Boston Bruins, Historical Hockey

45 Years Ago, Bobby Orr scored “The Goal”

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One of the most iconic images of professional hockey occurred on this day 45 years ago. Bobby Orr would fly through the air.   The Bruins would go on to win their first cup in 39 years as a result of this heroic feat. This is one of the coolest moments in the history of hockey, and we at BHF tip our helmet to it.

You can catch much of the video and audio at Orr’s site. And you should.

But if you must be lazy…

Fred Cusick’s original call of Bobby Orr’s goal 5/10/1970

It’s even NHL ’94-themed desktop wallpaper. (Source: Puck Daddy)

Edmonton Oilers, Historical Hockey

Connor McDavid Goes to Edmonton.

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Connor

Connor McDavid will be an Edmonton Oiler. Unless some crazy Eric Lindros trade goes down, it’s a lock. Don’t kid yourselves people. As an Oilers’ fan, I was pretty surprised by this. I expected some kind of conspiracy as such sending said player to Toronto, or even Philadelphia, to go down. We’re looking at an approximate 10% chance to a team that has had a plethora of first round number one picks already.

The NHL has been pretty adamant about transparency lately, and we got that tonight. My social media blew up tonight as many people took to it to tag me and let me know their disgust with this turn of events.

That’s cool. I’m reveling in this outcome. No one wants to see Connor in some irrelevant market. No one will see him as a result. If this kid is as special as we’ve been told, bring him to a popular market. I don’t mean an non-Canadian market, the US has plenty of good spots for the kid. Let’s put him somewhere where people attend games. Places where buying a play-off ticket isn’t easy… you also have to enter a lottery to have the opportunity to watch him play.

I know the Oilers track record has sucked lately. It’s been brutal. I hate the management. I hate the old-boys club. I hope that changes too.

But what I really hope for, is for this kid to thrive and become what we expect him to be. Regardless of the fact that he will be landing on my team next season, if he is indeed a generational player, let’s put him on the main stage.

In all fairness, I would have been completely okay if he landed in Toronto or Buffalo. They love hockey there and would have shown up just to watch them play, even if they continued to suck. Great players are just simply one player on the roster at the end of the day.

Remember all those cups in L.A. and St. Louis with “The Great One”?

The Oilers won their last cup without Gretzky, after all.

Until then, let’s just enjoy the playoffs this year. This post-season has been excellent, and should prove to be going forward. It’s easy to take the cheap road and impulsively go on social media and outrage!!!! OUTRAGE!!!!

In all fairness, my real friends have been fun and tongue-and-cheek with myself. It’s been amusing. I’m as shocked as you. But as a deprived Oilers fan, hell yeah… we’ll take him. Unless some bizarre Lindros trade goes down, he’s an Oiler. Deal with it. And consider this… people will see him play.

That Damn Hockey Blog

Oh when the tanks, come rolling in..

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BHF tank.jpg

Can you hear that Hockey fans? That’s the sound of tanks rolling through the National Hockey League. As I type, a tank is leaving Buffalo, NY, and heading on it’s way to Florida and the number one pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Even though there are tanks departing Edmonton, Arizona, Toronto and North Carolina, it seems that the Tim Murray driven tank, will beat everyone to the greatest odds in the draft lottery. The prize of winning the draft lottery you ask? It’s only the kid scheduled to be the next prodigy, the Erie Otters’ Connor McDavid.

But with all these tanks rolling through the NHL, there comes a price. Credibility. During a game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Arizona Coyotes, Sabres fans cheered Coyotes goals, and when Arizona won the game 4-3, Sabres fans cheered again, knowing that that loss, would get them one step closer to winning the McEichel sweepstakes (McEichel being a combination of McDavid, and Jack Eichel of the University of Boston, competing in the NCAA.)

Fans are cheering for their own teams to lose, as it means that their franchises are closer toward winning the number one pick. This isn’t good for anyone. No fan really wants their team to lose. The players definitely don’t want to lose. So why are the fans cheering losses and booing wins?

By losing now, and potentially drafting a prodigy, losing now will lead them to becoming Stanley Cup contenders. This may not be the best look for the National Hockey League, but as it stands, General Managers are allowed to do whatever they please, in terms of transactions. Meaning that, if your goaltender starts to win some games, they can and will be traded for a goaltender that can’t.

But how can Gary Bettman and the NHL stop the tanks from rolling on through? If infact they even want them to stop? Surely nobody likes seeing franchises seemingly wanting to lose, just to get a higher draft pick? They could always handout fines, suspensions, or loss of draft picks/points, but how can you judge that a franchise is tanking and not just terrible? We may be throwing around the word tanking, but that doesn’t mean franchises are. The players are trying to win, The GMs might not be, but the players on the ice are trying to win every game. So, what can you do to stop the tanks from rolling, besides having a man stand in front of them in a shape?

