The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!

"Pbbbbbtttttt."

The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!  The Stanley Cup Will Be at the Independence Events Center on Friday!

Yes, that Stanley Cup.

Mavs' Press Release, and a surprise, after the jump.

Hey, When are the Coyotes Moving to Seattle?

Just a timeline of links of things that are going on with the Coyotes and Seattle and a possible new arena and all of that mumbo-jumbo.

NHL Denies Report That the Coyotes Have Been Sold
Despite a report from KING in Seattle (since taken down) saying that the 'Yotes have found an owner.  This means that they are neither staying in Glendale, nor are they moving anywhere.

NHL Denies that Greg Jamison's the Next Phoenix Coyotes Owner
Yes, Puck Daddy again, and yes, I could write another whole post on this article, but I will take the high road on this one.  The only part I will challenge is the final few sentences.

Everything I've heard is that this is the last year in the desert for the Coyotes.

Sources would be fantastic to list here, as Wysh has not given anything more than speculation in his previous articles.  Bettman thinks Seattle would be a fine place for a franchise, just like he thinks that of KC, LV, Glendale, etc., so yeah, he isn't a source.  Also, other like-minded people are not reputable sources if they report the same thing as you do without sources.

But guarantees have really never had a home in this drama, which seems to take a new turn every week.

No, it does not, because most of this "drama" was manufactured out of some guy in Seattle wanting to build an arena, but who is not in the team ownership business.  Plus, we have been talking about the same thing with the Coyotes ownership for a while now.  That is, there is no real front runner.  "Drama" implies an ownership situation has gone from one extreme to another.  If anything, this situation is droll.  So very, very droll.

NHL Denies Phoenix Coyotes Sale Report, Seattle Sports Fans Keeping Watchful Eye
Maybe if the Coyotes do move to Seattle, they can call the team the Watchful Eyes, or Sky Eyes, or Alan Parsons.  If some guy named T.J. Eckleburg purchases the Coyotes and moves them to Seattle, then I quit.

Concerns Raised About New Seattle Arena Plan
Why Seattle's Initiative 91 on sports subsidies may present some obstacles for a new arena.

Initiative 91 Explanation

Seattle Arena Proposal: Deal Contingent on NBA, NHL Franchise First
What a concept...  Article also explains how I-91 may not be a problem anyway.

NHL Relocation: Why the Phoenix Coyotes Won't Move to Seattle This Summer
Don't let the title fool you, this article does not do any of that.

Personally, I don't know why Seattle "is really the best location for (the Coyotes) to land" or makes the most sense than any other potentially interested city.  Seattle, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Quebec City, Hartford, etc. all have a hockey history, all have an interested fan base, all have no real ownership group, and hell, all have geographic rival cities.  What Travis Hughes, the author of the article in the last link, fails to argue is why Seattle is a better location than any other city.  Greg Wyshynski at least claims to have some sort of weird attraction to Seattle hockey.  I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, or just biased or whatever.  I'm not saying the Coyotes won't move to Seattle.  It could very well happen.  But, the reporting on an initial story (Coyotes ownership) and connecting it to a new Seattle arena proposal story does not a relocation make.

Consider this a Kansas City based Coyotes Relocation Open Thread.  Have an opinion on the relocation matter?  Think Seattle is a nice city to get a cup of coffee?  Think Quebec City is kind of cold this time of year?  I certainly do not share your opinion, so tell us your opinions in the comments.  Come on, everyone has a Google account nowadays, so it's really easy to comment.  To borrow and paraphrase a line from blog Jewels From the Crown, it's time to stop lurking and get the dialogue moving.

2012 Champions: Stat-Nerding the Third-ish Quarter of the Season

That's Charlie Effinger.  He just won the Goaltender of the Week Award for the third time this season, ya heard. 

Although there have only been fourteen games since the last time we checked in with the Mavericks, there are only twenty games left in something like forty days.  So this is as good of a time as any to see what the Mavs are doing right, doing wrong, and need to do during the home stretch of the season.  (Note: this review follows a similar format as the second quarter stats post, so in lieu of me repeating stats, please refer any comparisons to that previous post.)

Because Valentines Day Occurs During Hockey Season

"As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words... and hockey."
--William "Gordie" Shakespeare

Ah, Valentines Day is nearly upon us.  Can't us just smell the love in the air...underneath all of the snow? Well, never mind.

Anyway, enough small talk.  I have a confession to make.  During the Kansas-Mizzou Border War hockey game a few weeks ago, a certain someone caught my eye.  No, it wasn't the 'Dave' guy from those Staples commercials, although I swear some guy that either was him or looked like him was chillin' at the IEC dining area in-between periods.  It was a much lovelier beauty, with a name unknown.  She was the equipment girl/towel girl/bench bunny for the Jayhawks squad.  Her beauty unmatched by any other in the arena.  Her flowing golden hair moved with ease with each graceful step she took across the ice to the bench.  You should have seen her, you guys.  Here is a totally unflattering photo:

She is the one in the middle

You can also see a video of me totally not being a creep here.

