I can't imagine the League or the Player Association thought to address the possibility of knock off NHL gear in South Korea. Even less likely is the idea of the CBA covering the prospect of knock off NHL gear in South Korea endorsing the relocation of an Original 6 team to a town already featuring an Original 6 team. I know labor negotiations are already in a tight spot, but I think this is something worth addressing before stuff like this gets out of hand:

Via: This guy

As I'm sure you all remember, I brought up the Hockeyy Insiderr feed a couple of days ago after I was unwittingly pulled into the feud between some idiot tweeting out unsubstanciated rumors (the latest has Dany Heatley to the Lightning for Ryan Malone, sexy Victor Hedman and picks. I mean, it sure SOUNDS legit, doesn't it?) and the rest of the sports media world. Granted, I am pulled into a lot of things unwittingly, but this time, I wanted to figure some stuff out. 

Sean Cobourn of Flyers Nation took the information that I had and ran with it. He was like a scavenger, digging deeper for more information. He, like me, was given an anonymous, Deep Throat like tip. Cobourn dug further and came up with a name:

Former Montreal Canadien and current Florida Panther scout Pete Mahovlich. The only issue I have with this is that Mahovlich is in his 60s, and he seems really.... proficient at Twitter for a man of that age. There are some other leaps of logic that I'm not sure I fully agree with. There is some pretty solid evidence, though, that Cobourn's sleuthing and deductions may just have solved the case. 

 Next up, trying to figure out where the hell Tampa is.

It’s August, and that means it’s really f’n boring here at Barry Melrose Rocks. Here’s some hockey-ish reading to get you through the dog days, because you can only refresh HF Boards so much before you go nuts.

 

Whether it’s trying to rearrange the already-lit logs in a wood stove, making beer runs in a blizzard, or knocking heads at pickup hockey, Crowbar Benson is always a great read.  In Sandy Debreuil ‘s strip, Crowbar and his boys live in small-town Manitoba. I like that the strip is specifically set in Manitoba rather than “Anytown, wherever.” There’s a distinct character to the strip’s universe that I don’t think would exist otherwise. Even though I’ve never been to Manitoba, I feel as if I’ve shared so much with the characters Debreuil has created (though I suppose growing up in Vermont means that I totally get some things, like the never-ending winters.)  He has the website, as well as the collection Hands of Cement.

I stumbled upon Crowbar Benson while reading another great hockey comic, “Taking the Bypass.”  In that arc, Crowbar finds himself in a Toronto comedy club where Dave of“Bypass” is doing a stand-up bit about the Montreal Canadiens.  He and Crowbar make a bet about  whether the Leafs or the Candiens will finish higher in the standings that year, and there’s even an –off-screen cameo from Tie Domi!

I think one of my favorite arcs was the one where Crowbar and the boys attempt to “rescue” the Stanley Cup from Toronto.  Over this multi-strip epic, they mistakenly go from Manitoba to Montreal (“pas ici depuis 1993”) to Toronto, only to snatch the Cup from the Hockey Hall of Fame.  There is also an annual Remembrance Day series based on letters from an actual Canadian soldier in World War I. it’s a bit of a departure from the norm, but it’s incredibly moving.

In addition to the great hockey writing, there are animations and tutorials to teach drawing. And, Sandy’s just a great guy. If you say hey, he’ll usually say hey back. Despite being a Habs fan, he’s a pretty chill guy who’ll gladly talk hockey and artistic exploration over beers anytime.  He also drew some awesome artwork for me when I bought his book:

 

 

In short, go buy the book. Bookmark the site.  It updates Monday through Friday.  P.S. GO LEAFS GO.

I got the weirdest tweet today.

@victoriawxrhino This is going to be an off the wall question, but somebody told me you would know.Is Hockeyy Insiderr Darren Eliot?

— Sports Tough (@SportsTough) August 4, 2012

What? This Sports Tough fellow went on to inform me that I was Hockeyy Insiderr's first ever RT. The hell is going on?

First, a little background on Hockeyy Insiderr. This anonymous Twitter feed is known for both breaking bogus NHL news (Parise to the Penguins!) as well as riling many in the NHL writing community by taking credit for scoops, when he finally gets them, and taunting anyone within earshot. He has started stating that he will reveal his identity when he reaches a certain follower level, then bought followers to screw the pooch, so to speak. I haven't done this whole thing justice. I guess either you know about him or you don't. Hockeybuzz has a pretty good write up on the phenomenon, though.

So where do I come in? Well, it comes back to this site, actually. The tweet RT'd? 

Sorry @adater @goalanon I just had to use your personages as characters in a very important internet post http://bit.ly/hi3HAh

— Ryan Henning (@VictoriawxRhino) January 28, 2011 

The post linked is a classic Creepy Sedin post, that plays off a mock draft that Adrian Dater and Darren Eliot produced for Sports Illustrated. The post was, as everything I write is, hilarious. Dater RT'd it. I'm not sure if that was ever Darren Eliot's Twitter handle. It said it belonged to a Darren Eliot at the time, but the account is now deleted, and Eliot has a different handle. 

Now, let's get around to some other points of order. Sports Tough asked me if Hockeyy Insiderr was Darren Eliot. I say, if there was evidence pointing to anything, it would be to the fact that Darren Eliot is definitely NOT Hockeyy Insiderr. Again, the first RT was by Dater, with the first subsequent RT from Hockeyy Insiderr. Eliot rarely used his orginal (theoretical) Twitter handle, and his work now is mostly business related (he works closely with Michigan Hockey now). I doubt he would be waiting to RT something that Dater put out to the world, especially if it was sent to him as well. 

