Holidays Greetings from DropPuckMurphy.com and the DropPuckMurphy studios! My apologies for not posting an entry in so long and for not posting a lengthy one now but been and am still quite busy as I cover pre-Winter Classic and the Bruins/NHL for NHL.com and NESN.com.
For all my latest scribblings and video please go to NHL.com and NESN.com. You can also listen to the latest editions of the Inside Hockey Radio Show here.
When the Winter Classic madness is over, I will be sure to share my experiences with you (including interviewing Bobby Orr on the benches of the Fenway Park rink) and write a better entry. But for now I wanted to thank all of my family, friends, colleagues and of course my readers for all your support this past year. Without any of you, I would not be writing this blog or anything else I write!
As I sit here listening to my favorite Christmas Eve song, with my family downstairs wrapping gifts and getting ready for Christmas at the Murphy abode, I want to wish all of you and yours a Happy Holidays!
Sláinte!
Murph
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Inside Hockey Radio Show December 19 MP3's
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel! Nollaig shona dhuit!
Peter Chiarelli, the GM of the Boston Bruins joined me yesterday to talk some Bruins and Winter Classic. Alyonka Larionov of Pens TV Online and daughter of Hall of Famer Igor Larionov came on to discuss the latest Penguins news and also her new Holiday song "That's What Christmas Means To Me."
I then welcomed on Inside Hockey Radio Show regular Conor McKenna of The Team 990 to discuss the current Habs squad, some NHL news and the upcoming World Junior Championships. Shawn Roarke of NHL.com joined me as well to talk about Winter Classic coverage at the league website and the Olympics. And last but not least, I finished things off by going "Toe to Toe" with Toddy Carroll to close out the show.
Here's the MP3's!
Sláinte!
Murph
Peter Chiarelli, the GM of the Boston Bruins joined me yesterday to talk some Bruins and Winter Classic. Alyonka Larionov of Pens TV Online and daughter of Hall of Famer Igor Larionov came on to discuss the latest Penguins news and also her new Holiday song "That's What Christmas Means To Me."
I then welcomed on Inside Hockey Radio Show regular Conor McKenna of The Team 990 to discuss the current Habs squad, some NHL news and the upcoming World Junior Championships. Shawn Roarke of NHL.com joined me as well to talk about Winter Classic coverage at the league website and the Olympics. And last but not least, I finished things off by going "Toe to Toe" with Toddy Carroll to close out the show.
Here's the MP3's!
Sláinte!
Murph
Friday, December 18, 2009
A Surreal Visit With Bobby Orr on the Ice at Fenway Park
Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel! Nollaig shona dhuit!
This is my latest piece on NESN.com:
Friday was one of those days when, as a hockey reporter, I’m reminded just how lucky I am to be doing what I do. In the future, when I look back on my career, I’ll immediately think of the day I saw the first skate at Fenway.
Unfortunately, in our business, we often lose the fan in us. We lose sight of how blessed we are to walk among legends and talk puck with people every hockey fan would only dream of saying hello to. But the fan in me came back in a hurry on Friday morning as I stepped onto the benches of the newly-constructed Fenway Park rink.
As I pushed my way through a scrum of photographers to the boards, there in front of me -- on skates and on two artificial knees -- was the man my father and late grandfather forever raved about. He is the man who is immortalized in time flying over the ice after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to win the 1970 Stanley Cup for the Bruins. He is the man that revolutionized not only the game of hockey but the hockey scene in Boston, prompting the city to build all those MDC rinks that still stand today.
He is the greatest hockey player of them all, Robert Gordon Orr.
“I never imagined I’d be standing out here, no, never,” Orr told the awe-struck media. “This is kind of surreal. You look around and you’re in a baseball park, Fenway Park. Then you look down and you’re on ice. Really unique, that’s for sure.”
Yeah, Bobby, I guess that described the numbness I was feeling -- and it wasn’t caused by the frigid temperatures. “Surreal” was basically how I felt the entire time I stood on that bench on Friday, listening to and then interviewing Orr, and later watching him and Terry O’Reilly guide another legend, Milt Schmidt, on the ice. It was surreal to watch him play and joke with the Somerville youth hockey team that was skating with Orr and the numerous Bruins alumni out there.
"They don't know who we are," Orr jokingly said of the kids. "The parents do, I'm sure, but it's great to see them out there with us. It's really special for them and us. That's what it's all about."
Orr did not overlook the significance of taking the ice once again with his own former teammates.
