New Site - New Image! We're going places!

www.auspuck.com.au

Get here already. The latest Auspuck podcast has just been released.

Weekend FTS - More HIGHLIGHTS!

Team Auspuck has been on hiatus for a couple of days.... hope our reader didn't miss us too much! We are back now with dedicated hockey coverage, we promise. But hey, at least we don't have it as bad as this guy:



Back to the pond rookie!

Anyway, links and highlights after the jump!

Tuesday Night FTS

Due to AP's absence, FTS is being brought you by yours truely. I wont bore you with another tirade about Australian Hockey needs more publicity, instead I am going to jump straight into the action. Skip through the jump for the links, oh and you better have your fast Internets warmed up, seriously cool streams ahead...

Weekend FTS - I miss Pat Burns already

So unless you live in a cave, on mars, with your eyes shut and your fingers in your ears, you would likely have noticed that Pat Burns has recently passed away. I was quite sad to see him go. He was a great man who  inspired the players he led and the organisations he worked for. My best memories of Pat include winning the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2003, leading the '93 and '94 Toronto Maple Leafs to consecutive final four appearances and winning three Jack Adams Awards (Best Coach) with three different teams over his career. Unfortunately Pat did lose his battle with cancer, but his memory will last a long time. I think it would only be fitting to see him get into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the near future. I believe he has earned this based on his own credit nonetheless.

Back to the NHL. I was fortunate enough to watch the Canucks get stapled by the Blackhawks today. It will be quite interesting if those teams meet in the playoffs again this season. Also, for as much attention as Jaro Halak has received in St Louis for his strong play, Montreal must be absolutely ecstatic with the play of Carey price so far this season. He certainly is making me a believer of Montreal having made the right decision as to which goalie to keep. Playoffs success will decide in time though. But if I had to win one game and could choose between Halak and Price starting for me, I would go Price.

Links after the jump!

Thursday FTS - GIF PARTY!!!

So it's no secret that I am a Leafs fan. A die hard leafs fan in fact. Coming off a miserable stretch of games has left me a little depressed, to say the least. Often how the Leafs play and the outcome of their games affects how I feel the rest of the day and how sociable I am. So with that in mind, I'm bringing you the story of my day in a way that only a GIF party can. Also a couple links for today at the end.

Follow me after the jump!

FTS in a hurry!

Welcome to my world!

Hi hi,

So much going on in the NHL this week that I would love to write a details blurb for today's FTS. Unfortunately I worked late and am currently watching the Blues V Avalanche and have no time to type. I will let today's links do all the work!

Funny that the first coach firing of the year has occurred. The New York Islanders of all teams were the first ones to give the 'ol "Don't let the door hit you on the way out" to Coach Gordon.

Also interesting to see the story that has developed with Colin Campbell. I can't believe this has been exposed. Always remember kids, if you type something in an email that you wouldn't feel comfortable being printed in a newspaper, don't send the email. It's funny how this was uncovered by a blogger. Albeit a blogger with a Law Degree and some access to some 'insider' knowledge.

Wow, I said I was busy and look what I've just pumped out! So get reading on today's links cuz there is some great stuff in there.

Links after the jump!

Sunday FTS - Night owl's special!

JS Giguere did what??

Sorry for the late FTS. But hey, at least it will keep you entertained tomorrow.

Sundays are always great as I get up early-ish to stream as many NHL games as I can. If you don't do this, I highly recommend it next week. Jump on SBNATION.com and go to your favourite teams blog and ask around for the best stream sights through there. You're guaranteed to get a good one.

Anyhew, today's links are after the jump!

Falling with style.

My first post faithful Auspuckers, so cop it sweet. Before I progress however, I would like to say a quick thanks to all that tuned into Auspuck Podcast. It was a blast recording it with all the boys AP and DCOM. They take professionalism to a whole new level. Maybe one day we will let you in on some of our bloopers. 

Moving on...

I have tossed up a few ideas in my head, good and bad, about what to communicate to you all today. What is the burning issue in Ice Hockey today? Contracts? Player Fines? What could it be? Well take the jump and see what, in my opinion we need more of today.

Thursday FTS - Dinosaurs'r'us

Sid "The Kid" likes this.

So another week of fantastic NHL action is almost over. It was a fun week that saw the NHL General Managers have one of three regularly scheduled meeting to discuss NHL issues. From this meeting came a new idea for the NHL All-Star game, updates on players social networking responsibilities and everyone seems happy with how the head shot rule is being enforced around the NHL.

More after the jump! Links and today's videos!

Tuesday FTS - Get link'd!

