Bettman: "The league is healthy". Reality: "Not so much".

"The dark side of the Commissioner's Office is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural."

We're not going to delve into the mind-numbing details and theories behind expansion and contraction...again. But a new column by The Globe & Mail's Eric Duhatschek takes a close look at the current health of the league as told from those outside the commissioner's office.

"The Tampa Bay Lightning's new owners reportedly needed help from previous owner, Bill Davidson, to complete their purchase.

The Florida Panthers are papering the house with ticket promotions and giveaways: present a Florida driver's licence, get a free ticket.

The New Jersey Devils moved to a new facility in Newark two years ago, but it has not been a cure-all for their economic struggles either. At the moment, as one of 17 teams experiencing attendance downturns in the first quarter of the season, the club is fighting the city and contractors over who should pay utility bills - and it's hard to make ice without water and electricity.

Against this mounting evidence, amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, commissioner Gary Bettman recently reported a sunny forecast for the gate-driven National Hockey League, buffeted by increased attendance in October and brisk ticket sales in many markets.

Looking forward, the picture isn't so cheery."

A most interesting read, and for us locals it's stunning and rather positive in that the Panthers are not the focus of the piece. Lots of insight on the situation in Phoenix...kinda grim.

State of the Union?

Barring a fix of Biblical proportions, this club is cooked. Yes, Jokinen had his expected points. But that's not the issue. We planned on those. Bad has gone to worse. Worse has gone to apparent hopelessness. Tough to be positive... BTW: Coyotes win, 4-1. No contest. Oh, and the Cats led 1-0 in the first. Gets much easier tomorrow, as the Panthers face the Ducks. Worst to first overnight. Sound familiar?

What We're Up Against In Phoenix

I give you the "Puck Patrol". The Phoenix Road Runners of the ECHL "Puck Patrol". Guess the dress code isn't quite what we're used to in Sunrise:

Ok...we've got a late entry from the 'Yotes:

Couple of cuties, but what's with the dudes?

Go Cats.

Gamenight! Cats at Phoenix

The Florida Panthers (0-5 in the past five) await direction from coach DeBoer on defeating the Phoenix Coyotes.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not often we Florida fans stare at the possibility of going zippo-for-six in any recent season. How did we get here? A (crippling) lack of offense? Injuries to McCabe, Stillman, Olesz, Campbell, Weiss, etc. (a very common gripe with this club)? Inexperience among the coaching ranks? Could it be...Satan???

We lose to backup goalies. Lose on shorthanded goals at home. Lose due to lack of effort. Lose because of (insert reason here). It's almost as if they're trying to go down in flames, in the most embarrassing, most grating ways.

I like Pete DeBoer. Of course he's inexperienced at this level. And the AHL level. And come to think of it, throw the ECHL in there as well. BUT, the guy has won and won big over the years in juniors. He's coaching younglings, for the most part. Guys who need a completely fresh outlook. Completely. I'm behind him, and he deserves to get through at least two years of continuous service. Love or hate Jacques Martin, the guy's got a plan. Give it time to pan out way or another.

Doesn't mean he's not going to get barbs thrown his way along the road.

As for his troops: SOFT. Buck it up, buttercups. If only to save face for yourselves. Simply tanking isn't going to create or save a reputation by ultimately getting shipped out. It ain't gonna be to Detroit or San Jose, so you might as well play for the feline on the front of that sweater. Don't want to be here? Fine. Hmmm...who's in need of front-line help? Oh yeah: Atlanta, Columbus, Los Angeles, the Isles. Think ya got it bad here? For those unwilling to roll with all you've got in Sunrise, just keep it up. The word's going to get out. You know, just like the "he can't win the big one" moniker that's been firmly affixed to Jokinen. He may score the winner tonight, but the label remains. And will until he makes the postseason. Nathan...you're traveling that very road. Stephen...is that all? Rusty...all that speed and skill, and soooo little scoresheet action (though you do have the best-ever post-goal celebration in Panthers history. Yeah, that picture). Tomas...one night you're Jacques Plante; the next, Darren Pang. C'mon, bro. The ONLY folks that believe in this bunch are hanging on a thread. JM, we're begging you: do the right thing, avoiding giving away the farm if possible, but make something happen. This is YOUR team. Hold to your word. Talk to the Stillmans and, well the Stillmans about becoming a winner. Get their opinions. The guts-and-glory glory guys who know what to surround themselves with. A tough act, we realize, but no one said the job would be easy.

Hope it's a good one tonight.

Winnipeg to Phoenix...Logos Galore!

Logos and insignia have always been a passionate area for any sports fan. Figured I'd burn off the remainder of the day at work with a quick look at the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise and the stuff worn on their chests (and in some cases, arms and front shoulders). This is not all-inclusive; just the main items.

The circular crest and jerseys from the Jets' early years. Easy on the eyes, and holds up well over the years.











Mid-seventies to late-eighties jersey logo. Makes you want to experiment with hallucinigens.

The famous "Goals for Kids"; this is the later example. Worn on the shoulder.

The Jets' final logo, an awesome design, used until 1996. It just reeks of hockey.

Coyotes' animal logo with wordmark. That's some stylized creature up there with a hockey stick. W4E fact: I was at their first-ever game, a road dealio in Hartford to begin the 1996-1997 season. (For you purists, the Whale prevailed, 1-0. Godynyuk with the lone goal.)

The Phoenix "Goals for Kids" logo. Not only did they swipe Winny's team, but took their charitable causes too.

