Pride is good in small doses, but never something to depend on. With last nights’ varying adjustments in pride, attitude, and stripping away false senses of security, the bottom eight of both Conferences as well as that elusive shot at the Prize of the West, are anything but solid.

The firestorm from Calgary arrived in Charlotte, and an eager Canes band, newly re-united with Eric Cole proceeded to put them out like a dog soaking a lit cigarette in the street. Any boost the recent trade deadline produced, coupled with the win over Philadelphia was sufficiently damped.

I don’t think this was truly much more than a bad shift of the moon and just one of those nights that the best intentions go awry. Calgary was at least present during the game, but flat. They certainly owed their goaltender Curtis McElhinney more than they have delivered to him in his 13 NHL appearances.

On the flipside, it has been nice to see Sergei Samsonov in the similar form he was as an Edmonton Oiler, with the Moscow native netting 2 points, and the game winning goal.

While not an utterly critical game for the Flames, it was a necessary duece for the Hurricanes, who remain on the cusp of a Playoff hunt.

The Great One led his pack of canine-like creatures into the Herd to tangle in Buffalo. And now you know what it sounds like when a great crushing occurs.

Even with the best efforts of Ilya Bryzgalov and one of my favorite defencemen, Ken Klee, Maxim Afinegenov and the Slug pack pulled a win out of the hat. Even if watching Klee bank Afinegenov off of the boards like a five cent bouncy ball made me hold me breath for a moment.

With one point and one game separating the Sabres once again from the Stanley Cup Playoffs it was a do or die game delivered to throngs of blue and gold from familiar names like Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly. Having Patrick Lalime minding the net for Buffalo’s injured Miller Time hasn’t been a bad call on Lindy Ruff’s part, either.

A Sabres win tonight against Ottawa will bounce Pittsburgh out of the Top 8, and Buffalo into the golden block.

Nothing says retribution like playing against the team that traded you only two weeks before. But for Mathieu Schneider, it’s a full circle come to life as the current Habs defenceman plays on the roster of the very man who centered his 1993 Stanley Cup victory against the Los Angeles Kings, Guy Carbonneau. It would not only be the last time the Canadiens would hold the Cup, but the last time they would even see the Stanley Cup Finals since.

Unfortunately, with the way Les Habitats played in Philips Arena, minus the obvious work of Schneider and excellent goaltending of Cary Price, Playoff dreams could potentially slip away. The play was lackluster and uninspired at best.

Atlanta, however, actually brought a game to the arena to give the fans something other than the door prizes to take home. At the worst, it would have made a South Park caricature.

Carbo believes that the Habs brought some effort. I didn’t see it. Except for when young Zach Bogosian took a healthy beating with a smile on the assaulting Hab’s face. That was like warm cocoa on a cold winter night.

Skate ‘em, Carbo, for old time’s sake.

St. Louis met the Lightning at home in Tampa Bay’s St. Pete Times Forum, where they proceeded to sing a song of good ole hockey that gave the Bolts the blues. In typical fashion, Tampa responded to a 3 goal deficit in the third period with their own set of three to force overtime.

But there would be no tacos.

First, they were in Tampa. Second, in sudden death overtime, a forth goal was the night’s limit.

Since that made no sense to most hockey greenhorns, I’ll explain it. Before the infamous Hockey Lockout of 2004-2005, local Taco Bell restaurants in the St. Louis area offered thirty-five cent tacos the day following a Blues game when the Blues scored five goals or more. On the forth goal, the crowd would begin to chant, “We Want TACOS!”

And I’m going to miss Gary Roberts. It was an honor to have him grace the Bolts jersey.

In a must-win battle for the potential 8th seed in the West, the Dallas Stars and 10th ranked Anaheim Ducks met in a battle royale. The Stars, in an onslaught once again spearheaded by Ribiero and backended by Marty Turco, show us what the Dallas Stars do best on the ice, divide and conquer.

