The Spartan Team

I started writing this song about a month ago when I was having mega flashbacks to the Frozen Four and MSU's third national championship in school history. It's to be sung to Bob Dylan's song "Hurricane."

The Spartan Team

Celebration rings out in a St. Louis night
Justin Abdelkader scored the winning goal
Only eighteen seconds left in the game
Cries out, my God, remember the name

Here comes the story of the Spartan team
The team that accomplished the ultimate dream
For something people said couldn’t be done
They beat Boston College, three to one
To be the college champions of the world

They lost Drew Miller, Coach Comley could see
And five important seniors, he said they were the key
But the team still looked good, he gave a thumbs up with his hand
We have potential to reach the Frozen, I hope you understand
The had a rough November where they skidded a little
But they beat Michigan in December in a GLI battle
And they start January in Ohio, where they split with the RedHawks
And they watched Vukovic excel

Meanwhile, all around the CCHA
Teams were looking at them, watchin’ them play
A possible contender for the conference crown
Had no idea what kind of fallout was about to go down
When a team came back from three goals down
Unlike the time before and the time before that
With these Spartans, that’s just the way things go
You’ve gotta play a game in its whole
Unless you wanna blow the game

Jeff Lerg had a fast glove hand
He was a hard worker, but got no respect
Until one day against Michigan, he made 60 saves
He had a smile on his face, even though it was a tie game
And Coach Comley proudly nodded his head
He said, look out boys, that kid’l play til he’s dead
So they rode him the rest of the year
And the opponents began to play in fear
Because this little goalie was the next real thing

Yeah, here’s the story of the Spartan team
The team that accomplished the ultimate dream
For something people said couldn’t be done
They beat Boston College, three to one
To be the college champions of the world

A month later, things aren’t going right
Western swept the team, BG spoiled senior night
While Chris Lawrence tried to keep the guys up
With the national tournament looming, they’ve gotta to figure out their stuff
Remember in December when we won the GLI?
Remember when big McKenzie leveled that guy?
You think you can get back to that game?
Think you can forget about the shame that
They felt when they lost to Bowling Green.

Bryan Lerg said, I’m pretty sure
Chris Mueller said we just could use a little break
We’ve done some good things this year, things that we’re proud
We just need some time away to get things sorted out
We just gotta shake off this bloody curse
Campus is against us, our hockey’s getting worse
We wanna turn this thing around
We know what we’re capable of
We’re good enough to take the crown

Tim Kennedy could dangle a puck like no other
He played with Abs and Crowder, the three were like brothers
The scored goals, hit, and were the top line
They were only sophomores, their talent was fine
Inside of Munn Ice Arena
Where the ice is crisp and the fans are meaner
It packs six thousand plus
But winning in there is a must
Or else, the people will dub you a bust

All the Spartans cards were marked in advance
They scored a number three seed in the national dance
Their first game was against east coast team Boston
They beat em, 5-1, and flat out tossed em
Then came defensive Notre Dame
It was a 2-1 win thanks to a Kennedy score
The Spartans advanced to the Frozen Four

Yeah, here’s the story of the Spartan team
The team that accomplished the ultimate dream
For something people said couldn’t be done
They beat Boston College, three to one
To be the college champions of the world

Their semifinal game came against Maine
They fell behind 2-0, they were looking really plain
But the Spartans, they were just getting warmed up
They scored four goals and strutted their stuff
In the end, Maine got outplayed
And the Spartans advanced to the championship game

Now Boston College was a pretty good team
Til Lerg made a huge save and Kennedy tied the game
Abdelkader scored with eighteen tics to go
Mueller added an empty netter, say it ain’t so

That’s the story of the Spartan team
The team that accomplished the ultimate dream
East Lansing celebrated the win
The boys paraded with a grin
Through the streets where they hoisted up the trophy.

(Insert Bob Dylan harmonica music here)

Congratulations to power forward Jim McKenzie who will forego his senior season at Michigan State to sign with the NHL's Ottawa Senators. It's a big loss for MSU. McKenzie wasn't a dominant offensive player, but had a divine physical presence with his 6'2 frame. He was often hampered by injuries at MSU, but when healthy, was a force. His departure was expected, and the thing I love about Spartan hockey is the commitment to excellence doesn't stop when players decide to leave early.

"We wish him the best and now the coaching staff will be on him until he finishes up his degree,'' - Assistant Coach Tom Newton as written by Lansing State Journal hockey writer Neil Koepke.


