Kukla's Korner

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Entries with the tag: brett+hull

Evening Line

“I had the most fun in my career in St. Louis. We had (only) two married guys on the team, a good bunch of young kids going out and having fun on the ice. We played hard, on and off the ice. St. Louis is an unbelievably good city.”

-Brett Hull.  Much more on Brett from John McGourtey of NHL.com.

Filed in: NHL Teams, St. Louis Blues | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

Brett Hull Talks His Golf Game

from Brett Hull at Golf Digest,

I could always hit the ball. It was simple for me. It’s basically the same move as hitting a slap shot in hockey. But it took me forever to get my handicap to where it is now, hovering around zero and plus-one. I had to learn how to play, how to score, and that only came around in the last four or five years. The physical ability to hit the ball doesn’t even come close to the mental side of the game. Both parts have to work together.

I started playing the summer of my freshman year in college. I went to the University of Minnesota-Duluth and my college roommates were going out to play golf. I asked if I could tag along and I was hooked from that second on.

continued

Filed in: Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

Nieuwendyk Named Stars’ GM

From TSN:

A shake up is coming in the Dallas Stars’ front office.

Sources tell TSN Joe Nieuwendyk will be named as the Stars’ general manager tomorrow afternoon.

The existing Dallas management tandem of Les Jackson and Brett Hull is expected to be reassigned, with Hull becoming a liaison to Stars owner Tom Hicks in addition to being named an executive vice president and alternate governor.

Update 4:11pm ET: Official release (via the Dallas Stars Blog) --

Dallas Stars Owner Thomas O. Hicks announced today that he has restructured the NHL club’s hockey management staff, naming Joe Nieuwendyk as the team’s new General Manager. As part of the reorganization, Co-General Managers Brett Hull and Les Jackson have been reassigned within the hockey club into positions that focus on their respective strengths. Hull will serve as Executive Vice President and Alternate Governor while Les Jackson will return to his long-time role as Director of Scouting and Player Development.

“We are very excited to secure Joe Nieuwendyk as the General Manager,” said Hicks. “These moves are all about helping this club take the proverbial ‘next step.’ Joe is a leader and has been a winner in everything he has done. He is ready for this opportunity and has a bright future as an NHL General Manager. We want that future to be with the Dallas Stars.

Update 6:17pm ET: More on events in Dallas lately from Allan Muir at SI.com.

Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull, Joe+Nieuwendyk, Les+Jackson, Tom+Hicks,

Father & Son Photos

from Melissa Isaacson of Hey, Missy at the Chicago Tribune,.  A note from a reader follows…

In response to your article of Blackhawks going to Northbrook, see the attached picture of the day the Hawks practiced at Northbrook Sports complex in 1970 when my dad took me out of school and had my picture taken with Bobby Hull when I was 10.

When I sent a copy of this picture to Brett when he was with the Red Wings in 2000 and said my son was now 10 and would love to get same pic taken, he flew us up to Detroit, took my son to a practice and game (against the Hawks, a 3-3 tie) and then came out and took same pose with my son Jake, who was 10 at the time.

more with two great pictures of Bobby and Brett Hull…

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

Hull May Soon Be Out As Co-GM

from Ken Campbell of the Hockey News,

Members of the Dallas Stars management team will sit down today to discuss the future of Sean Avery and it likely won’t be long before the man who insisted on signing Avery makes a decision on his own future.

Several NHL sources have indicated that within the next couple of weeks the Stars’ co-GM experiment with Brett Hull and Les Jackson will be history. Speculation is Hull will move to another area of the organization and will be out of the decision making process when it comes to hockey matters.

Hull’s insistence on signing Avery in the face of opposition from everyone else in the hockey department will undoubtedly be a factor in the move, but sources also say Hull isn’t really fulfilling the GM duties beyond watching the Stars play.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

Sean Avery—Decision Pending

From NHL.com:

After the meeting, [Brett] Hull spoke to the media outside the building before leaving and said that he expected a decision by later today or Friday. Avery departed after Hull and did not speak to reporters as he was escorted to a waiting car.

If a decision comes down today from the NHL, we’ll be sure to update this post.

Incidentally, Eric McErlain at AOL’s NHL Fanhouse published an interesting interview today that relates to another recent Avery incident. 

update 6:18pm, The NHL will release their decision Friday morning regarding Avery.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brett+hull, sean+avery, suspensions,

Morning Line

“This goes beyond hockey and beyond the game on the ice, and that’s what bothers me.  We have talked and talked and talked about being on the edge within the game, but not going over the line. We told him from the start that he can not do things that would embarrass the organization. Ever since the start here, this organization has been built on class, and there is a responsibility to the organization, to the owner and his family, and to the city and the fans to maintain that class. Play hard, push the game on the ice, but do not embarrass the organization.”

