Hip Shot Blog

Went to the Athlete’s Resource Camp today. It was a bit short because it was mostly strength and skating drills with Mark Caiccio the skating and power guy for the Coyotes. Impressions: Jovo looks lean and mean. KT really has put on weight, not a huge amount but no more toothpick legs and he is now similarly built to Upshall, just taller. Scotty looks healthy and happy, no trace of any hitch in his git along at all. Biznasty’s mini-porn stache is funny looking, maybe it’ll be better when it is fully grown in?All the boys look raring to go, lots of smiles after. Tomorrow is the last day of informal camp so if you haven’t had a chance to get out there, do it tomorrow!

Rebekah Saunders has more information on the potential new owner Matt Hulsizer on AZCentral. Fascinating guy for sure. Glendale City Council will be getting a brief on Matt Tuesday. It would be interesting to hear exactly what has transpired so far and maybe even what the plans could be as far as a time line. But right now it looks like this one will be in chambers at 1pm (we’ll try to find out if there is anything for the public besides the regular meeting on the 14th).

I’m going to be writing a weekly feature on Arizona SBnation, go over and check it out. They have a lot of good coverage about the Valley of the Sun. Multiple sports coverage by some really good writers.

Lots of Twitter traffic from Coyotes related folks, including Jim Brewer, new head of marketing for the team. Add him to your list and be sure to give him your thoughts and ideas.

Remember individual games are going on sale. Get yours quick! The Booster Club can always use a few good fans, don’t forget to check them out too.

As always… Go Coyotes!

Wow When I said go forth and speculate you people come up with some doozies! Mathew Hulsizer is the new hat thrown in the ring for Coyotes ownership by a couple of good speculators like Scott Burnside from ESPN. Its being confirmed all around the net too with NBCsports getting on the bandwagon (even if it is all regurgitating Burnside for the most part right now). We already know that the boys from IEH have coalesced with another group and will remain in the picture from their own words at a presser earlier this week. Hulsizer is just the type of guy that would fit in with the IEH crew. Bright, young and a former college hockey player to boot. This is a lot of financial wizardry, honesty and hockey smarts all on the same team.

If even half his reputation is true, this is a godsend for Phoenix fans. This guy understands spending money the right way and on the right things. And shock of all shocks, he understands that the right people make the real difference. Take a look at how he views his company, Peak6 in this interview.

No matter who ends up grabbing the gold ring, I am hearing stronger and stronger murmurings that the deal will be done within days (probably just after the BK stuff finishes on the 16th). How awesome would it be to go into training camp with fresh new ownership?

As always… Go Coyotes!

Whew! What a week. Helped move one of my best friends to San Francisco and my daughter into her new place. If I ever move again I’m just picking up the dog, my Yotes collection and my kids bronzed shoes and walking out.

Soooo, it has been interesting with the great discussions going around the web on blogging and blogger’s access to teams. (Also check out Bourne’s take and the really good comments) I really feel it should be up to the individual teams on a case by case basis. (Check out how the Preds are doing it) The league should set a broad set of minimum standards and the teams should get to decide who they want to give access to, how they give it and how much they allow. Here in Phoenix, there just aren’t that many of us so it should be easy for the team to decide. For my part, I’d love to be able to get more formal interviews rather than on the fly (not that I’m complaining mind you) GMDM & former COO Doug Moss were always super accommodating when I caught up with them. Bloggers serve a great purpose in the scheme of things. True fans are always hungry to hear news, have discussions and just have a place where their team has relevance in more than one point of view. Blogs provide that as well as providing free advertisement of the team. Seems to me that there is room for all the various types of media at the NHL table.

People ask me why I do this. It is a labor of love. I absolutely love my team and writing, discussing and podcasting about them is a great occupation (keeps me outta trouble too) Would I like to hit the press box? Well sure once in awhile. Just not too much, I like my spot in the stands too much to give up rabble rousing with the hoi polloi (unless it was an actual paying job) let’s be honest here, if the Yotes were paying me, I’d sit in that box in a 3 piece suit with stockings and heels and smile like there was no chafing. Would I want to go into the media scrums in the locker rooms? Not really, I’d end up in the back taking notes, let all the paid journos do the hard work, pushing and shoving for mic space. Would I mind letting the team vet my stuff? Not really, I don’t write anything that I wouldn’t let my Mama read for the most part. Would I let them sanitize it? Not if they ain’t paying the freight. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents on the subject, I’d love the Yotes to grant some privileges to myself and my humble brethren but that isn’t why I do this.