IN other MSU hockey news, teenage phenom Matt Duchene, who verbally committed to MSU last summer, is out. Duchene was the No. 1 pick in the Ontario Hockey League draft last spring and opted that route over the college one. It's probably a smart one for Duchene's long-term hockey career. Duchene, 16, can now adjust in the OHL and enter the NHL earlier when he's eligible to become drafted. He'll likely sign a pro contract right out of the OHL. It's a loss for MSU, no question, Duchene was supposed to be the real deal. But he would have waited another year or two to enroll and would have probably departed after a single season for the pros had he opted for the college route.

Stanley Cup Alert: Hockey's holy grail is scheduled to be in East Lansing on July 5 with Anaheim Ducks rookie Drew Miller.

In other Spartan hockey news, I was at a BBQ at my boss' house the other day and ran into a gentleman named Art Underwood there who covered the Spartan hockey team for The State News back in the old days when Amo Bessone ran the bench in Dem Hall. He was a newspaper reporter, but said that the team would list him as the backup goalie on the roster so he could travel with the team to away games. It was such a different time back then. I've read stories about how Amo would invited the referees and opposition over to his house following games for dinner. Imagine that happening in today's world of sports.

Below is a video I created about the Michigan State Spartan's national championship run of 2007. I'd like to invite you to observe it.

Who said that expansion hasn't worked for the NHL?

Congratulations to Patrick Eaves and and James vanRiemsdyk, who were the first two selections in the draft, and the first two Americans to be picked back-to-back in Draft history. Eaves is from Buffalo and vanRiemsdyk from New Jersey, and it goes to show that while TV ratings in the states aren't necessarily breaking records, participation is at an all-time high in America and more and more players are coming out of the country.

I think it was a pretty good draft for the Red Wings as well. Their first-round selection of Brendan Smith, a puck-moving defenseman should fit well in the team's future for when Nicklas Lidstrom retires. Plus, he's 6-foot-1 and has the ability to be a physical presence on the ice as well. He'll be attending Wisconsin and should be fun to monitor over the next two years.

I've finally finished the tribute video I've been working on in regards to the NCAA National Champion Spartans and look for me to post that soon.

Congratulations to Nicklas Lidstrom for winning his 5th Norris Trophy and Pavel Datsyuk for winning his second Lady Byng Trophy Thursday, June 14 at the annual NHL Awards. Lidstrom is in an elite class of his own and Datsyuk is one of the most electrifying players to lace up the skates in the NHL today. Both had stellar seasons. The NHL doesn't have an award for "Toughest S.O.B." but if it did, Tomas Holmstrom would surely claim that hardware.

Speaking of Red Wings, the pieces are starting to come together for next year. Chelios just signed a one-year contract and Hasek announced his return for another run. Signing Chelios is a bargain. He makes under a million dollars, plays with a warrior mentality, and is a great teacher for the younger kids. And obviously Hasek coming back is huge. The Dominator was stellar all last season and won't claim much salary, allowing the Red Wings to go after free agents.


The National Champs
The 2007 National Champions of college hockey have garnered a lot of attention state-wide. One of the first things I remember in my time interning on Mackinac so far was a co-worker from the sister paper here telling me how awesome that game was. Granted this person is a U-M fan and a CMU grad.

Matt Bishop, who is currently interning for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), told me that the Spartans are slated to visit the White House sometime in June and that Rick Comley threw out the first pitch at a Tigers game a few weeks ago. Apparently, the crowd gave him a great ovation that impressed first-base coach Andy Van Slyke.

Snoop
In a previous post I mentioned how great a CBC interview with rapper Snoop Dogg was at an Anaheim Ducks hockey game. Below is the link to the video. It's a can't miss.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EbOomu0mo-Y

Congratulations are due for the Anaheim Ducks for winning the 2007 Stanley Cup. I'm particularly happy for Teemu Selanne and Drew Miller. Teemu has had a tremendous career, is an ambassador to the sport in his native Finland, and seems like an all-around good guy. Drew only played two games in the Finals, but now will have his name on the ultimate prize in all of sports. And as I said in previous posts, this will completely wash away the disappointment of not being on the MSU National Championship team of 2007. Good for both of them.

Reflections from the Finals:
I think you have to give a lot of credit to Anaheim's defense. They were able to shut down the highly touted threesome of Dany Heatly, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson. At the same time, you have to give credit to the Detroit Red Wings forwards for not disappearing in their series with the Ducks. If the injury-riddled Red Wings would have found a way to have won their series against Anaheim, there's no question who would be Cup Champions this season. And with a healthy Matt Schneider and Nicklas Kronwall, I think the Wings get there.

