What Ranger Jerseys Can You Comfortably Wear?...

I started compiling this list after I was at the Ranger-Islander game at the Coliseum last Wednesday and saw Nikolai Zherdev and Lauri Korpikoski standing next to each other. Of course, it wasn't actually them, but two people who paid a combined $360 for the jerseys of two players who no longer play on the Rangers.

Yet, some players no longer play in New York, but you can still wear their jersey and be proud of it. And even further, there are some players who play here whose jersey should not be worn, and if it is, you should be ridiculed.

Think you're safe? Check the list...

Good (Wear Proudly)
Jaromir Jagr #68 (had a great resurgence in NY; since he didn’t win a Cup, you have about 2 more years with this jersey before you should move on)
Brendan Shanahan #14 (I would never fault someone for having a Shanny jersey)
Henrik Lundqvist #30
Blair Betts #15/19; Jed Ortmeyer #41 (you can wear there jerseys for years and they would be appropriate)
Nigel Dawes #10 ; Petr Prucha #25 (it’s not your fault they were traded)
Sean Avery #16
Dan Girardi #5; Brandon Dubinsky #17; Marc Staal #18; Ryan Callahan #24; Artem Anisimov #42
Mike Del Zotto #4; Matt Gilroy #97 (buy with no hesitation; there two will be around a while)
Marian Gaborik #10
Steve Rucchin #20 (because I have one, and every once in a while, I still wear it)
Petr Nedved #93
Brian Leetch #2; Adam Graves #9; Mark Messier #11; Mike Richter #35
Jeff Beukeboom #23 (or mostly any member from the 1994 Cup team)
Ales Kotalik #12; Vinny Prospal #20; Martin Straka #82; Michael Nylander #92 (not the superstar of the team, but they compliment a Jagr or Gaborik well)
Eddie Giacomin #1; Rod Gilbert #7; Andy Bathgate #9; Ron Duguay #10 (or any other number he wore); Phil Esposito #77 (if you were old enough to watch these players play)

Iffy (Wear Cautiously)
Darius Kasparaitis #6; Pavel Bure #9; Theo Fleury #14 (I don’t mind the players, but it’s time for a new one, don’t you think?)
#28 Colton Orr (had a solid season last year, but there weren’t other choices?)
#99 Wayne Gretzky (can’t fault a Gretzky jersey, but it has been a decade since he left and he was in the twilight of his great career here. If he won a Cup, that would be different, of course.)
Alex Kovalev #27 (hey, he still might come back, and after all, he did win the Cup here as a rookie)
Chris Drury #23 (you obviously bought it during the summer of 2007 when you thought he’d be a superstar in New York, but he plays hard enough most of the time to warrant wearing him on your back... sometimes)

Bad (Give Them Away to the Garden of Dreams Foundation)
(Before you ask, yes, I have seen all of these jerseys recently.)
Dale Purinton #5 (seriously, I once saw one)
Andy Bathgate #9 (if you were born after 1955, you should not wear a Bathgate jersey. If you have seen him play in person, go for it.)
Lauri Korpikoski #29; Fedor Tyutin #51 (while it’s not your fault they were traded, it’s your fault for buying one in the first place)
Wade Redden #6 (must’ve been a present)
Ivan Baranka #21 (one NHL game and you have a jersey?)
Steve Valiquette #40 (you got it to be different, admit it)
Michal Rozsival #33
Eric Lindros #88 (Only one other jersey makes me madder, and I even have a Lindros jersey... safely in my closet. While Lindros, the player, wasn't awful, this jersey symbolizes a horrible stretch of time in Rangers history and wearing it only brings up good memories. No one goes, "Oh, the Lindros Era! What a jolly time!")
Luc Robitaille #20 (he wasn’t here long enough/didn’t play good enough to warrant having his jersey still 10 years later)
Chris Higgins #21 (until he proves otherwise)
Nik Zherdev #13
Markus Naslund #91
Ryan Hollweg #44 (Yes, I have one - I got it after his great 2005-06 season - and no, I’ll probably never wear it again, even though about 15 players have signed it)
Tom Poti #3/16
Dan Blackburn #31 (by this logic, you should’ve gotten a Lundqvist when he first came up)

And the worst Rangers jersey to wear...
Scott Gomez #19 (You bought it when he was signed. He never did anything in New York except play well against them. Everyone sighed when he was finally traded. Yet, you continue to wear this on your back when real players like Prospal and Gaborik actually show up to play. If you have a Scott Gomez jersey, please don't wear it. No one wants to see it, no one wants to remember him.)

Dave Tippett Is The Greatest Coach In The History Of The 2009-10 Phoenix Coyotes

As soon as the Coyotes started out 2-0, you knew the media - the same media who has all but forfeited the team's games - would come out gushing over the Coyotes' "surprise start", right?

The Phoenix Coyotes could play their last home opener ever this weekend, what with the team in bankruptcy, the ownership situation unsettled and the possibility of relocation never all that far from the conversation about their future.

Relocation that, if you recall, requires a $750 million payment to the city of Glendale. Nice try, though.

If that wasn't bad enough, chances are the Coyotes -- a mix of minimally experienced young players, castoffs and a sprinkling of talented veterans -- will miss the playoffs for a seventh straight season while bringing up the rear in the Pacific Division, if not the entire league when all is said and done.

That's right, folks. The entire 2009-10 NHL season has already been played, and the Coyotes finished 30th out of 30 teams. But, like participants in a reality show, everyone has to act like it's all happening at the same time we see it on TV.

To call this a mess would be to understate the situation and how much it has consumed the organization at every level for the last five months. But for the time being at least, the off-ice problems seem to be on the back burner with Phoenix becoming one of the NHL's early pleasant surprises thanks to an impressive start that includes a well-earned road win against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Phoenix is 2-0. They've played exactly 2.439% of their schedule. Settle down.

