Around the League: Season's Greetings

Hockey season started and stuff.

Sorry guys, we really dropped the ball for a while there.

Really though, this season is off to a solid start, and for what its worth, we're coming back to blogging with a vengeance*.  Some points of interest from this young season so far after the jump.



*Vengeance is subject to change.  Make the jump, like a boss.

NYI Grabner Signs Extension

The New York Islanders announced that they have resigned rookie sensation Michael Grabner.  The contract appears to be a 5 year deal that is worth $15 million dollars.

The speedy winger led all rookies and the Islanders with 34 goals.  Grabner announced this deal just hours ago via his twitter.

This deal comes just after the Islanders announced their plans to build a new arena which would replace the 39 year old Nassau Coliseum.  It would appear that the Islanders are getting serious and trying to prove to their fans that they are trying to field a winning team.  The signing of Grabner was a great start to that, as he is a huge piece to the Islanders puzzle.

Brooks Bratten on the Upcoming Islanders/Pens Rematch

Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins remember what occurred on February 11^th of this year. They remember Matt Martin applying a sucker punch that barely missed the skull of Max Talbot. They remember Trevor Gillies throwing a flying elbow into the face of Eric Tangradi, and then continuing to throw punches on the defenseless winger as he lay on the ice. They remember Michael Haley goading Brent Johnson into his second brawl in nine days, and Eric Godard coming off of the bench to protect his goaltender.

The massacre on Long Island is still fresh in my mind, and I imagine I am not the only fan of the flightless fowl that shares these vivid images. That game was scary to watch. It was frightening to come to the realization that what I was witnessing was not hockey; not the game I love, but a gongshow that has no place in professional sports.

The thing that scares me now is that there is still one more visit to Long Island looming on the calendar. Friday night, the Penguins will faceoff at the Nassau Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, against the Islanders.

Jake's Take: Violence in the NHL

If you've been paying attention to the hockey world (I would assume you have considering the site) than you know of the unfortunate accident between Zdeno Chara and Max Pacioretty. As an objective fan of hockey and as someone who has played the sport for most of his life, I can tell you one thing I have learned throughout all of my experiences.

Shit happens.

It is a terribly unfortunate accident that Max Pacioretty broke a vertebra and may be out for the rest of the season, let alone his career, however, after watching the video countless times, Chara showed no intention of hitting Pacioretty into the meridian. It was an unfortunate circumstance that is all too familiar in hockey.


Which brings me to my next point.

Violence in the NHL sure has seemed to be getting a lot of attention in the NHL ever since the season hit midway through this year. Now, as some of you know, I am a die-hard Penguins fan. I love the team, the organization and just about everything about them. I’ve grown up with them; my father has grown up with them and as most of you know my brother has grown up with them. So, while I may have a few certain biases to the Penguins, I leave them at the door when I am either on Ice Talk or on this site. I tell you this because of the subject we’re on.

Make the jump for more of my take

NHL Dishes Out Suspensions

The NHL has chosen to suspend 3 players and fine the New York Islanders organization $100,000 following Friday's brawl between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders.

INCIDENT: Islanders forward Matt Martin sucker punches Penguins forward Max Talbot at center ice.

Poor quality, but you get the picture.  Martin suspended 4 game.

Tonight's Other Two Trades

In the hours following today's Anaheim-Toronto trade, there were 2 additional deals announced, one relatively big one relatively small. Trades today involved players going from Chicago to Florida, and from the Islanders to the Phoenix Coyotes, with a grand total of six players and one draft pick moving today.

Read on for details...