NHL 2010 - 2011 Season
 

What are your feelings, your predictions, your plans?

Are you excited for the season, or afraid your team is gonna bomb out? Who do you think is going to win their division? Who is going to go on to become Stanley Cup winners?

The pre-season is underway now and sports recaps are energized with the added adrenalin of hockey coverage - Finally after a long hot summer!

As for my local preferences, The Maple Leafs dropped a 5-0 stinker to Ottawa last night in a pre-season game. Some things never change, Although Kris Versteeg (thank you Chicago) may provide some new blood.

Please discuss, enjoy the season.... and...


Game On! :thumbsup:

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Well, Detroit it is currently getting shelled by Pittsburgh 3-0, and Orpik just got called for a knee-on-knee on Franzen. Franzen left the game, but at least he walked down the tunnel.

Yep, its gonna be a great season.

As for the Leafs, I'd be more excited for Kulemin, Bozak, and Caputi than I would Versteeg, who was a product of great linemates. Kadri looks overmatched all over the ice, getting run off the puck constantly.

What do you guys think of the Lightning this year?

It really is a whole new ball game here in Tampa. New owner (a guy with his own money), a new GM (a true hockey guy, Stevey Y), a new coach Guy Boucher (the most coveted young coach around) and some new players (notably goalie Dan Ellis).

Given our existing players (Lecavalier, Former MVP St. Louis, Ryan Malone), some new additions (Simon Gagne, Pavel Kubina) and goalie Mike Smith do you guys see us contending?

I am hopeful. Boucher has a new system that he is keeping secret but the thought is it is in the mode of Tortarella's 'safe is death' system. Attack, attack, attack. Is is very fan friendly and sure makes it easy to cheer for your team.

I've got my season tix and I am ready for a good season. Here's hoping it is a good one.

You're lucky that you can get a hold of season's tickets! Good for you. I see the Lightning as being contenders long before the Leafs are...

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You know, the Hawks may not have held a fire sale after all.....

The most exciting thing about Tampa Bay is the forwards they have in coming up in the system. I was at the prospect tourney in Traverse City, MI, and while the team as a whole didnt do great, guys like Connoly, Ashton, Tyrell and Hutchings looked really good.

As for the big team, barring injuries (Gagne, Lecavalier) they should be scoring machines this year. The defense however, is another story, and could cost them some games.

The Leafs, like Edmonton, are full of potential, but short on experience up front, so its a crap shoot how some of the kids will work out.

here's an interesting bit of news: the CBC is going to broadcast two of this season's games in 3D:


'Hockey Night in Canada' to show Leafs-Habs in 3-D - thestar.com


'Hockey Night in Canada' to show Leafs-Habs in 3-D '

Canadian Press

Hockey Night in Canada is going 3-D with two special broadcasts this winter.

CBC says it will air high-tech takes on battles between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Canadiens against the Calgary Flames.

The digital broadcasts will air Dec. 11 and Feb. 20, 2011, with the second broadcast taken from the Heritage Classic, an outdoor game at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.

Hockey fans will require a special 3-D TV and glasses to view the games.

It's still unclear which TV providers will offer the CBC's 3-D signal to customers.

The CBC aired a 3D documentary, Queen Elizabeth in 3-D, this month, although that broadcast appeared on the main network and did not require a special 3-D TV.

The CBC also aired two World Cup games in 3-D this summer.

Game On!
 

2010-11 season begins! From Europe to North America

2010-11 season begins! From Europe to North America - 2010 NHL Face-Off




Thursday, 10.07.2010 / 9:45 AM / 2010 NHL Face-Off
By Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Staff Writer


The summer is over. Training camp is done. The preseason games are all played out.

Now the fun starts.

From Helsinki to Vancouver, and all points in between, the 2010-11 NHL season is about to begin, and with it the hope for another entertaining, outstanding campaign.

All 30 teams enter the season with the same amount of hope. That only one will ultimately go home with the Stanley Cup isn't the point right now. No, the present is about new beginnings and unlimited opportunities.

