Not even Alexander Ovechkin could help fill the Pepsi Center last season

Today I saw a car with an Avs flag flying at half-mast.  I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but it was rather fitting.  Yes, many Avalanche fans are in mourning for our team.

Why, you might ask?

Well, while the rest of you were getting excited about prospect camp, taking pictures and watching the final scrimmage, us Avalanche fans were sitting quietly at home twiddling our thumbs.  While you were anxiously watching the news wire for free agent signings by your team, we were napping.  And while you were being wooed to renew or buy more season tickets, we were already making plans as to how we would spend the money that we used to spend on season tickets, our phones silent as no one from the organization even called to ask why we didn’t renew this year.

Yep. The Avalanche organization has simply stopped caring.  How, you ask?  Let me count the ways.

First, there’s the development camp.  Apparently, according to the organization, the team had an “off-ice orientation” for the prospects.  Excuse me, but has anyone ever heard of such an “orientation” before?  An orientation where they ask all their prospects to interrupt their off-season training to come hang out for a few days and get “oriented” without stepping on the ice once?  How stupid does the organization think we really are?  If I were a betting woman, I’d say that we were being lied to, and that the Avs were having a development camp that is closed to the public and hence hush hush.  Of course there is the slight possibility that they really were having just an off-ice orientation, in which case they really have thrown in the towel.  Yes, while teams like the Caps, and even the God-awful Islanders were pulling in fans by the thousands we Avs fans could only read about other team’s camps with envy.

But wait!  That’s not all!  No, not only do you get a team who doesn’t take advantage of a great marketing opportunity, but you get a team that shows no interest in improving next year.  That’s right, folks.  No free agent signings, no help for a goalie who got the team to the playoffs almost completely on his own and no new, talented players for the fans to go watch.  In fact, the Avs have done so little that they actually haven’t even reached the cap floor!  The organization claims they’re “building from within” like the Red Wings, but let me tell you I’ve seen what’s coming up in the system and we have no Datsyuk or Zetterberg in our system to build around.  Hmm.  Maybe that’s why they didn’t have a camp.  They didn’t want the fans to see what kind of talent we really did (or didn’t) have.

Unfriendly policies have discouraged fans from attending Avalanche games.

Finally, you’ve all heard me bitching about the treatment of season ticket holders but it begs repeating – those of us that have cancelled our season ticket haven’t gotten so much as a simple call asking us why or to reconsider.   Perhaps it’s because it was seen as a waste of resources, or perhaps it’s because they just don’t care.

Of course, if this were Phoenix or another small-market, you might suspect that the organization was in financial trouble and just couldn’t afford the marketing, but alas, Kroenke Entertainment has more investments than you can shake a stick at, including the NFL Rams, Arsenal, Nuggets, a soccer stadium, a new ticket agency and whatever else I might be missing.  Doesn’t look like struggling ownership to me.

Which leads me back to my original hypothesis:  That the organization just doesn’t care.  And if that’s the case, why should we fans?

I suppose it’s too early to say R.I.P., but I’ll say it anyway.  Maybe the team will survive, or maybe it will be sold and shipped off to Winnipeg.  Stranger things have happened.

Photos:  Alexander Ovechkin and Pepsi Center by Goddess Sasha. 2009-2010.  All rights reserved.

Is Ilya Kovalchuk's future once again hazy? Looks like it.

A greeting from one of his alternate captains (Patrik Elias)...

and one from his goalie (Martin Brodeur)...

The posse sits in support or in wait to speak to Lou Lamoriello about this huge-ass deal that THEY would like to have as well; or maybe a bit of both...

Little do these guys know what lies ahead in the next few hours?

Kovalchuk poses outside the Devils' arena this afternoon; but will he still be there if they cut down his deal?

Photos:  Ilya Kovalchuk by Getty Images and The Associated Press.

The NHL says Kovalchuk's contract is 'illegal' -- how can this be? Hasn't precedent been set? (see: Hossa, Ricky D, Bobby Lou, et. al)

File this under “things that make you go ‘hmmm…’”

It’s quite intriguing that the National Hockey League has decided to put its foot down with the Ilya Kovalchuk contract. There are several contracts similar to his, though not as long. I doubt they have a legal leg to stand on. Even if the New Jersey Devils and Kovalchuk himself knows this contract was written in such a way as to circumvent the Collective Bargaining Agreement, how can they prove intent? Is it that he’ll be 44 years old when the contract expires and, basically, nobody (let’s say 0.005 percent of players) plays past 40-ish?

Even so, how do you prove intent to circumvent? And even if you do prove it, if the current CBA has that loophole, how do you retroactively close it? And where do you draw the line? Fifteen years was OK for the Islanders’ Rick DiPietro. Marian Hossa signed a big front-loaded contract. Robert Luongo is on a monster deal. Where is the line? Why bring the hammer down at this point?

I am very curious as to how the league thinks it can get away with this randomness — either you can or you can’t do something under a contract. And, while I am not a lawyer, if those other contracts were not in violation, how can this one be?

The Kovalchuk drama continues!  He always was a diva — this somehow fits.  (No really … don’t you think?)

What are your thoughts?

Photo:  Ilya Kovalchuk by Getty Images.

Kozlov reportedly has his sights set on the KHL.

Here’s a brief summary of some of the hot hockey stories making the rounds in the Russian press this week.

- SKA Saint Petersburg signed ex-San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov to a 4-year, $24 million (USD) contract.

