I made a very long winded comment in the Mock Draft thread (on the front page) about the NHL's rumored ultimatum to the NHLPA.

The comment did not get a whole lot of reaction, so I figured I would throw it in a fanpost and see if there are any ideas on the subject.

Continue reading this post »

I've always had a fascination with jersey numbers; in many ways they tell you something about a player. They might reveal someone's hockey hero, if someone is a traditionalist/old-fashioned in their number picking (no. 2-8 for defensemen, for example) if they just chose the last two numbers of their birth year, etc.

My question to you, SCH readers, is what number would you pick if you were drafted/signed by the Hawks? (the retired numbers are still retired, no cheating). I am eager to see the answers.

So, I finally got my ass in gear and got the surveys finished so we can vote on the Best of everything.  Ok, that's a lie: I did one of the surveys and outsourced the other to the lovely and talented ahnfire, who has saved me some sleep time and relieved my guilt for shirking my survey-creating responsibilities.  THANK YOU!

Google forms does not allow links in the multiple choice options, so if you're uncertain what an option refers to you will have to go back to the fanposts (I'll include links to them).  Here we go:

Survey:

SCH Best of 2009-10 Survey

Fanpost:

SCH Best of 2009-10 Fanpost

Survey:

Hawks Best of 2009-10 Survey

Fanpost:

Hawks Best of 2009-10 Fanpost

Please try to vote by next Wednesday, 9/8 so we can get some results to share.  I should be a little more speedy getting that all together since google forms makes nice spreadsheets and charts so I don't have to.  And I will be less busy, I hope.

Happy voting!  Try to fight the Chicago impulse of voting early and often.  Also, you don't have to vote in all categories if you don't like any of the options in a particular category.

And yeah, this should probably be a fanshot but you all can kiss my ass, no one will see it down there and I took so long getting them done that the original fanposts fell off the page.  Sue me, I was busy!

So it's as official as can be (without actually being official of course)

The Free Agency that caused us the most angst this summer has apparently come to an end with Antti Niemi signing with San Jose Sharks for a reported $2 Million. Now, I know we shouldn't care anymore; since Chicago walked away from the arbitration award Niemi's search for a club has just been part of the background noise of  a summer overshadowed by Kovy's contract issues.

But hell, I've still got a soft spot for the boy and I can't help but feel that right now there's some people wishing they had a time machine.

There's plenty wrong with this move from all parties' point of view, which seems to be backed up by a collective "meh" from Sharks fans.  The questions and observations that popped into my mind seem to be what's bothering other people out there:

• What exactly is his role going to be in California? No 1 ahead of Kittymaki? Slugging it out with him for the start? Backup? (in all fairness, probably not but stranger things have happened)
• While this gives the Sharks impressive Goalie strength in depth in the wake of the departed Nabokov, they really, really needed to spend their cap money on the D if they're going to seriously challenge this year. I don't care how good your goalie is, without a top-drawer blueline you're going nowhere (but we knew that already) The guys at Fear The Fin (who are decidedly lukewarm about this deal) reckon that the Niemi signing leaves them about $1.5 million in Cap space... with some serious holes to fill.
  
• A one-year contract? Is this maybe another stroke of umm.. "Genius" from Bill Zito? Betting the farm on San Jose going the distance this season and thereby justifying that stratospheric payday that he feels his client deserves?
  
• Maybe there's more to all this than meets the eye. Feel free to create your own wild conjecture and conspiracy theories about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans at San Jose with Greg Jamison stepping down, the Niklas Hjalmarsson offer sheet and this Niemi signing. You could probably even fit some space aliens in there.. hey, it IS September, what else we got to do?

Anyway, it's an offer no one seems excited about. Maybe he likes the weather. Until we hear from that chatterbox Finn or his people I guess that's it for now.

*Whoa whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa-whoa whoa...

I listed my favorite song on one of these threads the other day and I thought it would be an amusing preseason excercise for you to list your top 10 songs.  Watch "Hi Infidelity Fidelity".  All of us could qualify as the guys that Kusack Cusack employs in that movie.  Anyway, these lists, like best goals, best saves, etc. are ever changing.  My list will change next week as I listen to a song I haven't listed to for a while.  For example, how can the Stanley Cup winner not be the best goal in the history of the Hawks? Like right now I don't have "Sleep Now in the Fire"or anything by The Killers, but next week or later today I might. So below is the list, and remember I'm right even if I'm wrong.  It's my list.

1. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
2. I'd Rather Go Blind - Rod Stewart
3. Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan
4. Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
5. The Weight - The Band
6. BAD - U2 (Live version from Wide Awake In America)
7. Where is My MInd - Pixies
8. Black Coffee in Bed - Squeeze
9. Beware Of Darkness - George Harrison
10. Lodi - Credence Clearwater Revival
11. Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl jam

Every year we hear of ideas to help improve the NHL in competition, on ice play, and drawing in more fans. So I have a few ideas of my own. A couple may not be so hard to see, while others, yeah they are out there!

Continue reading this post »

Why No One Will Make The Playoffs

Maybe it's the off-season ennui, maybe it's my rubbish sense of humour but this made me chuckle..

from Battle of California on SBNation: Awful Hockey, Great Blog (picked up from Puck Daddy)

For my money the funniest predictions are those for the Penguins, Flames, Flyers  (just because it's a dig at Pronger ) and, of course, Scum...