Nothing. Zip. Nada. Not a damn thing.

There isn’t a relegation situation like in the world game, where a team can be demoted to a lower division, losing all the benefits of being in the higher division. Nor is there a rule in place, where franchises lose money off their salary caps, or receive a draft pick penalty, similar to the ten-place grid penalty in Formula One.

You could scramble the draft lottery, allowing for all non-playoff teams to have an equal chance of winning the number one pick. You could allow all 30 franchises to have a chance, but this may lead to the better teams getting better, and the lesser teams getting worse.

Picking when a team is actually tanking is hard for anyone, that includes Gary Bettman. It may look like these teams are tanking, but unless the players on the ice just give up and stop like Ovechkin’s back-check, or the starting goaltender is M.T. Net, then I’m afraid you can’t tell when a team is tanking, even if the tanks are lined up on the Florida border.

You can follow me on Twitter if you like, it’s @ThatDamnDoubleC. Or you can e-mail me at thatdamndoublec@hotmail.com.

Tank Racer is a PC and Playstation game, copyrighted by Simis, Glass Ghost and Groiler Interactive.

That Damn Hockey Blog

Bored Hockey Fan’s 2015 NHL Trade Deadline Roundup

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Ah, the joys of another trade deadline day. That one day of the year where every hockey fan watches and anticipates their team making a move, that will improve their team’s playoff’s chances, or in the case of Tim Murray, improve their chances of drafting Connor McDavid.
But what is it about this day, that gets Canadian TV stations dedicate an entire day to it? Even ESPN had a segment on deadline day! It made their headlines on Sportscenter. (Then again, the next headline after that was ‘What does LeBron James have in common with an automatic transmission?), but still, it means Barry Melrose actually got some TV time.

Here’s Barry Melrose on ESPN’s SportsCenter, with something that Americans have no idea what he is holding. However, 43% of Americans say that it’s the America’s Cup. Picture courtesy of ESPN.

Trade deadline day, is the only day on the hockey calendar, where you know that a trade will happen, outside of the draft. You don’t know who, you don’t know when and you don’t know where they’ll end up , but it’s this thinking that gets hockey fans waiting in anticipation to see exactly what will happen. Whether it’s a big name player getting traded, if a player on your team gets traded, or if Down Goes Brown trolls Joffrey Lupul into thinking he’s a New York Islander.

What all that in mind, here are Bored Hockey Fan’s most significant actions that happened during the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline Day.

– TSN deciding to not let Down Goes Brown have all the fun, and posting a tweet about the only reason Joffrey Lupul hasn’t been traded from Toronto..

Picture courtesy of @DontBeSaad20 on Twitter.

Yep, because according to this tweet, Lupul once banged Dion Phaneuf’s wife, Elisha Cuthbert. TSN shouldn’t of put it on air, and soon after this, they stopped airing live tweets during their broadcast.

– Tim Murray trading away Goaltender Michal Neuvirth, to the New York Islanders. Presumably because Neuvirth was winning games, which is against the philosophy of the Buffalo Sabres this season.

– Mark Giordano needing season-ending surgery to repair a torn biceps. A tear so bad that it’s a tendon tear, so he’ll be out 4-5 months. A massive blow for the Flames, as they push for playoff action, and a blow for Giordano’s possible Hart or Norris Trophy chances.

– Marek Zidlicky gets traded from New Jersey to Detroit.Wait.. you mean the Devils have traded away half of their aging Czechs? First Jagr and now Zidlicky. It’s a good thing they still have 11 players over the age of 32, including two Czechs (Patrik Elias and Martin Havlat).

– James Wisniewski becomes a Duck in what is arguably the biggest trade of deadline day. Unless you include Toronto trading Olli Jokinen to the St. Louis Blues, then it’s the second biggest trade of the day. Speaking of Olli Jokinen, here’s a tribute to his time as a Maple Leaf, as uploaded by YouTube user, Hockey_Montages.

– Dallas recall Patrik Nemeth from their AHL-affiliate Texas Stars. After the injury Nemeth suffered in October, suffering a severe laceration to his arm, it’s good to see that his recovery didn’t take as long as expected and that he will return on ice for the Stars this season. Which is good news not just for Stars fans, but for the league.

– Chris Stewart being traded out of Buffalo, comes to no surprise to no-one ever, as Tim Murray completes the clean out in Buffalo and only leaves those willing to fight the good fight. The good fight being winning the draft lottery.

