Summer Lull
The hockey community seems to have gone in to its customary summer hibernation and there is precious little to report. Apart, that is, from the rather tedious Phoenix Coyotes and its bankruptcy hearing – and of course the breif excursion in to crime by young Chicago Blackhawks sniper Patrick Kane. The latter may possibly even have been overblown by a hockey media in desperate search of headlines.
All this leaves us with is a couple of minor moves of Panthers interest and one non-mover previously linked with the Cats, a new Cap coach, and of course the Canes – blowing some wind…
To begin with former Florida goaltender Ed Belfour was hired by the St. Louis Blues organization to work as a goalie consultant in their AHL affiliate Peoria Rivermen. After Tomas Vokoun was brought in to the Panthers in the summer of 2007, Belfour was deemed expendable and he then spent the following season in Sweden, playing for the second tier team Leksand Stars. Like with all former Cats I wish him well in Peoria and hope goalie coaching will be something he enjoys. Being one of the goalies with most wins in the NHL certainly gives him the required experience for the job.
On a sidenote the Washington Capitals also turned to a former goalie legend and offered Arthurs Irbe the goalie coach position with the organization. The Caps could surely do with a good goalie coach if they are ever to progress as far in the playoffs as Tsar Alex’s ego undoubtedly expects them to be. However, a coach can only do so much, and Washington needs a goaltender that can match their ambition with the required talents. Whether Semen Varlamov has what it takes, remains yet to be seen.
Over on the West Coast of Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning has been busy as usual and also in the habitual ownership turmoil. Amidst all this GM Brian Lawton is attempting to put together a decent team by getting rid of some key players. Typical Lightning logic the skeptic may say. Former Cat Vaclav Prospal was unceremoniously bought out of his massive three year remaining contract and dumped upon the free agent market. This whilst Ville Peltonen’s former tormenter Evgeny Artuykhin was traded to Ducks yesterday, in another cost-cutting measure. Undoubtedly the giant Russian will fit like, well, a duck in water with Anaheim’s tough-guy image.
Apparently all these salary dumps out of the blue are leading somewhere. The Tampa Bay Lightning is, according to most trade rumors, first in line to sign star winger Alex Tanguay. The Panthers had previously been in that position, but contrary to some Internet reports – no deal was ever agreed. Tanguay remains a free agent, and like I stated here when the reports were coming in hot and heavy, Alex will be in no rush to sign a deal. He’ll be anxious to make sure the pay-cut he is likely forced to take – won’t be all too sizeable. The longer he waits – the more likely someone is to get desperate. Something which wouldn’t wholly be out of character with the Bolts.
And on the low scale of money-grabbing schemes we find, not too sursprisingly, the Carolina Hurricanes; suing a local hip-hop artist for violating the Hurricanes’ trademark. Apparently they liked the song initially and had no problem playing it in the arena, but when it appeared the artist might get some money from the song – the Canes duly sued him. Apparently they want their share of the booty too…