Dave Tippett took over the job when Wayne Gretzky resigned a few days before the season opened. He replaced the game's greatest icon and stepped into circumstances where failure seemed more likely than not. Yet in the space of a couple of weeks, Tippett has managed to instill a level of structure and discipline that has made Phoenix's game virtually unrecognizable from last season, and certainly a lot more effective than anyone realistically could have imagined.

Let's try this again. THE COYOTES WEREN'T THAT BAD LAST YEAR. They were fifth in the West at the All-Star break. They probably would have made the playoffs if not for their horrible late January and February where they netted a total of six points from fifteen games. They were 23-15-3 at home - you know, the place everyone is trying to move the Coyotes from.

Oh, and at least someone realistically imagined the Coyotes playing well this year.

More so when you consider Tippett really didn't have to be there. A veteran coach widely respected for his teaching ability and no-nonsense approach to things, Tippett was fired unceremoniously by Dallas' new management in June after averaging more than 45 wins in six seasons and with two more seasons remaining on his contract. Someone with Tippett's pedigree could have waited for another opening, but instead he took what might be described as a leap of faith and has become a steadying force for a team that was in disarray.

A leap of faith is taking, say, the Devils job, knowing that Lou Lamoriello fires coaches like every week. But taking a job in a place with really nice weather, with absolutely no expectations, and when everyone has already written your team off as a horrible failure? That's a win-win situation. It's even better than taking a cushy TV analyst job.

[Tippett:] "I think the players have done a phenomenal job blocking out all the distractions and stuff that was in the media. Now it's up to us, and the big thing now is that we're playing and we can control things on the ice."

No, you can't. According to Wes Goldstein, you already missed the playoffs. If you already forgot, scroll up a few paragraphs.

"I had a feeling we were going to need a coach, and it was clear there was one guy for us," Maloney said. "Back then, Wayne also thought Dave would be right for this. He's got a quiet strength to him, and knowing what our team looked like, we thought he was a perfect fit."

This is bullcrap. If Gretzky or Ulf Samuelsson was coaching this team and they won their first two games, Don "We Got The Better Lindros" Maloney would be singing their praises ad nauseum. In addition, I have no idea what "quiet strength" has to do with anything.

So far, he has been.

Perhaps we should wait until Dave Tippett hits the 2.440% mark on this season before calling him a "perfect fit" for anything.

Kings Ransom Review

Tonight, ESPN aired Kings Ransom, the first part of their "30 For 30" documentary series. As someone who loves documentaries and worships Wayne Gretzky, I was really excited about this, even though Puck Daddy didn't exactly gush over it. Thankfully, Kings Ransom wasn't what I was afraid it'd be and, in many ways, it exceeded my expectations.

Like I said, I tend to obsess over the Great One, so the story isn't exactly new to me. It isn't new to many people, either; just last year, the NHL Network did their own documentary about the trade. Kings Ransom covers similar ground, but in a different way. By including a great deal of footage from the events leading up to the trade, we get an almost voyeuristic view of Gretzky's life at that time. We've all seen clips of Gretzky breaking down at his press conference in Edmonton, but seeing his whole speech is a bit jarring. The same can be said for the footage of his limousine just after his marriage to Janet Jones. Through these clips, we see the human side of Wayne Gretzky, which is welcome, as these 21 years have taken away some of the emotion of the moment.

So much has been said about this trade that we almost forget that this was probably the biggest trade in sports history. Director Peter Berg tries to remind us of this fact by demonstrating how big hockey is in Edmonton and how special Gretzky's time with the Oilers truly was. Kings Ransom doesn't make much of an attempt to absolve Peter Pocklington of the blame for the trade, nor should it, especially since Glen Sather, Janet Jones, Bruce McNall and Jim Matheson all point their fingers at Pocklington. What's interesting is, Gretzky is the only person to defend Pocklington.

Puck Daddy's review criticized Gretzky for appearing unemotional about the trade in Kings Ransom, but the reason Gretzky is so composed is that he's discussed this trade a million times. He can't pretend to be as angry about it as, say, Sather was, simply because Sather has had less of a chance to vent in front of a camera. Gretzky has told his side of the story in his own autobiography and Ed Willes' Gretzky to Lemieux. By chance, I've read both over the past two weeks. The story doesn't change, but time (and constant discussion of the deal) has changed Gretzky's mindset. Gretzky's autobiography, written in 1990, reflects a bitter look at the trade. Today, Gretzky can calmly state that he understands why he was traded. That's great for avoiding trouble, but as Puck Daddy states, it takes away from the documentary.

That Kings Ransom barely touches on the successes of the Kings and Oilers is refreshing, as the impact of this trade had nothing to do with anything that happened on the ice. It would have been nice to hear about the 1989 Kings-Oilers playoff series, but I was glad that Kings Ransom was about the trade and not the 1993 Kings. Also, it was nice to show the real aftermath of what happened - while it was true that Pocklington sold Gretzky to raise cash, it is also stated that Bruce McNall bought Gretzky with dirty money.

Kings Ransom really excelled in the subtle areas. The montage of Gretzky highlights at the beginning of the documentary wasn't just any random highlights thrown together. Instead, they told the story of Gretzky's time in Edmonton. Among the goals shown were Gretzky's 50th goal in 39 games, Gretzky's goal to beat Mike Vernon in Game 2 of the 1988 Smythe Division final, Gretzky's 500th goal, and Gretzky's goal to open Game 5 of the 1984 Stanley Cup final. Berg showed his fandom and true understanding of Gretzky's career in this sequence. And I'd be remiss if I didn't tip my cap to ESPN for their handling of this documentary. We do more than our fair share of ESPN bashing in these parts, but they nailed this one. They kept the commercials to an absolute minimum and didn't run a score ticker at the bottom of the screen, even as the AL Central one-game playoff reached extra innings. Best of all, they didn't look down on hockey the way many of us accuse them of doing. Instead, they let Peter Berg tell his story. More than that, they chose Wayne Gretzky and the National Hockey League lead this much-hyped series of documentaries. That says something.

