Yesterday STHs got a chance to talk to Don Maloney, GM of the Phoenix Coyotes. How many hockey clubs do that I wonder? The Coyotes are fan friendly to the point of insanity. There is no one off limits to the fans (in a controlled way of course) but business as usual includes the ability to ask questions and receive honest (or as honest as possible depending on the topic) answers.

Some questions I didn’t get the whole verbiage for because the audience didn’t have mics or the knowledge of how to speak in an auditorium setting (either stand up and speak freakin clearly or pitch your dang voice to register to the human ear).  This time having a recorder wouldn’t have helped and we all know that I love to paraphrase but this time it just wasn’t feasible to record. But I will try to recreate the Q & A below for you.

The Don basically started the meeting off (after a serious ovation of cheers and standing happy fans) with his spiel about what he had done at trade deadline and why. Listen to GMDM talk about the trades and the moves of the last week HERE.

Q: It seems like we needed offense more than defense, what prompted the Derek Morris trade?

A: Injuries were a concern, Jovo was still nursing some bumps and bruises and we were concerned about our depth on the blue line going forward.

(my thoughts) Post season runs often become battles of attrition, sometimes the team that goes to the finals is the team with the most warriors standing. 6 beatup blueliners and a baby Dman didn’t look like the way to be one of those teams so they went and got us another warrior to hold the line. Easy decision.

Q: Why was Kevin Porter included in the Mueller trade?

A: Truthfully Kevin was a great asset but you have to give up something to get something. With the direction we are going we saw Kevin as a really good 3^rd liner or 4^th liner due to the progression of his skating.

(my thoughts) KP was a bit on the smallish side and not the fastest thing on 2 legs. He was a good player and on a team not predicated on speed and gritty work, he will be fine. The Coyotes are moving in a different direction under Tippett, we’re going to be big AND fast and edgy. Porter didn’t fit anymore and became expendable.

Q: The last new guy Schneider isn’t here yet, how long before we get him in the line up?

A: Mathieu has cleared waivers and should be ready within 7 – 10 days. He is a bit of an older player (Don actually had a bit of a joke about that but I don’t remember the whole thing just a general tone about Tippett knowing Matt since prehistoric days) but he brings experience that is tough to come by. He can QB a power play like not many players can and since he hasn’t played in a long while he will be fresh and rested for the long haul.

 (my thoughts) The old dog still must have some bite. He can not only help our poor dismal PP but he can teach young Yands and give pointers to some others on how a real QB works his magic. Just watching this guy work will be a good thing for the young defensemen (if he can keep up his pace) Tippett thought very highly of Schneids when he was an assistant coach for LAK and knows the guy’s work ethic and personality. Its is a very low risk gamble on their part.

Q: Why Nokoleinen?

A: Noko played with Korpikoski as a teen in the Swedish leagues. We hope they can find a nice chemistry together. He’s a big gritty kid who can win the small battles every shift.

(my thoughts) Again they address a need but with the best possible outcome in the dressing room. Noko and Korpi have history which makes Noko comfortable right away and gives the guys and instant rapport through the room and on the ice.

Q: What is the status of our ownership?

A: You probably know more than I do. With the Olympics and the trade deadline, the news isn’t flowing like it might during a quieter time. As far as I know everything is still being worked on. I have a very very strong feeling that we will have new ownership, that we will be staying right here in the desert. Can I guarantee that? Well no but I do think if we all keep doing our jobs, putting a winner on the ice and if you guys keep coming to see us, that everything will work out. So bring your friends! (much laughter followed)

(my thoughts) No matter what is really happening behind the scenes, Don wouldn’t lie, but he obviously can’t tell us everything. IEH keeps saying all is well, the NHL is quiet on the subject but the haters are having a field day with conspiracy theories because its taking so long to get this done. The favorite whine right now is that it didn’t take this long to get TBL sold. Well TBL wasn’t taken to BK court, wasn’t trashed down to its boards by its ownership and wasn’t sabotaged at every turn either. It takes what it takes and there is nothing that GMDM or we fans can do about that except do our jobs and have patience.

Q: Wolski seems like a whole lot for Colorado to give up for so little return, what’s the catch?

A: Wolski was a casualty of the money crunch Colorado will find itself in for next season. Their loss is our gain. They need to pay Craig Andersen for his amazing performances, they need to pay the Quincey kid and a slew of other kids whose performances have been amazing and will command generous salary upgrades. Wolski has the knock of being inconsistent and sort of became the odd man out. Peter had the same type of issues but for a lot less money and if he can become the player we all still think he can be, the Avalanche will have replaced Wolski for a bit less salary. So both sides win eventually.

(my thoughts) Both players needed a change. For whatever reasons, WW wasn’t working well within COLs structure/system despite his point production. He makes 2.8M (cap hit) and that was going to go up next season by quite a bit. Why wouldn’t COL want to shed that along with a possible problem child?

My Q: How much concern was there adding this many NHLers to the mix, especially with so few reg games left for them to gel?

A: No a lot of concern actually. We picked players that one of us (Tippett & staff or DM) knew of personally. Guys we knew were steady, experienced professionals with a will to succeed. Wolski was the only wild card but we have such veteran leadership in that room that we have no doubts that the chemistry will remain strong.

(my thoughts) It seems like a roundtable was held, everyone pitched their possible players with reasons. The players we picked up met a criteria and someone on the staff or team could vouch for them. The locker room was saved from any obvious cancers invading and the team is stronger for the changes. The last part seems like it says if WW tries to pull any shit, the vets will talk him off his ledge or smack him into compliance so no worries.

Q: There is lots of talk out there about how the Coyotes were able to be such big buyers during the trade deadline, did the NHL have problems with your buying spree?

A: The NHL is basically my boss right now. They gave me a budget at the beginning and said do your job. As long as I stayed within my budget there were no issues. I basically kept them informed about what I was doing but it was nice that they pretty much just let me do my job, which is to make the team as strong as possible, to put the best possible product on the ice and to be accountable for the finances and resources we have. There was some grumbling from other sources at the beginning because I did not spend a whole lot to get this team together. But I was saving some of that budget money because I sincerely believed that we could be in position to be buyers going into the post season. I wanted to be ready to do what we needed and fortunately it worked out that way. I am still about 1.1 M under my budget and we’re a better team, more equipped for the post season now.

