In all honesty, as much as I was rooting for McCarty to succeed. . . that’s how much I want Lemieux to fail. 

Some grudges run deep I guess. . .

Posted by halomasterd4n on 11/25/08 at 03:16 PM ET

Hey Eric,

We should be rooting for you to quit writing.

Regards,
All Red Wings Fans Everywhere

Claude Lemieux doesn’t belong in pro hockey anymore, unless it’s to watch him get beat the eff down by Cam Neely or Darren McCarty.

I normally respect McErlain’s writing, but this reeks of someone trying to get attention. Some people do it by making up “trade rumors” (coughcoughGarriochcoughcough), others do it this way.

Posted by Nathan on 11/25/08 at 03:17 PM ET

<quote>Throwing Lemieux into that mix in a playoff series could only make a potentially titanic clash all the more epic. </quote>

I think by “more epic” he means “less watchable”.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Anaheim, CA on 11/25/08 at 03:22 PM ET

Rooting for Claude Lemiuex to come back to make the Western Conference playoffs more exciting is like rooting for the Third Reich to come back to make U.S.-Europe relations more exciting.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 11/25/08 at 03:27 PM ET

Go on, Sasquatch.  Here’s your free pass(es) to elbow Lapuke into oblivion.

Posted by SYF from a "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" on 11/25/08 at 03:29 PM ET

J.J, that was one of the best comments I have ever heard.

Posted by Sp4r7an on 11/25/08 at 03:40 PM ET

This is one of those articles that irritates the hell out of me because the media member says, “This would be such a great story, so clearly, hockey fans need to root for what the media/blogger wants to happen!” 

Um, no.  People are allowed to form their own opinions.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/25/08 at 03:41 PM ET

This is one of those articles that irritates the hell out of me because the media member says, “This would be such a great story, so clearly, hockey fans need to root for what the media/blogger wants to happen!”

That reminds me of a lot of blog posts on a certain . . “rumor” site.

Posted by halomasterd4n on 11/25/08 at 03:44 PM ET

I’ll root for him if only to seek McCarty thow him a beatin’ again.

Rooting for Lame-ewwww is like rooting for jock itch.

Posted by wingsfanindenver on 11/25/08 at 03:50 PM ET

ll root for him if only to seek McCarty thow him a beatin’ again.

I feel like that beating should be taking place in the AHL, personally.  I’m sure somebody will put it on youtube for us.

Posted by halomasterd4n on 11/25/08 at 03:52 PM ET

I’m rooting for Lemieux….

To play a game in Albany so I can give him the beer shower I’ve been hoping to give him for a long, long time now.

Posted by HockeyJoe from Upstate New York on 11/25/08 at 03:57 PM ET

Rooting for Lepuke is like rooting for Esa Tikannen,  Dale Hunter, Chris Simon….Marty McSorley and his 2 handed baseball swing on who was it Brashear?
Hey, we can include Patty Waaah’s 2 sons on this list too!

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 11/25/08 at 04:06 PM ET

I think by “more epic” he means “less watchable”.

Either that, or at least one of the teams will lose in an earlier round of the playoffs.  What is obvious to everyone in November has a tendency to get derailed somewhere along the way. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 11/25/08 at 05:34 PM ET

I love the last comment in the video that the “rematch” was a LaPew “statement” to the Wings. Well, I guess that’s true…if the statement was, “Hey, I love getting my ass kicked by McCarty.”

Darren is past his prime as a fighter, but I’m guessing he’d work out an extra hour a day if he thought there was a snowball’s chance in hell of throwing down with LaPuke once again. So, with that in mind, I’m rooting for LaPutrid’s return as well.

What’s disturbing to me is that it’s the Sharks that apparently are considering giving this punk a roster spot. I can’t believe a quality guy like Todd McLellan would ever allow that. Uncle Mike taught him better than that.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 11/25/08 at 06:34 PM ET

I’m rooting for Lemieux to sign with the Sharks, Forsberg to get a bionic ankle and sign with the Avs, Ed Belfour to sign with the Stars…

...oh, wait… how about I actually cheer for PLAYERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY RELEVANT NOW!?!?!

Seriously, it sounds like this dude just needs to put his copy of NHL ‘96 in his Sega Genesis and exorcise these demons.