Trade of the season so far! Well done Mr Halak

Well I gotta say, yesterday's induction of players, coaches and managers into the Hockey Hall of Fame was probably the weakest group I have ever seen added to the hall. Admittedly, it was fantastic to see the first two females receive the honour of being inducted, but besides that, it was the weakest group that really isn't worth mentioning.

Anyhow, on to today's links as I know that what you all come here for :)

Links after the jump!

AP's Corner - AIHL SEASON 2011: Somebody Fire It Up! (PART 1)

So after ripping on the crowd a little in the last podcast. I've decided to do my part in helping generate more of an atmosphere at AIHL games for the coming 2011 season and in particular, with the Sydney Bears.

Read on after the jump!

FTS for Freaky Thursday

"LOLZ! Remember when we were good??"

Hope everyone enjoyed the podcast... I listened to it today and, not to pump our tyres too much, but it's probably the best one yet.

Anyhew, I think things are starting to settle down a bit more in the NHL. I will write something more on it later in the week but Team Auspuck has been a bit lazy this week with our commitment to FTS.

Injuries are starting to creep into some teams. Toronto lost its captain, Malkin is still out, Craig Anderson is gone for a while.... and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

But enough from me... today's links are after the jump!

New Auspuck Podcast! - Episode 4!

"Noddin' ma head like yyyeeeaaaahhhh"

AP, Dcom and JC are back with another amazing(?) podcast!

In this episode, we'll talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2010 AIHL season. We'll also share more NHL news about the Kovalchuk benching, early season suspensions, Taylor Hall and lots more!

Here are your links:

Straight MP3 link

iTunes Podcast

Tasty FTS - Hump day!

Wassup ya'll... no?

"We're still good.... right??"

Has anyone checked out the NHL standing lately? Without cheating, can anyone tell me the only team left in the league without a regulation loss?..... tick... tock... tick... that's enough time. The Nashville Fricken Predators! 5 - 0 - 3. Amazing. Barry Trotz is a great coach and well done to them so far. You know I can't help but think that Phoenix should have resigned Dan Lombardi. To bad they have no money. But seriously, for Nashville to lose Jason Arnott and Dam Hamhuis and still remain this good? I don't think anyone saw it coming.

Some good reads in today's FTS. And, oh my, for the first time in years I think, one of today's links features a current NHL MVP ranking that doesn't include Alex Ovechkin. And, truth to be told, he probably doesn't really deserve to be on there at the moment.

Anyhow, today's links are after the jump!

Tuesday FTS -

He got me while I was snoozing... 

So it's bad when you wake up in the morning and realise it was your turn to do the FTS and had completely forgotten. I hope our reader out there wasn't disappointed during his (or her) lunch break. Well with that in mind, today is an extra long and special FTS. Suspensions galore in the NHL so far this season. The NHL standings look upside down, the Islanders?? Really? Where's New Jersey?Boy I hope this bizarro NHL season settles down and the teams that are supposed to win start winning.

I won't waste any more of your time as today's links are after the jump!

Weekend FTS - Trade winds'a'swirlin!

The NHL season continues to roll on. Big news out of Ottawa is that Senators GM Bryan Murray is fed up with his team lackluster player and is promising that trades are on the way. I suppose that's fair enough. I wonder who will be the person to go. Certainly Chris Philips would be on some teams radars as he is a free agent at the end of the season and could be a good rental. Jason Spezza will obviously get a look in to. He's just not the dynamic scoring forward that he once was in Ottawa. A change of scenery could do wonders for his career. Either Pascal Leclaire of Brian Elliot could be moved as well. Really all the cards on the on the table for a Senators trade except for Mike Fisher. He would probably gain the most interest from the NHL market but I just can't see Ottawa parting ways with this player. He's to valuable, to much of an emotional leader and the city loves him to much. Watch this space....

Anyhew, today's links are after the jump!

THE NHL'S MOST WANTED!

Hey punks, keep your heads up out there... lurking near the corners, back checking through centre ice or found at the blue lines are (dum de dum!) NHL Forwards! Can you believe that these guys think that can hit people on the ice? It's bad enough they think they can embarrass goalies with sweet deaks and lazer slap shots, but to actually think they can hit people who are trying to concentrate on skating with a puck is crazy! Ban them from the sport, take their skates away, break all of their sticks, fine the teams that employ them as I never want to see any of them again!

Okay so obviously I'm being sarcastic above there. But this sillyness is not unjustified! The chocolate wheel approach to NHL discipline is starting to get a little stupid. I understand that you don't want players taking the ice in fear that they could be the last time the ever feel their toes or are able to construct sentences, but c'mon, don't take the aggression out of the game! That's something I love about hockey! I'm going to hold off from going into this more as I believe one_piece or AP might have something to say about it in more detail in the next few days... I'll just do what I'm paid to do... on to today's links! All of them are after the jump!

