Updates, Emails, And The Likes

That's a nice little mix of dried flowers and scents to the left. HBIC is bringing a nice little mix of news stories, reader emails, blog entries, and everything else I can pack into this article. Basically, it's a mixed bag of everything today. We have hirings, we have products, we have news, we have everything a hockey fan could ever want from a mid-summer hockey blog entry. Except actual hockey. But that will come, kids. Keep your heads up, kids, because the hockey season is right around the corner. Until we get there, though, here's your mix of hockey news and stories from around the Interwebs.

• Jeremy Roenick officially retired from the NHL today. The NHL loses one of its most dynamic personalities, but he shouldn't be gone from the game. I'm hoping that a national TV hockey broadcast team will hire him for their coverage. And maybe reduce the amount of time I have to listen to Pierre McGuire. C'mon, TSN... you know he'd be good television!
• Teppo Numminen also called it a career on Wednesday after 20 seasons in the NHL. This one hurts as he was a favorite Winnipeg Jet of mine. Numminen was never one who yapped a lot. Instead, he let his play do the talking. Steady, reliable, and unwavering, Numminen was a competitor. With him retiring, only Tkachuk, Selanne, Khabibulin, and Shane Doan remain as active players who suited up in the red-white-and-blue Jets' colours.
• Ed Belfour's return to the NHL is not in the playing capacity, but the coaching capacity. Belfour was hired by the St. Louis Blues as a goaltender consultant. Belfour is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, a Stanley Cup winner, and owns a career 2.50 GAA. He should be a good teacher for the young Blues goalies.
• The Detroit Red Wings brought back Jason Williams, signing him to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. Williams had 19 goals and 28 assists last season between Atlanta and Columbus. Not all Detroit fans think this is a good move by Ken Holland, however.
• Tony Granato's time behind the bench in Colorado has landed him a pretty good gig for this season: Granato will stand beside Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh as an assistant coach with the Penguins. Personally, getting Granato won't change the fate of the Penguins this season all that much. However, his playing experience may help the younger Penguins in his teaching. That could be a big plus for the Penguins.
• A young lady named Erin emailed me the other day. Erin stumbled across some t-shirts that Jim Balsillie's camp may want to invest in for the September 10 auction. Check out the "Impeach Bettman" t-shirts here. Thanks for the tip on these t-shirts, Erin!
• Remember that little piece I wrote all about how the NHL doesn't trust Jim Balsillie? Well, if you thought I was scratching the surface, The View From 111 blows this trust thing wide open. Jim Balsillie's tactics in his dealing with the city of Nashville, Craig Leipold, and others in Nashville are, in a word, dispicable. Yet people still defend his "business tactics" because of his vast wealth. It is not about the money, people. It never was. It was always about Jim Balsillie and his character. Fabulous work by this blogger. Highly recommended read for anyone interested in the Coyotes' fate.

There's some quick updates for Thursday. I'm looking at rounding out the major trophies tomorrow, so stay tuned for that. For everyone who was hellbent on railing on me for my views on Jim "Blackberry" Balsillie, I encourage you to read the work done on The View From 111. Your billionaire hockey saviour probably isn't who you should be hitching your wagons to when it comes to good business practices.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!