They continually kept Anaheim split on the forecheck, drove a triangle pattern to the net, and somehow it worked. I haven’t seen much of Anaheim this year, but it appears the Ducks are flying south, with the Stars rising into the eighth slot. With the matchup of Edmonton and Toronto, the future of that slot remains insecure.

The bottom ranks of the East and West are shifting day to day, so get ready for March’s Hairy Ride to the Finish.

And that, my friends, is hockey as we know it.

And yes, I love this job. Thanks to Alin Mateescu and staff for bringing me to RMT.

Arguably, the best fan-centric franchise in the NHL resides at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. In their fledgling nine years, as of January 3rd, 2009, the Wild have sold out every home game in their arena’s history. They have also retired only one jersey in that nine year history. It chokes me up to think about it, because when I look deeply into my inner canuck, I realize that this is simply the way things should be in our great sport.

The Minnesota Wild will never have a player with the number 1 on their jersey, because that star player is their fans.

If you drive north for three hours, you are still in Wild territory. You will also find yourself in the presence of the World’s Largest Hockey Stick, in Eveleth, Minnesota.

Waivers. There’s something disheartening about that word, one that makes a player rethink their history, hope for the future, and attempt to avoid a sense of misery. It’s not a trade, a trade has a larger sense of respect to it.

Yet, there he was. He had been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Anaheim, in the megolithic age of players like Steve Rucchin, Paul Kariya, and Niclas Havelid, back when the Ducks actually had a logo.

He had a ring with the Carolina Hurricanes, when against a storm of attacks from the League’s best in Chris Pronger, Michael Peca, and Ryan Smyth, he was allowed to have his day with Lord Stanley’s Cup.

And yet again, the silver taste on his lips hung as he chased it, once again in the Playoffs with Ottawa as a Senator.

Then, he found himself on waivers.

There’s something brewing in Toronto, and as much as many of us outside of Burke’s domain have ridiculed him, we saw, as Alex Ovechkin also watched from the sidelines, a sense of urgency and fury that we should not so quickly expect from a currently bottom third ranked team.

Ovechkin’s good, but I’m gaining faith in the Swiss Martin Gerber. For a goaltender who has been to the Playoffs with every team he’s played on, this could be a sign, Toronto.

It’s easy to get a big head. You have the contract, get to date the pretty models, and if you are proactive enough, you find yourself in the news quite a bit. It’s all cake until your only claim to fame is the “Most Hated Player in Hockey”. Bettman gets kudos. I’ve been watching the interviews, watching the play of our titled anti-hero, and I have to say, the guy I used to despise is growing on me.

I can’t believe I’m truly beginning to like Sean Avery. Finally, the guy has come to actually play hockey.

If I had nothing to like about the Rangers before, as a Bolt fan first and foremost, I have to say Torty is an excellent fit. Maybe with these and the new trades of Antropov from Toronto, and Morris from Phoenix, there will be a Rangers team Mark Messier can once again respect.

The West is nothing less than a horse race to the finish every year. I am pleased to actually see the Blue Jackets gracing the Top 8, for the first time in their history. Although the Wild have tasted Playoff hockey, Columbus has not, even with the incredible talents of Rick Nash and the former defenceman Sergei Fedorov. With Kristian Huselius and the newly acquired Antoine Vermette, expect more firepower from the already impressive arsenal to reach into May.

While the Jackets suffered a visceral defeat from a determined Predators team, don’t count them out. We certainly have not seen the last of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He won a Stanley Cup, and then found himself traded to the Flyers for some upshot named Rick Tocchet. You know where I’m going with this. He won a second Stanley Cup with our aforementioned Martin Gerber. He has been to more teams than even he would care to name, and in just over a calendar year, has now played on four different teams: the Penguins, Thrashers, Tampa Bay, and now called forth to add to an already impressive Boston Bruins. While his service as a player under the coaching of the very upstart in 1992 that placed him with the Flyers, Mark Recchi is the man you call when you need something solid, something with heart. Having Recchi on your roster is the same as loading up with sorghum syrup before a happy day of logging.

Playing Boston was rough before. Now it’s like playing the Bruins on crack, with the Jolly Green Giant for a Captain.