I think, if anything, the mystery's key revolves around Dater, who RT'd me in the first place.  Do I think that Dater is Hockeyy Insiderr? No. Do I think, at the very least, Dater knows who Hockeyy Insiderr is? Probably not. However, I think that Hockeyy Insiderr is a Dater hanger-on. I can't come up with another logical explanation for why my silly little post would be his first ever RT, except that he was approving Dater's initial RT.

As I have mentioned here before, Adrian Dater blocked me on Twitter over the course of the last year, and I believe it was after I made some stupid comment on a back and forth between him and Star Tribune writer Michael Russo. I don't remember. I do know that Dater and Russo have regular back and forths. I also know that Russo is one of the few writers to recently respond to Insiderr's banality, back during the Parise to the Penguins fiasco. Again, the point I am trying to make isn't that Hockeyy Insiderr is Adrian Dater, it's that he desperately wants to be. 

(*This is based on the premise that, in fact, Sports Tough was correct, and my tweet was the first retweet of Hockeyy Insiderr's Twitter career) 

Two Jeremy Roenick related links, that perhaps should salt away any doubt that Jeremy Roenick is a multifaceted, complex individual. 

First, Jeremy Roenick spoke at an event in honor of paralyzed Minnesota high school hockey player Jack Jablonski, dubbed the "Bel13ve in Miracles Gala".

Second, Jeremy Roenick calls New England Patriot's tight end the "next best thing to Jesus Christ".

Yes, that, in a nutshell is the good and the bad of Jeremy Roenick, esq.

A couple of days ago, the Stanley Cup visited the Newport Beach police department. No biggy, just a little public intox, small fine, and the Cup will be right out. Check out the pageantry of the cup visit:
 

Dustin Penner breaks out the formal footwear... those are the nicest flip flops the guy owns. Then there is the guy on the righwho just looks like he is up to no good. He probably wants to steal the cup and melt it down so he can get back to his first love: freebasing heroin.

The kid behind him though, at least he is wearing a Stanley Cup shirt. It's the one Kings fan in Newport Beach! Then the guy on the left, he just wants to get in and go to work. I imagine he is some sort of disgruntled detective. Somebody walked through the Henderson's azelias  again, and goddammit that type of thing doesn't happen in Newport Beach. So just get out of the way, Penner, because crimes need solving. 

Tomorrow, the cup goes to In and Out, and is probably left in the men's room. 

Brandon Morrow: I just can't get over the Olympics, the pageantry, the honor, the pride of country. It almost brings a tear to my eye.

Vernon Fiddler:  I know what you mean. Just a fantastic display of patriotism by all involved. The whole world is watching as they play their game.

Jaromir Jagr: I wish I could participate in the Olympics.

/room slowly turns to Jagr

Morrow: Jaromir, you have been in the Olympics.

Fiddler: 4 times.

Jagr: Oh yeah? Name one.

Morrow: 2 years ago in Vancouver.

Jagr: Really?

Morrow: Really.

Jagr: No, I must have been there to play the Canucks. I distinctly remember the Sedins.

Morrow: Well, sure, they were playing for Sweden.

Jagr: Sweden? In Vancouver? Canucks fans must have been upset.

Fiddler: No, I don't think they were. Canada won the gold medal.

Jagr: Man, I tell you what, if I am playing in America, I am going to play for America, that's all I'm saying.

Morrow:....

Fiddler: ....

Jagr: Do the Sedin's still play for Sweden? Or are they back with the Canucks?

Morrow: ....

Fiddler: .....

Jagr: You know, I think I am remembering it better. And I remember distinctly because I played for America.

Morrow: No you didn't.

Jagr: Yes, yes I did. I was wearing the red white and blue.

Fiddler: Those are the same colors as the Czech Republic.

Jagr: Pshaw, like that's a real place.

/Fiddler and Morrow give up.

Jagr: Man, I've been to Ontario, and I don't remember London looking anything like this. 

We have discussed how insane the NHL proposal has been, but both sides are still at the negotiating table, trying to sort this silliness out. In order to reach a fair compromise, however, that means the players have to be just as crazy with their offer. The two sides need to both be able to make concessions in order to meet in the middle eventually. What are the players putting out there?

- Players get to take home the zamboni

- Wet bar

- Nobody ever traded to Columbus again.

- Somebody explains what the hell a Wild is.

- Unlimited hair gel

- Comprehensive dental coverage

- It's the National Hockey League. Pick one country and stick with it.

- Team hotels better than La Quinta Inn

- Time off for 2nd jobs (In Steve Bernier's case, it's at the makeup counter at Macy's)

As always, we will bring you more  details as they become available.

"Screw it, I don't care. You guys can have him."

We have all heard about the excessive provisions the NHL into a new CBA proposal. Thsi was not the whole story. It's never the whole story. What else is the League after? 

- League collects 50% of individual player sponsorship contracts.

- Sidney Crosby gets a new Penguin suit. A tuxedo. For wearing on Ted Leonsis's yacht while he serves drinks.

-  Garnishing of Sedins.

-  Players owe the league a dollar every time their name is mentioned on a national telecast, 50 cents on local telecasts. Free advertising? Not so fast, you greedy players!

-  Ducks and Kings have to road trip together. 4 to a room. Same goes for the Islanders and Rangers, as well as the Flyers and Devils.

- Dany Heatley goes back to regular undershirts. The league can't support his turtleneck habit.

-  More appearances on soap operas. Not for financial reasons, Jeffrey Vanderbeek just loves his stories. 

- Lights off during the second period.

There is a lot of ground to cover between the two sides. Barry Melrose Rocks will keep you posted intermittently, and likey 5 days after news breaks. Stay tuned!