Brilliant decision by Versus to mike Marty Turco for the NHL All-Star Game tonight. Marty's humor shined as the Dallas Stars goalie traded one-liners with Doc Emrick and Eddie Olczyk (who has to be one of the worst color men in hockey broadcasting, but then we're pretty spoiled here in Dallas with our top-notch crew). And Turco did it while he played, shrugging off shots microseconds after talking with the announcers upstairs, and continuing to chat as face-offs occurred right in front of him. His best line came after the Eastern Conference scored the first of three goals against Turco, when Marty, waving them toward their bench, said with a wink to the Eastern players congregating in front of the net: "Hey guys, can you go celebrate some place else?" It made for great insight in to the game from a goalie's perspective, and it was really great of Turco to make the effort. Best of all, he got the win!

Could NBC not steal away better talent from ESPN for calling hockey games it chooses to nationally televise? Gary Thorne is apparently still locked in to a contract with ESPN/ABC, having spent last year calling college football games (and doing a damn fine job, if you ask me; Thorne just has a sports announcer's voice through and through). Big surprise that Bill Clement, formerly Thorne's useless and biased color man, is now uselessly and biasedly anchoring NBC's hockey network desk with Ray Ferraro. (Very manly of you guys to be out on the ice in Rockefeller Plaza, sticks in hand, while the peewee team pokes pucks around the rink behind you. This is what is known in the vernacular as a cliché. You'd think you Canadians would know a little French.) So in DFW today we are, of course, getting the Stars-Blues game out of St. Louis. Chris Cuthbert and Peter McNab have zero chemistry. Most of the time, it sounds like McNab's mouth is engaging before his brain. (Taking lessons from Clement, Peter?) Cuthbert sounds like he's about to start hyperventilating any second during the game call. The only redeeming quality of this broadcast crew is Cammi Granato, stuck with the stupidly named "Inside the Glass" position. One improvement with this threesome would be to eliminate McNab and put Granato in his place. I'm not sure where Cuthbert came from, but he needs to go back to being the local team announcer there. You might be wondering why I'm so snarky on this admittedly minor issue. First, when it comes to hockey announcers, we're pretty spoiled here in Dallas. Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh are one of the best broadcast teams in any sport. (Many of us are still hoping Daryl comes to his senses and gets a hair cut.) Second, being a hockey fan, I want to see the sport win more fans, and one area this is going to happen in will be nationally televised games. (Few and far between those may have been these past few years. Great job with those television contracts, post-Fox Sports, Commissioner Bettman.) So if a nationally-televised game is part of your new fan-winning strategy, you better make sure the network you've given the goods to can deliver with top-notch broadcast crews. Those currently employed by NBC are barely living up to the term "mediocre". Like I'm sure many of you do when your home team is being nationally televised, I normally mute the television and flip on the radio, putting up with the satellite delay to hear my local announcers call the game. I tried to give the NBC crew an honest shot today, but they're falling far short. Back to WBAP to hear Ralph and Razor call the last five minutes of the game.

Apparently there is some whining going on regarding the fact that hockey is the only sport which actually has rules for fighting, and Razor explains, as only Razor can, why this is such a good thing:

Baseball would have more fights than it already does (which by the way is on par if not exceeding the number in hockey) if the runner had to face a base guarded by a player with a bat. And since I'm on the subject, just stop with the bench-emptying stare downs when a pitcher throws a ball near a batters noggin'. Either throw-down or sit-down.

Football would be a fight-filled extravaganza if each guy packed a club and the game was played in an arena (Hey, wait a minute. They do play in arenas in the appropriately named Arena League. Oh, that's right, they pad the boards for the big tough footballers.)