Don’t feed the Bears, folks.

The Atlanta Thrashers have a new motto: “When you care enough to get rid of the very best”. First it was Mathieu Schneider to Montreal (who will be in Atlanta to clean their collective clocks tonight), now Niclas Havelid to New Jersey. If there is a player more professional and dedicated to his sport and his fanbase, I’d like to meet them.

For me, since I have met Havelid personally, this is a well-deserved move, both for Havelid and New Jersey. He taught my son that you can’t touch the Cup until you win it. So when it came to Atlanta, the little one wouldn’t. Perhaps this is his year. He certainly belongs on a team of the Devils’ caliber.

Now that God is back in the net, this should all get very interesting.

Tonight, Carolina and Buffalo are in must-win games, and the fate of Dallas-Anaheim hangs in the balance with each team striving to displace Edmonton for 8th seed in the West. The gangly roots of the Playoff Beard are beginning to grow.

And that, my friends, is hockey as we know it.

I have to admit, it’s pretty cool to read an NHL’er’s take on the post-season; not to mention that you can always find little bits of information you previously didn’t know. For example, Ryan is good friends with Colorado Avalanche defenseman John Michael Liles from their days at Michigan State. That’s an interesting tidbit, especially since Liles is an unrestricted free agent come July 1st. Might the two buddies reunite in Buffalo? The Sabres could sure use an offensive defenseman…

Ryan is also kind enough to answer questions from fans on his blog. Of course, I had to take advantage of the situation, so, I posted a question for Ryan. Here’s what he had to say:

RumorMeThis: Hey Ryan! Great blog. It’s really nice to read your thoughts on the playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, I would be interested to know what is your all-time favorite moment in the post-season (one that you were part of)?

Ryan: Beating Ottawa in overtime to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Just the sudden joy of winning in overtime and being able to really celebrate on the ice with the boys.

As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and all-around Ottawa Senators hater, I found that answer a little humorous. It’s always fun watching the Senators get hoisted from the playoffs, no matter which team eliminates them. Sorry, Sens fans.

I was actually going to ask him about the rumors of him heading off to the Detroit Red Wings when his contract with the Sabres ends, but, browsing questions posted by other fans, I realized that that was already asked. Suffice to say, Ryan didn’t answer any questions regarding his contract. Can’t blame him, I guess. He’s in a no-win situation if he starts discussing his contract publicly.

Anyway, if you want to post a question for Ryan, head off to Maxim.com and ask away.

In a detailed email obtained by Golbez, Štastný urges IIHF President René Fasel to oust Široky based on his strong ties to the regime of the Soviet, who occupied the former Czecholovakia from 1968 to 1990. Here is the email:

From: Mr. Peter Štastný

To: Mr. René Fasel, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation

Cc: Mr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament
Mr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee
Mr. Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the National Hockey League
Mr. Bill Hay, Chairman and CEO of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Re: Mr. Juraj Široký, President of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation as a real threat to democracy and integrity of the game of ice hockey

Dear René,

Please accept my warm greetings and my apology for the second open letter. Myself and all Slovak hockey fans are grateful for your significant contribution in correcting injustice against our team and our players by improving fairness of Olympic tournaments with the new format starting in Torino 2006.

Today, seven years later, I have equally serious matter to present concerning democracy and integrity of our game.

Mr. Juraj Široký is current president of the Slovak Ice-Hockey Federation and he also serves on IIHF Council. His past was revealed last summer by the official Slovak institute dealing with communist era. UPN (Nation´s Memory Institute) delivered undeniable verdict.

Mr. Široký was high ranking officer (captain) in feared communist STB (same as Soviet KGB, East German Stasi etc.). In height of Cold War he served as spy resident and second-in-command in Washington D.C., USA. Why is this official verdict important and what was revealed from his files?

- Mr. Široký always denied ever working or collaborating with STB. He was therefore constantly lying to media and public. It is almost certain he lied on application to IIHF Council where he probably wrote “diplomat” as a past occupation. As full fledged professional spy loyal to communist ideology he certainly worked hard to subvert and destabilize Western democracies, the external enemies of communist regime. Such a job does not fit the definition of diplomat.

