Showing posts with label AlexOvechkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AlexOvechkin. Show all posts

Friday, January 28, 2011

A Special Mock Mock All-Star Game Draft.

The best thing to hit Raleigh since the lifting of the 1897 boysenberry
jam prohibition.
Blair Charbonneau, Hockey Net

This year's All-Star game boasts a schoolyard style draft selection between Red Wings captain Nick Lidstrom and Hurricanes captain Eric Staal. With hockey analysts everywhere holding their own mock drafts, I present to you Hockey Net Blog's mock mock draft.

With Martin St. Louis, Mike Green, Patrick Kane and Ryan Kesler already assigned to their teams, let's conduct the rest of our draft and find out which elite specimen of professional human athletics can be made to feel inadequate by being chosen last.

Coin Toss: Let’s assume Lidstrom wins the toss because he has Jedi powers.

Team Lidstrom: First overall, Niklas Lidstrom selects Staal’s teammate Cam Ward just to mind-fuck Staal, because that’s probably the kind of subtle asshole he is.

Team Staal: Following that, Staal is forced to pick his only remaining teammate, rookie Jeff Skinner, so as to not look like a jerkoff in front of the hometown fans.

Team Lidstrom: Lidstrom goes off the board here and picks a Swede, a Sedin. Nick just calls out “Sedin” and lets the more assertive of the two step forward—not that it matters, let’s say it’s Daniel. 

Team Staal: Eric counters by picking Henrik next knowing the Sedins will basically cancel each other out because neither one can function as an independent unit.

Team Lidstrom: Henrik Lundqvist, not because he’s Swedish, because they’re both Sagittariuses.

Team Staal: Jonathan Toews burns a hole through Staal’s face with that serious stare of his, Staal buckles.

Team Lidstrom: Steven Stamkos, you can’t resist that adorable pre-pubescent face.

Team Staal: Patrick Sharp—with Staal’s next selection Toews picks Sharp.

Team Lidstrom: Patrick Elias—chosen only under the stipulation that Lidstrom’s getting 2001 Patrick Elias. 

Team Staal: Alex Ovechkin—so Eric will finally have someone to finish his passes.

Team Lidstrom: At this point, Zdeno Chara threatens to eat Daniel Briere if he isn’t picked next. Lidstrom doesn’t have the stomach for violence, he abides.

Team Staal: Danny Briere—to keep him away from Chara. 

Team Lidstrom: Corey Perry—in hopes there’s a slash-off at the skills competition.

Team Staal: Eric selects Marc Staal and as he steps forward Eric yells, “psych!” and chooses Loui Eriksson instead because older brothers are assholes.

Team Lidstrom: Marc Staal is then called on out of pity.

Team Staal: Remembering that defence is part of the game too, he names Shea Weber.

Team Lidstrom; Nicklas chooses Paul Statsny but mistakenly refers to him as “Peter” because he’s old.

Team Staal: Dustin Byfuglien—crash the net and mix it up in the crease, good all-star game strategy.

Team Lidstrom: Joe Thornton—he was practically built for the all-star game, plus he’s not going to win anything else.

Team Staal: Rick Nash—because he loves how Nash handles in NHL 11.

Team Lidstrom: Erik Karlsson steps forward begging his childhood idol, Lidstrom, to select him.

Team Staal: Anze Kopitar—to fulfill his Slovenian player quota.

Team Lidstrom: Lidsy invites Anaheim Ducks rival and goaltender Jonas Hiller so he can “hang him out to dry” back there if he feels like it. 

Team Staal: Duncan Keith—Staal can’t understand a word Keith says but he likes his style.

Team Lidstrom: Carey Price—to serenade the dressing room with his golden pipes and country music ballads.

Team Staal: Tim Thomas—just to see if he’ll lose his shit in the breakaway competition.

Team Lidstrom: Matt Duchene—he's been practicing all year for the skills competition’s dance off.

Team Staal: Brent Burns—Eric also extends his invite to a warm meal indoors, a shave and shower.

Team Lidstrom: Keith Yandle—Staal doesn’t know who he is because he plays in the west for the Coyotes, advantage Lidstrom.

Team Staal: Marc-Andre Fleury—for some good comic relief on and off the ice.  

Team Lidstrom: Martin Havlat, he's favoured to win the “getting injured” portion of the skills comp.

Team Staal: Claude Giroux—he’s the only Flyer Staal can stand.

Team Lidstrom: Phil Kessel—Lidstrom wants him to play for a real team.

Team Staal: Brad Richards—in case the game goes to O.T, or to P.E.I.

Team Lidstrom: Kris Letang—not because Lidstrom’s looking for an offensive defenceman, but rather it’s an excellent opportunity to ask Letang to nab Crosby’s autograph, (“it’s for my kids, honestly.”)

Team Staal: Dan Boyle—A goal scoring threat at both ends of the rink, wise choice.

Team Lidstrom: David Backes—because someone has to be last and be an all-star in St. Louis.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Colin Campbell’s email etiquette a growing concern

Campbell considers the human toll of a chain letter.
(Photo Source)
Blair Charbonneau, Hockey Net

NEW YORK — NHL Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations, Colin Campbell, has come under fire from League Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL players for his appalling email etiquette.

In a story that broke earlier this week, excerpts of Colin Campbell’s emails were published, exposing Campbell’s ignorance of, or contempt for, any sort of Internet etiquette. Individuals are now coming forward to discuss Campbell’s behaviour.

“It’s bad form, I’m embarrassed for him. You’d hope someone of [Campbell’s] distinction could adhere to the same standards of convention as the rest of us. Seriously, it’s not 1998,” said a disgusted Sean Avery.

Campbell’s publicized messages to players and administration were often exhaustively lengthy, riddled with typos, grammatical errors and other common emailing faux-pas. “It’s just all caps, all the time with him. He always says there’s an urgent matter to discuss, I head into his office assuming he’s furious, but then he only gives me two games,” explained the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin.

Former NHLPA ombudsman Eric Lindros was also irked by the complete disregard for formality, citing Campbell’s continual misspelling of his name, “He’s always calling me ‘Lindrop’. C’mon, at least use Spellcheck before you hit send.”

Even Campbell’s own son, Gregory—a Boston Bruin, was mortified when his father accidentally “replied all” in a mass message carbon copied to all 690 NHL players. “It was humiliating, now the whole league knows I’m not allowed to attend Marc Savard’s birthday party,” commented Campbell.

The media has confronted Gary Bettman regarding the incidents, and inquired as to whether he was aware of Campbell’s unrefined communications skills. The commissioner stated he was “more than aware.”

“It’s like my grandmother just discovered the Internet. You wouldn’t believe the forwards I get. Every day my inbox is flooded with the dancing baby or ‘lolcats’— I’ve seen it already. Campbell’s a total noob,” Bettman vented, adding,
Bettman has instructed players and NHLPA personnel to report Campbell's messages as spam.