I see that mega rich Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has promised to make an offer by Friday to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes and keep the team in Arizona. Now the question is: do I support hockey in Phoenix? Yes – and here’s why.

Perhaps I am being a bit cheeky, but I support hockey in Phoenix because I can see the Oilers play easier and almost as cheaply as I can in Edmonton. Last year, “center” ice down low tickets in Rexall Place cost $224 per seat. And many of these are not really “center” ice – they go far past the neutral zone, well into each offensive/defensive end. That is $450 for you and your wife – not counting parking or baby sitting. Say you want some food – and the cost would be up to just under $500 – if you don’t splurge on your meal. OK, by the time you leave home to return home from that game, you have spent – say - $510.00.

Now, say you want to watch the Oilers play in Phoenix. Similar tickets could be had last year for $25 US – say $30 Canadian or $60 for two tickets. And this included food! You leave your house in Edmonton, drive to the airport - $10 gas return. You park for 2 days in Park N’Fly - $20. You booked early and your Westjet ticket costs you $93 plus tax – say $135 – each way, or $270.00 – or $540 for two. We are talking $630 for two for the entire trip.

Oh, and if you add a place to stay for say two nights in Phoenix – at $200. And ground transportation – car rental for $20 per day – use Priceline. That is $850 for a three-day vacation in Arizona – including a great Oiler game.

Not to mention the +25 C warm weather in January or February. So, do I support hockey in Phoenix – you bet!

What do you think? Should fans support a team in a market that doesn't seem to be able to support it?

A popular rumour site posted the following. "According to Patrick LaForge, Oilers President and CEO, the Oilers will switch their current home jersey with their throwback alternate jersey for the 2009-2010 season.. "The dark blue will become our third jersey, as was Todd McFarlane's former design (blue and silver with the gears on the sweater)," said LaForge. "The road whites will stay the same."


I have no idea how accurate this is or whether it is just the resurfacing of an old rumour, but this source is claiming it out of Laforge's own mouth, which is not at all to be taken lightly. I for one, don't mind the throw back jerseys, but am a bit surprised by the move. As far a merchandise is concerned it would be my guess that the retro style colors were hot sellers regardless of where they used them during game play. I'm not so sure the darker blue will sell as well being a third jersey.



What do you think? Would you rather the glory days colors? Or keep the darker blues and are own unique identity from the dominant years of the Edmonton Oilers?

Congratulations to this years Hall of Fame class. As "The Prof" predicted, we saw a sweep of ex Red Wings and one star two time Norris trophy winning Ranger defenseman get the nod Tuesday.

Forwards Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and defenceman Brian Leetch were announced as this year's inductees in the players category. Lou Lamarillo from New Jersey was announced in the Builder's Category.

At centre, Yzerman was the shoe in. The fourth overall draft pick in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, Yzerman scored 39 goals and added 48 points for 87 points in his rookie season. As "The Prof" also pointed out, Yzerman spent his entire 22-year career with the Red Wings, scoring 692 goals to rank eighth on the all-time list.

Brett Hull with 741 goals ranks third on the all-time list. Hull was was a late pick and poor starter in Calgary when he finally made the team in 1986. Later traded to St. Louis, Hull teamed up with Adam Oates to score over 70 goals in three consecutive seasons, including a career-high of 86 markers in 1990-91. He would end his 10-year career in St. Louis with 527 goals for an average of over 50 goals per season.

At left wing, Robitaille is the highest scoring player at his position in league history, ranking 10th on the all-time list with 668 goals. While on defense, Leetch notched 71 points in his first season, with a career-best campaign in 1991-92 when he hit the 100-point mark. He was rewarded with his first of two Norris Trophies as the league's best defenceman.

As for Lamarillo, 40 years in hockey and 3 Stanley Cups as coach was enough to put him in this years celebration which will take in place on November 9th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The Oilers are making some calls in a number of areas and its not just in regards to Dany Heatley.