- UPN published only tip of the iceberg from his files. There was his application to work for STB where as a reason he stated his desire to help regime to fight against internal and external enemies. Cruel and inhumane communist regime was so clear about its objectives to dominate the world that every 12 years old understood definition of internal and external enemy. Internal enemies were all people living in the country who did not agree with Marx-Lenin ideology. Like myself, my entire family and millions of Czechs and Slovaks believing in God and / or basic democratic freedoms. External enemies as mentioned above were Western democracies led by USA and any group or individual trying to bring real democracy back to our country. Again I was clearly enemy of regime and target of Mr. Široký along with all democratic countries and almost all Slovaks and Czechs living abroad.

- UPN also published report of Mr. Široký to his superiors that particularly shows how low one can drop and how sleezy one can become in guest of a “career”. He reported on his own mother having correspondence with her relatives in USA.

- Now the most important fact either not published by UPN or missed by me. As high ranking officer he swore and signed Pledge of Allegiance to STB. He swore to fight the enemies of Soviet Union, CSSR and enemies of socialism. This document is most direct evidence of Mr. Široký conspiracy against democracy and hundreds of millions citizens living at the time in free democratic countries. Same document can be interpreted as conspiracy against his own country and majority of co-citizens.

Under overwhelming evidence and authority of UPN, Mr. Široký stopped denying his past. He only stated that every country had, has and will have intelligence service and he only served his country. Another bogus attempt to lie. As he himself so eloquently wrote about his desire to help regime fight those internal and external enemies he knows too well his activities served against his own country, citizens and against democracy. He served the regime!

STB has been proved to be the most feared architect and executive arm of evil communist regime. Its job to keep communism in power at any cost was very painful and tragic for Czechoslovak citizens. They lived in constant fear of persecution and punishment. Hundreds of thousands were prosecuted and jailed. Hundreds were executed or killed, tens of thousands got long term jail and forced labor camps. Millions others suffered from consequences for their beliefs. Loss of job, no chance of promotion, limited education past elementary schools etc. They were all innocent people.

We owe it to the memory of all these victims to insure that any person closely collaborating and condoning such crimes should not participate in public life in true democracy. That is my belief. I called publicly few times on Mr. Široký ´s resignation. It fell on deaf ears. Now I am turning to all who share my conviction to at least isolate any person who openly conspired against democracy and values we all hold dear. If we act, it will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening of democracy and adding to integrity of our beloved game of ice hockey.

To conclude, I am announcing my decision to add to public debate. If Mr. Široký does not abandon all the positions in Slovak ice hockey in 3 months period from today, I will withdraw from Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame. At the same time I will ask to pull out the banner with my name and image from ceiling of Slovan Bratislava stadium for as long as Mr. Široký remains the majority owner of my alma mater club. Unless my requests are fully satisfied, my decision will rest firmly in place.

Yours truly,

Peter Štastný

Now, without getting into too much detail or speculation, it sounds like this Široký fellow needs to be tried for his part in the Soviet cruelty that our people endured under their occupation. He definitely doesn’t sound like a good representative for his nation on any level. It is interesting to see who, other than Mr. Fasel, was Cc’ed by Štastný. With his position as Slovakian representative to the European Union, Štastný appears to be playing this out on two fronts, one political, one more directly focused on hockey.

Either way, I hope he wins his case, for the betterment of Slovak hockey, and also to ensure that these traitors, who jumped ship on their fellow countrymen and joined the Communists, are not able to continue tainting the proud Slovak culture.

Now, more and more NHL teams are employing the hockey version of cheerleaders.

The Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning all have them. That’s 16 teams.

Three Canadian teams have them, too, including the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, and the Vancouver Canucks.

So, what exactly do Ice Girls do?

Well, according to PuckThatHit.com, this is what the job entails:

Ice Girls often (but not always) step onto the ice, clean away excess snow, wipe down the glass, and of course give away t-shirts. Any excuse to have them parade their increased chest sizes and minuscule waists is good enough for management and fans.

