The great outdoors (network)

Welcome to the Outdoor Life Network, NHL. Sporting giant ESPN took a pass on your new brand and so the home of the Tour de Lance takes over. Which will draw higher ratings in the U.S.? More evidence of the work the league must do to win back even the corporate fans.

Will the rule changes help? In Edmonton, Paul Coffey, who will have his No. 7 retired in October, thinks the game will be better and the onus will be on the defencemen to move the puck.

Will the salary cap help? Perhaps fans in places like Nashville will watch closer, now that the big spenders have been brought back to the pack.

But we digress.

Sorry Leaf fans, you wanted Anson Carter, and for a million bucks, (about one-third of an Alexander Mogilny) he probably would've been worth it. But Carter chose Vancouver where he'll tutor the Sedin twins.

"I just think their explosive lineup attracted me the most," he said.

Not explosive enough in Toronto, eh? Looks like GM John Ferguson could be done building the Leafs roster, so we ask:

How will the Maple Leafs do this year? Are the playoffs just a dream? Or will they march into the spring on another playoff run? Click the comments link below and tell us what you think.

Off we go:

Looking east to Ottawa, the Senators and sniper Marian Hossa still can't agree on who their franchise player is. An arbitrator may have to decide. Meanwhile, the rumour mill yesterday had the Sens working to trade defenceman Wade Redden because he wouldn't fit under the cap. But both Redden and the Senators want him in Ottawa.

In Tampa, the defending champs (yes, still) have Vincent Lecavalier locked up, now they'll try and keep MVP Martin St. Louis and later Brad Richards in town. But the salary cap won't make it an easy task. Just ask general manager Jay Feaster.

"In the long term, this system will be good for our franchise," Feaster said. "But right now, with the players we have at the age they are, it's killing us."

How does Richards feel about the penny-pinching that's already cost the Bolts goalie Nikolai Khabibulin?

"It sucks."

Comments

[Marc in T.O.]

Good for the Canucks to get Anson Carter. The Leafs dropped the ball on that one. I like Steve Thomas, but Carter would have been the smarter consideration, if it is in fact a consideration for the Leafs.

It'd be nice if T.O. could get Wade Redden out of Ottawa but you know that won't happen. Leafs haven't thought about defence at all this summer.

See those new Team Canada hockey jerseys? Blech!

As for the NHL on OLN, it fits like a glove though it's a terrible looking fit. But since dog shows and bowling draw bigger TV audiences Stateside than NHL games, what's to lose? Maybe a few diehard canoe and fish fans but shouldn't they be out in the woods as opposed to watching it on TV?

[charade]

Carter intends to spend a year playing in high flying Vancouver, padding the stats and then seeing what he can get as a free agent next year. Probably in Toronto. Bank on it. Charade says so.

[denial]

...who do you think will blink first? The OLN changing their name to the O&ILN, or the NHL moving games permanently outside? In the US, where people barely seem to know that mexico is in north america, I gaarooonteee you that as of this very moment, at least 5 million people (all named Buddy) now firmly believe that 'ahce hawkey is an outdoor sport' thanks to this TV deal. If the 21st century is all about managing perceptions, this can't be seen as a positive step in the eternal struggle to establish hockey as a legitimate way for people to spend 3 hours/$100 an event.

I realize that pro atheletes are quite harnassed by their agents when it comes to saying negative things about cities, but at what point do we at least ask Anson whether he chose Vancouver because, parking meter for parking meter, it's just a flat out nicer place at this moment to live than Toronto? We're constantly seeing HR studies that remind us that salary is never the #1 consideration when taking a job, or remaining at one...

...the Leafs have a tremendous amount of baggage and, organizationally, need an enema or else they simply can't win 4 rounds of playoff hockey. The the leafs are like one of those stately department stores that were caught flat-footed by the "fad" big box stores. Or you could say that they're like General Motors -- managerially demented, by design. The Leafs spent several decades insulating themselves from "on the ground" reality, surrounding their executive lair with think-alikes (Pat Quinn being the poster coach for an organization that needs this kind of anti-vision). And now, even as the empire is crumbling apart -- I mean, the leafs are going to be outPERFORMED this year by at least 20 teams, even if they statistically end up with more points -- nobody is doing anything. If the Leafs were a real business, they would have dissolved, and replaced with a Loblaws or a cheque cashing place. Thank God for the cartel that is the NHL, we should all be so lucky to work within such economically magical worlds.

