Pens beat Rangers in OT

Hey pens fans,
The pens won this afternooon at the mellon arena. They beat the Rangers 4-3 in OT. Ouelett had a goal, Surovy had 2 and Crosby had the game winner. it was a great game and the pens clearly outplayed the Rangers.

Pens Win!!!

Hey pens fans,
The pens won 6-2 against the devils tonight at the mellon arena. The goals were scored by Jackman, Recchi, Surovy (2), Crosby (2). It was a great game. I am not sure what has changed, but I like it. Hopefully this keeps up. The pens next game is new year's eve in the afternooon at 1.

Pens Fall to Leafs in OT

Hey pens fans,
The pens played hard, but lost to Toronto in OT 3-2. Recchi and Ouellet scored the pns goals. Ouellet's goal was o a great effort by Crosby to get the puck to the net. Fleury was in goal and played a solid game and made many huge saves. It was a good effort by the pens, but they came up short. Therrien has yet to win as the pens coach and is 0-4 with one point.

Pens Fall to Flyers

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost 5-4 to the flyers tonight at the mellon arena. Sidney Crosby had 2 goals and Surovy and Christensen also scored for the pens. The pens struggled quite a bit in the early going, being down by three. They came back to tie and lead and then lost. The second and thrid periods showed a good effort by the pens. We had to kill 11 penelties and that hurt us alot. It took a lot out of the pens. The league is off for Christmas now, and the pens play again on Tuesday the 27th. The league is also in a trade frees, for those who didn't know. So in all likelyhood this is my last post until after Christmas. Merry Christmas and remember to tell Santa what we really want... a new arena for out pens.

Olympics

Hey pens fans,
Sidney Crosby will not play for the Canadian Olympic team. They cut him. I think this is a bit of a mistake, but he is young and will have the opporunity to play again.

Arena News

Hey pens fans,
First we heard about a new arena based on getting a slots license
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=147778&hubname=nhl
then after the press conference we heard who would help do it.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05355/625912.stm
and yet another story on it
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05355/625661.stm

The new arena complex is said to be 18,000 seats and some shopping and other items as well. The one thing is that its funding is basd on winning the slots license. If they do not I have no idea what they will do.

Lemieux

Hey pens fans,
Mario Lemieux did not play because he had an irregular heartbeat again. No word on how he is more if I hear it...

Down and Out in Buffalo

Hey pens fans,
Well, the pens lost again to the sabres for the second time in as many days. The score was 4-3 and Ouellet, Surovy, and Crosby, scored for the pens. Thibault was in goal and Lemieux sat out the game. Recchi did not come back for the third period and may be hurt. Unfortunetly I did not get to see all of the game due to a power outage, but the pens made a good efort in the third period. Yesterday's game in pittsburgh was a great efort by the pens. Soryy, Indidn't elaborate earlier but as I said in my last quick post I didn't get home until this morning. We stayed with the Sabresa all game and put forth a great effort, but in the ot we took a bad penelty that lost us the game. How many times has that happened this year? It was a hard loss to swallow, but there was a real lifee to the team that I haven't seen this season and some of those lines where definetly something we haven't seen before. Hopefully it gets better and fast. Until next post...

OT Loss

Hey pens fans,
The pens played a wondeful effort in the game Friday night against the Sabres. Though they were brhind or tied the whole game they hung in until the very end. The final scord was 4-3 sabres in ot. I would write more about the new lines and such with the new coach, but it is 7:25 am saturday and i just got home from the game. this was a long night. We play later today in buffalo with the faceoff at 5 pm.

Penguins Fire Coaching Staff

Hey pens fans,
Well, we all knew Edzo's days as the pens coack were numbered, but who expected them to go and fire the whole staff. That's right the pens fired Eddie Olcyzk, Joe Mullen, Randy Hillier, John Welday and Shane Clifford. the staff will be replaced by the coach of the WBS pens Michel Therrien, who has led the baby pens to a season with only one loss. He also took them to the Calder Cup finals in 03-04. He brings with him assistant coach Mike Yeo, strength ad conditioning coach Stephane Dube, and goaltending consultant Gilles Lefebvre, who were his staff in WBS. Therrien had also worked in the Montreal Canadiens organization for 6 seasons and for 3 of those he was head coach. Hopefully this change will make a difference. Best of Luck to the new coaching staff.

Edzo's Days are Numbered

Hey pens fans,
I have heard from multiple sources that Edzo's days as the pens coach are numbered. That only makes sense with the season we have had. Something needs to be done. Some of these rumors have the end of his tenure as coach being as soon as today. I think we should look for it in the next few days. Also, the most believable rumor as to who will replace Edzo is the coach of the WBS Penguins of the AHL, Mike Therrien.

Slots for Mario

Hey pens fans,
Okay, it is time to step up and do something. I signed the petition months ago to help the pens stay in the burgh. The petitiion is for a slots funding to finance the new arena. Please go to http://www.slotsformario.com/sign.asp and sign the petition. We need to do all we can to help save our team and keep th game we love in the city we love. Help keep the penguins in Pittsburgh. Mario has saved the team and the fans time and again. It's time to help him save the team and to save him from having to see his team sold and leaving the city, in which he has played for so long. So, help save the pens. If anyone knows of any other sites trying to save the pens please let me know and i will post them as well.

St. Louis gives the pens the blues

Hey pens fans,
Pardon, the pitiful pun in the title, I couldn't resist. The pens lost 3-0. It was not a good game for us all around. I don't have any details right now. Sorry. I am totally dead and have work tomorrow and am beat, but trust me it wasn't pretty and we lost yet again. I know this is cynnical, but what else is there to say? It is always the same. We lost. We need to do something, but what?

Pens lost/Vegas

Hey pens fans,
Well the pens lost 3-1 tonight in hockeytown, usa or Detroit. Recchi had our only goal and we only mustered 17 shots the entire game. ALso according to eklund on his site, there is a group who may be interested in moving the pens to LAs Veas in the coming years. Penguin Fans, we need to do something to show this cuty how much our team means and why they need to help keep it in the burgh. Please do all you can and if your have any ideas on how I could use my blog to help please leave them in my comments and I will check it out. We need to save our Penguins and the eleventh hour is approacjing faster than we thought.

Surovy

Hey pens fans,
The Penguins recalled Surovy from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They play toniight in Detroit.

Pens beat Avalanche/Trade

Hey pens fans,
To start off the pens traded Steve Poapst to th Blues for Eric Boguniecki, who p layed in tonights game. Marc-Andre Fleury played a solid game in goal tonight for the pens as they beat colorado 4-3 at the igloo. Mark Recchi played a good game for the pens tonight scoring a goal and assistinig on another. A bit of a suprise to some, not me, was the great play of Maxime Talbot, who has been working hard in the background all season. Tonight his determination really came to the front ofit all and he had a goal to boot. The newest penguin Eric Boguniecki played a good game tonight. He was hopping all over the ice and had a few good shots on net, but his real shining moments were of a defensive nature. This is one guy to watch. Also note that the pens were without, Lemieux, Palffy, and LeClair tonight, three of our best scorers. This was a huge win for he pens considering the great season colorado has been having and that the Avs' roster reads a bit like a future hall of fame roster. That's it for now. Hopefully they can ride this win into the nest game.

We lost again

Hey pens fans,
The pens got massacred tonight by the Wild. It was really bad.

Lemieux

Hey pens fans,
Mario Lemieux is out of the hospital and will be okay. The pens are saying he will be playing sometime in the near future.

Nothing New on Lemieux

Hey pens fans,
I have not heard anything else about Lemieux. Pens play toight at the Mellon Arena against the Minnesota Wild. Mario will not play tonight.

Lemieux Hospitalized

Hey pens fans,
Mario Lemieux had been hospitalizd with an irregular heaertbeat. More info as I hear it...

US Hockey Hall of Fame

Hey pens fans,
It was brought to my attention that I did not specifically mntion that Herb Brooks is being inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame not the Hockey Hall of Fame. Though, I knew this the words were missd when I typed it. It does say this in the article I have a link for. Sorry for any confusion.

Herb Brooks

Hey pens fans,
Former penguins coach and scout, Herb Brooks, who coached the 1980 Miracle on ice Olympic team will e inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Her died tragically a few years ago in a car crash. I think this induction was a long titme in coming. For more infor check out http://pittsburghpenguins.com/team/features/arts/1509.0.php Herb Brooks was a great man of hockey and has been missed by many. This is a great honor and only fitting for all his accomplishments.

Pens go down in flames

Hey pens fans,
Th pens lost tot the flames tonight 3-2. Crosby broke his scoreless streak witht a goal. The last 4.2 seconds were a real heart breaker. Thepens had a shot go off the pipe inthe final seconds. Then came within ans inch of tieing that game. This one hurts. Next game Thursaday against Minnesota.

Pens Fall to Rangers

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost to the Rangers tonight 2-1. Whitney scored the lone pens goal and Fleury made 30 saves in the game.

Thibault Clears Waivers

Hey pens fans,
Thibault has cleared waivers and can remain with the pens, who, acording to rumor, plan to send him to the WBS pens in the AHL. For more info check this link http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HKN_PENGUINS_THIBAULT?SITE=TXDAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=SPTHOCKEY.html&CTIME=2005-11-30-19-16-44

We lost again

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost 3-2 tonight at the igloo to the sabres. LeClair and Murley scored the pens goals. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal. The next game is Thursday night in New York against the Rangers and a bunch o former pens. As for Thibault more as I find out...

Thibault on Waivers

Hey pens fans,
Thibault has been placed on waivers after refusing to go to the wbs pens. If he clears waivers and still refuses he can be suspended without pay. For more check this link http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2241038

Thibault

Hey pens fans,
Acccoring to a few very good sources Thibault will be moved. I am hearing that he may be gone within a few days if all goes well. More as I find it...

yes again

Hey pens fans,
That's right pens fans we lost again. Lemieux sat out the game and Crosby who was still recovering from a foot injury dressed. The final score was 4-1Tampa and Talbot netted the pens lone goal. The pens face bffalo at the igloo tuesday night.

Friday's Loss/Crosby Hurt

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost to the panthers 6-3 on friday. The game was a complete and utter breakdown. I don't even know where to begin. It was bad. Our defense was bad, our goaltending was weak, and oiur offense, htough it scored 3 goals, had not spark. The pens need to get it together and soon. Also Crosby was hit in the foot with the puck. Xrays found no fractures, but he sat out practice and is 50/50 for the next game.