Sunday FTS - Noddin' ma head like yeeeaaahhhh!

C-Mac! - A record setting start for him!

Oh my, The first couple weeks of NHL action have been nothing short of fantastic. Games in October matter.. right now! They can determine whether or not your team will make the playoffs. So get on your band-wagon and get cheering. I, for one, am on the edge of my seat every day from the NHL action. I recommend getting involved with a fantasy hockey league, it will keep you interested all season long (well after your team has been eliminated from playoff contention :p). Some NHL season thought are next followed by today's FTS links.

• Congrats to Clarke MacArther. He has set a Maple Leafs record for scoring a goal in his first four games as a Maple Leaf. He currently leads in the NHL with 5 goals. Future 'Rocket' Richard winner eh??

• Tampa Bay looks good. They must be ecstatic with a 3 - 1- 0 start. AP said this team would make the playoffs.. dare anyone say he would be wrong?

• Chicago has currently scored the more goals than any other team... However this year it has nothing to do with the depth on the team, Marian Hossa is a man on a mission! He got his cup, now he wants to be the reason his team win. 

• It looks like the Phoenix situation is finally drawing to a close. More in today's links, but the "to-long-won't read" summary is: A buyer has been found, team will likely stay in Phoenix. 

Links after the jump!

Call a waaaambulance - it's today's FTS.

To all the avid Auspuck readers, you know we really are experts... our pre-season predictions are coming true, sort of. So amongst all the great hockey we've seen already this season (OILERS!), the grey skies are looming over some issues in the NHL already. Mike Ribeiro, Nik Hjarlmarsson and James Wisniewski are the guilty parties. The following is some youtube yonks to keep you in the loop. Links after the jump as always.

This hit has Ryan Miller crying to the NHL (more in the FTS):

And how bout this class act from Wisneiwski:

Links after the jump!

Funny Youtube Clip for Giggles

What if Mike Cammelleri was a Jedi?

I'm posting this because it's funny.... and I can. Enjoy!

AP's corner: My rant on the New Jersey Devils!

Hi all,

New blog section. My (AP's) corner.

The following is my rant on the current state on the New Jersey Devils... read on after the jump.

Boom! NHL! Boom! - Thoughts and today's FTS

Move to Vancouver, where you can get some hot Swedish twin action nightly

Wow the NHL is back in full swing and boy is it exciting.!!

There's is absolutely nothing like it in the world (obviously!). I must say, the game, the sport and the league continue to surprise me year after year.

My early preseason thoughts are below and today's links are after the jump!

•  The Boston Bruins must be ecstatic with early season play of Nathan Horton. He's been everything they wanted and more so far.

• Congratulations to Henrik Sedin for being named the new Captain of the Vancouver Canucks. He was announced captain about 4 hours before the season opener.. lol. I know he won't want to brag, but Wcom called this in the last podcast.

• How bout those Leafs? Off to a 2 - 0 start is fantabulous!

• How bout those Penguins?? Off to an 0 - 2 start is not fantabulous :(

• I love the spark in the Edmonton Oilers right now. My excitement comes with a caveat: we'll see how this team is playing and how much energy they have in the tank at game 50 of the season. But right now, it's fun to watch. 

• I didn't pick the Avalanche to do much this weekend. But I must say, after watching them pretty closely so far, I can see why they are successful. They have relentless speed throughout their line up, Craig Anderson is fantastic, their forecheck is fierce and they are a determined group. Watch out for this crew. 

Well that's enough from me. I'll share more as the week goes on. But today's FTS links are after the jump!

Season 2010 - 2011 has arrived!

Welcome to the Auspuck preview of the 2010/11 NHL season. I will give teams Auspuck's quick preview of what to watch for with each team in the NHL this season. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

(Continues after the jump!)

God Effin Damnit! Oh yeah, and today's FTS

Thank God my pants stayed on....

Oh wow, so it might be my current work load... or my stress before the release of the NHL season arrives...but I must say I've been quite (massively!!) angry today with the main stream media (MSM). From that stupid Twitter incident this morning involving "Spider" Everett, to Julia Gillard and the "Meh, overseas sucks" attitude and one of today's FTS links from a Toronto newspaper that just really grinds my gears. There was no relief in sight for me today. But I don't write on Auspuck everyday to share my problems... that's what my girlfriend (xbox?) is for. So with out my further adieu... lets get to some hockey talk!

