I remember my dad calling me and my brothers down into the basement (we had one TV - in the basement) to watch Gretzky sign that contract at centre ice.

My dad told us the kid was the next Bobby Orr.

It was for 21 years - to end in '99. Apparently that was Gretzky's idea.

https://edmontonjournal.c...until%20the%20year%201999.
- Atomic Wedgie

Pocklington was such a hustler

Matthews
Sundin
Tavares
Wendel Mania
Jumbo Joe
Berard
Ramage
Lindros
Nolan
- PatC80

One of my core memories as a kid was watching that incident on the ice, but tbh I had no idea he was a 1st overall pick.

Bedard is the one I usually gorget because Ramage was just bleh vs losing an eye.
- AdamFrench

Berard? Freudian slip?

One of my core memories as a kid was watching that incident on the ice, but tbh I had no idea he was a 1st overall pick.
- bryant

Because I had loved Potvin so much I was acutely aware of Berard's value when we acquired him - the way Potvin had played after we picked up CuJo, there was no WAY he was going to fetch fair market value . . .and then they landed Berard. It was a coup! The type of theft a pirate would give an eye for.

I had forgotten that Owen Nolan was a 1st overall. I always thought he was good, but he was never really the gold standard of a 1st overall player - similar to Rick Nash in a lot of ways. They could score - but never enough to be a star. They both felt like the media followed them around in the hopes that today would be the day that they'd break out into stardom.

Christ in Nolan's draft there are several players I'd rather have - Jagr or Brodeur, obviously, but even guys like Bondra, Weight, Tkachuk and Zubov I thought were better. The only thing that saved Nash from a similar conversation is that his draft year sucked and the only guy who was probably better was Duncan Keith.

Because I had loved Potvin so much I was acutely aware of Berard's value when we acquired him - the way Potvin had played after we picked up CuJo, there was no WAY he was going to fetch fair market value . . .and then they landed Berard. It was a coup! The type of theft a pirate would give an eye for.

I had forgotten that Owen Nolan was a 1st overall. I always thought he was good, but he was never really the gold standard of a 1st overall player - similar to Rick Nash in a lot of ways. They could score - but never enough to be a star. They both felt like the media followed them around in the hopes that today would be the day that they'd break out into stardom.

Christ in Nolan's draft there are several players I'd rather have - Jagr or Brodeur, obviously, but even guys like Bondra, Weight, Tkachuk and Zubov I thought were better. The only thing that saved Nash from a similar conversation is that his draft year sucked and the only guy who was probably better was Duncan Keith.
- Monkeypunk

A lot of what Nolan provided didn't show up on the score sheet.

In his prime, he was a premier power forward.

Sadly, by the time he got to the Leafs, his playing style had taken its toll - he was injury-riddled.

He was on the 2002 Canadian Olympic team - that's a pretty good indication of how good he was in his prime.

And how many guys can say they are the best player their country has ever produced?

Because I had loved Potvin so much I was acutely aware of Berard's value when we acquired him - the way Potvin had played after we picked up CuJo, there was no WAY he was going to fetch fair market value . . .and then they landed Berard. It was a coup! The type of theft a pirate would give an eye for.

I had forgotten that Owen Nolan was a 1st overall. I always thought he was good, but he was never really the gold standard of a 1st overall player - similar to Rick Nash in a lot of ways. They could score - but never enough to be a star. They both felt like the media followed them around in the hopes that today would be the day that they'd break out into stardom.

Christ in Nolan's draft there are several players I'd rather have - Jagr or Brodeur, obviously, but even guys like Bondra, Weight, Tkachuk and Zubov I thought were better. The only thing that saved Nash from a similar conversation is that his draft year sucked and the only guy who was probably better was Duncan Keith.
- Monkeypunk

And now Duncan Keith is coaching the U11 Penticton team (who we crushed) 😀

wild how quick baseball games are now with the pitch clock.
- senstroll

Because I had loved Potvin so much I was acutely aware of Berard's value when we acquired him - the way Potvin had played after we picked up CuJo, there was no WAY he was going to fetch fair market value . . .and then they landed Berard. It was a coup! The type of theft a pirate would give an eye for.

I had forgotten that Owen Nolan was a 1st overall. I always thought he was good, but he was never really the gold standard of a 1st overall player - similar to Rick Nash in a lot of ways. They could score - but never enough to be a star. They both felt like the media followed them around in the hopes that today would be the day that they'd break out into stardom.

Christ in Nolan's draft there are several players I'd rather have - Jagr or Brodeur, obviously, but even guys like Bondra, Weight, Tkachuk and Zubov I thought were better. The only thing that saved Nash from a similar conversation is that his draft year sucked and the only guy who was probably better was Duncan Keith.
- Monkeypunk

wild how quick baseball games are now with the pitch clock.
- senstroll

Going down to games is gonna take a hit. 'Cause it's not gonna feel like you're getting your moneys worth.

