Today I wanted to start out by saying goodbye to two of the NHL’s best. Probable Hall of Famers — Jeremy Roenick and Teppo Numminen.
JR’s interviews with the media were epic and he always had me clamoring for more. His on ice antics weren’t bad either. I’ll never forget the night in Vegas where JR decided to do a little disco dancing… awesome. He put the Bee Gees to shame with that one. Let’s not forget the player though either. Roenick was as tough as nails and he had a relentless motor. My old man is a Flyers fan and he was crushed by the news. Great personality and great player. Enjoy retirement JR.
I would like to wish the same to Teppo Numminen as well. Talk about a solid career. This guy was an inspiration to everyone in Finland and brought a great set of skills to every team he played for. Even in his 40’s he could skate, pass, hit, and rifle the puck. We all know if it weren’t for the heart issues Teppo could probably play another 2 seasons. I’m sure he’ll keep busy though in retirement, hand crafting each and every Montreal stick that comes off the line.
The most interesting thing that has happened since my last blog though is the return of the fallen son… the return of Theo Fleury. Much like the story of Lucifer or Satan, Theo fell from the elite of the NHL and into England. Playing hockey in England may as well be hell…
But Theo is refusing to go out the way of Bob Probert. He wants one more chance to prove himself and supposedly he has been sober for four years now.
As one of Theos biggest fans I am really hoping a team is willing to give him a shot. And before you even begin to think, “who in their right mind?” Remember that Claude Lemieux was able to land a contract with one of the top teams in the league last season. If Theo can still play half as good as he use to he should be able to do much better then Lemieux did in his comeback. Theo was a devastating force in the league for many years… and that’s at 5′6. Ask Martin St. Louis or Paul Kariya how difficult that is.
Unfortunately I have to talk about the Phoenix Coyotes here… again. Just ship this team out already. For crying out loud Phoenix would hardly remember they were there to begin with. The team is pathetic, management is pathetic, current ownership is pathetic, and the fan base is so small it barely registers in census polls.
This organization under a new owner, new management, and placed in Canada would clean up. It would make more money then probably every other team and never lose a dime. Hamilton is hockey starved and I say we serve them the Coyotes. Recently Judge Redfield T. Baum made a decision that would allow every bidder to take a shot at the Coyotes in an auction to be held on September 10th. If this happens no one will outbid Balsillie and we could expect a Hamilton team within a year or two.
Bettman is taking one last shot at stopping him… let’s hope he fails.
Finally… how do I not talk about Patrick Kane punching a taxi driver in the face over 20 cents? …. Really? C’mon Kane…
What kind of athletes do you want us to lump you in with…. Ron Artest? Plaxico Burress? It’s 20 cents dude… I got it in the ashtray of my car, you can have it.
You made about $3.725 million last year.
What’s next? Am I going to find out you’re running a dog fighting ring?
Stay classy Pat Kane… you’re walking a shaky line at a very young age.
Russo #18