-Brett Hull on Sean Avery.  More from Mike Heika at the Dallas Stars blog.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull, Sean+Avery,

Avs Honoring U.S. HHOF Class

from Craig Stancher of ColoradoAvalanche.com,

On Thursday, four pioneers of American hockey will be recognized by the Colorado Avalanche before the club drops the puck against the Boston Bruins.

Cammi Granato, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter will be honored by the Avs prior to faceoff as part of the team’s opening night festivities. The following night, the four will be enshrined into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as the Class of 2008 in a ceremony on the campus of the University of Denver.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche, Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull, Brian+Leetch, Cammi+Granato, Mike+Richter,

Evening Line

“There’s a few things I would do to make it better. First of all, I’d put the red line back in. I’m get so sick of tired of seeing D-to-D, bank passes, and tip it in and chase it (hockey). It happens way too often. You look at teams like Detroit that manhandles (other) teams and they don’t do that. They keep the puck and pass to each other.”

-Brett Hull.  More from Hull at TSN.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

Headed To The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

from NHL.com,

Cammi Granato, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter will be enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as the Class of 2008 it was announced today by USA Hockey.

The quartet will be formally inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Denver at an induction dinner set for 7 p.m. (MT) on Friday, Oct. 10, at Magness Arena on the campus of the University of Denver. The following evening—Sat., Oct. 11—the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game will take place in the same venue, when the University of Denver men’s ice hockey team takes on the University of Notre Dame at 7:07 p.m.

continued

Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull, Brian+Leetch, Cammi+Granato, Mike+Richter,

Hull On Woods

from the Hockey News,

“It’s unfortunate that he would say that, because there’s a guy I really admire,” Hull told THN.com Wednesday. “I look to him as a Wayne Gretzky type of person that always does the right things and says the right things, not only for his sport but as an ambassador for sport in general.

Woods’ insults seemed particularly baffling to Hull given his previous experience meeting the world’s No. 1 golfer when Hull was still an active player for the Stars.

more

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull, Tiger+Woods,

Brett Hull Chatter

From Joe O’Connor at the National Post, some chat with Brett Hull, co-GM of the Dallas Stars.  A sampling:

National Post: You were a goal scorer and a teammate of Dominik Hasek in Detroit. And you know Chris Osgood, whose been around a long time. So, do you have any tips for Dallas’ shooters in the Western final?
Brett Hull: The way goalies play goal now, they are all the same. There are only certain places you can shoot today on an NHL goalie and score. [...]

NP: What is your guilty pleasure?
BH: Can I say tequila?

NP: Finish this sentence for me: Old scorers never die they just…
BH: Learn to score off the ice.

more...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brett+hull,

Talking with the Dallas Stars

From some short Q&A time with the media on Wednesday, below are transcripts from interviews with these Dallas Stars players and management:

  • Marty Turco
  • Brad Richards
  • Mike Modano
  • Brett Hull

Continue Reading ยป

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brad+richards, brett+hull, interviews, marty+turco, media, mike+modano,

Dallas GMs Bring Positive Results

From Mike Heika at The Dallas Morning News,

Co-general managers Les Jackson and Brett Hull say their role is limited in the playoffs and that they haven’t done anything spectacular. They actually credit former GM Doug Armstrong with doing a lot of the work to help create a team that knocked off the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks in six games in the first round.

Yet, just as it is with the forwards, it’s clear that the change at GM has produced positive results.

“I think there’s definitely a different feel,” said owner Tom Hicks, who fired Armstrong in November and made the highly-criticized move of naming two GMs to run the team. “I just think there was tension between the players and management, and something needed to change. You can feel a more positive attitude.”

more...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brett+hull, doug+armstrong, les+jackson, tom+hicks,

Hull Wants Accountability From Players

from the Star-Telegram,

As the Stars head into today’s matchup against the Los Angeles Kings, Hull said the team needs one aspect above all else: accountability.

“It’s totally up to the players to get it together,” Hull said. “[Steve] Ott needs to be accountable for [Mike] Modano, Modano for [Mark] Fistric. That’s what I think we’re lacking right now. We’ve got to have accountability for each other.”

Hull said he hasn’t seen a bad Stars team. He’s seen a team that’s “played horrendous for a few minutes each game, and it’s cost us.”

And the errors have been widespread.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

Hull Learning Quickly

from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,

This is a lot different than I thought it would be,” says Hull by phone from Dallas, where he’s actually preparing for a week in Hawaii, something he had planned with his wife and kids before he was given the interim co-GM title Nov. 13....

“You see, I have a very set idea of the kind of team I’d like and the way I’d like it to play, and I guess you’d have to be an idiot not to guess that it would include a more entertaining style. But it’s damned hard to get that.

