Where to start? NHL. Memorial Cup. play-by-play guys.

Greetings all. Been a while since my last posting so here goes nothing! Hope you can keep up.

Credit to the Red Wings first off. I didn't pick them in round one. Or two. Or three. They finally ran out of gas and luck against a better team in the Ducks, but they sure didn't roll over and die down 3-0, 3-1, and 4-1 in game 6. After the last couple of playoff disasters for Detroit, this could be a big builder for them. I'm not a Wings fan at all, but it's a good hockey town and I respect some of their players.

I thought it was great and classy that Chelios went and shook hands right off the hop with the Duck's coaching staff. And then seconds later he pulls the chute and doesn't shake with the Ducks? Not classy. I've been there as a player and even as a broadcaster where you don't really "respect" your opponent. Whether it's for dirty play, attempt to injure, comments in the media and comments about family members and the like.....but you still need to respect the handshake- one of the most incredible things of this sport, and of ALL sports. You don't see it any other sport that I can think of. Coupled with the fact that you are usually shaking hands after an entire season of battles, plus 4,5,6, or 7 games of downright WAR in a playoff series.... well that just really shows how important the shake is. It's more important than the GAME, it is about respecting the game. It's more important than any individual. Again, just my 2cents. There are few things as beautiful about this game that you can try to kill the other guy all year and you hate him with all of your hate and then when it's said and done you shake hands like men and say "good game"

Ottawa- Kudos to them. They have conquered their flaws and they have shown that they CAN battle, they can play hard, and that they can win in the playoffs. If they lose the Cup......then they didn't prove anything. Tough deal, but that's how it will shake out in the end, in my opinion. You are a winner or loser. Trivia question- and I don't know the answer and I'm not up for research right now- Who is the last Canadian team to make the Stanley Cup finals without being considered a "Cinderella" story? Certainly wasn't the Oilers. Or the Flames. Or the Canucks or the Habs. So prior to '93 I guess. I guess it would have to be Edmonton in 89-90. Your thoughts?

Coulda-woulda-shoulda. Didn't! If ONLY the Canucks could've had ANY sort of power play against Anaheim. 5 on 3 after 5 on 3 with nothing to show for it. Not even MOMENTUM. I picked the Canucks vs the Sens in the Cup final, at the start of the playoffs. Too bad. Go Sens I guess......Ottawa in 6 is my prediction. Anaheim looks incredibly strong, but I've learned enough lessons this year counting the Sens out. Taking a look at my playoff draft..... hmmmmm 6 Buffalo Sabres. 2 Senators. Oh well, at least I have 6 Ducks.

Anaheim has the big advantage on EXPERIENCE when it comes to the Cup Final. Giguere. Pronger. The Niedermayers. And more. I'm not sure if the Sens have anyone. Gerber doesn't count. The Ducks have the edge in goal- only because Giguere has been there before. Emery hasn't. Should be fun to watch at least!

Watched the all-WHL game at the Memorial Cup last night. Quite the snoozer. Perfectly played game by Medicine Hat. They were the more desperate team, and it showed. I'm still hoping for an all-WHL final, that would be something to watch! Best of 9 anyone?

Play-by-Play guys- I went off on more than one hockey broadcaster in a recent post. I'm not going to get into that again. As big time as they are and as small time as I am we are sill in the same fraternity. I asked in that post if anyone knew anything about Gord Miller doing play-by-play before landing a Network NHL gig. So far no news on that front. However, I did get a nice story sent to me by Dan the Stats man. While I made it clear I'll never be the president of his fan club- At the same time I will say that I respect anyone that has made it to the position he has- besides the play-by-play. It's a dream I share with about 100000 other guys in this country- and he's living it! Here's a link to the Gord Miller story. Thanks again Danno for the story.

GORD MILLER STORY

One further comment- If Gord Miller has ONLY done the NHL on TSN work- Maybe he will grow to become one of the greats of all time. In my personal opinion I just don't think he's there right now. Not every guy that gets an NHL play-by-play gig has play-by-play experience, and some of those guys become greats. Case in point- John Shorthouse- the Voice of the Canucks. I didn't know the story until a couple of years after I came out here, but I learned that he had NO play-by-play experience, but knew the right people and was in the right place at the right time when the great Jim Robson hung up the mic. Look at Shortie now......in my opinion, one of the NHL's best. Again, I wasn't out in BC at the time of the move from Robson to Shorthouse, but I can guarantee you that there was more than a couple guys pretty choked that he got the gig without experience where they had paid their dues and it didn't matter. I speak on behalf of all the guys that have "paid their dues" but still lose out, I guess....

Peter Loubardias....Someone posted a comment in the previous post asking for readers thoughts on him. So here's mine. Great broadcaster. Just not my style. He has a great ability to keep up with the play, and he gets excited and makes the game interesting. He's a HUGE fan of the Junior game too. Although I'm not sure he knows Junior A exists. He has called alot of games. To me, it's nice to see a guy that has paid his dues (he's the former radio voice of the WHL's Regina Pats, to name one team) land a great gig like the one that he has now.

I'm not a personal fan of the "high-voice to the unnatural sounding low-voice" thing he does, and the "goal call" kinda gets to me. Maybe I just haven't heard him enough to get used to it and appreciate him. Maybe he's just not "my style". I don't know. One thing I've learned from broaching the broadcaster topic over the last couple of posts is that everyone has an opinion on the broadcasters. Get two people together, and both can be the most avid hockey fans in a 50 mile radius who watch and listen to more than enough hockey to have a valid opinion. Each fan could be on the total opposite ends of the spectrum on the same broadcasters. One guy loves Cole. One guy hates Cole. One guy loves Miller, one guy hates him. Too each their own is the message! I'm just jealous because they are living my dream, lucky guys!

One final thing- it comes down to who you are accustomed to. For the first two years of living in BC, I fought the urge to throw something at the TV or vomit about 1000 times after hearing Don Taylor do the same thing for the 1000th time.....Now, I think he's great, a beauty, funny, top shelf....Maybe I'm a future president of the Gord Miller fan club?

Wow, that's all I have for now. More to come on the Bulldogs Wine & Cheese night, my upcoming holidays to the great city of FLIN FLON, MANITOBA, and an upcoming fashion show in Port Alberni for a great cause.

Thanks for taking the time to read. As always, feel free to drop me a line HERE

Hammer