Saturday's Roundup

Being that it's Saturday today, I figured I should probably look at doing some poking around on the Internet for some stories to expose. I know there are a lot, so this will be a combination of blog-walking and mainstream news stories to give you a full perspective on what's been happening around those that cover the great sport of hockey. There's a lot of news, so let's get the ball rolling on this weekend roundup of news!

Back on March 12, 2008, I did a piece on Dan Cloutier's interview in the Vancouver Sun. This interview sparked outrage and anger amongst Los Angeles Kings' fans, most notably Carla Muller, a blogger for HockeyBuzz.com. Miss Muller was understandably frustrated with Mr. Cloutier's comments, and wrote her own blog entry on the subject. Today, however, Miss Muller informed the world that she now moving over to LetsGoKings.com, and offered a few kind words to me on her departure.

"I wonder if this guy will apologize now that Cloutier is taking the unique position that despite the fact that two different doctors have medically cleared him to play, including one of Cloutier’s choosing who also found him fit, he is alleging now he is too injured to play."

I will not apologize for what I wrote. I am not obligated to apologize for what I wrote when all you did was spew hatred for Dan Cloutier. In fact, you took a few steps back on your very next blog entry, and came across as more objective. The result? A much more convincing argument. It came across as being less "angry-at-the-world" blogger, and more "she knows what she's talking about" blogger. The latter is a much better place to be, in my opinion, and I believe you would say the same. I will commend you for the better approach in the second article, but I will not apologize for calling you out on your tantrum in the first article.

I will, however, wish you good luck in your new role with LetsGoKings.com, and hope that we can establish some sort of friendly rapport. I have no malice or ill will towards you, Miss Muller, and simply wanted you to take a step back and look at the situation objectively. I would be more than happy to speak with you, and let you know I still hold you in the utmost respect in person if you so choose. I assure you, though, you will get an email from me wishing you nothing but the best in the next couple of days.

Good luck, Carla! Your passion makes you an excellent hockey blogger, and you deserve all the best in your new position!

Canada's Loss = Britain's Gain: It was announced, late last week, that Sherry of Scarlett Ice has accepted a position with the Manchester Phoenix of the British Elite League! She will continue to blog from "across the pond", but she also brought in a heavyweight blogger (not literally, of course). Dany Heatley Speedwagon has joined the Scarlett Ice team to help readers stay up-to-date on Senators' news and happenings. Congratulations, Sherry, on the exciting new job! And congratulations, DHS, for your appointment to Scarlett Ice's team!

More Kings News: CKim from A Queen Among Kings has been keeping busy with her team's Year-In-Review, as well as two podcasts! I suggest checking both of them out as they both have good chatter on them. Also, the special guests found on the I'm Not A Puck Bunny podcast bring their unique perspectives to each show, and shouldn't be missed!

Jagr Watch: The three-year, $35 million tax-free contract that Avangard Omsk offered free agent Jaromir Jagr this week is insane. Pat Brisson, Jagr's agent, has assured the Rangers that his client's first priority is to secure a contract in the NHL. However, we're talking about Jagr here. Rangers' GM Glen Sather stated that he "talked with Brisson last week in Ottawa before the draft and I told him we wanted to do a deal, but there's been no communication back on their end". In the end, money has always spoken loudly to Jagr, so I wouldn't count the CHL-R out at this point of the negotiations.

Waivers And Buyouts: There were a few significant addition to the free agency pool this past week. Todd Bertuzzi, Shawn Bates, Josef Stumpel, Rhett Warrener, Anders Erikkson, and Marcus Nilson are all on their way to the July 1 sweepstakes. There probably won't be many teams throwing bags of money at these guys, but some tire-kicking should happen with Warrener. We'll see what happens come Tuesday.

It's Called A "Cap" For A Reason: The salary cap in the NHL will rise to a maximum of $56.7 million this season, up $6.4 million from last season. The minimum requirement for teams to spend is now set at $40.7 million, while the maximum any individual player can make is $11.34 million per season. It's the fourth straight season that the cap has increased, prompting me to ask why we had a lockout. I get that, at the time, the Canadian dollar was not as strong as it is now, but that's no reason to increase the spending every year. It's a cap linked to revenue - I get that point. But league revenue is far different than each team's local market's revenue. Someone needs to review this before spending is out of control. Again.

Ok, I'm done. I'll have another charitable organization to present tomorrow, so tune in for that. Expect an email, Miss Muller, because that's the next item I am about to tackle. And for those Kings fans who are coming here to flame me, read my article first. Out of everything you can do, reading is probably the most important part when it comes to commenting.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!