media saying, “everyone can be better.” If the head coach and captain are already communicating through the media in mid-October, what’s going to happen if they hit some serious speed bumps in March and April? Chances for meltdown: 108%.

- Gary Bettman is a pompous little person that needs to be fired for the good of the game.

__________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.