Basketball? Well we saw last year that it doesn't take more than a flagrant foul and a cup of beer to send players into fight club mode. At least hockey has the brains to thank its fans and beat each other up rather than the other way around. Again, give the players a foreign object, a cage around the court and a 'no blood no foul' governance, and I'll show you some lanky, bomb-throwing fisticuffs. [Emphasis added. --R]

The third-leading goal scorer in NHL history has retired. Brett Hull made the announcement yesterday, two hours before he would have played with his Phoenix Coyote teammates against the Detroit Red Wings. At 41 years of age, as Hull put it, "the mind is willing but the body isn't." Which is a true shame, because with the type of high-speed game the new NHL rules have created this season, Hull would have had the chance to really shine on the ice. This style of play is tailor-made for players like Hull, his former Dallas teammate Mike Modano, and many others. Hull, even at 41, still has, I'm sure, one of the best one-timer shots in the game. He was so effective and powerful with the one-timer when he played here in Dallas, it lead Stars color man Daryl Reaugh to nickname Brett "the Hullitzer." My first year in Dallas was also Brett Hull's. He had signed with the Stars in the off-season, coming over from St. Louis. I have a Brett Hull #22 jersey I bought the night of the first Stars home game of the 1998-99 season, a game my wife and I attended. Many people were surprised Hull was not wearing his customary #16, but when Hull arrived in Dallas, that number was already being worn by Pat Verbeek. This could have been an occasion for ego-flexing, but Hull showed a lot of class and chose another number. This is an extremely underrated side of Brett Hull; most people, when they're not discussing his playing prowess, focus on his big mouth. My only druther is we seem to be discussing Hull as being dead, instead of merely retiring. Take this quote from NHL Commissioner Bettman (good job on that OLN TV deal, Gary; I'm sure it will bring in tons of new viewers):

"The National Hockey League will miss Brett's skill, his scoring touch and his fun-loving attitude," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "He was a splendid athlete, a passionate player and someone who never hesitated to speak his mind. His achievements further cement the Hull family legacy of hockey greatness." Um, Commissioner, last time I looked, Hull is still a splendid athlete, he is still very passionate about the game, even if he will no longer play, and I seriously doubt he is ever going to hesitate to speak his mind, now and in the future. He's retiring as a player of the game at its highest level; he's not dead. He has expressed interest in working in management. Seeing as how his best friend is coach of that Phoenix team, and a part-owner in same, that may be closer than most think. Brett Hull is retiring as a player, but I expect we will see him around NHL circles for a long time to come. Thanks, Brett, for some great memories.

Stars color man Daryl Reaugh felt a bit rusty covering the team's first pre-season game last night:

So like a brown bear emerging from hibernation I'll shake off the fuzzies, work on getting my motor skills back up to speed, take stock of my surroundings, and perhaps kill someone and eat them.

That should give me plenty to talk about Friday night when the Red Wings come to town. Slap Razor's blog in to your RSS feed. Every entry makes me smile or chuckle. (And while you're at it, send Daryl an e-mail telling him to cut his hair. The '80s are over, Razor!)

Should there ever be another NHL season, Darryl Reaugh, color man for the Dallas Stars, may have hit a motherload of an idea on moving the time of the season, with the help of Tony Fireoved, Stars Executive V.P. of Corporate Sales:

Envision this.

It's June 19th, there's a little less than a month remaining in the regular season. The Sharks are in town. The temperature is 85 at game time. Outside of American Airlines Center, fans have been enjoying the festival atmosphere complete with bbq grilling and a live band. Inside, first place in the West is on the line.

Crazy? The gist of the the column is that NHL seasons would be contained with a single calendar year, starting some time after the Super Bowl and ending in August. No NFL to compete with, only half of the year is spent competing with the NBA (not only for eyeballs and fans' wallets, but for space in venues), and by the time the NHL season ends, MLB still has half a season to go. I'm intrigued. Too bad Gary Bettman continues to show his inability to vault the NHL higher in the collective minds' eye of sports fans in the U.S. He's allowed ESPN/ABC to slide on their television contracts (at least Fox was willing to put NHL games on the same weekend as NFL games). He's shown an inability to get the trade dispute resolved, and was forced to cancel the 2004-05 season. There's no way he would ever consider something like what Reaugh and Fireoved propose.

The Dallas Stars crushed the Mighty Lucks of Anaheim and goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in their season and home opener last night at American Airlines Center. Stu Barnes and Sergei Zubov were the stories of the night, picking right up where they left off last season with their play. New captain Mike Modano led by example on the ice in the 4-1 victory, and there was solid play throughout the lineup. The only bad news for the Stars was the injury to forward Jere Lehtinen, but it doesn't look serious and he is listed as day-to-day. All in all, an oustanding, solid performance from the Stars. If every game could be played as well as this one, Dallas would be sure of bringing home the Cup this spring.

