Holding games in Europe a no-brainer
ATLANTA Gary Bettman had been talking for years about going global with the NHL, and every time he sounded like someone from a different planet. The television ratings were laughable, lower than Las Vegas poker games. Who was the betterknown Canadian in the United States, Daniel Briere or Daniel Negreanu? Uh, Negreanu. By a mile.
Bettman has his shortcomings, but give him credit for his vision on this one. He has found ways to take the NHL further than most people ever imagined. The latest was announcing plans to have four regularseason games overseas, two in the Czech Republic and two others in Sweden, in an effort sell his league in Europe.
The league has plenty of Euros. What it wants are more euros, one of which was worth $1.46 in U.S. currency on Saturday.
The four games, set for Oct. 4-5, still need to be approved by the NHL Players Association, but that appears to be little more than a speed bump. The league is always looking to make more money and could pocket a boatload of dough with a stronger following overseas. Revenues are tied directly to player contracts. The next player not looking to turn a buck in this case, a buck and a half will be the first.
Plans call for the New York Rangers to play two games in Prague against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bettman suggested Saturday that the Rangers were selected because they were an Original Six team, which is true. The bigger reason is that the Blueshirts have five Czech mates in Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha, Michal Rozsival and Marek Malik on the roster.
The Ottawa Senators will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in two other games in Stockholm. If Senators star Daniel Alfredsson isn t Tiger Woods in Sweden, he s definitely Phil Mickelson. Sidney Crosby works just about anywhere, which was why the Sabres played the Penguins in the Ice Bowl.
You think they ll sell any jerseys?
I think there s lots of growing to be done, Alfredsson said Saturday as he prepared for today s All-Star Game. They re airing a lot more games on television in Sweden. By playing games in the country, by showing the product, it s another step. It s one thing seeing it on TV, another thing seeing it live.
The real genius in playing overseas isn t genius at all. It was out of necessity. The league can generate much more dough more quickly if it takes the game to other hockey-loving countries. It s an easier sell in Stockholm, which has hosted the world championships twice since 1994, than it is in, say, Nashville or Columbus.
Anaheim and Los Angeles played their first two games of the season in London, but it came with a price. The Ducks lost four of their first five games, and the Kings five of their opening six.
Let s play two more
Bettman and the players association have been tossing
around the idea of having an 84-game schedule, which would provide more flexibility and balance. It appears to be on hold until the 2009-10 season.
Balance is the biggest issue. Many teams from the Western Conference have been whining about the schedule because the current setup calls for Crosby, among other Eastern Conference stars, to play there once every three years. In fact, Crosby will play two games in Stockholm before he plays his first game in Vancouver.
Several players Saturday suggested dropping two games from the preseason schedule and adding them to the regular season. It makes sense.
The guys now, once they arrive arrive at camp, they re ready to go, Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier said. Instead of playing nine exhibition games, why not play a little bit less and put them in the regular season?
Hero s welcome
Joe Thornton, when he s not setting up his teammates from the perimeter, has started working on his latest passion in life: Guitar Hero.
There are probably six or seven guys on our team who are hard-core, Thornton said. I ve gotten better. I have a lot of spare time on my hands. I ve seen kids play at Best Buy and stuff. Once you get it yourself, you re addicted for the first five or six days.
How about a dream one-onone battle, Jumbo Joe against Drew Stafford? The word from Sabres players is that Stafford, who plays the guitar, is unbeatable at the video game.
Striking it rich?
Stars co-General Manager Brett Hull was snooping around the St. Pete Times Forum in a search for offense, which sparked rumors he was scouting Tampa Bay s overpaid center, Brad Richards. It s more likely Hull was scouring the Oilers roster last week while Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe did the same in Dallas when Buffalo was in town.
The Stars are looking for some scoring punch and someone who can help make a difference in the playoffs. The Oilers have been looking to unload center Jarrett Stoll, who had just eight goals and 23 points and was minus-14 in 51 games going into the All-Star break. He had 13 goals and 39 points and was plus-2 in 51 contests last season.
Stoll is a good faceoff man, winning 54 percent, and he would be more productive with a proven scorer at left wing. He s making $2.2 million and will be a restricted free agent after the season. Another possibility is Joni Pitkanen, a talented but injury-prone defenseman also is set to become an RFA.