While Kings Ransom isn't a perfect documentary - in no small part because this is a story that we're all familiar with - it does succeed in presenting a familiar story in a different light. It's nice to see a hockey story on ESPN, in high definition, with a famous director using cutting-edge ideas and technology. The documentary does a great job of showing the conflicted nature of all parties involved with the trade; while all express regret on some level about the trade, all admit that the trade was for the best. Berg seems to agree, ending his documentary on the note that three NHL teams call California home. Though that's not all Gretzky's doing, Kings Ransom does an effective job of showing the trade's influence on the NHL and sports in general.

Islanders DVD News?!?

Today is a Rangers day, no question about it. Two out of two in Prague is pretty impressive. Even if you hate the Rangers - and even if you saw how terrible the Lightning were this weekend - you have to give the Rangers credit for winning four straight games in Europe, away from everything familiar to them.

Anyway.

You may recall over the summer, Zach and I created our own dream DVD sets for our respective teams. The Rangers one is here, the Islanders one is here. I always felt bad for people who searched "Islanders DVD" on Google, found our blog, and thought it was real. Sadly, it was just something to do over the summer when nothing else was going on.

Or was it?

Looking at the Islanders' website today, I couldn't help but notice the rather interesting poll on the right-hand side of the page. If you're too lazy to look, it asks which game fans would most like to see on an Islanders DVD box set. The current leader is Game 4 of the 1983 Cup Final, which wasn't all that great of a game. As Wayne Gretzky said in his autobiography, "They scored three goals in two minutes and we spent the rest of the night wondering what our consolation speech would sound like." Of course, if you've heard the story about Gretzky and Kevin Lowe passing by the Islanders' locker room after that game, you know the Oilers' dynasty begun that night. So it's natural to include the Dynasty's final moment of glory on the DVD.

But that's not the point.

This is the point. You don't see polls like this on an official website for no reason. Something tells me the Islanders actually are making a DVD of their history and want some fan input regarding which games to include. To be honest, if they didn't go ahead with this thing after teasing the fans with this poll, I'd be pretty pissed. Let's face it, there's not going to be much good coming out of Islander Country this year. We may as well have some vestiges of the past to enjoy.

In other words: the sooner, the better. Maybe I can finally delete the 1993 Islanders-Penguins Classic Series show from my DVR.

Review - Boss: The Mike Bossy Story

Our sporadic summer reading series continues with a look at Mike Bossy's autobiography.

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Boss: The Mike Bossy Story

Author: Mike Bossy with Barry Maisel

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Release Date: Late 1988

Availability: Out of print; available through Amazon Personal Sellers

"Each time you knock me down, I will get back up and score more goals." -Mike Bossy

Mike Bossy, along with Wayne Gretzky and Pat LaFontaine, was one of my three heroes growing up. I never really got the chance to see Bossy in his prime; in fact, by the time I went to my first game at Nassau Coliseum, Bossy had already retired. Still, as a diehard Islander fan and someone who was very willing to latch onto a star player (and really, what five-year-old isn't?), I developed a very soft spot for Mike Bossy.

I'd heard about his autobiography from a variety of other sources, which was the main inspiration behind my purchase. I'd heard hockey players praise it for the helpful advice it gave them. I'd heard fans say it was a great read. But I'd be lying if I didn't say a major reason I sought this book out is the not-so-glowing review Bossy gets from Wayne Gretzky in his own autobiography (a.k.a. the greatest book ever written). Gretzky goes out of his way to slam Bossy on quite a few occasions, with one of his criticisms being that Bossy names himself to his own all-time team. Naturally, upon receiving this book, the first thing I did was look for that passage.

I didn't find it right away, but when I did, it turns out all Bossy really did was say he was a better player than Jari Kurri. It was a series of comparisons between the Islanders dynasty and the Oilers dynasty, and Bossy certainly didn't seem too intent on sparking any controversy. Looks like he did in the eyes of The Great One. However, the long-rumored part where Bossy claims he always aimed five-hole in order to avoid missing the net was nowhere to be found.

What is in Boss, though, is a comprehensive summary of Bossy's stellar career. A lot of autobiographies contain surprises about their subjects. This one's no different. I always assumed Bossy was this quiet guy who just scored goals. Nope. Turns out he was very outspoken, not only within the clubhouse, but with the media as well. But none of that compares with the pressure he put on himself. We hear all about the goals he set for himself each and every year; some might mistake this for Bossy putting his stats before the team, but he had these lofty expectations in mind so that he could help his team out. Would he ever have broken the rookie scoring record or achieved so much without holding himself to the highest possible standard? Bossy himself doesn't seem to think so.

Bossy devotes an entire chapter to his pursuit of the fifty goals in fifty games mark, something that seems a bit silly after Gretzky himself massacred the record just one year later. But it's synonymous with Bossy's career (Gretzky himself, on the Ultimate Gretzky DVD, praises Bossy for giving the mark so much notoriety), and it deserves considerable mention. After all, before Bossy, only Rocket Richard had pulled it off. So Bossy takes us along for the ride, starting back when it was just a pipe dream and going through all the stress that comes with letting the media know about such a lofty goal. When he finally achieves it, even if you know how it happens, it's hard not to smile.

You get the impression that goals such as fifty in fifty were the only things that could possibly raise Bossy's game. He'd just won his first Cup the year prior; as the Islanders approached the 1981 finals, they openly admited to being mostly concerned with how many games it'd take them to win. You can also see how much it bothered Bossy that he was never considered the game's best player. As Guy Lafleur slowed down, Gretzky took the mantle, leaving Bossy wishing for the recognition he deserved. Bossy describes how hurt he was when Butch Goring won the 1981 Conn Smythe, one of the many awards Bossy was passed over for. So it's no surprise that Bossy devotes an entire chapter, aptly titled "MVP", to the twelve-month span in which he won the MVP award of the Canadian team at the 1981 Canada Cup, the 1982 All-Star Game MVP award, and the 1982 Conn Smythe. Despite having the best goals-per-game average in NHL history, it's astonishing how much hardware Bossy didn't win.