Her presence was magical, really.  Something you notice, and cannot look away.

But, I have a problem, you guys.  Well, not so much me, but its her.  As a great man once said, "There is no excellent beauty than hath not some strangeness in the proportion."  This is true, for you see, she does not smile.  For three periods of hockey, not once did could you see a dimple in her cheek, or her lips upturn in a show of sudden emotion.  So stoic and unflinching, it makes me sad to think about.  Sure, she could have been "all business," taking a cue from Vince Lombardi's "act like you've been there before" motto, but it still makes me feel helpless.  If she cannot enjoy a hockey game, what can she enjoy?

So, I wrote a poem, you guys.  I wrote it because I think she speaks for all of us as hockey fans.  But, I mainly wrote because she's attractive.

(Note: for the sake of this poem, NHL is one syllable)


Ode to a Blank Faced Bench Beauty

The "Coolest Game on Earth" does not compare,
With thee beauty, much greater than the NHL.
Sweet, sensuous shock straighter than Smyth's hair.
Though your stare is as icy as Smashville.

For some, to kiss the Cup is one great wish,
For others, it is merely to kiss your cheek.
And plus, the Cup does not pucker its lips,
Or smile weak.  Though your smile is what one seeks.

But, longer loveliness than a season,
Somatic seduction.  A souvenir?
Rather, thou give hockey fans a reason
To want its charm and grace for all the year.

Even the cute girl with a face of stone,
Cannot build a Seattle team a home.


(BOOM!  Nailed it!)

EVEN MORE Relocation Super Fun Time

"The building challenges for Seattle, Quebec City as NHL markets"

No longer is what Greg Wyshynski doing with these articles in any way constructive or informative.  Really, this article seemed to be damage control for the one he wrote the other day basically saying how great it would be if Seattle had an NHL team, and then posted a video with Gary Bettman saying nothing about Seattle.  It was some hard-hitting journalism, I tells ya!

Enough is enough, though, and Wysh is not the only one doing it.  Look, no one wants to move a team (the Coyotes) to Seattle right now.  No one (viable owners) wants to move a team to Kansas City right now, although the people that own the local arena (AEG) probably wouldn't mind.  Some people want to move a team to Quebec City, but they are not as forceful as True North and the city is dragging its feet on an NHL-caliber arena.  No one but maybe some guy Gary Bettman goes fishing with wants to move a team to Las Vegas right now.  It is what it is.  If anything, owners are selling teams.  The Blues, Stars, etc. to more or less operate in the same cities.  It's cheaper than moving.  The Devils and Coyotes fit into a category of NHL money hemorrhagers, but it is hard to see an established organization like New Jersey to just pick up and leave town to go to a market with more questions than answers.

The argument against KC and QC are "well they had a team and now it's someone else's turn."  Obviously, those arguments are ineffective and pointless, causing more arguments than actually giving evidence towards solving one.  So what?  Minnesota had their chance with the North Stars, right?  Winnipeg had their chance already?  Didn't Atlanta already get a chance?  What about Northern California?  Just by saying someone had their chance already does not make a city or area's hockey community any smaller or weaker.  Plus, that ignores the whole business-side of things.  If someone sees a good investment (i.e. no lease payments for an arena) with minimal risk, the deal can get done.  This also deflects from the reasons why Seattle has never housed an NHL team.  It's not like there is a pecking order, and Seattle drew the short straw in 1917 and are just now getting a crack at housing an NHL franchise.

What certainly doesn't help is our very own The Pitch's myopic view on things.  Wysh links to Jonathan Bender's article in The Pitch, calling KC "emo" due to the advent of the Seattle issue.  Although Bender's article does raise a good question (when is the Sprint Center too old to attract suitors?) it plays to the whole notion that Seattle is just lying in waiting for Bettman and the NHL to say "ohhh, I'm so sorry Glendale, but time is up.  You lose.  It looks like your team will be moving to Seattle.  But we have some lovely parting gifts..."  I use the term myopic to describe this article, but perhaps that is not fair.  It's not fair, because all Mr. Bender is doing is giving a very broad local reaction to an article from NBC Sports talking about how Seattle is such a great fit for the NHL.  The NBC Sports article is, like the multiple articles on Puck Daddy, PURE SPECULATION.  Observe:

"As we wrote back in December, there are lots of things Seattle's got going for it:
-- Large metro population
-- Plenty of rich people (editors note: BWHAHAHAHAHAA who writes this?!?!)
-- High-profile companies like Amazon.com, Starbucks and Microsoft
-- Close enough to draw from Portland and Vancouver
-- "Let's do something indoors" weather during the winter"

This is what passes for acceptable writing nowadays, folks.  And The Pitch's blog LINKS TO THIS!  So, now, nationally recognized writers (Greg Wyshynski) look at this reaction in KC, believe KC is bitter, and it fuels their argument that has no basis in fact and has taken on a life of its own.  The NBC Sports article even links to a story from the Winnipeg Free Press calling Seattle the "lead horse" when it comes to relocation cities, without giving any other reasons.  It just is, I guess.  It's just as baseless as any other article on the same topic.  It's like a bunch of media outlets got together to write the same story, then linked to each other's stories to generate buzz for something no one has talked about in the history of ever!