Tuesday's Win

Hey pens fans,
Sorry, this took so long to post, but hey its the holidays and stuff happens. The pens beat the caps 5-4 on on tuesday. the pens were up 4-0 at then end of the 1st period and almost blew the game. Ovechkin was held to an assist for the caps. Crosby had a goal for the pens and palffy had 2. Caron faced 45 shots, which means we had no defense. We were horrible on D. That's all for now. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pens lost

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost 5-3 to the flyers tonight. Crosby netted one of the pens goals. Palffy and Christensen had the pens other two goals. the pens face the Capitals tuesday at the Mellon Arena.

The Pens Win it in overtime

Hey pens fans,
The pens beat the Flyers in Philly 3-2 in ot. Crosby scored the game winner on a breakaway. It was a highlight reel goal. Fleury played spectacuarly in goal. Thibault is in the hospital, he was hit in the throat by a puck in the skate today. No word on his condition.

Thibault

Hey pens fans,
Thibault has been taken to the hospital. I just turned on the game and heard. I do not yet know why. Fleury is in goal. The game is on OLN right now. More on Thibault as I find out...

pens fall

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost 3-2 tonight in a shootout. The pens goals were scored by Sidney Crosby from Erik Christensen and the other was scored by Erik Christensen assisted by Ric Jackman. The pens play Wenesday in Philly at 7 on OLN.

Pens Fall Hard

Hey pens fans,
Well, we lost to the rangers we scored one goal on a good effort by Mark Recchi. Really, that's all we did. The final score was 6-1 and Jagr had a hat trick. That just sucked. This game was bad. W ehad a complete and total lack of defense and one 2 of those goals it made you wonder if Thibault was at he same game. We played badly. The officiating was quite horrible at times. I think those guys were on the OJ jury or something. The pens were not together tonight at all. They were missing passes all over the place. they would dump the puck into the zone and then not chase it and let the Rangers come back with it most of the time. I do not know what was so wrong tonight, but this was awful. The one bright spot was Mark Recchi. Yes, he did score our only goal, but besides that he never gave up. He was there the entire game and he kept fighting. He played with a lot of energy at the start of the game and still was when it was 6-1. You have got to give the guy credit for that. One last thing, I really wish someone would have hit Jagr with a good old, hard hitting, glass shaking, check. We hit him, but we needed to lay him out.

Question to the readers

Hey pens fans,
Does anyone know the name of the song that the pens played at the beginning of every home game in the 90s? If you do please post it in the comments or send it to me through the contact info in my profile. I have been trying to find it for a while now and hopefully a fellow fan will know.

Pens Win!

Hey pens fans,
The pens beat the Montreal Canadiens tonight at the igloo 3-2 in a shootout. Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal.

Going down in flames

Hey pens fans,
The pens got blanked against the in Atlanta last night. The score was 5-0 Thrasers. The pens play tonight at the igloo against Montreal at 7:30.

Pens Win!

Hey pens fans,
The pens win 3-2 tonight. Lemieux, Crosby and Palffy scored the goals for the pens.

LeClair Out

Hey pens fans,
John LeClair is out indefinetly after being hit in the face with a puck, which fractured his face in practice on Saturday. He is to be evaluated again sometime this week.

Sorry

Hey pens fans,
Sorry this post is coming so late and is so hurried. this has been a hectic weekend. THhe pens lost to the Bruins 6-3 Saturday night. The play tomorrow in NY against the Rangers at 7 on OLN.

Pens crush Isles

Hey pens fans,
Yes, the title does not lie. The pens beat the Islanders 5-1 tonight. For the pens Crosby netted 2 goals and the other goals were byLeClair, Recchi, and Christensen (1st NHL goal). This was the pens second win in a row and they will continue their road trip in Boston on Saturday.

Crosby/Lemieux

Hey pens fans,
Sidney Crosby has been named NHL rookie of the month. Also, Mario Lemieux: In My Own Words debuts tonight on fox sports pittsburgh at 9.

Pens Win!

Hey pens fans,
The pens beat the devils in Jersey tonight by a score of 4-3. Recchi scored on the power play from Crosby and Whitney. Then Pirjeta scored unassisted. Maxime Talbot scored short handed from Murley. And round out the pens scoring Gonchar got a goal assisted by Poapst and Recchi. Pens take on the Islanders on Thursday at NY.

Fleury

Hey pens fans,
I have now heard from multiple sources one of which being Eklund's site that Marc-Andre Fleury may be or may have been traded to the Blues. I am trying to find out more as we speak...

Erik Christensen

Hey pens fans,
The pens have also recalled Erik Christensen.

Ryan Whitney

Hey pens fans,
The pens have called up Ryan Whitney from WBS. They begin their 5 game road trip tomorrow in New Jersey.

Pens Lost

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost to the hurricanes 5-3 tonight at the igloo. Carolina scored first then the pens tied it at one all on a goal by Leclair from Koltsov and Jackman. the the pens scored in the second period on the power play. It was Gonchar from Recchi and Lemieux. the pens third goal was from Ziggy Palffy Unassisted. The canes scored late in the third to make it 4-3 and then scored the empty net goal. Final score Canes 5 Pens 3.

Tarnstrom

Hey pens fans,
Dick Tarnstrom suffered a torn MCL in Thursday's win over Atlanta. This puts him out for quite a while. This is a horrible blow to the pens defense, who has been struggleing all year.

Pens Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey pens fans,
The pens finally won a game! That's right we finally won. The final score was 7-5 against the Tharashers tonight. Mario netted the first goal for the pens from Jackman and Crosby. Mario also got the second goal from Recchi and Jackman. The third goal was Gonchar from Recchi and Mario. The fourth goal was scored by Gonchar from Crosby and Mario. the fifth goal was Leclair from Malone and Palffy. The sixth goal was Jackman from Palffy anf Malone. the seventh goal was Leclair from Gonchar and Mario. That's a lot of points all around. Mario had 5 pts tonight. Hopefully this trend continues when he pens take on the Hurricanes saturday at the igloo.

Record

Hey pens fans,
We are the 17th team in league history to go winless in the first nine games.

WE LOST AGAIN IN OT

Hey pens fans,
We lost agaiin tonight in overtime. Yep, we still haven't won a game. We have got be close to some record for this. Final score was 4-3 ot. I am too frustrated to say much more. Lemieux was livid after the penelty late in the third that carried over into overtime and which the goal was scored during. Mario was ticked, trust I read his lips on the tv it was not pretty, but I will not print that kind of language. He was mad.

disappearing rumor

Hey pens fans,
Well, I have heard absolutly nothing more abou the coaching rumors I heard. A few of my sources have removed that info or say not that they are unsure. I am not sure hwat is really happening. The team needs to do something. Many people feel that a coaching change would be a bad idea. I am not sure if it would be. The team needs to do something. I will try to find out more about this disappearing rumor...

Pens still winless

Hey pens fans,
Well, we lost again. The pens fell by a score of 6-3 tonight in Boston against the Bruins. It wasn't pretty at all. The pens took some bad penelties, including a bench penely for too many men on the ice. It was horrible. Gonchar, Orpik, and Malone each netted goals for the pens tonight, but that was not enough. I think Edzo's job is definetly in danger and action may be taken soon. I keep hearing rumors about the pens shopping for a coach all over the place. It also makes perfect sense with the season we have had thus far. I no specifics as too who they have been talking to, but know that they are looking, according to a few reliable sources. More as I hear it...

Rumor

Hey pens fans,
Well, I wasn't sure if i should believe this one or not so, I waited until I heard it from a few places, which I find credible. The clock is ticking on Edzo's time behind the bench. I am hearing that if things don't pick up and fast he is gone. With the roster we have, there has to be something wrong. We should be winning and fairly often. I don't think it is our chemistry, everything seems to flow well. Well, for now its just a rumor. I will let you know if I hear more. Tonight pens @ Bruins 7:00 faceoff.

Still Winless

Hey pens fans,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news once again, but the pens lost to the Devils 6-3 tonight. The pens are still winless this season. Thibault returned tonight, but was pulled in the third period. So much for that hope. The pens go to Boston on Saturday still in search of their first win. Keep a close look on the pens in the coming weeks. Edzo is sure to mix up the lines quite a bit and don't be surprised if craig patrick makes summoves to try to better this team. I have nothing specific right now, but the word is he is looking and looking hard.

Fleury sent down

Hey pens fans,
Mark-Andre Fleury has been sent back down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Peguins of the AHL. Thibault is said to be good to go for the next game.

pens fall to lightning/my soap box

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost to the defending stanley cup champion lightning 3-1 tonight. The pens only goal was Palffy assited by crosby. Fleury was in goal for the pens. One great thing he did tonight was when the pens were pulling him the lightning got the ouck and shot for the goal, but fleury dove across the ice and grabbed it like a short stop. That was definetly hightlight reel material. The pens defense continued to struggle tonight. We were horrible in our own zone and couldn't seem to keep anything in at the point when on the attack. Now forgive me, but i am going on my soap box now. Well, the new rule changes could be great. I know tht this may sound biased, because I am a pens fan, but this was some of the worst officiating I have ever witnessed. The calls were completely one-sided and in the 3rd period they put the whistle way all together. One o the only penelties that was actually called on the lightning was bench penelty for too many men on the ice. I still cannot believe they gave crosby that unsportsman-like conduct ater his hooking call. I think something needs to be done about devorski (i think i spelled that right). He called a horrible game tonight. That's ll the ranting I have for now. Till next time...

pens fall to philly

Hey pens fans,
Well, the pens lost in overtime to the flyers by a score of 6-5. Edzo did not seem in a good mood. Well, i wouldn't be either, but there seemed to be no positive in his voice. Hopefully we will do better against tampa tomorrow....

pens fall to sabres

Hey pens fans,
The pens lost 3-2 in OT in Buffalo tonight. Sorry for such a quick update, but i got to go. I may post some more game details later.

Fleury

Hey pens fans,
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been called up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pemguins. I expect him to start in goal for the the pens tonight in Buffalo.

Pens Lose

Hey pens fans,
the pens fell to the Bruins in a 7-6 ot lose at the Mellon Arena tonight. Congrats to the kid, Sidney Crosby scored his first NHL goal. Lemieux had 2 goals in the game as well. Sebastien Caron was in goal, because Thibault took a shot on the inside of his knee in practice. It is unsure how long he will be out. Defensively, I think that the pens played poorly tonight. Orpick was solid as a d-man and recored a goal as well. The game was back and forth the enitre night. I cannot believe the pens lost this one. We need to get it together. We had problems getting into the zone, so we resorted to dumping it and we never got to it. Hopefully things will be better for the game on monday.

Rumor: Fleury may be called up to start in goal next week.

Also, Gary Bettman has said that the pens need a new arena.

Lord Stanley's Cup came back to the burgh tonight. It was on display in the main concourse. I was one of the fans who managed to get a picture of the herself and the cup on my camera phone.

