Dudley hired as AGM, Bruins sweep Awards

Just hours after formally announcing his resignation with the Chicago Blackhawks, Rick Dudley has been hired as assistant general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers.

''Rick has informed me that he has resigned from his position with the Blackhawks to pursue other opportunities,'' Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement. ''I would like to extend my gratitude to him for his work with our organization and certainly wish him well in the future.''

Dudley's career behind the bench began in 1982 when he was hired as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. He remained in Buffalo for three seasons before being fired in 1992. He didn't find work in the NHL again until he was a mid-season replacement for the Florida Panthers in the 2003–04 season.

Dudley was the general manager of the Ottawa Senators in the 1998–99 season before moving into the front office of the Blackhawks' organization in 2004, hired as a consultant before becoming assistant general manager in 2006.

Sweet! I think. I'm not sure? This can only be good for the Thrashers, right?


The Bruins trifecta'd the awards, bringing home to Boston the Vezina (Tim Thomas (GO CATS GO!)), the Jack Adams (Claude Julien), and the Norris (Zdeno Chara). Let's Go Bruins!

Only cuter if it were the boys in Blue. Or Black & Gold!

My Ammy watching and celebrating the "Squealy Cup" win by the Pens. She'll be marrying Sidney Crosby, according to her. Just FYI.

 

Before you go getting all irrational and calling CPS, it's powdered sugar, from a donut, around her mouth. And she has to wear the patch because, as you can see, she's sat too close to the tv her whole life and is now cross-eyed. Yes, it is true.

Wait, what? This is how you break the news?

BOS: So I got this in a Google alert on Looch, and this is all there was, in an article about the Pens... Is this the grand announcement that Milan Lucic's been invited to the Team Canada camp? 

Hockey fans can now start looking forward to announcements concerning invitees to Team Canada's fall camp scheduled for Father Bauer Arena Aug. 24-28. It is there Bruins jack-of-all trades, Milan Lucic, is bound to impress.

If so, Go Looch Go! You kick some ass there! If that's just speculation, that's rather factually stated. Then again, it's from Canoe.ca, so.... who's to say?

2008-09 Team Slogans: CBJ

Here at FWH, in an effort to actually have something to write about, I'll be doing these posts on the fucking retarded occasionally witty slogans teams come up with each season, focusing specifically on those used in the 08-09 season. Today's victim team is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Have you seen the commercial for the Jackets (they don't like to be called the BJs anymore, and I'm making a New Year's Resolution to be a little nicer. Usually I resolve to do things I know I can accomplish -- like, smoke more. Drink more. Flirt inappropriately. So we'll see how long this "nice" thing lasts.)? Probably not if you didn't have Centre Ice and didn't manage to catch a game your team played there (I refuse to acknowledge that team actually has fans)(that resolution didn't last too long eh?). Here it is, just in case you missed it:

In that context, I SUPPOSE their slogan -- "Carry the Flag!" -- kiiiiind of makes sense. They better've given out free car flags and house flags and little strips of flags like you have hanging up in a bar, cept there's beer logos on those? Yeah. Lots of flag giveaways, I'm hoping. Because otherwise, unless "carry the flag" is some weird local colloquialism for "kick some ass and win some hockey," that doesn't make a damned bit of sense. Are they just asking their fans to show some pride in the team? Rep the Jackets (see I resisted there too!)? Let the world know they have fans (........... waiiiiiiting.............. waaaaaaaaaiting.......)? That's really the only translation I've gotten out of that slogan.

Grade: B-: average. They took something too pathetic to say, spun it, made it cutesy, made a cute commercial, catchy jingle, and hopfeully gave some shit away. They told the truth and they worked it a little.

The only other slogans I can think of off the top of my head arethe Caps' Rock the Red, the Thrashers' Become One in Blueland, and the Bruins' We Want It as Bad as You Do. Discussions on those two will come later, but in the meantime, if you know the one for any other team, please do comment with it.

Happy New Year: 08-09 Champs

Venom Energy; Game 7

First up, interesting marketing psychology:

Venom has rounded up stars from a variety of sports as spokespeople to be featured in marketing campaigns and in-store promotions in their teams' respective geographic regions. Dr Pepper/Snapple Group's Venom Energy line is leveraging consumers' devotion to their local sports teams and heroes to the max with a marketing approach that uses 14 different sports stars regionally rather than one star throughout the country.
The sports stars signed include Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), Adam Jones (Baltimore Orioles), Milan Lucic (Boston Bruins), Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears), DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys), Kenyon Martin (Denver Nuggets), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings), Lance Berkman (Houston Astros), Jordan Farmar (Los Angeles Lakers), Joey Porter (Miami Dolphins), Max Talbot (Pittsburgh Penguins), Roger Mason (San Antonio Spurs), Patrick Willis (San Francisco 49ers) and Lofa Tatupu (Seattle Seahawks).