The initial opportunity belongs to the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild, who will take part in the first puck drop of the season at noon ET on Thursday at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, part of the 2010 Compuware NHL Premiere series. They'll play again Friday in Helsinki, and the long opening weekend also will see the Sharks and Blue Jackets meet for two games at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, while the Coyotes and Bruins will play a pair at the O2 Arena in Prague.

Closer to the League's North America roots, the NHL will celebrate the opening of the season in Dundas Square in Toronto on Thursday with NHL Face-Off, an all-day interactive hockey extravaganza for the whole family that will feature live music, appearances by NHL alums, hockey clinics and giant video boards to follow all the day's action. The NHL Network will broadcast live from the square, and take fans right into the first North American game of the season, a renewal of the ancient rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs*, at Air Canada Centre.

Another opening-night game will feature the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers in the first game at the Pens' new home, Consol Energy Center. The newest building in the League replaces the oldest, Mellon Arena, which had been the Penguins' home for the franchise's first 43 years.

Taylor Hall, the first pick of the 2010 Entry Draft, will lead the Oilers' trio of highly touted rookies into their first game Thursday when the Flames visit Rexall Place.

And there will be a celebration in Colorado, as the Avalanche welcomes back Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and other members of the 1996 Stanley Cup champion team prior to hosting the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The Hawks will have their own special celebration Saturday, when they get to raise the first championship banner for a Chicago hockey team since 1961. Then it will be down to business against the rival Detroit Red Wings.

Friday's openings include Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals with their first chance to move past last spring's playoff disappointment when they travel to face the new-look Thrashers, while the Devils will get to see what Ilya Kovalchuk looks like after his first training camp with New Jersey when they host the Stars.

The Vancouver Canucks, another team picked by many to be a Stanley Cup favorite, open their 40th anniversary season Saturday by hosting the Los Angeles Kings in a rematch of one of last spring's most dramatic first-round playoff series.

By the time the weekend comes to a close following the three games scheduled for Sunday, the season will be off and running. They're just the first steps on what will be an exciting journey.

Contact Adam Kimelman at akimelman@nhl.com



* The most storied rivalry in pro-sports history
:thumbsup:

Yeeeee HAWWWWW!!!! Can't wait! Time to break out the good whiskey, the fine cigars and the premium pipe tobacco, sit back and enjoy the hell out of another great season of hockey :thumbsup:

On top of that I've scored some great seats at the Bridgestone for the Preds home opener against the Ducks, should be a great way to start the season off in style.

Leafs over the Habs, 3 - 2; Leafs over the Sens, 5 - 1! Two rivals down....how many more to go?

The Leafs open with two wins for the first time since 1999. They're like a whole new team...finally.... Let's hope they hold it together.

The Sens were pretty anemic tonight. It's not surprising that the Leafs took that one, though it was fun to watch anyway.

Two games is nothing. I've been hurt by the boys in blue too many times to get my hopes up this early.

For a team like the Leafs, it matters. The team has seen a number of substantial changes that there is reason to hope for at least a half-decent season. If anything, this is a good sign that they can at least win.

I suppose I should be thankful that my wings are never mentioned anymore as a perennial favourite..... which makes their success even more sweet! I'm looking forward for an energized Modano to give Detroit another weapon....

When I think of the hanson brothers, This isn't what I think of.

show's how hockey can expand your horizons!

I like these hanson brothers quite a bit more.

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I'm pretty sure its the "on ice gestures" that are causing all of the early season concussions. This is the most danger to player health we've had since the "Sloppy Seconds" incident of '08 that almost ended Avery and Phaneuf's careers. Thank god Colin Campbell is on top of it.

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That reminds me of David Frost, the agent/coach that Mike Danton tried to have killed. He was discovered working in a hockey school in California under an assumed name a month or 2 ago. He was aquitted of 4 charges of sexual exploitation, but people don't take a chance of ruining their lives to have you killed for nothing.

Hopefully this school wakes up and gets rid of him before he gets a chance to perp again.