– All the main trades happened before deadline day. Antoine Vermette from Arizona to Chicago, Keith Yandle from Arizona to the New York Hockey Rangers, Kimmo Timonen from Philadelphia to Chicago, and finally, Toronto and Columbus swapping horrible contracts, with Toronto getting Nathan Horton, due to Columbus not paying for any insurance on his contract, and Columbus getting a horrible contract on their cap, because the contract belongs to David Clarkson.

There you have it, Bored Hockey Fan’s roundup of the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline Day. So until next year, you stay classy with what tweets you show on line TV, TSN.

You can follow me on Twitter if you like, it’s @ThatDamnDoubleC. Or you can e-mail me at thatdamndoublec@hotmail.com.

The opening video is copyrighted by Disney/Pixar, and comes courtesy of Disney/Pixar.

General, That Damn Hockey Blog

2015 Draft Lottery: Who Wins the Connor McEichel Sweepstakes?

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I know the most important draft lottery in the history of draft lotteries isn’t until the end of the season, where not one, but two, potentially franchise changing players in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are both available, but thanks to an awesome website made by Rob Zaenglein, now you can find out just whose franchises will change forever come June 26 in Florida.

How this simulation will work, is that we will simulate 100 draft lotteries, and whomever wins the most lotteries out of that 100, will earn the number one pick in the 2015 entry draft.

If you want to do your own simulation, and check out Rob Zaenglein‘s fine work in the process, check right HERE!

The following shows the 14 teams that would currently be involved in the draft lottery (as of 2nd February 2015), and their odds of winning the #1 overall pick.

Team                                 Odds
Buffalo Sabres                   20.0%
Edmonton Oilers               13.5%
Carolina Hurricanes          11.5%
Arizona Coyotes                  9.5%
Columbus Blue Jackets      8.5%
New Jersey Devils               7.5%
Toronto Maple Leafs          6.5%
Ottawa Senators                  6.0%
Philadelphia Flyers             5.0%
Minnesota Wild                    3.5%
Florida Panthers                  3.0%
Colorado Avalanche            2.5%
Dallas Stars                          2.0%
Los Angeles Kings               1.0%
Let’s begin the simulation! If the draft lottery was to be done today, which team would have the #1 pick?

Draft Lottery sim 1

The first simulation in, and the Buffalo Sabres win the lottery! Connor McDavid would be playing in Buffalo, making Tim Murray and all Sabres fans very happy! Will this be the same result after 100 simulations? Continue on, as 99 simulations are still to come!

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NHL

Press Release: Kraft Hockeyville USA

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THE PUCK DROPS TODAY: KRAFT, NHL®, NHLPA, NBC SPORTS GROUP AND USA HOCKEY SEARCH FOR AMERICA’S MOST PASSIONATE HOCKEY COMMUNITIES TO FIND KRAFT HOCKEYVILLETM USA

One U.S. Community Will Win Opportunity to Host NHL® Pre-Season Game Televised on NBCSN, $150,000 in Arena Upgrades and Coveted Title as First-Ever “Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA”

NORTHFIELD, Ill. – January 1, 2015 – Announced today, at the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® featuring the Chicago Blackhawks® and Washington Capitals® broadcast on NBC, the puck officially dropped for Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA – the search for America’s most passionate hockey community. Uniting an all-star roster of partners including the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), National Hockey League (NHL®), NBC Sports Group, and USA Hockey, Kraft’s award-winning, Canadian-born HockeyvilleTM program has expanded into the U.S. for the first time to help build better hockey communities across the country. Beginning today, hockey communities across the U.S. can vie for the esteemed title of “Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA” and enter for a chance to win the grand prize of hosting an NHL® Pre-Season game televised live on NBCSN and $150,000 in arena upgrades.

“Seeing all these passionate hockey fans cheering on their team in the brisk winter air reminds me of the way so many of us fell in love with the sport,” said Dino Bianco, Executive Vice President and President, Kraft Beverages. “Fans like this coming together for their shared love of hockey is what inspired us to launch Kraft Hockeyville in the U.S. and celebrate the unity that hockey brings to communities across the country.”

Kraft also drafted a friend – NHL® legend and NBC Sports analyst, Jeremy Roenick – to help spread the word across the country. “Growing up in Boston, hockey was a way of life for children and families, and it brought together my community in a way that nothing else could. I wouldn’t be who I am today without the lessons I learned and the experiences I gained at Pilgrim Arena from coaches like my dad, Wally Roenick, Paul Kramer, and Arthur Valicenti. Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA will help communities keep these traditions alive, and that is something I am excited to be a part of working with Kraft.”

How Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA Works

Like a hockey game, Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA has three periods. In the first period, communities across the country are encouraged to enter by sharing unique stories about their local rink, teams, hockey spirit and passion and submitting their nominations now through March 18, 2015, at www.KraftHockeyville.com, where complete contest rules and nomination applications are available.

Ten community finalists will be chosen to kick off the second action-packed period, which includes three rounds of public voting:

· Round 1 (April 14-16, 2015) – Top four communities chosen to move on to the next round; remaining six each receive $20,000 toward arena upgrades.

· Round 2 (April 21-22, 2015) – Top two finalists selected; remaining two each receive $40,000 toward arena upgrades.

· Round 3 (April 27-29, 2015) – One community will emerge as the first-ever “Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA”; runner-up will receive $75,000 toward arena upgrades.

In the final period, the winning community will be announced – on May 2, 2015 – and receive the grand prize of the chance to host an NHL® Pre-Season game televised on NBCSN and receive $150,000 in arena upgrades from Kraft.

Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA is meant to not only ignite a passion for hockey in America, but also bring a renewed sense of pride to communities. Since launching in Canada in 2006, Kraft HockeyvilleTM has positively impacted 43 communities with more than $1.6 million donated in arena upgrades. Kraft also hopes that its diverse portfolio of products will help unite hockey fans in their celebrations of the sport and their communities. The campaign will celebrate consumers’ excitement around a variety of iconic Kraft brands, including A1, Bulls-Eye BBQ Sauce, Cracker Barrel, Jell-O, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kraft Mayo, Kraft Natural Cheese, Kraft Salad Dressings, Kraft Singles, Maxwell House, Miracle Whip, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Stove Top and Velveeta.

For contest rules, information on nominating your community and complete program details, visit www.KraftHockeyville.com. Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA can also be found at Facebook.com/KraftHockeyvilleUSA and on Twitter (@HockeyvilleUSA). You can join the conversation using #HockeyvilleUSA.

###

NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of the NHLPA. © NHLPA.

NHL, the NHL Shield and the word mark NHL Winter Classic are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League, and the NHL Winter Classic logo and HOCKEYVILLE are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks (including HOCKEYVILLE) and NHL team logos and marks are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2014. All Rights Reserved.

General

Pardon our dust.

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Greetings, fellow Bored Hockey Fans, it is I, the kingpin of the Bored Fanchise, ThinkSoJoE!  Now, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or not, but Bored Hockey Fan has been inaccessible for a little while.  We were continuously having issues with our old server, and while I don’t think they were necessarily caused by BHF, when we tried to re-enable access to this site, things went haywire and the hosting company yelled at me.

I have no idea what caused the issues over there, but I knew that I wanted to get this site over to the new (and thusfar, far more stable) server as soon as I could.  I got all the necessary information from the database to launch here, plus all of our uploaded files (including our podcasts).  I even got the old theme, but I decided that since I was planning on creating a new theme for the site anyway, I’d throw the generic “TwentyFourteen” style that comes with our blogging software up here for the time being instead.

That said, kick back, enjoy a great Winter Classic between the Caps and Hawks, and stick with us!  Everything should be back to normal sometime in January!

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins,What’s The Problem?

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Being a Penguins fan, their 3-2-1 start this season has been tough, especially the last two losses coming to the hated cross-state rivals the Flyers and losing a 3-1 lead in the 3rd period to Detroit last game. The new system under Mike Johnston and Jim Rutherford is really showing promise, but we need to turn that promise into success. We have the caliber of talent that we should be able to put a good product out there night after night, not saying we should be guaranteed to win night after night, but saying what I am trying to say is that we should be able to go out there night in and night out and play to our strengths, hold our leads, and put our best stuff out there.

But I have to give props to the Penguins for going out and making huge moves in trading Neal/bringing in Hornqvist, and going out and signing Ehrhoff. Also in losing Engelland, Orpik, and Niskanen it will be good for the young guns liks Despres, Harrington, and maybe even Pouliot to get their crack at the Pens roster. This is a promising year for the Penguins, just have see where we end up. #LetsGoPens

That Damn Hockey Blog

Why One League’s Actions Affect Every League’s Actions

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It’s almost old news now, but Los Angeles defencemen Slava Voynov, was arrested and released on $50,000 bail, on the suspicion of domestic violence, just one month after the National Football League’s debacle, which saw Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, suspended firstly for two games, then indefinitely, when video footage was released involving Rice assaulting his fiance, then dragging her out of an elevator.

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