Tambellini has interest in moving up in the draft as do a number of other GM's, but not for many of the same three reasons (namely Tavares, Hedman and Duchene). The Oilers feel it might be possible to move some of their prospects and contracts along with their #10 overall pic to move up a few spots in order to draft Evander Kane, who they are very high on.

The 5'11" Center from the Vancouver Giants is a highly touted prospect who finds himself in the mix of the Top 4-7 players depending on how certain teams choose to draft in those spots.

NHL Central Scouting’s Blair MacDonald: "He has power forward qualities from the blue line in. He's the type of player who doesn't like being denied access to the net. You can almost see when he's got the puck he's going to the net and defying people to stop him. He'll be a 200-pound forward in the National Hockey League. He plays like he's 6-2, 6-3, bigger than his size. He's surprised a lot of people with his strength going to the net."

Check out the video. What would you move to obtain a player of Kane's ability?

This is a good year for NHL Hockey Hall of Fame player considerations. But, I am betting that all the inductees will have a Detroit Red Wing background. Here are my picks:

#1: Steve Yzerman is a shoo in. Not only was he a great player and a great leader, but he is genuinely well-respected worldwide. And, like the old days he has one thing going for him – at least in my mind. He played for the same team his entire career. That is almost unheard of in today’s market-driven (not fan-driven) economic market.

Too bad players have been talked into the belief that they should go for the gusto on each contract. Call me romantic, but I wish Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr, and even Ryan Smyth started and ended their careers with the Oilers. I want the owners and players to love their fans as much as their fans love them.

#2: Luc Robitaille seems like such a good guy that I am really rooting for him. Although he had his best years with the Los Angeles Kings, he still played for Detroit from 2001-3 (two seasons). I am glad he finished his career with the Kings. I suppose I also like him because he never looks old – the last time I saw a picture of him, he looked like he was 25 years old. Again, here is a guy who seemed to like his fans in LA enough to end his career there. His jersey was retired a couple years ago – and good!

#3: Like him or not, Brett Hull deserves to be in the Hall. What a scoring machine – and I am pleased the Flames traded him away when they had him, or else the Oilers might not have dominated them those many years – well, they used to a long time ago. When Hull had a "feeder" who could get him the puck, like he did in St. Louis in Adam Oates, could that guy score.

#4: And speaking of Adam Oates, here is an under-rated player who also has a Detroit Red Wing background. Before he went to the Blues, he started his career with the Wings and, by the time he left, he was averaging almost an assist a game. His last career year was as an Oiler and, by that time, his skill had run out – but he sure had an impact on the Oilers’ face off success two years ago. Perhaps we should bring him back to teach the young Oilers something about winning that face-off that allows us to control or escape the zone.

#5: Finally, the last person eligible with a chance – perhaps not a good one, however, is Dino Ciccarelli. I remember meeting him in the airport one day when he was on his way back to the States – he had broken his wrist, I believe, and had to stay in Edmonton for treatment and was on his way back with a trainer. He seemed only like a little guy, but what a pest.

I know there are others who perhaps deserve a Hall of Fame vote -- Alexander Mogilny, Brian Leetch, Pavel Bure, Doug Gilmour, Steve Larmer, and Dave Andreychuk come to mind. But, the selection committee takes no more than four players per year, and I am thinking all four will have a Detroit Red Wings background. So, when this year's Inductions into the Hockey Hall of Fame take place on Nov. 9 in Toronto, that is my guess.

What are your picks?

The Draft:

A lot of speculation is starting to come down about the draft on Friday. While the Oilers aren't tipping their hat to who exactly is going to get drafted, two possible options exist.

First, we could see Tambellini make a move to get up a few spots and into the top seven overall picks. We consider the top seven, maybe eight to be A+ players. There's a little drop after that, probably in the next five to six range," said Oilers Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Hockey Operations Kevin Prendergast. Players like Evander Kane, Jared Cowen and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson are all on the radar of the team, but not likely viable options at their current selection position in the draft.

That said, Pendergast was also quick to point out that they'll be ready to pick a good player at the #10 spot which they currently hold. They have a few names in mind that they think will be available including Nazem Kadri (C), Dmitry Kulikov (D), Scott Glennie (RW) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D).