So Grabner was claimed off waivers by the New York Islander. He's a great addition and someone who I think will do so well on that team. Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper are being separated for the first time since birth as Maltby has been placed on waivers and will likely start in the minors this season. Vancouver made a trade today (more details below) and it was nice to see some spark in the transaction world.

Today's links are after the jump!

Super FTS Tuesday!

 So it's usually Wednesday when the good stories from around the NHL come out. But, boy oh boy, did I have to do some work deciding on which articles to link today.

What's wrong with this picture?? Look hard!

How about those Carolina Hurricanes loosing to a KHL team this morning. I heard the Hurricane players were using excuses like:
1) It's too cold here
2) We dressed our 3rd string goalie
3) We're in this whole other country
4) We generally suck at the best of times....
5) We got nervous playing in front of a crowd...

So lame... Anyhow, the Russians actually have a lead in the all-time series of NHL teams versus Russia Domestic teams. Which I found surprising.

On to today's FTS.... and stay tuned for what was up with today's picture if you haven't figured it out already. Also below is one of the craziest shoot-out goals I have ever seen!

Links after the jump!

FTS for a back to business Monday!

"Okay kids.... this is how you slash!"

Some more preseason notes before we get into today's FTS:

• Did anyone see Mike Cammalleri's dirty dirty slash on Nino Niedderraiter? This kind of play gives me the shits. Okay, I'm all for veterans "teaching" rookies what is fair game on the ice and not, but this kind of hissy fit after that type of hit is pointless... if you haven't seen it, check it out HERE 

• How about the Panthers dropping Grabner? Here's a guy they coveted and acquired in the Keith Ballard trade and then cut him coming out of camp!?! I think the former 1st round pick will get claimed of waivers. 11 points in 20 games last year is something to build. Maybe his attitude has gone south? Maybe he doesn't want to play in Florida? Something smells fishy.... 

• Who will the Devils trade to get under the salary cap? Jamie Langenbrunner is looking more and more to be the likely culprit. Way to go Ilya. 

• Speaking of other pre-season cheap shot... Derek Boogaard.. I hate YOU! 

Anyhew... enough from me as always. Stay tuned on Auspuck for our continued look at the top captains in the NHL in the coming days. Today's FTS links are after the jump!

Auspuck Podcast - Episode 3 - Feat the AIHL Awards!

"These accents are sexy.... "

Hi All,

The team at Auspuck is proud to bring you our third podcast. In this episode we give out our AIHL awards, talk more about NHL captains, look at the bubble teams from each conference and end again with the shootout!

Links are below:

Podcast iTunes Link

Mp3 Download

ONE PIECE TOP 5: NICKLAS LIDSTROM BOOM!!

Hey guys, so I guess it’s my turn to name my one of my top five captains

The league has an array of amazingly talented captains and we wanted to show you who our Top 10 are, just before the season officially kicks off. Following Auspucks lead I’m going to start with one of my favourites: Nick Lidstrom. 

Loooong FTS for a looooong weekend!

Well I'm off for the long weekend (here in Sydney anyhow). Take some hints from Patrick Kane and party like this guy------>>

Read on in today's FTS for the Blackhawks all sporting their championship rings. They are amazing. I thought the championship rings that I had earned in my life were impressive.... I'd be embarrassed to bring them out around these guys.

Also read on for a heart warming hockey fighter story and some seriously wrong jerseys.

The new podcast is coming soon. Before it hits the editing floor... are there any reader questions than you people want answered? Feel free to comment below or drop me an email at auspuck@gmail.com

Links after the jump!

Thursday links for Thursday Rockers!

And on we go with more news from around the NHL. It's worth paying attention to the pre-season now as teams are starting to ice near NHL complete rosters. Story lines are already developing that will be worth paying attention to over the seasons. 

Did anyone see Beauchemain wallop Kovalev today? Wow! I think Kovalev forgot what he gets paid for on that team. The Oilers are also playing better than anyone expected. I predict Calgary won't make the playoffs this year. Philadelphia might struggle with their goaltending all season. 

And those poor poor Islanders... :(

Links after the jump!

Hump Day FTS!

For some reason, Wednesday's FTS always seem to be the most entertaining. I guess the MSM's pencils are still sharp, laptop batteries are charged and internet connections are still juiced from the weekend. Anyhew, enough from me....

P.S. Someone tell Ryan Miller he is holding the stick wrong!

Today's links are after the jump!

Iggy... Iggy!... IGGY!!