(my thoughts) Whiners and haters shut up. The NHL is not looking over Don’s shoulder, the other owners are not crying about footing our bills and there is no reason to suspect that anything underhanded is happening in Phoenix. The Don had a budget and he was cagier and smarter than a lot of GMs about spending it. There is no conflict of interest because it is in the league’s best interest to get the Coyotes viable and ownable as quickly as possible. The NHL certainly isn’t going to make some gigantic profit on this team and has no reason to cheat in order for them to win. Give credit where credit is due whiney butts. And stop hatin, its showing on yer ugly faces and you just might freeze like that.

My Q: Why did you include Tippett so closely in the process? Not many GMs do that.

A: Hey, we’re partners here. Everything each of us does affects what we’re trying to build. Dave is a very smart man who has been around a long time, his input has been invaluable to this process. His knowledge of the subtle deals and the players involved were especially helpful.When something this important is being done, you take every advantage you can get.

(my thoughts) The Don is a very very smart and calculating man. He never hesitates to use every advantage he can get. We are very lucky to have this staff in Phoenix, where egos are put aside for the good of the whole and they get the job done the right way. This team can put the Coyotes on the world map and out of the red if given half a chance.

My Q: How do you feel about the players in the Olympics and the Olympic break’s affect on the season? What about for the younger players after seeing Lepisto’s performance and how he’s played afterwards, would the Olympics have been beneficial to a player like Yandle? Or would you rather they all just got a chance to rest and heal?

A: Its really hard for teams to ramp back up after that break. We all work so hard to get our compete levels into high gear, then we have 2 weeks off and have to come back and ramp up faster than before. That’s tough. But the affects of competing against the best in the world, the confidence that being chosen to do that gives a player, especially a young player is fantastic. I don’t mind those things at all. But Bryz and Z went over and did well and thankfully are home and back on the ice without injuries. Sami came back more confident and poised than when he left. It’s a great thing for young players.

(my thoughts) For good or bad the Olympic break happened. Wish Yands had gotten to go but it is what it is. The break isn’t that great for the teams in general but for the chosen few to get to step onto that international stage, it means so much in terms of confidence and experience as to be invaluable to their careers. I have usually held the opinion that the Olympics should be strictly for the best amateur athletes in the world. I don’t think I have enough reasons to change that opinion. It was great to watch the elite hockey players get to battle but it did nothing for the NHL in terms of financing (there is no shared revenue) and it is marginal whether or not the games won anyone over to watch hockey in its native form at their nearest arena.

My Q: When our we going to see some signings? Especially my boy Z and Lombo?

A: Unfortunately due to our ownership situation, all signings are on hold. As soon as we can we will start and Z is certainly a priority as well as a few others.

(my thoughts) I’m sure Don wanted to tell me to shut up and go away, this is a touchy subject. It all hinges on our ownership. Last year he could still sign and finish up the business that was already started because it was too late to kibosh things when Moyes pulled the rug out from under us. This year we are truly in limbo or NHL hell. There are things to get done if we are going to remain the Phoenix Coyotes but if we are going to be the Podunk Peahens somewhere else, then it becomes a whole nother ball of wax. Will the players stick around? Those UFAs who have a choice can choose not to wait for the drama to end and that would be very bad for us. Can other GMs swoop down on our RFAs and put in offer sheets (knowing we can’t match diddly squat without a new owner)? Our ownership has to get settled and get settled post haste or the bones of this suddenly successful carcass may not be worth picking over, much less be worth 140M.

Some random points and informational tidbits that were thrown out during the talk:

Tikhnov is expected to return to the Coyotes within a week or so. Because the roster size is not limited to the regular 23 men, there will be room to give the guy a looksee. He did great over in Russia, playing against men and they look forward to getting him on the ice to see how much he’s grown.

KT may get a look during these next weeks. Give the kid a taste of the trenches to help him going forward in his development.

Yes Kurt Sauer is done for the season. He has some inner ear, head issue that has not changed. We don’t know the prognosis so we’ll have to wait and see what happens with him.

As always… Go Coyotes!

Whoa! WOW! Wolski! (okay sorry, I couldn’t resist) Wotjek Wolski and Lee Stempniak made Phoenix GM Don Maloney look like an evil genius…again. (there’s a reason that Coyotes fans have the mantra … In GMDM we trust. But I’ll get to that later) Poetic justice or not, this game couldn’t have worked out any better for the Coyotes. It had drama galore and back stories out the whazoo.

New boy Lee Stempniak (affectionately as of this moment called Stumps) started his tenure off on the right foot by drawing first blood. Stumps basically woke up in Toronto, hauled it off to the airport, made it to Phoenix in time to suit up for the game. That’s right, no acclimation for this boy, just jump right on in and start the party with his first Coyotes goal. Of course he had an advantage from working wit Fiddy and Winnie, they may not score that much but they sure generate a lot of chances, which can give a kid with a nose for the net plenty of opportunities. Look for a point gathering renaissance for Lee Stempniak in the coming weeks.

It is supposed to sting Petey my lad, if it hadn’t I would have given up on you as many of the Phoenix fans already have done. Peter Mueller said after the game ” It was really strange (playing against Phoenix) It happened so quickly, the last few days. It’s been surreal. This is one of the games where, not just me, but everyone, wanted to win. It stings a little right now.” The constant booing of a former Coyotes player was startling to me at first but I understand the vitriol of the fans after learning that the chronic underachiever…err lazy bum…sorry, I meant the kid asked for a trade months and months ago according to GMDM. Much like Blake ‘the flake’ Wheeler before him, it was a slap in the face to some of the loyal fans. Many felt like that answered their questions about his performance, that maybe Peter stopped giving his all in an effort to get traded and THAT is a very big no no in the eyes of any fanbase, not just Phoenix. But really people, let it go after this, its ugly and truthfully its waaay too much personalization (he didn’t abandon YOU, he had different needs and it wasn’t really that kind of relationship anyway). Think of it this way, his new team got trounced and the last give away that we scored on was directly on him, that should be enough just desserts, lets move on and wish the kid well in the future, the way we would for any former Coyotes player (just never against us thank you very much).

Speaking of poetic justice, what about Wolski with the GWG? Oh yeah, talk about having the last laugh. The big native of Zabrze, Poland sure got the knee slapper over on his former team mates on Thursday. Scoring off a beautiful feed from his new Captain and endearing himself to his new fanbase, his new team mates, his new coaching staff and giving hockey writers everywhere a cool angle to write about all day. After pissing in the skates of his old team I bet WWW went to bed smiling from ear to ear… I know I did.

We hit an empty net? Really? I rubbed my eyes twice before cheering, cuz seriously, these boys and empty nets just can’t ever seem to get together. Thank you Radim for proving 2 things… yes we can so hit an EN and we can also score more than 2 goals in a game after the break.