Pens fall to Canes in Shootout

Hey pens fans,
The pens were down 2-0 early on and came back to tie it 2-2. They still fell to the Hurricanes in a Shootout. The pens played tremendously well in both the 3rd period and the ot. Tomorrow is the home opener againtst Boston.

Devils 5 Pens 1

Hey pens fans,
Well, the pens fell to the Devils in the season opener. The pens only goal was scored by Recchi assisted by Crosby and LeClair. The pens had plenty oof power play opportunities, but failed to capitalize on them. Thibault stuggled in goal and his performance needs to improve or this could be a long season for the pens.

pensb2b9192

Hey pens fans,
Hockey is back in t minus 10.... yes, the new season is about to launch. How long have we waited for this moment. Too long my frineds too long. Yes our sport is back. Tonight we will be sitting in front of our tvs watching the teams we love play the game we love. Tonight the fans truely return to their sport. The teams become real once again. It is the dawn of a new era. The new NHL is here. What does that mean? At this point one can only guess, but it the hope of a league with great hockey and less cheap shots and hopefuly the end to the trap. The trap is a rutheless evil strategy, that while it worked for some teams, it ruined the idea of what hockey was. Tonight the game returns. Tonight is the regular season debut of Sidney Crosby. Yes, ladies and gentlemen the moment we have all waited for is close upon us. Not to disappoint, but it is his first regular season game and the whole world is watching. So, let's give the kid a shot and not fault him if he doesn't score on the first shot like Mario did. So be ready for a night of great hockey adn Let's Go Pens. Here's to the night...

and down they go

Hey pens fans,
The pens have assigned the following players to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.
FORWARDS – Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Matt Hussey, Michel Ouellet, Tomas Surovy DEFENSEMEN – Daniel Fernholm, Ryan Lannon, Andy Schneider, Noah Welch, Ryan Whitney

Pens Smash Caps

Hey pens fans,
This was an exciting preseason game. The pens beat the caps 7-1. The goals for the Pens were, Fata from Koltsov and Murley, Recchi from Crosby and Gonchar, Scuderi from Murley and Pirjeta, Jackman on the Power play from Gonchar and Lemieux, Palffy on the power play from Malone and Lemieux, Lemieux from Palffy, and lastly Palffy from Lemieux on the Power play. This game was total domination by the pens. After the game they held a demo shootout to show how it works. The pens only goal inthat was Lemieux on a licky bounce. Thibault let everything in during the shootout. This worries me, but he was solid during the game. I think the new rules are working fairly well. I am still wondering about the effectiveness of the refs calling the penelties and some of the stuf called and missed tonight, but we will see. Let's Go Pens!

Fleury

Hey pens fans,
Marc-Andre Fleury has been sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Sunday

Hey pens fans,
I am going to the pens preseason game on sunday. Hopefully, this will give me some more insite into how we will do this year. I am also looking forward to seeinig how the rule changes work. I will let you how it goes.

pens fall

Hey pens fans,
The pens fell to the caps 4-3 tonight.

Win

Hey pens fans,
Pens win 7-2 over columbus. Lemieux was the 1st star. Crosby had an assist. At then end of the game there was a shootout to deomonstrate what one was and Lemieux scored there as well, but those were not added to the score. Crosby did not score in his shootout attempt.

2 more losses

Hey pens fans,
Sorry, for being so late with this post I have been having some internet problems. The pens lost their preseason game on Saturday. They also lost to the caps sunday. On saturday Crosby scored a goal.

pensb2b9192

Hey pens fans,
So, how about those pens? Well, it is early in the preseason and there is nothing much to talk about. As far as anyone knows, they are not looking to deal anyone specific. Personally, I think the team will be strong. I guess I am more of a "color" writer and with nothing going on, for the most part. I have very little to say. Well, hopefully I will be more colorful later.

Pre-season Loss #2

Hey pens fans,
Well, pens fans in Sidney Crosby's debut for the pens he recored an assit on a Recchi goal. The pens lost to the Bruins 5-4 in ot. That's about it for now.

Pre-season Loss

Hey pens fans,
Pens lost to the BlueJackets 3-2 in overtime tonight. More on the preseason later...

Francis

Hey pens fans,
Former Penguin Ron Francis has retired.

Orpik

Hey pens fans,
The pens finally resigned Brooks Orpik and today was the first day of training camp.

NHLPA

Hey pens fans,
"Following a conference call with members of the Executive Board on Monday evening, Ted Saskin made the following statement: “After good dialogue with members of the Executive Board, I decided that it was in the best interests of the membership to conduct a secret ballot vote amongst our Player Representatives and Executive Officers so that there are absolutely no questions regarding my election as Executive Director and General Counsel.” The NHLPA will make no further comment on this matter until the voting process has been completed."
Basically Saskin stepped down due to controversy over him taking Goodenow's place and now the PA is going to vote on who they want and he could very likely be voted back into the job.

Lemieux

Hey pens fans,
Well, i forgot to post this earlier, but the pens resigned Lemieux. It's not like we didn't know that would happen he only owns the team. So, I am stating the obvious.

Crosby, Beech, Roster

Hey pens fans,
Well, the Penguins have announced that they officially signed Crosby, but we already knew about that. Also, Kris Beech has been traded to Nashville for a conditional draft pick in 2006. The pens have announced their offical training camp roster, which can be seen at the following link.
http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/team/Training_Camp_Roster.pdf

Crosby

Hey pens fans,
The pens are holding a press conference today to oficially announce the signing of Sidney Crosby. I have heard that his contract is based on the 850,000 and that there are many incentives built in, i.e. games played, goals scored etc.

Training Camp

Hey pens fans,
The pens will open training camp on Septmeber 13. Many of the practices will be open to the public at the Mellon Arena. Follow this link for more info on going to the practices. http://pittsburghpenguins.com/team/press/arts/1316.0.php

Retired

Hey pens fans,
Well, not that this directly relates to the pens, but this does effect hockey as a whole. Scott Stevens has retired. That's righ the longtime Devil has called it quits.

pensb2b9192

Hey pens fans,
As the beginning of the NHL season draws near, a feeling of fall is in the air. This makes me think of nothing, but hockey. Perhaps, the missed season is to blame for this, but there is definetly excitment. With every player being analyzed in every way possible because we can finally talk hockey, I thought perhaps we should look at hockey in Pittsburgh. I think it is time to remember fond memories. Looking back over the years, not much has changed. Yes, attendance is better some years than others and yes players come and go, but the fans stay through and through. I don't mean the people who pay attention to hockey when we win or get a great player. I am talking about the fans who were there for the cups, who were there when we lost the confernce finals in 1996 to Florida, who were there when mario retired, who were there for the bad times, who were there for the comback, for the fans who were there through the lockout and remain here for a promising season and a for Crosby. Yes the die hard fans have stuck it out. Whether the game is sold out or only 5,000 people come we can definetly make enough noise to rock the roof. I cannot wait until i am sitting in the igloo surrounded by the other fans and all that can be heard is a defeaning Let's Go Pens!!! I can still smell the scent of nachos and beer that linger in the air and on your clothes for hours. This is a hockey town no matter what others may say.

Lyle Odelien

Hey pens fans,
Well, the latest is that the pens are said to have signed Lyle Odelien. He is a defenseman who spent the last season with Florida.

Saskin

Hey pens fans,
Well, apparently Ted Saskin is going to be taking the vacancy left by Goodenow's leaving. I have been hearing that this was done in a highly unusual way, that went against the procedures that should be followed by PA. I am not sure exactly wht happened or what was done incorrectly, if anything. I will try to find more. All I can say for sure is Saskin is now the man in charge.

Malone

Hey pens fans,
Pens sign Ryan Malone.

pensb2b9192

Hey pens fans,
Well, I am pensb2b9192 the new writer. Well, at least I hope so. The pens have been pretty active this off season and have made some good acquisitions. Adding Gonchar, Leclair, Thibault, and everyone else has deinetly been a huge plus. The question still remains, do they have what it takes as a team? All the hype about Crosby makes me think. Guys, yes he is suposed to be the next Lemiuex, but remember he is still a kid. I think we need to give him some time before we rest the fate of the franchise on his shoulders. Lemieux is still Mario and will always be the best, but we have to remember he is a bit older now and, though still magnificant, al little slower than he once was. I think having him there is the best thing in the world for Crosby. I guess we will see once the season starts. I think the pens are going to be much stronger than they were in the last season. We have really added some depth and experience to our ranks. This shold pay off this season. I am going to take a leap of faith and say that it would not surpirse me if the pens made it back into the playoffs this year. Only time will tell...

New Writer

Hey pens fans,
Well, nothing much ging on now that involves our pens. I do have abit of news to share with you though. I have added another member to the penshockey team on a trial basis. pensb2b9192 will also be posting on the site to try to give more hockey info to the loyal readers. As pensb2b9192 has been toldthis is on a trial basis. I do not want to jeapordize my credibility or lose my readers, so if you do not like pensb2b9192 please tell me. Also, tell me if you really like what my new writer says. Email and thoughts, opinions or concerns @ pensfan17148@msn.com or leave it as a comment here on the blog. Pensb2b9192 also wants to know what you think and they can be contacted by he same name on AIM.

Resign Tarnstrom

Hey pens fans,
The pens have resigned Tarnstrom after arbitration for 1 year for 1.6 million dollars.

Roszival

Hey pens fans,
Former Penguin defenseman Michal Roszival is a Ranger.

Tarnstrom

Hey pens fans,
Rumor has it that the pens will let Tarnstrom go or deal him.

Trading Block

Hey pens fans,
I just heard the pens are trying to deal Aleksey Morozov and possibly Milan Kraft as well. I have no specifics.

2 to go

Hey pens fans,
Just to let all you pens fans know, individual game tickets for the pens go on sale September 17. It's going to be a good year. The pens current roster only has 21 players,which means we need 2 more. We could possibly deal for them or sign who is left, but I think thatatleast one of these slots will be filled by someone from the WBS pens. As of right now, Iknow of no rumors involving the pens specifically. More as I get it...

All is Quiet

Hey pens fans,
All is quiet when it comes to the pens and anyone else for that matter. Nothing much is going on, but expect some good moves later this week by many teams there are still alot of RFA's out their to be sigend and dealt so stay tuned. Just an FYI for everyone tomorrow I am moving back to school so, my posts will be few if any. If something big breaks I will do my best to get it to you.

talking

Hey pens fans,
Rumor is that the pens are one of the teams talking to Vincent Damphousse. No word on if he is close to signing with us or anyone else. Also, no word on who else he is talking to or what the offers are. Hopefully, I can find more later.

Current Roster

Hey pens fans,
Well, not much new to say the the season draws near. The pens have made some good aquisitions sonce the lockout ended. Here's a look at the pens current official roster. In the order number, name, position, shoots, height, weight.