Jesus.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 11/25/08 at 07:04 PM ET

He would whoop McCarty’s ass

Posted by DrW from Detroit on 11/25/08 at 07:47 PM ET

I really don’t care about any sort of “ass-whoopin.’” I have a problem with a player whose long list of hockey achievements don’t quite measure up to the length of the freight train needed to haul his ego from rink to rink, whose favourite hockey player is and always will be himself, and enjoys milking the concept that the player whose career he nearly ended is in fact a jerk because that player a) really hurt himself b) is a putz for choosing to not speak to the gentleman who believes that that player is at fault for the titanium plates that hold his right orbital bone together and affix his upper jaw to his skull. 

The “at fault” guy has moved on and just plays hockey.  The “victimized victimizer” hasn’t moved on from that event, nor has he moved on from being the president of his own fan club.

Claude Lemieux makes Dominik Hasek’s ego trips look like treatises in transcendent humility, and the problem with Lemieux is that, until now, anyway, the jerk’s skills have been able to back up his yappy mouth (at least until teams toss him out of their locker room). 

It’s not about an ass-whoopin’—I just don’t like that ass.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/25/08 at 08:10 PM ET

It’s not about an ass-whoopin’—I just don’t like that ass.

Actually, George, it’s about both. It’s about an ass of a player supposedly getting serious consideration from what I thought was a quality team. And if that ass really does make it back to the NHL, it will definitely be all about someone (hopefully D-Mac) kicking his sorry ass from one end of the rink to the other.

And maybe you’re right DrW, maybe LaPuke will take D-Mac. But rest assured, someone in the league will make this punk sorry he ever left the rough-and-tumble Japanese League.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 11/25/08 at 11:23 PM ET

I can’t believe a quality guy like Todd McLellan would ever allow that. Uncle Mike taught him better than that.

OTC, Ledouche has long time connections with GM Doug Wilson from what I’ve read. Will McLellan actually play him? Only if he earns a spot on that very talented team.

Posted by Osrt on 11/26/08 at 01:02 AM ET

I would imagine that coaches coach whoever their GM wants them to, and if the player is believed to give them an edge in the playoffs…The Wings have employed Ulfie Samuelsson and Wendell Clark in the same year, and brought Big Bert aboard per Ken Holland’s wishes.  I would imagine that Claude Lemieux isn’t looked at as the Antichrist in some circles…

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/26/08 at 01:26 AM ET

...serious consideration from what I thought was a quality team.

That’s the thing—I don’t think it’s very serious.  Here’s the David Pollak beatwriter piece which makes clear that it’s a Worcester (AHL) move.  I don’t think this becomes an NHL-impact move, though; the Sharks will already have to work in Torrey Mitchell into their forward ranks once he returns from injury.

And if it ever does happen that CL by necessity or by merit earns his way onto a stacked NHL roster, I don’t know why this would be a bad move then.  It’s only got upside, even if it’s very unlikely to happen.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Anaheim, CA on 11/26/08 at 01:34 AM ET

Rooting for Claude Lemiuex to come back to make the Western Conference playoffs more exciting is like rooting for the Third Reich to come back to make U.S.-Europe relations more exciting.

Quoting once again for truthfulness.

Posted by Primis on 11/26/08 at 09:05 AM ET

And if it ever does happen that CL by necessity or by merit earns his way onto a stacked NHL roster, I don’t know why this would be a bad move then.

Well, sure, you’d want to see LaPutrid make it back, Earl. That way Pronger would no longer be the biggest punk in the league.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 11/26/08 at 11:52 AM ET

That way Pronger would no longer be the biggest punk in the league.

Somehow, with this crowd, I doubt it buys me very much relief from Prongerhate. 

I’m just saying, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as some have made it out to be.  Wake me up if he ever gets promoted.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Anaheim, CA on 11/26/08 at 11:58 AM ET

Somehow, with this crowd, I doubt it buys me very much relief from Prongerhate.

The only thing that will get you any “relief” from that, Earl, is if Chrissy stops delivering head shots and gooning it up on the ice and starts playing the hard-nosed hockey he’s capable of. I’ll be sure to wake you up if that ever happens. Ah, have a nice loooooong nap, my friend.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 11/26/08 at 01:38 PM ET