"Pretty good hockey team out here, not bad," he said of his Bruins bretheren. "Little slow, but we still got it. Being with all these guys is always nice because we don't see each other enough, and to do it here was amazing."
Eight year-old Nicky Merkel was asked if he realized that he just skated around the Fenway Park ice rink with the man that most New England hockey fans consider the second coming of God.
“He’s the first in our house; we’re recovering Catholics,” his mother Belinda Gaskill said with a proud smile.
Merkel apparently forgot his hat on this cold December morning, but guess who made sure he found one and kept one? Yep, Bobby Orr, the man who made sure hockey fans in the 1960’s and 1970’s witnessed magic every time he stepped on the ice -- and he always remembered the less fortunate, taking part in numerous charity events throughout his career and even today.
I texted my father a photo of Orr and myself on the Fenway ice, and he replied, "The best player and role model of my time."
Nicky Merkel will look back one day and tell his kids of this day -- as will I -- but something tells me even his kids will be in awe. We will always be in awe of No. 4, and that’s just a feeling I will never lose, no mattter what my job is.
Thanks for another great memory, Bobby Orr.
This is my latest piece on NESN.com:
Friday was one of those days when, as a hockey reporter, I’m reminded just how lucky I am to be doing what I do. In the future, when I look back on my career, I’ll immediately think of the day I saw the first skate at Fenway.
Unfortunately, in our business, we often lose the fan in us. We lose sight of how blessed we are to walk among legends and talk puck with people every hockey fan would only dream of saying hello to. But the fan in me came back in a hurry on Friday morning as I stepped onto the benches of the newly-constructed Fenway Park rink.
As I pushed my way through a scrum of photographers to the boards, there in front of me -- on skates and on two artificial knees -- was the man my father and late grandfather forever raved about. He is the man who is immortalized in time flying over the ice after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to win the 1970 Stanley Cup for the Bruins. He is the man that revolutionized not only the game of hockey but the hockey scene in Boston, prompting the city to build all those MDC rinks that still stand today.
He is the greatest hockey player of them all, Robert Gordon Orr.
“I never imagined I’d be standing out here, no, never,” Orr told the awe-struck media. “This is kind of surreal. You look around and you’re in a baseball park, Fenway Park. Then you look down and you’re on ice. Really unique, that’s for sure.”
Yeah, Bobby, I guess that described the numbness I was feeling -- and it wasn’t caused by the frigid temperatures. “Surreal” was basically how I felt the entire time I stood on that bench on Friday, listening to and then interviewing Orr, and later watching him and Terry O’Reilly guide another legend, Milt Schmidt, on the ice. It was surreal to watch him play and joke with the Somerville youth hockey team that was skating with Orr and the numerous Bruins alumni out there.
"They don't know who we are," Orr jokingly said of the kids. "The parents do, I'm sure, but it's great to see them out there with us. It's really special for them and us. That's what it's all about."
Orr did not overlook the significance of taking the ice once again with his own former teammates.
"Pretty good hockey team out here, not bad," he said of his Bruins bretheren. "Little slow, but we still got it. Being with all these guys is always nice because we don't see each other enough, and to do it here was amazing."
Eight year-old Nicky Merkel was asked if he realized that he just skated around the Fenway Park ice rink with the man that most New England hockey fans consider the second coming of God.
“He’s the first in our house; we’re recovering Catholics,” his mother Belinda Gaskill said with a proud smile.
Merkel apparently forgot his hat on this cold December morning, but guess who made sure he found one and kept one? Yep, Bobby Orr, the man who made sure hockey fans in the 1960’s and 1970’s witnessed magic every time he stepped on the ice -- and he always remembered the less fortunate, taking part in numerous charity events throughout his career and even today.
I texted my father a photo of Orr and myself on the Fenway ice, and he replied, "The best player and role model of my time."
Nicky Merkel will look back one day and tell his kids of this day -- as will I -- but something tells me even his kids will be in awe. We will always be in awe of No. 4, and that’s just a feeling I will never lose, no mattter what my job is.
Thanks for another great memory, Bobby Orr.
Inside Hockey Radio Show December 19
Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel! Nollaig shona dhuit!
Join James Murphy and Toddy Carroll for the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com this and every Saturday 2-4 p.m. ET on "NHL Home Ice" XM 204 and Sirius 208, and 3-4 p.m. ET on the Team 990 in Montreal (www.team990.com). Featuring notable hockey personalities as guests each week, Murph and Toddy get you inside the latest info and buzz around the rinks of the NHL, AHL, NCAA and Junior Hockey.
