Well, I guess word got out. Thanks, Kincade. At the end of June, I’ll be leaving the AJC to be the national hockey writer for the Sporting News. It’s an exciting opportunity for me and my family and it allows us to move closer to home in Detroit. If you know a good real estate agent in Acworth, let me know.

I don’t want to make a big deal out of this because, if the rumors I’m hearing are correct, my replacement is fantastic. I just couldn’t leave without thanking you guys for your support and enthusiasm about hockey in Atlanta. The fact that this blog gets hundreds of comments has nothing to do with me, it says everything about your love and passion for a great sport. I’ve had a chance to meet many of you, and it’s always a lot of fun. Heck, some of you are the reason I had food in Montreal while I was stalking Marian Hossa in the hotel lobby on deadline day. So thanks for that.

I’m excited about what we’re going to be able to do at the Sporting News, and expect you guys to at least visit my blog there once in awhile. But I’ll miss Atlanta and the AJC. This is a class news organization with incredible people. It wasn’t an easy decision.

Alright, enough about me. How about some hockey?

I caught game three at TJ’s in Alpharetta. Thanks for the beers, Tim. Glad to see Pittsburgh decide to make a series of this because I was starting to doubt whether or not the Pens could hang with Detroit. How important is home ice? Check out this breakdown from James Mirtle’s blog. There are some great numbers, but here’s all you need to know. In Detroit, during game one, Sidney Crosby played over 70 percent of his 5-on-5 time against Lidstrom. In game three, that number dropped to 46 percent. Now are you surprised by his jump in production?
Horrible news out of Vancouver about the death of defenseman Luc Bourdon. If you haven’t yet, read this Iain MacIntyre piece in the Vancouver Sun: “Remembering the real Luc Bourdon.” It puts a very human side to the story, especially when you read a quote like this from Guysma Hache, Bourdon’s youth hockey coach: “I don’t know if you know Shippagan. It’s a very small city - only 2,500 people. We are a French community. The kids around here, they dreamed to have a chance to see Luc Bourdon bring the Stanley Cup here. He was a hero. That was the dream of a lot of kids… I lost a good friend today. I lost one of my sons.”
You knew this would happen soon enough - Doug Armstrong is back in the league running a team, this time in St. Louis. And in a class act by a class organization, according to the Post-Dispatch, the Blues extended the contract of current GM Larry Pleau through the 2009-10 season. Pleau will work with the Blues, but he’ll be in position to stay close with his wife who is battling cancer.
NHL GMs have been in Toronto for the combine and, for me, the most interesting thing is to follow prospect Nikita Filatov. He’s the wildcard of the upcoming draft and if he can convince teams he’s willing to come to the NHL, he’ll go pretty high. I know the Thrashers like him, but they’re still leaning towards one of those defensemen. The Thrashers No. 3 pick is also generating interest from other teams and Don Waddell hasn’t completely ruled out trading it. But nothing serious right now. According to the National Post, Filatov has turned down huge offers from the Russian Super League and he hopes that proves to the NHL he’s serious about coming over.
The Wolves jumped out to a 1-0 series lead in the Calder Cup Final. Bryan Little scored the game winner and he continues to have a strong playoffs. He’s the real deal, you guys should be excited about the play of Little and Ondrej Pavelec. Although I still think Hedberg comes back next year. I think it’s safe to say you can pencil Little in as a No. 2 center next season.