According to the NHL rulebook, A captain has: "sole privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game"

Yes, and the rest! Over the next short time Auspuck will be profiling the top five current captains in the NHL. Everyone loves a strong willed, disciplined, talented and relentless captain. These are the traits that we have built around to determine our top five listing. Unfortunately Liam Webster will not be profiled, but it was not for his lack of the above characteristics.

We start today with number five: Jarome Iginla!

(More after the jump)

Pre-season thoughts and today's FTS

OMG! Redden for Team Canada? It happened!!

Wow, the NHL is really on a roll now! Just over a week until the season starts. No need for me to mention again how excited I am about this upcoming season. So many unanswered questions, so many things to watch out for, the parity of the league could lead to so many outcomes. Everyone stay tuned because if you forget to look at the standings regularly you could lose touch with what is happening.

Anyway, on to some interesting pre-season thoughts:

• How bout that 11-round shootout game between Toronto and Philadelphia! The rivalry between these teams comes in to play no matter what the situation.
• Poor Josh Harding. I like him as a goaltender and for him to be already injured (and to likely miss the entire season) is such a shame.
• More bad news on Wade Redden. He's been waived. A $7+ million dollar defensemen playing in the minors? Only in America. But truth be told, he's crap.
• Does anyone else miss Scott Neidermeyer already? I know I do! 
• I believe the Oilers will be all razzle-dazzle... which will lead to about 25 wins this season.
• The Chee-choo train (Jonathan Cheechoo) has left Dallas. This former 50 goal scorer, who could really still be an offensive force if he ever remembers how to, was cut on a tryout basis from Dallas this week. Off to Europe for this guy I guess.
• Looks like Bill Guerin will likely get a contract out of Philadelphia. Boy I hope so!
• LOL, Carey Price getting boo'd in his first pre-season game in Montreal. 4 goals on 10 shots will do that. Is this a sign of things to come for Montreal's season?

Today's FTS links are after the jump!

Hump Day FTS! - The NHL is BACK!! Well.... sort of!

That's right folks, today marked the start of NHL pre-season action! Watching teams made of half-full NHLers is not as good as watching teams made of NHLers (except when watching the leafs, islanders, thrashers, hurricanes et al) but it's pretty dam close! Needless to say that I didn't get much work done at all today. So exciting!

Find today's game in 6 below and today's FTS links are after the jump!

One_piece's best game in the world review (NHL 11) :)

Ok guys here we go, the long awaited review for NHL 11. I’ve played it a billion times now as auspuck mentioned before and I must say, WOW! Now I know they get better every year but this is a new level of better.

Let’s start with the intro. The game starts with the usual dramatic intro of bone crunching hits, powerful shots and a flurry of dangles that makes it impossible to keep yourself from drooling all over the control
 s. For the first time ever the Intro is similar to the game play, what you see in the intro is ultimately what you can do during the game itself. More after the jump...

Tuesday's FTS makes me :(

"Pineapple Stabbing, it like I.."

Hi Everyone,

Such a sad day for today's FTS articles. I usually stick to the compelling yet upbeat stories from around the NHL, but unfortunately, those stories are scarce today. On the bright side, NHL action is still right around the corner so we all will definitely have something to look forward to.

You might be wondering why I have Mikail Grabovski as today's photo? He is know through the blogosphere as the crazy pineapple stabber, for obvious reasons. It is all in good fun. Unfortunately he is the victim of a selfish, stupid and utterly annoying Canadian Frenchy who got into an altercation with Grabs while he was attending and watching the Olympics (He was injured at the time.. A broken wrist!). Grabs allegedly punched the guy (fair enough) and is now being sued for, get this, a head injury, multiple facial fractures requiring reconstructive surgery, a back injury, trauma to his mouth, teeth and eyes, memory loss, a change in personality and ongoing headaches, among other things. AMONGST OTHER THINGS? Global Warming perhaps? Canada is just as bad as America when it comes to liability claims and the above example is the reason why!

Anyhoo, enough from me. Today's FTS links are after the jump!

Weekend Reading from the FTS! - Auspuck Goal of the Year!

Hello everyone,

So I've been trawling through my list of favourite goals from the 2009-2010 NHL season. There certainly were some doozies! It was actually good to see some players crack the 50 goal barrier as that is something that I expect to happen every season, but sometimes doesn't. I'm sure anyone that pays attention to anything that is said here on Auspuck knows that I'm all about defense. I like gritty, in-your-face hockey, with players having the mentality of "yeah, score if you can.... but it ain't gonna happen." However, even though I take all of that into account, nothing gets me out of my seat like a sweet deke, a twisted wrister or cannon of a slap shot that hit the back of the net. I present to you my favourite goal of the 09/10 NHL Season:

Today's FTS links are after the jump!

