Wednesday Wrap Up: Scotty Bowman Turns Down Toronto

Toronto; you will never get this, you will never get it, la la la la la la. AP

• Scotty Bowman does not want to be a part of your Cup drought: Today, the Toronto Sun is reporting that Bowman has turned down an offer to join Toronto in an executive role. The Sun names former Sens GM John Muckler as the leading candidate for the job... and I'm sure hiring Muckler would go over really well with the fans.
• Here's a list of all the available free agents, thanks to SI.
• The turnover continues in Boston: TSN is reporting that the Bruins have fired assistant GM Jeff Gorton and scout Daniel Dore. (Edit: And by the way, I'm calling it right now. Mike Milbury will be back in Boston before opening night.)
• Keith Tkachuk is back in St. Louis: The Blues received Tkachuk from Atlanta along with a conditional fourth round pick next year for a conditional first round pick yesterday. If you remember, he was traded to Atlanta for Glen Metropolit, first and third round picks in 2007 and a second round pick in 2008 back on February 25th. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the trade was a good move for the Thrashers, who would have had to give up a first rounder if they re-signed Tkachuk before July 1st. The article goes on to say that the Thrashers are the leading candidate to re-sign Tkachuk and increased their chances with the move. While that may be true, I highly doubt St. Louis would have made this deal if they thought that they would not be able to ink the 35-year old.
  
• Maybe it's time to quit your day job: Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot has won a seat in the World Series of Poker, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting. For those of you not familiar with poker, that's pretty damn impressive. Anyone can buy a seat for $10,000, but to actually win a seat, is quite a feat. I would say that a comparable accomplishment would be getting drafted by an NHL team in the first or second round... Something Talbot has not accomplished.
  
• SI FanNation still doesn't care: It sure seems to me that the NHL folks at SI FanNation don't give a rats ass about hockey. A while back, I told you that FanNation seems to have a problem with getting things right in regards to their hockey coverage. Apparently, that is still the case. Could someone please tell them what Ryan Smyth looks like!?
  
• Where are they now? The Hanson brothers.
• Bill Simmons and hockey is a deadly combination: You've probably seen it by now, the Sports Guy did a blog of the draft last Friday. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's pretty entertaining. There was one point that got me thinking;

  "6:03: Hmmmm ... the Rangers already had a sweater ready with Cherepanov's name on the back. That's a little fishy. How did they know a top-five guy would slip to No. 17? If Esposito "drops" to the Penguins at No. 20 [BMR: which he did], we'll have moved right into the Fishy Zone -- two marquee teams "fortunately" getting two marquee prospects? Even David Stern wouldn't have been this blatant. Then again, this would mean Bettman is working to make the league better and more interesting. Scratch that thought."

  It's a funny point, but it really got me thinking. Could Bettman have purposely put Cherepanov in the NHL's biggest American market, and Esposito along side the league's best young players in Pittsburgh? It makes all too much sense, but it's completely improbable. There is no way you can get so many teams to pass on these guys, unless they simply have no interest in drafting them. It would cost too much to pay off that many teams, and if Bettman really wanted this scenario to play out, he would have just rigged the lottery. Oh wait, didn't the NBA already do that?

Sunday Wrap Up: New Jerseys, Possibly the Most Interesting Part of the Weekend

• Awkward jersey designs: Feedback is still coming in about the new jerseys the league is using for next season. The Blue Jackets have put a really awkward looking collar on theirs... Oh and, I don't know about getting Malhotra on the back of it. It's about that time again.
  
• More jersey madness: The Capitals went old school in their jersey design, and it looks pretty neat to me.
• A complete listing of all the draft picks: SI.com.
• You know, we could have sexual intercourse right now. Yes, yes we could. But lets not: Apparently, Manny Fernandez was a few minutes away from going to Boston, but the Wild didn't want to take on Glen Murray's $4 million dollar deal.
• The newspaper that puts the iladelp in Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Oilers are trying to obtain the rights to Scott Gomez from the Devils. They would then trade those right to Philly for Joni Pitkanen. That makes my head hurt.
• From the mouth of Larry Brooks: The New York Post's Larry Brooks always has a lot of information to convey, but take it for what it's worth. Today's highlights; Mark Messier is being controversial (wow, really?)... Alexei Yashin may opt to play overseas if he doesn't see a nice enough NHL contract (good riddance)... And Brett Hull may have been let go by NBC because the NHL doesn't like his commentary...

