Kukla's Korner

FSN to Go All HD

Blog: Eye on the Media By Steve

05/20/08 at 02:39 PM ET | Comments (0)

From Broadcasting Engineering:

Regional sports networks powerhouse FSN will begin around-the-clock HD telecasts in the first quarter of 2009, FSN Networks president Randy Freer said Monday at NCTA’s The Cable Show in New Orleans.

The initiative means that FSN will have the capability to produce its entire slate of more than 3000 Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and NCAA football and basketball games in HD.

More: 

Filed in: | Eye on the Media | Permalink
 

Great Players, Great Teams

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

05/20/08 at 02:36 PM ET | Comments (1)

from Jim Kelley at Sportsnet,

...Which brings us all the way back to 1994 when the New York Rangers battled the tenacious Vancouver Canucks through seven games at a time when the NHL was thought to be on the rise vs. NBA and within the company of other major sports leagues.

Detroit vs. Pittsburgh, the matchup that kicks off the 2008 Stanley Cup final this Saturday in Detroit, has that kind of cache.

It’s not just that it features many of the best young and old players in the game. That matters and so does the entertainment value of two teams that skate well and score goals in an entertaining fashion. But what’s good for the NHL and best for fan interest in markets that don’t usually care about hockey is that the league appears to have brought forth what people expect in a championship series: great players playing for what most everyone in and outside of hockey regard as the two best teams.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

The Fall Guy

Blog: Canucks and Beyond By Alanah McGinley

05/20/08 at 02:16 PM ET | Comments (0)

From Dan Murphy at Sportsnet.ca:

When Dave Nonis was fired and replaced by Gillis, I was among the many who thought Vigneault was on very shaky ground. I mean, how many times do you see a coach survive a GM change? It’s common practise for the new GM to bring in “his guy.”

Now I know what you’re thinking. Gillis is simply keeping Vigneault on so he has a fall guy if things don’t start out well this season. Perhaps. [...]

[But if ] I was a betting man (and I’m going to Vegas this weekend so you better believe I am) I would lay odds that we’ll hear news about a Vigneault extension before we hear about a Vigneault dismissal. But that’s just me.

Hmm. Perhaps. But if I was a betting woman (and I don’t go anywhere near Vegas as a rule because I am, and I’m really, really bad at it) I would lay odds that we’ll be hearing more about that “fall guy” plan, not a dismissal or an extension.

Seems like just the right approach for a clever new GM looking to build some personal job security in this business.

Filed in: alanah makes dumb bets, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
  Tags: alain+vigneault, mike+gillis,

An Inspirational Hockey Fan

Blog: KK Hockey By Alanah McGinley

05/20/08 at 02:02 PM ET | Comments (0)

From Marty Henwood at Hockey.com,

The Summerside, PEI native, who battles a neuromuscular disorder that prevents him from speaking, won CBC’s Bring Home The Cup contest, meaning legendary captain Mark Messier, along with Lord Stanley himself, paid a visit to town over the weekend.

Adam Bourque. An inspiration. One heck of a hockey fan. And, oh, yeah, Summerside’s newest celebrity.

Watching Adam Bourque’s video entry to the contest — in which a computer had to transmit his words for him — one must marvel at not only his courage but the passion he has for a game. And it shows the importance of the Stanley Cup, what it means to not only those who dream of lifting it one day, but those who just dare to dream, period.

continued with more about Adam.  Video can be seen here.

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: adam+bourque, cbc, hnic, hockey+fans, media,

A World-Class Stanley Cup Final

Blog: KK Hockey By Alanah McGinley

05/20/08 at 01:54 PM ET | Comments (0)

From Paul Kukla at Hockey.com,

Two weeks ago I wrote the Wings and Penguins were locks to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. Somehow my wires got crossed and I predicted the Wings in five and Penguins in six. Does being close count?

