This **** is in all likelihood, the single worst human being, and I use that term very loosely, to ever lace up a skate in the NHL. Fundamentally vile creature. I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg of bad news for him. He deserves far worse.
Sadly, Crosby is done. He'll make it back one more time, take a seemingly mundane hit and be done for the year and his career, a la Marc Savard, Keith Primeau, Pat LaFontaine, et al. The only thing that might work is to put him on the shelf for an entire year and see if that helps his noodle, but I doubt the Pens will do that.
The Stars just need an owner with some money and the intelligence to keep it for years to come. Other Southern markets make no sense for hockey, but it's actually worked pretty well for the Stars. They priced the common fan out of the game when they opened the AAC though. That's when their sellout streak came to an end. 250+ for 2 adults to go to a game and sit way up top in the back is a bit much...
Modano was only truly good under Hitchcock, the one coach who got him to play with some passion, intensity and defensive awareness. The rest of his career he's been a soft perimeter player who benefited from some serious wheels and a good shot.
Yeah he's sticking around for the money. A few years back some bad advisors cost him somewhere between 5-15 million. Independent reports said 15 and he said it was more like 5. I think that's the number one reason he didn't retire 2-3 years ago.
Key Arena is thoroughly unsuited to hockey. Even the T-Birds couldn't play there. Another thing to consider with a Seattle team is the fact that the team will have the most fair weather fans in the league. Win and they'll come out in droves; lose and they'll stay home in droves.
As for Balsillie, I don't think anyone can deny that the man shot himself in the foot. Then stabbed himself in the foot. Then went and got a brick and smashed his foot a few times, just to make sure it was thoroughly dead. If he'd gone about the process with even a modicum of intelligence or restraint, he'd own the Coyotes now and they'd be packing for Hamilton.
As for Balsillie, I don't think anyone can deny that the man shot himself in the foot. Then stabbed himself in the foot. Then went and got a brick and smashed his foot a few times, just to make sure it was thoroughly dead. If he'd gone about the process with even a modicum of intelligence or restraint, he'd own the Coyotes now and they'd be packing for Hamilton.