Detroit Goalie Mask Gets More Attention to Breast Cancer Awareness October

Jimmy Howard's Mask October 2013

Sports leagues in October (as well as this hockey blog) have been very eager to help create sensitivity and awareness towards social issues like the need for more breast cancer research funding. In the NHL, they started with little "Hokey Fights Cancer" stickers on helmets. But then they started selling a lot of pink NHL merchandise and the fad of publicly showing support of breast cancer charity.

Since then, all hockey leagues at all levels have some kind of month long event. Even here at Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic
we choose to honor the fight for a cure and donate for continued research in cancer medical research.

This year, Detroit's Jimmy Howard is taking the month of October to a newer level and will debut a new pink ribbon mask (seen at right). What do you think of the mask design? Is this another leap forward in the pink phenomenon that continues to grow every year?

[Via: Yahoo! Sports]

Hawks Dump Neimi for Turco

It didn't take long, it seems, for the the Chicago Blackhawks to return to their old ways of miserable mediocrity when Mr. Wirtz was running the show in Chicago. After having successfully built up a Stanley Cup championship team, Chicago hockey fans have all collectively shrieked when they were forced to witness the dismantling of the franchise piece by piece.

Another move made by the new front office regime was to reject the $2.75(USD) million dollar arbitrated earlier by Neimi, a recent Stanley Cup winning goaltender. But the Hawks believe that the decision not to resign Neimi is an upgrade.

With that way of thinking, the Hawks' defense might actually be better with Turco than it was with Niemi. Plus, Bowman got Turco, a three-time All-Star with the Dallas Stars, at a bargain price of $1.3 million. After missing the playoffs the last two seasons, Turco, who turns 35 late this month, just wants to win.

It almost doesn't seem fair to Neimi who played a remarkable 2010 playoff series. Not only was he undercut on his salary, but the Wirtz's can point the finger of blame on their cap situation.

Marty Turco, who was recently ousted from a transitioning Dallas Stars team, was just looking for work and patiently waiting in the background for all of it to unfold.

"It's been almost a dream come true to play for an Original Six team, especially one with the number of Tony Esposito, who's from my hometown, up in the rafters," said Turco, who has a career 2.31 goals-against average, 262 wins and 40 shutouts in 509 regular-season games with the Stars. "I'm uber-excited to be part of this opportunity for them to repeat and me to have a chance at winning a Stanley Cup."

Those are some really good numbers after coming from a depleted Stars team with little or no help in front of him. But you shouldn't feel much sympathy for Neimi who's agent says:

"[Niemi is] disappointed," Zito said. "But you just move forward."

He has already been contacted by a few unspecified teams, but I would have to guess those are all probably from Russia or his native Finland.

[Via: Chicago Sun-Times]

Luongo Signs 12 Year Extention

Roberto Luongo is the newest entrant into the "millionaires club" as the workhorse goalie signs a 12 year extension. The real deal is scheduled to kick in after his current contract expires at the end of this season. The new deal will guarantee Luongo will be in Vancouver after the ripe old age of 40.

I am not sure what Vancouver GM Mike Gillis is thinking here. It has all the earmarks of an albatross contract, but with some out clauses to help either side move on in case it doesn't work out. Luongo, once rejected in two hockey markets, is known to be a steady goaltender who could steal a game or two on his own. One thing that does not justify the $64 million dollar price tag is that Luongo has never in his career had an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup.

Good numbers for an NHL goalie, but wouldn't this money be better invested in the team that the Canucks can put in front of Luongo?

It's speculative of GM's in the NHL, but it seems like the eagerness to lock up a player long-term is beneficial for them. Hockey needs stable player movement just like it had when players only wore one or two sweaters their entire career.

[Via: ESPN & Sportsnet.ca]

Brodeur Sets Wins Record at 522*

Martin Brodeur has taken over the top spot for wins among NHL goaltenders. His 15 year career was just as long as it seems to have the net cut down.

"It's definitely harder than I thought," Brodeur quipped. "These basketball players, it's only a little net. This was a big net. I had help from a couple of my teammates."

Despite the win total, there are a few pundits who have started to murmur if this win total is as legitimate as it seems? Could hockey tolerate an "asterisk" in their record books?

Pundits of CJCL-AM in Toronto have pitched the theory that the new rule of shootout wins counting toward statistics of goalies. Brodeur has 27 shootout wins, something no other goalies beneath his new record have. But yet this disparity is also against shootout scorers who aren't credited with goals scored in shootouts.

Even though people suggest that Brodeur got this record early, it is also acknowledged that Brodeur would eventually get the undisputed wins total mark easily next year.

FSN Pittsburgh Coverage Borderlines on Exploitation

Being able to match the successful Winter Classic, Western Pennsylvania hockey fans have been exposed to some of the high school teams developing more tallented hockey players hoping to follow in the Malone and Umberger skates.

But lately, FOX Sports Pittsburgh has been re-playing the news feature about a young goaltender from North Allegheny High School. They recently played in the North Park outdoor classic. But FSN-Pitt would have you believe that there is only one player on the team - goaltender Lindsay Holdcroft (pictured). Initially, I think it is great that she is getting some press attention being a young lady on a boys team, but FSN-Pitt has run this segment 3 different times without covering the other players or the other team.

It's a thin line, about as sharp as a skate blade, but I would have to raise the question as to when the coverage of Ms. Holdcroft becomes exploitative. When most people won't readilly admit it, Lindsay is a pretty girl. Her smile and demeanor translates well though the interviews. But what is FSN-Pitt thinking? The audience will stay glued to the TV? I don't hear about any of the other players playing in these games. I have only seen segments of the coaches and they only talked about Lindsay.

I wish Ms. Holdcroft nothing less than the best. I hope she moves on to bigger positions in USA Hockey. Maybe she can represent us all one day in the Olympics or cary over to a collegiate career. For now, the growing Pittsburgh hockey tallent pool will have to grow to see more women in the game.