Did I hear right in the Danton was going to try to get back to the game?

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yep, i was waiting for Avery to do something stupid. Luckily that linesman was on the ball, he skated right over as soon as Avery finished the second slash.

Should be a game, that goes beyond competitiveness. It's plain bad sportsmanship and an embarrassment.

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I agree with you on the suspension. It was an extremely late hit, but not from the blind side, as Doan actually skates in front Sexton and hits him from the front. He didnt leave his feet, he didn't raise an elbow, all around a clean hit except for the timing of it.

My question is, where the hell were the refs on this one. Regardless of being clean, it was way late and pretty damn obvious. Why was there no penalty called on the play? Just like the Cammelari incident with Niederreiter, the cross checking and slashing went on for a good 30 seconds or more before Cammelari finally slashes him in the ankle. All of this at center ice and not one ref thought it was a good idea to call a penalty before someone gets hurt. Cammelari slashed at the kids face prior to the ankle, and the refs just stood there and stared.

Not to mention the elbow to the face Franzen took from Fistric last week. Franzen had the puck, so some ref had to be looking at him, Fistric obviously throws an elbow into his jaw as he turns, and not only was there no suspension, there wasn't even a penalty called. Franzen laying on the iced dazed, the whole world sees the elbow, and nothing is done about it.

And its a big mystery why half the league is out with concusions right now. At least they have made it so nobody will ever tell someone to "suck a cock" ever again.

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sorry, can't go with you on this one. At no time should any professional athlete assault a fan in any sport. Fans are the reason those athletes have jobs, so if they want to voice their opinion about how they are playing, or even about their moms sexual exploits, thats what buying a ticket affords them. Any athlete who violates that should be dealt with harshly.

Now on the other hand, if the fan had assaulted the player first, either by touching him or dumping a beer on him or something, its game on. But a little verbal abuse is just part of being a pro and making the big bucks.

here is an example of the grey area of this topic:

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on a separate Milbury note, did anyone watch the Winter Olympics with Milbury and Reonick going at it like cats and dogs? They toned it down a bit for the NHL finals, but how the hell have they not been given there own show, or at least a regular broadcasting spot on national TV. They were comedy gold, and more importantly, actually voiced opinions about the sport rather than toe the NHL line and repeat the same drivel over and over again.

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Suddenly every hit has turned into a headshot. Anytime the player being hit is a little jarred from the hit, its getting labled as dangerous. The kicker to me was Carlyle, the coach of the Anaheim Goon Squad, had the stones to say that Kronwall's hit on Selanne was dangerous, and Kronwall was a dirty player. Guess he would know what a dirty player looks like, he coaches enough of them.

As for the challenges, I'd be all for them if I thought that a ref would actually get the call right after review. But I've seen 2 refs, 2 linesman, and all of the video review team in Toronto confer for well over 10 minutes and still get the call wrong, so whats the point?

And Pierre McGuire is the dumbest fuck to have ever been given a mic. I have fantasies about a hundred mile an hour slapshot flying in between the benches and making his head explode like the guy in Scanners.

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Dive, Dive, Dive! What a joke. I saw that Hunter had the 15 PIMs last night but I didn't see the play until now. Another example of a textbook hit getting penalized. Love how Meszaros is just fine to skate back to the bench the second Trent Hunter is ousted from the game.

The off-ice ref idea was something they tested in that Shanahan Summit this summer, but it didn't go over very well. The refs complained that it made it hard for them to follow the play, cause they are doing such a bang up job of it now.

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I was watching that game at that point, and they had been messing with Briere for quite some time before he rearranged Neilsen's face. He still deserves the 3 games he got for it, because it was completely premeditated.

The real chicken shit play though was Carcillo coming in and leveling Neilsen after he had already been hit by Briere. Typical Carcillo.

And by some miracle, it doesn't sound like Hunter is going to get anything for his hit. Even though the 15 PIMs was about 15 more than he should have received anyway.