The return of BeastGalov was great to see, now maybe I can avoid the cost of going to Russia and beating the hell out of the Olympic goat,I meant coach, sorry. Saving 23 of 24 shots was a pretty big deal because it meant Bryzzie is coming back from the doubting place and will be able to keep the boys hanging around til they can find a way to win.

All the new kids found a way to contribute. Nokaleinin? Nokalienen? oh to hell with it, LocoNoko may not have scored but he ran around knockin the fire out of everyone he could reach. (I would love to nickname the boy AT&T for his ability to reach out and touch someone but I have a feeling LocoNoko may be sticking if he keeps playing so edgy)

Last but certainly not least, the DeMolition man has returned… finally. Despite all the hoopla at the end of his last year, we all knew he’d be back if there was a way. He seemed to have a shaky moment or two but other than a puck hopping over his stick during a power play this new Derek Morris is just fine. The hit on Mueller was sheer poetry and he got a couple of nice shots off during his 16+ minutes of TOI without even breakin a sweat. Welcome back Mo indeed.

The Coyotes took down the Avalanche 3 – 1 and it was a great time. The 12k+ fans in the building were rockin the house. Lots of signs were visible welcoming the new kids and fan favorite DMO, a wave was produced after ginormous effort from a crazy man in section 104 and folks were makin serious noise for the boys throughout the arena. 81 points! 4th in the Western conference! 4th in the NHL! Attendance going up every game (including pesky weeknight games)! National media attention…POSITIVE media attention! Holy jumpin! (yes I wish our little motor mouth, Darren Pang could be here to enjoy this, he was the biggest homer ever through some tough times) but I’ll just borrow his favorite phrase to describe this amazing turn of events.

Up next in this home stand are the Anaheim Ducks. I know everyone and their mama is expecting the Ducks to make their push for a post season spot. We better be ready to squash those plans.

Keys to the game?

Solve Jonas Hiller. Period, point blank and simple. We’ve given this team the business all season but it always comes down to Hilly. This kid is a rock in their net and doesn’t rattle easy. If we can get 2 by him and then hold on tight I would be happy.

Mind our own net. We have to give Bryz some lock down defense. That damn Bobby Ryan can make the best defense look like Swiss cheese. We have to let Bryz see what is coming in and don’t let those damn Anaheim trees set up shop in front of him. Bryzzie still knows how they shoot and always gets up for these games. No rebounds! No second chances for these guys Breezer.

The newest edition of the scoring committee can’t lay back and let the new boys do all the work. (it will be fine if LocoNoko gets the GWG though, I’m all in for another case of poetic justice against his former team) It is time for everyone to partake in the scoring drives. We have to bring all guns to bear in order to get this job done.

Discipline of course will be key tonight. These boys will eat you alive if you give them enough PP time. Just stay out of the box for your own sakes. No stupid penalties tonight please.

Watch your backs! Getzlaf and Wizniewski will be headhunting. Head on a swivel and do unto them before they do unto you should be the words of the day.

There are still some tickets left. The bandwagon is starting to fill up but don’t worry, we’ll scoot over to make room for you to join us. There will of course be a tailgate in Lot J as usual from 2ish to 5pm when the doors open. So come on by and join the party. Don Maloney is hosting a chalk talk around 3:30 ish (I hope you RSVP’d for that) Don is always a great speaker and allows lots of questions.

Don’t forget about the Coyotes Carnival on Sunday! Right here at the JobArena. Rain or shine the boys will be out for this charitable event. We’ll have a blast and you can meet the new kids. It is only a $10 donation to get into the event. Hope to see you there.

As always… Go Coyotes!

OM frickin God… the storm warnings didn’t tell us a tornado named Scottie Upshall would touch down in the middle of Glendale. It wasn’t all about Scottie last night though. The whole team had wonderful performances but TheGr8Scott had the performance of his career with a natural hattie (his 1st ever)  in the 3rd period to put the icing on this cake.

THIS is incredible. Coming back like this after the slug-ugly game before? IDK if the ‘other’ Coyotes could have done it. This just may be the major difference between the old Yotes and the new ones. This newly found ability to pick ourselves up by the skate straps and find a way to win important games after a tough loss or skid.

It took about 50 games for us to even have a meltdown. That, in and of itself is a mini miracle. Then we go and pull off a rebound! Simply boggles the mind. Last season, there were meltdowns all the time and there was the post-ASG meltdown of EPIC proportions from which we just couldn’t seem to recover. (oh I know we got Uppy n Lombo and started showing signs of life again but we all know it was too little too late)

This Preds game had several key resiliancy factors to it. Our record when scoring 1st is simply incredible 23 – 2 – 2! We are a dangerous and nasty team with a small lead (its the big leads we need to work on keeping). It was good to see the boys bounce back hard. Around 10k or so insane fans battled the weather, which was horrific, to come see the kids play. They were noisy and raucus despite their chilled and soggy condition.

Biznasty – Paul Bissonnette has been having a crazy run, pure energy. Key goals, big hits and the ability to hang around for screens have been his hallmark lately. Keep it up Bizzy! He may not have the hands to put away all of his chances but he is creating buzz in the opponent’s zone nearly every shift by his tenacity and nasty.

Bryzzie – back in the saddle and rolling dirty. With the defense a little slow to get after shooters (especially in the high slot) Bryz has had his hands full. This game was no exception. Bryz made much of it look easy (the goal from that crap pass from Z to JV is not on Breezy) He’s doing his part again and that kept us in this game long enough to get the win.

Lombo combo featuring Shane Doan – sounds like a band at one of our jazz bars doesn’t it? Well any line featuring Lombardi gets major chances. The kid can really pass. If you can’t score with Lombo, you really have issues. Tippett has been swappin Doan around like a hot potato and it seems to have woken the Captain up. This line had chances all night and looked damn good doing it. Good job for remembering you ain’t just a passer Lombo, sweet goal, to give us the jumpstart we needed.

Czech your 2 points at the door, no return policy. The Czechs are still shutting off the entry through the neutral. People are expecting big points from Vrby and Pru but it is their efficiency at stealing pucks and trapping up the opponent’s big guns that make these guys so very valuable. Prucha has been a monster (he creates chances by making the other team make mistakes) he’s so wired I think he just makes the other players dizzy trying to get around him.

Gr8Scott – what can I write about Scottie’s game that other people haven’t already said? We could see Scottie gettin hotter over the last few weeks, his play without the puck has been really strong but he has been so close, so many times, we could tell his day was coming. Congratulations on the your first hattie Scottie. It was well deserved!