Jason Strudwick:

The Oilers have expressed interest in retaining UFA Jason Strudwick for the upcoming season. A bargain at $650,000 last year he ended up as a forward, defenseman and more due to a few rash injuries and lack of committment from some of the regular roster. The Oilers are also high on his leadership and communication in the lockerroom and community, which they firmly believe they need more of on a team that lacked a lot of motivation.

Chris Chelios:

Ken Holland has stated that he has informed Chelios that he will not be offered another contract by the Red Wings. While the veteran d-man has played over 26 years in the NHL, Holland actually believes that Chelios has another good year as a 5/6 d-pairing guy.

That said, don't expect a contract offer from the Oilers for the UFA. It is far more likely Chelios ends up in a place like San Jose or NYR where GM's are often seen giving chances to veteran players who may help during playoff time.

Dany Heatley:

The Rangers could be presented with the chance to acquire Senators winger Dany Heatley this week. Larry Brooks reports the team is not on the sniper's list of preferred options, but he likely would not block a trade to New York. [New York Post]

Are the Oilers in on the Jay Bouwmeester sweepstakes? According to a lot of sources -- yes. Does that mean that Jay Bouwmeester is interested in becoming an Edmonton Oiler? Until recently we didn't think so, but now it may not matter.

Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal is now reporting that word has come from Oiler management that while Bouwmeester is among the top UFA's available in this year's crop, the Oilers aren't making it a priority to land him. Bigger holes require filling and Tambellini feels it better to improve the offense on their deficient first line by finding help for forward Ales Hemsky.

With Mr. Bouwmeester about to receive rediculously high offers from teams with available cap space, it may not be best to out bid for a player in a position that the current team seems to have strength. For the first time and contrary to many reports, Matheson suggests that the Oilers are finally comfortable with their blueline core and would rather not make changes to it if need be. An interesting notion considering how often Tom Gilbert's name has been thrown around in trade rumours.

What does this leave? Available names like Marian Gaborik or Martin Havlat won't come cheap. Dany Heatley's name has been everywhere and linked to many teams over the past two weeks, and of course there is always the Sedins and Marian Hossa. All options will require clearing some cap space and the movement of some players like a Dustin Penner, who we previously wrote was not actively being shopped. Has that changed?

Time will tell, but not for long. With the draft only days away and the free agent frenzy only days later, expect some moves.

As a son I never really looked at Father's Day as anything special. Sure it was nice to appreciate my Dad, but I always kind of thought of it as a weekend in which I never really could figure out what to buy him for a present. After all, what do you get the man who already has everything?

When I became a father, and Dad's day rolled around; it was just nice to have my family with me and see how my child was growing up or how proud I was to be her Dad.

This Father's Day, I couldn't help but think of the Edmonton Oilers. A team of 27 players who inherited two new Dad's last month (in Pat Quinn and Tom Renney) and will have them for the upcoming 2009-2010 season to look up to, make proud and learn from, as they grow and mature. It's a lot like the relationship with me and my Dad with one major exception -- there will be no shopping for presents.

For Quinn and Renney, no better gift exists than that of a team full of underachieving, often unmotivated players growing and maturing into something these two coaches can be proud of. The likelihood, despite the same old false positive fan and management thinking that we'll land the big ticket free agent; is that Quinn and Renney will be left to find a way to make this similar team of 27 sons a winning team of 27 brothers.

Can they turn Robert Nillson, the skilled but inconsistent at best forward into a threat to produce night in and night out? Can they make the mountain of a man Dustin Penner the 30 goal, physical scorer he's supposed to be? Can they find a way to turn around Patrick O'Sullivan's poor start as an Oiler or Sam Gagner's traditionally poor start to each season?

While Quinn and Renney actually enjoy some well deserved time with their families and kids, perhaps a small part of them is thinking the same thing. Can we make these kids a better team? I suppose by next Father's Day, we'll have our answer. Happy Father's Day!