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To be fair, Campbell was not involved in this decision, and Thornton and the Sharks are looking to appeal on those grounds. He was traveling somewhere and was not involved in the call. Hopefully his plane crashed, or he was stoned to death by the locals immediately after landing.

Again, its an all-shoulder hit, no charging or leaving his feet, and its not late. This is another reaction call, which, like the Meszaros hit, is fucking hilarious because Perron not only gets up right after Thornton goes to the box, but he comes out and scores the game winning goal. He should be thanking Big Joe for knocking some talent into him.

Hopefully this some how gets overturned on appeal. Our only other hope is, like most fad rules, the refs get lazy and stop calling it after a year or so.

On a side note, what the fuck is up with all these shutouts? I remember when a shutout was so rare, you didn't dare speak of it lest you jinx your chance of seeing it for that year. Now they are so common its almost a forgone conclusion in some games. My guess is that with the way the game is being called nowadays, the talent level is so watered down in the NHL, all you have to do is be able to skate well and you have a roster spot. There are very few go to players who you know can just wreck a goalie's night. Hell, even Ovechkin is struggling to score early in the season.

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I'm glad you jumped on the Kovalchuk/Parise land mine before I did, because I was going to grab one or the other right after you. Unfortunately, I still stepped in a pile of Marc-Andre Fluery.

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This is exactly why a challenge flag won't work in the NHL. The league is going to do whatever it damn well pleases, with no regards to the integrity of the game.

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I've been watching some KHL games now that Xbox has the ESPN360 on demand. They have mostly been agonizingly slow and low impact. I hope North American leagues aren't trying to emulate that. Not sure what rules are being used for the series (NA or European) but I would bet that if its international refs you are going to get alot of bullshit calls like that.

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Yeah, I was watching that game about a week ago or so, that was a brutal hit. Definitely a charging which I think is the penalty he got for that, but man did Martin leave himself in a bad position. Thats the play where players usually get their shoulder seperated, when they are hit reaching for the puck. Hope he can make a full recovery, thats probably going reqiure fusing some vertebrae, which usually doesn't go too well with playing sports.

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Clean hit, and I really don't have any problem with how the fight went down. It never looked to me like Avery backed down, he was waiting to see what was happening with the play, and Smid never let his guard down, and barely took his eyes off of him, so no sucker punch. Smid just wasn't fast enough on the draw.

Not that I give 2 shits about Avery, would have been just as well if he got his ass handed to him.

Anywho, no suspensions issued on this one, and only Dubinsky was fined for grabbing a guy while on the bench. Campbell was too busy dealing with his own steaming pile to worry about actually doing his job.

That Campbell is a classy guy.

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Its a good ol' boy network pure and simple. No qualifications, no good ideas, just have to be one of the guys. Same way the US government is run, and look how well thats working out.

I was at my boy's game last night (they lost their first game of the season 4-2 with an empty netter) where he got a goal called back because the ref didn't see it under the goalies glove. I checked my blackberry for the score in the Leafs - Preds game, which the Leafs were losing in typically spectacular fashion 3-0 in the first period. I didn't bother checking again as the live Bantam tilt going on in front of me was more engaging.

Imagine my surprise when got home to find out that the good old boys in Blue&white had tied up the Preds 4 - 4. they went on to win 5-4.

4 power play goals. Clarke MacArthur assisting on 3 goals in 1 period. I gotta say that picking up this guy was a steal. And Versteeg with two goals in 59 seconds. this was a weird game with a decent outcome.


This is the winning entry of the Leafs Haiku contest:

The cut runs so deep
Since Nineteen Sixty Seven
We’ll parade in hell

That was a ridiculous game with 6 straight penalties called on Nashville, and 8 of 10, including two 5 on 3's. Someone upstairs got sick of the Leafs embarrasing themselves.

