I heard that the Pittsburgh Penguins are the new Stanley Cup Champions. I didn’t personally watch any of the Stanley Cup final games when they were broadcast.  I was so incensed by Gary Bettman and the NHL kowtowing to the NBC schedulers (putting all of the players at a disadvantage by making them unnecessarily play back to back games) that I vowed not to watch. After hearing about Crosby’s breach of Stanley Cup etiquette, I am glad I remained true to my boycott.Â
Apparently Crosby was too busy celebrating to shake the hand of Nicklas Lidstrom when the line formed. Nick Lidstrom waited around awhile but Crosby wasn’t forthcoming. Being the gentleman he is, Lidstrom did not complain in the press. But his teammate of over 15 years, Kris Draper, another gentleman and fellow four time Stanley Cup Champion refused to remain silent. Now Draper is being castigated in the media for taking a shot at hockey’s Poster Boy, Sidney Crosby. How dare Draper?
Lidstrom and the rest of the Red Wings formed the line, as did most other Penguins, and went through the time honored ritual which makes hockey the greatest sport. The self-absorbed Sidney was nowhere to be found. Crosby can’t plead innocent by lack of inexperience. He was in the same line last year on the losing side. Traditionally, Coaches and Captains seek each other out immediately to congratulate each other as soon as the lines form. Crosby may have captained his team to the Stanley Cup but that doesn’t mean he can flout tradition because he’s God’s newest gift to hockey.
I am very happy for Long Island’s own Rob Scuderi, a St. Anthony HS alum, who came up through the hockey programs out here in Suffolk County and later at Boston College. I am also happy that another Staal brother gets his name on the Stanley Cup. I only hope that our Staal will have the same good fortune with the Rangers some day soon.Â
In fact, I congratulate all the Pittsburgh Penguins, except Sidney Crosby. Bettman has chosen his Poster Boy well. Both have a lot of class, all of it low.
Posted under New York Rangers
This post was written by m hurley on June 14, 2009
Yes it’s now Mark Staal’s turn to complete the family trifecta.
But there’s another threesome where the Ranger is so far odd man out. Three kids came up through the Cole Harbour, N.S. system in recent years and now two have won the cup. The first was Joe DiPenta with the Ducks in 2007. Now comes Crosby. The third is Sean Avery.
Maybe that’s just the way people are in Cole Harbour, you have to factor in cultural influences. DiPenta, who is now trying to keep his career going in Europe, is amazed that Avery got as far as he did. “I have known him since he was 8 years old when we grew up together in Cole Harbour. He was the same then, uncontrollable by his coaches, management and parents. Something always seemed off.”
My son is a Pens’ fan and he stuck with them through the lean years. For him Crosby replaced Lemieux as hero. I won’t knock him. Give Ray Shero credit. He brings in three guys who won the cup at the trading deadline, Kunitz, Adams, and Guerin, to go with Fedetenko. He had two guys Adams and Fedetenko who had gone through a seven-game final and the Wings had none. It was a factor in the dressing room.
Scuderi really came of age. He was the most reliable D the Pens had the entire playoffs. His partner Gill was also solid. I never understood why Sather didn’t take Gill when he had the chance instead of the late unlamented Backman.
Apropos of nothing, Golisano, owner of the Sabres, is now moving to Florida and he says it’s because of the high NY taxes. I don’t know how a guy who has gone through three divorces still has a change of shirt, but nonetheless living in Florida puts him close to his new main squeeze, Monica Seles, she who got stabbed on the tennis court for being too good. Golisano once invited Bill Clinton to a Sabres game to join him and Seles and there is no truth in the rumor that the first thing Clinton said was, I thought it was other Monica.
Wait, Golisano and Seles? He’s like 100 and she’s in her late 30′s.
Wonder if she’ll have to sign a pre-nup? Wonder if she still grunts loud when she serves…dinner? Why would he want to leave a garden spot like Buffalo?