Although I hate the prediction game, I do feel obligated to continue on. Therefore, I am taking the Detroit Red Wings route and saying Wings in 7. No matter how I look at this matchup, I cannot see one team being a dominating force and I just see a series that will be highly-entertaining and one that will draw the attention of sports fans worldwide.

continued...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: stanley+cup+playoffs,

Key Points

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

05/20/08 at 01:44 PM ET | Comments (2)

from Ian Mendes of Sportsnet,

So as I sit here in the terminal waiting to board my flight to Windsor (sounds glamorous, doesn’t it?), here are my five notable things to look for in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals.

The Setting:

This series will be a showcase of the greatest skill and talent the game has to offer. But instead of watching this marvelous display of hockey artistry from the luxury of a modern facility, we will be confined to Joe Louis and Mellon Arena. This is like watching a Broadway performance of Les Miserables from a dinner theatre at your local Denny’s. It just doesn’t seem right.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Two Different Roads - One Goal In Mind

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

05/20/08 at 12:43 PM ET | Comments (0)

from TSN,

After six weeks of marathon hockey, the stage is finally set for a Stanley Cup Final between the game’s marquee player and the game’s marquee franchise. At one end of the ice, it’s arguably the NHL’s best-run club in the Detroit Red Wings. At the other end, it’s a young and fiery Pittsburgh Penguins club led by Sidney Crosby.

And though both teams share the moniker as the NHL’s cream of the crop, their paths to glory have been very different.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins were slowly and painstakingly built up from scratch.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Canucks Humor—Accidental & Intended

Blog: Canucks and Beyond By Alanah McGinley

05/20/08 at 12:27 PM ET | Comments (4)

For the accidental kind, a rumor from the well-reasoned minds at HockeyBuzz.com who apparently have this notion about Jaromir Jagr for next season:

“...if Jagr is remaining in North America a few other teams including LA, Edmonton and Vancouver are rumoured to have interest as well.”

Nice, huh? That’s almost enough to incite a Mark Messier flashback and drop an innocent Canucks’ fan into the fetal position.

For a much more accurate (and awesome) assessment of how to improve the Canucks this summer, the Bleacher Report’s ‘Elbow Murderpants’ has a prescription for the future titled, “Vancouver Canucks: Their First Steps to Greatness!”

Continue Reading »

Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
  Tags: draft, jaromir+jagr, rumors, vancouver+canucks,

Welcoming the Hockey World to Detroit

Blog: KK Hockey By Alanah McGinley

05/20/08 at 12:13 PM ET | Comments (7)

From Paul Kukla at NHL.com,

I am taking a different approach today and will officially welcome you to the Metro Detroit area. I ask you to forget all the negative things you have read and heard about Motown. Sure there are areas you want to avoid, just like every large city in the world. Instead I will point out how the folks in Southeast Michigan will welcome you with open arms. We are a hard working bunch, and although this area is suffering through a down-turn in the automotive industry, we still are trying to keep our heads above water. Approach us, talk to us, we don’t bite and want to talk hockey with you and get your feelings on our game.

Michiganders love hockey, we love that is all that is good about the sport. It is in our blood and we have been playing in the NHL since the mid-1920’s. Our father’s father passed the game on to us. Our mother’s know the game too. We appreciate the special talents each and every NHL player has. We are amazed and hypnotized by the action on the ice and we feel part of the Detroit Red Wings family. Plain and simple, we are hockey fans.

more...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Talk, NHL Playoff Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: stanley+cup+finals,

Hockey Media Approval Ratings: James Duthie

Blog: Eye on the Media By Steve

05/20/08 at 12:00 PM ET | Comments (1)

Here’s an interesting name.  The amiable James Duthie is our next victim.  Duthie is a host of “SportsCentre” for TSN, as well as the network’s NHL studio show.  He’s also hosted shows about the NBA, CFL, and writes a column for TSN.ca called “The Good, The Bad and the Duthie”.

So, what do you think about what he’s doing?

Continue Reading »

Filed in: | Eye on the Media | Permalink
 

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