With so many NHL fans calling for the head of current NHL commissioner Gary Bettman these days, one has to wonder just how long it will be before there is serious pressure to replace him? Bettman has served as the NHL’s Commissioner since February 1, 1993, which equates to just under two decades of work. While there are plenty of fans out there that are quick to throw Bettman under the bus it must be noted that under the guidance of Bettman the NHL has grown it’s revenues from $400 in 1993 to a whopping $2.2 billion sports industry. Bettman has also been on hand to add six expansion teams into the fold, albeit with various levels of success. Through it all Bettman has tried his best to give America what it wants, trusting in his belief that he

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter Given the severity of the hit on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook I completely understand why he is pissed off at Anaheim Ducks defenseman (and friend of Seabrook) James Wisnewski. That said, it is a long know fact that once the puck drops there are no friends on the ice, always has and always will be that way. I suspect once Seabrook has time to reflect on this that he will realize that Wisnewski was merely doing his job, albeit in a dangerous and gutless fashion. Seabrook can be mad at James Wisnewski the hockey player, but if they are really as tight as they suggest they are, then Seabrook can’t be mad at Wisnewski as a friend, can he? For the record, Seabrook practiced yesterday and feels ready to go as soon

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter Not doubt about it, James Wisniewski was guilty of a dirty hit on Brent Seabrook and probably deserved the eight game suspension he received. The Question is, why didn’t the NHL investigate the Seabrook hit on Corey Perry a little further—a hit that was clearly a headshot, something the NHL is trying to get out of the game. As much as I’d like to applaud the NHL for FINALLY standing up for the player (Seabrook) I gotta believe that if the NHL had been tougher/more consistent on headshots Wisniewski wouldn’t have taken matters in his own hands. This is exactly why the NHL should immediately enforce the newly proposed headshot rules, everyday the NHL waits is another day in which the players will have to police the game themselves and that will only

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter For many NHL hockey fans this is their favorite time of the year, the playoffs are just around the corner and, for most teams, it is “crunch time”. Looking over the Eastern and Western Conference standings we see a very muddled picture at the bottom of the pack. The Eastern Conference features five teams that are within five points of the sixth place Philadelphia Flyers, while the Western Conference boasts six teams that are within five points of the Detroit Red Wings who just happen to occupy the eighth and final playoff seeding in the West. This weeks NHL games feature a number of old school rivalries as well as a number of games that will have huge playoff implications. With that in mind, let’s look at this week’s can’t miss games… 1.

Tomas Kaberle has a no-trade clause, this much we know. What we don’t know is just how close Toronto Maple Leafs GM was to trading Kaberle at today’s deadline. Both Kaberle and Burke know that Kaberle’s no-trade clause will be null and void once the summer roles around—assuming the Leafs miss the playoffs, which they undoubtedly will. In a news conference broadcast on TSN this afternoon, Burke stated that he was approached by Kaberle’s agent, Rick Curran, who “whispered in Burke’s ear” a couple of teams that Kaberle was interested in joining, teams he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a chance to play for them. True to his word, Burke has never asked Kaberle to waive his no-trade. That said, when a player of Kaberle’s clout and skill level asks you to explore a couple of

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter With a little over 18 hours until the NHL trade deadline expires, there are a lot of names being bandied around as possible trade bait. If you listened to all the idiotic comments from all the Sidney Crosby haters after Team Canada won the Olympic gold medal, you’d think he was on his way out of Pittsburgh. After all, he’s a “whiner”, “has no heart”, “ is not a  leader”, “not a clutch player”, “hasn’t accomplished anything”, “can’t accomplish anything without Malkin” “didn’t show up at the Olympics” and, in one readers opinion, “ is gay”… Am I the only one who thinks these so-called “analysts” ought to check themselves into a psyche ward? Don’t worry Penguin fans, Crosby isn’t going anywhere, neither are his gold medals or Stanley Cup ring…his equipment is