Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic Breast Cancer Awareness All-Star Game 2019

To Err Is Human, To Forgive is Divine...

There was no further need to accelerate the vitriolic hate that permeates the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals rivalry. In this series, a new chapter to the Pens/Caps rivalry is written with many players switching teams. Capitals with 4 former Penguins while Pittsburgh has one key ex-Capital.

During game two, a face familiar to both teams had thrust himself into the national spotlight as Brooks Orpik had laid out young Finnish defenseman Olli Maatta. My first thoughts weren't of anger initially, but immediate concern for Maatta's well-being. Then the play was stopped as the NBC broadcast camera starts to pan in towards rubbery Maatta laying prone on the ice. He was KO'd before he even hit the ice surface. Once the whistle had sounded, I looked and expected the referee to motion towards the guilty forty-four for a long stay in the penalty box. None were forthcoming.

I guess once the initial shock had worn off, disappointment and disbelief arrived to find that a once respected hero athlete who wore the black & gold for many seasons delivered a vicious hit to a former teammate. People still wear Orpik's jersey to games and never quit mentioning the trivial origins of his first name as connections to a legendary Penguins coach. Orpik is remembered fondly in Pittsburgh as a rough and tough player who leveled Red Wings players with heavy bodychecks when appropriate. Now that he wears the enemy's colors, are Penguins fans forced to condemn and make hyperbolic statements about him? 

I could wildly speculate a little deeper to what might Orpik had been thinking. He had been playing Maatta closely, but swoops back in toward to set a huge hit well after the puck sailed far away. Did Orpik target Maatta knowing that he was made expendable in the Penguins organization? Was revenge on his mind? Or was there clearly no thought process at all?

Today, Orpik owned up to his actions while making a classy statement:

Orpik accepted responsibility for the head hit he delivered that injured Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta, saying his three-game suspension was “fair” and that he made a “pretty bad mistake.”

He then went on in reports to explain that he told the Capitals that the Penguins would buckle under the pressure if they played a strong body checking game. He'd seen it happen before.

But now that I've heard his reactions to the steep 3 playoff game suspension, I've settled with Orpik emotionally. I can't ever condone what he did to the young Penguins player who had already been beset with injuries, but the matter is settled and closure is achieved. I forgive Orpik's reckless play.

However...

It still leaves a few other directions to channel my disgust and anger. The referees who didn't call a penalty on Orpik and towards the Barry Trotz who suggested that the Penguins got preferential favoritism when the suspension was handed out. Trotz must have been channeling his inner- Stan Van Gundy. I recall Van Gundy tried to win "the war" of public opinion in the press by claiming that superstars always get the in-favor bias with the front office and officials.

The sensible thing would be that the inflammatory rhetoric Trotz used in his vague allegations would be laughed off, but in this case, he's looking to further incidents like this one in hopes that pressure might sway things back in their hands.

The referees made a mistake by not awarding this disastrous hit a 5-minute major penalty. At worst it's a match penalty. Did the referees decide or expect the Penguins to retaliate with hits of their own targeting their former player? Would justice be served by allowing Orpik to skate freely with a perennial target on his back? The more I think about the mistake the referees made, the angrier I get at surely having to listen to know-it-all pundits who feast on verbally pummeling the NHL for not taking better care of their players and doling out stricter penalties.

So, the Pens/Caps rivalry has yet another chapter forged between them in history. It's not like the playoffs weren't already raised up. But the rage-filled debate will yet again. For that, I can't tolerate another hit like Orpik's.

Game of the Week (Season 2) - Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Happy Halloween!

Game of the Week (Season 2) - Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins

This week's game is inspired by all the hype from this upcoming game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs. It's Phil Kessel's first game against his old Toronto friends. In this episode, I am trying to focus on telling you just how many memories I've gathered from attending Pens games vs Maple Leafs at both Pittsburgh Arenas.

I've also kept up on the October "Breast Cancer Awareness" and "Hockey Fights Cancer" theme. Please consider donating anything you can towards finding a cure or for more medical research.

I am currently 1-0 in this season vs. the CPU.

So, no matter what I've done here during this video game in the series. I'll probably do a rematch over Halloween between these two teams. Yea, I've used the Penguins more times than any other team in the game, but I've been trying to stay current.

Do you have an idea to feature two teams in the next "Game of the Week" series? Then go ahead and leave a comment in the box below or wherever appropriate.