A lot of people enjoy making a big deal about how low-rated television ratings for the Finals were in America. I really don't care. I'll care when the buildings don't fill up with fans and fan ship continued upward trends in the NHL last season. The bottom line is that Anaheim is still a franchise in its infancy and doesn't draw a lot of national attention as opposed to an Original Six team or team they can actually market like a Pittsburgh Penguins.

It should be a very interesting off season, from free agency to observing the steps the NHL is continuing to make. Stay tuned...

In Monday night's Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson wound up and ripped a slapshot at Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer in the final seconds of the second period. It drew a scuffle before the teams exited to the locker room. I thought it was hilarious. There's nothing that says you can't do that, so I don't have a big problem with it. Plus it could get your team fired up and the other team frustrated. Obviously, I don't want to see that happen 82 games a year, but I don't really have a problem with it every now and then.

Don Cherry on NBC
Seeing Don Cherry make his American TV debut on NBC in the second intermission of Game 4 was such a treat. That guy is outspoken and controversial, but he's great. I personally love the guy and admire his patriotism toward Canada in addition to his love of the game. The conversation he had with Brett Hull about how the fans love fighting is genius. Are you listening Gary Bettman? Do you see the current fascination in UFC and other fighting leagues? Fighting = Entertaining. I don't want the league turning into a gong show, but fighting has a place in hockey. It brings back sweet memories of Joey "KO" Kocur, Bob Probert, and Stu Grimson.

Hockey Dawg

Did anybody catch Snoop Dogg's interview with CBC's Hockey Night in Canada after the second period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals? It may have been one of the best, most humorous bits I've ever seen. I've seen pictures of Snoop Dogg at Anaheim Ducks games and cameras have often spotted him in the crowd, but that was a treat.

I think that's why CBC's hockey coverage blows away NBC's and Versus' so much. NBC and Versus are too locked in on bringing you everything hockey about the game itself. They over-analyze matchups, try to take you inside the glass with that idiot Pierre McGuire between the benches, and try to be all cute and perfect. They should watch a CBC game - they have fun with the broadcast. It's not perfect, but they don't care. Coach's Corner with Don Cherry has a crappy set, host Ron MaClean constantly reminding Cherry how much time they have left, and not a lot of video for reference. In essence, it's two guys sitting behind a desk talking. And it's a can't miss! I don't mean to completely bash Versus and NBC because they do offer decent coverage, but they should take a page out of CBC's book. More fun, less attention to useless detail.


A leader in Comley
As part of my summer internship here on Mackinac Island, I had the opportunity to interview Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm's husband, Dan Mulhern, at a book signing Thursday, May 31. He told me that he wants to have MSU head hockey coach Rick Comley on his weekday, hour-long radio show soon to talk about leadership.

Spartan accolades
Congratulations to MSU goaltender Jeff Lerg and incoming defenseman Jeff Petry. Lerg was awarded as USA Hockey's Player of the Year and Petry was honored as USA Hockey's Junior Player of the Year.

Lerg led the Spartans to their 3rd national championship last April and started every game of the 2006-07 season for MSU.

Petry is the son of former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dan Petry and at 6-foot-2, should be a tough customer on the MSU blueline for years to come.

Drew Miller

I can't tell you how good it was to see former Spartan captain Drew Miller in the lineup for the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals Monday night. Drew was always really good to me when I covered MSU hockey, not to mention a great college hockey player. When he signed with Anaheim to fore go his senior year of college eligibility, it came as a disappointment to me, but not as a big surprise. I wasn't questioning Drew's character or whether or not he did the right thing by any means, I just realized that it hurt MSU's chances to win the NCAA Title the next season. That's the risk you take at an elite hockey school like Michigan State. He won't be the last player to sign a pro deal and leave early, and things did happen to work out both for MSU and Anaheim hockey this season if I might add.