The gang was all in synch last night. A few faux pas here and there and the last 3 minutes we could see they were kinda easing up on the Preds. We gotta stop doing that! In this tight conference, especially against teams like the Preds, we have to learn to battle all 60 minutes. Overall though, everyone contributed to their role well. Impressed with Mueller’s game again as well as the continuing great play by Fiddy.

I love the Preds and their fans are simply awesome. Some of the most miserable hours of BK court were mitigated by the support of some bodaciously righteous Preds fans. Buddy and Mark to name just 2. I wish the Preds well in all games except against us of course. They are so much like us, from the scrappy no name team surprising everyone to the survival of the BaldSilly madness. Even their no nonsense coaching and pack style of play is similiar. On any given day we can trade spots with these guys. I hope we both make it to the ‘extra games’ in April.

In other news ***********************

I still hate MOST of the Buffalo fans in Phoenix. I hope your team sinks into a skid so horrible that they feel the effects of it for the next 100 years. Sorry Sabres, its not you, its some of your lice ridden, drunken, pond scum licking fans here in Phoenix. Yeah I went there and I am not sorry for it. While I am sure there are exceptions (hell I even know a couple, Hi Mike!) for the most part that description fits the majority of the slug apparelled jug heads present in the arena on 1/18/2010.

exhibit A – Standing drunkenly on a chair in the middle of Coyotes fans on the outside patio yelling at the top of their lungs “this is our patio now bitches” or this beauty “your team is so bad, no wonder you don’t have any effing fans”

exhibit B – Telling the Coyotes fans behind them, “your team sucks and you are all a bunch of losing effers, no wonder your team is leaving”

exhibit C – throwing their beer on a family for standing and cheering when the Coyotes finally scored… including a 2 year old girl

So, yeah, still pissed and still sorry assault with a deadly weapon wasn’t an option.

On to better news flashes **********

We had a season ticket holders event on Tuesday night. About 1k loyal and hardy souls braved the inclement weather to spend a few off ice moments with their boys. You might think the kids woulda been snarky and pissy after the Sabres debacle but you would be dead wrong. The guys had their best smiles and social chit chat for their fans. They shook hands, smiled pretty for pictures and were charming and sweet to all.

From the effervescent Doan to the shy Prucha, they were a delight to mingle with. I’m still Z’s girl but I gotta tell ya, if you haven’t spoken to Ilya Bryzgalov, you are really missing something special. (It’s not all about the funny Bryz, he’s a genuinely warm and sweet person.) My next jersey is probably going to sport the number 30 (sorry Sweets, I will get a #44 soon too)

Scottie Upshall made the NHL 3 stars list AND the NHLPA’s player of the day. How awesome is that for mad props?

Lots of interesting stories around the net on the Yotes, surprisingly, most of it informed and positive.

View from Suite 1114 – Scott Burnside of ESPN comes to visit.

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett on life in Phoenix and some words from the rest of the staff as well.

Ice Edge has been on the move lately too. No timetable is set for concluding the deal.

Next up, we face Alex O and the mad, bad and dangerous to know Caps today. We’ve fought them to a standstill lately. ( 4Ws out of the last 5 tilts) There will be nothing easy about the start of this mini road trip. The Capitals are on a 5 game winning streak behind the almost always red hot Ovie. The official preview talks about cooling those boys off. They may get Greenie, Erskine and Pothier back tonight so we better be ready. (Green has been on an offensive roll lately too)

Keys to this game?

Just say NO to the O! The always hard to play against Martin Hanzal and his Czech line will have their hands full with the crazy Russian highlight goal king. So far this line has had great success shutting down top scoring lines. This will be doubly important in this matchup. Taking Ovie out of the equation brings the Caps down to earth, where we can battle on a more even playing field.

Defense, discipline, defensive discipline? #2 is gonna have to step up his game (where forth are thou rough and ready Vandemeer?) With Jovo having to watch himself (due to the completely unfair tag of ‘repeat offender’) our number 2 hitter better get to making people’s heads swivel. The blueliners have to get the lead out, start holding the line a little better, keep their end up at the neutral zone and keep playing street sweepers for our back-on-track Bryzzie. We gotta stop lettin our netminders face so many shots every night.

Goal tending needs to be mind bending. Bryz seems to be back. He got a taste of rubber last game (stopping 41 of 43 shots). Are his head and heart back into the quest? Tonight is going to help answer that question. The Caps have been averaging around 33 shots per game, Bryzzie has been facing a lot more puck than that lately so, no softies in this joust! We just can’t afford the let down and the uncertainty that come with those.

This is definately a winnable game. We need to match intensity and physicality with the Capitals. But we will definitely have to play all 60 minutes (this team actually plays better from behind) so score first and score often. No coasting!

Wanna watch the game but don’t have the Versus option? Check out the online feed from Yahoo sports. Wanna talk to other fans during the game? TheNHLarena has a chat, as does the HFBoards group. Five for Howling will have a thread later today too. Not near a computer at 5pm? Check out your radio to listen to Heeter on Xtra 910. Ooops almost forgot… tweeples can follow game on the newly created @coyotesgameday Twitter account.

~Upshall pic from the Associated Press and Azcentral – no photographer credit shown…

As always… GO COYOTES!

Well day 2 of Prospect Camp is done and while the kids all look good no one jumps out and screams at me as  the ‘ahead of the curve’ type.

Hepp needs skate work but has good hands and instincts, very raw though.

Staal has a nice shot and has filled in some and seems to be coming to grips with his growth.

Summers is still good, doesn’t look any bigger but he is definitely more man than boy now, skillset and skating is still solid

Boy, Brodeur has improved his skating alot! That is one hell of  a nice blueliner if he keeps developing this well over the next 2 – 3 years.

OEL is real good but still has rough edges that will definitely smooth out, he needs another 20lbs to play in the NHL, but solid shot and nice passing skills on that kid.

Ahnelov is about the same : solid instincts and smooth skating but hasn’t got much of a shot… its hard but still not that accurate.

Nick Ross wasn’t running around puttin people on their butts this camp but he has filled in and seems very calm and more poised than last year.

The goalies looked pretty good. Darling looks the most improved. Scott has put on a little weight to go with his height finally and the legs look a lot better than last year. Mike Lee also looks like a Staal (I think we’re trying to corner the market on blondish red heads w/ freckles for some reason) He has good all around movement and glove speed. Bennett looks like he’s really been working on his lateral movement, quick from post to post but his glove still needs some work.

The camp was defense heavy this year. Ahnelov, Schlemko, OEL, Brodeur and May stood out for the blue. Of the 6 forwards, Long, Brown and Staal seemed to be the smoothest although Maclean did have some good moments.

