Is it over?:
Man, I've been bored to the tits for four hours.
And the best organization in hockey selects ...:
Goaltender Tom McCollum
Dalton Leveille:
Played Tier II junior in Ontario to maintain U.S. college eligibility. Still no one from the Q. One more choice and it's a first-round shutout.
Great name:
Phoenix takes Viktor Tikhonov, grandson of the legendary Soviet coach.
Burke active:
Trades 28 to Phoenix for two second rounders
Holmgren:
always makes interesting moves. Flyers pick up Steve Emminger and a third-rounder from Washington for the 27th pick
Tyler Ennis to Buffalo:
5'8 153. Barely towers over Bettman. A foot shorter than Buffalo's first pick, Tyler Myers
Greg Nemisz:
That's the pick Calgary got from the Canadiens. McKenzie says he could be a John LeClair. So many Ontario kids this year.
James Duthie:
You have to love his good-humoured perseverance with these ridiculous interviews.
Mattias Tedenby:
A Mats Naslund clone to New Jersey. Swedish forward is fast as the wind, but 5"9, 165. What a handsome kid. Remember the good old days when hockey players didn't have any teeth.
First proud father with an earring:
Tyler Cuma's
Worst year for the Q:
since 2000, when not a single Quebec player went in the first round
Minnesota trades up:
watch them take Nicolas Deschamps
Jordan Eberle:
Just tickled about going to Edmonton. That's nice to see. Sheldon Souray can teach him how to shave every few days. Speaking of hair, does Kevin Lowe have the worst comb-forward in the league or what?
Anton Gustafsson:
My pal J.T. assures me this Swedish kid is going to be great. And he'll play with Nicklas Backstrom and Nylander in D.C.
Whom does Washington want?:
They paid a second-rounder to NJ to move up two spots.
The importance of defencemen:
10 of the Top 20 picks. Canadiens are well-stocked.
Luca Sbisa:
to the Flyers. Pierre says he's a young Mark Streit. Let's hope Yannick Weber is.
Chet Pickard:
Carey Price wannabe. Looks so happy to be picked. Pierre loves the pick and Bob asks when Pierre is going to go off on somebody like he did on the teams that ignored Cherepanov last year.
Second round:
Canadiens still might get a decent Quebec kid at 56. Maybe Danick Paquette.
Nashville:
"What better name than Chet Pickard? They've already got Vernon Fiddler."
Burke's pick:
From Edmonton, for Dustin Penner. They're booing Burke already, in anticipation of him going to the Leafs.
Hey, I didn't think anyone else was allowed to draft high-school defencemen from Minnesota.
Hockey News had Jake Gardiner at 39.
No goalies so far ...:
And as many players from the Q as from Sierra Leone.
The Brooooons:
Joe Colborne. Father is an oil-and-gas millionaire. Big kid. McKenzie says it's a home run or a strikeout. So the speculation they'd take Nicolas Deschamps was off-base.
A Pierre moment:
Yelling "he's good, don't worry" and giving thumbs-up to Ottawa crowd. The kid is very articulate ... like most Swedish players.
Ottawa trades up:
To get Erik Karlsson, a defenceman who weighs 157 pounds. My ass weighs 157 pounds. Kid looks like he's 12. Crowd was chanting a name I couldn't make out. Ottawa re-signs Chris Kelly: four years at $2.2 million per. Good deal: he can play.
Two hours in ...:
and we're not halfway through the first round. Plus excitement peaked early for Canadiens' fans.
Small guys:
Gord Miller makes a good point: since the lockout, you see small players like Boychuk go in the first round. They used to "rot in the stands" on draft day.
No first rounder ...:
means Bob Gainey can't plug a Montreal bar having a draft party. Meanwhile, the Carolina pick, Zach Boychuk, is announced by one of my all-time favourites, Ron Francis.
Michel Therrien:
On RDS. Quiet night at the Pittsburgh table. I don't think they have a pick till Wednesday.
Bob McKenzie:
Picked the first 13. He is the absolute zen master.
Celtics analogy?:
Would Sundin and Tanguay be like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen?
Tyler Myers:
6'7 ... and doesn't fight. Buffalo traded up a spot to get him. Gorgeous Mom. More 2009 picks to L.A.
Dale Tallon:
Speaks French on RDS.
Kyle Beach:
Tough kid. Big yap. Off-ice problems. They're going to love him in Chicago. Pierre thinks Jonathan Toews will keep him under control. He's from Josh Gorges' hometown, Kelowna.
OHL:
Seven of the top 10 picks ... and counting. Not a sniff at the Q.
Let the line-juggling begin ...:
How about these, posted by a fan to the RDS web site:
Tanguay-Sundin-S. Kostitsyn
Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev
Higgins-Koivu-Latendresse
Lapierre-Chipchura-Begin
Â
Not too shabby.
Gainey on Sundin, Tanguay:
GM told Pat Hickey he'd talked to Mats Sundin last night by phone in a kind of get-acquainted chat. They'll talk some more. Gainey said Canadiens tried to acquire Tanguay at the trade deadline, but the deal wasn't right for either team. He's happy about acquiring an experienced player who brings size and skill and is still quite young.
They still love The Great One:
Classy O for Gretzky. TSN guys love the selection of Mikkel Boedker – number 89 in Kitchener. Will be NHL's first Dane if he makes it before Lars Eller
The Hockey News:
draft preview has called this almost perfectly: Colin Wilson at 7. What no one could have predicted was the Islanders going trade crazy. Tip to Garth Snow: Try the decaff.
