JoeLassister Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 Referee Marc Joanette has been designated to ref the game in front of his people. Personnaly, I wold have picked Frédéric L'Écuyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForumGhost Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) Wow, gotta hand it to Chara, I really like his idea. Something to add some competitiveness to the skills competition (and possibly the game), and all for a good cause. Way to go Big Z! :clap: MONTREAL -- Forget about words. They blow away in the wind, and it's quite gusty here in Montreal this weekend. Big Zdeno Chara is instead dipping into his bank account to back up his blistering slap shot. The Boston Bruins' towering defenseman, the defending champion in the Cisco NHL Hardest Shot competition, has issued a challenge to his five competitors. Put up or shut up. It's all for a good Chara-ity, so to speak. Chara is dropping $1,000 on the table and has asked his competition -- Sheldon Souray, Mike Komisarek, Vinny Lecavalier, Shea Weber and Mark Streit -- to do the same. They've all obliged, making a players' pot of $6,000 that will go to the winner's favourite charity. Each of the players' respective teams -- Boston, Edmonton, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Nashville and the New York Islanders -- will also put up $1,000 each. And, the NHL will match the players' pot with $6,000, bringing the total to $18,000 for the winner's favourite charity. Call it Chara's Charity Challenge, if you will. Not only is this for a great cause, but it adds even more juice to the fifth event in Saturday's 2009 Honda/NHL All-Star SuperSkills. "I think it's overwhelming. I'm very happy with it," Chara told NHL.com. "Hopefully this is something we can start for the future so the players can have something between them and with the League involved we can raise some good money for charity." Chara said he first came up with the idea over dinner Tuesday night in Toronto with Bruins P.R. man Eric Tosi and defenseman Andrew Ference. The conversation turned to how they could make the events in the 2009 Honda/NHL All-Star SuperSkills more intriguing. "We said, 'why don't we throw some money into it,' and we came up with the idea that if each player put some type of donation into a pot, the winner can get all the money and choose a charity of his choice, then that would be cool," Chara said. "It's for a good cause and it would make the whole thing more exciting and more competitive." Over the next 24 hours, Chara said all five of his competitors were on board. The decision was unanimous and quick. Then the teams jumped in and ponied up as well -- and the League followed suit. "It didn't take long then for everybody to get in," Streit told NHL.com. "It's going to juice up the whole thing." The charity is the big deal in all of this, but Streit is 100 percent correct. The bragging rights that will go to the winner will be priceless. "Definitely it's nice that the guys pooled together some money to raise money for a good cause," Komisarek said, "but to have bragging rights over Souray or big Zdeno Chara would be pretty neat." Chara, the two-time defending champion in this event, understands the bragging rights aspect, but he's also happy to know that if for some reason he doesn't win Saturday night's competition, at least something good will come out of it. He's also hoping the idea gets wings and that players in other events do a similar thing either Saturday night or in the coming years. "Maybe we can start with the Hardest Shot and next year maybe it can be all of them," said Chara, who would donate the $18,000 to his charity, Right to Play. "Maybe it can even be in the game. If every guy put $1,000 we would have $42,000 to put into something. We can make it really exciting and really big. Maybe fans can get involved, too. It would be awesome to have something like that going on." Also, looks like the goalies have all made their picks and trades for the Elimination shootout. Thomas has got some real bad luck, looking to have the most dangerous lineup, although statistically Backstrom will be facing the players with the most shootout success. He didn't really help is chances by trading FOR Kovalchuck. Good quotes from the story on nhl.com: When Lundqvist picked Zdeno Chara, the Bruins defenseman with the booming 100-mph slapper, Thomas, a teammate of Chara in Boston, tried to contain a laugh. "I hope he doesn't hit you," Thomas teased. "I hope he misses the net." But Thomas even had some fun at his own expense. Upon drawing Atlanta sniper Ilya Kovalchuk with his first selection, Thomas visibly grimaced. Kovalev was not happy to be traded. "The trade was made behind my back," he fumed in mock indignation. "It's not right." Say what you want about All Star weekend, but the league and players are really working to make it more interesting and the revamp for this year is looking pretty fine to me. Edited January 24, 2009 by ForumGhost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 HUGE props to the NHL for this one. I've been taking my tickets today and the setup is REALLY nice. They installed a huge "big top" in the parking lot for the Jamborees. La Place du Centenaire has been totally opened as well. Congrats to the organisation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zumpano21 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Does anyone else think the All Star game should be played as 4 on 4 for the whole game? I'd also take out slap shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForumGhost Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Does anyone else think the All Star game should be played as 4 on 4 for the whole game? I'd also take out slap shots. No. Anyways, just got back from the All Star Practice. Best moment ever: Soulja Boy comes onto the loud speaker, Ovechkin cranks that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Does anyone else think the All Star game should be played as 4 on 4 for the whole game? I'd also take out slap shots. I'd take out helmets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I'd take out helmets. Not enough flowing hair and mullets for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 that song was just awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Vinny not loving the cheers, I don't think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForumGhost Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 By the way, why no Phaneuf? Maybe not made for this competition, but it's the recognition that matters. I mean, Robidas over him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenadian Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Ugly...................it's hard to sit here and watch the "breakaway" competition.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Ugly...................it's hard to sit here and watch the "breakaway" competition.......... Ovie's antics was worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycing Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 that song was just awful. Truly Horrible. Vinny not loving the cheers, I don't think... While they may have tuned down the volume on the fans' cheers for the Habs, it seems like Vinny got the biggest ovation out of anyone. My vote goes to Marty St. Louis... Ovechkin was pretty funny though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForumGhost Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Getzlaf had a nice one but St. Louis gets it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycing Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 LOL @ Price just sitting in the crease most of the time for the YoungStars game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForumGhost Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Well, looks like it's time to trade Price... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 LOL @ Price just sitting in the crease most of the time for the YoungStars game. Should have pulled him after the 8th goal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycing Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Should have pulled him after the 8th goal! More like the 4th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 What a joke this has been... probably the last All-Star weekend I ever watch. :puke: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenadian Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I switched over to TSN they're showing the RED BULL CHASHED ICE finally some excitment on the ice........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycing Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Chara does what he does best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 What a joke this has been... probably the last All-Star weekend I ever watch. :puke: They need more smoke and lasers. Smoke and lasers makes everything kick ass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenadian Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Or Cheerleaders................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForumGhost Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Jeez, it's just for fun, what's everyone so uptight about? Plus, the elimination shootout was pretty good. Thomas and Savard conspiracy?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sakiqc Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I'm really impressed with Komisarek's shot. Didn't expect him to beat Streit with a 98+ MPH shot. He should practice it more for accuracy and learn how/when to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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