There wasn’t the mega speed like last year, just solid, hard working, yet raw talent. This is a good group of kids. The cupboards are filling nicely under Keith Gretzky’s crew.

In other news…

Another potential local buyer has emerged according to court filings. Maybe a Plan B in case the Court is not enthused about Reinsdorf’s restructure bid?

Our good friend and TV analyst, Darren Pang is leaving the Coyotes to join the St. Louis Blues TV broadcast. Call him homer or whatever but Panger was one of the good guys. Always excited, always positive no matter how bleak the day. You will be missed my friend, you will be sorely missed.

We go back to court to possibly get the scoop on who is a real creditor, who really gets what under Reinsdorf’s bid and a host of other ambiguous matters.

I unexpectedly got to talk to GMDM a little bit at camp today.

ME: I hear you aren’t done shopping yet, what is left on your list to pickup?

GMDM: I’d like to get a scorer. We talked last year at the end about Jokinen so I won’t go back over how that didn’t quite work out. I’d like to get someone in w/ some experience and some proven points. We’ve got some good guys now that I have confidence in but I think they could use a little more help. If we had 4 or 5 Doans we would be set but I’d like to get another guy that can help out up front. We could also use some grit. McGrattan has something going elsewhere but I can sure use a heavy weight w/ a bit of skillset, someone who can skate.

ME: You’ve gone on record about not rushing any more rookies. I take it we won’t be seeing any of the 09 class next year, but what about the rooks who were rushed? Will they be seeing time down in the AHL?

GMDM: We won’t be seeing the 09 kids for almost certain. Not closing the door on anyone who just suddenly goes lights out, but I don’t see that happening. The Boedkers and Tikhnovs will certainly still be here, they did very well and will be given better opportunities for success this year. The 3rd year kids will be the ones we will be asking to really become hockey players and go to guys. We need them to step up this year and be NHLers.

ME: What do you see as the biggest areas you want to improve?

GMDM: PK, PP and faceoffs. we picked up Fiddler for those reasons. Vern is 54% on the faceoff and plays big PK minutes. We need to improve those stats in order to have success next season. Our goaltending has to be better.

ME: Speaking of the net minding, what made you choose Labarbera over say, Clemmensen or Andersen at around the same money?

GMDM: well we looked at those guys too of course, but it came down to 2 yrs VS 3 yrs for the money. I’ve worked with Jason before and he’s a solid guy. He got a taste of being a #1 goalie and liked it, he wants it again. He’s still got the fire. He’ll push Breezy for it. He’s a similiar guy, when either of them are on their game they are great, its when they can’t quite get there that the problems ensue. I think they make a good set to help us get where we need to be. Both of them have things to prove.

ME: You speak highly of the blueline now, how does Aucoin fit in and why does he make you more confident for the season?

GMDM: Adrian can eat minutes. He can do 22 minutes, has a big right handed shot and replaces the loss of Morris quite well I think. With Sauer and Michalek and Aucoin we have big minute players taking the brunt of the defense while still having space and time to develop our younger defensemen like Yandle.

ME:  I’m sure most of our fans would agree that the aquisition of Lombo, Prucha and Upshall was brilliant. (he laughed at this part) How are the negotiations coming with Uppy? We see that only Winnie and Dawes have filed for arbitration so things must be progressing right?

GMDM: We love what these guys have brought to the team. We are in negotiations with Scotty. There are no snags. Its a matter of the fact that while both the team and Scotty feel he can be a 30 goal guy, and we are going to give him the TOI and the linemates to do that, but we have to agree to a dollar figure that reflects the difference between that ‘potential’ and ‘reality’ at the present time. Upshall doesn’t want arbitration because the team would have the option of choosing 1 – 2 years at the arbitration figure which might not be optimum for him. We’ll get it done, he really wants to be here and we really want him to be here.

ME:  I know you have to get going but can you give me your take on which team(s) you think made themselves a lot better for a run at the cup?

GMDM: Calgary Flames for sure. Adding Bouwmeester really makes their blueline tough to get around. They made staffing changes and bolstered their front lines and barring the inevitable bumps and luck issues should be formidable. LA also looks good for the coming season.

ME: Thanks so much! I appreciate the chance to chat, maybe I can catch you with a few more after Saturday’s workout?

GMDM: Anytime, just grab me.

Okay…. thats all I have for now. My new sidekick Carson ran around all session getting mini-interviews. He’ll have his Coyotes Talk w/ Carson ready to go in a few days and you’ll hear from Tyson Nash, Justin Weller, Evan Bloodoff, Sean Burke, Keith Gretzky and Jonas Anehlov to name a few. His young sister took the photos for the mini sessions. They are quite a team.

As always… Go Coyotes!

Okay Odie and theYotesDiva are asking… if you were GMDM, what would you do with the team next year? Pick your roster, trade or buy players and keep your budget realistic. The NHL should be putting their money where their mouths are. They say they will do what it takes to get this team on its feet. Well, this team needs to be competitive and GMDM needs an operating budget worth the name and as the DIP, put up or shut up time has arrived. (apparently GMDM submitted a couple of budgets to the NHL/Moyes and actually got 1 of them approved!)

Well I just couldn’t decide on some of the players to help get the Yotes moving forward again so I asked for professional help and it was Carson to the rescue. Your guest blogger extraordinaire is 11 years old.

This is our guy, Carson, with Bryz at the 07-08 Game Night with the Coyotes.  He first played hockey when he was 6 and then he really became a fan of the game.  Carson became a fan of the Yotes because he got season tix in the 06-07 season after his family moved back to Arizona from Maine.  Carson is also a HUGE University of Maine fan.  He doesn’t have a favorite player, but likes them all.  ICarson hopes the Yotes stay.  He hopes we have a great season. He wants his intro to end with… GO YOTES AND BLACK BEARS!!!!

Goalies:

Ilya Bryzgalov: Under contract for the 09 season for 4.250 Million. I agree that he’s still our starter, with the caveat that after what he showed in the World Cup, he better bring it here at home or he won’t be our starter for too much of the season. GMDM is already looking around if I’m reading recent comments correctly.

Al Montoya: .750 Million for the kid. He showed that he has some serious chops at the end of last season. On one hand, I love this idea, on the other hand, with Bryz often goin schizoid, can we afford to only have 1 rookie option in our net? I think bringing in another goal keeper to camp and ‘may the best goalie win’ is a better strategy.

