By Justin Orlewicz (Hockey Writer) – Email
It has been a very busy couple of weeks in the NHL; it seems as if the trade deadline will have no effect this year, since many teams have already got the trade ball rolling well before it approaches.
Toronto is one of the main teams that has started cleaning up their salary cap and begun their attempt at getting some of their draft picks back. So far the Maple Leafs have dealt Francois Beaucheman back to Anaheim, Kris Versteeg is now a Philadelphia Flyer, and the Leafs made another huge deal with the Boston Bruins that sent Thomas Kaberle to Bean Town in exchange for the Bruins first round draft pick – ironic. The Leafs also acquired Joffrey Lupel, multiple draft picks, and a couple prospects. Boston also dealt Blake Wheeler for Rich Peverly. There have been some other moves as well, but none of major significance.
Peter Forsberg also made big news after he played just two games with the Colorado Avalanche before retiring from the NHL – for good this time, he says. This is Forsberg’s third retirement from the NHL and most likely the last. I don’t think he is trying to compete for most retirements with Brett Farve, like every aging athlete you want to make that last run at competing before realizing you lost it and it’s not coming back. You can’t blame Forsberg for retiring after only two games, he should be commended for accepting that his time has come to quit. Brett Hull, Dave Andreychuk, Craig Conroy, and many other great players have retired at the beginning of a season or only a few games deep because they just didn’t have it anymore, and they didn’t want to hold their team back. My hat is off to Peter Forsberg and his great career, which included Stanley Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal.
Nordiques Nation has been showing up to various hockey games and hockey events to promote their bid to get their team back in Quebec City. Recently, the Nordiques Nation showed up in their thousands to a New York Islander game and around 500 hundred showed up to CBC’s hockey day in Canada in White Horse, Yukon. The city is serious about getting their team back; they are not just showing up to events they also have a committee that has been in place for over a year. They have stadium plans, location, and financing in place. Quebec City wants their Nordiques back, and by the sounds of things, they are first in line now, when and if a franchise moves.
To end this week’s Locker Room, I say it was nice to see the Abbotsford Heat play live in the Heritage Classic and for me to talk to P.K. Subban and Mikael Baklund about the experience. Last season I was interviewing them while they were playing in the AHL, and this season I am interviewing them in one of the NHL’s most celebrated events. It’s great to see both of them moving up and doing well.