The Derek Zoolander Draft Recap For People Who Can't Read Good

...or just like looking at pictures better.

#1 Patrick Kane (RW) - Chicago Blackhawks

Ryan Remiorz/CP

#2 James Van Riemsdyk (LW) - Phildelphia Flyers

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

#3 Kyle Turris (C) - Phoenix Coyotes

Marc Serota/Getty Images

#4 Thomas Hickey (D) - Los Angeles Kings

Marc Serota/Getty Images

#5 Karl Alzner (D) - Washington Capitals

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

#6 Sam Gagner (C) - Edmonton Oilers

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

#7 Jakob Voracek (C) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Marc Serota/Getty Images

#8 Zach Hamill (C) - Boston Bruins

Jay LaPrete/AP

#9 Logan Couture (C) - San Jose Sharks

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

#10 Keaton Ellerby (D) - Florida Panthers

Marc Serota/Getty Images

#11 Brandon Sutter (C) - Carolina Hurricanes

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

#12 Ryan McDonagh (D) - Montreal Canadiens

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

#13 Lars Eller (LW) - St. Louis Blues

Jay LaPrete/AP

#14 Kevin Shattenkirk (D) - Colorado Avalanche

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

#15 Alex Plante (D) - Edmonton Oilers

Marc Serota/Getty Images

more cleaning up of the wreckage that the draft left behind to come...

Let's Make Ethnocentric Comments on National Television!

Things even Brett Hull wouldn't say...

What if we replaced all on-air talent with monkeys? Would the monkeys make off color comments? TSN

Maybe it's because I'm not Canadian. Maybe I'm just too sensitive to oddly phrased questions. Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing. Any of those reasons could easily explain my distress.

TSN's James Duthie took journalists everywhere down a peg or two tonight. During TSN's draft coverage, he had the cojones to ask Coyotes GM and living legend Wayne Gretzky if he drafted Kyle Turris for the sheer reason that Turris is Canadian.

Yeah. He went there.

(Check it out by forwarding to the 4:25 mark of this video.)

It just makes me cringe; the mere suggestion that any NHL GM would select a player in the draft based on the player's national origin. Even the Great One laughed at the question; Would he 'Canadianize' his team due to the Ducks successes with a large number of Canadians on their squad? Forget about Anaheim's unique style of play and their checking line that doubles as a scoring line. No, it's obvious the reason for their success is all those Canadians on the ice. After all, no other NHL team has Canadians on it, much less a whole bunch of them!

I guess Duthie may have thought he was asking a pretty good question. A 'unique' attempt at 'serious' journalism. That is, if 'talking heads' can be considered serious journalism, and as high on the totem pole as polished MSM print writers (my apologies to those who dabble in both practices).

Maybe the reason for such an offbeat question could be that Duthie was a little bit perturbed that Americans had gone #1 and #2 in the draft for the first time ever, following up Yankee-blooded Erik Johnson's #1 selection in 2006. Maybe he thought to himself, 'Good ol' Wayne, he's making sure we get a Canadian high up on that draft board!'

Whatever the case, it's over the line in my mind.

Think about it. What if Chris Berman had asked an NFL GM if his selection of an African American player was based on race? What if Peter Gammons asked an MLB GM if he selected a player because he was Dominican? The San Antonio Spurs just won the NBA title with a boat load of international players on their roster. Obviously, the smart thing for other teams to do is suddenly load their rosters with internationals. Personally, I don't think there is that much of a difference between these examples and what Duthie said.