- Reportedly, former Atlanta Thrashers player Slava Kozlov wants to play in Russia. He is in talks with several clubs.

- Kontinental Hockey League studies details on 23-year-old SKA player Igor Misko’s sudden death.

-  The Washington Capitals took four Russians to their summer camp.

-  Detroit Red Wings and team Russia forward Pavel Datsyuk has entered the university in his native city of Ekaterinburg.  He will study sports management.

Photo: Vyacheslav Kozlov by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

Went to Bruins camp Friday (along with a few hundred other fans. The crowd was even bigger on Saturday; they were actually turning people away at the door. Unreal.)

Of course the big attraction is Seguin, no disputing that. But even discounting Tyler, it isn’t a bad way to spend a couple of hours if you’re jonesing for hockey.

Hey look, it's Tyler Seguin! (with Jordan Caron behind him.)

The day started at 10 a.m. (the on-ice day, anyway; it started for ME at 7:30, when I hopped in my car. It’s further to Wilmington, where the Bruins’ practice facility is located, than it is to Boston. The things I do for you guys haha.)

Anyway, the kids skated out on the ice to applause and, after a brief stretch, went right into skating and passing drills. Down the boards, cutting into the middle; then breakdouts down the center, taking center ice feeds from defensemen. Some nice moves and shots here and there, occasionally draws oohs and aahs from the crowd.

There were close to 30 skaters in camp. This year, helpfully, they provided names as well as numbers (there were rosters provided at the door) on the kids’ backs, but it’s still difficult at times to distinguish individuals in the drills, as they’re switching in and out and back and forth and going all over the place.

I did experience a Goldilocks moment at one point by observing defensemen Tommy Cross (big), Steve Kampfer (little) and Matt Bartkowski (middle) in a tete-a-tete by the side boards. But my real fangirl/squee moment came from watching top draft choices Seguin (2010), Jordan Caron (2009) and Joe Colborne (2008) in a brief but intense discussion (complete with Gallic gesticulations from Caron) before an offensive drill.

What made watching those three fun was recognizing their unmistakeable yet incredibly diverse talents. Colborne moves extremely well for a big man (showing little of the coltish awkwardness I saw last year) and loves to shoot from the slot, Caron has a wide body that he uses to good effect around the net, and Seguin — well, let’s just say the hype isn’t far off. He is an absolute treat to watch. And not just barrelling aorund on offense; I think my favorite moment came during the late scrimmage when he skated back on defense, picked up his man, and rode him away from the net. I didn’t see Claude Julien there, but I’m quite certain that’s the sort of play that would give him the warm fuzzies.

There were many Bruins fans who were upset when Boston used its #32 pick on Jared Knight, but Bruins fans are going to love this kid. He’s crazy. At one point during the scrimmage (playing on a line with Caron and Seguin — squee!) he flew down the wing, crashed into the defenseman, knocked the net off its pins and went down in a heap along the boards. Much consternation amongst the crowd and his teammates as he skated slowly to the bench and sat for a couple of shifts, but then he came back out on the ice and scored the prettiest goal of the day, using a defenseman as a screen and snapping off a beauty. More ooohs.

All in all, the kids looked happy as clams to be out on the ice after all their dryland (and pool) training. They were having fun, even though they were working hard.

A few more scattered thoughts:

Russian defenseman Yuri Alexandrov (his second time around) is undeniably talented, and has grown and improved since last year, but he is not ready for the NHL. He needs to spend a year or two in the AHL and learn the North American game. Bruins fans need to temper their expectations on this kid and let him develop out of the spotlight.

Cross, hampered by knee injuries for a couple of years, is finally healthy and looks like a force out there. Reminds me a bit of Mark Stuart.

Alex Fallstrom (a Swede who’s attending Havard; how common is that?) had the session’s funniest moment when he grabbed a puck that had popped up in the air off the goalie, threw it into the net and celebrated.

Max Sauve (who recently had surgery to take the pins out of a reconstructed ankle) was on the ice for the late stages of practice and stayed out (as the guys left in twos and threes) to take shots on goalie Michael Hutchinson. Colborne stayed with him, and they practiced shots/tip ins. Colborne’s wrist shot reminds me a little of David Krejci’s in that it always seems to catch you by surprise.

The final image left me smiling: Colborne ducking to pass through the locker room door. ;-)

(Photo: Bruins development camp by Goddess Savvy. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.)

Evgeni Nabokov goes back to Russia.

One of the best Russian goalies in the NHL — Evgeni Nabokov — has signed a 4-year contract with SKA (Saint Petersburg), Sovsport.ru reports.

On Wednesday we sorted out the last small difficulties, and Zhenya [a nickname for Evgeni in Russian] signed the contract with the SKA. The agreement was e-mailed to him. Now Zhenya is going to set up him home problems — he should close his house in San Jose, to sell all the unneeded stuff… He moves to Russia with his whole family. The sum of his contract suits him. And KHL is satisfied – to have such a player means to raise the prestige of the league in the world, — said Nabby’s agent Sergei Isayev.

SKA refuses to name the contract sum.  And the club denies that this agreement with Nabokov will prevent them from fighting for Ilya Kovalchuk.

Photo:  Evgeni Nabokov from Sovsport.ru

The arena formerly known as 'The Garage.'

Actually, an NHL arena has a new name; and it’s the rink formerly known as GM Place. As of yesterday, GM Place will now be known as Rogers Arena; and will be for at least the next 10 years.