Especially when they hike prices to cover the new areas being put in.

Going down to games is gonna take a hit. 'Cause it's not gonna feel like you're getting your moneys worth.

Especially when they hike prices to cover the new areas being put in.
- GreatGigInTheSky

I won’t miss watching a batter redoing the clips on his batting gloves 12 times an at-bat.

Going down to games is gonna take a hit. 'Cause it's not gonna feel like you're getting your moneys worth.

Especially when they hike prices to cover the new areas being put in.
- GreatGigInTheSky

No one wants to still be at a baseball game at 10:30 tied 1-1 at the top of the ninth knowing its going into extra innings

Buncha good games on tonight.

Buncha good games on tonight.
- Atomic Wedgie

It will be a nice night of scoreboard watching. But in a good way because the leafs can’t screw this up….. I don’t think

I won’t miss watching a batter redoing the clips on his batting gloves 12 times an at-bat.
- Canada Cup

There needs to be a middle ground.

Make games faster, yes. But games shouldn't be ending in an hour and a half, outside of insane pitching performances. Like when Doc pitched.

A lot of what Nolan provided didn't show up on the score sheet.

In his prime, he was a premier power forward.

Sadly, by the time he got to the Leafs, his playing style had taken its toll - he was injury-riddled.

He was on the 2002 Canadian Olympic team - that's a pretty good indication of how good he was in his prime.

And how many guys can say they are the best player their country has ever produced?
- Atomic Wedgie

I remember him - I'm just saying that I never found Nolan to be THAT game changing. For instance on the Avs both Sakic and Sundin were significantly better than him. When he was traded to the Sharks they were f'n awful. I don't think they really turned the corner until he moved on. I'm certainly not saying he was to blame, but he wasn't making that franchise better. To be fair, neither was Marleau - it was Jumbo Joe that did it for them. His arrival and then the development of defensemen like Hannan and Vlasic sort of gave their other D more room to be offensive.

But it's not like Nolan wasn't incredibly popular. In 2002 my co-workers (who I'm still friends with today, despite none of us working together any longer) decided to go out and each get a different Team Canada jersey - one rule was no Lemieux because everyone wanted him - so we sort of took turns and just selected different people: Sakic, Yzerman, Lindros, Kariya, Iginla, Blake, Nolan, Fleury, Shanahan, Pronger and Joseph all come to mind (I had Shanahan, my wife had Joseph and a friend who would later be my best man had Yzerman). I'm trying to put names with names - because I think someone had Jovo and someone had Nieuwendyk, and looking at that Canada roster I don't know if anyone had Gagne or Smyth, but maybe. I'm sure someone had MacInnis, and equally sure that no one had Brewer!


But Nolan was among the first few taken. I remember the day Quinn acquired him my buddy called me and said, "You guys just won the Stanley Cup! What a trade!"

So. Yeah. I guess I just will never be on-board loving him as much as the hype that followed him.

No one wants to still be at a baseball game at 10:30 tied 1-1 at the top of the ninth knowing its going into extra innings
- Santo_44

No one wants to pay a poopton on a ticket and then be heading home in just over an hour and a half. That completely destroys the experience.

A middle ground is 100% needed.

EDIT: Also, this is a completely different topic, but, nothing wrong with moving the start time forward by a half hour or an hour. To avoid heading home late.

https://twitter.com/nhl/s...&t=xdbwDZlJpKsy8vg5wHUWXg

I guess we’re just getting spoiled because this just looks like an everyday play from Marner.

It’s like Buffalo doesn’t want to make the playoffs anymore.

Weird symmetry: every game is in intermission right now.

Weird symmetry: every game is in intermission right now.
- Atomic Wedgie

They should stagger games to 705-710-715 to get better viewership. If every game is at intermission I’m not checking out other games.

https://twitter.com/marcm...&t=xdbwDZlJpKsy8vg5wHUWXg

Marc methots just going for dumbass takes for clicks.

I hate media.

Vegas totally cheats to go up 2-1 on Tampa.

Laughable non-call.

But I’m not complaining.

Vegas totally cheats to go up 2-1 on Tampa.

Laughable non-call.

But I’m not complaining.
- Atomic Wedgie

Now 3-1.

Now 3-1.
- Atomic Wedgie

Is Tampa that bad or not trying?

Their top line got benched in the 3rd and then they lost 6-0 the next night.

They’ll probably use it as fuel to beat the leafs. Fml

Is Tampa that bad or not trying?

Their top line got benched in the 3rd and then they lost 6-0 the next night.

They’ll probably use it as fuel to beat the leafs. Fml
- bryant

Go ahead goal was a terrible non-call.

Third was on the pp.

Vegas is a good team.