Welcome Lubomir...

I was just talking about the Oilers today and the possible trades they would make on Canada Day! Well they beat me to it but I thought Stoll and Greene would be gone.

And poof, they are outta here.

In return, the Oilers get Lubomir Visnovsky from the LA Kings. According to TSN, the Oilers also will be taking on his five-year, US$28-million contract extension he signed in July 2007.

I originally thought he was a Czech but nope, he's Slovakian. Cool, we have some Czechs and a Slovak now....Czechoslovakia baby!!!

I think this means Pitkanen is going to be gone on Canada Day. I can't see them signing him for the 5 million he wants if they just got Visnovsky. Pitkanen can snag the Oilers a top 6 forward. So that should be good news!!!

I'm thrilled that Greene is gone. Finally, I've been championing his departure for several years now. All I have to say: dreams do come true.

I feel bad for Stoll. I like him as a player, well not last year. He was a piece of crap. I thought he might bounce back this year, but that was a big maybe. He needed a change of scenery and plus, he's closer to his cougar-girlfriend Rachel Hunter. So it all works out for the best!

Welcome to Edmonton Lubomir Visnovsky!

Is it finally his time? (YES IT IS)!

Is it finally time for Glenn Anderson to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame? It damn well better be.....he's been eligible since 1999. 9 years of waiting is too long especially when he's been passed over for lesser players. Yes lesser players were chosen over Anderson. They include Neely, Lafontaine, Francis, MacInnis, Duff, Murphy, Gillies, Federko, Langway, Hawerchuk, Gartner, and the list goes on. All these players have made the Hall in years that Anderson was eligible. Anderson's numbers were superior to all of them, and more importantly, his pressense in the playoffs was off the charts.

Why he is not in the Hall? There are many reasons listed as a possiblity: he benefitted from a skilled Oilers team, he wasn't friendly with the media, he's a deadbeat dad, etc. I'm still confused why any of these reasons would ever be brought up. You don't need to be a good father to get into the Hall. It's based on your hockey career (or should be entirely) but people keep bringing up all these factors. His numbers alone should have gotten him into the Hall.

I can't see him being denied another year. His numbers along with his Stanley and Canada Cups should be enough to get him in. Check the list of eligible players and their stats. Anderson should get over the hump due to his Cups.

My favorite memories of Glenn was when he was flying down the ice, cutting into the middle, splitting the defense, crashing the net and shooting the puck into the net. I grew up in Manitoba where we didn't hear the rumours and information about his personal life. All I knew growing up was that he was a helleva hockey player. That is how he should be judged today.

Announcement will come at 3:30 (et) and his eight year wait should be over.

UPDATE: Welcome to the Hall of Fame Glenn Anderson!

ABOUT F'IN TIME!

CTV: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Just in, TSN/CTV has 'saved' the Hockey Theme Song. First, I didn't know the song needed saving. Second, this accounts for flat out thievery. The song didn't need to be saved. There was ongoing negotiations (or extortion) with the jingle writer Claman and CBC for the use of the song which has been in rotation for 40 years at the CBC. So with the extortion not going according to plan, Claman turns to CTV/TSN and extorts them.

CTV, big bad billionaire company, steals this song from public broadcaster CBC. Yes it's as bad as it sounds. I know CTV/TSN wants to pretend this was done to ensure the survival of the song but there wasn't much doubt that a deal would have occurred with the CBC. They would never let the song die but they sneak in, do a back-door deal and poof, it's been stolen.

According to CBC and how there was double-dealing going on:

We offered arbitration, mediation — we offered to meet their price. On Friday, when it came right down to it, we never got a response from them on our latest offer and find out, in the meantime, they appeared to be negotiating with CTV.....If that is the price CTV wants to pay, it won't be the first time nor will it be the last time, probably, that they outbid us for something. They have a lot more profits than we do...

I've become more disillusioned and disappointed with TSN over the past couple years, particularly when they started broadcasting NHL games. They've become big, fat, loud and obnoxious. They're shit as broadcasters now who depend on gossip instead of storytelling. They spend more time shelling out the rumour-de-jour instead of actually commenting on real stories. Ten years ago when I moved out on my own and got cable for the first time, I was most excited to get TSN. A sports network that was dedicated to good sports broadcasting. It simply is not anymore. Maybe because I still believe NHL hockey belongs on CBC and they put on a better broadcast. TSN is filled with loud and idiotic broadcasters (Pierre Maguire anyone?) who prefer the sound of their own voice to sport. They are not The Sports Network, they are The Toronto Network....it's all about the Leaves even when they don't make the playoffs. They are THE first story on Sportscentre and are discussed at the exclusion of everyone else. The broadcasters make Don Cherry look unbiased.

After the story broke earlier today, there were quite a few comments on TSN's website under the story and the majority of them were NOT supportive of this move. Well I just checked and many of those negative comments are no longer there. Mmm interesting TSN.

TSN/CTV should be ashamed of this underhanded and sneaky ploy. I still prefer my sports from CBC and I was heartbroken when CTV/TSN won the 2010 Olympics. They do a shit job at the Olympics. A plague on your house CTV/TSN. This was not saving the song, it was theft from the big bad rich company over a public broadcaster.

So go ahead, buy a song synonomous with the CBC. It will not reduce CBC's hockey viewership, not their better sports broadcasts. You basically will give them free advertising since this song will be associated with CBC forever. You can't destroy history. I tune into CBC for the hockey, not a song.