But that's me. I could just be crazy. I do have a history of making big deals out of small things. Very. Small. Things.

To clear one thing up; Yes, Alexei Cherepanov dropped in the draft partially because he's Russian. The difference is that the reasoning behind that had a lot more to do with the lack of a transfer agreement with Russia and questions about his personal characteristics. It wasn't because he is Russian. It's because he is in Russia.

Your Obligatory Mock Draft

This could get pretty ugly…

As you all know, I don’t have much talent as a prognosticator. I’m still hurting from the whooping I took thanks to my SC Finals prediction. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t even make predictions if it wasn’t for the spectacle and the laughs that you probably get out of it. That being said, what good is a blog if the author doesn’t randomly spout off opinions?

I feel almost obligated to follow the lead of the general populous, and write about those topics that everyone feels the need to chime in on with their two cents. You know, everyone’s got their preseason predictions and playoff projections. This time of year, the favorite topic around the internets is the mock draft. It seems as if everyone and their uncle’s neighbor’s cat has made and talked to no end about their mock draft. So, I present to you BMR’s mock draft. Take its opinions at your own risk. While you’re at it, take a shot, too. It makes everything that much more fun!

Of course, there are all sorts of trades that will happen between now and draft time. I’m going to ignore those possibilities to keep from going in way over my head.

Pick #	Team	Projected Pick
1	Chicago Blackhawks	Patrick Kane – Kane is #1 on a lot of draft boards, but it’s not a lock. Let’s face it, Chicago needs a lot of help, but offense is probably their biggest need. If they keep the pick, they should go with the guy who has the biggest offensive upside. He’s also a player who can (and should) make the jump right now.
2	Philadelphia Flyers	James Van Riemsdyk – It’s a tough call for Philly between Turris and Reemer, but the latter is probably the better fit. Both have tremendous upsides, but Reemer probably won’t impact the league this season. The Flyers can afford to wait, even if their fans may say otherwise. They have added Hartnell, Timonen and Biron already, and who knows what tricks they have up their sleeve for July 1st. They’re already improving and should continue to do so throughout the off season.
3	Phoenix Coyotes	Kyle Turris – This is essentially a three man draft, if you count the fact that teams might be scared to take Cherepanov, thanks to the lack of a transfer agreement (and reports about his effort level). At this point, there’s no doubt Turris is the best player left. It’s a no brainer for Phoenix, if he’s still around.
4	Los Angeles Kings	Alexei Cherepanov – The Kings have taken a European in the first round three out of the last five years, and somehow I think they wouldn’t be afraid to take Cherepanov. He’s got tremendous upside, including the highlight of breaking Pavel Bure’s Russian rookie scoring record. Los Angeles also needs a RW, and he fits the bill.
5	Washington Capitals	Sam Gagner – Another one that should be a no brainer. Gagner is a playmaker who may be able to step into the NHL soon. Who better to put alongside Ovechkin and Semin?
6	Edmonton Oilers	Karl Azner – Washington and Los Angeles need a blue liner too, but Azner could drop given the lack of top tier defensemen available (to be specific, none). Edmonton needs help defensively, and they’ll get it with Azner. He’s no Pronger, but he should be solid for years to come. Yikes, I just said the P word to Oiler fans. Sorry!
7	Columbus Blue Jackets	Keaton Ellerby – At 6’4” Ellerby would be a great addition to the Columbus blue line. They could use a big body to go along with Rusty Klesla. Hopefully Ellerby can bulk up.
8	Boston Bruins	Jakub Voracek – The word is that Voracek is a real “good guy.” He’s also a big guy who can make plays and should be able to jump in right away. I think the Bruins have their man.
9	St. Louis Blues	Logan Couture - The Blues need offense. Plain and simple. This guy should help bolster their corps of forwards, and they should be getting great value. If it wasn’t for Couture’s bout with mononucleosis, he might have been a top five pick.
10	Florida Panthers	Brandon Sutter – The word is that Sutter could easily move over and become a winger. If that’s possible, then he fits in nicely in Florida. They’re lacking any real size on the wing, and the Todd Bertuzzi experiment didn’t go as planned, so Sutter should be a nice addition.
11	Carolina Hurricanes	Kevin Shattenkirk - Carolina’s biggest need, as with a lot of teams in this draft, is a defenseman. Shattenkirk is captain of the US U-18 team, and how can you pass up a guy with the skills and the ability to lead?
12	Montreal Canadiens	Angelo Esposito – If he falls this far – and there’s a good chance – the Habs have to take the home town boy with a famous bloodline.
13	Toronto Maple Leafs	Mikael Backlund – Mats Sundin is on the outs in Toronto. Not next year, and probably not the one after that, but his time is coming. Potentially, they could replace him with another Swedish center in Backlund. Just had to point out an interesting storyline there. Anyway, Backlund is probably the best available at this point. The Leafs are pretty deep all around, and would probably rather have a defenseman, but I think any blue liners worthy of the #13 pick are gone at this point .
14	Colorado Avalanche	Maxim Mayorov – If you’re not afraid of that transfer agreement, you’d probably want to take this guy. I might be overvaluing him a bit, but he’s #8 overall on ISS and is still available. I think a risk could pay off here, and the Avs have a ton of young talent as it is. They can afford it. But who am I kidding, no one’s going to have the cajones to take him this high.
15	Edmonton Oilers	Lars Eller - If I hadn’t already picked the Oilers to take Azner, I would of pegged them on Petrecki here (look for that if they don’t get a d-man at the #6 spot). That being said, Eller is another talented European and may be better than Mayorov. He’s the safer pick, and if Colorado doesn’t take him, Edmonton will.