Ahem.

But, let's compose ourselves for a moment.  How about a few questions for the pro-NHL to Seattle crowd.  Who will own this team?  Do the citizens even want the NHL?  Are city officials even willing to ponder an NHL team?  Will an arena deal even get traction?  How will they pay for a new arena?  Is "Let's do something indoors" weather like "Rainy day" weather, or more on par with "Let's not go out to eat tonight, I had to work all day and am kind of tired" weather?  Why is Seattle housing many of the nation's rich people?  Aren't Seattleites too laid back to care about hockey?  And maybe the biggest question, will Gary Bettman let the Coyotes out of Glendale?

This is an injustice to actual Journalism, with a capital J.  This is a story for the sake of a story.  No city has ever been the "leader in the clubhouse" for the Coyotes; that is not a real thing that has ever existed.  Words of advice to our hockey loving friends in Seattle:  Don't get your hopes up.

This makes me lightheaded.


(P.S.: Wysh runs a great blog, but I just do not agree with this particular topic.  Read it for the other good work, though.  And Seattleites, I do not intend to be mean with my words of advice, but the citizens of Kansas City have seen this before firsthand.)

Puck Daddy Relocation Super Fun Time (UPDATE)

"NHL relocation to Seattle: Will new arena, Coyotes' plight bring pucks to Pacific Northwest?" (link fixed)

These articles are always fun, because they are pure speculation and basically don't solve anything.  I shall paraphrase:  "There is a guy in Seattle who wants to build a new arena for the NBA.  Also, possibly for the NHL.  A Seattle-Vancouver rivalry would be cool."

LOOGIT HOW CLOSE THEY IZ!

The Glendale/Coyote situation is pretty simple to figure out:

• The Coyotes represent a team in Bettman's southern influence zone.  Taking that team away does not 'spread the influence of the game.'  Bettman does not want to lose another one of those teams (e.g. Atlanta).
• The NHL also does not want to own the Coyotes anymore.  They lose over $20 million annually.
• No particular "cities" are interested, meaning none of the current possible ownership groups are looking to move the Coyotes from Glendale.  None of these groups are like a True North for Winnipeg.
• Thus, no one has said anything about Seattle getting an NHL team.  But, some guy wants to build a new arena for a future NBA team because the Key Arena is junk.

What can Seattle learn from Kansas City?  Well, first, they need an owner to bring a team to Seattle.  Also, they need an hockey (NHL) ready arena, which has caused this speculation.  Third, they need city officials willing to bring in a NHL team.  Plus, a whole bunch of other things to go the right way just to take one team to another city.

So, yeah, do that, and then maybe we have a story.

UPDATE: Yeah, also Bettman never says anything about Seattle in this video that Greg Wyshynski has embedded in his article talking about a possible NHL team in Seattle.  I think the key phrase is "we don't like moving franchises," a point Bettman has harped on before when talking about the stability of the league and continued growth of the game.  If keeping the team in Arizona is the priority, then KC, Seattle, Quebec, etc. are not even being discussed by the "interested buyers."

Vern Cooper and Putting Things In Perspective

“We cannot despair of humanity, since we ourselves are human beings.”

--Albert Einstein

I’ve been mulling this post over for a while, not really wanting to write it for various reasons and not really knowing how to write it.  For me (read: you don’t care), writing is cathartic.  For others, writing is a form of expression or way of conveying messages or making money, etc.  But, I find it to be an outlet to what I’m feeling.  Thus, the blog you see in front of you.  “No NHL in KC, well, by gosh, I will write a blog and that will make me feel better!” (/shakes fist aggressively).  That sort of thing, if that makes any sense.

That being said, I’m not writing this as a precept or profound teaching on life, nor is the epigraph above meant to convey that message (trivia: I’m not a very deep person).  Instead, I want to offer the story of recent-former Missouri Mavericks forward Vern Cooper as a counter example to a blog post I read over the summer by the writer formerly known as Will McDonald over at Royals Review.  Please read his post.  It’s depressing, but kind of true, but kind of not, thus the reason why this is a rebuttal, of sorts.

(Just as a side note, I do not know Vern nor do I have a full understanding of the reasons concerning his departure.  I can only make base inferences through research, prior examples, and personal introspective confusion.  That said, my assumptions about his future are just that, assumptions.)
(Update: If I did not make it clear, one main reason I did not want to write this is because, like Will, I did not want it to sound like a "This is what so-and-so teaches us about life" thing.  That type of thinking is not productive to the main point which I hope is clear.)