Old news is still news right?

Old news is still news right? That how it appears this NHL off-season. It has been very quiet in the hockey world as of late with the exception of the endless re-living of the Gretzky trade that happened 25 years ago.

Yes that trade was and still is a major deal but it happened 25 years ago. Yes it forever changed the game when the Oilers shocked the hockey world when they traded the BEST player of the game to the LA Kings. No player before or since has yet to tie or break Gretzky’s points records [2857 points -894 goals/1963 assists] and I’m not sure any player will ever break his points record. Gretzky was the greatest player to play the game that much is fact and will never be in dispute. I am simply tired of hearing every radio and sports channel re-play footage/interviews from “the trade” and a rehash of every repercussion that was a result of “the trade” as well as all the “what-ifs” had “the trade” never happened or happened with a different team. Enough is enough, let’s stop talking about the past and talk about the present!

You know its been a quiet off-season when the biggest news headlines for weeks at a time are things like: “30 teams in 30 days” or “10 questions that _______ will need to answer to be successful in 2013-2014” or “Will _____ help lead their team to playoff success?”

In Canuck related news, will the Canucks please, just announce the re-signing of CHRIS TANEV already?! This signing is taking forever!  Rumor has it, he has been getting interest from teams in the KHL and Switzerland while contract talks have been nearly non-existent. The longer it takes to officially sign Tanev, the more likely it is that another team will sign him to an offer sheet forcing the Canucks to match.  Last year Philadelphia forced Nashville’s hand with a 14-year offer sheet for Shea Weber that saw the Predators match the long-term offer. I am not comparing Weber to Tanev in any way other than to say that much like last year with Weber forcing Nashville’s hand, Tanev could force Vancouver’s hand if he signed an offer sheet.

Rumor also has it that the Canucks and Douglas Murray are in talks. We will have to wait and see how this plays out in reality.

When the Canucks return to the city for training camp and pre-season, all eyes will be on Roberto Luongo who will make the return that many did not expect. As I have said all along, I am LUONGO fan through and through, so I am very excited to see #1 return to my Canucks.

Perhaps we will see his sense humor much like this that he shared in his Canuck poetry:

and hopefully we will hear many #LUUUUUUUUUU cheers this season, following many saves much like these 5 sensational stops:

It has been very quiet in the hockey world as of late….almost a little too quiet news wise. The best the media has come up with is talking nonstop about a trade that happened 25 years ago and discussing as always the endless potential of rumors.

Can I say it again?..the off-season is dragging! Only 4 1/2 weeks until pre-season & less than 2 months until the regular season! #isitoctoberyet

Can hockey just come back please?!

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

Wayne’s World…

Well from the words of my blog to the words of Bobby Orr to the words of Wayne Gretzky…there is still hope for the upcoming season[albeit more than likely a shortened one…I’ll take it!]. Just as Orr is one of the best defencemen that ever played in the league and set the bar high for those who followed as he revolutionized his position…Wayne Gretzky redefined the game and set records of such heights that none will ever reach. Gretzky…a Canadian grown boy…dreamed of playing the game he loved for the country he loved…and guess what? He did so with style. Remember that 51 straight games point streak?? He helped lead Canada to a record win in the 1987 Canada Cup and helped Edmonton become the city of Champions they proudly state today [leading them to 4 cups in 5 years!]. He made Los Angeles a legitimate hockey town way before they made their historic run last spring. Did I forget to mention the trade that rocked the hockey world and broke the hearts of many Oilers fans before Gretzky become an LA all-star?  He did eventually retire in 1999. Then there was his aid in putting together the 2002 gold medal winning Olympic hockey team or his infamous carrying of the 2010 Olympic torch. In 20 NHL seasons, Gretzky played in 1487 regular season games scoring 894 goals and 1963 assists [amassing an astounding 2857 points!!]. In 208 playoff games Gretzky scored 122 goals and 260 assists[382 points!]. There has never been another player to play the way the Gretzky did. Many players have had their numbers retired by their respective teams…but NO player has ever had their number retired league wide…except Wayne Gretzky. The number 99 shall be worn by no other player and it will be hard for another player to ever impact the game the way Wayne Gretzky did. Yes there are other great players in the league today [Crosby, the Sedins, Malkin, Datsyuk, Ovechkin] but NONE will ever quite change the face of the game as he did. Maybe Crosby [at least in Canada] will come closest. Crosby has become one of the current prominent faces of the game…there was him helping Pittsburgh find their spark again in the playoffs [eventually led to a Stanley Cup in 2009] and Crosby has one thing Gretzky never got…an Olympic Gold medal. Crosby has set many records himself and will probably set a few more….but do I think he or any other player will ever eclipse Gretzky’s 2857 points? Probably not. Wayne Gretzky record of 292 points in one season and his all-time 2857 points are records that seem almost impossible to break in today’s league. Gretzky knew the game inside out better than any other player…and today his opinion of the game is still valid. Gretzky was quoted as saying that there will be a season by January 1st[aka the Winter Classic]. Do I wish there to be an agreement sooner?…heck yes….but alas these pesky negotiations seem like they will take some time. If Gretzky is allowed to optimistic about the season…so can I! #WaynesWorld #Excellent #endthelockoutalready #becauseGretzkysaidso

The NHL and the NHLPA met for 3 straight days [Friday-Sunday] and are expected to meet up once more on TODAY in NYC for another round of negotiations. Lets hope that their progress goes beyond the secondary issues. As I have said previously…there is room for optimism up until the Winter Classic. I think the league would be pretty stupid to cancel that particular game and lose the anticipated revenue that two Original Six teams will bring to the table. Here’s hoping that Bettman, the NHL executives, Fehr, the NHLPA executives, and the Players can meet somewhere in the middle sooner rather than later. #fingerscrossed

As the great CBA debate continues to dramatic, I encourage all fans to be optimistic.It is still early in the year…there is room for the season to be salvaged. We may not get the full season as we all desired…but I would take a shortened one rather than none at all.  As always, until next time, nuck said. #waynesworld

Sarah E.L.