Random thoughts

Writing in complete sentences is hard and stuff.

-Is it October yet?

-Bubba @ Canes Country is the Champion blogger. When none of the restavus Canes bloggers have anything to update about - he pulls out all the stops with some full analysis or interviews some V.I.P.'s. Keep up the great work, bud. Something tells me that the team will be embracing your talents soon enough.

-As far as free agents go - don't expect any big splashes. Remember last summer when our big acquisition was (drum roll) - Jeff Hamilton? I just don't see my boy, Jimmy, going over the top for any of the big names. JM Liles would work out well in this system but is probably going to land a much more lucrative deal elsewhere this summer. If I had to gamble on one - I'd put a shiny wooden nickel on Commodore returning. Also expect someone you may have never heard of.. (AKA an affordable guy).

still can't get used to seeing this

-Speaking of Green Eggs & Hamilton - I feel the need to send him off properly. After a kickass start to the season, I was shouting on high how smart JR was for signing this guy. He had a rocket of a shot, he seemed to pickup an assist every time there was a power play goal and by all reviews of him - he was a great character guy.

As his point total started to decline, so did his ice time as other teams started to crack down on the "Five Forward Power Play" that had worked so well. It's unfortunate that heart doesn't win you games - because Jeff Hamilton has plenty of it. Best wishes, Hammy.

(image via Flickr user MaesMama)

-I've been wanting to do a post about the whole free agent frenzy using the dude, "I Need Money" from the movie How High. Oh well. There it is.

-WTD with Chad LaRose? Management wants to get bigger on the 4th line? What does that have to do with The Chuck Norris of Hockey? Why even associate 4th line and Chad LaRose in the same sentence? Come on, dude.

(image via Flickr user [Keith] )

-What's Sergei Samsonov doing this summer? Wodka, Wodka, Wodka?

-Roddie Brind'amour is a beast. Something tells me that next season is going to be a career best for him. Just sayin'.

-$5 bucks says Matt Cullen has more points next year too. Oh yeah! Carolina On Ice is now the sponsor of his page at hockey-reference.com! I can't even remember how long ago that started.

-Darcy Hordichuk can suck one.

-Sure, I spend a good amount of time on hockey blogs and hockey related sites. I think I've seen this girl staring at me - ohhhh - I'll guess about 700 times in the past 30 days.

She's everywhere!!!!

Leave It To The Shrimps

After a blistering October, the Hurricanes are finishing the month of November at .500. Canes fans have seen enough of the Jekyll and Hyde personalities that have tended to show up as of late. Either the team comes out scorching, beating good teams by 7 to 2 margins, or they come out and get pasted allowing goals early on and by multiple opponents' lines.

The bright spots of the season? Jeff "Green Eggs And" Hamilton and Chad "The Chuck Norris Of Hockey" LaRose. Stacked on each others shoulders, they could be as tall as Zdeno Chara's kneecaps. But their savvy and speed on the ice this season has been a welcome surprise to counter our inconsistent superstars.

For example, in games like last Friday's Thrashers game: Hurricanes are getting smashed by Atlanta and get shutout. Chad LaRose is all over the place, drawing every single power play that Carolina had the whole night.

Jeff Hamilton has to be the league's best off-season bargain signing considering that he has lived up to the hype and is on pace for career highs with this (sometimes) high-powered Carolina offense.

In one blogger's opinion, keeping these two little guys on the ice is vital to any continued success that the Canes will see this season.

The Story Behind "Green Eggs & Hamilton"

Rather than try and dive into a story about one of the newest Hurricanes - I found a great, must-read article about Jeff from the Yale student newspaper.

Hamilton's Hockey Heart & Hustle - Yale Herald March 2001

Among my favorite items mentioned on him:

whenever a freshman scores his first goal, Hamilton makes it a point to pick up the puck himself or to have the referee pick it up so that the team's equipment manager can commemorate the moment.

It sounds like JR knew that Hamilton is another "good guy" that would fit right into the Canes organization. Pretty impressive that he was Ivy League player of the year (twice).

Jeff Hamilton, AKA: ???

I am working on an in-depth look at Carolina free agent aqcuisition Jeff Hamilton for a future post. In the meantime - it would only be proper for the fanbase to assign him a nickname. You know the story; Anson Carter is The Chocolate Rocket - Chad LaRose is
The Chuck Norris of Hockey - Brind'amour is The Face of Hockey & Rod The Bod, etc...

Though Luke Skywalker would work with the looks - we need something a little more embarrassing fitting for Mr. Hamilton (who is a new Daddy, Congrats!)

I'm thinking something along the lines of "White Lightning". That could just be my love of moonshine talking though. Your welcome to suggest possible nicknames or alter-ego profiles for Hammy (would Hammy work?).

Canes Get A Jedi & My Niece Is Walking

The Philadelphia Flyers & New York Rangers made the two biggest splashes today in the free agency pool. NYR snagged up both Drury & Scotty Gomez while the Flyers added Daniel Briere to an already bolstered lineup featuring recently acquired Kimmo Timonen & Scottie Hartnell. I'd hate to see what the average salary rate is now after the day's hefty checkbooks have been busted out. Inflation is a bitch!

Carolina announced the signing of the very affordable winger Jeff Hamilton with a 2-year deal at $800K per. Sure, you may have never heard of him before today either:

But if he can win shootouts in a Canes jersey:



He's already worth his weight to me seeing as the boys laid the goose egg last season in shootout wins. It's exciting in any measure to have new blood around here. Jeff Hamilton is a fresh face that will hopefully ignite the team and make the contributions that a Trevor Letowski could not quite accomplish last season.

Upon first looking at Jeff and his head gear, all I could immediately think of was The Empire Strikes Back:

In your too cute moment of the week, reports from SC are that my niece is now taking her first steps. She'll be ready for skates in no time.