The NHL Draft Keg Party: Alexei Cherepanov

Here at BMR we try to provide you, the reader, with as educational and entertaining a look at the NHL as possible. In preparation for the NHL Draft, today we continue with a feature entitled 'The NHL Draft Keg Party'. The goal of this feature is to provide you with information about the prospects that you haven't heard already. Hopefully, this will be a fun and entertaining endeavor. (Disclaimer)

Alexei Cherepanov TSN

Prospect Profile: Alexei Cherepanov

Birth date: January 15, 1989

Birthplace: Barnaul, Russia

Position: Right Wing

Height/Weight: 6'0" / 183lb

Shoots: Left

Current Team: Avangard Omsk (RSL)

ISS Ranking: #4 overall

CSB Ranking: #1 Europe

[McKeen's Profile]

BMR Scouting Report

Alexei Cherepanov will break you. At least that's what I half expected the scouting report to say.

Well, I'm going to digress from dumb jokes about Russian people. Life isn't like those Rocky movies. The point is that there is the serious possibility that Cherepanov could be a one man wrecking crew in the NHL, and potentially one of the best players to ever come out of the former USSR. It's far from certain, but it's a possibility after Cherepanov set the rookie scoring record in the Russian Super League. He broke Pavel Bure's record, a total that was never matched by Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin, and many others.

As it turns out Cherepanov doesn't have a MySpace, Facebook or place to find out fun information about him (as far as I know). Not cool Alexei, not cool. To try and make it up to you, please enjoy these YouTube highlights of Cherepanov.

The NHL Draft Keg Party: Colton Gillies

Here at BMR we try to provide you, the reader, with as educational and entertaining a look at the NHL as possible. In preparation for the NHL Draft, today we continue with a feature entitled 'The NHL Draft Keg Party'. The goal of this feature is to provide you with information about the prospects that you haven't heard already. Hopefully, this will be a fun and entertaining endeavor. (Disclaimer)

Colton Gillies Facebook

Prospect Profile: Colton Gillies

Birthdate: February 12, 1989

Position: Center

Height/Weight: 6'4" / 194lb

Shoots: Left

Current Team: Saskatoon (WHL)

ISS Ranking: #12 overall

CBS Ranking: #30 North America

[Hockey's Future Profile]

Favorite Music: Rise Against

Favorite TV Show: House

Quotes: "theres nothing like a dream to create the future"

"In the end, its not the years in your life that count. Its life in years."