You already know Stemps was signed. LOL so happy it was done within my 20 day prediction. I’m guessing Don came up on the term from 1 year to 2. Lee compromised on the money and if Atlanta really was sniffing around, they lost out on acquiring the Ninja’s services.

You know any sentence that starts with Brother Q and I talking is going to be messy. Well we were speculating on the wealthy but little known, anonymous prospective owner (he was mentioned in the BK right around the time that Moyes through Reinsdorf under the media spotlight and earned that little contempt issue) and decided to follow the LLCs. So if the media hounds really really want to get a clue on the possible new ownership, why don’t they use their fantastic ‘news’ resources and find the new LLCs created in the last year  & have hockey in their business plan/name & are based in AZ? Seems like a no brainer to find the 6 or 7 new LLCs and follow the money trail. Brother Q and I have been discussing this for a couple of days.  We’re leaning towards HB Equities… or HB Equities Hockey LLC as the best possibility for now. HB Equities have some other projects brewing with the City of G and this Coyotes stuff is stalling almost all the sports based projects, what better way to get things done than to just buy the team if the money is there. Then co opt IEH into the consulting/management side, et voila!  Interesting no? Brother Q and I may end up being wrong but its fun to try to put 2+2 together and see what we end up with. If you wanna join in the mystery hunt…  http://thenhlarena.com/index.php?showtopic=161132 Try googling HB Equities… makes you wonder, that’s for sure. See if you can find another LLC that makes sense and give the discussion a tweak or two.

Last week of informal practice at AllTel, I’ll try to be there on Tuesday and Friday, come by and say hi if you see me in the stands. 11 – 12:45 as usual.

Well, BK court is Sept 16th at 1:30pm. The debtors need to know what kind of monetary inroads the City of G is going to make on the pool of money available to the creditors. Jerry Moyes is ready to close up this dog n pony show, especially since he’s getting essentially nothing out of it and the kind of legal aid he has ain’t exactly cheap. Reading through the new court docs is about as appealing as bathing in the sewage plant. But the gist seems to be that they want to place a maximum on what each creditor can get and they really want to cap the City’s claims.

It is almost hockey time, if you haven’t grabbed your package deal, do it now. The individual seats go on sale soon.

Paul Bissonnette… dear lord, he’s back and Biznastier than ever. Watch out Twitterverse!

As always… Go Coyotes!

According to a bunch of peeps (including our Gintonio and NBCsports) Lee Stempniak has reportedly rejoined the pack!

Great news for the team and even better news for the confidence of the fans. Lee was a raging phenomenon from the moment he stepped on Coyotes ice. 18 points in 18 games is nothing to sneeze at. Yeah some say ‘but he disappeared in the post season‘. But you try having 2 or 3 DedThings try to rip your helmet off with your head still in it and see how well you do. The Justin Abdelkader hit alone shoulda gave Stemps a concussion and nothing was even called on it. (one of my favorite playoff memories is of Dmo giving justin applicator the beat down he deserved)

We’ll see how good a bargain this deal is if Stemps keeps his Coyotes form next season.

Thank you GMDM! And now you still have moolah in the bucket to sign some bargains for later.

Welcome home Lee we woulda missed you.

Got lots of news to impart including court happenings (glad to be back on the webs finally) will get write ups done asap so check back later tonight. Don’t forget Alltel Ice Den for camp at 11 today, last week to see the boys in informal training AND they are gonna give away the jerseys worn by them at the end of the week!

As always… Go Coyotes!

4^th week of Athletes Resource Camp. The hockey train has left the station as the Pro players ramp into full training. A lot of your favorite Coyotes are already here. (Kids went back to school so a lot of hockey dads came back to Phoenix early) Doan, Jovo, Aucoin, Morris, Whitney and Bryzgalov to name a few. There are some other faces you’ll recognize like Lang, Cleary, Thomas, Taffe, Boynton, Vandemeer and Scatchard. Some of the young guns have been hitting the ice too like Turris, Ahnelov, Spina, Boedker. We’ll see even more of them during the next 2 weeks of Pros-only camp so get rocking over to Alltel Ice den in Scottsdale starting on Monday, between 11 – 12:45. (No skating on Wednesday or the weekends)

City of Glendale is rumored to be dealing hard and heavy with the 2 groups who have managed to remain anonymous. This is good news and bad. The timeline for a contract is also rumored to be sometime after September 15^th now… just after the creditor’s hit the BK courtroom again… coincidence much? IDK but if this rumor is true I’m all down for it as long as we get an owner out of it.

