2010 NHL Offseason Thread

[Bregor]

Calli/Isla/Selamis/rest of Chicagoland:

I'll be in town next weekend for Cubs/Reds on Saturday and Lollapalooza (mostly to see the Strokes). I haven't been since I was 9 so I know precisely dick about what to do in terms of bars/restaurants/etc. Areas of interest: I'll be staying at Hotel Monaco, the concert is at Grant Park, and then obviously Wrigleyville. Only thing on tap is the Cubby Bear after the game, and I want to go to Guthrie's Tavern at some point. Looking for one really nice restaurant and then mostly just chill bars to hit up after the concert lets out. Hook a hockey thread brother up with the spots.

[Callisto]

idk about nice restaurants but hit up Hot Doug's if you really want to eat, the downside to the northside(that came out weird) is that a lot of those restaurants and bars turn over kind of rapidly, shit'll be a totally different place every time you go down there lol

In seriousness about a shitty expensive touristy thing that actually ends up pretty cool when you do it, especially at night, is the Signature Lounge on the 95th floor of the Hancock building, it's like $11 for a martini but it's a swank place and getting a highball in with a few of the whole lakeside from that high is pretty damn cool imo.

[Arnwulf]

So did the Hawks request a 1 or 2 year deal for Niemi? I can't find that anywhere.

[isladar]

Seconding the Signature lounge, I did New Year's there one year, and it was fucking incredible. Worth every overpriced dollar, you feel like a million bucks looking over the skyline.

As far as food goes.. for super-expensive-but-you'll-remember-the-meal-for-life, Morton's. For anything else.. seriously just nose around. Good food is kind of Chicago's hallmark, you honestly can't go wrong.

[Bregor]

In seriousness about a shitty expensive touristy thing that actually ends up pretty cool when you do it, especially at night, is the Signature Lounge on the 95th floor of the Hancock building, it's like $11 for a martini but it's a swank place and getting a highball in with a few of the whole lakeside from that high is pretty damn cool imo.

That sounds pretty cool actually, in Vegas we went to the lounge at the top of Mandalay and despite it being a little more than $11 for a martini it was well worth it. The view was amazing and my buddy and I met these two girls from Vancouver. I ended up talking about hockey and the Olympics for an hour. I mean, how often to you meet a cute girl in a bar in Vegas who loves Bobby Lou? lol

[BadKarma]

Whos the shittiest, most joke of a player, that has a ring from the modern era?

Alexander O-wait

[Selamis]

The thing with all the bars in Wrigleyville, during the day and afternoon they're good to go to get food, unless the Cubs are playing, then they're 100% booze spot, but by night time they go from place to eat to place to drink.

Chill bars, just gonna toss out the usual path we hit up before/after Cubs games: Cubby Bear, Red Ivy, The Dark Horse. The Dark Horse is a Pittsburgh Bar though, still an awesome place if you don't mind all the Steelers and Penguins banners. Must order an Iron City if you go there though...delicious beer. Harry Caray's is nice but it's not exactly right by Wrigley so you'd have to travel a little to get to it.

[Selamis]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0730-confidential-hawks-20100730,0,1613106.column?page=1

Have to say I'm honestly very, very surprised at this, they pretty much sold out every single game last year too.

I'm not sure how this is quite possible when we've sold out every home game since the end of 08. Marketing is up, revenues should be up. Sponsors are up. Makes no sense lol.

[Bregor]

Ovechkin reacts to Talbot, for about two seconds:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...urn=nhl-259376

Alex Ovechkin received his fifth consecutive Kharlamov Trophy in Moscow this afternoon. The Kharlamov Trophy is similar to the Ted Lindsay Award. It is awarded to the best Russian NHL player chosen by his peers. The past winners included Sergei Fedorov and Ilya Kovalchuk.

It is a tradition for NHL players to bring the Stanley Cup to their hometown. Evgeni Malkin brought the Cup to his hometown of Magnitogorsk last year. Ovechkin doesn't have a Cup yet, but he has a lot of individual trophies he won in the NHL. He brought all of them to the ceremony. It was quite a treat for everyone in attendance to see these awards as none have ever been presented to the public in Russia.

When presented with the Kharlamov Trophy Ovechkin said (via Sovetsky Sport):

"It is very nice to receive this award. Maybe deservedly or not, but I am receiving it, and it is nice that Russian guys in the NHL voted for me. I am happy that it is the fifth time I am receiving this trophy, and I will work hard to do it again next season too."