Game of the Week - Pittsburgh Penguins vs Chicago BlackHawks

This week's game was a request made to us by one of our fans over on the Facebook fan page. Remember, you too can make requests to see the match-up of the week on that page too or through the comments section.

"Pittsburgh Penguins vs the defending Stanley Cup champions"

So, here it is!!!

I chose the NHL Stadium Series jerseys for this one believing that I hadn't used the Penguins jersey they only used once for the stadium series. Considering what a disaster that game was for the Penguins, I could certainly see why no one would want to remember that game.
So, how did I do? Is there anything I can do better with it? Is there any ideas for new broadcasts as Game of the Week? Please, leave it on the comments section below or on the Facebook fan page.

Game of the Week - Pittsburgh vs Vancouver

In this episode, I decided that I wanted to feature my hometown team Pittsburgh Penguins. They've made some serious waves in the free agent signing period and off-season. They've "given up" on Sutter, while hoping that they can build a more defensive team that is strong on all 4 lines. I haven't heard what Vancouver has thought of the trade yet.

So, here is the game where all sets of players are on their new teams. What exactly would they do in this simulation? This game will explore that. Would Sutter get that "revenge"?


If you have an idea for a great match-up.. then leave a comment or two in the forum below or use the various methods of social media.

2013 NCAA Frozen Four Predictions

Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic, since it is Pittsburgh-based, is proud to have the NCAA Frozen Four championship tournament hosted in the city of Pittsburgh and played in the new CONSOL Energy Center.

Here is my tournament brackets filled out with the predictions (like NCAA Final Four) in the proper brackets. If you want to participate with me, then get your brackets into me by THIS Saturday March 30th.

PIHL Knights vs Spartans at Penguins Pond

Even after the big event of the Winter Classic outdoor event in Pittsburgh, it seems like every year, that the city tries to re-create the same wonder and feeling of an outdoor game to celebrate the resurgence of hockey interest at the early stage levels. The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to build interest in the city with the Penguins Pond project that I blogged and did a little video about last time around. This year, I made sure to take in some more of the high school PIHL action that I missed out on last year.

So, my alma-mater Norwin was scheduled to meet up with one of their neighboring arch-rivals in Hempfield on the relocated outdoor rink. Even though it was a beautiful set-up with the city in the background, it was still sitting on the new multi-purpose athletic field set to open up later this year. It was cold. Some might even say it was way too cold to be a spectator. The outdoor rink itself was kept frozen by a large mobile refrigerator unit, but I would insist that if it were to fail, the ice wouldn't been in any danger.

The stands were all filled with snow and made the metallic floor very dangerously "slippy" (as we yinzer's like to say). But the short level of risers were dwarfed by the regular seats off into the distance where I found many other PIHL fans sitting and freezing.

I made a YouTube video along with it to highlight some of the action.
You can check out the rest of the story in the Norwin Star hosted by TribTotal Media. in the link below.

Do you have some memories of the game? Why not leave a comment below.

[Via: Norwin Star] 

COHF Meets Miss Mandy Starling

Of all the truly remarkable people that I have encountered during my 10 year run of hockey blogging, I would have to give a recount to my blessings for having a great gal like Miss Mandy Starling in my online life. While I continue to make new friends on BlogTV, I became a fan of Mandy's shows on the popular self-broadcasting social media website. I became a regular guest chatter in the text chatroom. But once in a while, I would be invited as a co-host and most of that time be talked into doing something silly like dancing.

After a while of getting to know Mandy and talking with her live on camera, she became interested in working with me further. I spoke to her candidly, as I do with everyone. For a while now, I've felt as if she challenged me and made me feel like I wanted to be a better person. She asked me to try and lose weight, something that I'm definitely keeping seriously.

To return the favor, Miss Mandy Starling and I arranged for another show to be one where I could be a guest on her blogtv.com channel. There, I got the chance to express how excited I was during this upcoming weekend that features the 2012 Entry Draft. I know she's done some other things involving the 2011 hockey classic in Georgia, so it was a pleasure talking to her about the NHL coming to my hometown in Pittsburgh. Some of it was recorded and you can watch it via her channel.
Hockey in Pittsburgh- Broadcast your self LIVEIf I'm not on my own blogtv.com channel, you can probably find me there watching Mandy with all of the other regular guests. Come check her out at her blogtv page It's Mandy's World. Or keep up on all her other adventures through broadcasting and check out her website - Mandy Starling.

Penguins and Islanders Punished for Game Fighting

When the National Hockey League doles out the disciplinary actions, I am sure they hope that they are doing the right thing and making the right decisions. Now that "shots to the head" is seen as a hot-button issue, the recent debacle of a game between the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins have pushed the tolerance for such violent behaviors to it's limits.