Podcast iTunes Feed

Hi All!

Finally have the link for the new podcast on iTunes. I think there has been some changes and you may want to subscribe to this new feed. Anyhow, both episodes are available through the link below. Enjoy!

Auspuck iTunes Podcasts!

Howzabout a puck? - Thursday FTS!

Oh Yeah! NHL11!

Hi all,

Suddenly out of nowhere there are a number of cool stories to read about from around the NHL. Good timing huh? Here I am trying to play NHL 11 and get a good review for everyone and I have spend all my time screening and reading the articles for today's FTS. Not to worry though, if you haven't bought your copy of NHL 11 yet, you'll have plenty of entertainment from today's link.

Grrr, I'm still waiting on iTunes again for the podcast link. Apologies for the delay everyone.

Stay tunes for one-piece's review of NHL 11 as soon as he's rocked up 1,000,000,000 games played (yeah, it'll be sometime in the next day... haha?)

Links after the jump!

Hump Day FTS - Back to Business!

So hopefully everyone has had a chance to check out the new podcast... lol, I kid, no one has listened to it yet. You should check it out when you have a chance. Probably better than the first one... Oh I mean, DEFINITELY BETTER! :P

But that won't stop us from bringing the noise from around the NHL on a daily basis.


Today's FTS links are after the jump!

Auspuck Podcast: Episode 2!

 Just when you thought Auspuck couldn't get any better.... we bring you the second podcast. Bigger and Better than the first! Here are your links!

For the straight MP3:
http://www.mediafire.com/?xx02rb4qek79quk

For access through iTunes (p.s. apparently it is going to take 24 hours or so for it to appear on here, but just subscribe now)
http://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/auspucks-podcast/id390658772

Pre Pre-season NHL Action

Hi All,

Rookie tournaments got under way overnight so I thought I would post the highlights of the first game available here. Enjoy!

Who Ledba Dogs Out?? - Weekend FTS!

Someone actually signed this guy...

So close to the NHL Season.... so close to the release of NHL 11.... everything is just so second tier right now..

Lots of links for the weekend people.

It's interesting to note the amount of established NHL players that are still free agents. We're in the middle of September! Mike Comrie, a former $4M a year player, signed for $500K with the Penguins. I see a lot more of these contracts coming out before camps open and during the NHL season. I guess every team thinks they can pull a "Miro Satan" contract during the season and get some bargain basement contributor to the team. So many things to pay attention to.

Links after the jump!

Who is your favourite team of all time???

Simple enough question right? And I'm really interested in hearing about people's opinion on their favourite NHL team of all time. I'm not talking about a Franchise. Everyone has their favourite franchises and I respect that, but I think everyone would have their favourite team right? A team that embodied what how they wanted a team to play? Maybe a team that was more exciting to watch than any team they had seen before? So c'mon people, throw 'em all at me in the comments of this article!

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring here. I've been watching hockey for forever and without a doubt, my favourite team of all time is the 2007 Anaheim Ducks.

(read on after the jump)

FTS for Wednesday - Boy do I hate Dan Carcilio!

"Haha *snort* haha"

Hi All,

So I was doing what I do all the time during the NHL off-season, watching old hockey games. At least this one was from the 2010 playoffs. Anyhew, I was watching Dan Carcilio play and, even though I can tolerate the different "types" of hockey players, he is one guy that instantly gets under my skin. Can you believe he gets paid over a million dollars a year?!? Granted that's not much for NHL standards, but still!

Read on after the jump for today's links and some interesting videos from the man (Don Cherry) who backs me right up.

OFF-SEASON SHANAHANIGANS

I SCORED! I ACTUALLY SCORED!

Hey guys, one piece here, long time reader first time blogger, so be gentle on the criticism. :) Just joking; go nuts.

So it’s been one week since the finals and the AIHL season has come to an end. No doubt all the teams have by now had their end of season party (for some, sooner than others) and are looking forward to the summer and some time away from the game. After one practice and one or two games a week for five months, who can blame them?

Tuesday FTS... - It's 'labour' intensive!

"Psssst... can you ask Santa to bring me some defense?"

What a lovely spring day. Well from what I could tell from my office window it looked nice. :(

Oh, NHL 11 comes out on the 16th of September. Anyone who listened to the podcast knows that I have this date penciled in to my calendar.

NHL rookie training camps open on the 11th (ish) for each team. So it's worth visiting your favourite NHL teams website or blog (try sbnation.com) to see what rookies are worth keeping an eye on.

How 'bout that election result eh?

Still some interesting topics out there for today's FTS. Links after the jump!

Monday FTS - Kick 'em out!