• #87 Sidney Crosby, C, L, 5-11, 193
• #14 Milan Kraft, C, R, 6-3, 214
• #66 Mario Lemieux, C, R, 6-4, 230
• #71 Konstantin Koltsov, RW, L, 6-0, 206
• #12 Ryan Malone, RW, L, 6-4, 216
• #33 Zigmund Palffy, RW, L, 5-10, 183
• #8 Mark Recchi, RW, L, 5-10, 190
• #36 Andre Roy, RW, L, 6-3, 221
• #37 Ryan VandenBussche, RW, R, 6-0, 205
• #9 Rico Fata, LW, L, 6-1, 200
• #10 John Leclair, LW, L, 6-3, 225
• #11 Lasse Pirjeta, LW, L 6-4, 225
• #55 Sergei Gonchar, D, L, 6-2, 215
• #22 Ric Jackman, D, R, 6-2, 197
• #2 Josef Melichar, D, L, 6-2, 222
• #44 Brooks Orpik, D, L, 6-2, 228
• #? Steve Poapst, D, L, 6-0, 195
• #32 Dick Tarnstrom, D, L, 6-1, 209
• #31 Sebastien Caron, G, L, 6-1, 170
• #29 Marc-Andre Fleury, G, L, 6-2, 176
• #41 Jocelyn Thibault, G, L, 5-11, 169

This looks like a pretty good group of players, that based on what I know, should gel well together. The only thing I think we need is another solid defenseman. Its not a bad group I just think we need another solid D-man, but these guys can proably get the job done. Offensivly I am pleased with our lineup. It's should be good guys.

Comcast Not ESPN

Hey pens fans,
Sorry this post is so late, I have been working a lot of extra hours this week. Anyway, Comcast's OLN will carry the NHL in the US. ESPN did not match the bid. OLN has it for 2 years.

Comcast

Hey pens fans,
ESPN, as of yet, has not matched Comcast OLN's offer. It is expected that it will be announced that OLN will carry the NHL for the next 2-3 seasons within the next day or so.

Koltsov

Hey pens fans,
The pens have resigne Konstantin Koltsov.

John Leclair

Hey pens fans,
The pens have signed John Leclair. i don't think anyone saw that coming. With the additions of Leclair, Gonchar, Roy, and Thibault, and Mario, Recchi, and Crosby, it is starting to seem that the pens could be a force to be reckoned with this coming season.

Colby Armstrong

Hey pens fans,
The pens have resigned Colby Armstrong. That's all for now it has been pretty quiet in the world of the pens today.

Jocelyn Thibault

Hey pens fans,
The Pens have acquired goaltender Jocelyn Thibault from Chicago in exchange for a fourth round choice in 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The pens have a #1 goalie. The penguins have definetly made some good moves to better themselves since the lockout ended. This season could be great.

Comcast OLN

Hey pens fans,
Comcast has made a bid to nationally televise 2 NHL games per week on OLN. If the NHL does not except their offer ESPN has previously offered 30million (40 less then their old contract).

Goalie Hunt Continues

Hey pens fans,
Well, we are still hunting for a goalie. Some sources are saying that Cujo is seriously considering taking the Pens offer by then end of this week. Also, we are not yet out of it for trying to sign Burke. No word on whcih way he is leaning as of yet.

Palffy

Hey pens fans,
Sorry, I didn't say this right earlier. I was a bit rushed. Palffy signed with the Penguins.

Mario keeps majority

Hey pens fans,
The pens still have an offer on the table with Burke. We are also in the running for Palffy. Mario and the Lemieux roup have decided to retain a majority in the franchise and not only sell the minority stake in the team. Sorry this is so hurried, more later..

All is quiet in the world of the Pens.

Hey pens fans,
Well, nothing much has been going on. It seems as though the pens have dropped out of the Kariya hunt and that is all I have. I am going away fishing for what i sproabably the last time until spring. I will post again Sunday night or Monday, unless something happens before I leave tonight.

Tonight

Hey pens fans,
Just a reminder Crosby is on Leno tonight.

and the FA saga continues

Hey pens fans,
Nothing more on the rumors about Cujo and Burke, thouogh as far as I know neither have signed with any team as of yet, so they still may be a possibility. I have heard that the pens are in the hunt for Domi. I am not sure who else is interested in him. Otherwise in the world of rumors it has been fairly quiet, ecspecially for the pens.

Roy

Hey pens fans,
According to the NHLPA website the pens have signed LW Andre Roy.

FA Rumor

Hey pens fans,
Rumor that pens have signed Burke and Cujo. Still trying to confirm...

FA Rumor 2

Hey pens fans,
Still nothing on Burke and Cujo, but gonchar is on epsn radio 1250 in pitt right now.

Kovalev is a Canadien

Hey pens fans,
Kovy is not coming back to the burgh. He has just been signed by Montreal. The Habs got him.

Leno

Hey pens fans,
Sidney Crosby will be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday night. Sorry for got to mention that in my last post.

Sergei Gonchar

Hey pens fans,
The Pens have signed defenseman Sergei Gonchar to a multi year deal, according to a source. Sergei Gonchar is a 2 time all star and at 31 years old his 148 goals, 277 assists and 529 penalty minutes in in 669 career games with the Capitals and Bruins are impressive numbers. Still no news on Kovalev.

Scott Niedermayer

Hey pens fans,
It is said that the Pens are still very much in it in the Scott Niedermayer hunt. Former PEnguin Martin Straka is said to have been signed by the Rangers.

What a day?

Hey pens fans,
Well, there have been many offers tendered to many players by many teams and a few signs, but nothing that involves our penguins. All has been quiet in the world of the pens. I have not heard of any rumors about offers made to players. My guess is that silence is good. In the past, when it getss quiet Craig Patrick has something up his sleeve and it is normally good. SO, stay tuned as soon as I hear anything I will post it.

Crosby,the draft, Goodenow, and trade rumors could Kovy come back the the burgh?

Hey pens fans,
Well, many of you may be cursing my very existince for the fact I abandoned my loyal readers for the draft and some other interesting occurences. Well, I apologize, but last summer when I made these plans, who would have thought the lockout would have lasted that long. If is any consulation I ahd a horrible time not being able to chat during the draft and in turn did not much enjoy that day at the beach. Well, to start off let's talk about the draft. The Pens obviously did well in the draft with the acquisition of fSidney Crosby, but here is a look at all of their picks as posted on NHL.com.

1.
PIT
SIDNEY CROSBY
8/7/1987
Dartmouth, NS
CA
5' 11"
193
QMJHL
RIMOUSKI
Center

61.
PIT
MICHAEL GERGEN
2/17/1987
Hastings, MN
US
5' 10"
185
USHSW
SHATTUCK-ST. MARY'S
Winger

62.
PIT
KRISTOPHER LETANG
4/24/1987
Montreal, PQ
CA
5' 11"
190
QMJHL
VAL D'OR
Defenseman

125.
PIT
TOMMI LEINONEN
5/14/1987
Kajaani, Finland
FI
6' 2"
185
FIN JR.
KARPAT JR.
Defenseman

126.
PIT
TIM CROWDER
10/16/1986
Victoria, BC
CA
6' 2"
180
BCHL
SOUTH SURREY
Right Wing

194.
PIT
JEAN-PHILIPPE PAQUET
1/7/1987
St-George, PQ
CA
6' 2"
202
QMJHL
SHAWINIGAN
Defenseman

195.
PIT
JOE VITALE
8/20/1985
St. Louis, MO
US
5' 11"
205
USHL
SIOUX FALLS
Center

I hope to have more info on all the pens picks in the comeing week. As of right now, just know that I am quite pleased with what happened in the draft.
Also, Bob Goodenow resigns. Who saw that coming? Hopefully, that will be a good step forward for the NHLPA.
Also now on to the trade rumors and they are plenty. Rumor is that the pens are very interested in quite a few people. First my favorite rumor. It has been heard that throught back channels Alexei Kovavlev has sadi he wants to come back to Pittsburgh adn would accept a deal similar to the one the pens offered him prior to the lockout. It is also said that the pens are interested in Alexei Zhamnov, Adrian Aucoin, Mike Rathje, and Tie Domi (to protect Crosby and of course Lemieux) Craig Patrick is reportedly interested in Scott Niedermayer, but it is rumored he is asking about $7 million which is more than the Pens want to spend, but Scott Niedermayer does not want to return to the devils next year.

Impeccable Timing

Hey pens fans,
Well, as usual I have impeccable timing. Well, I planned a vacation over a year ago and it falls this week, so unfortunetly I will be out of town without internet during the draft. This could very well be my last post for about a week. I am looking forward to the draft, unfortunetly I will not be able to share my thoughts until a few days after it has taken place, but at least I will be on a warm beach and i can still checkout who drafts who. Until then...

Important Dates

Hey pens fans,
Mark your calander with this important dates as posted on NHL.com.

July 23
Compliance Buy-Out Period BeginsPeriod to Negotiate and Sign 2003 Draftees BeginsPeriod to Extend QOs BeginsPeriod to Negotiate with Own Club's RFAs/UFAs Begins
July 28
Deadline for Exercising Club Options/Player Options for 2005/06Deadline for Signing 2003 Draftees/Deadline for Making Required BFOs
July 29
Deadline for Initiating Compliance Buy-Outs (5:00 PM Notice)
July 30
2005 Entry Draft
July 31
Deadline for Qualifying Offers
August 1
RFA/UFA Period Begins
August 5
Deadline for Election of Group 5 Free Agency
August 10
Player-Elected Salary Arbitration Notification
August 11
Club-Elected Salary Arbitration Notification
August 12
NHL/NHLPA to Schedule Arbitration Cases
August 15
Qualifying Offers Expire Automatically
August 22
First Day of Salary Arbitration Hearings
September 1
Last Day for Salary Arbitration Hearings
September 2
Last Day for Issuance of Salary Arbitration Awards
September 4
Last Day for Second Buy-Out Period [Only for Clubs with Salary Arbitration Cases] (Latest Day for Clubs Receiving Salary Arbitration Awards on September 2 to Exercise Second Buy-Out Option)
December 1
Signing Deadline for Group 2 Free Agents

Can You Believe It?

Hey pens fans,
It is still so hard to believe. I keep wanting to pinch my self and see if I wake up. Not only is hockey back and we will get to see our Pens play again, but we also won the draft lottery and have the pick to get Crosby. I cannot wait to see him at the Igloo. I am also taking a stab in the dark and saying that our first line will probably consist of Lemieux, Recchi, and Crosby, but lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet. I have heard a rumor that Craig Patrick is going to try to get Kovy back in the burgh. So, my first line theory would probably be wrong if we could get Kovalev back, but yet again I am getting ahead of myself. The free agency signings are going to be nuts. This is going to be the best year for players changing teams that I have ever seen. I am excited just anticipating it. I cannot wait to see who we get. Can You?