Now the NHL's "hockey code" is once again under the scrutiny microscope as it attempts to move on from the thuggish stereotype. No matter how many times it's sliced up, the solution to the problem is never accepted by 100% of the fans or expert pundits. The punishment for the behavior on the ice between the Penguins and the frustrated Islanders will be debated for weeks, I am sure. It's often seen as arbitrary with the amount of lengthy suspensions and weather or not the suspensions actually serve as a deterrent.

In what was surely an attempt to avenge the poor showing against the Penguins back on February 2nd, the New York Islanders were geared up to fight from the opening face-off. After the game, New York was served with lengthy suspension as well as a walet-warping fine.

The NHL suspended New York Islanders forwards Trevor Gillies for nine games and Matt Martin for four while slapping the club with a US$100,000 fine late Saturday night for their actions in a fight-filled win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

What was balanced out in this scenario, the Pittsburgh Penguins also were wrist slapped by suspending enforcer Eric Goddard 10 games for leaving the bench during a fight to join in. There is no real controversy here as the punishment doled out by the discipline arm of the NHL seems they were trying to be fair and consistent with enforcing the rules as they understand them.

[Via: Rogers Sportsnet]

Cooke Causes Colision and Cacophony of Calous Critics

The NHL's poster-boy for what they think that's all that's wrong with the sport, Pittsburgh Penguin Matt Cooke, has immediately channeled the full ire of many fans who dislike his overly aggressive style of play. During a recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, veteran defensman Fedor Tyutin skated back to his own zone to play the puck. But he was quickly made to feel the force of Cooke's body slam into him at full speed. The result was a catastrophic hit that not only looked monstrous, but something that would be worth a lengthy suspension.

Attempting to back up the latest rhetoric about being tough on players who recklessly pass up the safety for others, the NHL decided to lower the boom on Matt Cooke and suspend him for 4 games.

"It's the league's decision," he said. "They assess every hit and every play. That's their ruling."

It's a ho-hum or been-there-done-that response from one of the most villainous current NHL players. Most times, Cooke brings it on himself, but he's got a reputation now, so can it be possible that other teams can exploit the potential meltdown.

In the FSN Pittsburgh broadcast, the one that has almost made itself into a mini-viral video, it was conveniently cut out that the slow-motion cameras that showed apparent victim Fedor Tyutin had turned his head back before playing the puck, then turns his back to the on-coming Cooke, right in time to be delivered the hit. Did Tyutin position himself to draw the major penalty?

Given that additional information, it is quite easy to get fans' dander up and rabble rouse against Matt Cooke for what he did. But if you get the whole story... then the big picture palette looks more palpable.

[Via: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Penguins Organization Extends Grattitude Towards Fans

Now that the dust has finally settled and the hockey world can recover from their major sporting event during the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have released an official statement from the top brass within expressing many thanks to the fans and city of which they seem so proud.

On behalf of Mario Lemieux and the entire Penguins organization, I want to thank our fans for your incredible role in making the Winter Classic one of the greatest sporting events in the city’s history.

Of course, the people in the "trenches" who provided the security, concessions, as well as the sanitation, should also get a round of applause working on what turned out to be a really cold and rainy New Years Day.

I think the Pittsburgh fans and visitors were able to adjust to the time change and took on a whole new perspective of the game under the lights. It will be a trivia point for years to come as the first game to be played outdoors under the lights.

Official Penguins Website

Pittsburgh Penguins Unveil Winter Classic Jersey Sweater

The Pittsburgh Penguins have released their uniforms at practice this morning. Popular young stars Evgeni "Geno" Malkin and Jordan Staal wore them for the press and for the select fans. And then the thundering sound was heard as every hockey fan rushed to their computers and other network sharing electronic devices.

Looking at them, from a critic's point of view, I am truly disappointed that the Penguins once again chose to ignore the very look that is associated with a winning legacy in the city. The 1990-91 jersey would have looked just as great - if not better - than the jersey design they chose to go with now.

The blue color is a change to the usual black and gold color scheme that the city defines it's identity from and expects to see from it's sports teams. The blue color is a show of some originality and perhaps a stand-out from the rest of the league's teams. The only black and gold is found in the ancient logo that makes up the team crest. It's an intentional throwback to when the team was first formed, which is essentially the purpose of the Winter Classic - to take the teams and the game back to the beginning origins of where it came.