We've got a great show in store for you this week. Peter Chiarelli, the GM of the Boston Bruins will join us to talk some Bruins and Winter Classic. Alyonka Larionov of Pens TV Online and daughter of Hall of Famer Igor Larionov will come on to discuss the latest Penguins news and also her new Holiday song "That's What Christmas Means To Me."
We will then welcome on Inside Hockey Radio Show regular Conor McKenna of The Team 990 to discuss the current Habs squad and some NHL news. Shawn Roarke of NHL.com joins us as well to talk about Winter Classic coverage at the league website and last but not least, we'll finish things off by going "Toe to Toe" with Toddy Carroll to close out the show.
So be sure to get Inside Hockey this and every Saturday, 2-4 p.m. on NHL Home Ice XM 204 and Sirius 208 and 3-4 p.m. on the Team 990 in Montreal on the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com. Also for last week's and previous shows, check out our archive at InsideHockey.com/radio.
Join James Murphy and Toddy Carroll for the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com this and every Saturday 2-4 p.m. ET on "NHL Home Ice" XM 204 and Sirius 208, and 3-4 p.m. ET on the Team 990 in Montreal (www.team990.com). Featuring notable hockey personalities as guests each week, Murph and Toddy get you inside the latest info and buzz around the rinks of the NHL, AHL, NCAA and Junior Hockey.
We've got a great show in store for you this week. Peter Chiarelli, the GM of the Boston Bruins will join us to talk some Bruins and Winter Classic. Alyonka Larionov of Pens TV Online and daughter of Hall of Famer Igor Larionov will come on to discuss the latest Penguins news and also her new Holiday song "That's What Christmas Means To Me."
We will then welcome on Inside Hockey Radio Show regular Conor McKenna of The Team 990 to discuss the current Habs squad and some NHL news. Shawn Roarke of NHL.com joins us as well to talk about Winter Classic coverage at the league website and last but not least, we'll finish things off by going "Toe to Toe" with Toddy Carroll to close out the show.
So be sure to get Inside Hockey this and every Saturday, 2-4 p.m. on NHL Home Ice XM 204 and Sirius 208 and 3-4 p.m. on the Team 990 in Montreal on the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com. Also for last week's and previous shows, check out our archive at InsideHockey.com/radio.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Inside Hockey Radio Show December 12/December 5 MP3's
Hello, Bonjour & Hóigh!
Join James Murphy and Toddy Carroll for the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com this and every Saturday 2-4 p.m. ET on "NHL Home Ice" XM 204 and Sirius 208, and 3-4 p.m. ET on the Team 990 in Montreal (www.team990.com). Featuring notable hockey personalities as guests each week, Murph and Toddy get you inside the latest info and buzz around the rinks of the NHL, AHL, NCAA and Junior Hockey.
We're happy to welcome back Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com as an in studio guest host for the second straight week. Joe, who covers the Bruins and the NHL regularly for CSNNE.com hosted with Murph up in Montreal at the Team 990 studio last week and you can find the MP3 segments for that show (that included Hall Of Fame hockey scribe Russ Conway and future Hall of Fame hockey scribe Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette) below.
This week we're glad to welcome on as feature guests, USA World Junior Championships head coach and the bench boss of Nebraska-Omaha, Dean Blais and also Brian Fox, the artist that will paint the 2010 Bridgestone Winter Classic commeratitive mural.
We will then welcome on Inside Hockey Radio Show regular Conor McKenna of The Team 990 to discuss the current Habs squad and discuss some NHL news, we'll get the Campus Buzz from Bob Snow of NHL.com. And last but not least, we'll finish things off by going "Toe to Toe" with Toddy Carroll to close out the show.
So be sure to get Inside Hockey this and every Saturday, 2-4 p.m. on NHL Home Ice XM 204 and Sirius 208 and 3-4 p.m. on the Team 990 in Montreal on the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com. Also for last week's and previous shows, check out our archive at InsideHockey.com/radio.
Here are the MP3's of the December 5 show, which included plenty of talk surrounding the Montreal Canadiens' Centennial celebration December 4 and lots of trips down memory lane. We also had some great college hockey talk with Bob Snow as well. So be sure to give a listen!
Happy Holidays!
Sláinte!