"FOCUS!... Remember she won't like me if I lose!"

Hi All,

Welcome to another week. Still no NHL, but the deadline is drawing near. I can't wait to watch  Hi-Def hockey games on my new Foxtel IQ2. I will let everyone know how it looks but I'm already pretty certain it will blow my expectations away.

I'm so starved for hockey action that I was forced to watch an old old old school game. Leafs vs Blues from the '93 playoffs... yeah that's right... a game from 17 years ago! Hurry up and get here already NHL!

On to today's links. More Kovi talk and some more updates from around the league. Check out the video of my favourite goalie ever! I wonder if hockey is his day job? There are some great articles to read today.

Links after the jump!

Auspuck Fantasy Hockey League!

Hi All,

I've started a fantasy head-to-head hockey league through ESPN this year for all loyal AUSPUCK readers. It will be 16 teams and contain fairly detailed scories categories.

It is an open league at the moment so anyone can join. The title of the league is Auspuck - 2010/11 Season.

If you do struggle to find it through ESPN.com check out the link below or feel free to email me at auspuck@gmail.com and I will send you an invite.

Remember there are only 15 spots left. First in best dressed.

AUSPUCK Fantasy Hockey League

FTS! How good is September?!

"It's *cough* Captain *cough* Dion to you!"

I'll tell you how good September is! We will see NHL Rookie Camps, NHL Training Camps and NHL Pre-Season games all in the great month of September!

The NHL season opens on the 7th of October with Toronto Vs Montreal as the highlight game for that day.

So Dion, stub out the ciggie and hit the gym already!

Todays links are after the jump!

Podcast iTunes Feed

 iTunes Podcast Feed

Click HERE for the Link!

The Recap - Goodall gets Icey!

"I love you Melbourne.... No really, I do!"

Well it has been a few days and I have come to grips that the Melbourne Ice are this years Goodall cup champions.

Congratulations to them on a fantastic season and well deserved championship.

Recapping the season of the Melbourne Ice really did lead me to some interesting facts and I probably should have paid more attention to them when predicting who would really win this tournament.

Starting the season, the Ice featured a deep and talented roster. One that wasn't solely relying on the performance of their imports, had a great mix of offense and defence and the advantage of playing in the premier rink in Australia in front of a loyal, vocal and large fan base.

(More after the jump!)

Podcast Update!

Hi all, me again.

Early feedback has told me that the podcast in stereo is quite annoying.. lol. I've set it all to mono.

Please download from the new link! I have to update iTunes again so it will be a day or so. Thanks!

http://www.mediafire.com/?1s1kr1d3e94j103

FTS for Wednesday

Hi Everyone,

It's rare that I actually check the stats for this site. I don't really expect people to (ever!) visit and I'm afraid of looking at the results. However, to my big surprise, we had over 2,000 visitors to the site last month. I am humbled that people actually come here. So thank you very much for you time. One quite fascinating fact was that people from all over the world actually come here. Hopefully I got your flag in the picture above today. I have absolutely no idea how you heard about us, but I'm glad to have you on board!

Errrgh, I am still having trouble with iTunes and getting the feed up and going. Don't fret though, it will be there soon. It would be great to get some feedback on the podcast. If you have any criticisms or positive feedback please let me know. If it something that you would like to see continue.

FTS for today is following up on the podcast. Links after the jump! :)

Auspuck Podcast! Episode #1

Hello all,

I'm very excited to bring you the first (hopefully not the last) edition of the Auspuck podcast.

In this episode we talk about the AIHL finals, news from the NHL, NHL 11 and whole lot of other stuff. The podcast will be available via iTunes eventually (I'm waiting on a silly confirmation). But please take the time to either download it from there or directly below. Right click on the link below and open the page in a new browser, it will take you to our media domain but you can just download it from there and stick it on any mp3 player. I look forward to hearing everyone's feedback!

(I will give the iTunes link as soon as it is available)


http://www.mediafire.com/?ia1ni2u2ellzcsd

FTS for Monday... Oh yeah and *sigh* well done Melbourne

Stick tap to the Melbourne Ice.

Do I really have to write anything more than that? I guess it's cool that they've finally won something and the people in Melbourne need all they can get to cheer about. I'm wondering if the Ice took a flyer on the Storm? Maybe we should get some federal police guy to see if all of their non-import players are legit? Hahaha.



So yes, it's the start of another long boring week. With only forty-something days to go until your favourite NHL team hits the ice, it's time to start getting excited!

Some really interesting articles to read about today... so on to the links! You'll find them after the jump!

AIHL Finals eh?? WTF! - FTS For today.

