Hey there Hockeybuzzers, it's the Hockeydude here. Some introductural information for those unfamiliar with my writing style... I have none. I really don't know what I'll be writing, how I’ll be writing, or how often I will be writing it. It might be funny, or intelligent, or just plain weird... maybe even all of the above.
Incase you couldn't tell from the name, my favorite team is the New Jersey Devils. I also consider myself somewhat of an Edmonton Oilers fan, and though I try not to bash any specific team, let's just say the Carolina Hurricanes are my least favorite.
I lived most of my years in Connecticut, and from an early age I was a big baseball fan. No one in my family played or watched hockey; I got into it on my own and completely by accident. I followed the Hartford Whalers until they moved to Tobacco country in 1997. June 25 of that year was a dark day for the 'dude.
As Connecticut fought for (and lost) their team, another small-market city was clinging to their club. I had never been to Edmonton, and didn't know anything about it. But I knew they had five Stanley Cups, Jari Kurri, and a cool logo and color scheme. I knew the Oilers belonged in Edmonton, and I knew exactly what their fans were going through, having season ticket drives to keep their last-place team from leaving town. They soon replaced the Whalers as my favorite team for all those wonderful reasons, but mostly because I didn't want them to move to Houston. I mean, come on ... the Houston Oilers? How would that sound?
"Starting in goal for your Houston Oilers... number one... Warren Moon!"
So yeah, I jumped on the Oilers bandwagon way back when it was almost out of gas. And when that return to glory came around, who got in the way of the Cup coming back to Canada? The 'Canes, of course! Foiled again by that human potato-head Peter Karmanos. GRRR!
Hockeydude sez: If the Oilers had moved to Houston, they would have won the Stanley Cup. Not maybe. Not probably. Definitely. Because there are no karma police in the NHL. The Sabres, Kings, and Blues do not have Stanley Cups. The Ducks, Hurricanes and Avalanche do. Paul Coffey has two Norris Trophies. Scott Stevens has zero. And the worst one? Sean Avery has Elisha Cuthbert. Seriously. 700 players in the NHL, and that's the guy you want?!?
Where was I? Ah yes...
By this time I had fallen in love with a Jersey girl and moved to the Garden State, adopting the Devils as my new team. It was kinda hard not to, she had season tickets! Hockeydude was spending a lot of time in the swamp.
Hockeydude sez: New Jersey is comprised of 60% swamp and 40% concrete. And everything in it is property of the state of New York.
I've only been a Devils fan for a few years, but I've never been able to follow another team on a daily basis. Doc and Chico on FSN, Rich Chere at the Star-Ledger, Matt Loughlin and Tom Chorske on the radio, Sam Woo here at the 'buzz.... Hartford didn't have anything close to this 10 years ago. And even though Edmonton's coverage is probably as good or better, how would I have access to it? Besides, there's one thing the Devils have that no one else does...
Loooouuuu!!!
Hockeydude sez: Lou Lamoriello isn't the best GM in hockey. He's the best GM in all of sports. 2) John Schuerholz. 3) Ken Holland. 4) Theo Epstein. 5) The guy that runs the New England Patriots... whatever his name is.
"Uncle Louie" might be a stern son-of-an-onion, and that might turn a lot of people off. Yes, he made one too many late-season coaching changes. Yes, he mismanaged the cap horribly in the summer of 2005. But let's not forget what he did before the lockout. How many Stanley Cups? Oneee... twooo... threee ... ah ha ha !
Three Stanley Cups in a pre-lockout economy that saw the Rangers, Red Wings, Avalanche and others spend as much as $77 million a year on player salaries, in a market that already had three teams rich in tradition, while playing in a crummy arena in the middle of nowhere. Lou has built a winner out of a franchise that had been lousy in three different cities before he arrived. The Devils, once a disaster, are now a model franchise. But that's not why I'm a Devils fan.
Rarely do the Devils have the NHL's most talented team. But they have character guys who do what it takes to win. Lou doesn't tolerate bad apples, just ask Mike Danton, aka Mike Jefferson, aka Inmate #4330274425. They work hard, and they respect the game. Guys like John Madden, Jay Pandolfo, Ken Daneyko, Randy McKay, and Jimmy Dowd are what hockey is all about. But that's not why I'm a Devils fan.
I'm a Devils fan because my wife is a Devils fan. Because I love the fact that the Devils have won more Stanley Cups in the past 13 years than the Rangers have in 70. Because I know it makes most of Canada vomit when a Devil gets his due (God, I'm tired of that phrase). Because New Jersey is the Rodney Dangerfield of U.S. states and the Devils are the Rodney Dangerfield of U. S. sports teams. Because of Martin Brodeur, the Best Goalie Ever. Because the more Stanley Cups the Devils win, the angrier Mike Brophy gets.
Hockeydude sez: If the Devils ever won two Stanley Cups in a row, Mike Brophy's head would explode. Who wouldn't want to see that?