If Drew's play was an indication of how his career in the NHL is going to unfold, lookout. In only his second career NHL game (his first career game was earlier in the 2007 Playoffs in Game 4 of the Ducks' first-round series against Minnesota), he was great. He didn't get a shift until halfway through the first period, but came out hitting, was the unsung hero on Anaheim's first goal, and didn't back down to anyone. Picture yourself in Drew's skates. It's your second NHL game and you're playing in the Stanley Cup Finals. He must have been incredibly nervous. But he was great. He played 9:26 in ice time on a line with Teemu Seleanne and Andy McDonald and skated more minutes than Shawn Thornton (5:46), Ric Jackman (7:43) and Brad May (6:20). Good for Drew. He won't admit it, but I'm sure there's a part of him that wishes he was still at MSU so he could have been part of that National Championship. Here's Drew's chance for a championship. Like I said before, things worked out well for both parties. Here's a story from yahoo.com about Drew's Game 1 play: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Al02ULvYct30lE6g64LbtUJ7vLYF?slug=ap-stanleycup-notebook&prov=ap&type=lgns

Speaking of the Millers, I think CBC really likes them. Drew was interviewed after the first period, Ron MacLean gave him some props in Coach's Corner with Don Cherry, and then Ryan Miller was interviewed after the first two periods.

On a final note, if you look back a couple of posts, I said my support was going to go to Ottawa in the finals. Ottawa is a hockey city and I think they would appreciate it more. But if Drew Miller is playing in the Finals for Anaheim (and he should earn a roster spot the rest of the series based on how well he played in Game 1), then I have no choice but to shift my support to the Ducks. Go Drew! Go Ducks!

2007 Red Wings Off Season Guide

Again, I first want to congratulate the 2006-07 Detroit Red Wings on a fine season. This was a preseason bubble team to make the playoffs that defied the expectations of many. Congrats are also in order to a very sound Anaheim Ducks team and a talented Ottawa Senators team for advancing to hockey's promised land of the Stanley Cup Finals.

For once the Red Wings aren't shaking their heads wondering why they didn't achieve another Stanley Cup. They weren't favorites this season, but gave one helluva fight until the end for a team in a transitional period. The off season doesn't hold a whole ton of mysteries. The main pieces are in place, it's just a question of how fast the new faces can grow into elite players. This wasn't that year. A lot of credit should be given to Mike Babcock and staff for really molding finesse, raw talent, and grit into a tough playoff team.

The following is a look at the Red Wings organization, starting with the unrestricted free agents and my analysis on each player's contributions this season:

FREE AGENTS

Robert Lang: I'd be shocked if GM Ken Holland resigns Lang. He's lazy, irresponsible defensively, doesn't skate hard, and has lacked the scoring touch that he was originally brought over here for. It's sad, it really is. I was excited when we acquired Lang at the 2004 trade deadline. His career has gone way downhill since then.

Kyle Calder: Don't count on this guy being back either. He showed tons of promise early after his acquisition at the trade deadline, but played ineffective minutes in the playoffs and was scratched the final four games of the Anaheim series.

Todd Bertuzzi: I think Bertuzzi will be back. Minus a bad turnover in Game 4 of the Anaheim series, I liked his play, and he was nowhere near 100 percent. Because of health issues, the Wings should be able to sign him to a short-year deal for a reasonable salary. He likes it here, fits in here, and if Bertuzzi can get back to being completely healthy, lookout.

Dominik Hasek: I don't care what anybody says, Hasek was terrific all season long and was even better in the playoffs. He said he'll take a few weeks to decide whether or not to retire , but I think he'll be back in a Winged wheel next fall.

Chris Chelios: A 45-year-old defensive juggernaut that's so good with the younger players. He will be back for at least one more season.

Mathieu Schneider: Would have helped tremendously and may have been the missing ingredient in the Western Conference Finals to spur the Wings to another Stanley Cup hadn't he suffered a broken wrist in the San Jose series. I think the Wings will have to decide whether to resign Schneider or fellow defenseman Danny Markov (below) for salary cap reasons, but I think Ken Holland chooses Schneider.

Danny Markov: Was kind of quiet in the playoffs, but that only means he's doing his job. Markov wasn't signed to score goals or man the power play, he was signed last year as a defensive-defenseman to add grit to the corp and team penalty kill. I liked Markov's play. He threw some great hits during the season and isn't afraid to drop the gloves. His gritty play did seem to tail off a little in the playoffs, however. I'd like to see him back, but with the salary cap, I'd say that's a big maybe.

Jiri Hudler: Had a great rookie season, but didn't get much of a shot in the playoffs. Doesn't have great speed, or stick handling abilities, but has a quick, hard shot that makes him tricky on the ice. He'll be back and will likely play a bigger role next season without Lang and Calder.

RETURNING FORWARDS

Kirk Maltby: Signed a three-year extension prior to the playoffs which will likely keep him in Hockeytown for the remainder of his career. He doesn't score a lot and is more of a veteran role player now, but is a player the Wings can count on to play responsibly.