The Oilers wants high draft picks and prospects. They could try squeezing former secondround pick Loui Eriksson from the Stars with the idea he can be part of long-term plans alongside talented rookie Sam Gagner.
Please please me
Wild winger Brian Rolston led group of forwards who pulled coach Jacques Lemaire aside last week in a plea for more ice time.
Rolston, Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra and Pierre- Marc Bouchard were frustrated because they thought the godfather of the trap also was putting the clamps on them. Lemaire, always clear that he captains the ship, responded by giving them big minutes against Vancouver.
They don t request a lot of things, Lemaire said. I was trying to help them as much as I can and maybe leave my principles aside. That s what I did.
The result was a 4-2 win in which Bouchard had two goals and two assists, his best game all season. Rolston also had a goal, the first in a three-game streak going into the break. Gaborik played a season-high 24 minutes. Together, they were a combined plus-5.
We know it s a two-way street, Rolston said. We have to do the job when we re out there. But it gives us confidence as players when he puts us out there.
Sweet deal
Cliff Fletcher made sure his return to Toronto as interim general manager didn t equate to getting paid for a half-season. He signed a 19-month deal with the Leafs while the organization looks for someone to run the hockey side. He ll run the draft in June, but there s little chance he ll keep the chores next year.
Fletcher s first order of business is sitting down with captain and Leafs all-time leading scorer Mats Sundin and finding out if the center wants to stick around. If he really wanted to do the Leafs a favor and boost the rebuilding process, Sundin would agree to lift the no-trade clause in his contract.
We ll do what s best for Mats, Fletcher said. He is driving the engine.
Frankly, their emotional tie to Sundin is their biggest problem. The Leafs needed to unload Sundin two years ago, but they kept him out of respect. Fair enough, but what s good for Mats isn t always what s good for the organization.
Meanwhile, they re putting together an interesting short list of GM candidates, which reportedly includes Scotty Bowman, Ducks GM Brian Burke and agent Don Meehan.
Staying put
Panthers owner Alan Cohen recently called Olli Jokinen in an effort to downplay
persistent trade rumors regarding the veteran center. Cohen apparently made it clear the team had no plans to trade its best player.
Trade talk has been swirling since last season largely because Jokinen and coach Jacques Martin don t exactly have a warm-and-fuzzy relationship. Jokinen emphasized his desire to stick around forget losing, you can t beat the palm trees but he has never had a no-trade clause in his contract because he doesn t want to overstay his welcome.
What he wants more than anything is more support around him. Jokinen has played exactly zero postseason games in his 10-year career with Florida and Los Angeles, and chances are he ll be watching again this season.
I don t believe the grass is any greener on the other side, he said. For me, that s just an easy way out, looking for answers from other teams or going somewhere else and trying to win happiness or championships. I want to win here. Hopefully, we do some moves here.
Quotable
NHL legend Bobby Hull on whether he was enjoying himself during an autograph signing in Phoenix: I haven t had so much fun since pigs ate my little brother.
Around the boards
Don t be surprised if Antoine Vermette is shipped out of Ottawa before the trade deadline. His propensity for underachieving has grown stale with GM Bryan Murray, who wants a dependable veteran for the playoffs. Randy Robitaille, acquired to boost the checking line, also looks lost.
How bad is Rochester? The Panthers bypassed their AHL prospects and promoted center Shawn Mattias, 19, from the OHL. It came out of nowhere, he said. I was freaking out. Not really. Florida s stock is thin on the farm, which is shared with Buffalo. Mattias scored twice in his second NHL game.
Calgary GM DarrylSutter on the mind-set of unrestricted free agents: We ve been down this road before with guys who have left and said, Oh, we love Calgary. You know what they love? They love more money. There s a point where if you want to be in a good town and with a good team, you make a choice.
Tampa Bay center Craig MacDonald is still recovering from a puck to the chops Dec. 20 that knocked out nine of his teeth. He s already had three root canals to repair four nerves that were exposed in his upper gum. Total games missed: two. It s definitely a process, he said. I ve learned a lot about dentistry.
