What about Bob?

Big day for former NHL stars Brian Leetch, Brett Hull, Luc Robataille and Steve Yzerman, as well as Devils President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello, all of whom were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Congrats to one and all.

Yzerman retired in 2006 with the sixth-highest point total in NHL history, and was captain of three Stanley Cup championship teams with the Red Wings. He also won a gold medal with Canada in the 2002 Olympics.

Hull's 741 goals rank third all-time, Robitaille's 668 are the most by a left wing and Leetch is one of just five defensemen to have a 100-point season.

Lamoriello built the Devils into three-time Stanley Cup champions.

Hull, of course, is the son of Hall of Famer Bobby Hull, who was idolized as a child by a kid growing up in White Plains, New York, whose first skates were the Bobby Hull autograph edition. Said kid once got Hull's autograph before a Rangers-Blackhawks playoff game, only to erase it during the game because Hull got into a fight with Rangers enforcer Orland Kurtenbach.

I've had the privilege of covering all of this year's Hall of Famers, in addition to papa Hull. Awesome stuff, fellas. Well deserved honors.

One of the best NHL refs ever, although he'll always be known for being on the receiving end of former Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld's rant after a playoff loss to the Bruins in the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals.

Schoenfeld was upset with Koharski's officiating, and called him "a fat pig" before suggesting that the corpulent ref "have another donut."

Amazing how one moment like that can overshadow a career that saw the man work more than 2,000 games.

It was a hilarious moment, though, and Koharski now laughs about it himself.

Here's the video.

And, in case you're interested, here's another of Schoenfeld's confrontations, this one with former Rangers brawler Nick Fotiu. Jim Gordon and Bill "The Big Whistle" Chadwick call the action.

Our "In the Crease" blog with Mark Herrmann and Michael Casey offers a compilation of the year's best brawls.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Looks like Stapler's favorite bad boy will be back in Rangers' blue.

I suppose now that there will be something interesting about the Rangers.

The Miracle On Ice was complete.

Enjoy it, kids. It was really a memorable time.

... or, if you prefer this recently unearthed radio version (a brilliant call, by the way), here's this:

Wow.

And Stapler is only too happy to write - again - that he belongs back at the Garden.

(Clever comment on this column from El Viejo: "Avery's lost some speed, he's a distraction to the team -- and who wants Dallas's sloppy seconds?")

Wow. Can it be?

The NHL will discuss the issue at the March meetings in Naples, Fla., and while there likely won't be a consensus to eliminate fighting from the sports, it's somewhat newsworthy that the issue will even be addressed.

We understand the concerns about fighting, if for no other reason that it gives the appearance the NHL is still stuck in the Neanderthal days. But we also believe fighting remains an intrinsic part of the game. Why, we don't know. Just because, I guess.

I know that sounds crazy, especially with fighting resulting in ejections in all the other major sports. But with fighting being an accepted means of expression in hockey, and with the belief in some circles that getting your aggression out with your fists often prevents getting it out by smashing your stick over someone's head, there is merit to keeping it in the game.

Hockey fights seem far less violent now than in the days of Dave Schultz, Clark Gillies, Reggie Fleming and Johnny "Pie" McKenzie, but I guess there's no harm in discussing the issue.

In the meantime, we always have Youtube for anyone who gets a hankering to see some decent fisticuffs.

Say it ain't so.

Move over Plaxico. You have company when it comes to pro athletes being suspended.

Only this one didn't involve a gun. Just a big mouth.

Former Rangers agitator Sean Avery, a complete whacko on and off the ice, has been suspended indefinitely for making an inappropriate comment aimed at Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Avery's ex-girlfriend.

Here's part of the text from the Edmonton Sun:

No sooner had Dallas Stars coach Dave Tippett finished chastising the media for blowing Sean Avery's antics out of proportion did the controversial Stars forward make a mockery of his coach and himself this morning.

Arriving in town to see he's already front-page news for calling Jarome Iginla boring, the controversial Stars winger ensured he'll stay in the spotlight with one of the most off-side comments the league has ever heard.

And, to maximize exposure, he waited until every camera and tape recorder in the Stars dressing room was rolling following today's pre-game skate before delivering a bomb that should make for an interesting evening at the 'Dome tonight.

"I'm really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada," started Avery before smirking.
"I just wanted to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. But, enjoy the game tonight."
The NHL since announced that Avery has been suspended indefinitely, pending a hearing with commissioner Gary Bettman.

It was an obvious salvo fired at Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Avery's ex-girlfriend and former 24 star Elisha Cuthbert.

The Calgary-born Cuthbert has also reportedly dated Montreal Canadiens' defenceman Mike Komisarek.

The premeditated shot drew gasps from Stars teammates, many of whom were shocked even a man of Avery's questionable morals would stoop that low.