I don't know if the Pittsburgh Penguins are planning to phase out the powder blue uniforms that were transitioned to 3rd jersey status since the initial Winter Classic. It would seem likely once the NHL and Penguins management get a look at the sales figures.

On January 1, 2010, the NHL will host another outdoor game in Pittsburgh, PA with the bitter rivals Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals and can be seen on NBC.

Battle of Pennsylvania 2010-11: Game 2

In game two, things looked different. There was a new Penguin goaltender between the pipes and another new arena as the venue was the perpetually hostile crowd of the Wells Fargo Center (or whatever they want to call it these days). It's a quick turn around to game 2 as the painful memory of the opening day loss to the Flyers remain in the minds of the Penguins players and fans. Could they strike back in front of the Flyers fans?

Of course, this was no easy task for the Penguins who were now facing a new goalie as well as the defending Eastern Conference champions. The first period started like the first game as Danny Briere scored after the 6+ minute mark on the power play to give the Flyers a 1-0. Johnson, who had looked more confident than Penguins starter Fleury lately, had also started to provide doubts for the Penguins hopeful fans. But Kris Kunitz, not known to be as productive in a Penguins uniform, scored on the new enigmatic Russian-born Bobrovsky to tie up the game 1-1 just 5 minutes later. Penguins fans believed their team was in better shape than the first game going into 1st intermission with the tie.

In the second period, Mark Letestu (who?) the shocking Penguins rookie placeholder for the injured Jordan Staal, scored another goal to make it 3 on the year and break up the tie late. The Penguins and Flyers fans expected that at any moment the momentum could shift and we could have more fights happen than the one Rupp-Shelly dance that occurred early in the 1st period. Still, Bobrovsky was standing tall and certainly making the case that he should be the next Flyers starting goalie outright.

The 3rd period should have been the relief that the first 2 periods of tension had created. Starting with the return of the "class" that the Flyers fans have been known for, the "Crosby sucks" chant echoed through the rink showing that their seething jealousy continues to plague the fans. But it only served to be a negative motivator as Crosby put the puck in the net twice during the power plays to bring the Penguins a 4-1 lead middle way through. Matt Cooke, often villainized for the way he aggressively plays, scored a final goal at the open net to remind the Flyers fans that the Penguins weren't exactly going to hand over the Atlantic division crown without a fight.

It was a solid game for Brent Johnson and a game showing that Bobrovsky was in fact human. Game 3 is going to be back in Pittsburgh in early November.

Afterthought Note: The Flyers captain, Brad Richards, decided to give a "spirited" post-game interview (via: Broadstreetbullies)"it's tough to be playing Pittsburgh, they are going to be falling down easy". I am sure the Penguins faithful will keep this up on the bulletin board. Would you like some cheese with that whine, Mr. Richards?

[Via: Yahoo! Sports]

Battle of Pennsylvania 2010-11: Game 1

The Battle of Pennsylvania begins with a new arena to play in and a fresh new perspective on NHL hockey. Consol Energy Center has been talked about all summer long and would certainly be the underlining storyline to the game. Once the pomp and circumstance have all worn away, we would get the first true look at what the NHL season had in store.

But as I clicked on the TV reminder note to the channel once the Penguins vs. Flyers game was about to start, Versus showed the concert outside Dundas street in downtown Toronto instead of the opening night festivities in Consol. I was fuming! I patiently waited while Hedley belted out a mediocre if not downright awful tune. FSN Pittsburgh would not put up with any of this nonsense! And Versus had to verbally acknowledge that the first commercial break was spent honoring the old voice of the Penguins in the Mellon Arena, John Barbaro, who passed away this past summer.

But as the Versus network actually made it to broadcast the game, we are treated to see the Commissioner Bettman and Mario Lemieux drop the ceremonial first puck on the long red carpet. I didn't find out until later that Mario had already been out to the ice and dropped a tankard of water from the ice at Mellon Arena.

The first period was a lot of what I expected and a little less of what I wanted. Crosby and company were stiffed by a young goalie that was experiencing his first career NHL start. It was as if the Penguins couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with the puck. The Flyers had some great chances as well, but were countered by some better Penguins defensive zone action. It was a feeling out period that neither team got the upper hand or a score on the board. 0-0 to the 1st intermission.