But Boss is about more than Bossy's NHL career. We get a down-and-dirty look at the state of junior hockey in the 1970s, something that many people have heard about, but never really experienced. After reading Bossy's take on the situation, it's clear that the junior game at that time was absolutely revolting. It's sort of easy to see why the juniors are so dirty, with so many players trying to get noticed any way they can, but it can be downright dangerous. Bench-clearing brawls were the norm back then, as were coaches who would demand their players to intentionally injure opponents. Gretzky tells a story in his book where an opposing coach offered his players $2 for each hit laid on The Great One, but that's nothing compared to Bossy's tales. In one particularly disgusting instance, Bossy's coach gave his players amphetamines before a game to enhance their abilities. Sadly, this was just one sign of the times.

After reading about Bossy's struggles in juniors, you can see why he was so adamant about getting rid of fighting in the NHL. But what's really surprising is that he wasn't the only Islander who felt that way. Both Bossy and Bryan Trottier, his close friend and roommate, were heavily against fighting, but Trottier felt Bossy would be a better ambassador for the cause, so Bossy got all the credit (and criticism). Even more shocking than that is that Clark Gillies, considered by some to be one of the best fighters ever, had grown to hate fighting by the time Bossy reached his prime. In fact, Bossy opines that it was Gillies' burgeoning nice-guy nature that caused his skills to erode so quickly; since Gillies refused to play a physical game late in his career, he was unable to be of worth to the Islanders.

Boss also does a good job of showing the human side of Bossy. There are stories about his drunken exploits on the Islanders, his long-term relationship with his wife, who didn't drive or speak English when Bossy was drafted, and his distant relationship from his brothers and sisters. Bossy doesn't shy away from talking about his personal life, but doesn't boast about it as many athletes tend to do while penning their memoirs.

Although Bossy and Gretzky were rivals on and off the ice, their books are remarkably similar. Both are written in a rather informal style and cover the same sort of material - the dirty nature of juniors, learning how to win, and their devotion to their respective teammates. It's almost strange to know that Gretzky would so willingly trash someone so similar to him. And it's remarkable how it almost worked out with those two.

The book closes in 1988, as Bossy concludes his year off from hockey not sure if he'll ever play again. We know that he was forced to retire from his back injuries, which is detailed in the book. However, what not everyone knows - and what might not even be true - is that Kings owner Bruce McNall supposedly tried to recruit Bossy to come to Los Angeles that summer to play with Gretzky, who had just been acquired by the Kings. Imagine Gretzky, Bossy, and Robitaille on the same line! It's a shame it never happened.

If you can find a copy, Boss is highly recommended. There are better books out there, but this one's a bit different than you might expect. If you've ever wanted to know about the behind-the-scenes stuff, like negotiating contracts, self-doubt, and the importance of staying happy in spite of greener pastures, this is an interesting read. If you just like Mike Bossy, you'll enjoy it just the same. And if you'd like to take a look back at the NHL in its so-called Golden Era, Boss is a good place to start.

Review: Ultimate Gretzky DVD Set

Gretzky Week continues with a look at the re-release of "Ultimate Gretzky". Initially issued as a documentary, this four-disc DVD set comes loaded with extras, not to mention five of The Great One's finest games.

Release Date: Initial release in 2003; re-released in 2006

Availability: Amazon, Best Buy, etc.

Price: Approximately $25


In the NHL's perpetual struggle to remain relevant, we've seen other sports pass hockey by in many areas. One of those areas is the availability of older games and old footage. NFL Films does a tremendous job with its footage library; not only is their older coverage well-presented, but it looks great. Major League Baseball has offered broadcasts of classic games on its website for years. The NBA is just about the only sport seen on ESPN Classic. And while the NHL Network has done a great job bridging this gap, perhaps even eliminating it, the network just isn't in the amount of homes necessary for people to take notice.

The other sports have all branched out into the DVD world, something the NHL hasn't exactly done well. While baseball gives us entire World Series on DVD and the NFL and NBA have given very detailed DVDs on most teams, the NHL has given us crap like "NHL's Greatest Goals" and other hour-long fluff pieces that don't really do anything for hardcore fans. We want something more. We want something that does more than remind us of the game's past; instead, we want to relive the past.

Ultimate Gretzky is a significant step forward in this regard. The re-issue contains five classic games from Gretzky's career, but that's only the start. There's an entire side of a disc devoted to extras. And the documentary portion, the crux of the DVD, is extremely well-done.

Let's start with the documentary; after all, this comprises the entirety of the original Ultimate Gretzky. Our "host" is Kiefer Sutherland, the NHL's hired gun when it comes to cross-promotion. The program itself is an interview done with Gretzky (and sometimes his dad) by John Davidson. I'm supposed to hate JD because I'm an Islander fan, but I've always loved his work, and he does a great job here. He lets Gretzky tell the story, and it's clear Gretzky did his homework, which makes for a very compelling tale.

We get a ton of great footage in this documentary portion. Clips of Gretzky playing for the Oilers of the WHA. His greatest and most famous goals. His first time hoisting the Stanley Cup. The reactions of Edmontonians as he was traded to Los Angeles. Gretzky himself says that the footage itself is what he looks to most as he remembers his playing career, and we're very fortunate that so much is available.

But the documentary is so much more than a series of clips. Gretzky has some gems in store for us. He's not as candid as he was in his autobiography, but he says a lot of really interesting things, most of which make a ton of sense. At one point, he's given a chance to trash the state of hockey today, but instead, he diplomatically points out that it's a different game and it's just not as offense-driven as it used to be. He also becomes among the first to state that the only way to increase scoring is to decrease the size of the goaltending equipment. This is one of those moments where you see exactly why Gretzky has been such a great ambassador for the game of hockey.