The KHL may be sniffing around Marty Hanzal pretty heavily right about now. Even though we’re being positive that the deal will get done, you know how the KHL rolls and it definitely could be an option for the boy. At what point does getting good value become a problem rather than an asset? Sign the boy already, he’s proven he can handle the work load and under Tippett, he can become so much more than a shut down center.

Now that the initial brouhaha over Tiki is over, what is really going on? Was the miscommunication really an opening salvo in the ongoing battle between Tiki’s dad and GMDM? Perhaps a way of saying ‘my son plays on the main roster or we do another flake to Mother Russia’… it has been suggested to me that this has turned into a ‘you can play him or trade him but either way he is in the big leagues or else there will be consequences’ situation. Perhaps Tiki ends up traded for picks (Flyers, Rangers) or part of a deal with a team that needs to dump salary (Flyers, Senators, Devils) because of this little controversy.  (Could Mike Fisher be on the Don’s radar? Tiki, a goalie and one of those useless Russian prospects that will never come to the NHL?) It would free up cap space for the Sens and give us a decent center to replace Lombo. Okay maybe that might be pushing it. Keep your eyes open for more to follow.

The Coyotes Booster Club is rolling 220 members deep already, have you signed up yet?

Happy Birthday to HockeyKate, GoldenBear, Beanie and Dawn. (They all had birthdays within the last few weeks) We miss you Mrs. Linda (she is probably having a hell of a Coyotes themed birthday party in heaven right now)

As always… Go Coyotes!

Well week 3 of the Athlete’s Resource Camp is underway. Made it out there for a little bit with Brother Q and DTG today. Lots of familiar faces spotted in and around All-Tel. (Bill Thomas, Jovo, DMo, Boedker, David Spina, Adrian Aucoin to name a few) Ulf and Sean Burke also showed up. It’s beginning to feel a lot like HOCKEY! Try to get out there if you can, it is so nice an cool in there.

Rumors, rumors everywhere and they sound good to me. Hanzal deal getting close although it may not get finalized until the preseason is ready to start. Stop fretting, he’s RFA and both sides skipped their arbitration rights so a deal WILL get done. As long as Hanzal’s agent doesn’t push GMDM too far and get the boy signed and traded, we’re all good.

The Stempniak front is still confusing. May be a 2 year deal but probably more like the Upshall deal…  along the lines of, you got 1 year to prove it to us and we’ll pay you real money on the next one. Looking for this to get done within the next 20 days… I hope. The longer he remains unsigned the better it looks for us to get a deal done.

No rumor but it was interesting that Robert Lang was at the camp today… in full Coyotes practice gear… did someone forget to let Langer know his contract is up? or is there something happening that hasn’t been finalized/announced?

ROOKIES! There will be rookie camp and games at the Jobarena this year. Practice Sept 11-13 and games the 14th & 15th.

We got a new VP of marketing and communications! Jim Brewer has joined the organization and has some pretty good cred including Vice President of Fan Development & Retention for the Suns.

I’ve gotten a couple of complaints that I didn’t do player report cards this year after the awesome season we just had. I can’t promise anything but maybe HTH & I will work something out on audio and present some short synopsis or something but you know it is so close to the new season that we’re already hoppin like toads on a hot plate. We’ll see how it goes.

Partial packs are on sale! Grab your tickets folks, the numbers of renewals and new sales are up and the good priced seats are likely to be gone if you don’t put dibs in.

As always… Go Coyotes!

Brother Q and I have been talking…again. (You guys probably dread when we do that) Goalie oriented discussions are always interesting but Q has written a really good opinion piece over at theNHLarena. Check it out.

“With Bryzgalov’s contract coming up next year and given his continued solid performance I wouldn’t doubt for a second that he would be getting a new, higher paying contract. Whether it was with the Coyotes or another team.

Well…enter the NHL circa 2010. Is it just me or does anyone else see the disturbing new trend that is starting to afflict top NHL goaltenders? And I’m not talking about the new equipment rules that are going to go into effect next season. I’m talking about how the salary cap is starting to really put the pinch on them.