Rule Changes

Hey pens fans,
Here are the rule changes as posted on NHL.com.
The following rules changes will take effect for the 2005-06 NHL season:
DIMENSIONS OF THE RINK
The neutral-zone edges of the blue lines will be positioned 64 feet from the attacking goal line and 75 feet from the end boards in the attacking zone. The addition of four feet in each of the offensive zones should encourage more offensive play, particularly on power-plays.
The goal lines will be positioned 11 feet from the end boards, two feet closer to the end boards than previously.
The size of the neutral zone will be reduced to 50' from 54'.
The blue lines and center line will remain at 12 inches in width.
Click the thumbnail images below for larger diagrams of the new rink dimensions.

FEWER STOPPAGES, INCREASED "FLOW"
Passes from behind the defensive blue line to the attacking blue line will be considered legal. The center red line will be ignored for purposes of the "two line pass".
"The Tag-up Rule" will permit play to continue if offensive players who preceded the puck into the zone return to the blue line and "tag" it.
Click the thumbnail image below for larger diagrams of the two-line pass and "tag-up" offsides.

ICING THE PUCK
Icing the puck offenses still will be penalized by a face-off in the defensive zone of the team that ices the puck.
A team that ices the puck cannot make a line change prior to the ensuing face-off.
"Touch" icing will remain the practice, although the Linesman will have discretion to wave off apparent icing infractions if they are deemed the result of an attempted pass. Providing the discretion to the Linesman also should have the effect of reducing the number of situations in which a race for the puck might result in an injury to a player.
INSTIGATOR RULE
A player who instigates a fight in the final five minutes of a game will receive a game misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension. The length of suspension would double for each additional incident.
As well, the player's Coach will be fined $10,000 -- a fine that would double for each such incident.
LIMITS ON GOALTENDERS
The dimensions of goaltender equipment will be reduced by approximately 11 percent. In addition to a one-inch reduction (to 11') in the width of legpads, the blocking glove, upper-body protector, pants and jersey will also be reduced in size.
Goaltenders may play the puck behind the goal line only in a trapezoid-shaped area defined by lines that begin six feet from either goal post and extend diagonally to points 28 feet apart at the endboards.
Click the thumbnail image below for a larger diagram of the goaltender trap zone.

OFFICIATING POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Zero tolerance on Interference, Hooking and Holding/Obstruction.
Goaltenders who play the puck behind the goal line but outside the designated puck handling area will be penalized for delay of game.
Goaltenders will be penalized for delaying the game if they "freeze" the puck unnecessarily.
Any player who shoots the puck directly over the glass in his defending zone will be penalized for delay of game.
SHOOTOUT
Following a scoreless five-minute overtime, three players from each team participate in the order the coach selects.
Each team takes three shots. The team with the most goals after those six shots is the winner.
If the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a "sudden death" format.
Regardless the number of goals scored during the shootout portion of overtime, the final score recorded for the game will give the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
In addition to the minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct/diving that may be assessed by the Referee during a game, Hockey Operations will review game videos and assess fines to players who dive or embellish a fall or a reaction, or who feigns injury in an attempt to draw penalties.
The first such incident will result in a warning letter being sent to the player.
The second such incident will result in a $1,000 fine.
The third such incident will result in a $2,000 fine.
The fourth such incident will result in a one-game suspension.
Public complaints or derogatory comments toward the game also will result in fines.
A SUMMARY OF THE RULE-MAKING PROCESS
In February, 2004, the League began a thorough review of all aspects of the game at a meeting of the 30 club General Managers. Three current and former players also participated. Following the meeting, the League requested that six potential rule changes be tested in the American Hockey League during the 2004-05 season.
In July, 2004, the "Game Committee," comprised of current and former players, owners, general managers, coaches, on-ice officials and broadcasters met in New York to further discuss the direction of the on-ice product. Following that meeting, the League continued to review and assess the merits of a number of rule changes implemented in the American Hockey League during the 2004-05 season.
The League's General Managers and nine current players met in Detroit in April, 2005, to further discuss potential changes and the League conducted a Research and Development camp with OHL players and Canadian University players in Toronto last month to test the merits of several suggested rules.
In addition, the League did extensive polling to determine changes desired by NHL fans. The League also spoke to numerous NHL players and coaches as well as representatives of the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League (major junior) and NCAA. As well, the League elicited input from managers, coaches and players from European leagues during the 2004-05 season.
The Competition Committee met for the first time on June 23 in Toronto and, after considering the significant body of information that had been developed over many months, arrived at a consensus for recommending the series of rule changes described above for the 2005-06 season.

Lockout Over Pens get 1st Pick

Hey pens fans,
Th Lockout is Over!!!!!!
The Pens won the lottery we got the 1st pick and the rights to Crosby.
Here's the official order
1.
Pittsburgh Penguins
2.
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
3.
Carolina Hurricanes
4.
Minnesota Wild
5.
Montreal Canadiens
6.
Columbus Blue Jackets
7.
Chicago Blackhawks
8.
Atlanta Thrashers
9.
Ottawa Senators
10.
Vancouver Canucks
11.
Los Angeles Kings
12.
San Jose Sharks
13.
Buffalo Sabres
14.
Washington Capitals
15.
New York Islanders
16.
New York Rangers
17.
Phoenix Coyotes
18.
Nashville Predators
19.
Detroit Red Wings
20.
Philadelphia Flyers
21.
Toronto Maple Leafs
22.
Boston Bruins
23.
New Jersey Devils
24.
St. Louis Blues
25.
Edmonton Oilers
26.
Calgary Flames
27.
Colorado Avalanche
28.
Dallas Stars
29.
Florida Panthers
30.
Tampa Bay Lightning

NHLPA ratifies CBA

Hey pens fans,
NHLPA votes for the CBA. It has passed. The BOG votes tomorrow.

NHLPA VOte

Hey pens fans,
I know this is last minute but the NHLPA will be holding a press conference at 4 pm et. They will announce the result of their vote. It will be streamed live on NHL.com and I will post the results as soon as they are announced.

Calling all hockey fans

Hey pens fans,
Well, if you were planning on watchin the draft lottery on Friday, as of now it is not being aired in the US. Go to the following link (which I found on a fellow bloggers site) and tell ESPN we want to see the lottery. Their sister station 9is carrying it in Canada, but it is not being aired in the US. Go to http://sports.espn.go.com/sitetools/s/contact/espntv.html and tell them what you think.

Press Conferences

Hey pens fans,
Yes, it is plural there will be two press conferences. The NHLPA released a statement saying :"The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) will hold a media conference on Thursday following the outcome of the players’ ratification vote on a new collective bargaining agreement." I have also heard that the league will hold one friday following the Board of Governors Vote.

All is Silent

Hey pens fans,
All is silent as the week of ratification begins. No one is saying anything. Speaking of saying anything, I would like to know what you, my readers think about the lockout, hockey in general, or anything about the Pens. Also, if you have a question email it to me and I will do my best to find the answer. I would like to talk about what the fans want. So email your thoughts, questions, complaints and just about anything else to me @ pensfan17148@msn.com. I will try to talk about it here on the blog. Well, I have a little hockey talk to get out. I have been hearing that the draft lottery is to be behind closed doors. What a jip, I was planning on watching it. I think that the NHL should televise it and really glam it up. I think it would get people back interested in the sport. What do you think about that? Just something to ponder. Please guys let me know what you think and email me.

Awaiting the Votes

Hey pens fans,
Now that hockey is coming back, we will begin to have more to talk about. I have heard that free agency will begin August 1. Besides that Ihave not heard any more. I don't expect to hear a lot until after the votes and the press conference. Until then we can take comfort in knowing that hockey and our Penguins are back. As we prepare for the season ahead, I wonder what everyone is most looking forward to for the upcoming season. Did you miss the thrill of the game, a specific player, the mellon arena email me @ pensfan17148@msn.com and tell me what you are most looking forward to or anything else about the season or hockey and I will post it and my comments in the blog. Let's Go Pens!

Agents

Hey pens fans,
The agents have been called to go and meet and have the CBA explained to them next week. All sides are still planning to vote next week. Announcement may be thursday. That's all I have for now. I am going away fishing again this weekend, so until next week....
(post any news regarding the CBA in my comment section while I am away)

Vote on CBA next week

Hey pens fans,
Well, how many of you can already hear the sound of skates and pucks bouncing off the boards or the sounds of the fans or the unmistakable smell of beer and nachos that lingers in the E Balcony at the Igloo? Before we get there, some things need to first occur. Yesterday, my post was a tad hurried. I was so excited with the news that I was posting and calling everyone I could think of as fast as I could. Well, now that we have a deal in principle, the 2 sides need to vote. I guess that the p[layers vote will take a few days via email and phone calls to get it done, with them being so scattered. The BOG vote should not take long, but they will proably not vote until the players have started, which will be next week. The league will release details after it passes both sides. My guess is that the teams will have a fews days to get organized then, the draft lottery. A week or so after that the draft and then free agency, with a season starting in October, would be my guess, based on the current timeline we have so far, but all that is fact is that the vote is next week and an announcement will follow. The rest is an educated guess by yours truly.

Deal reached in Principle

Hey pens fans,
The NHL and NHLPA have reached a deal in principle. This is not a rumor it really happened. The BOG and PA are set to vote by the end of next week. Following that an announcement will be made. No details will be released until after the votes. Hockey is Back!!!! Let's Go Pens!!!!

The End is Near. Or is it?

Hey pens fans,
Well, no word on when it will actually end. Everyone is saying late this week or early next week. It is porbable the NHLPA will need a few days to a week to vote once it is over because are spread out around the world. The meetings continue today. All I am hearing is that it is close and that no one wants to jeaprodize anything by saying too much. It will be soon, but will it be soon enough? We need to wait patiently and hope it gets done. Until I hear something more...

Almost there

Hey pens fans,
The meetings are continuing as I write this. No word on when it will be over, but they went into the wee hours this morning. According to the AP "Negotiators from the NHL and the players' association met until early Monday morning and planned to return to the bargaining table just hours later as they inched toward a deal that would end the lockout." How long this will take is unknown. Some rumors say an announcement could come as soon as Wednesday. I feel that it is a little premature to guess on a specific day. When the BOG meeting happens we will then be better able to guess amore definitive timeline. For now we just have to wait...

Keep Your Fingers Crossed

Hey pens fans,
Well, today is a day that the hockey community needs to keep their collective fingers crossed. If all goes well, today is susposed to be the last day of meetings. Everything has been very quiet, which I am taking in the no news is goood news way. Hopefully I will have more later. And sorry for not updating i forgot to mention I went away to go fishing again this weekend. Let's hope the talks go better than my fishing did. I ended up with some of my fishing gear sunk in the bottom of the lake. This is D-DAy for the talks...

