Advertisement

Predictions for NHL 2013; looking at the lockout drop dead date (Puck Headlines)

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Here’s Danny Briere inking a deal with Eisbären Berlin through the rest of the season (NHL lockout resolution pending), much to the shock and disapproval of a mutant Granny Smith Apple.

• Adrian Dater offers his predictions for 2013, including expansion: “Quebec and Seattle remain the two frontrunners -- both cities have plans for new arenas well underway -- and their inclusion would likely bring at least a combined $400 million in expansion fees, plus sold-out buildings for two or three years during a honeymoon period. Expansion could easily be phased in for the 2013-14 season, though teams in each new city would probably need to play in an older existing building for a year or two.” [SI]

• Lou Lamoriello called the lockout “embarrassing.” But what does he think of the Shane Doan contract? [Globe & Mail]

• Two articles on really, really shortened seasons today. Tyler Dellow dove into whether a 28-game schedule would still have integrity, and bout the Drop Dead Date: “Unless there’s something different this time than last time, something that we don’t know about, I doubt that the real drop dead date for the season is in January. It simply doesn’t make any sense to me that they’d be willing to cancel the season earlier this time than they did last time, particularly with the fear that what was excused once (when, however much I may disagree, there was more widespread support for the owners) may not be excused a second time. If you can play a schedule of 28 games that’s credible and legitimate, I don’t know why the league would cancel the season in mid-January.” [mc79hockey]

• Meanwhile, “The Book” (via Cam Charron) had this reaction take on Dellow’s bit. [The Book]

• The ladies of SB Nation believe a few female voices could have gone a long way towards solving this lockout. [SB Nation]

• Here’s a sad little look at how the lack of Washington Capitals games is killing the businesses around the Verizon Center. [Washington Post]

• Ryan Ellis of the Milwaukee Admirals dons the 1979-80 retro jerseys that the team will be wearing tonight and tomorrow as part of their 35th anniversary celebration. Ahh, brings back memories of the Quebec Nordiques. [Admirals]

• Same deal in Boston: “The National Hockey League's labor dispute is costing bars and restaurants near the TD Garden as much as $1 million for every Bruins home game that's canceled.” [AP]

• Scott Burnside on the “sting of shame” of the NHL lockout: “The league continues to be hammered in various media -- those that still care enough to turn its attention to a game that can’t help but repeat its own labor follies -- while the question of how much damage has been done to the once-thriving game looms large with the season hanging in the balance.” [ESPN]

• Cheese curd and fried milk eating Milwaukeean Alex Galchenyuk had a strong debut for the USA junior team in their rout against Germany. [Buzzing The Net]

• The Americans haven’t even settled their full roster yet. [TSN]

• Here’s a bit on Josh Gorges and his Twitter pickup game. [Gazette]

• “Today will either be one step closer to keeping the Coyotes at jobing.com for decades or possibly losing them forever. To referendum or not to referendum. That is the question.” [Howlin Hockey]

• Finally, the plays of the year via Sportsnet and HockeyWebCaster