General Motors was the first sponsor of the arena when it opened as the brand new and gorgeous home of the Vancouver Canucks in 1995. It was to be a 20 year deal extending to 2015; but as we all know, times have been tough all over and especially in the auto industry. So, GM will still be a sponsor, but will be moving to in-arena activities. Rogers is Canada’s largest wireless company that also owns radio and television stations, magazines; and they also own the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto’s Rogers Centre, which used to be the SkyDome. That means they have lots and lots of money; so I’m very interested to see what, if any, changes will be made to the arena over the summer as they re-brand.

And the workers are going to have to work around a bunch of the players as Canucks Prospects Camp opened yesterday. 36 players, including draft picks, invited players and two of my boys: former Tip Taylor Ellington and current Tip Kellan Tochkin. As with most camps, they will spend this week doing the normal things like strength training and on-ice work but they also do yoga to build strength and flexibility as well as the Canucks said that they will be getting to do some dragon boating on False Creek.

The final activity will be the annual trek up the Grouse Grind, a very popular hiking trail, located at Grouse Mountain which is north of the city. It is an extremely steep and mountainous trail that takes you up 2,800 ft over a distance of 2 miles and the grade goes up 30 degrees. Most people reach the top in about 90 minutes although some who are very fit can finish in under 30 minutes; and even though the boys hate it, they love it too. I know that the last couple of years the Nuck prospects have been split up into teams and each hike up together with a mini plastic Stanley Cup that they try to steal from each other then deliver them to the coaches who meet each group at the top.

Once the hike is over and they’ve ensured that no one is dead or missing, the boys also receive an actual Canuck jersey with their names and number on them; and the smiles on their faces when they slip those on is just amazing to see. Even though some of them got one on draft day, it’s something different when it’s your name and you receive it from the GM.

The 2009 Vancouver Canucks prospects proudly don their new sweaters.

The appearance of prospect camps makes me all kinds of happy because not only does that mean that the new hockey year has started; but it’s just about a month or so before WHL camps open up and that is a glorious thing. Life without hockey is like peanut butter without jelly… just not right. :)

Photos:  From Wikipedia commons and Canucks.com.

Bruins camp opened Tuesday with dry-land testing and training, featuring the dreaded shuttle run. Thirty yards, up and back, eight times. And they do it three times over. In 100-degree heat. ::clunk::

It’s like boot camp, I guess. Physical testing is secondary. I think they just want to put these guys through torture to see how close they come to cracking. Mwahahahaha. Also, by the time they hit the ice (first session is Wednesday afternoon), they’ll probably be so happy/eager to be out there they’ll do anything they’re told. (More evil laughter).

First things first, though. Wednesday morning, I got a Tweet with this picture, before I even got out of bed:

Everybody into the pool!

Jump in with sweatshirts on, tread water, take sweatshirt off, hold over head, put back on, swim to side. (And I’m thinking, what if one of these kids can’t swim? Well, apparently they all can. Thank goodness.)

John Bishop of www.bostonbruins.com is live blogging the camp, and also has provided local media updates here. Day one in a nutshell, the media are swarming around Tyler Seguin (no surprise), his teammates don’t mind (no surprise) and Joe Colborne has taken up the leadership mantle in his third camp (mild surprise).

And in a (sort of) related note, Tyler Seguin has been discovered by the local gossip media. He’s sooo cute!

Sigh.

I’ll be attending camp Friday at the practice arena in Wilmington, so I’ll have a report here. Stay tuned!

I snapped this picture of a bubble-blowing Kovalchuk in February 2006 during warmups before the Thrashers took on the Panthers. In later years, he still chewed his gum and blew the bubbles -- even with his visor on!

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice…

So sings the great Geddy Lee. So what’s up Kovy? Nothing yet? I must confess, this Thrasher fan is waiting in suspense with the rest of the hockey world, though I am not sure why. Maybe it’s the true child that lurks in all of us — that part of you that really believes ice cream for dinner is, indeed, a fine idea. The naive child who hopes against all hope. And, shhh … I still hope for Kovalchuk to come back to the ATL. I said shhh! Stop laughing! It could happen. Hope springs eternal, after all. Now if you are here and laughing at me, just get on with it. Meanwhile, I will give you a few shots of Kovalchuk that I’ve taken over the years. I’ve practiced my hockey-shooting skills on Kovy and the Thrashers for years, so herewith are just a few of the many. By the time you get to the end maybe you’ll have stopped smirking at me. Feel free to let us know you were here (even if you came, you saw, you laughed) — holla!

Kovalchuk got one in on the goalie in warmups prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Lighting -- this is typical Kovy (a rascal!). (October 2009)

I was psyched I got this shot! The incident became known in some circles as 'Point-gate.' Ilya Kovalchuk, who had just made Penguins rookie Sidney Crosby pay for taking a bad penalty, turned to him as he exited the penalty box and gave him 'the business,' earning him the wrath of Don Cherry who suggested he deserved to have limbs broken for such an audacious display of bad sportsmanship. (January 2006)

Kovalchuk was the man of the hour at the 2008 All Star Game in Atlanta, walking the red carpet in style. I shot this from the press pit, and when a reporter asked him what designer he was wearing, he grabbed his lapels and said, 'I don't know, but I look good, yes?'

Ilya Kovalchuk walks the red carpet at the NHL All Star game. Hey! Look! Fans in Atlanta. Yeah, that's right. They exist, regardless of what *they* would like you to believe.