While the younger players seemed to think it was funny, veterans like Mike Modano and Marty Turco failed to find humour in it.

"Hopefully those words are echoed from his focus and he just wants to get out of here, get on the ice and be competitive. But it all remains to be seen," said Turco, pressed further on whether barbs like that were an unnecessary distraction for a struggling team like his.

I don't think I've ever seen this before. In any event, Islanders fans across this great land of ours are grateful for what happened.

(UPDATE: Not only does the always reliable commenter SEF have a recollection of something like this happening before, but even Stapler offers up a similar play from 1987. It involved former Islanders defenseman Gerald Diduck, who might have been the most talented, yet immature and ultimately disappointing pucksters ever to grace the Islanders' roster. Stapler throws a haymaker our way in his post, which is to be expected. To which we say - two words, my friend: Clark Gillies.)

One of the Final Score's dozen or so bloggers came up with a really good idea for a list today. Only one problem with Artie Stapler's list of the 10 best hockey brawlers in Islanders and Rangers history.

As you know, we love the sport of hockey around here. Always have, always will. And we agree with Stapler that fighting should be allowed.

But to not have Clark Gillies No. 1 on the list is a miscarriage of justice ... or something like that.

C'mon, Stapes. Did Gillies EVER lose a fight? Not that I can recall. And I covered a bunch of games in which the man destroyed his opponent with his fists. The Terry O'Reilly fights were as much a part of the 1980 run to the Islanders' first of four Stanley Cup championships as Mike Bossy's goals and Bryan Trottier's assists. Gillies was the heart and soul of that team.

Gary Howatt, who is No. 1 on Stapler's list, is just not the best fighter in New York hockey history. He was a gutsy little fellow, but he was only a fighter. Gillies was not only a great fighter, he was a great player. The guy is in the Hall of Fame.

Pound for pound, easily No. 1.

And that's my thought, from two time zones away.

(PS: You'll call me an old coot for this, but Reggie Fleming deserves mention, too. Just ask your man Fischler.)

Doesn't seem all that long ago when the leggy model and the Rangers' defenseman were the talk of the town.

Now Alt is suing Greshner, claiming he owes her $1 million over an investment they made back in the day.

Sigh.

It still seems like yesterday that Bill "The Big Whistle" Chadwick would refer to the former Ranger as "young Greschner" when he was Rangers' color man alongside classy Jim Gordon.

I did see Ms. Alt leaving the Garden after a Rangers' game I attended in February along with my buddy Dougie Fresh. She was still very tall, very thin and very attractive. She was with a young gentleman I did not recognize. I can assure you it was not Neil Best.

... btw, the blogs have been glacier-like today, probably due to the fact that the political blogs on the Tribune system we're still using have gummed up the works. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The former Rangers' forward, easily the biggest agitator in the NHL, is also one of the nuttiest athletes on the planet.

Rachel Nichols of ESPN did an exceptional piece on him on this week's E-60. We learned that Avery played with dolls as a kid, has a not-so-secret obsession with fashion, has been questioned about his sexual preference, and called NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on the carpet for failing to adequately market his sport.

We agree wholeheartedly on his criticism of Bettman, who has driven the league into virtual oblivion over the years.

About the only people who talk about hockey outside the sport's inner circle are me, Best, Islander505 and Black N Gold.

As far as I'm concerned, this is the second most exciting opening to a season in New York sports, surpassed only by opening weekend of the NFL schedule for your Giants and Jets.

The puck drops tonight for the Islanders, Devils and Rangers (who actually dropped the puck in Prague a few days ago, which was admittedly weird). Isles at Devils as the Scott Gordon era begins for the Islanders and the Brent Sutter era continues for the Devils. And the Rangers host the Blackhawks after their Prague two-step over the Lightning.

I grew up with dreams of becoming a New York Ranger, with Rod Gilbert my idol - thus, my preference to wear No. 7 as a lad playing at the Ebersol Ice Rink in White Plains, N.Y.

I decided that the pursuit of a degree in English was more important than pursuing the NHL (partly because I loved reading and writing, but mostly because I sucked as a hockey player), but I did have the pleasure of mixing both areas when I covered the Islanders during their Stanley Cup years. Brent Sutter was a player back then, and Al Arbour was the coach, easily the most gentlemanly coach I'd ever have the pleasure of covering.

(I went from Arbour to Bill Parcells in 1985, so that was somewhat of a culture shock, to say the least.)

Nowadays, I find it difficult to remember the names of all these Islander coaches who seem to come and go with the speed of a Mike Bossy slapshot.

Enjoy the pucks.

Wings-Pens, Game 6 in the 'Burgh.

NBC.

8 p.m.

Can't wait.

The obvious hope here is that the Penguins win at home and create a dramatic Game 7. Kinda think Black N Gold feels the same way, but I could be wrong.

Feel free to use this as your impromptu message board.

