Tag Archives: Florida Panthers

That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: I Want A Contract With The Islanders pt.1

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Ah, the Islanders. They currently have the most room in the salary cap, according to CapGeek.com, which is surprising, considering the Islanders have probably the two worst contracts in the history of hockey. One of which ended only recently because of a compliance buyout, and the other is for someone who hasn’t played since 2007. They are, of course, Rick DiPietro and Alexei Yashin.

DiPietro was drafted first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, three years after the Islanders drafted Roberto Luongo. Considered to be the real future of the franchise, Luongo was traded to the Florida Panthers the same day DiPietro was drafted, so the pressure was on even before he hit the ice. After just 3 wins out of 20 in his first season, he never played again in the NHL until the 2002-03 season (which was only 11 games, one of which was a playoff shutout), before gaining the starting role the following season.

After four season of not the greatest goaltending, and 2 wins from 9 in playoffs, DiPietro was signed to a 15-year, $67.5 million contract. A week before his 26th birthday, the Islanders actually wanted to make the signing a year earlier, but the NHL discouraged the idea. The NHL knew that giving him a 15 year contract would be absolutely stupid, given the contract they gave Alexei Yashin in 2001 (I’ll get to it, don’t worry), but the Islanders gave him the contract anyway.

After one win from four in the first year of his 15-year deal, his last playoff appearance, 2007 also saw the decline of DiPietro, as injuries began to take their toll, and since 2008, has only played in 50 games for the Islanders, for just 14 wins. The misery finally ended, when his contract was bought out on July 1, 2013. However, even though it doesn’t affect the salary cap, DiPietro will still be paid $1.5 million until 2029. He will be 48.

If you think that the Islanders screwed that one up, the next part will prove that they didn’t learn from their mistakes.

For those who want to follow yours truly on Twitter for some unknown reason, it’s @ThatDamnDoubleC. Also, go visit BoredWrestlingFan.com, as we’re like brothers or something. You like the little icon in the top corner where the title of this blog is? I found that here.

Los Angeles Kings

2013 NHL Entry Draft – Los Angeles Kings

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Here is a look at whom the Los Angeles Kings drafted in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, and also any trades they may have partaken in during the draft.

Round – Pick – Player Chosen (position in brackets) – Nationality – Junior/Club/College Team

2 – 37 – Valentin Zykov (LW) – Russia – Baie Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
4 – 103 – Justin Auger (RW) – Canada – Guelph Storm (OHL)
4 – 118 – Hudson Fasching (RW) – United States – USA U-18 (USHL)
5 – 146 – Patrik Bartosak (G) – Czech Republic – Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
5 – 148 – Jonny Brodzinski (C) – United States – St. Cloud State (WCHA)
6 – 178 – Zachary Leslie (D) – Canada – Guelph Storm (OHL)
7 – 191 – Dominik Kubalik (LW) – Czech Republic – Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

Florida Panthers

2013 NHL Entry Draft – Florida Panthers

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Here is a look at whom the Florida Panthers drafted in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, and also any trades they may have partaken in during the draft.

Round – Pick – Player Chosen (position in brackets) – Nationality – Junior/Club/College Team

1 – 2 – Aleksander Barkov Jr. (C) – Finland – Tappara (SM-liiga)
2 – 31 – Ian McCoshen (D) – United States – Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
4 – 92 – Evan Cowley (G) – Canada – Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL)
4 – 97 – Michael Downing (D) – United States – Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
4 – 98 – Matt Buckles (C) – Canada – St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL)
5 – 122 – Christopher Clapperton – (LW) – Canada – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
6 – 152 – Joshua Brown (D) – Canada – Oshawa Generals (OHL)
7 – 206 – MacKenzie Weegar (D) – Canada – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

General

2013 NHL Entry Draft Results – Top 10

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Sunday June 30 saw the 2013 NHL Entry Draft take place in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The projected top picks include American Defencemen Seth Jones, Canadian Forwards Nathan McKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, Finnish Forward Alexander Barkov Jr., and Russian Forward Valeri Nichuskin.