Goalie I’d like to see push Bryz:

35 yr old Legace (does anyone think Manny has anything left in the tank and deserves another shot? What could it hurt to give him a try out offer? We can always just-say-no if Monty turns on the after burners) *Legace is perfect to bring to camp for free test run*

Wish list goalies -

28 yr old Andersen (For long stretches, Craig has proven he can be THE man. He could push the hell outta Bryz. Raise from .575 to 1M)

31 yr old Clemmensen (has already shown promise beyond expectation and at 1.5 *raise from .500* he could be a steal, although a longshot that he’ll be available)

6M max in net

Carson adds -

Forward Lines:

Doan – Mueller – 3 choices (IF Mueller isn’t going back to center I’d like to see one of the following on their line.) approx 8.500M

Pahlsson: 31 year old former Selke candidate (mentor to our own possible Selke candidate Hanzal?). He made 1.4M a raise to 2.5M for 2 years might be enough to sway him (we only need him to give Porter time to come up).

Malhotra: 29 yr old seasoned but not worn out. Was making 1.5M could be had on another 2 yr 2M contract

Antropov: 29 yr old looking to make a difference and prove TOR wrong about him. Was 2.05 could be had for maybe 3 years @ 3M

(IF Mules is really going back to center then I’d like to see a very fast RW on this line… maybe Lisin?)

Lombardi – Prucha – Upshall: If it ain’t broke, pleeeze don’t try to fix it. We’ve already got Prucha locked down for around 2M, and Upshall is an RFA and should be signable for about the same 2+ million. Combined Salary: just under 6M

Hanzal – Tikhonov – fill in any of the LWs (all mean summabitches who can TCB and actually play the game, cuz let’s face it, no one is scared of Fridge) at: Combined Salary: 4M

28 yr old Winchester/STL – L .600

27 yr old Moen/SJS – L .925

Or my dream man…. 29 yr old Tanguay/ MTL – L 5.375 which would take this lines total up to about 7.750M (since we’d have to seriously overpay Tanguay) We have plenty of room.

I had added 37 yr old Brashear/ Was – L 1.200 (even though Carson disagreed vehemtly) But now that GMDM has picked up Vandemeer, we really don’t need Brashear anymore anyway.

Carson adds a pretty good choice:

Lisin – Winnik – Boedker: This line would be fast and productive. I wouldn’t mind giving Winnik another shot at the brass ring. We have shit for size right now and Dwin would have no problem stepping up for his smaller line mates. Winnie can also skate and hang onto a puck long enough for these two speedsters to run circles around the opposition and get open. He has decent hands too, he just needs a finisher and both of these kids certainly can do that. Combined Salary: 3.15 million

Fedoruk: already signed for 1 more year, meh 1.05 million

Turris, go ahead and give me shit in advance for putting KT in the AHL. We should all be able to admit errors and Kyle was brought up too early. We should be ALL about putting these kids into situations to succeed and grow. A year with Ireland, proper strength training and building his confidence by shredding the AHL would make a monster out of KT for the 2010 season.

22 min and 25 max on the front end

Defensive Pairings:

Michalek – Sauer: A lock. Incomparable shut down pairing. Expect Z to break out more offensively, now that he knows he can absolutely trust this partner to cover him. 3.250 M

Jovanovski – Ahnelov : The big Swede was deemed ready for a shot but derailed by injuries. Stays at home, plays very safe, has a nasty edge that might inspire the return of JovoCop. 2 big guys with a history of nasty streaks,could become monumental deterrents to comin to deep into our zone and IF Jovo can get as confident w/ Jlov as he was with Z, we could also see a return of his points production. Salary: 6.575M

Yandle – Morris: Yandle will get a raise. Morris probably has the inside track since he is already on GMDM’s return radar, gets a raise but a 2 year term because even he must realize he hasn’t exactly earned the giant contract. This pairing gives us a great 2^nd power play unit option. The risk is, we could see more of the not-so-great Morris but the upside is DMo is a known quantity who knows he’d have to get better or risk never seeing the big payday. Salary: 6M

• Komisarek – testing FA market
• Bergeron
• Leopold – Part of the Bouwmeester deal

** (all at around 2.500 – 3M for a total w/ Yands of 4.500 – 6M)

Hale: Could still improve with the right coaching. Salary : .725

*** We have to keep these filler defensemen to short contracts since we’ll have Goncherov, Ross, Summers and possibly Stone looking for spots within 2 – 3 years if everything goes well. (Hale, Jovo and Morris would be vacating within that period allowing the youngsters to step into their spots)

16M maximum on the blueline

Carson would like to give a shot to:

We spent about 43M minimum and 50M on the maximum on 21 players… leaving 2 more spots available for rookies to move up and down as needed, that’s sweetly over the cap floor and not too much over a reasonable budget expectation, is it?

We can’t make the same mistakes as last year with too many rookies, not enough vets. We need to improve but have to be realistic. Use what we have, tweak the roster enough to be competitive. Implement serious cost containment (save money on housing operations staff, maximize use of the fanbase and their contacts to further marketing efforts w/out extra costs, get rid of at least 6M in coaching staff costs) we have to maximize arena revenue (get more bookings), in other words spend less every where we can except the roster.

That’s what I’d do if I were GMDM… prolly a good thing I had help from Carson. Also probably a good thing I’m not the GM LOL

In other news… QOs went out to 12 Coyotes players…

Read the rest of this entry »

We have been informed that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will be at the Alltel Ice Den in Scottsdale tomorrow (Tuesday) at 5:10pm to meet with the media. He is here to promote hockey in the Valley! We’d love to see as many fans as possible at the Ice Den at that time. If you are available, please come out & bring your friends!

This is our time to prove that there ARE hockey fans in the Valley. We need as many people out there in Coyotes gear as possible. Wear your jerseys, hats, t-shirts, and BRING SIGNS!!! Lots of signs! This is our chance to also show the NHL we appreciate all that they are doing to keep hockey in the Valley and to tell Jim Balsillie he needs to keep his hands off OUR TEAM!

Please ask everyone you can to be there and forward this info to your friends. It’s our time to shine, Phoenix! Let’s make the most of it! If any additional information becomes available, Heather will post updates at SaveTheCoyotes.com.

I look forward to seeing you all there!

Even as Jim Balsillie launches another salvo across our bow, GMDM doesn’t let that stop the work that must go forward if the Coyotes are to be competitive next season.

GMDM got Pruuuuu!!! resigned! Oh YEAH! The Coyotes are on the prowl. Its a 2 year deal that will let Petr Prucha shine here in the desert sun with plenty of TOI I hope. Hey Deb! we’re keepin yer boy, so you’ll still be an honorary Coyotes.

DM seems to be in a deal makin mood this morning because he also did a quick trade with Florida while he was sippin his morning latte.