Famous Father Uncle: Clark Gillies, who helped lead the New York Islanders to four Stanley Cups.

BMR Scouting Report

As it turns out, the Central Scouting Bureau doesn't like our boy Colton too much. It's a pretty interesting disparity as compared to his ISS ranking of #12 overall. If you're looking for a tie breaker, TSN didn't place in him the top 15 of their Mock Draft. That's fine, since I'm perfectly alright with Gillies falling down the draft board to the Islanders. If his dad uncle won four cups with them, who says Colton can't? After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. OK, maybe he'll only win three Cups with the Isles.

Either way, what I do know is that he plays a style similar to his father uncle. He's a big guy who likes to throw his weight around, and is solid defensively. The scouts say that Gillies is going to need to bulk up, but what 18-year old doesn't? If this kid can improve offensively, watch out.

Tuesday Wrap Up: It's Kinda Hard Bein' Snoop D-O Double G

Where have all the cowboys hockey games gone?

More fun with Snoop Dogg and future draft picks! Facebook

It's been a long, busy Tuesday afternoon in June, and there's a lot of NHL news to catch up on. Seriously. How crazy is that? A busy news day in June. It's almost as if the off-season doesn't exist anymore, which depending on your point of view could be a great thing.

• First things first: This isn't hockey related, but that doesn't really matter. Some sad news, Terry Hoeppner, the head football coach at Indiana University, died today at the age of 59. He fought through an awful lot, and should be an inspiration to all.
  
• Your obligatory mock draft round up: The NHL draft starts on Friday, and everyone and their cousin's, best friend's, dog has a mock draft up on their website. You can see what the folks over at TSN have to say, or you can take a look at Alan Muir's (from SI) predictions.
  
• Poaching the Predators: Nashville reacquired it's first round pick, traded to Philly in the Forsberg deal, after sending Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to Philly. The Flyers have reportedly signed both Timonen and Hartnell, who are UFAs to be... James Mirtle brings up a great point. Chances are the Flyers would not have done this deal if they knew that they wouldn't be able to sign these players. Tampering, anyone?
• An Eastern Conference title just isn't enough: In a typical NHL managerial move, the Sens have let GM John Muckler go, handing over the title to coach Bryan Murray. Yes, this Bryan Murray. Rejoice! There will be no more whining in Ottawa!
• The Bruins did not hire Mike Milbury... Yet: I had my money on the guy, too. Anyway, the Bruins have hired Claude Julien to replace ex-coach Dave Lewis. A huge upgrade, as Julien essentially coached the Devils to the Atlantic Division title this season before Lou Lamoriello had to jump in and take all the credit.
• Someone over at the Canadian Press is trying to write action movies: Doesn't this sound like an opening to the trailer of some hockey/action/thriller movie?
  

  "The Anaheim Ducks knew they might lose veteran winger Teemu Selanne if they won the Stanley Cup. But losing superstar defenceman Scott Niedermayer was never in the cards.

  Until now."

• The latest on Jose Theodore, although you probably stopped caring in November: The Denver Post has a sneaking suspicion that Jose Theodore and his $6 million dollar cap hit will not be bought out, but we sort of already figured out that what would happen.
  
• He has the greatest last name in hockey: That's right, after all these big news stories were lumped together, I gave Derek Boogaard his own post. The man introduced us to his camp for fighting, a kid's dream, and I think the least we can do to thank him is by glorifying the dropping of his assault charges. Besides, by the time you stumble over to BMR, chances are you've heard all there is to hear about Murray, Niedermayer and the Preds/Flyers trade. Someone has got to pick up the scraps.