Lean into it! Ilya Kovalchuk warms up prior to a game against the Edmonton Oilers. (October 2009)

A portrait at practice. Buddy Slava Kozlov was showing Kovalchuk something and they skated around in little circles talking about it. (October 2009)

Vintage Ilya Kovalchuk -- his face lit up with excitement as he moves up ice, deking the heck out of the Nashville Predators. (January 2006)

Kovalchuk at the Thrashers' annual Casino Night. Asked to pose with a hockey card depicting teammate Slava Kozlov, here's his humorous non-verbal commentary.

One of my favorite pictures even though it's not the best quality. Kovalchuk on his knee after a big slapshot versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Circa 2006)

Kovalchuk during a break in the action as the Atlanta Thrashers take on the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in January 2009.

Ilya Kovalchuk at the 2008 All Star Game in Atlanta.

This is how you guard against Kovalchuk, just hang on as he goes for the net. (January 2006)

As of this writing, both of these UFAs are still unsigned. I snapped this photo of pals Slava Kozlov and Ilya Kovalchuk at Thrashers' Casino Night in 2009.

Numerical counterparts line up for a faceoff -- Ruslan Fedotenko of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ilya Kovalchuk. (January 2006)

Though he’s just a memory…
Some memories last forever.

OK. That was cheesy. But you know what? I don’t care. We, in Blueland, loved Kovalchuk. There’s no sense denying it, as many try to do these days. Anyway …

Wow! Going through my old photos, I can’t believe how long it’s been. I see progress in my photography and also in Kovalchuk. Thinking back on all of the games I’ve watched him play — hundreds live — some of that spunky, devil-may-care attitude (pun intended) still exists, but over the years he has grown up a lot. He’s still occasionally temperamental. He’s still a cherry-picker at heart. But still … He would absolutely rip up the Kontinental Hockey League if he chose to go there. Without the bone-crunchers of the NHL to stop him, he’d dance and deke and run up the score. I can tell you from having seen KHL action live, defenders wouldn’t know which way was up. He’d be unfettered and free to dazzle. They do that in the KHL. Lots of fancy moves — and Kovalchuk has moves stored away that he hasn’t even used yet.

In my heart, I think I’ll always love Kovalchuk a little bit. It’s going to be so hard to see him in another NHL uniform. I am looking at the news with my hands over my eyes, knowing that once he signs, he’s really gone … even if, in reality, he left us a long time ago.

Photos: All photographs by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2006-2010. All Rights Reserved.

Maxim Kitsyn stops to shake a fan's hand after his name is called at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

There’s an old saying in Russia that if you’re promised something, you will have to wait three years to get it (if at all).   Yet when I contacted Maxim Kitsyn — a Russian and the Los Angeles Kings’ 6th-round draft pick — for an interview I got a quick response. An enthusiastic “yes,” followed by immediate action. I sent him questions, and less than 24 hours later I had his answers — all this while he was participating in the Kings’ prospect camp.

This was just my first insight into Kitsyn’s maturity, responsibility and dedication to play in North America.  It is clear that he takes his career very seriously.

In speaking with him prior to the interview, I found him to be a very gracious and courteous person.  As you will see, he is also well spoken (his answers were sent back to us in Russian and translated by Goddess Thorkhild). Though he replied in his native tongue, he does like to practice his English whenever he gets a chance.

HockeyGoddesses: Since you don’t play in here yet we’d like to let the fans in Los Angeles and North America get to know you personally.

What did you do in Los Angeles during the draft? Had you been in North America before? How did you like it?

Maxim Kitsyn: I came to Los Angeles with my parents, and there was one more Russian on the plane — Stas Galiyev [Stanislav Galiev, who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 3rd round].  He was with his mom too.  So we didn’t have time to get bored.  And during the draft my parents, my agent, his daughter and our lawyer went somewhere each day.  We either went shopping or went to the ocean. We didn’t manage to go to Hollywood.  There were terrible traffic jams that day.

HG: Have you always wanted to play in the NHL?

MK:  Yes, of course.  I don’t know any young hockey player in Russia who wouldn’t like to play in this league.

Maxim Kitsyn dons his new colors.

HG: What players did you admire growing up?

MK: If you name any NHL player of this time I’d say I liked his game. I cannot distinguish anyone specific.

HG: What do you like to do in your free time during the season?

MK: I don’t have much spare time, but when I do, I like to have a good rest. I also like to spend time with my friends, but we don’t meet often. I see one of my friends only once a year, though we live just a five-minute walk from each other. And, of course, I love to be with my girlfriend; we just go for a walk or sit somewhere in a cafe, for example.

HG: What do you do in the off-season?

MK: Usually I rest a little.  Last year I was in Turkey, and before the camp of my KHL team I go train in America or Canada. This year our playoffs were over at the end of April and the tests [the NHL Combine] before the draft were just a month away.  All of the guys from my team were resting, and I had to go to the rink everyday to keep up my physical conditioning.  I wanted to go somewhere to vacation between the NHL Combine and the draft, but my family had a lot to do this summer, and I didn’t manage to leave. Now, the Los Angeles Kings have chosen me, and our [development] camp started earlier than all others — just four days after the draft. So I am spending my holidays this way. :)

HG: Who has had the greatest influence on your career? What was his or her best advice?

MK: My parents.  They often sacrificed themselves to help me and my brother (he is three years older).  They did everything for us, so that the only thing we had to do was to go on the ice and play hockey. For example, in the hockey school I went to, every age group had the year when training started at 7 a.m. in the morning.  At 6:15 a.m. you had to be in the dressing room, so at 6 a.m. you had to leave home. Mom got up at 5 a.m. to start cooking for us. I am very grateful to my parents. Me and my brother still play hockey. But if not for them we wouldn’t have achieved anything.