Steven Reinprecht was traded to the Florida Panthers this morning where he joins other former Yoties, Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton. Rhino promptly signed a 3 year deal with the Panthers, so you know that deal had probably been in the hopper for awhile (might be the reason we didn’t pull the trigger on Rhino at the trade deadline).

In return, we got 23 year old Stefan Meyer. The Medicine Hat native has been up and down quite a bit (his frequent flyer miles to Rochester probably rival our Kevin Porter’s from the beginning of the season).

Here we go fans, the Yotes are setting out to show they got unfinished business here in the Valley of the Sun. They host their first Open House for the 09 season. This will be the team’s first push for season ticket sales since this mess started. They will also be releasing their 20 game pick your game plan that night as well.

Let’s show up by the thousands and show them we want to support our team! The ticket reps are calling the people on their lists to inform everyone of the Open House and we can also expect more information from the Coyotes as it becomes available. Please check phoenixcoyotes.com as well as this site for information as its made available.

Here’s the info that I have so far:

Coyotes Open House

Thursday June 25th 6-9pm at the Arena

The Coyotes will provide hot dogs and soda for everyone and a free “Game On AZ” t-shirt will be given to the first 2000 people through the door.

Season Ticket holders can RSVP to their ticket reps, non season ticket holders can call Ian at 623-772-3293 or Matt at 623-772-3349.

Your RSVP is not required but is appreciated, so that they can get an idea of how much food they will need.

Hope to see you there as I visit my favorite seats and my beloved patio… come on over and say howdy if you see me.

As always… Go Coyotes!

In case you forgot…

WE are the fans of the PHOENIX COYOTES and WE will be heard!

Date: Saturday, May 16th

Time: 10 AM

Place: Native New Yorker – Glendale, AZ (7273 N. 95th Ave. – Next to Cabelas)

What to wear: All fans planning to attend should dress in white, similar to the famous Coyotes “White Outs” of years past.

Kevin McCabe and Mike Muraco (Roc) from Calling All Sports on The Fan AM 1060, will be broadcasting live from the event.

Join the Coyotes Booster Club! Why? Well if you need more reasons than being able to help your community through charity projects, supporting your favorite hockey team, getting special emails on team happenings in advance and hanging out with a fantastic group of fans… How about uber special guests at meetings throughout the year? This year we’ve had the 3rd jersey design team , Doug Moss and Brad Treliving to name a few and at the last meeting of the year we got GMDM for our guest! Uber kewl eh?

Sooo Saturday before the Ducks game the boosters tailgated on the 2nd floor of the Renaissance hotel parking garage (out of the sporadic rain) Thanks Renaissance! Then headed inside to the Coyotes suite for our meeting. You all know I am never prepared with a recorder so you get the paraphrased version of the talk. Odie will prolly have his take on it over at 5 for Howling soon too.

The questions were all over the board but you know Carcillo and the other trades were definitely on everyone’s minds. Here’s how it went to the best of my recollection (and sprawly notes).

GMDM opened the talk with a synopsis of the season and of the trades, stating that he really believed we would make it to the playoffs. He thought that the moves that they made would put us over the top. He was disappointed that we couldn’t sustain the early success thru the whole season.

He also stated that the Coyotes are through rushing guys. That young players will have a tougher time cracking the line up next year because we now have enough players to fill spots with out relying on the very young to do jobs they aren’t ready for. They will develop what they have and add a few key players in the off season. The team will be drastically changed from what we saw this year, there were 2 or 3 players that should not have been rushed to the main ice and they may be allowed to step down a notch to develop at a slower pace.

He addressed the DMo trade by saying that he told Derek to leave the family here in Phoenix because he wanted another crack at getting him back (if the ownership issues and financials get taken car of) DMo is definitely on their list of returnees. He admitted that DMo had a mediocre season, injury and of course the ongoing contract talks affected him like they would anyone. But that DMo is capable of so much more and they would like to get him back if at all possible.

The Joker trade was basically, he wasn’t fitting in at all like planned. He’s a tremendous player and a good guy. Just did not fit into our system nor our lockerroom and with his salary, he wasn’t the guy for us to wait and see on. Gettin such a high return w/ the pick and Lombo and Prust gave GMDM some more flexibility in the off season, helped to position him to take Philly’s offer for Danny later and let us imporve our face offs and got us some more speed and shooting skill.

Boosters: Why did you really trade Danny? (this question came in various forms throughout the meeting, as if answering one time wasn’t satisfactory)

GMDM: After Danny’s knee injury he never really regained his form. His skating was off and he couldn’t seem to find his scoring touch. He grew increasingly frustrated and it showed both on the ice and off. (maybe we as an organization didn’t help by putting so much emphasis on him becoming a scorer) but we really needed more than a 4th line brawler and Danny seemed to be settling into that role more and more as the season progressed. The issues grew and we didn’t think it would be good for a team with such a large group of youngsters to be affected by the circumstances/behavior. Philly made us an offer we couldn’t refuse and we took it. Danny is a good young man and will be a good player, just not for us right now.

Booster: How do you account for the post ASG slump?

GMDM: We were on track and doing exactly what I hoped we’d be doing and the injury bug got us. Key players like Sauer and Rhino just can’t be replaced by raw youngsters. And then of course we seemed to just completely forget how to play hockey for a little while, that didn’t help much. But we will adjust the roster accordingly, we learned a lot from the slump about having so much youth in key positions down the stretch.

Booster: So what made you actually pull the trigger on so many trades?

GMDM: Quite frankly I took a look at the team and didn’t like what I saw happening. We didn’t have the speed and quickness that we wanted and some of the pieces were’nt fitting. I saw an ooportunity to address multpiple isssues and I think with Lombardi, Prucha and Upshall in the mix, a lot of the issues. We got speed, we got energy and we got some players who have some experience to help balance the extreme youth.

Booster: What the heck was wrong with Peter Mueller this season?

GMDM: Peter trained especially hard in the offseason. Unfortunately it appears that maybe the wrong things were worked on. He put on muscle mass and got stronger but not quite in the right way. He was slower, bulkier and had trouble adjusting to the changes. He had 3 injuries including the concussion which also slowed him down in his development. The good thing is that nothing happened that can’t be fixed and his issues certainly highlighted for us the need for more  in-house training being offered. We can offer the guys a plan for diet and exercise and things to work on for their development for next season (they’re pros, we can’t force them to take our advice but we certainly nudge them in what we feel is the right direction) which we did more towards that. Peter had a tough season, it happens. He’ll be fine.

Me: Who do you see down in the minors challenging for a spot on the roster next season?

