HockeyFights.com’s VodkaFish has just posted his collection of the best fight videos of the 2003-2004 season – including: Brown vs. Vandermeer, Simon vs. McNeill, Fedoruk vs. Lessard and several more. You can download them and watch morbidly transfixed again and again! He’s also enabled voting, so you can ‘big up’ your preferred pugilists. Well done, VF. We’ll be watching. Unhealthily.
Breaking News
Well, it looks like the Gillies Brothers won’t get a chance to play together after all. Trevor got dealt to the Ducks today. If he stays in Portland, and I suspect he will, we Lowell fans will still get to see him in action. Trevor is a good kid, and I hope he cracks the line up in Anaheim.
PJ Stock – Ass Kicker
Rough weekend boys. Friday I went to dinner and drank too much, Saturday me and MOL went to the Peelers, and drank too much. Sunday was the Crue at Verizon. I tried to drink too much, but the brew was shut off right as soon as the show started. Makes sense with Motley Crue I guess. The Crue was a great show by the way. I was standing in the middle of the Blue Line closest to the entrance of the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester. Great show. Being in the building really made me look forward to the upcoming season.
I heard a rumor that PJ Stock had to call it quits due to vision problems. It’s strange, because at the Crue, I was looking around scouting out some seats that might be good for hockey, when I thought to myself, "Hey Self, Wouldn’t Stocker look good in a Lockmonster Uniform?" I answered, "Yes." Point being, when PJ Stock was in Boston, he was a total fan favorite, a guy that was always willing to go with anyone. He had two great fights with Stephen Peat, a dandy with Reed Low, and a couple of Donnybrooks with Eric Boulton. He may not have won them all, but he never backed down from anyone. I think the way the Bruins treated him was pretty crappy. They signed him to a two year deal, then sent him to Providence, and from there, loaned him to Philadelphia. I always enjoyed PJ’s play, and he will be missed.
The Gillies Brothers
I wonder if Trevor and Nathan Gillies are going to have to fight each other in camp? I saw Nathan in Danbury last year when he was with Elmira. He’s not a bad hockey player at all. I think he has more hockey skill than Trevor does, or ever will for that matter, but you have to give the nod to Trevor in the fisticuffs department. I do know that last season when Bridgeport gave Nathan a shot at the end of the season he had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in his first game. He sure seems willing to prove himself at the next level. Good for Nathan, I hope he makes the team.
Busy weekend on tap. Nothing tonight, but I was thinking of taking in some Ballet Saturday, Canadian Style of course, then Motley Crue on Sunday night! I saw those guys in March in Boston, and it was a great show. I am looking forward to some brew, and the Crue! Other than that, I’ll be in and out here, so stay tuned. Have a good weekend everyone!
New Look eh?
Welcome to the new look Goonblog! Like the NHL, and the all new Charlestown Chiefs, we had a little overhaul. We went to the dressing room for repairs, and I am really pleased with the new design. I hope you guys all dig it too. While the look has changed, the content hasn’t. Check back often for news, notes, and my musings about hockey, and hockey enforcers. Please feel free to leave any comments on the new design, and stay tuned for more changes soon. I just heard that Minnesota dropped me. Reg says he saw it in the Hockey News, and he’ll save it for me. In the meantime, poke around, and enjoy.
Carolina Hurricanes/Lowell Lockmonsters
First off, I am back from Maine, and I have to say, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. There was boating, a few beers, and polite conversation. Plus the Sox game on a 103" screen in HD didn’t exactly suck either. Secondly, I had all weekend to think about Carolina re-signing Gordie Dwyer, Mike Zigomanis, and Colin Forbes to two way deals. Terms of the deal have all three making 450K in the Show, and 75K on the farm. How hard are these guys going to be trying to make the Hurricanes’ roster next month? My guess is:very. I was reminded of a conversation I had with Gordie at the end of last season about why he wasn’t fighting much in the A, see the recap here.
By my math there is a 325 thousand dollar delta between Gordie’s NHL, and AHL salary. That would lead me to believe that when camp opens, he and Jesse Boulerice will be fighting, literally, and figuratively, to be the guy that stays in Carolina. Does the line up have room for both guys? Perhaps. But should Dwyer be sent to Lowell, I would suggest he fight any and all comers to get himself back to the show.
Rangers, Calgary
After a blow to the head via my kitchen table (don’t ask) I am back! A couple of things caught my eye over the past couple of days, and I thought I’d share. So, I am doing my best Fred Rogers, and putting on the foil. Sizing each other up at Center Ice, and here they go!
The New York Rangers inked Joe Rullier to a deal on Wednesday. I love this signing. I was hoping Carolina might sign him to see him 40 games a year in Lowell, but the Lockmonsters seem to be staying the course, and not having any tough guys at all. At least Joe stays in the division (providing he doesn’t get a shot with NY, which I think he deserves) and us Lowell fans will get to see him a few times. With Rullier, and Trevor Gillies on the ice, one may not want to try anything stupid. I have long believed that Joe Rullier is one of the most under rated fighters in the A. He has incredibly fast hands, great balance, and really seems to enjoy the fisticuffs. I didn’t see it in person, but he gave Mad Mel Angelstad all he could handle in Manchester a couple of years ago, that was one of the best fights all year. Good signing by New York. Keeps Hartford pretty tough
Calgary signed Brantt Mhyres yesterday. I’ll say that again. Calgary signed Brantt Mhyres yesterday. This is a real puzzle. I had a chance to meet Brantt the day he was signed last season by Lowell. Lowell was playing Worcester in a preseason game, and we got to talking before the teams went out for warm ups. He is a great guy. Really cool to talk hockey, and fights with. He was saying he couldn’t wait to get going, and he was going to do a ton of fighting. Well, opening night comes along, and he fights Colton Orr. Decent scrap. Happened right in front of me. Nothing really memorable about it, save for the fact that Brantt hurt himself. This should have been an omen. For the rest of the year, he was hurt or suspended, and when he was on the ice, it was pretty obvious to me that he had nothing left in the tank. I guess Calgary needs a veteran tough guy in Omaha, and I’m sure he got a recommendation from Scott Allen, but at this point it would seem to me that Brantt has nothing left, and Calgary would have been better suited to go another way. Like I said, Brantt is a real nice guy, and I hope I am wrong about this one.
Anyway, I am going to Maine this weekend with MOL to hang with her mother. It will suck badly. If anything comes up enforcer wise, I’ll be here! Take it easy eh.
NHL on OLN
Looks like the network that brought you the Tour De France, is going to be bringing you the new NHL. I am not one of the people that get the OLN, so Center Ice package, here I come! I will keep you posted as more info comes in.
Lowly Lindros A Leaf?
"The future of the game, the original Next One, now is a penny stock." – Toronto Sun.
There have been some recent rumblings regarding the possibility of Eric Lindros pulling on a white and blue jersey this year. You remember Eric – when he wasn’t being heralded as the next big thing back in the early 90’s, he was pouring beer all over women in Toronto bars. An auspicious beginning to a less than phenom-enal career.
"No player can be more physically dominating. None is so blatantly vulnerable."
Actually it’s a bit more than a rumor at this point – Lindros has been offered 1.6 million for what may very well be his last season in the NHL. 8 concussions have left his net worth to any team greatly reduced. I, for one, hope he ends his career as he undoubtedly wants to – on his home ice and with his noggin in one piece. And you never know – he may go out with a bang. Or at the very least a ninth concussion.