Frankly I'm a little surprised at the three selections. Not for their respective cities; Looch is a god in Boston, Datsyuk is revered, and Talbot's adored for his wacky sense of humour and sick sick game. Although I will say I'm surprised that of all the professional athletes in Boston right now, Looch is the one they went with - one of the young anchors of a team eliminated in the 2nd round.  Dude don't the Sox have anyone? Maybe not with more influence over the city. But anyway, interesting inside view at sports marketing. Moving on.

So who do you think's going to win tomorrow night? Everyone automtically says, Detroit hasn't lost at home. And someone told me recently that you don't have a series for real til someone loses at home. Which hasn't happened this series. So the foregone conclusion is that Detroit'll take it all again.


Lord in Heaven, Let Sid Win It in Seven
But that's wherein lies the intrigue of the game. Everyone assuming Detroit will just win because of their home/road record is underestimating the Pens, and in the last game of the season regardless, you can't underestimate anyone. The Pens didn't get this far just to fall flat on their faces in Detroit. Frankly, I'm sick and fucking tired of Detroit winning. I'll make no predictions other than tomorrow should be the greatest game we've seen all year. I hope you're planning on watching.

OMG HI!

Remember me? I write this here blog. I'd like to give a shout out to Wayne who emailed me to ask me "what the fuck damn it!" I'd apologise for ignoring the blog (but not you dear readers, never you! My god you look so TAN! Have you been surfing?!), but the Thrash would have to apologise for their season and frankly I don't think they have my email. So.

No truthfully I managed to acquire Mono, and am also having existential crises. Laying in bed and sleeping is about the extent of my skillset right now.

Fact of the matter is, much like I reckon many of you are, I"m sick and tired of reading RUMOURS. If we listen to and believe all the rumours out there, Lehts better be cut up into 18 seperate goalies so he can go to the 18 teams that MUST HAVE HIM.

Now if anyone gives a shit, here's my thoughts on a few of those teams.

- Chicago: Kari played there with the Wolves and performed beautifully. With the young team they have and the WCF loss they'll be out to prove a point next season, and both Khabibulin and Huet are getting up there in years.
- Washington: See "Chicago" for why this would be a good team to play for. Also, it's closest to me at the moment. Obviously good reasoning. Additionally, this is a town for whom hockey is finally becoming a REAL SPORT but at the same time the players can walk down the street and no one notices them.
- Philadelphia: Would be a great city for him to play in except for the intense blame laid on the goalies there.
- Toronto: Would be like Philly except the scrutiny and criticism would be increased a hundredfold.
- LA: I just can't see it. I don't see Kari as an LA guy and I don't see him getting comfortable enough with everything to really let loose and just play his game the way he can. It could backfire horriffically.

So there's five. Obviously not 18.

In Bruins news, David Krejci signed a 3 year deal yesterday for an avg of 3.75m a year. Do you know how much I want to be a hockey player? I mean, I'd probably best be a hockey player on IR because while I have a pretty wicked wrister, I'm also pretty bad at abrupt stops. There would be a lot of goalie interference calls on me, so I would prefer to earn my multimillions sitting in the stands in a nice suit. Also, would be helpful were I a man. But yay Krech! Huge raise! 3 years! Let's go Bruins!

I'm going to work on redesigning the blog here in a bit. It's just not a Thrashers blog anymore. It was for a bit, mostly because I got waylaid and caught up. I wanted to be a Thrash fan cause of Kari, Jo, Perrsy and Colby. And others (hi Cowboy Zach!). But I just don't have the love for the logo on the front. If anything I have animosity for it because "incompetence and indifference" is not a good business plan.

I'm a Bruins girl. I know I didn't post during the playoffs and people will use that as "proof" I'm lying, but I really don't give a fuck. This is my blog, I"ll post what I want to post and you will like it. And if you don't like it, you can just go away. But if you require proof of fanship my mother is from Mass, and grew up watching Grapes coaching both the B's, and the Springfield team that I keep calling the Falcons, but was not the falcons back then. I cried when Ray Bourque lifted the Stanley Cup. Not because it was so awesome (though it totally was) but because he wasn't wearing the Spoked B. John Grahame and I have a history of flirting during warmups which goes back to his years with the Bruins. OMG WAS THAT YOUR PROOF THAT I'M A PUCK BUNNY?!?!?!?!? That was just for the losers out there waiting for a nugget.

Anyway, you guys have a good summer/off season. I'll be around sporadically as I figure out the direction this thing is going.

Kari'll be here chillin', waiting for a new contract.