The NHL trade chatter is queued up as the Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to sign Adam Fantilli, but his demands exceed their salary cap space, while the Dallas Stars are back at the table trying to get a long-term deal with Jason Robertson. Also in the Daily, one of the Atlanta expansion bidders had to walk back their social media posts touting approval of an arena development plan, and the NHL said it’s not currently considering Atlanta. Whoops. And we tried to build the perfect Pittsburgh Penguins player.
And there’s another update on Friedman’s contract talks with Sportsnet. Call me sentimental, but I’m rooting for him to stay with Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada. He has equaled Bob McKenzie’s insider status, and that institution means something. Also, Elliotte is the guy who filled Don Cherry’s chair. That’s a lineage.
I know, it’s a holiday weekend, but we’re still putting out hockey content because that’s just what I do. But I got about eight hours of two-wheel therapy Saturday, up to Tionesta and then Rt. 666 to 66 and Ridgway, then home on Rt. 949 to 58 into Grove City and highway south. Let me tell you something…
I had a great time getting to Matt’s Happy Cow BBQ up in Tionesta. It’s a little shed in the makeshift town square, and I admire the town’s ingenuity. I’ve been riding up there since I first found it in 2019. Their pulled pork crunch wrap is one of my summer ride staples, but this was the first time all year that I had the chance to stop.
Unfortunately, it appears Tionesta is the latest little town hanging by a thread. The kayak and bike rental place is out of business. Half of the sheds in the square, including the winery, went out of business this year (though the winery wasn’t very good; it was PA sugar water, but still). The square closes for the winter tomorrow, but everywhere I went this summer I heard the same troubles. Business was down everywhere.
So, if you’re on the fence or feeling like you missed a vacation this summer, hop in the car and pick a small town. Do some exploring. Take that left turn that has no sign. Pick a little concrete-block bar that’s not near anything else, and walk in like you know everybody. Enjoy the food even if it’s not Michelin-star quality, because the food isn’t the point. Soak in a few stories. Over a $3 beer, listen to the retired guys rail on Trump, praise Trump, argue about the 1979 Pirates, or let them tell you about their farm.
Go to the pie shop on Rt. 62 in Tidioute or the little wood-paneled bar across the bridge and check out the Tidioute overlook. Or head to the microbrews in Franklin or Titusville, then bounce over to the locals’ bar. Maybe some day, I’ll write a little e-book on all of these places, but I fear that by the time I do, they won’t exist anymore.
So, put the phones down. Hop in the car and have some fun with other humans. Turn up the radio and roll down the windows. These little towns badly need it. And I think we all do.
I’m off on a ride to Bedford today. I am going to take Rt. 30 through Ligonier and over the mountain past Noah’s Ark (actually called the Grandview Hotel). Remember that? There’s nothing there anymore, but one heck of an overlook.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Let’s build the perfect Pittsburgh Penguins player. At first, I was going to use Penguins history to construct the perfect player, but then I realized every answer would be Mario Lemieux, so we limited the scope to the current team. See if you agree or disagree with our choices. Let’s hit the lab and build a Penguins player.
Steelers Now: The Joey Porter saga rages on. There are even trade rumors today that the Steelers will deal him. As Alan Saunders writes, the team needs him, and there are no winners in this head-butting contest that will ultimately hurt the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The Pittsburgh Pirates had a big chance to get back in the wild card race, and … they blew it. Danny Demilio has the big and small picture for those pesky Pirates.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
Toronto Sun: Amazon is out of the picture (woohoo!), but the contract standoff between Friedman and Sportsnet is dragging on with the season fast approaching. Here’s the latest with hockey’s premier insider.
Perhaps the Flyers will offer a stupid contract that destroys the market?
NHLtraderumors.me: Friedman isn’t entirely on the bench, as he joined the NHL Network to discuss some hot topics, including the inching, halting, and high-stakes progress of the Adam Fantilli contract talks.
Fox5 Atlanta: It’s a big deal, I guess. After a social media announcement trumpeting that all was moving forward and the skies would part, and NHL hockey would return to Atlanta, one of the developers and potential owners competing for the Atlanta franchise had to walk back much of their announcement.
Sportsnet: And boom. The NHL put the brakes on Atlanta, too, saying they are not yet considering Atlanta for expansion.
I’m not sorry to write that neither Atlanta nor Arizona should get an expansion team. Gary Bettman’s first and lasting love has been pushing the game into the Sun Belt and non-trad markets, but how many times do consumers in these markets need to say “Meh” before we believe them?
Quit kowtowing to the Maple Leafs and put a second team in southern Ontario, for gosh sakes. And start looking at places that make sense and that like hockey—like Milwaukee. As your next commissioner, I promise hockey teams for hockey fans!
Dallas Stars: GM Jim Nill said the team and Jason Robertson are trying to finalize a long-term deal, and the Stars boss conceded that star players deserve big paydays. Notably, Nill didn’t set a timeline for negotiations, so these talks will drag on through the season.
Or will they, ahem, Kyle Dubas?
TSN Video: Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a transit investment speech and took a little shot…at the Maple Leafs.
New Jersey Hockey Now: And, if there’s doubt about Steve Yerman’s foibles as the Red Wings GM, he dealt Elmer Soderblom to the Penguins for a third-round pick. It’s fair to say Soderblom showed a lot more talent than a cast-off. New Jersey GM Sunny Mehta also quietly plucked one of the Red Wings’ depth prospects for a fourth-round pick, and now Mehta is humble-bragging about what a player he got in the Devils trade.
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