By the second period, I wondered who would finally get the first goal scored in the new arena. Every second that ticked away, it had become a smörgåsbord of trivia. It wasn't much longer of a wait as Danny Briere answered the call to fulfill history. His goal at 2:51 in the period became the first goal scored on the new Consol Energy Center ice. Penguins fans collectively hung their head as they all knew that the "classy" fans of Philadelphia will never ever live this one down. Then things got even more complicated as Blair Betts was credited with a second goal near at the end of the period to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead going in to the 2nd intermission.

The 3rd period must have seen a Penguins team that might not have even been ready to play. :44 seconds in to the 3rd saw Tyler Kennedy finally solve the rookie goaltender Bobrovsky. It seemed to bring out some life in the Penguins who realized that dropping the first game in the new building would not be all that great. But the Flyers once again made Fleury look stupid and tossed in a shorthanded goal 4 minutes later. My heart demanded a trade for Fleury as soon as the game ended. Inexcusable. The Penguins decide too little too late to stage a comeback and score again before the powerplay was over. Alex Goligoski got the puck through with one final second to spare on the PP.

So as the final horn rang through the hope of winning the first game at the new Arena was dashed at the marvelous play by Bobrovsky. Could he keep up during the remaining 81 games? That's not an easy question to answer, but I do know for sure - the Flyers fans will never let this down. EVER! Flyers win game 1 of the Battle of Pennsylvania 3-2.

Crosby Homers At PNC Park Batting Practice

After all of the things that Sid Crosby has accomplished in his young adult life, he still continues to go beyond expectations. Already an NHL captain, Stanley Cup winner, clothing and equipment name brand, and home owner and the age of 23, Crosby sets yet another startling level of athletic success by cross-training and showing Pittsburgh baseball fans what it looks like to see a great athlete.

“I’ve never done that before,” smiled Crosby just seconds after hitting his blast. “I had a little bit of an edge because of I am a lefty. To be able to come out here was awesome and to be able to put one out was great.”

Sometime it seems contrived, but I want to believe the humility that Crosby expresses here. Seems as if he would go into the batting cage and not expect anything to happen. In one swing of the bat Crosby has just shown up the entire Pirates organization. However you look at it, there really is no excuse how the Pirates continue to lose.

Pirates rookie second baseman Neil Walker, a Pine-Richland native and avid Penguins supporter, participated in batting practice and he came away impressed with Crosby’s hit.

“He obviously has some serious hand-eye coordination,” Walker said. “I think he would catch on pretty quickly. He is a natural athlete. That was quite a shot right there. That was all of 360-370 feet. That’s some serious strength there’s no doubt about that.”

Check out the video taken courtesy of NHL Video.

Mount Puckmore: The 5 Faces Of the Pittsburgh Penguins

[Note: As the off-season time pushes along further away, hockey bloggers and writers have to keep themselves writing so that they won't be bored or lose interest. So, the senior writers over at Yahoo! Sports Hockey blogs have decided to let other bloggers feature and pick the top 4 players to represent the franchise in a monument like the famous Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota.]

Even though Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic is and always will be a hockey neutral weblog, I suppose for the interim, I will chose to stay with my hometown team, the Pittsburgh Penguins and pick my 4 players that should be considered for the virtual "Puckmore". I had a considerable difficulty in deciding the last spot in the 43 year history. Even though the Penguins have employed some talented and future hall of famers, some players have been disqualified for a short tenure. I should also make mention that there are many players on the all-time Penguins roster that could easily be heads on other team's monuments.

Let's get to my selections....


For the 4 featured players in a Pittsburgh Penguins franchise "Mount Puckmore"

1. Mario Lemieux - No Brainer. Not only does he continue to amaze fans with a business prowess in his post-career, fans often had their jaws lowered while watching Mario work his magic. Mario deserves to be up there for not only his talents, but choosing to adopt the city as his own and raise a family. He is the first and foremost ideal franchise player who continues to shine on.

His records on the team still stand with most goals, assists, and points in one Penguins season, but the most unique record that Mario lays claim is the NHL record of 5 goals in different ways in one game in 1988(shorthanded, full strength, powerplay, penalty shot, and empty net) to which no one has ever been able to duplicate.

2.) Jaromir Jagr - He remains second on the team with 1,079 career points, but it was his graceful talent, just like Mario and others, that caught the eyes of fans and not on the box score. He came on to the Penguins as a rookie 3rd liner and won the Stanley Cup. Next year, he won another ring while he sliced through opposing defenses like how he learned English.

But while Jagr's reputation in the city as a player and as a man is tarnished with the locker room antics and subsequent lopsided trade to Washington, it was all on display that the man could actually be a perpetual scoring threat each moment he was on the ice.