I have a love for my original home team the Detroit Red Wings, but since moving to the DC area I have appreciated the Caps. I say this is legal because they are in 2 different conferences and rarely play each other (let's face it, besides the one game in the season it would only happen in the playoffs and the Caps are too young of a team to make it that far, yet).

word

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RIP Pat, thanks for the great memories. Still can't believe they never put Burnsy in the Hall before he passed, one of the great mistakes of hockey.
Former NHL coach Pat Burns dies

Agreed. Glad they went with the publicity stunt of adding women this year instead. Stay classy NHL.

great thread guys.gonna have to stop in more often.


oh and...........Canucks?

we got a chance this year or what?

love to hear what you guys think.

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They just got dismantled last night by Chicago with the back up tender in. They definitely have a confidence problem when it comes to the Hawks.

WTF kinda hockey was that?????...........Blowongo chased after 2 periods and 4 goals.........then Schneider gives up a bunch..........what a fucking sad game that was.

maybe they will pull their heads outta their asses and redeem themselves tonight.

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11/19 Pens vs Canes, pens 4th goal. Skip ahead to 1:08


Anybody catch this? The ref very clearly shook his head no goal and was then overruled on the review, here is the overhead with sound:


Seems to me the whistle blows before the puck crosses the line, do they not get sound in Toronto or did I miss something or is it too close to call? - If the last is the case, how does it overrule the on Ice call?

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I call that the Crosby effect. I've seen that same play kill a goal in dozens of games just because the ref intended to blow the whistle, much less when he actually did. But the league (read: Bettman) loves Crosby, and by proxy the Penguins, and will do anything to get them winning.

And as far the Staal/Stajan hit, I can't go with you on this one. The slowmo clearly shows Staal bending down and then exploding into Stajan's head with the shoulder and upper arm. If he had simply skated through Stajan body to body, or even hip checked him, thats a great hit. But in my opinion, he was going for Stajan's head all the way. But Stajan certainly didn't help matters by ogglin his own pass.

Either way, Staal's not getting anything from the league on this one.

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That's definitely pretty low, considering whoever it was knew for sure who they were stealing from. Nothing like kicking someone while they are down.

Ravens need to get that offense going or they will do squat in the playoffs... that is iif they even get to the playoffs

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the Baltimore Colts? No wait that was the CFL.....

---------- Post added at 02:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:29 PM ----------

Can you say spinorama?

Jason Blake - 2008:



M. Grabovsky - 2010:
@ 1:46

Not the NHL ... but nothing like a hockey fight to start off the day: This was in the news last night - a fight on a non-call in a British league - note the accents. Very quaint:

Nottingham Panthers v Coventry Blaze bench clearance 04/12/2010

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From one of the oldest to the youngest... there's no balance. Fans were booing again last night. Meanwhile fricken Habs fans are strutting around the office today in MTL hockey sweaters.... grrrr.

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I just wanna know where all the Montreal gloom and doomers are now who were so mad at their team because they got rid of Halak and kept Price, which was going to ruin the team. They were all ready to string Price up from a post a few months ago, now they'd pay to kiss his feet. The Habs may have alot of fans, but they are some of the most fair weather SOBs on the planet.

Hah! 3-1 ... Hah!

---------- Post added at 08:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 AM ----------

Hah! I say!


fucking A.

Hey guys. Long time, no speak (since last season).

I had a semi-simple question to ask you, and I wanted to see what you guys thought about it.

In your subjective opinion, (however researched or off-the-top-of-the-dome it may be) which are the top 10-12 most potent offenses in the league right now (and possibly going forward)? I know that no offense is ever perfect, and at times, can be subject to poor performances or the odd shutout every once in a while, but if given the choice, in order, which would be the top 10 scoring offenses you would not want your team to run into, night after night?


I made a premilinary listing about a month about ago, although maybe it's changed now. I'm looking forward to see what comparea and what contrasts. Additionally, last week I went over the various NHL awards and their histories, and it got me to thinking (in relation): are there any truly "elite" defensive-minded teams right now? A big part of this has to do witha team's starting goalie, and the rotation of the backup netminder, as well as his supporting cast, (aggressive defensemen, not-too-many power-play chances allowed, front-line scoring and holding the lead, etc.) but this is also something I thought might interest the discussion.

