Happy Birthday Tony!

Ok, I'm a hockey freak. I've been following and checking all day. First, the smith/lupul deal for pitkanen is fucking awesome. He's a young kid (23) who handles himself well and gets points in droves. He had 43 points with Philly last year. One of the lowest scoring teams in the league for the record. We lost our Captain yes, but he is old, it's not that big a loss when you consider that after next year he will be a UFA and I guarantee you that on the open market a team will overpay for him by significant amounts. Plus, addition by subtraction through lupul's movement?

Now, the deal I want to talk about is the new addition of Nylander. He's was the NYR center playing beside Jagr. To describe him, he's smallish but with enough skill to make you watch with anticipation knowing that at least once every game he's going to do something so amazing as to leave you gawking. Kind of like Hemsky actually. Now, we just need a big power forward of a left-winger to make up for the lack of size between Hemsky and Nylander...

Also Dick Tarnstrom is back.

Oh, and Smyth signed in Colorado. We'll see lots of him but at least he didn't sign somewhere stupid, like Calgary or Toronto or with the Islanders. Rumor has it the Islanders offered him a deal that would leave you shaking your head in a dipietro-like fashion. Further, according to Lowe, he did give his agent a phone call this morning. Obviously though Smyth's agent didn't feel the need to return the call.

And Sykora went to the Penguins. Watch out folks, that team is now loaded.

1. Pure brilliance, took me completely off guard - loved it

2. Dunno - leaving some loose end to bring the Master back?

3. Fuck.

Sweet, Jere. Anyone else interested?

Also, Happy Canada Day!

Nostalgia:

I'm up for watching some soccer Par

Smith/Lupul for Pitkanen/Sanderson? Will the Oilers, once stocked to the gills with Smy/iths now be devoid of them entirely?

TSN confirms it. Who's the new captain?? (My money's on a shared 'C' between Robert Nilsson and Denis Grebeshkov. Although, who knows? Maybe one of Riley Nash or Slava Trukhno gets a taste.)

One would think it's a little too late for this line of questioning, but seeing as no one else has written anything,

• Was the Face of Bo thing was simultaneously brilliant and cheesy?
• What's the deal with the ring?
• Why is the Christmas special so far away?

Also, I think my computer wants to watch the Doctor Who finale even more than I do; the download just broke 600k/s.

Anyone wanna watch Canada's U-20 soccer team take on Congo this Thursday at Commonwealth? I'm not sure, but the ticket may even include the following match between Chile and Austria and, with service charge, comes out to $30 for the good seats (row 6).

Let me know soon; I want to go, but not alone.

Jon says:

Tjarnquist still isn't healthy and will need another surgery to repair his hip problems. He probably won't play anywhere this year.