Almost

Hey pens fans,
Well, the meetings that we susposed to end today will probably go into the weekend. However, the rumor is that the meetins for the votes next week will still take place and those involved are heading to new york as we speak. Also the draft may be in Ottawa around the 30th of the month.

Tomorrow

Hey pens fans,
Tomorrow is said to be the last day of meetings. The BOG will meet early next week, no word on when the NHLPA will vote...

So Close

Hey pens fans,
From what I am hearing it is almost over, but they are still working on it. When it is done first the BOG and Players will vote. Then they need to finalize the way the draft lottery will work. Then freeagency will begin and they will hold a draft and the season should start close to on time, but maybe a few weeks late. That last part about the season maybe starting late is a guess on my part, but if you look at a calendar and know what needs to get done it is realistic.

CBA INFO

HEy pens fans,
Check out this article from the Toronto Sun written by Bruce Garrioch. http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Hockey/2005/07/04/1116370-sun.html This is the only info on what is in the CBA I can find

it goes on

Hey pens fans,
Well, the talks continue this week, but no one is saying anything. This is said to be the probable last week of talks, but the announcement will not be until at least next week sometime. That's all for now, though I have said most of it before...

4th of July

Hey Pens Fans,
Even on the 4th of July hockey talks continue that's right the 2 sides are meeting today. It is rumored that the board of governors has been told to be in New York for a vote by weeks end. I hope they are right about that this time. A player vote will be around the same time as well, with the lottery in the days following. More as I get it...

not yet but soon

Hey pens fans,
Yesterday's meeting went into the wee hours of the morning. Both sides will continue to talk this weekend. It is expected to be over soon, but when? Nothing new on the specifics no one is saying much except that is is going well and it will be soon. I'll be away fishing again this weekend, so I will update again on monday if all goes well. Until then...

Not this week

Hey pens fans,
As far as I know this will definetly go into next week. The BOG meeting rumored for today has not happend as of yet. Nothing much more to say because no one is saying anything. AS for the rumored rule changes for when the nhl does come back, I have heard that icing will be no touch and 2 line pass will be eliminated these are not definite just possibilities.

getting close

Hey pens fans,
It is really getting close. Rumor has it that a board of governors meetings is scheduled for later this week and that if all goes well and announcement will follow it within a few days. Yesterday's talks went late into the night and they started today around 9 am.

time will tell

Hey pens fans,
All I have heard is that a major issue has been resolved and that if all continues to go well, there will be an announce ment by the end of this week or sometime next week. I can only hope. Let's keep our fingers crossed...

still going

HEy pens fans,
Sorry, it has been so long since my last update, it has been a hectic week. Anyway, the 2 sides are still meeting and they say there is more left to do and that progress is still being made. They are meeting today and actually right now. That is all I have for now...

meeting today

Hey pens fans,
There was a cba meeting today in toronto, but it has been pretty quiet. I have no specifics, but hopefully they will get this done and soon....

a long week ahead

Hey pens fan,
This is going be a long week. A lot still needs to be done, but alot is already done. This needs to be done by July 1 and for that to happen negotiations need to be over this week, so that there is time to work out the legal jargon, press confernces, etc. Nothing much else to say at this point, but hopefully more soon...

Big Week

Hey pens fans,
Hopefully this week will go better than my fishing trip did. It was a bad weekend for fishing. Well, the rumor is that it will be done this week or at least an announcement as to when it will be done. I guess we just have to wait and see...

Statements

Hey pens fans,
The National Hockey League Players' Association Senior Director Ted Saskin released the following statement: “We resumed small group meetings with the league this week and spent the better part of four full days discussing a wide range of issues. Further small group meetings are scheduled starting Monday in Toronto.”The NHL released this statement:"Representatives of the National Hockey League and NHL Players Association today concluded another series of collective bargaining sessions. The parties met for 28 hours over four days and will resume talks Monday in Toronto." So, at least the 2 sides agree on that. Did they write those together or what? Anyway, I haven't found anything specifics as to what issues they discussed. I am again going away to do some camping and fishing this weekend. I will post again sunday night or monday, unless I find something before I leave in 2 hours...

Meetings continue

Hey pens fans,
Well, the meetings continued today and not much has been said. However it is rumored that the deal will be done by July with a draft lottery about 10 days to 2 weeks later and the draft about 2 weeks after that...

NHLPA

Hey pens fans,
The latest is that the NHLPA is rumored to have made an agreement with the NHL and will no longer pursue union certification in British Columbia. Other rumors say that they negotiations are on or ahead of schedule and that it is close, but not yet done.

and on and on...

Hey pens fans,
Well, that talks are still going on, but no one seems to be getting much info from them. I have not heard anything ezcept that the rumored problems with key figures not being there is not an issue and has not yet effected the timetable, whenever that is. ALso, I have not found much more on the very probable sale of the pens. I cannot seem to find a lot of specifics. However, I will keep trying to find more info on both...

more meetings later this week

Hey pens fans,
Well there will be more cba meetings later this week. I have nothing new on the sale of the Pens. And on a non hockey note. how in the hell was michael jaskson found not guilty on all charges? Hopefully more hockey stuff later...

Penguins are all but officially sold

Hey pens fans,
Did I pick a crappy weekend to go away or what? Well, the Penguins are about to be sold. This link is what was being said on the nhl website. http://www.nhl.com/onthefly/news/2005/06/229770.html
The team is being sold to a group led by William (Boots) Del Biaggio, who is a friend of Mario's and Mario will retain some ownership in the team. Del Biaggio has said he will work to keep the Pens in the burgh, but will only stay if they get a new arena. More as I find it...

Statement

Hey pens fans,
This is what Saskin had to say about this weeks meetings. "We spent the last four days in small group meetings continuing to review and negotiate various systemic and economic issues. The two sides will resume small group discussions on Monday in Toronto." This week appears to be quite productive. Hopefullly this will get done and soon. Well, i planned on being here this weekend, but it is time for and impromtu fishing trip, so I will be without internet until sometime Sunday. I'll be back after that. Hopefulyy more good news next week...

Today's Meeting

Hey pens fans,
The rumors from today's meeting are inconsistent to say the least. I have heard so many conflicting reports that I am not sure what to believe. Let me just say thatthis is still a work in progress. i heard something about linkage, but no specifics.

Things Are Looking Up

Hey pens fans,
The lastest from the meetings is very positive, though none of the info I am about to relay is official. Arbitration and free agency have been settled but can be gone back to a discussions progress. I also heard that the 24% is the actual number. Also, I heard that the deal is almost done and that the players could vote as soon as this weekend and the the official announce ment would be around the 15th. None of this has been officially stated by the league or the PA, but it comes from reliable places. I hope they are right...

Legal

Hey pens fans,
Today's meeting is believed to be mainly about legal wording of the cba. Does this mean that it is close or are they just getting a head start? I don't know...

Nothing

Hey pens fans,
At the risk of restating the obvious, I just wanted to say that nothing happend this weekend and that the meetings will not resume to at least Tuesday. That is the only thing that I have heard. Hopefully I can find more before the next meeting...

More metings next week

Hey pens fans,
This week's meetings were sadi to have been productive. More meetings will be scheduled for next week. The meetings will take place in New York.

and on and on and on it goes

Hey pens fans,
The meeting is still going on and I believed it started around 9 am EST, and it is now 9:40 pm EST, which means this has been going on for over 12 hours. Hopefully, this means that it is close to getting done...

And on it goes

Hey pens fans,
The meeting is still going on. No news as of yet. Hopefully, more later...

Meeting Today

Hey pens fans,
Yesterday's meeting took place in small groups. I am not sure what will happen today, but my guess would be that at some point they would bring the groups together and disscuss what went on. Hopefully, we find out something good and soon. Until then...

Meetings set to continue and An offer to buy the Pens

Hey pens fans,
The meetings for the on going CBA negotiations have been extended and will continue tomorrow, but there is still no detailed news on what occurred today. On another note, could Mario consider selling the Penguins? Apparently a serious deal has been offered to buy out the team. Check out the article @ http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20050602_183608_6180 (Thanks to Stonegauge for the link. I have no idea how I missed that article.) The loyal Penguin Fan in me prays this is not true and cannot even think of Mario selling the team and betraying the love of his loyal fans, but personal feelings aside, as a business deal, sadly I can understand why he would consider it, but i hope not. Hopefully tomorrows talks will bring more news on the CBA.

Still Going

Hey pens fans,
The meetings today have not yet ended and are expected to possibly go late. I haven't really found out much of anything, though it was not from lack of effort. No one is saying much, which makes me think this may be getting close. I am hearing about rollbacks and how that could effect contracts, but nothing is for certain. I don't even know if it is being discussed. i basically have a lot of what ifs? So, I will post again when I have something...

Optimisim

Hey pens fans,
Well, meetings are scheduled to continue today in Toronto. So far everything seems to be going well in the most recent round of discussions. There are a lot of people saying that this is almost over and that an announcement will come soon. Many are saying the deal is close. Well, no matter how close it is neither side is going to announce anything until they are positive that the deal is actually going to happen. We have to just wait and see, but for now everything seems to be going well. Today is a big day. I'll see what I can find out...

Here We Go Again

Hey pens fans,
Well, meetings did take place in Toronto today and are scheduled to continue tomorrow. Today has been one heck of a ride with alot of ups and downs. Earlier today, people were reporting that the deal was done and that the announcement was tomorrow night. Later, I heard this was as far from the truth as it could be. Then, I heard that progress has been made and that it is down to the final bits and pieces. I also heard that an announcement will be made next week. These all came from fairly reliable places. My best guess based on the info I have is that, today's meetings were indeed productive. i believe both sides are close to a deal, but how close and how long will it take? Hopefully, I can find something to shed some more light on this. For now, I think the deal is going well and that it will get done. The question is, when? It may be soon or in a few weeks no one knows, but I think that this time it will get done. I know I sound a bit optimisitic, but no source has said anything has gone wrong so and am going on the good news i have received.

Meetings Tomorrow and Thursday

Hey pens fans,
No negotiations took place today. Meetings are to resume tomorrow in Toronto. The only thing I have heard is that the players are divided and most are not with Goodenow. I'm not sure how valid that info is,but I have heard it often.

Talks to resume

Hey pens fans,
The talks between the league and pa are set to resume wednesday and thursday in Toronto. ESPN is lost, but I have a feeling they will come back when the NHL does. Thats it for now...