In my opinion, there is something to the goalie tandem behind the Pens, (Rask and Tim Thomas) Jonathan Quick, the rookie Bobrovsky, and recently, the play of the Thrasher's Pavlec, that has me thinking these are some very bright, and near-shutdown-type goalies, possibly the very five best that no opposing coach would want to face when they are on point. There are others perhaps, and you might not even have two of the above in your personal ranking of the top goalies, and I'm probably only looking at it right now, not just going forward into the second half of the season and beyond, so I could very well be wrong by this time in February.

Flyers
Capitals
Lightning
Wings
San Jose
Chicago

everyone else is hit or miss as far as offense. Pittsburgh, while successful, is very top heavy and succeptable to a tight D, and Colorado is very young and goes on streaks. Vancoucer up until recently has had a tough time getting their offense going, but have potential.

as far as goalies, Thomas and Price are on fire, and Quick is very steady. Pavlec is a surprise considering his inconsistency last season. Miller is still elite, but Buffalo's defense has been sold off over the last couple of seasons, so he has a tough road ahead. Hiller is in that same boat, great player on an OK team.

But as far as defense and goalies go, yes there are some good ones, but overall their success is do mostly to the watered down talent pool that exists in the league. Too many teams, and too little elite level scoring to go around. So no matter how much they change the goalie equipment, remove lines, and supe-up sticks, scoring is not going to rise by much because its hard to put together a complete line of elite talent anymore, much less a team full of it.

Thanks for adding your thoughts on the matter, Nikilidstrom.

It turns out, even after a few weeks' time, my presumptous listing of the NHL's best scoring offenses, actually falls in line very similarly with what you detailed. (For the record, here is what I jotted down, in no particular - "power rankings" - order: Was, TB, Phi, Det, Van, Col, Chi, SJ, NYR, Pit, Bos)

At this point in time, or maybe it's just me flip-flopping a bit, I did once have the Kings as an offense to be feared, and I think the Thrashers have been hot for what seems like a month now.

The one team that has me perplexed, though, is Montreal. I can't define them. Are they a just-as-good scoring offense as those above, or is their defense (read as: Carey Price) making them look a heck of a whole let better than what they may lack in scoring touch? Perhaps a mixture of both? Could this actually be one of the finer examples of a "balanced" team, both in offense and defense, thus far into this NHL season? (tho to be honest, about researching offense, my head spins when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of individual "lines", 1-4, for each team - they shift from game to game, week to week too much for me to notice too much, other than most of the talent seems to be concentrated onto the first two.)

To re-address the goalie question I offered previously, in my biased opinion, I can only name three teams for which I feel can win any night, against any team, based on their goalies alone (or the rotation of them therein) are: Boston, Montreal, & suprisingly, even to me, Nashville at this point, is eye-opening. (In the first month, though, I would have definitely included St. Louis as well, and maybe Pittsburgh, too.)


But, what am I talking about? Everything is still up in the air, and things can change quick enough in the NHL, especially since there is still about 3/5 of a season left to go (and that's not even factoring in the unpredictability that comes when the playoffs start).

don't we all get a little cocky after a couple wobbly pops eh jay..........:thumbsup:


and i wasn't gonna say the Leafs suck man cuz.....they blow.:D

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Canucks are on fire.........i say keep Schneider in the net.

Buffalo, Ontario
 

The WJH game last night was epic. Too bad the Canadians & Americans couldn't meet in the gold medal match. the Russians are our old nemesis, and I'd rather face them than the pesky Swedes, that's for sure eh?


Canadian fans turn HSBC Arena into Buffalo, Ontario - City & Region - The Buffalo News



Team moves to final game with 4-1 win a year after losing championship to Americans


By Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:January 4, 2011, 5:50 AM



The sign waved by Team Canada fans Rob Hamilton and Devin Ellis on Wednesday night in HSBC Arena summed it up pretty well: "We might be in Buffalo, but this is Canada's House."