Filatov's hair:
So who do you compare yourself to, Nikita? George Harrison or Brian Jones?
Columbus takes Filatov:
First Russian this year. Pierre loves this kid. Speaks English and a bit of French. And he wants to come to North America. He'll play junior in Ontario, like Sergei did.
R.J.F. Umberger:
is now a Columbus Blue Jacket. A year too late for the Montreal Canadiens.
I hate Schenn already!:
"Toronto is pretty much Canada's team."
Luke Schenn:
What will the Leafs do to screw this kid up? Hey, that's Mike Palmateer.
Timmins and the staff:
Must be a little bit bummed. All that work, and they don't pick to Round Two.
Robert Sauvé on RDS:
He looks about as excited as Gainey. Says Tanguay waived his no-trade for certain teams, including Montreal. Tanguay didn't like Calgary's style and will be more at home with a skating team like the Canadiens
Fletcher booed:
When his face is flashed at Scotiabank Place. Now Bettman will announce the trade and get more boos.
Leafs move up:
Swap picks with Islanders, 7 for 5. Probably to take Luke Schenn, the big defenceman from Kelowna Rockets.
Good answer:
Alex Pietrangelo on points in the NHL: "I have to get my first one before I get 60." man, St. Louis is good on D: Eric Brewer, Erik Johnson, this kid ...
Hmmmm:
St. Louis takes Pietrangelo. Nikita Filatov still available. Will the Islanders trade the pick?
Tanguay:
RDS guys say he's a passer, not a scorer. A natural centre. Had his best season with Joe Sakic. Gainey tells RDS Tanguay "wasn't in a comfortable situation" in Calgary. Bob doesn't seem real giddy about this. Gainey says Montreal would be a good situation for Sundin.
Bogosian:
Sets early lead in "you knows"s. Poor Waddell – what a mess he's made down there. Bettman makes a "smell a fart" face and then announces the Tanguay deal: the 25th pick and a second-rounder in '09 for Tanguay and a fifth-rounder this year.
Great! I can go to bed.
Huh?:
"You see John Anderson rising in there behind." Pierre says Bogosian is an attempt to correct the error of trading Braydon Coburn. This kid is big and "a whole lot of nasty". Father played football at Syracuse with Joe Morris.
Comments:
120 already! You guys rock. I collect my draft bonus at 500 ... but there's a rumour The Gazette has given The Suburban permission to talk to me.
Duthie to Dean Lombardi:
"Please tell me. The crowd wants to hear something." Crowd hears about Jokinen trade from Bettman, Scattered boos.
Drew Doughty:
What a good-lookin' kid! They'll love him in L.A.
Who's that old guy?:
Does he own the Kings?
Duthie's interview with Stamkos:
Live on the PA at Scotiabank Place. Sounds wierd. He asked the kid if he'd score 20 or 30 goals. Like he's going to say "Yes ... and maybe 40."
I love Bob McKenzie:
Stamkos is first Macedonian-Canadian drafted since Ed Jovanovski
Jay Feaster:
Will he lose weight after he gets fired? man, the Tampa owner looks like he's 20 years old! I'm 59 and I don't even own my TV set. Pierre calls Stamkos a "workoutaholic."
Jokinen to Phoenix!:
Not expensive: Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton and a second-rounder. Gotta believe Canadiens could have made a better offer if they wanted to.
Bettman booed:
"Hello, Ottawa. I love your passion" Please shut up now.
Stamkos:
A very well-spoken kid. Hasn't said "you know" once in his interview with the TSN babe.
Here comes Bettman:
The opening address.
You've been warned.
$$$$:
I funked freshman calculus and math isn't my forte. But how will Gainey fit Tanguay, Sundin and Andrei K under the cap?
Sundin's agent:
J.P. Barry on RDS says Gainey has talked to him and to Sundin. Today is Thanksgiving in Sweden, and Gainey will talk to Sundin again tomorrow. Barry says Montreal would be a great hockey fit for Sundin. He has to decide if he wants to play.
Back to TSN:
I've missed a trade while watching RDS. Flames add Camalleri from L.A., move from 17th to 25th (Canadiens' pick) and Tanguay comes to Montreal. Somehow Anaheim figures into this also.
Gainey to Sweden?:
Pedneault says he'll go over to talk to Sundin
RDS:
I'll watch these guys for a while. Pierre Houde, Yvon Pedneault, Jacques Demers and Norman Flynn
Boring night:
If Gainey has dealt the pick
Tanguay for the pick:
Done deal, says TSN. $5.375 million this season. Good trade, if they add Sundin.
Islanders pick:
In play. Toronto and Phoenix trying to move up.
Alex Tanguay:
To Canadiens for the 25th pick, says Darren Dreger
Richard Martel:
Chicoutimi coach talks up Nicolas Deschamps. Not the least of the kid's talents, Martel says, is his comfort in an English-speaking milieu.
Get the number 13 jersey ready:
Jacques Demers says if they're talking to Sundin, it's going to happen. Another name to ponder: Erik Cole.
Gainey talking:
CKAC is watching the Canadiens table, which is besides San Jose's, and reports Gainey has talked to Mike Keenan at the Calgary table (Alex Tanguay?). Brian Burke has stopped by the Montreal table.
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