[A 4 Year Extension of the Current CBA will possibly go up for vote this week]

It has been amazing to read about the players who did not understand how escrow worked.  The owners almost always have upper hand.  A playing career is very limited.  taking 2 years out of your career was a silly suggestion...

[True or false: Risto was much improved under Ralph?]

17 hours ago, Curt said:

Never saw them.  I assume they were smart, keep it simple type players?  Bigger, better versions of Pilut?

not even close.  trying to compare those guys into the current NHL is equal to wondering if leather helmet NFL players could play in today's NFL.

[True or false: Risto was much improved under Ralph?]

Chara was a freak who knew little about hockey and learned in NHL.  He was good from beginning but just needed experience.  Risto makes same mistakes over and over.  Bad positioning in own zone being the biggest.

[Could a professional Hockey League thrive in Canada Independent of the NHL?]

No, no and no.

players will go where money is.  Canadian teams outside Montreal and Toronto do not make money.  They take in Canadian money and pay out salaries in USD.  Players pay massive taxes in Canada. 

Where would the teams play?  Existing teams will not leave NHL to take massive risk for no reward.  When your league starts up, and the NHL teams stay in NHL, where will you play?  Bell centre and air canada center are out.  Same with rink in Vancouver.  They are busy every night.  Freeing up 41 nights not going to happen.

Legally, not sure they can leave.

[Greatest Russian/Soviet NHL Player?]

18 hours ago, E4 ... Ke2 said:

The question specified "Russian/Soviet" players.  Given my age, you can guess that my opinion of the Soviet players is coloured by the 1972 Summit Series, the Canada Cups, and the team tours through the 1980's.  Kharlamov was so good that Harry Sinden and Bobby Clarke felt it necessary to break his ankle.  Yakushev was great through the 1970's.  Balderis was the next in that parade.  Tretiak was just incredible.  Fetisov was great in the NHL for how long?

Fetisov was great the whole time he was here.  Bowman knew how to use him and got years out of him like he did with Larry Murphy when others saw them as finished.  Not finished at all, but being asked to play the non creative horrid hockey of the early 90's.   As a Detroit fan Slava was amazing to watch.  His leadership on that team cannot be overstated.  He was the one that brought that team together.  Swedes, Russians and Canadians did not all get along back then.  It was still the Don Cherry everyone needs to play like a canadian time.  To a man that team loves Papa Bear.  

Federov was incredible and a better scorer that Datsyuk, but he was lazy guy so Datsyuk was better longer.  Bure was amazing.  He was hurt a lot unfortunately.

Ovie beats them all due to longevity and how much harder it is to score in his era.  He cannot be judged by Cups as the Salary Cap has made putting together a Great team much harder.

Regarding Kharlamov, i went back and found article about him being top 5 of all time.  Serge Savard said that so i trust it.  Wish i could have asked Scotty and Pat burns when i was able to spend time with them.  Leads to:

Unrelated but neat anecdote:  I was able to spend time with Scotty Bowman and Pat Burns.  One question i asked was Serge Savard or larry robinson a better payer.  They both hemmed and hawed but agreed it was Serge.  Burns especially said he was just so strong, smart and hard to play against.  Surprised me.

[Greatest Russian/Soviet NHL Player?]

Limiting it to just NHL players leaves out players who were unable to play in NHL, or were at tail end of career in NHL

Valeri Kharlamov - Was a top 5 to ever play

Igor Larianov - World, Olympic and Stanley Cup champ.  Great centerman

Slava Fetisov - One of greatest defenseman to ever play.  Was THE key leader on the Detroit cup winners.  Ask Yzerman.  

[John McDonough Fired By the Hawks]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

No.  As I've said before, this level of management is superfluous.  If Botterill can't get it done, fire Botterill and hire a different GM.

you are dead on about this.  keep non sports people out of the bills and sabres.  They offer nothing.  Build a winning team and the fans come, and you will make money.

[John McDonough Fired By the Hawks]

He had nothing to do with Hawks winning.  He was a PR guy from the CUBS.  He has a massive ego that would never mesh with Kim P.  That was a bunch of good drafts, and Bill Wirtz died.  When he died hockey was put on local TV, and they started hiring good people.  I wish Stan Bowman would come to Buffalo. He can manage a salary cap and is not afraid to make trades.  The bad signings they are stuck with were john m mandating keeping players for pr reasons after they won cups.  Seabrook, Crawford, toews etc...  Toews is at best a second line center now, and was never the game changer kane is.  They pay them both the same for a long time.