From what has transpired this offseason it looks like owners and GM’s rather spend their alloted monies on trying to put pucks in the net rather than trying to keep the pucks out of the net. The NHL is just barely starting to lose their goaltender talent pool to the KHL and I suspect it’s going to get worse in the coming years. ”

I have skated a mile in those pads so I can personally attest to the strangeness that is a goalie. It isn’t all about the money for these guys. This position is about a mental toughness and focus that has no boundaries. Firstly, anybody willing to step in front of about a 1/4lb of frozen rubber, traveling at about 90mph or willing to stick their head/arms & other parts in the way of 200lb guys who are chopping and hacking at those parts, they aren’t just doing it just to get paid. There is a whole lot of pride (in his team) and respect (for his team mates) and love (of the game) driving that guy. There are waaaay easier ways to make a buck.

My favorite modern day tandem – Nabokov/Toskala. Until egos and rivalry pushed the tandem too far as well as the beginnings of rising costs and the threat of cap issues to come, this duo was perhaps the epitome of what premiere goal tending could be. But as with all good things, this came to an end when post season failures raised their ugly faces. Perhaps the break up of this duo was the harbinger of the issues goalies face today, all that money spent and no cup to show for it.

So why is the trend happening? The NHL now focuses on scoring & profit.

A. Weaker goalies = more scoring, more excitement. More excitement, more crowds. More crowds, more money. Conspiracy? Of course.

B.  Younger goalies = less outlay = more money to spend on scorers which = more scoring, more excitement. More excitement, more crowds. More crowds, more money. More money earned, less money spent = more profit. You seeing a pattern there? Conspiracy? Maybe.

C. Salary Cap squeeze play = the death of the notion that teams are built from the net out. It is still true but it will no longer be the golden rule of building a team… at least for awhile. Goalies like Niemi & Boucher, who either led their team to finals or captured the cup against all odds have turned the tide against the old guard veterans. (Almost every year we see teams in rebuilding mode, model themselves after the finalists) This year we are seeing teams do the same thing, getting themselves some young gun goalies and a warhorse backup and praying for lightning in a bottle. (With the sudden rise in stellar defense-men, they have a great chance of catching that lightning even with a mediocre goalie) Conspiracy? No, just a fall out of changing times.

The new NHL? Call it natural progression or call it abomination but the NHL is coming of age. It used to take many years to break into the NHL, except for an amazing few. The average age of a rookie isn’t 24 or 25 any more. We have more Xbox babies playing man minutes than ever before. With that comes a price. These kids have egos and showmanship and crowds love them for it. The Ovies and Crosbys with their crazy maneuvers (please don’t try to tell me they don’t practice those butt sliding, on their back scoring moves in private) bring in more money than some whole rosters combined with the sales of their paraphernalia. The NHL is still a team sport of course  but now it is becoming a league that depends on its stars. Those stars command big bucks and long contracts. Barring more Kovy drama, that trend will continue (who is the last goalie to get Crosby-esque attention from crowds… does the chant Looouuu! ring any bells? Take a quick look at HIS contract… its under fire right now) This trend leaves less and less money on the table for the journeymen and role players and apparently for goalies in the future.

Talk about a confluence of reasons that cause a trend to step onto the ice. Where does this one end? What will the ramifications of the trend bring? What happens to teams like the Coyotes who can’t afford to buy a star and finish too middle of the pack to grab a star in the draft? (We better pray Bryzzie extends for a reasonable amount) Does the KHL get better because of this and will this trend lead to a head to head NHL VS KHL Lord Stanley run someday? Interesting places our favorite game seems to be headed.

Will the trend continue? Probably for awhile. Look at the big picture of quality goalie kids coming into the system, takes a good while to grow a goalie and except for a lucky few, no way to tell what you have for years. There will be years where we have quite a few with the talent to make it in the NHL and then there will be the lean years where the pool is tapped out or has lost some good prospects to burn out through early misuse. Waiting for the next crop to mature will become a problem. There will also come a time when a team that is well put together, needs that certain Je ne sais quoi to tip them into a top contender. Of course there is always my favorite scenario where a team plays well and their goal has more holes than a Clothier voodoo doll. That may be the time that the system is re-evaluated and we will see a return of experienced champion veteran goalies. (or maybe some crazy dude with enough years to be considered a vet, just steps up and wins a cup, despite having crap for defense and an offense that can’t find  the back of a net the size of my behind. Et voila! A new ‘old’ trend will return.)

