NHL Releases 2008 Entry Draft Site

The NHL continues to make baby steps in the right direction when it comes to the use of the World Wide Web as today they launched their NHL 2008 Entry Draft site.

No longer are you relegated to browsing through PDF files downloaded from some obscure location on the NHL.com site. You can now browse through all the skaters right within your browser as they've coded everything up in HTML.

That's the right way to do it! I hope they keep pushing forward with new online initiatives such as their new NHL.tv player, their early adoption of blogs including ones from celebrities like Kevin Smith and now setting up a specific site for what is one of their premiere events in the NHL entry draft.

People want more and more information and they want it online in an easily digestible format. Now if only they had added some sort of forum for people to talk about the draft...

Related Links
Countdown to Draft '08

Marty Turco Silences Doubters

If Marty Turco didn't silence his doubters last year with his 1.30GAA, .950 save percentage and 3 shutouts in the Stars first round exit, then I can't see how they could still be talking after last night's performance.

Marty Turco is absolutely the only reason the Dallas Stars are headed to the conference semi-finals to face the Detroit Red Wings. He faced 62 shots in the Stars marathon win - 8th longest in playoff history - over the San Jose Sharks and did it with style. Turco's amazing save on Patrick Marleau was the defining moment of last night's game and the entire series.

The Sharks owned the vast majority of this game including the first three overtime periods and needed their goaltender to steal them this one. I have to wonder though, just how much magic Turco will be able to pull out against the Red Wings.

NHL Finally Figures Out New Media?

It appears that this coming Wednesday will herald a big change at NHL.com. The website will be host to NHL Online which is described as a seven-channel digital network - really? they have digital on computers these days? - which will bring you further inside the league than you could ever imagine.

The biggest issue I've had with the NHL - ok, maybe just one of the issues - has been the lack of access to interesting content. From hot dog reviews by Rick Dipietro to shopping sessions with Alexander Ovechkin, this appears to be taking steps to remedy that.

In today's world, online video is huge and second-nature and the NHL tried to answer with the NHL.tv portal earlier this year. The final grade? A giant F. The filing system is confusing at best, videos are rarely updated - who wants to watch a pre-game media conference two days after the game? - and where are these "Classic Games" that are supposed to be there?

So will this be the panacea to keep casual and hardcore fans interested in the game? Or will they launch this and fail at the ultimate litmus test of all online endeavours: regular updated content.

Related Links
NHL all the time with NHL Online

Ilya Kovalchuk to be Suspended? Think Again

Eric over at the FanHouse brought up a game of "Guess the Suspension" which, with Colin Campbell as disciplinarian, is always a crapshoot.

However I think this one has an easy answer. Zero.

The league has always gone a little soft on suspensions for star players and I can't see this one being any different.

Fortunately for Kovalchuk, you could spot Roszival glance over his shoulder and see Kovalchuk coming. That might be all Campbell needs to say "Players need to protect themselves better" and then hope it all goes away.

Remember the Ovechkin hit on Briere? Not only was he not suspended, Campbell didn't even give him any sort of verbal reprimand.

If that's not a double-standard, I don't know what is.

UPDATE: Shortly after publishing this, Kukla put up a link to the official announcement of a one-game suspension. I bet that'll teach him a lesson.

Notable quote from Kovalchuk:
“I just tried to finish my check, and he kind of turned right before I tried to hit him,” he said.

Dude, we've got it on video. Roszival had his back turned the whole time.

Related Links
Kovalchuk Hits Roszival Video

Ovechkin Signs Record Contract

It was reported very early at On Frozen Blog, TSN then said "Hang on a sec..." and now TSN is declaring it officially finished.

Yes, Alexander Ovechkin has shockingly re-signed with the Washington Capitals. My condolences to all Habs and Preds fans.

"What's the price?" you might be asking? Well it's the steepest price in history. It weighs in at a 13 years and a whopping $124M US. I have trouble fathoming having that amount of money.

"What is he going to do with it?" you might ask next? Whatever the hell he wants!

Alexander Ovechkin now has the richest contract in the NHL and the dollar values are well-deserved. He's scored more goals over the past 3 years than anyone in the NHL and he did it with virtually nobody around him.

However that begs the question of how you build a team when nearly 1/5th of your cap amount is going towards one player?

Add in contracts to Michael Nylander and Alexander Semin, both around $4.5M next year, and you've got the makings of a Tampa Bay Lightning squad.

Of course for now they have Olie the Goalie to shore up the pipes but he's a UFA at the end of the year and is 37 years of age.

He's not a long-term solution and they may not be able to afford a top-tier goaltender once they fill up their roster for next year.

Hopefully Mr. Mcphee can pull it off and start drawing some crowds so the other teams aren't paying for the privilege of having Ovechkin score against them!