[ken66]

Leafs won't make the playoffs, count on it! This team has one of the worse group of forwards that I can remember since I began watching them in the late 80s.

Besides their Defence which is actually decent but not spectacular, their forwards are a mess. When you have a team where Darcy Tucker is playing as your #2 winger on 1st line and Domi as one of your 2nd line wingers, you know you are in trouble. I'm sure both of them will have career years (like Domi getting 10 goals which Mogilny will be getting 30 in NJ) and then use that to rip off the Leafs next year for a bigger contract.
Leafs have been collecting old and/or defective players from TORONTO who can only hit or fight but (supposedly that means they have heart eg. Domi, Tucker, Belak) while ignoring to get skilled players who can skate, pass and score simply beacuse the majority of them are European.

pretty pathetic if you ask me.

[Andrew Spencer]

Maybe Anson Carter chose Vancouver because he heard about city councillor Michael Thompson's proposal to let the police search Black men for firearms without just cause. Or maybe he knows better than to play for Pat Quinn.

[leaffan]

What's with the Tie bashing? He's a role player and the best in the league at his role. He's a great citizen of our city and a tremendous ambassador for the game when it comes to giving back to the community.Ask any charity trying to raise money who their first choice for a spokesperson would be. Let's give him the respect he's earned.

Carter hurts...we need more strength on the wing and the cuboard is bare and the wallet is empty.

Character as well as talent wins cup (ask the Sens). I'm one fan who is willing to put my faith in the character of this team and hope for the best but expect this to be another year when we can't get past the second round.

[denial]

Hold on -- I think you have something wonderful there. Someone call up JFJ: councillor Michael Thompson and a trainload of faith/etc. for Anson Carter. They can even through in *A* Sedin twin. Not both of them. What are they, conjoined?

You know, as bad as things are here, at least we aren't in Denver. Regardless of whether you like or dislike how the Bertuzzi/Moore thing is unfolding, the Av's signing of Brad May in a league that endlessly prides itself on "character and sportsmanship" is probably the worst sports story I've ever heard in my life.

And to put that in perspective, I remember trades for such saviors as John Kordic and Tom Kurvers. Those were just insane. What's happening in Denver is eeeeeeeeeeevil.

[Matt]

The Leafs will not win the Cup this year, and maybe they'll make the playoffs. I know it, all of us fans know it, and most importantly, JFJ knows it, and probably knew it many months ago. But don't despair, fellow Leaf fans, because he's already quietly signed two superstars this summer who will pay dividends for years to come: Paul Maurice and Craig Button. And remember that all of the big market teams are going through tough times right now, so we're not alone.

I dislike the Sens, but even I was insulted at Muckler's latest offer to Hossa. If the Sens win it all, it will be because of Hossa, not in spite of him. Leaf-fan-dream alert: imagine him on the wing with Sundin next year?

I hate to say this, but players like Carter will be a dime a dozen in early September. We've seen the 'A' players take up some big contracts (Aucoin for 4 mil? wow!), and now the 'B' and 'C' players have less of the pie to take, assuming they get a job at all. Those poor saps took a year off for this? Welcome to the new NHL.

[Jer]

NHL on OLN? Well, I have to say, while it's not ESPN, at least it IS 70+ games that aren't competing with NASCAR and the NFL and MLB for that particular network's attention. You won't be seeing football scores and scrolling ads for tonight's "X-Games round-up" blocking that sweet pass to Matts either. So count your blessings, support the network, thank Comcast for stepping up, and better yet, go the whole sheet of ice with digital cable and one of their season packages! Between that and Hockey Night on CBC, we should all be content!

[Sam]

About the new Team Canada hockey uniforms, the so-called Nike Swift jerseys, goalie Marty Turco was quoted this morning as having said: "It always baffles me why they do these things. I've never made a save with my jersey before, but as long as we don't look too silly, it doesn't really matter to us."
Really Marty? So NHL players don't think the Anaheim Mighty Ducks sweaters and logo don't make the players look silly? Now that I know that, I don't think I'll rely on the players' taste in attire.