The NHL Draft Keg Party: Patrick Kane

Here at BMR we try to provide you, the reader, with as educational and entertaining a look at the NHL as possible. In preparation for the NHL Draft, today we continue with a feature entitled 'The NHL Draft Keg Party'. The goal of this feature is to provide you with information about the prospects that you haven't heard already. Hopefully, this will be a fun and entertaining endeavor. (Disclaimer)

No, we didn't paste a picture of Kane over James Van Riemsdyk. Kane loves the Miller Lite girls too. Who doesn't? Facebook

Prospect Profile: Patrick Kane

Birthdate: November 19, 1988

Position: Right Wing

Height/Weight: 5'10" / 160lb

Shoots: Left

Current Team: London (OHL)

ISS Ranking: #1 overall

CSB Ranking: #2 North America

[NHL Connect Profile] [Hockey's Future Profile]

Nickname: Kaner

Jersey Number: He wears 88, for his birth year. Not for Eric Lindros, thank goodness.

Favorite TV Show: Prison Break

Favorite Movie: Wedding Crashers

Favorite Actor: Will Ferrell

Favorite NHL Team: Buffalo Sabres

Most Memorable NHL Moment: Take a deep breath Sabres fans. You know what's coming. Kane's most memorable moment is Brett Hull's foot-in-the-crease spectacular during Game six of the 1999 finals.

BMR Scouting Report

Today, we preview the handsome young man that you see above, who is arm in arm with some beautiful Miller Lite girls. For all you grandmas reading out there, please, don't try and pinch his cute little cheeks. It's the internet.

Speaking of grandparents, Kane is an old man compared to the many of the players in this year's draft. Born in November 1988, he is nearly a year older than many of the other players in this year's draft. Watch out, though. Grandpa Kane can skate with the best of them. The knock on him coming into the season was his age as compared to the other prospects, but an outstanding season in the OHL (62-83-145) silenced those critics.

Many scouts believe that Chicago would be pretty dumb to not take Kane with the first overall selection, and I concur. With all do respect to the prospects that have already been profiled on this blog, Kane possesses the best off the ice assets out of any of them. There's no sign that he has any affection for John Mayer or Jack Johnson (hopefully, he's into Slayer, or some other ridiculous band that literally kicks ass), and he likes Prison Break (no sign of the OC either), Wedding Crashers and Will Ferrell. That's what I'm talking about! A guy who likes Ferrell and is probably tough as nails just from watching Prison Break? Say no more. He's my #1 pick, hands down.

And no, I didn't just copy and paste pictures of Kane over James Van Riemsdyk. It just so happens that they are both down with Snoop Dizzle and the Miller Lite girls. Fuckin' A, boys. Fuckin' A.

The NHL Draft Keg Party: James Van Riemsdyk

Here at BMR we try to provide you, the reader, with as educational and entertaining a look at the NHL as possible. In preparation for the NHL Draft, today we continue with a feature entitled 'The NHL Draft Keg Party'. The goal of this feature is to provide you with information about the prospects that you haven't heard already. Hopefully, this will be a fun and entertaining endeavor. (Disclaimer)

Even the Miller Lite girls know this guy is dynamite. Facebook

Prospect Profile: James Van Riemsdyk

Birthdate: May 4, 1989

Position: Left Wing

Height/Weight: 6'3" / 200lb

Shoots: Left

Current Team: US National Team Developmental Program

ISS Ranking: #2 overall

CSB Ranking: #3 North America

[NHL Connect Profile] [Hockey's Future Profile]

Nickname: Reemer

Favorite TV Show: The OC

Favorite Movie: Happy Gilmore

Favorite Music: John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Bruce Spingsteen, OAR

Quote: "Success is never final, and failure is never fatal." - Nick Saban

Post Draft Plans: University of New Hampshire

Favorite NHL Memory: Game seven of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals (Rangers defeat the Canucks)