For those interested, there’s a poll over at PuckThatHit.com where you can vote for which team has the best ice girls. There’s pictures, too… pretty pictures… go check ‘em out. I threw in my vote for the Chicago Blackhawks’ Ice Crew.

Anyway, I’m wondering how soon will it be before ALL NHL teams has a crew of Ice Girls dancing in a seat near you? And which team will it be the next in line? Will it be the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, or the Washington Capitals?

This is an unscientific poll, by the way.

“Things are excellent around here,” said McMillan, via telephone following the victory. “I am very happy with how things turned out. The kids played a heck of a game tonight versus La Ronge. It is just a happy time around here thanks to them.”

As you can see, Dwight is always the first to pass credit off to the others around him for his success. His friends, family and staff around him could tell that the excitement and anticipation was growing all week as the milestone approached for the man who has been coaching the team since 1972.

“There has been a capital D for determination in the dressing room lately,” said Weyburn Red Wings GM Ron Rumball. “We have a very determined bunch of players who wanted to get that win out of the way, they really wanted to get that first victory on Friday.”

“As for Dwight, there was a certain positive mood around him, well as much as he will allow. He tries to pass off the accolades onto the staff, volunteers and the players but his heart was ticking in there for win number 1000. But if you know Dwight, you could see that he was ready for the game. He just loves to win and he wants to get win number 1001.”

Although it was just hours ago that McMillan and the boys captured this milestone victory, there wasn’t much time for the Dwight and the boys to celebrate as they were preparing to get back on the road to face the Flin Flon Bombers the next evening in hopes of extending their first place lead in the Sherwood Conference. That is one of the reasons why Dwight isn’t content on just getting win number 1000 under his belt. There is still plenty more wins to rack up during the season as they head forward into the playoffs.

“The team is playing solid right now and everyone is helping out when they have to. With this win out of the way we can concentrate on taking on Flin Flon. I really think our win tonight puts us right where we want to be,” said McMillan.

It could be some time before McMillan sits down and takes a good hard look at what he has accomplished during his time with the club but with this almost unheard of milestone out of the way time will only tell what else Dwight can bring to the table. As for right now the hockey world is congratulating one of the greatest coaches in Junior A history.

“This is going to be one of those things that I will have to look at and appreciate when the season is over,” said McMillan. “Oh and I would definitely love to make it to another Royal Bank Cup and win that this year.”

* Courtesy of Brad McNeil from The Wing’s World Blog

TRANSACTIONS

FYI – Former Estevan Bruins goaltender Guillaume Perusse was dealt by the OCN Blizzard to the Winnipeg Saints of the MJHL. To make room for Perusse, the Saints dealt goaltender Eric Potvin, who had a cup of coffee with the Weyburn Red Wings a couple of years ago, to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the AJHL.

TRADE Jan 10/08 Melville Millionaires acquire 1987 F Chris Shudo from the Westside Warriors (BCHL) for future considerations. Shudo, from Surrey BC, had 30 points in 38 games played with the Warriors this season.

TRADE Jan 10/08Battlefords North Stars acquire 1989 F Alexandre Leclerc from the Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL) for future considerations . Leclerc, from St. Marc de Carriers, Quebec, had 7 points in 39 games with the Stampeders this season.

Jan 10/08 La Ronge Ice Wolves trade 1987 F Joe Cook to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL) for future considerations.

La Ronge Ice Wolves sign 1989 F Niko Tenello of North Bay, Ontario.

TRADE Jan 10/08 Weyburn Red Wings acquire 1987 F Erick Ruud from the Merritt Centennials (BCHL) for future considerations. The Wings also acquire 1987 F Justin Crockatt from the Fort William First Nation North Stars (SIJHL) for future considerations.

TRADE Jan 10/08 Estevan Bruins acquire 1989 D Jorden MacSwain from the Okotoks Oilers (AJHL) for future considerations. MacSwain had 3 assists and 14 penalty minutes in 24 games with the Oilers. MacSwain is from Calgary.