Kris Draper: One of the best penalty killers in the game today and has emerged as a true leader.

Dan Cleary: Arguably the Wings best forward other than Datsyuk or Zetterberg in the playoffs, not to mention a fabulous regular season to boot. Cleary's guts, grit, and attitude fit in perfectly with Wings. You can't help but root for him and the blue-collar work ethic he portrays.

Tomas Holmstrom: Hands down the hardest working and toughest player in the game today with the dirtiest job that few can do. Homer was great in the playoffs but didn't seem to be the same after taking that hit from Chris Pronger and Rob Niedermayer. Nevertheless, a must-have player for the Wings and another outstanding under-appreciated player.

Mikael Samuelsson: Was plagued by an injury-riddled regular season but scored some huge goals in the playoffs. He's always been known to score in streaks and has a wicked shot. Sammy will be a nice complement to round out next year's top six forwards.

Johan Franzen: Franzen was a great story this year. He's emerged as a tough fore-checker who is defensively responsible as well. They call him "The Mule" and this Mule will be in Detroit for awhile.

Valtteri Filppula: This kid just got better and better every game this season. He's only 23 and is the next big rising star in this organization.

Tomas Kopecky: He's big, he's tough, he can skate, and he isn't afraid of anyone. If not for a broken collarbone in December, he would have wowed like Filppula in his rookie season.

Henrik Zetterberg: Emerged as an MVP candidate this season and somehow was left off the ballot for the Selke Award, which is awarded to the best defensive forward, at the upcoming annual NHL Awards. He plays all situations, and is great at all of them. He will be the captain when Nicklas Lidstrom decides it's time to hang them up.

Pavel Datsyuk: Any doubt about whether this guy can perform in the postseason came to an end this year. He is an elite forward in the NHL today and also emerged as a defensive player too, having spent time on the penalty kill. He can make even the best defenseman look silly with his crazy moves and is a guy you just want to succeed. Props to Pavel for a great season.

RETURNING DEFENSEMAN

Nicklas Lidstrom: The new captain. He will win another Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman next month. He's in the tail end of his career, but looks as good as he did 10 years ago. His consistency in the amount of minutes he plays is mind boggling.

Nicklas Kronwall: Kronwall was somewhat of a disappointment this season. With great skating, an uncanny ability to hit, and superb puck skills, he has the potential of a Lidstrom. But again, for the third season in a row, he suffered a major injury and was unable to play a complete season.

Andreas Lilja: Look past an awful turnover in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals and Lilja was great in the playoffs. He finally started hitting and using his big frame to physically control opponents. Keep it up, and Lilja will fit in here fine as a tough defender.

Brett Lebda: Lebda shows great potential as a puck-moving and smooth skating forward. I don't foresee him as that offensive-defenseman that's going to be that power play setup man, but as far as breaking out of the zone, Lebda is exceptional. I don't think he ever fully recovered from that ankle tweak that sidelined him in the Calgary series, but he is a bright spot on this defensive unit.

Kyle Quincey: This 21-year-old was about as good as they come in the playoffs for a player who was thrown into the fire after injuries hampered the defense. With the possible loss of either Schneider or Markov this off season, Quincey will likely see more of a spot in the lineup where he can tone his skills.

GOALTENDING

Chris Osgood: I like the role that Ozzie had on the team this season and hopefully, he'll acquire the same role next season. I don't like the idea as Osgood as a starting goaltender, but he's a helluva backup who's really good in the locker room.

Jimmy Howard: Word is that Ken Holland thinks Howard needs another another year in the minors in Grand Rapids. He's definitely the goaltender of the future in this franchise, but you can't rush development, especially at the goaltending position. Ryan Miller spent 3 seasons in the minors before starting in Buffalo and he's one of the best goalies in the NHL. This will be Howard's third year with the AHL's Griffins. He'll be ready to fight for the starting job after that.

INCOMING PLAYERS

Igor Grigorenko: The prodigal son will finally land in Detroit. He's been the most hyped prospect in the Wings organization the past 4 years with skills comparable, according to scouts, like Zetterberg. Unfortunately a car accident years ago forced Grigorenko to miss about a year to rehab, but Ken Holland is confident that the Russian prospect has gotten his game back and feels he's ready to come to the NHL. I can't wait to see him play.