HG: When do you think you will come to play in North America?

MK: In fact, I have wanted to come to play in the Canadian Hockey League, but I have a contract with a Kontinental Hockey League club [Metallurg Novokuznetsk], and no CHL team previously wanted to take a risk by picking me in the draft. But this year, Mississuaga has chosen me.  If everything is worked out and I can come at least by the end of the year to the Ontario Hockey League, I’ll be very happy.

HG: There are many great Russians playing in the KHL that we, here in North America, have never seen. Who is the best player in the KHL that nobody in North America has heard of?

MK: I don’t know who you have heard about and who you haven’t, but I can say that there are very many players in the KHL who could become leaders in the NHL.

HG: What advice can you give young players? How can a player achieve the highest level of hockey?

MK: To listen to the coach and to keep doing your business as a professional. There are moments when you feel you can’t manage to do anything and want to leave it all, but then you remember what goals you have and understand that you must keep going.

HG: Do you have any training secrets?  How do you psychologically prepare for games?

MK: Those I keep to myself ;).  I’ll say one thing:  Each hockey player and sportsman in general have their little secrets. :)

Photos: Maxim Kitsyn and fan by Goddess Sasha. Kitsyn in Kings jersey by Getty Images.

Alexander Burmistrov shows off his new jersey.

“I’m so happy,” he told Russia’s SportExpress.ru.

With their selection of Burmistrov in the first round, the Thrashers once again dip into a pool of extremely talented Russian players. The organization, no doubt, hopes Burmistrov can blossom into goal scorer, like his predecessors Ilya Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov. So who is this newest Russian to join the Thrashers? We know he was taken in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft (8th overall pick). We know he is smallish — at just 5’11″ and 157 pounds, but that is sure to change as he grows and gets older. Some quotes from the man himself might help illuminate his character. (Quotations translated from Russian by Goddess Thorkhild.)

I knew that Atlanta was interested in me. We had interviews both in Toronto, and already here. But I was quite agitated. Since the very morning.

Question: What do you know about Altanta?

It’s very hot there. This city is called “Hotlanta,” isn’t it? By the way, the first NHL game I saw live was Toronto-Atlanta.

Question: Are you going to seek advice from [former Thrashers] Ilya Kovalchuk or Slava Kozlov?

No, why? I will go and see myself.

Question: If you can’t manage to crack Atlanta’s first team, what are you going to do?

I won’t come back to the Kontinental Hockey League for sure. The KHL is a good league, but I’m in the mood to play here [in North America] and I don’t want to take steps back.

Alexander Burmistrov wearing No. 10 for 2010 (but does Bryan Little know he's got his number?).

When I went to the stage [at the NHL Entry Draft] I didn’t understand anything, I was in a coma-like state. When I was on stage, [NHL Commissioner] Gary Bettman welcomed me, then I started to recover.

I had my parents, my brother, two agents, the agent’s daughter, and Vanya Telegin [Ivan Telegin, whom the Thrashers selected in the fourth round] with his mother and parents with me. We are on good terms, so we sat in one sector. And I’m very glad Atlanta selected him too.

I was rather surprised during the photoshoot. When they were taking a photo of me standing with a puck, they told me, “Show us who you are.” I thought it was rather strange.

During my time in Los Angeles I went to a beach, to Universal studios. It was fantastic, I can’t explain it with words. Then I went to Disneyland. When my agent and I walked around the center, I suddenly say a man in white running towards us. When he reached us, I knew he was Sidney Crosby! Simply running in the center of L.A. He was the only celebrity I saw there.

* For more on Alexander Burmistrov, be sure to check out Goddess Kaatiya’s pre-draft profile of him.

Photos: Alexander Burmistrov draft day portraits from Getty Images.

Kovalchuk has said he just wants to win, but is it just lip service?

Yashin. Awesome player, but a guy maybe too many people expected too much out of. Maybe they expected more leadership than he could give. Hey, some guys just aren’t made that way. Maybe he was overpaid. (Maybe, they all are, but we won’t go there.) But being deemed an “overpaid” player brings massive pressure and expectation. Yashin was a captain for two different NHL teams — that’s a heaping helping of stress and responsibility for pretty much anyone, but for some it’s like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Some guys are best left doing what they do best and no more. In Kovalchuk’s case, wind up, shoot, score, sneak out of the area and slip off to Morton’s in your sweet baby blue Bentley. No questions asked. As captain in Atlanta, he was never the media guy or the go-to-for-a-quote guy, which is part of the captain’s gig.

But what does Kovy have to do with Yashin? You’re probably thinking I am crazy. Maybe you’re right, but I am thinking several steps down the line. Let’s say Kovalchuk signs with the New York Islanders as is now the tasty rumor of the day. (The Islanders are, coincidentally, Yashin’s last NHL team. I won’t even mention the coincidence that Kovy and Alexei have the same patronymic, er, middle name: Valeryevich) Anyway. So, he signs with the Isles, he gets massive dollars, massive term. With it he gets the scrutiny of the New York media. He also gets the love (and hate) of the New Yawk fans. Whereas in Atlanta, he could slip out the back door without answering questions, in New York (or any other hockey haven) he’ll be held to account. A quiet night at The Cheesecake Factory (a Kovy fave)? Fuggetaboutit. In New York the fans will put him to the test even as he tries to enjoy that triple turtle cheesecake with extra whipped cream. Nobody will be polite. Nobody will call him Mr. Kovalchuk. It’ll be right up in his face with something like this: “What the [bleep] were you [bleeping] doing in last night’s [bleeping] game you [bleepity-bleepity-bleep]?! You bum!”