Goalies can make or break your season. This new trend towards cheap goal tending could be serious trouble. I hope the Yotes don’t have to find out. The draft makes it seem like GMDM is anticipating the worst, he’s stocked up on some serious young net minding stock. We shall see if the Don is again a genius ahead of his time.

As always… Go Coyotes!

Anyone surprised by the latest headlines that Jerry Moyes might have been involved with shoddy financial dealings?

“Swift Transportation CEO and former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes received as much as $48.5 million worth of loans from a Minnesota investment operation now accused of operating a financing Ponzi scheme that bilked $80 million from commercial banks.”

Color me not shocked at all.

Today life reminded me that closure is a very important part of the human experience. I attended a closure ceremony of a friend whose divorce recently became final. She wasn’t celebrating, she was clearing her mental house, talking about the good and the bad and the learning part of the experience. Then she stepped out of the past and into her new future with some symbolic burning of items. Sounds kind of strange doesn’t it, but really, I can see how she felt better and more ready to move forward afterward. But it got me to thinking, (why yes, all roads lead back to hockey for me folks) the Yotes have been trapped in an unhealthy relationship with their ownership for years. I indulged myself in a little discussion about that today and it was quite cathartic even if it really didn’t get anything else done.

4 or more owner groups in various stages of kicking the tires on the Coyotes? Is that good or bad? I mean isn’t there such a thing as too many suitors? I guess it wouldn’t be a problem for the NHL and the team but it presents a HUGE problem for the City. It is very late in the game to be switching buyers. AMULAs are a real bitch to get finalized. Starting from scratch again should be scaring the City witless. But given the perceived issues (we can only go by what has oozed to us through the various media outlets) I guess the City doesn’t have a whole lot of choice at this point… or do they?

AMULA or the agreement to lease Jobing.com Arena for NHL hockey is the key thing for the city. So why not draft one that incorporates the best of each potential ownership’s bottom line wants and the City’s bottom line needs. Put it out there to the potentials and say, here it is boys, if you want to have the team, this is the AMULA that will get it done for you, no pecking and scratching for domination needed. The ownership groups appear to be hitting an impasse every time it gets to the short hairs. Could it be that they all fear signing on for ownership with the NHL first would place them over a barrel and give the City an upper hand in the lease game?

Seriously, Glendale Hockey LLC is asking waaay too much of the deal. They have zero risk, no skin in the game at all. They want the CFD to not only cover losses but to actually pay the NHL a major part of the purchasing price for the team. The City has a great credit rating and could probably get a pretty good bond sale but Reinsdorf is asking for a LOT of money in his proposed lease agreement.

The Ice Edge Holdings LLC on the other hand is probably asking for too little. They will finance the purchase price and even put up a lot of their own personal fortunes to back their play. They don’t ask the CFD  for much in the way of guarantee money which could hurt them if things don’t go well the first couple of years.

Now I have no idea how far things have gone with the other reported groups but I haven’t heard that any new LLCs have been formed so I would think that they (if they exist in any truly viable capacity) haven’t even discussed what they would want from an AMULA much less set terms or gathered financing. This does not bode well for a purchase by the year’s end by anyone not named IEH or GH LLC.

So what am I really saying? It is possible that the City can speed this whole thing up by not playing footsies any more. They know what is at stake, they know what pieces have to be there and what pieces can be altered to accommodate a buyer. They also know exactly where the line is that will not incite the Goldwater pitbulls. So why keep juggling and entering into pissing contests for coming out ahead in the deal? Just put everything on the plate that the City absolutely MUST have, bottom line and up the pieces that the buyers REALLY need in order to make the team a success and be done with it. No the City will not finance the purchase of the team out of the CFD… period, point blank and simple enough for a 5 year old to grasp. (This option would be like waving raw meat at Goldwater.*) Yes the CFD will generate an amount somewhere in the middle of both buyers requested numbers. (That way neither ownership group gets some kind of windfall that tempts them to malfeasance to collect it.) Set the lease out clause to a reasonable time period, insert clauses that specific notice must be given and stipulate that the City must be given the option to sell locally first. (That way all parties are protected to a reasonable degree and there are incentives towards building a team that is profitable rather than using the team to pocket CFD money and secure tax write-offs. In a reasonable 10 year before out period, the CFD could build enough revenue to actually be used to sustain the loan payments while a new owner is found… win-win)

We Coyotes fans are in need of some closure soon. It has been quite the ordeal watching this unhealthy relationship disintegrate. Now that the team and the city are ready to move into the future, they would both be wise to tell their new partner exactly what their needs and wants are, what they require in order to be equal partners in the new relationship and what they intend to offer in return. They need to assert themselves without dominating the partnership and yet not be a doormat for the other to walk on at will either. There needs to be honor and commitment between the parties and WIFM** needs to take a backseat to how can we all get what we need. Can this even really happen in today’s business world? I sure hope so.