The Bitter End

All I could do last Tuesday night was stare at my television set and appreciate a great hockey game and just how difficult it is to reach that elite Stanley Cup Championship series. Sure the Wings lost, but to be honest, I thought the game was over before the puck was dropped. I made up my mind that I wasn't going to get upset at whatever the outcome would be or what happened. And I wasn't. Was I bummed? Sure, but anger wouldn't describe my emotions when the Wings were knocked out by the Ducks, 4 games to 2. Instead, I just appreciated it. It was an incredibly even fought series. I wouldn't even say that the Ducks outplayed the Wings or were the better team, they just were able to capitalize when necessary.

I honestly thought that if the Wings were going to win the series, they would have won it in 5 games. I say this because they missed a huge opportunity in Game 4, with Chris Pronger suspended, to take a commanding series lead and would have likely closed Anaheim out at home in Game 5. But it didn't happen, and sure it was still up for grabs in Game 5, but that was another wasted chance by the Wings. The Wings never quit in Game 6 and that was great to see. There's way too much pride in that organization for them to get down a few goals and just give up. It was good to see them fight to the end. They're the most blue-collar they've been in a long time. Give us a healthy Matt Schneider and Nick Kronwall and who knows what happens. I'm not trying to make excuses, just "what ifs".

It's funny this year because the Wings are in a period of transition. Gone are Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan, in are many new faces. But even in a period of transition, the Wings did pretty darn good for a preseason bubble team to make the playoffs. Everyone makes a big deal about how there were some empty seats at Joe Louis Arena during this playoff run, but if you look past that you'll see that even in a transitional period as a team, support and fanfare never wavered for this group. Ratings on the Versus network remained high locally (up there with pre-lockout numbers), and that's not counting the fans (like myself) who were tuned into CBC. Unfortunately, ticket prices at the Joe are pretty high, and with the economy in such terrible shape, people have to decide what to spend their money on more carefully. A lot of them decided to watch instead of attend, which is fine. Management really should do something about ticket prices, but with the Conference Finals-year the team just had, I doubt prices will lower. Fortunately, Michigan is a hockey state and residents are born and raised Red Wings fans who will pay top dollar to see the team.

A few observations from the series:

-I watched every game I could on CBC, who has the best hockey coverage out of anyone. Jim Hughson was the play-by-play announcer, who I really like. I can't recall the color commentator's name but he could have been a public relations worker for the Ducks. I wanted to call him and tell him to get a room with them. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want announcers on our side or anything, but I figure if there'd be a team they would favor it would be an Original 6 franchise with 10 Stanley Cups, not an expansion team named for a Disney movie in a market it doesn't belong.

-I'll be pulling for the Ottawa Senators in the Finals. Sure it would be great for expansion of the league if Anaheim won, but I can't stand GM Brian Burke and some players on the Ducks. The only good thing that would come out of the Ducks winning is a Stanley Cup ring for former MSU captain Drew Miller, who played one playoff game, and by rule would get his name on Lord Stanley. Other than that, I would like to keep the trophy out of southern California. They probably think the Stanley Cup is some sort of drink for surfers or something.

2006-07's surprises and disappointments as well as an off season guide to follow soon.

Blue-collar beauties

No matter how far the Detroit Red Wings go in the NHL Playoffs, their 2006-07 season will undoubtedly go down as one of my favorite seasons from a fans point of view. For once, it wasn't the Wings walking away the division, league and numerous individual honors. For once, it wasn't the Wings who were favored heading into the playoffs. And for once, it was the Wings who battled through adversity all season long.

With how horrible the economy is in Michigan right now, it's great to see more of a blue collar hockey team on the ice every night. Not to say the Wings don't have their stars. Nicklas Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the world, Pavel Datsyuk is extremely talented and I believe that Henrik Zetterberg is the best two-way player in the NHL. But with guys like Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Johan Franzen, Chris Chelios, and who can forget about Dan Cleary. Here's Cleary, a guy who was about to give up on his NHL dreams two seasons ago, who has arguably been the best player for the Wings in the playoffs. It's great to see. Detroit is a city that has been defined by its hockey team for years and years. Now the hockey team can somewhat be defined by its city.


If you're anything like me and just can't get enough of a great sports call, then feast your eyes below.

Here's the link to Red Wings radio broadcast great Ken Kal calling Robert Lang's game-tying goal against the Sharks in Game 4 of the second-round series: http://1270sports.com/pages/115968.php?contentType=34&contentId=1477

This next one is of Dan Cleary drilling Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf (who is considered by many as the hardest hitting player in the NHL) in Game 3 of the Wings' first-round series: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bgeDlYSxLmQ