One of the best parts about this DVD is how balanced it is. It might seem like the DVD starts to crap out after Gretzky scores his 802nd goal, but that's not really the case. Instead, we get to see the things that meant a lot to Gretzky, but don't get a lot of coverage, like the 1999 All-Star Game. There's also extensive coverage of his retirement, the 2002 Olympics, and Gretzky's progression into ownership with Phoenix. How ironic it is that Gretzky becomes part-owner (and later, coach) of a team that wouldn't be anywhere near Phoenix without his influence.

Then, we get to the bonus disc, which is kind of a mish-mash of stuff that didn't make the final cut. We get to see a ton of really cool clips, including ceremonies related to his retirement, his jersey retirement ceremonies in Edmonton and Los Angeles, his wedding, so on and so forth. My personal favorite would have to be the "Pond Of Dreams" short that was shown before the 2000 All-Star Game. It gets me every time. This was so good that ABC actually ran it twice. Can you imagine a network actually going on the air and saying, "Our open was so awesome that we're going to show it to you again."? I don't think so. Anyway, it's on the DVD, along with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the short.

So with all that said, let's get to the games. We'll go in chronological order, just as the DVD does.

- 12.30.81 - Flyers at Oilers. This is the game where Gretzky scores five goals to hit 50 in 39 games. It's your typical 80's affair - tons of scoring and some pretty awful defense - but it's actually a close game that's fun to watch. Also, it's worth noting that the Flyers are wearing Cooperalls - and it's also worth noting that they actually look pretty cool. I'm still trying to figure out how they didn't catch on league-wide.

- 2.8.83 - NHL All-Star Game. Remember back when the Nassau Coliseum was worthy of hosting an All-Star Game? Me neither. I was a whopping sixteen months old when this one aired. It's most well-known for Gretzky's four-goal performance in the third period to win the game for the Campbell Conference. To be honest, it's not all that enjoyable to watch. If you insist on checking it out, just skip to the third period.

- 5.19.84 - Islanders at Oilers. The torch is passed. I'm supposed to hate watching this, but it's a very interesting game. You can tell the Islanders are done and the Oilers have surpassed them in every way. It's also clear how much respect the Oilers had for that Islander team. Islander fans might no love watching the Oilers blow their team out in this one, but it's worth watching for the emergence of Pat LaFontaine, called up after the 1984 Olympics and immediately given valuable minutes.

- 5.29.93 - Kings at Maple Leafs. Here's the famous Game 7 hat trick game. This is one seriously awesome game. Both teams were pretty much stacked at this point in time, but Gretzky carries his team on his back to get the win. One thing Gretzky says about this game in the documentary - the final minute represents the only time in his career he had to beg off from playing because he was too spent. It's also fun to hear the blatantly biased CBC announcers bash Gretzky after his third goal.

- 3.23.94 - Canucks at Kings. Gretzky scores #802 in front of the Kings faithful. It's a great moment, but the entire game was a trifle unnecessary. The ball is dropped even further when it's noted that the ESPN telecast of this game - complete with Gary Thorne's awesome call -isn't used. Instead, it's someone different; apparently, it's the Canucks' feed. How appropriate. Oh, and the Kings don't even win this game, which isn't a surprise, as they only won 27 games that year.

The games, obviously are nice to have, but they certainly could have found some better choices. For example, Game 2 of the 1987 Canada Cup would have been exceptional. Not only have many of us never seen the game, but it's not available elsewhere on DVD. I also would have taken the game when Gretzky breaks the all-time points record; not only does he do it in Edmonton, not only does he break the record with a game-tying goal in the final minute, but he scores the game-winner in overtime as well. Oh well. I guess you can't have it all.

The other thing that drives me crazy about this set? None of the discs have disc numbers on them. So if you're a slob and leave DVDs lying around without putting them away (not that I know anything about this), you end up putting the wrong disc in all the time. Hell, even if you do put the discs back into the case, it's hard to tell which is which. This is one of those stupid things that should have been spotted long before the set's release, but it never happened. Also, the dual-sided discs tend to get dirty and scratched, but it sure beats paying more for extra one-sided discs.

Ultimately, these are minor complaints. The important thing is that we not only have a definitive document of Wayne Gretzky's career, but we have the standard by which all other NHL DVDs should be judged. There's no reason why we can't see similar productions for Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, or anyone the NHL wishes to commemorate. Now that we've seen what a hockey DVD can be, let's see the NHL take the initiative and satisfy its fans.

Review - Gretzky: An Autobiography

As part of our Gretzky Week celebration, we take a look at Bryan's all-time favorite book - Wayne Gretzky's autobiography.

Gretzky: An Autobiography

- Author: Wayne Gretzky with Rick Reilly

- Publisher: HarperCollins

- Release Date: Late 1990/Early 1991

- Availability: Amazon.com Personal Sellers



When I was in fifth grade, I didn't read much. Come to think of it, I didn't read at all. My life revolved around hockey, wrestling, and Super Nintendo. Clearly, there wasn't much room for literary pursuits. That's when my mom stepped in. She thought to herself that if she got me a book about my favorite hockey player, maybe I'd actually read it. And that's how Gretzky: An Autobiography came into my life.

So I read it. A couple hundred times, to be precise. And when I moved out of my house three years ago, I was dismayed because I couldn't find parts of the book. I read it so much the spine cracked, separating this classic tome into a random assortment of pages. Thanks to the wonder of the Internet, though, The Great One is back on my bookshelf where he belongs.

What makes this book so great? I really couldn't tell you. It's hardly a literary masterpiece, though it was ghostwritten by Rick Reilly. There are contradictions and tangents galore, and some things just don't make sense. But there's a certain charm to the book, a casual style I must have picked up on at the ripe age of ten and never relinquished. After all, for all I knew, this is how everyone wrote.

