Congratulations to Mike Iggulden on his first NHL goal and his fifth point in four games. It's been a long road for the Cornell product -- is this a turning point?
- More game reactions: Newsday | Montreal Gazette (Streit as #1 star? Price as #2?) | Islesblogger | 7th Woman | Drive for Five
- Last year, Brendan Witt finished 12th by Mirtle's "Rod Langway" measures for the best defensive defensemen. Witt's obviously dropped off the chart this year -- but guess who currently ranks 16th?
- Newsday is supposed to have an interview with Long Island-born Habs D-man Mike Komisarek on becoming a free agent, but it's not up yet. Will update later, after I finish my Islanders KOMISAREK jersey order. [Update: It's up now, and FanShot/quoted above, too. Good stuff in there.]
- Did you realize Josh Bailey hardly ever plays? Tom at Tiger Track catches TSN's Gord Miller in a classic moment of media cluelessness.
- Rob Shick is one of the few refs whose name I know yet cannot recall cursing. (Another, shockingly, is Doug but that won't last.) Shick always struck me as forever young, so I was surprised to learn he's done now. Fans, players, everyone gives him a nice send-off. [Pierre LeBrun]
- Billy Guerin is having fun again. [LeBrun again]
- More pro-Lighthouse Project thoughts from a legislator [IslandersPointBlank]
- Jibblescribbits [via Puck Daddy] reflected on the NHL's handling of the Bertuzzi/Moore incident five years later. A few related thoughts on hockey culture below...
To me, Jibblescribbits' salient point is this:
"The NHL is quick to paint itself as a different kind of sports league, one that prides itself on the idea that hockey players are bands-of-brothers battling side-by-side for something noble. But the NHL bailed on one of their players as soon as he became a symbol, and threatened to expose, an ugly side of hockey."
I think that applies to hockey culture in general: reflected in its "let's move on" treatment of hazing, Frost-level youth exploitation, head injuries -- even the question of whether a gay player could comfortably come out of the closet in the NHL (or any other hockey league in North America). People generally just want to focus on the game -- hell, I do too, it's entertainment after all.
But when there are human rights issues at stake, that might be occasion to call a TV timeout. Seems like those timeouts only last a day or two, persistent underlying social issues be damned. Awareness is an essential part of preventing exploitation and deterring bigotry -- but awareness requires, you know, talking about such things.
As always, if you have more links -- particularly Islanders-related, but anything goes -- feel free to drop them with your thoughts in comments.