West Virginia, Florida, Aruba, Southport (NC), Ohio, West Virginia again. Been on the road a lot over the last month and a half, and have been crazier than I could have possibly imagined over that time, but stilll…

Damn it’s good to be back. Back to college football, back to hockey, back to the RBC center to see the ‘Canes play.

Not even the little troll parking attendant on his little gator scooter can ruin my opinion tonight. Though, I am a bit miffed at the fact that 24 game holders can’t buy premier parking any longer, what a jip. As the ‘troll’ told us, when the rodeo that was entering the RBC center this afternoon “if all our season ticket holders show up, you will have to move!” well, lets see here – 1) you guys look as incompentent as two monkeys having sex with a football, 2) your other attendant TOLD us to park here, and 3) I now have fire attached to the back of my truck in the form of my Char Grill tailgate rig, so I ain’t moving. Your problem, not mine. Go slay a dwarf or something.

So aside from parking fiasco, our new seats – 314A are nice. That’s the mezzanine, for those keeping track. We’ve got some nice folks alongside of us, who seem to be good, solid fans. In addition, we’re well away from the Obnoxious fan who consistantly came to games in New York Mets gear. I do not miss the “SHOOT IT!!!” every time the canes cross the red line, nor do I miss the comments about how much she loves Chad LaRose. And to top it off David Tanabe is japanese for “Marek Malik” – just for the record.

Other than that, a few points tonight. Wade Brookbank, and Noah Babin looked hungry. Lots of good skating and play on their parts, from what I saw. Nice shot by Babin. Best use of the #39 since Dougie Weight, to Pat Dwyer, as far as I’m concerned (wait, is this the first use of the 39?). Cole and Stall looked good, with Cole trying his signature skate hard to the crease factor at least once….

I know it’s only pre-season, but I think Mr. Leighton does not wish to return to Albany this year. Crackers had better watch out — I think Michael wants to stay. He looked downright brilliant at points during the game (especially about 10 minutes to go in the 3rd). Good, maybe that’ll help kick the goaltending into high gear – welcome back to Tom Barasso, by the way – I think he’ll be helping to develop our talents of the future too – (I always liked him as a player – seemed to be a class act).

In any case, it’s good (mostly) to be me right now. My Mountaineers (GO WVU) are 3-0, and looking solid as ever. Three straight games of Steve Slaton, Pat White, and Noel Devine putting up ‘highlight reel’ numbers, and it’s Hockey season again. Good times. To those that have sent me messages, and asking where I’ve been, appreciate the sentiment and thoughts – it’s been a fun last month and a half. In any case, here’s to a good caniac season. Anyone reading this blog, if you’re wandering thru the parking lot of the RBC center, seeing a pair of white and black trucks with Canes and WVU flags flying from ‘em, come on over and say hey – chances are, you’ll run into Smackd. I may even have a spare beer for you.

On that note, LETS GO CANES!!!!

peace.

Some days, I just hate my job…

Well, it’s been pretty much like that for the last three weeks. Place has me so busy, I don’t know if I’m coming, or going, but I’m pretty darned sure I just passed myself not too long ago.

In any case, for those that continue to stop by, I wanted to just post an update – yes, The ’surge is still alive and kicking, however, have been up to my ass in alligators. Not fun.

With any luck, as the summer winds down a bit, I can get more breathing room, and paste up my thoughts.

I will leave you, with this article about Mountaineer football – for the ASU fans here, sorry – I mean the WVU mountaineers. Let’s go….. Drink some beers! err.. I mean, Let’s go….. Mountaineers!

more to come.

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Luke DeCock over at the N&O pokes fun at the irony of Patrice Brisebois’ resigning with the Habs – taking time out from watching NASCAR action in Montreal.

It’s a refreshing jab at some of our good friends way up in the Great White North, that think that everyone in the Raleigh area is a basketball watching, tobacco chewing, NASCAR worshipping redneck hick. Read any Canadian Hockey message board, and you’ll see tons of folks insisting that Carolina is not worthy of a NHL team, and that East Moose Testicle, Saskatchewan would be a far better place for our little hockey club. It’s only the ones that have actually been here that understand just what we’ve got – a little slice of the North, (without the crappy weather, and Buffalo fans), with a lot of the southern hospitality, where you can see both the transplants, and the natives embracing the Canes alike.

Good for you Luke, stick it to ‘em, in good humor, of course.

So I have to chuckle a bit at Darren Eliot from SI.com’s Open Letter to Kevin Lowe. He pretty much sums up my feelings on the Dustin Penner offer sheet. Does it with a good bit of humor too… Sidney Crosby’s first born…. love it.

more later.

Edit: I’ve come across another analysis of the Penner deal, as well as a pretty decent writeup on Group II free agents at this website. Interesting write up, from a different perspective (Penner’s agent).