SIGNING Jan 10/08 Kindersley Klippers sign 1989 F Jordan Braid. Braid was assigned to the Klippers by the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Braid had one assist in 29 games played with the Blades this season. He is from Saskatoon.

SIGNING Jan 10/08 Nipawin Hawks sign 1991 F Kenton Miller. Miller started the season with the Regina Pat Canadians Midget AAA team. He is from Redvers and is a draft pick of the Regina Pats.

SIGNING Jan 10/08 Melfort Mustangs announce the signing of 1987 D Shane Gimas. Gimas previously played in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans before electing to take a baseball scholarship to an NCAA school. Gimas had been playing some senior hockey this winter before signing with the Mustangs. Gimas is from Weekes, Saskatchewan.

TRADE Jan 10/08 Flin Flon Bombers acquire 1987 F Matt Dyck from the Neepawa Natives (MJHL) for future considerations. Dyck had 14 goals and 14 assist in 37 games with the Natives.

TRADE Jan 8/08 Notre Dame Hounds acquire 1988 D Adam Abramov from the Schreiber Diesels (SIJHL) for future considerations.

McMillan has been a part of the organization since the inaugural season of the Weyburn Red Wings (1960-61) when he was a player for the team. He began his coaching career in the 1972-73 season and other than a few years in the middle where he took some time off, he has been behind the bench guiding the Red Wings to numerous Championships throughout the years, all without taking any of the credit.

“This isn’t just a major accomplishment for me, it is a major accomplishment for the organization as a whole. You have to remember that your not a one man show. There have been numerous managers, assistant coaches, board directors and players who have all passed through here that have helped this team succeed. No matter if they have only been here for one game or 1000 games every person counts when reaching something like this,” said McMillan. “It really is an incredible accomplishment,” he added.

He could reach this milestone as early as January 25 versus the Flin Flon Bombers in front of a hometown crowd. But even if this victory isn’t captured at home, Dwight will be more than happy to share it with his friends around the league.

Over the years coach McMillan has racked up these accomplishments.

SJHL Championships – 83-84, 93-94, 94-95, 96-97, 97-98,00-01

ANAVET Championships – 83-84, 93-94, 96-97, 97-98, 00-01,

RBC Royal Bank Cup Championships – 83-84, 04-05

Coach of the Year Awards – 84-85, 89-90, 96-97

World Junior ‘A’ Challenge assignments 05-06, 06-07

These are just a few of his accomplishments as an official list of achievements has yet to be developed and will be updated shortly by members of the SJHL and Red Wings staff. For more on this story and others you can head on over to www.weyburnredwings.ca

MyOwnHockeyTeam is setting out to create the first fan owned and managed Professional Ice Hockey Team. Web technology allows a collective thinking and decision making process, making active fan participation a reality.

The concept is simple. Every hockey fan has dreamed of owning a hockey team. We all believe that we have what it takes to lead a team to victory. Each member is entitled to ONE vote in MyOwnHockeyTeam. The funds collected are put into a Toronto based trust, and when we meet the membership goal, we will negotiate and purchase a professional hockey team.

All the decisions are made by the MyOwnHockeyTeam members online. Members will decide what league to join, what team to buy, who makes the team and all the other important tasks of the General Manager.

“We studied modern web applications to see where there was a need in the market.” said Robert Battye, one of the two founders. “This model has been successfully applied to stock market groups, so why not apply the same model to ice hockey?”

The first membership goal is 25,000. At that point the members will vote on whether to to continue raising memberships or to purchase one then.

“I love hockey and I’ve always dreamed of owning a team” comments Vlad Heger, the other founder. “I’ve been so frustrated watching owners make decisions based on finances rather than my team winning. Now I want to do something about that”

“We are excited to see how it unfolds. It is going to change the way we cheer for our teams forever”

For more information visit www.MyOwnHockeyTeam.com

Thanks for the heads up, Vlad.

It will be interesting to see how things evolve.

Best of luck!