“Here I was thinking you just had to call another team and they would talk to you about trading a player, and you just went out and got this guy and that guy, and moved this guy off your team, and that’s what you could do.

“Now you talk to a team and all you hear is, ‘Well my guy makes $3.1 million and your guy makes $2.7 million and there’s 400 grand difference and so we can’t make the deal. I mean, it’s ridiculous. Making a trade is pretty tough.”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

Did Brett Hull Save JFJ’s Job?

From Jim Kelley at Sports Illustrated,

Is it possible that Brett Hull might save Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson, Jr.’s job?

Seems illogical, but then logic rarely is a dominant theme at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, a behemoth in terms of producing revenue, but a consistent failure in terms of on-ice success in the NHL.

The buzz for weeks has been that MLSE’s board of directors has been contemplating Ferguson’s dismissal, but the recent appointment of Hull as interim co-director of the Dallas Stars may have made an impact in Toronto.

The argument in favor of keeping the beleaguered Ferguson has long centered on a simple question: “Who can we get to replace him?” That question gave the board some pause this past offseason when several high profile (and under contract) GMs quietly let it be known they weren’t interested in the board’s plan to bring in an experienced hockey man to “mentor” Ferguson.

continued... including a look at shakeups in Dallas, St. Louis and Florida

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brett+hull, dallas+stars, john+ferguson+jr, toronto+maple+leafs,

Ice Level Game Call

from William Houston of the Globe and Mail,

TSN will use a new play-by-play configuration for tonight’s Montreal Canadiens-Buffalo Sabres telecast. Chris Cuthbert and Glenn Healy will call the game at ice level, which they’ve done before, but this time Pierre McGuire will provide additional analysis from the broadcast booth as an “eye in the sky.”

TSN’s Mike Milbury called the appointment of Brett Hull, who has no managerial experience, to the position of interim co-general manager of the Dallas Stars “an insult” to all NHL general managers.

more hockey notes…

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brett+hull, dallas+stars, media, mike+milbury, pierre+mcguire, tsn,

Hull On Hull

from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

How would Brett Hull the GM have handled the outspoken, larger-than-life Brett Hull as a player. His answer, word for word:

“You know what? That was the problem. Everyone tried to deal with him (Brett, speaking in the third person) instead of just letting him go out and play - or letting him be himself. If there was a Brett Hull out there right now, I would try to get him - because I know, he’s passionate about the game and brings a dynamic into my room...”.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull, dallas+stars,

Advice For Hull

from Mike Brophy of the Hockey News,

If I am Brett Hull, I call Bob Gainey and ask him about patience as a GM. How developing and sticking with a game plan is better than always being on the lookout for a one-timer.

If I am Brett Hull, I call Ken Hitchcock and get him to thoroughly explain to me the value of teamwork, preparation and defensive play.

If I am Brett Hull, I call Lombardi and ask him how to build and guide a scouting staff.

more
Note: earlier reaction to this news here

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull, dallas+stars,

Wrong Move Dallas

from the Star-Telegram,

Same coach? Same goaltender? Same guy who hired Armstrong?

Add to that the announcement that Brett Hull was being transferred from the golf course to the interim co-general manager’s office, and it was an odd day at Stars Inc.

Would somebody please explain it to me? I’m wondering what, exactly, does an “interim co-general manager” do? Make trades? Harvest the locker room gossip? Draft the next Sidney Crosby?

Why, after three straight quick playoff exits and after this season’s disappointing start, fire the general manager and not head coach Dave Tippett?

more

Update 12:16pm ET: Scott Burnside of ESPN weighs-in on the Brett Hull selection.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brett+hull, dallas+stars,

Dallas Stars Have New Interim GMs

From the Dallas Stars,

Dallas Stars Chairman of the Board and Owner Thomas O. Hicks announced this afternoon that Brett Hull and Les Jackson have been named Interim Co-General Managers to run the Stars’ Hockey Operations for the remainder of the season. Earlier today Hicks announced that he relieved Doug Armstrong from his duties as General Manager of the hockey club.

*Doug Armstrong was let go earlier today

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: brett+hull, dallas+stars, les+jackson,

Hull’s Role Not Yet Defined

from the Dallas News,

“I’m here to help the organization any way I can,” said Hull, who served as assistant to president Jim Lites last season.

When asked if that’s something he can seriously do, Hull responded confidently: “I don’t see why not. ... I’ve got a boatload of knowledge, and everyone has to figure out how to tap into it.”

Hull has a few ideas. He would love to simply open up a brain that has soaked up hockey since he was a kid watching his father, Bobby, and his uncle Dennis, and let the contents spill out. He would love to try the Jackson Pollock philosophy of pouring his paint onto a blank canvas to see what kind of masterpiece would appear.

But he’s smart enough to know better.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brett+Hull,

     

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