I know, it's not three years in a row, but it is three in the last nine. The New Jersey Devils stomped the Mighty Lucks of Anaheim 3-0 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight. Though he was unable to play in the Finals, former Star Joe Nieuwendyk became only the 6th player in NHL history to win three Cups with three different teams. I'm not shocked the Devils won, and I'm quite happy about it. I'm not shocked that this series went to seven games, though I am disappointed. Whether or not the Mighty Lucks have what it takes to get here again will be seen in the coming seasons; don't count your lucklings before they hatch, Anaheim. You were never really in this: the Lucks were shut out 3 of 7 games; 2 games were won in overtime. I will say that Game 6 was a phenomenal display of hockey, and the Lucks deservedly won that one. So, Commissioner Bettman, you got seven games on ABC in prime time. Congratulations. Starting in October, let's see you ensure there's an NHL game on ESPN or ESPN2 every single night at least one game is being played in the league. Then we'll see professional hockey, with the oldest sports trophy in North America, start getting the exposure it deserves. (The Stanley Cup is 110 years old.)

Speaking of the Stanley Cup Finals, specifically the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, ponder this: ( Please note that I do not believe my theory, though certain parts are true. ) The National Hockey League has an exclusive television contract with EPSN/ABC. A television contract that, to no one's but Gary Bettman's and the NHL's surprise, is not gaining hockey the expanded audience it seeks in the United States. Viewership has dwindled from the days when Fox carried games for the league (with far more than I've ever seen on ABC). bq. So, what has happened is, Fox has turned to Nascar, ABC is turning to the NBA and ESPN is turning its nose up, cutting 30 percent of its coverage while burying what's left on ESPN2. So, the NHL wishes to increase television coverage for the Stanley Cup playoffs, especially the Finals, and league games in general. ESPN/ABC would, of course, like higher ratings so they can charge advertisers more. ESPN/ABC are owned by Disney. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are owned by Disney. If you're looking for a conspiracy, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure this one out. The Ducks have talent, that's for sure. Paul Kariya has always been one of the NHL's top players; he's just never had the rest of the team to play with. Giguere has shown that he is one of those top-flight French-Canadian goalies of the Roy-Brodeur caliber. (Can we please stop with the "Gettin' Giggy with it" lines?) But overall, this is not a championship team. Yes, I know there is always a time for Cinderella teams, but the Ducks are not a Cinderella team. Not without help. Look to this season's Minnesota Wild if you want to see a true Cinderella team. The Ducks take out the defending Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings, in a four-game sweep? Does anyone out there honestly believe the Ducks are that talented? Granted, Detroit didn't seem to play as hungry as the Ducks, but still, a four-game sweep? You have better odds of winning the lottery. Of getting struck by lightning. Then the Stars. At least Dallas handed Anaheim its first losses in this year's playoffs. But again, the Ducks had help to get through that six-game series. I was at Game 2. It had to have been the worst-officiated hockey game I have ever witnessed, in-person or on television. It was atrocious, from both the refs to even the two linesmen. You know there's a problem when the game's referees are announced, and there is a collective "Oh no" from those in attendance. I kid you not. The Stars do not blow leads late in the game. Again, the Stars did not look like the Stars of the regular season--the Stars that thoroughly dominated Anaheim in all but one game they played in the regular season--through all six games, and this certainly contributed to the Ducks "success." Now you can make a case for the Western Conference Finals, and the four-game sweep of the Minnesota Wild. The Wild came off of two seven-game, come-from-behind series to make it to the conference finals. The Ducks, by comparison, coasted in. The questionable calls, however, continued. (Don't think the same thing wasn't happening in the east, either. I'm a little shocked that the Devils were able to fight their way through some equally atrocious officiating, especially during the Eastern Conference Finals against Ottawa.) So the Ducks are in the Finals, playing the New Jersey Devils. You know, the Devils, who have played in the Stanley Cup Finals in three of the last four years, including this one. The Devils, who have won the Cup twice. The Devils, with oodles and oodles of talent, and playoff experience to boot. Not surprising, the Devils crush the Ducks in the first two games of the Finals, not allowing a single goal from Anaheim. Could it be? New Jersey will sweep the Ducks in four? Capturing the Cup in Anaheim? Someone at the NHL/ESPN/ABC hits the panic button. Lo and behold, the series is now knotted at two games each. Providence certainly does shine on those incredibly lucky Ducks. Incredibly lucky Ducks. The series will now go to at least six games, and the price of advertising goes up. Oh, did I forget to mention that the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are for sale? Gosh, an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals is certainly worth a price mark-up. A Cup championship team would command a premium. The next two, possibly three, games will be interesting to watch. Of course, it's all just a theory...

