- This better not come to pass – Bob McKenzie is saying that the Great NHL Re-Alignment of 2012 will just be swapping Detroit and Winnipeg so that we would be in the Southeast Division. I would rather there was no change at all if that is the case.. [Wizard of Os]
- The Wings brought in a figure skater for a quick skating lesson for Tomas Holmstrom, Jakub Kindl, Jiri Hudler, and Patrick Eaves yesterday. Good. Now, I hope to see Homer spinning through the air as a distraction just like Kenny Wu did. [Red Wings]
- Looks like a ton of Wings were at the most recent Lions and Tigers games. It’s a rarity to have baseball in Detroit in October and Lions actually winning, so I can understand why. [Detroit Free Press]
- TPL has an interesting article on how much simpler the start of this season is than normal due to the lack of baggage that comes with an older team. [The Production Line]
- As I am sure a lot of you have noticed, Homer is no longer on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg anymore (though, I would not be surprised to see Babcock throw that line out there from time-to-time). As Sarah Lindenau writes, it may be more than just not playing on the top line. Homer could end up in the Leino Lounge a lot this season. He’s the best at what he does, there is no doubt there, but he has become a liability when he’s not doing that and we are teaching other players to play his role. [Left Wing Lock]
- Kyle Turris is an idiot. There, I said it. After going through with his threat to sit out regular season games if he didn’t get a contract that satisfied his wants, he is now refusing to stay in Phoenix at all. I really hope Phoenix tells him to shove it and let’s him sit until December 1st, I really do. I want this guy to miss the entire season just so he can learn his lesson. He wasn’t worth $4 million per year when his negotiations started and he’s definitely not worth it now. [NBC Sports]
- Arctic Ice Hockey has posted part 1 of their 1960’s most interesting names and the best one this time around is Andre Champagne, which sounds like a pornstar name, as they pointed out. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
- In Lou We Trust did a super-in-depth look at the Devils first goal of the season by Zach Parise (which can be viewed here). It’s always weird, but very satisfying, seeing a play laid out with arrows instead of just watching it happen. Gives a much better sense of how complex things are, or how great of a drawer Mickey is on the telestrator. [In Lou We Trust]
- The Cannon is looking at other recent roster retools to see that their 0-3 start may not be as indicative of the talent level of the team as it would suggest (although, I think it probably is). [The Cannon]
- Despite facing a lot of criticism this past week from both Don Cherry and Nightmare on Helm Street alike (bet the boys at NOHS never thought they’d be compared to Cherry), The Hockey News believes that Shanahan and the NHL must stay strong and keep suspending players this way if they want things to change. [The hockey News]
Discussion of the Day: What are your predictions for Homer this season in terms of games played and scoring (and goals waved off)? With Babcock all but forcing Homer to earn his spot on the roster at this point, is he destined to play nothing but garbage minutes and be a specialty teams player? Will this be his final go?
