Leave it to a Florida Panther to break ranks with the NHLPA…

No wait a second, I retract that statement after the NHLPA gave mea beating / bribed me…

Well, no Hockey… Anyone care to join me talking baseball?

Playoff baseball at that?

Specifically for you undecided Lightning fans out there….

Press Release from the Tampa Bay Lightning

ThunderBug, mascot of the Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States. He will use the campaign slogan “I will not lie to you, because I cannot talk.”

The only discouraging thing about this is that he’s using the same slogan as 4 years ago

Tampa Bay Online offers this multimedia report on the Empty Times Palace.

I haven’t viewed it and I can’t because of security on my computer… maybe you can?

EDIT: Gary from Missing Monkey Head offers all who detest Real Media / can’t hear / can’t view the transcript of Ron’s interview:

Dude, full transcript posted over at the ‘Head for you and any of your viewers that can’t get to the RealAudio… buffering… stream from TBO.

Click here to view the warm nugat goodness and heep praise upon Gary Perez. :smile

OK, so we’re on the thing… Now can Goodenow and Bettman stop screwing the pooch and let us defend it?

From TSN.ca - NHL - Canada’s Sports Leader… Another mouth off from Chris “Assclown” Chelios…

Would Wayne Gretzky accept a job as Commissioner of the NHL?

‘You know, I doubt it. I don’t know. Being an owner, it’s tough now. He’s the one guy that everybody should listen to. He’s been the best ambassador for any sport and I think the guys should listen to him. I hope (Bettman) is getting together with Wayne one-on-one and talking to Wayne. Everyone respects what Wayne says. I think he’s got a great business sense, and, I think, because of his experience, his history with hockey, he outweighs Gary Bettman or Bob Goodenow by a long shot.”

So you get the superstar of hockey to oversee the league. Yes, Gretzky outweighs Goodenow and Bettman but at the same time? Gretzky is more in touch with spoiled rich kids such as Chelios.

That’s one thing that Chris, in his mouthing off from yesterday, decided to skip: Teams like Detroit and New York throwing obscene amounts of money at players has hurt the game. I wonder if Chris realizees his own contracts over the years are part of the problem - I wonder if he accepts any of the blame?

To quote Mr. Assclown — “You know, I doubt it.”

TSN.ca - NHL - Canada’s Sports Leader

“Gary Bettman has put the league in this situation,” Chelios stated. “A guy who doesn’t do his job shouldn’t be there …”

I was going along with Chris Chelios at this point becuase there are indicators that show Bettman has put Hockey where it doesn’t belong - popularity, TV ratings and such. Gary has not helped the league with over-expansion, marketing, etc…

But then Chris quickly reverted into the assclown that we all know him for…

He put hockey where it shouldn’t belong. You get rid of six or seven teams that don’t belong where they are … Some states just aren’t marketable, some cities. Hockey’s not a national sport in the U.S., and Gary Bettman doesn’t have a feel for that. That’s my opinion.”

And my opinion is you’re an asshole, Chris, and should have retired 5 years ago.

Look, there are so many factors with hockey and what’s gone wrong. Anyoen recall “Gary’s Game” articles from last year’s playoffs where the Trap (helped along by Gary Gettman’s overzealous expansion) ruled the roost? That was a perfect sign of what is wrong.

But you want to start blaming markets? That’s where I have a problem. I might not agree with Atlanta having an NHL team (I miss the Knights, that’s why), I might not agree with Anaheim or Miami having teams (the expansion of 1993 was too abrupt and was simply to get the dollars fo Disney and Wayne Hizuinga)… But I’m not going to treat their fans like numbers and just say that the markets don’t deserve hockey.

I’m not going to act like a pompous, spoiled, self riteous asshole and decry that these markets don’t deserve teams because Hockey is not the US national sport…

If you have such a closed mind, much like Chris Chelios, and think Hockey can’t catch on in the US with better leadership at the top and better guidance, along with better cooperation between the players and the owners, you should stick to minor league hockey. This is a business and it CAN work…

You want to say Gary Bettman has done a shit job in office? I’m with you there. If you want to talk contraction or want to say people don’t deserve teams, I got two words for you and they ain’t pretty…

Tom Jones at the St. Petersburg Times has a great article today to sum up what tonight would be for the Lightning franhcise…

The NHL season would have started 3 days ago but tonight… Tonight was our night. Tonight was a final time for us to focus on the accomplishment of last night.

Tonight the Tampa Bay Lightning were supposed to raise their Stanley Cup Championship Banner to the rafters and start the next phase of their existence.

But now more than ever I feel robbed. Robbed by NHL owners who aren’t bargaining and have no plans to bargain. By the NHLPA who never attempted to bargain for that matter and have insisted their greed is the right way to be.

Which law enforcement division do I contact over this theft? :mad One of the biggest thrills of my life was stolen.

Taken from the St. Pete Times Forum’s weekly mailing….

Lightning goaltending prospect Jonathan Boutin was named Defensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has announced. Boutin went 3-0-0 with a goals-against average of 1.00 and a save percentage of .969. So far this season, Boutin leads the QMJHL in wins (6), save percentage (.958), and goals against average (1.12) among goaltenders with more than one game played.

Boutin has led the PEI Rocket to a 6-1-1-0 record, the second best in the league. Stanislav Lascek of Chicoutimi took offensive honors after recording two goals and five assists in three games.

Hi folks —

I’ve been on the west coast the last couple of days. Seeign there hasn’t been a breakthrough with the NHL and the Players association, i haven’t missed much on reporting on the site. However I did miss a bit.

Lets go to the most relevant and pressing info that I can give you about the Tampa Bay Lightning…. It’s not about the Lightning at all. It’s about the Springfield Falcons. It would appear that the roster is set as the AHL season is about to commence.

The other bit of news I am aware of is that our friends at Sunshine Network have struck a deal with the CBC to air games from rounnnd’s 3 and 4 (Conference finals and Cup finals)!

Personally I’m still waiting for movement in this CBA bullshit… knowing games from round 3 and 4 will be aired is just bittersweet.