Your faithful hockey correspondent spends a lot of time in and around Buffalo, and frankly, I am surprised you have read this far along in the sentence without emailing me your top three Buffalo jokes.
Really, it snows there? Didn't know that. Oh, they bowl there, too? Amazing. My chicken wings? Medium, extra crispy, but easy on the bleu cheese dressing and forget the celery. There, saved you the mad dash to the laptop.
The NHL last week set up shop in Orchard Park, home of the Bills (I know, your fourth favorite Buffalo joke), to start preparations for its Winter Classic on New Year's Day. The Sabres and Penguins in the great outdoors, 1 p.m., rain or shine. Personally, I'm hoping for a huge blast of L.E.S. (that's Lake Effect Snow), because, recalling the days of my youth, shoveling in skates to clear a "patch" was almost as much fun as the hockey that followed it.
Be the weather good or bad, I am sure Tuesday's event will be a resounding success. Ralph Wilson Stadium, with a seating capacity of 74,000, sold out faster than a French Connection breakaway, much to the chagrin of thousands of Pittsburgh fans who were eager to make the 200-mile drive north. Sabres fans beat them to the box office, and when The Ralph parking lots open at 8 a.m. Tuesday, they will be packed with all manner of tailgating accoutrements, and an awe-inspiring display of Sabres memorabilia, especially those tiny flags that the locals clip to their rear car windows like so much laundry hanging on the backyard clothesline.
According to a recent report in the Buffalo News, the Sabres' brand power now outdistances all Major League Baseball and NBA teams. In fact, in a survey of 12,000 respondents in 47 US markets by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, the Sabres ranked a dizzying third in brand power among all North American pro sports franchises, trailing only the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts.
Here in the Hub of Hockey, where the Bruins long ago were the epicenter of such love and mania, it is hard to imagine that tens of thousands of fans would attend an outdoor hockey game. However, rumors of such a game have been around for a few years, triggered by the outdoor game between the Oilers and Canadiens in Edmonton on Nov. 22, 2003. Some 52,000 turned out for that one, in temperatures a touch below what now preserves Ted Williams in a life-extension lab. But that's Canada, where 5,000 might turn out for a Senior Shinny preseason game.
For the Ice Bowl in Edmonton, similar to what is planned in Orchard Park, the league provided large heating units behind each bench, and channeled a steady stream of warm air to the players' backs.
"It was the only game I've ever been in," said then-Oiler Georges Laraque, who will be an outdoor double-dipper as a Penguin right winger, "when guys didn't mind being benchwarmers."
If an outdoor game were played here, it likely would have the Bruins facing the Canadiens or Rangers, clubs that still bring a decent gate at Causeway Street. Now, where to play it? Realistically, only four venues would suffice:
Fenway Park - Capacity of slightly more than 36,000. When the Patriots played at Fenway in the '60s, the football field ran from the third base line out toward the bullpens. Temporary bleachers were placed on the field, along The Wall.Harvard Stadium - The classiest and most intimate of the area choices, the 104-year-old landmark seats slightly less than 31,000. But thousands more could be accommodated if temporary bleachers were dropped into the open end zone. Steel stands filled that space for years, bumping capacity up toward 58,000, but they were torn down in the early '50s.Alumni Stadium - Flutie Field now packs in some 44,500 for BC football games. Of the three Boston locations, the Heights is probably the best option, given capacity, configuration, and modern amenities. But Chestnut Hill neighbors might frown upon so many of the hockey unwashed drifting through the hallowed 'hood.Gillette Stadium - None of the charm of playing downtown, but that hasn't stopped one sellout after another of nearly 70,000 making Sunday pilgrimages to Kraftland. For the capacity, amenity, and convenience aspects, it's a no-brainer. Question is, if the Bruins most nights are challenged to get 13,000-14,000 to come to Causeway, would the novelty of being outdoors be enough to sell out the Garden four times over?Be prepared to be charmed Tuesday when NBC carries the events from Orchard Park. There is just something about seeing the game in its natural element that provides a look, a patina, that doesn't translate under a roof. For those of us who grew up playing the game on New England ponds and rivers - infuriated that a stupid black puck could disappear into a white snowbank! - it's a step back in time to when our cheeks turned cherry red, our backs ached a "good" ache, and our hands had to wrap around a second cup of hot chocolate to regain function.
