A New Hope

“Hope can drive a man insane”.....Shawshank Redepmtion

It’s sad, and almost pathetic, that hope can come from a Tweet reading: ‘Fehr described NHL proposal as 'different in some respects from original proposal'.  Different how? In a reasonable, compromising way? In a hard ass, authoritarian way?

Although hockey is peerless when it comes to in-game thrills and drama, it must be admitted, that the NHL does not have much to offer in terms of excitement away from the rink.  Selecting “Nickelback”, a sorry excuse for a rock band, to represent the league is evidence of this.

Trying to convince others of hockey’s superiority is about as close to an exercise in futility as one can get.  Although the game is capable of seducing fans who did not grow up on the ice, prying people away from their Final Four brackets will involve some kicking and screaming.  The absolute heroism of the Los Angeles Kings during this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs is a story that should go down as one of the most impressive in modern athleticism.

My own thoughts are a bit too dark to share today. Russia's finest writer, Alexander Pushkin, can say farewell for me.