2013 NHL ENTRY DRAFT – 1ST ROUND – Top 10

Pick – Team – Player Chosen (position in brackets) – Nationality – Junior/Club/College Team

1 – Colorado Avalanche – Nathan McKinnon (C) – Canada – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
2 – Florida Panthers – Alexander Barkov Jr. (C) – Finland – Tappara (SM-liiga)
3 – Tampa Bay Lightning – Jonathan Drouin (LW) – Canada – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
4 – Nashville Predators – Seth Jones (D) – United States – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
5 – Carolina Hurricanes – Elias Lindholm (C) – Sweden – Brynas IF (SHL)
6 – Calgary Flames – Sean Monahan (C) – Canada – Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
7 – Edmonton Oilers – Darnell Nurse (C) – Canada – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
8 – Buffalo Sabres – Rasmus Ristolainen (D) – Finland – TPS Turku (SM-liiga)
9 – Vancouver Canucks – Bo Horvat (C) – Canada – London Knights (OHL)
10 – Dallas Stars – Valeri Nichuskin (RW) – Russia – HC Dynamo Moscow (KHL)

The biggest trade made during the draft involved the New Jersey Devils trading away the ninth pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, to the Vancouver Canucks, for G Cory Schneider.

Buffalo Sabres

Former Buffalo Sabre Clint Malarchuk – 30 for 30 Short Film

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This morning I decided to check my e-mail after a couple of days, and to my surprise, I had an e-mail from Jennifer Cingari at ESPN.  The e-mail contained the press release for their latest 30 for 30 Short Film, “Cutthroat.”  The appropriately titled film is about former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk, who had his throat cut by a skate during a March 22, 1989 game against the St. Louis Blues.  This is an image ingrained in the hockey culture of my hometown of Buffalo, an image intensified as Richard Zednik, then of the Florida Panthers, suffered a similar injury at the HSBC Arena (now First Niagara Center), just across the street from where Malarchuk’s injury occurred.  This is a very powerful film, as the ESPN 30 for 30 series tends to be, and it really is a must watch, regardless of what team you root for.

The next installment of ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 Shorts series, Cutthroat, debuts today on Grantland.com. The short film focuses on former Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk and his emotional and physical recovery from one of the most gruesome injuries in sports history.

Clint Malarchuk was known as the “Cowboy Goalie.” He grew up riding horses but suffered from severe childhood OCD, which he believes helped him focus on his hockey training. During a game against the St. Louis Blues, an opposing player’s skate blade severed Malarchuk’s carotid artery, causing one of the most shocking scenes to ever take place in a hockey rink. From award-winning director Steven Cantor, Cutthroat chronicles Malarchuk’s injury, his remarkable two-week physical recovery and his grueling emotional and mental journey, which spans twenty years and included a six-month stay in a mental hospital for long overdue PTSD treatment.

ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 Shorts series is artfully crafted by Blue Moon. Previous films from the series include Arnold’s Blueprint, Ali: The Mission, and The Irrelevant Giant, among others. All can be viewed on Grantland.com.

General

2013 NHL Draft Lottery Results

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April 29 saw the 2013 NHL Draft Lottery take place, which would decide the draft order from 1 to 14 in the upcoming draft, decided by the 14 teams that did not make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This was the order of placing, and their odds going into the lottery.

Rank Team % of Winning Points
1 Florida Panthers 25.0 36
2 Colorado Avalanche 18.8 39
3 Tampa Bay Lightning 14.2 40
4 Nashville Predators 10.7 41
5 Carolina Hurricanes 8.1 42
6 Calgary Flames 6.2 42
7 Edmonton Oilers 4.7 45
8 Buffalo Sabres 3.6 48
9 New Jersey Devils 2.7 48
10 Dallas Stars 2.1 48
11 Philadelphia Flyers 1.5 49
12 Phoenix Coyotes 1.1 51
13 Winnipeg Jets 0.8 51
14 Columbus Blue Jackets 0.5 55

The lottery results however, showed a slightly different story. They showed that being the worst team in the NHL, doesn’t necessarily grant you the First Overall Pick, as the Colorado Avalanche move up from 2 to 1, at the expense of the Florida Panthers, who take the 2 spot. Otherwise, there was a status quo with all other positions, meaning the draft order for the first 14 picks in the draft at the moment, are as follows:

Rank Team
1 Colorado Avalanche
2 Florida Panthers
3 Tampa Bay Lightning
4 Nashville Predators
5 Carolina Hurricanes
6 Calgary Flames
7 Edmonton Oilers
8 Buffalo Sabres
9 New Jersey Devils
10 Dallas Stars
11 Philadelphia Flyers
12 Phoenix Coyotes
13 Winnipeg Jets
14 Columbus Blue Jackets

The 2013 NHL Draft will be held Sunday June 30.

