Ich möchte hockey, bitte

My adventure is almost at an end. Soon I shall be home and prepared for awesome (or maybe season-long disappointment) hockey adventures. In the meantime may I just point out that I found this guy wearing #17 in Mannheim. Who the hell is he?


Points of interest:
1) The NHL has a prospect report on QMJHL players that are eligible for the 2009 draft. My baby Simon Despres (Sea Dogs) is there along with David Gilbert (Quebec Remparts; who I presume hates my guts, why else would he refuse to play for my team) and Olivier Roy (Screaming Eagles). They even discuss the Mooseheads Gabriel O'Connor

O'Connor is an intimidating force at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds and he isn't afraid to use his size. Last season O'Connor had just 3 assists for the Halifax Mooseheads, but his 75 penalty minutes in 58 games showed his physical side.

"He's a big kid in Halifax," Bordeleau said. "He played pretty well last year. He's the type of kid that can develop into a solid defenseman."

Props to Gabe for getting a mention. This will do his spikey hair proud (please stop spiking your hair). What preytell do they mean by saying "he's a big kid in Halifax"? Do they just mean:
A) he's in Halifax and he's big - brilliant assessment
B) he is bigger than other kids in Halifax - not so much, we have a big team. Welcome to the club.
C) he is popular and gets lots of ladies - how would they know, ewwww.

They totes made a mistake with Olivier Roy however by suggesting that Vincent Riendeau is the goalie coach for the Screaming Eagles (it is Scott Gouthro). Dudes, you get paid to get this shit right. Riendeau coached in 2004-2005. It is not hard work - it is right there on wikipedia for christs sake. Or if you really want to expend energy you can check out the Eagles homepage. I can mess up because I am a hobbyist, but when people who get paid mess up it pisses me off.

That being said, I do not put a lot of stock in prospect reports or draft position. Clearly some kids are better than others, fine...but one good performance at a tiny tournament can skyrocket a kid who performed mediocre for the majority of a season (see Jake Allen - below). Then there is that hockey nepotism thing. Angelo Esposito, impact rookie for Hotlanta, or guy that will be sent back to the Q to play for the Montreal Juniors. Don't lock him into your fantasy league team just yet chumps and chumpettes.


2) Speaking of some people who may actually know what they are talking about when it comes to the Q, Nathan Fournier has started up a new MAINEiacs blog entitled "MAINEiacs Post to Post" to make up for the unfortunate death of The Asylum on MVN.


3) My NHL boyfriends, headed up by Big Lou, have added former Moosehead Kevin Cormier to their roster. This is the 4th in a series of family signings for the Devils, who have had the brothers Parise (big brother Jordan is now in Austria), the brothers Gionta, the brothers Pandolfo and now the brothers Cormier (Patrice being drafted by my beloved Debils this summer) . This will make Kevin magically attractive again. Some jerseys just have that special power, ya know?


4) Oh, and the Mooseheads lost 4-3 to the Screaming Eagles in the first game of the season. I don't want to be mean, but Yeti honey, sweetie, baby, you have to step it up. Remember when I said not to allow a goal in the first or second shot. I really really meant it. Don't do that!!! Then don't go and allow two goals with zero dangerous shots. I mean , I did not see the game so I should not judge; maybe they were Vinnie LaCavalier style crazy angle shots- I don't know. Something tells me they were not. What? A puck off a skate? Not this shit again. Sorry my cuddly wuddly goalie, I should never think so harshly of you. Who on our team stole Guillaume Monast's super deflector skates - he needs those for when he is playing with the Remparts.


5) There is a sportsnet 2008-2009 season preview of the QMJHL teams which names the Quebec Remparts as a favorite and the Moncton Wildcats as a darkhorse. There is also a Sportsnet report on Jake Allen, goaltender for the Montreal Junior. Once again hilarity ensues: f'n writers "the home of the Juniors de Montreal, formerly the Fog Devils de St John’s"


6) Last but not least - check out the pre-season CHL Mosiak Mastercard top 10: Why no Sea Dogs? Is it an issue with scoring that has failed to get them ranked in the top 10?