BMR Scouting Report

From all accounts Van Riemsdyk sounds like a great kid. I've got a beef, though. Some of his favorite TV shows and musicians include John Mayer, Jack Johnson and the OC. That's a minus in my book. That makes two prospects in a row that enjoy some Mayer and Johnson. I sincerely hope hockey players aren't starting to go soft. Maybe this is why fighting is down? I think there's a good chance that we can blame the OC for a lot of things happening in the NHL. It's possible that the Sens came out flat in the Finals because they were staying up too late watching OC reruns, a show that they didn't start watching until they started hanging out with Buffalo in the Conference Finals! Ah ha! That must be it!... Since I live a stone's throw from where the Islanders paraded four Stanley Cups, it's tough for me to swallow that Van Riemsdyk is a Ranger fan. That being said, the guy can play some serious hockey, and he can have a spot on the Island any day. You know, shit happens... One thing is certain; this kid is going to be good. You can tell me that the draft is a crap shoot. You can tell me Van Riemsdyk will be the next Alex Daigle. Don't waste your breath. I won't believe any of it for a second. Take a look at the picture accompanying this post and think about this; Did the Great One or Super Mario ever have a picture like that surface prior to their 18th birthday? I don't think so (and if they did I want to see it!).

By the way, if Gary Bettman starts using the OC as an excuse for expansion, remember that you heard it here first.

UPDATE: As it turns out, Van Riemsdyk is down with Snoop Dizzle. That seals it, there is NO WAY Chicago can pass on this guy.

Sources: Facebook, NHL.com, TSN

The NHL Draft Keg Party: Kyle Turris

Here at BMR we try to provide you, the reader, with as educational and entertaining a look at the NHL as possible. In preparation for the NHL Draft, allow me to present to you a new feature entitled 'The NHL Draft Keg Party'. The goal of this feature is to provide you with information about the prospects that you haven't heard already. Hopefully, this will be a fun and entertaining endeavor.

Before the floor is opened for criticism, let me say a few things. We're not out to try and slander these kids or 'dig up dirt' on them. We're just interested in the simple things, such as what their favorite movies are. You know, the stuff you actually want to know about the players that your team will be drafting. Sports are now big business and sometimes we have to be reminded of the fact that these 18-year old kids are, in fact, 18-year old kids. They're not any different than the kid who sells you popcorn at a movie theater or the one that babysits your children, except that, well, they're really, really good at hockey. Hopefully everyone out there can remember what they were like at age 18.

Can this man save an NHL franchise? Facebook

Prospect Profile: Kyle Turris

Birthdate: August 14, 1989

Position: Center

Height/Weight: 6'0" / 165lb

Shoots: Right

Current Team: Burnaby Express (BCHL)

ISS Ranking: #3 overall

CSB Ranking: #1 North America

[NHL Connect Profile] [McKeen's Feature Article]

Favorite movies: Lucky Number Slevin, The Departed, Night at the Roxbury

Favorite music: Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Rascall Flatts, Keith Urban, Nickelback

Favorite TV shows: Seinfeld, The Simpsons

Quote: "Don't pick a fight with an ugly guy, he's got nothin' to lose."

Did you know? Turris had a lacrosse stick in his hand before he was on skates, starting at age four and five, respectively.

BMR Scouting Report

This one is for all the ladies out there who are looking for a hockey hunk. Get your game faces on girls, cause Mr. Turris is single. A little patience could help, though. He won't be 18 until August... He earns some cred with the guys, too. One of his favorite movies is The Departed, and that's good enough for me. How can you possibly lead a team if you don't like that movie... John Mayer and Jack Johnson are questionable, but it's hard to knock a person's taste in music... Gotta feel the love for Will Ferrell too, with Night at the Roxbury...

Be sure to check back for more prospect profiles in the coming days.

Sources: Facebook, McKeen's Hockey, TSN

Saturday Wrap Up: How Fast Can Kyle Turris Mow Your Lawn?

No, of course Gary Bettman doesn't look awkward standing next to Snoop Dogg. John M. Heller/Getty Images

• In 'old guys watching shirtless teenagers on a treadmill' news: That, in a nutshell, is the NHL Combine. It started yesterday in Toronto and will continue today, with scouts ogling over how fast a bunch of shirtless 18-year old kids can ride a stationary bike. Do the tests help to predict the potential of prospects? No one's really all that sure. What we do know though, is that the NHL's scouting directors have something to do during the SC Finals. Frankly, I think there should be a lawn mowing competition. Isn't that what the average 18-year old does during their summer vacation?
  
