I'm listening to a TSN feed at usstream.tv, as they track the free agent signings on the first day of the NHL signing season. Seems appropriate to listen to Canadians today, since it's Canada Day, their version of July 4th. Here's what stands out to me as the afternoon progresses (I'm updating this post as things occur).

• Pens defenseman Hal Gill signs with Montreal: 2 years, $4.5 mil total. His loss was expected. Bye bye, big guy.
  
  
• Poor chooser Marian Hossa has gone from the no-ring-Red-Wings to the Blackhawks, a deal worth north of $62 mil OVER TWELVE YEARS. He'll be 42 when this contract is up. What the hell are they smoking in Chicago? And it's less per year than he turned down with the Penguins a year ago. Chuckle.
  
  
• Defenseman Mike Knuble goes from Philly to Washington, 2 years totalling $5.8 mil. He seemed to be the most attractive alternative if we lost Rob Scuderi, so this might have at least an indirect impact on how things go between Shero and Scuds. The TSN guys think that the Pens have encouraged Rob to go out and see what his market value is, then to come back and try to work out a deal. I hope they're right.
  
  
• No word on anything involving free-agent Pens winger Ruslan Fedotenko. I'd be pretty surprised if he comes back.
  
  
• Nikolai Khabibulin (owner of one of my favorite goalie nicknames, "The Bulin Wall") goes from Chicago to Edmondton. Four years, $3.75 mil/yr.
  
  
• The Pens sign NJ Devils forward Mike Rupp, 2 years @ $825K per. I don't know anything about this guy, nor the rationale behind the signing. The newspaper guys will have some analysis soon.

Well, at least this beats listening to PIrate Fans vent their spleens over yet another further different player-dump, not to be confused with the previous player-dump, or last year's player-dump. While we're digressing, please let me indulge in a moment of self-defense: I am absolutely still a Pirate fan. I have been since I was a kid, and that won't ever change. What I am most definitely NOT is a supporter of the current management/ownership of the team.  If this was spousal abuse, I'd be in the shelter with a restraining order.  If this was the British Parliament, I'd be a member of the Loyal Opposition.  The Nuttings have long ago seen the last of my money, which is the only possible way to vote No Confidence in these incompetent bastards.

         
Posted by Leeeny : 7/01/2009 05:43:00 PM : |

Pittsburgh Penguins Agree to Terms with Bill Guerin on One-Year Contract

Jun 29, 2009, 8:00 PM EDT

The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with right wing Bill Guerin on a one-year contract, it was announced tonight by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.

Guerin, 38, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

A veteran of 17 NHL seasons, Guerin played a major role in the Penguins’ Stanley Cup run, contributing seven goals and 15 points in 24 playoff games and providing exceptional leadership on and off the ice.

The 6-2, 220-pound native of Worcester, MA was acquired from the New York Islanders at the March 4 trading deadline in exchange for a third-round draft pick and immediately was installed as the right wing on Sidney Crosby’s line. He recorded five goals and 12 points in 17 regular season games with the Penguins.

Overall in 2008-09, Guerin had 21 goals and 48 points in 78 regular-season games with the Penguins and Islanders.

“We are excited to agree to terms with Billy on this one-year deal,” Shero said. “He made a tremendous impact on this team with his scoring ability, physical play and outstanding leadership and was a key factor in our drive to the Cup. I know our players, coaches and fans will be happy to have him back in Pittsburgh.”

Guerin has played 1,185 career NHL games with New Jersey, Edmonton, Boston, Dallas, St. Louis, San Jose, the Islanders and the Penguins, recording 408 goals, 403 assists, 811 points and 1,585 penalty minutes. He represented the U.S. in the Olympics in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

         
Posted by Leeeny : 6/30/2009 10:30:00 AM : |

Billy Mays, OxiClean pitchman, found dead

(CNN) -- Infomercial pitchman Billy Mays died at his Tampa, Florida, home Sunday morning, authorities told CNN. The 50-year-old known for his shouting OxiClean ads was pronounced dead at 7:45 a.m. The Hillsborough County medical examiner will perform an autopsy, Tampa police Lt. Brian Dugan said.

Mays was on the US Airways flight from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Tampa on Saturday that had a hard landing at Tampa International Airport when the plane's front tire blew out. There were no reported injuries on Flight 1241, US Airways told CNN. According to a local Tampa TV station, Mays said: "All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head." Airline spokesman Jim Olson told CNN Sunday there were no reported passenger injuries from flight 1241. The airline vowed to "cooperate fully" with authorities in the investigation.

"We were very sad to learn of Billy Mays' passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," Olson said. Tampa officials say the Medical Examiner's Office expects to complete an autopsy by Monday afternoon. In a statement, Deborah Mays said that although "Billy lived a public life," the family does not plan immediate public statements about his death.

Mays was a spokesman for Orange Glo and detergent OxiClean and appeared in commercials for other products. He is featured on the reality TV show "Pitchmen" on the Discovery Channel, which follows pitch people in their jobs. "It is with incredible sadness that we have to report that Billy Mays died in his sleep last night," said a statement from the Discovery Channel. "Everyone that knows him was aware of his larger-than-life personality, generosity and warmth. Billy was a pioneer in his field and helped many people fulfill their dreams. He will be greatly missed as a loyal and compassionate friend. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time of incredible loss."

         
Posted by Leeeny : 6/28/2009 02:43:00 PM : |

Those Russians Cheering No. 71 Are Mom, Dad

Monday, April 27, 2009
by Robert Dvorchak
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Imagine a man who provides for his wife and family by working in a gritty, sprawling steel and iron works along a river. He passes along his love of sports to his son. The son embraces working-class values and excels to the point that he plays professionally for a team called the Steelers, and one day captures the fancy of the city of Pittsburgh.

