Madison Square Garden lawsuit could get messy for NHL
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 | 12:05 PM ET
I want to start by thanking everyone who listened to the maiden voyage of Hockey Night in Canada Radio yesterday from 4-6 p.m. ET on Sirius channel 122. It’s been a month-long grind getting the show to air but yesterday made it all worth it. Many thanks to Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean and analyst Kelly Hrudey, who co-hosted the entire show.
Today we’re back at it at 4 p.m. ET with Hrudey once again co-hosting. We’ll be talking a lot about the drama between the New York Rangers and the NHL.
Madison Square Garden, which owns the team, has broken rank with the NHL, filing a lawsuit against the league citing anti-trust and alleging that the NHL has been acting as an illegal cartel by monopolizing control of each team's promotion.
Unless the league shuts this one down or settles with James Dolan of MSG, this one could get messy for the NHL. As MacLean talked about on HNIC Radio yesterday, the discovery period where league finances would be made public and laid out in front of the NHL Players Association has the potential to get quite interesting.
Also on the show this afternoon, Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier will drop by to talk up this year's edition of his team.
Unlike most, I don’t necessarily think the Sabres will be that bad this year, provided they stay healthy. Ryan Miller is one of the best goalies in the league, Tim Connolly (when healthy) has an elite-level skill set, and the line of Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov is one of the best in the NHL.
Elsewhere around the league:
- An interesting question raised by New York Post writer Larry Brooks on HNIC Radio yesterday: Who’s the best defenceman in the Eastern Conference? When you think about it, there really isn’t one dominant, easy choice. Kaberle? Chara? At one time you could have made an argument for Wade Redden, but that ship has sailed.
- Great news about Sam Gagner (son of former NHLer Dave Gagner) who yesterday signed a three-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers and has made the team. The former Team Canada junior joins fellow ex-world junior standout Andrew Cogliano as a rookie forward on the Oil.
- The Oilers aren’t the only team giving the kids a chance in the lineup. Yesterday, Carey Price made the Habs, and Ottawa will have Nick Foligno (son of former NHLer Mike Foligno) in its lineup to start the season. The Price move is a little strange for me unless he is ticketed to be the No. 1 guy. At his age (20), there is no point in him serving as the backup when he could be gaining valuable playing time in the minors.
- Memorial Cup MVP Milan Lucic has made the Boston Bruins. For now. The hulking forward turned heads at training camp with his physical play and unwillingness to back down in any situation. The Bruins are trying to toughen up their team, which is no secret considering the additions of Shawn Thornton and Jeremy Reich. Lucic can play nine games with the Bruins before losing a year of eligibility on his entry-level deal.
- Tyler Weiman will start the season as the Colorado Avalanche backup behind Peter Budaj. Jose Theodore had arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 29, didn’t start practicing until last Thursday and missed all six exhibition games.
- How would you like to be Karel Pilar? Picked up by the Atlanta Thrashers for training camp only to be placed on waivers and claimed by the Chicago Blackhawks for the remainer of camp, Pilar was waived yesterday by 'Hawks GM Dale Tallon. And today guess who claimed Pilar off waivers? The Atlanta Thrashers, of course.
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About the Author
Jeff Marek, one of sports talk radio's brightest stars, is the host of the all-new HNIC Radio on SIRIUS Satellite Radio. A twelve-year sports-talk radio veteran, the Toronto native provides intelligent hockey talk, insight and debate during the two-hour national daily drive-time hockey program.
Well known for his previous work on Leafs Lunch on AM 640 Toronto Radio, Marek is one of sports talk radio's most respected personalities. He joined AM 640 in 2000, hosting The Jeff Marek Show, a nightly open-line talk show, while working as the stations' morning news anchor. He quickly became the director of sports news and joined host Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch.
Recent Posts
- Bergeron a victim of coaching tactics
- Monday, October 29, 2007
- Don't count on Tavares in Toronto
- Friday, October 26, 2007
- Meet the new boss - not the same as the old boss
- Thursday, October 25, 2007
- Paul Kelly has a lot of work to do
- Wednesday, October 24, 2007
- Ryan Smyth is back in Canada. Is Forsberg next?
- Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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Archives
- October 2007 (21)
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Comments
Jonathan (Parklawn)
Toronto
Hey Jeff ... I really enjoyed listening to your show on THE FAN and just found out about your new opportunity - congrats! All the best at HNIC,
Jonathan
Posted October 4, 2007 10:41 AM
Seabass
Jeff, great to see you landed a great gig with CBC, although not having Sirius, I miss hearing your views on the free radio.
I tried emailing you at your previous workplace to see if you still think Antropov is going to be an impact player. So? Let's have a prediction? Personally, I don't think he can really skate, and there's not a large spot in the league now for guys like that. Of course, next to Hal Gill, he looks like a speedster.
Seabass
Posted October 3, 2007 03:12 AM
jaskon
tweed
enjoyable reading.
Posted October 2, 2007 02:41 PM
Patrick Hoffman
Jeff:
I have a few questions that I would like to ask you (I am an aspiring hockey writer/analyst) and was wondering if you could send me a quick e-mail at patrickhoffm@gmail.com
Regards,
Patrick S. Hoffman
Posted October 2, 2007 02:00 PM