• It'll probably be played in Snoop Dogg's crib: ESPN's E.J. Hradek is reporting that the NHL plans to have a regular season game played outdoors next season. No teams have been named yet, but the word is that one American team will be involved and the game will be televised on NBC in the States... Something to ponder; It was about this time last year that rumors swirled about the Islanders and Rangers playing a game at Yankee Stadium... If you remember, the only outdoor NHL game was played in November of 2003 between the Oilers and Canadiens. The game took place in Edmonton and drew about 56,000 fans. If it's true that an American team will be involved, you can bet that will probably be limited to a selection of either Colorado, Dallas (obviously would be an away game for the Stars), Detroit, the Rangers, or Philadelphia. You could probably add Boston and Buffalo to that mix.
• The Hamilton Predators: The word from Hamilton, Ontario this week is that "Predators' owner to be" Jim Balsillie has reactivated an agreement with the city to have exclusive rights in bringing an NHL team to town. This comes only a week after it was revealed that his company had purchased a piece of land outside of Kitchener, Ontario. It looks like Balsillie could be playing a few Canadian cities against each other if he pulls the Preds out of Nashville. A smart tactic, as these cities might fall to his feet at the possibility of obtaining a team... As it stands right now, Kitchener and Hamilton have the most evidence against them, but you can never rule out Winnipeg, either. Quebec City seems more a like a long shot. In my opinion, QC just happens to get thrown in whenever talk of adding a Canadian team pops up. There never seems to be serious support behind it, although I don't doubt that there are people who would love to see a team there. Of course, you still can't rule out the American cities completely, (Las Vegas, Kansas City) but all signs are pointing to Balsillie relocating to Canada.
• Vancouver to have 45% more Pyatt: It is being reported that Taylor Pyatt has resigned with the Canucks for two years, and the contract is expected to be worth over $3 million... For those of you keeping score, the Canucks' official website reminds us that there are still 102 days left until training camp.
• Toronto should still draft him; it would be funny: The good people over at Out of Left Field have dug up a gem from the wonderful world of Facebook. Jamie Arniel, from Kingston, Ontario, is in the running to be a first-round draft pick in 2008. He has already made it quite clear that he has no intentions of playing for the Maple Leafs. The following quote is what Arniel posted on a message board for a group whose objective is to encourage Leaf fans not to cheer for the Sens during the Finals: "The leafs are absolute shit, so if chirping ottawa helps you to get your mind off of the awful leafs then so be it. But id definitly rather watch the sens choke in the finals (which they havent lost yet) than to watch the leafs choke in the fuckin season, emabrrasing, LEAFS ARE SHIT" The upside to this is that now he will never have to worry about playing for absolute shit Toronto. (Ed -- I keed, I keed. I make a little joke.)
  
• Shouldn't this be taken as 'bad news'? The CP is reporting that Alanis Morissette will sing the national anthems before Game four of the SC Finals in Ottawa. As far as celebrity singers go, this is one of the more confusing choices (besides her being an Ottawa native). I really just have a hard time picturing it. Halfway through 'O, Canada' she might go off on a tangent. Something to the extent of; 'I've got one hand in my pocket, and the other is cross-checking Teemu Selanne.' TSN has another point of view. They think she might be a good luck charm. "The Ottawa native could bring some good luck to the Senators, who are down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series after a pair of losses to the Ducks in Anaheim. When she sang the national anthem at the their first game on Oct. 8, 1992, the Sens beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3." Sorry, that's a bit of a stretch. That's kinda like saying 'since Snoop Dogg was at Games one and two in Anaheim, the Ducks will lose if he doesn't make it to Game three'... The real tragedy here is that Morissette replaces Holly Cole, who sang before Game two, and is arguably much better looking.