Hello all,

Firstly I should congratulate the Ice and the Adrenaline for making it through to tonight's grand final. I'm not completely convinced that the best teams in the "A" are playing in the final but meh, good luck to them nonetheless. I suppose there will be no "Ezzy Ezzy Ezz, Oi Oi Oi" chants in the final... thank god!

I would love to hear some comments about people who attended the Newcastle Adelaide game... It must be one of the wackiest AIHL finals game in history. I've pretty much assumed from what I've heard already that Sydney were dominated by Melbourne and were lucky to only get away with a 2 - 1 loss.

Anyhow, I'll give a wrap up once I get some sources to get back to me... On to todays links! Find 'em after the jump!

FTS for a Thirsty Thursday!!

Thirsty... as in I'm sure that there are about 60 hockey players in Australia right now who can't wait to drink from the Goodall Cup.

Still quite a bit going on in the NHL. Wow, check out the links below for the NBC schedule of games to be shown nationally across America. Favouratism much? Anyhew, happy reading everyone.

Links after the jump!

AIHL Final Predictions!!

As suggested by a loyal reader (thanks!), here is your post to discuss all your predictions and issues concerning this weekends games.

Unfortunately I don't have tickets to attend but I am glad that Melbourne has sold out. It should make for a fantastic finals weekend. It's also nice to see it not being held in Newcastle for a change. I guess the finals will be held in Melbourne for the next few years at least. Not that there is anything wrong with Newcastle, it was the premier rink in Australia.

The finals series is:
North Stars V Adrenaline
Ice V Bears

Winner of each game plays in the finals.

To put my neck on the line, I'm going to say the Adelaide gets tromped by Newcastle and the Bears eek by Melbourne. Who knows who wins the final between those two teams. Maybe a 3 - 2 or 2 - 1 win to the Bears.

Let me know your predictions people!! Comments below and play nice (or don't... either way).

FTS!!! It's Been so long!!!

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for being away for so long. But I'm back! Wooh, AIHL Finals this weekend! Good luck to all the teams involved. 43 days till the NHL season! Training and rookie camps will start soon. So can't wait! So Kovalchuk is still a free agent, no one cares about Lee Stepniak, Bill Guerin - Paul Kariya - Antii Niemi still can't get NHL jobs. Ha... suckers. Carey PrLOLice isn't signed. Same goes for Marc Staal. But the guy with my favourite NHL name, Patrick Hornqvist, was signed by Nashville for 3 years, $9M-ish today.

Anyhow, so long since I've given you any links that there is an absolute boatload today. Reading all these links is sure to give you 400 babies! (IF YOU DON'T KNOW 400 BABIES - Check out my youtube links this week.)

Links after the jump!!

AARRGGGHHH!! Tech Difficulties (sort of...) :P

Hi Everyone!

Sorry no updates in a while. I'm out of the country for a little while but will be back after the 24th! Look out for more updates then!

Please consider emailing me if you would like to blog on this site in my absence.

auspuck@gmail.com

Weekend Round-up, FTS and thoughts.

Hi All,

Welcome to some more Monday musings. Wow, 11 players from the Dogs Adelaide game were sent off. I wonder if that is some kind of AIHL record? Old-time hockey I guess. Still, I guess if your an Ice Dog you have to try and save some face after get shellacked 10 - 4. The Blue Tongues couldn't get any much needed points and dropped both games against the Ice. Their current 2 - 7 - 0 - 0  run has completely dropped them out of a finals contention spot. If they win both games against Newcastle and the Bears lose all their remaining (3) games, I will eat my hat.

More topics and links after the jump!

Relax and chill, it's Friday's FTS!

 Haha... Enough said!

Todays links are after the jump. Featuring insight on the "real" Ovechkin, the best website for fantasy hockey news, Antti Niemi is still a free man and the evil evil trapezoid!

TFTS - Get Linked!

Wow there's so much going on in the NHL I don't even know where to start. Okay, so that might have been a bit of an exaggeration. Still some interesting stories are popping up now and again. It's a good thing I trawl the internet so you don't have to!

I'm continuing with my fighting theme all week. SHORYUKEN! I used to hate that when it was used against me as a counter-move to my jumping strong kick.

One thing I will say is that it is very likely the final four in the AIHL will be locked up this weekend. The Blue Tongues have a crucial two game series against the Ice this weekend. If they lose both, they can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. The Ice also have something riding on the games, they want to lock up their  playoff position and gain home team advantage in the semi-finals. At worst, avoid playing Newcastle in the semi.

The bears and adrenaline game should be a doosie as well.

Links after the jump. Enjoy!