Sid's Neighbor Troubles

I've got a few random stories for you today.

First up, the Saint doesn't just face battles on the ice. This summer, he's fighting to have the road to his new home in Nova Scotia paved. From The National Post:

A rutted dirt and gravel road near Enfield, 45 kilometres north of Halifax, peels off from a paved highway and curls through sparsely populated rural lots before ending on the banks of Shubenacadie Grand Lake. A move by residents to cover this dirt has unearthed deep acrimony, dividing neighbours and bringing accusations of vote-rigging and bully politicking.

The quarrel offers a strange blend of small-town politics, feisty homeowners and even a major celebrity.

Take a wild guess at who the celebrity is...

The politics comes from the prime opponents to the paving deal being the area's Member of the Legislative Assembly and his twin brother, the municipality's lawyer, both of whom live at the head of the road. The celebrity comes courtesy of Sidney Crosby, the young hockey star who recently bought a house near the foot of the road and who supports the push to pave.

Long story short: The residents wanted the road paved so badly that the majority have agreed to chip in and pay half of the cost. The twins oppose getting the road paved at the expense of the residents, so they pushed to get a vote for every PERSON listed on the deeds to the homes in the neighborhood. Then they "added 12 to 15 names to each of their six properties, hugely stacking their voting power."


Politicians never cease to amaze me. First of all, if they're living in the same neighborhood as Sidney freaking Crosby, there's a good chance they've got some serious cash, so they can more than afford the approximately $4,600 per resident it is expected to cost. Secondly, there was a vote, and the majority decided that this was the way to go. Although, I seem to remember there was an incident in the U.S. in 2000 where the majority vote didn't matter, either... :P

Moving on, this guy hates Sid. Okay, well maybe "hates" is too strong a word, but there's definitely some bitterness in his article. Methinks the author is an Ovechkin fan who's bending statistics to fit his view that Alex should be "the new face of the NHL." I was going to drop some knowledge on this matter, but why re-invent the wheel? The comment left by Stephen at the end of the article sums up exactly what I would have said quite nicely. The only thing I might add is that maybe Sid scored only 6 goals, but he had 21 assists. In 20 playoff games, Sid averaged 1.35 points per game, while Ovie averaged 1.29 points per game in his 7 playoff games.

Ovie's probably the best goal scorer in the league; there's no way I can deny that. But if you look at the overall package - on the ice and off - The Kid is the best, hands down.

And finally today, while a handful of people might think that Tampa Bay squandered an opportunity with their selection of David Carle in the 7^th round, Gare Joyce (and I) think it was an amazing way to honor Carle's achievements (from ESPN's Page 2):

Stick around for the happy ending. No miracle. No reprieve. No unforeseen plot twist.


Just hockey people stepping up to let Carle know that they weren't going to forget him. That he had to abandon the game, but the game wasn't going to abandon him.

And that's just one more reason to love this game.

Don't forget this is the last week to send in your Project photos!!! :) :) :) :) :) Show off your patriotism to your country and your team!

LATE EDIT: Friends of The Show Robbie and Daily Su have alerted me to the fact that Tampa Bay has signed ex-Pen Mark Recchi to a one year deal worth $1.25 million. SERIOUSLY! What is it with the Lightning snatching up all these Pens players, haha?!

Oren Koules Is Awesome

Long time no post, eh? ;) On Sunday I spent the day watching movies with my husband, and yesterday it felt like I didn't even get a minute to breathe because we're working hard to meet deadlines this week to get ready for shutdown next week. (I'm really sorry about that - I wouldn't have skipped posting on Sunday if I'd known how crazy Monday was going to be.) Anyhoo, I've been thinking about what the Tampa Bay Lightning did on Saturday at the draft and thought it was cool enough to mention here on The Show.

In the seventh round, the Lightning selected 18 year old defenseman from the University of Denver named David Carle, who was attending the college on a hockey scholarship and is the younger brother of Matt Carle of the San Jose Sharks. Big whoop, right? Wrong. It turns out that during the pre-draft physical examinations, doctors found out that Carle has a potentially fatal heart condition (from College Hockey News):

Denver recruit David Carle has retired from competitive hockey after doctors discovered a heart abnormality. The condition, known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — or thickening of the heart — can cause sudden cardiac death if there is too much exertion.

[...]

Carle got an EKG at the NHL's scouting combine, which is where an abnormality was first detected. He went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for more tests.


Carle said a nurse was the first to inform him that the news wasn't good. "...I just lost it and had a good cry. ...The doctor came in, and I was pretty shell-shocked at first. After a few hours passed, you can step back and evaluate it, and move forward.

