Show 64: Labor Day Weekend Rantings

Roy, Meszaros, Sakic, Vlasic, and Barnes...what do they all have in common? They made me happy by making some news in the NHL this past week!

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Show 63: Some Random News and Poking at Sundin

Just keeping everything up to date, and also satirical when it comes to Sundin.

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Show 62: Sundin, IIHF, and Gordon Bombay

Slow summer, but I've got to keep you all interested in something, right?

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Don't Stop Believing...because sooner or later Obama will pick his VP running mate, and Sundin will pick a team or career direction (aka retirement).

Does Mats Sundin Deserve The Favre Treatment?

So who deserves more attention right now? Brett Favre or Mats Sundin? It is apparent that the spotlight of all sports combined, Favre is the front and center character that everyone is sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for. Does Sundin deserve to be considered for the same kind of attention on waiting for his decision?

The answer is an emphatic no.

Many analysts this past season seemed to build up the hype around Sundin. There were such statements regarding him as being in the best shape of his life, appears to be a younger veteran, and deceivingly younger than being of the actual age of 37. In the accomplishments category, what has he really done?

• Second longest serving captain (#1 is Joe Sakic)
• Scored at least 70 points every year aside from the shortened lockout season and his first year
• Led the Leafs in points in every year he has been with the team except 2002-03 (Alex Mogilny topped him by 7 pts.)
• First Swedish player to score 500 goals
• Holds the Leafs’ franchise records for goals with 420 and points as a Leaf with 984
• Currently tied with Jaromir Jagr for the NHL record for regular season overtime goals with 15

I think people should be MORE intrigued by Sundin and his upcoming decision. His 13 year tenure with the Maple Leafs should be heralded as a true symbol of dedication and devotion to a player’s team. Players like Sundin are very rare. It was thought that it would come down to Sundin or fellow Swede, Daniel Alfredsson, in the race to become the first European captain to win the Stanley Cup (Nik Lidstrom, of course, recently accomplished that feat).

Looking at his impact on the Maple Leafs comes in the numbers he has posted. The history of the Leafs is, of course, dated back to the origins of the National Hockey League, and which player sits atop the statistics throughout time for the Toronto Maple Leafs? The one and only Mats Sundin. These mentions should be considered when you think about what kind of decision he is making. If he were wise, and wanted to bow out gracefully or continue to play hockey, he really has only two decisions: Retire or Play for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Take a pay-cut Mats, and hold your head up high. You have accomplished a great many things, but still have plenty of time to obtain the highest honor in winning the Stanley Cup. Look to Chris Chelios for that inspiration if needed when considering age.

Keep up-to-date with the latest hockey news and information at: http://nhlhockeyrant.blogspot.com

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Scotty Bowman: Rebirth of a Rivalry

Scotty Bowman accepted a position as Senior Adviser to Hockey Operations with the Chicago Blackhawks. This comes some time after the rumors swirled over a possibility that he would join the Toronto Maple Leafs' front office.

Bowman, who is 75 years old, has been a head coach with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, and Buffalo Sabres. In 2002, he retired from the head coaching position after leading the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup championship.

The Hawks recently acquired Christobal Huet and Brian Campbell through free agency and look to complete the full-circle of talent needed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001-02. The last time Chicago made the playoffs before then was in 1996-97.

The connection between Bowman and the Blackhawks is no mystery. His son Stan is an Assistant General Manager in Hockey Operations. Toronto, no; Chicago, the way to go for Scotty Bowman.

With the background out of the way, the question now becomes, is this the rebirth of the famed rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks? Some would argue that it never went away throughout the history between these two franchises.

The Red Wings and Hawks will play their 701st game against one another in the newly begun tradition in the outdoor series 'Winter Classic'. The presence of Bowman on the bench is obviously the difference in this instance, but his being in the front office of the club should be enough of an emotional symbol for Red Wings fans to feel a rival pull. I'm sure that the television coverage of the Winter Classic in Chicago will pan plenty of shots over to Bowman who will more than likely be in attendance. The spotlight will be in his direction as much as it is, I'm sure, on the two main stars of the show, Toews and Kane.

I could be wrong, and the appreciation level of all Red Wings fans could supercede his decision to become a part of the Chicago organization. The fans in Detroit recognize him as a figure of success and energy that brought championships to the famed 'HockeyTown' and helped bring that moniker literally onto the ice. I guess that time will only tell whether the impact of Bowman siding with the enemy will pan out. If things were the way they were before the lockout in the early 90s, and Bowman decided to go with Toronto, a then divisional foe, I think the impact would be significantly greater on the fan. The Leaf and Wing rivalry is probably deeper than the Hawks and Wings rivalry. The bitterness can be tasted at times on both ends, but the Leaf and Wing combo was a bit more famed in my opinion.

What do I know. I'm just one man. So let the games begin, and Wings fans, give the rest of the hockey world something to admire: An Old Fashioned Rivarly; even though the impact of Bowman's choice isn't too direct.