Gretzky is funny and sarcastic when he wants to be - two things most people don't associate with our game's leading scorer. One other thing that I didn't really get the first time around - he was quite bitter about being traded from Edmonton.

Today's autobiographies are controversial, but are done so intentionally. Tiki Barber trashed Tom Coughlin in his book at least partially to give himself credibility heading into his journalistic career. Many of the pro wrestling autobiographies that come out include shots at other wrestlers just to generate a buzz. But Gretzky shoots from the hip. His hatred of Peter Pocklington can barely be concealed. Gretzky tells us that Pocklington gave other teams permission to call The Great One while he was on his honeymoon, that Pocklington's agent threatened to sue Gretzky for $50 million if he didn't re-sign with Edmonton, and that Pocklington's gifts often came with unpaid tax bills that became the responsibility of the recipients. Gretzky also says he will refuse to come back to Edmonton for his jersey retirement or any other special events. Well, he didn't keep that promise, but as they say, time heals all wounds.

Time, however, doesn't stop this book from being a classic. It's an extremely balanced book, one that focuses just as much on the dynasty in Edmonton as it does on Gretzky's first two years in Los Angeles (the book was released around the close of 1990). We hear a lot about Gretzky's self-doubt as he entered into the deal with the Kings and how it was erased by little things, like seeing kids playing roller hockey on the street. Gretzky's take on the future generation is rather interesting, and is most certainly colored by his own experiences as a prodigy who was booed in his own building at age ten.

If you thought you knew everything about Gretzky, you were wrong. Aside from his troubled youth, there are some bits in here that will blow you away. For example, he almost retired after the 1986-87 season and came even closer to skipping that year's Canada Cup. Also, he didn't want to break Gordie Howe's record total of 1,850 points, feeling that the best player ever should have the most points ever. He also tells the story of the time Johnny Carson wanted Gretzky to appear, but it never happened because the NHL refused to pay for his flight out to New York. This is The Great One revealed, or at least as revealing as a book around the turn of the '90s could possibly get.

There are a lot of funny stories in this book, but there's nothing too risque. Which is good, because I think we all want to view Gretzky as a larger-than-life figure. This book does nothing to hurt that mindset. If anything, it enhances it. Gretzky lets us in on his personal life and what was going on behind the scenes, and his honesty is so frank that it reminds us that he's a regular guy. He bashes the NHL's owners regularly, stating that "they have no idea what they're doing," and that they only care about making money. His ten-point guide to saving the NHL is particularly interesting, if only because so many of those things have actually happened. And, in an eerie bit of foreshadowing, he trashes the NHL for bailing on ESPN for SporsChannel America because of the larger payday for the owners. Little did he know how important that would be fifteen years later.

It's hard to find the words to express what makes Gretzky: An Autobiography such a hit in my mind. Sure, part of it is nostalgia, and the fact that I can recite entire chapters doesn't hurt. But I think there's something more. It's Wayne Gretzky as we want him to be - obviously very skilled, but humble and charming. Reading the pages he wrote eighteen years ago, it's easy to see why he helped sell the sport so well.

Clear Out Your DVRs...

It's Gretzky Week on the NHL Network. Hooray!

Folks, this is as good as it gets. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Great One's trade to Los Angeles, the NHL Network has an entire slate of Gretzky-related items for our perusal. It's going to be a fun week.

You can find the schedule here, but here are the highlights...

- Wednesday @ 9 PM - 8.9.88: A Day That Changed The Game. A documentary on the trade. It should be interesting to see how they play this one, given the time that's passed and how much more we know now. I also doubt it can possibly be as candid as Gretzky's own take in his autobiography.

- Wednesday @ 10 PM - Red Wings at Kings, 10.6.88. Gretzky's first game as a King. Kind of a big deal in LA. Fun fact: He scores on his first shot.

- Thursday @ 10 PM - Kings at Oilers, 10.19.88. Gretzky's first game in his old arena. This is still during the time when people believed Gretzky requested the trade. Don't be surprised if the fans don't fawn over him.

- Friday @ 9:30 PM - NHL Cool Shots: Wayne Gretzky. This is an interview that was done to promote his "Ultimate Gretzky" DVD. He reveals some pretty neat stuff about his career and his decision to retire.

- Friday @ 10 PM - Kings at Oilers, 10.15.89. Gretzky breaks the all-time point record... in Edmonton, of all places. Imagine that?

- Saturday @ 7 PM - Kings at Maple Leafs, 5.29.93. Gretzky scores a hat trick in Game 7 of the Campbell Conference Finals to lead the Kings to the Stanley Cup Final. Gretzky calls this the best game he played in the NHL. Hard to argue.

- Saturday @ 10 PM - Canucks at Kings, 3.23.94. Gretzky scores #802. Pray to God that they have the ESPN feed so you get to hear Gary Thorne's amazing call. Also, notice how many ex-Oilers are on the ice when Gretzky scores the goal.

We here at The Rivalry will have our own Gretzky Week celebration, as we'll have reviews of his aforementioned autobiography and DVD set. Both are excellent, as we've come to expect from The Great One. Take a break from the Islanders' endless search for a coach, take a break from the Rangers' fruitless pursuit of Mats Sundin, and enjoy Wayne Gretzky at his finest. Who knows where this great game of ours would be without him and his trade to the Kings?

Rick Tocchet and Sean Avery...

Today, I will be using simplified examples that never actually happened in my life to describe why Rick Tocchet is a backstabber and how Glen Sather might be insane.

* * * 

Let's say I was accused of something in a legal manner. For argument's sake, maybe I ran a gambling ring at my job (for the record, I work at a restaurant as a bartender). Okay, so I'm running this multi-million dollar gambling ring and I get accused, and it comes crashing down on me.

I don't face jail time, but I do get suspended for 2 years from my job. 

While gone, my bar manager supports me fully. I don't receive a paycheck, but he holds my job open while I'm suspended. Imagine that!