"I'm really quite fortunate they were able to find it. I've still got a long life ahead of me. I have a lot to look forward to and a lot of opportunities ahead of me."

Because of the severity of the disease, he withdrew his name for consideration once the diagnosis was confirmed. But that's when this happened (from The Denver Post):

On Saturday, however, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected Carle in the seventh round (203rd overall).

Incoming Lightning owner Oren Koules pushed for the team to select Carle.


"The kid worked his whole life to be drafted in the NHL, and I didn't see a reason he shouldn't be," Koules said on the club's website.

It's only symbolic, since even slight physical exertion could lead to sudden cardiac death. But what a gesture! This kid's entire life changed through no fault of his own, and Koules used the draft to pay tribute to Carle's lifetime of commitment to the game of hockey. Carle still plans to attend the University of Denver, and Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky told Carle that, despite the fact that he now cannot play on the team, his scholarship would be honored.

It's a bittersweet ending to a career that never had a chance to get started.

PROOF!!!

This came to me a few minutes ago courtesy of Friend of The Show Sooska:

I took a screen shot from the HERE a few minutes ago and photoshopped it only to draw a line and circle and add the text. The rest of the image is unchanged. Go to the site and see for yourselves. On Geno's page the menu is in the lower left. The file of the screen shot is attached. Please note it says GENO- not Gino. Nike says it is Geno, therefore God Gary says it is Geno.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

I think we can safely put this controversy to rest and concentrate on the rumors of his trade. Pensgirl told me last night she had been alerted to a rumor that our boy Geno had already signed with a team from Tokyo for all-you-can-eat-sushi. This rumor has credence since we all know for a fact, as he stated it openly on Inside Penguins Hockey, that his favorite place to eat in Pittsburgh is Umi in Shadyside.

That's very difficult to argue against! Looks like it's CASE CLOSED for good on the Geno v Gino issue! :) And speaking of Geno's alleged possible relocation, it turns out that Ray Shero was actually listening to some of the offers being sent his way, though he ultimately didn't accept any of them. Check out this article that details what Geno's agent has to say about the coveted star's future:

Sidney Crosby cracked the door open last July.

Evgeni Malkin wants to rip it from its hinges next month to allow teammates - specifically impending unrestricted free agent Marian Hossa - a clear path toward long-term futures with the Penguins.


Malkin's agent, JP Barry, said Friday his client would follow the precedent set by Crosby last summer and sign a long-term extension at less than his presumed market value to provide the Penguins salary cap space necessary to remain a Stanley Cup contender.

I believe the words you're looking for are "BOO" and "YAH." But, as they say, you've got to take the good with the bad: Unfortunately, talks with Marian Hossa have broken down. He has decided to decline the Pens' offer for a longterm deal in favor of trying his luck in free agency. (>_<) Evidently, "[Ray] Shero said he is 'not optimistic and not pessimistic' about keeping Hossa." Okaaaaaay...

Sid will definitely still need a winger if Hossa leaves, but I'm so glad Geno wants to stay!!! This photo of Geno comes courtesy of good Friend of The Show Teka of Talk Hockey To Me. She took the photo in Philadelphia when the Pens met the Flyers on 11-10-07.

Oh, and in HOLY SCHMIDT news, the Philadelphia Flyers traded Pittsburgh native Penguin killer R.J. Umberger to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Here are the details of that trade:

The Flyers received the Blue Jackets first round pick (19th overall) and third round pick (67th overall). The Blue Jackets also received the Flyers' fourth round pick (119th overall) in the deal.

Umberger, a graduate of Plum High School, was a restricted free agent that the Flyers were having difficulty re-signing because of the salary cap. The Blue Jackets will now have exclusive negotiating rights with Umberger until July 1, when other teams can make a contract offer that the Blue Jackets would have to match or risk losing him.

Umberger and the Saint play in Philadelphia on 01-13-07.

Umberger ...was a restricted free agent that the Flyers were having difficulty re-signing because of the salary cap.

Hmmm, do you think that had anything to do with the fact that the Flyers had no money to spare after shelling out $10 million to Danny Briere?

Finally, in draft news, the Pens picked up right wing Nathan Moon, and goaltenders Alexander Pechurski and Patrick Killeen in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th rounds, respectively. Don't forget to keep working on our TSCS Summer Project! I've already gotten some really good ones. :)

Big thanks go out to Friends Sooska (for sending in the PROOF! screenshot) and Teka (for the shot of Geno).