In addition to the Kharlamov Trophy itself, Ovechkin was presented with a karaoke machine. Why? Apparently, Ovechkin is now a singer too! This summer Ovechkin took to a studio to record a song he dedicated to a girl. A serenade, sort of. Ovechkin downplayed this fact and said we shouldn't expect an album from him. Maybe it's for the better. But Ovechkin's connection with the music industry in Russia now includes a song titled "Ovechkin is forever with us" by a Russian band El Paso.

What did Ovechkin think of Max Talbot's comments earlier this week?

Ovechkin couldn't avoid the obvious topics too. Much has been said about Talbot's comments about Alex Ovechkin in the last few days. Ovechkin said he read them and added "there is nothing to reply. A person can say all he wants. The ice will show everything." Ovechkin said he was simply ignoring Talbot. Then someone asked when Ovechkin had a street fight the last time. "Actually, I am not allowed to fight. At all. I can't fight. Usually others do it for me."

Ovechkin also commented on the contract his friend Ilya Kovalchuk signed with the New Jersey Devils that was rejected by the NHL. He said: "There is no point offering advice in these situations. Ilya is a grown up, he has agents. But I am sure everything will be alright. Kovalchuk signed a good contract. I don't know what the league suspected there. I only wish Ilya good luck and for his contract to come into force." Ovechkin added: "You can secure your future with a long term deal. You can calmly prepare for the season without worrying too much. You don't have to jump out of your pants in your contract year."

The Capitals weren't active this post season, to say the least. Ovechkin offered his opinion on the changes that happened to the team. "Actually the changes weren't that big. Theodore, Morrison left. It's a shame, of course, but young players showed themselves well. As for the goaltending, in the upcoming season we will reply on [Semyon] Varlamov and [Michal] Neuvirth. We'll see what comes of it."

Last season wasn't the best in Alex Ovechkin's career - an embarrassing loss to Canada at the Olympics, another loss in the final of the World Championship to the Czech Republic, an early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ovechkin himself never really said what changed in his game after the Olympics, when everyone noticed that his game had changed. Ovechkin's father, Mikhail, answered that question for Alex:

"The NHL suspension was the most difficult thing for Alex to get over. This is because he was suspended for nothing! Son missed 10 games and then was overtaken in the scoring race at the end of the season by a single goal. And what if he had played in those games? Why do you think NHL players gave the best player award [Ted Lindsay Award] to Alex? They are not fools and understand what is what ... If it wasn't for that disqualification he would have won the scoring title..."

"And it is not about the money penalties! Alex had his wings trimmed, the ones that boost the league's image. It was overblown as if he broke his opponent's collarbone ... And he sated playing in two weeks. We all had a feeling that he wasn't treated like a man. There was some sort of pretence in all of it. For similar hits players got two minutes. And there was a show trial for [my] son." added Mikhail Ovechkin.

Alex Ovechkin is already practicing in Moscow for the upcoming NHL season and will shortly join Ilya Kovalchuk, Nikita Filatov and Nikolai Zherdev who will all be getting ready together. He will also continue his tradition of taking on-ice practices with Dynamo.

[Sepukku]

I LOL'ed at his dad's "show trial" reference. Lol Russia...

[Sepukku]

I'm pretty sure the ice in June 2009 showed Talbot holding the Stanley Cup. Just sayin'

[Selamis]

Rumor's I've heard today floating around friend's Facebooks/Twitters: Marty Turco and Hawks have made a verbal agreement, 1 year worth $1.5 million...this is if they walk after Niemi arb. hearing or trade him.

[Thoronas]

That would be kinda interesting. I reckon he'd look alot better behind chicago's D. His puck moving skills might really help them to.

[Selamis]

Niemi cap hit is set to 2.75 million, now to see what the Hawks do.

[Callisto]

San Jose definitely put the screws in with the Hjalmarsson deal, they're not going to be able to fit Niemi in without moving someone else unless they want to spend directly up to the cap with a 21-man roster and chance being totally boned if an injury hits.

[Ishido]

They really can't keep Niemi with that number. Running with 21 and next to no cap space is just asking to have your team fall apart after an injury, let alone more than 1.

[Brill Weave]

I like Chicago but they dropped the ball big time with how badly they fucked themselves over with the cap.

[Sepukku]

San Jose definitely put the screws in with the Hjalmarsson deal, they're not going to be able to fit Niemi in without moving someone else unless they want to spend directly up to the cap with a 21-man roster and chance being totally boned if an injury hits.

And this is even with Huet presumingly playing in the minors? Wow you guys fucked up big time cap-wise hahahahaha

[NynJa]

I think its safe to bet that the hawks WONT be repeating as champions?

[Ishido]

Another funny thing to note- the Hawks lost money this year, and next year they will have an additional 5+ mil to pay out to Huet beyond the cap limits if he's in the minors or Europe.