Still MIGHTY

GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS I know there was some excitement for Panthers-Coyotes in Glendale last week, but they got 13000 at that game. Good, but not great. We can do better, and better is upon us... Tomorrow night.... On Lexus Rink at BB&T Center presented by Party City and sponsored by Viewers Like You.... Arizona Coyotes @ Florida Panthers

With the Coyotes, there was at least a bit of schadenfreude. This Panthers stuff is just straight up bad. They're bad. Their attendance is bad. Their arena situation is bad. But no one cares. At least with Glendale, there was at least some vocal minority fighting to be heard and for us to in turn laugh at. But this... this is just flat out terrible. --- Also, kudos to ESPN's Scott Van Pelt. Announcing a SportsCenter Top Play of a Luongo save: "Good tickets available in Florida... all of them."

Damn it, Florida. I want to stick up for you but... Wow.

I'll be sad when we lose this from our lives. AS THE COYOTES TURN

Panthers beat writer for the Miami Herald tweeted this out: @GeorgeRichards: #FlaPanthers to reduce capacity at Sunrise arena by using a large black curtain as well as upper deck tarps. @GeorgeRichards: Curtain is new. - “@BenWrightATL: Haven't they been doing that for years? And wasn't the curtain sponsored by Party City?” @GeorgeRichards: never took up that much; and now just 1 section. - “@Alex_Shockley: @MaxEvanx Club Red takes up 1/4 of the lower bowl. Tonight will be DEAD @GeorgeRichards: still here - “@RedSteeg32: Hopefully they at least rid themselves of the Party City blue tarps…” Also put out this article the other day: TRYING TO TURN THINGS AROUND: Vinnie Viola, Doug Cifu talk about the future of the Florida Panthers, change in business practices --- Realistically, how much longer do we give this thing?

Yup. There's going to be between 90-100 new NHL jobs if this goes through. There are not 90-100 NHL-caliber players outside of the NHL right now. Hell, one could argue there aren't enough NHL-caliber players to fill out the NHL right now. Blah.

Four expansion teams doesn't even make sense. Expanding at all is kind of dumb, but at least expanding by two makes some logistical sense. You have two unbalanced conferences, one with 16 and one with 14. You even it out with two more teams. Adding four teams leaves us with unbalanced divisions (17-team conferences with 9/8-team divisions) or unbalanced conferences (18/16). But hey, it's the NHL, I guess. I hope that there's some confusion in the reports and it's four cities in contention for teams, either by expansion or relocation. (Moving Arizona/Florida and expanding to two more.)

As a former Sun Devil, I love Osweiler. I do. But he's nowhere near NFL Starter material. No way.

No, that's proof that the CHL doesn't work in Prescott Valley. I think if they were in Flagstaff or Tucson they'd be fine.

They're doing a movie

Honestly, the thing I took out of that article is that Drew Remenda isn't coming back to be the Sharks color analyst. This can either be a great thing (we don't see or here from him for a while) or a bad thing (NBCSN hires him on full time, although outside the Sharks' clutches, maybe he won't be so bad? maaaaaaybe?) But yeah, like admiral said, they won't leave the Bay Area. I mean, it sucks that they negotiated themselves a horrific TV deal as we enter the age where TV deals are the be all/end all of sports finances, but they'll be fine. As of now, local TV money doesn't seem to be the pontoon in the NHL as it is in the other leagues, and if it becomes an issue, it'll probably be reworked. For now, much ado about nothing, I think.

Yeah, when I went this year, it's still extremely easy to avoid the "Pay for Hockey Parking" area.

Those are curtains for the Florida Panthers. (And yes, I know Tnak is "joking")

So the Panthers announced that they're going to put up the curtains full time next year, except when building-packing opponents like Pittsburgh and Montreal come to town.

Yeah, Loops and Kuntiz look fine as Mighty Ducks, but Lupul is weird as just a Duck. Especially the jersey numbers. But I'll raise you Kunitz as an Cincinnati/Anaeheim Mighty Duck for Chris Kunitz as.... an Atlanta Thrasher! After being claimed on waivers from Anaheim, Kunitz played a whole two games for the Thrashers before being put back on waivers and being reclaimed by Anaheim. So like McCarthy mentioned, put that into the file of Kunitz being a very fortunate player. Played Junior A hockey in Saskatchewan, went on to Ferris State and became a Hobey Baker finalist, went undrafted out of college, signed as a free agent by the Mighty Ducks, could have had his career die after being picked up by Atlanta and then almost immediately dropping him, but he comes back to the Ducks, wins a Cup in Anaheim, wins a Cup in Pittsburgh, and wins a Gold Medal in Sochi.

Ugh, this team just doesn't get it, do they? From their Facebook: "Last night's ‪#‎Coyotes‬ vs. Bruins game, a sellout (+ standing room only) crowd of 17,468 hockey fans, set a revenue record for a single game in the franchise's history. The future of the franchise and hockey in Arizona is bright thanks to great fans like you! ‪#‎HungrierThanEver‬" And the comments are going as you imagine. All people of rational thought pointing out how sad that actually is and all Glendale kook-aid drinkers saying if it weren't for the real fans all the other teams fans couldn't even come to the arena and thanks for your money.

His number is weird too. I know when I was looking for him, I didn't think it was him at first due to the 19. The Ducks aren't holding the #3 as far as I know. I wonder why he went with 19?

CANADA FEST 2014! WOOOOOOO!

Tim Hortons Stand at Jobing.com Arena Open Monday Through Sunday from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M.

Admiral's favorite punching bag has taken a new job. Florida Panthers president Michael Yormark steps down to join Roc Nation, Jay Z's sports agency.

It's official: Tim Horton's will open at Jobing.com Arena in February.

They just aren't even trying anymore... "We are excited to bring these great Canadian rock bands to the Valley to perform for all of our Coyotes fans and the many Canadians that will be in town that week for our games against Vancouver and Montreal," said LeBlanc. "We hope that fans will take advantage of this great opportunity to come and watch two great hockey games and three fantastic classic Canadian rock bands."

I believe this has come up before. It's from a Gretzky Fantasy Camp.

Tom Selleck