So, please, file the Buffalo humor, especially if your cup of cocoa now is served lukewarm here in the Hub of Hockey. Truth is, we're not even close to what we once were, back when there was a street hockey game for every hydrant in town, and the Bruins dominated office chat and barroom debates. As you'll see on Tuesday, we are a far cry from Buffalo, and I'm willing to bet that you don't find that very funny.
Elder skatesmen
Detroit icon Nicklas Lidstrom, who will turn 38 soon after the conclusion of the regular season, agreed the other day to a two-year contract extension, each season worth approximately $7.5 million. By agreeing to the deal, Lidstrom became the oldest NHLer to have a deal in place for the 2009-10 season, edging out by only months the likes of Dallas forward Mike Modano and Carolina faceoff machine Rod Brind'Amour. A look at the oldest players on each NHL club to have a contract in place for the '09-10 season or beyond.
| | | | | | Team | Player | Position | Age | Years, beginning 2009-10 salary |
| Anaheim | Chris Pronger | D | 33 | One, $6.25 million |
| Atlanta | Slava Kozlov | F | 35 | One, $3.85 million |
| Boston | Zdeno Chara | D | 30 | Two, $7.5 million per |
| Buffalo | Jochen Hecht | F | 30 | Three, $3.4 million avg. |
| Calgary | Wayne Primeau | F | 31 | One, $1.4 million |
| Carolina | Rod Brind'Amour | F | 37 | Two, $3 million per |
| Chicago | Duncan Keith | D | 24 | One, $1.9 million |
| Colorado | Milan Hejduk | F | 31 | One, $4 million |
| Columbus | Fred Modin | F | 33 | One, $3.5 million |
| Dallas | Mike Modano | F | 37 | One, $2.25 million |
| Detroit | Nicklas Lidstrom | D | 37 | One, $7.5 million |
| Edmonton | Steve Staios | D | 34 | Two, $2.5 million avg. |
| Florida | Ruslan Salei | D | 33 | One, $3.275 million |
| Los Angeles | Lubomir Visnovsky | D | 33 | Four, $5.65 million per |
| Minnesota | Kim Johnsson | D | 31 | One, $5.3 million |
| Montreal | Roman Hamrlik | D | 33 | Two, $5.5 million per |
| Nashville | Jason Arnott | F | 33 | Two, $4.5 million per |
| New Jersey | Martin Brodeur | G | 35 | Three, $5.2 million per |
| NY Islanders | Andy Sutton | D | 32 | One, $3.5 million |
| NY Rangers | Chris Drury | F | 31 | Three, $7 million avg. |
| Ottawa | Daniel Alfredsson | F, | 35 | Three, $3.8 million per |
| Philadelphia | Mike Rathje | D | 33 | One, $3.5 million |
| Phoenix | Ed Jovanovski | D | 31 | Two, $6 million per |
| Pittsburgh | Sergei Gonchar | D | 33 | One, $5.5 million |
| San Jose | Craig Rivet | D | 33 | Two, $3.5 million |
| St .Louis | Paul Kariya | F | 33 | One, $6 million |
| Tampa Bay | Martin St. Louis | F | 32 | Two, $4 million |
| Toronto | Jason Blake | F | 34 | Three, $4 million |
| Vancouver | Sami Salo | D | 33 | Two, $3.6 million avg. |
| Washington | Michael Nylander | F | 35 | Two, $4.25 million avg. |
Etc.
Holiday blues for St. Louis rookie
A little bit of tough love for Blues rookie
David Perron. When he missed his flight out of Montreal Christmas night, in part because of holiday traffic around the airport, the freshman winger had to wait until the next morning to begin his trip back to St. Louis. By the time he made it to Scottrade Center, he was too late for the morning workout, leading hard-line coach
Andy Murray to scratch him from the lineup that night vs. the Red Wings. "It's a little bit of bad luck, and a little bit of a rookie mistake," Blues president
John Davidson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "You don't take the last flight. If something goes wrong, you're dead. It's a rookie mistake, and he'll learn."