Ok, I think I’ve written enough about the Penner Affair.

Over the next couple sessions, I’ll start to focus back on the ‘Canes… Cover my thoughts on the Bret Hedican situation (and this one is EXTREMELY tough for me, since he’s my favorite Cane.)

Have a great weekend folks – and for all the other Caniac bloggers who have been good enough to give me some airtime and coverage, I appreciate it folks, I’ll try to represent the Caniac nation well.

huh, looks like one-time ‘Canes winger and journeyman player Rob DiMaio may have his hand forced into retirement. What a crappy way to have a long-time career come to an end – can’t get doctor’s clearence to play for 07-08, and isn’t getting any younger. Always hate to see guys like that who still have the drive to play, have their bodies tell them in such a dramatic fashion that it’s time to hang up the skates.

Too bad. Rob had one of his best career seasons with the Canes in the 2000-2001 campaign, totaling his 3rd highest season point total, and 2nd highest games played in a season total.

Speaking of other long-time players that have been ‘forced’ into quasi-retirement, anyone hear anything about what John LeClair’s plans are? Since the Pens ditched him last year, I’d not heard anything about him what-so-ever, other than a rumor at the end of the season about a possible short re-union with the Flyers to ‘retire as a Flyer’.

Ah well. Enough for now, I’m finishing my lunch break.

21.25 million bucks. 5 years. I have GOT to be missing something. Dustin Penner appears to be the latest winner of the powerball..err… free agency craziness. Don’t get me wrong, I thought he was quite the force during the playoffs for the Ducks, but man, this kind of insane money-tossing is going to land the NHL into a place that a lot of teams won’t be able to go sooner rather than later. Guy goes from the NHL minimum of 450K to slightly more than 4 mil a season.

Penner has a career year in Anaheim this year, and puts up 45 points. 4.25 million. Balance that, with the 70, and 82 point totals for the last two seasons for Brindy, at 4 million. Or the 59 and 61 point campaigns of the Cole train – who, when is on his game, is one of the premier power forwards in the NHL – also for 4 million. Of course J-Will , putting up 76 and 67 point totals – looks like flat out armed robbery in comparison at 3.5 mil a season. Got to hand it to JR last year for locking these guys up like that. What would I pay Penner? 2-2.5 mil. Yeah, he’s young, big and strong, but would I give up a 1st round (likely top 10), 2nd round, and 3rd round pick to get him? Probably not. Then again, that probably is the reason that I’m not a GM in the NHL. Now, I understand that Lowe had to make an offer that was high enough so that the Ducks would run into cap trouble, and not be able to easily match, without making tough decisions, but seems to me, that money may have been better spent on someone like Zach Parise, who with 62 points at 3.125 mill is a nice signing, course, with the Devils being plundered by other teams like drunken pirates, they likely would have put up a fight. By the way Kevin Lowe, Vanek thanks you.

In any case, this kind of spending and money throwing really makes me wonder what the heck the lockout was really all about. The salary cap is almost back to pre-lockout levels, and the big market teams are going to continue outspending the smaller market teams. I guess the beauty of the cap is that as this silliness escalates, you’ll have your first line taking up 70% of your salary cap, and will fill out the rest of your bench with AHL players. (oh wait – Tampa isn’t that far off already with ‘the big three’ )

Ok, enough of my ranting Catch you all tomorrow.

So here goes nothing, right? What’s this all about? Another blog, in a growing number that is centered around or about the 2005-2006 Stanley Cup Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.

There’s quite a few good ones out there already, and I’ve enjoyed reading a lot of them. Most of them out there really are entertaining, and informative. I’ve enjoyed reading them, in what is normally the doldrums of hockey season. Now is the quiet time, the draft’s already happened (good, solid selection in Brandon Sutter), the free agency moves have occurred (welcome, Jeff Hamilton), and most teams are just finalizing or tweaking their lineups prior to camp. By the way, welcome “home” Cully, we missed ya.

In any case, I figured that I would try my hand at this as well, given that I’m a rather opinionated, crazed, and devoted Caniac. Growing up in upstate Vermont, hockey was in my blood just as much as most of the kids in Canada, eh? Early mornings, after school, any opportunity to pick up a stick and go. Ice, Street, Deck, it doesn’t matter. Puck, ball, whatever. So long as there’s a Sher-wood in my hands, we’re good to go. So, here’s hoping that I can contribute a little back to the Caniac community, like the good folks at Canes Country, CasonBlog, Sweet Tea, Barbecue, and Bodychecks and Red and Black Hockey

With that, (and apologies to Acidqueen for using the same template as her – hey I thought most of the rest of them at wordpress were shitty) – I’ll close this out for now. One successful entry, now… where’d I put my beer?