Murph
Inside Hockey radio Show December 5
Murph and Joe Haggerty
Murph, Joe, and Pat Hickey (Montreal Gazette)
Murph, Joe and Bob Snow (NHL.com)
Murph, Joe and Russ Conway (Hall of Fame hockey writer)
Murph, Joe and Conor McKenna (Team 990)
Murph and Joe
Join James Murphy and Toddy Carroll for the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com this and every Saturday 2-4 p.m. ET on "NHL Home Ice" XM 204 and Sirius 208, and 3-4 p.m. ET on the Team 990 in Montreal (www.team990.com). Featuring notable hockey personalities as guests each week, Murph and Toddy get you inside the latest info and buzz around the rinks of the NHL, AHL, NCAA and Junior Hockey.
We're happy to welcome back Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com as an in studio guest host for the second straight week. Joe, who covers the Bruins and the NHL regularly for CSNNE.com hosted with Murph up in Montreal at the Team 990 studio last week and you can find the MP3 segments for that show (that included Hall Of Fame hockey scribe Russ Conway and future Hall of Fame hockey scribe Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette) below.
This week we're glad to welcome on as feature guests, USA World Junior Championships head coach and the bench boss of Nebraska-Omaha, Dean Blais and also Brian Fox, the artist that will paint the 2010 Bridgestone Winter Classic commeratitive mural.
We will then welcome on Inside Hockey Radio Show regular Conor McKenna of The Team 990 to discuss the current Habs squad and discuss some NHL news, we'll get the Campus Buzz from Bob Snow of NHL.com. And last but not least, we'll finish things off by going "Toe to Toe" with Toddy Carroll to close out the show.
So be sure to get Inside Hockey this and every Saturday, 2-4 p.m. on NHL Home Ice XM 204 and Sirius 208 and 3-4 p.m. on the Team 990 in Montreal on the Inside Hockey Radio Show brought to you by Hockeyprimetime.com. Also for last week's and previous shows, check out our archive at InsideHockey.com/radio.
Here are the MP3's of the December 5 show, which included plenty of talk surrounding the Montreal Canadiens' Centennial celebration December 4 and lots of trips down memory lane. We also had some great college hockey talk with Bob Snow as well. So be sure to give a listen!
Happy Holidays!
Sláinte!
Murph
Inside Hockey radio Show December 5
Murph and Joe Haggerty
Murph, Joe, and Pat Hickey (Montreal Gazette)
Murph, Joe and Bob Snow (NHL.com)
Murph, Joe and Russ Conway (Hall of Fame hockey writer)
Murph, Joe and Conor McKenna (Team 990)
Murph and Joe
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thomas Moving On From Bad Start; My Take On The Last Week Of Bruins Hockey And The Marc Savard Deal
Hello, Bonjour & Hóigh!
Off to TD Garden in a bit for the Bruins game day skate and Marc Savard presser but here's my latest at NESN.com. The more I cover Tim Thomas, the more respect I have for this guy. Crowd turned on him the other night but he takes it like a man and moves on. He's always been proving doubters wrong and he'll do it again! Here's some reaction from Tim, to the "Bronx cheers" he heard Saturday night.
Also, here's my latest Sportsdesk clip. Cole Wright cranking out a new nickname for Tuukka Rask!
Have a great Day and don't forget to check NESN.com for my Bruins-Lightning preview and Live Bruins Blog tonight.
Sláinte!
Murph
Off to TD Garden in a bit for the Bruins game day skate and Marc Savard presser but here's my latest at NESN.com. The more I cover Tim Thomas, the more respect I have for this guy. Crowd turned on him the other night but he takes it like a man and moves on. He's always been proving doubters wrong and he'll do it again! Here's some reaction from Tim, to the "Bronx cheers" he heard Saturday night.
Also, here's my latest Sportsdesk clip. Cole Wright cranking out a new nickname for Tuukka Rask!
Have a great Day and don't forget to check NESN.com for my Bruins-Lightning preview and Live Bruins Blog tonight.
Sláinte!
Murph
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Savard and Chiarelli put the Bruins in a good spot
The seven-year extension for Marc Savard is an excellent deal on paper for both Savard and the Black and Gold. By locking Savard up, the Bruins avoid letting their top center go to the free-agent market next July, where he would have garnered more. Savard is one of the premiere playmakers in the game, and his return from a month off with a broken left foot and the Bruins' coinciding resurgence have proven his worth to the team.
Both general manager Peter Chiarelli and Savard deserve a ton of credit for getting such a cap-friendly deal done midseason and not allowing it to distract Savard’s play on the ice or letting it hang over their heads as July 1 and free agency approached.
