Normally, Mike Brophy is jacked about the start of another hockey season, but this year he isn't so sure.
We should be talking about who is better, Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin (For the record I'll take Sid the Kid); wondering if the Pittsburgh Penguins can repeat as Stanley Cup champions or how long it will take John Tavares to get the New York Islanders back into the playoffs.
Instead we wake up wondering if Judge Redfield T. Baum will allow Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie to continue with his bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move the team to Hamilton. This saga has taken on a life of its own.
Frankly, I don't blame Gary Bettman for protecting his turf. How would you like somebody to come into your home and start making changes simply because they have unlimited wealth? At the end of the day, though, is there anybody on the planet who believes the Coyotes can prosper in Phoenix?
The Coyotes ranked 28th in average attendance last season drawing 14,875 per game. I strongly suspect that number will dip significantly this season, assuming the team remains in the desert.
And wouldn't it be nice if the Coyotes were the NHL's only team with ownership issues? Sadly, they are not. Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks says his financial concerns won't affect the franchise, but there are rumours he could go bankrupt if he is unable to sell some of his other holdings. The Tampa Bay Lightning, five years removed from winning the Stanley Cup, have two owners that don't get along and have been ordered by the league to get their house in order. The Columbus Blue Jackets don't believe they can be financially viable under their current lease agreement and are looking for a sweetheart deal from the county. The Atlanta Thrashers have seemingly cleared up their ownership concerns, but now may be put on the block for sale.
WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW I worry about the NHL Players' Association. Not that I lose any sleep over a bunch rich athletes unable to control their own destiny, but this recent flap - the firing of executive director Paul Kelly - couldn't have come at a worse time. You see, most players don't give a hoot about the day-to-day activities of the NHLPA at the best of times, but with training camp just around the corner, their focus is clearly where it usually is - on themselves.
A small handful of players will monitor the search for Kelly's replacement, but the majority of players will worry only about their own behinds. What scares me most is Kelly seemed like a decent chap who was willing to work with the league with the best interest of the game as his main focus. It seems as though that is not what the players want and his replacement could be somebody more militant and combative - in the mold of Bob Goodenow. Given the state of the economy and the weak standing of so many of the league's franchises, I don't view now as a very good time to go to war.
OH DANY BOY At the end of the day I don't really care where Dany Heatley winds up playing this season. But I do worry about the Ottawa Senators ability to make the playoffs without him or a suitable replacement in the lineup. And do you really think any team is going to give the Sens fair market value for a dissident? Heatley clearly has character issues, but he remains one of the game's best natural scorers and Jason Spezza will be lost without him.
CH-CH-CH CHANGES The Montreal Canadiens failed miserably in what was supposed to be a grand celebration of 100 years of greatness last season. The NHL's otherwise most successful franchise operated in disarray and then reacted by making sweeping changes in the off-season. It is a pity how this team appeared to be on the cusp of greatness through careful planning and grooming of its prospects and now is starting all over from scratch. I'll take a wait-and-see approach on the changes, but at first blush, I'm not crazy about the players GM Bob Gainey has brought to town. To many second-liners being paid first-line money. Time will tell.
I have no doubt that this year will provide us with many, many highlights. The season will open with no clear-cut favorite to take the Cup, which means fans from a dozen or so teams will be sitting on the edge of their seats praying that their team will be the one to hold a parade next June.
And, of course, it is an Olympic year so we will be blessed with a gathering of the best players in the world for two weeks in Vancouver which could be the most competitive hockey tournament ever played.
I just hope the negatives don't outweigh the positives this year.
Game on.