Has a lot more credibility than The Hockey Network's own crystal-ball gazing efforts..

Ed note: - This was put together by Hackrar and CNS, and their efforts deserve some front page recognition. Enjoy the clips and vote! - McClure

Goals.  The 2009-2010  Chicago Blackhawks scored a lot of them,  here's a quick look at the numbers:

REGULAR SEASON

• 179 - 5 on 5 goals (2nd in the NHL)
• 50 - 5 on 4 goals (T-12th in the NHL)
• 2 - 5 on 3 goals (T-22nd in the NHL)
• 16 - 4 on 4 goals (1st in the NHL)
• 13 shorthanded goals (1st in the NHL)
• 2 empty net goals (T-29th in the NHL)
  
• 91 first period goals (2nd in the NHL)
• 84 second period goals (7th in the NHL)
• 81 third period goals (7th in the NHL)
• 6 overtime goals (2nd in the NHL)
• 262 goals in total (2nd in the NHL. NOTE:  271 'goals for' shown on ESPN's standings because they include 1 for each shootout win, 9 in total)

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP POSTSEASON

• 49 - 5 on 5 goals (1st of 16)
• 15 - 5 on 4 goals (2nd)
• 3 - 5 on 3 goals (2nd)
• 2 - 4 on 4 goals (1st)
• 4 shorthanded goals (1st)
• 5 empty net goals (1st)
  
• 21 first period goals (1st)
• 29 second period goals (2nd)
• 25 third period goals (1st)
• 3 overtime goals (T-1st)
• 78 playoff goals in total (1st)

Our Hawks scored 340 goals in 2009-2010, and I went back and reviewed every single one of them.  I selected what I believe to be the top 16 goals (including playoffs), basing my choices purely on the skill of the goal scored with little to no regard given to the game situation in which the goal was scored.  I thought it'd be fun for SCH to do something similar to NHL.com and have a seeded tournament in which we pit the goals against each other and vote on the match-ups until 1 goal, the Goal of the Year, is left standing.  Unfortunately, Fanposts only allow 1 poll per post, which makes my original intent nearly impossible.  Instead, I've included a poll with all 16 choices, and only 1 vote will occur to determine the Goal of the Year.

I performed my selection earlier this summer, but then, I procrastinated on the fanpost.  Luckily, Katherine unintentionally gave me a swift kick in the ass with her recent (and quite successful I might add) year in review fanposts. (Hawks Best/Worst of the season)   (SCH Best/Worst of the season)

In order to make this fanpost a one stop shop, I asked ChicagoNativeSon to help me put together a video of the top goals.  I asked merely for help and what I got was a video that doesn't simply make the fanpost, it is the fanpost.  As usual, CNS went above and beyond in order to keep his fellow SCH'ers as entertained as possible.  Thanks again to CNS, not just for this video, but for all of his outstanding videos and photoshops.

After about as much meaningful fluff as I could muster.......here are the top 16 goals of the year (broken up into 2 parts):

These videos can be found on YouTube, here: PART 1 - PART 2

Keep in mind that based on your votes and your comments, CNS and I might revise the videos with 2 possible edits:

1. Swap out goals - if the consensus is that a worthy goal has not been included and should replace 1 of the current 16
   
2. Reorder the goals - if the consensus is that a goal is ranked too high or too low

Thanks,

Hack and CNS

"You must choose, but choose wisely.  But as the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you."

The NHL just recently released the National TV schedule for this year. On NBC there will be Philadelphia @ Chicago on January 23rd, Pittsburgh @ Chicago on February 20th, Chicago @ Washington on March 13th, Tampa Bay @ Chicago on April 3rd, and finally Detroit @ Chicago on April 10th.

On Versus there will be the season opener Chicago @ Colorado on October 7th, St. Louis @ Chicago on November 30th, Chicago @ Los Angeles on January 3rd, Minnesota @ Chicago on February 16th, Chicago @ Minnesota on February 28th, Chicago @ Tampa Bay on March 9th, San Jose @ Chicago on March 14th, Chicago @ Detroit on March 28th, Chicago @ Boston on March 29th, St. Louis @ Chicago on April 6th, and Chicago @ Detroit on April 8th.

This makes for a total of 16 games that will be broadcast nationally: 5 games on NBC and 11 on Versus. It's a bit of a shame that the Blackhawks' first home game isn't on this list but it's not all that surprising. That is quite a few games though with the highest profile ones probably being the rematch of the Stanley Cup Finals against Philadelphia, a rematch of the Western Conference Finals against San Jose and the three against the hated wings.

I know its a little early but i feel like everybody needs something to help pass the time till Oct. comes along. so i figured we should have a SCH FH league... its on ESPN its a 12 team league... e-mail me at d.good@me.com if you want to be apart of this... again it will be all SCH folks so it should be good time. plus it will give us another avenue to make fun of each other at... and about... So Lets have some fun with this!!!

And always FUCK SCUM and GO HAWKS

*UPDATE* There Are 4 spots left in the league, so let me know if you want in. hurry spaces closing fast!!!