GMDM: The 09 roster is gonna be tough for young guys to crack. The only player in San Antonio that I see truly having a shot at it is Kevin Porter. (Kolarik, Maclean and a few others looked good for stretches at a time, but Porter was consistently good all season. Both on the main club and in SA. We saw a lot of him over the season and he might have a shot at it. Jonas Ahnelov might surprise us too. He was slated for a good looksee at the beginning of the season but broke his hand. He reinjured it in SA and then got a concussion that he battled for nearly a month. He’s game and has size and when healthy may give the guys on the blueline a run for their money next season.

Me: In the offseason, with so many teams in a cap crunch, have you got your eye on any of their assets?

GMDM: Of course I’ll be looking at players (especially those who had 5 or 6 year contracts that only have 2 or 3 years left on their contract)  I’m specifically looking at adding a top defenseman, a top center (probably not one of Olli’s stature but a good one) and a face off /pk guy. Teams like Philly (see thursday’s entry…. at cap limit), Detroit (Franzen’s signing gives them a lot less flexibility) and NYR (who have a lot of quality centers) are all on my radar. Basically a lot will depend on the new ownership being in place and the financial situation of the club. I see us as the next Chicago.

Booster: What about the financial situation? Are we close to getting new ownership?

GMDM: Gosh I hope so. It needs to be done pretty quickly. Within the next few weeks I hope. I think its basically down to price at this time.

Booster: What about our other affiliates and youngsters?

GMDM: We’re pleased with the development of most of our kids but we are evaluating staying in the CHL next season. There may not be the level of competition there (Sundogs) that we would like. We have looked at maybe someplace like Stockton for next season.

Booster: Will we still look for a backup goalie in the offseason or will Monty take the backup position?

GMDM: Yes. Torjman and Montoya have performed well and continue to develop at a good pace. If either comes into camp and makes a great showing, they will be given the opportunity of course. But We don’t feel like we can take any chances so we will be looking for another goalie. Maybe someone like Andersen. We could possibly revisit Tellqvist who was a great team guy and was very successful in the role for us. But we need to make sure we get someone who can maybe push Bryzgalov a bit.

Booster: I’m sure you are aware of all the buzz about Wayne as the coach, is there anything happening with the staff after 2 seasons of missing the playoffs?

GMDM: Wayne is in a unique situation. I have watched him grow as a coach,  each year he gets better. Of course the staff will be evaluated and it appears that some changes may need to be made. Anytime a team does what this one has, the staff is going to get a good long look to see if there is anything the organization can do to improve in that direction.

Me: You have made some marvelous changes already. Which of your moves are you most satisfied or proud of?

GMDM: Honestly? I don’t think I did anything spectacular. Some things have worked and somethings didn’t. We didn’t make the playoffs so obviously I still have some work to do. But I think I am most relieved by getting Jokinen off the books. His contract was a little high and for what we were getting, I was just glad to go into the offseason without his salary.

Booster: What about Enver LIsin?

GMDM: Truthfully Enver got a little shortchanged by us having so many good young forwards. He got pushed down by default. He did’nt have a great start, when he did get back up he didn’t have a great game. But the second time he came up, he did a good job for us. We need him in the lineup, his speed and shot and ability to draw penalties are all great assets. It will depend on him, we’d like to get a fair 2 way deal in place for him.

Booster: What about the draft?

GMDM: Well it all depends on where we pick of course. Right now, I see the top 6 as Tavares, Hedman, Duchene, Kane, Cowan (despite the knee concerns) and possibly Kadri. We will of course go with the best plaer available (if Tavares were available we’d probably pick him, even though his skating isn’t the best, his hands, vision and performance at each level have been great… who turns down the kid who might be the next Gretzky?)

Other nuggets included:

• Dawes hasn’t quite worked out as well as we thought (no other explanation of what will happen to him like maybe playin in the A or getting packaged).
• McGrattan will no longer be with the team.
• No deal in place for Rhino but he is definitely in their sights depending on contract and other opportunities.
• Klee is also a maybe. He’s been great for us and for the younger blue liners as teacher and mentor.
• Maxim Goncharov may see the main ice sooner than expected because of issues in the KHL.

See what you miss when you aren’t a member of the Boosters! Join up, tell ‘em I sent ya (I get points for referrals and need a new hat) LOL

Thnx to BTinAZ for the pics!

You have no idea how much I hate the last game of the season. (where’s a damn crying emoticon when you need one?) I can’t even have the solice of knocking the Ducks out of the playoffs since the Preds didn’t do their part (lost to Minny…badly) and Dallas sure as hell didn’t do THEIR part (lost to the Ducks in SO). BUT! we do get to see the boys at home tonight instead of watching a road game on the telly. The sound of taps playing for the end is a lot less sad when you are surrounded by your hockey family. (shout out to the Patio 6 Posse!) Luckily we’ll also be celebrating the Mar and April birthdays of BTinAZ, MzConduct and Ali at a lil place called The Gym afterwards (Glendale at the 101 and Camelback), so if you ain’t quite done with hockey or just want some good company and a reason to feel a little joy, come on over and join us.

Its gonna be a busy day. The Booster club is tailgating at 11 (yeah I know its raining, but we got a plan). We’ll be in the parking garage of the Renaissance Hotel next door to the arena. No grillin, just sammichs, sodas and reminiscing while waiting for the last meeting of the year and game time. That still counts as a tailgate in my book. If you are a member or want to be for next year, come on over and talk to Heather.

Its gonna be a fun day. Early start (5 pm but get there early for all the presentations of team awards) and of course to make sure you get a scratcher ticket (you could win a motorcycle or the sweater off a players back… I know which one I’d rather win but hey! maybe its just me)

Have no idea really what the lines will look like. Pretty sure the major evaluating of Team Transplant and the call ups is all done. Bryzzie will be in net, he’s THE dude and has been here solidly and deserves to end it. (I hope he can go out with a major shut down of his old team)

The Ducks have clinched their post season spot but there’s always the chance to maybe move up and avoid the Wings, so look for them to be insane as always. We’ve only won 1 game against them this season. (damn you Jonas Hiller!) But if we play as well as we did on Thursday, we can still make sure the Ducks are miserable for the first round against the Ded.

Even though 08-09 is ending, there will be plenty going on here. We have team evaluations, player report cards, GMDM speculation and Patio 6 events over the offseason(and thats all b4 draft day and FreeAgency). Then of course theres the Prospect camp and other stuff we cover as the new season ramps up. So stick around and watch the Cup run with us. (I’ll even try to get HTH to do some Cup reports for us)

See you all at the game or maybe at The Gym!

As always… GO COYOTES!