Kovalchuk has said in the past that he prefers anonymity and after years of watching how he handles himself around Atlanta, I am inclined to believe it. He’s spent years ducking the two or three reporters who make the ATL locker room scene. How will it feel to have a face full of ultra pushy reporters every single night and no way to sneak off into the darkness? Will he wilt? Thrive? Get angry? Or get “Yashin-ed” (that is to say, blamed for everything)?

As exciting as Ovechkin, left, Kovalchuk differs from his friend and countryman in some important ways.

Alexei Yashin was vilified for holding out for more money when he was with the Ottawa Senators. Kovalchuk is painted by many here in North America as a “greedy bastard” — all about the money, not about the winning. Is it true? The jilted Thrasher fan in me has a tiny “yes” peeping inside. If he wanted to win, he could have done what Marian Hossa did: Hand-picked teams he felt had excellent chances of winning. Instead, if rumors are true, and that he’s asking for the sun, the moon AND the stars, he will have a limited number of teams able to pony up that kind of money. And, by all accounts, the number of teams is quite limited (teams in the Kontinental Hockey League notwithstanding). At the moment he seems to be proving the all-he-cares-about-is-money crowd to be correct. People said that about Yashin too.

Yashin was a solid player, really, but he could not shoulder the heavy burden of expectation that his contract placed on him. Some players thrive under such burdens, some break their sticks in frustration, cast them into the stands and get suspended by the league (hello Kovalchuk!).

Yashin is all but forgotten in North America -- except by the Isles who will continue to pay him until 2014.

Five or six years down the road, I think we could be talking about one of two things: Kovalchuk being “Yashin-ed” — bought out and essentially forgotten by the league; or he experiences a modicum of success, but not as THE leader of whatever team he is playing for. If Kovalchuk wins anywhere, he will be a key piece, but not THE piece that seals the deal. He’s just not that kind of guy.

A third option — and one I still consider a possible scenario — is that he does go ply his trade in the KHL, spurning whatever offers come his way here in North America and going for the really big dollars the KHL can offer. I believe superstars like Kovalchuk are leaned on heavily by the powers that be in Russia and Kovalchuk recently supplanted Alexei Morozov as the captain of Team Russia. I could see Kovalchuk returning in glory to play in the KHL. Coincidentally, the KHL team said to be the front runner for his services? SKA St. Petersberg — Alexei Yashin’s team.

Photos: Ilya Kovalchuk; Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk; and Alexei Yashin by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved.

The former face of the Dallas Stars Mike Modano.

The Stars produced video tributes. People flew from all over North America to be a part of Mike’s final games. Hockey pundits lavished praise upon the career of America’s greatest scorer. The problem is, Mike Modano wasn’t and isn’t ready to retire.

Now, what does an organization do when they are ready to turn a corner, but the face of their franchise isn’t? According to GM Joe Nieuwendyk, you don’t even offer the player a contract.

Legions of Dallas Stars and Mike Modano fans have taken to the talk radio airwaves and the Internet to voice their displeasure about the organization’s decision. You see, in the South, we’ve been brought up with better manners than that. Up North, you can get away with letting a Saku Koivu (or any other player that has spent his entire career with one team) go. But with Modano … this one is going to hurt.

Mike Modano's good looks, easy charm and incredible play helped sell hockey in Texas.

As for me, I had hoped Mike would retire. Not because he doesn’t still have more hockey in him, but because I felt, in some ways, the Stars needed to move on, both on and off the ice. I’m also someone who hates seeing an athlete’s skill diminish as he struggles to keep up with the game he has played all of his life.

Sadly, few remember how feared Chris Chelios was. New York Rangers fans watched Mark Messier become a shadow of the player he had been. Even beloved Vancouverite Trevor Linden was a healthy scratch many times during his final season.

Mike Modano is my favorite player. He took that position the very first time I saw him skate. (Sorry Neal Broten!) I’ve watched him his entire career, even when he didn’t have his familiar No. 9 on the back of his sweater. As he and I take on different roles for the first time in more than 20 years, I hope he goes somewhere that will make him happy once again. You could see his frustration last season at how he was being utilized; and when Mike isn’t happy, he doesn’t play as well.

So, Mike, as you embark on this new chapter in your career, I wish you nothing but clean, fast ice … and may your jersey forever flap behind you!

(But please … land out East!)

Photos: Mike Modano from mikemodano.com.

Hinote joined the Columbus Blue Jackets coaching staff Thursday.

Amidst the July 1st free agent signings was one that was of particular interest to me.  That’s because it involves my friend and former Avalanche player Dan Hinote. Well, he isn’t really a friend.  I mean, we don’t keep in touch or anything, but Dan has a way of making everyone he meets feel like his friend.

I met Dan a little more than three years ago.  We were both rehabbing at the same physical therapy practice: He after yet another shoulder surgery and me after surgery for a tri-malleor fracture of my ankle. By then, he was a member of the St. Louis Blues, but living in Denver in the off-season, he chose to rehab close to home.

