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Category: NHL-Talk

Twitter Ethics

by Paul on 11/20/09 at 12:28 PM ET
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from Stu Hackel of Slap Shot at the NY Times,

The line between journalism and gossip has become a very thin one in recent years (and with some in this business, it doesn’t exist at all), and there is an ongoing discussion about whether Twitter is or isn’t journalism. Regardless, when journalists tweet, those 140 characters can carry some professional authority that civilians’ tweets don’t.

Should journalists be held to a different standard of tweeting than the rest of the world? The answer to that is part of the larger discussion now taking place about Twitter and journalism (more on that here from the blog of the University of British Columbia’s Alfred Hermida). Suffice to say, when it comes to hockey journalism and Twitter, there are conventions, rules and ethics still to be worked out and instituted.

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Trying To Sell The Coyotes

by Paul on 11/18/09 at 07:35 AM ET
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from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

Gary Bettman was in Phoenix the other day, spinning a few tales about the impending sale of the Coyotes.

Well, impending may be stretching things a tad, as the NHL commissioner is now saying he expects the sale to be completed by the end of the hockey season. And local fans shouldn’t worry about that Dec. 31 deadline the league established to give priority to buyers who will keep the team in its suburban Glendale arena. As Bettman told the Arizona Republic, “I’m not concerned about Dec. 31 or Jan. 1.”

Besides, the commish said, he has six potential buyers on the line. But as anyone selling real estate knows, a potential buyer is anyone who stops in front of your For Sale sign.

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Hockey Fights Cancer Month A Big Success

by Paul on 11/17/09 at 02:27 PM ET
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NEW YORK / TORONTO (November 17, 2009) – The National Hockey League® (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) together raised more than $650,000 in support of Hockey Fights Cancer and other cancer-related organizations during October’s Awareness Month.

More than half-a-million fans attended Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Nights that were hosted by each NHL club, helping to raise funds for local charities.  Broadcasters also participated in the awareness nights through extensive coverage of the initiative.  More than 11 million viewers tuned in and watched these telecasts through national and local television coverage, and streaming online via NHL GameCenter Live.

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All Gary Bettman

by Paul on 11/17/09 at 12:30 PM ET
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An in-depth interview with Gary Bettman from MACLEANS,

Q: It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for you, at least publicly. Do you still enjoy your job?

A: I love the job. I’m passionate about the game, and the people around the game, the way we as a sport connect with our fans. Every job has challenges, things that make the job interesting. I’m not exactly sure, by the way, that I buy into your characterization of tumultuous. That seems to be a little dramatic, perhaps media-centric, as opposed to the reality. But every business has day-to-day challenges, and that’s part of what gets those of us who work going every day.

Q: We want to give you a chance to respond to the broad perception here in Canada that you feel the future of the game lies in the United States—and that the real reason the NHL was in court this summer was to keep Canada from getting more teams.

A: I’ve got to ask you a question about your question. Where does that perception come from? What is it based on? Give me any factual basis and I’ll answer the question.

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Gambling In The Game

by Paul on 11/17/09 at 06:47 AM ET
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from Bill Lankhof of the Toronto Sun,

National Football League executives pat themselves on the back, noting they haven’t had a major gambling scandal in close to 50 years. National Hockey League vice-president Bill Daly calls gambling on NHL games by players or club officials a “hypothetical” issue.

Mostly, professional sports league administrators speak about how they have the twin-headed monster that is gambling and associated crime covered.

“Bull,” says Arnie Wexler, the former executive director of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling, a renowned speaker and a self-described “recovering compulsive gambler” who has counselled numerous professional and college athletes.

“This is a huge problem not only with players but some executives,” Wexler says. “It’s a hidden secret. They don’t want the information to get out to the public. So they try to hide it. They’re afraid the media will write about it.

“This is the big dirty secret. This is a bigger, dirtier secret than steroids for pro sports and it will be the next explosion.”

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Talking With Gretzky

by Paul on 11/16/09 at 02:25 PM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

I wanted to bounce a couple of rumours off Gretzky while I was at it. One - that he might be interested in getting involved in a second Toronto-based NHL team that would operate out of Vaughan in the north end of city.

“Nothing to it,” he said, although he mentioned that he played hockey Sunday nights for the Vaughan Nationals on the same team as Bill Kitchen, brother of former NHLer Mike Kitchen.

Another idea making the rounds: That Hockey Canada will ask him to coach at the 2010 world championships this spring, post-Olympics. So far, they haven’t contacted him about the opportunity, but he didn’t rule it out either. Gretzky did note that he’d played golf for a couple of days in California with former Oilers teammate Craig MacTavish, who will coach Canada’s entry in the Spengler Cup over Christmas. Gretzky put himself in the same category as MacTavish - of a coach currently between jobs but looking eventually to get back in.

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 Tags: Wayne+Gretzky,

Only One Winter Classic Game

by Paul on 11/16/09 at 11:31 AM ET
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from John Shannon of Sportsnet,

Creating revenue streams for the league and teams is important, particularly in these trying days of disappearing sponsorship dollars. But just adding games won’t necessarily add extra dollars, but it will dilute what has already been created.

That means play one game – and one game only - on Jan. 1.

There are forces within the league that would like one, two, maybe even three more games. And it’s not just the “New York office” wanting these things. It’s no secret that Montreal wanted to host a game at Olympic Stadium. And there was a lot of discussion of a Toronto-Calgary game at McMahon Stadium. But the league and the teams have to show some level of composure and realize what is best for the game.

And what is best for the game is just one game on Jan. 1.

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 Tags: Winter+Classic,

Follow The Rule Book

by Paul on 11/16/09 at 10:53 AM ET
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from William Houston of Truth & Rumours,

Very little of what Mike Milbury says makes sense to me, but he was right about one thing on Saturday night.

The NHL does not need new rules to address the worst of the head shots – the predatory, blindside attacks.

“The rules are already in place,” he said on Hockey Night In Canada. “There’s enough power for Colin Campbell to make a change.”

Not said by Milbury is that Campbell, the NHL’s senior vice-president in charge of discipline, won’t do anything.

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NHL Dragging Their Feet Regarding Head Shots

by Paul on 11/16/09 at 07:20 AM ET
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from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, a member of the competition committee and a proponent of taking action on head shots, wasn’t too hopeful when the league announced it would create a study group on the issue to report back in March.

“It’s been the slowest reaction I’ve ever seen to anything,” Miller said. “This was brought up years ago. We asked for something, and we asked for their respect in looking into it. Players have asked for it to be taken seriously every year, and there’s no appetite for it. It’s never going to go through on a vote.”

Miller is good friends with David Booth of the Florida Panthers, who was concussed as a result of a hit delivered by Mike Richards last month.

more hockey notes…

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Early Credit

by Paul on 11/15/09 at 03:21 PM ET
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from Kevin Allen of Mucking and Grinding,

With teams starting to sort out in the NHL standings, there are folks in the hockey world that deserve more recognition for what they are doing:

5. NHL fans: Considering the uncertainty of the economy, the league’s attendance seems strong. Seventeen teams are playing to 97% or better capacity, and only four teams (Phoenix, Florida, Atlanta and the New York Islanders)

6. Detroit Red Wings coach Mke Babcock:  GM Ken Holland usually, and rightfully, receives plenty of credit for keeping this franchise on to. However, Babcock’s coaching plays a big role. We can see that this season as the team has overcome defections to stay in the mix as one of the league’s best teams....

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