Patrick Roy, the best goaltender in professional hockey the past twenty years, announced his retirement today.

"I've had a blast. It's been unbelievable. I've been so fortunate to have lived a dream and have fun for more than 18 years earning a living by playing a game I love," Roy said, alternately speaking in English and French.

"I will remember the good days and cherish the great moments," he said. "I'm leaving with the feeling that I've done everything I could to be the best."

The 37-year-old Roy owns nearly every major goaltending record. He is a four-time Stanley Cup champion, winning two each with Colorado and Montreal. He is the only three-time winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoff MVP, and is the NHL's career leader in victories with 551 and games played with 1,029. He also won the Vezina Trophy, given to the league's best goaltender each year, three times. Both of the goalies currently in the Stanley Cup Finals, Brodeur and Giguere, are French-Canadian, and looked to Roy (pronounced "Wah" for you hockey-ignorant plebeians) as their inspiration for making it in the NHL. With two Cups under his belt already, Brodeur seeks a third, while Giguere hopes to begin his own Cup-winning legacy. Looking at what he's accomplished, one could make the argument that, at least as far as the past twenty years is concerned, what Gretzkey was to forwards, Roy was to goaltenders. His performance dimmed slightly these past few years, overshadowed by Brodeur, Belfour, Turco, and others, but they all look to him as the greatest goalie in the modern NHL. I'm just glad I got to see him play. Au revoir, Patrick. Merci.

Stars' color man Daryl Reaugh has expertly captured what we should hear from the NHL front office. As one of my wife's colleagues put it: "Hockey is the only sport where you can out-play your opponent and still lose." At this point, with three former Cup-winning Stars in the lineup, I'm rooting for the Devils, and Brodeur's 3d Stanley Cup. Down with the team of destiny Disney. (Thanks, Brian!)

My favorite hockey team clinched its series in 6 games, and is now the #1 seed in the playoffs, thanks to Anaheim knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champs. My second favorite team in the NHL trounched Osgood and the Blues 4-1 at the Garage in their Game 7. And my third favorite team, the upstart Wild, have upset the Avs and mighty Patrick Roy, handing Roy his first-ever Game 7 overtime loss. So the Canucks will face the Wild, and Dallas takes on the Ducks. And thanks to my lovely bride, I'll be at the AAC for Game 2 on Saturday! Go Stars!

One day before the NHL's trading deadline, the Stars make some moves to set themselves up for their run for the Stanley Cup. Currently second overall, Dallas traded big Sami Helenius (and "future considerations") to Chicago for playoff-experienced Lyle Odelein. Prospect Mike Ryan and a 2d-round draft pick go to Buffalo in exchange for Stu Barnes. Brian and I agree that the Stu Barnes trade is a good one, and the gritty forward will help fill the gap left by an injured Bill Guerin, as well as add depth to Dallas' lines. We're a little torn over the defensive trade, as we're both big Sami fans. He has a great presence on the ice, and it's unfortunate that the Stars will have to face off against him in the future. On the plus side, there is young John Erskine waiting in the wings. Erskine exhibits very Hatcher-esque qualities, qualities that have made the Stars' captain one of the top defensemen in the league. Erskine has been up from the minors a few times over the past two years, mostly to fill in during injuries to starting defensemen, and has shown he is a force to be reckoned with. So, nothing huge in the way of trades, but that's not surprising when it comes to the Stars. They pretty much have had all the major pieces they need for a playoff run, and just needed to fill in some gaps. Go Stars!