Honestly, I hadn’t been all that star-struck.  After all, one of Denver’s “Most Eligible Bachelors” (as voted by a local magazine) wasn’t what I considered a dreamboat, nor was he someone that did much for me on the ice.  Yet after spending many hours working out, rehabbing and chatting with him, I realized what all the fuss was about.

Dan is one of the most genuine guys I have ever met.  He takes great interest in everyone he meets.  He never forgets anyone’s name.  He asked me a lot of questions about speed skating, about my competitions, my injuries.  We had a common friend on the Avalanche, and he had nothing but glowing things to say about him.  Every time I saw him, he’d come sit on the treatment table next to me and ask me how I was doing.  Elderly women would come in and Dan would remember all of their names and give them a big hug.

He was humble, and talked about how lucky he was to have broken in when he did — when it was still a trapping, clutch-and-grab league because he was just scrappy, and guys like him were no longer being drafted or given a shot in the NHL.

He was in love.  We got to hear all about Amy, his then-girlfriend (now wife).  He talked about taking her to the Sushi Den for her birthday.  He told us all about his trip to Las Vegas with the guys where he would relax and decide if he really was going to pop the big question.  When he got engaged, we all knew the next day.

It wasn’t hard to see why he was so well loved in Denver.  He was very social, being seen out and about the city, having a great time with whoever was willing.  Back then, you might see him hanging out at the famous country bar Stampede with Peter Forsberg, partying downtown or dining with John-Michael Liles in the ritzy Cherry Creek area where he lived.  He became a media darling, a fan favorite, and women and men alike just fell in love with him.

Then in 2006, he signed with St. Louis, but no one felt ill feelings towards him.  You just couldn’t.  He was cheered when he returned with his new team to play the Avs.  People still followed his social life and his lavish wedding back in Colorado was an item of great interest.  And, of course, we all cheered when he reunited with Peter Forsberg this year to play for Modo of Sweden’s Elitserien.

Today, we again applauded Dan when we heard he would become an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets. I can’t think of a better guy for the team.  He’s smart. Very smart.  After all, very few get accepted to West Point.  More importantly however, is his personality.

Much like Ted Nolan, Dan cares about people.  With a young, budding team like the Blue Jackets, he will be the perfect man to nurture these kids, to instill confidence in them and to give them advice.  He will be a shoulder to cry on, a confidante and a great role model.  He will quickly learn what makes each player tick and will know how to get the most out of them.  For now, he’s only an assistant, but I predict he is going to have more of an impact on this team than anyone is expecting.

Just ask anyone in Colorado.  Because we all know him well.

He’s our friend.

Photo: Dan Hinote by Goddess Sasha. Copyright 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

*  Wow!   Dan Hinote an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Guess he’s retired.  Unless he’s going the player-coach “Slap Shot” route!

*  More once it hits noon!

* Michael Leighton re-signed in Philly. (Two-year deal.)

* Paille re-signs Boston. Savvy can address later!

* It’s noon.  Let the game begin!

*  Sergei Gonchar moves to Ottawa!

* Former Thrasher Braydon Coburn stays with Philly (two year deal, per Craig Custance). Thank you D-Wad for losing him for Alexei Zhitnik! Grrrr…

* COME ON THRASHERS!!!!!

* People who do on-air fonts need to remember the difference between a person who “resigns” and a person who “re-signs.” HUGE difference, loves. /copyeditor rant

* Alex Tanguay (back) to Calgary Flames. Wow.

* Philly VERY busy! They got Andrei Meszaros from Tampa.

* BABCHUCK’S BACK. The ‘Canes pick up their on-again, off-again, sometimes troublesome Slavic baby.

* Wheee! Guillaume Latandresse re-signs with Minnesota Wild. Get WILD!!

* Marty Biron leaves Philly for New York Rangers — will he be the next Kevin Weekes — never able to secure that No. 1 goalie situation. I think he already is the new Kevin Weekes.

* Come on Thrashers — if you can’t get the Moose, get DAN ELLIS! YEAH! Come on!

* Former prime minister Paul Martin to Pittsburgh!? What’s going down with NJ?!

* Does letting Paul Martin go mean a Kovalchuk signing is nigh?!?

* Dying to see where Kovy goes — is he a greedy bastard? Or does he just dislike Atlanta’s direction? Does he go to LA to revive his wife’s singing career?!

* Little Philippe Paradis traded! Awww Mr. Glasses from last year’s draft to Blackhawks. Versteeg going back to Leafs.

* Zybenk Michalek to Pittsburgh. (Five years, 20 mil.)

* COME ON THRASHERS GET SOMEONE GOOD!!!

* Colby Armstrong to Toronto — three years, $9 million. That’s a lot, I think.

* Dan Ellis goes to Atlanta rival Tampa Bay. On the plus side, no more Niitty in Tampa (for those who don’t know, Atlanta has never beaten Niittymaki). On the minus, oh Dan Ellis would have been a fabulous bit of marketing for the Thrashers.

* Olie Jokinen back to the Flames — really? Is that possible? Hard to believe that rumor.

* Jody Shelley to Flyers. Gosh. Excitement today. The Flyers are going wacky today?! No?

* Tough guy-o-rama: Derek Boogaard to New York. Yowza!

* I guess it’s OK to mention here that deep in my heart I still wish for Kovy back in Atlanta.

* Where will Slava Kozlov end up? I am afraid it might be the KHL.

