Congratulations to the Boston Bruins, 2011 Stanley Cup Champions, but unfortunately that means that the hockey season is over and that it's....baseball season. (Cue wah wah wah sad trombone.)
The good news is that the meat of the off-season is the next 30 days and things will pick up considerably starting next week with a lead up to the draft, the hall of fame inductions (Nieuwendyk's year?), the release of the schedule for next season, lots of trades, free agency, and maybe even some ownership news. It should be a fun month, so stick around.
Allow me to veer over into basketball for a quick second and congratulate 300,000 people in Dallas today who gathered downtown for the Dallas Mavericks victory parade and managed not to destroy any cop cars or stab anyone, unlike what happened in Vancouver last night, which is very saddening for a city that was enjoying a sterling reputation following the 2010 Winter Games.
- Puck Daddy has a small gallery of photos from the destruction and rioting last night in Vancouver but it really doesn't even begin to tell the story that went on for hours last night following the game. It was shocking. [Puck Daddy]
- For example, at the end of this video the Canuck jersey wearing crowd beats a man who was trying to stop some vandalism. Geez. [Real Radio]
- Ilya Bryzgalov has arrived in Philadelphia and negotiations will commence, though the Flyers don't want to talk about it. Just know, Philly, we're rooting for you. Keep him over there forever. [CSN]
- Trevor Daley gets interviewed by a home town paper in Sault Ste. Marie and is enjoying his summer with his wife and young son. [Sault Ste Marie This Week]
- Mac Engel says Coach Gulutzan looks like he's 12, assumes they just hired him because he's cheap, and says the Mavs victory is getting in the way of the Stars introducing him to the fanbase. One of the three is relevant/true. [FWST]
- Mike Heika puts the bad times Stars fans currently endure into perspective via the Mavericks story over the course of the last 15 years and says that this will all be worth it...Someday. [DMN]
- The Stars have re-signed goaltender Richard Bachman to a one year, two way deal. He'll be the lead dog in Cedar Park next year with Tyler Beskorowany in tow. The year AFTER that, things could get interesting with Mr. Campbell nipping at their heels (hopefully). [ESPN Dallas]
- Mark Recchi's hockey career is probably about the most ideal situation when you consider that he got to play until he was 43 AND go out with a Cup victory. Plus he outscored the Sedins single handedly in the series. Pretty awesome stuff. [NY Times]