Two years to the day later, I return to my job as a bartender.

Four months later, an old friend calls me and tells me he just got put in charge of a new bar, and would like me to be a bartender there. Forsaking my old boss, who treated me very well and stood up for me while the media and the federal court system were against me, I join this new bar.

- - - 

 Tocchet gets suspended for running a gambling ring. Wayne Gretzky holds his position as assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes open for 2 full years, maybe as a "Thank you for not having my wife sent to jail," maybe out of the goodness of the Great One's heart. Who knows. Tocchet returns in February of 2008, only to join Barry Melrose (and Wes Walz) in Tampa Bay when the opportunity arose.

No, I don't know the whole situation. Maybe Gretzky or Coyotes' GM Don Maloney didn't want Tocchet to return. But the way I see it, it is a slap in the face of Gretzky and the whole Phoenix organization the way he handled this. When I first heard Melrose's press conference where he announced Tocchet and Walz as assistant coaches, I thought it was a joke.

And no, that picture isn't of Howie Mandel.

* * * 

Let's say that since the feds shut down my gambling operation, I now own a small, small business. Last year, I was given $50 in which to run this business. This year, however, I am given $56 in which to run it, due to a rise in profits last year.

Now, my seat-filler, my enforcer, my agitator, the guy who helped me so much last year and the year before, wants a raise. Last year, he made $1.90. Paltry, I know. This year, I offered him $2.75 and he wanted a whole $4. I could probably talk him down to around $3.75 or maybe $3.80. 

Once again, he is a seat-filler. He got my business national attention during a competition we had with a New Jersey store. Two years ago, we competed against an Atlanta-based store, and he closed down their best salesman, even goaded him into a fight. That's what I pay him for. Shouldn't I pay him?

- - - 

I like Glen Sather, I do. I think he has done a great job post-lockout, even starting with the "fire sale" of March 2004 (regardless of where Maxim Kondratiev, Josef Balej, and R.J. Umberger are playing now). 

However, he would be terribly remiss to not re-sign Sean Avery. When all is said and done, the NY Rangers are a business. Avery gets butts in seats (yes, they would still sell out without him there... probably), he creates excitement. The Rangers were plastered on TV sets all across the country when he danced in front of Martin "The Whiner" Brodeur in the playoffs this year and when Brodeur wouldn't shake his hand after the series.

He made headlines this week with his article in Men's Vogue. He is constant media fodder.

On top of that, he gets under the skin of every player who plays against him, from Brodeur to Jarkko Ruutu to Jaromir Jagr to Marian "Soon to be Overpaid" Hossa. 

On top of that, he scores. Sather compares him to Chris Kelly of the Senators. Kelly had 30 points in 75 games. Avery had 33 in 57. In 2007, he had 20 points in 29 games and was a +11 with the Rangers. This year in the playoffs, he stepped it up, scoring 7 points in 8 games with only 3 penalties. He has a wicked wrist shot, brings excitement to the team, and as a winger who can play center, has playmaking abilities.

I know you don't come to this blog for breaking news or inside information. Of that, we have little. You probably read elsewhere that the Rangers are 50-20-10 with him and 9-13-3 without him. I don't have to tell you that they went 8-1-1 with him to reach the playoffs in 2007, and 10-0-3 to rally when he was healthy in 2008. You come here because my first word was "Wangers" and because Bryan (my Islander fan friend) was named after a Hall of Fame Islander. We eat and breathe hockey. We've been watching since we were 3 years old. I believe we know more about hockey than any other person we know. 

With that said, I know talent when I see it. Chris Kelly is a marginal player. Ruutu is a pest at best. Ville Nieminen got under people's skin but he couldn't deliver in the points department. 

Avery's closest comparison is probably to Esa Tikkanen. An agitator who can fight and score. A player like him doesn't come along often. Remember when he danced in front of Brodeur? He scored about 15 seconds later.

A player like him doesn't come along often.

If I had a store, and my budget went up 6 dollars, I would gladly spend the 125 cents to bring back my moneymaker. And I would do it before July 1, when other teams can (and would) throw money at him.

Because a player like him doesn't come along very often at all.

The Top Stanley Cup Celebrations

You might have seen the NHL's latest attempt at marketing its product via a television commercial. If so, you're probably just as in awe of it as I am. If you haven't seen it, you'll be surprised to see that it's actually effective. In fact, it might be the best ad the NHL has ever produced. Given the days of the "My NHL" promotional campaign, that's not saying much. But I'd put it up there with the "Pond Of Dreams" from the 2000 All-Star Game - and that's saying something.

Anyway. With the Stanley Cup Finals starting on Saturday, I thought this might be a good time to look at the great Stanley Cup celebrations of our time. It's one thing to win the Cup; it's an entirely different thing to celebrate the win in style. A good celebration can put the whole thing over the top and make it that much more memorable. There are a few characteristics that make for a great Cup celebration...

- A superstar or veteran winning his first Cup. Seeing a player with the Stanley Cup held proudly above his head completely changes his perception. Whereas before he might have been a good player, he's now a winner. His name is going to be on that Cup forever. His fans will never forget that he helped bring the Cup to their city. And, as they say, the first Cup is always the best.

- The home team wins. Sure, winning a Stanley Cup is always special. But on the road, it sort of loses some of its luster. The crowd might give a polite round of applause, but it's a far cry from the boisterous scene of a hometown victory. There's nothing like watching the captain raising the Cup for the first time in front of a raucous crowd. You will never hear a louder roar in an arena than when the Stanley Cup is awarded.

- The deciding game is close. Ideally, the game would end on an overtime goal to win the Cup, but that's far from likely. Instead, the closest you'd get is a game that goes down to the final minute, where an empty-net goal sets thae celebration off. A blowout win takes away from the spontaneity of the celebration, which many times is the best part.

With these rules in mind, let's look at the top five Cup celebrations of the past twenty-five years.