Nothing

Hey pens fans,
Nothing. That is exactly what I have heard about the meeting. I cannot find anything. My guess is that might be a good sign because that could mean they are too busy negotiating to say anything. Okay, so that may be a tad optimistic, but I can hope, right? Well, I am going camping and will be without the internet for a few days. I should be back sometime monday if all goes as planned. No meetings for the cba are scheduled next week as of yet. Check out the sites in my link field for info while i'm gone.

statement

Hey pens fans,
At the conclusion of today's meeting in Chicago, National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) Senior Director Ted Saskin released the following statement:“We just completed two days of meetings focused on revenue measurement and reporting issues. There is a lot more information to be exchanged between the parties and I expect Bob and Gary will be scheduling further meetings shortly.”
Also, there have been alot of rumors flying around out there about the on going negotiations. Some say the deal is close and others are saying that many of the major details have been set. I have not be able to find any rumor in more than one place so i do not feel them to be credible at this time. What I can say is that everything I have been hearing has been positive in nature. I do not have enough information to speculate further at this time, but I will keep trying to find out more.

Today's Meetings

Hey pens fans,
The 2 sides met today in Chicago. A major topic of dicussion was the free agency age. It may be a gradual lowering over a few years, according to one source.

More Meetings

Hey pens fans,
There are more meetings between the league and the pa scheduled for later this week. Rumor is that Goodenow and Bettman will not attend. I am not sure why, but that is what i have been hearing.

Positive Vibes

Hey pens fans,
I"m back from my little trip without internet. Over the weekend the proceedings were still said to have been positive. Everywhere I turn I read or hear something good about last weeks meetings. Everything, though I have no specifics, has been said to be falling into place and that the parts are going together nicely. Let's hope it continues that way.

Meetings continue

Hey pens fans,
I don't really have anything to say about the recent and on going meetings. Though I have heard that progress has been made, but who knows. Well, I am going to a place without internet access for the weekend. I am going camping and fishing at lake erie so, check out one of the links in my link field for info until then to find something and feel free to past what you find as a comment. Until next week....

And so it goes

Hey pens fans,
I have not heard anything about what happened with the steroid issues in D.C. that Gary and Bob went to meet with congress about. Also, many sources are saying that the meetings have been going well, but that has been said many times before. I have nothing new on any specifics. The meetings are scheduled to continue this week.

It's Good to be in D.C.

Hey pens fans,
Well, yesterday's meetings were said to be productive, with the league and the PA discussing the economics of the game. Today, Goodenow and Bettman are in D.C. with congresss discussing the steroid issue in hockey, because of the recent steroid abuse issues in the other sports. Maybe while there this lockout thing may come up and maybe we could get somewhere, but if not the tlaks are set to continue with both sides "commited" to getting this done.

Meeting Today

Hey pens fans,
The meeting today is still going on. as far as I know. It is said to be a good meeting with progress being made.

Read This

Hey pens fans,
Read this article. http://www.newsday.com/sports/printedition/ny-sbnhl154261389may15,0,4817705,print.column?coll=ny-sports-print

WBS Pens eliminated from the AHL playoffs

Hey pens fans,
Well, the WBS Pens were winning by a score of 4-1 in the 3rd period and by the end of the 3rd period they managed to lose by a score of 7-4 to the Philly Phantoms. This was one of the biggest and worst collapses that I have ever heard. (Iwas listening online.) They was a complete and total breakdown. The details are too ugly to specify. It was just BAD. Well, the Pens season is over. This means that there is officially no hockey left to watch if you are a Pens Fan, which means its back to CBA updates for me and not much else. FYI posts may be sparse the next few days. Its finals week at school, so sadly I must study and then I will be moving from my dorm, but I will still try to get important info posted, in as timely a matter as I can.

WBS Pens @ Philly

Hey pens fans,
Sorry, it took so long to update, I've been havin connection problems. Well, the WBS Penguins are playing the Philly Pahntoms right now in the AHL playoffs. The pens are down 3-1 in the series and must win tonight to stay alive. Nothing new on the CBA meetings. I'll keep you posted.

Yesterday

Hey pens fans,
For more info on yesterday's meeting check this out. http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/3605896

Meetings Today

Hey pens fans,
Yes, the league and PA are meeting, but i have been able to find anything about what is occurring. The WBS Pens are playing friday night in Philly to try to stave off elimination from the playoffs.

Meetings over/Pens lose

Hey pens fans,
Sorry it took so long to post, but the meeting is over and has been for a while nothing else to say about it at this time. The Phantoms beat the WBS pens 5-3. That puts the pens down 3-1 in the series with game 5 in philly.

Today's Meeting

Hey pens fans,
The meeting between the league and the PA has not yet ended as far as I know. I am hoping this is a good sign. More later...

credibility and wbs

Hey pens fans,
Well, the latest I have heard is nothinig new. I have not heard anything on the most recent meetinig. I have however, found quite a few sources reporting things from the past meetings, which I have already posted. Which would make them more credible and more likely that they are true. Reminder to the WBS Pens fans, the baby pens will play tonight in game 4 of the series. They are currently down 2 games to 1 in the series.

Baby Pens Win!

Hey pens fans,
The baby pens won last night against the philadelphia phantoms in Wilkes-Barre. No goals were scored by either team until the 3rd period. Colby Armstrong opened up the scoring with the first goal of the game. Then Matt Hussey scored for the pens, then Patrick Sharp scored philly's lone goal on the power play, then Guillaume Lefebvre finished out the pens scoring. The pens won 3-1 and lessend the series gap, the pens are down 1-2 in the series with game 4 in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night.

WBS

Hey pens fans,
The baby pens lost game 2 of the series in Philly last night to the phantoms. Marc Andre Fleury was in goal for the pens and Colby Armstrong scored the Pens only goal. the final score was 4-1 with philly on top. This puts the pens down by 2 in the series.

I found this online

Hey pens fans,
I found this article when trying t find out more about the meetings. Check it out @ http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20050506_125209_5728

League Statement

Hey pens fans,
This is what the league had to say about the meetings today and yesterday. http://www.nhlcbanews.com/generated/L9uuORR7R3.html

WBS Pens

Hey pens fans,
Game 2 is tonight for the baby pens against the phantoms in philly.

Talks Continue Today

Hey pens fans,
The league and PA will meet again to continue to try to resolve the issues over the cba. Yesterday's talks seem to have went well, with the NHL putting forth some new ideas. The players who were in attendance were said to have kept the ball rolling and pushed through the negotiations. More as I get it....

Meeting

Hey pens fans,
Well, the league and the PA met today. The meeting was said to be positive, but I have no news as to what actually occurred. The two sides are scheduled to meet tomorrow to continue the talks. There were players at the meeting one of which was said tobe Trevor Linden, as to who or how many others there were in attendence I am not sure.

Baby Pens Fall to the Phantoms

Hey pens fans,
The WBS Penguins lost game one of the series to the Phantoms in Philly. Ryan Whiteny scored the pens only goal of the game in the 3rd period. Andy Chiodo was pulled after the 3rd goal and Marc Andre Fleury finished out the game allowing the fourth and final goal.

Baby Pens

Hey pens fans,
The WBS Penguins play in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs Wednesday night in Philadelphia against the Phantoms for Game 1 of the series. Andy Chiodo has been strong in goal with a GAA of 1.65. Kris Beech leads the team in points with 6, 3 goals and 3 assists, going into the series. The Phantoms have Antero Niittymaki in goal with a GAA of 1.85 and leading them in points is Patrick Sharp, with 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points.
Let's Go Baby Pens!

Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins

Hey pens fans,
Hockey does still exist in our Penguin organization. The AHL's Wilkes-Barre Scraton Penguins have moved on to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs for more see this story http://www.wbspenguins.com/Newsroom/Team%20News/Game%20Recap/05012005%20Binghamton.asp

Let's Go (Baby) Pens!

Meetings

Hey pens fans,
Meetings betweeen the PA and the league are to take place in New York and Toronto this week. Pending the outcome of those meetings, the 2 sides may still meet in Austria. Congresses involvment in sports with the steroid issues in sports will probably not effect the CBA talks.

meetings

Hey pens fans,
Rumor is that the league and the PA will meet this coming week, but maybe not in austria. no word on exactly when or where.

No News

Hey pens fans,
Well, there is not alot of info out there right now. Both sides are keeping pretty quiet abou the upcoming mmetings. Just an FYI, I will out of town this weekend with no internet access camping. I will update when I get that. If any one hears something post it as a comment and for info on anything that may happen, check out one of the links in my link field to the left.

Austria

Hey pens fans,
The 2 sides are to meet next week in Austria. Yes, I said Austria. These meetings need to be the turning point towards a deal. The league wants a deal by June 1, to avoid an legal issues over the Crosby situation.

Read This

Hey pens fans,
Check out this article. http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Sports/2005/04/27/1014878-sun.html

Draging out to the bitter end

Hey pens fans,
The PA is stalling. The players want this over before worlds so there is no distraction. The league is working on some type of tournament for after the deal is done to try to bring fans back before next season. i for the sake of the game it works when the time comes. Nothing new on the negotiations, hopefully I will hear something soon.

A new Week

Hey pens fans,
Well, meetings are to resume this week between the league and the PA. Hopefully this weeks talks will be productive in nature. That's all I have for now.

This i what i have, though its not much

Hey pens fans,
Well, thhe league and the PA are supossed to meet next week. People close to both sides are saying that the deal is close. I have heard conflicting reports on what parts of the deal still need to be worked on. Not much is supposed to happen this weekend. As far as i know there are no meetings until next week.

Is it closer than both sides are letting on?

Hey pens fans,
I am hear all over the place that the deal is a lot closer to being done than anyone is letting on. However, I have not been able to find consistencies in the aspects which are said to be agreed upon. If I find anything else I will post it.

Good News from the BOG Meeting

Hey pens fans,
The meeting today was very positive. There have been said to be good progress by the BOG, that the league can take to the meetings with the PA next week. Sources are saying the deal will be done in the next few weeks.

Board of Governors

Hey pens fans,
The Board of Governors are meeting today. One of the key things being discussed is revenue sharing. If the more profitable teams agree to this than the talks next week with the PA should go swiftly. Otherwise who knows. One thing I have heard is that May 15th is the new equivilent of D-Day. Everything has to happen by then, but that is not in stone, because that is what was said about today about multiple preceding deadlines.

Meeting is Over

Hey pens fans,
Well, today's meetings concluded around 2 hours ago. There was no major point agreed upon as far as I know. The Board of Governors meeting will continue as scheduled. Meetings will continue over the next week or so. No word on the possibility of the draft. Some say that Goodenow was unwilling to talk about some of the more pressing issues, ie. the cap etc. Some say he was working on an agenda different from that of the players. I have no solid eveidence to this fact, but have heard it enough to mention it. More as I get it....

Goodenow is at it again

Hey pens fans,
Well, the saga continues. People are saying that the PA is trying to use leverage that they believe they have, because they think the league is afraid of replacements, to get a deal more in their favor. Goodenow is going to be the reason this fails if it does not get done. The league is not going to fall for this. Hopefully if this does not get done the lockout continues and no bridges are burnt permanently or any worse than they already are.