This tale is not set in a mill town of Southwestern Pennsylvania, but in the Ural Mountains of the Chelyabinsk Oblast region of Russia. It's not a work of fiction by Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky, but it's the real story of hockey prodigy Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins.

Fans appreciate Evgeni Malkin for winning the National Hockey League scoring title this year and earning consideration as the league's most valuable player, plus for being the leading scorer in the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Penguins eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday and moved on to round two.

But to have legions of the citizenry, including a healthy portion of the female population, walking around with Malkin's name and number on their jerseys -- plus on their banners and posters -- takes some getting used to for a couple visiting the city to cheer on their son.

"I never in my life thought that so many people would be wearing No. 71 or getting their faces painted. I never thought I would see that," Natalia Malkin said before a recent playoff game at Mellon Arena.

Natalia and Vladimir Malkin have been swept along in their son's stardom. When they come to towns for games, the cameras find them and flash their pictures on the arena scoreboard. Fans migrate to their section and take their snapshots.

"Everybody must like us. We have our pictures taken so much," Mrs. Malkin said, laughing.

If sports has a way of making the world a smaller place, consider the story of a hockey player who could be called The Iron City Kid in two cities. One place is on the far side of what used to be the Iron Curtain, and people in his adopted hometown, while no longer a steel center, drink a local beer called Iron City.

The Malkins hail from Magnitogorsk, which roughly means Iron City. It's named for Magnitnaya Mountain, which was almost pure iron ore until it was mined out to feed steelmaking. The city is the home of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, which came into existence along with the city in 1929 under a five-year plan of Josef Stalin.

During World War II, the steel for half of the T-34 battle tanks that turned back the German army was made in Magnitogorsk. At the same time, Pittsburgh became known as the Arsenal of Democracy for churning out the armor and shells that defeated the Germans on the Western Front.

Just about everybody in Magnitogorsk, which has a population of about 420,000, either works in steel production or an industry that supports it. That includes Vladimir Malkin, a machine inspector at the factory.

The Malkins don't speak English and most Pittsburghers don't speak Russian, which sets up something of a Berlitz Wall. But George Birman, an employee of the Penguins, translated during a recent interview.

Driven by a love of sport, the elder Mr. Malkin skated as a defenseman for the city's hockey team before he served a mandatory stint in the Red Army. Over time, he passed along the fundamentals of skating and hockey to his son.

"I put Evgeni on skates when he was 3 years old," he recalled. "Those skates are completely different from what kids wear today. The blades were much longer, and the boot was rougher in workmanship." Mr. Malkin sees a connection between the lessons learned on those rudimentary skates and how graceful and forceful his son is in professional hockey.

"I think he's such a good skater because of that," his father said. "If I knew he would one day play in the National Hockey League and do what he's doing, I definitely would have saved them."

Those who evaluate hockey talent in Russia -- and later scouts from all over the world -- saw greatness in the angular teen. In addition to representing his country on the international stage, Evgeni -- known by his Pittsburgh-given nickname of Geno -- was a mainstay on his hometown's professional hockey team. He played for the Magnitogorsk Metallurg, which translates into the Magnitogorsk Steelers.

After being drafted by the Penguins, and after clearing up a tangle by jumping from his home team to come to the United States three seasons ago, Geno has become one of the world's elite players.

He beat out countryman Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals to win the NHL scoring title this season. And he combines with Sidney Crosby, himself a scoring champion and MVP, to give the Penguins two of the very best players in the world.

It is no coincidence that the Penguins had never defeated the Flyers in a playoff series until last year. But led by a core of young talent, the Penguins accepted handshakes from the Flyers on home ice last season and were on the receiving end of congratulations on Saturday on Philadelphia ice, which is one of the most hostile environments for a visiting team.

The Malkins, however, don't get swept away by all the adulation. In fact, it makes them a bit uncomfortable when so much attention is directed at their son.

"I raised my son not as a star but as a regular person. For me, he's the same as everybody else," Vladimir Malkin said. "People come up to us and tell us how great he is. I don't like to hear all of that. I want him to be himself."

The Malkins are elated that their son, who recently bought a home in this area, landed in Pittsburgh.

"It's one of the great cities we've been to," Mrs. Malkin said. "It's so pretty, and everybody is friendly and helpful. The fans are amazing. I've never seen anything like this in my life."

Magnitogorsk is 10 time zones ahead of Pittsburgh, so a game that would start at 7 p.m. at Mellon Arena would begin at 5 a.m. there.

"When we watched from home, we'd get up at 4 in the morning to make sure we saw the games when they were on TV," Vladimir Malkin said. "Now that the Penguins are in the playoffs, they are watching as much as they can back home. The entire city is behind him."

Magnitogorsk Metallurg played some big games in the Continental Hockey League, and the Russian national teams are fierce competitors on the international stage.

But there is something special about the NHL playoffs.

"We have been to games in the regular season, but it's a completely different time right now. Nothing compares to what's going on right now," Vladimir Malkin said. "Of course, we are very excited and very happy for Evgeni. Hopefully, he can continue doing the same things deeper into the playoffs."

         
Posted by Leeeny : 5/28/2009 06:46:00 PM : |

 vs

Game 1    Sat. 5/30   Det    8PM          NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 2    Sun. 5/31   Det    8PM          NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 3    Tue. 6/2    Pgh    8PM          VS,  CBC, RDS
Game 4    Thu. 6/4    Pgh    8PM          VS,  CBC, RDS
Game 5*   Sat. 6/6    Det    8PM          NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 6*   Tue. 6/9    Pgh    8PM          NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 7*   Fri. 6/12   Det    8PM          NBC, CBC, RDS

         
Posted by Leeeny : 5/27/2009 10:47:00 PM : |