Heading to Jets' mini-camp tomorrow. Expect to be bleary-eyed, especially if Game 6 is anything like Game 5.

What a game.

What a friggin' game.

Triple overtime in the Stanley Cup Final. Edge-of-your-seat hockey the whole way. And the Penguins make a series of it with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Red Wings in Game 5. Peter Sykora scores the game winner shortly before 1 a.m. eastern.

Staple, I'm still alive.

As all of you know from my constant whining, I've missed most of these playoffs because the NHL took my sport to Versus. But with a nationwide audience tuning in to a real television network (NBC), the Pens and Wings gave us hockey's finest.

Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you.

Look forward to more tomorrow night.

It might be only a matter of hours before B N G's beloved Penguins shake hands with the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Sorry, dude.

I thought your boys were ready.

I was wrong. Staple was right.

The good news is this: Sidney Crosby is a really, really, really good hockey player. And seeing as he can't drink legally in most states, it would seem he'll be around for a while and will soon win more Cups for the Steel City.

Got a chance to see a hockey game last night, because it was actually on a television network (NBC) that lots of people get.

In case you didn't know, I don't get Versus ... oh, never mind.

It was great to see Sydney Crosby and the Pens make a series of it last night. Let's hope for more of the same now that the country can actually see the goings-on.

Note to Sandy, Islander505, Black N Gold and anyone else who needs a makeshift chatroom to discuss hockey, feel free to comment below. Enjoy the banter.

I'm too lazy to find out whether Stapler put in writing that he thought the Red Wings would beat the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals, but I can attest to his verbal prediction, because that's what he told me before the series started.

I, of course, went with the Penguins, who are down 2-0 in the series that no one has really seen so far because Games 1 and 2 have been on Versus. In case you didn't know it, I don't have Versus, just like millions of other hockey fans in this great land of ours.

Thankfully, the nation will get to watch this series, because NBC is carrying the remaining games.

There's still a chance for the Pens, who now get two games at home. But Stapler's Wings are now the heavy favorites with a commanding lead.

Incidentally, Black N Gold tried to bury this in a comment, but the man who professes to be a huge Penguins fan actually BET AGAINST HIS TEAM in Game 1. B N G also claims to be a huge Steelers fans, but he BET AGAINST HIS TEAM in last year's playoffs, too.

Just thought you'd want to know.

:)

In an earlier post about Mike Keenan ascending to the presidency of the Browns, we had a throwaway line wondering where hockey's Mike Keenan was these days. To which commenter "HockeyBob" chastised us for not knowing that Keenan was coach of the Calgary Flames.

"HockeyBob" also questioned our devotion to hockey, or whether we simply used this blog to whine about the sport disappearing off the pro sports landscape, in part because of its decision to go with Versus and thus not be available to millions of would-be fans.

Which got us/me thinking ...

This is exactly what's wrong with the sport, and exactly why the ill-fated decision to go with Versus was a colossal mistake. If someone like me - who grew up obsessed with both watching and playing hockey, including several trips north of the border to hockey camp - is now ignorant of all that goes on in hockey because I don't have the kind of television access to it I should, then there's the problem right there. Why should it come down to "Islander505" inviting us over to watch just because he has Versus and I don't?

In other words, if the sport is leaving a willing customer who grew up idolizing Rod Gilbert is leaving him in the dark - or at the very least, making him pursue other cable/satellite alternatives because the sport is not readily available on basic cable - then how can that sport expect to attract new fans and grow to the point where it's more than a flyspeck in terms of ratings and exposure?

Just askin', "HockeyBob."

Enjoy the finals. It's Pittsburgh-Detroit, right?

I'm sure this will give Neil Best more fuel for his insatiable appetite to poke fun at me for being old, but what the heck.

Caught the Rangers-Islanders game last night - a doozy, by the way - and noticed that Jeff Tambellini scored the winning goal in the shootout. That's Jeff Tambellini, son of former Islanders center Steve Tambellini. Yes, Neil, I covered Steve back in the day.

I once interviewed Tambellini after practice. I'm pretty sure we ate at a diner in East Meadow. He drove us there in his new Porsche. I believe I was driving a used Mercury at the time whose model name escapes me. Needless to say, they don't make it any longer.

btw, can any Rangers' fans answer this question: I realize Jaromir Jagr has had some problems in the shootout, but why would Rangers coach Tom Renney not use him at all last night? Just wondering.

oh, yeah. When Mike Comrie was lining up to take his turn in the shootout, I turned to a friend and said, "Man, this has Neil Best blog post written all over it." Spoke to Best this morning, and he tells me he was thinking the same thing. Would have been another occasion to post a hot pic of Comrie galpal Hilary Duff. Then again, my guess is he'll come up with an excuse to post one anyway.

ok, two things I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around: Brett Favre has retired and the Giants won the Super Bowl.