The UHF Tournament

The Ultimate Hockey Fighter Tournament – Second Round

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16 eliminated. 16 remain. Who advances on? That’s entirely up to you!

Last week, Bob Probert easily accounted for Craig Berube.

This week, the last wildcard in the second round, takes on a 6 foot 6 Canadian.

Peter Worrell
LW CAN
Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche
6’6″ 225 lbs
2×20 NHL Fights in a season
5×15 NHL Fights in a season
133 NHL Fights 19 FPY

(WC) Joey Kocur
RW CAN
Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks
6′ 220 lbs
4×20 NHL Fights in a season
5×15 NHL Fights in a season
217 NHL Fights 14.5 FPY

Why you should vote for Peter Worrell:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMs8leKx66Q[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmyb8HOVxSg[/youtube]

Why you should vote for Joey Kocur:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sdTNZX3nFM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38g6CFM_3sk[/youtube]

[poll id=”25″]

The UHF Tournament

The Ultimate Hockey Fighter Tournament – First Round

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Welcome one and all. It is finally here, the beginning of the Ultimate Hockey Fighter Tournament. 32 of hockey’s best fighters square off in a single-elimination tournament to determine just who is the Ultimate Hockey Fighter.

Wildcards are now a perfect 5 for 5 as Joey Kocur defeated Mick Vukota in last week’s matchup.

This week sees a modern day Devil against a fighter with a season of over 400PIMs.

Krys Barch
RW CAN
Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils
6’2″ 200 lbs
1×20 NHL Fights in a season
3×15 NHL Fights in a season
109 NHL Fights 15.6 FPY

Mike Peluso
LW USA
Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames
6’4″ 210 lbs
5×20 NHL Fights in a season
7×15 NHL Fights in a season
179 NHL Fights 19.9 FPY

Why you should vote for Krys Barch:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuoJSD6IhFg[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGyib_mFSWs[/youtube]

Why you should vote for Mike Peluso:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7yCgPftQAA[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiAXcbtWbLo[/youtube]

[poll id=”17″]

The UHF Tournament

The Ultimate Hockey Fighter Tournament – First Round

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Welcome one and all. It is finally here, the beginning of the Ultimate Hockey Fighter Tournament. 32 of hockey’s best fighters square off in a single-elimination tournament to determine just who is the Ultimate Hockey Fighter.

Last week’s matchup saw Craig Berube defeat George Parros, making every wildcard victorious so far.

This week sees two former Florida Panthers team-mates square off against the other.

Paul Laus
D CAN
Florida Panthers
6’1″ 216 lbs
4×20 NHL Fights in a season
6×15 NHL Fights in a season
177 NHL Fights 19.7 FPY

Peter Worrell
LW CAN
Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche
6’6″ 225 lbs
2×20 NHL Fights in a season
5×15 NHL Fights in a season
133 NHL Fights 19 FPY

Why you should vote for Paul Laus:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL9frX7qRyI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVRGN9_Yot0[/youtube]

Why you should vote for Peter Worrell:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhN6uaE5gqw[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npvOnH4YSE[/youtube]

[poll id=”15″]

The UHF Tournament

The Ultimate Hockey Fighter Tournament – First Round

By ·

Welcome one and all. It is finally here, the beginning of the Ultimate Hockey Fighter Tournament. 32 of hockey’s best fighters square off in a single-elimination tournament to determine just who is the Ultimate Hockey Fighter.

Last week’s matchup results saw Bob Probert get the last punch over Jody Shelley, to advance to the second round.

This week’s matchup sees a current day fighter against a skater with over 3000 PIM to their credit.

George Parros
RW USA
Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks
6’5″ 215 lbs
4×20 NHL Fights in a season
6×15 NHL Fights in a season
152 NHL Fights 21.6 FPY

(WC) Craig Berube
LW CAN
Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders
6’1″ 221 lbs
3×20 NHL Fights in a season
6×15 NHL Fights in a season
250 NHL Fights 14.7 FPY

Why you should vote for George Parros:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pa6KpKfNlU[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP7KJceFQ2Y[/youtube]

Why you should vote for Craig Berube:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onxeeMcvzhg[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-dNwbL56-k[/youtube]

[poll id=”14″]