Lots of you have gotten to see the first week of Athlete’s Resource camp at AllTel in Scottsdale. A few familiar faces were already present for week 1. Week 2 should be much the same as the pros are just starting to trickle back into Arizona to get ready for the season. I probably won’t be able to get out there until week 3 or so but keep us posted on the faces and activities. Nothing much else new to report on the Yotes in general but I feel better for having vented.

As always… Go Coyotes!

* Goldwater Institute will jump on any deal that appears to violate the Arizona Gift Law, especially the part that concerns any private entity/vendor/business that profits excessively from a deal ahead of a government body and the taxpayers.

** WIFM = what’s in it for me… wifm has unfortunately become the prevailing impetus for most business dealings in today’s society.

There are signs of hockey life returning to the Valley of the Sun! Athlete’s Resources begins their camp Monday at the Ice Den in Scottsdale. We all refer to it as Doan camp but it is really a great 5 weeks of conditioning camp for non-professional and professional athletes to either hone their skills or get their bodies back into skating form for the new season. Check out their page for the hours and dates. The usual suspects will be there as well as some of the rookies and players that make their home in Arizona. I’m hoping to snag an interview or two with our new COO and our GM during the camps.

We’re going to be busy very soon. So much news and fun over the next few weeks. Hat Trick Hound is already noodling with changes for the site (yeah I know we should do away with the Stanley Cup motif currently on the front page but we kinda figured it would be more fun to present the new stuff instead of returning to the old page design)

So anyways… I guess we now know why the City put IEH on blast for not having all the paperwork in… so they could talk to other suitors again, so much for exclusivity I guess. Rumors abound that Reinsdorf could be on speaking terms with the City again and the ownership groups formerly known as anonymous are still kicking tires according to everybody and their mother. (I did wonder why the Glendale Hockey LLC was never disbanded even though Reinsdorf was supposed to be done with the whole deal) I am just so tired of all this nonsense. Put a signature on it for decency’s sake! The CFD is already started and is probably already collecting money if it is populated by city owned land for now. (see June 22nd city council minutes for the details)

Just have to say owie to the Hawks… lost like 8 of their championship players in the cap crunch, they dumped Niemi after his arbitration settlement came in at what he was worth, picked up Marty Turco for like 1.5M. Interesting development that we will probably see a lot of teams doing in the future. I guess that is why GMDM was picking up goalies in the draft like they were candy. He’s got a stockpile going so that when the Yotes are pushing a real budget and not looking up to see cap minimum, he’ll be ready with the young barely paid baby goalies of the future.

Question of the day… who the hell is Bracken Kearns and why did his mama hate him enough to name him after a fern? We signed him, wondering where he’ll end up, seems like the Rampage is almost full now but I guess we’ll be ripping off the cream rookies for the main roster and Coach Edwards has to have some players. But then again, you never know what the Don has cookin, we shall look forward to checking Bracken out in camp.

You may miss him on Twitter but if you like crazy abandon and total irreverence, check Biz out on Facebook… just don’t be a hater, live and let live.

Its been fun discussing the Pacific division with you all. Looks like we are all saying a big collective prayer to the hockey gods that the Kings can’t find their footing with all the talent they have been accumulating. Weird to look at the Stars, Ducks and Sharks and scratch your head over their maneuvers. Is it just me or is it going to be weird to watch a Sharks game and not see Nabby in net? The Pacific just got really tipsy. No Turco, no Nabby and no Modano are the really odd parts. Would I be wrong to think that Bryzzie is now one of the strongest goalies in the division?

Had a great time at the Organ Stop in Mesa with the usual suspects. The hockey offseason sure feels shorter and less painful when the Posse does so many cool outings, backyard tailgates and such.

Remember… still looking for a home for Blitzen, so if you want a kitty or know someone who would make a great family for a sweet heart of a feline, let me know.

As always… Go Coyotes!