3.) Sidney Crosby - What can't this kid do? The young man who was singled out to be a record breaker in the NHL proved himself that he could endure the heaviest scrutiny in the new electronic media's 21st century, could also rally an entire city around the hope that future glory was in reach. If it weren't for Sidney's desire to win and help his teammates around him to be better, the Penguins would be in Kansas City or worse - Hamilton, Ontario.

Besides Mario Lemieux, Sid is the only other Penguins captain with the honor of being presented with the Stanley Cup. He became a young captain, but a precocious player who is already 7th in the franchise's scoring list.

and the last spot on the "Mount Puckmore" goes to.....

4.) Larry Murphy - His defensive skills frustrated opposing teams and he racked up a ton of points while being one of the top consistent blue line players. Already an established player on other teams before reaching the Penguins, he was an integral part of the 1990s teams that are considered to be one of the best dynasties in history.

Murphy also made his mark on the Penguins franchise after having the franchise play-by-play announcer coin the term "Murphy dump" when the puck was cleared out of the zone while airborne resulting in no icing infractions.

Consideration can also be given to these players who get the "runner up" in the franchise players of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Evgeni Malkin, Jean Pronovost, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Tom Barrasso, Pierre Larouche, and Mike Lange.

I had a lot of fun with this. I think I will offer up some other teams as August rolls along.

Winter Classic 2011 Unveils Logo + Press Publicity

The Winter Classic is going to get really big next year as I expect it to be hyped from now until the event itself. But while things are quiet on the western front, the NHL along with the cooperating franchises, held a joint press conference to announce the event.

The first thing that I wanted to see coming from this presser was the new updated logo for the event. After the first one, the host city got it's own unique style worked into the event. So, the logo (seen at left), is similar to some other downtown Pittsburgh events and reflects the unique city skyline along with the many bridges that it takes to get anywhere and everywhere. It also uses the sharp points that can be found on the Pittsburgh flag's coat of arms. A really sharp piece of artwork that I am sure will pop up on a t-shirt in every sports equipment store in the area.There were a variety of photo opportunities that the Penguins as well as Gary Bettman behind a microphone podium reused from the recent NHL Draft in Los Angeles.

There is also a video being circulated around with Mario and Crosby taking slapshots at the football goalposts over at the Pittsburgh Penguins TV website.

I can't wait to be there for the event!

Penguins Prospects Examined For Future of Team

Inside Pittsburgh Sports have done a great job examining the Penguins prospects that have been developing in the system for next season. Could any of them help out the team next year?

They list last year's #1 draft pick Simon Despres, an 18 year old defenseman, as the top prospect with the #2 going to the highly touted Eric Tangradi. I would think that Simon Despres could get in to the Baby Pens roster next year after a career high 47 points (9-38) in the Q with the St. John's Sea Dogs.

Tangredi is a big winger that the Penguins need and with his rookie contract, it could also help the Penguins financially under the salary cap. He played 1 game last season and scored 39 points in his first AHL campaign.

My virtual money is on Tangredi making the team pending a great camp tryout. The Penguins are known to have a lot of patience with their prospects when in fact they have a load of talent on the major league squad already.
[Via: Inside Pittsburgh Sports.com]

Pittsburgh to Host Winter Classic 2011

It was leaked today that the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to be the host of the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2011. It looks as if Canada will have to wait yet another year to host this game.

But for now, the Pittsburgh Penguins' neighbors at Heinz Field will host the game and surely put one tremendous Black and Gold Flavor to the Winter Classic. I didn't expect this event to come to Pittsburgh this soon because the Penguins have already been in a Winter Classic. But when the ultimate scenario fell into place, both NBC and the NHL salivated over, there was no other way but to go with the biggest event in hockey since an Olympic gold medal game.

Crosby was instrumental in creating the outdoor game series a rousing success when he slipped the puck in front of an energized Buffalo crowd. Now, they have added a new angle to examine. Enter the "hero-villain" storyline with the Winter Classic. It justs gets even better. The Crosby vs Ovechkin story will again be described as a key match-up in the historical rivalry.

Having the Winter Classic returned to the natural oval venue like a football stadium is what is going to make this a great bigger deal for me. Every fan that will be packed into the Heinz Field Stadium will have an awesome perspective.

I don't know what kind of coverage I can be able to give you from here knowing that this 2011 Winter Classic will be played in my own back yard. I will for sure do my very best to stay on top of this breaking story development and blog about it with my own unique style.