---

5: 1987 Edmonton Oilers/1998 Detroit Red Wings





These ones are special for what happens immediately after the Cup is given to the captain. Usually, the Cup goes from the captain to one of the alternate captains or one of the big stars. In these cases, though, the second recipient meant a little bit more. In 1987, Gretzky received the Stanley Cup for the third time and gave it right to Steve Smith, whom most blamed for the Oilers' loss to the Flames the previous year. Eleven years later, Steve Yzerman gave the Cup to Vladimir Konstantinov, who was involved in a serious car accident just days after the Red Wings' Cup win in 1997. Kudos to the Washington fans for recognizing this and applauding appropriately.

---

4: 1995 New Jersey Devils


You probably didn't think you'd be seeing the Devils on here, did you? And it's not just to show that once upon a time, people actually did attend games in New Jersey. At this point in time, the crowd was absolutely rocking - the camera shook non-stop during the game itself. Also, they were a great story, upsetting the heavily favored Red Wings. My favorite part is not the Cup presentation to Scott Stevens, but the Conn Smythe being awarded to Claude Lemieux. Not only is it imperative to recognize one of the greatest playoff performers of all-time, but to see the emotion on his face is powerful stuff. People love to say he doesn't respect the game, but it's clear from this scene that he truly appreciated the honor.

---

3: 2006 Carolina Hurricanes


There's just something about this one that gets me. Maybe it's because it had been two years since the Cup was awarded. Maybe it's because it was so nice to see hockey succeed in a non-traditional market. But it's probably because so many veterans that had never won a Stanley Cup were winners here. Rod Brind'Amour, Glen Wesley, Doug Weight, Bret Hedican... the list goes on and on. Not to mention the heroics of Cam Ward and Erik Cole, who was supposed to be out for the season months prior. Seeing the crowd go nuts after Justin Williams' empty-netter still gives me chills.

---

2: 1994 New York Rangers


Sorry, Ranger fans, but you just barely got nudged out of the top spot. This was the last Stanley Cup Final to be broadcast on regional TV, which means we get the call of Sam Rosen and John Davidson (yes, this is the one time when Gary Thorne takes a back seat to anybody else). To hear Rosen, a lifelong Ranger fan, and the former Ranger Davidson cherish the moment is something special. Obviously, the rest of the celebration is just beyond compare; even us Islander fans can't help but appreciate it. Sure enough, on WFAN's list of the top twenty moments of their twenty-year history, New York - a baseball town at heart - picked the Rangers' Stanley Cup win in 1994 as their most cherished memory.

---

1: 2001 Colorado Avalanche


Now you see why the Rangers didn't take the top spot. As we all know, the 2001 Cup will always be remembered as the moment Ray Bourque finally got to hoist the Cup. Joe Sakic can't wait to dump the Cup off on Bourque so he can finally experience what he's dreamed about for his entire career. Good luck keeping your composure as you watch this - especially around the 2:12 mark. It's getting dusty in here just thinking about it.

---

So there you have it - some of the finest moments in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. Here's hoping for another wonderful memory or two to add to the list in the next two weeks.

An Open Letter to Bryan... (updated @ 9:27 a.m.)

Bryan, I know you were born an Islander fan. I know your dad named you after Bryan Trottier. Now, I offer you this, a chance to hop on the bandwagon. This may be the only chance I get.

Let's look at your team. This is meant with as little offense as possible. I'm just stating facts.

1) Kyle Okposo is the biggest prospect the Islanders have drafted since... Roberto Luongo, Bryan McCabe, Wade Redden, JP Dumont, Cory Stillman, Todd Bertuzzi, and Brett Lindros. Okposo will not be traded. That said, he debuted to 2,500 people on the same night Sean Avery scored two goals against Pittsburgh at the Garden.

2) The best goal of the year was scored by a guy (Rob Davison) who was traded for a 7th round pick. As far as I know, they don't make 8th round picks to trade.

3) Your franchise goalie is injured in his hip for the second straight year. What's going to happen 7, 8, or 9 years from now? Hip injuries take their toll. Ask Jaromir Jagr. He hasn't been the same since injuring his hip in the 2006 Turin Olympics. Henrik won a gold medal that year. He is healthy. He is one of the top 3 goaltenders in the world.

4) The last playoff series won by the Islanders was 1993. Pierre Turgeon was their superstar then. Remember when #77 was relevant? Me neither. Since then, the Broadway Blueshirts have won a Stanley Cup, watched Mark Messier create history, watch Wayne Gretzky score a playoff hat trick, miss 7 years of playoffs, and storm back to bring President's Trophy-winning Buffalo to the brink.

5) The fan favorite on the Islander team is... ? I don't know. The Rangers have Lundqvist and Sean Avery, preceded by Jed Ortmeyer.

And this is the big one...

6) In the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, the Islanders went 6th. With the 5th selection, the Penguins took Jaromir Jagr. With the 6th pick, the Islanders took Scott Scissons. Names still available - Derian Hatcher (8th), Keith Tkachuk (19), Martin Brodeur (20), Doug Weight (34), Mikael Renberg (40), Sergei Zubov (85), Robert Lang (133), and Petr Bondra (156).

Scott Scissons played 2 NHL games and never had a point. Not that the Rangers did better that year. Picking at unlucky 13, they took Michigan State's defenseman Michael Stewart, who was one of only 2 first round picks that year to never step onto NHL ice (Edmonton's was the other).

**

I know, I know. 1980. 81. 82. 83. Those were great years. But, I wasn't even born when the Islanders won the last Cup. The one thing the Islanders have over the Rangers is the pretzel twist. That's a good snack. $9 at the Coliseum gets you a nice diet soda and a pretzel twist. You can't beat that with a cotton candy stick.

So, B, what do you say? Hop on, just for the playoffs. Who knows? Maybe you'll see something you like? I'd love to have you on my team. We agree on football and baseball. Why should we fight over hockey?