Going south in Tampa
The beating goes on for the Lightning whenever
Vincent Lecavalier and crew are on the road. A 3-2 loss in Washington right after the Christmas break dropped the Bolts to a league-worst 3-13-1 away from home. The defeat also left Tampa parked in the 14th spot in the Eastern Conference. Coach
John Tortorella: "There had better be some panic going on within this club." Goaltending has been among the bugaboos - going back to
Nikolai Khabibulin hitting the road for Chicago - so Tortorella has given more starts recently to 21-year-old
Karri Ramo. Two years ago, Ramo spent the season in Finland, backstopping for HPK Hameenlinna, where
Juha Toivonen, brother of ex-Bruin
Hannu Toivonen, also got a little bit of work. On Friday, the Bolts placed goalie
Marc Denis on waivers. A bust since signing as a free agent, Denis is on the books for a $2.867 million cap hit through next season.
A delicious idea
You haven't truly skated in the great outdoors until you've laced up on the Rideau Canal that runs through Ottawa. "It goes for miles," said Bruins pivot
Marc Savard, who grew up just outside the city. "My father used to drop me off there in the morning and just say, 'Go for a run.' " The future flashy NHL pivot would be there for the day, but not every minute was spent with a stick in his hands. "Beavertails - nothing like 'em!" said Savard. Beavertails, for lack of better culinary definition, are made of fried dough, and they're turned out by vendors who work out of huts that dot the canal's banks. Savard's favorite came sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
Penguins change on the fly
Life changed significantly for a couple of ex-BC Eagles last week when the Penguins lost defenseman
Mark Eaton to a torn right ACL. Eaton will be lost for weeks, perhaps for the season if he opts for surgery. Meanwhile,
Rob Scuderi (Class of '01) moved into Eaton's first pairing with ex-Bruin
Sergei Gonchar. And
Brooks Orpik, who left the Heights with Scuderi in '01, finally was reinserted on the Penguins backline after being scratched three straight by coach
Michel Therrien. By Therrien's view, the 27-year-old Orpik has played too much on his heels this season.
Shadowy figure in Anaheim
The Ducks, hot again with
Scott Niedermayer back on the blue line, decided to give
Sami Pahlsson an extended rest following the holiday break, allowing the Bruin short-timer extra days to try to heal a nagging abdominal pull. Pahlsson, 30, who came to Boston when
Ray Bourque was sent to Colorado, has become one of the best shutdown centers in the game. Exhibit A: He drew shadow duty on Jumbo
Joe Thornton for three games over seven days earlier this month. Thornton's totals: 0-0 -0 for combined ice time of 68:35. The Ducks went 2-0-1 in the three matchups.
Unconventional thinking in Chicago
John McDonough, hired away from the Cubs front office to help revive the moribund Blackhawks, announced plans for a HawksFest convention - likely to be held in downtown Chicago, possibly the United Center. The Hawks. A convention. This is getting way out of hand, folks, for a franchise that spent decades trying desperately to hide in the cornfields. McDonough also recently welcomed the likes of
Bobby Hull and
Stan Mikita back to the franchise as ambassadors. What if they hold HawksFest in the same hotel that is also hosting a Star Trek convention? Had
Bill Wirtz lived to see that, no telling what the convergence of Hawks and Vulcans would have done to him.
Loose pucks
Bruce Boudreau, who took over the Washington bench at Thanksgiving, had the "interim" tag removed from his title. Length of term? "My job is the next four months, and to win," said the 52-year-old Boudreau, whose big break came after 15 years of coaching in the minors. The Capitals were a morose 6-15-1 when
Glen Hanlon was shown the door, but were 8-5-3 under Boudreau when GM
George McPhee made the move permanent . . .
Joey MacDonald, who tended the Boston net for seven games last season (2-2-1, 2.68) was called up by the Islanders after Goalie-for-Life
Rick DiPietro pulled himself from a 4-3 loss to the Leafs Wednesday night. Bad left knee for DiPietro. "I twisted it funny in warmups," said the former BU backstop, who found out Thursday that the knee should be fine . . . As the weekend approached, it looked as if captain
Ethan Moreau finally would make his 2007-08 debut for the Oilers. Last year's shoulder injury, along with a fractured tibia in this year's training camp, have had Moreau in mothballs since Oct. 21 of last season . . . The Blues were disgruntled when Detroit's
Johan Franzen smashed
Barrett Jackman face-first into the boards, finishing him off "Philly style" (read: elbow to the head). "That's what this league is supposed to be correcting!" said Murray.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