The secondary "Moon" logo. Lots of thought put into this one. Actually, I always kinda liked it's simplicity.

I don't know what this is.

Today's "Dog". I'm on the fence here. But it is unique.

Is this the Phoenix 2008-09 "third jersey" with new "running dog" logo? We'll see soon. The shoulders need a bit more, methinks.

I'd like to thank the following spectacular sites for the images: Icethetics, winnipeg jets online, and Chris Creamer's SportsLogos. Lots more great stuff at each.

AccuScore Prediction (Ye Same Olde edition): Yotes 2.6, Cats 2.1

The intelligentsia at AccuScore have - as usual - simulated tonight's game 10,000 times and come up with the astounding pronouncement: Florida will lose. Based on their last five games (all losses) one cannot really criticize such a conclusion. It's a computer, after all. So was HAL.

BTW: Olesz and Welch are out.

Jokinen on Florida: ..."And I hear they finally have a good coach."

Boooooyah! Care to volley it, JM?

No surprise to those of us Illustrious Twelve who follow the Panthers closely, but it does bear repeating: Phoenix hosts Florida tonight (9pm, FSN-HD) and a few eyes around the hockey universe will be cocked in the direction of the Jobing.com Arena (the what?).

Lots of sidebar stories, from seeing our old friend Dave Strader, to JovoCop, to Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard's return, to former Panther Olli Jokinen making his first start against the Cats since The Trade.

In the interest of time (I am at work right now, after all), here are a myriad of links relating to tonight's contest and the subplots surrounding it:

Miami Herald, "Former Florida Panther Jokinen loving life with Phoenix Coyotes"

Miami Herald, "Backup goalies have had success against Florida Panthers"

Miami Herald - On Frozen Pond, "Olli Versus Florida, NEXT!"

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Q & A with former Panther Olli Jokinen"

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Jokinen finds peace in desert"

South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Gorten Panthers' Blog, "Hangin' with Olli"

Arizona Republic, "Yotes, Jokinen 'fired up' for Panthers"

CBS Sportsline, "Phoenix vs. Florida"

Panthers Website, "Panthers-Coyotes Preview" Note: an AP article. Blah. Otherwise ignored.

Coyotes Website, (the main page, but has video and commentary on tonight's game)

On a personal note, I had real trouble locating anything - from the Phoenix area - more than the Republic article. We heard things are tight as far as coverage out there, but even I am rather amazed at the lack of attention this is matchup is getting. Then again, the Cats' website virtually ignores it as well. With JM in charge that is no surprise. Bet he wishes this game was on the non-televised list.

Dubious Distinction? Panthers Must Be Involved

I knew of the Jokinen/Charron No-Playoff Connection, but even I wasn't aware of the timing of next week's game. Spooky, and only in hockey does one see such cosmic weirdness.

Look What the Cat Dragged In: Jokinen Talk

Just watching the NHL Center Ice broadcast of the Coyotes/Blue Jackets game produced by Fox Sports Arizona (and Olli scored the first Phoenix goal of the year...classic OJ).

A horrendous broadcast duo...not even sure who they are - admittedly, I haven't even seen their names yet - but if you think Goldie and Denis are snooze-inducing (and I most emphatically do not) then you have a new world yet to be conquered. Almost zero noise from the ice or crowd, sounds like they're in a foam booth, using whatever may be at their disposal to lull you to sleep. Think football.

Anyhoo, the play-by-play guy - an older gentleman, I'm guessing (kinda similar to Fred whats-his-name from the Broons a few years back, minus the energy) - mentioned he had spoken to Olli earlier in the day and Number 12 had decided to share this little bromide (I'm pretty close on the phrasing, but not 100%, being that it was dropped like a bomb in 3 seconds and not replayed since this was a live broadcast):

"He (Jokinen) told them (Florida) he wanted out just before the draft, so he was dealt to Phoenix."

(Emphasis mine.)

Hmmm. Don't remember that quote from the former captain in the Sun-Sentinel or Herald.

Make of it what you will, but the world has labeled Panthers GM Jacques Martin as the evildoer in this affair (oh look...there goes Florida with another boneheaded trade). He may very well have been the instigator; the two were never on the same page. (The irony is that Olli would have flourished in a system such as Peter DeBoer has implemented. But I digress.)

So what. I already love Ballard and his brutal open-ice full-steam hip-checks. He's the modern Darius Kasparaitis, sans illegal parking habits.

I don't know how much validity, honesty, or accuracy in translation to file this away with, but in the end it really doesn't matter.

Olli Speaks

Ok...last time I use this. Maybe.

A quickie Q&A with former Cat Olli Jokinen is up at AZCentral.com.


(AZC): Have you circled 12th game of the year when Florida comes to town?

(Jokinen): "No, but my wife did."

The Beach speaks (am I the first to make the connection? Am I?)

A computer-generated image displaying Nick Boynton in his new togs.



A rather vanilla but nonetheless an "IT'S SOMETHING FROM NOTHING" few words out of newly-acquired defenseman Nick (henceforth, The Beach) Boynton, regaling us via the Arizona Republic's Jim Gintonio with such rich bromides as:

“Everybody plays the game because they want to, and those (trades) are the things that happen. It sucks sometimes, but things happen for a reason, and it’s probably for the best for me.”

At least he's possibly, maybe, perhaps, just a smidgen more pleased to be in Florida than another defenseman you never hear about.

Bizarre...

Is he growing his hair?

Thanks to George Richards/Miami Herald for the heads-up.