There is no doubt that Savard took a discount here, and Chiarelli once again proved to be a shrewd and aggressive GM. He has now avoided three major free-agent dilemmas by resigning potential restricted free agents Milan Lucic and Tuukka Rask earlier this season and now a potential unrestricted free agent in Savard.
In the Bruins' case, they can't afford much more than this with their cap hit at $46 million next season, and the likes of Mark Recchi (UFA), Steve Begin (UFA), Shawn Thornton (UFA), Derek Morris (UFA), Andrew Ference (UFA) and Johnny Boychuk (RFA) all up for new contracts. With the cap expected to go down, the Bruins will most likely still have to wave goodbye to one or more of those impending free agents, but now they have their No. 1 center locked in for seven years.
The Bruins have now secured the center position until at least the 2011-12 season. Patrice Bergeron has one year remaining, and David Krejci, who re-upped as a restricted free agent over the summer, still has two years. If they can remain healthy, that's a pretty strong 1-2-3 punch for the remainder of this season and the next, allowing Chiarelli to focus on other areas with the remaining money. There will be $13.6 million will be locked up in centers.
The Bruins also look to be strong on defense for at least another season with both captain Zdeno Chara (one year remaining at $7.5 million) and Dennis Wideman (two years at $4 and 4.5 million respectively) still in the mix. Chances are, Chara is next on Chiarelli's to-do list as far as re-signing players go.
Between the pipes, Tim Thomas is locked in until the 2013-14 season and Rask just recently signed a deal that will keep him here until at least 2012-13.
So with some contracts coming off the books next season and Savard’s new contract providing some flexibility, the Bruins may finally be able to address their biggest deficiency right now: scoring.
Expect the Bruins to be linked to Savard’s former teammate, Thrashers sniper and impending free agent Ilya Kovalchuk. Sources tell NESN.com though that he is very close to signing a mega nine- to 10-year deal that could pay him upwards of $9 million per season.
If the Bruins are to keep Chara and Bergeron after next season, then it’s highly unlikely they can commit that term and salary to any player. But that doesn’t mean Kovalchuk or another scorer can’t be brought in as a rental at the trade deadline.
Both general manager Peter Chiarelli and Savard deserve a ton of credit for getting such a cap-friendly deal done midseason and not allowing it to distract Savard’s play on the ice or letting it hang over their heads as July 1 and free agency approached.
There is no doubt that Savard took a discount here, and Chiarelli once again proved to be a shrewd and aggressive GM. He has now avoided three major free-agent dilemmas by resigning potential restricted free agents Milan Lucic and Tuukka Rask earlier this season and now a potential unrestricted free agent in Savard.
In the Bruins' case, they can't afford much more than this with their cap hit at $46 million next season, and the likes of Mark Recchi (UFA), Steve Begin (UFA), Shawn Thornton (UFA), Derek Morris (UFA), Andrew Ference (UFA) and Johnny Boychuk (RFA) all up for new contracts. With the cap expected to go down, the Bruins will most likely still have to wave goodbye to one or more of those impending free agents, but now they have their No. 1 center locked in for seven years.
The Bruins have now secured the center position until at least the 2011-12 season. Patrice Bergeron has one year remaining, and David Krejci, who re-upped as a restricted free agent over the summer, still has two years. If they can remain healthy, that's a pretty strong 1-2-3 punch for the remainder of this season and the next, allowing Chiarelli to focus on other areas with the remaining money. There will be $13.6 million will be locked up in centers.
The Bruins also look to be strong on defense for at least another season with both captain Zdeno Chara (one year remaining at $7.5 million) and Dennis Wideman (two years at $4 and 4.5 million respectively) still in the mix. Chances are, Chara is next on Chiarelli's to-do list as far as re-signing players go.
Between the pipes, Tim Thomas is locked in until the 2013-14 season and Rask just recently signed a deal that will keep him here until at least 2012-13.
So with some contracts coming off the books next season and Savard’s new contract providing some flexibility, the Bruins may finally be able to address their biggest deficiency right now: scoring.
Expect the Bruins to be linked to Savard’s former teammate, Thrashers sniper and impending free agent Ilya Kovalchuk. Sources tell NESN.com though that he is very close to signing a mega nine- to 10-year deal that could pay him upwards of $9 million per season.
If the Bruins are to keep Chara and Bergeron after next season, then it’s highly unlikely they can commit that term and salary to any player. But that doesn’t mean Kovalchuk or another scorer can’t be brought in as a rental at the trade deadline.
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