NHL 2010-2011 Season Preview: General NHL Stuff

Hey everyone. Just so you know starting tomorrow (September 2) and going every other day through September 12, I will be posting the Official DGS 2010-2011 Season Previews, we will be doing one division a day. At the end of this all, I'll post a recap that has links to all 6 posts and lists all 30 teams on one page (That will go up September 13).

In order to whet your appetite for the upcoming posts of awesomeness, I have a list of generalized NHL predictions here for you to see.

• Kerry Fraser may be retired, but the NHL has hired a new referee who is legally blind in order to prove that the disabled can have successful careers.
• Gary Bettman is still stupid. (I call this, "playing it safe")
• Stephane Auger will screw with all of us by calling a game perfectly down the middle.
• Kyle Wellwood will eat his way onto a team.
• Antti Niemi will remain unemployed until he gives up his contract demand of "not having another NHL caliber goaltender on the roster" is met.
• Rick DiPietro will end up on LTIR. (Playing it safe again am I)
• Pierre McGuire will move to Massachusetts and marry his 'Monster' Zdeno Chara
• Once Edmonton has its first cold snap in December, Taylor Hall will demand a trade out of Edmonton
• Joe Thornton will lead the Sharks with clutch play during the regular season and post-season before finally giving out during the Finals and saying "What, you think I changed at all"
• The Phoenix Coyotes will find their way back to Winnipeg

NHL Blown Calls and the Truth Behind the Almost Perfect Game

Last night, Jim Joyce shocked the baseball world when he blew a call costing Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Many were outraged and saddened at the kid's loss of perfection. However, as a huge NHL fan, seeing poor officiating is nothing new to me. As a matter of fact, I can readily come up with a few examples of NHL officiating gone wrong.

Spoiler alert: Kerry Fraser isn't our only offender.

• 1993 Conference Finals: Kerry Fraser blows, and then lies about a high sticking call on Wayne Gretzky which keeps the Leafs out of the Stanley Cup finals.
  
• 2009 Playoffs: Brad May goal overturned because of the "intent to blow" rule.
  
• March 2008/Jan 2010: Flyers fall victim to the Sabres/Bruins because opponents had too many men on the ice while scoring
• 1999 Stanley Cup Finals: Brett Hull ends the Finals with a skate in the crease, replays could have overturned this one but for some reason, they did not.

Now there's also slightly more to this story than meets the eye. See Jim Joyce is in fact, NOT that umpires real name. That's right it's an alias of Stephane Auger, and in fact, the DGS SuperSpies overheard a top secret conversation between Auger and his own reflection in the mirror in the hotel before the game. In fact, we have the transcript of it right here:


Auger: Oh baseball, how I hate thee, all these non-French-Canadiens really bug me.

Auger's Reflection: You know what, you should GET SOMEONE tonight.

Auger: Any idea who?

Auger's Reflection: No, but when the opportunity arises, you will know what to do.

Auger: Sounds fantastic, tonight, I am out to get the Detroit Tigers in someway.

Auger's Reflection: Yes, and when you do, it will be fantastic.


Anyway, during the game, Auger decided it was time to get Armando Galarraga and therefore, with the game on the line, Auger pulled out a safe call from nowhere.