Senators coach John Paddock, less than thrilled with his goaltending of late, is leaving the job open for shaky Martin Gerber and flaky Ray Emery before deciding on a No. 1 for the stretch run. We re looking for someone to grab the bull by the horns, he said. Make the decision for me. That s what I want.
bgleason@buffnews.com
WSOP: World Series of Poker is the World Poker Championship
World Poker competition is Maxue Las Vegas hotel (Horseshoe) since 1970 started to organize, hold spring and summer each year, usually for one month during the race, the last five days is the most exciting finals.
References: www.preferpoker.com
World poker tournament covers from the ceiling and there are no limits Texas poker (Texas Hold em poker, Texas) to seven pile licensing Poker (Seven-Card Stud), Aces High Omaha (Omaha High-Low) as well as various other popular poker games are played, and different forms of competition registration fee from 1,500 to 10,000 US dollars range. Of the often-mentioned, the highest prize money to win the most exciting battle is fought without limit Texas Hold em (Texas Hold em No-limit Texas Hold em). The project s investment 10,000 US dollars to buy the right entries, if lucky, it can win as much as millions of dollars in bonuses, it attracted a large number of poker expert.
Johnny Chan is the 1987 and 1988 World Cup for the second poker tournament (no limit Texas Hold em) champion. During the cultural revolution, his parents fled to the persecution of the Cultural Revolution, emigrated to the United States when he was 9 years old.
Later, he went to Las Vegas Chinese restaurant when the chef, washed every day to classes on the hotel to play poker, Texas (Texas Hold em Texas Hold em Poker), and sometimes not enough time to remove the apron. He was playing poker in Texas won some money to sustain life, by the work he put into professional players, 10 years later, in 1987, he took part in the World Cup poker tournament (no limit Texas Hold em), a the first historical ethnic poker game of the World Cup champion, won again in 1988, was runner-up in 1989.
Phil Helmouth Jr.1989, beat Johnny Chan, then became the youngest World Poker (no limit Texas Hold em) Champion.
1996 the 27th World Series Poker
Texas Hold em) is the champion of the United States in Las Vegas, Nevada Huck Seed, he beat 294 players, and have won one million US dollars in prize money, he is a mechanical engineering Health , in 1989 from the University dropout, started as a professional poker player earning a living, since then, he would not continue his studies. The second is Dr. Bruce Van Horn.
May 24, 2003, the 34th World Cup poker (no limit Texas Hold em) As in previous years the finals in Las Vegas Binion hotel down the curtain champion in the 27-year-old accountant Chris Moneymaker work, he Before this has never really participated in the poker game Texas has been playing only in the Internet.
2003 Chris Moneymaker was unknown in the Poker Star website
Http://www.pokerstars.com/?source
Vote on 40 dollars, to participate in the online Texas Hold em satellite competition, through layer upon layer of clearance has finally been transported to Las Vegas poker in the World Cup finals. Results beat the experts from around the world, gain first, Yong from 2.5 million US dollars prize money. Chris Moneymaker winning the World Poker Series (no limit Texas Hold em) champion, he resigned from the accountants working to become professional poker hand.
2004 beat 2576 champion Greg players around the world, and win cash 5 million US dollars. This is the third consecutive appearance in the world series of poker (no limit Texas Hold em) competition, in 2002 started his progress smoothly, the final AQ, lost to Tony s 10,4. Ranked 80, 2003 until the first game three hours, he has out.
2005 World Poker Series (no limit Texas Hold em) champion is Australia s Joseph Hachem, he won 7.5 million US dollars.
Now past 35, the World Poker Series poker games industry has become a major event. Every year, thousands of amateur and professional poker players flocking to Las Vegas to participate in the world s biggest poker game. World Poker has become so popular contest one of the reasons is that it s not like other sports as a qualifying tournament, anyone with 10,000 US dollars of the entry fee can play. In fact, only a small number of athletes to pay the full cost themselves, other people rely on participants called satellite mini competition to win admission fees. 2004 World Series Poker champion Greg Raymer, with the first runner-up David Williams, and 2003 World Series Poker champion Chris Moneymaker is through participation in poker site http://www.pokerstars.com/?source
Satellite competition in the World Cup final in Las Vegas poker Beishuasongdao finals.
With poker on television and the Internet have become increasingly popular. Playing cards were also increased. Every year millions of people watching around the world poker competition. Watch world-class poker experts in each Board millions of dollars at stake, so the decision is very exciting television.
References: www.preferpoker.com