* Surprisingly unsurprising or unsurprisingly surprising. Colby leaving ATL. No surprise. Everyone, myself included, figured he’d go rejoin the Penguins and his bromance-worthy pal Crosby. I wish him all the best in Toronto. He’ll be entertaining to the media if nothing else, because of, you know, who he is. ;-)

* Not all that surprising that Kovy is still unsigned. I am sure he has a million and one options to go through. But, wondering, if at some point he doesn’t start getting into a pickle in which teams keep spending and have less room for him. Therefore, he ends up with fewer choices?

* Chris Viv (@ajcthrashers on Twitter) reports that the Thrashers are “working” on their goaltender situation. Oooooh. I wonder if that just means re-signing The Moose. Or bringing back Michael Garnett?!?! (Whose hockey cards I still collect incidentally, and who has really done well in the KHL.)

* I like the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signing Martin St. Louis. He’s solid. He’s a Thrasher killer, but he just works there. Way to go Tampa on Marty and getting Dan Ellis, whom I coveted for the Thrashers.

* Where will Goddess Sasha fave Paul Kariya go?!?

* So Dan Hamhuis (great last name) to the Canucks. Interesting. I never thought Dan Hamhuis would be an edge-of-your-seat, where-will-he-go?!? kind of guy. No offense to him, but it’s wacky.

* So Thrashers free agents: Maxim Afinogenov, Pavel Kubina, Eric Boulton, Evgeny Artyukin, (my dear and beloved) Vyacheslav Kozlov, Chrisoph Schubert, Chris Chelios (LOL), Marc Popovic and Johan Hedberg. NONE of these guys is signed. Yowza! Maybe Goddess Thorkhild has some scoop from Russia about Afinogenov, Kozlov or Artyukin (??).

* D-Men in hot demand today.

* Some of these deals just don’t thrill: Jeff Tambellini to Vancouver. Maybe if it was my team. Hmph.

* Chris Mason signs with Thrash — wow. I am going to need a few seconds/minutes/days to think about this, particularly the loss of fan-fave Hedberg, which this certainly means.

* Yowza — Chicago South for the Thrashers with Andrew Ladd coming to the ATL for a pick. Go Dudley??

* I haven’t mentioned Volchenkov. I guess I am lazy. Volchenkov to New Jersey. Blah, blah, blah.

* So from the Bizarro World Olie Jokinen goes back to the Calgary Flames. Interesting. Anyone have any thoughts?!

* As an aside, the Bizarro World is a place in DC comic book land where the inhabitants do the opposite. Of course anyone who watched “Seinfeld” is somewhat familiar with this world.

* Ivan Vishnevskiy we hardly knew thee. He goes back to Chicago in the Andrew Ladd deal. Weird.

* The dismantling of the Blackhawks begins. The Blackhawks do stock up in so doing. Goddess Savvy foresaw this in a wonderful post just days after the big victory.

* I am a bit sad that Thrashers pretty much ended up with nada for Kari Lehtonen, a former first-round draft choice, going second overall (after Rick Nash!!!).

* Two-year deal for Chris Mason from Atlanta Thrashers. I am not as excited about this as I might have been about Dan Ellis, though, it might turn out better? Thoughts anyone?

* If Olie Jokinen can go back to Calgary, how ’bout the Thrashers bring back Marc Savard! (Just kidding, Goddess Savvy.)

* @benthrashers tweets: “Chris Mason was 13th in the NHL in wins and GAA and finished all 61 games he started.” NICE!

* @craigcustance reports Johan Hedberg is likely headed to New Jersey. I feel a bit sad, despite the post above.

* If you made it this far in the post, thank you for reading. How about giving me a shout out? Leave a comment and say, “I read this post and I didn’t even get a stinking T-shirt.”

* Hey! The Sabres are going to sign brave, brave Jordan Leopold. And there was much rejoicing. (Later, they will eat Sir Robin’s minstrels.)

* Curious about Garnet Exelby — a former Thrasher and huge fan favorite in Atlanta. Also wondering about Manny Legace and Jose Theodore.

* We need some more bloggers — are you reading this? Interested? Message Goddess Kaatiya.

* If “frenzy” didn’t start with an “F” would it always be a “frenzy” on free agent day?

* Now that the Thrashers have raided the Blackhawks’ closet, when are they going to nab John Torchetti?!?

* It’s been uncannily quiet on the Kovalchuk front. KHL rumors — no? Any rumors? Only the tired LA one. Let’s hear something on Kovy!

* Selfishly, I want Kovy either back in ATL (not gonna happen, I know) or in the K. That way I can still cheer for him.

* Turco? Nabokov? Theodore? Toskala? What’s up boys?

* As a Thrasher fan I am thrilled that Thrasher killer Antero Niittymaki is OUT OF THE EASTERN CONFERENCE! Yes! (As I mentioned above, the Thrashers have never beaten Niitty.)

* Awww … the Ducks re-signed Saku Koivu. Now I can continue to never see him anymore (alas).

* Saw that people call Dustin Byfuglien “Buff Daddy.” Now this I love. Perfect for ATL, yo.

* A source is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings are now the only suitors left for Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils are out — he’s too rich for their blood. I still have an inkling that the KHL could be calling. But maybe Kovalchuk’s wife wants to renew (?), rejuvenate (?), or in the eyes of some start a career in L.A. Hmmm…

* Where might a personal favorite of mine — Darcy Tucker — go?

* Gotta give props to @TSNBobMcKenzie — that dude’s got sources and sources and more sources.

* Well, that about wraps this up for me. What are you thoughts on the NHL’s free agent day? Share ‘em with us!