Canadians from across the vast northern expanse celebrated wildly inside and outside the arena following Canada's dominating 4-1 victory over the United States in the semifinals of the World Junior Hockey Championship.

The win propelled Canada into the finals Wednesday against Russia and avenged a defeat at the hands of the Americans in last year's gold medal game in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

"It's been a long year after the overtime loss last year," said Deryl MacInnes, both of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. "We've been waiting 12 months for this game to come up."

Draped in a Canadian flag, Scott McKenzie of Edmonton, Alberta, joined thousands of his countrymen in a full-throated rendition of "O Canada" following the game.

"Unbelievable. It was so one-sided. We won every battle. Our goalie showed up," said McKenzie, his voice hoarse from cheering all night.

Superfans James Wiebe, Garret Johnson and Joel Duda showed up in skintight Canadian flag body suits that also covered their faces.

The three drove 36 hours from Alberta for the tournament and were ecstatic with the results so far.

"It was fantastic. The best thing that could happen," Wiebe said.

If the Canadian players overwhelmed the U.S. team on the ice, their fans did the same in the stands, as the blur of red and white Canada jerseys in and around the arena attested.

Annette Fisher, a hockey fan from Colden, felt like she'd been transported to Saskatoon as she stepped into the tent party outside the arena.

"Did anybody mention this is the first time they felt outnumbered in their own country?" Fisher wondered. "It's just a sea of red."

Reporters and tournament officials expected the crowd to be decidedly pro-Canada, anywhere from 60 to 75 percent Canadian.

But by the time the puck dropped, that figure seemed even higher, with Canada fans appearing to outnumber U.S. fans by a 10-to-1 ratio for the rematch of last year's gold medal game.

"You didn't realize this was Buffalo, Ontario?" remarked Ron Mathurin of Ottawa, Ont. "I expected a lot more American fans. That sea of red is just like being on Canadian soil."

Most of those U.S. fans had filtered out of the arena long before the final horn sounded, allowing the Canadians to party unfettered.

"Buffalo became the biggest city in Canada tonight, let me tell you," Wiebe said.

Wearing their blue USA jerseys, Rick Gilmartin and his wife, Nancy, were serenaded by chants of "Bye-bye" as they exited the arena.

"It was 10 percent American and 90 percent Canadian," said Rick Gilmartin. "We're in our own country, and we're the minority."

Jeff Douglas anticipated a big Canadian crowd, but he didn't expect he and his son to be the only Americans at a bar near the arena shortly before game time, and the absoluteness of red in the arena seats.

"I was taken aback by the total outnumberedness. It was overwhelming," Douglas said. "It just proves that hockey is still a Canadian sport."

Team Canada seemed to feed off what amounted to home-ice advantage. With the raucous crowd waving flags and providing momentum, the Canadians jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period.

"This was karma," said Hamilton, recalling last year's humiliating loss on home turf.

American fans didn't seem too upset by the loss.

Matt Mang of Kenmore went up to the Alberta guys wearing the body suits and asked if they would pose for a picture with him.

His father, Andy, said he enjoyed the enthusiasm of the Canadians and the passion they showed for their team.

"That's all part of the fun. It's one of the reasons I wanted to come down here," he said.

Before the game, Paul Markiewicz and his son, Ryan, 14, seemed a bit out of place in their USA gear under the arena party tent. "That's all right. It's been that way all week," said the elder Markiewicz, who drove from Erie, Pa.

The Markiewiczes and other U.S. fans got booed heading up the escalators in the arena -- a not-so-subtle reminder that Canadians hadn't put last year's loss behind them.

Bill Miller, wearing an old USA World Juniors jersey, traded good-natured jabs with groups of Canadians who had gathered under the tent hours before game time.

Miller was one of the few U.S. fans who attended nearly all of the games, despite being so badly outnumbered by Canada fans.

Why?

"It's great hockey," he said.

Besides, he added, "nobody's been giving us a hard time."

Some Canada fans expressed surprise and disappointment in their U.S. counterparts.

"It's a shame," said Daniel Bornstein of Montreal. "It would've been better to see more Americans coming out, trying to promote hockey."