Stanley Cup Lawsuit

Hey pens fans,
I found this intersting, because it was Lord Stanley's intent to award the Stanley Cup every year, but this may be takeing it a bit far.
Here's the story http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/3538052 and let me know what you think. Should the Stanley Cup be awarded or not?

Mixed Messages

Hey pens fans,
John Leclair said on the radio that this process is going well. Bobby Orr says there are problems. Some think the PA is thinking that the owners concerns with who gets the first pick in the draft puts them in control and gives the PA leverage. The PA needs to realize that they are playing a dangerous game. The need to continue with the current deal process, if they want this to end. If Goodenow does not, his job may very well be in jeapardy.

range for a cap

Hey pens fans,
Instead of a fixed cap the latest i have heard is that the league and PA have discussed having a range for the salary. I have heard it to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-50 million.

Next Week

Hey pens fans,
The PA and league will meet early next week, before the BOG meeting. It seems like nothing else is going on this week.

I want to pull my hair out

Hey pens fans,
The PA has decided to pull back and not discuss the deal further until the meetings next week. They are not sure if this is the best deal. Aaagghh!! Enough already, if the PA does not work out this deal the league will never and i mean never recover. They need to work this one out. All I have t say about them basically stalling is a giant sigh followed by get this deal done. The lockout needs to end with an agreement not with replacements. Get it done.

Talks Continue

Hey pens fans,
Talks continue this week via conference calls and emails. Next week the talks should go back to being face to face. Reportedly the progress is good.

Check this out

Hey pens fans,
Check out this article http://www.nypost.com/sports/44247.htm about the current cba negotiations and so on. I can't say it any better than this does.

update

Hey pens fans,
Nothing new to report specifically, but I heard that progress has been made and this is going quicker than expected. the 2 sides are expected to sontinure to meet this coming week.

momentum

Hey pens fans,
The meetings continue today and into nest week. Rumor is next week they may move them from Detroit to New York again. Nothing on whats happening in the meetings, but they are at least still talking.

GM meeting outcome

Hey pens fans,
This is what happened at the GM meeting
Rule changes: Goalie equipment size will be reduced, touch up offsides returns, and the nets will be moved back
Nothing on the CBA meeting
Does anyone have any info?

GMs

Hey pens fans,
In addition to the meetings i mentioned in my last post the GMs are meeting in Detroit today as well. I will see what i can find on any or all of today's meetings.

Detroit

Hey pens fans,
The league and the PA are said to be planning to meet later this week in Detroit. The PA did not present a new proposal in their last meeting, but they did present something they could work from. More as soon as i find out....

Something New

Hey pens fans,
At today's meeting the PA was to have grought something new to the table that the NHL did not reject outright and the 2 sides will look into it further. I am not sue what it is though. Also, it is said that significant progress has been made.

Dare i say progress

Hey pens fans,
The meeting today was said to be productive. The PA's deal is actually an attempt at eding this. Or at least that's what I've been hearing.

Meeting Now

Hey pens fans,
The 2 sides are meeting now and there has been a rumor that progress had been made. I hope this is true.

Faxes

Hey pens fans,
Rumor is the 2 sides may have faxed or byy some other method exchanged cmmunications yesterday. No idea what it said, but there are still supposed to be meetings this week.

Rumored Deal

Hey pens fans,
Here is the rumored deal from the PA
1.$ 39.8 million per team salary cap plus $ 2.2 million per team for player benefits.
2.$ 34.0 million per team salary
3.All the teams may each designate a franchise player each season, their salary would not be included in the cap but it would be taxed
4. A 0% rollback of existing salaries
5. unrestricted free agency at age 27, or six pro seasons, whichevercomes first
6.entry level contracts capped at $ 1.2 million including performance bonuses
7.qualifying offers at 75%
8. A 5 year contract limit
9. A 60% for the home team 40% for the away team revenue sharing for all regular season gate revenue.
10.100% league wide revenue sharing from playoff revenue.
That's the rumor I found. Not sure if this is 100% accurate, but its seems reliable, at least in part.

Replcement Players

Hey pens fans,
The eaguue has been looking into using replacenment players next year. this means the PA's offer has better be a good one, because it looks as though the league is not going to come up with anything new. Some of the owners do not want replacement players and it may be a larger number than thought. Hopefully, it does not come to that. Let's hope the PA has a good, no great deal to present to the league. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Meeting Monday

Hey pens fans,
The players and the league are rumored to be scheduled to meet on monday. Nothing like waiting till the 11th hour again.

Players want a meeting

Hey pens fans,
Sorry the updates have been so few. I have been having some internet connnection issues. Anyway, the latest is that the players want a meeting this week with the league. Rumor is they have a deal to present.

Correction on meeting location

Hey pens fans,
Sorry about the misinformation the meeting was near Pebble Beach not in Palm Springs.

Meeting Palm Springs

Hey pens fans,
The league and PA have been meeting in Palm Springs not sure of the outcome or if there has been one even nothing else to report at this time.

New Deal?

Hey pens fans,
Rumor is that the league is putting together a new proposal. Not sure on the details, but i will keep you posted.

The Players want this over

Hey pens fans,
Latest Rumor is that the players are really pushing for a deal. They do not want a 2nd season of no NHL. They also don't want it to come to replacement players. The players feel that if something isn't done in the near future that the league will have them in a tough position.

Here We Go Again

Hey pens fans,
Well, rumor has it that the players like the 37.5 deal and may try to pressure Goodenow into negotiations. The league and the PA are susposed to meet a few times in the coming week. I hope they can get it done and maybe this time Goodenow will actually try to negotiate as oppose to just saying no.

League Releases Statment on Most Recent Meeting

Hey pens fans,
This is the link to what the league had to say about the most recent meeting. http://www.nhlcbanews.com/generated/b78JvcRh1x.html

Goodenow Needs to step up to the plate

Hey pens fans,
I wish I could tell that the most recent talks went well, but that would be a lie. Bettman made 2 new proposals on behalf of the league, a de-linked deal at 37.5 million per team cap or a linked deal at 54 %. Goodenow said that he is not there to talk with the league and that he is waiting for the league to accept the PA's February offer. Goodenow needs to get over himself and put his ego aside and realize he is representing the players, who want to play. The fans want their teams back. We don't want a new WHA or any other league. We want our NHL back. Does Goodenow think that the fans will support a new PA league? I think he is seriously mistaken if he does. I thinks its time for something to happen. Will the players do something about Goodenow? Hey, if Gary Bettman is willing to put his ego aside and try to resolve this why can't Goodenow? Am I right?

National Day of Hockey

Hey pens fans,
Tomorrow is the National Day of Hockey, a celebration of hockey and an attempt to create some hockey solidarity among fans. Wear the colors of your favorite NHL team. Its time to stand up and let the league know that the fans want hockey.

read this

Hey pens fans,
Check out http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20050313/SP_007.htm

The 90 minute meeting

Hey pens fans,
The meeting today lasted about 90 minutes. The NHL basically told the PA that its there move and they need to come up with something. another rumor is that th league met with ESPN or NBC or both about carrying the games in the future and the possibility of changing the white ice to blue and the blue lines to orange because a black puck is hard to photograph on a white background.

Meeting in Toronto

Hey pens fans,
There is a meeting taking place today between the league and the players association. The location is undisclosed. However, it is said to be in Toronto. Also, the players are pushing for an agreement the want the PA to try to work this out with the league asap. I'll keep you posted as best i can.

Any News?

Hey pens fans,
No, I am not neglecting my duties of keeping you informed, but I have not heard any rumors from any sources. There has been nothing new. If you have any information please email it to me @ pensfan17148@msn.com

Will the NHL be saved?

Hey pens fans,
I do not agree with or believe that what the following rumor says is true, but I have heard it in enough places to feel the need to pass it on. Some agents and players and saying that the NHL will never be save and that the players or at least most of them have no problem starting their own league. I do not think it will come to that at this point, but the possibility is out there.

Both sides to meet tuesday

Hey pens fans,
The league and players association are scheduled to meet tomorrow. Hopefully, they make some progress. I will try to keep you all posted on what happens when i hear it.

Price goes Up and league to meet with PA

Hey pens fans,
Apparently the offer to buy the league is still out there and the price has increased but i am not sure how much. There a enough owners that will never sell, so this will not happen. I think they are just trying to make a point that maybe they are not worth as much as they thought. The league is expected to ask the players association to meet early this coming week. I will try to let you know what happens.

Soemone wants to buy All the NHL Teams

Hey pens fans,
I do not theink the owners will all agree to sell their teams, but a proposal was made that offered over $3 billion. Checkout this link for the full story where I found it. http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusspt/ap03-02-232124.asp?spt=nhl&vts=3320050748
What do you think about it? Give me some feedback. I will try to let you know whan anything new happens.

Unrest in the ranks

Hey pens fans,
Nothing much new, but ther is one thing. At the NHLPA meeting many of the players openly expressed their discontent. It is rumored that is may have led to shouting. They want to know why they are not playing. That's what we all want to know right? If they don't know then who does?

Good for a Laugh

Hey pens fans,
Nothing new to report, but here's something i found to be quite amusing. We can only wish this could happen. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/analysis/tavares/tavares_050213.html

Owner Rumor

Hey pens fans,
Latest Rumor is that a group of owners from some big teams had a private conference call to get ready for the board of governors meeting. It is thought that they were to get ready so they can remind Bettman who he is reprensenting and what they actually want. The owners are a whole are not pleased. I'll try to keep you posted.

No Hockey do now what do we do?

Hey pens fans,
There is still no news on the lockout and I am not sure when there will be. So what do we do to fill the void left by there being no hockey to watch? If you need a hockey fix, why not check out an AHL, ECHL, or college team? Maybe find another sport to watch, but its just not the same and nothing can replace hockey to the truely loyal fans. Perhaps take up reading books on hockey or any book, though it is still not the same. I have yet to find anything to replace hockey in my life. Imiss it, but I am filling the time. I am filling some of it with this blog and more with other things like books and music, but how long will it be until the fans replace NHL hockey entirely? The longer it takes to reach an agreement the harder it will be to keep the fans. Great hockey towns like Toronto, Montreal, and Boston will be fine, but the smaller markets where hockey is not the premire sport will suffer. Will Pittsburgh retain its fans? I know they will have at least one and that is me. At times I am even losing faith in the league. Who else thinks the league and the players' association need to pay more attention to the fans? I know they are the professionals, but we love the game too. Maybe some of our ideas aren't so bad? They obviously haven't come up with anything stellar. They need to try something new or just hammer it out, but I feel they are almost at the point of no return. Please send me your comments.