Bornstein and his friends did their best to drum up a rivalry with the few U.S. fans they encountered.

The game-time atmosphere was equivalent to that of a Buffalo Sabres home playoff game -- at least for the Canada fans. "It means everything," Bornstein said of the tournament. "This is like the Stanley Cup finals."

People who attended multiple tournament games were struck by the much larger Canadian fan base. Roughly 63 percent of the all-session and day-pass tickets were bought by Canadians.

Why more interest from Canada, for a tournament played on American ice?

"Junior hockey is woven into the fiber of Canada's culture to a very significant degree," said George Kuhn, a writer covering the tournament for Sports & Leisure magazine.

Some of the Canadian interest has been fueled by the TSN network in Canada, which has turned this into a must-see event. Last year's Canada-USA final was seen by an estimated 5.4 million fans in Canada.

Ryan Molloy, 19, of Niagara Falls, Ont., considers himself a fan of junior hockey more than the NHL.

"It seems like the rivalries are more intense," said Cameron Ellis, 19, also of Niagara Falls, Ont. "It's like they're playing harder because they're trying to prove themselves at the national level."

News Staff Reporter Gene Warner contributed to this story.

jtokasz@buffnews.com null

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Does seem pretty harmless, especially in this context. I'm fine with making a big deal out of it when coaches put up money for running a select player, but this doesn't hurt anybody.

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As I heard it, the tradition is that if a team member returns to play against their old team, he pins some cash to the bulletin board, and whoever gets the winning goal against that team (supposing they win) gets the cash.

In this case, it was the coach (Ron Wilson) playing against his old team (the Sharks). Ron put up $600 (i heard, because if they won, it would have been his 600th win). Gunnerson potted the winning goal and therefore got the money - which he said he will spend on a team dinner.

Apparently this violates the cap rules and the collective agreement prompting the fine:

The Spin

It may have been only $600. But it was $600 too much.

The NHL has informed the Maple Leafs they will be fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league's salary cap rules after head coach Ron Wilson rewarded his players with a small cash bonus after winning his 600th game in San Jose on Tuesday.

"We have no problem with this fine," GM Brian Burke told The Star today. "Ron wasn't aware this conduct is not permitted, nor was I. We accept the fine without objection or protest of any kind."

Part of the cap system instituted in 2005 was intended to make sure there were no more side deals between teams and players that were not specifically part of the Standard Player Contract. Teams used to routinely keep unofficial agreements "in the drawer" that allowed players benefits, cash or otherwise, that the league never knew about.

Article 26 of the current collective bargaining agreement states clearly "Neither a Club nor a Club Actor may pay or provide a Player anything of value except as provided in his (contract)."

Obviously, Wilson's cash-for-wins move isn't a violation on the same level as that committed by the New Jersey Devils with the Ilya Kovalchuk situation last summer, and it was a small amount. At the same time, if GMs and coaches were to start blatantly giving thousands of dollars in cash incentives to their players it would be a way for teams to get around the cap.

That said, it happens. At least one NHL manager put $100,000 of his own money out for his players if they could knock off a rival in a big playoff series several years ago, and nobody ever heard about that.

What the Leafs were most guilty of, quite probably, is making it too obvious, with Wilson caught on camera with a wad of cash in his hand after the 4-2 victory and with players openly commenting on the matter.

The moral of the story is probably that if you're going to violate the cap, do it quietly.

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How can you say such a thing about former All-Star and future Hall of Fame defensemen Mike Komisarek?!?! I mean, the Leafs wouldn't pay millions of dollars for a defensemen if he was a talentless bum, would they? Thats just crazy talk.

By the way, how's Bret Lebda working out?

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Hopefully this means he'll avoid spending the rest of his life Theo Fleury style. Not that he hasn't made huge mistakes already, but I still think he is way better off than Fleury, even minus a highly successful NHL career. Professional success and money ain't worth much if you can't find peace mentally or emotionally. Especially if you take that lack of peace out on your own body.

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